Privy Parlour

_Eructavit cor meum verbum bonum: dico ego opera mea regi._

My heart hath uttered a good word: I speak my works to the king.--_Ps.
xliv. 1._

V

It would be about half an hour before the King's dinner-time, which was
ten o'clock, that Master Richard came again to the hall.

There was not so great a press that day, and the holy youth was able to
make his way near to the barrier that held back the common folk, and to
see the King plainly. He was upon his seat beneath the cloth-of-estate
that was quartered with the leopards and lilies, and had his hat upon
his head. About him, beneath the scaffold on which he sat were the great
nobles, and my lord cardinal had a chair set for him upon the right-hand
side, on the step below the King's.

All was very fair and fine, said Master Richard, with pieces of rich
stuff hanging upon the walls on this side and that beneath the windows,
and, finest of all were the colours of the robes, and the steel and the
gold and the white fur and the feathers, and the gilded glaives and
trumpets, and coat-armour of the heralds.

There was a matter about to be concluded, but Master Richard could not
tell what it was, for there was a din of talking all about him, and he
saw many clerks and Religious very busy together in the crowd, shaking
their fingers, lifting their brows, and clacking like rooks at
sunset--so the young man related it. There were two fellows with their
backs to him, standing in an open space before the scaffold with guards
about them. One of the two was a clerk, and wore his square cap upon
his head, and the other was not.

The King looked sick; he was but a young man at that time, not two years
older than Master Richard. He was listening with his head down, to a
clerk who whispered in his ear, kneeling by his side with papers and a
great quill in his hand, and the King's eyes roved as he listened, now
up, now down, and his fingers with rings upon them were arched at his
ear. My lord cardinal had a ruddy face and bright holy eyes, and sat in
his sanguine robes with his cap on his head, looking out with his lips
pursed at the clerks and monks that babbled together beyond the barrier.
He was an old man at this time, but wondrous strong and hearty.

At the end the King sat up, and there was a silence, but he spoke so low
and quick, with his eyes cast down, and the shouting followed so hard
upon his words, that Master Richard could not hear what was said