Project Gutenberg's The Star-Chamber, Volume 1, by W. Harrison Ainsworth

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Title: The Star-Chamber, Volume 1 An Historical Romance

Author: W. Harrison Ainsworth

Release Date: May 20, 2004 [EBook #12396]

Language: English

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THE STAR-CHAMBER;

AN HISTORICAL ROMANCE,

BY W. HARRISON AINSWORTH, ESQ.

AUTHOR OF "WINDSOR CASTLE," &C.

IN TWO VOLUMES.

VOL. I.

LEIPZIG

BERNHARD TAUCHNITZ

1854.

CONTENTS OF VOLUME I.

CHAPTER

     I. The Three Cranes in the Vintry
    II. Sir Giles Mompesson and his partner
   III. The French ordinary
    IV. A Star-Chamber victim
     V. Jocelyn Mounchensey
    VI. Provocation
   VII. How Lord Roos obtained Sir Francis Mitchell's signature
  VIII. Of Lupo Vulp, Captain Bludder, Clement Lanyere,
        and Sir Giles's other Myrmidons
    IX. The Letters-Patent
     X. The 'prentices and their leader
    XI. John Wolfe
   XII. The Arrest and the Rescue
  XIII. How Jocelyn Mounchensey encountered a masked horseman
        on Stamford Hill
   XIV. The May-Queen and the Puritan's Daughter
    XV. Hugh Calveley
   XVI. Of the sign given by the Puritan to the Assemblage
  XVII. A rash promise
 XVIII. How the promise was cancelled
   XIX. Theobalds' Palace
    XX. King James the First
   XXI. Consequences of the Puritan's warning
  XXII. Wife and Mother-in-Law
 XXIII. The Tress of Hair
  XXIV. The Fountain Court
   XXV. Sir Thomas Lake
  XXVI. The forged Confession
 XXVII. The Puritan's Prison
XXVIII. The Secret
  XXIX. Luke Hatton

  "I will make a Star-Chamber matter of it."
  MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR.

CHAPTER I.

The Three Cranes in the Vintry.

Adjoining the Vintry Wharf, and at the corner of a narrow lane communicating with Thames Street, there stood, in the early part of the Seventeenth Century, a tavern called the Three Cranes. This old and renowned place of entertainment had then been in existence more than two hundred years, though under other designations. In the reign of Richard II., when it was first established, it was styled the Painted Tavern, from the circumstance of its outer walls being fancifully coloured and adorned with Bacchanalian devices. But these decorations went out of fashion in time, and the tavern, somewhat changing its external features, though preserving all its internal comforts and accommodation, assumed the name of the Three Crowns, under which title it continued until the accession of Elizabeth, when it became (by a slight modification) the Three Cranes; and so remained in the days of her successor, and, indeed, long afterwards.

Not that the last-adopted denomination had any reference, as might be supposed, to the three huge wooden instruments on the wharf, employed with ropes and pulleys to unload the lighters and other vessels that brought up butts and hogsheads of wine from the larger craft below Bridge, and constantly thronged the banks; though, no doubt, they indirectly suggested it. The Three Cranes depicted on the large signboard, suspended in front of the tavern, were long-necked, long-beaked birds, each with a golden fish in its bill.

But under whatever designation it might be known—Crown or Crane—the tavern had always maintained a high reputation for excellence of wine: and this is the less surprising when we take into account its close proximity to the vast vaults and cellars of the Vintry, where the choicest produce of Gascony, Bordeaux, and other wine-growing districts, was deposited; some of which we may reasonably conclude would find its way to its tables. Good wine, it may be incidentally remarked, was cheap enough when the Three Cranes was first opened, the delicate juice of the Gascoign grape being then vended, at fourpence the gallon, and Rhenish at sixpence! Prices, however, had risen considerably at the period of which we propose to treat; but the tavern was as well-reputed and well-frequented as ever: even more so, for it had considerably advanced in estimation since it came into the hands of a certain enterprising French skipper, Prosper Bonaventure by name, who intrusted its management to his active and pretty little wife Dameris, while he himself prosecuted his trading voyages between the Garonne and the Thames. And very well Madame Bonaventure fulfilled the duties of hostess, as will be seen.

Now, as the skipper was a very sharp fellow, and perfectly understood his business-practically anticipating the Transatlantic axiom of buying at the cheapest market and gelling at the dearest-he soon contrived to grow rich. He did more: he pleased his customers at the Three Cranes. Taking care to select his wines judiciously, and having good opportunities, he managed to obtain possession of some delicious vintages, which, could not be matched elsewhere; and, with this nectar at his command, the fortune of his house was made. All the town gallants flocked to the Three Cranes to dine at the admirable French ordinary newly established there, and crush a flask or so of the exquisite Bordeaux, about which, and its delicate flavour and bouquet, all the connoisseurs in claret were raving. From, mid-day, therefore, till late in the afternoon, there were nearly as many gay barges and wherries as lighters lying off the Vintry Wharf; and sometimes, when accommodation was wanting, the little craft were moored along the shore all the way from Queenhithe to the Steelyard; at which latter place the Catherine Wheel was almost as much noted for racy Rhenish and high-dried neat's tongues, as our tavern was for fine Bordeaux and well-seasoned pâtés.

Not the least, however, of the attractions of the Three Cranes, was the hostess herself. A lively little brunette was Madame Bonaventure, still young, or, at all events, very far from being old; with extremely fine teeth, which she was fond of displaying, and a remarkably neat ancle, which she felt no inclination to hide beneath the sweep of her round circling farthingale. Her figure was quite that of a miniature Venus; and as, like most of her country-women, she understood the art of dress to admiration, she set off her person to the best advantage; always attiring herself in a style, and in colours, that suited her, and never indulging in an unwarrantable extravagance of ruff, or absurd and unbecoming length of peaked boddice. As to the stuffs she wore, they were certainly above her station, for no Court dame could boast of richer silks than those in which the pretty Dameris appeared on fête days; and this was accounted for by reason that the good skipper seldom returned from a trip to France without bringing his wife a piece of silk, brocade, or velvet from Lyons; or some little