AN HISTORICAL ROMANCE. BY HENRY CURLING, AUTHOR OF "THE SOLDIER OF FORTUNE." Now powers from home, and discontents at home, A thousand businesses are brief in hand, KING JOHN. IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. II. LONDON: RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET. 1846. JOHN OF ENGLAND. CHAPTER I. THE BANQUET AFTER THE BATTLE. The King doth wake to-night, and takes his rouse, SHAKESPERE. IN the great hall of the strong castle of Mirabeau the English King sat with his nobles and the mother-queen, and feasted, after the recent conflict. It was a gorgeous scene of revelry, rendered doubly picturesque and interesting from being held amidst the hurry of war, with the royal host and his guests, in all the excitement of VOL. II. B the recent strife, red-handed from the field of blood of a few hours before. The great hall of the castle was a vast, thick-walled apartment, its gloomy space being partially illumined by the iron lamp, the flaring torch, and flambeau. Two enormous fires, also, blazing upon the capacious hearths, sent forth a deep ruddy glow upon the arms and armour of the warriors assembled, whilst the flames were reflected back from whole piles of harness and weapons, which, hastily cast aside, now lay cumbering the floor around, and almost impeding the hurried exertions of the various serving-men who assisted at the board. John sat enthroned upon the raised dais at the end of the hall, beneath a canopy upper hastily constructed from the draperies that had been torn down from the tent of Arthur, which was everywhere covered with the Lion of England and the arms of Brittany. Queen Elinor was by his side, looking the fitting mother of such a son. Both wore the regal |