"Red Eve"
This is a dramatic tael set in the fourteenth century, commencing in the days before the battle of Crecy. A prologue - in fact if not in name - tells of a strange figure, Murgh the Messenger, or the Helper, Gateway of the Gods, departing from his abode in the East to bring his boon to the West. He is, of course, nonthing more nor less than Death personified. He sets sail in a ship, while his priests are killed by the fearless but vengefull locals.
The story proper commences in the Blythburgh marshes, near Dunwich, Suffolk, in the year 1346. Eve Clavering, who is 19 years old, has met her cousin Hugh de Cressi, on the latter's 23rd birthday. Red Eve, as she is called on account of her attire - worn because of her dark colouring - tellls Hugh that her father, Sir John, wants her to marry the Frenchman Sir Edmund Acour. She hates Acour, also known as the Count de Noyon in France and the Seigneur of Cattrina in Italy, and loves Hugh alone.
Grey Dick, a 30 year old archer who is Hugh's servant and constant compamion, warns of the approach of a party led by Sir John and Acour. They have come to seize Eve to compel her to marry Acour, and to kill Hugh if they may. Although they are cousins there is emnity between the two families. The de Cressi are the senior but are in trade, while the Claverings of Blythburgh Manor are heavily mortgaged.
Sir John's son John Clavering fires the reeds to drive the fugitives into the open. But they escape after Hugh kills John in fair fight after the latter has taunted and struck Hugh. They take refuge in the church of the former Templar preceptory in Dunwich with their friend and confessor Sir Andrew Arnold, the former prior and a soldier of great reputation.
Sir Andrew, now a priest, tells Hugh a tale of his youth, when he visited Cathay, and saw the court of the emperor Timur at Kambaluc (or Peking). There he met the Gateway of the Gods, and as a mark of favour Murgh showed Sir Andrew his own death. It was to be on Blythburgh marshes, in winter, and Hugh, Eve, and Acour - and Grey Dick - were to present, as welll as Murgh himself. He also sees a constant stream of birds, apparently doves, appearing over the shoulder of Murgh, as though delivering a message, and then vanishing again. Half are black and half white.
Knowing all their story, Sir Andrew places a penance upon Hugh and Eve. They cannot marry for a year, with the blood of Eve's only brother on Hugh's hands. In order to gain Hugh some standing in society - for he is as yet only a merchant's son - and to protect him from murder by Acour, he sends him to the King in London. A letter, proving Acour's treachery, has fallen into his hands.
A band of half a dozen of Acour's men, led by Sir Pierre de la Roche, waylay Hugh and Dick and their four serving men, but are beaten off. Hugh gives them their liberty.
In London they discover that the King has moved to Windsor, so they follow him there. The King (Edward III), and his young son Edward Prince of Wales (the Black Prince) receive Hugh and Dick, and are surprised and angry when they learn of Acour's treason. The King favours Hugh by commissioning him to seize Acour. But before they return to Dunwich they stop to see an outstanding display of archery from Dick.
Meanwhile Eve is lured from sanctuary by false accounts that her father is gravely ill and that Acour has ridden for London. She is seized and put in a cell at her father's command. Acour has his confidential secretary, the priest Nicholas, concoct a love philtre, which they administer to Eve in milk. She is married by Nicholas to Acour, in her father's presence in the chapel at Blythburgh Manor. Hugh de Cressi and Sir Andrew Arnold ride up just in time to see the blessing- they are too late. Eve, who has been semi-conscious but apparently consenting, awakes at this point. Sir John Clavering hits Hugh, then dies of a stroke. The French flee.
Sir Andrew Arnold nurses Hugh, and when he recovers states his intention to seek the Pope's annulment of the sham marriage. But they must be patient, as "the law ecclesiastic moves but slowly and then only when its wheels are greased with gold".
Time passes. Hugh and Grey Dick are in the English army at Crecy, awaiting battle. They are attached to the escort of the Prince. Battle is joined with the splendidly-attired French. They are hard-pressed and Prince Edward is all but overcome. The Earl of Warwick sends a knight wiht Hugh as guard to the King asking for succour. He replies that he has no more men to spare, and says "bid him win his spurs", and orders a charge. They are victorious.
Throughout the battle Hugh and Dick have sought for the cognisance of the swan - Acour - who is with the French army. Finally they see him, in the fleeing French host. Hugh engages him in single combat, and mortally wounds him, only to discover that it is Sir Pierre de la Roche, who has swapped armour with his follower. The dying de la Roche tells Hugh that Acour has fled to Venice.
Hugh de Cressi, now knighted by the King for his valour, is sent as a duly accredited envoy to Venice, there to act as the King's Champion and challenge Acour (known in Italy as Cattrina) to single combat to the death for treason. They arrive in the city meet Sir Geoffrey Carleon, the honest and welcoming English ambassador. At the Doge's Court Sir Hugh openly challenges Cattrina, accusing him additionally of cowardice, producing his armour as evidence. He has no choice but to accept. Ambrosio, captain of the Doge's Guard challenges Grey Dick, after an altercation with a micning page, his younger brother.
Sir Hugh and Dick visit the Place of Arms, where the combat is to occur, late at night, guided by the youth David Day, a retainer of Sir Geoffrey's. The Place is adjacent to the quay, and while looking over the ground a great galley arrives. The vessel docks apparently without a crew, and contrary to the wind. The 300 men on board are all dead of the plague, and Murgh himself, fantastically dressed, is aboard. He is threatened by the bystanders, who think (not without reason) that he is a wizard or devil. Murgh, for reasons of his own, for he can come to no harm at the hands of mere mortals, asks whether there is anyone present who would "befriend a stranger in a strange land". Hugh and Dick step forward, and after shooting a couple of attackers, they are left alone. Murgh, whom Sir Hugh and Dick don't recognise yet, though they are afraid of him, speaks to each in the English to which they are accustomed. He allows Hugh to see the Doves. He, recalling Sir Andrew's tale, fell on his knees before the Man.
Murgh, amused that Dick had tried to fire an arrow at him as the ship docked, teased Dick. He borrowed his great black bow, that no one else was allowed to use, and lightly fired an arrow. The target was something that Dick had in mind. It lept away as though with a life of its own. It was later found to have pierced Sir Pierre's helm, in Hugh's room in the ambassador's house.
Murgh and party leave the docks. They are attacked by prowlers, led by Nicholas. Acour doesn't want to fight Hugh, and thinks murder is the easy escape. Murgh, in the lead, easily overcame the assailants, and whispers to Nicholas, who runs away screaming with terror. Murgh, who says he has friends of his won in the city, leaves them.
The morning comes, and with it oppressive head and a brooding atmosphere. A huge crowd, led by the Doge, has assembled for the entertainment. It commences with Dick beating Ambrosio, who is lumbering and thoughtless. But he doesn't kill him although the combat is to the death, as he tells Hugh afterwards, because he thought he heard Murgh say "spare".
Sir Hugh de Cressi awaits Cattrina. But darkness envelopes the city. Cattrina flees, and in his place stands Murgh. An earthquake strikes the city, and with it a tidal wave. There is chaos and confusion. Sir Geoffrey, in the Doge's tent, is trapped, his leg crushed. Sir Hugh and Dick, assisted by David, rescue him and carry him back to their home. There they discover that Lady Carleon is dying of the plague. It is the outbreak of the Black Death, which the Venetian ship has brought from the East. Truly Murgh is busy.
Sir Geoffrey dies ten days after his wife, of the mortification of his wound. As he says to Sir Hugh "say, too, to the Doge, ... that I grieve that I have not been able to hand him my letters of recall in person, since the King who summons me sends none".
After burying the couple Sir Hugh and Dick go in search of Cattrina. The Palazzo Cattrina is deserted except for sundry corpses and the dying Father Nicholas, who lies in the chapel striken badly with the plague. He confessed his guilt, tells then Cattrina has gone to Avignon to plead the cause of his "marriage" with the Pope, and willing signed a detailed confession, and died horribly. Sir Hugh leaves for France, accompanied by Dick and David.
Everywhere they go they see that Murgh has been ahead of them. The Black Death is everywhere. As they near Avignon the rescue a Jewish woman and her two young daughters from the hands of villages who have just burnt the husband and father and were about to have a repeat performance. The Jews of course were accused of having poisoned a well and so brought the plague. The widow, young and good lookimg, was doubtless lucky to have escaped being raped, as were her six and eight year old daughters, though Haggard wouldn't mention such a detail. Rebecca, daughter of Onias, and wife (or rather widow) of Nathan, accompanies the party, to the risk of both. She blesses them for their conduct as they part at the outskirts of Avignon, and goes to meet her kinsmen.
Unable to find an inn which will welcome foreigners Sir Hugh and party take up abode in a fortified house, which they find deserted except for the corpse of a recently deceased bride.
The Pope's palace is closed to all outsiders. But they are approached by a notary, Basil of Tours, who offers to help - for a fee. However, unknown to them he is already in the pay of Cattrina, who is also awaiting a papal hearing. But they find Sir Andrew Arnold and Eve Clavering in a Templer preceptory in the town. Eve has had the plague, but has recovered. She tells them that she has just dreamt of a strangely dressed man who has just told her that she will live and that all will be well. Hugh and Dick (and Arnold) recognise Murgh in the description.
Basil leads Hugh, Dick and David into an ambush. The Jews counter-attack and Hugh and Dick are led to their tower by a ragged Jewish youth. David has disappeared however, apparently killed or trodden down by the mob. They are beseized by an armed mob for a week, but the tower is sufficiently strong to withstand assaults so long as their supply of arrows and stones (for dropping on the heads of attackers) holds out. The final assault comes. The moat is crossed and the front door broken. They fight their way up the stairs to the roof. The "two red harvesters who that day had toiled so hard in the rich fields of death" planned to through themselves off the tower rather than be taken as tried as wizards.
But a cloud passes overhead, and Murgh appears between the attackers and defenders. The men of Avignon flee in terror, killing more of their own people in their haste to escape. Sir Hugh and Grey Dick leave the tower, to meet David Day, coming to meet them. He has only just recovered from injuries received in the ambush, and has been sheltered by the Jews. They go to the preceptory, which is deserted except for Basil. He says Eve and Sir Andrew and dead and in the plague pit. Dick kills him. They visit the pit, and a priest says that a tall woman in a red cloak was indeed just buried. They return to Dunwich, which they find deserted due to the plague.
It is now winter, and snow lies on the Blythburgh marshes. At the spot where Sir Hugh killed John Clavering two years ago to the day they meet Murgh, and their horses fled away, screaming in their fright. Hugh and Dick kneel before Murgh. Murgh orders Dick to dig a grave. They recall Sir Andrew's tale, and lo, Acour approaches, and do Arnold and Eve. Acour had attacked Sir Andrew but his two men were killed, although the old priest is mortally wounded.
Sir Hugh de Cressi and Sir Edmund Acour fight. But it is a poor fight, for Acour has no heart for it, knowing its ending. He is mortally wounded, and falls back into the newly-dug grave, piercing himself on his own sword. Sir Andrew Arnold marries Sir Hugh and Eve, with Grey Dick as clerk and Murgh as congregation, and then dies.
This is an unusal story for Haggard. We are accustomed to his supernatural touches, and his romance. But this is historical fiction - rivalry between knights, a shame marriage, the Battle of Crecy, and the Black Death, with the added element of the personification of Death. Murgh is no mere prophet or seer. He is, as he styled himself, the Gateway of the Gods. Although he executed the mandate of Heaven pitilessly he was not without humour and compassion, and was indeed, as he also described himself, the Helper. He is a strong character, but inscrutable - as he should be. Grey Dick was the faithful servant, with little ambition of his own, but a fierce dog-like attachment to his master. Eve Clavering is relatively unimportant as a character - despite the story being named after her. Acour is not well developed. but is merely the villain, just as Hugh is a relatively straightforward hero.
The more interesting characters are Sir Andrew Arnold, a good and honest priest and strongman of God, and Grey Dick, who at the end of the tale is left to wonder what his lot will be, with his master married.
One minor criticism would be that Sir Andrew Arnold, if the last prior of the Templars at Dunwich, would be very old indeed, since the order was dissolved in 1312 or thereabouts, and the tale commences in 1346. He may have been young when appointed. But the preceptory would have passed to the Hospitaller Order, who are not mentioned. A relatively minor error, but a needless one.