How Herne the Hunter
showed the Earl of Surrey the Fair
Geraldine in a Vision.
On the third day after Surrey’s
imprisonment in the keep, he was removed to the Norman
Tower. The chamber allotted him was square, tolerably
lofty, and had two narrow-pointed windows on either
side, looking on the one hand into the upper quadrangle,
and on the other into the middle ward. At the
same time permission was accorded him to take exercise
on the battlements of the Round Tower, or within the
dry and grassy moat at its foot.
The Fair Geraldine, he was informed,
had been sent to the royal palace at Greenwich; but
her absence occasioned him little disquietude, because
he knew, if she had remained at Windsor, he would not
have been allowed to see her.
On the same day that Surrey was removed
to the Norman Tower, the Duke of Richmond quitted
the castle without assigning any motive for his departure,
or even taking leave of his friend. At first some
jealous mistrust that he might be gone to renew his
suit to the Fair Geraldine troubled the earl; but
he strongly combated the feeling, as calculated, if
indulged, to destroy his tranquillity; and by fixing
his thoughts sedulously on other subjects, he speedily
succeeded in overcoming it.
On that night, while occupied in a
translation of the Aeneid which he had commenced,
he remained at his task till a late hour. The
midnight bell had tolled, when, looking up, he was
startled by perceiving a tall figure standing silent
and motionless beside him.
Independently of the difficulty of
accounting for its presence, the appearance of the
figure was in itself sufficiently appalling. It
was above the ordinary stature, and was enveloped
in a long black cloak, while a tall, conical black
cap, which added to its height, and increased the
hideousness of its features, covered its head.
For a few minutes Surrey remained
gazing at the figure in mute astonishment, during
which it maintained the same motionless posture.
At length he was able to murmur forth the interrogation,
“Who art thou?”
“A friend,” replied the figure, in a sepulchral
tone.
“Are you a man or spirit?” demanded Surrey.
“It matters not I am a friend,”
rejoined the figure.
“On what errand come you here?” asked
Surrey.
“To serve you,” replied
the figure; “to liberate you. You shall
go hence with me, if you choose.”
“On what condition?” rejoined Surrey.
“We will speak of that when
we are out of the castle, and on the green sod of
the forest,” returned the figure.
“You tempt in vain,” cried
Surrey. “I will not go with you. I
recognise in you the demon hunter Herne.”
The figure laughed hollowly so hollowly
that Surrey’s flesh crept upon his bones.
“You are right, lord of Surrey,”
he said; “I am Herne the Hunter. You must
join me. Sir Thomas Wyat is already one of my
band.”
“You lie, false fiend!”
rejoined Surrey. “Sir Thomas Wyat is in
France.”
“It is you who lie, lord of
Surrey,” replied Herne; “Sir Thomas Wyat
is now in the great park. You shall see him in
a few minutes, if you will come with me.”
“I disbelieve you, tempter!”
cried Surrey indignantly. “Wyat is too good
a Christian, and too worthy a knight, to league with
a demon.”
Again Herne laughed bitterly.
“Sir Thomas Wyat told you he
would seek me out,” said the demon. “He
did so, and gave himself to me for Anne Boleyn.”
“But you have no power over
her, demon?” cried Surrey, shuddering.
“You will learn whether I have
or not, in due time,” replied Herne. “Do
you refuse to go with me?”
“I refuse to deliver myself
to perdition,” rejoined the earl.
“An idle fear,” rejoined
Herne. “I care not for your soul you
will destroy it without my aid. I have need of
you. You shall be back again in this chamber
before the officer visits it in the morning, and no
one shall be aware of your absence. Come, or
I will bear you hence.”
“You dare not touch me,”
replied Surrey, placing his hand upon his breast;
“I am armed with a holy relic.”
“I know it,” said Herne;
“and I feel its power, or I would not have trifled
with you thus long. But it cannot shield you from
a rival. You believe the Fair Geraldine constant ha?”
“I know her to be so,” said Surrey.
A derisive laugh broke from Herne.
“Peace, mocking fiend!” cried Surrey furiously.
“I laugh to think how you are
deceived,” said Herne. “Would you
behold your mistress now? would you see
how she conducts herself during your absence?”
“If you choose to try me, I
will not oppose the attempt,” replied Surrey;
“but it will be futile.”
“Remove the relic from your
person,” rejoined Herne. “Place it
upon the table, within your grasp, and you shall see
her.”
Surrey hesitated; but he was not proof
against the low mocking laugh of the demon.
“No harm can result from it,”
he cried at length, detaching the relic from his neck,
and laying it on the table.
“Extinguish the light!”
cried Herne, in a commanding voice.
Surrey instantly sprang to his feet,
and dashed the lamp off the table. “Behold!”
cried the demon.
And instantly a vision, representing
the form and linéaments of the Fair Geraldine
to the life, shone forth against the opposite wall
of the chamber. At the feet of the visionary
damsel knelt a shape resembling the Duke of Richmond.
He was pressing the hand extended to him by the Fair
Geraldine to his lips, and a smile of triumph irradiated
his features.
“Such is man’s friendship such
woman’s constancy!” cried Herne. “Are
you now satisfied?”
“I am, that you have deceived
me, false spirit!” cried the earl. “I
would not believe the Fair Geraldine inconstant, though
all hell told me so.”
A terrible laugh broke from the demon,
and the vision faded away. All became perfect
darkness, and for a few moments the earl remained silent.
He then called to the demon, but receiving no answer,
put forth his hand towards the spot where he had stood.
He was gone.
Confounded, Surrey returned to the
table, and searched for the relic, but, with a feeling
of indescribable anguish and self-reproach, found
that it had likewise disappeared.