Mercia

“ In him the people of this great Empire will have a kind Father, a wise Teacher, a just Ruler, and a lover and promoter of learning.
‘By the union of Mercia and Dayanand we shall have restored to us the lost Royal Line: in beauteous Mercia, perfect in face, and form, in soul and mind, we have found the true representative of what a monarch ought to be.
‘Herein is crystallised the talent, wisdom, and virtue of all generations. In her person we shall have the embodiment of our country’s dignity and honour. She shall become the Great Mother of India. ”

“ Sadbag, smiling good-humouredly, ‘pray don’t applaud any more; I can’t get along with my talking-machine; and until I finish the Court is unable to arrive at a decision. ’Tis a pity to hinder the Emperor’s pretty speeches, just listen to this, and see how poetical he is: the tender passion makes even kings grow quite tragical.’
‘Mercia, Mercia, give me thy love! Take me, my beloved, spurn me no longer, for without thee I am as one dead. As a world without sun, without life, without warmth I shall go on my way darkened for ever. ”

“ To-morrow the whole world will ring of his doings. His hypocrisy, his deceit, and his cowardice will make him the object of detestation to all. The four quarters of the earth have got the story word for word, and we shall see what comes of it.’
‘Sadbag, what hast thou done?’ demanded Mercia with eyes of fire and cheek of flame. ”

“ As his gaze dwelt upon her sweet face, he looked into her eyes with rapturous emotion, and clasping his hands together, knelt before this lovely delineation of his secret adoration, uttering in tenderest accents a passionate apostrophe.
‘O, divine Mercia, I love thee! Thou hast brought into my life a new element—a new force, as mysterious, as it is powerful. A new joy has come into my heart hitherto unknown. A new hope is imparted to my lonely life, irradiating its darkness, and giving the sweetest comfort known to the human soul. ”

“ After Æthelred's death she continued to rule Mercia, with the title of the ‘Lady of the Mercians,’ but the king joined London and Oxford, with the lands pertaining to them, to Wessex. Æthelflæd now set herself to secure Mercia against the attacks of the Danes and Northmen by building fortresses which would hinder them from entering the country from North Wales, where they found allies, or by the principal roads that led into central England. ”

“ However, I am aware that Mercia is in love already. That fellow Geometrus desires her, and she loves him: at all events she told me as much. I suppose thy prophecy refers to him; for he is one also who troubles little about the affairs of women; for he slaves all day making astronomical instruments for Mercia to do her star-gazing with. He is her devoted servant, and she appreciates him accordingly,’ observed Felicitas cynically.
‘But will she marry him?’ remarked Swami musingly.
‘Exercise thy soul-reading powers and discover for thyself,’ answered the Emperor lightly. ”

“ Had there been a goodly half-dozen of sons to fall back upon an English prince would never have had the chance of their crown.’
‘All’s well that ends well, Geometrus. Now is England invincible to the whole world: 91in her position as a united Empire her power is paramount everywhere.’
No sooner had Mercia made this observation than she heard the sound of some unusual noise going on outside, and stepping to the window she saw several gentlemen assembled near the Observatory, among whom she discerned no other personage than the Emperor Felicitas himself. ”

“ In less than ten minutes, Felicitas was summoned into the dark room, and on the wonderful crystal there appeared the most beautiful vision of womanly loveliness that art had ever created. Mercia looking radiant with happiness, whose beauty was heightened and enhanced by the most costly draperies and diamonds that wealth could produce, was seated on a throne, surrounded by the imposing pageantry of a coronation ceremony. ”

“ If society should get hold of this precious piece of scandal thy prestige will be ruined! An Emperor is a god, or at least, a demigod, who should appear perfect before his people, whether he be or no. But, now, he must step down from his pedestal, and apologise, just to straighten things comfortably. Nay, it cannot be hard to kneel to a deity, for Mercia is no less! ”

“ Let thine heart melt to its influence, and all will go well with thee. Thy melancholies will disappear; thy solitude lightened; for thou wilt have a new theory to analyse—a new and a better one.’
110‘Yes, thou canst love, dear Mercia, I know it; for thine eyes were made for the conquest of man’s heart, rather than star-gazing. Cease to disregard the designs of Nature when she formed thee, and yield thyself to the pleasure of love.’
Mercia essayed to answer him, but her tongue refused her utterance, so great was her confusion. ”

“ Ignorance and superstition, Eastern despotism and tyranny can never again find a home in that beautiful country,’ remarked Mercia thoughtfully.
‘Oh, we are all well aware of that: but it suits our purpose to make these assertions: we must invent a raison d’être when we take upon ourselves the government of a country that in no way belongs to us. ”

“ Eastern potentates, and native princes of the various Eastern possessions were paying her homage. Their Oriental costumes, rich with jewels and resplendent with vivid colouring lent a charm to the most magnificent scene 258of Oriental splendour that it was possible to conceive.
‘What an entrancing sight! What perfect loveliness!’ murmured the Emperor, as he gazed with rapture on the beautiful picture before him.
‘Mercia, dearest Mercia, how beautiful thou art! Did I not divine thou wert made to grace a throne? Oh, thou sweet Mercia, listen to me. What bliss to dwell with thee always ”

“ And so the cry spreading itself through every quarter of that vast Empire was caught 344up in wild delight—Long live Mercia, our Empress, being echoed from every part, by people of every caste and every creed. But when the intelligence reached this impressionable people that Mercia, the greatest Astronomer, and noblest woman the world had ever seen, was about to enter into a matrimonial alliance with Dayanand Swami, the actual lineal descendant of The Great Mogul Dynasty, which governed India from the early centuries downwards, that settled the question. ”

“ In truth it is, but now there reigns in Mercia
A warlike king, who better knows to deal
With valiant men. The messenger inform'd you?
Sel. He has; yet, be it own'd, to call him king
Sounds strangely in our ears. ”

“ This marriage was a cruel error for both of you, and the error can be rectified to your mutual advantage."
"Not to my own," cried Britton, pained beyond measure. "I cherish the present, but I accept the future at your dictation."
"Whose dictation?" Mercia asked quickly.
"Trascott's and Ainsworth's," her husband answered. "Two of the finest minds in England. They are in the very front rank of their professions, and they have held the scales for many unbalanced lives. Ours have been weighed with wisdom by their hands. Mercia, do you understand their judgment–what their verdict means?" ”

“ After a sharp contest, in which three of the sea-kings were slain, the men of Mercia drove the pagans into their intrenchments, nor did they cease from assailing them in their stronghold until darkness had settled down upon the land. But a thousand men, though backed by so good a cause, were sure to fall at last before such a mighty and overwhelming host as the invaders presented. ”

“ This matter shall be looked into, Sire. Though thou art an Emperor thy conduct shall be examined, and the light of the noonday sun thrown upon it; for it is meet that those filling high places be honourable men.’
‘If Mistress Mercia sees fit to give up her post, thou Geometrus canst worthily fill it,’ observed Felicitas in an insinuating manner, hoping to mollify him by offering to place him in a more exalted position. ”

“ It is without doubt the most beautiful creation I have ever seen! How wonderfully art thou endowed, Swami, I would I were only half as gifted as thou art.’ Then, the Emperor fixing his gaze upon the beauteous face of Mercia, who formed the central figure in the scene, and whose countenance expressed the sweetest grace and modesty ”

“ When fame is won, leisure is lost, Mercia quickly discovered; for no sooner had Swami left than she found herself surrounded by crowds of persons who had come to offer their congratulations. Of course the sincerity of those demonstrative ones was not to be doubted, nevertheless the visits of a goodly percentage were prompted more by curiosity to see the woman who might have displaced their Empress, had she been so minded, and the Divorce Courts sufficiently obliging, than anything else. Consequently, Mercia had a livelier time of it for several hours than she was prepared for. ”

“ That country pretty well understands where the shoe pinches for she has gone through experiences.’
‘I have read in books,’ observed Mercia smiling, ‘how American women made wealthy by their parents’ success in trade, came hither to mate with titled men; for there was no nobility in their own country. I suppose possessing all the world could give save high rank they sought in the parent country for that which their own lacked.’
‘They lacked not long,’ returned Geometrus laughingly, ‘for over fifty years they have been in the enjoyment of a monarchy and all its concomitant honours. ”

“ As soon as the Coronation Oath was taken by Mercia, in accordance with the custom of their most remote ancestry, she was sprinkled with water from the Ganges, which was contained in a golden bowl glittering with precious jewels. After which, the grand Imperial Crown was placed upon her head by the venerable Prime Minister, who officiated as high priest of the ceremony.
348‘Now,’ said the old man, ‘I will finish by quoting a counsel from a part of the most ancient of India’s literature,—the Dasakumaracharita, or ‘Stories of Ten Princes.’
‘Government is an arduous matter; it has three principles ”

“ The boundary line of Mercia and Wales, thus established with due solemnity by the authority of both nations, was constantly recognised as such during the Anglo-Saxon age. [13] Cenwulf, the immediate successor of Offa, vindicated it on the north by his famous victory at Rhyddlan. [14] Early in the ninth century Egbert, King of Wessex, added Mercia to his dominions, and adopted its western limit. "Punishments of the most frightful character are denounced against him who violates" the Mark of the primitive settlement. ”

“ Thou, and the woman Mercia are in league against me! You twain have hatched this conspiracy to work my disgrace. But I will scatter it to the winds—I will prove its utter falsity. I will show how futile are your plans to bring about a revolution: Mercia and thou shall die for your crimes; for it is nothing short of high treason.’
‘High bunkum, thy Majesty talkest!’ retorted Sadbag sarcastically; ‘thy blundering only equals thy blustering. Thy cousin, the prince, and Geometrus are witnesses of the truth of my statement, for they saw for themselves the fag end of the affair ”

“ The decree of the Witan assigns Mercia and Northumbria to the sons of Algar. The old demarcations of the heptarchy, as thou knowest, are scarce worn out; it is even now less one monarchy, than various states retaining their own laws, and inhabitated by different races, who under the sub-kings, called earls, acknowledge a supreme head in the Basileus of Britain. Mercia hath its March law and its prince; Northumbria its Dane law and its leader. To elect a king without civil war, these realms, for so they are, must unite with and sanction the Witans elsewhere held. ”

“ To threaten the life of the Sovereign is enough—the law still holds good in my realms to 124punish such crime with death. This one charge alone against Mercia is sufficient! She must die the death of a felon, and pay for her temerity,’ returned Felicitas, who thus interpreted the law with much assumption of dignity, to suit his own convenience.
‘The nation will not see Mercia die for such a dastard as thou!’ exclaimed Geometrus, suddenly awakening from the stupor of surprise that had overtaken him, as the matter developed itself. ”

“ With this exception, Watling Street, the Ouse and the Lea, continued to be the boundary between Mercia and the Danish kingdom of East Anglia down to the death of Æthelred, between 910 and 912. The government was then carried on by Æthelflaed, who built a number of fortresses, and in conjunction with her brother, King Edward the Elder, succeeded in expelling the Danes from Derby and Leicester by the year 917–18. After her death in the latter year her daughter Ælfwyn was soon deprived of the government by Edward, and Mercia was definitely annexed to Wessex. ”

“ An Emperor on his knees to a subject was not an every day situation, while the scene where she threatens his life was quite too tragical to be neglected. It gave the libretto to the composer, great and small, of comic opera, and in serious opera it was thrilling. Mercia in a state of ecstatic bliss warbling sweetest love songs to the enchanted Emperor, formed a delicious scene that was irresistibly charming to all beholders. When the proper time arrived the fearless Sadbag sent a full description of the affair to every journal throughout the world. ”

“ He seldom had the power, even if the will, to communicate with home. Mercia was in many respects an independent state, subject to the same king, but governed by a code of laws differing from those of Wessex; and it was only when a royal messenger or some chance traveller left court for the banks of the Midland Avon, that Elfric could use the art of writing, a knowledge he was singular in possessing, thanks to the wisdom of his sire. ”