The Duke was very moved. He covered his face with his hands and was silent for a while; and when he dropped them, I saw that his features were distorted with grief.
Yes, I thought, whatever his weakness, the Duke of York has a conscience.
Anne was buried in Henry VII’s chapel in Westminster.
I had lost a friend.
THAT EXTRAORDINARY MAN, Captain Blood, came into prominence again.
His exploits were well known and there were many who admired his daring panache, and his tendency to involve himself in wild situations from which he seemed to escape unscathed.
The latest episode was the most outrageous of them all. It was criminal in the extreme and the result for most would have been the hangman’s rope. But not for Captain Blood.
Charles himself told me about it. He thought it was an amusing tale.
“You must admire that man Blood,” he said. “He plans the most daring adventures. He lost his estates in Ireland at the time of my restoration, and that set him off on his adventurous life. His plans are so ingenious. You must be impressed by this. He tried to steal the Crown Jewels. Have you ever heard of anything so preposterous?”
“How could he possibly do that? Is not the regalia well guarded?”
“Indeed it is. That is what makes it such a feat — even to get as far as he did. He is a clever fellow. There is no doubt of that.” Charles began to laugh. “There should be a place at court for him. I find him more amusing than some of those around me.”
“What has he done to amuse you so much?”
“The Crown Jewels, my love. As I told you, he tried to steal them. He had worked out a most devious plan. I’ll tell you all about it. Three weeks before the attempted robbery he came to the Tower of London, dressed as a parson in cloak and cassock. With him was a woman whom he called his wife. She was not, of course. Probably the wife of one of his accomplices. The guardian of the jewels was a man called Edwards and, while looking at them, Parson Blood made himself very affable. Odds fish! How I should have loved to see him playing the part.”
“A parson! Hardly fitting, I should think.”
“Oh, but Blood could handle it. However, the ‘wife’ expressed a great desire to see the crown. There was no harm in showing her this, and Edwards did so, and while this was going on she pretended to faint. There was consternation, and Mrs. Edwards appeared and took the lady to her apartments that she might rest. Blood thanked the Edwards profusely and a few days later returned with a present for Mrs. Edwards. Blood and his ‘wife’ stopped awhile to talk and before they left they had formed a friendship, and Blood asked permission to call again.”
“And Edwards suspected nothing?”
“My dear, Blood is a superb actor. He could join the players at any time.”
“He would find stealing the crown jewels more profitable, if he could succeed, that is.”
“There you speak truth, but what a conceit the man has! And but for ill luck, he would have succeeded.”
“Pray tell me more.”
“It seemed that the Edwards were much impressed and after a few visits Blood asked if he might bring his nephew to visit them. The nephew, they were told, was a young man with a few hundred a year. You can imagine what effect this had on the Edwards, because they had a marriageable daughter. Blood and the ‘wife’ were immediately asked to dine and bring the nephew along with them.”
“The poor daughter. How dreadful for her!”
“The nephew and she were immediately friendly. Meanwhile, Blood was able to make a thorough examination of the premises. He discovered a fine case of pistols which he offered to buy as a present for a nobleman who, he said, was his neighbor.”
“Even then the Edwards did not suspect anything?”
“Indeed no. I can tell you, Blood is a supreme actor…and no doubt he had coached his fellow players well. The Edwardses were delighted at the prospect of their daughter’s union with a man who owned a small fortune. Now it was time for the deed to take place. Blood and the nephew came early to the Tower and, as the ladies were not ready, Blood suggested that Edwards show the nephew the Crown Jewels while they were waiting for them. When they went into the room where the jewels were, Edwards closed the door, then Blood went into action. He threw a cloak over Edwards’s head and put a gag in his mouth. They would not harm him, Blood said, as long as he remained silent. Realizing how thoroughly he had been duped, Edwards struggled and tried to remove the gag from his mouth. Blood had to silence him; he knocked him down and momentarily stunned him.”
“Poor man,” I said. “How can you admire this Blood?”
Charles shrugged his shoulders. “It was a clever plan, and Edwards was a fool to be so duped. They would have escaped with the jewels, but a strange thing happened. Edwards’s son, who had been in Flanders with Sir John Talbot’s army, had come home unexpectedly, and by that time Mrs. Edwards and her daughter had realized that something unusual had happened. Young Edwards dashed into the room in time to see the conspirators escaping, and found his father lying on the floor. The old man had sufficiently recovered to cry: ‘Treason! They have taken the Crown Jewels!’
“The young man dashed after them. One of the guards, hearing the commotion, had come out of his quarters, and went off with young Edwards in pursuit. The jewels were heavy and, knowing every inch of the Tower, the pursuers had the advantage. Blood and his accomplice were caught with the jewels in their possession. There has never been such an attempt and it could so easily have succeeded but for the fortuitous return of that young soldier…which, you have to admit, was a chance in a million. Poor Blood! His scheme failed.”
“You can say ‘Poor Blood! His scheme failed’? He would have murdered that old man.”
“But to attempt to steal the Crown Jewels is not an ordinary theft, is it?”
“Indeed it is not! It is a very serious one.”
Charles laughed. “He is a saucy fellow. He was caught with the crown under his cloak. Yet he would make no confession unless it were to me.”
“And you have seen him! You allowed him to come to you?”
“I had a wish to see him. I always knew he was no ordinary man. He said to me, ‘Your Majesty will understand my temptation. You once had a great fancy for a crown. It was denied you for a long time, and you risked a great deal to attain it. So…we understand each other, you and I. We had the same motive. It was a bold attempt…yes. But remember, it was for a crown.”
“I could not resist the temptation to talk to him, and made him tell me of his adventures. He amused me mightily. He had not a care for what would happen to him. It was impossible not to like the man.”
“So…he was pardoned!”
“Such men are an asset to the country. They should be forgiven their little misdemeanors. To attempt to steal the Crown Jewels! What a proposition! I could not allow a man who had amused me so much to be punished. He would give no account of his fellow conspirators. He said the scheme was entirely his. He alone had conceived it. Who else, he asked, would have had the wit to do so? It would have worked admirably but for the return of that zealous young man. So…the jewels are safe. What harm is done?”
“What of Edwards?”
“He is not badly hurt. He will recover. It will teach him to be more careful in future. I offered Blood a place at court. He prefers, however, the return of his estates. But I doubt not that we shall be visited by him…occasionally.”
That was the strange affair of Captain Blood’s attempt to steal the Crown Jewels. People marvelled that a man who had committed such a felony should not only go free but be rewarded for it.