London Legends (Volume 2) - nouveau livre

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: EVIL MAY-DAY. CHAPTER I. A FRIEND IN NEED. N the evening of the 27th of April, in the year 1517, and, consequently, in the eighth year of the reign of Henry the Eighth, a tall, portly, broad-shouldered, and comely-vi- saged man, in the garb of a respectable citizen, emerged from one of the dark lanes which led into Thames Street, near Dowgate, and proceeded at a sturdy pace in a westerly direction. It was growing dark, the shops and stalls were closed, and the good citizens were at their suppers. The lusty stranger seemed to be conscious of this, and strode along with a firm and erect gait, more resembling that of a man-at-arms than a simple burgess. He had scarcely walked forty paces when two men, squalid and ill-looking, darted from under a gateway, and while they both confronted him, one of them, with a grisly oath, made a snatch at the purse which hung at his girdle. " Ha ! St. George !" cried the stout man,. eluding the fellow's grasp ; " take that, knave;"" and, flourishing a stout oaken staff, he stretched the fellow on the ground with a well-directed blow, which, had it alighted on his head instead of his shoulder, would infallibly have knocked out his brains. Though somewhat daunted at this resistance, the other thief drew forth a long knife, while his companion scrambled on his legs again, and blood would no doubt have flowed but for thesudden arrival of a young man, armed with a broadsword and a buckler, who, shouting as he whirled his weapon round his head,?" Have at ye, cut-purse villains ! " ? instantly placed himself by the side of the citizen. Alarmed at this unexpected succour, the thieves fled precipitately down the street, and were soon lost among the numerous dark alleys which led to the water-side. " Thanks, my young master," said...