Free Mistress of mistresses by E. R. Eddison Page A

this, and perceived that it is well that you and I should have
Meszria solid behind us in our next business. Were it the Vicar had took him
off with poison, 'twas first to be looked for he should lay the blame to me.'
    None
spake. Jeronimy leaned forward on the table, spreading out his hand palm
upwards, and cleared his throat once and again as if in prelude to a speech.
Beroald saved his embarrassments by saying, 'Your grace will wish to see all
the circumstances before you would determine what were best to do. It were fit
you now produce the King's testament, my lord.*
    Roder
at that word drew from his bosom a parchment sealed with the royal sign manual.
The blood came and went under his swarthy skin, though there was small space to
mark it, for the beard grew nigh up to his eyes, and the hair of his head,
stiff like a brush, began scarce an inch above his eyebrows. Uneasily he looked
at the Duke and said, 'I would desire your grace have patience; and lest you
should be deceived to suppose these dispositions coloured any whit by my
advisements, be sure you lay your time aright: this testament was execute this
fourth of April, as the King's highness' own hand under his seal doth testify,
and your grace knoweth well that 'twas not till three days later I did upon
commandment go to him in Rerek.'
    'Well,
well,' said the Duke, 'what's this to the purpose? Let me have it; as sour as
it is, my lips are primed for it.'
    Therewith
the Lord Roder, bracing himself as a man in posture to dive into an ice-cold
tarn in winter time, read out the parchment, that was writ in manner following:
     

     
    'By
me Styllys , sonne of Mezencius of
glorous memorye uppon whome be pece, greatt Kyng of Fingyswold and of al
stattes and domynyons apparteigning thereunto, bee it by riht of guift or
lawfull inheretaunce or costom of prynses or riht of conquest by the
destroyenge swherde of my greatt Father or mine owne, in wycch large
discrypcioun without dowbt casten or throwen uppon the fullness of the same is
imbrased or concluded the domynyons places and pryncipalites foloing naymely
that is to sayne my nolle maine territorie and kyngdame of Fingyswold and the
citty of Rjalmar being the capital citty thereof and prencipall sette or
syedge of my statte and gouernement; and my territorie or londe of Reerec and
places cytuate and plaste ther withynne being in especially but not exclusively
the fortelaces or strangg houlds of Laimac, Cessary, Maegra, Caima, and
Anijanna; and my marche of Ulba now gouerned undir my direccion and for my
soole behoolfe and sarvys by the after naymed my Vicare of Rerec as aforn
sayde; and my cuntree or lond of Mezria and the citees castills fortrasses
towneshyps ballywekes herborowes ylands and in a generaltie all the places
there withynne buylt or unbuylt dwellid in or unhabyted, but not to exclud
aught that is not naymed or emplyed in this large generaltie save and exept
only the ducall apponage of Zajana whereof I doo of my brotherly loove and
affectione renounse al claymes of soverainty in fauour and for enjoyment of Barrganax , reputed sonne of the sed Kyng Mezencius of
glorous memorie vpon whome be peace, wycch sed Barrgnax I doo heereby irreuocably indue and envest and the
heiers of his bodye for euer with the sayde apponage, being nycely and
puntyvally limitted by the bundaries or limytts descrived or delineate on the
mappe wycch by this My roialle Seall of fingyswold is made faste unto this My
roialle testment—'

     
    'Let
me see it,' said the Duke. He looked carefully at the map, nodded, showed it to
Vandermast, thea passed it back to Roder. Roder proceeded:

     
    ‘I the
sayde Kyng Syllys do beqwithe and giue my roiall estatt and name of Kyngdam and
al my holle Realme and Pocessyons afore sed or what somever save as exepted
unto my Systyr Antiope Prynsace
of Fingyswold being besydis myself the soole summing Chylde borne in wedloke of
the sayde greatt Kyng Mezencius vpon Whome bee pece. And considering how