Part 1 – Prologue
A work unfinished … in remembrance of the Day of St. George 23rd April.
The Discourse
In the time of my first season in the vast citadel, it was by way of curious wanderings in that I would almost become as lost by way of the twists and turns of the many streets that bind together in a tangle of humanity. In journeys I would make I would by chance come upon and pass by what I would call to myself as the House of the Grey Shutters. There was little that would set it apart from its counterparts, except that I never did see the shutters open at any season of the year.
Then one day there was a stirring in the streets and I beheld a sorrowing sight of an aged fellow, that had , worse for ale, staggered under a hay cart near Shoreditch and injured grievously many places of his body. There appeared from out the House of the Grey Shutters a cloaked figure that comforted the unfortunate and sustained him with a draft of brandy ere he did depart this world. I will always recall the knowing in those eyes upon that day, when in a city full of strangers, I glimpsed of fellowship unknown to me at that time and place.
How large a city seems which stretches to the sky and beyond in all directions wherein the people are as a sea of faces – individually unknown to one and all. As seasons pressed on in time and memory of that day had all but faded I did come upon those eyes again by way of a curious encounter. There had been another mishap outside the House of the Grey Shutters, though the reason for this was not apparent till I learned that a horse had reared up and trampled a passer bye.
This was the one whose eyes I had beheld some time previously. Knowing her habitation, I mustered some help to carry her to the House of the Grey Shutters as I had knowledge that this was her abode. A knock on the door was thus swiftly answered, and explaining the predicament, the injured one was carried off to somewhere within the house which was but dimly lit with no shutters open to admit the light of day therein. I did recall the sound of doors opening and closing, of voices sounding as from a great distance, but not where any words formed sense or sentence.
I did then call out the question in my mind – how fares the injured one I had earlier brought hither and in a while the one that had fetched my cargo away did return from another direction in the house and thank me for my endeavour and did indicate that I should on the morrow return at the tenth hour to hear more current reports of her keeping. This I happily agreed to undertake and proceeded on my way without further thinking on the matter.
I did arrive quite early on the next day and had sight of the habitation for some time before the set hour of calling that I could best gauge something of the nature of the household, though I had determined the many ways of entrance afforded there by way of courtyards adjoining. The property was old in itself and many of its timbers taken, I fancied from even older habitations which no longer stood upon the ground. As I knocked upon the door it yielded open and I was greeted by the previous attendant that had carried up the injured one to her place of safety. There was but dim light to view the place that I had entered and directly I was led into to a chamber along a narrow corridor and instructed to be seated within. There was in this place an even greater lack of light and I did think that I had lapsed into a certain danger on this account and was thus anxious to a certain measure. In time I could discern shapes and forms within the room that I did occupy – a table, chairs – a fireplace unlit and a screen in a corner of the room. I had the sense of another soul within that space but was greatly startled by the voice which greeted me.
‘Within a city of strangers I thank thee for thy fellowship thus shown to one that abideth here.’ The voice was as of one seemingly greatly aged in years – full of knowledge and depth of experience but with sharp energy and which seemed to come from behind the screen. The accent was both in some ways strange and in others familiar, as suggesting one that had left some time ago a more distant shore.
‘How fares she presently?’, I did earnestly enquire.
‘By mercy, but little harm remains. It was a glancing blow which startled her, but your actions were in all measure necessary and diligent. These streets become more crowded by the day and not all who pass here are of generous heart or good intent.’
‘As you say, there are many dangers present in and around the citadel and I know of these with vexed experience. I am pleased, presently, to hear of such progress thus described’, I replied.
‘She will thank you herself when in her best self and looks – but be welcome to return here at the same hour each day until that time when she is in full recovered – if this suits your purpose’.
‘That I would gladly do’, I replied, whereupon the door to the chamber opened and I was led back out along the corridor to the entrance door and the bustling street beyond – my eyes being startled by the brightness of the abundant light of day.
Upon the second day of such visitation the attendant of the house did assure me of the continued recovery of the injured one though as yet no meeting did then occur. In turn I was ushered within the house to another chamber that once seated and the door shut fast behind me revealed no source of light anywhere to behold. I was full gathered to my senses and sorely wondering that I should be so laid to my own defences in a stranger’s abode. There was a sound of another’s breath close by, yet for some reason I found this not a vexation. These sounds came upon themselves more slow and deeper, whereupon a voice at first as distant gathered in its strength and did converse with me. Though time has passed in measure, the words that came to me I can yet recall of faithful memory.
‘Thou has travelled far from thy family’s hearth to come upon this confusion of men’s purposes – but the greater world rejoyseth in deep measure upon you. Yet your travels in a while will be greater still to unfold upon the blue-green globe that containeth men and causes vain and shallow, yet where within there is also that which is fair and glorious.
‘The sands of time doth run for every man upon the stage of life yet yours shall in their measure draw forth an admiration that shall outlast them all.’
And more was said that contrarywise was rendered to me in my respectful privilege that though I writ an account in time it is not recounted here.
