Escott Lynn is an author who is very hard to track down. Apparently it was the pseudonym of Christopher George Holman Lawrence, In the Three Jolly Cadets: a Tale of the Royal Military Academy (W & R Chambers, 1931), he inscribed it "for my nephew Richard Lawrence 'bill' from his uncle escott lynn". He used several other names for his works, including Jackspur, Lawrence Abbott and Captain W.C. Metcalfe. Books before the Great War included: For Bonnie Prince Charlie (1910), Blair of Balaclava. A hero of the Light Brigade (1911) and A Cavalier of Fortune (1912). He spent many years as a volunteer in the armed forces and several of his books are war related, such as: Oliver Hastings VC 91916), Tommy of the Tanks (1919) and Last of the Lothians; with the Royal Scots at Gallipoli (1920). He was born in 1866 and died in 1950.
As the title - Under the Red Rose - suggests, this story is very much a Lancastrian one. The hero is a youth of 17, Guy Talbot, who is in the household of Lord Rivers at Ludlow. It is April 1483, and Edward IV's reign is drawing to an end. Guy is served by a faithful retainer, Martin. Their home is in the south-eastern corner of Herefordshire. The two are out riding, when a haughty, bombastic man appears, followed by a swart cross-eyed, heavily built man wearing a steel cap and a brigandine over a leathern jerkin. They are Sir Fulke Bourchier and his henchman Roger, travelling on the king's business to Ludlow Castle, which they must reach at the earliest instant. They clash and Martin cries: "Go; we care nothing for your Yorkist king here..." Thus commences an enmity which last throughout the novel. Guy and Martin carry on to an old priory where they know the prior well. He has a distinguished visitor - none other than the Bishop of Ely. The latter counsels Guy to be ready to defend Edward, the young Prince of Wales, and gives him a ring as a passport to the Bishop's confidence in future.
Guy and Martin continue to Combe Hall, the Talbots' mansion. Guy's father has been abroad for the past two years (and it soon becomes apparent that he is in the service of Henry Tudor.) Not only is his father at home with his wife Dame Talbot and their daughter Hilda, but so is Sir Fulke. Moreover, also there is Isabel Bray, in Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond's household. A goblet is brought to the dining table - it has a chasing a lion passant crowned, the device of Lord Lisle, said to have been slain at Barnet fighting against King Edward. Cunning Sir Fulke puts two and two together, much more quickly than most of the readers. From then on the Talbots are under suspicion. Guy and Martin travel to Ludlow and the former then reconnects with Rivers and Prince Edward, a slim, handsome boy of thirteen, with golden curls reaching to his shoulders. By now, we know that his father is dead and Guy reaffirms his oath to protect the new monarch.
We first hear of the Duke of Gloucester, when his promise arrives to guard his nephew with his life. "I love not my uncle Gloucester; his smile freezes my blood. I will not trust myself with him", says the perspicacious youth. The story then follows the well-known chronology. Rivers and King Edward V journey to London, get near to Northampton, but hear that Richard awaits them there. They press on to Stony Stratford. Guy witnesses everything, by now with his friend Will Dysart. Throughout the novel Guy comes across as rather naive and headstrong, Will much more cautious, but acute and sensible. The two young men now meet Gloucester, who was short, remarkably so...he was slightly though gracefully formed, with a hardly perceptible inequality in the height of his shoulders - hence, among his enemies, the nickname of "Crookback"...his eyes were small and almost closed, his lips were thin, and his manner was nervous and impatient. The Duke of Buckingham is with him - a tall, stout, insipid-looking man, whose looks bespoke him what he was - a pompous, shallow-minded coxcomb...
Sir Fulke keeps trying to incarcerate Guy and Will, but it is here that a Carmelite friar first appears, and keeps appearing, to help them in their need. We later find out that he is Sir Christopher Urswick, a loyal Tudor supporter. employed by the Bishop of Ely. Rivers, Sir Richard Grey and others are imprisoned and Gloucester takes charge of the young king. Guy speeds ahead to London to warn Queen Elizabeth of the turn in events. The author describes her well: she had in her day possessed much beauty of a certain insipid kind, and even then was quite passable-looking, but the tremulous lips betrayed a weak, vacillating nature; and her arrogant air, as well as the many acts of her life, proved that she possessed a greed and avarice that there seemed no satisfying. Guy is attacked yet again in London but recovers to witness Gloucester's moves against Hastings, Ely and the others at the Tower. He makes a friend of Hastings only to see his execution on Tower Green. The tale follows the More/Shakespeare version of events, strawberries, withered arm and all.
Taken prisoner, on the orders of Sir Fulke, and placed in one of the Tower's dungeons, Guy is spirited away to Brecknock Castle, where the Bishop of Ely is slowly working his wiles on the Duke of Buckingham. Guy once again allows his rather stupid headstrong behaviour to spoil the bishop's plans for his release. Luckily, better judgement prevails and he escapes with the bishop himself, thanks to Will Dysart's involvement. More twists in Guy's story continue, including him seeing the two dead princes in the Tower before they are buried. No wonder the Chapter is called Richard's Foulest Deed. Guy and Will get involved, with Sir John Cheney, in the disastrous Buckingham Rebellion, Will flees abroad to Brittany, whilst Guy and Sir John try to raise support in the North. Guy is captured for the umpteenth time, and is brought before King Richard. Headstrong as ever, he challenges the king: "I count it no treason to act against one who is but a usurper...I will tell you of the punishment of Heaven. You, who slew your brother's children, who murdered Rivers and Hastings...", and is able to tell Richard that his own son is dead! Amazingly, Guy escapes from Nottingham Castle, meets up with the faithful Martin, gets to King's Lynn, finds the Bishop of Ely, and they take ship for Vannes. Here Christopher Urswick joins them, and they link up with Sir John Cheney and Guy's father. And, finally, Henry of Richmond. It is Guy, of course, who holds a bridge so that Henry can escape to France. The boy is simply everywhere! He is at Bosworth, but not before he has met up with Isobel Bray and realises he loves her. Will kills King Richard's henchman, Ratcliffe; Guy is involved in the end of Sir Fulke and is responsible for sending Richard's helmet flying.
Escott Lynn has quite cleverly wrapped the story of a fictitious youth around the exciting events of April 1483 to August 1485. Perhaps Guy is too ubiquitous, seemingly at hand at just the right time to witness all. The Epilogue, a year later, sees Elizabeth of York sharing the throne with Henry; Bishop Morton is Archbishop of Canterbury, the Stanleys and Sir John Cheney are of the Council; Lord and Lady Lisle (yes - they are Guy's parents) are at their rightful home of Sudely Castle; and Sir Guy Talbot walks hand in hand with Isabel Bray, and Sir William Dysart with Hilda Talbot.
In the Notes, at the end of the book, Escott Lynn discusses Richard III's character, using the works of Sir Thomas More, Edmund Hall, and James Gairdner.
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