Men of Iron

Myles Falworth is eight years old on the night Sir John Dale arrives at his father’s castle, seeking protection from Henry IV’s troops. The blind Lord Falworth, a Baron, had been a loyal confidant to Richard II, but played no part in the attempt to murder Henry IV. However, Sir John Dale did plot against Henry IV, so Lord Falworth shelters his friend. The next morning, a group of horsemen, led by a knight clad in black amor, arrives at the castle. Myles sneaks into the great hall, now filled with Henry IV’s soldiers, where the knight in black interrogates Lord Falworth’s steward. Injured in a tournament years ago, Lord Falworth is blind, so Myles takes his father’s hand to let him know he stands beside him. Amidst the questioning, Sir John presents himself in surrender. The knight in black immediately bludgeons Sir John to death with his mace. Myles turns away from the carnage and is ushered from the room.

By messenger, a faithful friend at Henry IV’s court urges Lord Falworth to flee Falworth Castle (as he has been accused of treason). Myles, his parents, and a few of their faithful companions depart the following day.

Myles and his family are given protection by Father Edward, prior of St. Mary’s Priory, as a token of gratitude for Lord Falworth’s past contributions. The boy spends the next eight years at Crosbey-Holt, in a humble stone-and-straw farmhouse adjacent to the church property. There, he attends school at the priory, and learns French from his mother. Myles has the privilege of training under accomplished soldier Diccon Bowman, who served with Lord Falworth in combat. He acquires skills in archery, swordsmanship, and other forms of combat. From Ralph-the-Smith, a local champion wrestler, Myles learns to grapple, eventually besting every opponent to challenge him.

When Myles turns 16, Lord Falworth announces it’s time for him to advance beyond the world of Crosbey-Holt, and informs his son that he will travel with Diccon Bowman to Devlen Castle, home of the Earl of Mackworth. Lord Falworth and the Earl of Mackworth were close in the past, and the former is confident that Myles will be accepted into the latter’s household, where he can train in the pursuit of knighthood.

When Myles arrives at Devlen Castle, he is struck by its grandeur; his father’s former seat at Falworth Castle is humble by comparison. He finds himself feeling homesick. As Myles and Diccon Bowman wait to be received, the former watches various servants, soldiers, and other members of the household bustle about at their respective tasks. A group of young men about Myles’s age appear; Diccon confirms that the boys are squires, and will become Myles’s peers if he is accepted among them. Myles notes that the boys have taken an interest in him, feeling self-conscious under their scrutiny. One of them approaches him, asking for Myles’s name and why he has come to Devlen Castle. Learning of Myles’s letter of introduction, the squire introduces himself as Francis Gascoyne, and offers to help Myles identify the Earl so he can present himself properly.

When the Earl of Mackworth appears, Myles kneels before him and presents his father’s letter. The Earl initially denies knowing anyone named Falworth; after reading the letter, he minimizes his relationship with Lord Falworth, claiming he barely remembers Myles’s father and considers him presumptuous for assuming Myles will be accepted into his household. He instructs Francis Gascoyne to bring Myles to Sir James Lee, specifying that Myles should be inducted as a squire-at-arms, as his unsophisticated appearance makes him unsuited for service within the household. Before assuming his new role, Myles must say goodbye to Diccon Bowman, who will return to Crosbey-Holt. They express their fondness for each other, with Myles promising to never forget Diccon, who lingers outside the castle gates to nod before riding away. Myles does his best to conceal his sadness from the observant Gascoyne.

The eldest squires, called bachelors, occupy a position of authority over their younger peers. As leaders, bachelors are meant to be mentors, but at Devlen Castle, they have established a culture of hazing, forcing the younger squires to act as their servants. Myles meets Sir James Lee, Captain of Esquires with one blind eye (an injury which prevents him from fighting on the battlefield), who oversees Devlen Castle’s 90 knights, squires, and pages—ranging from ages 8 to 20. Only Sir James may approve candidates for squires of the body, also called squires-at-arms. Unlike those who also serve in the household, squires of the body are dedicated soldiers, trained exclusively in combat, and Sir James demands excellence of this role. Myles will face an evaluation before he can be officially inducted.

Gascoyne gives Myles a tour of the expansive castle. At the armor-smithy, the smith shows Myles and Gascoyne a beautiful dagger. Gascoyne admires the weapon, and Myles purchases it for him with funds given to him by his father. The former is moved by Myles’s gesture, and pledges his friendship, a sentiment Myles vows in return.

Myles acclimates to life at Devlen Castle, distinguishing himself as an eager and willful man of integrity. Shortly after Myles’s arrival, Sir James requests that he present himself for evaluation as a squire-at-arms. Sir James watches Myles practice against a wooden stand-in for an opponent. The former corrects his technique, and then asks the boy to try the maneuver again, against himself. Unsatisfied with Myles’s first strike, Sir James asks him to repeat it, asking if he is afraid when the young man seems to hesitate. Myles says “I am not afeared. I fear not thee nor any man!” (32). He attacks again, and is jarred for a moment when his strike is parried by Sir James, who encourages him to repeat the attack, offering corrective instruction. A crowd of squires gathers to watch, impressed by Myles’s courage in meeting the challenge set forth by Sir James.

The exchange between Myles and Sir James becomes the talk of the squires’ dormitory; the young men are impressed by Myles’s willingness to challenge the one man who holds dominion over all the squires. Myles tells Gascoyne that he’s unwilling to serve the bachelors; however, Gascoyne is already conditioned to the hierarchy of castle life.

One night, the leader of the bachelors, Chief Bachelor and Head Squire Walter Blunt, assigns Myles and Gascoyne the task of hauling water for the bachelors’ morning bath. Gascoyne rouses Myles early. Half-awake and disoriented, Myles does not realize until they are in the courtyard that Gascoyne has made him complicit in the task. Myles is angry, but the equally frustrated Gascoyne quips that he will fill all three of the required buckets if he must (37). Gascoyne can only carry two buckets at once, so he leaves the third behind. Myles begrudgingly picks it up, willing to help his friend if not the bachelors. When the boys return with the water, a bachelor asks what took so long, and Myles replies, sarcastically, “Have with wings to fly withal at your bidding?”—attracting the attention of the entire dorm with his insubordination (38). A tense moment passes as Walter Blunt reminds Myles of his place; Myles ignores the bait. The bachelors begin to act coldly toward Myles. Gascoyne often wonders aloud why Myles insists on being so contrary as to attract attention.

Myles is summoned to Sir James’s office and informed that he has proven himself worthy of being inducted as a squire. Sir James reveals that he and Myles’s father were once close friends. In acknowledgement of this bond, Sir James declares that he will be a friend to Myles. Sir James learns that Myles knows little about the circumstances of his father’s fall from public favor, and warns him against drawing attention to his identity as Lord Falworth’s son. He explains that it is not always dishonorable to be considered an outlaw, depending on who considers one so. Sir James cannot reveal all the details, but he does stress that Lord Falworth’s unrelenting enemy continues to maintain power under the rule of Henry IV. Myles must keep his mentorship under Sir James a secret, and understand that the Earl of Mackworth himself cannot show favoritism, lest he himself face suspicion. The boy is willful in his responses, claiming that the Earl is a coward and that if he knew the location of his father’s enemy, he would kill them. Sir James admires Myles’s uncomplicated view of the world, but again urges him to exercise caution and focus on opportunities to advance.

When Myles is dismissed from Sir James’s office, he goes to find Gascoyne so they can go swimming as planned. Walter Blunt intercepts Myles, ordering him to clean his armor in penance for having spoken to him sarcastically the day before. Myles retorts “A better man than thou shouldst not stay me from going an I list to go,” and Blunt moves to strike him (44). Gascoyne steps in front of Myles, imploring Blunt to remember that Myles does not yet understand the politics of squirehood. Blunt calls for his fellow bachelors, while Gascoyne runs for help. Myles is outnumbered by the four older, stronger men, but scraps with them fiercely despite his disadvantage. While Myles is subdued, Blunt proceeds to deliver blows so savage that Myles’s friends fear that Blunt will kill him.