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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f6a850f --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #53617 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/53617) diff --git a/old/53617-8.txt b/old/53617-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index a0dab47..0000000 --- a/old/53617-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,5240 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, Legendary Yorkshire, by Frederick Ross - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - - -Title: Legendary Yorkshire - - -Author: Frederick Ross - - - -Release Date: November 28, 2016 [eBook #53617] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LEGENDARY YORKSHIRE*** - - -E-text prepared by Chris Whitehead, MWS, and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made -available by Internet Archive (https://archive.org) - - - -Note: Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - https://archive.org/details/legendaryyorkshi00ross - - - - - -LEGENDARY YORKSHIRE - -by - -FREDERICK ROSS, F.R.H.S., - -Author of -"Celebrities of Yorkshire Wolds," "Yorkshire Family Romance," -etc. - - - - - - - -Hull: -William Andrews & Co., The Hull Press. -London: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent, & Co., Limited. -1892. - - - - -_NOTE._ - -Of this book 500 copies have been printed, and this is - -No. ... - - - - -Contents. - - PAGE - - THE ENCHANTED CAVE 1 - - THE DOOMED CITY 15 - - THE "WORM" OF NUNNINGTON 34 - - THE DEVIL'S ARROWS 51 - - THE GIANT ROAD-MAKER OF MULGRAVE 70 - - THE VIRGIN'S HEAD OF HALIFAX 80 - - THE DEAD ARM OF ST. OSWALD THE KING 100 - - THE TRANSLATION OF ST. HILDA 117 - - A MIRACLE OF ST. JOHN 131 - - THE BEATIFIED SISTERS OF BEVERLEY 147 - - THE DRAGON OF WANTLEY 168 - - THE MIRACLES AND GHOST OF WATTON 176 - - THE MURDERED HERMIT OF ESKDALE 195 - - THE CALVERLEY GHOST 214 - - THE BEWITCHED HOUSE OF WAKEFIELD 231 - - - - -LEGENDARY YORKSHIRE. - - - - -The Enchanted Cave. - - -Who is there that has not heard of the famous and redoubtable hero of -history and romance, Arthur, King of the British, who so valiantly -defended his country against the pagan Anglo-Saxon invaders of the -island? Who has not heard of the lovely but frail Guenevera, his Queen, -and the galaxy of female beauty that constituted her Court at Caerleon? -Who has not heard of his companions-in-arms--the brave and chivalrous -Knights of the Round Table, who went forth as knights-errant to succour -the weaker sex, deliver the oppressed, liberate those who had fallen -into the clutches of enchanters, giants, or malicious dwarfs, and -especially in quest of the Holy Graal, that mystic chalice, in which -were caught the last drops of blood of the expiring Saviour, and -which, in consequence, became possessed of wondrous properties and -marvellous virtue of a miraculous character? - -If such there be, let him lose no time in perusing Sir John Mallory's -"La Morte d'Arthur," the "Chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth," the -"Mabinogian of the Welsh," or the more recent "Idylls of the King," -of Tennyson. According to Nennius, after vanquishing the Saxons in -many battles, he crossed the sea, and carried his victorious arms into -Scotland, Ireland, and Gaul, in which latter country he obtained a -decisive victory over a Roman army. Moreover, that during his absence -Mordred, his nephew, had seduced his queen and usurped his government, -and that in a battle with the usurper, in 542, at Camlan, in Cornwall, -he was mortally wounded; was conveyed to Avalon (Glastonbury), where -he died of his wound, and was buried there. It is also stated that in -the reign of Henry II. his reputed tomb was opened, when his bones -and his magical sword "Excaliber" were found. This is given on the -authority of Giraldus Cambrensis, who informs us that he was present on -the occasion. But the popular belief in the West of England was that -he did not die as represented, his soul having entered the body of a -raven, which it will inhabit until he reappears to deliver England in -some great extremity of peril. - -This is what is told us by old chroniclers of Western England, the -Welsh bards, and some romance writers; but in Yorkshire we have a -different version of the story. It is true, say our legends, that -Arthur was a mighty warrior, the greatest and most valiant that the -island of Britain has produced either before or since; a man, moreover, -of the most devout chivalry and gentle courtesy, and withal so pure -in his life and sincere in his piety as a Christian, that he alone is -worthy to find the Holy Graal, if not in his former life, in that which -is forthcoming--for he is not dead, but reposes in a spell-bound sleep, -along with his knights, Sir Launcelot, Sir Gawaine, Sir Perceval, etc., -and that the time is coming when the needs of England will be such as -only his victorious arm, wielding his magically wrought Excaliber, -can rescue from irretrievable ruin. He sleeps--it is asserted--along -with his knights, in a now undiscoverable cavern beneath the Castle -of Richmond, whence he will issue in the fulness of time, scatter the -enemies of England like chaff before the wind, as he so frequently -dispersed the hordes of Teuton pagans, and place England on a higher -eminence among the nations of the earth than it has ever previously -attained. This enchanted cave has been seen but once, and by one man -only. It happened in this wise:-- - -Once on a time there dwelt in Richmond one Peter Thompson. At what -period he flourished is not recorded, but it matters not, although -a little trouble in searching the parish registers and lists of -burgesses of the town might reveal the fact. He gained a living by -the fabrication of earthenware, and hence was popularly known amongst -his comrades and townspeople as Potter Thompson. He was a simple and -meek-minded man, small in stature and slender in limb, never troubling -himself with either general or local politics. His voice was never -heard at the noisy meetings of the vestry, nor did he join in the -squabbles attendant on the meetings of the electors for the choice -of their municipal governors or representatives in Parliament; he -merely recorded his vote for the candidate who came forward as the -representative of the colour he supported, leaving the shouting and -quarreling and cudgel-playing to those of his fellow-townsmen who had -a liking for such rough work. As for himself, he was only too glad -when he had discharged his duty as a citizen to get back to his clay -and his wheel, for he was an industrious little fellow, had plenty of -work, and was thus enabled, by living a frugal life, to lay by a little -money, and would have lived a comfortable and happy life but for one -circumstance. - -Unfortunately, Peter Thompson was a married man; not that matrimony, -in the abstract, is a misfortune, but he was unfortunate inasmuch as -his wife was a termagant, and made his life miserable. Her tongue went -clack, clack, clacking all day long; nothing that he did was right. She -declared herself to be the greatest fool in Richmond to have united -herself to an insignificant little wretch like him; and even when the -bed curtains were drawn around them at night, the poor fellow was kept -awake for an hour or more while she dinned into his ears a lecture on -his manifold faults and his failures of duty as a husband. Peter seldom -replied, but bore it all with meekness, and allowed her to go on with -her monologue until she was tired, or ceased for want of breath. At -times, when she was more exasperating than usual, he would start up -from his wheel, clap his hat on his head, and rush out of the house to -escape her pertinacious scolding. At such times he would go wandering -about the hills and picturesque scenery by which Richmond is environed, -and especially about the hill on which stands the Castle, and amongst -the castle ruins, remaining away for three or four hours, moodily -meditating on the mischance or infatuation which had led him to ally -himself with so untoward a helpmate. - -It chanced one day that Peter, unable to endure the persecution of -his wife's tongue, rushed out of his house with the full intention -of throwing himself into the Swale, so as to end his misery there -and then. It was a brilliant summer's day, and there was a glorious -sheen cast over hill and vale, rock and ravine, the silvery river -winding between its emerald-hued banks and the clumps of foliaged -woodland--over the Castle keep standing pre-eminently above all other -buildings, church tower, ruined friary, antique bridge, and the -quaint houses of the burghers, with the tower of Easby gleaming in -the distance, imparting to the whole scene, which is one of the most -picturesque in Yorkshire--which is saying a great deal, and which for -natural beauty can scarcely be surpassed in England--a charm which -had a wonderful effect on Peter's perturbed mind. He was a lover of -nature in all her aspects, and an ardent admirer of the landscape -beauties which surrounded his native town; and he began to reflect, as -he ran down the slope, that if he carried out his purpose, he would -never more be able to delight his eyes with the lovely prospects of -nature so lavishly displayed before him at that moment; and by the -time he reached the river's bank he had almost determined to live on -and find compensation for his domestic discomforts in his communings -with nature--or at least, continued he to himself--"I will take another -turn among the hills and rocks and old ivy-mantled ruins, before I bid -good-bye to it all." He wandered along round the base of the Castle -hill, his spirits becoming more elevated the farther he went, as he -gazed on the glorious landscape which gradually became revealed to his -view. Anon he fell into a contemplative mood, and reasoned calmly and -philosophically on the wisdom of disregarding the minor ills of life, -when it was possible for him as a compensating alternative to revel -in the delights he was now enjoying, and he soon forgot altogether his -purpose of terminating his woes and his life together from the parapet -of Swale bridge. Onward he wandered; when suddenly turning a corner -he came upon a spot altogether unknown to him--a ravine which seemed -to wind away under the Castle hill, walled in with rugged rocks, from -whose crevices sprang upward trees and shrubs, whilst underfoot was a -flooring of rough scattered stones and fragments of fallen rocks, which -appeared not to have been trodden for centuries. Astonished at the -sight, for he imagined that he knew every nook in the neighbourhood, -he rubbed his eyes to ascertain whether he was dreaming; but he found -himself to be fully awake, and the unknown ravine to be a palpable -reality. It just flashed across his mind that sorcery had been at work, -and that what he beheld was the result of necromancy, for in his time -enchanters, warlocks, wizards, and witches were rife in the land; but -Peter had a bold heart, and he resolved upon solving the mystery by an -exploration of the recesses of the ravine, let what would come of it. - -Summoning up all his courage, Peter entered the ravine, stumbling -now and then over the stones bestrewn along his pathway. The road -wound about, now to one side then to another, and the trees overhead -to stretch out towards each other so as to overshadow the ravine and -impart a twilight effect, which, as Peter proceeded onward, deepened -into gloom, and eventually almost to darkness. At this period, when -he was compelled to move along with caution, he encountered what at -first seemed to be a wall of rock forming the end of the ravine. On -feeling it carefully he found it to be a huge boulder which obstructed -his path, but, his courage failing him not, he found means to clamber -over it and land safely on the further side. On looking about him, as -well as he could by the dim light, he found that he had alighted on -the entrance to a cavern, the boulder seeming as if it had been placed -there to prevent the intrusion of unauthorised persons, and then he -imagined that it might be the cave of a gang of banditti, and was at -once their treasure house and their refuge in times of peril; and this -idea seemed to be confirmed by the circumstance that he could perceive, -in the extreme distance, a glimmer of light. He felt that it would be -extremely dangerous to be discovered in the purlieus of their haunt, -but curiosity got the better of his fears, and he resolved upon going -forward, mentally adding "After all it may be nothing more than the -daylight streaming in at the other end, and by going on I may come out -into the open air without having to return by the rough, shinbreaking -road by which I have come;" and onward he went, feeling his way by the -rocky walls cautiously and slowly, and, it must be added, with some -degree of trepidation. - -As he proceeded along, the distant light increased, and could be seen -beaming through an opening like a doorway, with a mild effulgence -resembling moonlight. Clearly it could not be the light of the sun -streaming in through the aperture, and Peter, becoming more convinced -that he was either approaching a robbers' haunt or a scene of -enchantment, crept along as silently as possible, with some timidity, -it is true; but having come thus far, and his curiosity being excited -to the utmost pitch, he determined to carry out his adventure to the -end. As he approached the portal, he stood to listen; but not the -slightest sound broke the death-like stillness, and concluding from -this that the cave was not occupied--at least, was not at present--he -ventured onward with silent footstep, and stood within the illuminated -aperture. What was his amazement cannot be told at beholding the scene -before him. The opening gave entrance to a lofty and spacious cavern, -its walls glittering with crystals and spars, whilst from the roof -depended a profusion of stalactites, glistening and scintillating with -hues of spectroscopic brilliancy. The light which was diffused around -seemed to be something supernatural; it was not that of the sun, nor -that of the moon, nor was it our modern electric light; but seemed to -be an intensity of phosphoric radiance--soft, mild, and provocative -of slumber--which came not from any lamp or other visible source, -but appeared to be self-evolved from the atmosphere. In the centre -of the cave, upon a rocky table or couch, lay the figure of a kingly -personage, resting his head on his right hand, after the fashion of the -recumbent effigies in our mediæval churches. He was clad in resplendent -armour and a superb over-cloak, with a golden crown, studded with -precious stones, encircling his head. By his side was a circular shield -emblazoned with arms, which would have told Peter, had he been versed -in heraldry, that the owner was the famous King Arthur; whilst close -by, suspended from the wall, were a diamond-hilted sword in a chased -golden scabbard, and a highly ornamented horn, such as were used by -military leaders for collecting their scattered troops. Around the King -lay his twelve Knights of the Round Table, some prostrate on the floor, -others reposing on fragments and projections of the rocks, each one -handsome in figure and reclining in unstudied natural grace, presenting -a study for a painter. They all lay as still as death save that their -heaving chests and audible breathing showed that they were wrapped in -profound slumber. Peter gazed upon them for a while with wondering -eyes, keeping within the doorway, so as to have the road clear behind -him for escape, in case of any hostile demonstration on the part of the -knights. As they still slumbered on, without any sign of awakening, he -plucked up courage enough to go amongst them; and, attracted by the -splendour of the sword, he took it down to examine it more closely; -then took it by the handle, and half drew it from its sheath. The -moment he had done so, the sleepers around him gave symptoms of -awakening, turned themselves, and seemed to be preparing to rise; but -the spell of disenchantment was not complete. Peter, terribly alarmed -at what he saw, pushed back the sword into the scabbard, threw it -on the floor, and hurried with all speed to the doorway; whilst the -half-awakened slumberers sank back again into deep sleep. Peter, not -noticing this, rushed through the opening, thinking the knights were -following him to inflict some terrible punishment on him--perhaps that -of death--for his presumptuous intrusion. It was but a few moments, -and he reached the boulder which defended the entrance, and which was -much more difficult to scale from that side. He was endeavouring to -find projections to enable him to clamber up, when he heard a hollow -sepulchral voice exclaim from the cave:-- - - "Potter, Potter Thompson, - If thou had'st either drawn - The sword or blown the horn, - Thoud'st been the luckiest man - That ever yet was born." - -With teeth chattering, hair on end, and a cold perspiration suffusing -his forehead, he made a desperate effort, scrambled somehow or other -over the stone, and running with fleet footstep, regardless of the -rough roadway, gained the open air without any other damage than a few -bruises and a terrible fright. He went home, and had to encounter a -fearful scolding for remaining out so long and neglecting his work. -He told his wife the tale of his adventures, but she only laughed it -to scorn, saying, "You old fool! and so you have fallen asleep on the -hillside and want to persuade me that your dream was a reality. It's -a pretty thing that you should leave your wheel and go mooning about -in this way, leaving your faithful wife to suffer the effects of your -idleness." - -Many a time since then did Peter seek for the ravine but could never -find it; but it is confidently assumed that Arthur and his knights are -still slumbering under the Castle hill. - - - - -The Doomed City. - - -Through the valley of Wensleydale, in the North Riding of Yorkshire, -flows the river Yore or Ure, passing onward to Boroughbridge, below -which town it receives an insignificant affluent--the Ouse--when it -assumes that name, under which appellation it washes the walls of York, -and proceeds hence to unite with the Trent in forming the estuary of -the Humber; but although it loses its name of Yore before reaching -York, the capital city of the county is indebted to it for the name it -bears. The river in passing through Wensleydale reflects on its surface -some of the most romantic and charming landscape scenery of Yorkshire, -and that is saying a great deal, for no other county can equal it in -the variety, loveliness, and wild grandeur of its natural features. - -"In this district, Wensleydale, otherwise Yorevale or Yorevalle," says -Barker, "a variety of scenery exists, unsurpassed in beauty by any -in England. Mountains clothed at their summits with purple heather, -interspersed with huge crags, and at their bases with luxuriant -herbage, bound the view on either hand. Down the valley's centre -flows the winding Yore, one of the most serpentine rivers our island -boasts--now boiling and foaming, in a narrow channel, over sheets of -limestone--now forming cascades only equalled by the cataracts of the -Nile--and anon spreading out into a broad, smooth stream, as calm and -placid as a lowland lake. On the banks lie rich pastures, occasionally -relieved, at the eastern extremity of the valley, by cornfields. -There are several smaller dales branching out of Wensleydale--of -which they may, indeed, be accounted part. Of these the principal are -Bishopdale and Raydale, or Roedale--the valley of the Roe--which last -contains Lake Semerwater, a sheet of water covering a hundred and five -acres, and about forty-five feet deep. Besides this lake, the natural -objects of interest in the district best known are Aysgarth Force, -Hardraw-scaur, Mill Gill, and Leyburn Shall--the last a lofty natural -terrace from which the eye may range from the Cleveland Hills at the -mouth of the Tees to those bordering upon Westmoreland." - -The valley is exceedingly rich in historic memories and noble monuments -of the architectural past--"castles and halls inseparably united with -English story, and abbeys whose names, whilst our national records -shall be written, must for ever remain on the scroll; with fortresses -which have been the palaces and prisons of kings. Of these, Bolton -Castle, the home of the Scropes, and one of the prisons of Mary, Queen -of Scots, and Middleham Castle, where dwelt the great Nevill, the -king-maker, and the frequent and favourite residence of the Duke of -Gloucester, afterwards King Richard III., and the venerable remains of -Yorevale, or Jervaux, and of Coverham Abbeys, are alone sufficient to -immortalise a district of country." - -In former times the dale was covered by a dense forest, the home of -countless herds of deer, wild boars, wolves, and other wild animals. -There were no roads, but glades and trackways, intricate and winding, -very difficult and puzzling to traverse, so that travellers often -became benighted, without being able to find other shelter than that -afforded by trees and bushes. At the village of Bainbridge there -is still preserved the "forest horn," which was blown every night -at ten o'clock from Holyrood to Shrovetide, to guide wanderers who -had lost their way to shelter and safety from the prowling beasts of -prey. A bell also was rung at Chantry, and a gun fired at Camhouse -with the same object. In the first century of the Christian era there -existed in the valley of Roedale a large and for that time splendid -city, inhabited by the Brigantian Celts. It nestled in a deep hollow, -surrounded by picturesque hills and uplands, and was environed by the -majestic trees of the forest, where the Druids performed the mystical -rites and ceremonials of their religion. The houses were built of mud -and wattles, and thatched with straw or reeds, and the city was a -mere assemblage of such private residences, without any of the public -buildings, such as churches, chapels, town houses, assembly rooms, -baths, or literary institutions, such as now-a-days appertain to every -small market town; yet it was spoken of as a "magnificent city," and -such it perhaps might be as compared with other and smaller towns and -villages. - -It was about the time when Flavius Vespasian annexed Britain to -the Roman Empire, and the Brigantes had been partially subdued by -Octavius Scapula, the Roman Governor of Britain, but before York had -become Eboracum--the Altera Roma of Britain--and the influence of the -conquerors of the world had not penetrated to this remote and secluded -spot in the forest of Wensleydale, so that the people of the city still -retained their old religion, customs, and habits of life; still stained -their bodies with woad, clothed themselves with the skins of animals, -and still fabricated their weapons and implements of bronze. Joseph of -Arimathea had planted the cross on Glastonbury Hill, but the people of -this city had never even heard of the new religion that had sprung up -in Judea, and went on sacrificing human beings to their bloodthirsty -god, cutting the sacred mistletoe from the oaks of their forest, and -drawing the beaver from the water, emblematic of the salvation of Noah -and his family at the deluge, of which they had a dim tradition. - -The angels of heaven took great interest in the efforts of the apostles -who, in obedience to their Master's command, went forth from Judea to -preach the gospel of glad tidings and the doctrine of the cross to -all mankind, and had especially noted the erection of the Christian -standard on Glastonbury Hill, in the barbarous and benighted island -of the Atlantic. One of the heavenly host, indeed, became so much -interested in the conversion of the natives of this isle--which -he foresaw would, in the distant centuries, become a great centre -of evangelical truth, and, by means of missionaries, the foremost -promulgator of religious light to other benighted peoples of the -earth--that he determined to descend thither, and, under the guise of -a human form, go about amongst the people, and in some measure prepare -them for the reception of the teachings of the companions of St. Joseph. - -Midwinter had come, the period when the sun seemed to the Britons to be -farthest away from the earth, and when, according to the experience of -the past, he would commence his return with his vivifying rays; and the -Druids were holding joyous ceremonial in celebration of this annually -recurring event. The sun was viewed as a superhuman beneficent being -who journeyed across the heavens daily to dispense heat and life, and -to cause the fruits and flowers and cereals to bloom and fructify, and -give forth food for men and animals, who in summer approached near to -the earth, and in winter retired to a distance from it--for what end or -purpose they knew not. Nevertheless they deemed it wise to propitiate -him by two great ceremonials of worship--the one at midsummer, attended -by blazing "Baal-fires" on the hills (a custom which still survives -in some parts of Yorkshire, where, on Midsummer-eve, "beal-fires" are -lighted), a festival of rejoicing and thanksgiving for the ripening -crops and fruits; the other at midwinter, which partook more of the -character of a supplicating worship, imploring him, now that he was far -distant, not to withdraw himself entirely from the earth, but return -as he had been wont to do, and again cheer the world with his beams of -brightness and warmth. On the occasion of this particular festival, -the weather was stormy and cold; the pools were frozen over, and the -ground covered with snow, whilst a chilling sleet, driven by a biting -north-eastern wind, beat upon those who were exposed to its influence -in the open air. The festival was proceeding in a cleared space of the -forest circled round by lofty trees, which was the open-air natural -temple of the Druids; its walls built by the hand of their god, and -its dome-like roof the floor of the habitation where he dwelt. Whilst -the Druids were engaged in offering up prayers, the bards in singing -anthems of praise, and the vates investigating the entrails of slain -animals, to read therein forecasts of the future and the will of the -gods, especially of the Sun God, in whose honour the festival was -held, the venerable figure of an aged man might be seen descending the -hill and approaching the city. He seemed to be bowed down with the -infirmities of age, and to breast with difficulty the forcible rushing -of the wind. His white flowing beard, which reached almost to his -waist, was glittering with incrustations of ice; and his legs trembled -as he came along, leaning on his staff, with feeble and uncertain -footsteps. He was clad in a long gabardine, which he wrapped tightly -round him, to protect his frame as much as possible from the inclemency -of the weather; his head was covered by a hat with broad flapping brim; -and his feet were sandalled, to shield them from the roughness of the -road. - -He came amongst the cottages and passed from door to door, asking -for shelter and food, but everywhere was repulsed, and at times with -contumely and opprobrious epithets. No one would take him in beneath -their roof; no one had charity enough to give him a crust or a cup -of metheglin, and onward he went until he came to the spot where the -festival was progressing under the direction of the Arch-Druid, a man -of extreme age, but of commanding stature and majestic port. - -The appearance of the angel (for he it was, in the guise of infirm -and poverty-stricken humanity) caused some sensation, chiefly in -consequence of his peculiar and outlandish dress, and all eyes were -directed upon him as he walked boldly and unhesitatingly, but with -halting step, to the centre of the circle where the hierarchs were -grouped. - -The angel, addressing himself to the Arch-Druid, inquired, "Whom is it -that you worship in this fashion?" - -"Who are you," replied the Druid, "that you know not that our midwinter -festival is in honour of the great and gloriously shining God, who -reveals himself to us in his daily march across the sky?" - -"Then you worship the creature instead of the creator?" - -"How the creature? He whom we worship was never created, but has -existed from all eternity." - -"Alas! blind mortals, you labour under a Satanic delusion. Know that -what you, in your ignorance, worship is but an atom in the great and -resplendent universe of worlds and suns, called into existence by the -fiat of Him whom I serve, who alone is self-existent, immortal, and the -Creator of all men and all things." - -"You speak in parables, stranger, and in an impious strain. Mean you -to say that the god-sun is not great and powerful, he who causes the -herbage to grow and the trees to give forth fruit? Can he do this if he -be not a god?" - -"He is merely the instrument of the one Almighty God, whose Son, on the -anniversary of this day, became incarnate on earth, and died on the -cross in a land far distant from this, that man might not be subjected -to the penalty for disobedience to His laws, thus dying in his stead, -to satisfy the ends of justice." - -"And you say that he, a mere man, who died in the distant land you -speak of, was the son of one who created the sun?" - -"Most certainly." - -"Then I must say that you speak rank blasphemy." - -And the priests and other officials re-echoed the shout, "Blasphemy! -blasphemy!" and the people around took it up, and the cry of -"Blasphemy!" rose up from a thousand tongues. - -"Slay him! stone him!" was then cried by the excited people, and they -began to take up stones and hurl them at the old man, who, shaking the -snow of the city from his sandals, and saying "Woe be unto you," passed -through the surrounding crowd, and disappeared amongst the forest trees. - -The dusky shades of evening, or rather afternoon, were drawing in as -the angel passed through the wood; and as, in his incarnate form, he -was subject to all the sufferings and discomforts humanity is liable -to, he feared that he would have to pass the night, with all its -inclemency of weather, with no other shelter than that afforded by a -tree trunk or the branches of a bramble bush, but after wandering some -time he came upon a cleared space, where he found some sheep huddling -together on the lee side of a rising ground, and judging that where -sheep were men would not be far distant, he passed up the hillside -and gladly hailed a gleam of light issuing from a cottage window. He -approached and knocked at the door, which was opened by a comely, -middle-aged dame, whilst, by the fire of peat, sat a man whom he -presumed to be her husband, occupied in eating his evening meal, with a -shepherd dog by his side, eagerly looking out for the bones and chance -pieces of meat which his master might think proper to throw him. - -"Good dame," said he to the woman, "have you charity enough to give -me shelter from the storm, a crust of bread to allay the cravings of -hunger, and permission to imbibe warmth from your fire into my aged and -frozen limbs?" - -"Yes, that indeed we have, venerable father," replied she. "Come in and -seat you by the fire, and we will see what the cottage can supply in -the way of victuals." - -He stepped in, and was welcomed with equal kindness by the husband, -who placed for him a seat near the fire, took off his coat, which he -suspended before the fire to dry, and gave him a sheepskin to throw -over his shoulders; whilst the dame bustled about in the way of cooking -some slices of mutton and bringing out some of her best bread, with a -wooden drinking vessel filled with home-made barley liquor, not unlike -the ale of after days. - -He was then invited to seat himself at the table, a board resting -on two trestles, and ate heartily of the viands before him. After -the meal, and when he was thoroughly warmed and made comfortable, he -entered into conversation with the worthy couple, and ascertained that -the man was a shepherd, and made a fairly comfortable living out of -his small flock of sheep, which supplied him and his wife with raiment -and flesh meat for food, besides a small surplus for barter to procure -other necessaries. He told them that he was a wanderer on the face of -the earth, not a Briton, but allied to people who lived in the far east -near the sun rising, and that he had come hither to tell the Britons -of the true God, and that they whom they worshipped were not gods at -all; to all which they listened with wonderment and awe, but displayed -none of the bigotry and hostility to adverse faiths which had been so -practically shown in the city. With eloquent tongue he explained to -them the mysteries of the Christian religion, but they comprehended -him not, such matters being entirely beyond the capacities of their -understandings. Nevertheless they were much interested in some of -the narratives, such as the nativity and the visit of the Magi; the -miraculous cures of the sick; the crucifixion, the resurrection, and -the ascension, all which were told with great graphic power, and -listened to with rapt ears; and they sat on late into the night in this -converse, and then a bed of several layers of straw was made for the -stranger in a warm corner of the cottage, and a couple of sheep skins -given him for coverlets. - -The following morning broke bright and cheerful, a complete contrast -to the preceding day. The sun came out with a radiance as brilliant as -it was possible for a midwinter sun to do, and lighted up the hills, -on which the snow crystals glistened, and the roofs of the houses in -the valley below, with a splendour seldom beheld at that period of the -year, and the people of the city hailed the sight as a response to -their festival prayers, that the God of Day would still continue to -shower his blessings upon them, and bring forth their crops and fruits -in due course. The guest at the shepherd's cottage, wearied with his -wanderings and the buffeting of the storm, slept long after the sun -had risen; but his hosts had been up betimes, the shepherd having -gone to look after his sheep, and his wife to prepare a warm breakfast -for him on his return. When this was ready, and the shepherd had come -home, their guest was awakened, and partook with them of their meal of -sheep's flesh, brown bread, and ewe's milk. He had performed certain -devotions on rising, such as his entertainers understood not, but which -they assumed to be acts of adoration and thanksgiving to his God. - -Resuming his cloak, now thoroughly dried, his flapped hat, and his -long walking staff, he went out to pursue his journey. With his hosts -he stood on the elevated ground on which the cottage was situated, and -looked down upon the city in the valley below, from which there rose up -the busy hum of voices of men going about their vocations for the day, -with them the first of their new-born year. - -The stranger looked down upon the city for some moments in silence; -then stretching forth his arms towards it, he exclaimed, "Oh city! thou -art fair to look upon, but thou art the habitation of hard, unfeeling, -and uncharitable men, who regard themselves alone, and neither respect -age nor sympathise with poverty and infirmity! Thou art the abode -of those who worship false gods, and shut their ears to, nay, more, -maltreat those who would point out their errors and lead them into the -path of truth; therefore, oh city! it is fitting that thou shouldst -cease to cumber the earth; that thou shouldst be swept away as were -Sodom and Gomorrah. As for you," he added, turning to the shepherd and -his wife, "you took the stranger in under your roof, sheltered him -from the storm, fed him when ahungered, and comforted him as far as -your means permitted. For this accept my thanks and benison, and know -that my benison is worth the acceptance, for I am not what I seem--a -frail mortal--but one of those who stand round the throne of the God -I told you of last evening, which is in the midst of the stars of the -firmament. May your flocks increase, and your crops never fail; may you -live to advanced age, and see your children and children's children -grow up around you, wealthy in this world's wealth, honoured, and -respected." Turning again towards the city, and again stretching forth -his arms over it, the mysterious stranger cried out in a voice that -might be heard in the streets below:-- - - "Semerwater, rise; Semerwater, sink; - And swallow all the town, save this lile - House, where they gave me meat and drink." - -Immediately a loud noise was heard, as of the bursting up of a hundred -fountains from the earth, and the water rushed upward from every part -of the city like the vomiting of volcanoes; the inhabitants cried out -with terror-fraught shouts, and attempted to escape up the hills, but -were swept back by the surging flood, which waved and dashed like -the waves of the tempestuous sea. Higher and higher rose the water; -overwhelmed the houses and advanced up the sides of the hill, engulfing -everything and destroying every vestige of life, and eventually it -settled down into the vast lake as it may now be seen. - -It may be thought that this was a cruel act of revenge on the part of -the angel, but we have the authority of Milton, that the angelic mind -was susceptible of the human weakness of ambition; why, therefore, -should it not be actuated by that other human passion of revenge? - -The shepherd and his wife gazed on the spectacle of the destruction -of the city with awe-stricken countenances, when another spectacle -filled them with equal amazement. They turned their eyes upon their -guest, who still stood by them, but who was undergoing a wonderful -transformation. From an aged and infirm man he was becoming youthful -in appearance, of noble figure, with lineaments of celestial beauty, -and an aureola of golden light flashing round his head. His tattered -and way-worn garments seemed to be melting into thin air and passing -away, and in their place appeared a long white robe, as if woven of the -snow crystals of the surrounding hills; whilst from his shoulders there -streamed forth a pair of pinions, which he now expanded, and waving an -adieu to his late entertainers, he rose up into the air, and in a few -minutes had passed beyond their sight. - -The shepherd's flocks soon began to multiply wonderfully, and he -speedily became one of the richest men of the countryside. His sons -grew up and prospered as their father had, and their descendants -flourished for many generations in their several branches as some -of the most important and wealthy families of the district. The old -man and his wife abandoned the old Druidical religion, and prayed to -the unknown God of whom their guest spoke on the memorable evening -preceding the destruction of the city; and when the Apostles of -Christianity came hither, were among the first converts. There may be -sceptics who may doubt the truth of this legend, but there the Lake of -Semerwater still remains, and what can be a more convincing proof of -its truth, as old Willet was wont to say, when pointing to the block -of wood at the door of his inn at Chigwell, as a triumphant proof -of the truth of the story he had been narrating. The rustics of the -neighbourhood also assert that they have seen, fathoms deep in the -lake, the chimneys and church spires of the engulfed city; but as there -were neither churches nor chimneys when that city was in existence, we -are inclined to believe that this is an optical delusion. - - - - -The "Worm" of Nunnington. - - -A charming pastoral scene might have been witnessed in the picturesque -valley of Ryedale, northward of Malton, and not far distant from the -spot where, in after ages, sprung up the towers of Byland Abbey, one -fair midsummer eve in the earlier half of the sixth century--a scene -that would have gladdened the heart of a painter, and made him eager -to transfer it to canvas, to display it on the walls of the next Royal -Academy Exhibition, had painters and Royal Academy Exhibitions been -then in vogue. It was in a village near the banks of the Rye--the -precursor of what is now called Nunnington; what was its Celtic name we -are informed not, but it was a Celtic village, and inhabited by Celtic -people, who had been Christianised, and taught the usages and habits -of civilized life during the supremacy of the Romans in the island, -who had now departed to defend the capital of the world against the -incursions of the hordes of barbarians who were thundering at its -gates, leaving the Britons, enervated by civilisation and its attendant -luxuries, a prey to the Picts and Scots and the Teutonic pirates who -infested the surrounding seas. - -It was an age of chivalry and romance; the half real, half mythical -Arthur ruled over the land, and made head against the Scots and the -Teutons, defeating both in several battles. He instituted the chivalric -Order of Knights of the Round Table--whose members were patterns of -valour and exemplars in religion, and who went forth as knights-errant -to correct abuses, protect the fairer and weaker sex, chastise -oppressors, release those who were under spells of enchantment, and -do battle with giants, ogres, malicious dwarfs, and enchanters, also -with dragons, hippogriffs, wyverns, serpents, and other similarly -obnoxious creatures. Who hath not read of their marvellous adventures -and valorous exploits in the quest of the Sang-real, the histories -of Sir Launcelot and Sir Tristram, La Morte d'Arthur, and the Idylls -of the King? Witches and warlocks, sorcerers and ogres, tyrants and -oppressors, then abounded in the land, and beauteous damsels, the -victims of their cruelty and lust, so that there was plenty of work, -to say nothing of the reptiles of the forests, for the entire army of -valiant knights who went forth from Caerleon on the Usk in quest of -adventures, inspired by the approving smile of Queen Guinevere and -of the fair ladies in whose honour they placed lance in rest, and -whose supremacy of beauty they vowed to maintain in many a joust and -tournament. - -The village lay in a spot where nature had spread out some of her -loveliest features of valley, upland, and meandering river of silvery -sheen running through the midst; whilst trees of luxuriant foliage, in -groups and thickets of forest land, enshrined the whole as a fitting -framework for the sylvan picture. Farmsteads were scattered about, and -a cluster of humbler cottages, the habitations of the serf class of -farm labourers constituted the village. - -As we have seen, it was Midsummer Eve, a day of festival and -rejoicing which had been observed from time immemorial, for now the -sun approached the nearest to the zenith with its fructifying beams, -and in celebration of the event a huge bonfire had been built up on -an eminence outside the village; whilst around it, hand in hand, -danced the youths and maidens with much glee and merriment, with -boisterous mirth, and many a joke and song, and moreover with no lack -of flirtation between the lads and lasses, who footed it merrily, and -became more and more vigorous in the dances as the flames mounted -higher and higher. Although they knew it not, this village carnival -was a survival of the paganism of the past, when the remote ancestors -of the existing generation worshipped Baal, the great Sun God. It -had come down through centuries of homage to the creature instead of -the Creator, and having been regarded as a great holiday, did not -suffer extinction at the advent of Christianity, but was permitted -to be retained in that capacity, without any reference to religious -ceremonial, which in course of time was entirely forgotten. And it is -a remarkable instance of the vitality of ancient customs to observe -that in some parts of Yorkshire, in Holderness to wit, "Beal fires" are -lighted on Midsummer Eve, even to the present day. - -The elders of the village were seated about in groups on the turf, -watching the upblazing of the fire, casting approving smiles on the -joyous gambols and incipient match-making of their progeny, and -talking of their own juvenile days, when they were equally happy -partners in the circling dance. The blue sky overhead was cloudless, -and in the western horizon the setting sun shot forth beams of golden -light; and all was hilarity and happiness. A queen of the festival had -been chosen--the most beautiful maiden of the village, a sweet girl of -eighteen, with brilliant complexion, melting blue eyes, and flowing -curls of flaxen hue. A platform of boughs had been improvised upon -which to carry her on the shoulders of a half-dozen young bachelors -back to the village with songs of triumph, and the procession had -just been arranged, when a loud hissing sound was heard to issue from -the neighbouring forest, a sound which in these days would have been -attributed to a passing railway train; but which then sounded strange -and unearthly, and spread consternation among the merrymakers, who -turned and looked with panic-stricken countenances in the direction -from whence the sound came. - -The first impulse of the crowd was to fly to their homes, from the -unknown object of dread, but curiosity prompted a counter-impulse, -a desire to see what gave rise to the fear-inspiring sound. Nor had -they long to wait, for a few minutes after a monstrous reptile, with -the body of a serpent and the head of a dragon, its mouth seeming, to -their excited imaginations, to breathe out flame, issued from the wood -and came across the open space with fearful but graceful undulations -towards the terrified villagers. The air appeared to become charged, -too, with a pestiferous influence, issuing from the nostrils of the -monster, which increased in intensity the nearer it came. With shrieks -and wild cries, those who had been dancing so merrily but a few -minutes before took to their heels to find refuge in their cottages, -exclaiming, "Oh, that Sir Peter Loschi were here to deliver us from -the monster!" All reached their habitations and barred their doors; -all save one, the beautiful young queen of the festival, the pride of -the village--the beloved of every one--who, fascinated like a bird -by the eyes of the reptile, had stood gazing upon it so long that -she was quite in the rear of the fugitives, and was overtaken by the -serpent, who immediately coiled the foremost part of its body round -her, and in this fashion carried her back into the forest. As she did -not reappear, it was concluded that she had been devoured; and day -after day one young damsel after another disappeared after going to -the spring for water, or on other open-air errands, all of whom, it -was doubted not, had furnished meals for the monster. Indeed, at times -he was seen carrying them off as he had done the poor little queen, -until at length the village seemed to be becoming depopulated of its -maidenhood. The men at times went armed with bludgeons to attack the -serpent in his cave on the hill side, but were ever driven back by the -poisonous exhalations of the animal's breath, which seemed to render -them faint and powerless; and two or three of the bolder spirits who -approached the nearest to the den died under its influence. And the -people continued to cry, "Oh, Sir Peter Loschi, why do you tarry?"--for -in him lay all their hope of deliverance. - -This Sir Peter Loschi, whose aid was so frequently and fervently -invoked, was the owner of a castle and certain broad acres in the -vicinity. He was a Celt of unadulterated blood, although his name has -nothing Celtic about it. Single names were then only used, with the -exception of an addition of some personal characteristic or locality, -for distinction sake when there were two persons bearing the same, -and we may suppose that the two names of Peter and Loschi originally -formed one word, which has become altered and corrupted in passing from -generation to generation, in a similar manner to that of George Zavier, -which became transmuted through Georgy Zavier, etc., to eventually -Corky Shaver. Be that as it may, he was the last male of a long line -of ancient British knights and warriors, and was himself not inferior -to any of his ancestors in military skill and almost reckless daring, -having fought with distinction against the wild hordes of Picts and -Scots, who came down from their desolate northern mountains to make -raids on the more fertile lands of the Britons south of the Border, -and against the piratical Saxons and Angles who were endeavouring to -get a foothold on the island. He was one of King Arthur's Knights of -the Round Table, and was often at the Court of Queen Guinevere at -Caerleon, consorting with his brother knights in the mutual recital of -their adventures, in friendly tilting matches, and in dallying with the -fair ladies of the Court, one of whom he had chosen as the mistress of -his heart, and whose favour he wore in front of his helmet at many -a passage of arms in the courtyard of a castle or in the field of a -tournament. Occasionally he went forth for periods of six or twelve -months as a knight-errant, for the purpose of redressing wrongs, -slaying enchanters, etc., and was known as the Knight of the Sable -Plume, from that ornamental appendage of his casque. The cognisance -that he bore on his shield was a chevron arg. between three plumes -sable, on ground or; and many a doughty deed had he performed, young as -he still was, under this cognisance. - -He did not spend much time at his ancestral home in Ryedale, being -so much occupied at Court and in the quest of adventures as a -knight-errant, only going there occasionally to regulate matters -relating to his household and estates, look after his vassals and -retainers, and make arrangements for the well-being of the villagers. -He had now been absent about three years, having, at the instance of -his ladye-love at Caerleon, donned his armour, taken his lance in -hand, and gone for that space of time to protect the impotent, redress -the injured and oppressed, and slay giants and sorcerers, as a test -of his valour, at the end of which said period, if he had acquitted -himself as a preux-chevalier, she might possibly consent to become the -mistress of Ryedale Castle. The period was now drawing to a close, and -he had performed many a valorous deed; he had slain a gigantic Saxon in -single combat; he had recovered the standard of King Arthur from some -half-dozen Picts, who had seized it after killing the bearer of it; he -had rescued a damsel from the hands of an enchanter; another from the -fangs and claws of a lion, and a third from a giant who was dragging -her along by the hair of her head; he had killed a dragon, a griffin, -and a hippogriff, had done many another wondrous and valorous deed, -and was now going back to Caerleon to claim the hand of the lady at -whose behest he had performed all these marvellous achievements, little -dreaming all the time that his own people in Ryedale were in sore need -of his stalwart arm and trusty sword. - -As the knight had been northward, it was necessary to pass through -what is now Yorkshire on his way to Caerleon, and he deemed it -expedient to call at his Ryedale Castle to see how matters had been -going on there during his long absence. It was about a month after -the first appearance of the "worm," when the villagers were beginning -to experience the truth of the saying that "hope deferred maketh the -heart sick," having lost many members of their community through the -propensity of the serpent for human flesh, and no Sir Peter coming -to deliver them from the ravages of the monster, when the figure of -a horseman, with a nodding black plume, was seen "pricking o'er the -plain," who was immediately recognised as the veritable Sir Peter -Loschi, which gave rise to an exhilarating shout of welcome from the -villagers, who cried, "Now shall we be delivered from the ravenous -worm." Sir Peter rode on to his castle, where the first being to -welcome him was a favourite mastiff, who came gambolling about him -with the most affectionate demonstrations of rejoicing at seeing his -master once more. The following morning a deputation of the villagers -waited upon him, explained their troubles in respect to the worm, and -prayed for his assistance in ridding them of the monster. He inquired -into the particulars, and having been accustomed in his travels to -several encounters with noxious animals of this character, he readily -understood what he would have to deal with, and promised his aid, but -added that as some preparations would be necessary, the enemy being -of an exceptional description, he would not be able to undertake it -within a month, and that they must endure it the best they could in the -interval. - -Sir Peter got a sight of the serpent, and a formidable monster he -appeared to be, more terrible than any he had previously met with; -and he saw that it behoved him to make special provision for the -combat. He pondered the matter over for a few days, and then mounted -his steed and rode to Sheffield, where he employed certain cunning -artificers to make him a complete suit of armour studded with razor -blades. Although razors are alluded to by Homer, and have been used -by the Chinese for unknown centuries, it is doubtful whether they -were a staple manufacture on the banks of the Sheaf and the Rivelin -in the sixth century. It is true that Chaucer speaks of a "Sheffield -whittle," but this was eight centuries afterwards, and it is equally to -be doubted whether Sheffield, even as a village, existed at that time; -but anachronisms are of small moment in legends, and we are required -to accept it as a fact, that the knight had his novel suit of armour -fabricated in the valley of the Sheaf. - -When it was completed, he returned with it to Ryedale, and gladly was -he welcomed by the villagers, as the serpent had been committing more -ravages amongst the population. He had a sword, a Damascus blade of -wonderful keenness, which possessed certain magical properties, similar -to those of King Arthur's famous Excaliber; and one morning, after -donning his armour, he took the sword in his hand and went forth to the -combat. His dog accompanied him, and it was with difficulty that he was -prevented from leaping up in caressing gambols against the sharp razor -blades. - -The serpent had its den in the side of a wooded eminence near East -Newton, by Stonegrave, which has since then gone by the name of Loschy -Hill, in memory of the great fight between the Knight and the Dragon. -Sir Peter, who was on foot, strode along boldly towards the hill, -followed by his dog, which seemed to be perfectly aware that some -exciting sport was before them, as he rushed about hither and thither, -sniffing the air, as if his keen scent gave him intimation that game of -an unusual character was not far off, and he barked and growled, as -if in defiance of the foe; whilst the villagers stood afar off, with -eager countenances, to watch the progress of the combat. As the knight -came nearer, he became aware of a pestiferous odour that seemed to -contaminate the air; and the dog scented and sniffed, and gave vent to -more prolonged growlings and louder barking, and seemed to tremble with -excitement in anticipation of the coming fray. - -The serpent had not yet breakfasted, and seeing the man and dog -approach, darted from his den and made for the dog, with which he -thought to stay his appetite as a first mouthful, but the dog was too -nimble and eluded his attack, leaping upon one of the curves of its -body and biting it with mad excitement; whilst the knight struck it a -blow with his sword which almost cut off its head, but the wound healed -up instantly, and the serpent coiled itself round his body, in order -to crush the life out of him, and then devour him at its leisure. It -had not, in doing so, taken into account the razor blades, which cut -its body in a multitude of gashes, and caused the blood to stream down -on the earth; but this was not of much consequence, as it immediately -uncoiled and rolled itself on the earth, when all the wounds closed -up. Foiled in this attack, the monster then began to vomit out a -poisonous vapour, so horrible and overcoming that the knight seemed -ready to sink under its influence, but rallying his energies, he aimed -a blow which cut the serpent in two, but the severed parts joined -again immediately. All this time the monster was hissing in a fearful -manner, and breathing out poison, and the knight began to fear he must -succumb and become its prey; but determined not to give in so long as -he could continue the fight, he aimed another blow with his sword and -severed a portion of the tail end, although feeling persuaded that it -would become reunited as before; but his dog, evidently a sagacious -animal, having witnessed the former reunion, seized it in its teeth -and ran off with it to a neighbouring hill, then returned and carried -away other portions as they were cut off successively. The serpent -writhed with pain, but afraid, or seeing the uselessness of attacking -the razor-armed man, made many attempts to seize the dog, but in vain, -as he was too agile to be caught; therefore he depended more on the -venom of his breath at this juncture, which he continued to pour forth, -and which he knew must eventually overpower his enemy. The dog had -returned from his third or fourth journey and came up to his master, -wagging his tail in seeming congratulation of the cleverness with which -they were gradually accomplishing the destruction of the foe, when the -serpent made a spring upon him, but at the same instant the knight's -magic sword descended upon his neck and severed the head from the body, -which the dog at once seized and carried off to a distance, placing it -on a hill near where Nunnington Church now stands. - -The monster was now dead which had caused so much terror and -desolation, and the villagers shouted with joy as they saw the head -carried past by the dog. Meanwhile the knight stood by the remaining -portion of the body as it lay prone on the earth, quivering with the -remains of its vitality. He was exhausted with his exertions, but more -by the poisonous exhalation which the body still gave forth, but in -rapidly diminishing volume. He was recovering from its effects and -was waiting awhile to gain sufficient energy to leave the scene of -his triumph, when the dog returned, but apparently in a very languid -condition; still, however, evincing marks of satisfaction and pleasure -at the conquest he and his master had achieved. The knight stooped down -to pat caressingly his faithful companion, who, in return, reached up -and licked his face. Unfortunately, in carrying away the head, the -seat of the venom, the dog had imbibed the poison, and in licking his -master's face had imparted the virus to him, and a few minutes were -sufficient to produce its fatal effects, the knight and his dog falling -to the earth together, and when the villagers came up they found both -dead. - -Although the villagers were rejoiced at the death of the serpent, their -lamentations were equally great over the fate of the knight, who had -sacrificed his life for their deliverance; and for many a month and -year did they cherish his memory and mourn his death. - -In Nunnington Church there is a monument of a knight, a recumbent -effigy, with a dog crouching at his feet; and this, tradition says, is -the tomb of the valorous Sir Peter Loschi and his equally valorous dog, -who were buried together, and the monument erected in grateful memory -of their achievement. - - - - -The Devil's Arrows. - - -One of the most interesting localities in broad Yorkshire, rich in -historic lore and fruitful in legend, is that which comprehends within -its limits the twin towns of Aldborough and Boroughbridge, on the river -Ure. Their history extends back to the Celtic and Roman times, when -Aldborough or Iseur, the Isurium of the Romans, was the capital of the -Brigantian Celts, and near by ran northward from York a great Roman -road, which crossed the Ure by a ford, which was supplanted after the -Conquest by a wooden bridge, which gave rise to a great convergence of -roads at this point, and the growth of a town, which obtained the name -of Boroughbridge, _i.e._, the borough by the bridge. - -This spot, says Dr. Stukeley, was in the British time "the scene of -the great Panegyre of the Druids, the midsummer meeting of all the -country round, to celebrate the great quarterly sacrifice, accompanied -with sports, games, races, and all kinds of exercises, with universal -festivity. This was like the Olympian and Nemean meetings and games -among the Grecians." - -Between the two towns there stands protruding from the earth three -rough-hewn and weather-worn obelisks of rag-stone or mill-stone grit, -which could not have been brought from a distance of less than seven -miles, and gave rise to a sense of wonder how such stupendous masses -could have been brought hither and placed upright in position by the -Celts with their utter lack of mechanical appliances. The northernmost -rises eighteen feet, the southernmost twenty-two and a half feet, -and the centre one also twenty-two and a half feet above the ground, -and from an excavation made under the latter, it was found to have -an entire length of thirty feet six inches. The estimated weight of -the northernmost is thirty-six tons, and of the other two thirty tons -each. Originally there were four stones, which were seen by Leland in -Henry VIII.'s time; but one of them fell or was removed for the sake of -the materials--useful for road repairing--in the seventeenth century. -Camden imagined them to be factitious compositions of sand, lime, -and small pebbles cemented together; but there is no doubt they were -quarried at Plumpton, the rock there corresponding exactly with their -grit. The Romans made use of them as metæ, the turning point in their -chariot races. There have been varying and differing conjectures by -antiquaries as to their origin and purpose, but all agree as to their -remote antiquity, dating back certainly 1800 years, the most probable -conjecture as to their purpose being that they were connected in -some way with Druidical worship. They go by the name of "The Devil's -Arrows," and tradition gives an account of their origin altogether -different from antiquarian conjectures, and much more in accordance -with their popular designation. Thus runs the legend:-- - -It was soon after the Crucifixion that certain Apostles of the -Cross, headed by Joseph of Arimathea, found their way from Palestine -to the remote and benighted isle of Britain, in obedience to the -Divine command to go forth and preach the Gospel to every creature. -After their disembarkation they proceeded inland until they came to -Glastonbury; and ascending the hill there, Joseph struck his walking -staff in the earth and proclaimed that there should be established -the first Christian church of Britain, and in confirmation thereof his -staff miraculously took root, put forth branches, and although it was -midwinter--Christmas Day--budded and blossomed into a rose, as its -successors here continued to do on every successive Christmas Day. -The Apostles preached to the barbarian people, made some converts, -and erected a temporary wooden church for the performance of divine -service, which was the precursor of the magnificent Abbey that -afterwards rose on the site, and flourished in great prosperity until -its extinction under the sacrilegious hand of Henry the Eighth. - -When the new faith had taken root at Glastonbury, the Apostles divided -themselves into bands of two or three, and departed north, south, east, -and west, to proclaim the glad tidings in other parts of the island. -One of these bands, going northwards, preached to the Cornabii and the -Coritani of Mid-Britain, and then passed onward to the Brigantes, the -greatest and most warlike of the kingdoms of Britain. They travelled -on foot, staff in hand, and subsisted on the charity of the people; -but had often to endure great hardships, having often to pass through -scantily peopled districts, where wild fruits were their only food, the -water of the wayside brooks their drink, and their sleeping couches the -heather of the moor or the turf under the canopy of a forest tree. But -all these discomforts they endured with cheerfulness, besides perils -from wolves, wild boars, and other denizens of the woodlands, feeling -assured that their Master would reward them a thousand-fold for their -sufferings in His service. - -On entering the Brigantian kingdom they learned that the capital city -was Iseur, some considerable distance northward, and thither they bent -their way in the hope of enlightening the King in spiritual matters -as a means of facilitating the conversion of his people. With wearied -steps they passed from village to village, through forests and swamps, -and over black moorlands, fording the rivers where practicable, or -where they were too deep for so doing going along the bank until they -met with a fisherman or villager to ferry them across in his coracle; -and in due course, after many days of toilsome journeying, came to the -city of Iseur. - -The city stood in a forest clearing, surrounded by a stockade of -felled trees, with an entrenchment for protection against enemies, -and for the security of their flocks and herds against the attacks -of wild beasts. In the centre stood the King's Palace, a tolerably -spacious edifice built of unhewn blocks of stone, placed in cyclopean -fashion without mortar; and scattered around were the mud-built and -straw-thatched dwellings of the people. There was no temple of their -deity, the gods of the Britons disdaining mortal-built places of -worship. But adjacent was a separate forest clearing, with a circling -of huge forest oaks, on which grew the sacred mistletoe, which -constituted a temple not built with hands; and in which was a pool of -water, indispensable in the ceremonials of their religion, where the -beaver abounded, and was used as an emblem of the flood, of which the -Britons had a tradition; and here were constructed the wickerwork forms -of gigantic human beings, which at certain seasons were filled with -men, women, and children, and burnt to propitiate the wrath of their -god. - -They proceeded to the palace of the King and asked for an audience, -which was granted them after some demur; the King feeling uncertain, -from the description his attendants gave of their foreign aspect, -outlandish dresses, and imperfect utterance of the British language, -whether they might not be enemies, assassins, or sorcerers come hither -to take his life or subject him to some other evil. He received them -seated on a sort of throne, clad in a white, coarsely woven tunic of -wool reaching half way down his thighs, and leaving the lower limbs -altogether uncovered, and over his shoulders a wolf-skin mantle, -whilst he supported his dignity by holding in his right hand a long -bronze-headed spear, with a richly-carved shaft. By his side sat his -Queen, and at his feet gambolled three or four children, whilst around -him stood representatives of the Druidical hierarchy--the Druids proper -or high priests, the Eubates or soothsayers, and the Bards who chanted -anthems to the glory of their god and recited odes in praise of the -warriors and great men of their race. - -The King inquired of the strangers who they were and what was their -purpose in thus coming to his court. The Apostles replied that they -were people of a far distant land, near the sunrising, and had come -hither to show them their errors in worshipping false gods, and point -out to them the true object of worship, the one only God, the Maker -of heaven and earth, and the awarder of happiness or misery in the -future life beyond the grave. A murmur of dissatisfaction arose at this -announcement amongst the Druids, who whispered amongst themselves that -it was fitting such blasphemers should be offered up as sacrifices to -their god. - -"Truly," said the King, "you have come on a strange errand; we are -firm believers in and devout worshippers of the one Supreme God, as -you pretend to be. Do we not yearly offer up on His altars hundreds of -human victims to propitiate His good-will? What more would you have? -We believe what you do, and a great deal more, for we have a host of -minor deities whom we pay adoration to. Methinks you had better return -to your own country and not trouble us with your hallucinations, so as -to cause a schism in the faith. We are content with our own belief, -which teaches us that when we die the souls of those who have done -justly will pass gradually into a higher and higher sphere, until at -length, when perfectly purified, it will become absorbed in the essence -of the Deity, or become an inferior god; whilst those of the wicked -will be transformed to the bodies of inferior and unclean animals, and -eventually be annihilated." - -The Apostles upon this explained briefly the principles of the -Christian religion, the fall of man and his loss of the divine favour, -his necessary condemnation to temporal and eternal death, and the -redemptorial scheme, in which God himself, or rather his Son, who -was identical with himself, suffered death on the cross, taking upon -himself, in lieu of man, the threatened penalty. - -"Is your God dead, then?" inquired the King; "or is it possible for God -to die. If so, our faith is better than yours, for our God is immortal." - -The Apostles then entered into an elaborate disquisition on the -subtleties of the necessity and nature of the Divine scheme for the -salvation of the human race, but the reasonings were too abstruse -for the King's comprehension, as, indeed, were they for the more -cultured minds of the Druids; therefore the King declined any further -discourse on the subject, adding that he was perfectly willing that -they should be courteously treated and have fair play, as they had -come so far with the intent, as it seemed to them, of doing him and -his people a service; therefore he would appoint a day on which they -should have a full and fair discussion with the Druids on the merits of -the respective faiths, and in the meantime they should be hospitably -entertained at his cost, and with this the audience terminated. - -It happened that at this time the Father of Evil was prowling about -Britain, with the object of thwarting the efforts of St. Joseph and his -band of missionaries for the evangelisation of the land. He employed -himself chiefly about Glastonbury and its neighbourhood, the primitive -and central seat of British Christianity, and centuries elapsed before -he relaxed his persistent attempt to eradicate the faith, hostile to -himself, which had taken root there. Nine hundred years afterwards we -find that he was a perpetual annoyance to the holy St. Dunstan in his -Glastonbury cell, continually intruding upon him when engaged in his -studies, and offering to him the most seductive temptations, until, on -one occasion, he made his appearance before him when he was engaged on -some blacksmith work, and commenced tempting him to sell his soul to -him for unbounded wealth and the highest temporal distinction. The -saint, however, was proof against his temptations, and resolved to free -himself once for all from his importunities, took his red-hot tongs -from the fire, and seized him by the nose. The devil roared out lustily -with the pain, although one would fancy, from fire being his natural -element, that it would not incommode him greatly; nevertheless, he -prayed abjectly to be released from the tongs, but the saint would not -release him until he promised to give him no further annoyance. - -He had followed in the footsteps of the three Apostles on the northern -mission, and was present, although invisible, at the interview with the -King of the Brigantes; and when the conference between the Apostles -and the Druids was arranged by the King, he determined upon presenting -himself at the meeting in a more tangible and palpable form, to -overthrow the arguments of the former by the power of his eloquence and -logical force of reasoning, feeling exceedingly loth to run the risk -of losing so cherished a section of his dominions, which would ensue -in case the King should be convinced by the preaching and the powerful -arguments of the Apostles. - -The conference was appointed to come off on the slopes of the Hambleton -Hills, at the foot of Roulston Crag and there, on the auspicious -morning, might be seen a large assemblage gathered together, presenting -a very animated and picturesque grouping. The King, as president of -the assembly, took his seat on an improvised throne. He was clothed -in the most splendid of his regal vestments, and held in his hand -his bronze-headed spear, as an emblem of his Royal authority. On his -right stood a group of Druids, clad in long white linen robes, with -circlets of oak leaves round their heads, and on his left the three -Christian Apostles, in their weather-stained Oriental garments, whilst -scattered around, was a considerable number of Brigantian warriors, -courtiers, agriculturists, and serfs more or less garmented in coarse -woollen fabrics or skins of animals, or without clothing of any kind, -but with painted or tattooed skins, on which were depicted figures of -the sun, the moon, and sundry animals. The King opened the proceedings -by stating the object of the meeting, and calling upon the Apostles -to explain what they wished to inculcate, promising them a fair and -candid hearing, and assuring them that if what they said appeared at -all consonant with reason, it should have due consideration. In all -respects the meeting was very similar to that which was convened nearly -600 years afterwards by Eadwine, King of Northumbria, for a discussion -of the merits of Christianity, between St. Paulinus, the apostle of -Rome, and Coiffi, the High Priest of Woden, which resulted in the -second establishment of Christianity in the district, which constitutes -the modern Yorkshire. Just as one of the Apostles was commencing to -speak, a venerable Druid, with a beard reaching half-way down to -his waist, and attired in the official long white robe, entered the -assembly, and made his obeisance to the King, who inquired who he was -and whither he had come. "I am the High Priest, oh King," he replied, -"of the great and famous forest temple of Llyn yr a vanc" (on the site -of the modern Beverley). "A report came thither that certain strangers -had come to the Court of Iseur from some distant land, to promulgate a -foreign and damnable heresy; and I, as being well versed in the truths -of our faith, and gifted with an eloquent tongue, have been deputed -by my brethren to attend this conference, and aid, to the best of my -ability, in discomfiting these foreign heretics, whose object is to -uproot our holy religion and substitute a false theological creed." - -"You are welcome!" said the King. "Take your place among your brother -Druids on my right. Give heed to what the strangers have to say, and -reply to their arguments as your reason and lengthened experience may -dictate." - -The stranger took the place indicated, and the King bade the Apostles -tell what they had to say on the object of their mission, upon which -the eldest looking of the three, stretching forth his arms as Raphael -depicted Paul when preaching at Athens, commenced his harangue by -giving an outline of the history of man as recorded in the Scriptures, -his fall from innocence and perfection, by the seductions of the -enemy of mankind, who for his rebellious ambition had been banished -from heaven and cast down into hell, and who since then had been -going to and fro in the earth tempting man to sin against his Maker, -in which he had been so successful that God repented of having made -man, and had caused all mankind to perish save one family, and then -explained that afterwards, when the earth had again become populated, -he compassionated man's fallen estate, and had sent his Son to take -on himself the penalty due to man's transgression, that all, through -him, might be placed in a state of salvation from that death eternal -which they inherited from the transgression of their first ancestor; -and wound up by imploring the King and all present to abandon their -impotent and bloodthirsty gods, believe in the God of Mercy whom they -proclaimed, and accept the salvation offered through the merits of Him -who was crucified. - -The Druid, who had come afar, then rose and craved permission to -reply, which was granted, and he stood forth on a mass of rock, with -a majestic presence and dignified air. He laughed to scorn the fables -which they had listened to, which were only fit to delude the ears -of silly old women, and could not be accepted for a moment by men -endowed with the faculty of reasoning. "We are told," said he, "that -man was made perfect, and was at the same time fallible; that God is -immutable, and yet repented; that a creature, the work of His hands, -has become His rival, and from what we hear has become even more potent -than his Maker; has set up a rival kingdom, and is able to wrest from -the hands of God three-fourths of the beings whom He creates, a God -who is asserted to be omnipotent; with many such subtle questions, -inquiring--Can these be compatible with reason, and can you, as men of -sense, believe them?" He then descanted on the superior merits of the -Druidical religion, contrasting its "simple truth" with the "absurd -fables told us by these foreigners;" concluding with a forcible and -eloquent appeal to those who listened to him not to abandon the gods -of their fathers, and go hankering after strange gods, especially such -as were recommended by such baseless arguments and improbable tales as -they had just heard. - -When he concluded a murmur of applause agitated the assembly like a -rustling of leaves in the forest, and the King said, "Venerable father, -thou speakest well; thy words are those of truth; and it only remains -to bid these strangers depart from our shores and return to the land -from whence they have come, bearing with them our thanks for having -come so far to teach us what they conceive to be the truth, but which -we are unable to accept as consonant with reason." - -In the vehemence of his oratorical action, the Druid had caught up -the skirt of his robe, and the apostle had spied protruding therefrom -a cloven foot, and moreover that the heat issuing therefrom had caused -the upper part of the rock on which it was placed to become partially -liquefied, or rather gelatinised, so that it adhered to the foot. -Suspecting, therefore, whom he had to deal with, he cried out on -receiving the order to depart, "Hearken, oh King, I have told you of -the arch-enemy of God and mankind, who tempted the first man to sin, -and still goes about luring men to perdition; behold he--even he--is -present in this assembly, and has been addressing you in advocacy of -the false religion, which you, in your ignorance, maintain. Him will -I unmask;" and addressing himself to the Druid, he cried in a stern -and commanding voice, "Satan, I defy thee! in the name of the Saviour -of mankind, I command thee to display thyself in thy proper person, -and depart hence to the hell from whence thou comest." In an instant, -at that adjuration, the Druid's robe and the venerable beard fell -from him, and he stood revealed in all his hideous deformity, with a -malignant scowl on his countenance, and springing up, he took flight, -impregnating the air with a sulphurous perfume, carrying with him a -mass of rock, weighing several tons, which adhered to his foot. - -At this unanswerable demonstration of truth of the religion proclaimed -by the Apostles, the King, and even the Druids, became converted, and -underwent the ceremony of baptism; and the Apostles were empowered to -go throughout Brigantium and preach the Gospel, which resulted in the -conversion of multitudes, and the Brigantes became a Christian people. - -Satan, however, although foiled so signally, set his wits to work to -be avenged on the King for deserting his standard. He recollected -the piece of rock which he had brought from Roulston and dropped in -his flight some seven or eight miles from Iseur, the King's capital -city, and this he resolved upon making use of to destroy that city. -Accordingly he winged his way thither, and splitting up the rock -fashioned it into four huge obelisk-like forms, and standing upon -How-hill, he hurled them at Iseur, crying out:-- - - "Borobrig, keep out of the way, - For Auldboro town - I will ding down." - -It may be observed _en passant_ that there is a slight anachronism -here, as Aldborough was not so called until the Saxon age, and -Boroughbridge did not come into existence until after the Conquest. But -that is a matter of not much consequence in a legend. - -The stones which were thus intended to "ding down" the King's city -were miraculously intercepted in their flight, falling and fixing -themselves firmly in the earth between the city and the fords over the -Ure (Boroughbridge), where three of them, still called "The Devil's -Arrows," may be seen at this day. - - - - -The Giant Road-Maker of Mulgrave. - - -The stately Castle of Mulgrave, now the home of the Phipps -family--Marquises of Normanby--was built by Peter de Malo-lacu or de -Mauley, in the reign of King John. Cox says, "he built a castle here -for his defence, which, from its beauty and the grace it was to this -place, he named it Moultgrace, but because it proved afterwards a -great grievance to the neighbours thereabouts, the people, who will in -such cases take a liberty to nickname places and things by changing -one letter for another--c for v--called it Moultgrave, by which name -alone for many ages it hath been and is now everywhere known, though -the reason thereof is by few understood." A previous castle, with the -barony, had been held by the de Turnhams, and the last male heir, -Robert, having died without issue male, the barony and castle were -inherited by his only daughter, Isabel, who, as was then the law -respecting heiresses, became a ward of the Crown, and her hand at the -disposal of the King. This Peter de Malo-lacu, or Peter of the Evil -Eye, was a Poictevin of brutal and ferocious character, who was made -use of by King John as the instrument for the murder of his nephew -Arthur, for which piece of service he rewarded the murderer with the -hand of the fair Isabel, with her inheritance. - -But long before the de Mauleys and the de Turnhams, a noble Saxon -family were lords of the surrounding domain, and dwelt in a castle -on an eminence here, about three or four miles from the seashore at -Whitby. Leland says (_temp._ Hen. 8), "Mongrave Castel standeth on a -craggy hille, and on eche side of it is a hille far higher than that -whereon the castel standeth. The north hille on the topp of it hath -certain stones, commonly caul'd Wadda's grave, whom the people there -say to have bene a gigant and owner of Mongrave." And Camden, "Hard -by upon a steep hill near the sea (which yet is between two that are -much higher) a castle of Wade, a Saxon Duke, is said to have stood; -who, in the confused anarchy of the Northumbrians, so fatal to the -petty Princes, having combined with those that murdered King Ethered, -gave battel to King Ardulph at Whalley, in Lancashire, but with -such ill-sucess that his army was routed and himself forced to fly. -Afterwards he fell into a distemper, which killed him, and was interred -on a hill here between two solid rocks, about seven foot high, which -being at twelve foot distance from one another, occasions a current -opinion that he was of gyant-like stature." - -It is with this Duke Wada that we are concerned. He appears to have -been a Saxon, or rather an Anglian noble of considerable consequence -in the kingdom of Northumbria, and to have taken a conspicuous part -in the political movements of that troublous period, when, as Speed -narrates, "the Northumbrians were sore molested with many intruders -or rather tyrants that banded for the soueraintie for the space of -thirtie years." He was a man of gigantic stature and a champion of -redoubtable energy in war, dealing death around him and cumbering the -field with the bodies of those who had fallen beneath the blows of his -ponderous mace. He was indeed a true son of Woden in all respects, -excepting that he had relinquished the hope of banqueting in the halls -of the Walhalia, and appropriating the skulls of his enemies as -drinking vessels; for through the influence of St. Hilda's Abbey of -Streoneshalh, in the immediate vicinity, he had adopted the tenets of, -if he did not regulate his life altogether according to, the principles -of Christianity. - -Now Wada was a married man, and had a helpmate of stature and -proportions corresponding with his own. They were a well-matched -couple, and seemed to have lived together in a state of ordinary -connubial happiness, there being but one thing to disturb the even -tenor of their lives, and that was that the lady had to go in all sorts -of weather across a moor to milk her cows--a long and dreary journey -even in summer, along the rough and stone strewn trackway, but more -especially in winter, when the snow was frequently knee deep, and the -bitter blasts of the north-east wind came careering over the sea and -sweeping with relentless fury across the bleak and shelterless moorland. - -Wada's Castle was a massive structure of stone, with round-headed -unglazed windows, and a turret which commanded a fine outlook over the -sea on one side, and the moorlands and Cleveland hills on the other. -The rooms were of large size, as befitted the abode of a giant, but -presented few of the appliances of comfort that are deemed commonplace -essentials now-a-days. The walls were of bare stone, without drapery -of any kind, and no ornamentation excepting some zigzag mouldings; -the roofs were vaulted, and in those of large size supported at the -intersections by one or more stunted round pillars; the windows were -small, without glass, and furnished with wooden shutters to exclude the -wind and rain in the inclement seasons of the year; and the furniture -consisted of rough-hewn deal or oaken tables, and shapeless benches -or stools, with an oaken coffer to hold valuables, and side shelves -to hold wooden platters and vessels of earthenware. The fire in cold -weather was made on the floor, of logs of wood or cuttings of peat, the -smoke escaping as it could through the doorways or windows. - -It was in such a room as this that Wada and his wife sat at breakfast, -one rainy and boisterous morning. After devouring an enormous quantity -of beef and swine's flesh, with manchets of oaten bread, washed down by -repeated draughts of ale, Wada, wiping his mouth with the back of his -hand, rose and went to look forth at the weather. - -Wada was not a ferocious giant, dragging along half-a-dozen damsels, -with one hand, by their hair, to immure them in his dungeons, and grind -their bones to make his bread, as was the wont of the Cornish giants of -old; nor was he, like them, stupid and weak-minded, so as to be easily -outwitted and destroyed by the immortal Jack. On the contrary, although -valiant in war, he abused not his great strength by tyrannising and -oppressing his vassals, lived on good terms with his neighbours, and -was gentle and tender in all his domestic relations. Hence, when he -looked through his window and saw the sea foaming with wrath, and a -few fisher-boats tossed about by the waves in their endeavour to gain -shelter in Whitby Bay, and saw the sleet driving across the moor, he -heaved a sigh, saying, "Methinks, sweetheart, thou wilt have a rough -passage over the moor this morning; would to Heaven that it were not -necessary for thee so to do." "I care not much," she replied, "for -the falling rain and the boisterous wind, rough as they may be, but -experience more inconvenience and suffering from the roughness of the -road I have to traverse daily, so bestrewn is it with obstacles and -stumbling-blocks, and so many bog-holes and quagmires have I to pass -through." - -Now it chanced that a short while before this Wada, in one of his -wanderings, came upon the road constructed by the Romans, from -Eboracum, by way of Malton to the Bay of Filey, and was struck by the -facilities it gave for travelling, as compared with the more modern -Saxon roads, if roads they could be called, which were mere trackways, -formed and trodden down by the feet of men and animals. When his wife -made the above reply, this recurred to his memory, and after a few -minutes musing, the thought struck him--Why should not he make a road -on this pattern for the benefit of his wife, whom he loved so dearly, -and whose toil and labours he would be glad to lessen at any cost to -himself? - -After turning the matter over in his mind as to the practicability -of the project, he came to the conclusion that it was perfectly -feasible. There was plenty of material close at hand, in the shingle -on the beach, and he had sufficient strength and energy to level -the inequalities and fill up the boggy places, so as to make a firm -foundation, and to spread over the whole a layer of the stones -gathered from the sea shore. Yes; it was perfectly practicable, and -could be accomplished at the mere expense of a little labour. He -explained the project to his wife, who was delighted with it, and -undertook to bring up the stones whilst he placed them in position -after forming the foundation. - -They lost no time in commencing the work; he with his spade in the -levelling and bog-filling operations, and she carrying up the shingle -in her apron; and it went on apace day after day and week after week, -soon presenting the appearance of a newly macadamised road of modern -times, and was duly appreciated by Lady Wada in her daily tramps across -the moor. - -It chanced that when the road was nearly completed, in one of her -journeys from the beach, laden with shingle, her apron strings gave -way and her load fell to the earth, and there it was left (some twenty -cart-loads), and remained until recent times as a monument of her -industry and strength, and an incontestable evidence of the truth of -the narrative. It was after this that Wada joined in the insurrection -against Ethelred, the son of Moll, who, after his restoration from -exile, put to death the Princes Alfus and Alwin, sons of King Alfwald, -who were the rightful heirs to the crown, and repudiated his wife to -marry Elfled, the daughter of Offa, King of Mercia, "which things," -says Speed, "sate so neere the hearts of his subjects that they -rebelliously rose in arms, and at Cobre miserably slew him, the 18th -day of April, the yeare of Christ Jesus, 794." After which Wada and -his confederates were defeated in battle by Duke Ardulph, one of the -aspirants to the Crown, and fled to his castle, where he died of a -terrible disorder, and was buried, as stated, between two huge stones. - -The road leading from Dunsley Bay towards Malton still exists, and goes -by the name of "Wada's Causeway," and one of the ribs of Wada's wife -is preserved in the present Mulgrave Castle, but the present age is so -incredulous in respect to the chronicles of the past that there are -sceptics who assert that it is nothing more than the bone of a whale. - -Wada was the ancestor of the widely ramified family of Wade, one of -whom, at least--Marshal Wade--inherited the road-making skill of his -ancestor. After the rebellion of 1715 he was sent into the Highlands as -military governor, with the object of thoroughly subduing the country -and rendering it less available as a place of refuge for rebels. With -this view he constructed a series of military roads, where there had -previously been only trackways, with which the people were so delighted -that they set up a stone near Fort Augustus, with the inscription:-- - - "If you had seen these roads before they were made, - You would lift up your hands and bless General Wade." - - - - -The Virgin's Head of Halifax. - - -In the romantic and somewhat sterile region of south-western Yorkshire, -verging on the county of Lancaster, lies a valley, or rather what -has the aspect of a valley, from its nestling under the shadows of -some hills of considerable height. On the slope of an aclivity stands -the modern town of Halifax, with its forest of lofty chimneys, its -pretty park, and its many palatial structures, devoted to charitable -and philanthropic purposes, due chiefly to the benevolence of the -Crossleys, who, from a humble origin, have, within the memory of living -persons, become manufacturing princes of the locality, and who, in -consideration of their mercantile enterprise and the philanthropic use -of the wealth they have acquired, have been honoured with a baronetcy. -It is one of the most flourishing, or what Leland would term "quick," -towns of the Yorkshire clothing district, and in recent times has -increased rapidly in population, wealth, and importance. It is not -even mentioned in Domesday-Book, nor does its name appear in any record -until the twelfth century, when Earl Warren made a grant of the church -to the priory of Lewes, in Sussex. About the middle of the fifteenth -century it consisted of but thirteen houses, which during the following -hundred years increased to 520. In 1764, the parish, which, however, is -very extensive, being seventeen miles in length by an average width of -eleven, contained 8,244 families; and in 1811 the population numbered -73,815, that of the town being 9,159, since which period of eighty -years it has been more than nontupled, the census of 1891 giving the -population at 82,900. - -The town of Halifax owes its prosperity to its mineral wealth. It is -certainly not the place for the agriculturist or the cattle breeder. -In an Act passed _temp._ Philip and Mary, it is recited, "whereas the -parish of Halifax, being planted in waste and moors, where the ground -is not apt to bring forth any corn or good grass, but in rare places -and by exceeding and great industry of the inhabitants; and the same -inhabitants altogether do live by cloth making, and the greatest -part of them neither getteth corn nor is able to keepe horse to carry -wools, etc.;" and Camden, in 1574, observes that there are 12,000 men -in the parish, who outnumber the sheep, whereas in other parts we -find thousands of sheep and but few men, "but of all others, nothing -is so admirable in this town as the industry of the inhabitants, who, -notwithstanding an unprofitable, barren soil, not fit to live upon, -have so flourished in the cloth trade, which within these seventy -years they first fell to, that they are both very rich and have gained -a reputation for it above their neighbours, which confirms the truth -of the old observation that a barren country is a great whet to the -industry of the natives." - -For the first three or four centuries after the Conquest, England was a -great wool-growing but not a wool-manufacturing country. Sheep-breeding -was a great source of income to the Cistercians, who, with all the -private wool-growers, exported their produce to the spinners and -weavers of the Low Countries. It was not until King Edward III., with -great sagacity, foreseeing that England might manufacture as well as -produce the raw material, and thus share in the profits arising out of -that industry, invited over a number of Flemish artisans and settled -them in Norfolk and Yorkshire, prohibiting the exportation of wool -excepting under a tax of 50s. per pack. This was the foundation of the -clothing industry of the West Riding, which has since then expanded -so enormously; and Halifax was one of the first places to apply -itself to the spinning and weaving of wool. As stated above, although -poverty-stricken in an agricultural point of view, it possessed great -mineral wealth in the shape of almost limitless deposits of coal, which -was a valuable essential even in those primitive times, but which has -become an absolute essential since the introduction of steam-power -looms. - -It is supposed that the manufacture was introduced into Halifax about -the year 1414; but it was then on a very limited scale, and it was -not until the beginning of the eighteenth century that the first -great advance took place, by the erection of looms for the weaving -of shalloons, everlastings, moreens, shags, etc., since which time -damasks, and more recently still, carpets, have taken prominent -places in the industries of the town; indeed, Halifax has absorbed -a considerable portion of the trade which belongs legitimately to -Kidderminster. - -Although the town of Halifax is of comparatively modern origin, the -name is unmistakably Saxon, indicating that previously to the Conquest -there was a village or hamlet of some description to which that -appellation was given. One tradition asserts that there was a hermitage -dedicated to St. John the Baptist, in the valley, and that within it -was preserved the face of the saint, which attracted vast numbers of -pilgrims, and caused the name of the place of resort to be called -Hali-fax, or Holy-face; and there may possibly be some substratum of -truth in this, as the parish church is dedicated to the same saint. -Dr. Whitaker partially adopts this theory, but his etymologies are -frequently rather fanciful. He refers to this hermitage of St. John, -"whose imagined sanctity attracted a great concourse of people in every -direction, to accommodate whom there were four separate roads from -different points of the compass, which converged in the valley, and -hence the name Halifax, which is half Saxon and half Norman, signifying -the Holy-ways, fax in Norman-French being an old plural noun, denoting -highways." - -Camden gives a brief outline of the legend given below, which he -heard from the people of the vicinity, adding--"and thus the little -village of Horton, or as it was sometimes called, 'The Chapel in the -Grove,' grew up to a large town, assuming the new name of Halig-fax, -or Halifax, which signifies holy hair, for fax is used by the English -on the other side Trent to signify hair, and that the noble family of -Fairfax in these parts are so named from their fair hair." - -That the valley was esteemed a place of peculiar sanctity in the -early ages is a matter of which there can be little doubt, and this -is sufficiently evidenced by one fact alone. Within its precincts was -born, about the end of the twelfth or beginning of the thirteenth -century, John, the foremost mathematician of the age, author of -"Tractatus de Sphæri Mundi," "De Computo Ecclesiastes," and "De -Algorismo," who was honoured with a public funeral at the expense of -the University of Paris, who assumed the name of Johannes de Sancto -Bosco, or John of the Holy Wood. And here it may be incidentally -noticed that the Holy Wood has since then produced other men upon -whom the mantle of Johannes seems to have fallen. Here was born, in -1556, Henry Briggs, the eminent mathematician; Gresham, Professor of -Geometry, Savilian Professor at Oxford, and author of "Arithmetica -Logarithmica," an improvement on Napier, containing logarithms of -30,000 natural numbers; Jesse Ramsden, the famous optician, and -improver of the Hadley quadrant, who died A.D. 1800; and at Horton, -seven miles distant, Abraham Sharpe, one of the best mathematicians and -astronomers of his time, who died in 1742. - -The shadows of evening were falling upon the valley, and the outlines -of the rugged, verdureless hills were gradually becoming more and more -indistinct, as Father Aelred, having passed out of his little chapel of -St. John the Baptist, where he had been performing the vesper service, -proceeded to his lonely habitation, and after a simple meal of wild -fruits and a draught of water from the little streamlet trickling down -the hillside, sat him down to read for the hundredth time a transcript -of a portion of Cædmon's Scriptural poems, after which he spent some -time in prayer and self-communion, and then cast himself upon his -sackcloth, which was spread over a layer of rough gravel, to slumber -for a short time, in this mortifying and penitential fashion, to rise -again at midnight for other devotional exercises. - -Father Aelred was a man of thirty or thirty-five years of age, of pale -countenance and emaciated frame, with sunken eyes and hollow voice, -the result of rigorous fasting, long vigils, mortification of the -flesh, and severe penitential exercises. In his boyhood he had been -regarded, from his gravity of aspect, love of learning, and incipient -piety, as one who was destined to become a light of the church of the -coming generation, and was sent for his education to the famous School -of Streoneshalh, established by the Lady Hilda, and at that time under -the superintendence of her successor, the Princess Elfleda, where he -imbibed Scriptural instruction from the lips of the then venerable -Cædmon, a monk of the house. He became a novice of the house, passed -the requisite examinations satisfactorily, and was in due course -admitted as a fully accredited member of the fraternity. The strictness -of his piety was such that he shortly found the life of a monk not to -answer his longings for a higher life of holiness and a position where -he could be of service to the souls of his fellowmen. He therefore -left the shelter of Whitby, and wandered about for some weeks, until -he came into the wild and barren-looking mountainous district of the -west, and finding there a secluded valley, shut in by towering hills -and frowning rocks--a spot with a very sparse and scattered population, -and removed far away from the noise and turmoil of the world--he -resolved to make it his home, and to settle down in it as a hermit, -shutting out all intercourse with his fellowmen and women, save in the -way of imparting spiritual teaching and consolation to the few simple -unsophisticated rustics who dwelt in the valley. He found a cavern in -the hillside, which he enlarged and fashioned into a habitation wherein -to live; fitting the entrance with a door, to shelter him from the cold -winter winds and prevent the intrusion of wild animals, above which -he made an orifice for the admission of light, which he glazed with a -thinly scraped sheet of horn, such as King Alfred's lanterns were made -of, and furnished the interior with two sections of a tree trunk, the -larger to serve as a table, the smaller as a seat; a shelf on which he -kept his eatables, with a knife, an earthen platter, and a drinking -horn, a piece of rough sackcloth for his bed, and over it, fixed to -the rock, a roughly-shapen cross, the emblem of his faith, beside which -hung a knotted rope for the purpose of penitential flagellation. At -a few rods distance he erected with his own hands, from timber cut -by himself, a small chapel--a temple of God, sufficiently rude and -unpretentious in point of architecture, but answering every purpose for -which it was intended, that of a place of assembly for the simple and -unlettered people of the valley, where they might join in the worship -of God; and here Aelred every evening performed divine service and -catechised the small flock of which he had constituted himself the -pastor, and on Sundays performed three full services, with a sermon and -the administration of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. And thus he -came to be looked upon in the district as a most holy man, as indeed -he was, and but little below a saint, who might be expected any day to -commence the working of miracles, in the cure of the sick and afflicted. - -There was one peculiarity about Aelred's character, which amounted -almost to a monomania. He entertained a shrinking horror of -fair-featured, beautiful women--not that there were many such in his -solitary valley, they being, as a rule, embrowned by exposure to the -sun, and their features corrugated by marks of rough toil and the -troubles of life even from girlhood, and as such they experienced his -sympathy and Christian charity; and the little children were always -treated by him with tenderness and love, in imitation of his Divine -Master, who had said "for of such is the kingdom of Heaven." But -for the vain and frivolous of the sex, who seemed to deem nothing -of supreme importance save the adornment of their persons, he felt -profound scorn and contempt, mixed with a modicum of pity, and -marvelled why they were sent into the world at all, unless, it might -be, to test the virtue of man by the temptation of their fascinating -allurements. - -It happened, however, that not far distant a benevolent and wealthy -lady had established a religious home for females. It was not exactly a -nunnery, although it possessed many of the features of one, the inmates -not being debarred from matrimony, although absolute chastity was an -essential while resident there; nor were they garbed in unbecoming -costumes, nor compelled to sacrifice that pride and ornament of -woman, her hair; besides which they were allowed a certain amount of -liberty in the way of visiting their friends, which was not accorded -to a regular nun. The ladies of this establishment were wont to go to -Father Aelred to confess their little peccadilloes, to which he saw no -reasonable objection, as they were generally very homely, ill-favoured -specimens of the sex, as is usually the case with the inmates of -nunneries, and thus were in no way perilous to his chaste soul and holy -communings. Had they been otherwise, it is probable that he might have -declined the office of father confessor to them, and closed the door of -St. John's Chapel against their intrusion. - -It is a well-known psychological fact that the body and the mind act -and re-act upon each other to their respective well-being or detriment, -and that if the one is neglected or abused the other suffers in -proportion; and this fact was evidenced in the case of Father Aelred. -As we have observed, he was a man of intense and fervid piety, the -whole of his thoughts being concentrated on one sole object--the -salvation of his own soul and that of his fellow-creatures. Hence he -fasted for prolonged periods, denied himself a sufficient measure -of sleep, such as nature demanded, subjected himself to severe -self-flagellations, and in other ways outraged nature, fancying that -by these mortifications of the flesh he was promoting the health of -his soul. But the laws of nature are never broken with impunity, and -he had to pay the penalty; instead of invigorating he impaired the -powers of the spiritual portion of his dual entity, which, although -distinct from, is essentially interwoven with the material half. At -first he merely experienced lassitude, depression of spirits, and a -harassing dread that after all his religious aspirations and rigid -observance of the duties of the Church, he might find himself cast -into the bottomless pit at last. These were followed by distressing -dreams and visions of the Judgment Day, the frown and sentence of the -arbiter of his eternal destiny, and the jeering scoffs of the enemy -of souls, as he passed into the region of everlasting weeping and -wailing. Deeming these to be proofs of the weakness of his faith and -the languor of his religious life, he was led to redouble the rigour -of his asceticism, the natural result being to intensify the malady he -sought to cure. From seeing fearful visions in his dreams at night, he -began to see horrible figures of demons by day, who crowded about him, -with scoffing grimaces and leering looks, sometimes, as it seemed to -his ears, as if uttering threats and sarcastic allusions to his assumed -piety, or anon indulging in demoniac yells of laughter. Of course he -attributed all these to the machinations of the devil, and prayed for -deliverance from them; but he was haunted by them day and night, with -increasing persistency, until at length the sanity of his mind gave -way, and he became in fact a maniac, not, however, so pronounced as to -render it evident to others, or prevent his performance of his priestly -offices, nor did he relax his private devotional exercises. - -On the evening above mentioned, when the holy father returned home -from the chapel and sat down to the perusal of the transcript of -Cædmon, which he had brought from Whitby, he was particularly disturbed -in mind, and could not concentrate his thoughts upon what he was -reading, which perpetually recurred at the evening service in the -chapel and the advent of a new member of his congregation; besides -which an imp had squatted himself on the table opposite him, and sat -there grinning at him in a most diabolical fashion. It was the usual -custom of the sisterhood of the religious house of which mention -has been made to attend his evening service; and on this occasion a -new member of the sisterhood was present for the first time. She had -been just admitted as a novice, and was young and beautiful, with the -fair, clear complexion, blue eyes, and long flaxen hair of the Anglian -race, a striking contrast to the elderly, homely featured spinsters -whom she accompanied. The moment he caught sight of her face, Aelred -experienced a species of fascination, similar to that of the bird in -the presence of the serpent, and although he battled with the feeling, -he could not shake it off. To his eyes, she seemed like an angel come -down from heaven, and the more he struggled to avert his thoughts from -contemplating her celestial beauty, the more he felt impelled to turn -his eyes again and again to where she sat. He felt it was wrong, so -he brought the service to an abrupt close and hastened home to purify -his soul, by prayer, from what he deemed the lust of the eye. But the -vision was ever present in his mind's eye, so much so that he scarcely -heeded or was conscious of the grinning imp on the table. He had -retired to his sackcloth couch, after a wholesome application of the -knotted rope and a prolonged prayer before the cross, and eventually -fell asleep, but his dreams were all of the fair vision he had seen in -the chapel, and for that night he was not haunted by his usual demon -visitants. - -A few days afterwards the Mother Superior of the little convent came -to the chapel for confession, and brought with her her new daughter, -to whom she introduced Aelred as her future father confessor, and it -was with a strange unusual throbbing of his heart that he looked upon -her fair form, as she bowed herself beneath his paternal greeting; -but when he listened to her soft, silvery accents as she told him in -confession her little sins of thought, his heart softened as it had -never done before to any woman. These feelings, however, involuntary as -they were, caused him much alarm, and he strove to banish them as being -perilous to his soul, but it was impossible to drive the fair, and as -he thought, angelic, image from his mind. A week passed by, to him a -week of sad spiritual tribulation, for when in prayer his mind wandered -away; nor was he able to fix his thoughts in contemplation, the angelic -vision ever rising up to distract and perplex him. - -One day when she came to confess she said to him--"Holy father, I -have fallen into grievous sin; I have made the probationary vow of -abstraction from the world and of devotion to the sole service of -God." "That is well, my daughter," said Aelred; "persevere in that -resolution, and God will bless you both now and for ever." "But, -father," she continued, "I have suffered a fearful lapse; I have looked -back upon the world, and have almost regretted having taken the vows." -"Backsliding," said Aelred in reply, "is, as you term it, a grievous -sin; but it is remediable by prayer, penitence, and fasting. But tell -me more in detail the evil thoughts which have assailed your soul." -"I almost fear to tell you," she answered. "Then can I not advise -you in the matter excepting in general terms. Confide in me; it is -but speaking to God through me, and he will inspire me with words of -remedial comfort; otherwise I cannot grant absolution." - -Thus urged, she stated that previously to entering the convent she -scarcely knew what the passion of love meant, but since then it had -sprung up in her heart with a vehemence that it seemed to be impossible -to suppress. She had seen one since she came into the valley, a pious -and godly man, who had at the first sight animated her breast with the -passion in so intense a degree that it glowed and raged within her -like a furnace. The holy man at once concluded that he himself was the -person she referred to, and he felt his heart beating wildly with an -hitherto unexperienced emotion, and at the same time his brow became -bedewed with perspiration, caused by an apprehensive terror of the -dangerous position in which he found himself placed. He stood silent -and almost paralysed, looking down upon her with fearful forebodings as -to what she would confess further, when she, wondering at his silence, -cast a furtive glance upward from her hitherto downcast eyes. Everyone -knows that there is wondrous eloquence in the glance of a female -eye, and as her's met his, he felt at once that it meant impassioned -love--lawless love, and it stirred up within his disordered mind -all the narrow bigotry of his sentiments in respect to sexual love. -He still stood silently gazing upon her, when all at once a fearful -idea flashed across his mind, which caused him to pass at once from a -person of slightly distempered intellect into a perfect madman. The -idea was that the girl before him was none other than Satan himself, -who, not having been able to tempt him to sin by means of his imps in -their repulsive demoniac forms, had assumed the semblance of a lovely -virgin to allure him to carnal sin. Rising up to his full height, with -eyeballs glaring and features distorted with indignant rage, he cried, -"Satan, I know thee, and I defy thee; but no more shalt thou tempt man -in that shape at least," and with that he dealt her a violent blow, and -she fell senseless on the floor. "Ah!" cried he, "thou hast found thy -match in me, but my work is not yet completed; thy head shall be placed -aloft as a warning to others," and with that he procured a knife and -severed her head from her body, which he then took out and fixed on the -trunk of a yew tree, just where it begins to ramify, and when that was -completed he rushed up the mountain with wild shouts of triumph and -maniacal gesticulations. - -The young novice not returning to the convent, search was made for -her, and her headless body was discovered in the chapel, lying in a -pool of blood, but it was not until the following day that the head -was found fixed in the yew tree. On attempting to remove it, it was -found that the long hair had taken root in the tree trunk, and was -spreading downwards in thin filaments, and as this was looked on as a -miracle, it was left there. Suspicion of the murder attached itself to -the hermit-priest, and as he had been seen going up the mountain in a -distraught state of mind, search was made for him in that direction, -and his body was found at the foot of a precipice down which he had -fallen, but whether through accident or for the purpose of suicide -could never be known. - -Camden says--"Her head was hung upon an ew-tree, where it was reputed -holy by the vulgar, till quite rotten, and was visited in pilgrimage by -them, every one picking off a branch of the tree as a holy relique. By -this means the tree became at last a mere trunk, but still retained its -reputation of sanctity among the people, who believed that those little -veins, which are spread out like hair in the rind between the bark and -the body of the tree, were indeed the very hair of the virgin. This -occasioned such resort of pilgrims to it that Horton, from a little -village grew up to a large town, assuming the name of Halig-fax, or -Halifax, which signifies holy hair." - - - - -The Dead Arm of St. Oswald the King. - - -The Anglian kingdom of Northumbria, of which York was the capital, -presented in the seventh century one almost continuous series of -battles and murders, massacres of the people, and desolation of the -land. Ethelfrid, grandson of Ida, founder of the kingdom of Bernicia, -and Eadwine, son of Ælla, founder of that of Deira, succeeded their -fathers in their respective kingdoms about the same time; but -the former, who had married Acca, Eadwine's sister, usurped his -brother-in-law's throne and drove him into exile, who afterwards, by -the assistance of Redwald, King of the East Angles, in the year 617, -defeated and slew Ethelfrid in battle, and became King of Northumbria -and eighth Bretwalda, or paramount monarch of Britain. He was converted -to Christianity, and Penda, the pagan King of Mercia, in order to -extirpate the heretical religion, invaded Northumbria, and defeated -Eadwine at Hethfield, who was slain in the fight. This happened in -633, and Penda then went into East Anglia on the same mission, leaving -Cadwalla, a Welsh Prince, his ally, although a Christian, as Governor -of Northumbria, who made York his headquarters, and ruled the people, -especially those who had embraced Christianity and were the most -devoted adherents of the family of Eadwine, with the most ruthless -barbarity. On the death of Ethelfrid, his sons, Eanfrid and Oswald, -fled into Scotland along with Osric, son of Ælfrid, King Eadwine's -uncle, where they had been converted to Christianity under the teaching -of the monks of Iona, or, as Speed puts it, "had bin secured in -Scotland all his (Eadwine's) reigne, and among the Red-shanks liued as -banished men, where they learned the true Religion of Christ, and had -receiued the lauer of Baptisme." On hearing of the death of Eadwine, -they returned to Northumbria, were welcomed by the people, and assumed -the crowns--Osric of Deira, and Eanfrid of Bernicia. Cadwalla was -still, however, potent in Northumbria, holding York and tyrannising -over the people, and they were scarcely seated on their thrones when he -slew Osric in battle, and caused Eanfrid to be put to death when he -came before him to sue for peace. Seeing that Christianity was almost -extinct in the land, the people having reverted to the old faith, -they both deemed it expedient to renounce Christianity and restore -the worship of Woden, respecting which Bede says, "To this day that -year (the year during which they reigned) is looked upon as unhappy -and hateful to all good men; as well on account of the apostasy of -the English Kings, who had renounced the faith, as of the outrageous -tyranny of the British King. Hence it has been agreed by all who have -written about the reigns of the Kings to abolish the memory of these -perfidious Monarchs, and to assign that year to the reign of the -following King, Oswald, a man beloved of God." - -Oswald was an altogether different man from his brother Eanfrid, a man -of genuine faith, who had imbibed the true principles of Christianity, -sincere in his devotions, and prepared to undergo any suffering, even -death itself, rather than apostatise from what he was fully convinced -was the truth. On the death of his brother he collected around him -a small army of devoted followers, and with these advanced to meet -Cadwalla, relying on the justice of his cause, the bravery of his -handful of men, and the assistance of God. He set up his standard, -a cross, emblematic of his faith, at Denisbourne, near Hagulstad -(Hexham), "and this done," says Bede, "raising his voice, he cried -to his army, 'Let us all kneel and jointly beseech the true and -living God Almighty, in his mercy, to defend us, from the haughty and -fierce enemy, for he knows that we have undertaken a just war for the -safety of our nation.' All did as he had commanded, and accordingly, -advancing towards the enemy with the first dawn of day, they obtained -the victory, as their faith deserved." He adds, "In that place of -prayer very many miraculous cures have been performed, as a token and -memorial of the King's faith, for even to this day many are wont to cut -off small chips from the wood of the holy Cross, which being put into -water, men or cattle drinking thereof or sprinkled with that water are -immediately restored to health." He then gives some instances, one of -Bothelme, a brother of the church of Hagulstad, which was afterwards -built on the spot, who broke his arm by falling on the ice, causing "a -most raging pain," when he was given a portion of moss from the then -old cross, which he placed in his bosom, and went to bed forgetting -that he had it, but "awaking in the middle of the night, he felt -something cold lying by his side, and putting his hand to feel what it -was, he found his arm and hand as sound as if he had never felt any -such pain." - -Cadwalla was utterly defeated and slain, and his vast army (vast -as compared with Oswald's small band of heroes) cut to pieces and -dispersed. Having thus freed his country from the one disturbing -element, he applied himself to its regeneration and restoration from -anarchy and desolation to peace and good order. First and foremost, -his object was the re-conversion of his people from the paganism into -which they had lapsed, to Christianity, and to light afresh the lamp -of truth, which had been almost altogether extinguished through the -vigorous zeal of Penda on behalf of his ancestral gods of the north. -With this object in view he sent to Iona for missionaries, to preach -and teach throughout Northumbria, and Aidan was sent at the head -of a body of monks, whose headquarters were fixed on the island of -Lindisfarne, as resembling that of Iona, from whence they came, hoping -to make it, like the latter, a centre of evangelical light to the -mainland of Northumbria. Here they lived under the rule of Columba, the -founder of Iona, in monastic seclusion, when at home, which was but -seldom, as they were constantly on foot, staff in hand, tramping about -through forests and moors and wild places of Oswald's kingdom. The -King created a bishopric, to comprehend the whole of his territories, -and constituted Aidan the first Bishop, who, it is said--such was the -zeal of his subaltern monkish priests--baptised 15,000 converts in -seven days. Besides this, the King caused churches and monasteries to -be erected in various parts of his realm, and completed the church -which King Eadwine had commenced at York, the forerunner of the -magnificent fane which now adorns that city and is one of the most -glorious specimens of Gothic architecture in England. Nor was Oswald -less active in civil and secular matters, and in promoting the welfare -of his people. He governed his kingdom with great wisdom and prudence, -and under his peaceful sceptre the land was rapidly recovering from the -effects of Cadwalla's desolating hand. He was the fifth King of Deira, -ninth of Bernicia, third of Northumbria, and the ninth Bretwalda or -Supreme King of the island, "at which times the whole Iland flourished -both with peace and plenty, and acknowledged their subjection vnto -King Oswald. For, as Bede reporteth, all the nations of Britannie -which spake foure languages, that is to say, Britaines, Red-shankes, -Scots, and Englishmen, became subject vnto him. And yet being aduanced -to so Royall Majesty, he was notwithstanding (which is maruellous to -be reported), lowly to all; gracious to the poore, and bountifull to -strangers." - -It was a cold spring day; the sun shone brightly, but imparted little -warmth; the trees were leafless, and the early flowers looked sickly -and languid, the effect of a long continuance of north-easterly -winds, which on this particular day came coursing over the ocean, -and were roystering with boisterous glee and in fearful gusts round -the towers of Bamborough Castle, and through the openings in the -walls which served the purpose of the glazed windows of after-times. -It was Easter-tide, and here King Oswald had come from York, where -he had kept his Court, to celebrate this important festival of the -Church in the ancestral castle of his race. The feast was laid in the -banqueting-room, a tolerably large but gloomy and, to nineteenth -century eyes, a wretchedly appointed apartment, with but few of the -appliances of modern comfort. A fire of wood burnt on the hearth, the -smoke at times passing up the wide chimney, at others driven inward -by a down-current of the wind, and sent in curling wreaths along the -vaulted roof. The room was lighted by means of narrow recessed openings -and arrow slits, useful in times of siege, but inconveniently narrow -for the admission of light, yet wide enough to afford free entrance to -the chilling wind. The walls were of bare stones, and the furniture a -table of rough planks running down the centre, with a smaller cross -table, on a sort of dais. At the latter table were seated King Oswald, -with his Queen Kineburga, daughter of Kingils, the sixth monarch and -first Christian King of the West Saxons, on the one hand, and Bishop -Aidan on the other. Along the other table sat some nobles and thegns, -three or four of the monks of Lindisfarne, and below these the house -carles and outdoor retainers of the King's household. On the cross -table was placed a large silver dish filled with venison, wild boar's -flesh, and other dainties; and distributed down the long table were -earthen dishes containing meat of various kinds, wooden platters and -knives, with drinking horns, and small loaves of barley bread; and on -the table stood flagons of ale that had been brewed specially for the -festival. - -At the King's request the Bishop pronounced benediction on the food, -with special reference to Him in whose memory the festival was -celebrated, and who alone could administer the bread of life. He had -scarcely finished, and the guests were beginning to handle their knives -preparatory to an attack on the smoking viands, which gave forth a most -appetising odour, when a sound as of a multitude of persons outside -attracted their notice, and immediately after voices were heard: "In -the name of Him who rose from the tomb this blessed morning, give us -whereof to eat, that we starve not and die by the wayside." The King -sent one of his house carles out to inquire who and what they were, -who presently returned, saying that they were a band of some dozen -mendicants, formerly well-to-do husbandmen, and their families, whose -homes and crops had been destroyed by Cadwalla's followers, and that -they were utterly destitute, deprived of the means of living, and -dependent on charity for food until they could find means to replace -themselves on their farms. - -"Unfortunate creatures," exclaimed the King; "a fearful retribution -awaits that so-called Christian prince in that world to which his -crimes have sent him through our instrumentality by God's providence;" -and, taking up the large silver dish, continued, "It is better that -we celebrate not this festival, than that the poor of our realm die -of starvation. Take this, Wilfrid, and portion out its contents among -the famishing crowd, and when they have eaten, cut up the dish and -distribute the fragments, that they may have the wherewithal to procure -food on the morrow." Aidan, the Bishop, who was afterwards canonised, -was struck with admiration at the pious and charitable act of the King, -which he warmly applauded; and taking hold of his right arm, prayed -that that arm and hand which had passed forth the dish might never -become corrupt, but for ever remain fresh, in token and remembrance of -this pious act of self-abnegation; and instead of feasting, this Easter -day was spent by Oswald, his Queen, and the Bishop in fasting and -prayer. - -Penda, the pagan King of Mercia, was still living, and still as -inveterately hostile to the new heresy as when he had made his raid -on Northumbria, and trampled it out by the defeat and death of the -Royal convert of Paulinus; and now, when Oswald had been eight years -on the throne; had brought his kingdom, by wisdom and good government, -into a condition of peace and prosperity; and had re-established -Christianity on a sure and firm basis, he heard with some dismay that -the heathen King was muttering threats against him, and gathering his -forces together for another invasion, and a second suppression of the -religion that sought the dethronement of Woden as the god of heaven. -Yet although he heard these tidings with dismay, he felt assured of the -Divine protection, remembering how signally he had defeated Cadwalla -by fighting under the standard of the Cross, despite the disparity -of numbers. He remembered, too, what miseries were inflicted on the -Northumbrians by the marching of hostile bands to and fro, leaving, -as they usually did, a desert behind them strewn with the corpses of -men, women, and children; and he determined that, rather than allow -his people to be subjected again to these sufferings, he would be -beforehand with the enemy and carry the war, with its resultant -ravages, into his own land. He therefore hastily assembled his fighting -men, and again uplifting the standard of the Cross marched into Mercia, -his troops, like those of Cromwell a thousand years afterwards, singing -psalms and anthems as they passed along. - -Penda had collected together a large army, and the rival hosts met at -Masserfield, in the modern Shropshire. They rushed towards each other -in mortal conflict, the one with shouts of "Hallelujah!" the other -with cries of "Aid us, great Woden, thou mighty god of battle!" The -fight was long and obstinately contested, and victory seemed to waver -from one side to the other until towards evening, when an arrow struck -Oswald and he fell to the ground, although not mortally wounded; but a -cry arose amongst his followers that he was slain, and, thinking that -their God had deserted them, they were stricken with panic, threw down -their arms, and fled in every direction, hotly pursued by the Mercians, -who mercilessly killed all the fugitives whom they overtook. - -Although stricken down and faint from loss of blood, Oswald still -lived, and witnessed with anguish of mind the cowardly and ignominious -flight of his army. The Mercians came over the field, killing those of -the fallen who were merely wounded; but when they came to Oswald they -spared him, whom they had recognised, and brought him, with staggering -steps and downcast heart, into the presence of their chief. - -"Thou art he, then," said Penda, addressing him, "who darest to -invade my dominions--the dominions of a descendant of Woden--thou, a -worshipper of false gods!" - -"It is even I," replied Oswald, in a weak voice; "I, Oswald, King -of the Northumbrians, successor to the sainted Eadwine, who is now -standing by the throne of the one true God, Jehovah, the God whom -I worship, on whose arm I put my trust, and who, if He, in His -inscrutable providence, hath delivered me up to thy cruel behests, -will save my soul, that portion of me, my real self, which thou cannot -touch, and bring me to dwell with Him for ever, in that heaven which -thou canst never reach, unless thou repentest and abandonest thy false -demon-gods, who can only conduct thee to the flames of hell." - -"Blaspheming heretic," cried Penda, "I care not for the heaven thou -speakest of; sufficient for me will be the Halls of Walhalla, where, -amid everlasting banqueting, I will use thy skull as my drinking-cup. -Still, I will give thee one chance of life. Renounce thy false god; -restore the worship of Woden in Northumbria, and thou shalt be replaced -on thy throne as my tributary, whilst I, as monarch of Mercia, -Northumbria, and East Anglia, extending from the Thames to the Forth, -and from sea to sea, shall become the Bretwalda of Britain." - -"Never, O King," replied Oswald "will I prove recreant to the truth. -Thou mayest rend my sceptre from my grasp; thou mayest slay my kindred -and massacre my people; thou mayest torture me, and put an end to my -temporal existence; but never will I renounce that faith which affords -me a secure hope of everlasting blessedness, whilst thou, if thou -continuest the instrument of false gods, shalt be weeping and gnashing -thy teeth in the torments of the bottomless pit." - -"Then," roared out Penda, "thy death be on thy own head. Soldiers, -hew the blasphemer to pieces!" And immediately he was stricken by -half-a-dozen swords, and fell exclaiming, "Lord Jesus, into thy hands -I commend my soul." - -The ferocious pagan, kicking the body with his foot as the last insult, -gave directions for it to be cut into fragments, and scattered abroad -to be devoured by birds of prey and the wild beasts of the forest; and -his behests were at once carried into execution. And the birds and the -beasts gathered together to the horrible carnival, and soon there was -nothing left but the bare bones, saving one arm, which none of them -would touch, and it remained entire and perfect as in life. - -Some time after the battle of Masserfield the arm of the King was -found, fresh and undecayed, and was conveyed to Northumbria and -deposited in a magnificent shrine, where it remained uncorrupted -for nine centuries, at first in the chapel of St. Peter, Bamborough -Castle, and afterwards, when the Danes began to ravage the coast, in -the monastery of Peterborough, whither it was removed, as Ingulphus -informs us, for safety. The scattered bones were afterwards collected, -by the pious care of Offryd, Oswald's niece, the daughter of Oswy, the -illegitimate half-brother of Oswald, his successor on the throne of -Northumbria, and slayer of Penda in battle. She had become Queen of -Mercia by her marriage with Ethelred, son and successor of Penda, who, -after his father's death, had embraced Christianity. She placed the -relics in the monastery of Bardney, in Lincolnshire, and his "standard -of gold and purple over the shrine;" but when the Danes became -troublesome in Lindsey they were removed to Gloucester, "and there, -in the north side of the vpper end of the quire of the cathedrall -church, continueth a faire monument of him, with a chappell set betwixt -two pillers in the same church." At all these places--Masserfield, -afterwards called Oswestry, after the martyr; at the place of burial of -the relics; and at the shrines of the uncorrupted arm--throughout those -nine hundred years some most wonderful miracles were performed, which -are duly recorded in the pages of Bede and other writers; even a few -grains of the dust which settled on the shrine of the arm, when mixed -with water and drunk, were a sovereign specific for almost any disease. - -Winwick, in Lancashire, disputes with Oswestry the claim of having -been the place of St. Oswald's death, as there is St. Oswald's Well -there; and from an inscription in the church it appears to have been -anciently called Masserfelte; moreover there is a tradition that he -had a palace there, which was within his dominions, although his usual -places of residence were Bamborough and occasionally York. - -The village of Oswaldkirk, near Helmsley, derives its name from him, -and there are several churches in Yorkshire and elsewhere dedicated to -him. - - - - -The Translation of St. Hilda. - - -St. Hilda was the nursing-mother of the infant Saxon Church; the -instructress of Bishops; the preceptrix of scholars and learned men; -and the patroness of Cædmon, the first Saxon Christian poet--the Milton -of his age. The Abbey over which she ruled with so much piety and -prudence was, during her life and afterwards, one of the great centres -of civilization and Christian light of the kingdom of Northumbria, and -diffused its rays, beaming with celestial radiance, even beyond the -bounds of that great northern monarchy. - -She was a scion of the royal race of Ælla, the founder of the kingdom -of Deira, or Southern Northumbria; the daughter of Hererick (nephew -of Eadwine, King of Northumbria), by his wife the Lady Breguswith; -was born in the year 614, and died in 680. She was converted to -Christianity by the preaching of Paulinus, and was baptised along -with her great-uncle and his court, in 627. Six years afterwards -Eadwine was slain in battle by Penda, the heathen King of Mercia, and -the nascent religion of Christianity stamped out, Paulinus flying for -shelter with the widowed Queen and her children, to the court of her -brother, the King of Kent. What became of Hilda during this period of -anarchy we know not; but it seems evident that the afflictions and -persecutions she underwent served only to deepen her faith and cause -her to cling more closely to the Cross of Christ. - -In 647, when she was thirty-three years of age, she resolved upon -devoting her life entirely to the service of God, and with that view -journeyed into East Anglia, where her nephew Heresuid reigned as King, -and where her cousin, the pious Anne, resided. Her intention was to -proceed hence to Chelles, in France, to join her sister, St. Herewide, -who had retired to a nunnery there; but for some reason or other she -lingered for twelve months in East Anglia. At the end of this period -she was granted a plot of land on the Wear, upon which she erected -a small house and resided there, in modest seclusion, for the space -of a year, when the fame of her piety having spread abroad, she was -appointed Abbess of Hartlepool, a nunnery founded by Hein, the first -woman who assumed the nun's habit in Northumbria, and who had now -retired to the nunnery of Calcaceaster (Tadcaster). In her new capacity -she set about her work with devoted zeal, regulating the discipline, -reforming abuses, promulgating new and wholesome rules, and enforcing -a strict attention to religious duties, in which she was aided by -the counsels of her friend Aidan, Bishop of Lindisfarne, who, at the -instance of King Oswald, had come from Iona to re-convert his subjects -to the faith which had been trampled out by Penda. - -In the year 642, Oswald, the second founder of Christianity in -Northumbria, fell, like his predecessor Eadwine, under the ferocious -sword of Penda, and was succeeded by Oswy in Bernicia, and Oswine in -Deira; but in 650, Oswy caused the king of Deira to be murdered, and -assumed the sceptre of Northumbria, north and south. Five years after -this, Penda, with unabated zeal for his god--Woden--again made an -inroad into Northumbria, with the intent of slaying the third Christian -king of that realm. At first Oswy attempted to buy him off by bribes, -but the Mercian potentate refused his offers, declaring that nothing -would content him but the death of the King, and the utter extirpation -of Christianity. "Then," said Oswy, "if the pagan will not accept -our gifts, we will offer them to one who will--the Lord our God;" -and he prepared for battle, making a vow that if God would vouchsafe -him the victory he would erect a monastery, endow it with twelve -farms, and dedicate his newly-born daughter to holy virginity and His -service. With a comparatively small force, he marched against Penda, -"confiding in the conduct of Christ," met him near Leeds, and, as the -Saxon chronicle says, "Slew King Penda, with thirty men of the Royal -race with him, and some of them were kings, among whom was Ethelhere, -brother of Anne, King of the East Angles; and the Mercians became -Christians." - -This great and decisive victory, the last conflict in England between -heathendom and Christianity, was the turning-point in Hilda's career -of eminence. Had Penda again been the victor, Northumbria would again -perhaps have lapsed into paganism, and the future saint never have been -heard of beyond the vicinity of Hartlepool. - -As it was, King Oswy, mindful of his vow, erected a monastery at -Streoneshalh, on the bank of the Esk, where it falls into the sea in -Whitby Bay. It was placed on a lofty headland, with a steep ascent from -the little fishing hamlet at its foot and a precipitous escarpment -to the sea. It was formed for both male and female recluses, and -the fame of Hilda for piety and judicious government was such that -she was selected by the King as the most fitting for the government -of the establishment. Under her rule Streoneshalh became not only a -model monastic house, but a great school of secular and theological -learning. During her superintendence, not less than five of her -scholars attained the mitre, all of them illustrious prelates of the -Saxon Church--St. John, of Beverley; St. Wilfrid, of Ripon; and Bosa, -Archbishops of York; Hedda, Bishop of Dorchester; and Oftfor, Bishop -of Worcester. "Thus," says Bede, "this servant of Christ, whom all -that knew her called 'mother,' for her singular piety and grace, was -not only an example of good life to those that lived in her monastery, -but afforded occasion of amendment and salvation to many who lived at -a distance, to whom the fame was brought of her industry and virtue." -Fuller observes, "I behold her as the most learned female before -the Conquest, and may call her the she-Gamaliel at whose feet many -learned men had their education." During her Abbacy, the famous Synod, -convened by King Oswy, was held within the walls of Streoneshalh, to -settle the vexed questions of the time for the celebration of Easter, -and of the tonsure, which were subjects of warm dispute between the -ancient British Church and that of Rome, the Northumbrians adhering -to the former, as inculcated by the missionary monks of Iona, who -had been brought hither by Oswald, and who now occupied the sees of -York and Lindisfarne. The King, who had been educated in Scotland, -and consequently held to the British modes, presided, whilst his son, -Prince Alfred, who had been in Rome, supported the Romanist views. - -On the British side were ranged the Abbess Hilda, Colman, Bishop of -Lindisfarne, and the venerable Cedd, Bishop of the East Saxons; on -the Romanist, Agilbert, Bishop of the West Saxons, Wilfrid of Ripon, -then a priest, Romanus, and James the Deacon. The dispute was settled -in favour of the Romish rule, chiefly through the eloquence and force -of argument of Wilfrid, who afterwards made so conspicuous a figure -in the Northumbrian Church; and Colman, with his British clergy -returned to Iona. The Abbess was as famous for miracles as for her -other qualities. On the coast of Whitby are found great numbers of -specimens of the petrified Cornu Ammonis, commonly called snake stones, -resembling as they do coiled-up snakes, without heads. This is how -their origin is accounted for. When the Abbey was first built, the -neighbourhood was infested by snakes, which were a great annoyance to -the brethren and sisters of the monastery, and the Abbess, by means of -prayer, caused them all to be changed into stone. - - "And how, of thousand snakes, each one - Was changed into a coil of stone - When holy Hilda prayed: - Themselves, within their holy bound, - Their stony folds had often found, - They told how sea fowls' pinions fail, - As over Whitby's towers they sail, - And, sinking down, with flutterings faint, - They do their homage to the saint." - -The Abbess founded some cells in divers places dependant on the Abbey, -one of which was at Hackness, near Scarborough, which she made use of -as a retreat from the bustle and cares of Streoneshalh, where she -could, undisturbed, devote her time more strictly to the exercises -of fasting, prayer, and meditation, returning to her duties at the -Abbey refreshed and invigorated spiritually, and the better enabled -to undergo the distractions incident to her position as head of a -community of differing and often perplexing temperaments. To these -cells also she frequently sent her nuns, to give them an opportunity -for cultivating closer communion with God, for their spiritual -edification. - -For the last six years of her life the Abbess suffered greatly from -severe indisposition, which frequently laid her prostrate for weeks -together, "Yet during all this time she never failed to return thanks -to her Maker, or publicly and privately to instruct the flock committed -to her charge, admonishing them to serve God in health, and thank Him -for adversity or bodily infirmity." - -Among the nuns under her care was one from Ireland named Bega, who was -most exemplary in her attention to the duties of her religious calling, -eminently endowed with spiritual grace, and conspicuous for her -humility, self-abnegation, and all the virtues which adorn a Christian -life; which qualities endeared her to the venerable Abbess, and they -came to regard each other as mother and daughter rather than as Lady -Superior and ordinary nun of a religious establishment. - -During the long illness of the Abbess, Bega was her constant attendant -and nurse, and accompanied her in her occasional retreats at Hackness. -One afternoon they were seated together in the Abbess's private room, -when the invalid seemed to be rallying in health and entering upon -one of her alternate periods of comparative convalescence. Bega had -been reading to her a new paraphrase of a portion of the Bible, the -composition of Cædmon, the cow-boy poet of Streoneshalh. She laid down -the manuscript at the conclusion, expressing a hope that the Abbess -had not been wearied by her imperfect reading, and that in spite of -defective knowledge of the characters on the part of the reader, she -had been enabled to follow the sense and appreciate the beauty of the -rendering. - -"Nothing from the pen of Cædmon," said the Abbess, "ever wearies me; -on the contrary, his compositions are so redolent of spiritual beauty -that they seem to refresh my soul, and invigorate my body as well. -Indeed, at this moment I feel so much better in health that if no -relapse occurs in the interval, I propose on the morrow relieving our -good Prioress from the duties which I have delegated upon her during my -sickness." - -"Happy am I," replied Bega at hearing this, "and I trust that God, -if he sees fit, may preserve you for many years to come, in the -superintendence and guidance of this holy house. But, mother dear, your -restoration of bodily strength emboldens me to solicit a boon." - -"What is it my dear child? Anything that I can grant shall be yours. I -promise this without knowing what you wish, feeling assured that you -will solicit nothing that is inconsistent either with your maidenly -character or with your altar-made vows." - -"I pray for nothing unbeseeming my character in such respects; -but, holy mother, of late I fear I have experienced some spiritual -declension, and that I have become more carnally minded than becomes -one whose thoughts should be centred on Christ alone, and I pray you, -mother dear, to permit me to retire into more entire seclusion from the -world, that I may by abstinence, prayer, and close communion with God, -be restored to a more wholesome frame of soul." - -"Your boon is granted, my child, gladly; repair at once to Hackness, -and may God shed his blessing upon your pious aspiration for a higher -life of holiness." - -The following day Bega was escorted to the cell, where the Abbess, -with an almost Cistercian eye for sylvan beauty, had planted it, that -in the midst of a natural Paradise it might bloom as a spiritual Eden, -and there she at once commenced a season of wholesome asceticism and -religious exercises. - -A week passed away, and Bega, absorbed in her devotional exercises, -had become emaciated by the rigour of her fasting without heeding it; -and as is usual in such cases, her spirit had become more etherealised -and more susceptible of supernatural influences. After vespers one -evening she returned to her lonely sleeping apartment, a bare and -scantily furnished room, and lay down on her bed, consisting of a thin -layer of straw on a hard, wooden pallet, with nothing more than a -coarse rug for her coverlet. She slept for a short space, then awoke -and rose to repeat the nocturnes, kneeling on the rough flooring -stones. She then lay down again and composed herself to sleep, and -was in the half-conscious state between sleeping and waking when she -was aroused by hearing a passing-bell boom forth, which sounded like -that of Streoneshalh, which was miles beyond earshot, and was the more -remarkable as the bell of Hackness was much smaller and altogether -different in tone. She listened with soul-thrilling awe, and thought, -"Can it be that the holy mother is departing at this moment to her -heavenly rest, and that the sound of the passing-bell is miraculously -brought to mine ears?" Scarcely had the thought flashed across her -mind, when, looking upward, the vaulted roof seemed to be melting away, -like a mist under the influence of the morning sun. In a very short -space of time it disappeared altogether, and there was presented to -the eye of the gazer the expanse of sky studded with stars, sparkling -like clusters of diamonds. Presently the knell of the passing-bell -ceased. And there broke upon her ear the sound of distant vocal music. -As it came nearer, it seemed different from any music she had ever -heard; unearthly; heavenly; so ravishingly sweet was the melody. The -words she was unable to comprehend, but there was something about them -which seemed to declare them of celestial origin. With raptured ears -she listened as the choir, which appeared to be floating in the air, -came on and on until it sounded as if immediately overhead. All this -while, too, a constantly increasing effulgence of supernatural light -was diffusing itself over the firmament, and when the music came into -close proximity to the cell, there burst upon her sight a vision, the -glory of which she could have hitherto formed no conception of. It was -that of a convoy of angels, fairer and more lovely in form and feature -than anything ever conceived by artist or poet, or than ever trod the -earth. It was they who were chanting the divine melody as they floated -along overhead with an upward tendency; and in their midst was the -beautified soul of the sainted mother of Streoneshalh, which they were -escorting to the everlasting realms of purity and peace; of eternal -rest, and an endless duration of unalloyed happiness. The rapt eyes of -Bega were not allowed to rest long on this celestial vision; the group -ascended higher and higher; the voices became fainter and fainter, -until they were altogether lost; and Bega overcome with emotion, fell -into an ecstatic trance, and when she awoke from it there was nothing -to be seen but the glimmer of the moonshine on the walls and roof of -her cell. - -The next day a messenger arrived announcing the death of the Abbess, -which he stated occurred immediately after nocturnes on the preceding -night. - -Bega remained a little while at Streoneshalh, and then went into -Cumberland, and provided a religious house, called after her, St. Bees, -where she spent the remainder of a most holy life. - - - - -A Miracle of St. John. - - -Two thousand years ago, what is now the East Riding of Yorkshire was -chiefly forest land, with the exception of the Wold uplands, which -were pastures, almost destitute of trees, having some semblance to the -swelling and rolling waves of the ocean, where the Brigantes fed their -flocks and herds, where they dwelt in scattered hamlets, and where they -now sleep in their multitudinous tumuli. In the lowlands at the foot, -the forest was very dense, and was the home of wolves, boars, deer, -and other wild animals, which were hunted by the natives, who fed upon -their flesh and clothed themselves with their skins. This was called -the forest of Deira, and in one spot by the river Hull, a few miles -distant from the Humber, was a cleared space, with an eminence in the -midst, and at its foot, extending westward, a pool of water, afterwards -a marsh or moor, and since drained, forming now a portion of the town -of Beverley, its former condition being indicated by two parallel -streets--Minster-moorgate, the place of the moor by the Minster; and -Keldgate, the place of springs. This was a Druidical open air temple, -where the mystical rites of Druidism were performed. - -When the primitive Christian religion was introduced into Britain, it -is presumed that a Christian church was established here, on the rising -ground by the lake, as the early Christians built their churches, where -practicable, on spots held sacred by the people, which supposition -seems to be confirmed by the express statement that St. John rebuilt, -not built, the church in Deira Wood. This early church, doubtless a -very rude affair of timber and thatch, was destroyed or allowed to fall -into ruin when the Saxons and Angles overspread the land and replaced -the religion of Christ by that of Odin. It might possibly be repaired -during the short period after the second introduction of Christianity -by Paulinus and the conversion of King Eadwine, but, if so, would be -again destroyed a few years after, under the desolating hands of Penda -of Mercia, and Cadwalla, as it lay in ruins until the beginning of -the eighth century, when it was restored on a grander scale by John, -Archbishop of York. - -St. John, the learned and pious prelate, one of the brightest -luminaries of the Saxon Church, was a member of a noble Saxon family, a -native of Harpham on the Wolds. He was born in the year 640, studied in -the famous Theological School of St. Hilda at Streoneshalh, and became -successively Bishop of Hagulstat (Hexham) and Archbishop of York, which -latter see he held, with unblemished reputation and great usefulness, -for a period of more than thirty-three years. - -He was almost incessantly employed in going about his vast diocese, -rectifying abuses, regulating disordered affairs, exhorting the lax, -and commending the faithful. In one of these visitations he came to -the place in the forest of Deira which had been, half a millennium -previously, the Llyn-yr-Avanc of the Celts, and, according to some -antiquaries, the Peturia of the Romans, a conjecture which is supported -by the discovery of a tesselated pavement and other Roman remains, -where he found the ruins of the old primeval British Church. The beauty -and seclusion of the spot struck him as being eminently fitted for the -establishment of a monastery, and probably the thought flashed across -his mind that hither he would like to retire, in his declining years, -to finish his life, after the cares and anxieties of his prelateship, -in the calm of cloistered existence and in the company of a pious -brotherhood. - -He did not allow the idea to pass away from his thoughts, but soon -after made arrangements for carrying it out. He rebuilt the choir of -the old church, founded a monastery of Black Monks, of the order of St. -Columba, and an oratory for nuns, south of the church, which afterwards -was converted into the parish church of St. Martin; erected the church -of St. Nicholas, in the manor of Riding; placed seven secular priests -and other ministers of the altar in the head church, and appointed -Brithunus the first Abbot of the monastery, with superintendence over -the other establishments. In 717, he resigned his see, being then -feeble and oppressed by the infirmities of age, and retired to his -monastery, where he died in 721, and was buried in the porch at the -eastern end of the church. - -After St. John, the next greatest benefactor to the church and town -of Beverley was Athelstan the Great, King of Saxon England. Indeed, -he may be considered the founder of the secular, as St. John was of -the ecclesiastical, town. The town and church had been destroyed by -the Danes in 867, but a few years after the dispersed canons and monks -returned, and repaired, as far as they could, their ruined buildings, -so as to be able to continue the celebration of the services; but -they remained in a dilapidated state for nearly half a century, -when Athelstan laid the foundations of the future grandeur of the -church, and of the commercial importance of the town. He had heard -of the sanctity of St. John, and the wonderful series of miracles he -had performed, both during his life and after his death, and having -occasion to chastise Constantine, King of Scotland, for abetting -the Danish Anlaf of Northumbria in an invasion of that portion of -his dominions--for he had by conquest added northern England to his -government, and was in truth the first King of England, rather than -Egbert--he visited Beverley on his march to Scotland, and implored the -aid of the Saint, leaving his dagger on the altar as a pledge that, if -successful, he would bestow princely benefactions on the church and -town. By the assistance of St. John, who appeared to him in a vision, -he was the victor in the decisive battle of Brunnanburgh, and nobly he -kept his word. He made the church a college of secular canons; endowed -it with four thraves of corn from every plough in the East Riding; and -made it a place of sanctuary, as a refuge for criminals, with a stone -frid-stool, still in the Minster. He granted a charter to the town, -constituting it the capital of the East Riding, with many privileges -and extraordinary rights; in consequence of which opulent merchants -flocked to the town, and it soon began to flourish mightily, and -became one of the wealthiest and most important of the trading towns -of the realm. He also assigned the manor to the Archbishops of York, -who built a palace there on the south of the church; vied with each -other in their patronage of the town, and in adding to and endowing the -collegiate church. - -In the beginning of the eleventh century Archbishop Puttock added -a chancellor, a precentor, and a sacrist to the establishment, and -erected a costly shrine for the relics of St. John, to which they -were translated with great pomp in 1037. Archbishop Kinsius erected a -western tower to the church, and Aldred, who held the see at the time -of the Conquest, rebuilt the choir, and ornamented it with paintings -and other decorative work, completed the refectory and dormitory of -the monastery, and increased the number of canons from seven to eight, -changing them at the same time from canons to prebendaries. - -At this time--the period of the Conquest and of the legend--we may -assume from the usual characteristics of the church architecture of -the time, that the church was an oblong building of two stories, -divided into a nave and chancel, with a low tower at the western end. -There would probably be a lower and an upper range of circular-headed -windows, with doorways of the same character, decorated with zigzag -mouldings, and in the interior would be a double row of massive stunted -columns, supporting semi-circular arches, and at the eastern end, -in the chancel, the superb shrine of St. John, which was attracting -pilgrims from all parts, and was beginning to be encrusted with the -silver and the gold and the gems, bestowed for that purpose by the -pilgrims in grateful remembrance of wonderful cures effected upon them -by the miracle working of the saint. Such would most probably be the -church in which occurred the incidents narrated in our legend. - -When the Norman Duke William had won the battle of Hastings, and -subdued southern and mid England, and had been crowned King in the -place of the slain Harold, he discovered that he was not really King -of England, but of a part only--that portion north of the Humber, -forming the old Saxon kingdom of Northumbria of the Heptarchy, and one -of the Vice-Royal Earldoms of Saxon England, continuing to maintain -its independence with stubborn tenacity; and it was not until after -much bloodshed that he overcame the sturdy Northumbrians of a mixed -Anglian and Danish race, and garrisoned York, the capital, with a -Norman garrison to keep the province in subjection. No sooner, however, -was his back turned than the people, under Gospatric, Waltheof, and -other Danish and Saxon leaders, broke out afresh in insurrection, -massacred the Norman garrison at York, and vowed to drive that people -and their Duke, the usurper of Harold's throne, from Northumbria at -least, if not from England altogether. It was after one of the most -formidable risings that the Conqueror swore that "by the splendour of -God" he would utterly destroy and exterminate the Northumbrians, so -that no more rebellions should rise to trouble him in that quarter of -his dominions; and with this view he marched northwards, crossed the -Humber--probably at Brough--and encamped at a spot some seven miles -westward of Beverley, purposing to proceed henceward to York on the -morrow. - -On his road from the Humber to his encampment he had burnt the villages -and crops, and slain the villagers who came in his way, but the -majority, taking the alarm, fled to Beverley, hoping to find safety -within the limits of the League of Sanctuary, thinking that even -so merciless a soldier as Duke William would respect its hallowed -precincts. But he, godly in a sense, and superstitious as he was, -entertained no such scruples, and he had no sooner seen his army -encamped than he despatched Thurstinus, one of the captains, with a -body of Norman soldiers to ravage and plunder the town. - -The people of Beverley and the fugitives who had fled thither -deemed themselves safe under the protection of their patron saint; -nevertheless they felt some alarm when the news was brought that the -ruthless Conqueror lay so near them, and still more when they heard -that a detachment was marching upon the town with hostile intentions. -The church was filled with devotees, who prostrated themselves before -the saint's shrine, imploring him not to abandon his church and town -in this extremity. The day had been gloomy and downcast, but when they -were thus supplicating the holy saint the sun came shining through -one of the windows directly upon the shrine, and lighted it up with -a brilliance that seemed supernatural, which was looked upon as a -favourable response to the prayers of the supplicants. - -Thurstinus and his followers had by this time entered the town, but -had, so far, done no injury to either person or property. As they -approached the church, they perceived before them a venerable figure, -clad in canonical raiment, with gold bracelets on his arms, moving -across the churchyard, towards the western porch. The sight of the -golden bracelets excited the cupidity of one of the subalterns of the -corps, who darted after him, sword in hand, and overtook him just as -he was passing through the portal. The soldier had but placed his foot -within the church, when the aged man turned towards him and exclaimed, -"Vain and presumptuous man! darest thou enter my church, the sacred -temple of Christ, sword in hand, with bloodthirsty intent? This shall -be the last time that thine hand shall draw the sword," and instantly -the sword fell from his grasp, and he sank down on the ground, stricken -by a deadly paralysis. Thurstinus, not witting what had happened to his -officer, came riding up, with drawn sword, with the intent of passing -into the church to despoil it of its valuables; but on entering the -doorway he was confronted by the aged man with the bracelets, who -stretched forth his arm, and said to him, "No further, sacrilegious -man; wouldst thou desolate my church? Know that it is guarded by -superhuman power, and thou must pay the penalty of thy impious -temerity!" and immediately he fell from his horse to the pavement -with a broken neck, his face turned backward, and his feet and hands -distorted "like a misshapen monster." At this manifest interposition -of Heaven the Normans fled back to the encampment with terror-stricken -countenances, and the people in the church looked round for their -deliverer, but he had vanished, and they then knew that it was St. -John himself, who had come down from heaven to protect his town and -church from the insult and ravages of Norman ferocity. - -When the soldiers reached the camp they reported to their superior -officer the result of their expedition and the horrible death of -their leader, which they could not attribute to anything less than -supernatural power. The report in due course reached the King, who -summoned the soldiers into his presence, and listened to their -narrative with superstitious awe. "Truly," said he, "this John must be -a potent saint, and it were well not to meddle with what appertains to -him, lest worse evil befal us. He may possibly use his influence in -thwarting our designs against the rebels of this barbarous northern -region. Let not his town and the lands pertaining to his church be -injured, or subject to the chastisement and just vengeance we intend -against those who have dared to raise the standard of revolt against -our divinely ordained authority; but rather let them be protected, for -it were bootless and perilous to fight against Heaven. Onward then -to York, and when we have, by such severity as the case warrants, -effectually crushed the spirit of revolt, we will consider what -further can be done to propitiate this saint, whom it were well to -conciliate by gifts, so that he may be led in gratitude to recompense -us by assisting in the consolidation of our power, which is not yet -established on sufficiently firm foundations." - -He found no difficulty in suppressing the insurrection when he reached -York, putting to the sword those of the insurgents who remained there -after their leaders had fled towards Scotland. In order to prevent any -future rising, with any possible chance of success or gleam of hope, he -then meditated and carried out a cold-blooded scheme, which might have -been deemed a measure of policy, but which for ferocity equalled any -act of cruelty perpetrated by the most atrocious tyrant of pagan ages. -He sent forth his men with swords and torches, to the north, the west, -and the east, and for an extent of sixty miles, from York to Durham, -by several miles in breadth, laid the country desolate. Villages, -churches, monasteries, and castles, with the granaries of corn and -the standing crops, were all destroyed by fire, and every person, -man, woman, child, or priest, met with was slaughtered without mercy; -and when the work had been accomplished, this vast extent of country -bore the aspect of a Western American prairie after it had been swept -by fire, leaving only the charred stumps of the trees standing, with -this difference, however, that there only the half-burnt bodies of -animals, such as were not able to escape by flight, are found; whilst -here, scattered profusely on the wood-side, and round their once -cheerful and happy homesteads, lay the rotting and putrefying corpses -of human beings, on which the wolves and birds of prey were battening -and gorging themselves; and it took many and many a year before this -region recovered itself and became again a country of farmsteads and -villages, of crops and fruit trees, and of an industrious population. -William of Malmesbury says that not less than 100,000 persons perished -in this fearful act of vengeance; and Alured of Beverley, a monkish -writer, and treasurer of St. John's Church, states that "The Conqueror -destroyed men, women, and children, from York even to the western sea, -except those who fled to the church of the glorious confessor, the -most blessed John, Archbishop, at Beverley, as the only asylum." An -indisputable proof of the desolation wrought on the lands appears in -the Domesday Book, which in most places in Yorkshire is described as -waste or partially waste, and which is represented as of no value or -of much less value than in King Edward's time; whilst in Beverley and -the lands of St. John there is scarcely any waste mentioned, and the -value is given as the same or nearly the same as in the reign of the -Confessor. Under Bevreli we read, "Value in King Edward's time, to the -Archbishop 24 pounds, to the Canons 20 pounds, the same as at present." - -The King not only exempted the town and demesne from devastation, but -became a notable benefactor thereto. He added to the possession of -the church certain lands at Sigglesthorne, and granted the following -confirmatory charter:--"William the King greets friendly all my Thanes -in Yorkshire, French and English. Know ye that I have given St. John -at Beverley sac and soc over all the lands which were given in King -Edward's days to St. John's Minster, and also over the lands which -Ealdred, the Archbishop, hath since obtained in my days, whether in -this Thorp or in Campland. It shall all be free from me and all other -men, excepting the Bishop and the Minster priests; and no man shall -slay deer, nor violate what I have given to Christ and St. John. And -I will that there shall be, for ever, monastic life and canonical -congregation so long as any man liveth. God's blessing be with all -Christian men who assist at this holy worship. Amen." - -And from this time the town flourished greatly, and grew rapidly in -population and wealth. As to the church, it became more than ever the -resort of pilgrims, who left rich presents on the shrine of St. John. -In the year 1188 the old Saxon church was destroyed by fire, which may -be deemed a fortunate occurrence, as men were stimulated at this, the -best period of Gothic architecture, to erect over the relics of St. -John a structure worthy of his eminence and fame; and the outcome of -this impulse was the uprising of the existing magnificent church, which -is now the great architectural glory of the East Riding. - - - - -The Beatified Sisters of Beverley. - - -In the south aisle of the nave of Beverley Minster may be seen an -uninscribed canopied altar tomb. It is a very fine specimen of the -Early Decorated style, manifestly dating from the period of Edward -II. or the earlier portion of the reign of his successor. It is -covered with a massive slab of Purbeck marble, rising above which is -an exquisitely proportioned pointed arch or canopy, with pinnacles -and turrets, crocketted work and finials, all elaborately chiselled -and carefully finished. History records not whose mortal remains are -deposited in the tomb: there it stands like the Sphynx on the sands -of Egypt, maintaining a mysterious silence as to its origin, "a thing -of beauty," displaying its elegance of form and the charms of its -sculptured features to all beholders; but seeming to say--"Admire the -perfection of my symmetry if you will, but inquire not whose relics I -enshrine, whether of noble or saint. Unlike my more gorgeous sister -tomb, in the choir, near the altar, which blazons forth the glory of -the Percys, I choose, with Christian humility, and recognising the fact -that death renders all equal, and that in the sight of the Almighty -Judge a Percy is no better for all his glories than the pauper--to draw -a veil over the earthly greatness of the family to which I belong." - -Although history is thus silent in respect to the origin of the tomb, -tradition is less reticent, and from its oral records we learn, not -perhaps all that can be desired, but a narrative that probably has a -basis of truth. - -About a mile westward of Beverley Westwood, on the road to York, lies -the pretty picturesque village of Bishop Burton, with its church on an -eminence commanding an extensive view of the Wold lands on one hand, -and of the country sloping down to the Humber on the other. It is -environed by groups of patriarchal trees, including a noble specimen of -the witch elm on the village green, with a trunk forty-eight feet in -circumference, and which is held in great veneration by the villagers; -and in the valley below is a small lake, which doubtless supplied fish -to the household of the Archbishops of York when they had a palace -here. It is a very ancient village, dating from the Celtic period, -when it formed a burial place of the Druids and British chieftains. -One of the numerous tumuli was opened in 1826. It was seventy yards in -circumference, and was found to contain several skeletons of our remote -forefathers of that race. From some tesselated pavements which have -been discovered, it appears also to have been occupied afterwards by -the Romans. - -At the end of the seventh and beginning of the eighth century, the -Lordship of South Burton, as it was then called, was held by Earl Puch, -a Saxon noble. Its name was changed, after the Conquest, to Bishop -Burton, from the circumstance that it belonged to the Archbishops of -York, and their having a palace in the village, where Archbishop John -le Romayne died in 1295. At this time South Burton formed a sort of -oasis in a vast wilderness of forest, extending for miles in every -direction, including the now open breezy upland of Beverley Westwood, -then infested by wolves, through which ran trackways to Beverlega, -where stood the recently founded church and monastery of St. John, -northward of which, at the foot of the Wolds, lay another extent of -forest land, called Northwood, perpetuated to this day in the name of -the street--Norwood. Earl Puch's mansion was an erection of timber, -with few of the appliances of modern domestic life, with a large hall, -wherein he dined with his family and guests at the upper end of a long -table, and his retainers and domestics at the lower end. More in the -interior were the Lady Puch's bower and other private and sleeping -apartments of the family; with inferior rooms for the household -servants, the swineherds, cowherds, huntsmen, and other outdoor menials -sleeping in the outhouses, with the animals of which they had charge. - -Earl Puch had built a church in the village, a very primitive specimen -of architecture, consisting of nave and chancel, of timber and wattles, -with round-headed doors and windows, and rude zigzag ornamentation. It -had neither tower nor transept, lacked bells, and its pulpit, altar, -and font were fashioned of rough-hewn wood. Yet was it sufficient for -the wants of the age, and served the purpose of worship, the heart -being rightly tuned, as the most gorgeous cathedral of after ages. - -St. John had now resigned the Archbishopric of York, and had retired -to his monastery at Beverlega, to spend the remnant of his life in -prayer, devotional exercises, and the seclusion of the cloister. The -Earl, a pious man, was on very friendly terms with the ex-Archbishop, -and invited him to come and consecrate his church, just finished, to -which John readily assented, and, despite his years and infirmities, on -the appointed day took up his walking staff and went on foot through -Westwood to South Burton, meditating by the way on his past life, -on his ancestral home at Harpham-on-the-Wolds, his student's life -under St. Hilda at the Abbey of Streoneshalh, his episcopal career -at Hagulstadt, his experience on the Archiepiscopal Throne of York, -and his retirement to the Abbey of Beverlega, acknowledging, with -grateful thanksgiving, the Providential hand that had sustained him -through his varied course of life. On the arrival of the ex-Prelate -at South Burton, he found the family in great grief in consequence of -the illness of the Lady Puch, who had been stricken down by a severe -attack of fever, which threatened to terminate her life. She was an -exceedingly devout woman, assiduous in her attention to the duties -of religion, charitable to the poor, and a great blessing to the -poor and destitute of the village. A great portion of her time was -spent in the educational training of her two lovely daughters, now -approaching womanhood, and who much resembled her in the piety of their -lives. She had now lain in bed a month, suffering agonies of torment, -and expecting every day would be her last. Her husband wished to -postpone the consecration of the church in consequence of her critical -condition, but she would not listen to it. "Why," said she, "should -the poor people be deprived of the privilege of hearing the service of -God performed in a consecrated edifice because I, a poor insignificant -mortal like themselves, am labouring under this affliction? Let the -consecration take place the same as if I were well and able to take -part in the ceremony; the thought of what is taking place will be more -beneficial to me than all the doctor's medicine that shall be given -me;" and it was determined that the ceremony should be proceeded with -as if there were no impediment in the way. - -Brithunus, a disciple of St. John, and the first abbot of his -monastery, had also come over to assist in the ceremony, and to him -we are indebted for a narrative of the miracle which accompanied -it, as well as of many another notable miracle performed by St. -John, which he communicated to Bede, who interwove them into his -Ecclesiastical History. The consecration was duly performed according -to the Anglo-Saxon style, with singing, prayers, the sprinkling of holy -water, and a proclamation from the Archbishop that the edifice was now -rendered sacred, and become a temple of the Living God, concluding with -a benediction. "Then," says Brithunus, "the Earl desired him to dine -at his house, but the Bishop declined, saying he must return to the -monastery. The Earl pressing him more earnestly, vowed he would give -alms to the poor if the Bishop would break his fast that day in his -house. I joined my entreaties to his, promising in like manner to give -alms for the relief of the poor if he would go and dine at the Earl's -house and give his blessing. Having at length, with great difficulty, -prevailed, we went in to dine." - -The banquet was served with the profusion and splendour of the time, -consisting chiefly of boar's flesh, venison, fish, and birds, eaten -from platters of wood, with an ample supply of wine, which was -passed round in flagons of silver. In the course of the repast, the -conversation was confined almost exclusively to two topics--the new -church and the hopes that were entertained of its becoming a blessing -to the neighbourhood, and the illness of the Earl's wife, with which -the Bishop sympathised with much kindly feeling. - -"Can nothing be done," inquired the Earl, "by means of the church -to alleviate her sufferings, if not to restore her to health? The -physicians are at their wit's end; they know nothing of the nature -of the disease, and the remedies they give seem rather to aggravate -than cure it. Peradventure the blessing of a holy man might have a -beneficial effect." - -"The issues of life and death," replied the Bishop, "are in the hands -of God alone. Sometimes it is even impious to attempt to overrule -His ordinations, which, although often inscrutable and productive of -affliction and suffering, are intended for some ultimate good." - -At this moment one of the lady's handmaidens entered the -banqueting-room with a message from her mistress to the effect that -her pains had materially lessened since the consecration had taken -place, and that she desired a draught of the holy water that had been -used, feeling an inward conviction that it, accompanied by the Bishop's -blessing, would be of great service. "The Bishop then," continues -Brithunus, "sent to the woman that lay sick some of the holy water -which he had blessed for the consecration of the church, by one of -the brothers that went along with me, ordering him to give her some -to drink, and wash the place where her greatest pain was with some of -the same. This being done, the woman immediately got up in health, -and perceiving that she had not only been delivered from her tedious -distemper, but at the same time recovered the strength which she had -lost, she presented the cup to the Bishop and me, and continued serving -us with drink, as she had begun, till dinner was over, following the -example of Peter's mother-in-law, who, having been sick of a fever, -arose at the touch of our Lord, and having at once received health and -strength, ministered to them." - -The two young daughters of the Earl, on witnessing the miraculous -restoration to health of their beloved mother, had retired together -to their chamber to offer up their heartfelt thanksgivings to God -for her recovery, and before the Bishop's departure came down to -the banqueting-hall and received his blessing. They were exceedingly -lovely both in form and feature, and when they entered the hall, with -modest downcast eyes, it seemed to those present as if two angelic -beings from the celestial sphere had deigned to visit them. "Come -hither, my children," said their mother, "and thank the good Bishop -for interceding with heaven on my behalf, and who has thus been -instrumental in delivering me from the terrible disease under which -I have been labouring for so long a period." In response, the young -maidens went to the Bishop, and kneeling at his feet, expressed their -gratitude to him for what he had done, and implored his blessing. -Placing his hands on their heads, he said, "My dear daughters in -Christ, attribute not to me, a sinful mortal, that which is due alone -to our Merciful Father in Heaven, who has seen fit first to afflict -your mother with grievous trials for some wise purpose, and then -suddenly to restore her to health, that her soul may be purified so -as to enable her to pass through this lower world, untainted by the -grosser sins, but, like all fallible mortals, to be still open to -lesser temptations, that in the end she may be rendered meet to enter -that higher sphere of existence which is reserved for those who live -holy lives here below. May God bless you, my dear daughters, tread in -the footsteps of your saintly mother, that you also may be made meet -for the same inheritance of light." So saying, the Bishop took up his -staff, and bidding farewell to the Earl and his family, wended his way, -accompanied by Brithunus and the monks, through Westwood to his home at -Beverlega. - -From this time the two young ladies continued to grow in stature and -loveliness of person, as well as in fervent piety and the grace of God. -They had sprung up into young womanhood, and many were the suitors -for their hands who came fluttering about South Burton, knowing well -that, as the Earl had no son, nor was likely to have one, they must, -if they survived him, become his co-heiresses. But they refused to -listen to the flatteries and protestations of everlasting love of these -young fellows, not so much because they saw through the hollowness -and feigned nature of their professions of love, but because they had -determined to live lives of celibacy, devoted solely to the service -of God. St. John made repeated visits to South Burton, and nothing -afforded them greater spiritual comfort and holy pleasure than -lengthened converse with him on the things that pertain to everlasting -life. But a couple of years after the consecration of the church he -passed away to his rest and reward, "with his memory overshadowed by -the benedictions of mankind," and was buried in the portico of the -church of Beverlega, which he had founded. - -A few years after this the two maidens, with the full consent of their -parents, entered the convent of St. John, at Beverlega, to spend the -remainder of their lives in the holy seclusion of the cloister. The -Earl was an extensive landed proprietor, with possessions in and about -South Burton, and others on the banks of the Hull, near Grovehill, a -landing-place of the Romans, and now a suburb of Beverley, with some -extensive manufacturing works. When his daughters entered the convent -he bestowed upon it the manor of Walkington, lying southward of South -Burton and abutting on Beverley Westwood. At the same time he made a -grant to the people of Beverlega of a tract of swampy land on the banks -of the Hull, to serve as a common pasturage for their cattle. This -tract of land, now called Swinemoor, is still held by the burgesses -of Beverley, forming one of the four valuable pastures, containing, in -the aggregate, nearly 1,200 acres, the property of the freemen of the -borough. - -There are reasons for believing that a Christian Church existed on the -shores of the Beaver Lake, in the wood of Deira, the site of the modern -Beverley, in the time of the Ancient British Apostolic Christianity, -which had formerly been the scene of the Druidical religion, which -was destroyed by the pagan Saxons, and re-edified by St. John the -Archbishop. In one of his progresses through his diocese, he came -to this clearing in the wood of Deira, with its sacred beaver-lake, -formerly called Llyn yr Avanc, now Inder-a-wood, and was struck by its -sylvan beauty and its quiet seclusion. He found there a very small -wooden church, thatched with reeds, which he determined to restore and -enlarge, and founded, in connection with it, a religious house for both -sexes--a monastery for men and a nunnery for women. He added to it a -choir, and appointed seven priests to officiate at the altar; built the -monastery, and endowed it with lands for its support. Hither he retired -when enfeebled by age, and here he was buried in the porch of his -church in the year 721. - -It was to this nunnery that the Sisters Agnes and Agatha went, and -after a period of probation, were despoiled of their hair, and assumed -the veil of the sisterhood. The religious houses of the Saxons were -not the luxurious abodes that they became in after years. The life -led there was one of ascetic severity, with bare walls, hard pallets, -scanty food of the simplest description, a continuous series of prayers -and religious exercises, accompanied by frequent fastings, penances, -and fleshly mortification, to all which the two sisters submitted with -cheerfulness, as conducive to the spiritual health of their souls. -They were never found sleeping when the summons for divine service was -sounded forth, and they were ever willing to perform the most menial -duties as tending to keep within them a spirit of Christian humility. -Their profound piety and rigorous attention to disciplinary matters -excited the admiration of the Mother Superior, but never would they -lend ear to praises from her lips, lest it should engender spiritual -pride, the aim of their lives being to rank as the lowest servants -of the servants of Christ. And thus the years passed along in one -monotonous but ever-blessed sameness, ever dwelling within the walls -and precincts of the nunnery, save on two occasions, when they went to -South Burton to attend the funerals of their parents. - -It was the eve of the Nativity, a bright starlight night, as that over -Bethlehem when the three wise men of the East came thither guided by -the wandering star. The nuns were assembled in their chapel for an -early service, amongst whom were the two sisters apparently absorbed in -divine meditation. The nuns then retired for their evening refection -and silent contemplation in their cells until midnight, when the bell -summoned them again to the chapel for midnight Mass, which was to usher -in the holy day. At this service there was a strange and unwonted -omission; the two sisters were absent. "Where are the Sisters Agnes and -Agatha?" inquired the Abbess; "surely something has befallen them, else -they would not be absent, especially on such an occasion as this. Go -and search diligently for them." Every corner of the building and the -grounds outside were searched, but in vain; not a vestige of them could -be found; and at length, as the hour of midnight was close at hand, -the Mass was proceeded with. The following day, that of the Nativity, -was devoted to the usual festal, religious duties; but a heaviness of -heart pervaded the assembly, as the sisters had not re-appeared, and no -tidings of them could be heard. - -Days, weeks, and months passed away, and no clue to their mysterious -disappearance presented itself until the eve of St. John, their patron -saint. The vespers had been sung, with special reference to the coming -day, and the nuns had gone out to breathe the air of the summer -evening, whilst the Abbess, taking the key of the tower, unlocked -the door and went up the stone stairs to the top, a place not much -frequented, where she thought to offer up her prayers beneath the open -dome of heaven, without any intervening walls. She had just placed her -foot on the topmost stair when she was startled at beholding the two -sisters lying locked in each other's arms and with upward turned eyes. -At the first glance she supposed them to be dead, but a moment after -was undeceived by their rising, and saying, "Mother, dear! it will soon -be time for the midnight Mass; but how is this? We lay down an hour -ago, under the sky of a winter night, but now we have awakened under -the setting sun of a summer eve." - -"An hour ago! my children," replied the Abbess, "it is now months -since you disappeared on the eve of the Nativity, and months since the -midnight Mass of the birth of our Saviour was sung. Can it be you have -been sleeping here all through the interval?" - -"Mother, dear," they replied, after some further questionings and -explanations, "we have not been sleeping, we have been transported -to heaven, and have seen sights inconceivable to the human eye, and -heard music such as has never been listened to in this lower world. -The heaven that we have visited is no mere localised spot, but extends -throughout infinite space. It possesses no land or water; no mountains -and valleys; no rivers, or lakes, or trees, or material objects of any -kind; but has picturesque scenery, impalpable and cloudlike, of the -most ravishing beauty. It is peopled by myriads of angelic beings and -beatified mortals, unsubstantial and etherealised, all of exquisitely -symmetrical figures, and with gloriously radiant features, beaming with -happiness and smiling with serenity. Unlike the popular opinion, it is -not a place of idle lounging and repose, but of intense activity, all -being engaged in employments which afford an intensity of pleasurable -emotions. The Almighty Father and Creator of all this realm of beauty -and of all these glorified creatures it was not possible for us to see -with our mortal eyes, but we were perfectly cognisant of His influence -and presence everywhere throughout the infinitude of space. But oh! the -music! here, on earth, it is termed divine, but our sweetest melodies -are but a jarring discord of sounds compared with that of heaven; -mortal ear cannot form the faintest conception of its sublime grandeur -and unutterable loveliness." - -Thus spake they to the astonished Abbess, who at once recognised -the fact of their miraculous transportation to the realms of light -for a temporary sojourn there, that on their return to earth they -might be the means of comforting and encouraging those who by holy -lives of asceticism, self-denial, and prayer, were wending their way -thitherwards; and she conducted them down to their sister nuns, to whom -again they had to narrate the visions that had been vouchsafed to them. - - "There is joy in the convent of Beverley, - Now these saintly maidens are found, - And to hear their story right wonderingly - The nuns have gathered around; - The long-lost maidens, to whom was given - To live so long the life of heaven." - -The Sisters further stated that the first spirit they met was the -holy St. John, the founder of their convent, whom they immediately -recognised, although he had cast off his earthly integuments, and -appeared in a glorified form, but in semblance as when he performed the -miracle at South Burton. - -He welcomed them with affectionate warmth, and told them that their -parents were now enjoying the reward of their virtuous and pious lives, -but that they could not be permitted to see them until they themselves -had finally passed away from earthly life. He further told them that he -kept a watchful eye over his town and monastery in Inder-a-wood, with -affectionate love, which should be seen in after ages, in the promotion -of their prosperity. - -The next day the festival of St. John was celebrated in the monastery -and church, with more than usual interest and devotion. Towards the -close of it-- - - "The maidens have risen, with noiseless tread - They glide o'er the marble floor; - They seek the Abbess with bended head: - 'Thy blessing we would implore, - Dear mother! for e'er the coming day - Shall blush into light, we must hence away.' - The Abbess hath lifted her gentle hands, - And the words of peace hath said, - 'O vade in pacem;' aghast she stands, - 'Have their innocent spirits fled?' - Yes, side by side lie these maidens fair, - Like two wreaths of snow in the moonlight there." - -At the same time the church became lighted up with a supernatural -roseate hue, and sounds of celestial music ravished the ears of the -assembly. The Sisters were laid side by side by tender and reverent -hands in a tomb near the altar of the church, and now-- - - "Fifty summers have come and passed away, - But their loveliness knoweth no decay; - And many a chaplet of flowers is hung, - And many a bead told there; - And many a hymn of praise is sung, - And many a low-breathed prayer; - And many a pilgrim bends the knee - At the shrine of the Sisters of Beverley." - -The tomb of the Sisters was destroyed in the great fire of 1188, which -destroyed not only St. John's Church and monastery, but the whole -town besides. They were afterwards rebuilt--the Minster in the superb -style which it now presents--and it was in remembrance of these sainted -Sisters that the uninscribed tomb was placed in the new church. - -This legend has formed the subject of an exquisite poem, which appeared -in the pages of the _Literary Gazette_, and has been attributed to the -pen of Alaric A. Watts, which, however, is open to doubt. - - - - -The Dragon of Wantley. - - -Once on a time--as the old storytellers were wont to commence their -tales of love, chivalry, and romance--there dwelt in the most wild and -rugged part of Wharncliffe Chase, near Rotherham, a fearful dragon, -with iron teeth and claws. How he came there no one knew, or where -he came from; but he proved to be a most pestilent neighbour to the -villagers of Wortley--blighting the crops by the poisonous stench of -his breath, devouring the cattle of the fields, making no scruple of -seizing upon a plump child or a tender young virgin to serve as a -_bonne-bouche_ for his breakfast table, and even crunching up houses -and churches to satisfy his ravenous appetite. - -Wortley, is situated in the parish of Penistone, and belongs now, as it -has done for centuries, to the Wortley family. Before the dissolution -of monasteries, the Rectory of Penistone belonged to the Abbey of St. -Stephen, Westminster, and was granted, when the Abbey was dissolved, -to Thomas Howard, third Duke of Norfolk, who out of the proceeds -established in Sheffield a set of almshouses. The impropriation of -the great tithes were let to the Wortley family, who, by measures of -oppression and extortion, contrived to get a great deal more than -they were entitled to, and Nicholas Wortley insisted on taking the -tithes in kind, but was opposed by Francis Bosville, who obtained a -decree (17th Elizabeth) against him; but Sir Francis Wortley, in the -succeeding reign, again attempted to enforce payment in kind, with so -much disregard to the suffering he inflicted upon the poor that they -determined upon finding out some champion who would dare to attack this -redoubtable dragon in his den at Wantley, so as to put an end, once and -for all, to the destruction of their crops, the loss of their cattle, -and the desolation of their ruined homes. Foremost in this movement -was one Lyonel Rowlestone, who married the widow of Francis Bosville; -and the parishioners entered into an agreement to unite in opposition -to the claims of the Wortleys. The parchment on which it is written -is dated 1st James I., and bristles with the names and seals of the -people of Penistone of that time, and is still extant. - -In the neighbourhood, on a moor not far from Bradfield, stood a mansion -called More or Moor Hall, and was inhabited by a family who had -resided there from the time of Henry II., but of whom little is known, -excepting the wonderful achievement of one member of the family, "More -of More Hall," who slew the Dragon of Wantley. - -The family had for their crest a green dragon, and there was formerly -in Bradfield Church a stone dragon, five feet in length, which had some -connection with the family. To this worthy, who, it is supposed, may -have been an attorney or counsellor, the parishioners of Penistone, -having decided upon appealing to the law courts, applied to undertake -their case, and make battle on the terrible dragon in his den among -the rocks of the forest of Wharncliffe. He readily complied with their -wish, and with great boldness and valour prepared for the conflict -by going to Sheffield and ordering a suit of armour, studded with -spikes--that is, arming himself with the panoply of law, and then -went forth and made the attack. The fight is said, in the ballad -narrative, to have lasted two days and nights, probably the duration -of the lawsuit, and in the end he killed the dragon, or won his suit, -thus relieving the people of Penistone from any further annoyance or -unjust exaction from that quarter. Sir Francis Wortley persuaded his -cousin Wordsworth, the freehold lord of the manor (ancestor, lineal or -collateral, of the Poet Wordsworth), to stand aloof in the matter, and -now the Wortley and the Wordsworth are the only estates in the parish -that pay tithes. - -To commemorate the event an exceedingly humorous and cleverly satirical -ballad was written, which, being also a lively burlesque on the -ballad romances of chivalry, served the same purpose towards them -that Cervantes' "Don Quixote" did for the prose fictions of the same -character. Thus opens the ballad-- - - "Old stories tell how Hercules - A dragon slew at Gerna, - With seven heads and fourteen eyes - To see and well discerna; - But he had a club, this dragon to drub, - Or he had ne'er I warrant ye; - But More of More Hall with nothing at all, - He slew the dragon of Wantley. - - "This dragon had two furious wings, - Each one upon each shoulder; - With a sting in his tail, as long as a flail, - Which made him bolder and bolder. - He had long claws, and in his jaws - Four and forty teeth of iron; - With a hide as tough as any buff, - Which did him round environ." - -It then goes on to describe how "he ate three children at one sup, as -one would eat an apple." Also all sorts of cattle and trees, the forest -beginning to diminish very perceptibly, and "houses and churches," -which to him were geese and turkeys, "leaving none behind." - - "But some stones, dear Jack, that he could not crack, - Which on the hills you will finda." - -These stones are supposed to be a reference to the Lyonel Rowlestone, -who was the leader of the opposition. There are many local allusions -of a similar character, which would no doubt add much to the keenness -of the satire and the humour, but which are lost to us through our -ignorance of the circumstances and persons alluded to. - -"In Yorkshire, near fair Rotherham," was his den, and at Wantley a well -from which he drank. - - "Some say this dragon was a witch, - Some say he was a devil; - For from his nose a smoke arose - And with it burning snivel." - -"Hard by a furious knight there dwelt," who could "wrestle, play at -quarter-staff, kick, cuff, and huff; and with his hands twain could -swing a horse till he was dead, and eat him all up but his head." To -this wonderful athlete came "men, women, girls, and boys, sighing and -sobbing, and made a hideous noise--O! save us all, More of More Hall, -thou peerless knight of these woods; do but slay this dragon, who won't -leave us a rag on, we'll give thee all our goods." The Knight replied-- - - "Tut, tut," quoth he, "no goods I want; - But I want, I want, in sooth, - A fair maid of sixteen, that's brisk and keen, - With smiles about her mouth; - Hair black as sloe, skin white as snow, - With blushes her cheeks adorning; - To anoint me o'er night, e'er I go to the fight, - And to dress me in the morning." - -This being agreed to, he hied to Sheffield, and had a suit of armour, -covered with spikes five or six inches long, made, which, when he -donned it, caused the people to take him for "an Egyptian porcupig," -and the cattle for "some strange, outlandish hedgehog." When he rose -in the morning, - - "To make him strong and mighty - He drank, by the tale, six pots of ale - And a quart of _aqua vitæ_." - -Thus equipped and with his valour braced up, he went to Wantley, -concealing himself in the well, and when the dragon came to drink, he -shouted "Boh," and struck the monster a blow on the mouth. The knight -then came out of the well, and they commenced fighting, for some time -without advantage on either side--without either receiving a wound. At -length, however, after fighting two days and a night, the dragon gave -him a blow which made him reel and the earth to quake. "But More of -More Hall, like a valiant son of Mars," returned the compliment with -such vigour that-- - - "Oh! quoth the dragon, with a deep sigh, - And turned six times together; - Sobbing and tearing, cursing and swearing - Out of his throat of leather; - More of More Hall! O, thou rascal! - Would I had seen thee never; - With the thing on thy foot, thou has pricked my gut - And I'm quite undone for ever. - - "Murder! murder! the dragon cry'd. - Alack! alack! for grief; - Had you but mist that place, you could - Have done me no mischief. - Then his head he shaked, trembled and quaked, - And down he laid and cry'd, - First on one knee, then on back tumbled he: - So groan'd, kick't, and dy'd." - -Henry Carey, in 1738, brought out an opera on the subject, entitled -"The Dragon of Wantley," abounding in humour, and a fine burlesque on -the Italian operas of the period, then the rage of fashion. And in -1873, Poynter exhibited at the Royal Academy a picture of "More of More -Hall and the Dragon." - - - - -The Miracles and Ghost of Watton. - - -In a sweetly sequestered spot, environed by patriarchal trees of -luxuriant foliage, between the towns of Driffield and Beverley, nestles -a Tudoresque building, which goes by the name of Watton Abbey, although -it never was an abbey, but a Gilbertine Priory. It is now a private -residence, and was occupied for many years as a school, the existing -buildings apparently having been erected since the dissolution, and -there are but few remains of the original convent, saving a portion of -the nunnery, now converted into stables, a hollow square indicating the -site of the kitchen and the moat which originally surrounded the entire -enclosure. A couple of centuries ago there were extensive remains of -the old priory, but they were removed for the purpose of repairing -Beverley Minster. Moreover, the abbey has a haunted room, which, -however, has no connection with the monastic times, although the ghost -that haunts it is usually designated "The Headless Nun of Watton," but -belongs to the civil war period of the seventeenth century. The fact -is that story tellers of the legend confound two altogether different -narratives--the one of a trangressing nun of the twelfth century, and -the other of a murdered lady of the seventeenth, combining their two -histories into one story, as if their persons were identical. - -A nunnery was established here in a very early period of Anglo-Saxon -Christianity, probably soon after its re-introduction into Northumbria -by King Oswald, as we find St. John of Beverley performing a miracle -there, which would be about the year 720, after he had resigned his -Bishopric and retired to Beverley. It appears that he was an intimate -friend of the Lady Prioress--Heribury--and made frequent visits to -Watton to administer spiritual advice and ghostly consolation to the -inmates under her charge. On one occasion when he went thither, he -found the Prioress's daughter suffering great agony from a diseased and -swollen arm, the result of unskilful bleeding, and was solicited to go -to her chamber and give her his blessing, which might be the means of -alleviating the pain. He inquired when she had been bled, and was told -on the fourth day of the moon, which he said was a very inauspicious -day, quoting Archbishop Theodore as his authority, and he feared his -prayers would be of no avail. Nevertheless he went to her room, prayed -for her restoration to health, gave her his blessing, and went down to -dinner. They had, however, scarcely seated themselves when a servant -came in, stating that all her pain had gone, her swollen arm had been -reduced to its natural size, and that she was perfectly restored to -health, and was dressing to come down and dine with them. - -The nunnery was destroyed, it is presumed, by the Danes at the same -time that the Monastery of Beverley perished at their hands, in the -ninth century, and it lay waste and desolate until the twelfth century, -although we find from the Domesday survey that there were then a church -and priest in the village. - -In 1148-9, Eustace Fitz John, Lord of Knaresborough, and a favourite of -King Henry I., at the instance of Murdac, Archbishop of York, refounded -the convent, in atonement for certain crimes he had committed. It -was established for thirteen canons and thirty-six nuns of the new -Gilbertine order, who were to live in the same block of buildings, -but with a party wall for the separation of the sexes; the canons "to -serve the nuns perpetually in terrene as well as in divine matters." He -endowed it with the Lordship of Watton, with all its appurtenances in -pure and perpetual alms for the salvation of his soul, and those of his -wife, his father and mother, brothers and sisters, friends and servants. - -Archbishop Murdac was at the time resident at Beverley, the gates of -York having been shut against him; and it may be that the fact of his -predecessor, St. John, the patron-saint of the town where he dwelt, -having performed a great miracle there, was what influenced him in his -desire to see a resuscitation of the monastery. He was a remarkable -man, and had led a somewhat adventurous life. Archbishop Thurstan was -his patron, and gave him some preferments in the church of York, which -he resigned at the pressing invitation of St. Bernard, founder of the -Cistercians, to become a monk at Clervaux. Soon after he was sent by -his superior to found a Cistercian house at Vauclair, of which he was -appointed the first abbot, in 1131, where he remained until 1143, -when, at the recommendation of St. Bernard, he was elected Abbot of -Fountains. Under his judicious and able government the abbey prospered -and threw off not less than seven offshoots--those of Kirkstall, Lix, -Meaux, Vaudy, and Woburn. - -On the death of Archbishop Thurstan, King Stephen desired the canons -to elect William Fitzherbert, his nephew and their treasurer, in his -place, which they were willing to do, but the Cistercians, headed -by Murdac, suspecting that undue influence had been made use of, -vehemently opposed his election, and Pope Eugenius, on the appeal of -St. Bernard, suspended Fitzherbert. - -Fitzherbert, out of revenge, went with his friends to Fountains, broke -open the door, searched ineffectually for Murdac, then fired the abbey, -and retired. This act caused a great sensation, and the Archbishop -was deprived in 1147. The same year an assembly met at Richmond, and -elected Murdac as Archbishop, who immediately went to Rome and obtained -his pall from Pope Eugenius; but on his return found York barred -against his entrance, upon which he retired to Beverley. Stephen, the -King, refused to recognise him, sequestering the stalls of York, and -fining the town of Beverley for harbouring him. It was at this time -that he promoted the re-establishment of Watton, and placed within -its walls a child of four years of age to be educated, with a view of -taking the veil. - -In retaliation, he excommunicated Puisnet, Treasurer of York, and laid -the city under an interdict. Puisnet was afterwards elected Bishop of -Durham, upon which Murdac excommunicated the Prior and Archdeacon, who -came to Beverley to implore pardon, and could only obtain absolution on -acknowledging their fault and submitting to scourging at the entrance -to Beverley Minster. He died at Beverley in the same year (1153), and -was buried in York Cathedral. - -Elfleda, the child whom Murdac had placed in the convent, was a merry, -vivacious little creature; and whilst but a child was a source of -amusement to the sisterhood, who, although prim and demure in bearing, -and some of them sour-tempered and acid in their tempers, were wont to -smile at her youthful frolics and ringing laugh; but as she grew older, -her outbursts of merriment, and the sallies of wit that began to -animate her conversation, were checked, as being inconsistent with the -character of a young lady who was now enrolled as novice, preparatory -to taking the veil. As she advanced towards womanhood her form -gradually developed into a most symmetrical figure; and her features -became the perfection of beauty, set off with a transparent delicacy -of complexion, such as would have rendered her a centre of attraction -even among the beauties of a Royal Court. This excited the jealousy of -the sisters, who were chiefly elderly and middle-aged spinsters, whose -homely and somewhat coarse features had proved detrimental to their -hopes of obtaining husbands. They began to treat her with scornful -looks, chilling neglect, and petty persecutions; but when she, later -on, evinced a manifest repugnance to convent life, ridiculed the ways -of the holy sisters, and even satirised them, they charged her with -entertaining rebellious and ungodly sentiments, and subjected her -to penances and other modes of wholesome correction, such as they -considered would subdue her worldly spirit. - -Sprightly and light-hearted as she was, Elfleda was not happy, immured -as she was within these detested walls, and condemned to assist in -wearisome services, such as she thought might perhaps be congenial -to the souls of her elder sisters, whose hopes of worldly happiness -and conjugal endearment had been blighted, but which were altogether -unsuited for one so beautiful (for she knew that she was fair, and was -vain of her looks) and so cheerful-minded as herself; and she longed -with intense desire to make her escape, mingle with the outer world, -and have free intercourse with the other sex. - -According to the charter of endowment, the lay brethren of the -monastery were entrusted with the management of the secular affairs of -the nunnery, which necessitated their admission within its portals on -certain occasions for conference with the prioress. On these occasions -Elfleda would cast furtive and very un-nunlike glances upon their -persons. She was particularly attracted by one of them, a young man -of prepossessing mien and seductive style of speech, and she felt her -heart beat wildly whenever he came with the other visitors. He noticed -her surreptitious glances, and saw that she was exceedingly beautiful, -and his heart responded to the sentiment he felt that he had inspired -in hers. They maintained this silent but eloquent language of love for -some time, and soon found means of having stolen interviews under the -darkness of night, when vows of everlasting love were interchanged, and -led, eventually, to consequences which at the outset were not dreamt of -by the erring pair. - -Suspicion having been excited by her altered form, she was summoned -before her superiors on a charge of "transgressing the conventual -rules and violating one of the most stringent laws of monastic life," -and as concealment was impossible, she boldly confessed her fault, -adding that she had no vocation for a convent life, and desired to be -banished from the community. This request could not be listened to for -a moment. The culprit had brought a scandal and indelible stain upon -the fair fame of the house, which must, at any cost, be concealed from -the world; and her open avowal of her guilt raised in the breasts of -the pious sisterhood a perfect fury of indignation, and a determination -to inflict immediate and condign punishment on her. It was variously -suggested that she should be burnt to death, that she should be walled -up alive, that she should be flayed, that her flesh should be torn -from her bones with red-hot pincers, that she should be roasted to -death before a fire, etc.; but the more prudent and aged averted these -extreme measures, and suggested some milder forms of punishment, which -were at once carried out. The miserable object of their vengeance was -stripped of her clothing, stretched on the floor, and scourged with -rods until the blood trickled down profusely from her lacerated back. -She was then cast into a noisome dungeon, without light, fettered by -iron chains to the floor, and supplied with only bread and water, -"which was administered with bitter taunts and reproaches." - -Meanwhile the young man, her paramour, had left the monastery, and as -the nuns were desirous of inflicting some terrible punishment upon him -for his horrible crime, they extorted from Elfleda, under promise that -she should be released and given up to him, the confession that he was -still in the neighbourhood in disguise, and that not knowing of the -discovery that had been made, he would come to visit her, and make the -usual signal of throwing a stone on the roof over her sleeping cell. -The Prioress made this known to the brethren of the monastery, and -arranged with them for his capture. The following night he came, looked -cautiously round, and then threw the stone, when the monks rushed -out of ambush, cudgelled him soundly, and then took him a prisoner -into the house. "The younger part of the nuns, inflamed with a pious -zeal, demanded the custody of the prisoner, on pretence of gaining -further information. Their request was granted, and taking him to an -unfrequented part of the convent, they committed on his person such -brutal atrocities as cannot be translated without polluting the page -on which they are written; and, to increase the horror, the lady was -brought forth to be witness of the abominable scene." Whilst lying in -her dungeon, Elfleda became penitent, and conscious of having committed -a gross crime, and one night whilst sleeping in her fetters, Archbishop -Murdac appeared to her and charged her with having cursed him. She -replied that she certainly had cursed him for having placed her in so -uncongenial a sphere. "Rather curse yourself," said he, "for having -given way to temptation." "So I do," she answered, "and I regret having -imputed the blame to you." He then exhorted her to repentance and the -daily repetition of certain psalms, and then vanished,--a vision which -afforded her much consolation. - -The holy sisters were now much troubled on the question of what should -be done with the infant which was expected daily, and preparations -were made for its reception; when Elfleda was again visited by the -Archbishop, accompanied by two women who, "with the holy aid of the -Archbishop, safely delivered her of the infant, which they bore away -in their arms, covered with a fair linen cloth." When the nuns came -the next morning they found her in perfect health and restored to her -youthful appearance, without any signs of the accouchement, and charged -her with murdering the infant,--a very improbable idea, seeing that she -was still chained to the floor. She narrated what had occurred, but was -not believed. The next night all her fetters were miraculously removed, -and when her cell was entered the following morning she was found -standing free, and the chains not to be found. - -The Father Superior of the convent was then called in, and he invited -Alured, Abbot of Rievaulx, to assist him in the investigation of the -case, who decided that it was a miraculous intervention, and the Abbot -departed, saying, "What God hath cleansed call not thou common or -unclean, and whom He hath loosed thou mayest not bind." - -What afterwards became of Elfleda is not stated, but we may presume -that after these miraculous events she would be admitted as a thrice -holy member of the sisterhood, despite her little peccadillo. - -Alured of Rievaulx, the monkish chronicler, narrates the substance of -the above circumstances, and vouches for their truth. "Let no one," -says he, "doubt the truth of this account, for I was an eye-witness -to many of the facts, and the remainder were related to me by persons -of such mature age and distinguished piety, that I cannot doubt the -accuracy of the statement." - -This is the story of the frail and unfortunate nun; the other, which is -usually dovetailed on the former, is of much more recent date. In the -present house there is a chamber wainscoted throughout with panelled -oak, one of the panels forming a door, so accurately fitted that it -cannot be distinguished from the other panels. It is opened by a secret -spring, and communicates with a stone stair that goes down to the moat; -it may be that the room was a hiding-place for the Jesuits or priests -of the Catholic Church when they were so ruthlessly hunted down and -barbarously executed in the Elizabethan and Jacobean reigns. The room -is reputed to be haunted by the ghost of a headless lady with an infant -in her arms, who comes, or came thither formerly, to sleep nightly, the -bed-clothes being found the following morning in a disordered state, as -they would be after a person had been sleeping in them. If by chance -any person had daring enough to occupy the room, the ghost would come, -minus the head, dressed in blood-stained garments, with her infant -in her arms, and would stand motionless at the foot of the bed for a -while, and then vanish. A visitor on one occasion, who knew nothing of -the legend, was put to sleep in the chamber, who in the morning stated -that his slumbers had been disturbed by a spectral visitant, in the -form of a lady with bloody raiment and an infant, and that her features -bore a strange resemblance to those of a lady whose portrait hung in -the room; from which it would appear that on that special occasion she -had donned her head. - -According to the legend, a lady of distinction who then occupied the -house was a devoted Royalist in the great civil war which resulted in -the death of King Charles. It was after the battle of Marston Moor, -which was a death-blow to the Royalists north of the Humber, and when -the Parliamentarians dominated the broad lands of Yorkshire, that a -party of fanatical Roundheads came into the neighbourhood of Watton, -"breathing out threatenings and slaughter" against the "malignants," -and especially against such as still clung to the "vile rags of the -whore of Babylon," vowing to put all such to the sword. The Lady of -Watton, who was a devout Catholic, heard of this band of Puritan -soldiers, who were "rampaging" over the Wolds, and of the barbarous -murders of which they had been guilty. Her husband was away fighting -in the ranks of the King down Oxford way, and she was left without -any protector excepting a handful of servants, male and female, who -would be of no use against a band of armed soldiers, and it was with -great fear and trembling that she heard of their arrival at Driffield, -some three or four miles distant, where they had been plundering -and maltreating "the Philistines;" fearing more for her infant than -herself, as she believed the prevalent exaggerated rumour, that it was -a favourite amusement with them to toss babies up in the air and catch -them on the points of their pikes. - -At length news was brought that the marauders were on the march to -Watton, for the purpose of plundering it, as the home of a malignant, -and the lady, for better security, shut herself, with her child and -her jewels, in the wainscoted room, hoping in case of extremity to -escape by means of a secret stair, and in the meanwhile committed -herself and child to the care of the Virgin Mother. It was not long ere -the band of soldiers arrived and hammered at the door, calling aloud -for admittance, but met with no response. They were about breaking -down the door, and went in search of implements for the purpose, when -they caught sight of a low archway opening upon the moat, which they -guessed to be a side entrance to the house, and crossing the moat, they -found the stair, which they ascended and came to the panel, which they -concluded was a disguised door. A few blows sufficed to dash it open, -and they came into the presence of the lady, who was prostrate before -a crucifix. Rising up, she demanded what they wanted, and wherefore -this rude intrusion. They replied that they had come to despoil the -"Egyptian" who owned the mansion, and if he had been present, to smite -him to death as a worshipper of idols and an abomination in the eyes of -God. - -An angry altercation ensued, the lady, who possessed a high spirit, -making a free use of her tongue in upbraidings and reproaches for their -dastardly conduct on the Wolds, of which she had heard, to which they -listened very impatiently, and replied in coarse language not fit for a -lady's ears, at the same time demanding the plate and other valuables -of the house. She scornfully refused to give them up, and told them -that if they wanted them they must find them for themselves, and at -length so provoked them by her taunts that they cried, "Hew down with -the sword the woman of Belial and the spawn of the malignant," and -suiting the action to the word, they caught her child from her arms, -dashed its brains out against the wall, and then cut her down and -"hewed" off her head, after which they plundered the house and departed -with their spoil. - -It must not be supposed that these ruffians were a fair specimen of the -brave, God-fearing men who fought under Fairfax, and put Newcastle -and Rupert to flight at Marston Moor, who fought with the sword in -one hand and the Bible in the other, who laid the axe at the root of -Royal abitrary prerogative, and were the real authors of the civil and -religious liberty which we now enjoy. But, as in all times of civil -commotion, there were evil-minded wretches who, for purpose of plunder, -assumed the garb and adopted the phraseology of the noble-minded -soldiers of Fairfax and Hampden, and the Ironsides of Cromwell, -out-Puritaned them in their hypocritical cant, bringing disgrace and -scandal upon the armies with which they associated themselves. And such -were the villains who despoiled Watton, and slew so barbarously the -poor lady and her infant; and from that time the ghost of the lady has -haunted the room in which the deed was perpetrated. - -In the year 1780, Mr. Bethell, the then occupier of the house, was -giving a dinner-party in the dining-room, which adjoined the haunted -apartment. When they were seated over their wine the host related the -story of the ghost, and had scarcely finished it when an unearthly -sound issued from the floor beneath their feet. Consternation seized -on the party. They concluded that it was the ghost, and to their -imagination the candles began to emit a blue, ghostly light. It seemed -to be a confirmation of the truth of the story; but they summoned up -courage enough to make an examination, and although it was approaching -the "witching hour of night," they sent for a carpenter, who took up -some planks of the floor, and found--not the ghost, but the nest of an -otter from the moat, who had made there a home for her progeny, whose -cries had alarmed them; and thus was dissipated what might otherwise -have been deemed a veritable supernatural visitation. - - - - -The Murdered Hermit of Eskdale. - - -Sir Richard de Veron was a distinguished knight of the North Riding, -who held a considerable estate by knight's service of the De Brus -family in Cleveland. He was one of the heroes of the Battle of the -Standard, in 1138, who went forth at the behest of Archbishop Thurstan -to oppose the invasion of David of Scotland, and who signally defeated -that monarch. A few years after, he joined the forces of the Empress -Maud, whose pretensions to the throne of England he considered to -be more legitimate than those of Stephen, and fought on her side at -Lincoln, in 1141, when the King was defeated and taken prisoner, -continuing to uphold her cause until she was compelled to retire from -England. The war being thus brought to an end, and the adherents of -the Empress generally declining to take service under a King whom they -deemed a usurper, and by whom they were looked upon with suspicion, -De Veron sheathed his sword and retired to his family and home in -Cleveland. He had a wife, whom he dearly loved, and two children, a -boy--his heir, and a sweet little daughter for whom he entertained -the most tender affection; indeed, although he delighted in the clash -of arms and the exciting revelry of war, he was never so truly happy -as when in the midst of his family, teaching his young son to ride, -practice at the target, and follow his hounds in pursuit of the wild -animals of the chase; or listening to the prattle of his little -daughter, when taking lessons from her mother in reading, music, or -embroidery work. Thus happily passed a few months after his return -from his martial pursuits, when one morning, news was brought that a -case of plague had occurred in the village, causing, as it always did, -great consternation not only amongst the villagers, but in the knight's -mansion, which stood half a mile away from the village. It was hoped -that it might be an isolated case, and such rude remedial measures as -were then known were adopted to prevent the spread of the infection, -but within a week another case was reported, and another and another in -rapid succession, after which it spread with fearful speed, until half -the population succumbed to it, and were hastily buried without the -usual funeral rites. In a month the disease appeared to be dying out, -the deaths were fewer and fewer day by day, and it was fondly hoped -that the terrible infliction was passing away, but it was not until -three-fourths of the people had fallen victims to its pestilential fury. - -Although Sir Richard hesitated not to go down to the village and -employ himself in administering food, medicine, and consolation to -the afflicted, he took every known precaution against coming into too -close contact with the infected; he kept his family closely shut up at -home, and occupied a separate set of apartments himself, not allowing -them to come into his presence; but notwithstanding all his preventive -measures he was at last stricken down. He gave positive orders that he -should be left alone, and if it was God's will that he should die, he -declared his resolution that he would die alone, and with affectionate -earnestness sent a message to his wife, entreating her to remain apart -from him, and not imperil her dear life by coming to his bedside. But -she, true wife as she was, heeded not the risk to her own life, so long -as she could afford comfort and spiritual consolation to him, in what -might very probably be his last few moments on earth, and regardless of -the injunction, hastened, on receiving the message, to the room where -he lay. He reproached her gently for exposing herself to the risk of -infection, but was met by assurances that it was not possible for her -to remain away whilst he was lying there requiring careful tendence, -with all the servants standing aloof panic-stricken, or flying from the -house. He implored her to retire, but she replied that she might or -might not take the infection; that was as God pleased, and if she did -she might or might not fall a victim, but most assuredly if she left -him alone and shut herself up away from him she would die of anxiety, -or, in case of his death, of a broken heart. Finding remonstrance -useless, he was fain to submit to her nursing, and happily during the -night the malady passed its crisis, his strong, healthy constitution -enabling him to battle successfully with the disease, and he gradually -became convalescent. - -Happiness again seemed to be dawning over the household, but it was not -destined to last long. The faithful wife, who had watched so tenderly -over his sick bed, regardless of the risk she ran, maintained her -health so long as her services were needed, but in her ministrations -she had imbibed the seed of the fatal malady, and now, when her husband -was restored to health, the terrible plague spot made its appearance, -and so rapidly did the disease develop itself that, within twenty-four -hours, she fell a victim to its remorseless energy. It was a fearful -blow to Sir Richard, but this was not all the suffering he had to -undergo. Scarcely had he returned from the obsequies of his wife, when -his two children caught the infection, and in another four-and-twenty -hours they were both carried off, leaving him bereft of all the -best-beloved of his soul, and sunk in the depths of desolation and -despair. - -For some months he remained in his silent and cheerless home in -a state of profound apathy, taking no interest in the avocations -devolving on him as the lord of an extensive estate. It is true he -befriended, pecuniarily, the numerous widows and orphans left in the -village by the ruthless pestilence that had swept over it, and he -contributed large sums of money to the Church for prayers and masses -for the souls of the departed, not only of his own family, but of his -vassals and dependants. Nothing seemed capable of rousing him from the -despondency into which he had fallen; the sports of the field were -altogether neglected; the cheerful companionship of friends presented -no attractions for him, and he sat at home hour after hour through the -live-long day, plunged in moody melancholy and repining meditation on -his irreparable loss, and the utter extinction of all that was worth -living for. And thus passed week after week and month after month, -Time, the great mollifier of grief, seeming to impart no balm to his -sorrow-stricken soul. - -The only person whom he admitted as a visitor, besides those who -came on imperative business matters, was Father Anselm, a pious and -devout man, the priest of the village church. It was in his company -only, and in listening to his spiritual converse, that he felt any -relief from the grief that oppressed him, and gradually, after many -interviews, he began to look upon his affliction as a providential -dispensation, intended for some wise purpose. Gradually also he became -more weaned from earthly and secular things, and his soul to become -more spiritualised, and he began to experience a feeling of attraction -to the cloister. One day he mentioned this to his spiritual adviser, -and Father Anselm, rejoicing thereat, warmly applauded the feeling, -urging that such self-devotion would be most acceptable to God, and -that it was only in religious meditation and prayer that he would be -vouchsafed that true consolation which religion alone could give. The -holy father perhaps was not altogether single-minded in thus fostering -the idea of assuming the cowl, for he was a true Churchman, considering -that the promotion of the temporal aggrandisement of the Church was an -essential part of the duty of a Christian, a sentiment then universally -prevalent, and not unusual now. He knew that Sir Richard was the owner -of broad acres, and that now he had no heir to inherit them, and -he often made delicate and incidental allusions to the fact, which -seemed to produce an impression on the mind of the knight. At last an -opportunity offered itself of speaking out more openly. With a profound -sigh, Sir Richard one day said, when the conversation had turned upon -his estates and possessions, "Alas! why should I trouble or concern -myself about these lands and the improvements that might be made on -them? I shall never more be able to derive pleasure from the possession -of them, and I have no heir to bequeath them to. What is the good of -riches if they do not afford happiness? A crust and water from the -wayside brook with happiness is better than untold wealth accompanied -with sorrow and anguish of heart." - -Father Anselm saw his opportunity, and pertinently asked, "Since you -have no heir, why not make the holy Church of Christ your heir? By -doing so you would garner up for yourself riches in heaven--an eternity -of inconceivable happiness compared with which in duration your present -suffering is but as the pang of a moment." - -Sir Richard sat musing for the space of a quarter of an hour, and then -said, "Holy Father, what you say seems good, fitting, and worthy of -consideration. Give me a week to think it over, and at the expiration -of that period I will commune with you further on the subject," and -Father Anselm took his departure. - -At the week's end, when they met again, Sir Richard opened the subject -by saying, "Venerable Father, I have since our last meeting given -deep consideration to your counsels, and have come to the resolution -of doing as you advise me. I have determined on assuming the monkish -habit; spending the remainder of my life in pious communion with some -holy brotherhood; and on resigning my possessions into the hands of the -Church of God." - -"It is good," replied Father Anselm. "Have you thought of any specific -house on which to bestow your donation?" - -"It occurred to me," continued Sir Richard, "to become a canon of the -Augustinian house recently founded by my feudal Lord, Robert de Brus, -at Guisborough, and to add my lands to its further endowment." - -"Permit me to counsel you otherwise," said the Father, "Guisborough, -as an Augustinian house, is not so strict in its discipline as other -monastic houses, and is already very fairly endowed. But there is -another, of the Benedictine order, where you would have an opportunity -of cultivating a more strictly religious and less secular frame of -mind--I mean Whitby, a holy spot, once sanctified by the presence of -the blessed St. Hilda. It was founded by King Oswy in 687, was laid in -ruins by the sacrilegious Danes in 867, and so remained for another -couple of hundred years, when God moved the heart of Will de Percy to -refound it as a Priory. Within the last few years it has again been -converted into an Abbey; but it lacks endowment for the due maintenance -of its superior dignity. Let me advise you, therefore, to cast in your -lot with these Benedictines, and win the approval of God by bestowing -your wealth in his service, where it is much needed." - -Sir Richard assented to this suggestion, caused a deed of gift to be -drawn, in which he conveyed his lands to the Abbot and convent of -Whitby, and entered the house as a novice; and in due time, at the -expiration of his novitiate, was admitted as a monk. - -Brother Jerome (to use his monastic appellation) soon attracted notice -by the fervour of his piety, his asceticism, and a strict and sincere -observance of the conventual rules; as well as by his humility and -obedience to the ordinances of his superiors. It chanced that after he -had been in the house a few years, the Prior, whose position was that -of sub-Abbot in the house, sickened and died; and, at a meeting of the -chapter to elect his successor, Brother Jerome was suggested as the -most fitting, by his manifest piety and abilities, for the office; but -he resolutely declined taking it upon himself, preferring, as he said, -to be rather a hewer of wood or drawer of water--the servant of the -brotherhood--than to hold any superior office. - -In the course of his meditations he was wont to cast a retrospective -glance on his past life, and to grieve over his career as a soldier -and a shedder of blood; especially did he mourn over the excesses of -barbarous cruelty into which he had been drawn in emulation of the -ferocity of his fellow-soldiers, when marching under the banner of -the Empress, remembering with tears of bitter remorse, the burning -villages, the homeless people, the corpse-strewn fields, and the widows -and orphans they left in their rear. The more he thought of these -past phases of his life, the more intense became his self-reproaches -and the compunction excited by a sense of guilt and sin. He sought by -mortification and maceration of the flesh to make atonement for these -blood-stained deeds, but despite these self-inflicted punishments, he -was not able to find rest for his soul. For ever, when prostrate in -prayer, would they rise up before him, and the enemy of mankind would -whisper in his ear, "Thou fool! what is the good of praying and fasting -and weeping? Thy sins are too heinous for pardon; thou hast given -up thy possessions to secure a heritage in heaven, but thy guilt is -so damning that thou wilt assuredly find its gate shut against thee. -Instead of leading a miserable and wretched life here in the cloister, -return to the world and enjoy life while it lasts, for in either case -there is nothing to hope for in the future." - -Jerome took counsel of the Abbot, an old, wise, and experienced -Christian, who at once detected the cloven hoof in the temptation, and -was successful in convincing the tempted one of the fact, advising him -to go on in the course he was pursuing, assuring him that there was -mercy for the vilest of sinners if penitent, which afforded him great -consolation. - -Nevertheless the remorse-stricken sinner considered that his -misdeeds had been such that he could scarcely do sufficient in the -way of mortification to obliterate the guilt of the past, and he -determined upon withdrawing himself entirely from communion with his -fellow-creatures, even from the Holy Brotherhood of Whitby, and devote -the remainder of his life to meditation and prayer altogether apart -from the world. - -Connected with the Abbey there was, in a solitary place of the forest -which fringed the banks of the Esk, a chapel where the monks were wont -to retire at certain seasons for the purpose of devotion, away from the -bustle and distraction inevitable in a large community; and in close -proximity to this chapel, Jerome built for himself a wooden hut in -which to pass his remaining years as a hermit, secluded from society, -living on wild fruit and roots, quenching his thirst from the streamlet -which trickled past, and spending his days and nights in prayer, -flagellation, and abstinence. - -Resident in the neighbourhood of Whitby were two landed -proprietors--Ralph de Perci, Lord of Sneton, and William de Brus, -Lord of Ugglebarnby, who were great lovers of hunting and other field -sports, and near them lived one Allatson, a gentleman and freeholder. -The three were boon companions, and constantly meeting in the pursuance -of country sports, and at each other's houses for the purpose of -carousing together. One night when they were thus assembled together -they arranged to go boar-hunting on the following day, which was -the 16th of October, 5th Henry II., in the forest of Eskdale; and -soon after dinner they met, attired in their hunting garbs, with -boar-staves in their hands, and accompanied by a pack of boar-hounds, -yelping and barking, and as eager for the sport as their masters. - -A boar was soon started, which plunged into the recesses of the forest, -followed by the hounds in full cry, and by the hunters, shouting to -encourage them. Onward they rushed, through brake and briar, the huge -animal clearing a pathway through the tangled underwood, which enabled -his pursuers to follow without much impediment. Onward they went in -hot speed, the hounds sometimes overtaking the boar, and tearing him -with their fangs, and the hunters beating him with their staves, -maddening him with rage, and causing him to turn upon his pursuers, -and rend the dogs with his fangs, as he would also the hunters, could -he have escaped the environment of the dogs; and then he would dash -onward again, evidently becoming more and more exhausted from wounds -and bruises and loss of blood, until at length they came in sight -of the chapel and hermitage; from which point we cannot do better -than continue the narrative in the words of Burton, as given in his -"Monasticon Ebor." - -"The boar," says he, "being very sore and very hotly pursued, and dead -run, took in at the chapel door and there died, whereof the hermit -shut the hounds out of the chapel and kept himself within at his -meditations, the hounds standing at bay without. - -"The gentlemen called to the hermit (Brother Jerome), who opened the -door. They found the boar dead, for which they, in very great fury -(because their hounds were put from their game) did, most violently and -cruelly, run at the hermit with their boar staves, whereby he died soon -after." - -Fearful of the consequences of their crime, they fled to Scarborough, -and took sanctuary in the church; but the Abbot of Whitby, who was a -friend of the King, was authorised to take them out, "whereby they came -in danger of the law, and not to be privileged, but likely to have the -severity of the law, which was death." - -The hermit, who had been brought to Whitby Abbey, lay at the point of -death when the prisoners were brought thither; and hearing of their -arrival, he besought the Abbot that they might be brought into his -presence; and when they made their appearance said to them, "I am sure -to die of these wounds you gave me." "Aye," quoth the Abbot, "and they -shall surely die for the same." "Not so," continued the dying man, "for -I will freely forgive them my death if they will be contented to be -enjoined this penance for the safeguard of their souls." "Enjoin what -penance you will," replied the culprits, "so that you save our lives." -Then Brother Jerome explained the nature of the penance:--"You and -yours shall hold your lands of the Abbot of Whitby and his successors -in this manner. That upon Ascension Eve, you, or some of you, shall -come to the woods of Strayheads, which is in Eskdale, the same day at -sunrising, and there shall the abbot's officer blow his horn, to the -intent that you may know how to find him; and he shall deliver unto -you, William de Brus, ten stakes, eleven strutstowers, and eleven -yethers, to be cut by you, or some of you, with a knife of one penny -price; and you, Ralph de Perci, shall take twenty and one of each sort, -to be cut in the same manner; and you, Allatson, shall take nine of -each sort to be cut as aforesaid, and to be taken on your backs and -carried to the town of Whitby, and to be there before nine of the clock -the same day before mentioned. If at the same hour of nine of the -clock it be full sea, your labour or service shall cease; but if it -be not full sea, each of you shall set your stakes at the brim and so -yether them, on each side of your yethers, and so stake on each side -with your strowers, that they may stand three tides, without removing -by the force thereof. Each of you shall make and execute the said -service at that very hour, every year, except it shall be full sea at -that hour; but when it shall so fall out, this service shall cease.... -You shall faithfully do this, in remembrance that you did most cruelly -slay me; and that you may the better call to God for mercy, repent -unfeignedly for your sins, and do good works. The officer of Eskdale -side shall blow--'Out on you! out on you! out on you!' for this heinous -crime. If you, or your successors, shall refuse this service, so long -as it shall not be full sea, at the aforesaid hour, you, or yours, -shall forfeit your lands to the Abbot of Whitby, or his successors. -This I entreat, and earnestly beg that you may have lives and goods -preserved for this service; and I request of you to promise, by your -parts in Heaven, that it shall be done by you and your successors as -it is aforesaid requested, and I will confirm it by the faith of an -honest man." Then the hermit said, "My soul longeth for the Lord; and -I do freely forgive these men my death, as Christ forgave the thief -upon the cross," and in the presence of the Abbot and the rest, he -said, moreover, these words, "In manas tuas, domine, commendo spiritum, -meum, avinculis enim mortis redemisti me Domine veritatis. Amen." So -he yielded up the ghost the 8th day of December, A.D. 1160, upon whose -soul God have mercy. Amen. - -In 1753, the service was rendered by the last of the Allatsons, the -Lords of Sneton and Ugglebarnby having, it is supposed, bought off -their share of the penance. He held a piece of land, of £10 a year, at -Fylingdales, for which he brought five stakes, eight yethers, and six -strutstowers, and whilst Mr. Cholmley's bailiff, on an antique bugle -horn, blew "out on you," he made a slight edge of them a little way -into the shallow of the river. - -Burton, writing in 1757, adds, "This little farm is now out of the -Allatson family, but the present owner performed the service last -Ascension Eve, A.D. 1756." - -The horn garth or yether hedge, as the fence was called, was -constructed yearly on the east side of the Esk for the purpose of -keeping cattle from the landing places. - -Charlton, in his history of Whitby, discredits this tradition, saying -that there were no such persons as those mentioned, and no chapel, -only a hermitage in the forest; that the making of the horn garth is -of much older date than that indicated, and that there is no record in -the annals of the abbey of its ever having been made by way of penance; -concluding that it is altogether a monkish invention. - - - - -The Calverley Ghost. - - -A little northward of the road from Bradford to Leeds, four miles -distant from the former and seven from the latter, lies the village -of Calverley, the seat of a knightly family of that name for some -600 years. They occupied a stately mansion, which was converted into -workmen's tenements early in the present century, and the chapel -transformed into a wheelwright's shop. - -Near by is a lane, a weird and lonesome road a couple of centuries ago, -overshadowed as it was by trees, which cast a ghostly gloom over it -after the setting of the sun. It was not much frequented excepting in -broad daylight, and even then only by the bolder and more stout-hearted -of the village rustics, whilst the majority would as soon have dared -to sleep in the charnel-house under the church as have passed down it -by night, or even in the gloaming. Instances were known of strangers -having unwittingly gone through it, all of whom, however, came forth -with trembling limbs and scared faces, their hair erect on their -heads, and the perspiration streaming down from their foreheads. -When questioned as to what they had seen, the reply was always the -same, a cloudlike apparition, thin, transparent, and unsubstantial, -bearing the semblance of a human figure, with no seeming clothing, but -simply a misty, impalpable shape; the features frenzied with rage and -madness, and in the right hand the appearance of a bloody dagger. The -apparition, they averred, seemed to consolidate into form out of a -mist which environed them soon after entering the lane, and continued -to accompany them, but without sound, sign, or motion, save that of -gliding along, accommodating itself to the pace of the terrified -passenger, which was usually that of a full run, until the other end of -the lane was reached, when it melted again into a mere shapeless mass -of vapour. - -The apparition was that of the disquieted soul of a certain Walter -Calverley, which was denied the calm repose of death, and condemned -to flit about this lane, as a penance for a great and unnatural crime -of which he had been guilty. Various attempts were made to exorcise -the restless spirit, but all were ineffectual until some very potent -spiritual agencies were employed, which were successful in "laying -the ghost," but only for a time, as they operate only so long as a -certain holly tree, planted by the hand of the delinquent, continues to -flourish, when that decays the ghost may again be looked for. - -The Calverleys (originally Scott) were a family of distinction in -Yorkshire from the time of Henry I. to the period of the great Civil -War, intermarrying with some of the best families, and producing a -succession of notable men. - -John Scott was steward to Maud, daughter of Malcolm Canmore, King of -Scotland, and niece of Edgar the Atheling, the last scion of the Saxon -race of English Kings; he accompanied her to England on the occasion -of her alliance with King Henry I., and married Larderina, daughter of -Alphonsus Gospatrick, Lord of Calverley and other Yorkshire manors, -who was descended from Gospatrick, Earl of Northumbria, who so stoutly -supported the claims of Edgar the Atheling to the crown of England in -opposition to that of the usurping conqueror, William the Norman. By -this marriage, John Scott became _j.u._ Lord of Calverley. - -William, his grandson, gave the vicarage of Calverley to the chantry of -the Blessed Virgin, York Cathedral, _temp._ Henry III. - -John, his descendant, in the fourteenth century, assumed the name of de -Calverley in lieu of Scott. - -Sir John, Knight, his son, had issue three sons and a daughter, Isabel, -who became Prioress of Esholt. - -John, his son, was one of the squires to Anne, Queen of Richard II. He -fought in the French wars, was captured there, and beheaded for some -"horrible crime, the particulars of which are not known," and dying -_cæl_, was succeeded by his brother, Walter, whose second son, Sir -Walter, was instrumental in the rebuilding of the church of Calverley, -and caused his arms--six owls--to be carved on the woodwork. - -Sir John, Knight, his son, was created a Knight-Banneret, and slain at -Shrewsbury, 1403, fighting under the banner of Henry IV. against the -Percies. Dying _s.p._, his brother Walter succeeded, whose second son, -Thomas, was ancestor, by his wife, Agnes Scargill, of the Calverleys -of Morley and of county Cumberland. - -Sir William, his grandson, was created a Knight-Banneret for valour in -the Scottish wars, by the Earl of Surrey; his grandson, Sir William -Knight, was Sheriff of Yorkshire, and died 1571; Thomas, his second -son, was ancestor of the Calverleys of county Durham. Sir Walter, his -son, had issue three sons, of whom Edmund, the third, was ancestor of -the Calverleys of counties Sussex and Surrey. - -William, the eldest son of Sir Walter, whose portrait was exhibited -at York in 1868, married Catherine, daughter of Sir John Thornholm, -Knight, of Haysthorpe, near Bridlington. This lady was a devoted -Catholic, and suffered much persecution for adhering to her faith and -giving refuge to proscribed priests, the estates being sequestered and -some manors sold to pay the fine for recusancy. They had issue Walter, -the subject of this tradition. - -Walter Calverley was born in the reign of Elizabeth, and in his youth -witnessed the relentless persecutions which his family, being adherents -of the old faith, had to endure from the ascendant Protestantism, which -held the reins of government. Those of the reformed religion were wont -to style Mary the "Bloody Queen," for the number of executions and -barbarities which, in the name of religion, stained the annals of her -reign; but it was a notable instance of the pot-and-kettle style of -vituperation, as the burning and hanging and quartering and pressing -to death of Jesuits and seminary priests, and of lay men and women who -afforded them refuge, went on as merrily during the reigns of her two -following successors, as did the roasting of heretics at Smithfield and -elsewhere under Bonner and Gardiner. He was witness, when a boy, of the -barbarous treatment to which his mother was subjected for worshipping -God according to the dictates of her conscience and for daring to -shelter priests of her persuasion. - -Walter was a lad of strong passions and vehement spirit, and the sight -of the sufferings endured by the friends and co-religionists of his -family drove him almost to madness. He would stamp his foot, clench -his fist, and vow vengeance upon the perpetrators, and it is highly -probable that he consorted and plotted with Guy Fawkes and others -of the gunpowder conspirators at Scotton, near Knaresborough, and -might have had a hand in the great plot itself, which culminated and -collapsed in the same year that he committed the crime which cost him -his life. - -He married Philippa, daughter of the Hon. Henry Brooke, fifth son of -George, fourth Baron Cobham, and sister of John, first Baron of the -second creation, and by her had issue three sons, the third of whom, -Henry, succeeded to the estates, whose son, Sir Walter, was a great -sufferer in person and estate for his loyalty during the Civil War, -and who was father of Sir Walter, who was created a baronet by Queen -Anne in 1711, the title becoming extinct in 1777, on the death, without -surviving issue, of his son, Sir Walter Calverley-Blackett. - -For a few years the newly-married couple lived in tolerable harmony -and happiness, such as falls to the lot of most married people. They -looked forward to giving an heir to the family estates who should -perpetuate the name in lineal descent; but the months and years passed -by, and they began to experience the truth that "hope deferred maketh -the heart sick," as no heir made his appearance, which was an especial -disappointment to the Lord of the Calverley domain, and gave rise to -the idea that he had married one who was barren, and incapable of -giving him an heir. Brooding over this impediment to his hopes, he -grew moody and discontented; treated his wife not only with neglect, -but upbraided her with opprobrious epithets, treated her with cold and -cruel disfavour, and in his occasional violent outbursts of passion -would wish her dead, that he might marry again to a more fruitful wife. -Moreover he gave way to over-indulgence in deep potations of ale, sack, -and "distilled waters," which added fire and force to his naturally -fierce temperament, and rendered him almost maniacal in his acts. He -was profuse in his hospitality to his neighbours, frequently giving -dinner parties to his roystering friends, with whom he would sit until -late in the night, or rather until early in the morning carousing over -their cups. - -Amongst the friends who thus visited him was a certain country squire -of the name of Leventhorpe, a young fellow of handsome figure and -insinuating address, who would drink his bottle with the veriest -toper, and yet would conduct himself in the company of ladies with the -utmost decorum and most fascinating demeanour, would converse with -them on flowers and birds and tapestry work, and quote with admirable -accentuation and feeling passages from the writings of the popular -poets, or recite with pathos and humour the novelettes of the Italian -romancists, which then were the delight of every lady's boudoir. He -was introduced by Calverley to his wife, and she being naturally of a -lively, vivacious disposition, and, like ladies of the present age, -a passionate admirer of works of fiction and imagination, she took -great pleasure in his society, as, indeed, he did in hers, and he was -consequently a constant visitor at Calverley Hall, whether invited or -not, and whether the lady's husband was at home or not; but always -was he gladly welcome, and in pure innocence and without any idea -of impropriety, by the lady. On his side, too, he went to the house -as a man might do to that of a sister, without any sentiment save -that of friendship, or, at the utmost, a feeling of platonic love. -Not so, however, the lady's husband. He began to feel annoyed and -disquieted at witnessing their growing intimacy, but hitherto saw no -reason to doubt the fidelity of his wife. Some twelve months after -the introduction of Leventhorpe to the Hall, symptoms became evident -of the probable birth of a child, and Calverley at first hailed the -prospect with satisfaction, praying and hoping that it might prove to -be the long-wished-for son and heir. In due course the child was born, -and of the desired sex, and great were the rejoicings and splendid the -banqueting at the christening. The next year a second son made his -appearance, and then dark thoughts and suspicions began to flit across -Calverley's mind. He considered it strange that no child should have -been born during the early years of his marriage, but that immediately -after Leventhorpe's introduction to the house his wife began to prove -fruitful, and had borne two children, with the prospect of a third. -He brooded over these dark thoughts by night and day until they -ripened into positive jealousy and the belief that the children were -Leventhorpe's, and not his own. - -Influenced by these sentiments, he drank still more deeply, and -was frequently subjected to _delirium tremens_ and maniacal fits -of passion, which rendered him the terror of all by whom he was -surrounded. He could not openly accuse Leventhorpe of a breach of the -seventh commandment, of which he believed him guilty, as he had no -basis of fact upon which to ground the charge; but he found means -to quarrel with him on some frivolous point, and made use of such -expressions of vituperation as he thought would impel him to demand -satisfaction at the sword's point; but Leventhorpe was a quiet, -peaceable man, who swallowed the affront, attributing it to the -deranged state of his friend's mind, induced by too free application to -the bottle; and he simply abstained from visiting the house. - -"He is a coward as well as a knave," said Calverley to himself. "No -gentleman would listen to such language as I have used and submit to it -patiently like a beaten cur, without resenting it with his sword, and -this circumstance proves his guilt, and the certainty of my suspicions; -but I will be amply revenged on both him and his paramour and their -progeny;" and he drank and drank day after day, and more and more -deeply, until he at length brought himself to a state fitting him for a -madhouse and personal restraint. Many a time he sought for Leventhorpe, -with the hope of provoking him to fight, but was not able to accomplish -his purpose, as circumstances had called Leventhorpe to London, where -he remained some months. - -In the meantime the third child was born, and as the mother's health -was delicate, it was sent out to nurse at a farm-house some two or -three miles distant, and it was then that Calverley charged his wife, -to her face, with adultery, adding that he felt positively assured -that the children were Leventhorpe's. She indignantly repelled the -charge, assuring him, with an appeal to the Virgin Mary as to the -truth of what she was saying, that the children were his and nobody -else's; but he would not listen to her denials--called her tears, -which were flowing profusely, the hypocritical tears of a strumpet, -and cursed and swore at her, threatening a dire vengeance on her and -her seducer, and finally left her in a fit of hysterics in the hands -of her women, who had rushed in on hearing her screams. He then went -downstairs to his dining room and sat down to dinner, but could not -eat much, each mouthful as he swallowed it seeming as if it would -choke him. "Take these things away," he exclaimed in a furious tone -to his servants, "and bring me sack, and plenty of it." The terrified -menials saw that he was in one of his maniacal moods, and knew that -it would be aggravated by drinking, but dared not disobey him. The -sack was placed on the table, and he dismissed the attendants with a -curse. Flagon after flagon he poured out and drank in rapid succession, -which soon produced its natural effect. "Ah, demon!" said he, "have -you come again to torment me? Why sit you there, opposite me, grinning -and gesticulating? You are an ugly devil, sure enough, with your fiery -eyes, your pointed horns, and your barbed tail. You tell me that it -were but just to murder my wife, Leventhorpe, and their brats, and I -don't know but what the advice is good. Aye, twirl your tail as a dog -does when he is pleased; you think you have got another recruit for -your nether kingdom, and you are right. I live here a hell upon earth, -and I do not see that I shall be much the worse off with you below; -besides I shall have the satisfaction of vengeance, and that will repay -me amply for any after-death punishment. Aye, grin on, but leave me now -to finish this bottle in quietness, for I cannot drink with comfort -whilst you are grimacing and jibing at me there." He spoke this in a -loud tone of voice, to which the scared servants were listening at the -door, after which he continued to drain goblet after goblet, giving -forth utterances more and more incoherent, until at length he fell -from his chair with a heavy thump on the floor. Hearing this, the -servants entered, and found him, as they had often found him before, in -a state of senseless intoxication, and carried him up to bed. - -Having slept off his debauch, he awoke late the following morning with -a raging thirst, which he endeavoured to assuage by deep draughts of -ale. Breakfast he could eat none, but continued drinking until his -familiar demon again made his appearance, and seemed to incite him -to the fulfilment of his vow of revenge. Leventhorpe was out of his -reach, but the other destined victims were at hand, and what more -fitting time than the present for the execution of his purpose? He -selected a dagger from his store of weapons, and carefully sharpened -it to a fine point; then gave directions to have his horse saddled -and brought to the door of the hall to await his pleasure. As he had -three or four men-servants, who might hinder him in his intent, he sent -them on several errands about the estate, and when they had departed, -leaving only the female domestics in the house, he went, dagger in -hand, into the hall, where he found his eldest son playing. Seizing -him by the hair of his head, he stabbed him in three or four places, -and, taking him in his arms, carried him bleeding to his mother's -apartment. "There," said he, throwing the body down, "is one of the -fruits of your illicit intercourse, and the others must share the same -fate." So saying, he laid hold of his second son, who was in the room, -and stabbed him to the heart. The mother, shrieking with terror and -agony, rushed forward to save the child, but was too late, and herself -received three or four blows from the dagger, and fell senseless to the -floor, but more from horror and fright than from her wounds, which were -but slight, thanks to a steel stomacher which she wore. Imagining that -he had killed her as well as the children, he mounted his horse and -rode towards the village, where his youngest child was at nurse, with -the intention of killing it also, but on the road he was thrown from -his horse, and before he could re-mount was secured by his servants, -who had gone in pursuit of him. - -He was taken before the nearest magistrate--Sir John Bland, of -Kippax--and in the course of his examination stated that he had -meditated the deed for four years, and that he was fully convinced that -the children were not his. He was committed to York Castle and brought -to trial, but refusing to plead, was subjected to _peine forte et -dure_. He was taken to the press-yard, stripped to his shirt, and laid -on a board with a stone under his back; his arms were stretched out and -secured by cords; another board was placed over his body, upon which -were laid heavy weights one by one, he being asked in the intervals if -he still refused. He bore the agony with firmness and endurance, even -when the great pressure broke his ribs and caused them to protrude from -the sides. As weight after weight was added, nothing could be extorted -from him save groans caused by the intensity of the pain, which at -length ceased and the weights were removed, revealing a mere mass of -crushed bloody flesh and mangled bones. - -The two children died, and the third lived to succeed to the estates. -The mother also recovered, and married for her second husband Sir -Thomas Burton, Knight. - -"Two Most Unnatural and Bloodie Murthers, by Master Calverley, a -Yorkshire gentleman, upon his wife and two children, 1605." Edited by -J. Payne Collier, 1863. - -"A Yorkshire Tragedy, not so new as lamentable, by Mr. Shakespeare; -acted at the Globe, 1608. London 1619. With a portrait of the brat at -nurse." Attributed to Shakespeare (without proof) by Stevens and others. - -"The Fatal Extravagance. By Joseph Mitchell, 1720." A play based on the -same subject, and performed at the Lincoln's Inn Theatre. - -The incident is also introduced by Harrison Ainsworth in his romance of -"Rookwood." - - - - -The Bewitched House of Wakefield. - - -In the earlier half of the seventeenth century, and during the -Commonwealth, there dwelt in a mud-walled and thatched cottage, in -the environs of Wakefield, a "wise woman," as she was styled, named -Jennet Benton, with her son, George Benton. He had been a soldier in -the Parliamentarian army, but, since its disbandment, had loafed about -Wakefield without any ostensible occupation, living, as it appeared, -on his mother's earnings in her profession. As a "wise woman," she -was resorted to by great numbers of people--by persons who had lost -property, to gain a clue to the discovery of the pilferers--by men -to learn the most propitious times for harvesting, sheepshearing, -etc.--by matrons to obtain charms for winning back their dissipated -or unfaithful husbands to domestic life, as it existed the first few -months after marriage--and by young men and maidens for consultation -with her on matters of love; and, as no advice was given without its -equivalent in the coin of the realm, she made a very fair living, and -was enabled to maintain her son in idleness, who was wont to spend a -great part of his time in pot houses, with other quondam troopers, -their chief topics of discourse being disputed points of controversy -between the Independents and Presbyterians, and revilings of the -Popish whore of Babylon and her progeny, the Church of England. -Although not imbued with much of the spirit of piety, Benton, in his -campaigning career, had imbibed much of the fanaticism, superstition, -and phraseology of the lower class of the Puritans, such of them as -assumed the hypocritical garb of Puritanism to curry favour with their -superiors, who were, as a rule, men of sincere piety, and, in so doing, -somewhat overdid the part by altogether out-Puritaning them in the -extravagance of their outbursts of zeal, and in the almost blasphemous -use of Scriptural expressions. Such was Benton amongst his companions, -and he passed for a fairly godly man. With his mother, however, he cast -off all this assumption of religion and the use of Bible phrases, for -she was a woman who despised all religions alike, and sneered equally -at the "snivelling cant" of the Puritans, the proud arrogance of the -Bishops of the Church, and the "absurd drivellings" of the Separatists; -but these ideas she was sufficiently wise to keep to herself, or -confide them to her son alone. She even went occasionally to church and -conventicle, that she might stand well with her customers, who were of -all sects. She had, besides, a voluble tongue, and was not deficient -in intelligence, so that she was able to converse with all, each one -according to his doctrinal bias, so as to leave an impression that she -was not opposed but rather inclined to the particular theological dogma -then under discussion. - -There was, however, a vague idea prevalent in Wakefield that Mother -Benton was a witch, had intercourse with the Devil, and was a dangerous -person to deal with otherwise than on friendly terms. She was old, -wrinkled, and ungainly in features; unmistakable characteristics of the -sisterhood. She was possessed of wisdom in occult matters seemingly -superhuman, which could only be derived from a compact with Satan. -She had a huge black cat, presumably an imp, her familiar, who would -bristle up his hair and spit viciously at the old woman's visitors -until restrained by her command. On one occasion, however, a handsome -young man came from her cottage followed by the cat, which was observed -to purr and rub himself affectionately against his legs, who, it was -assumed, could be none other than the Father of Evil himself, who had -assumed that guise to pay a friendly visit to his servant and disciple. -She was also sometimes away from her cottage for a night, and the -inquiry arose--for what purpose, excepting to attend a Sabbath of the -witches. It is true she had never been seen passing through the air -astride of her broom, but it was noticed that whenever she was absent -on such occasions her broom, which usually stood outside her cottage -door, disappeared also, and was found in its place again on her return. - -At this time the belief in witchcraft was universally prevalent, as -we find in the narrative of the witches of Fuystone, in the forest of -Knaresborough, who played such pranks in the family of Edward Fairfax, -the translator of Tasso, about the same time. Indeed it was considered -as impious then to doubt their existence as it is now-a-days of their -master and instigator, for is there not a Scriptural precept--"Thou -shalt not suffer a witch to live?" and was there not a witch of Endor -who summoned the spirit of Samuel? Besides, had not many decrepit -half-witted old women, when subjected to torture, confessed that -they had entered into compact with the Devil, bargaining their souls -for length of years and the power of inflicting mischief on their -neighbours? It is quite certain that the evidences of Mother Benton -being one of the sisterhood of Satan were so palpable that had she not -been so useful in Wakefield in her vocation of a "wise woman" she would -have been subjected to the usual ordeal, by way of testing whether she -were a witch or not. This ordeal consisted of stripping the accused, -tying her thumbs to her great toes and throwing her into a pond: if -she floated, it was a proof that she, having rejected the baptismal -water of regeneration, the water rejected her, and she was hauled out -and burnt at the stake as an undoubted witch, but if she sank and were -drowned she was declared innocent; so that, were she guilty or innocent -of the foul crime, the result was pretty much the same, excepting in -the mode of terminating her existence. - -At this time one Richard Jackson held a farm called Bunny Hall, under a -Mr. Stringer, of Sharlston, which lay near to Jennet Benton's cottage. -Over one of Jackson's fields was a pathway, really for the use of the -tenant of the farm, but which was used on sufferance by others, Jennet -and her son frequently having occasion to pass along it. Jackson, -however, in consequence of the damage done to his crops by passengers, -disputed the right of the public, and issued a public notice that after -a certain date it would be closed. The people of Wakefield, in reply to -the notice, asserted that it was an ancient footpath that had belonged -to the public time out of mind, and that they intended to continue the -use of it in spite of Jackson's prohibition. Jennet and her son were -the ringleaders of this opposition, and after the closure of the path, -passed over the railings placed across the entrance, and were going -along as they had been wont to do, when they were met by Daniel Craven, -one of Jackson's servants, who told them that they could not be allowed -to cross the field as it was private property. An angry altercation -ensued, in the course of which George Benton took up a piece of flint -and threw it with great force at Craven, "wherewith he cut his overlipp -and broake two teeth out of his chaps," and thus having overcome their -opponent they went onward and out at the other end. An action for -trespass was then laid against George Benton by Farmer Jackson, who -appears to have won his cause, as Benton "submitted to it, and indevors -were used to end the difference, which was composed and satisfaction -given unto the said Craven;" satisfaction of a pecuniary nature, no -doubt. - -A few days after the judicial termination of the case, "Jackson _v._ -Benton," the farmer was riding home from Wakefield market. He had to -pass Jennet's cottage on his road, and he thought to accost her in -a conciliatory style, as he did not wish to be at variance with his -neighbours, especially with one who had the reputation of being "a wise -woman," whose services he might require in cases of pilfering, sheep -stealing, and the like; in cases of sickness amongst his children, -or a murrain amongst his cattle; or in other cases beyond the ken of -ordinary mortals; hence he considered it politic to remain on good -terms with her, although he had felt it his duty to maintain the action -for trespass. - -As he approached the cottage, the old woman was seated outside her -door, watching a cauldron suspended from cross sticks, in which was -simmering a decoction of herbs, to eventuate in a love philtre -probably for some love-sick maiden. By her side was seated her black -cat, who bridled up and spat viciously at the farmer as he came up. - -"Ah, mother Benton," said he, reining up, "busy as usual, I see, -preparing something for the benefit of one of your clients." - -"It is no business of yours what I am preparing," she replied. "I sent -not for you, nor do I want your conversation or interference in my -concerns. Go your way, or it may be the worse for you." - -"Nay, good dame, be not angry, I came not to interfere with your -concerns; I merely stopped on my road home to say 'good even' to -you, and to see if I could be of any service to you, for I desire to -cultivate the good-will of my neighbours." - -"And a pretty way you have of doing so by prosecuting them in law -courts for maintaining the rights of themselves and their ancestors for -generations past." - -"That I was compelled to do, good Jennet, for the maintenance of my own -rights. It was a necessity forced upon me, but I bear no ill-will to -either you or your son. And see, as a proof thereof, I have brought -you a new kirtle from Wakefield," at the same time drawing from his -saddlebags a flaming scarlet garment of that kind, which he threw into -her lap. - -"Farmer Jackson," said she, "come not here with your honied lips and -deceitful expressions of friendship. I want none of your gifts," and -taking up the kirtle, she rent it into a dozen pieces, and thrust them -into the fire under the cauldron. - -"Listen to me one moment," commenced Jackson, but the old beldame, -rising up into a majestic attitude, interrupted him with, "I will -listen no more to your hypocritical palaver. You have done me a -grievous wrong in citing my son before your law courts, it is an -unpardonable offence, and soon shall you know what it is to incur -the wrath of Jennet Benton, the wise woman of Wakefield. Within a -twelvemonth and a day, Farmer Jackson, shall you find at what cost -you set the myrmidons of the law upon me and my belongings, and from -that time to your life's end shall you rue that day's work. It is I, -the wise woman of Wakefield, who say it, and see if I am not a true -soothsayer, and merit the appellation I bear. That is all I have -got to say," and she passed into her cottage, whilst the farmer rode -homeward, not without a foreboding of impending evil. - -We have many narratives on record of houses that have been the scenes -of remarkable disturbances and strange apparitions, of furniture -moved from place to place without apparent agency, of domestic -utensils thrown about by no perceptible impelling power, and of noises -attributable to no human cause, problems that in many cases have never -been solved, but which have usually been ascribed to some mischievous -goblin, or to the ghost of some unhappy person who has come by death -unfairly and by foul means. - -Farmer Jackson's house and homestead from this time, for the period -of a year and a day, became haunted in this fashion, but here there -could be no doubt as to the cause. It was the spell cast over it by -the machinations of the witch, Jennet Benton, and it was in fact not a -haunted but a bewitched house. - -As Jackson rode home he thought of the curse laid upon him by the -witch, but being a strong-minded man he did not entertain the current -superstition as to the superhuman diabolic power said to be possessed -by such persons, and he felt little or no apprehension on that score; -yet he inclined so far to the popular belief as to fear that by some -means she might cast incantations over his cattle and crops, so as to -cause the former to sicken and die, and the latter to wither and come -to naught. - -On reaching his home he stabled his horse, and going indoors he -accosted his wife with some cursory remark, but she made no reply, and -he thought to himself, "She is sullen to-night--in one of her tantrums; -what's the matter, I wonder." He then sat down to supper, with his -children about him, and a couple of maid-servants employed in some -domestic duty, when his wife inquired, "Why are you all so silent; are -you all dumb; have you got anything to tell me about the doings at -the market, husband, goodman?" "What on earth do you mean?" inquired -Jackson; "I spoke to you when I came in, and there has been noise -enough among the children since then to waken the Seven Sleepers." -Mrs. Jackson still stood staring, with a vacant countenance, and said, -after a pause, "Why don't you reply? It seems as if one were in the -charnel-house of the church, surrounded by the dead." It then occurred -to Jackson that his wife must have suddenly become stone deaf, and -by means of signs and such writing as the family had at command, he -ascertained that such was the fact; but he dreamt not that it was the -beginning of the witch's spell. - -A night or two after, one of the children was stricken by an epileptic -fit, throwing itself about with great violence and twisting its body -with strange contortions, with convulsive writhings, and requiring to -be held down by three or four persons to prevent its doing itself an -injury. - -One morning the swineherd of the farm came into the room where Jackson -was sitting at breakfast, and with a scared countenance told him that -a herd of swine that had been shut up in a barn the previous night -"had broake thorrow two barn dores," and had fled no one knew whither. -A search was immediately instituted, but it was not until after two -or three days that a portion of the herd was found at a considerable -distance from the farm, the remainder being lost altogether. - -On another occasion Jackson himself, "although helthfull of body, was -suddenly taken without any probable reason to be given or naturall -cause appearing, being sometimes in such extremity that he conceived -himselfe drawne in pieces at the hart, backe, and shoulders." During -the first fit he heard the sound of music and dancing, as if in the -room where he lay. He partially recovered the following day, but at -twelve o'clock the next night he had another fit, and during its -continuance he heard a loud ringing of bells, accompanied by sounds -of singing and dancing. He inquired of his wife, who appears by this -time to have recovered her sense of hearing, what the bell-ringing and -singing meant; but she replied that she heard nothing of it, as also -did his man. "He asked them againe and againe if they heard it not. -At last he and his wife and servant heard it (what?) give three hevie -groones. At that instant doggs did howle and yell at the windows as -though they would heve puld them in pieces." - -Jackson now became fully convinced that he was enduring all these -trials and sufferings from the curse of the witch Jennet, and he -expressed this opinion to his friends who came to condole with him. -They, with neighbourly feeling, proposed to put the question to the -test by submitting the old woman to the usual ordeal of the horse -pond; but he would not hear of this, not even yet, with such probable -evidence, believing that Satan could be authorised to endow old women -with such mischievous powers. By the counsel of his friends, however, -he sanctioned the sending a deputation to Jennet to investigate the -matter. The deputation went to her cottage and told her their errand, -but she only laughed at them. "It is true," said she, "that I called -down the wrath of Heaven upon him and his belongings for his cruel -persecution of a helpless widow and her orphan son; and if God has -listened to my supplication, and sent calamity upon him, it is intended -as a warning to him that, for the future, he may be more merciful to -the poor and unprotected. If he chooses to blame any one, he must -attribute his punishment to a much higher power than a feeble mortal -such as I am." - -During all this time Jackson's house was rendered almost uninhabitable -by noises and apparitions, so that the servants fled from it -panic-stricken, and others could not be found to take their places. -The commencement of the disturbances was some six months after the -utterance of the curse. The family were seated at supper when a -tremendous crash was heard in the next room, as if some heavy metal -vessel had been flung violently on the floor. Supposing it to be -something that had fallen from a shelf or a hook in the ceiling, they -went into the room, but found nothing to account for the noise. At -other times it would seem as if all the doors of the house were being -slammed to, or the windows shaken as by a storm of wind, although there -was not the slightest agitation in the atmosphere. Then would occur -shrieks as of persons in distress, groans as of sufferers in agonies of -pain, and bursts of demoniac laughter, with a flapping of huge bat-like -wings. "Apparitions like blacke dogges and catts were also scene," -which darted out from under the furniture and usually passed out up the -chimney, it being immaterial whether or not a fire was blazing in the -grate. Along with all these disturbances in the house and unaccountable -illnesses of the various members of the household, the horses and -cattle of the farm were subjected to similar inflictions, much to the -detriment of Jackson's material prosperity. Week after week news came -in of the death of horses, cows, and sheep: and in his deposition at -York, Jackson said that "since the time the said Jennet and George -Benton threatened him he hath lost eighteen horses and meares, and he -conceives he hath had all this loss by the use of some witchcraft or -sorcerie by the said Jennet and George Benton." - -For a twelvemonth and a day these disturbances, sufferings, and losses -continued, rendering Jackson almost bankrupt, and then they all at once -ceased. - -Being fully convinced that these troubles had been caused by the -diabolical incantations of the witch Jennet, he brought a charge -against her and her son, at York, of practising witchcraft against -him, and they were tried at the assizes on the 7th June, 1656. The -depositions of the trial are printed in a volume published by the -Surtees Society in 1861, entitled "Depositions from the Castle of York -relating to offences committed in the northern counties during the -seventeenth century. Edited by J. Raine." - - - - -_ELEGANTLY BOUND IN CLOTH GILT, DEMY 8vo., 6s._ - -YORKSHIRE FAMILY ROMANCE. - -By FREDERICK ROSS, F.R.H.S. - -AUTHOR OF "THE RUINED ABBEYS OF ENGLAND," "CELEBRITIES OF YORKSHIRE -WOLDS," "BIOGRAPHIA EBORACENSIS," "THE PROGRESS OF CIVILISATION," ETC. - - -Amongst Yorkshire Authors Mr. FREDERICK ROSS occupies a leading place. -For over sixty years he has been a close student of the history of -his native county, and perhaps no author has written so much and -well respecting it. His residence in London has enabled him to take -advantage of the important stores of unpublished information contained -in the British Museum, the Public Record Office, and in other places. -He has also frequently visited Yorkshire to collect materials for his -works. His new book is one of the most readable and instructive he -has written. It will be observed from the following list of subjects -that the work is of wide and varied interest, and makes a permanent -contribution to Yorkshire literature. - - - CONTENTS: - - The Synod of Streoneshalh. - The Doomed Heir of Osmotherley. - St. Eadwine, the Royal Martyr. - The Viceroy Siward. - Phases in the Life of a Political Martyr. - The Murderer's Bride. - The Earldom of Wiltes. - Blackfaced Clifford. - The Shepherd Lord. - The Felons of Ilkley. - The Ingilby Boar's Head. - The Eland Tragedy. - The Plumpton Marriage. - The Topcliffe Insurrection. - Burning of Cottingham Castle. - The Alum Workers. - The Maiden of Marblehead. - Rise of the House of Phipps. - The Traitor Governor of Hull. - - - IMPORTANT NOTICE.--The Edition is limited to 500 copies, and the - greater part are sold. The book will advance in price in course of - time. - - -HULL: WILLIAM ANDREWS & CO., THE HULL PRESS. -London: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent, & Co., Ltd. - - - - -_Elegantly bound in cloth gilt, demy 8vo., price 6s._ - -Old Church Lore. - -By WILLIAM ANDREWS, F.R.H.S., - -_Author of "Curiosities of the Church," "Old-Time Punishments," -"Historic Romance," etc._ - - - CONTENTS. - - The Right of Sanctuary--The Romance of Trial--A Fight between the - Mayor of Hull and the Archbishop of York--Chapels on Bridges--Charter - Horns--The Old English Sunday--The Easter Sepulchre--St. Paul's - Cross--Cheapside Cross--The Biddenden Maids Charity--Plagues and - Pestilences--A King Curing an Abbot of Indigestion--The Services - and Customs of Royal Oak Day--Marrying in a White Sheet--Marrying - under the Gallows--Kissing the Bride--Hot Ale at Weddings--Marrying - Children--The Passing Bell--Concerning Coffins--The Curfew - Bell--Curious Symbols of the Saints--Acrobats on Steeples--A - carefully-prepared Index. - -ILLUSTRATED. - - -PRESS OPINIONS. - - "A worthy work on a deeply interesting subject.... We commend this - book strongly."--_European Mail._ - - "An interesting volume."--_The Scotsman._ - - "Contains much that will interest and instruct."--_Glasgow Herald._ - - "Mr. Andrews' book does not contain a dull page.... Deserves to meet - with a very warm welcome."--_Yorkshire Post._ - - "Mr. Andrews, in 'Old Church Lore,' makes the musty parchments and - records he has consulted redolent with life and actuality, and has - added to his works a most interesting volume, which, written in a - light and easy narrative style, is anything but of the 'dry-as-dust' - order. The book is handsomely got up, being both bound and printed in - an artistic fashion."--_Northern Daily News._ - - -HULL: WILLIAM ANDREWS & CO., THE HULL PRESS. -London: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent, & Co., Ltd. - - - - - * * * * * * - - - - -Transcriber's note: - -Obvious printer errors have been corrected. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it -under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this -eBook or online at <a -href="http://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you are not -located in the United States, you'll have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this ebook.</p> -<p>Title: Legendary Yorkshire</p> -<p>Author: Frederick Ross</p> -<p>Release Date: November 28, 2016 [eBook #53617]</p> -<p>Language: English</p> -<p>Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1</p> -<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LEGENDARY YORKSHIRE***</p> -<p> </p> -<h4>E-text prepared by Chris Whitehead, MWS,<br /> - and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team<br /> - (<a href="http://www.pgdp.net">http://www.pgdp.net</a>)<br /> - from page images generously made available by<br /> - Internet Archive<br /> - (<a href="https://archive.org">https://archive.org</a>)</h4> -<p> </p> -<table border="0" style="background-color: #ccccff;margin: 0 auto;" cellpadding="10"> - <tr> - <td valign="top"> - Note: - </td> - <td> - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - <a href="https://archive.org/details/legendaryyorkshi00ross"> - https://archive.org/details/legendaryyorkshi00ross</a> - </td> - </tr> -</table> -<p> </p> -<hr class="full" /> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> -<img style="margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;" src="images/cover-image.jpg" id="coverpage" width="500" height="787" alt="Legendary Yorkshire" /> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" style="page-break-after: always;" /> - - - -<h1 style="margin-top: 3em; margin-bottom: 3em;">LEGENDARY YORKSHIRE.</h1> - - -<hr class="chap" style="page-break-after: always;" /> - - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;"> -<img src="images/image2.jpg" width="450" height="581" alt="Title page for Legendary Yorkshire" /> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" style="page-break-after: always;" /> - - -<h2 style="margin-top: 3em; margin-bottom: 2em;"><i>NOTE.</i></h2> - - -<p class="center" style="margin-bottom: 1.5em;">Of this book 500 copies have been printed, -and this is</p> - -<p class="center" style="margin-bottom: 1.5em;">No. ...</p> - -<hr class="chap" style="page-break-after: always;" /> - - -<h2 style="margin-top: 3em; margin-bottom: 1.5em;">Contents.</h2> - -<table class="centered" border="0" cellpadding="10" style="max-width: 65%;" summary="CONTENTS"> -<tr><td class="title"></td> <td class="page">PAGE</td></tr> -<tr><td class="title"><a href="#The_Enchanted_Cave">The Enchanted Cave.</a></td> <td class="page">1</td></tr> -<tr><td class="title"><a href="#The_Doomed_City">The Doomed City.</a></td> <td class="page">15</td></tr> -<tr><td class="title"><a href="#The_Worm_of_Nunnington">The "Worm" of Nunnington.</a></td> <td class="page">34</td></tr> -<tr><td class="title"><a href="#The_Devils_Arrows">The Devil's Arrows.</a></td> <td class="page">51</td></tr> -<tr><td class="title"><a href="#The_Giant_Road-Maker_of_Mulgrave">The Giant Road-Maker of Mulgrave.</a></td> <td class="page">70</td></tr> -<tr><td class="title"><a href="#The_Virgins_Head_of_Halifax">The Virgin's Head of Halifax.</a></td> <td class="page">80</td></tr> -<tr><td class="title"><a href="#The_Dead_Arm_of_St_Oswald_the_King">The Dead Arm of St. Oswald the King.</a></td> <td class="page">100</td></tr> -<tr><td class="title"><a href="#The_Translation_of_St_Hilda">The Translation of St. Hilda.</a></td> <td class="page">117</td></tr> -<tr><td class="title"><a href="#A_Miracle_of_St_John">A Miracle of St. John.</a></td> <td class="page">131</td></tr> -<tr><td class="title"><a href="#The_Beatified_Sisters_of_Beverley">The Beatified Sisters of Beverley.</a></td> <td class="page">147</td></tr> -<tr><td class="title"><a href="#The_Dragon_of_Wantley">The Dragon of Wantley.</a></td> <td class="page">168</td></tr> -<tr><td class="title"><a href="#The_Miracles_and_Ghost_of_Watton">The Miracles and Ghost of Watton.</a></td> <td class="page">176</td></tr> -<tr><td class="title"><a href="#The_Murdered_Hermit_of_Eskdale">The Murdered Hermit of Eskdale.</a></td> <td class="page">195</td></tr> -<tr><td class="title"><a href="#The_Calverley_Ghost">The Calverley Ghost.</a></td> <td class="page">214</td></tr> -<tr><td class="title"><a href="#The_Bewitched_House_of_Wakefield">The Bewitched House of Wakefield.</a></td> <td class="page">231</td></tr> -</table> - -<hr class="chap" style="page-break-after: always;" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[1]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h1 style="margin-top: 3em; margin-bottom: 1.5em;">LEGENDARY YORKSHIRE.</h1> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 125px;"> -<img src="images/image1.jpg" width="125" height="10" alt="Fancy line" /> -</div> - - -<p class="ph2" style="margin-top: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.5em;"><a name="The_Enchanted_Cave" id="The_Enchanted_Cave">The Enchanted Cave.</a></p> - - -<div><img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-w.jpg" -width="50" height="51" alt="Dropcap-W" /> -</div><p><span class="dropletter">W</span><span class="smcap">ho</span> is there that has not heard of the -famous and redoubtable hero of -history and romance, Arthur, King -of the British, who so valiantly defended his -country against the pagan Anglo-Saxon invaders -of the island? Who has not heard of the lovely -but frail Guenevera, his Queen, and the galaxy of -female beauty that constituted her Court at -Caerleon? Who has not heard of his companions-in-arms—the -brave and chivalrous Knights of -the Round Table, who went forth as knights-errant -to succour the weaker sex, deliver the -oppressed, liberate those who had fallen into the -clutches of enchanters, giants, or malicious -dwarfs, and especially in quest of the Holy -Graal, that mystic chalice, in which were caught -the last drops of blood of the expiring Saviour,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[2]</a></span> -and which, in consequence, became possessed of -wondrous properties and marvellous virtue of a -miraculous character?</p> - -<p>If such there be, let him lose no time in -perusing Sir John Mallory's "La Morte d'Arthur," -the "Chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth," -the "Mabinogian of the Welsh," or the -more recent "Idylls of the King," of Tennyson. -According to Nennius, after vanquishing the -Saxons in many battles, he crossed the sea, and -carried his victorious arms into Scotland, Ireland, -and Gaul, in which latter country he obtained a -decisive victory over a Roman army. Moreover, -that during his absence Mordred, his -nephew, had seduced his queen and usurped his -government, and that in a battle with the -usurper, in 542, at Camlan, in Cornwall, he was -mortally wounded; was conveyed to Avalon -(Glastonbury), where he died of his wound, and -was buried there. It is also stated that in the -reign of Henry II. his reputed tomb was opened, -when his bones and his magical sword -"Excaliber" were found. This is given on the -authority of Giraldus Cambrensis, who informs us -that he was present on the occasion. But the -popular belief in the West of England was that he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[3]</a></span> -did not die as represented, his soul having -entered the body of a raven, which it will inhabit -until he reappears to deliver England in some -great extremity of peril.</p> - -<p>This is what is told us by old chroniclers of -Western England, the Welsh bards, and some -romance writers; but in Yorkshire we have a -different version of the story. It is true, say our -legends, that Arthur was a mighty warrior, the -greatest and most valiant that the island of -Britain has produced either before or since; a -man, moreover, of the most devout chivalry and -gentle courtesy, and withal so pure in his life and -sincere in his piety as a Christian, that he alone -is worthy to find the Holy Graal, if not in his -former life, in that which is forthcoming—for he -is not dead, but reposes in a spell-bound sleep, -along with his knights, Sir Launcelot, Sir -Gawaine, Sir Perceval, etc., and that the time is -coming when the needs of England will be such -as only his victorious arm, wielding his magically -wrought Excaliber, can rescue from irretrievable -ruin. He sleeps—it is asserted—along with his -knights, in a now undiscoverable cavern beneath -the Castle of Richmond, whence he will issue in -the fulness of time, scatter the enemies of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[4]</a></span> -England like chaff before the wind, as he so -frequently dispersed the hordes of Teuton -pagans, and place England on a higher eminence -among the nations of the earth than it has ever -previously attained. This enchanted cave has -been seen but once, and by one man only. -It happened in this wise:—</p> - -<p>Once on a time there dwelt in Richmond one -Peter Thompson. At what period he flourished -is not recorded, but it matters not, although a -little trouble in searching the parish registers and -lists of burgesses of the town might reveal the -fact. He gained a living by the fabrication of -earthenware, and hence was popularly known -amongst his comrades and townspeople as Potter -Thompson. He was a simple and meek-minded -man, small in stature and slender in limb, never -troubling himself with either general or local -politics. His voice was never heard at the noisy -meetings of the vestry, nor did he join in the -squabbles attendant on the meetings of the -electors for the choice of their municipal -governors or representatives in Parliament; he -merely recorded his vote for the candidate who -came forward as the representative of the colour -he supported, leaving the shouting and quarreling<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[5]</a></span> -and cudgel-playing to those of his fellow-townsmen -who had a liking for such rough work. -As for himself, he was only too glad when he -had discharged his duty as a citizen to get back -to his clay and his wheel, for he was an -industrious little fellow, had plenty of work, and -was thus enabled, by living a frugal life, to lay -by a little money, and would have lived a -comfortable and happy life but for one circumstance.</p> - -<p>Unfortunately, Peter Thompson was a married -man; not that matrimony, in the abstract, is a -misfortune, but he was unfortunate inasmuch as -his wife was a termagant, and made his life -miserable. Her tongue went clack, clack, -clacking all day long; nothing that he did was -right. She declared herself to be the greatest -fool in Richmond to have united herself to an -insignificant little wretch like him; and even -when the bed curtains were drawn around them -at night, the poor fellow was kept awake for an -hour or more while she dinned into his ears a -lecture on his manifold faults and his failures of -duty as a husband. Peter seldom replied, but -bore it all with meekness, and allowed her to go -on with her monologue until she was tired, or<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[6]</a></span> -ceased for want of breath. At times, when she -was more exasperating than usual, he would start -up from his wheel, clap his hat on his head, and -rush out of the house to escape her pertinacious -scolding. At such times he would go wandering -about the hills and picturesque scenery by which -Richmond is environed, and especially about the -hill on which stands the Castle, and amongst the -castle ruins, remaining away for three or four -hours, moodily meditating on the mischance or -infatuation which had led him to ally himself -with so untoward a helpmate.</p> - -<p>It chanced one day that Peter, unable to -endure the persecution of his wife's tongue, -rushed out of his house with the full intention of -throwing himself into the Swale, so as to end his -misery there and then. It was a brilliant -summer's day, and there was a glorious sheen -cast over hill and vale, rock and ravine, the -silvery river winding between its emerald-hued -banks and the clumps of foliaged woodland—over -the Castle keep standing pre-eminently -above all other buildings, church tower, ruined -friary, antique bridge, and the quaint houses of -the burghers, with the tower of Easby gleaming -in the distance, imparting to the whole scene,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</a></span> -which is one of the most picturesque in Yorkshire—which -is saying a great deal, and which for -natural beauty can scarcely be surpassed in -England—a charm which had a wonderful effect -on Peter's perturbed mind. He was a lover of -nature in all her aspects, and an ardent admirer -of the landscape beauties which surrounded his -native town; and he began to reflect, as he ran -down the slope, that if he carried out his purpose, -he would never more be able to delight his eyes -with the lovely prospects of nature so lavishly -displayed before him at that moment; and by -the time he reached the river's bank he had -almost determined to live on and find compensation -for his domestic discomforts in his -communings with nature—or at least, continued -he to himself—"I will take another turn among -the hills and rocks and old ivy-mantled ruins, -before I bid good-bye to it all." He wandered -along round the base of the Castle hill, his spirits -becoming more elevated the farther he went, as -he gazed on the glorious landscape which -gradually became revealed to his view. Anon he -fell into a contemplative mood, and reasoned -calmly and philosophically on the wisdom of -disregarding the minor ills of life, when it was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[8]</a></span> -possible for him as a compensating alternative to -revel in the delights he was now enjoying, and he -soon forgot altogether his purpose of terminating -his woes and his life together from the parapet of -Swale bridge. Onward he wandered; when -suddenly turning a corner he came upon a spot -altogether unknown to him—a ravine which -seemed to wind away under the Castle hill, walled -in with rugged rocks, from whose crevices sprang -upward trees and shrubs, whilst underfoot was a -flooring of rough scattered stones and fragments -of fallen rocks, which appeared not to have been -trodden for centuries. Astonished at the sight, -for he imagined that he knew every nook in the -neighbourhood, he rubbed his eyes to ascertain -whether he was dreaming; but he found himself -to be fully awake, and the unknown ravine to be -a palpable reality. It just flashed across his -mind that sorcery had been at work, and that -what he beheld was the result of necromancy, for -in his time enchanters, warlocks, wizards, and -witches were rife in the land; but Peter had a -bold heart, and he resolved upon solving the -mystery by an exploration of the recesses of the -ravine, let what would come of it.</p> - -<p>Summoning up all his courage, Peter entered the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span> -ravine, stumbling now and then over the stones -bestrewn along his pathway. The road wound -about, now to one side then to another, and the -trees overhead to stretch out towards each other -so as to overshadow the ravine and impart a -twilight effect, which, as Peter proceeded onward, -deepened into gloom, and eventually almost to -darkness. At this period, when he was compelled -to move along with caution, he -encountered what at first seemed to be a wall of -rock forming the end of the ravine. On feeling -it carefully he found it to be a huge boulder -which obstructed his path, but, his courage failing -him not, he found means to clamber over it -and land safely on the further side. On looking -about him, as well as he could by the dim light, -he found that he had alighted on the entrance to -a cavern, the boulder seeming as if it had been -placed there to prevent the intrusion of unauthorised -persons, and then he imagined that it -might be the cave of a gang of banditti, and was -at once their treasure house and their refuge in -times of peril; and this idea seemed to be confirmed -by the circumstance that he could -perceive, in the extreme distance, a glimmer of -light. He felt that it would be extremely<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[10]</a></span> -dangerous to be discovered in the purlieus of -their haunt, but curiosity got the better of his -fears, and he resolved upon going forward, -mentally adding "After all it may be nothing -more than the daylight streaming in at the other -end, and by going on I may come out into the -open air without having to return by the rough, -shinbreaking road by which I have come;" and -onward he went, feeling his way by the rocky -walls cautiously and slowly, and, it must be added, -with some degree of trepidation.</p> - -<p>As he proceeded along, the distant light increased, -and could be seen beaming through an -opening like a doorway, with a mild effulgence -resembling moonlight. Clearly it could not be -the light of the sun streaming in through the -aperture, and Peter, becoming more convinced -that he was either approaching a robbers' haunt -or a scene of enchantment, crept along as silently -as possible, with some timidity, it is true; but -having come thus far, and his curiosity being excited -to the utmost pitch, he determined to carry -out his adventure to the end. As he approached -the portal, he stood to listen; but not the -slightest sound broke the death-like stillness, and -concluding from this that the cave was not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span> -occupied—at least, was not at present—he -ventured onward with silent footstep, and stood -within the illuminated aperture. What was his -amazement cannot be told at beholding the scene -before him. The opening gave entrance to a -lofty and spacious cavern, its walls glittering with -crystals and spars, whilst from the roof depended -a profusion of stalactites, glistening and scintillating -with hues of spectroscopic brilliancy. The -light which was diffused around seemed to be -something supernatural; it was not that of the -sun, nor that of the moon, nor was it our modern -electric light; but seemed to be an intensity of -phosphoric radiance—soft, mild, and provocative of -slumber—which came not from any lamp or -other visible source, but appeared to be self-evolved -from the atmosphere. In the centre of -the cave, upon a rocky table or couch, lay the -figure of a kingly personage, resting his head on -his right hand, after the fashion of the recumbent -effigies in our mediæval churches. He was clad -in resplendent armour and a superb over-cloak, -with a golden crown, studded with precious -stones, encircling his head. By his side was a -circular shield emblazoned with arms, which -would have told Peter, had he been versed in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span> -heraldry, that the owner was the famous King -Arthur; whilst close by, suspended from the wall, -were a diamond-hilted sword in a chased golden -scabbard, and a highly ornamented horn, such as -were used by military leaders for collecting their -scattered troops. Around the King lay his -twelve Knights of the Round Table, some -prostrate on the floor, others reposing on fragments -and projections of the rocks, each one -handsome in figure and reclining in unstudied -natural grace, presenting a study for a painter. -They all lay as still as death save that their -heaving chests and audible breathing showed -that they were wrapped in profound slumber. -Peter gazed upon them for a while with -wondering eyes, keeping within the doorway, so -as to have the road clear behind him for escape, -in case of any hostile demonstration on the part -of the knights. As they still slumbered on, -without any sign of awakening, he plucked up -courage enough to go amongst them; and, -attracted by the splendour of the sword, he took it -down to examine it more closely; then took it by -the handle, and half drew it from its sheath. The -moment he had done so, the sleepers around him -gave symptoms of awakening, turned themselves,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span> -and seemed to be preparing to rise; but the spell -of disenchantment was not complete. Peter, -terribly alarmed at what he saw, pushed back the -sword into the scabbard, threw it on the floor, -and hurried with all speed to the doorway; -whilst the half-awakened slumberers sank back -again into deep sleep. Peter, not noticing this, -rushed through the opening, thinking the knights -were following him to inflict some terrible punishment -on him—perhaps that of death—for his -presumptuous intrusion. It was but a few -moments, and he reached the boulder which defended -the entrance, and which was much more -difficult to scale from that side. He was -endeavouring to find projections to enable him -to clamber up, when he heard a hollow sepulchral -voice exclaim from the cave:—</p> - -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">"Potter, Potter Thompson,<br /></span> -<span class="i3">If thou had'st either drawn<br /></span> -<span class="i3">The sword or blown the horn,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Thoud'st been the luckiest man<br /></span> -<span class="i3">That ever yet was born."<br /></span> -</div></div> - -<p>With teeth chattering, hair on end, and a cold -perspiration suffusing his forehead, he made a -desperate effort, scrambled somehow or other -over the stone, and running with fleet footstep,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span> -regardless of the rough roadway, gained the open -air without any other damage than a few bruises -and a terrible fright. He went home, and had -to encounter a fearful scolding for remaining out -so long and neglecting his work. He told his -wife the tale of his adventures, but she only -laughed it to scorn, saying, "You old fool! and -so you have fallen asleep on the hillside and -want to persuade me that your dream was a -reality. It's a pretty thing that you should leave -your wheel and go mooning about in this way, -leaving your faithful wife to suffer the effects of -your idleness."</p> - -<p>Many a time since then did Peter seek for the -ravine but could never find it; but it is confidently -assumed that Arthur and his knights are -still slumbering under the Castle hill.</p> - -<hr class="chap" style="page-break-after: always;" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 style="margin-top: 3em; margin-bottom: 1.5em;"><a name="The_Doomed_City" id="The_Doomed_City">The Doomed City.</a></h2> - - -<div><img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-t.jpg" -width="51" height="50" alt="Dropcap-T" /> -</div><p><span class="dropletter">T</span><span class="smcap">hrough</span> the valley of Wensleydale, -in the North Riding of Yorkshire, -flows the river Yore or Ure, passing -onward to Boroughbridge, below which town it -receives an insignificant affluent—the Ouse—when -it assumes that name, under which -appellation it washes the walls of York, and -proceeds hence to unite with the Trent in forming -the estuary of the Humber; but although -it loses its name of Yore before reaching York, -the capital city of the county is indebted to it for -the name it bears. The river in passing through -Wensleydale reflects on its surface some of the -most romantic and charming landscape scenery of -Yorkshire, and that is saying a great deal, for no -other county can equal it in the variety, -loveliness, and wild grandeur of its natural -features.</p> - -<p>"In this district, Wensleydale, otherwise -Yorevale or Yorevalle," says Barker, "a variety<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span> -of scenery exists, unsurpassed in beauty by any -in England. Mountains clothed at their summits -with purple heather, interspersed with huge -crags, and at their bases with luxuriant herbage, -bound the view on either hand. Down the -valley's centre flows the winding Yore, one of the -most serpentine rivers our island boasts—now -boiling and foaming, in a narrow channel, over -sheets of limestone—now forming cascades only -equalled by the cataracts of the Nile—and anon -spreading out into a broad, smooth stream, as -calm and placid as a lowland lake. On the banks -lie rich pastures, occasionally relieved, at the -eastern extremity of the valley, by cornfields. -There are several smaller dales branching out of -Wensleydale—of which they may, indeed, be -accounted part. Of these the principal are -Bishopdale and Raydale, or Roedale—the valley -of the Roe—which last contains Lake Semerwater, -a sheet of water covering a hundred and -five acres, and about forty-five feet deep. -Besides this lake, the natural objects of interest -in the district best known are Aysgarth Force, -Hardraw-scaur, Mill Gill, and Leyburn Shall—the -last a lofty natural terrace from which the -eye may range from the Cleveland Hills at the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span> -mouth of the Tees to those bordering upon -Westmoreland."</p> - -<p>The valley is exceedingly rich in historic -memories and noble monuments of the architectural -past—"castles and halls inseparably -united with English story, and abbeys whose -names, whilst our national records shall be -written, must for ever remain on the scroll; with -fortresses which have been the palaces and -prisons of kings. Of these, Bolton Castle, the -home of the Scropes, and one of the prisons of -Mary, Queen of Scots, and Middleham Castle, -where dwelt the great Nevill, the king-maker, -and the frequent and favourite residence of the -Duke of Gloucester, afterwards King Richard -III., and the venerable remains of Yorevale, or -Jervaux, and of Coverham Abbeys, are alone -sufficient to immortalise a district of country."</p> - -<p>In former times the dale was covered by a -dense forest, the home of countless herds of deer, -wild boars, wolves, and other wild animals. -There were no roads, but glades and trackways, -intricate and winding, very difficult and puzzling -to traverse, so that travellers often became -benighted, without being able to find other -shelter than that afforded by trees and bushes.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span> -At the village of Bainbridge there is still -preserved the "forest horn," which was blown -every night at ten o'clock from Holyrood to -Shrovetide, to guide wanderers who had lost -their way to shelter and safety from the -prowling beasts of prey. A bell also was rung -at Chantry, and a gun fired at Camhouse with -the same object. In the first century of the -Christian era there existed in the valley of -Roedale a large and for that time splendid city, -inhabited by the Brigantian Celts. It nestled in -a deep hollow, surrounded by picturesque hills and -uplands, and was environed by the majestic trees -of the forest, where the Druids performed the -mystical rites and ceremonials of their religion. -The houses were built of mud and wattles, and -thatched with straw or reeds, and the city was a -mere assemblage of such private residences, -without any of the public buildings, such as -churches, chapels, town houses, assembly rooms, -baths, or literary institutions, such as now-a-days -appertain to every small market town; yet it -was spoken of as a "magnificent city," and such -it perhaps might be as compared with other and -smaller towns and villages.</p> - -<p>It was about the time when Flavius Vespasian<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span> -annexed Britain to the Roman Empire, and -the Brigantes had been partially subdued by -Octavius Scapula, the Roman Governor of -Britain, but before York had become Eboracum—the -Altera Roma of Britain—and the influence -of the conquerors of the world had not -penetrated to this remote and secluded spot in -the forest of Wensleydale, so that the people of -the city still retained their old religion, customs, -and habits of life; still stained their bodies with -woad, clothed themselves with the skins of -animals, and still fabricated their weapons and -implements of bronze. Joseph of Arimathea had -planted the cross on Glastonbury Hill, but the -people of this city had never even heard of the -new religion that had sprung up in Judea, and -went on sacrificing human beings to their -bloodthirsty god, cutting the sacred mistletoe -from the oaks of their forest, and drawing the -beaver from the water, emblematic of the -salvation of Noah and his family at the deluge, -of which they had a dim tradition.</p> - -<p>The angels of heaven took great interest in -the efforts of the apostles who, in obedience to -their Master's command, went forth from Judea -to preach the gospel of glad tidings and the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span> -doctrine of the cross to all mankind, and had -especially noted the erection of the Christian -standard on Glastonbury Hill, in the barbarous -and benighted island of the Atlantic. One of the -heavenly host, indeed, became so much interested -in the conversion of the natives of this isle—which -he foresaw would, in the distant centuries, -become a great centre of evangelical truth, and, by -means of missionaries, the foremost promulgator -of religious light to other benighted peoples of -the earth—that he determined to descend thither, -and, under the guise of a human form, go about -amongst the people, and in some measure prepare -them for the reception of the teachings of -the companions of St. Joseph.</p> - -<p>Midwinter had come, the period when the sun -seemed to the Britons to be farthest away from -the earth, and when, according to the experience -of the past, he would commence his return with -his vivifying rays; and the Druids were holding -joyous ceremonial in celebration of this annually -recurring event. The sun was viewed as a -superhuman beneficent being who journeyed -across the heavens daily to dispense heat and life, -and to cause the fruits and flowers and cereals to -bloom and fructify, and give forth food for men<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span> -and animals, who in summer approached near to -the earth, and in winter retired to a distance -from it—for what end or purpose they knew not. -Nevertheless they deemed it wise to propitiate -him by two great ceremonials of worship—the one -at midsummer, attended by blazing "Baal-fires" -on the hills (a custom which still survives in some -parts of Yorkshire, where, on Midsummer-eve, -"beal-fires" are lighted), a festival of rejoicing -and thanksgiving for the ripening crops and -fruits; the other at midwinter, which partook -more of the character of a supplicating worship, -imploring him, now that he was far distant, not -to withdraw himself entirely from the earth, -but return as he had been wont to do, and again -cheer the world with his beams of brightness and -warmth. On the occasion of this particular -festival, the weather was stormy and cold; the -pools were frozen over, and the ground covered -with snow, whilst a chilling sleet, driven by a -biting north-eastern wind, beat upon those who -were exposed to its influence in the open air. -The festival was proceeding in a cleared space of -the forest circled round by lofty trees, which was -the open-air natural temple of the Druids; its -walls built by the hand of their god, and its<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span> -dome-like roof the floor of the habitation where -he dwelt. Whilst the Druids were engaged in -offering up prayers, the bards in singing anthems -of praise, and the vates investigating the entrails -of slain animals, to read therein forecasts of the -future and the will of the gods, especially of the -Sun God, in whose honour the festival was held, -the venerable figure of an aged man might be -seen descending the hill and approaching the -city. He seemed to be bowed down with the -infirmities of age, and to breast with difficulty -the forcible rushing of the wind. His white -flowing beard, which reached almost to his waist, -was glittering with incrustations of ice; and his -legs trembled as he came along, leaning on his -staff, with feeble and uncertain footsteps. He -was clad in a long gabardine, which he wrapped -tightly round him, to protect his frame as much -as possible from the inclemency of the weather; -his head was covered by a hat with broad -flapping brim; and his feet were sandalled, to -shield them from the roughness of the road.</p> - -<p>He came amongst the cottages and passed -from door to door, asking for shelter and food, -but everywhere was repulsed, and at times with -contumely and opprobrious epithets. No one<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span> -would take him in beneath their roof; no one -had charity enough to give him a crust or a cup -of metheglin, and onward he went until he came -to the spot where the festival was progressing -under the direction of the Arch-Druid, a man of -extreme age, but of commanding stature and -majestic port.</p> - -<p>The appearance of the angel (for he it was, in -the guise of infirm and poverty-stricken -humanity) caused some sensation, chiefly in -consequence of his peculiar and outlandish dress, -and all eyes were directed upon him as he walked -boldly and unhesitatingly, but with halting step, -to the centre of the circle where the hierarchs -were grouped.</p> - -<p>The angel, addressing himself to the Arch-Druid, -inquired, "Whom is it that you worship -in this fashion?"</p> - -<p>"Who are you," replied the Druid, "that you -know not that our midwinter festival is in honour -of the great and gloriously shining God, who -reveals himself to us in his daily march across the -sky?"</p> - -<p>"Then you worship the creature instead of the -creator?"</p> - -<p>"How the creature? He whom we worship<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span> -was never created, but has existed from all -eternity."</p> - -<p>"Alas! blind mortals, you labour under a -Satanic delusion. Know that what you, in your -ignorance, worship is but an atom in the great -and resplendent universe of worlds and suns, -called into existence by the fiat of Him -whom I serve, who alone is self-existent, -immortal, and the Creator of all men and all -things."</p> - -<p>"You speak in parables, stranger, and in an -impious strain. Mean you to say that the god-sun -is not great and powerful, he who causes the -herbage to grow and the trees to give forth fruit? -Can he do this if he be not a god?"</p> - -<p>"He is merely the instrument of the one -Almighty God, whose Son, on the anniversary of -this day, became incarnate on earth, and died on -the cross in a land far distant from this, that man -might not be subjected to the penalty for disobedience -to His laws, thus dying in his stead, to -satisfy the ends of justice."</p> - -<p>"And you say that he, a mere man, who died -in the distant land you speak of, was the son of -one who created the sun?"</p> - -<p>"Most certainly."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Then I must say that you speak rank blasphemy."</p> - -<p>And the priests and other officials re-echoed -the shout, "Blasphemy! blasphemy!" and the -people around took it up, and the cry of -"Blasphemy!" rose up from a thousand tongues.</p> - -<p>"Slay him! stone him!" was then cried by -the excited people, and they began to take up -stones and hurl them at the old man, who, -shaking the snow of the city from his sandals, -and saying "Woe be unto you," passed through -the surrounding crowd, and disappeared amongst -the forest trees.</p> - -<p>The dusky shades of evening, or rather -afternoon, were drawing in as the angel passed -through the wood; and as, in his incarnate form, -he was subject to all the sufferings and -discomforts humanity is liable to, he feared that -he would have to pass the night, with all its inclemency -of weather, with no other shelter than -that afforded by a tree trunk or the branches of a -bramble bush, but after wandering some time he -came upon a cleared space, where he found some -sheep huddling together on the lee side of a -rising ground, and judging that where sheep -were men would not be far distant, he passed up<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span> -the hillside and gladly hailed a gleam of light -issuing from a cottage window. He approached -and knocked at the door, which was opened by a -comely, middle-aged dame, whilst, by the fire of -peat, sat a man whom he presumed to be her -husband, occupied in eating his evening meal, -with a shepherd dog by his side, eagerly looking -out for the bones and chance pieces of meat -which his master might think proper to throw -him.</p> - -<p>"Good dame," said he to the woman, "have -you charity enough to give me shelter from the -storm, a crust of bread to allay the cravings of -hunger, and permission to imbibe warmth from -your fire into my aged and frozen limbs?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, that indeed we have, venerable father," -replied she. "Come in and seat you by the fire, -and we will see what the cottage can supply in -the way of victuals."</p> - -<p>He stepped in, and was welcomed with equal -kindness by the husband, who placed for him a -seat near the fire, took off his coat, which he -suspended before the fire to dry, and gave him a -sheepskin to throw over his shoulders; whilst -the dame bustled about in the way of cooking -some slices of mutton and bringing out some of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span> -her best bread, with a wooden drinking vessel -filled with home-made barley liquor, not unlike -the ale of after days.</p> - -<p>He was then invited to seat himself at the -table, a board resting on two trestles, and ate -heartily of the viands before him. After the -meal, and when he was thoroughly warmed and -made comfortable, he entered into conversation -with the worthy couple, and ascertained that the -man was a shepherd, and made a fairly comfortable -living out of his small flock of sheep, which -supplied him and his wife with raiment and flesh -meat for food, besides a small surplus for barter -to procure other necessaries. He told them that -he was a wanderer on the face of the earth, not a -Briton, but allied to people who lived in the far -east near the sun rising, and that he had come -hither to tell the Britons of the true God, and -that they whom they worshipped were not gods -at all; to all which they listened with wonderment -and awe, but displayed none of the bigotry -and hostility to adverse faiths which had been so -practically shown in the city. With eloquent -tongue he explained to them the mysteries of the -Christian religion, but they comprehended him -not, such matters being entirely beyond the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span> -capacities of their understandings. Nevertheless -they were much interested in some of the -narratives, such as the nativity and the visit of -the Magi; the miraculous cures of the sick; the -crucifixion, the resurrection, and the ascension, -all which were told with great graphic power, -and listened to with rapt ears; and they sat on -late into the night in this converse, and then a -bed of several layers of straw was made for the -stranger in a warm corner of the cottage, and a -couple of sheep skins given him for coverlets.</p> - -<p>The following morning broke bright and cheerful, -a complete contrast to the preceding day. -The sun came out with a radiance as brilliant as -it was possible for a midwinter sun to do, and -lighted up the hills, on which the snow crystals -glistened, and the roofs of the houses in the -valley below, with a splendour seldom beheld at -that period of the year, and the people of the -city hailed the sight as a response to their -festival prayers, that the God of Day would still -continue to shower his blessings upon them, and -bring forth their crops and fruits in due course. -The guest at the shepherd's cottage, wearied with -his wanderings and the buffeting of the storm, -slept long after the sun had risen; but his hosts<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</a></span> -had been up betimes, the shepherd having gone to -look after his sheep, and his wife to prepare a -warm breakfast for him on his return. When -this was ready, and the shepherd had come home, -their guest was awakened, and partook with -them of their meal of sheep's flesh, brown bread, -and ewe's milk. He had performed certain -devotions on rising, such as his entertainers -understood not, but which they assumed to be -acts of adoration and thanksgiving to his God.</p> - -<p>Resuming his cloak, now thoroughly dried, his -flapped hat, and his long walking staff, he went -out to pursue his journey. With his hosts he -stood on the elevated ground on which the -cottage was situated, and looked down upon the -city in the valley below, from which there rose -up the busy hum of voices of men going about -their vocations for the day, with them the first -of their new-born year.</p> - -<p>The stranger looked down upon the city for -some moments in silence; then stretching forth -his arms towards it, he exclaimed, "Oh city! -thou art fair to look upon, but thou art the -habitation of hard, unfeeling, and uncharitable -men, who regard themselves alone, and neither -respect age nor sympathise with poverty and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span> -infirmity! Thou art the abode of those -who worship false gods, and shut their ears -to, nay, more, maltreat those who would -point out their errors and lead them into -the path of truth; therefore, oh city! it is -fitting that thou shouldst cease to cumber the -earth; that thou shouldst be swept away as were -Sodom and Gomorrah. As for you," he added, -turning to the shepherd and his wife, "you took -the stranger in under your roof, sheltered him -from the storm, fed him when ahungered, and -comforted him as far as your means permitted. -For this accept my thanks and benison, and -know that my benison is worth the acceptance, -for I am not what I seem—a frail mortal—but -one of those who stand round the throne of the -God I told you of last evening, which is in the -midst of the stars of the firmament. May your -flocks increase, and your crops never fail; may -you live to advanced age, and see your children -and children's children grow up around you, -wealthy in this world's wealth, honoured, and -respected." Turning again towards the city, and -again stretching forth his arms over it, the -mysterious stranger cried out in a voice that -might be heard in the streets below:—</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span></p> - -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">"Semerwater, rise; Semerwater, sink;<br /></span> -<span class="i3">And swallow all the town, save this lile<br /></span> -<span class="i3">House, where they gave me meat and drink."<br /></span> -</div></div> - -<p>Immediately a loud noise was heard, as of the -bursting up of a hundred fountains from the -earth, and the water rushed upward from every -part of the city like the vomiting of volcanoes; -the inhabitants cried out with terror-fraught -shouts, and attempted to escape up the hills, -but were swept back by the surging flood, -which waved and dashed like the waves of the -tempestuous sea. Higher and higher rose the -water; overwhelmed the houses and advanced up -the sides of the hill, engulfing everything and -destroying every vestige of life, and eventually it -settled down into the vast lake as it may now be -seen.</p> - -<p>It may be thought that this was a cruel act of -revenge on the part of the angel, but we have -the authority of Milton, that the angelic mind -was susceptible of the human weakness of -ambition; why, therefore, should it not be -actuated by that other human passion of -revenge?</p> - -<p>The shepherd and his wife gazed on the -spectacle of the destruction of the city with awe-stricken<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span> -countenances, when another spectacle -filled them with equal amazement. They turned -their eyes upon their guest, who still stood by -them, but who was undergoing a wonderful -transformation. From an aged and infirm man -he was becoming youthful in appearance, of noble -figure, with lineaments of celestial beauty, and an -aureola of golden light flashing round his head. -His tattered and way-worn garments seemed to -be melting into thin air and passing away, and in -their place appeared a long white robe, as if -woven of the snow crystals of the surrounding -hills; whilst from his shoulders there streamed -forth a pair of pinions, which he now expanded, -and waving an adieu to his late entertainers, he -rose up into the air, and in a few minutes had -passed beyond their sight.</p> - -<p>The shepherd's flocks soon began to multiply -wonderfully, and he speedily became one of the -richest men of the countryside. His sons grew -up and prospered as their father had, and their -descendants flourished for many generations in -their several branches as some of the most -important and wealthy families of the district. -The old man and his wife abandoned the old -Druidical religion, and prayed to the unknown<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span> -God of whom their guest spoke on the -memorable evening preceding the destruction of -the city; and when the Apostles of Christianity -came hither, were among the first converts. -There may be sceptics who may doubt the truth -of this legend, but there the Lake of Semerwater -still remains, and what can be a more convincing -proof of its truth, as old Willet was wont to say, -when pointing to the block of wood at the door -of his inn at Chigwell, as a triumphant proof of -the truth of the story he had been narrating. -The rustics of the neighbourhood also assert that -they have seen, fathoms deep in the lake, the -chimneys and church spires of the engulfed city; -but as there were neither churches nor chimneys -when that city was in existence, we are inclined -to believe that this is an optical delusion.</p> - -<hr class="chap" style="page-break-after: always;" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[34]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 style="margin-top: 3em; margin-bottom: 1.5em;"><a name="The_Worm_of_Nunnington" id="The_Worm_of_Nunnington">The "Worm" of Nunnington.</a></h2> - - -<div><img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-a.jpg" -width="50" height="51" alt="Dropcap-A" /> -</div><p><span class="dropletter">A</span> <span class="smcap">charming</span> pastoral scene might -have been witnessed in the picturesque -valley of Ryedale, northward of -Malton, and not far distant from the spot where, -in after ages, sprung up the towers of Byland -Abbey, one fair midsummer eve in the earlier -half of the sixth century—a scene that would -have gladdened the heart of a painter, and made -him eager to transfer it to canvas, to display it -on the walls of the next Royal Academy Exhibition, -had painters and Royal Academy Exhibitions -been then in vogue. It was in a village -near the banks of the Rye—the precursor of -what is now called Nunnington; what was its -Celtic name we are informed not, but it was a -Celtic village, and inhabited by Celtic people, -who had been Christianised, and taught the -usages and habits of civilized life during the -supremacy of the Romans in the island, who had -now departed to defend the capital of the world<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span> -against the incursions of the hordes of barbarians -who were thundering at its gates, leaving the -Britons, enervated by civilisation and its -attendant luxuries, a prey to the Picts and Scots -and the Teutonic pirates who infested the surrounding -seas.</p> - -<p>It was an age of chivalry and romance; the -half real, half mythical Arthur ruled over the -land, and made head against the Scots and the -Teutons, defeating both in several battles. He -instituted the chivalric Order of Knights of the -Round Table—whose members were patterns of -valour and exemplars in religion, and who went -forth as knights-errant to correct abuses, protect -the fairer and weaker sex, chastise oppressors, -release those who were under spells of enchantment, -and do battle with giants, ogres, malicious -dwarfs, and enchanters, also with dragons, -hippogriffs, wyverns, serpents, and other -similarly obnoxious creatures. Who hath not -read of their marvellous adventures and valorous -exploits in the quest of the Sang-real, the -histories of Sir Launcelot and Sir Tristram, La -Morte d'Arthur, and the Idylls of the King? -Witches and warlocks, sorcerers and ogres, -tyrants and oppressors, then abounded in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span> -land, and beauteous damsels, the victims of their -cruelty and lust, so that there was plenty of -work, to say nothing of the reptiles of the forests, -for the entire army of valiant knights who went -forth from Caerleon on the Usk in quest of -adventures, inspired by the approving smile of -Queen Guinevere and of the fair ladies in whose -honour they placed lance in rest, and whose -supremacy of beauty they vowed to maintain in -many a joust and tournament.</p> - -<p>The village lay in a spot where nature had -spread out some of her loveliest features of valley, -upland, and meandering river of silvery sheen -running through the midst; whilst trees of -luxuriant foliage, in groups and thickets of forest -land, enshrined the whole as a fitting framework -for the sylvan picture. Farmsteads were -scattered about, and a cluster of humbler -cottages, the habitations of the serf class of farm -labourers constituted the village.</p> - -<p>As we have seen, it was Midsummer Eve, a -day of festival and rejoicing which had been -observed from time immemorial, for now the sun -approached the nearest to the zenith with its -fructifying beams, and in celebration of the event -a huge bonfire had been built up on an eminence<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span> -outside the village; whilst around it, hand in -hand, danced the youths and maidens with much -glee and merriment, with boisterous mirth, and -many a joke and song, and moreover with no -lack of flirtation between the lads and lasses, who -footed it merrily, and became more and more -vigorous in the dances as the flames mounted -higher and higher. Although they knew it not, -this village carnival was a survival of the -paganism of the past, when the remote ancestors -of the existing generation worshipped Baal, the -great Sun God. It had come down through -centuries of homage to the creature instead of -the Creator, and having been regarded as a great -holiday, did not suffer extinction at the advent of -Christianity, but was permitted to be retained in -that capacity, without any reference to religious -ceremonial, which in course of time was entirely -forgotten. And it is a remarkable instance of -the vitality of ancient customs to observe that in -some parts of Yorkshire, in Holderness to wit, -"Beal fires" are lighted on Midsummer Eve, -even to the present day.</p> - -<p>The elders of the village were seated about in -groups on the turf, watching the upblazing of the -fire, casting approving smiles on the joyous<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span> -gambols and incipient match-making of their -progeny, and talking of their own juvenile days, -when they were equally happy partners in the -circling dance. The blue sky overhead was -cloudless, and in the western horizon the setting -sun shot forth beams of golden light; and all -was hilarity and happiness. A queen of the -festival had been chosen—the most beautiful -maiden of the village, a sweet girl of eighteen, -with brilliant complexion, melting blue eyes, and -flowing curls of flaxen hue. A platform of -boughs had been improvised upon which to carry -her on the shoulders of a half-dozen young -bachelors back to the village with songs of -triumph, and the procession had just been -arranged, when a loud hissing sound was heard -to issue from the neighbouring forest, a sound -which in these days would have been attributed -to a passing railway train; but which then -sounded strange and unearthly, and spread -consternation among the merrymakers, who -turned and looked with panic-stricken countenances -in the direction from whence the sound -came.</p> - -<p>The first impulse of the crowd was to fly to -their homes, from the unknown object of dread,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span> -but curiosity prompted a counter-impulse, a -desire to see what gave rise to the fear-inspiring -sound. Nor had they long to wait, for a few -minutes after a monstrous reptile, with the body -of a serpent and the head of a dragon, its mouth -seeming, to their excited imaginations, to breathe -out flame, issued from the wood and came across -the open space with fearful but graceful undulations -towards the terrified villagers. The air -appeared to become charged, too, with a pestiferous -influence, issuing from the nostrils of the -monster, which increased in intensity the nearer -it came. With shrieks and wild cries, those who -had been dancing so merrily but a few minutes -before took to their heels to find refuge in their -cottages, exclaiming, "Oh, that Sir Peter Loschi -were here to deliver us from the monster!" All -reached their habitations and barred their doors; -all save one, the beautiful young queen of the -festival, the pride of the village—the beloved of -every one—who, fascinated like a bird by the eyes -of the reptile, had stood gazing upon it so long -that she was quite in the rear of the fugitives, -and was overtaken by the serpent, who immediately -coiled the foremost part of its body round -her, and in this fashion carried her back into the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span> -forest. As she did not reappear, it was -concluded that she had been devoured; and day -after day one young damsel after another disappeared -after going to the spring for water, or -on other open-air errands, all of whom, it was -doubted not, had furnished meals for the monster. -Indeed, at times he was seen carrying them off as -he had done the poor little queen, until at -length the village seemed to be becoming -depopulated of its maidenhood. The men at -times went armed with bludgeons to attack the -serpent in his cave on the hill side, but were ever -driven back by the poisonous exhalations of the -animal's breath, which seemed to render them -faint and powerless; and two or three of the -bolder spirits who approached the nearest to the -den died under its influence. And the people -continued to cry, "Oh, Sir Peter Loschi, why do -you tarry?"—for in him lay all their hope of -deliverance.</p> - -<p>This Sir Peter Loschi, whose aid was so -frequently and fervently invoked, was the owner -of a castle and certain broad acres in the vicinity. -He was a Celt of unadulterated blood, although -his name has nothing Celtic about it. Single -names were then only used, with the exception of an<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span> -addition of some personal characteristic or locality, -for distinction sake when there were two persons -bearing the same, and we may suppose that the -two names of Peter and Loschi originally formed -one word, which has become altered and corrupted -in passing from generation to generation, in a -similar manner to that of George Zavier, which -became transmuted through Georgy Zavier, etc., -to eventually Corky Shaver. Be that as it may, -he was the last male of a long line of ancient -British knights and warriors, and was himself not -inferior to any of his ancestors in military skill -and almost reckless daring, having fought with -distinction against the wild hordes of Picts and -Scots, who came down from their desolate northern -mountains to make raids on the more fertile -lands of the Britons south of the Border, and -against the piratical Saxons and Angles who -were endeavouring to get a foothold on the -island. He was one of King Arthur's Knights -of the Round Table, and was often at the Court -of Queen Guinevere at Caerleon, consorting -with his brother knights in the mutual recital of -their adventures, in friendly tilting matches, and -in dallying with the fair ladies of the Court, one -of whom he had chosen as the mistress of his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span> -heart, and whose favour he wore in front of his -helmet at many a passage of arms in the courtyard -of a castle or in the field of a tournament. -Occasionally he went forth for periods of six or -twelve months as a knight-errant, for the purpose -of redressing wrongs, slaying enchanters, etc., -and was known as the Knight of the Sable -Plume, from that ornamental appendage of his -casque. The cognisance that he bore on his -shield was a chevron arg. between three plumes -sable, on ground or; and many a doughty deed -had he performed, young as he still was, under -this cognisance.</p> - -<p>He did not spend much time at his ancestral -home in Ryedale, being so much occupied at -Court and in the quest of adventures as a knight-errant, -only going there occasionally to regulate -matters relating to his household and estates, -look after his vassals and retainers, and make -arrangements for the well-being of the villagers. -He had now been absent about three years, -having, at the instance of his ladye-love at -Caerleon, donned his armour, taken his lance in -hand, and gone for that space of time to protect -the impotent, redress the injured and oppressed, -and slay giants and sorcerers, as a test of his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span> -valour, at the end of which said period, if he had -acquitted himself as a preux-chevalier, she might -possibly consent to become the mistress of -Ryedale Castle. The period was now drawing -to a close, and he had performed many a valorous -deed; he had slain a gigantic Saxon in single -combat; he had recovered the standard of King -Arthur from some half-dozen Picts, who had -seized it after killing the bearer of it; he had -rescued a damsel from the hands of an enchanter; -another from the fangs and claws of a lion, and a -third from a giant who was dragging her along -by the hair of her head; he had killed -a dragon, a griffin, and a hippogriff, had done -many another wondrous and valorous deed, -and was now going back to Caerleon to claim the -hand of the lady at whose behest he had performed -all these marvellous achievements, little -dreaming all the time that his own people in -Ryedale were in sore need of his stalwart arm -and trusty sword.</p> - -<p>As the knight had been northward, it was -necessary to pass through what is now Yorkshire -on his way to Caerleon, and he deemed it expedient -to call at his Ryedale Castle to see how matters -had been going on there during his long absence.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span> -It was about a month after the first appearance -of the "worm," when the villagers were -beginning to experience the truth of the saying -that "hope deferred maketh the heart sick," -having lost many members of their community -through the propensity of the serpent for human -flesh, and no Sir Peter coming to deliver them -from the ravages of the monster, when the figure -of a horseman, with a nodding black plume, was -seen "pricking o'er the plain," who was immediately -recognised as the veritable Sir Peter -Loschi, which gave rise to an exhilarating shout -of welcome from the villagers, who cried, "Now -shall we be delivered from the ravenous worm." -Sir Peter rode on to his castle, where the first -being to welcome him was a favourite mastiff, -who came gambolling about him with the most -affectionate demonstrations of rejoicing at seeing -his master once more. The following morning a -deputation of the villagers waited upon him, -explained their troubles in respect to the worm, -and prayed for his assistance in ridding them of -the monster. He inquired into the particulars, -and having been accustomed in his travels to -several encounters with noxious animals of this -character, he readily understood what he would<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span> -have to deal with, and promised his aid, but -added that as some preparations would be -necessary, the enemy being of an exceptional -description, he would not be able to undertake -it within a month, and that they must endure it -the best they could in the interval.</p> - -<p>Sir Peter got a sight of the serpent, and a -formidable monster he appeared to be, more -terrible than any he had previously met with; -and he saw that it behoved him to make special -provision for the combat. He pondered the -matter over for a few days, and then mounted his -steed and rode to Sheffield, where he employed -certain cunning artificers to make him a complete -suit of armour studded with razor blades. -Although razors are alluded to by Homer, and -have been used by the Chinese for unknown -centuries, it is doubtful whether they were a -staple manufacture on the banks of the Sheaf -and the Rivelin in the sixth century. It is true -that Chaucer speaks of a "Sheffield whittle," but -this was eight centuries afterwards, and it is -equally to be doubted whether Sheffield, even as -a village, existed at that time; but anachronisms -are of small moment in legends, and we are -required to accept it as a fact, that the knight<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span> -had his novel suit of armour fabricated in the -valley of the Sheaf.</p> - -<p>When it was completed, he returned with it to -Ryedale, and gladly was he welcomed by the -villagers, as the serpent had been committing -more ravages amongst the population. He had -a sword, a Damascus blade of wonderful -keenness, which possessed certain magical properties, -similar to those of King Arthur's famous -Excaliber; and one morning, after donning his -armour, he took the sword in his hand and went -forth to the combat. His dog accompanied him, -and it was with difficulty that he was prevented -from leaping up in caressing gambols against the -sharp razor blades.</p> - -<p>The serpent had its den in the side of a -wooded eminence near East Newton, by Stonegrave, -which has since then gone by the name of -Loschy Hill, in memory of the great fight -between the Knight and the Dragon. Sir Peter, -who was on foot, strode along boldly towards the -hill, followed by his dog, which seemed to be -perfectly aware that some exciting sport was -before them, as he rushed about hither and -thither, sniffing the air, as if his keen scent gave -him intimation that game of an unusual character<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span> -was not far off, and he barked and growled, as if -in defiance of the foe; whilst the villagers stood -afar off, with eager countenances, to watch the -progress of the combat. As the knight came -nearer, he became aware of a pestiferous odour -that seemed to contaminate the air; and the dog -scented and sniffed, and gave vent to more -prolonged growlings and louder barking, and -seemed to tremble with excitement in anticipation -of the coming fray.</p> - -<p>The serpent had not yet breakfasted, and -seeing the man and dog approach, darted from his -den and made for the dog, with which he thought -to stay his appetite as a first mouthful, but the -dog was too nimble and eluded his attack, leaping -upon one of the curves of its body and biting it -with mad excitement; whilst the knight struck -it a blow with his sword which almost cut off its -head, but the wound healed up instantly, and the -serpent coiled itself round his body, in order to -crush the life out of him, and then devour him at -its leisure. It had not, in doing so, taken into -account the razor blades, which cut its body in a -multitude of gashes, and caused the blood to -stream down on the earth; but this was not of -much consequence, as it immediately uncoiled and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span> -rolled itself on the earth, when all the wounds -closed up. Foiled in this attack, the monster -then began to vomit out a poisonous vapour, so -horrible and overcoming that the knight seemed -ready to sink under its influence, but rallying his -energies, he aimed a blow which cut the serpent -in two, but the severed parts joined again immediately. -All this time the monster was hissing -in a fearful manner, and breathing out poison, -and the knight began to fear he must succumb -and become its prey; but determined not to give -in so long as he could continue the fight, he -aimed another blow with his sword and severed a -portion of the tail end, although feeling persuaded -that it would become reunited as before; but his -dog, evidently a sagacious animal, having witnessed -the former reunion, seized it in its teeth -and ran off with it to a neighbouring hill, then -returned and carried away other portions as they -were cut off successively. The serpent writhed -with pain, but afraid, or seeing the uselessness of -attacking the razor-armed man, made many -attempts to seize the dog, but in vain, as he was -too agile to be caught; therefore he depended -more on the venom of his breath at this juncture, -which he continued to pour forth, and which he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span> -knew must eventually overpower his enemy. -The dog had returned from his third or fourth -journey and came up to his master, wagging his -tail in seeming congratulation of the cleverness -with which they were gradually accomplishing -the destruction of the foe, when the serpent made -a spring upon him, but at the same instant the -knight's magic sword descended upon his neck -and severed the head from the body, which the -dog at once seized and carried off to a distance, -placing it on a hill near where Nunnington -Church now stands.</p> - -<p>The monster was now dead which had caused -so much terror and desolation, and the villagers -shouted with joy as they saw the head carried -past by the dog. Meanwhile the knight stood by -the remaining portion of the body as it lay prone -on the earth, quivering with the remains of its -vitality. He was exhausted with his exertions, -but more by the poisonous exhalation which the -body still gave forth, but in rapidly diminishing -volume. He was recovering from its effects and -was waiting awhile to gain sufficient energy to -leave the scene of his triumph, when the dog -returned, but apparently in a very languid -condition; still, however, evincing marks of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span> -satisfaction and pleasure at the conquest he and -his master had achieved. The knight stooped -down to pat caressingly his faithful companion, -who, in return, reached up and licked his face. -Unfortunately, in carrying away the head, the -seat of the venom, the dog had imbibed the -poison, and in licking his master's face had -imparted the virus to him, and a few minutes -were sufficient to produce its fatal effects, the -knight and his dog falling to the earth together, -and when the villagers came up they found both -dead.</p> - -<p>Although the villagers were rejoiced at the -death of the serpent, their lamentations were -equally great over the fate of the knight, who -had sacrificed his life for their deliverance; and -for many a month and year did they cherish his -memory and mourn his death.</p> - -<p>In Nunnington Church there is a monument of -a knight, a recumbent effigy, with a dog -crouching at his feet; and this, tradition says, is -the tomb of the valorous Sir Peter Loschi and -his equally valorous dog, who were buried -together, and the monument erected in grateful -memory of their achievement.</p> - -<hr class="chap" style="page-break-after: always;" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[51]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 style="margin-top: 3em; margin-bottom: 1.5em;"><a name="The_Devils_Arrows" id="The_Devils_Arrows">The Devil's Arrows.</a></h2> - - -<div><img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-o.jpg" -width="51" height="50" alt="Dropcap-O" /> -</div><p><span class="dropletter">O</span><span class="smcap">ne</span> of the most interesting localities -in broad Yorkshire, rich in historic -lore and fruitful in legend, is that -which comprehends within its limits the twin -towns of Aldborough and Boroughbridge, on the -river Ure. Their history extends back to the -Celtic and Roman times, when Aldborough or -Iseur, the Isurium of the Romans, was the -capital of the Brigantian Celts, and near by ran -northward from York a great Roman road, which -crossed the Ure by a ford, which was supplanted -after the Conquest by a wooden bridge, which -gave rise to a great convergence of roads at this -point, and the growth of a town, which obtained -the name of Boroughbridge, <i>i.e.</i>, the borough -by the bridge.</p> - -<p>This spot, says Dr. Stukeley, was in the -British time "the scene of the great Panegyre of -the Druids, the midsummer meeting of all the -country round, to celebrate the great quarterly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[52]</a></span> -sacrifice, accompanied with sports, games, races, -and all kinds of exercises, with universal festivity. -This was like the Olympian and Nemean meetings -and games among the Grecians."</p> - -<p>Between the two towns there stands protruding -from the earth three rough-hewn and -weather-worn obelisks of rag-stone or mill-stone -grit, which could not have been brought from a -distance of less than seven miles, and gave rise to -a sense of wonder how such stupendous masses -could have been brought hither and placed -upright in position by the Celts with their utter -lack of mechanical appliances. The northernmost -rises eighteen feet, the southernmost -twenty-two and a half feet, and the centre one -also twenty-two and a half feet above the ground, -and from an excavation made under the latter, it -was found to have an entire length of thirty feet -six inches. The estimated weight of the -northernmost is thirty-six tons, and of the other -two thirty tons each. Originally there were four -stones, which were seen by Leland in Henry -VIII.'s time; but one of them fell or was -removed for the sake of the materials—useful for -road repairing—in the seventeenth century. -Camden imagined them to be factitious compositions<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span> -of sand, lime, and small pebbles -cemented together; but there is no doubt they -were quarried at Plumpton, the rock there -corresponding exactly with their grit. The -Romans made use of them as metæ, the turning -point in their chariot races. There have been -varying and differing conjectures by antiquaries -as to their origin and purpose, but all agree as to -their remote antiquity, dating back certainly -1800 years, the most probable conjecture as to -their purpose being that they were connected in -some way with Druidical worship. They go by -the name of "The Devil's Arrows," and tradition -gives an account of their origin altogether -different from antiquarian conjectures, and much -more in accordance with their popular designation. -Thus runs the legend:—</p> - -<p>It was soon after the Crucifixion that certain -Apostles of the Cross, headed by Joseph of -Arimathea, found their way from Palestine to -the remote and benighted isle of Britain, in -obedience to the Divine command to go forth -and preach the Gospel to every creature. After -their disembarkation they proceeded inland until -they came to Glastonbury; and ascending the -hill there, Joseph struck his walking staff in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span> -earth and proclaimed that there should be -established the first Christian church of Britain, -and in confirmation thereof his staff miraculously -took root, put forth branches, and although it -was midwinter—Christmas Day—budded and -blossomed into a rose, as its successors here -continued to do on every successive Christmas -Day. The Apostles preached to the barbarian -people, made some converts, and erected a -temporary wooden church for the performance of -divine service, which was the precursor of the -magnificent Abbey that afterwards rose on the -site, and flourished in great prosperity until its -extinction under the sacrilegious hand of Henry -the Eighth.</p> - -<p>When the new faith had taken root at -Glastonbury, the Apostles divided themselves -into bands of two or three, and departed north, -south, east, and west, to proclaim the glad -tidings in other parts of the island. One of -these bands, going northwards, preached to the -Cornabii and the Coritani of Mid-Britain, and -then passed onward to the Brigantes, the -greatest and most warlike of the kingdoms of -Britain. They travelled on foot, staff in hand, -and subsisted on the charity of the people; but<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span> -had often to endure great hardships, having often -to pass through scantily peopled districts, where -wild fruits were their only food, the water of the -wayside brooks their drink, and their sleeping -couches the heather of the moor or the turf -under the canopy of a forest tree. But all these -discomforts they endured with cheerfulness, -besides perils from wolves, wild boars, and other -denizens of the woodlands, feeling assured that -their Master would reward them a thousand-fold -for their sufferings in His service.</p> - -<p>On entering the Brigantian kingdom they -learned that the capital city was Iseur, some considerable -distance northward, and thither they -bent their way in the hope of enlightening the -King in spiritual matters as a means of facilitating -the conversion of his people. With wearied steps -they passed from village to village, through -forests and swamps, and over black moorlands, -fording the rivers where practicable, or where -they were too deep for so doing going along the -bank until they met with a fisherman or villager -to ferry them across in his coracle; and in due -course, after many days of toilsome journeying, -came to the city of Iseur.</p> - -<p>The city stood in a forest clearing, surrounded<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span> -by a stockade of felled trees, with an entrenchment -for protection against enemies, and for the security -of their flocks and herds against the attacks of -wild beasts. In the centre stood the King's -Palace, a tolerably spacious edifice built of -unhewn blocks of stone, placed in cyclopean -fashion without mortar; and scattered around -were the mud-built and straw-thatched dwellings -of the people. There was no temple of their -deity, the gods of the Britons disdaining mortal-built -places of worship. But adjacent was a -separate forest clearing, with a circling of huge -forest oaks, on which grew the sacred mistletoe, -which constituted a temple not built with hands; -and in which was a pool of water, indispensable -in the ceremonials of their religion, where the -beaver abounded, and was used as an emblem of -the flood, of which the Britons had a tradition; -and here were constructed the wickerwork forms -of gigantic human beings, which at certain -seasons were filled with men, women, and -children, and burnt to propitiate the wrath of -their god.</p> - -<p>They proceeded to the palace of the King and -asked for an audience, which was granted them -after some demur; the King feeling uncertain,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span> -from the description his attendants gave of their -foreign aspect, outlandish dresses, and imperfect -utterance of the British language, whether they -might not be enemies, assassins, or sorcerers -come hither to take his life or subject him to -some other evil. He received them seated on a -sort of throne, clad in a white, coarsely woven -tunic of wool reaching half way down his thighs, -and leaving the lower limbs altogether uncovered, -and over his shoulders a wolf-skin mantle, -whilst he supported his dignity by holding in his -right hand a long bronze-headed spear, with a -richly-carved shaft. By his side sat his Queen, -and at his feet gambolled three or four children, -whilst around him stood representatives of the -Druidical hierarchy—the Druids proper or high -priests, the Eubates or soothsayers, and the -Bards who chanted anthems to the glory of -their god and recited odes in praise of the -warriors and great men of their race.</p> - -<p>The King inquired of the strangers who they -were and what was their purpose in thus coming -to his court. The Apostles replied that they -were people of a far distant land, near the -sunrising, and had come hither to show them -their errors in worshipping false gods, and point<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span> -out to them the true object of worship, the one -only God, the Maker of heaven and earth, and -the awarder of happiness or misery in the future -life beyond the grave. A murmur of dissatisfaction -arose at this announcement amongst the -Druids, who whispered amongst themselves that -it was fitting such blasphemers should be offered -up as sacrifices to their god.</p> - -<p>"Truly," said the King, "you have come on a -strange errand; we are firm believers in and -devout worshippers of the one Supreme God, as -you pretend to be. Do we not yearly offer up -on His altars hundreds of human victims to -propitiate His good-will? What more would -you have? We believe what you do, and a great -deal more, for we have a host of minor deities -whom we pay adoration to. Methinks you had -better return to your own country and not -trouble us with your hallucinations, so as to -cause a schism in the faith. We are content -with our own belief, which teaches us that when -we die the souls of those who have done justly -will pass gradually into a higher and higher -sphere, until at length, when perfectly purified, it -will become absorbed in the essence of the Deity, -or become an inferior god; whilst those of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span> -wicked will be transformed to the bodies of -inferior and unclean animals, and eventually be -annihilated."</p> - -<p>The Apostles upon this explained briefly the -principles of the Christian religion, the fall of -man and his loss of the divine favour, his -necessary condemnation to temporal and eternal -death, and the redemptorial scheme, in which -God himself, or rather his Son, who was identical -with himself, suffered death on the cross, taking -upon himself, in lieu of man, the threatened -penalty.</p> - -<p>"Is your God dead, then?" inquired the -King; "or is it possible for God to die. If so, -our faith is better than yours, for our God is -immortal."</p> - -<p>The Apostles then entered into an elaborate -disquisition on the subtleties of the necessity and -nature of the Divine scheme for the salvation -of the human race, but the reasonings were too -abstruse for the King's comprehension, as, indeed, -were they for the more cultured minds of the -Druids; therefore the King declined any further -discourse on the subject, adding that he was perfectly -willing that they should be courteously -treated and have fair play, as they had come so<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[60]</a></span> -far with the intent, as it seemed to them, of -doing him and his people a service; therefore he -would appoint a day on which they should have -a full and fair discussion with the Druids on the -merits of the respective faiths, and in the meantime -they should be hospitably entertained at his -cost, and with this the audience terminated.</p> - -<p>It happened that at this time the Father of -Evil was prowling about Britain, with the object -of thwarting the efforts of St. Joseph and his -band of missionaries for the evangelisation of the -land. He employed himself chiefly about -Glastonbury and its neighbourhood, the primitive -and central seat of British Christianity, and -centuries elapsed before he relaxed his persistent -attempt to eradicate the faith, hostile to himself, -which had taken root there. Nine hundred -years afterwards we find that he was a perpetual -annoyance to the holy St. Dunstan in his -Glastonbury cell, continually intruding upon him -when engaged in his studies, and offering to him -the most seductive temptations, until, on one -occasion, he made his appearance before him -when he was engaged on some blacksmith work, -and commenced tempting him to sell his soul to -him for unbounded wealth and the highest<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[61]</a></span> -temporal distinction. The saint, however, was -proof against his temptations, and resolved to free -himself once for all from his importunities, took -his red-hot tongs from the fire, and seized him by -the nose. The devil roared out lustily with the -pain, although one would fancy, from fire being -his natural element, that it would not incommode -him greatly; nevertheless, he prayed abjectly to -be released from the tongs, but the saint would -not release him until he promised to give him no -further annoyance.</p> - -<p>He had followed in the footsteps of the three -Apostles on the northern mission, and was -present, although invisible, at the interview with -the King of the Brigantes; and when the conference -between the Apostles and the Druids was -arranged by the King, he determined upon -presenting himself at the meeting in a more -tangible and palpable form, to overthrow the -arguments of the former by the power of his -eloquence and logical force of reasoning, feeling -exceedingly loth to run the risk of losing so -cherished a section of his dominions, which would -ensue in case the King should be convinced by -the preaching and the powerful arguments of the -Apostles.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[62]</a></span></p> - -<p>The conference was appointed to come off on -the slopes of the Hambleton Hills, at the foot of -Roulston Crag and there, on the auspicious -morning, might be seen a large assemblage -gathered together, presenting a very animated -and picturesque grouping. The King, as -president of the assembly, took his seat on an -improvised throne. He was clothed in the most -splendid of his regal vestments, and held in his -hand his bronze-headed spear, as an emblem of -his Royal authority. On his right stood a group -of Druids, clad in long white linen robes, with -circlets of oak leaves round their heads, and on -his left the three Christian Apostles, in their -weather-stained Oriental garments, whilst -scattered around, was a considerable number of -Brigantian warriors, courtiers, agriculturists, and -serfs more or less garmented in coarse woollen -fabrics or skins of animals, or without clothing of -any kind, but with painted or tattooed skins, on -which were depicted figures of the sun, the moon, -and sundry animals. The King opened the proceedings -by stating the object of the meeting, -and calling upon the Apostles to explain what -they wished to inculcate, promising them a -fair and candid hearing, and assuring them that if<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[63]</a></span> -what they said appeared at all consonant with -reason, it should have due consideration. In all -respects the meeting was very similar to that -which was convened nearly 600 years afterwards -by Eadwine, King of Northumbria, for a -discussion of the merits of Christianity, between -St. Paulinus, the apostle of Rome, and Coiffi, the -High Priest of Woden, which resulted in the -second establishment of Christianity in the -district, which constitutes the modern Yorkshire. -Just as one of the Apostles was commencing to -speak, a venerable Druid, with a beard reaching -half-way down to his waist, and attired in the -official long white robe, entered the assembly, and -made his obeisance to the King, who inquired -who he was and whither he had come. "I am -the High Priest, oh King," he replied, "of the -great and famous forest temple of Llyn yr a -vanc" (on the site of the modern Beverley). "A -report came thither that certain strangers had -come to the Court of Iseur from some distant -land, to promulgate a foreign and damnable -heresy; and I, as being well versed in the truths -of our faith, and gifted with an eloquent tongue, -have been deputed by my brethren to attend this -conference, and aid, to the best of my ability, in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[64]</a></span> -discomfiting these foreign heretics, whose object -is to uproot our holy religion and substitute a -false theological creed."</p> - -<p>"You are welcome!" said the King. "Take -your place among your brother Druids on my -right. Give heed to what the strangers have to -say, and reply to their arguments as your reason -and lengthened experience may dictate."</p> - -<p>The stranger took the place indicated, and the -King bade the Apostles tell what they had to -say on the object of their mission, upon which -the eldest looking of the three, stretching forth -his arms as Raphael depicted Paul when preaching -at Athens, commenced his harangue by giving an -outline of the history of man as recorded in the -Scriptures, his fall from innocence and perfection, -by the seductions of the enemy of mankind, who -for his rebellious ambition had been banished -from heaven and cast down into hell, and who -since then had been going to and fro in the -earth tempting man to sin against his Maker, -in which he had been so successful that God -repented of having made man, and had caused all -mankind to perish save one family, and then -explained that afterwards, when the earth had -again become populated, he compassionated man's<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[65]</a></span> -fallen estate, and had sent his Son to take on -himself the penalty due to man's transgression, -that all, through him, might be placed in a state -of salvation from that death eternal which they -inherited from the transgression of their first -ancestor; and wound up by imploring the King -and all present to abandon their impotent and -bloodthirsty gods, believe in the God of Mercy -whom they proclaimed, and accept the salvation -offered through the merits of Him who was -crucified.</p> - -<p>The Druid, who had come afar, then rose and -craved permission to reply, which was granted, -and he stood forth on a mass of rock, with a -majestic presence and dignified air. He laughed -to scorn the fables which they had listened to, -which were only fit to delude the ears of silly old -women, and could not be accepted for a moment -by men endowed with the faculty of reasoning. -"We are told," said he, "that man was made -perfect, and was at the same time fallible; that -God is immutable, and yet repented; that a -creature, the work of His hands, has become His -rival, and from what we hear has become even -more potent than his Maker; has set up a rival -kingdom, and is able to wrest from the hands of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[66]</a></span> -God three-fourths of the beings whom He -creates, a God who is asserted to be omnipotent; -with many such subtle questions, inquiring—Can -these be compatible with reason, and can -you, as men of sense, believe them?" He then -descanted on the superior merits of the Druidical -religion, contrasting its "simple truth" with the -"absurd fables told us by these foreigners;" -concluding with a forcible and eloquent appeal -to those who listened to him not to abandon the -gods of their fathers, and go hankering after -strange gods, especially such as were recommended -by such baseless arguments and -improbable tales as they had just heard.</p> - -<p>When he concluded a murmur of applause -agitated the assembly like a rustling of leaves in -the forest, and the King said, "Venerable -father, thou speakest well; thy words are those -of truth; and it only remains to bid these -strangers depart from our shores and return to -the land from whence they have come, bearing -with them our thanks for having come so far to -teach us what they conceive to be the truth, but -which we are unable to accept as consonant with -reason."</p> - -<p>In the vehemence of his oratorical action, the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[67]</a></span> -Druid had caught up the skirt of his robe, and -the apostle had spied protruding therefrom a -cloven foot, and moreover that the heat issuing -therefrom had caused the upper part of the rock -on which it was placed to become partially -liquefied, or rather gelatinised, so that it adhered -to the foot. Suspecting, therefore, whom he had -to deal with, he cried out on receiving the order -to depart, "Hearken, oh King, I have told you -of the arch-enemy of God and mankind, who -tempted the first man to sin, and still goes about -luring men to perdition; behold he—even he—is -present in this assembly, and has been -addressing you in advocacy of the false religion, -which you, in your ignorance, maintain. Him -will I unmask;" and addressing himself to the -Druid, he cried in a stern and commanding voice, -"Satan, I defy thee! in the name of the Saviour -of mankind, I command thee to display thyself in -thy proper person, and depart hence to the hell -from whence thou comest." In an instant, at -that adjuration, the Druid's robe and the -venerable beard fell from him, and he stood -revealed in all his hideous deformity, with a -malignant scowl on his countenance, and -springing up, he took flight, impregnating the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[68]</a></span> -air with a sulphurous perfume, carrying with -him a mass of rock, weighing several tons, which -adhered to his foot.</p> - -<p>At this unanswerable demonstration of truth -of the religion proclaimed by the Apostles, the -King, and even the Druids, became converted, -and underwent the ceremony of baptism; and -the Apostles were empowered to go throughout -Brigantium and preach the Gospel, which -resulted in the conversion of multitudes, and the -Brigantes became a Christian people.</p> - -<p>Satan, however, although foiled so signally, set -his wits to work to be avenged on the King for -deserting his standard. He recollected the piece -of rock which he had brought from Roulston and -dropped in his flight some seven or eight miles -from Iseur, the King's capital city, and this he -resolved upon making use of to destroy that city. -Accordingly he winged his way thither, and -splitting up the rock fashioned it into four huge -obelisk-like forms, and standing upon How-hill, -he hurled them at Iseur, crying out:—</p> - -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">"Borobrig, keep out of the way,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">For Auldboro town<br /></span> -<span class="i2">I will ding down."<br /></span> -</div></div> - -<p>It may be observed <i>en passant</i> that there is a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[69]</a></span> -slight anachronism here, as Aldborough was not -so called until the Saxon age, and Boroughbridge -did not come into existence until after the -Conquest. But that is a matter of not much -consequence in a legend.</p> - -<p>The stones which were thus intended to "ding -down" the King's city were miraculously intercepted -in their flight, falling and fixing themselves -firmly in the earth between the city and -the fords over the Ure (Boroughbridge), where -three of them, still called "The Devil's Arrows," -may be seen at this day.</p> - -<hr class="chap" style="page-break-after: always;" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[70]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 style="margin-top: 3em; margin-bottom: 1.5em;"><a name="The_Giant_Road-Maker_of_Mulgrave" id="The_Giant_Road-Maker_of_Mulgrave">The Giant Road-Maker of Mulgrave.</a></h2> - - -<div><img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-t.jpg" -width="51" height="50" alt="Dropcap-T" /> -</div><p><span class="dropletter">T</span><span class="smcap">he</span> stately Castle of Mulgrave, now -the home of the Phipps family—Marquises -of Normanby—was built -by Peter de Malo-lacu or de Mauley, in the reign -of King John. Cox says, "he built a castle here -for his defence, which, from its beauty and the -grace it was to this place, he named it Moultgrace, -but because it proved afterwards a great -grievance to the neighbours thereabouts, the -people, who will in such cases take a liberty to -nickname places and things by changing one -letter for another—c for v—called it Moultgrave, -by which name alone for many ages it -hath been and is now everywhere known, though -the reason thereof is by few understood." A -previous castle, with the barony, had been held -by the de Turnhams, and the last male heir, -Robert, having died without issue male, the -barony and castle were inherited by his only -daughter, Isabel, who, as was then the law<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[71]</a></span> -respecting heiresses, became a ward of the Crown, -and her hand at the disposal of the King. This -Peter de Malo-lacu, or Peter of the Evil Eye, -was a Poictevin of brutal and ferocious character, -who was made use of by King John as the instrument -for the murder of his nephew Arthur, for -which piece of service he rewarded the murderer -with the hand of the fair Isabel, with her -inheritance.</p> - -<p>But long before the de Mauleys and the -de Turnhams, a noble Saxon family were lords of -the surrounding domain, and dwelt in a castle on -an eminence here, about three or four miles from -the seashore at Whitby. Leland says (<i>temp.</i> Hen. -8), "Mongrave Castel standeth on a craggy hille, -and on eche side of it is a hille far higher than -that whereon the castel standeth. The north -hille on the topp of it hath certain stones, -commonly caul'd Wadda's grave, whom the -people there say to have bene a gigant and owner -of Mongrave." And Camden, "Hard by upon a -steep hill near the sea (which yet is between two -that are much higher) a castle of Wade, a Saxon -Duke, is said to have stood; who, in the -confused anarchy of the Northumbrians, so fatal -to the petty Princes, having combined with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[72]</a></span> -those that murdered King Ethered, gave battel -to King Ardulph at Whalley, in Lancashire, but -with such ill-sucess that his army was routed and -himself forced to fly. Afterwards he fell into a -distemper, which killed him, and was interred on -a hill here between two solid rocks, about seven -foot high, which being at twelve foot distance -from one another, occasions a current opinion -that he was of gyant-like stature."</p> - -<p>It is with this Duke Wada that we are -concerned. He appears to have been a Saxon, -or rather an Anglian noble of considerable -consequence in the kingdom of Northumbria, and -to have taken a conspicuous part in the political -movements of that troublous period, when, as -Speed narrates, "the Northumbrians were sore -molested with many intruders or rather tyrants -that banded for the soueraintie for the space of -thirtie years." He was a man of gigantic stature -and a champion of redoubtable energy in war, -dealing death around him and cumbering the -field with the bodies of those who had fallen -beneath the blows of his ponderous mace. He -was indeed a true son of Woden in all respects, -excepting that he had relinquished the hope of -banqueting in the halls of the Walhalia, and appropriating<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</a></span> -the skulls of his enemies as drinking -vessels; for through the influence of St. Hilda's -Abbey of Streoneshalh, in the immediate vicinity, -he had adopted the tenets of, if he did not -regulate his life altogether according to, the -principles of Christianity.</p> - -<p>Now Wada was a married man, and had a -helpmate of stature and proportions corresponding -with his own. They were a well-matched -couple, and seemed to have lived together in a state -of ordinary connubial happiness, there being but -one thing to disturb the even tenor of their lives, -and that was that the lady had to go in all sorts -of weather across a moor to milk her cows—a -long and dreary journey even in summer, along -the rough and stone strewn trackway, but more -especially in winter, when the snow was -frequently knee deep, and the bitter blasts of the -north-east wind came careering over the sea and -sweeping with relentless fury across the bleak -and shelterless moorland.</p> - -<p>Wada's Castle was a massive structure of stone, -with round-headed unglazed windows, and a -turret which commanded a fine outlook over the -sea on one side, and the moorlands and Cleveland -hills on the other. The rooms were of large size,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span> -as befitted the abode of a giant, but presented -few of the appliances of comfort that are deemed -commonplace essentials now-a-days. The walls -were of bare stone, without drapery of any kind, -and no ornamentation excepting some zigzag -mouldings; the roofs were vaulted, and in those -of large size supported at the intersections by -one or more stunted round pillars; the windows -were small, without glass, and furnished with -wooden shutters to exclude the wind and rain in -the inclement seasons of the year; and the -furniture consisted of rough-hewn deal or oaken -tables, and shapeless benches or stools, with an -oaken coffer to hold valuables, and side shelves to -hold wooden platters and vessels of earthenware. -The fire in cold weather was made on the floor, -of logs of wood or cuttings of peat, the smoke -escaping as it could through the doorways or -windows.</p> - -<p>It was in such a room as this that Wada and -his wife sat at breakfast, one rainy and boisterous -morning. After devouring an enormous quantity -of beef and swine's flesh, with manchets of oaten -bread, washed down by repeated draughts of -ale, Wada, wiping his mouth with the back of his -hand, rose and went to look forth at the weather.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[75]</a></span></p> - -<p>Wada was not a ferocious giant, dragging -along half-a-dozen damsels, with one hand, by -their hair, to immure them in his dungeons, and -grind their bones to make his bread, as was the -wont of the Cornish giants of old; nor was he, -like them, stupid and weak-minded, so as to be -easily outwitted and destroyed by the immortal -Jack. On the contrary, although valiant in war, -he abused not his great strength by tyrannising -and oppressing his vassals, lived on good terms -with his neighbours, and was gentle and tender -in all his domestic relations. Hence, when he -looked through his window and saw the sea -foaming with wrath, and a few fisher-boats tossed -about by the waves in their endeavour to gain -shelter in Whitby Bay, and saw the sleet driving -across the moor, he heaved a sigh, saying, -"Methinks, sweetheart, thou wilt have a rough -passage over the moor this morning; would to -Heaven that it were not necessary for thee so to -do." "I care not much," she replied, "for the -falling rain and the boisterous wind, rough as -they may be, but experience more inconvenience -and suffering from the roughness of the road I -have to traverse daily, so bestrewn is it -with obstacles and stumbling-blocks, and so<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[76]</a></span> -many bog-holes and quagmires have I to pass -through."</p> - -<p>Now it chanced that a short while before this -Wada, in one of his wanderings, came upon the -road constructed by the Romans, from -Eboracum, by way of Malton to the Bay of -Filey, and was struck by the facilities it gave -for travelling, as compared with the more modern -Saxon roads, if roads they could be called, which -were mere trackways, formed and trodden down -by the feet of men and animals. When his wife -made the above reply, this recurred to his -memory, and after a few minutes musing, the -thought struck him—Why should not he make a -road on this pattern for the benefit of his wife, -whom he loved so dearly, and whose toil and -labours he would be glad to lessen at any cost to -himself?</p> - -<p>After turning the matter over in his mind as -to the practicability of the project, he came to -the conclusion that it was perfectly feasible. -There was plenty of material close at hand, in -the shingle on the beach, and he had sufficient -strength and energy to level the inequalities and -fill up the boggy places, so as to make a firm -foundation, and to spread over the whole a layer<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[77]</a></span> -of the stones gathered from the sea shore. Yes; -it was perfectly practicable, and could be -accomplished at the mere expense of a little -labour. He explained the project to his wife, -who was delighted with it, and undertook to -bring up the stones whilst he placed them in -position after forming the foundation.</p> - -<p>They lost no time in commencing the work; -he with his spade in the levelling and bog-filling -operations, and she carrying up the shingle in -her apron; and it went on apace day after day -and week after week, soon presenting the -appearance of a newly macadamised road of -modern times, and was duly appreciated by Lady -Wada in her daily tramps across the moor.</p> - -<p>It chanced that when the road was nearly -completed, in one of her journeys from the beach, -laden with shingle, her apron strings gave way -and her load fell to the earth, and there it was -left (some twenty cart-loads), and remained until -recent times as a monument of her industry and -strength, and an incontestable evidence of the -truth of the narrative. It was after this that -Wada joined in the insurrection against Ethelred, -the son of Moll, who, after his restoration from -exile, put to death the Princes Alfus and Alwin,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[78]</a></span> -sons of King Alfwald, who were the rightful -heirs to the crown, and repudiated his wife to -marry Elfled, the daughter of Offa, King of -Mercia, "which things," says Speed, "sate so -neere the hearts of his subjects that they -rebelliously rose in arms, and at Cobre miserably -slew him, the 18th day of April, the yeare of -Christ Jesus, 794." After which Wada and his -confederates were defeated in battle by Duke -Ardulph, one of the aspirants to the Crown, and -fled to his castle, where he died of a terrible -disorder, and was buried, as stated, between two -huge stones.</p> - -<p>The road leading from Dunsley Bay towards -Malton still exists, and goes by the name of -"Wada's Causeway," and one of the ribs of -Wada's wife is preserved in the present Mulgrave -Castle, but the present age is so incredulous -in respect to the chronicles of the past that -there are sceptics who assert that it is nothing -more than the bone of a whale.</p> - -<p>Wada was the ancestor of the widely ramified -family of Wade, one of whom, at least—Marshal -Wade—inherited the road-making skill of his -ancestor. After the rebellion of 1715 he was -sent into the Highlands as military governor,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[79]</a></span> -with the object of thoroughly subduing the -country and rendering it less available as a place -of refuge for rebels. With this view he -constructed a series of military roads, where -there had previously been only trackways, with -which the people were so delighted that they set -up a stone near Fort Augustus, with the -inscription:—</p> - -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">"If you had seen these roads before they were made,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">You would lift up your hands and bless General Wade."<br /></span> -</div></div> - -<hr class="chap" style="page-break-after: always;" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[80]</a></span></p> - - - -<h2 style="margin-top: 3em; margin-bottom: 1.5em;"><a name="The_Virgins_Head_of_Halifax" id="The_Virgins_Head_of_Halifax">The Virgin's Head of Halifax.</a></h2> - - -<div><img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-i.jpg" -width="50" height="50" alt="Dropcap-I" /> -</div><p><span class="dropletter">I</span><span class="smcap">n</span> the romantic and somewhat sterile -region of south-western Yorkshire, -verging on the county of Lancaster, -lies a valley, or rather what has the aspect of a -valley, from its nestling under the shadows of -some hills of considerable height. On the slope -of an aclivity stands the modern town of Halifax, -with its forest of lofty chimneys, its pretty park, -and its many palatial structures, devoted to -charitable and philanthropic purposes, due -chiefly to the benevolence of the Crossleys, -who, from a humble origin, have, within the -memory of living persons, become manufacturing -princes of the locality, and who, in consideration -of their mercantile enterprise and the philanthropic -use of the wealth they have acquired, -have been honoured with a baronetcy. It is one -of the most flourishing, or what Leland would -term "quick," towns of the Yorkshire clothing -district, and in recent times has increased rapidly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[81]</a></span> -in population, wealth, and importance. It is not -even mentioned in Domesday-Book, nor does -its name appear in any record until the twelfth -century, when Earl Warren made a grant of the -church to the priory of Lewes, in Sussex. -About the middle of the fifteenth century it consisted -of but thirteen houses, which during the -following hundred years increased to 520. In -1764, the parish, which, however, is very extensive, -being seventeen miles in length by an -average width of eleven, contained 8,244 families; -and in 1811 the population numbered 73,815, -that of the town being 9,159, since which period -of eighty years it has been more than nontupled, -the census of 1891 giving the population at -82,900.</p> - -<p>The town of Halifax owes its prosperity to its -mineral wealth. It is certainly not the place for -the agriculturist or the cattle breeder. In an -Act passed <i>temp.</i> Philip and Mary, it is recited, -"whereas the parish of Halifax, being planted in -waste and moors, where the ground is not apt to -bring forth any corn or good grass, but in rare -places and by exceeding and great industry of -the inhabitants; and the same inhabitants -altogether do live by cloth making, and the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[82]</a></span> -greatest part of them neither getteth corn nor is -able to keepe horse to carry wools, etc.;" and -Camden, in 1574, observes that there are 12,000 -men in the parish, who outnumber the sheep, -whereas in other parts we find thousands of sheep -and but few men, "but of all others, nothing is so -admirable in this town as the industry of the -inhabitants, who, notwithstanding an unprofitable, -barren soil, not fit to live upon, have so -flourished in the cloth trade, which within these -seventy years they first fell to, that they are -both very rich and have gained a reputation for -it above their neighbours, which confirms the -truth of the old observation that a barren -country is a great whet to the industry of the -natives."</p> - -<p>For the first three or four centuries after the -Conquest, England was a great wool-growing -but not a wool-manufacturing country. Sheep-breeding -was a great source of income to the -Cistercians, who, with all the private wool-growers, -exported their produce to the spinners and -weavers of the Low Countries. It was not until -King Edward III., with great sagacity, foreseeing -that England might manufacture as well -as produce the raw material, and thus share in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[83]</a></span> -the profits arising out of that industry, invited -over a number of Flemish artisans and settled -them in Norfolk and Yorkshire, prohibiting the -exportation of wool excepting under a tax of 50s. -per pack. This was the foundation of the -clothing industry of the West Riding, which has -since then expanded so enormously; and Halifax -was one of the first places to apply itself to the -spinning and weaving of wool. As stated above, -although poverty-stricken in an agricultural -point of view, it possessed great mineral wealth -in the shape of almost limitless deposits of coal, -which was a valuable essential even in those -primitive times, but which has become an absolute -essential since the introduction of steam-power -looms.</p> - -<p>It is supposed that the manufacture was -introduced into Halifax about the year 1414; -but it was then on a very limited scale, and it -was not until the beginning of the eighteenth -century that the first great advance took place, -by the erection of looms for the weaving of -shalloons, everlastings, moreens, shags, etc., since -which time damasks, and more recently still, -carpets, have taken prominent places in the -industries of the town; indeed, Halifax has<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[84]</a></span> -absorbed a considerable portion of the trade -which belongs legitimately to Kidderminster.</p> - -<p>Although the town of Halifax is of comparatively -modern origin, the name is unmistakably -Saxon, indicating that previously to the Conquest -there was a village or hamlet of some description -to which that appellation was given. One tradition -asserts that there was a hermitage dedicated -to St. John the Baptist, in the valley, and that -within it was preserved the face of the saint, -which attracted vast numbers of pilgrims, and -caused the name of the place of resort to be called -Hali-fax, or Holy-face; and there may possibly -be some substratum of truth in this, as the parish -church is dedicated to the same saint. Dr. -Whitaker partially adopts this theory, but his -etymologies are frequently rather fanciful. He -refers to this hermitage of St. John, "whose -imagined sanctity attracted a great concourse of -people in every direction, to accommodate whom -there were four separate roads from different -points of the compass, which converged in the -valley, and hence the name Halifax, which is half -Saxon and half Norman, signifying the Holy-ways, -fax in Norman-French being an old plural -noun, denoting highways."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[85]</a></span></p> - -<p>Camden gives a brief outline of the legend -given below, which he heard from the people of -the vicinity, adding—"and thus the little village -of Horton, or as it was sometimes called, 'The -Chapel in the Grove,' grew up to a large town, -assuming the new name of Halig-fax, or Halifax, -which signifies holy hair, for fax is used by the -English on the other side Trent to signify hair, -and that the noble family of Fairfax in these -parts are so named from their fair hair."</p> - -<p>That the valley was esteemed a place of -peculiar sanctity in the early ages is a matter of -which there can be little doubt, and this is -sufficiently evidenced by one fact alone. Within -its precincts was born, about the end of the -twelfth or beginning of the thirteenth century, -John, the foremost mathematician of the age, -author of "Tractatus de Sphæri Mundi," "De -Computo Ecclesiastes," and "De Algorismo," -who was honoured with a public funeral at the -expense of the University of Paris, who assumed -the name of Johannes de Sancto Bosco, or John -of the Holy Wood. And here it may be -incidentally noticed that the Holy Wood has -since then produced other men upon whom the -mantle of Johannes seems to have fallen. Here<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[86]</a></span> -was born, in 1556, Henry Briggs, the eminent -mathematician; Gresham, Professor of Geometry, -Savilian Professor at Oxford, and author of -"Arithmetica Logarithmica," an improvement -on Napier, containing logarithms of 30,000 -natural numbers; Jesse Ramsden, the famous -optician, and improver of the Hadley quadrant, -who died <span class="smcap">A.D.</span> 1800; and at Horton, seven miles -distant, Abraham Sharpe, one of the best -mathematicians and astronomers of his time, who -died in 1742.</p> - -<p>The shadows of evening were falling upon the -valley, and the outlines of the rugged, verdureless -hills were gradually becoming more and -more indistinct, as Father Aelred, having passed -out of his little chapel of St. John the Baptist, -where he had been performing the vesper service, -proceeded to his lonely habitation, and after a -simple meal of wild fruits and a draught of water -from the little streamlet trickling down the -hillside, sat him down to read for the hundredth -time a transcript of a portion of Cædmon's -Scriptural poems, after which he spent some time -in prayer and self-communion, and then cast -himself upon his sackcloth, which was spread -over a layer of rough gravel, to slumber for a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[87]</a></span> -short time, in this mortifying and penitential -fashion, to rise again at midnight for other -devotional exercises.</p> - -<p>Father Aelred was a man of thirty or thirty-five -years of age, of pale countenance and -emaciated frame, with sunken eyes and hollow -voice, the result of rigorous fasting, long vigils, -mortification of the flesh, and severe penitential -exercises. In his boyhood he had been regarded, -from his gravity of aspect, love of learning, and -incipient piety, as one who was destined to -become a light of the church of the coming -generation, and was sent for his education to the -famous School of Streoneshalh, established by -the Lady Hilda, and at that time under the -superintendence of her successor, the Princess -Elfleda, where he imbibed Scriptural instruction -from the lips of the then venerable Cædmon, a -monk of the house. He became a novice of the -house, passed the requisite examinations satisfactorily, -and was in due course admitted as a -fully accredited member of the fraternity. The -strictness of his piety was such that he shortly -found the life of a monk not to answer his -longings for a higher life of holiness and a -position where he could be of service to the souls<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[88]</a></span> -of his fellowmen. He therefore left the shelter -of Whitby, and wandered about for some weeks, -until he came into the wild and barren-looking -mountainous district of the west, and finding -there a secluded valley, shut in by towering hills -and frowning rocks—a spot with a very sparse -and scattered population, and removed far away -from the noise and turmoil of the world—he -resolved to make it his home, and to settle down -in it as a hermit, shutting out all intercourse -with his fellowmen and women, save in the way -of imparting spiritual teaching and consolation to -the few simple unsophisticated rustics who dwelt -in the valley. He found a cavern in the -hillside, which he enlarged and fashioned into a -habitation wherein to live; fitting the entrance -with a door, to shelter him from the cold winter -winds and prevent the intrusion of wild animals, -above which he made an orifice for the admission -of light, which he glazed with a thinly scraped -sheet of horn, such as King Alfred's lanterns -were made of, and furnished the interior with -two sections of a tree trunk, the larger to serve -as a table, the smaller as a seat; a shelf on which -he kept his eatables, with a knife, an earthen -platter, and a drinking horn, a piece of rough<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[89]</a></span> -sackcloth for his bed, and over it, fixed to the -rock, a roughly-shapen cross, the emblem of his -faith, beside which hung a knotted rope for the -purpose of penitential flagellation. At a few -rods distance he erected with his own hands, from -timber cut by himself, a small chapel—a temple -of God, sufficiently rude and unpretentious in -point of architecture, but answering every -purpose for which it was intended, that of a place -of assembly for the simple and unlettered people of -the valley, where they might join in the worship -of God; and here Aelred every evening performed -divine service and catechised the small flock of -which he had constituted himself the pastor, and -on Sundays performed three full services, with a -sermon and the administration of the sacrament of -the Lord's Supper. And thus he came to be -looked upon in the district as a most holy man, as -indeed he was, and but little below a saint, who -might be expected any day to commence the -working of miracles, in the cure of the sick and -afflicted.</p> - -<p>There was one peculiarity about Aelred's -character, which amounted almost to a monomania. -He entertained a shrinking horror of -fair-featured, beautiful women—not that there<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[90]</a></span> -were many such in his solitary valley, they being, -as a rule, embrowned by exposure to the sun, and -their features corrugated by marks of rough toil -and the troubles of life even from girlhood, and as -such they experienced his sympathy and -Christian charity; and the little children were -always treated by him with tenderness and love, -in imitation of his Divine Master, who had said -"for of such is the kingdom of Heaven." But -for the vain and frivolous of the sex, who seemed -to deem nothing of supreme importance save the -adornment of their persons, he felt profound scorn -and contempt, mixed with a modicum of pity, -and marvelled why they were sent into the world -at all, unless, it might be, to test the virtue of -man by the temptation of their fascinating allurements.</p> - -<p>It happened, however, that not far distant a -benevolent and wealthy lady had established a -religious home for females. It was not exactly a -nunnery, although it possessed many of the -features of one, the inmates not being debarred -from matrimony, although absolute chastity was -an essential while resident there; nor were they -garbed in unbecoming costumes, nor compelled to -sacrifice that pride and ornament of woman, her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[91]</a></span> -hair; besides which they were allowed a certain -amount of liberty in the way of visiting their -friends, which was not accorded to a regular -nun. The ladies of this establishment were wont -to go to Father Aelred to confess their little -peccadilloes, to which he saw no reasonable -objection, as they were generally very homely, -ill-favoured specimens of the sex, as is usually -the case with the inmates of nunneries, and thus -were in no way perilous to his chaste soul and -holy communings. Had they been otherwise, it is -probable that he might have declined the office -of father confessor to them, and closed the door of -St. John's Chapel against their intrusion.</p> - -<p>It is a well-known psychological fact that the -body and the mind act and re-act upon each other -to their respective well-being or detriment, and -that if the one is neglected or abused the other -suffers in proportion; and this fact was evidenced -in the case of Father Aelred. As we have -observed, he was a man of intense and fervid -piety, the whole of his thoughts being concentrated -on one sole object—the salvation of his -own soul and that of his fellow-creatures. Hence -he fasted for prolonged periods, denied himself a -sufficient measure of sleep, such as nature<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[92]</a></span> -demanded, subjected himself to severe self-flagellations, -and in other ways outraged nature, -fancying that by these mortifications of the flesh -he was promoting the health of his soul. But -the laws of nature are never broken with -impunity, and he had to pay the penalty; instead -of invigorating he impaired the powers of the -spiritual portion of his dual entity, which, -although distinct from, is essentially interwoven -with the material half. At first he merely -experienced lassitude, depression of spirits, and a -harassing dread that after all his religious -aspirations and rigid observance of the duties of -the Church, he might find himself cast into the -bottomless pit at last. These were followed by -distressing dreams and visions of the Judgment -Day, the frown and sentence of the arbiter of his -eternal destiny, and the jeering scoffs of the -enemy of souls, as he passed into the region of -everlasting weeping and wailing. Deeming these -to be proofs of the weakness of his faith and the -languor of his religious life, he was led to redouble -the rigour of his asceticism, the natural result -being to intensify the malady he sought to cure. -From seeing fearful visions in his dreams at -night, he began to see horrible figures of demons<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[93]</a></span> -by day, who crowded about him, with scoffing -grimaces and leering looks, sometimes, as it -seemed to his ears, as if uttering threats and -sarcastic allusions to his assumed piety, or anon -indulging in demoniac yells of laughter. Of -course he attributed all these to the machinations -of the devil, and prayed for deliverance from -them; but he was haunted by them day and -night, with increasing persistency, until at length -the sanity of his mind gave way, and he became -in fact a maniac, not, however, so pronounced as -to render it evident to others, or prevent his -performance of his priestly offices, nor did he -relax his private devotional exercises.</p> - -<p>On the evening above mentioned, when the -holy father returned home from the chapel and -sat down to the perusal of the transcript of -Cædmon, which he had brought from Whitby, he -was particularly disturbed in mind, and could not -concentrate his thoughts upon what he was -reading, which perpetually recurred at the -evening service in the chapel and the advent of a -new member of his congregation; besides which -an imp had squatted himself on the table -opposite him, and sat there grinning at him in a -most diabolical fashion. It was the usual custom<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[94]</a></span> -of the sisterhood of the religious house of which -mention has been made to attend his evening -service; and on this occasion a new member of -the sisterhood was present for the first time. -She had been just admitted as a novice, and was -young and beautiful, with the fair, clear -complexion, blue eyes, and long flaxen hair of the -Anglian race, a striking contrast to the elderly, -homely featured spinsters whom she accompanied. -The moment he caught sight of her face, Aelred -experienced a species of fascination, similar to -that of the bird in the presence of the serpent, -and although he battled with the feeling, he -could not shake it off. To his eyes, she seemed -like an angel come down from heaven, and the -more he struggled to avert his thoughts from -contemplating her celestial beauty, the more he -felt impelled to turn his eyes again and again to -where she sat. He felt it was wrong, so he -brought the service to an abrupt close and -hastened home to purify his soul, by prayer, from -what he deemed the lust of the eye. But the -vision was ever present in his mind's eye, so -much so that he scarcely heeded or was conscious -of the grinning imp on the table. He had -retired to his sackcloth couch, after a wholesome<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[95]</a></span> -application of the knotted rope and a prolonged -prayer before the cross, and eventually fell asleep, -but his dreams were all of the fair vision he had -seen in the chapel, and for that night he was not -haunted by his usual demon visitants.</p> - -<p>A few days afterwards the Mother Superior of -the little convent came to the chapel for -confession, and brought with her her new -daughter, to whom she introduced Aelred as her -future father confessor, and it was with a strange -unusual throbbing of his heart that he looked -upon her fair form, as she bowed herself beneath -his paternal greeting; but when he listened to her -soft, silvery accents as she told him in confession -her little sins of thought, his heart softened -as it had never done before to any woman. These -feelings, however, involuntary as they were, -caused him much alarm, and he strove to banish -them as being perilous to his soul, but it was -impossible to drive the fair, and as he thought, -angelic, image from his mind. A week passed -by, to him a week of sad spiritual tribulation, for -when in prayer his mind wandered away; nor -was he able to fix his thoughts in contemplation, -the angelic vision ever rising up to distract and -perplex him.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[96]</a></span></p> - -<p>One day when she came to confess she said to -him—"Holy father, I have fallen into grievous -sin; I have made the probationary vow of -abstraction from the world and of devotion to the -sole service of God." "That is well, my -daughter," said Aelred; "persevere in that -resolution, and God will bless you both now and -for ever." "But, father," she continued, "I -have suffered a fearful lapse; I have looked back -upon the world, and have almost regretted -having taken the vows." "Backsliding," said -Aelred in reply, "is, as you term it, a grievous -sin; but it is remediable by prayer, penitence, -and fasting. But tell me more in detail the evil -thoughts which have assailed your soul." "I -almost fear to tell you," she answered. "Then -can I not advise you in the matter excepting in -general terms. Confide in me; it is but speaking -to God through me, and he will inspire me with -words of remedial comfort; otherwise I cannot -grant absolution."</p> - -<p>Thus urged, she stated that previously to -entering the convent she scarcely knew what the -passion of love meant, but since then it had -sprung up in her heart with a vehemence that it -seemed to be impossible to suppress. She had seen<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[97]</a></span> -one since she came into the valley, a pious and -godly man, who had at the first sight animated -her breast with the passion in so intense a degree -that it glowed and raged within her like a -furnace. The holy man at once concluded that -he himself was the person she referred to, and he -felt his heart beating wildly with an hitherto -unexperienced emotion, and at the same time his -brow became bedewed with perspiration, caused -by an apprehensive terror of the dangerous -position in which he found himself placed. He -stood silent and almost paralysed, looking down -upon her with fearful forebodings as to what she -would confess further, when she, wondering at his -silence, cast a furtive glance upward from her -hitherto downcast eyes. Everyone knows that -there is wondrous eloquence in the glance of a -female eye, and as her's met his, he felt at once -that it meant impassioned love—lawless love, -and it stirred up within his disordered mind all -the narrow bigotry of his sentiments in respect -to sexual love. He still stood silently gazing -upon her, when all at once a fearful idea flashed -across his mind, which caused him to pass at -once from a person of slightly distempered -intellect into a perfect madman. The idea was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[98]</a></span> -that the girl before him was none other than -Satan himself, who, not having been able to -tempt him to sin by means of his imps in their -repulsive demoniac forms, had assumed the -semblance of a lovely virgin to allure him to -carnal sin. Rising up to his full height, with -eyeballs glaring and features distorted with -indignant rage, he cried, "Satan, I know thee, -and I defy thee; but no more shalt thou tempt -man in that shape at least," and with that he dealt -her a violent blow, and she fell senseless on the -floor. "Ah!" cried he, "thou hast found thy -match in me, but my work is not yet completed; -thy head shall be placed aloft as a warning to -others," and with that he procured a knife and -severed her head from her body, which he then -took out and fixed on the trunk of a yew tree, just -where it begins to ramify, and when that was -completed he rushed up the mountain with wild -shouts of triumph and maniacal gesticulations.</p> - -<p>The young novice not returning to the -convent, search was made for her, and her headless -body was discovered in the chapel, lying in a -pool of blood, but it was not until the following -day that the head was found fixed in the yew -tree. On attempting to remove it, it was found<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[99]</a></span> -that the long hair had taken root in the tree -trunk, and was spreading downwards in thin filaments, -and as this was looked on as a miracle, it -was left there. Suspicion of the murder attached -itself to the hermit-priest, and as he had been -seen going up the mountain in a distraught state -of mind, search was made for him in that direction, -and his body was found at the foot of a precipice -down which he had fallen, but whether through -accident or for the purpose of suicide could never -be known.</p> - -<p>Camden says—"Her head was hung upon an -ew-tree, where it was reputed holy by the vulgar, -till quite rotten, and was visited in pilgrimage by -them, every one picking off a branch of the tree -as a holy relique. By this means the tree -became at last a mere trunk, but still retained its -reputation of sanctity among the people, who -believed that those little veins, which are spread -out like hair in the rind between the bark -and the body of the tree, were indeed the very -hair of the virgin. This occasioned such resort -of pilgrims to it that Horton, from a little village -grew up to a large town, assuming the name of -Halig-fax, or Halifax, which signifies holy hair."</p> - -<hr class="chap" style="page-break-after: always;" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[100]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 style="margin-top: 3em; margin-bottom: 1.5em;"><a name="The_Dead_Arm_of_St_Oswald_the_King" id="The_Dead_Arm_of_St_Oswald_the_King">The Dead Arm of St. Oswald the King.</a></h2> - - -<div><img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-t.jpg" -width="51" height="50" alt="Dropcap-T" /> -</div><p><span class="dropletter">T</span><span class="smcap">he</span> Anglian kingdom of Northumbria, -of which York was the capital, -presented in the seventh century one -almost continuous series of battles and murders, -massacres of the people, and desolation of the -land. Ethelfrid, grandson of Ida, founder of the -kingdom of Bernicia, and Eadwine, son of Ælla, -founder of that of Deira, succeeded their fathers -in their respective kingdoms about the same -time; but the former, who had married Acca, -Eadwine's sister, usurped his brother-in-law's -throne and drove him into exile, who afterwards, -by the assistance of Redwald, King of the -East Angles, in the year 617, defeated and -slew Ethelfrid in battle, and became King of -Northumbria and eighth Bretwalda, or paramount -monarch of Britain. He was converted -to Christianity, and Penda, the pagan King of -Mercia, in order to extirpate the heretical -religion, invaded Northumbria, and defeated<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[101]</a></span> -Eadwine at Hethfield, who was slain in the fight. -This happened in 633, and Penda then went into -East Anglia on the same mission, leaving -Cadwalla, a Welsh Prince, his ally, although a -Christian, as Governor of Northumbria, who -made York his headquarters, and ruled the -people, especially those who had embraced -Christianity and were the most devoted adherents -of the family of Eadwine, with the most ruthless -barbarity. On the death of Ethelfrid, his sons, -Eanfrid and Oswald, fled into Scotland along -with Osric, son of Ælfrid, King Eadwine's uncle, -where they had been converted to Christianity -under the teaching of the monks of Iona, or, as -Speed puts it, "had bin secured in Scotland all -his (Eadwine's) reigne, and among the Red-shanks -liued as banished men, where they learned -the true Religion of Christ, and had receiued the -lauer of Baptisme." On hearing of the death of -Eadwine, they returned to Northumbria, were -welcomed by the people, and assumed the crowns—Osric -of Deira, and Eanfrid of Bernicia. -Cadwalla was still, however, potent in Northumbria, -holding York and tyrannising over the -people, and they were scarcely seated on their -thrones when he slew Osric in battle, and caused<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[102]</a></span> -Eanfrid to be put to death when he came before -him to sue for peace. Seeing that Christianity -was almost extinct in the land, the people having -reverted to the old faith, they both deemed it -expedient to renounce Christianity and restore -the worship of Woden, respecting which Bede -says, "To this day that year (the year during -which they reigned) is looked upon as unhappy -and hateful to all good men; as well on account -of the apostasy of the English Kings, who had -renounced the faith, as of the outrageous tyranny -of the British King. Hence it has been agreed -by all who have written about the reigns of the -Kings to abolish the memory of these perfidious -Monarchs, and to assign that year to the reign -of the following King, Oswald, a man beloved of -God."</p> - -<p>Oswald was an altogether different man from -his brother Eanfrid, a man of genuine faith, who -had imbibed the true principles of Christianity, -sincere in his devotions, and prepared to undergo -any suffering, even death itself, rather than -apostatise from what he was fully convinced was -the truth. On the death of his brother he -collected around him a small army of devoted -followers, and with these advanced to meet<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[103]</a></span> -Cadwalla, relying on the justice of his cause, the -bravery of his handful of men, and the assistance -of God. He set up his standard, a cross, -emblematic of his faith, at Denisbourne, near -Hagulstad (Hexham), "and this done," says -Bede, "raising his voice, he cried to his army, -'Let us all kneel and jointly beseech the true -and living God Almighty, in his mercy, to defend -us, from the haughty and fierce enemy, for he -knows that we have undertaken a just war for -the safety of our nation.' All did as he had -commanded, and accordingly, advancing towards -the enemy with the first dawn of day, they -obtained the victory, as their faith deserved." -He adds, "In that place of prayer very many -miraculous cures have been performed, as a token -and memorial of the King's faith, for even to this -day many are wont to cut off small chips from -the wood of the holy Cross, which being put into -water, men or cattle drinking thereof or -sprinkled with that water are immediately -restored to health." He then gives some -instances, one of Bothelme, a brother of the -church of Hagulstad, which was afterwards built -on the spot, who broke his arm by falling on the -ice, causing "a most raging pain," when he was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[104]</a></span> -given a portion of moss from the then old cross, -which he placed in his bosom, and went to bed -forgetting that he had it, but "awaking in the -middle of the night, he felt something cold lying -by his side, and putting his hand to feel what it -was, he found his arm and hand as sound as if he -had never felt any such pain."</p> - -<p>Cadwalla was utterly defeated and slain, and -his vast army (vast as compared with Oswald's -small band of heroes) cut to pieces and dispersed. -Having thus freed his country from the one disturbing -element, he applied himself to its -regeneration and restoration from anarchy and -desolation to peace and good order. First and -foremost, his object was the re-conversion of his -people from the paganism into which they had -lapsed, to Christianity, and to light afresh the -lamp of truth, which had been almost altogether -extinguished through the vigorous zeal of Penda -on behalf of his ancestral gods of the north. -With this object in view he sent to Iona for -missionaries, to preach and teach throughout -Northumbria, and Aidan was sent at the head of -a body of monks, whose headquarters were fixed -on the island of Lindisfarne, as resembling that -of Iona, from whence they came, hoping to make<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[105]</a></span> -it, like the latter, a centre of evangelical light to -the mainland of Northumbria. Here they lived -under the rule of Columba, the founder of Iona, -in monastic seclusion, when at home, which was -but seldom, as they were constantly on foot, staff in -hand, tramping about through forests and moors -and wild places of Oswald's kingdom. The King -created a bishopric, to comprehend the whole of -his territories, and constituted Aidan the first -Bishop, who, it is said—such was the zeal of his -subaltern monkish priests—baptised 15,000 -converts in seven days. Besides this, the King -caused churches and monasteries to be erected in -various parts of his realm, and completed the -church which King Eadwine had commenced at -York, the forerunner of the magnificent fane -which now adorns that city and is one of the -most glorious specimens of Gothic architecture in -England. Nor was Oswald less active in civil -and secular matters, and in promoting the welfare -of his people. He governed his kingdom with -great wisdom and prudence, and under his peaceful -sceptre the land was rapidly recovering from -the effects of Cadwalla's desolating hand. He -was the fifth King of Deira, ninth of Bernicia, -third of Northumbria, and the ninth Bretwalda<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[106]</a></span> -or Supreme King of the island, "at which times -the whole Iland flourished both with peace and -plenty, and acknowledged their subjection vnto -King Oswald. For, as Bede reporteth, all the -nations of Britannie which spake foure languages, -that is to say, Britaines, Red-shankes, Scots, and -Englishmen, became subject vnto him. And yet -being aduanced to so Royall Majesty, he was -notwithstanding (which is maruellous to be -reported), lowly to all; gracious to the poore, -and bountifull to strangers."</p> - -<p>It was a cold spring day; the sun shone -brightly, but imparted little warmth; the trees -were leafless, and the early flowers looked sickly -and languid, the effect of a long continuance of -north-easterly winds, which on this particular -day came coursing over the ocean, and were -roystering with boisterous glee and in fearful -gusts round the towers of Bamborough Castle, -and through the openings in the walls which -served the purpose of the glazed windows of after-times. -It was Easter-tide, and here King -Oswald had come from York, where he had kept -his Court, to celebrate this important festival of -the Church in the ancestral castle of his race. -The feast was laid in the banqueting-room, a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[107]</a></span> -tolerably large but gloomy and, to nineteenth -century eyes, a wretchedly appointed apartment, -with but few of the appliances of modern comfort. -A fire of wood burnt on the hearth, the smoke at -times passing up the wide chimney, at others -driven inward by a down-current of the wind, and -sent in curling wreaths along the vaulted roof. -The room was lighted by means of narrow recessed -openings and arrow slits, useful in times of siege, -but inconveniently narrow for the admission of -light, yet wide enough to afford free entrance to -the chilling wind. The walls were of bare stones, -and the furniture a table of rough planks running -down the centre, with a smaller cross table, on a -sort of dais. At the latter table were seated -King Oswald, with his Queen Kineburga, -daughter of Kingils, the sixth monarch and first -Christian King of the West Saxons, on the one -hand, and Bishop Aidan on the other. Along the -other table sat some nobles and thegns, three or -four of the monks of Lindisfarne, and below these -the house carles and outdoor retainers of the -King's household. On the cross table was placed -a large silver dish filled with venison, wild boar's -flesh, and other dainties; and distributed down -the long table were earthen dishes containing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[108]</a></span> -meat of various kinds, wooden platters and -knives, with drinking horns, and small loaves -of barley bread; and on the table stood flagons -of ale that had been brewed specially for the -festival.</p> - -<p>At the King's request the Bishop pronounced -benediction on the food, with special reference -to Him in whose memory the festival was -celebrated, and who alone could administer the -bread of life. He had scarcely finished, and the -guests were beginning to handle their knives -preparatory to an attack on the smoking viands, -which gave forth a most appetising odour, when -a sound as of a multitude of persons outside -attracted their notice, and immediately after -voices were heard: "In the name of Him who -rose from the tomb this blessed morning, give us -whereof to eat, that we starve not and die by the -wayside." The King sent one of his house carles -out to inquire who and what they were, who -presently returned, saying that they were a band -of some dozen mendicants, formerly well-to-do -husbandmen, and their families, whose homes and -crops had been destroyed by Cadwalla's followers, -and that they were utterly destitute, deprived of -the means of living, and dependent on charity for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[109]</a></span> -food until they could find means to replace -themselves on their farms.</p> - -<p>"Unfortunate creatures," exclaimed the King; -"a fearful retribution awaits that so-called -Christian prince in that world to which his -crimes have sent him through our instrumentality -by God's providence;" and, taking up -the large silver dish, continued, "It is better -that we celebrate not this festival, than that the -poor of our realm die of starvation. Take this, -Wilfrid, and portion out its contents among the -famishing crowd, and when they have eaten, cut -up the dish and distribute the fragments, that -they may have the wherewithal to procure food -on the morrow." Aidan, the Bishop, who was -afterwards canonised, was struck with admiration -at the pious and charitable act of the King, -which he warmly applauded; and taking hold of -his right arm, prayed that that arm and hand -which had passed forth the dish might never -become corrupt, but for ever remain fresh, in -token and remembrance of this pious act of self-abnegation; -and instead of feasting, this Easter -day was spent by Oswald, his Queen, and the -Bishop in fasting and prayer.</p> - -<p>Penda, the pagan King of Mercia, was still<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[110]</a></span> -living, and still as inveterately hostile to the new -heresy as when he had made his raid on -Northumbria, and trampled it out by the defeat -and death of the Royal convert of Paulinus; and -now, when Oswald had been eight years on the -throne; had brought his kingdom, by wisdom -and good government, into a condition of peace -and prosperity; and had re-established Christianity -on a sure and firm basis, he heard with some -dismay that the heathen King was muttering -threats against him, and gathering his forces -together for another invasion, and a second -suppression of the religion that sought the -dethronement of Woden as the god of heaven. -Yet although he heard these tidings with dismay, -he felt assured of the Divine protection, remembering -how signally he had defeated Cadwalla -by fighting under the standard of the Cross, -despite the disparity of numbers. He remembered, -too, what miseries were inflicted on the -Northumbrians by the marching of hostile bands -to and fro, leaving, as they usually did, a desert -behind them strewn with the corpses of men, -women, and children; and he determined that, -rather than allow his people to be subjected again -to these sufferings, he would be beforehand with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[111]</a></span> -the enemy and carry the war, with its resultant -ravages, into his own land. He therefore hastily -assembled his fighting men, and again uplifting -the standard of the Cross marched into Mercia, -his troops, like those of Cromwell a thousand -years afterwards, singing psalms and anthems as -they passed along.</p> - -<p>Penda had collected together a large army, -and the rival hosts met at Masserfield, in the -modern Shropshire. They rushed towards each -other in mortal conflict, the one with shouts of -"Hallelujah!" the other with cries of "Aid us, -great Woden, thou mighty god of battle!" The -fight was long and obstinately contested, and -victory seemed to waver from one side to the -other until towards evening, when an arrow -struck Oswald and he fell to the ground, although -not mortally wounded; but a cry arose amongst -his followers that he was slain, and, thinking that -their God had deserted them, they were stricken -with panic, threw down their arms, and fled in -every direction, hotly pursued by the Mercians, -who mercilessly killed all the fugitives whom -they overtook.</p> - -<p>Although stricken down and faint from loss of -blood, Oswald still lived, and witnessed with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[112]</a></span> -anguish of mind the cowardly and ignominious -flight of his army. The Mercians came over the -field, killing those of the fallen who were merely -wounded; but when they came to Oswald they -spared him, whom they had recognised, and -brought him, with staggering steps and downcast -heart, into the presence of their chief.</p> - -<p>"Thou art he, then," said Penda, addressing -him, "who darest to invade my dominions—the -dominions of a descendant of Woden—thou, -a worshipper of false gods!"</p> - -<p>"It is even I," replied Oswald, in a weak -voice; "I, Oswald, King of the Northumbrians, -successor to the sainted Eadwine, who is now -standing by the throne of the one true God, -Jehovah, the God whom I worship, on whose -arm I put my trust, and who, if He, in His -inscrutable providence, hath delivered me up to -thy cruel behests, will save my soul, that portion -of me, my real self, which thou cannot touch, and -bring me to dwell with Him for ever, in that -heaven which thou canst never reach, unless thou -repentest and abandonest thy false demon-gods, -who can only conduct thee to the flames of -hell."</p> - -<p>"Blaspheming heretic," cried Penda, "I care<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[113]</a></span> -not for the heaven thou speakest of; sufficient for -me will be the Halls of Walhalla, where, amid -everlasting banqueting, I will use thy skull as -my drinking-cup. Still, I will give thee one -chance of life. Renounce thy false god; restore -the worship of Woden in Northumbria, and thou -shalt be replaced on thy throne as my tributary, -whilst I, as monarch of Mercia, Northumbria, -and East Anglia, extending from the Thames to -the Forth, and from sea to sea, shall become the -Bretwalda of Britain."</p> - -<p>"Never, O King," replied Oswald "will I -prove recreant to the truth. Thou mayest rend -my sceptre from my grasp; thou mayest slay my -kindred and massacre my people; thou mayest -torture me, and put an end to my temporal -existence; but never will I renounce that faith -which affords me a secure hope of everlasting -blessedness, whilst thou, if thou continuest the -instrument of false gods, shalt be weeping and -gnashing thy teeth in the torments of the bottomless -pit."</p> - -<p>"Then," roared out Penda, "thy death be on -thy own head. Soldiers, hew the blasphemer -to pieces!" And immediately he was stricken -by half-a-dozen swords, and fell exclaiming,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[114]</a></span> -"Lord Jesus, into thy hands I commend my -soul."</p> - -<p>The ferocious pagan, kicking the body with -his foot as the last insult, gave directions for it to -be cut into fragments, and scattered abroad to be -devoured by birds of prey and the wild beasts of -the forest; and his behests were at once carried -into execution. And the birds and the beasts -gathered together to the horrible carnival, and -soon there was nothing left but the bare bones, -saving one arm, which none of them would touch, -and it remained entire and perfect as in life.</p> - -<p>Some time after the battle of Masserfield the -arm of the King was found, fresh and undecayed, -and was conveyed to Northumbria and -deposited in a magnificent shrine, where it -remained uncorrupted for nine centuries, at first -in the chapel of St. Peter, Bamborough Castle, -and afterwards, when the Danes began to ravage -the coast, in the monastery of Peterborough, -whither it was removed, as Ingulphus informs us, -for safety. The scattered bones were afterwards -collected, by the pious care of Offryd, Oswald's -niece, the daughter of Oswy, the illegitimate -half-brother of Oswald, his successor on the throne -of Northumbria, and slayer of Penda in battle.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[115]</a></span> -She had become Queen of Mercia by her -marriage with Ethelred, son and successor of -Penda, who, after his father's death, had -embraced Christianity. She placed the relics in -the monastery of Bardney, in Lincolnshire, and -his "standard of gold and purple over the -shrine;" but when the Danes became troublesome -in Lindsey they were removed to Gloucester, -"and there, in the north side of the vpper end of -the quire of the cathedrall church, continueth a -faire monument of him, with a chappell set -betwixt two pillers in the same church." At all -these places—Masserfield, afterwards called -Oswestry, after the martyr; at the place of -burial of the relics; and at the shrines of the -uncorrupted arm—throughout those nine hundred -years some most wonderful miracles were -performed, which are duly recorded in the pages -of Bede and other writers; even a few grains of -the dust which settled on the shrine of the arm, -when mixed with water and drunk, were a -sovereign specific for almost any disease.</p> - -<p>Winwick, in Lancashire, disputes with -Oswestry the claim of having been the place of -St. Oswald's death, as there is St. Oswald's Well -there; and from an inscription in the church it<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[116]</a></span> -appears to have been anciently called Masserfelte; -moreover there is a tradition that he had a -palace there, which was within his dominions, -although his usual places of residence were -Bamborough and occasionally York.</p> - -<p>The village of Oswaldkirk, near Helmsley, -derives its name from him, and there are several -churches in Yorkshire and elsewhere dedicated to -him.</p> - -<hr class="chap" style="page-break-after: always;" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[117]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 style="margin-top: 3em; margin-bottom: 1.5em;"><a name="The_Translation_of_St_Hilda" id="The_Translation_of_St_Hilda">The Translation of St. Hilda.</a></h2> - - -<div><img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-s.jpg" -width="50" height="50" alt="Dropcap-S" /> -</div><p><span class="dropletter">S</span><span class="smcap">t.</span> Hilda was the nursing-mother of the -infant Saxon Church; the instructress -of Bishops; the preceptrix of scholars -and learned men; and the patroness of Cædmon, -the first Saxon Christian poet—the Milton of his -age. The Abbey over which she ruled with so -much piety and prudence was, during her life and -afterwards, one of the great centres of civilization -and Christian light of the kingdom of Northumbria, -and diffused its rays, beaming with celestial -radiance, even beyond the bounds of that great -northern monarchy.</p> - -<p>She was a scion of the royal race of Ælla, the -founder of the kingdom of Deira, or Southern -Northumbria; the daughter of Hererick (nephew -of Eadwine, King of Northumbria), by his wife -the Lady Breguswith; was born in the year 614, -and died in 680. She was converted to Christianity -by the preaching of Paulinus, and was -baptised along with her great-uncle and his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[118]</a></span> -court, in 627. Six years afterwards Eadwine -was slain in battle by Penda, the heathen King -of Mercia, and the nascent religion of Christianity -stamped out, Paulinus flying for shelter with the -widowed Queen and her children, to the court of -her brother, the King of Kent. What became -of Hilda during this period of anarchy we know -not; but it seems evident that the afflictions and -persecutions she underwent served only to deepen -her faith and cause her to cling more closely to -the Cross of Christ.</p> - -<p>In 647, when she was thirty-three years of age, -she resolved upon devoting her life entirely to the -service of God, and with that view journeyed into -East Anglia, where her nephew Heresuid reigned -as King, and where her cousin, the pious Anne, -resided. Her intention was to proceed hence to -Chelles, in France, to join her sister, St. Herewide, -who had retired to a nunnery there; but for -some reason or other she lingered for twelve -months in East Anglia. At the end of this -period she was granted a plot of land on the -Wear, upon which she erected a small house and -resided there, in modest seclusion, for the space -of a year, when the fame of her piety having -spread abroad, she was appointed Abbess of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[119]</a></span> -Hartlepool, a nunnery founded by Hein, the -first woman who assumed the nun's habit in -Northumbria, and who had now retired to the -nunnery of Calcaceaster (Tadcaster). In her new -capacity she set about her work with devoted -zeal, regulating the discipline, reforming abuses, -promulgating new and wholesome rules, and -enforcing a strict attention to religious duties, in -which she was aided by the counsels of her friend -Aidan, Bishop of Lindisfarne, who, at the -instance of King Oswald, had come from Iona to -re-convert his subjects to the faith which had -been trampled out by Penda.</p> - -<p>In the year 642, Oswald, the second founder of -Christianity in Northumbria, fell, like his -predecessor Eadwine, under the ferocious sword -of Penda, and was succeeded by Oswy in Bernicia, -and Oswine in Deira; but in 650, Oswy caused -the king of Deira to be murdered, and assumed -the sceptre of Northumbria, north and south. -Five years after this, Penda, with unabated zeal -for his god—Woden—again made an inroad into -Northumbria, with the intent of slaying the third -Christian king of that realm. At first Oswy -attempted to buy him off by bribes, but the -Mercian potentate refused his offers, declaring<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[120]</a></span> -that nothing would content him but the death -of the King, and the utter extirpation of -Christianity. "Then," said Oswy, "if the pagan -will not accept our gifts, we will offer them to -one who will—the Lord our God;" and he -prepared for battle, making a vow that if God -would vouchsafe him the victory he would erect -a monastery, endow it with twelve farms, and -dedicate his newly-born daughter to holy -virginity and His service. With a comparatively -small force, he marched against Penda, -"confiding in the conduct of Christ," met him -near Leeds, and, as the Saxon chronicle says, -"Slew King Penda, with thirty men of the -Royal race with him, and some of them were -kings, among whom was Ethelhere, brother of -Anne, King of the East Angles; and the -Mercians became Christians."</p> - -<p>This great and decisive victory, the last conflict -in England between heathendom and Christianity, -was the turning-point in Hilda's career of -eminence. Had Penda again been the victor, -Northumbria would again perhaps have lapsed -into paganism, and the future saint never have -been heard of beyond the vicinity of Hartlepool.</p> - -<p>As it was, King Oswy, mindful of his vow,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[121]</a></span> -erected a monastery at Streoneshalh, on the bank -of the Esk, where it falls into the sea in Whitby -Bay. It was placed on a lofty headland, with a -steep ascent from the little fishing hamlet at its -foot and a precipitous escarpment to the sea. It -was formed for both male and female recluses, -and the fame of Hilda for piety and judicious -government was such that she was selected by -the King as the most fitting for the government -of the establishment. Under her rule -Streoneshalh became not only a model monastic -house, but a great school of secular and theological -learning. During her superintendence, -not less than five of her scholars attained the -mitre, all of them illustrious prelates of the -Saxon Church—St. John, of Beverley; St. -Wilfrid, of Ripon; and Bosa, Archbishops of -York; Hedda, Bishop of Dorchester; and -Oftfor, Bishop of Worcester. "Thus," says -Bede, "this servant of Christ, whom all that -knew her called 'mother,' for her singular piety -and grace, was not only an example of good life -to those that lived in her monastery, but afforded -occasion of amendment and salvation to many -who lived at a distance, to whom the fame was -brought of her industry and virtue." Fuller<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[122]</a></span> -observes, "I behold her as the most learned -female before the Conquest, and may call her the -she-Gamaliel at whose feet many learned men -had their education." During her Abbacy, the -famous Synod, convened by King Oswy, was -held within the walls of Streoneshalh, to settle -the vexed questions of the time for the celebration -of Easter, and of the tonsure, which were subjects -of warm dispute between the ancient British -Church and that of Rome, the Northumbrians -adhering to the former, as inculcated by the -missionary monks of Iona, who had been brought -hither by Oswald, and who now occupied the sees -of York and Lindisfarne. The King, who had -been educated in Scotland, and consequently held -to the British modes, presided, whilst his son, -Prince Alfred, who had been in Rome, supported -the Romanist views.</p> - -<p>On the British side were ranged the Abbess -Hilda, Colman, Bishop of Lindisfarne, and the -venerable Cedd, Bishop of the East Saxons; on -the Romanist, Agilbert, Bishop of the West -Saxons, Wilfrid of Ripon, then a priest, Romanus, -and James the Deacon. The dispute was settled -in favour of the Romish rule, chiefly through the -eloquence and force of argument of Wilfrid, who<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[123]</a></span> -afterwards made so conspicuous a figure in the -Northumbrian Church; and Colman, with his -British clergy returned to Iona. The Abbess -was as famous for miracles as for her other -qualities. On the coast of Whitby are found -great numbers of specimens of the petrified Cornu -Ammonis, commonly called snake stones, resembling -as they do coiled-up snakes, without heads. -This is how their origin is accounted for. When -the Abbey was first built, the neighbourhood was -infested by snakes, which were a great annoyance -to the brethren and sisters of the monastery, and -the Abbess, by means of prayer, caused them all -to be changed into stone.</p> - -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">"And how, of thousand snakes, each one<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Was changed into a coil of stone<br /></span> -<span class="i4">When holy Hilda prayed:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Themselves, within their holy bound,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Their stony folds had often found,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">They told how sea fowls' pinions fail,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">As over Whitby's towers they sail,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And, sinking down, with flutterings faint,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">They do their homage to the saint."<br /></span> -</div></div> - -<p>The Abbess founded some cells in divers places -dependant on the Abbey, one of which was at -Hackness, near Scarborough, which she made use -of as a retreat from the bustle and cares of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[124]</a></span> -Streoneshalh, where she could, undisturbed, -devote her time more strictly to the exercises of -fasting, prayer, and meditation, returning to her -duties at the Abbey refreshed and invigorated -spiritually, and the better enabled to undergo the -distractions incident to her position as head of a -community of differing and often perplexing -temperaments. To these cells also she frequently -sent her nuns, to give them an opportunity for -cultivating closer communion with God, for their -spiritual edification.</p> - -<p>For the last six years of her life the Abbess -suffered greatly from severe indisposition, which -frequently laid her prostrate for weeks together, -"Yet during all this time she never failed to -return thanks to her Maker, or publicly and -privately to instruct the flock committed to her -charge, admonishing them to serve God in health, -and thank Him for adversity or bodily infirmity."</p> - -<p>Among the nuns under her care was one from -Ireland named Bega, who was most exemplary in -her attention to the duties of her religious calling, -eminently endowed with spiritual grace, and -conspicuous for her humility, self-abnegation, and -all the virtues which adorn a Christian life; -which qualities endeared her to the venerable<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[125]</a></span> -Abbess, and they came to regard each other as -mother and daughter rather than as Lady -Superior and ordinary nun of a religious establishment.</p> - -<p>During the long illness of the Abbess, Bega -was her constant attendant and nurse, and -accompanied her in her occasional retreats at -Hackness. One afternoon they were seated -together in the Abbess's private room, when the -invalid seemed to be rallying in health and -entering upon one of her alternate periods of -comparative convalescence. Bega had been -reading to her a new paraphrase of a portion of -the Bible, the composition of Cædmon, the -cow-boy poet of Streoneshalh. She laid down -the manuscript at the conclusion, expressing a -hope that the Abbess had not been wearied by -her imperfect reading, and that in spite of defective -knowledge of the characters on the part of -the reader, she had been enabled to follow the -sense and appreciate the beauty of the rendering.</p> - -<p>"Nothing from the pen of Cædmon," said the -Abbess, "ever wearies me; on the contrary, his -compositions are so redolent of spiritual beauty -that they seem to refresh my soul, and invigorate -my body as well. Indeed, at this moment I feel<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[126]</a></span> -so much better in health that if no relapse occurs -in the interval, I propose on the morrow relieving -our good Prioress from the duties which I have -delegated upon her during my sickness."</p> - -<p>"Happy am I," replied Bega at hearing this, -"and I trust that God, if he sees fit, may preserve -you for many years to come, in the superintendence -and guidance of this holy house. But, -mother dear, your restoration of bodily strength -emboldens me to solicit a boon."</p> - -<p>"What is it my dear child? Anything that I -can grant shall be yours. I promise this without -knowing what you wish, feeling assured that you -will solicit nothing that is inconsistent either with -your maidenly character or with your altar-made -vows."</p> - -<p>"I pray for nothing unbeseeming my character -in such respects; but, holy mother, of late I fear -I have experienced some spiritual declension, and -that I have become more carnally minded than -becomes one whose thoughts should be centred -on Christ alone, and I pray you, mother dear, -to permit me to retire into more entire seclusion -from the world, that I may by abstinence, -prayer, and close communion with God, be -restored to a more wholesome frame of soul."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[127]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Your boon is granted, my child, gladly; -repair at once to Hackness, and may God shed -his blessing upon your pious aspiration for a -higher life of holiness."</p> - -<p>The following day Bega was escorted to the -cell, where the Abbess, with an almost Cistercian -eye for sylvan beauty, had planted it, that in the -midst of a natural Paradise it might bloom as a -spiritual Eden, and there she at once commenced -a season of wholesome asceticism and religious -exercises.</p> - -<p>A week passed away, and Bega, absorbed in -her devotional exercises, had become emaciated -by the rigour of her fasting without heeding it; -and as is usual in such cases, her spirit had -become more etherealised and more susceptible of -supernatural influences. After vespers one -evening she returned to her lonely sleeping -apartment, a bare and scantily furnished room, -and lay down on her bed, consisting of a thin -layer of straw on a hard, wooden pallet, with -nothing more than a coarse rug for her coverlet. -She slept for a short space, then awoke and rose -to repeat the nocturnes, kneeling on the rough -flooring stones. She then lay down again and -composed herself to sleep, and was in the half-conscious<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[128]</a></span> -state between sleeping and waking -when she was aroused by hearing a passing-bell -boom forth, which sounded like that of Streoneshalh, -which was miles beyond earshot, and was -the more remarkable as the bell of Hackness was -much smaller and altogether different in tone. -She listened with soul-thrilling awe, and thought, -"Can it be that the holy mother is departing at -this moment to her heavenly rest, and that the -sound of the passing-bell is miraculously brought -to mine ears?" Scarcely had the thought flashed -across her mind, when, looking upward, the -vaulted roof seemed to be melting away, like a -mist under the influence of the morning sun. In -a very short space of time it disappeared -altogether, and there was presented to the eye of -the gazer the expanse of sky studded with stars, -sparkling like clusters of diamonds. Presently -the knell of the passing-bell ceased. And there -broke upon her ear the sound of distant vocal -music. As it came nearer, it seemed different -from any music she had ever heard; unearthly; -heavenly; so ravishingly sweet was the melody. -The words she was unable to comprehend, but -there was something about them which seemed to -declare them of celestial origin. With raptured<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[129]</a></span> -ears she listened as the choir, which appeared to -be floating in the air, came on and on until it -sounded as if immediately overhead. All -this while, too, a constantly increasing effulgence -of supernatural light was diffusing itself over the -firmament, and when the music came into close -proximity to the cell, there burst upon her sight -a vision, the glory of which she could have -hitherto formed no conception of. It was that of -a convoy of angels, fairer and more lovely in form -and feature than anything ever conceived by -artist or poet, or than ever trod the earth. It -was they who were chanting the divine melody -as they floated along overhead with an upward -tendency; and in their midst was the beautified -soul of the sainted mother of Streoneshalh, which -they were escorting to the everlasting realms of -purity and peace; of eternal rest, and an endless -duration of unalloyed happiness. The rapt eyes -of Bega were not allowed to rest long on this -celestial vision; the group ascended higher and -higher; the voices became fainter and fainter, -until they were altogether lost; and Bega -overcome with emotion, fell into an ecstatic -trance, and when she awoke from it there -was nothing to be seen but the glimmer of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[130]</a></span> -the moonshine on the walls and roof of her -cell.</p> - -<p>The next day a messenger arrived announcing -the death of the Abbess, which he stated -occurred immediately after nocturnes on the -preceding night.</p> - -<p>Bega remained a little while at Streoneshalh, -and then went into Cumberland, and provided a -religious house, called after her, St. Bees, where -she spent the remainder of a most holy life.</p> - -<hr class="chap" style="page-break-after: always;" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[131]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 style="margin-top: 3em; margin-bottom: 1.5em;"><a name="A_Miracle_of_St_John" id="A_Miracle_of_St_John">A Miracle of St. John.</a></h2> - - -<div><img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-t.jpg" -width="51" height="50" alt="Dropcap-T" /> -</div><p><span class="dropletter">T</span><span class="smcap">wo</span> thousand years ago, what is now -the East Riding of Yorkshire was -chiefly forest land, with the exception -of the Wold uplands, which were pastures, -almost destitute of trees, having some semblance -to the swelling and rolling waves of the ocean, -where the Brigantes fed their flocks and herds, -where they dwelt in scattered hamlets, and where -they now sleep in their multitudinous tumuli. In -the lowlands at the foot, the forest was very -dense, and was the home of wolves, boars, deer, -and other wild animals, which were hunted by -the natives, who fed upon their flesh and clothed -themselves with their skins. This was called -the forest of Deira, and in one spot by the river -Hull, a few miles distant from the Humber, was -a cleared space, with an eminence in the midst, -and at its foot, extending westward, a pool of -water, afterwards a marsh or moor, and since -drained, forming now a portion of the town of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[132]</a></span> -Beverley, its former condition being indicated by -two parallel streets—Minster-moorgate, the -place of the moor by the Minster; and Keldgate, -the place of springs. This was a Druidical -open air temple, where the mystical rites of -Druidism were performed.</p> - -<p>When the primitive Christian religion was -introduced into Britain, it is presumed that a -Christian church was established here, on the -rising ground by the lake, as the early Christians -built their churches, where practicable, on spots -held sacred by the people, which supposition -seems to be confirmed by the express statement -that St. John rebuilt, not built, the church in -Deira Wood. This early church, doubtless a -very rude affair of timber and thatch, was -destroyed or allowed to fall into ruin when the -Saxons and Angles overspread the land and -replaced the religion of Christ by that of Odin. -It might possibly be repaired during the short -period after the second introduction of Christianity -by Paulinus and the conversion of King -Eadwine, but, if so, would be again destroyed a -few years after, under the desolating hands of -Penda of Mercia, and Cadwalla, as it lay in ruins -until the beginning of the eighth century, when<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[133]</a></span> -it was restored on a grander scale by John, Archbishop -of York.</p> - -<p>St. John, the learned and pious prelate, one of -the brightest luminaries of the Saxon Church, -was a member of a noble Saxon family, a native -of Harpham on the Wolds. He was born in the -year 640, studied in the famous Theological -School of St. Hilda at Streoneshalh, and became -successively Bishop of Hagulstat (Hexham) and -Archbishop of York, which latter see he held, -with unblemished reputation and great usefulness, -for a period of more than thirty-three years.</p> - -<p>He was almost incessantly employed in going -about his vast diocese, rectifying abuses, -regulating disordered affairs, exhorting the lax, -and commending the faithful. In one of these -visitations he came to the place in the forest of -Deira which had been, half a millennium -previously, the Llyn-yr-Avanc of the Celts, and, -according to some antiquaries, the Peturia of the -Romans, a conjecture which is supported by the -discovery of a tesselated pavement and other -Roman remains, where he found the ruins of the -old primeval British Church. The beauty and -seclusion of the spot struck him as being -eminently fitted for the establishment of a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[134]</a></span> -monastery, and probably the thought flashed -across his mind that hither he would like to -retire, in his declining years, to finish his life, -after the cares and anxieties of his prelateship, in -the calm of cloistered existence and in the -company of a pious brotherhood.</p> - -<p>He did not allow the idea to pass away from -his thoughts, but soon after made arrangements -for carrying it out. He rebuilt the choir of the -old church, founded a monastery of Black Monks, -of the order of St. Columba, and an oratory for -nuns, south of the church, which afterwards was -converted into the parish church of St. Martin; -erected the church of St. Nicholas, in the manor -of Riding; placed seven secular priests and other -ministers of the altar in the head church, and -appointed Brithunus the first Abbot of the -monastery, with superintendence over the other -establishments. In 717, he resigned his see, -being then feeble and oppressed by the infirmities -of age, and retired to his monastery, where he -died in 721, and was buried in the porch at the -eastern end of the church.</p> - -<p>After St. John, the next greatest benefactor to -the church and town of Beverley was Athelstan -the Great, King of Saxon England. Indeed, he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[135]</a></span> -may be considered the founder of the secular, -as St. John was of the ecclesiastical, town. The -town and church had been destroyed by the -Danes in 867, but a few years after the dispersed -canons and monks returned, and repaired, as far as -they could, their ruined buildings, so as to be -able to continue the celebration of the services; -but they remained in a dilapidated state for -nearly half a century, when Athelstan laid the -foundations of the future grandeur of the church, -and of the commercial importance of the town. -He had heard of the sanctity of St. John, and -the wonderful series of miracles he had performed, -both during his life and after his death, and -having occasion to chastise Constantine, King of -Scotland, for abetting the Danish Anlaf of Northumbria -in an invasion of that portion of his -dominions—for he had by conquest added -northern England to his government, and was in -truth the first King of England, rather than -Egbert—he visited Beverley on his march to -Scotland, and implored the aid of the Saint, -leaving his dagger on the altar as a pledge that, -if successful, he would bestow princely benefactions -on the church and town. By the assistance -of St. John, who appeared to him in a vision, he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[136]</a></span> -was the victor in the decisive battle of Brunnanburgh, -and nobly he kept his word. He made the -church a college of secular canons; endowed it -with four thraves of corn from every plough in -the East Riding; and made it a place of -sanctuary, as a refuge for criminals, with a stone -frid-stool, still in the Minster. He granted a -charter to the town, constituting it the capital of -the East Riding, with many privileges and -extraordinary rights; in consequence of which -opulent merchants flocked to the town, and it -soon began to flourish mightily, and became one -of the wealthiest and most important of the trading -towns of the realm. He also assigned the manor -to the Archbishops of York, who built a palace -there on the south of the church; vied with each -other in their patronage of the town, and -in adding to and endowing the collegiate -church.</p> - -<p>In the beginning of the eleventh century -Archbishop Puttock added a chancellor, a -precentor, and a sacrist to the establishment, -and erected a costly shrine for the relics of St. -John, to which they were translated with great -pomp in 1037. Archbishop Kinsius erected a -western tower to the church, and Aldred, who<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[137]</a></span> -held the see at the time of the Conquest, rebuilt -the choir, and ornamented it with paintings and -other decorative work, completed the refectory -and dormitory of the monastery, and increased -the number of canons from seven to eight, -changing them at the same time from canons to -prebendaries.</p> - -<p>At this time—the period of the Conquest and -of the legend—we may assume from the usual -characteristics of the church architecture of the -time, that the church was an oblong building of -two stories, divided into a nave and chancel, with -a low tower at the western end. There would -probably be a lower and an upper range of -circular-headed windows, with doorways of the -same character, decorated with zigzag mouldings, -and in the interior would be a double row of -massive stunted columns, supporting semi-circular -arches, and at the eastern end, in the chancel, -the superb shrine of St. John, which was -attracting pilgrims from all parts, and was -beginning to be encrusted with the silver and the -gold and the gems, bestowed for that purpose by -the pilgrims in grateful remembrance of wonderful -cures effected upon them by the miracle working -of the saint. Such would most probably be the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[138]</a></span> -church in which occurred the incidents narrated -in our legend.</p> - -<p>When the Norman Duke William had won the -battle of Hastings, and subdued southern and mid -England, and had been crowned King in the -place of the slain Harold, he discovered that -he was not really King of England, but of a -part only—that portion north of the Humber, -forming the old Saxon kingdom of Northumbria -of the Heptarchy, and one of the Vice-Royal -Earldoms of Saxon England, continuing to -maintain its independence with stubborn tenacity; -and it was not until after much bloodshed that he -overcame the sturdy Northumbrians of a mixed -Anglian and Danish race, and garrisoned York, -the capital, with a Norman garrison to keep the -province in subjection. No sooner, however, was -his back turned than the people, under Gospatric, -Waltheof, and other Danish and Saxon leaders, -broke out afresh in insurrection, massacred -the Norman garrison at York, and vowed to drive -that people and their Duke, the usurper of -Harold's throne, from Northumbria at least, if not -from England altogether. It was after one of -the most formidable risings that the Conqueror -swore that "by the splendour of God" he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[139]</a></span> -would utterly destroy and exterminate the -Northumbrians, so that no more rebellions should -rise to trouble him in that quarter of his -dominions; and with this view he marched northwards, -crossed the Humber—probably at Brough—and -encamped at a spot some seven miles westward -of Beverley, purposing to proceed -henceward to York on the morrow.</p> - -<p>On his road from the Humber to his encampment -he had burnt the villages and crops, and -slain the villagers who came in his way, but the -majority, taking the alarm, fled to Beverley, -hoping to find safety within the limits of the -League of Sanctuary, thinking that even so -merciless a soldier as Duke William would respect -its hallowed precincts. But he, godly in a -sense, and superstitious as he was, entertained no -such scruples, and he had no sooner seen his -army encamped than he despatched Thurstinus, -one of the captains, with a body of Norman -soldiers to ravage and plunder the town.</p> - -<p>The people of Beverley and the fugitives who -had fled thither deemed themselves safe under -the protection of their patron saint; nevertheless -they felt some alarm when the news was brought -that the ruthless Conqueror lay so near them,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[140]</a></span> -and still more when they heard that a detachment -was marching upon the town with hostile -intentions. The church was filled with devotees, -who prostrated themselves before the saint's -shrine, imploring him not to abandon his church -and town in this extremity. The day had been -gloomy and downcast, but when they were thus -supplicating the holy saint the sun came shining -through one of the windows directly upon the -shrine, and lighted it up with a brilliance that -seemed supernatural, which was looked upon as a -favourable response to the prayers of the supplicants.</p> - -<p>Thurstinus and his followers had by this time -entered the town, but had, so far, done no injury -to either person or property. As they -approached the church, they perceived before -them a venerable figure, clad in canonical -raiment, with gold bracelets on his arms, moving -across the churchyard, towards the western porch. -The sight of the golden bracelets excited the -cupidity of one of the subalterns of the corps, -who darted after him, sword in hand, and overtook -him just as he was passing through the -portal. The soldier had but placed his foot -within the church, when the aged man turned<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[141]</a></span> -towards him and exclaimed, "Vain and presumptuous -man! darest thou enter my church, the -sacred temple of Christ, sword in hand, with -bloodthirsty intent? This shall be the last time -that thine hand shall draw the sword," and -instantly the sword fell from his grasp, and he -sank down on the ground, stricken by a deadly -paralysis. Thurstinus, not witting what had -happened to his officer, came riding up, with -drawn sword, with the intent of passing into the -church to despoil it of its valuables; but on -entering the doorway he was confronted by the -aged man with the bracelets, who stretched forth -his arm, and said to him, "No further, sacrilegious -man; wouldst thou desolate my church? -Know that it is guarded by superhuman power, -and thou must pay the penalty of thy impious -temerity!" and immediately he fell from his -horse to the pavement with a broken neck, his -face turned backward, and his feet and hands -distorted "like a misshapen monster." At this -manifest interposition of Heaven the Normans -fled back to the encampment with terror-stricken -countenances, and the people in the church -looked round for their deliverer, but he had -vanished, and they then knew that it was St.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[142]</a></span> -John himself, who had come down from heaven -to protect his town and church from the insult -and ravages of Norman ferocity.</p> - -<p>When the soldiers reached the camp they -reported to their superior officer the result of -their expedition and the horrible death of their -leader, which they could not attribute to anything -less than supernatural power. The report in due -course reached the King, who summoned the -soldiers into his presence, and listened to their -narrative with superstitious awe. "Truly," said -he, "this John must be a potent saint, and it were -well not to meddle with what appertains to him, -lest worse evil befal us. He may possibly use his -influence in thwarting our designs against the -rebels of this barbarous northern region. Let not -his town and the lands pertaining to his church be -injured, or subject to the chastisement and just -vengeance we intend against those who have -dared to raise the standard of revolt against our -divinely ordained authority; but rather let them -be protected, for it were bootless and perilous to -fight against Heaven. Onward then to York, -and when we have, by such severity as the case -warrants, effectually crushed the spirit of revolt, -we will consider what further can be<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[143]</a></span> -done to propitiate this saint, whom it were well to -conciliate by gifts, so that he may be led in -gratitude to recompense us by assisting in the -consolidation of our power, which is not yet -established on sufficiently firm foundations."</p> - -<p>He found no difficulty in suppressing the -insurrection when he reached York, putting to -the sword those of the insurgents who remained -there after their leaders had fled towards Scotland. -In order to prevent any future rising, with any -possible chance of success or gleam of hope, he -then meditated and carried out a cold-blooded -scheme, which might have been deemed a measure -of policy, but which for ferocity equalled any act -of cruelty perpetrated by the most atrocious -tyrant of pagan ages. He sent forth his men -with swords and torches, to the north, the west, -and the east, and for an extent of sixty miles, -from York to Durham, by several miles in -breadth, laid the country desolate. Villages, -churches, monasteries, and castles, with the -granaries of corn and the standing crops, were all -destroyed by fire, and every person, man, woman, -child, or priest, met with was slaughtered -without mercy; and when the work had been -accomplished, this vast extent of country bore<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[144]</a></span> -the aspect of a Western American prairie after it -had been swept by fire, leaving only the charred -stumps of the trees standing, with this difference, -however, that there only the half-burnt bodies of -animals, such as were not able to escape by -flight, are found; whilst here, scattered profusely -on the wood-side, and round their once cheerful -and happy homesteads, lay the rotting and -putrefying corpses of human beings, on which the -wolves and birds of prey were battening and -gorging themselves; and it took many and -many a year before this region recovered itself -and became again a country of farmsteads and -villages, of crops and fruit trees, and of an -industrious population. William of Malmesbury -says that not less than 100,000 persons -perished in this fearful act of vengeance; -and Alured of Beverley, a monkish writer, and -treasurer of St. John's Church, states that "The -Conqueror destroyed men, women, and children, -from York even to the western sea, except those -who fled to the church of the glorious confessor, -the most blessed John, Archbishop, at Beverley, -as the only asylum." An indisputable proof of -the desolation wrought on the lands appears in -the Domesday Book, which in most places in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[145]</a></span> -Yorkshire is described as waste or partially waste, -and which is represented as of no value or of -much less value than in King Edward's time; -whilst in Beverley and the lands of St. John -there is scarcely any waste mentioned, and the -value is given as the same or nearly the same as -in the reign of the Confessor. Under Bevreli we -read, "Value in King Edward's time, to the -Archbishop 24 pounds, to the Canons 20 pounds, -the same as at present."</p> - -<p>The King not only exempted the town and -demesne from devastation, but became a notable -benefactor thereto. He added to the possession -of the church certain lands at Sigglesthorne, and -granted the following confirmatory charter:—"William -the King greets friendly all my Thanes -in Yorkshire, French and English. Know ye -that I have given St. John at Beverley sac and -soc over all the lands which were given in King -Edward's days to St. John's Minster, and also -over the lands which Ealdred, the Archbishop, -hath since obtained in my days, whether in this -Thorp or in Campland. It shall all be free from -me and all other men, excepting the Bishop and -the Minster priests; and no man shall slay deer, -nor violate what I have given to Christ and St.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[146]</a></span> -John. And I will that there shall be, for ever, -monastic life and canonical congregation so long -as any man liveth. God's blessing be with all -Christian men who assist at this holy worship. -Amen."</p> - -<p>And from this time the town flourished greatly, -and grew rapidly in population and wealth. As -to the church, it became more than ever the -resort of pilgrims, who left rich presents on the -shrine of St. John. In the year 1188 the old -Saxon church was destroyed by fire, which may -be deemed a fortunate occurrence, as men were -stimulated at this, the best period of Gothic -architecture, to erect over the relics of St. John a -structure worthy of his eminence and fame; and -the outcome of this impulse was the uprising of -the existing magnificent church, which is now the -great architectural glory of the East Riding.</p> - -<hr class="chap" style="page-break-after: always;" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[147]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 style="margin-top: 3em; margin-bottom: 1.5em;"><a name="The_Beatified_Sisters_of_Beverley" id="The_Beatified_Sisters_of_Beverley">The Beatified Sisters of Beverley.</a></h2> - - -<div><img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-i.jpg" -width="50" height="50" alt="Dropcap-I" /> -</div><p><span class="dropletter">I</span><span class="smcap">n</span> the south aisle of the nave of -Beverley Minster may be seen an -uninscribed canopied altar tomb. It -is a very fine specimen of the Early Decorated -style, manifestly dating from the period of -Edward II. or the earlier portion of the reign of -his successor. It is covered with a massive slab -of Purbeck marble, rising above which is an -exquisitely proportioned pointed arch or canopy, -with pinnacles and turrets, crocketted work and -finials, all elaborately chiselled and carefully -finished. History records not whose mortal -remains are deposited in the tomb: there it -stands like the Sphynx on the sands of Egypt, -maintaining a mysterious silence as to its origin, -"a thing of beauty," displaying its elegance of -form and the charms of its sculptured features -to all beholders; but seeming to say—"Admire -the perfection of my symmetry if you will, but -inquire not whose relics I enshrine, whether of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[148]</a></span> -noble or saint. Unlike my more gorgeous sister -tomb, in the choir, near the altar, which blazons -forth the glory of the Percys, I choose, with -Christian humility, and recognising the fact that -death renders all equal, and that in the sight of -the Almighty Judge a Percy is no better for all -his glories than the pauper—to draw a veil over -the earthly greatness of the family to which I -belong."</p> - -<p>Although history is thus silent in respect to -the origin of the tomb, tradition is less reticent, -and from its oral records we learn, not perhaps all -that can be desired, but a narrative that probably -has a basis of truth.</p> - -<p>About a mile westward of Beverley Westwood, -on the road to York, lies the pretty picturesque -village of Bishop Burton, with its church on an -eminence commanding an extensive view of the -Wold lands on one hand, and of the country sloping -down to the Humber on the other. It is environed -by groups of patriarchal trees, including a -noble specimen of the witch elm on the village -green, with a trunk forty-eight feet in circumference, -and which is held in great veneration by -the villagers; and in the valley below is a small -lake, which doubtless supplied fish to the household<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[149]</a></span> -of the Archbishops of York when they had -a palace here. It is a very ancient village, dating -from the Celtic period, when it formed a -burial place of the Druids and British chieftains. -One of the numerous tumuli was opened in 1826. -It was seventy yards in circumference, and was -found to contain several skeletons of our remote -forefathers of that race. From some tesselated -pavements which have been discovered, it appears -also to have been occupied afterwards by the -Romans.</p> - -<p>At the end of the seventh and beginning of -the eighth century, the Lordship of South -Burton, as it was then called, was held by Earl -Puch, a Saxon noble. Its name was changed, -after the Conquest, to Bishop Burton, from the -circumstance that it belonged to the Archbishops -of York, and their having a palace in the village, -where Archbishop John le Romayne died in -1295. At this time South Burton formed a sort -of oasis in a vast wilderness of forest, extending -for miles in every direction, including the now -open breezy upland of Beverley Westwood, then -infested by wolves, through which ran trackways -to Beverlega, where stood the recently founded -church and monastery of St. John, northward of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[150]</a></span> -which, at the foot of the Wolds, lay another -extent of forest land, called Northwood, -perpetuated to this day in the name of the street—Norwood. -Earl Puch's mansion was an -erection of timber, with few of the appliances of -modern domestic life, with a large hall, wherein -he dined with his family and guests at the upper -end of a long table, and his retainers and -domestics at the lower end. More in the interior -were the Lady Puch's bower and other private -and sleeping apartments of the family; with -inferior rooms for the household servants, the -swineherds, cowherds, huntsmen, and other outdoor -menials sleeping in the outhouses, with the -animals of which they had charge.</p> - -<p>Earl Puch had built a church in the village, a -very primitive specimen of architecture, consisting -of nave and chancel, of timber and wattles, -with round-headed doors and windows, and rude -zigzag ornamentation. It had neither tower nor -transept, lacked bells, and its pulpit, altar, and -font were fashioned of rough-hewn wood. Yet -was it sufficient for the wants of the age, and -served the purpose of worship, the heart being -rightly tuned, as the most gorgeous cathedral of -after ages.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[151]</a></span></p> - -<p>St. John had now resigned the Archbishopric -of York, and had retired to his monastery at -Beverlega, to spend the remnant of his life in -prayer, devotional exercises, and the seclusion of -the cloister. The Earl, a pious man, was on very -friendly terms with the ex-Archbishop, and -invited him to come and consecrate his church, -just finished, to which John readily assented, and, -despite his years and infirmities, on the appointed -day took up his walking staff and went on foot -through Westwood to South Burton, meditating -by the way on his past life, on his ancestral home -at Harpham-on-the-Wolds, his student's life -under St. Hilda at the Abbey of Streoneshalh, -his episcopal career at Hagulstadt, his -experience on the Archiepiscopal Throne of -York, and his retirement to the Abbey of Beverlega, -acknowledging, with grateful thanksgiving, -the Providential hand that had sustained him -through his varied course of life. On the arrival -of the ex-Prelate at South Burton, he found the -family in great grief in consequence of the illness -of the Lady Puch, who had been stricken down -by a severe attack of fever, which threatened to -terminate her life. She was an exceedingly -devout woman, assiduous in her attention to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[152]</a></span> -duties of religion, charitable to the poor, and a -great blessing to the poor and destitute of the -village. A great portion of her time was spent in -the educational training of her two lovely -daughters, now approaching womanhood, and who -much resembled her in the piety of their lives. -She had now lain in bed a month, suffering agonies -of torment, and expecting every day would be her -last. Her husband wished to postpone the consecration -of the church in consequence of her -critical condition, but she would not listen to it. -"Why," said she, "should the poor people be -deprived of the privilege of hearing the service of -God performed in a consecrated edifice because I, -a poor insignificant mortal like themselves, am -labouring under this affliction? Let the consecration -take place the same as if I were well -and able to take part in the ceremony; the -thought of what is taking place will be more -beneficial to me than all the doctor's medicine -that shall be given me;" and it was determined -that the ceremony should be proceeded with as -if there were no impediment in the way.</p> - -<p>Brithunus, a disciple of St. John, and the first -abbot of his monastery, had also come over to -assist in the ceremony, and to him we are<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[153]</a></span> -indebted for a narrative of the miracle which -accompanied it, as well as of many another -notable miracle performed by St. John, which he -communicated to Bede, who interwove them into -his Ecclesiastical History. The consecration was -duly performed according to the Anglo-Saxon -style, with singing, prayers, the sprinkling of -holy water, and a proclamation from the Archbishop -that the edifice was now rendered sacred, -and become a temple of the Living God, -concluding with a benediction. "Then," says -Brithunus, "the Earl desired him to dine at his -house, but the Bishop declined, saying he must -return to the monastery. The Earl pressing him -more earnestly, vowed he would give alms to the -poor if the Bishop would break his fast that day -in his house. I joined my entreaties to his, -promising in like manner to give alms for the -relief of the poor if he would go and dine at the -Earl's house and give his blessing. Having at -length, with great difficulty, prevailed, we went -in to dine."</p> - -<p>The banquet was served with the profusion -and splendour of the time, consisting chiefly -of boar's flesh, venison, fish, and birds, eaten from -platters of wood, with an ample supply of wine,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[154]</a></span> -which was passed round in flagons of silver. -In the course of the repast, the conversation was -confined almost exclusively to two topics—the new -church and the hopes that were entertained of -its becoming a blessing to the neighbourhood, -and the illness of the Earl's wife, with which the -Bishop sympathised with much kindly feeling.</p> - -<p>"Can nothing be done," inquired the Earl, -"by means of the church to alleviate her sufferings, -if not to restore her to health? The -physicians are at their wit's end; they know -nothing of the nature of the disease, and the -remedies they give seem rather to aggravate -than cure it. Peradventure the blessing of a -holy man might have a beneficial effect."</p> - -<p>"The issues of life and death," replied the -Bishop, "are in the hands of God alone. Sometimes -it is even impious to attempt to overrule -His ordinations, which, although often inscrutable -and productive of affliction and suffering, are -intended for some ultimate good."</p> - -<p>At this moment one of the lady's handmaidens -entered the banqueting-room with a message -from her mistress to the effect that her pains had -materially lessened since the consecration had -taken place, and that she desired a draught of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[155]</a></span> -holy water that had been used, feeling an -inward conviction that it, accompanied by the -Bishop's blessing, would be of great service. -"The Bishop then," continues Brithunus, "sent -to the woman that lay sick some of the holy -water which he had blessed for the consecration -of the church, by one of the brothers that went -along with me, ordering him to give her some to -drink, and wash the place where her greatest pain -was with some of the same. This being done, -the woman immediately got up in health, -and perceiving that she had not only been delivered -from her tedious distemper, but at the -same time recovered the strength which she had -lost, she presented the cup to the Bishop and me, -and continued serving us with drink, as she had -begun, till dinner was over, following the example -of Peter's mother-in-law, who, having been sick -of a fever, arose at the touch of our Lord, and -having at once received health and strength, -ministered to them."</p> - -<p>The two young daughters of the Earl, on witnessing -the miraculous restoration to health of -their beloved mother, had retired together to -their chamber to offer up their heartfelt thanksgivings -to God for her recovery, and before<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[156]</a></span> -the Bishop's departure came down to -the banqueting-hall and received his blessing. -They were exceedingly lovely both in form and -feature, and when they entered the hall, with -modest downcast eyes, it seemed to those present -as if two angelic beings from the celestial sphere -had deigned to visit them. "Come hither, my -children," said their mother, "and thank the good -Bishop for interceding with heaven on my behalf, -and who has thus been instrumental in delivering -me from the terrible disease under which I have -been labouring for so long a period." In response, -the young maidens went to the Bishop, and -kneeling at his feet, expressed their gratitude to -him for what he had done, and implored his -blessing. Placing his hands on their heads, he -said, "My dear daughters in Christ, attribute not -to me, a sinful mortal, that which is due alone to -our Merciful Father in Heaven, who has seen fit -first to afflict your mother with grievous trials -for some wise purpose, and then suddenly to -restore her to health, that her soul may be purified -so as to enable her to pass through this lower -world, untainted by the grosser sins, but, like all -fallible mortals, to be still open to lesser temptations, -that in the end she may be rendered meet<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[157]</a></span> -to enter that higher sphere of existence which is -reserved for those who live holy lives here below. -May God bless you, my dear daughters, tread in -the footsteps of your saintly mother, that you -also may be made meet for the same inheritance -of light." So saying, the Bishop took up his -staff, and bidding farewell to the Earl and his -family, wended his way, accompanied by -Brithunus and the monks, through Westwood to -his home at Beverlega.</p> - -<p>From this time the two young ladies continued -to grow in stature and loveliness of person, as -well as in fervent piety and the grace of God. -They had sprung up into young womanhood, and -many were the suitors for their hands who came -fluttering about South Burton, knowing well -that, as the Earl had no son, nor was likely to -have one, they must, if they survived him, -become his co-heiresses. But they refused to -listen to the flatteries and protestations of -everlasting love of these young fellows, not so -much because they saw through the hollowness -and feigned nature of their professions of love, -but because they had determined to live lives of -celibacy, devoted solely to the service of God. -St. John made repeated visits to South Burton,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[158]</a></span> -and nothing afforded them greater spiritual -comfort and holy pleasure than lengthened -converse with him on the things that pertain to -everlasting life. But a couple of years after the -consecration of the church he passed away to his -rest and reward, "with his memory overshadowed -by the benedictions of mankind," and was buried -in the portico of the church of Beverlega, which -he had founded.</p> - -<p>A few years after this the two maidens, with -the full consent of their parents, entered the -convent of St. John, at Beverlega, to spend the -remainder of their lives in the holy seclusion of -the cloister. The Earl was an extensive landed -proprietor, with possessions in and about South -Burton, and others on the banks of the Hull, -near Grovehill, a landing-place of the Romans, -and now a suburb of Beverley, with some -extensive manufacturing works. When his -daughters entered the convent he bestowed upon -it the manor of Walkington, lying southward of -South Burton and abutting on Beverley Westwood. -At the same time he made a grant to the -people of Beverlega of a tract of swampy land on -the banks of the Hull, to serve as a common -pasturage for their cattle. This tract of land,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[159]</a></span> -now called Swinemoor, is still held by the -burgesses of Beverley, forming one of the four -valuable pastures, containing, in the aggregate, -nearly 1,200 acres, the property of the freemen of -the borough.</p> - -<p>There are reasons for believing that a Christian -Church existed on the shores of the Beaver Lake, -in the wood of Deira, the site of the modern -Beverley, in the time of the Ancient British -Apostolic Christianity, which had formerly been -the scene of the Druidical religion, which was -destroyed by the pagan Saxons, and re-edified by -St. John the Archbishop. In one of his -progresses through his diocese, he came to this -clearing in the wood of Deira, with its sacred -beaver-lake, formerly called Llyn yr Avanc, now -Inder-a-wood, and was struck by its sylvan -beauty and its quiet seclusion. He found there -a very small wooden church, thatched with reeds, -which he determined to restore and enlarge, and -founded, in connection with it, a religious house -for both sexes—a monastery for men and a -nunnery for women. He added to it a choir, and -appointed seven priests to officiate at the altar; -built the monastery, and endowed it with lands for -its support. Hither he retired when enfeebled by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[160]</a></span> -age, and here he was buried in the porch of his -church in the year 721.</p> - -<p>It was to this nunnery that the Sisters Agnes -and Agatha went, and after a period of -probation, were despoiled of their hair, and -assumed the veil of the sisterhood. The -religious houses of the Saxons were not the -luxurious abodes that they became in after years. -The life led there was one of ascetic severity, -with bare walls, hard pallets, scanty food of the -simplest description, a continuous series of -prayers and religious exercises, accompanied by -frequent fastings, penances, and fleshly mortification, -to all which the two sisters submitted with -cheerfulness, as conducive to the spiritual health -of their souls. They were never found sleeping -when the summons for divine service was sounded -forth, and they were ever willing to perform the -most menial duties as tending to keep within -them a spirit of Christian humility. Their -profound piety and rigorous attention to disciplinary -matters excited the admiration of the -Mother Superior, but never would they lend ear -to praises from her lips, lest it should engender -spiritual pride, the aim of their lives being to -rank as the lowest servants of the servants of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[161]</a></span> -Christ. And thus the years passed along in one -monotonous but ever-blessed sameness, ever -dwelling within the walls and precincts of the -nunnery, save on two occasions, when they went -to South Burton to attend the funerals of their -parents.</p> - -<p>It was the eve of the Nativity, a bright starlight -night, as that over Bethlehem when the three -wise men of the East came thither guided by the -wandering star. The nuns were assembled in -their chapel for an early service, amongst whom -were the two sisters apparently absorbed in -divine meditation. The nuns then retired for -their evening refection and silent contemplation in -their cells until midnight, when the bell -summoned them again to the chapel for midnight -Mass, which was to usher in the holy day. At -this service there was a strange and unwonted -omission; the two sisters were absent. "Where -are the Sisters Agnes and Agatha?" inquired the -Abbess; "surely something has befallen them, -else they would not be absent, especially on such -an occasion as this. Go and search diligently for -them." Every corner of the building and the -grounds outside were searched, but in vain; not -a vestige of them could be found; and at length,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[162]</a></span> -as the hour of midnight was close at hand, the -Mass was proceeded with. The following day, -that of the Nativity, was devoted to the usual -festal, religious duties; but a heaviness of heart -pervaded the assembly, as the sisters had not -re-appeared, and no tidings of them could be -heard.</p> - -<p>Days, weeks, and months passed away, and no -clue to their mysterious disappearance presented -itself until the eve of St. John, their patron saint. -The vespers had been sung, with special reference -to the coming day, and the nuns had gone out to -breathe the air of the summer evening, whilst the -Abbess, taking the key of the tower, unlocked -the door and went up the stone stairs to the top, -a place not much frequented, where she thought -to offer up her prayers beneath the open dome -of heaven, without any intervening walls. She -had just placed her foot on the topmost stair -when she was startled at beholding the two -sisters lying locked in each other's arms and with -upward turned eyes. At the first glance she -supposed them to be dead, but a moment after -was undeceived by their rising, and saying, -"Mother, dear! it will soon be time for the midnight -Mass; but how is this? We lay down an<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[163]</a></span> -hour ago, under the sky of a winter night, but -now we have awakened under the setting sun of -a summer eve."</p> - -<p>"An hour ago! my children," replied the -Abbess, "it is now months since you disappeared -on the eve of the Nativity, and months since the -midnight Mass of the birth of our Saviour was -sung. Can it be you have been sleeping here all -through the interval?"</p> - -<p>"Mother, dear," they replied, after some -further questionings and explanations, "we have -not been sleeping, we have been transported to -heaven, and have seen sights inconceivable to the -human eye, and heard music such as has never -been listened to in this lower world. The heaven -that we have visited is no mere localised spot, but -extends throughout infinite space. It possesses -no land or water; no mountains and valleys; no -rivers, or lakes, or trees, or material objects of -any kind; but has picturesque scenery, impalpable -and cloudlike, of the most ravishing beauty. It -is peopled by myriads of angelic beings and -beatified mortals, unsubstantial and etherealised, -all of exquisitely symmetrical figures, and with -gloriously radiant features, beaming with happiness -and smiling with serenity. Unlike the popular<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[164]</a></span> -opinion, it is not a place of idle lounging and -repose, but of intense activity, all being engaged -in employments which afford an intensity of -pleasurable emotions. The Almighty Father and -Creator of all this realm of beauty and of all -these glorified creatures it was not possible for us -to see with our mortal eyes, but we were perfectly -cognisant of His influence and presence everywhere -throughout the infinitude of space. But -oh! the music! here, on earth, it is termed -divine, but our sweetest melodies are but a jarring -discord of sounds compared with that of heaven; -mortal ear cannot form the faintest conception of -its sublime grandeur and unutterable loveliness."</p> - -<p>Thus spake they to the astonished Abbess, who -at once recognised the fact of their miraculous -transportation to the realms of light for a -temporary sojourn there, that on their return to -earth they might be the means of comforting and -encouraging those who by holy lives of asceticism, -self-denial, and prayer, were wending their way -thitherwards; and she conducted them down to -their sister nuns, to whom again they had to -narrate the visions that had been vouchsafed to -them.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[165]</a></span></p> - -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">"There is joy in the convent of Beverley,<br /></span> -<span class="i3">Now these saintly maidens are found,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And to hear their story right wonderingly<br /></span> -<span class="i3">The nuns have gathered around;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">The long-lost maidens, to whom was given<br /></span> -<span class="i3">To live so long the life of heaven."<br /></span> -</div></div> - -<p>The Sisters further stated that the first spirit -they met was the holy St. John, the founder of -their convent, whom they immediately recognised, -although he had cast off his earthly integuments, -and appeared in a glorified form, but in semblance -as when he performed the miracle at South -Burton.</p> - -<p>He welcomed them with affectionate warmth, -and told them that their parents were now -enjoying the reward of their virtuous and -pious lives, but that they could not be permitted -to see them until they themselves had finally -passed away from earthly life. He further told -them that he kept a watchful eye over his town -and monastery in Inder-a-wood, with affectionate -love, which should be seen in after ages, in the -promotion of their prosperity.</p> - -<p>The next day the festival of St. John was -celebrated in the monastery and church, with -more than usual interest and devotion. Towards -the close of it—</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[166]</a></span></p> - -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">"The maidens have risen, with noiseless tread<br /></span> -<span class="i3">They glide o'er the marble floor;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">They seek the Abbess with bended head:<br /></span> -<span class="i3">'Thy blessing we would implore,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Dear mother! for e'er the coming day<br /></span> -<span class="i3">Shall blush into light, we must hence away.'<br /></span> -<span class="i0">The Abbess hath lifted her gentle hands,<br /></span> -<span class="i3">And the words of peace hath said,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">'O vade in pacem;' aghast she stands,<br /></span> -<span class="i3">'Have their innocent spirits fled?'<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Yes, side by side lie these maidens fair,<br /></span> -<span class="i3">Like two wreaths of snow in the moonlight there."<br /></span> -</div></div> - -<p>At the same time the church became lighted up -with a supernatural roseate hue, and sounds of -celestial music ravished the ears of the assembly. -The Sisters were laid side by side by tender and -reverent hands in a tomb near the altar of the -church, and now—</p> - -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">"Fifty summers have come and passed away,<br /></span> -<span class="i3">But their loveliness knoweth no decay;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And many a chaplet of flowers is hung,<br /></span> -<span class="i3">And many a bead told there;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And many a hymn of praise is sung,<br /></span> -<span class="i3">And many a low-breathed prayer;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And many a pilgrim bends the knee<br /></span> -<span class="i3">At the shrine of the Sisters of Beverley."<br /></span> -</div></div> - -<p>The tomb of the Sisters was destroyed in the -great fire of 1188, which destroyed not only St. -John's Church and monastery, but the whole<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[167]</a></span> -town besides. They were afterwards rebuilt—the -Minster in the superb style which it now -presents—and it was in remembrance of these -sainted Sisters that the uninscribed tomb was -placed in the new church.</p> - -<p>This legend has formed the subject of an -exquisite poem, which appeared in the pages of -the <i>Literary Gazette</i>, and has been attributed to -the pen of Alaric A. Watts, which, however, is -open to doubt.</p> - -<hr class="chap" style="page-break-after: always;" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[168]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 style="margin-top: 3em; margin-bottom: 1.5em;"><a name="The_Dragon_of_Wantley" id="The_Dragon_of_Wantley">The Dragon of Wantley.</a></h2> - - -<div><img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-o.jpg" -width="51" height="50" alt="Dropcap-O" /> -</div><p><span class="dropletter">O</span><span class="smcap">nce</span> on a time—as the old storytellers -were wont to commence their -tales of love, chivalry, and romance—there -dwelt in the most wild and rugged part of -Wharncliffe Chase, near Rotherham, a fearful -dragon, with iron teeth and claws. How he -came there no one knew, or where he came from; -but he proved to be a most pestilent neighbour to -the villagers of Wortley—blighting the crops by -the poisonous stench of his breath, devouring the -cattle of the fields, making no scruple of seizing -upon a plump child or a tender young virgin to -serve as a <i>bonne-bouche</i> for his breakfast table, -and even crunching up houses and churches to -satisfy his ravenous appetite.</p> - -<p>Wortley, is situated in the parish of -Penistone, and belongs now, as it has done -for centuries, to the Wortley family. Before -the dissolution of monasteries, the Rectory -of Penistone belonged to the Abbey of St.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[169]</a></span> -Stephen, Westminster, and was granted, when -the Abbey was dissolved, to Thomas Howard, -third Duke of Norfolk, who out of the proceeds -established in Sheffield a set of almshouses. The -impropriation of the great tithes were let to the -Wortley family, who, by measures of oppression -and extortion, contrived to get a great deal more -than they were entitled to, and Nicholas Wortley -insisted on taking the tithes in kind, but was -opposed by Francis Bosville, who obtained a -decree (17th Elizabeth) against him; but Sir -Francis Wortley, in the succeeding reign, again -attempted to enforce payment in kind, -with so much disregard to the suffering -he inflicted upon the poor that they determined -upon finding out some champion who -would dare to attack this redoubtable dragon in -his den at Wantley, so as to put an end, once and -for all, to the destruction of their crops, the loss -of their cattle, and the desolation of their ruined -homes. Foremost in this movement was one -Lyonel Rowlestone, who married the widow of -Francis Bosville; and the parishioners entered into -an agreement to unite in opposition to the claims -of the Wortleys. The parchment on which it is -written is dated 1st James I., and bristles with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[170]</a></span> -the names and seals of the people of Penistone of -that time, and is still extant.</p> - -<p>In the neighbourhood, on a moor not far from -Bradfield, stood a mansion called More or Moor -Hall, and was inhabited by a family who had -resided there from the time of Henry II., but of -whom little is known, excepting the wonderful -achievement of one member of the family, -"More of More Hall," who slew the Dragon of -Wantley.</p> - -<p>The family had for their crest a green -dragon, and there was formerly in Bradfield -Church a stone dragon, five feet in length, which -had some connection with the family. To this -worthy, who, it is supposed, may have been an -attorney or counsellor, the parishioners of Penistone, -having decided upon appealing to the law -courts, applied to undertake their case, and make -battle on the terrible dragon in his den among -the rocks of the forest of Wharncliffe. He -readily complied with their wish, and with great -boldness and valour prepared for the conflict by -going to Sheffield and ordering a suit of armour, -studded with spikes—that is, arming himself with -the panoply of law, and then went forth and -made the attack. The fight is said, in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[171]</a></span> -ballad narrative, to have lasted two days and -nights, probably the duration of the lawsuit, and -in the end he killed the dragon, or won his suit, -thus relieving the people of Penistone from any -further annoyance or unjust exaction from that -quarter. Sir Francis Wortley persuaded his -cousin Wordsworth, the freehold lord of the -manor (ancestor, lineal or collateral, of the Poet -Wordsworth), to stand aloof in the matter, -and now the Wortley and the Wordsworth -are the only estates in the parish that pay -tithes.</p> - -<p>To commemorate the event an exceedingly -humorous and cleverly satirical ballad was written, -which, being also a lively burlesque on the ballad -romances of chivalry, served the same purpose -towards them that Cervantes' "Don Quixote" -did for the prose fictions of the same character. -Thus opens the ballad—</p> - -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">"Old stories tell how Hercules<br /></span> -<span class="i3">A dragon slew at Gerna,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">With seven heads and fourteen eyes<br /></span> -<span class="i3">To see and well discerna;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">But he had a club, this dragon to drub,<br /></span> -<span class="i3">Or he had ne'er I warrant ye;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">But More of More Hall with nothing at all,<br /></span> -<span class="i3">He slew the dragon of Wantley.<br /></span> -</div></div> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[172]</a></span></p> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">"This dragon had two furious wings,<br /></span> -<span class="i3">Each one upon each shoulder;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">With a sting in his tail, as long as a flail,<br /></span> -<span class="i3">Which made him bolder and bolder.<br /></span> -<span class="i0">He had long claws, and in his jaws<br /></span> -<span class="i3">Four and forty teeth of iron;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">With a hide as tough as any buff,<br /></span> -<span class="i3">Which did him round environ."<br /></span> -</div></div> - -<p>It then goes on to describe how "he ate three -children at one sup, as one would eat an apple." -Also all sorts of cattle and trees, the forest -beginning to diminish very perceptibly, and -"houses and churches," which to him were geese -and turkeys, "leaving none behind."</p> - -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">"But some stones, dear Jack, that he could not crack,<br /></span> -<span class="i14">Which on the hills you will finda."<br /></span> -</div></div> - -<p>These stones are supposed to be a reference to -the Lyonel Rowlestone, who was the leader of the -opposition. There are many local allusions of a -similar character, which would no doubt add -much to the keenness of the satire and the -humour, but which are lost to us through our -ignorance of the circumstances and persons -alluded to.</p> - -<p>"In Yorkshire, near fair Rotherham," was his -den, and at Wantley a well from which he -drank.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[173]</a></span></p> - -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">"Some say this dragon was a witch,<br /></span> -<span class="i3">Some say he was a devil;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">For from his nose a smoke arose<br /></span> -<span class="i3">And with it burning snivel."<br /></span> -</div></div> - -<p>"Hard by a furious knight there dwelt," who -could "wrestle, play at quarter-staff, kick, cuff, -and huff; and with his hands twain could swing -a horse till he was dead, and eat him all up but -his head." To this wonderful athlete came -"men, women, girls, and boys, sighing and -sobbing, and made a hideous noise—O! save us -all, More of More Hall, thou peerless knight of -these woods; do but slay this dragon, who won't -leave us a rag on, we'll give thee all our goods." -The Knight replied—</p> - -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">"Tut, tut," quoth he, "no goods I want;<br /></span> -<span class="i3">But I want, I want, in sooth,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">A fair maid of sixteen, that's brisk and keen,<br /></span> -<span class="i3">With smiles about her mouth;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Hair black as sloe, skin white as snow,<br /></span> -<span class="i3">With blushes her cheeks adorning;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">To anoint me o'er night, e'er I go to the fight,<br /></span> -<span class="i3">And to dress me in the morning."<br /></span> -</div></div> - -<p>This being agreed to, he hied to Sheffield, and -had a suit of armour, covered with spikes five or -six inches long, made, which, when he donned it, -caused the people to take him for "an Egyptian -porcupig," and the cattle for "some strange,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[174]</a></span> -outlandish hedgehog." When he rose in the -morning,</p> - -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">"To make him strong and mighty<br /></span> -<span class="i3">He drank, by the tale, six pots of ale<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And a quart of <i>aqua vitæ</i>."<br /></span> -</div></div> - -<p>Thus equipped and with his valour braced up, -he went to Wantley, concealing himself in the -well, and when the dragon came to drink, he -shouted "Boh," and struck the monster a blow -on the mouth. The knight then came out of the -well, and they commenced fighting, for some time -without advantage on either side—without either -receiving a wound. At length, however, after -fighting two days and a night, the dragon gave -him a blow which made him reel and the earth to -quake. "But More of More Hall, like a valiant -son of Mars," returned the compliment with such -vigour that—</p> - -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">"Oh! quoth the dragon, with a deep sigh,<br /></span> -<span class="i3">And turned six times together;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Sobbing and tearing, cursing and swearing<br /></span> -<span class="i3">Out of his throat of leather;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">More of More Hall! O, thou rascal!<br /></span> -<span class="i3">Would I had seen thee never;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">With the thing on thy foot, thou has pricked my gut<br /></span> -<span class="i3">And I'm quite undone for ever.<br /></span> -</div></div> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[175]</a></span></p> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">"Murder! murder! the dragon cry'd.<br /></span> -<span class="i3">Alack! alack! for grief;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Had you but mist that place, you could<br /></span> -<span class="i3">Have done me no mischief.<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Then his head he shaked, trembled and quaked,<br /></span> -<span class="i3">And down he laid and cry'd,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">First on one knee, then on back tumbled he:<br /></span> -<span class="i3">So groan'd, kick't, and dy'd."<br /></span> -</div></div> - -<p>Henry Carey, in 1738, brought out an opera on -the subject, entitled "The Dragon of Wantley," -abounding in humour, and a fine burlesque on the -Italian operas of the period, then the rage of -fashion. And in 1873, Poynter exhibited at the -Royal Academy a picture of "More of More -Hall and the Dragon."</p> - -<hr class="chap" style="page-break-after: always;" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[176]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 style="margin-top: 3em; margin-bottom: 1.5em;"><a name="The_Miracles_and_Ghost_of_Watton" id="The_Miracles_and_Ghost_of_Watton">The Miracles and Ghost of Watton.</a></h2> - - -<div><img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-i.jpg" -width="50" height="50" alt="Dropcap-I" /> -</div><p><span class="dropletter">I</span><span class="smcap">n</span> a sweetly sequestered spot, environed -by patriarchal trees of luxuriant -foliage, between the towns of Driffield -and Beverley, nestles a Tudoresque building, -which goes by the name of Watton Abbey, -although it never was an abbey, but a Gilbertine -Priory. It is now a private residence, and was -occupied for many years as a school, the existing -buildings apparently having been erected since -the dissolution, and there are but few remains of -the original convent, saving a portion of the -nunnery, now converted into stables, a hollow -square indicating the site of the kitchen and the -moat which originally surrounded the entire -enclosure. A couple of centuries ago there were -extensive remains of the old priory, but they -were removed for the purpose of repairing -Beverley Minster. Moreover, the abbey has a -haunted room, which, however, has no connection -with the monastic times, although the ghost that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[177]</a></span> -haunts it is usually designated "The Headless -Nun of Watton," but belongs to the civil war -period of the seventeenth century. The fact is -that story tellers of the legend confound two -altogether different narratives—the one of a -trangressing nun of the twelfth century, and the -other of a murdered lady of the seventeenth, -combining their two histories into one story, as if -their persons were identical.</p> - -<p>A nunnery was established here in a very -early period of Anglo-Saxon Christianity, probably -soon after its re-introduction into Northumbria -by King Oswald, as we find St. John -of Beverley performing a miracle there, which -would be about the year 720, after he had -resigned his Bishopric and retired to Beverley. -It appears that he was an intimate friend of the -Lady Prioress—Heribury—and made frequent -visits to Watton to administer spiritual advice -and ghostly consolation to the inmates under her -charge. On one occasion when he went thither, -he found the Prioress's daughter suffering great -agony from a diseased and swollen arm, the -result of unskilful bleeding, and was solicited to -go to her chamber and give her his blessing, -which might be the means of alleviating the pain.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[178]</a></span> -He inquired when she had been bled, and was -told on the fourth day of the moon, which he -said was a very inauspicious day, quoting Archbishop -Theodore as his authority, and he feared -his prayers would be of no avail. Nevertheless -he went to her room, prayed for her restoration -to health, gave her his blessing, and went down -to dinner. They had, however, scarcely -seated themselves when a servant came in, -stating that all her pain had gone, her swollen -arm had been reduced to its natural size, and that -she was perfectly restored to health, and was -dressing to come down and dine with them.</p> - -<p>The nunnery was destroyed, it is presumed, by -the Danes at the same time that the Monastery -of Beverley perished at their hands, in the ninth -century, and it lay waste and desolate until the -twelfth century, although we find from the -Domesday survey that there were then a church -and priest in the village.</p> - -<p>In 1148-9, Eustace Fitz John, Lord of -Knaresborough, and a favourite of King -Henry I., at the instance of Murdac, Archbishop -of York, refounded the convent, in atonement for -certain crimes he had committed. It was -established for thirteen canons and thirty-six<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[179]</a></span> -nuns of the new Gilbertine order, who were to -live in the same block of buildings, but with a -party wall for the separation of the sexes; the -canons "to serve the nuns perpetually in terrene -as well as in divine matters." He endowed it -with the Lordship of Watton, with all its appurtenances -in pure and perpetual alms for the -salvation of his soul, and those of his wife, his -father and mother, brothers and sisters, friends -and servants.</p> - -<p>Archbishop Murdac was at the time resident -at Beverley, the gates of York having been -shut against him; and it may be that the fact of -his predecessor, St. John, the patron-saint of the -town where he dwelt, having performed a great -miracle there, was what influenced him in his -desire to see a resuscitation of the monastery. -He was a remarkable man, and had led a somewhat -adventurous life. Archbishop Thurstan -was his patron, and gave him some preferments -in the church of York, which he resigned at the -pressing invitation of St. Bernard, founder of the -Cistercians, to become a monk at Clervaux. -Soon after he was sent by his superior to found a -Cistercian house at Vauclair, of which he was -appointed the first abbot, in 1131, where he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[180]</a></span> -remained until 1143, when, at the recommendation -of St. Bernard, he was elected Abbot -of Fountains. Under his judicious and able -government the abbey prospered and threw off -not less than seven offshoots—those of Kirkstall, -Lix, Meaux, Vaudy, and Woburn.</p> - -<p>On the death of Archbishop Thurstan, King -Stephen desired the canons to elect William -Fitzherbert, his nephew and their treasurer, in -his place, which they were willing to do, but the -Cistercians, headed by Murdac, suspecting that -undue influence had been made use of, vehemently -opposed his election, and Pope Eugenius, on the -appeal of St. Bernard, suspended Fitzherbert.</p> - -<p>Fitzherbert, out of revenge, went with his -friends to Fountains, broke open the door, -searched ineffectually for Murdac, then fired the -abbey, and retired. This act caused a great -sensation, and the Archbishop was deprived in -1147. The same year an assembly met at -Richmond, and elected Murdac as Archbishop, -who immediately went to Rome and obtained his -pall from Pope Eugenius; but on his return -found York barred against his entrance, upon -which he retired to Beverley. Stephen, the -King, refused to recognise him, sequestering the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[181]</a></span> -stalls of York, and fining the town of Beverley for -harbouring him. It was at this time that he -promoted the re-establishment of Watton, and -placed within its walls a child of four years of -age to be educated, with a view of taking the -veil.</p> - -<p>In retaliation, he excommunicated Puisnet, -Treasurer of York, and laid the city under an -interdict. Puisnet was afterwards elected Bishop -of Durham, upon which Murdac excommunicated -the Prior and Archdeacon, who came to Beverley -to implore pardon, and could only obtain -absolution on acknowledging their fault and -submitting to scourging at the entrance to -Beverley Minster. He died at Beverley in the -same year (1153), and was buried in York -Cathedral.</p> - -<p>Elfleda, the child whom Murdac had placed in -the convent, was a merry, vivacious little -creature; and whilst but a child was a source of -amusement to the sisterhood, who, although -prim and demure in bearing, and some of them -sour-tempered and acid in their tempers, were -wont to smile at her youthful frolics and ringing -laugh; but as she grew older, her outbursts -of merriment, and the sallies of wit that began to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[182]</a></span> -animate her conversation, were checked, as being -inconsistent with the character of a young lady -who was now enrolled as novice, preparatory to -taking the veil. As she advanced towards -womanhood her form gradually developed into a -most symmetrical figure; and her features -became the perfection of beauty, set off with a -transparent delicacy of complexion, such as would -have rendered her a centre of attraction even -among the beauties of a Royal Court. This -excited the jealousy of the sisters, who were -chiefly elderly and middle-aged spinsters, whose -homely and somewhat coarse features had proved -detrimental to their hopes of obtaining husbands. -They began to treat her with scornful looks, -chilling neglect, and petty persecutions; but -when she, later on, evinced a manifest repugnance -to convent life, ridiculed the ways of the holy -sisters, and even satirised them, they charged her -with entertaining rebellious and ungodly sentiments, -and subjected her to penances and other -modes of wholesome correction, such as they -considered would subdue her worldly spirit.</p> - -<p>Sprightly and light-hearted as she was, Elfleda -was not happy, immured as she was within these -detested walls, and condemned to assist in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[183]</a></span> -wearisome services, such as she thought might -perhaps be congenial to the souls of her elder -sisters, whose hopes of worldly happiness and -conjugal endearment had been blighted, but -which were altogether unsuited for one so -beautiful (for she knew that she was fair, and was -vain of her looks) and so cheerful-minded as -herself; and she longed with intense desire to -make her escape, mingle with the outer world, -and have free intercourse with the other sex.</p> - -<p>According to the charter of endowment, the -lay brethren of the monastery were entrusted -with the management of the secular affairs of the -nunnery, which necessitated their admission -within its portals on certain occasions for conference -with the prioress. On these occasions -Elfleda would cast furtive and very un-nunlike -glances upon their persons. She was particularly -attracted by one of them, a young man of -prepossessing mien and seductive style of speech, -and she felt her heart beat wildly whenever he -came with the other visitors. He noticed her -surreptitious glances, and saw that she was -exceedingly beautiful, and his heart responded -to the sentiment he felt that he had inspired in -hers. They maintained this silent but eloquent<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[184]</a></span> -language of love for some time, and soon found -means of having stolen interviews under the -darkness of night, when vows of everlasting love -were interchanged, and led, eventually, to -consequences which at the outset were not -dreamt of by the erring pair.</p> - -<p>Suspicion having been excited by her altered -form, she was summoned before her superiors on -a charge of "transgressing the conventual rules -and violating one of the most stringent laws of -monastic life," and as concealment was impossible, -she boldly confessed her fault, adding that she -had no vocation for a convent life, and desired to -be banished from the community. This request -could not be listened to for a moment. The -culprit had brought a scandal and indelible stain -upon the fair fame of the house, which must, at -any cost, be concealed from the world; and her -open avowal of her guilt raised in the breasts of -the pious sisterhood a perfect fury of indignation, -and a determination to inflict immediate and -condign punishment on her. It was variously -suggested that she should be burnt to death, that -she should be walled up alive, that she should be -flayed, that her flesh should be torn from her -bones with red-hot pincers, that she should be<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[185]</a></span> -roasted to death before a fire, etc.; but the more -prudent and aged averted these extreme -measures, and suggested some milder forms of -punishment, which were at once carried out. -The miserable object of their vengeance was -stripped of her clothing, stretched on the floor, -and scourged with rods until the blood trickled -down profusely from her lacerated back. She -was then cast into a noisome dungeon, without -light, fettered by iron chains to the floor, and -supplied with only bread and water, "which was -administered with bitter taunts and reproaches."</p> - -<p>Meanwhile the young man, her paramour, had -left the monastery, and as the nuns were desirous -of inflicting some terrible punishment upon him -for his horrible crime, they extorted from Elfleda, -under promise that she should be released and -given up to him, the confession that he was still -in the neighbourhood in disguise, and that not -knowing of the discovery that had been made, he -would come to visit her, and make the usual -signal of throwing a stone on the roof over her -sleeping cell. The Prioress made this known to -the brethren of the monastery, and arranged with -them for his capture. The following night he -came, looked cautiously round, and then threw<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[186]</a></span> -the stone, when the monks rushed out of ambush, -cudgelled him soundly, and then took him a -prisoner into the house. "The younger -part of the nuns, inflamed with a pious zeal, -demanded the custody of the prisoner, on -pretence of gaining further information. Their -request was granted, and taking him to an unfrequented -part of the convent, they committed on -his person such brutal atrocities as cannot be -translated without polluting the page on which -they are written; and, to increase the horror, the -lady was brought forth to be witness of the -abominable scene." Whilst lying in her dungeon, -Elfleda became penitent, and conscious of having -committed a gross crime, and one night whilst -sleeping in her fetters, Archbishop Murdac -appeared to her and charged her with having -cursed him. She replied that she certainly had -cursed him for having placed her in so uncongenial -a sphere. "Rather curse yourself," said -he, "for having given way to temptation." "So -I do," she answered, "and I regret having imputed -the blame to you." He then exhorted her -to repentance and the daily repetition of certain -psalms, and then vanished,—a vision which -afforded her much consolation.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[187]</a></span></p> - -<p>The holy sisters were now much troubled on the -question of what should be done with the infant -which was expected daily, and preparations were -made for its reception; when Elfleda was again -visited by the Archbishop, accompanied by two -women who, "with the holy aid of the Archbishop, -safely delivered her of the infant, which they bore -away in their arms, covered with a fair linen -cloth." When the nuns came the next morning -they found her in perfect health and restored to -her youthful appearance, without any signs of -the accouchement, and charged her with -murdering the infant,—a very improbable idea, -seeing that she was still chained to the floor. -She narrated what had occurred, but was not -believed. The next night all her fetters were -miraculously removed, and when her cell was -entered the following morning she was found -standing free, and the chains not to be -found.</p> - -<p>The Father Superior of the convent was then -called in, and he invited Alured, Abbot of -Rievaulx, to assist him in the investigation of the -case, who decided that it was a miraculous -intervention, and the Abbot departed, saying, -"What God hath cleansed call not thou common<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[188]</a></span> -or unclean, and whom He hath loosed thou -mayest not bind."</p> - -<p>What afterwards became of Elfleda is not -stated, but we may presume that after these -miraculous events she would be admitted as a -thrice holy member of the sisterhood, despite her -little peccadillo.</p> - -<p>Alured of Rievaulx, the monkish chronicler, -narrates the substance of the above circumstances, -and vouches for their truth. "Let no one," -says he, "doubt the truth of this account, for I -was an eye-witness to many of the facts, and the -remainder were related to me by persons of such -mature age and distinguished piety, that I cannot -doubt the accuracy of the statement."</p> - -<p>This is the story of the frail and unfortunate -nun; the other, which is usually dovetailed on -the former, is of much more recent date. In the -present house there is a chamber wainscoted -throughout with panelled oak, one of the panels -forming a door, so accurately fitted that it cannot -be distinguished from the other panels. It is -opened by a secret spring, and communicates -with a stone stair that goes down to the moat; -it may be that the room was a hiding-place -for the Jesuits or priests of the Catholic Church<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[189]</a></span> -when they were so ruthlessly hunted down and -barbarously executed in the Elizabethan and -Jacobean reigns. The room is reputed to be -haunted by the ghost of a headless lady with an -infant in her arms, who comes, or came -thither formerly, to sleep nightly, the bed-clothes -being found the following morning in a disordered -state, as they would be after a person had been -sleeping in them. If by chance any person had -daring enough to occupy the room, the ghost -would come, minus the head, dressed in blood-stained -garments, with her infant in her arms, -and would stand motionless at the foot of the bed -for a while, and then vanish. A visitor on one -occasion, who knew nothing of the legend, was -put to sleep in the chamber, who in the morning -stated that his slumbers had been disturbed by a -spectral visitant, in the form of a lady with -bloody raiment and an infant, and that her -features bore a strange resemblance to those of a -lady whose portrait hung in the room; from -which it would appear that on that special -occasion she had donned her head.</p> - -<p>According to the legend, a lady of distinction -who then occupied the house was a devoted -Royalist in the great civil war which resulted in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[190]</a></span> -the death of King Charles. It was after the -battle of Marston Moor, which was a death-blow -to the Royalists north of the Humber, and when -the Parliamentarians dominated the broad lands -of Yorkshire, that a party of fanatical Roundheads -came into the neighbourhood of Watton, -"breathing out threatenings and slaughter" -against the "malignants," and especially against -such as still clung to the "vile rags of the whore -of Babylon," vowing to put all such to the sword. -The Lady of Watton, who was a devout Catholic, -heard of this band of Puritan soldiers, who were -"rampaging" over the Wolds, and of the -barbarous murders of which they had been guilty. -Her husband was away fighting in the ranks of -the King down Oxford way, and she was left -without any protector excepting a handful of -servants, male and female, who would be of no -use against a band of armed soldiers, and it was -with great fear and trembling that she heard of -their arrival at Driffield, some three or four miles -distant, where they had been plundering and -maltreating "the Philistines;" fearing more for -her infant than herself, as she believed the -prevalent exaggerated rumour, that it was a -favourite amusement with them to toss babies up<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[191]</a></span> -in the air and catch them on the points of their -pikes.</p> - -<p>At length news was brought that the -marauders were on the march to Watton, for -the purpose of plundering it, as the home of a -malignant, and the lady, for better security, shut -herself, with her child and her jewels, in the -wainscoted room, hoping in case of extremity to -escape by means of a secret stair, and in the -meanwhile committed herself and child to the -care of the Virgin Mother. It was not long ere -the band of soldiers arrived and hammered at the -door, calling aloud for admittance, but met with -no response. They were about breaking down -the door, and went in search of implements for -the purpose, when they caught sight of a low -archway opening upon the moat, which they -guessed to be a side entrance to the house, and -crossing the moat, they found the stair, which -they ascended and came to the panel, which they -concluded was a disguised door. A few blows -sufficed to dash it open, and they came into the -presence of the lady, who was prostrate before a -crucifix. Rising up, she demanded what they -wanted, and wherefore this rude intrusion. They -replied that they had come to despoil the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[192]</a></span> -"Egyptian" who owned the mansion, and if he -had been present, to smite him to death as a -worshipper of idols and an abomination in the -eyes of God.</p> - -<p>An angry altercation ensued, the lady, who -possessed a high spirit, making a free use of her -tongue in upbraidings and reproaches for their -dastardly conduct on the Wolds, of which she had -heard, to which they listened very impatiently, -and replied in coarse language not fit for a lady's -ears, at the same time demanding the plate and -other valuables of the house. She scornfully -refused to give them up, and told them that if -they wanted them they must find them for themselves, -and at length so provoked them by her -taunts that they cried, "Hew down with the -sword the woman of Belial and the spawn of the -malignant," and suiting the action to the word, -they caught her child from her arms, dashed its -brains out against the wall, and then cut her down -and "hewed" off her head, after which they -plundered the house and departed with their -spoil.</p> - -<p>It must not be supposed that these ruffians -were a fair specimen of the brave, God-fearing -men who fought under Fairfax, and put Newcastle<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[193]</a></span> -and Rupert to flight at Marston Moor, who -fought with the sword in one hand and the Bible -in the other, who laid the axe at the root of -Royal abitrary prerogative, and were the real -authors of the civil and religious liberty which we -now enjoy. But, as in all times of civil commotion, -there were evil-minded wretches who, -for purpose of plunder, assumed the garb and -adopted the phraseology of the noble-minded -soldiers of Fairfax and Hampden, and the Ironsides -of Cromwell, out-Puritaned them in their -hypocritical cant, bringing disgrace and scandal -upon the armies with which they associated -themselves. And such were the villains who despoiled -Watton, and slew so barbarously the poor -lady and her infant; and from that time the ghost -of the lady has haunted the room in which the -deed was perpetrated.</p> - -<p>In the year 1780, Mr. Bethell, the then -occupier of the house, was giving a dinner-party -in the dining-room, which adjoined the haunted -apartment. When they were seated over their -wine the host related the story of the ghost, and -had scarcely finished it when an unearthly sound -issued from the floor beneath their feet. Consternation -seized on the party. They concluded<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[194]</a></span> -that it was the ghost, and to their imagination -the candles began to emit a blue, ghostly light. -It seemed to be a confirmation of the truth of the -story; but they summoned up courage enough to -make an examination, and although it was -approaching the "witching hour of night," they -sent for a carpenter, who took up some planks of -the floor, and found—not the ghost, but the nest -of an otter from the moat, who had made there a -home for her progeny, whose cries had alarmed -them; and thus was dissipated what might otherwise -have been deemed a veritable supernatural -visitation.</p> - -<hr class="chap" style="page-break-after: always;" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[195]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 style="margin-top: 3em; margin-bottom: 1.5em;"><a name="The_Murdered_Hermit_of_Eskdale" id="The_Murdered_Hermit_of_Eskdale">The Murdered Hermit of Eskdale.</a></h2> - - -<div><img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-s.jpg" -width="50" height="50" alt="Dropcap-S" /> -</div><p><span class="dropletter">S</span><span class="smcap">ir</span> Richard de Veron was a distinguished -knight of the North Riding, -who held a considerable estate by -knight's service of the De Brus family in Cleveland. -He was one of the heroes of the Battle of -the Standard, in 1138, who went forth at the -behest of Archbishop Thurstan to oppose the -invasion of David of Scotland, and who signally -defeated that monarch. A few years after, he -joined the forces of the Empress Maud, whose pretensions -to the throne of England he considered -to be more legitimate than those of Stephen, and -fought on her side at Lincoln, in 1141, when the -King was defeated and taken prisoner, continuing -to uphold her cause until she was compelled to -retire from England. The war being thus -brought to an end, and the adherents of the -Empress generally declining to take service under -a King whom they deemed a usurper, and by -whom they were looked upon with suspicion, De<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[196]</a></span> -Veron sheathed his sword and retired to his -family and home in Cleveland. He had a wife, -whom he dearly loved, and two children, a -boy—his heir, and a sweet little daughter for -whom he entertained the most tender affection; -indeed, although he delighted in the clash of arms -and the exciting revelry of war, he was never so -truly happy as when in the midst of his family, -teaching his young son to ride, practice at the -target, and follow his hounds in pursuit of the wild -animals of the chase; or listening to the prattle -of his little daughter, when taking lessons from -her mother in reading, music, or embroidery -work. Thus happily passed a few months after -his return from his martial pursuits, when one -morning, news was brought that a case of plague -had occurred in the village, causing, as it always -did, great consternation not only amongst the -villagers, but in the knight's mansion, which -stood half a mile away from the village. It was -hoped that it might be an isolated case, and such -rude remedial measures as were then known were -adopted to prevent the spread of the infection, -but within a week another case was reported, and -another and another in rapid succession, after -which it spread with fearful speed, until half the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[197]</a></span> -population succumbed to it, and were hastily -buried without the usual funeral rites. In a -month the disease appeared to be dying out, the -deaths were fewer and fewer day by day, and it -was fondly hoped that the terrible infliction was -passing away, but it was not until three-fourths -of the people had fallen victims to its pestilential -fury.</p> - -<p>Although Sir Richard hesitated not to go -down to the village and employ himself in -administering food, medicine, and consolation to -the afflicted, he took every known precaution -against coming into too close contact with the -infected; he kept his family closely shut up at -home, and occupied a separate set of apartments -himself, not allowing them to come into his -presence; but notwithstanding all his preventive -measures he was at last stricken down. He gave -positive orders that he should be left alone, and -if it was God's will that he should die, he declared -his resolution that he would die alone, and with -affectionate earnestness sent a message to his -wife, entreating her to remain apart from him, -and not imperil her dear life by coming to his -bedside. But she, true wife as she was, heeded -not the risk to her own life, so long as she could<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[198]</a></span> -afford comfort and spiritual consolation to him, -in what might very probably be his last few -moments on earth, and regardless of the injunction, -hastened, on receiving the message, to the -room where he lay. He reproached her gently -for exposing herself to the risk of infection, but -was met by assurances that it was not possible -for her to remain away whilst he was lying there -requiring careful tendence, with all the servants -standing aloof panic-stricken, or flying from the -house. He implored her to retire, but she -replied that she might or might not take the -infection; that was as God pleased, and if she did -she might or might not fall a victim, but most -assuredly if she left him alone and shut herself -up away from him she would die of -anxiety, or, in case of his death, of a broken -heart. Finding remonstrance useless, he was -fain to submit to her nursing, and happily during -the night the malady passed its crisis, his strong, -healthy constitution enabling him to battle -successfully with the disease, and he gradually -became convalescent.</p> - -<p>Happiness again seemed to be dawning over -the household, but it was not destined to last -long. The faithful wife, who had watched so<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[199]</a></span> -tenderly over his sick bed, regardless of the risk -she ran, maintained her health so long as her -services were needed, but in her ministrations she -had imbibed the seed of the fatal malady, and now, -when her husband was restored to health, the -terrible plague spot made its appearance, and so -rapidly did the disease develop itself that, within -twenty-four hours, she fell a victim to its remorseless -energy. It was a fearful blow to Sir -Richard, but this was not all the suffering he had -to undergo. Scarcely had he returned from the -obsequies of his wife, when his two children -caught the infection, and in another four-and-twenty -hours they were both carried off, leaving -him bereft of all the best-beloved of his soul, and -sunk in the depths of desolation and despair.</p> - -<p>For some months he remained in his silent and -cheerless home in a state of profound apathy, -taking no interest in the avocations devolving on -him as the lord of an extensive estate. It is -true he befriended, pecuniarily, the numerous -widows and orphans left in the village by the -ruthless pestilence that had swept over it, and he -contributed large sums of money to the Church -for prayers and masses for the souls of the -departed, not only of his own family, but of his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[200]</a></span> -vassals and dependants. Nothing seemed capable -of rousing him from the despondency into which -he had fallen; the sports of the field were -altogether neglected; the cheerful companionship -of friends presented no attractions for him, and he -sat at home hour after hour through the live-long -day, plunged in moody melancholy and repining -meditation on his irreparable loss, and the utter -extinction of all that was worth living for. And -thus passed week after week and month after -month, Time, the great mollifier of grief, seeming -to impart no balm to his sorrow-stricken soul.</p> - -<p>The only person whom he admitted as a visitor, -besides those who came on imperative business -matters, was Father Anselm, a pious and devout -man, the priest of the village church. It was in -his company only, and in listening to his spiritual -converse, that he felt any relief from the grief -that oppressed him, and gradually, after many -interviews, he began to look upon his affliction as -a providential dispensation, intended for some -wise purpose. Gradually also he became more -weaned from earthly and secular things, and his -soul to become more spiritualised, and he began -to experience a feeling of attraction to the cloister. -One day he mentioned this to his spiritual<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[201]</a></span> -adviser, and Father Anselm, rejoicing thereat, -warmly applauded the feeling, urging that such -self-devotion would be most acceptable to God, -and that it was only in religious meditation and -prayer that he would be vouchsafed that true -consolation which religion alone could give. The -holy father perhaps was not altogether single-minded -in thus fostering the idea of assuming the -cowl, for he was a true Churchman, considering -that the promotion of the temporal aggrandisement -of the Church was an essential part of the -duty of a Christian, a sentiment then universally -prevalent, and not unusual now. He knew that -Sir Richard was the owner of broad acres, and -that now he had no heir to inherit them, and he -often made delicate and incidental allusions to -the fact, which seemed to produce an impression -on the mind of the knight. At last an opportunity -offered itself of speaking out more openly. With a -profound sigh, Sir Richard one day said, when -the conversation had turned upon his estates and -possessions, "Alas! why should I trouble or -concern myself about these lands and the -improvements that might be made on them? I -shall never more be able to derive pleasure from -the possession of them, and I have no heir to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[202]</a></span> -bequeath them to. What is the good of riches if -they do not afford happiness? A crust and -water from the wayside brook with happiness is -better than untold wealth accompanied with -sorrow and anguish of heart."</p> - -<p>Father Anselm saw his opportunity, and -pertinently asked, "Since you have no heir, why -not make the holy Church of Christ your heir? -By doing so you would garner up for yourself -riches in heaven—an eternity of inconceivable -happiness compared with which in duration your -present suffering is but as the pang of a -moment."</p> - -<p>Sir Richard sat musing for the space of a -quarter of an hour, and then said, "Holy Father, -what you say seems good, fitting, and worthy of -consideration. Give me a week to think it over, -and at the expiration of that period I will -commune with you further on the subject," and -Father Anselm took his departure.</p> - -<p>At the week's end, when they met again, Sir -Richard opened the subject by saying, "Venerable -Father, I have since our last meeting given deep -consideration to your counsels, and have come to -the resolution of doing as you advise me. I have -determined on assuming the monkish habit;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[203]</a></span> -spending the remainder of my life in pious -communion with some holy brotherhood; and on -resigning my possessions into the hands of the -Church of God."</p> - -<p>"It is good," replied Father Anselm. "Have -you thought of any specific house on which to -bestow your donation?"</p> - -<p>"It occurred to me," continued Sir Richard, -"to become a canon of the Augustinian house -recently founded by my feudal Lord, Robert de -Brus, at Guisborough, and to add my lands to its -further endowment."</p> - -<p>"Permit me to counsel you otherwise," said the -Father, "Guisborough, as an Augustinian house, -is not so strict in its discipline as other monastic -houses, and is already very fairly endowed. But -there is another, of the Benedictine order, where -you would have an opportunity of cultivating a -more strictly religious and less secular frame of -mind—I mean Whitby, a holy spot, once -sanctified by the presence of the blessed St. -Hilda. It was founded by King Oswy in 687, -was laid in ruins by the sacrilegious Danes in -867, and so remained for another couple of -hundred years, when God moved the heart of -Will de Percy to refound it as a Priory. Within<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[204]</a></span> -the last few years it has again been converted -into an Abbey; but it lacks endowment for the -due maintenance of its superior dignity. Let -me advise you, therefore, to cast in your lot with -these Benedictines, and win the approval of God -by bestowing your wealth in his service, where it -is much needed."</p> - -<p>Sir Richard assented to this suggestion, -caused a deed of gift to be drawn, in which he -conveyed his lands to the Abbot and convent of -Whitby, and entered the house as a novice; and -in due time, at the expiration of his novitiate, -was admitted as a monk.</p> - -<p>Brother Jerome (to use his monastic appellation) -soon attracted notice by the fervour of his -piety, his asceticism, and a strict and sincere -observance of the conventual rules; as well as by -his humility and obedience to the ordinances of -his superiors. It chanced that after he had been -in the house a few years, the Prior, whose -position was that of sub-Abbot in the house, -sickened and died; and, at a meeting of the -chapter to elect his successor, Brother Jerome -was suggested as the most fitting, by his manifest -piety and abilities, for the office; but he resolutely -declined taking it upon himself, preferring, as he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[205]</a></span> -said, to be rather a hewer of wood or drawer of -water—the servant of the brotherhood—than to -hold any superior office.</p> - -<p>In the course of his meditations he was wont -to cast a retrospective glance on his past life, and -to grieve over his career as a soldier and a -shedder of blood; especially did he mourn over -the excesses of barbarous cruelty into which he -had been drawn in emulation of the ferocity of -his fellow-soldiers, when marching under the -banner of the Empress, remembering with tears -of bitter remorse, the burning villages, the -homeless people, the corpse-strewn fields, and the -widows and orphans they left in their rear. The -more he thought of these past phases of his life, -the more intense became his self-reproaches -and the compunction excited by a sense of guilt -and sin. He sought by mortification and -maceration of the flesh to make atonement for -these blood-stained deeds, but despite these self-inflicted -punishments, he was not able to find rest -for his soul. For ever, when prostrate in prayer, -would they rise up before him, and the enemy of -mankind would whisper in his ear, "Thou fool! -what is the good of praying and fasting and -weeping? Thy sins are too heinous for pardon;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[206]</a></span> -thou hast given up thy possessions to secure a -heritage in heaven, but thy guilt is so damning -that thou wilt assuredly find its gate shut against -thee. Instead of leading a miserable and wretched -life here in the cloister, return to the world and -enjoy life while it lasts, for in either case there is -nothing to hope for in the future."</p> - -<p>Jerome took counsel of the Abbot, an old, -wise, and experienced Christian, who at once -detected the cloven hoof in the temptation, and -was successful in convincing the tempted one of -the fact, advising him to go on in the course -he was pursuing, assuring him that there was -mercy for the vilest of sinners if penitent, which -afforded him great consolation.</p> - -<p>Nevertheless the remorse-stricken sinner -considered that his misdeeds had been such that -he could scarcely do sufficient in the way of -mortification to obliterate the guilt of the past, -and he determined upon withdrawing himself -entirely from communion with his fellow-creatures, -even from the Holy Brotherhood of -Whitby, and devote the remainder of his life to -meditation and prayer altogether apart from the -world.</p> - -<p>Connected with the Abbey there was, in a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[207]</a></span> -solitary place of the forest which fringed the -banks of the Esk, a chapel where the monks -were wont to retire at certain seasons for the -purpose of devotion, away from the bustle and -distraction inevitable in a large community; and -in close proximity to this chapel, Jerome built for -himself a wooden hut in which to pass his -remaining years as a hermit, secluded from -society, living on wild fruit and roots, quenching -his thirst from the streamlet which trickled past, -and spending his days and nights in prayer, -flagellation, and abstinence.</p> - -<p>Resident in the neighbourhood of Whitby -were two landed proprietors—Ralph de Perci, -Lord of Sneton, and William de Brus, Lord of -Ugglebarnby, who were great lovers of hunting -and other field sports, and near them lived one -Allatson, a gentleman and freeholder. The -three were boon companions, and constantly -meeting in the pursuance of country sports, and -at each other's houses for the purpose of -carousing together. One night when they were -thus assembled together they arranged to go -boar-hunting on the following day, which was the -16th of October, 5th Henry II., in the forest of -Eskdale; and soon after dinner they met, attired<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[208]</a></span> -in their hunting garbs, with boar-staves in their -hands, and accompanied by a pack of boar-hounds, -yelping and barking, and as eager for the sport -as their masters.</p> - -<p>A boar was soon started, which plunged -into the recesses of the forest, followed by -the hounds in full cry, and by the hunters, -shouting to encourage them. Onward they -rushed, through brake and briar, the huge -animal clearing a pathway through the tangled -underwood, which enabled his pursuers to follow -without much impediment. Onward they went -in hot speed, the hounds sometimes overtaking -the boar, and tearing him with their fangs, and -the hunters beating him with their staves, maddening -him with rage, and causing him to turn -upon his pursuers, and rend the dogs with his -fangs, as he would also the hunters, could he have -escaped the environment of the dogs; and then -he would dash onward again, evidently becoming -more and more exhausted from wounds and -bruises and loss of blood, until at length they -came in sight of the chapel and hermitage; from -which point we cannot do better than continue -the narrative in the words of Burton, as given in -his "Monasticon Ebor."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[209]</a></span></p> - -<p>"The boar," says he, "being very sore and very -hotly pursued, and dead run, took in at the chapel -door and there died, whereof the hermit shut the -hounds out of the chapel and kept himself within -at his meditations, the hounds standing at bay -without.</p> - -<p>"The gentlemen called to the hermit (Brother -Jerome), who opened the door. They found the -boar dead, for which they, in very great fury -(because their hounds were put from their game) -did, most violently and cruelly, run at the hermit -with their boar staves, whereby he died soon -after."</p> - -<p>Fearful of the consequences of their crime, they -fled to Scarborough, and took sanctuary in the -church; but the Abbot of Whitby, who was a -friend of the King, was authorised to take them -out, "whereby they came in danger of the law, -and not to be privileged, but likely to have the -severity of the law, which was death."</p> - -<p>The hermit, who had been brought to Whitby -Abbey, lay at the point of death when the -prisoners were brought thither; and hearing of -their arrival, he besought the Abbot that they -might be brought into his presence; and when -they made their appearance said to them, "I am<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[210]</a></span> -sure to die of these wounds you gave me." -"Aye," quoth the Abbot, "and they shall surely -die for the same." "Not so," continued the -dying man, "for I will freely forgive them my -death if they will be contented to be enjoined -this penance for the safeguard of their souls." -"Enjoin what penance you will," replied the -culprits, "so that you save our lives." Then -Brother Jerome explained the nature of the -penance:—"You and yours shall hold your lands -of the Abbot of Whitby and his successors in this -manner. That upon Ascension Eve, you, or -some of you, shall come to the woods of Strayheads, -which is in Eskdale, the same day at -sunrising, and there shall the abbot's officer blow -his horn, to the intent that you may know how -to find him; and he shall deliver unto you, -William de Brus, ten stakes, eleven strutstowers, -and eleven yethers, to be cut by you, or some of -you, with a knife of one penny price; and you, -Ralph de Perci, shall take twenty and one of -each sort, to be cut in the same manner; and -you, Allatson, shall take nine of each sort to be -cut as aforesaid, and to be taken on your backs -and carried to the town of Whitby, and to be -there before nine of the clock the same day<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[211]</a></span> -before mentioned. If at the same hour of nine -of the clock it be full sea, your labour or service -shall cease; but if it be not full sea, each of you -shall set your stakes at the brim and so yether -them, on each side of your yethers, and so stake -on each side with your strowers, that they may -stand three tides, without removing by the force -thereof. Each of you shall make and execute the -said service at that very hour, every year, except -it shall be full sea at that hour; but when it shall -so fall out, this service shall cease.... You -shall faithfully do this, in remembrance that you -did most cruelly slay me; and that you may the -better call to God for mercy, repent unfeignedly -for your sins, and do good works. The officer of -Eskdale side shall blow—'Out on you! out on -you! out on you!' for this heinous crime. If -you, or your successors, shall refuse this service, -so long as it shall not be full sea, at the aforesaid -hour, you, or yours, shall forfeit your lands to -the Abbot of Whitby, or his successors. This I -entreat, and earnestly beg that you may have -lives and goods preserved for this service; and -I request of you to promise, by your parts in -Heaven, that it shall be done by you and your -successors as it is aforesaid requested, and I will<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[212]</a></span> -confirm it by the faith of an honest man." Then -the hermit said, "My soul longeth for the Lord; -and I do freely forgive these men my death, as -Christ forgave the thief upon the cross," and in -the presence of the Abbot and the rest, he said, -moreover, these words, "In manas tuas, domine, -commendo spiritum, meum, avinculis enim mortis -redemisti me Domine veritatis. Amen." So he -yielded up the ghost the 8th day of December, -<span class="smcap">A.D.</span> 1160, upon whose soul God have mercy. -Amen.</p> - -<p>In 1753, the service was rendered by the last -of the Allatsons, the Lords of Sneton and -Ugglebarnby having, it is supposed, bought off -their share of the penance. He held a piece -of land, of £10 a year, at Fylingdales, for which -he brought five stakes, eight yethers, and six -strutstowers, and whilst Mr. Cholmley's bailiff, -on an antique bugle horn, blew "out on you," -he made a slight edge of them a little way into -the shallow of the river.</p> - -<p>Burton, writing in 1757, adds, "This little -farm is now out of the Allatson family, but -the present owner performed the service last -Ascension Eve, <span class="smcap">A.D.</span> 1756."</p> - -<p>The horn garth or yether hedge, as the fence<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[213]</a></span> -was called, was constructed yearly on the east -side of the Esk for the purpose of keeping cattle -from the landing places.</p> - -<p>Charlton, in his history of Whitby, discredits -this tradition, saying that there were no such -persons as those mentioned, and no chapel, only -a hermitage in the forest; that the making of -the horn garth is of much older date than that -indicated, and that there is no record in the -annals of the abbey of its ever having been -made by way of penance; concluding that it is -altogether a monkish invention.</p> - -<hr class="chap" style="page-break-after: always;" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[214]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 style="margin-top: 3em; margin-bottom: 1.5em;"><a name="The_Calverley_Ghost" id="The_Calverley_Ghost">The Calverley Ghost.</a></h2> - - -<div><img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-a.jpg" -width="50" height="51" alt="Dropcap-A" /> -</div><p><span class="dropletter">A</span> <span class="smcap">little</span> northward of the road from -Bradford to Leeds, four miles distant -from the former and seven from -the latter, lies the village of Calverley, the seat -of a knightly family of that name for some 600 -years. They occupied a stately mansion, which -was converted into workmen's tenements early in -the present century, and the chapel transformed -into a wheelwright's shop.</p> - -<p>Near by is a lane, a weird and lonesome road -a couple of centuries ago, overshadowed as it was -by trees, which cast a ghostly gloom over it after -the setting of the sun. It was not much -frequented excepting in broad daylight, and even -then only by the bolder and more stout-hearted -of the village rustics, whilst the majority would -as soon have dared to sleep in the charnel-house -under the church as have passed down it by -night, or even in the gloaming. Instances were -known of strangers having unwittingly gone<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[215]</a></span> -through it, all of whom, however, came forth -with trembling limbs and scared faces, their hair -erect on their heads, and the perspiration -streaming down from their foreheads. When -questioned as to what they had seen, the reply -was always the same, a cloudlike apparition, -thin, transparent, and unsubstantial, bearing the -semblance of a human figure, with no seeming -clothing, but simply a misty, impalpable shape; -the features frenzied with rage and madness, and -in the right hand the appearance of a bloody -dagger. The apparition, they averred, seemed -to consolidate into form out of a mist which -environed them soon after entering the lane, and -continued to accompany them, but without sound, -sign, or motion, save that of gliding along, -accommodating itself to the pace of the terrified -passenger, which was usually that of a full run, -until the other end of the lane was reached, when -it melted again into a mere shapeless mass of -vapour.</p> - -<p>The apparition was that of the disquieted soul -of a certain Walter Calverley, which was denied -the calm repose of death, and condemned to flit -about this lane, as a penance for a great and -unnatural crime of which he had been guilty.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[216]</a></span> -Various attempts were made to exorcise the -restless spirit, but all were ineffectual until -some very potent spiritual agencies were -employed, which were successful in "laying the -ghost," but only for a time, as they operate only -so long as a certain holly tree, planted by the -hand of the delinquent, continues to flourish, -when that decays the ghost may again be looked -for.</p> - -<p>The Calverleys (originally Scott) were a -family of distinction in Yorkshire from the time -of Henry I. to the period of the great Civil War, -intermarrying with some of the best families, and -producing a succession of notable men.</p> - -<p>John Scott was steward to Maud, daughter of -Malcolm Canmore, King of Scotland, and niece -of Edgar the Atheling, the last scion of the -Saxon race of English Kings; he accompanied -her to England on the occasion of her alliance -with King Henry I., and married Larderina, -daughter of Alphonsus Gospatrick, Lord of -Calverley and other Yorkshire manors, who was -descended from Gospatrick, Earl of Northumbria, -who so stoutly supported the claims of Edgar the -Atheling to the crown of England in opposition -to that of the usurping conqueror, William the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[217]</a></span> -Norman. By this marriage, John Scott became -<i>j.u.</i> Lord of Calverley.</p> - -<p>William, his grandson, gave the vicarage of -Calverley to the chantry of the Blessed Virgin, -York Cathedral, <i>temp.</i> Henry III.</p> - -<p>John, his descendant, in the fourteenth -century, assumed the name of de Calverley in -lieu of Scott.</p> - -<p>Sir John, Knight, his son, had issue three sons -and a daughter, Isabel, who became Prioress of -Esholt.</p> - -<p>John, his son, was one of the squires to Anne, -Queen of Richard II. He fought in the French -wars, was captured there, and beheaded for some -"horrible crime, the particulars of which are not -known," and dying <i>cæl</i>, was succeeded by his -brother, Walter, whose second son, Sir Walter, -was instrumental in the rebuilding of the church -of Calverley, and caused his arms—six owls—to -be carved on the woodwork.</p> - -<p>Sir John, Knight, his son, was created a -Knight-Banneret, and slain at Shrewsbury, 1403, -fighting under the banner of Henry IV. against -the Percies. Dying <i>s.p.</i>, his brother Walter -succeeded, whose second son, Thomas, was -ancestor, by his wife, Agnes Scargill, of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[218]</a></span> -Calverleys of Morley and of county Cumberland.</p> - -<p>Sir William, his grandson, was created a -Knight-Banneret for valour in the Scottish wars, -by the Earl of Surrey; his grandson, Sir William -Knight, was Sheriff of Yorkshire, and died 1571; -Thomas, his second son, was ancestor of the -Calverleys of county Durham. Sir Walter, his -son, had issue three sons, of whom Edmund, the -third, was ancestor of the Calverleys of counties -Sussex and Surrey.</p> - -<p>William, the eldest son of Sir Walter, whose -portrait was exhibited at York in 1868, married -Catherine, daughter of Sir John Thornholm, -Knight, of Haysthorpe, near Bridlington. This -lady was a devoted Catholic, and suffered -much persecution for adhering to her faith -and giving refuge to proscribed priests, the -estates being sequestered and some manors sold -to pay the fine for recusancy. They had issue -Walter, the subject of this tradition.</p> - -<p>Walter Calverley was born in the reign of -Elizabeth, and in his youth witnessed the relentless -persecutions which his family, being adherents of -the old faith, had to endure from the ascendant -Protestantism, which held the reins of government.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[219]</a></span> -Those of the reformed religion were wont -to style Mary the "Bloody Queen," for the -number of executions and barbarities which, in -the name of religion, stained the annals of her -reign; but it was a notable instance of the pot-and-kettle -style of vituperation, as the burning -and hanging and quartering and pressing to death -of Jesuits and seminary priests, and of lay men -and women who afforded them refuge, went on -as merrily during the reigns of her two following -successors, as did the roasting of heretics at -Smithfield and elsewhere under Bonner and -Gardiner. He was witness, when a boy, of the -barbarous treatment to which his mother was -subjected for worshipping God according to the -dictates of her conscience and for daring to shelter -priests of her persuasion.</p> - -<p>Walter was a lad of strong passions and -vehement spirit, and the sight of the sufferings -endured by the friends and co-religionists of his -family drove him almost to madness. He would -stamp his foot, clench his fist, and vow vengeance -upon the perpetrators, and it is highly probable -that he consorted and plotted with Guy Fawkes -and others of the gunpowder conspirators at -Scotton, near Knaresborough, and might have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[220]</a></span> -had a hand in the great plot itself, which -culminated and collapsed in the same year that -he committed the crime which cost him his life.</p> - -<p>He married Philippa, daughter of the Hon. -Henry Brooke, fifth son of George, fourth Baron -Cobham, and sister of John, first Baron of the -second creation, and by her had issue three sons, -the third of whom, Henry, succeeded to the estates, -whose son, Sir Walter, was a great sufferer in -person and estate for his loyalty during the Civil -War, and who was father of Sir Walter, who was -created a baronet by Queen Anne in 1711, the -title becoming extinct in 1777, on the death, -without surviving issue, of his son, Sir Walter -Calverley-Blackett.</p> - -<p>For a few years the newly-married couple lived -in tolerable harmony and happiness, such as falls -to the lot of most married people. They looked -forward to giving an heir to the family estates -who should perpetuate the name in lineal descent; -but the months and years passed by, and they -began to experience the truth that "hope -deferred maketh the heart sick," as no heir made -his appearance, which was an especial disappointment -to the Lord of the Calverley domain, and -gave rise to the idea that he had married one<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[221]</a></span> -who was barren, and incapable of giving him an -heir. Brooding over this impediment to his -hopes, he grew moody and discontented; treated -his wife not only with neglect, but upbraided her -with opprobrious epithets, treated her with cold -and cruel disfavour, and in his occasional violent -outbursts of passion would wish her dead, that -he might marry again to a more fruitful wife. -Moreover he gave way to over-indulgence in -deep potations of ale, sack, and "distilled waters," -which added fire and force to his naturally fierce -temperament, and rendered him almost maniacal -in his acts. He was profuse in his hospitality -to his neighbours, frequently giving dinner -parties to his roystering friends, with whom he -would sit until late in the night, or rather until -early in the morning carousing over their cups.</p> - -<p>Amongst the friends who thus visited him was -a certain country squire of the name of Leventhorpe, -a young fellow of handsome figure and -insinuating address, who would drink his bottle -with the veriest toper, and yet would conduct -himself in the company of ladies with the utmost -decorum and most fascinating demeanour, would -converse with them on flowers and birds and -tapestry work, and quote with admirable accentuation<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[222]</a></span> -and feeling passages from the writings -of the popular poets, or recite with pathos and -humour the novelettes of the Italian romancists, -which then were the delight of every lady's -boudoir. He was introduced by Calverley to -his wife, and she being naturally of a lively, -vivacious disposition, and, like ladies of the -present age, a passionate admirer of works of -fiction and imagination, she took great pleasure -in his society, as, indeed, he did in hers, and -he was consequently a constant visitor at -Calverley Hall, whether invited or not, and -whether the lady's husband was at home or not; -but always was he gladly welcome, and in pure -innocence and without any idea of impropriety, -by the lady. On his side, too, he went to the -house as a man might do to that of a sister, -without any sentiment save that of friendship, -or, at the utmost, a feeling of platonic love. Not -so, however, the lady's husband. He began to -feel annoyed and disquieted at witnessing their -growing intimacy, but hitherto saw no reason to -doubt the fidelity of his wife. Some twelve -months after the introduction of Leventhorpe to -the Hall, symptoms became evident of the -probable birth of a child, and Calverley at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[223]</a></span> -first hailed the prospect with satisfaction, -praying and hoping that it might prove to be -the long-wished-for son and heir. In due course -the child was born, and of the desired sex, and -great were the rejoicings and splendid the -banqueting at the christening. The next year a -second son made his appearance, and then dark -thoughts and suspicions began to flit across -Calverley's mind. He considered it strange that -no child should have been born during the early -years of his marriage, but that immediately after -Leventhorpe's introduction to the house his wife -began to prove fruitful, and had borne two -children, with the prospect of a third. He -brooded over these dark thoughts by night and -day until they ripened into positive jealousy and -the belief that the children were Leventhorpe's, -and not his own.</p> - -<p>Influenced by these sentiments, he drank still -more deeply, and was frequently subjected to -<i>delirium tremens</i> and maniacal fits of passion, -which rendered him the terror of all by whom he -was surrounded. He could not openly accuse -Leventhorpe of a breach of the seventh commandment, -of which he believed him guilty, as -he had no basis of fact upon which to ground the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[224]</a></span> -charge; but he found means to quarrel with him -on some frivolous point, and made use of such -expressions of vituperation as he thought would -impel him to demand satisfaction at the sword's -point; but Leventhorpe was a quiet, peaceable -man, who swallowed the affront, attributing it to -the deranged state of his friend's mind, induced -by too free application to the bottle; and he -simply abstained from visiting the house.</p> - -<p>"He is a coward as well as a knave," said -Calverley to himself. "No gentleman would -listen to such language as I have used and -submit to it patiently like a beaten cur, without -resenting it with his sword, and this circumstance -proves his guilt, and the certainty of my -suspicions; but I will be amply revenged on -both him and his paramour and their progeny;" -and he drank and drank day after day, and more -and more deeply, until he at length brought himself -to a state fitting him for a madhouse and -personal restraint. Many a time he sought for -Leventhorpe, with the hope of provoking him -to fight, but was not able to accomplish his -purpose, as circumstances had called Leventhorpe -to London, where he remained some months.</p> - -<p>In the meantime the third child was born,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[225]</a></span> -and as the mother's health was delicate, it -was sent out to nurse at a farm-house some -two or three miles distant, and it was then -that Calverley charged his wife, to her face, -with adultery, adding that he felt positively -assured that the children were Leventhorpe's. -She indignantly repelled the charge, assuring him, -with an appeal to the Virgin Mary as to the -truth of what she was saying, that the children -were his and nobody else's; but he would not -listen to her denials—called her tears, which were -flowing profusely, the hypocritical tears of a -strumpet, and cursed and swore at her, -threatening a dire vengeance on her and her -seducer, and finally left her in a fit of hysterics in -the hands of her women, who had rushed in on -hearing her screams. He then went downstairs -to his dining room and sat down to dinner, but could -not eat much, each mouthful as he swallowed -it seeming as if it would choke him. "Take -these things away," he exclaimed in a furious -tone to his servants, "and bring me sack, and -plenty of it." The terrified menials saw that he -was in one of his maniacal moods, and knew that -it would be aggravated by drinking, but dared -not disobey him. The sack was placed on the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[226]</a></span> -table, and he dismissed the attendants with a -curse. Flagon after flagon he poured out and -drank in rapid succession, which soon produced its -natural effect. "Ah, demon!" said he, "have you -come again to torment me? Why sit you there, -opposite me, grinning and gesticulating? You -are an ugly devil, sure enough, with your fiery -eyes, your pointed horns, and your barbed tail. -You tell me that it were but just to murder my -wife, Leventhorpe, and their brats, and I don't -know but what the advice is good. Aye, twirl your -tail as a dog does when he is pleased; you think -you have got another recruit for your nether -kingdom, and you are right. I live here a hell -upon earth, and I do not see that I shall be -much the worse off with you below; besides I -shall have the satisfaction of vengeance, and that -will repay me amply for any after-death punishment. -Aye, grin on, but leave me now to finish -this bottle in quietness, for I cannot drink with -comfort whilst you are grimacing and jibing at -me there." He spoke this in a loud tone of -voice, to which the scared servants were listening -at the door, after which he continued to drain -goblet after goblet, giving forth utterances more -and more incoherent, until at length he fell from<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[227]</a></span> -his chair with a heavy thump on the floor. -Hearing this, the servants entered, and found -him, as they had often found him before, in a -state of senseless intoxication, and carried him up -to bed.</p> - -<p>Having slept off his debauch, he awoke late the -following morning with a raging thirst, which he -endeavoured to assuage by deep draughts of ale. -Breakfast he could eat none, but continued -drinking until his familiar demon again made his -appearance, and seemed to incite him to the -fulfilment of his vow of revenge. Leventhorpe -was out of his reach, but the other destined -victims were at hand, and what more fitting time -than the present for the execution of his purpose? -He selected a dagger from his store of weapons, -and carefully sharpened it to a fine point; then -gave directions to have his horse saddled and -brought to the door of the hall to await his -pleasure. As he had three or four men-servants, -who might hinder him in his intent, he sent them -on several errands about the estate, and when -they had departed, leaving only the female -domestics in the house, he went, dagger in hand, -into the hall, where he found his eldest son -playing. Seizing him by the hair of his head, he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[228]</a></span> -stabbed him in three or four places, and, taking -him in his arms, carried him bleeding to his -mother's apartment. "There," said he, throwing -the body down, "is one of the fruits of your illicit -intercourse, and the others must share the same -fate." So saying, he laid hold of his second son, -who was in the room, and stabbed him to the -heart. The mother, shrieking with terror and -agony, rushed forward to save the child, but was -too late, and herself received three or four blows -from the dagger, and fell senseless to the floor, -but more from horror and fright than from her -wounds, which were but slight, thanks to a steel -stomacher which she wore. Imagining that he -had killed her as well as the children, he mounted -his horse and rode towards the village, where his -youngest child was at nurse, with the intention of -killing it also, but on the road he was thrown -from his horse, and before he could re-mount was -secured by his servants, who had gone in pursuit -of him.</p> - -<p>He was taken before the nearest magistrate—Sir -John Bland, of Kippax—and in the course of -his examination stated that he had meditated -the deed for four years, and that he was fully -convinced that the children were not his. He<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[229]</a></span> -was committed to York Castle and brought to -trial, but refusing to plead, was subjected to -<i>peine forte et dure</i>. He was taken to the -press-yard, stripped to his shirt, and laid on a -board with a stone under his back; his arms were -stretched out and secured by cords; another -board was placed over his body, upon which were -laid heavy weights one by one, he being asked in -the intervals if he still refused. He bore the -agony with firmness and endurance, even when -the great pressure broke his ribs and caused -them to protrude from the sides. As weight -after weight was added, nothing could be extorted -from him save groans caused by the intensity of -the pain, which at length ceased and the weights -were removed, revealing a mere mass of crushed -bloody flesh and mangled bones.</p> - -<p>The two children died, and the third lived to -succeed to the estates. The mother also recovered, -and married for her second husband Sir -Thomas Burton, Knight.</p> - -<p>"Two Most Unnatural and Bloodie Murthers, -by Master Calverley, a Yorkshire gentleman, -upon his wife and two children, 1605." Edited -by J. Payne Collier, 1863.</p> - -<p>"A Yorkshire Tragedy, not so new as lamentable,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[230]</a></span> -by Mr. Shakespeare; acted at the Globe, -1608. London 1619. With a portrait of the -brat at nurse." Attributed to Shakespeare -(without proof) by Stevens and others.</p> - -<p>"The Fatal Extravagance. By Joseph -Mitchell, 1720." A play based on the same -subject, and performed at the Lincoln's Inn -Theatre.</p> - -<p>The incident is also introduced by Harrison -Ainsworth in his romance of "Rookwood."</p> - -<hr class="chap" style="page-break-after: always;" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[231]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2 style="margin-top: 3em; margin-bottom: 1.5em;"><a name="The_Bewitched_House_of_Wakefield" id="The_Bewitched_House_of_Wakefield">The Bewitched House of Wakefield.</a></h2> - - -<div><img class="dropcap" src="images/dropcap-i.jpg" -width="50" height="50" alt="Dropcap-I" /> -</div><p><span class="dropletter">I</span><span class="smcap">n</span> the earlier half of the seventeenth -century, and during the Commonwealth, -there dwelt in a mud-walled -and thatched cottage, in the environs of Wakefield, -a "wise woman," as she was styled, named -Jennet Benton, with her son, George Benton. -He had been a soldier in the Parliamentarian -army, but, since its disbandment, had loafed -about Wakefield without any ostensible occupation, -living, as it appeared, on his mother's -earnings in her profession. As a "wise woman," -she was resorted to by great numbers of people—by -persons who had lost property, to gain a -clue to the discovery of the pilferers—by men to -learn the most propitious times for harvesting, -sheepshearing, etc.—by matrons to obtain charms -for winning back their dissipated or unfaithful -husbands to domestic life, as it existed the first -few months after marriage—and by young men -and maidens for consultation with her on matters<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[232]</a></span> -of love; and, as no advice was given without its -equivalent in the coin of the realm, she made a -very fair living, and was enabled to maintain her -son in idleness, who was wont to spend a great -part of his time in pot houses, with other -quondam troopers, their chief topics of discourse -being disputed points of controversy between the -Independents and Presbyterians, and revilings of -the Popish whore of Babylon and her progeny, -the Church of England. Although not imbued -with much of the spirit of piety, Benton, in his -campaigning career, had imbibed much of the -fanaticism, superstition, and phraseology of the -lower class of the Puritans, such of them as -assumed the hypocritical garb of Puritanism to -curry favour with their superiors, who were, as a -rule, men of sincere piety, and, in so doing, -somewhat overdid the part by altogether out-Puritaning -them in the extravagance of their -outbursts of zeal, and in the almost blasphemous -use of Scriptural expressions. Such was Benton -amongst his companions, and he passed for a -fairly godly man. With his mother, however, he -cast off all this assumption of religion and the -use of Bible phrases, for she was a woman who -despised all religions alike, and sneered equally at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[233]</a></span> -the "snivelling cant" of the Puritans, the proud -arrogance of the Bishops of the Church, and the -"absurd drivellings" of the Separatists; but -these ideas she was sufficiently wise to keep to -herself, or confide them to her son alone. She -even went occasionally to church and conventicle, -that she might stand well with her customers, -who were of all sects. She had, besides, a -voluble tongue, and was not deficient in intelligence, -so that she was able to converse with -all, each one according to his doctrinal bias, so as -to leave an impression that she was not opposed -but rather inclined to the particular theological -dogma then under discussion.</p> - -<p>There was, however, a vague idea prevalent in -Wakefield that Mother Benton was a witch, had -intercourse with the Devil, and was a dangerous -person to deal with otherwise than on friendly -terms. She was old, wrinkled, and ungainly in -features; unmistakable characteristics of the -sisterhood. She was possessed of wisdom in -occult matters seemingly superhuman, which -could only be derived from a compact with Satan. -She had a huge black cat, presumably an imp, -her familiar, who would bristle up his hair and -spit viciously at the old woman's visitors until<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[234]</a></span> -restrained by her command. On one occasion, -however, a handsome young man came from her -cottage followed by the cat, which was observed -to purr and rub himself affectionately against his -legs, who, it was assumed, could be none other -than the Father of Evil himself, who had assumed -that guise to pay a friendly visit to his servant -and disciple. She was also sometimes away from -her cottage for a night, and the inquiry arose—for -what purpose, excepting to attend a Sabbath -of the witches. It is true she had never been -seen passing through the air astride of her broom, -but it was noticed that whenever she was absent -on such occasions her broom, which usually stood -outside her cottage door, disappeared also, and -was found in its place again on her return.</p> - -<p>At this time the belief in witchcraft was -universally prevalent, as we find in the narrative -of the witches of Fuystone, in the forest of -Knaresborough, who played such pranks in the -family of Edward Fairfax, the translator of Tasso, -about the same time. Indeed it was considered -as impious then to doubt their existence as it is -now-a-days of their master and instigator, for is -there not a Scriptural precept—"Thou shalt not -suffer a witch to live?" and was there not a witch<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[235]</a></span> -of Endor who summoned the spirit of Samuel? -Besides, had not many decrepit half-witted old -women, when subjected to torture, confessed that -they had entered into compact with the Devil, -bargaining their souls for length of years and the -power of inflicting mischief on their neighbours? -It is quite certain that the evidences of Mother -Benton being one of the sisterhood of Satan -were so palpable that had she not been so useful -in Wakefield in her vocation of a "wise woman" -she would have been subjected to the usual ordeal, -by way of testing whether she were a witch -or not. This ordeal consisted of stripping the -accused, tying her thumbs to her great toes and -throwing her into a pond: if she floated, it was a -proof that she, having rejected the baptismal -water of regeneration, the water rejected her, and -she was hauled out and burnt at the stake as an undoubted -witch, but if she sank and were drowned -she was declared innocent; so that, were she -guilty or innocent of the foul crime, the result was -pretty much the same, excepting in the mode of -terminating her existence.</p> - -<p>At this time one Richard Jackson held a farm -called Bunny Hall, under a Mr. Stringer, of -Sharlston, which lay near to Jennet Benton's<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[236]</a></span> -cottage. Over one of Jackson's fields was a -pathway, really for the use of the tenant of -the farm, but which was used on sufferance by -others, Jennet and her son frequently having -occasion to pass along it. Jackson, however, in -consequence of the damage done to his crops by -passengers, disputed the right of the public, and -issued a public notice that after a certain date -it would be closed. The people of Wakefield, in -reply to the notice, asserted that it was an -ancient footpath that had belonged to the public -time out of mind, and that they intended to -continue the use of it in spite of Jackson's -prohibition. Jennet and her son were the ringleaders -of this opposition, and after the closure -of the path, passed over the railings placed across -the entrance, and were going along as they had -been wont to do, when they were met by Daniel -Craven, one of Jackson's servants, who told them -that they could not be allowed to cross the field -as it was private property. An angry altercation -ensued, in the course of which George Benton -took up a piece of flint and threw it with great -force at Craven, "wherewith he cut his overlipp -and broake two teeth out of his chaps," -and thus having overcome their opponent they<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[237]</a></span> -went onward and out at the other end. An -action for trespass was then laid against George -Benton by Farmer Jackson, who appears to have -won his cause, as Benton "submitted to it, and -indevors were used to end the difference, which -was composed and satisfaction given unto the -said Craven;" satisfaction of a pecuniary nature, -no doubt.</p> - -<p>A few days after the judicial termination of the -case, "Jackson <i>v.</i> Benton," the farmer was riding -home from Wakefield market. He had to pass -Jennet's cottage on his road, and he thought to -accost her in a conciliatory style, as he did not -wish to be at variance with his neighbours, -especially with one who had the reputation of -being "a wise woman," whose services he might -require in cases of pilfering, sheep stealing, and -the like; in cases of sickness amongst his -children, or a murrain amongst his cattle; or in -other cases beyond the ken of ordinary mortals; -hence he considered it politic to remain on good -terms with her, although he had felt it his duty -to maintain the action for trespass.</p> - -<p>As he approached the cottage, the old woman -was seated outside her door, watching a cauldron -suspended from cross sticks, in which was simmering<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[238]</a></span> -a decoction of herbs, to eventuate in a -love philtre probably for some love-sick maiden. -By her side was seated her black cat, who bridled -up and spat viciously at the farmer as he came -up.</p> - -<p>"Ah, mother Benton," said he, reining up, -"busy as usual, I see, preparing something for -the benefit of one of your clients."</p> - -<p>"It is no business of yours what I am preparing," -she replied. "I sent not for you, nor do I -want your conversation or interference in my -concerns. Go your way, or it may be the worse -for you."</p> - -<p>"Nay, good dame, be not angry, I came not to -interfere with your concerns; I merely stopped -on my road home to say 'good even' to you, and -to see if I could be of any service to you, for I -desire to cultivate the good-will of my -neighbours."</p> - -<p>"And a pretty way you have of doing so by -prosecuting them in law courts for maintaining -the rights of themselves and their ancestors for -generations past."</p> - -<p>"That I was compelled to do, good Jennet, -for the maintenance of my own rights. It was a -necessity forced upon me, but I bear no ill-will to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[239]</a></span> -either you or your son. And see, as a proof -thereof, I have brought you a new kirtle from -Wakefield," at the same time drawing from his -saddlebags a flaming scarlet garment of that kind, -which he threw into her lap.</p> - -<p>"Farmer Jackson," said she, "come not here -with your honied lips and deceitful expressions of -friendship. I want none of your gifts," and -taking up the kirtle, she rent it into a dozen -pieces, and thrust them into the fire under the -cauldron.</p> - -<p>"Listen to me one moment," commenced -Jackson, but the old beldame, rising up into a -majestic attitude, interrupted him with, "I will -listen no more to your hypocritical palaver. -You have done me a grievous wrong in citing my -son before your law courts, it is an unpardonable -offence, and soon shall you know what it is to -incur the wrath of Jennet Benton, the wise -woman of Wakefield. Within a twelvemonth -and a day, Farmer Jackson, shall you find at -what cost you set the myrmidons of the law -upon me and my belongings, and from that time -to your life's end shall you rue that day's work. -It is I, the wise woman of Wakefield, who say it, -and see if I am not a true soothsayer, and merit<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[240]</a></span> -the appellation I bear. That is all I have got to -say," and she passed into her cottage, whilst the -farmer rode homeward, not without a foreboding -of impending evil.</p> - -<p>We have many narratives on record of houses -that have been the scenes of remarkable -disturbances and strange apparitions, of furniture -moved from place to place without apparent -agency, of domestic utensils thrown about by no -perceptible impelling power, and of noises -attributable to no human cause, problems that in -many cases have never been solved, but which -have usually been ascribed to some mischievous -goblin, or to the ghost of some unhappy person -who has come by death unfairly and by foul -means.</p> - -<p>Farmer Jackson's house and homestead from -this time, for the period of a year and a day, -became haunted in this fashion, but here there -could be no doubt as to the cause. It was the -spell cast over it by the machinations of the -witch, Jennet Benton, and it was in fact not a -haunted but a bewitched house.</p> - -<p>As Jackson rode home he thought of the curse -laid upon him by the witch, but being a strong-minded -man he did not entertain the current<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[241]</a></span> -superstition as to the superhuman diabolic power -said to be possessed by such persons, and he felt -little or no apprehension on that score; yet he -inclined so far to the popular belief as to fear that -by some means she might cast incantations over -his cattle and crops, so as to cause the former to -sicken and die, and the latter to wither and come -to naught.</p> - -<p>On reaching his home he stabled his horse, and -going indoors he accosted his wife with some -cursory remark, but she made no reply, and he -thought to himself, "She is sullen to-night—in -one of her tantrums; what's the matter, I -wonder." He then sat down to supper, with his -children about him, and a couple of maid-servants -employed in some domestic duty, when his wife -inquired, "Why are you all so silent; are you all -dumb; have you got anything to tell me about -the doings at the market, husband, goodman?" -"What on earth do you mean?" inquired -Jackson; "I spoke to you when I came in, and -there has been noise enough among the children -since then to waken the Seven Sleepers." Mrs. -Jackson still stood staring, with a vacant -countenance, and said, after a pause, "Why don't -you reply? It seems as if one were in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[242]</a></span> -charnel-house of the church, surrounded by the -dead." It then occurred to Jackson that his wife -must have suddenly become stone deaf, and by -means of signs and such writing as the family had -at command, he ascertained that such was the -fact; but he dreamt not that it was the beginning -of the witch's spell.</p> - -<p>A night or two after, one of the children was -stricken by an epileptic fit, throwing itself about -with great violence and twisting its body with -strange contortions, with convulsive writhings, -and requiring to be held down by three or four -persons to prevent its doing itself an injury.</p> - -<p>One morning the swineherd of the farm came -into the room where Jackson was sitting at -breakfast, and with a scared countenance told him -that a herd of swine that had been shut up in -a barn the previous night "had broake thorrow -two barn dores," and had fled no one knew -whither. A search was immediately instituted, -but it was not until after two or three days that -a portion of the herd was found at a considerable -distance from the farm, the remainder being lost -altogether.</p> - -<p>On another occasion Jackson himself, "although -helthfull of body, was suddenly taken without any<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[243]</a></span> -probable reason to be given or naturall cause -appearing, being sometimes in such extremity -that he conceived himselfe drawne in pieces at -the hart, backe, and shoulders." During the first -fit he heard the sound of music and dancing, as if -in the room where he lay. He partially recovered -the following day, but at twelve o'clock the next -night he had another fit, and during its continuance -he heard a loud ringing of bells, accompanied -by sounds of singing and dancing. He inquired -of his wife, who appears by this time to have -recovered her sense of hearing, what the bell-ringing -and singing meant; but she replied that -she heard nothing of it, as also did his man. -"He asked them againe and againe if they heard -it not. At last he and his wife and servant -heard it (what?) give three hevie groones. At -that instant doggs did howle and yell at the -windows as though they would heve puld them -in pieces."</p> - -<p>Jackson now became fully convinced that he -was enduring all these trials and sufferings from -the curse of the witch Jennet, and he expressed -this opinion to his friends who came to condole -with him. They, with neighbourly feeling, -proposed to put the question to the test by submitting<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[244]</a></span> -the old woman to the usual ordeal of the -horse pond; but he would not hear of this, not -even yet, with such probable evidence, believing -that Satan could be authorised to endow old -women with such mischievous powers. By the -counsel of his friends, however, he sanctioned the -sending a deputation to Jennet to investigate the -matter. The deputation went to her cottage and -told her their errand, but she only laughed at -them. "It is true," said she, "that I called -down the wrath of Heaven upon him and his -belongings for his cruel persecution of a helpless -widow and her orphan son; and if God has -listened to my supplication, and sent calamity -upon him, it is intended as a warning to him -that, for the future, he may be more merciful to -the poor and unprotected. If he chooses to -blame any one, he must attribute his punishment -to a much higher power than a feeble mortal such -as I am."</p> - -<p>During all this time Jackson's house was -rendered almost uninhabitable by noises and -apparitions, so that the servants fled from it -panic-stricken, and others could not be found to -take their places. The commencement of the -disturbances was some six months after the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[245]</a></span> -utterance of the curse. The family were seated -at supper when a tremendous crash was heard in -the next room, as if some heavy metal vessel had -been flung violently on the floor. Supposing it -to be something that had fallen from a shelf or a -hook in the ceiling, they went into the room, but -found nothing to account for the noise. At -other times it would seem as if all the doors of -the house were being slammed to, or the windows -shaken as by a storm of wind, although there -was not the slightest agitation in the atmosphere. -Then would occur shrieks as of persons in -distress, groans as of sufferers in agonies of pain, -and bursts of demoniac laughter, with a flapping -of huge bat-like wings. "Apparitions like -blacke dogges and catts were also scene," which -darted out from under the furniture and usually -passed out up the chimney, it being immaterial -whether or not a fire was blazing in the grate. -Along with all these disturbances in the house -and unaccountable illnesses of the various -members of the household, the horses and cattle -of the farm were subjected to similar inflictions, -much to the detriment of Jackson's material -prosperity. Week after week news came in of -the death of horses, cows, and sheep: and in his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[246]</a></span> -deposition at York, Jackson said that "since the -time the said Jennet and George Benton -threatened him he hath lost eighteen horses and -meares, and he conceives he hath had all this loss -by the use of some witchcraft or sorcerie by the -said Jennet and George Benton."</p> - -<p>For a twelvemonth and a day these disturbances, -sufferings, and losses continued, rendering -Jackson almost bankrupt, and then they all at -once ceased.</p> - -<p>Being fully convinced that these troubles had -been caused by the diabolical incantations of the -witch Jennet, he brought a charge against her -and her son, at York, of practising witchcraft -against him, and they were tried at the assizes -on the 7th June, 1656. The depositions of the -trial are printed in a volume published by the -Surtees Society in 1861, entitled "Depositions -from the Castle of York relating to offences -committed in the northern counties during the -seventeenth century. Edited by J. Raine."</p> - -<hr class="chap" style="page-break-after: always;" /> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> -<img src="images/image3.jpg" width="400" height="629" alt="Advertisement One" /> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" style="page-break-after: always;" /> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> -<img src="images/image4.jpg" width="400" height="655" alt="Adveetisement Two" /> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" style="page-break-after: always;" /> -<p> </p> - -<div class="transnote"> - -<p class="ph2" style="margin-top: 3em;">TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE:</p> - -<p>Obvious printer errors have been corrected. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - - -Title: Legendary Yorkshire - - -Author: Frederick Ross - - - -Release Date: November 28, 2016 [eBook #53617] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LEGENDARY YORKSHIRE*** - - -E-text prepared by Chris Whitehead, MWS, and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made -available by Internet Archive (https://archive.org) - - - -Note: Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - https://archive.org/details/legendaryyorkshi00ross - - - - - -LEGENDARY YORKSHIRE - -by - -FREDERICK ROSS, F.R.H.S., - -Author of -"Celebrities of Yorkshire Wolds," "Yorkshire Family Romance," -etc. - - - - - - - -Hull: -William Andrews & Co., The Hull Press. -London: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent, & Co., Limited. -1892. - - - - -_NOTE._ - -Of this book 500 copies have been printed, and this is - -No. ... - - - - -Contents. - - PAGE - - THE ENCHANTED CAVE 1 - - THE DOOMED CITY 15 - - THE "WORM" OF NUNNINGTON 34 - - THE DEVIL'S ARROWS 51 - - THE GIANT ROAD-MAKER OF MULGRAVE 70 - - THE VIRGIN'S HEAD OF HALIFAX 80 - - THE DEAD ARM OF ST. OSWALD THE KING 100 - - THE TRANSLATION OF ST. HILDA 117 - - A MIRACLE OF ST. JOHN 131 - - THE BEATIFIED SISTERS OF BEVERLEY 147 - - THE DRAGON OF WANTLEY 168 - - THE MIRACLES AND GHOST OF WATTON 176 - - THE MURDERED HERMIT OF ESKDALE 195 - - THE CALVERLEY GHOST 214 - - THE BEWITCHED HOUSE OF WAKEFIELD 231 - - - - -LEGENDARY YORKSHIRE. - - - - -The Enchanted Cave. - - -Who is there that has not heard of the famous and redoubtable hero of -history and romance, Arthur, King of the British, who so valiantly -defended his country against the pagan Anglo-Saxon invaders of the -island? Who has not heard of the lovely but frail Guenevera, his Queen, -and the galaxy of female beauty that constituted her Court at Caerleon? -Who has not heard of his companions-in-arms--the brave and chivalrous -Knights of the Round Table, who went forth as knights-errant to succour -the weaker sex, deliver the oppressed, liberate those who had fallen -into the clutches of enchanters, giants, or malicious dwarfs, and -especially in quest of the Holy Graal, that mystic chalice, in which -were caught the last drops of blood of the expiring Saviour, and -which, in consequence, became possessed of wondrous properties and -marvellous virtue of a miraculous character? - -If such there be, let him lose no time in perusing Sir John Mallory's -"La Morte d'Arthur," the "Chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth," the -"Mabinogian of the Welsh," or the more recent "Idylls of the King," -of Tennyson. According to Nennius, after vanquishing the Saxons in -many battles, he crossed the sea, and carried his victorious arms into -Scotland, Ireland, and Gaul, in which latter country he obtained a -decisive victory over a Roman army. Moreover, that during his absence -Mordred, his nephew, had seduced his queen and usurped his government, -and that in a battle with the usurper, in 542, at Camlan, in Cornwall, -he was mortally wounded; was conveyed to Avalon (Glastonbury), where -he died of his wound, and was buried there. It is also stated that in -the reign of Henry II. his reputed tomb was opened, when his bones -and his magical sword "Excaliber" were found. This is given on the -authority of Giraldus Cambrensis, who informs us that he was present on -the occasion. But the popular belief in the West of England was that -he did not die as represented, his soul having entered the body of a -raven, which it will inhabit until he reappears to deliver England in -some great extremity of peril. - -This is what is told us by old chroniclers of Western England, the -Welsh bards, and some romance writers; but in Yorkshire we have a -different version of the story. It is true, say our legends, that -Arthur was a mighty warrior, the greatest and most valiant that the -island of Britain has produced either before or since; a man, moreover, -of the most devout chivalry and gentle courtesy, and withal so pure -in his life and sincere in his piety as a Christian, that he alone is -worthy to find the Holy Graal, if not in his former life, in that which -is forthcoming--for he is not dead, but reposes in a spell-bound sleep, -along with his knights, Sir Launcelot, Sir Gawaine, Sir Perceval, etc., -and that the time is coming when the needs of England will be such as -only his victorious arm, wielding his magically wrought Excaliber, -can rescue from irretrievable ruin. He sleeps--it is asserted--along -with his knights, in a now undiscoverable cavern beneath the Castle -of Richmond, whence he will issue in the fulness of time, scatter the -enemies of England like chaff before the wind, as he so frequently -dispersed the hordes of Teuton pagans, and place England on a higher -eminence among the nations of the earth than it has ever previously -attained. This enchanted cave has been seen but once, and by one man -only. It happened in this wise:-- - -Once on a time there dwelt in Richmond one Peter Thompson. At what -period he flourished is not recorded, but it matters not, although -a little trouble in searching the parish registers and lists of -burgesses of the town might reveal the fact. He gained a living by -the fabrication of earthenware, and hence was popularly known amongst -his comrades and townspeople as Potter Thompson. He was a simple and -meek-minded man, small in stature and slender in limb, never troubling -himself with either general or local politics. His voice was never -heard at the noisy meetings of the vestry, nor did he join in the -squabbles attendant on the meetings of the electors for the choice -of their municipal governors or representatives in Parliament; he -merely recorded his vote for the candidate who came forward as the -representative of the colour he supported, leaving the shouting and -quarreling and cudgel-playing to those of his fellow-townsmen who had -a liking for such rough work. As for himself, he was only too glad -when he had discharged his duty as a citizen to get back to his clay -and his wheel, for he was an industrious little fellow, had plenty of -work, and was thus enabled, by living a frugal life, to lay by a little -money, and would have lived a comfortable and happy life but for one -circumstance. - -Unfortunately, Peter Thompson was a married man; not that matrimony, -in the abstract, is a misfortune, but he was unfortunate inasmuch as -his wife was a termagant, and made his life miserable. Her tongue went -clack, clack, clacking all day long; nothing that he did was right. She -declared herself to be the greatest fool in Richmond to have united -herself to an insignificant little wretch like him; and even when the -bed curtains were drawn around them at night, the poor fellow was kept -awake for an hour or more while she dinned into his ears a lecture on -his manifold faults and his failures of duty as a husband. Peter seldom -replied, but bore it all with meekness, and allowed her to go on with -her monologue until she was tired, or ceased for want of breath. At -times, when she was more exasperating than usual, he would start up -from his wheel, clap his hat on his head, and rush out of the house to -escape her pertinacious scolding. At such times he would go wandering -about the hills and picturesque scenery by which Richmond is environed, -and especially about the hill on which stands the Castle, and amongst -the castle ruins, remaining away for three or four hours, moodily -meditating on the mischance or infatuation which had led him to ally -himself with so untoward a helpmate. - -It chanced one day that Peter, unable to endure the persecution of -his wife's tongue, rushed out of his house with the full intention -of throwing himself into the Swale, so as to end his misery there -and then. It was a brilliant summer's day, and there was a glorious -sheen cast over hill and vale, rock and ravine, the silvery river -winding between its emerald-hued banks and the clumps of foliaged -woodland--over the Castle keep standing pre-eminently above all other -buildings, church tower, ruined friary, antique bridge, and the -quaint houses of the burghers, with the tower of Easby gleaming in -the distance, imparting to the whole scene, which is one of the most -picturesque in Yorkshire--which is saying a great deal, and which for -natural beauty can scarcely be surpassed in England--a charm which -had a wonderful effect on Peter's perturbed mind. He was a lover of -nature in all her aspects, and an ardent admirer of the landscape -beauties which surrounded his native town; and he began to reflect, as -he ran down the slope, that if he carried out his purpose, he would -never more be able to delight his eyes with the lovely prospects of -nature so lavishly displayed before him at that moment; and by the -time he reached the river's bank he had almost determined to live on -and find compensation for his domestic discomforts in his communings -with nature--or at least, continued he to himself--"I will take another -turn among the hills and rocks and old ivy-mantled ruins, before I bid -good-bye to it all." He wandered along round the base of the Castle -hill, his spirits becoming more elevated the farther he went, as he -gazed on the glorious landscape which gradually became revealed to his -view. Anon he fell into a contemplative mood, and reasoned calmly and -philosophically on the wisdom of disregarding the minor ills of life, -when it was possible for him as a compensating alternative to revel -in the delights he was now enjoying, and he soon forgot altogether his -purpose of terminating his woes and his life together from the parapet -of Swale bridge. Onward he wandered; when suddenly turning a corner -he came upon a spot altogether unknown to him--a ravine which seemed -to wind away under the Castle hill, walled in with rugged rocks, from -whose crevices sprang upward trees and shrubs, whilst underfoot was a -flooring of rough scattered stones and fragments of fallen rocks, which -appeared not to have been trodden for centuries. Astonished at the -sight, for he imagined that he knew every nook in the neighbourhood, -he rubbed his eyes to ascertain whether he was dreaming; but he found -himself to be fully awake, and the unknown ravine to be a palpable -reality. It just flashed across his mind that sorcery had been at work, -and that what he beheld was the result of necromancy, for in his time -enchanters, warlocks, wizards, and witches were rife in the land; but -Peter had a bold heart, and he resolved upon solving the mystery by an -exploration of the recesses of the ravine, let what would come of it. - -Summoning up all his courage, Peter entered the ravine, stumbling -now and then over the stones bestrewn along his pathway. The road -wound about, now to one side then to another, and the trees overhead -to stretch out towards each other so as to overshadow the ravine and -impart a twilight effect, which, as Peter proceeded onward, deepened -into gloom, and eventually almost to darkness. At this period, when -he was compelled to move along with caution, he encountered what at -first seemed to be a wall of rock forming the end of the ravine. On -feeling it carefully he found it to be a huge boulder which obstructed -his path, but, his courage failing him not, he found means to clamber -over it and land safely on the further side. On looking about him, as -well as he could by the dim light, he found that he had alighted on -the entrance to a cavern, the boulder seeming as if it had been placed -there to prevent the intrusion of unauthorised persons, and then he -imagined that it might be the cave of a gang of banditti, and was at -once their treasure house and their refuge in times of peril; and this -idea seemed to be confirmed by the circumstance that he could perceive, -in the extreme distance, a glimmer of light. He felt that it would be -extremely dangerous to be discovered in the purlieus of their haunt, -but curiosity got the better of his fears, and he resolved upon going -forward, mentally adding "After all it may be nothing more than the -daylight streaming in at the other end, and by going on I may come out -into the open air without having to return by the rough, shinbreaking -road by which I have come;" and onward he went, feeling his way by the -rocky walls cautiously and slowly, and, it must be added, with some -degree of trepidation. - -As he proceeded along, the distant light increased, and could be seen -beaming through an opening like a doorway, with a mild effulgence -resembling moonlight. Clearly it could not be the light of the sun -streaming in through the aperture, and Peter, becoming more convinced -that he was either approaching a robbers' haunt or a scene of -enchantment, crept along as silently as possible, with some timidity, -it is true; but having come thus far, and his curiosity being excited -to the utmost pitch, he determined to carry out his adventure to the -end. As he approached the portal, he stood to listen; but not the -slightest sound broke the death-like stillness, and concluding from -this that the cave was not occupied--at least, was not at present--he -ventured onward with silent footstep, and stood within the illuminated -aperture. What was his amazement cannot be told at beholding the scene -before him. The opening gave entrance to a lofty and spacious cavern, -its walls glittering with crystals and spars, whilst from the roof -depended a profusion of stalactites, glistening and scintillating with -hues of spectroscopic brilliancy. The light which was diffused around -seemed to be something supernatural; it was not that of the sun, nor -that of the moon, nor was it our modern electric light; but seemed to -be an intensity of phosphoric radiance--soft, mild, and provocative -of slumber--which came not from any lamp or other visible source, -but appeared to be self-evolved from the atmosphere. In the centre -of the cave, upon a rocky table or couch, lay the figure of a kingly -personage, resting his head on his right hand, after the fashion of the -recumbent effigies in our mediaeval churches. He was clad in resplendent -armour and a superb over-cloak, with a golden crown, studded with -precious stones, encircling his head. By his side was a circular shield -emblazoned with arms, which would have told Peter, had he been versed -in heraldry, that the owner was the famous King Arthur; whilst close -by, suspended from the wall, were a diamond-hilted sword in a chased -golden scabbard, and a highly ornamented horn, such as were used by -military leaders for collecting their scattered troops. Around the King -lay his twelve Knights of the Round Table, some prostrate on the floor, -others reposing on fragments and projections of the rocks, each one -handsome in figure and reclining in unstudied natural grace, presenting -a study for a painter. They all lay as still as death save that their -heaving chests and audible breathing showed that they were wrapped in -profound slumber. Peter gazed upon them for a while with wondering -eyes, keeping within the doorway, so as to have the road clear behind -him for escape, in case of any hostile demonstration on the part of the -knights. As they still slumbered on, without any sign of awakening, he -plucked up courage enough to go amongst them; and, attracted by the -splendour of the sword, he took it down to examine it more closely; -then took it by the handle, and half drew it from its sheath. The -moment he had done so, the sleepers around him gave symptoms of -awakening, turned themselves, and seemed to be preparing to rise; but -the spell of disenchantment was not complete. Peter, terribly alarmed -at what he saw, pushed back the sword into the scabbard, threw it -on the floor, and hurried with all speed to the doorway; whilst the -half-awakened slumberers sank back again into deep sleep. Peter, not -noticing this, rushed through the opening, thinking the knights were -following him to inflict some terrible punishment on him--perhaps that -of death--for his presumptuous intrusion. It was but a few moments, -and he reached the boulder which defended the entrance, and which was -much more difficult to scale from that side. He was endeavouring to -find projections to enable him to clamber up, when he heard a hollow -sepulchral voice exclaim from the cave:-- - - "Potter, Potter Thompson, - If thou had'st either drawn - The sword or blown the horn, - Thoud'st been the luckiest man - That ever yet was born." - -With teeth chattering, hair on end, and a cold perspiration suffusing -his forehead, he made a desperate effort, scrambled somehow or other -over the stone, and running with fleet footstep, regardless of the -rough roadway, gained the open air without any other damage than a few -bruises and a terrible fright. He went home, and had to encounter a -fearful scolding for remaining out so long and neglecting his work. -He told his wife the tale of his adventures, but she only laughed it -to scorn, saying, "You old fool! and so you have fallen asleep on the -hillside and want to persuade me that your dream was a reality. It's -a pretty thing that you should leave your wheel and go mooning about -in this way, leaving your faithful wife to suffer the effects of your -idleness." - -Many a time since then did Peter seek for the ravine but could never -find it; but it is confidently assumed that Arthur and his knights are -still slumbering under the Castle hill. - - - - -The Doomed City. - - -Through the valley of Wensleydale, in the North Riding of Yorkshire, -flows the river Yore or Ure, passing onward to Boroughbridge, below -which town it receives an insignificant affluent--the Ouse--when it -assumes that name, under which appellation it washes the walls of York, -and proceeds hence to unite with the Trent in forming the estuary of -the Humber; but although it loses its name of Yore before reaching -York, the capital city of the county is indebted to it for the name it -bears. The river in passing through Wensleydale reflects on its surface -some of the most romantic and charming landscape scenery of Yorkshire, -and that is saying a great deal, for no other county can equal it in -the variety, loveliness, and wild grandeur of its natural features. - -"In this district, Wensleydale, otherwise Yorevale or Yorevalle," says -Barker, "a variety of scenery exists, unsurpassed in beauty by any -in England. Mountains clothed at their summits with purple heather, -interspersed with huge crags, and at their bases with luxuriant -herbage, bound the view on either hand. Down the valley's centre -flows the winding Yore, one of the most serpentine rivers our island -boasts--now boiling and foaming, in a narrow channel, over sheets of -limestone--now forming cascades only equalled by the cataracts of the -Nile--and anon spreading out into a broad, smooth stream, as calm and -placid as a lowland lake. On the banks lie rich pastures, occasionally -relieved, at the eastern extremity of the valley, by cornfields. -There are several smaller dales branching out of Wensleydale--of -which they may, indeed, be accounted part. Of these the principal are -Bishopdale and Raydale, or Roedale--the valley of the Roe--which last -contains Lake Semerwater, a sheet of water covering a hundred and five -acres, and about forty-five feet deep. Besides this lake, the natural -objects of interest in the district best known are Aysgarth Force, -Hardraw-scaur, Mill Gill, and Leyburn Shall--the last a lofty natural -terrace from which the eye may range from the Cleveland Hills at the -mouth of the Tees to those bordering upon Westmoreland." - -The valley is exceedingly rich in historic memories and noble monuments -of the architectural past--"castles and halls inseparably united with -English story, and abbeys whose names, whilst our national records -shall be written, must for ever remain on the scroll; with fortresses -which have been the palaces and prisons of kings. Of these, Bolton -Castle, the home of the Scropes, and one of the prisons of Mary, Queen -of Scots, and Middleham Castle, where dwelt the great Nevill, the -king-maker, and the frequent and favourite residence of the Duke of -Gloucester, afterwards King Richard III., and the venerable remains of -Yorevale, or Jervaux, and of Coverham Abbeys, are alone sufficient to -immortalise a district of country." - -In former times the dale was covered by a dense forest, the home of -countless herds of deer, wild boars, wolves, and other wild animals. -There were no roads, but glades and trackways, intricate and winding, -very difficult and puzzling to traverse, so that travellers often -became benighted, without being able to find other shelter than that -afforded by trees and bushes. At the village of Bainbridge there -is still preserved the "forest horn," which was blown every night -at ten o'clock from Holyrood to Shrovetide, to guide wanderers who -had lost their way to shelter and safety from the prowling beasts of -prey. A bell also was rung at Chantry, and a gun fired at Camhouse -with the same object. In the first century of the Christian era there -existed in the valley of Roedale a large and for that time splendid -city, inhabited by the Brigantian Celts. It nestled in a deep hollow, -surrounded by picturesque hills and uplands, and was environed by the -majestic trees of the forest, where the Druids performed the mystical -rites and ceremonials of their religion. The houses were built of mud -and wattles, and thatched with straw or reeds, and the city was a -mere assemblage of such private residences, without any of the public -buildings, such as churches, chapels, town houses, assembly rooms, -baths, or literary institutions, such as now-a-days appertain to every -small market town; yet it was spoken of as a "magnificent city," and -such it perhaps might be as compared with other and smaller towns and -villages. - -It was about the time when Flavius Vespasian annexed Britain to -the Roman Empire, and the Brigantes had been partially subdued by -Octavius Scapula, the Roman Governor of Britain, but before York had -become Eboracum--the Altera Roma of Britain--and the influence of the -conquerors of the world had not penetrated to this remote and secluded -spot in the forest of Wensleydale, so that the people of the city still -retained their old religion, customs, and habits of life; still stained -their bodies with woad, clothed themselves with the skins of animals, -and still fabricated their weapons and implements of bronze. Joseph of -Arimathea had planted the cross on Glastonbury Hill, but the people of -this city had never even heard of the new religion that had sprung up -in Judea, and went on sacrificing human beings to their bloodthirsty -god, cutting the sacred mistletoe from the oaks of their forest, and -drawing the beaver from the water, emblematic of the salvation of Noah -and his family at the deluge, of which they had a dim tradition. - -The angels of heaven took great interest in the efforts of the apostles -who, in obedience to their Master's command, went forth from Judea to -preach the gospel of glad tidings and the doctrine of the cross to -all mankind, and had especially noted the erection of the Christian -standard on Glastonbury Hill, in the barbarous and benighted island -of the Atlantic. One of the heavenly host, indeed, became so much -interested in the conversion of the natives of this isle--which -he foresaw would, in the distant centuries, become a great centre -of evangelical truth, and, by means of missionaries, the foremost -promulgator of religious light to other benighted peoples of the -earth--that he determined to descend thither, and, under the guise of -a human form, go about amongst the people, and in some measure prepare -them for the reception of the teachings of the companions of St. Joseph. - -Midwinter had come, the period when the sun seemed to the Britons to be -farthest away from the earth, and when, according to the experience of -the past, he would commence his return with his vivifying rays; and the -Druids were holding joyous ceremonial in celebration of this annually -recurring event. The sun was viewed as a superhuman beneficent being -who journeyed across the heavens daily to dispense heat and life, and -to cause the fruits and flowers and cereals to bloom and fructify, and -give forth food for men and animals, who in summer approached near to -the earth, and in winter retired to a distance from it--for what end or -purpose they knew not. Nevertheless they deemed it wise to propitiate -him by two great ceremonials of worship--the one at midsummer, attended -by blazing "Baal-fires" on the hills (a custom which still survives -in some parts of Yorkshire, where, on Midsummer-eve, "beal-fires" are -lighted), a festival of rejoicing and thanksgiving for the ripening -crops and fruits; the other at midwinter, which partook more of the -character of a supplicating worship, imploring him, now that he was far -distant, not to withdraw himself entirely from the earth, but return -as he had been wont to do, and again cheer the world with his beams of -brightness and warmth. On the occasion of this particular festival, -the weather was stormy and cold; the pools were frozen over, and the -ground covered with snow, whilst a chilling sleet, driven by a biting -north-eastern wind, beat upon those who were exposed to its influence -in the open air. The festival was proceeding in a cleared space of the -forest circled round by lofty trees, which was the open-air natural -temple of the Druids; its walls built by the hand of their god, and -its dome-like roof the floor of the habitation where he dwelt. Whilst -the Druids were engaged in offering up prayers, the bards in singing -anthems of praise, and the vates investigating the entrails of slain -animals, to read therein forecasts of the future and the will of the -gods, especially of the Sun God, in whose honour the festival was -held, the venerable figure of an aged man might be seen descending the -hill and approaching the city. He seemed to be bowed down with the -infirmities of age, and to breast with difficulty the forcible rushing -of the wind. His white flowing beard, which reached almost to his -waist, was glittering with incrustations of ice; and his legs trembled -as he came along, leaning on his staff, with feeble and uncertain -footsteps. He was clad in a long gabardine, which he wrapped tightly -round him, to protect his frame as much as possible from the inclemency -of the weather; his head was covered by a hat with broad flapping brim; -and his feet were sandalled, to shield them from the roughness of the -road. - -He came amongst the cottages and passed from door to door, asking -for shelter and food, but everywhere was repulsed, and at times with -contumely and opprobrious epithets. No one would take him in beneath -their roof; no one had charity enough to give him a crust or a cup -of metheglin, and onward he went until he came to the spot where the -festival was progressing under the direction of the Arch-Druid, a man -of extreme age, but of commanding stature and majestic port. - -The appearance of the angel (for he it was, in the guise of infirm -and poverty-stricken humanity) caused some sensation, chiefly in -consequence of his peculiar and outlandish dress, and all eyes were -directed upon him as he walked boldly and unhesitatingly, but with -halting step, to the centre of the circle where the hierarchs were -grouped. - -The angel, addressing himself to the Arch-Druid, inquired, "Whom is it -that you worship in this fashion?" - -"Who are you," replied the Druid, "that you know not that our midwinter -festival is in honour of the great and gloriously shining God, who -reveals himself to us in his daily march across the sky?" - -"Then you worship the creature instead of the creator?" - -"How the creature? He whom we worship was never created, but has -existed from all eternity." - -"Alas! blind mortals, you labour under a Satanic delusion. Know that -what you, in your ignorance, worship is but an atom in the great and -resplendent universe of worlds and suns, called into existence by the -fiat of Him whom I serve, who alone is self-existent, immortal, and the -Creator of all men and all things." - -"You speak in parables, stranger, and in an impious strain. Mean you -to say that the god-sun is not great and powerful, he who causes the -herbage to grow and the trees to give forth fruit? Can he do this if he -be not a god?" - -"He is merely the instrument of the one Almighty God, whose Son, on the -anniversary of this day, became incarnate on earth, and died on the -cross in a land far distant from this, that man might not be subjected -to the penalty for disobedience to His laws, thus dying in his stead, -to satisfy the ends of justice." - -"And you say that he, a mere man, who died in the distant land you -speak of, was the son of one who created the sun?" - -"Most certainly." - -"Then I must say that you speak rank blasphemy." - -And the priests and other officials re-echoed the shout, "Blasphemy! -blasphemy!" and the people around took it up, and the cry of -"Blasphemy!" rose up from a thousand tongues. - -"Slay him! stone him!" was then cried by the excited people, and they -began to take up stones and hurl them at the old man, who, shaking the -snow of the city from his sandals, and saying "Woe be unto you," passed -through the surrounding crowd, and disappeared amongst the forest trees. - -The dusky shades of evening, or rather afternoon, were drawing in as -the angel passed through the wood; and as, in his incarnate form, he -was subject to all the sufferings and discomforts humanity is liable -to, he feared that he would have to pass the night, with all its -inclemency of weather, with no other shelter than that afforded by a -tree trunk or the branches of a bramble bush, but after wandering some -time he came upon a cleared space, where he found some sheep huddling -together on the lee side of a rising ground, and judging that where -sheep were men would not be far distant, he passed up the hillside -and gladly hailed a gleam of light issuing from a cottage window. He -approached and knocked at the door, which was opened by a comely, -middle-aged dame, whilst, by the fire of peat, sat a man whom he -presumed to be her husband, occupied in eating his evening meal, with a -shepherd dog by his side, eagerly looking out for the bones and chance -pieces of meat which his master might think proper to throw him. - -"Good dame," said he to the woman, "have you charity enough to give -me shelter from the storm, a crust of bread to allay the cravings of -hunger, and permission to imbibe warmth from your fire into my aged and -frozen limbs?" - -"Yes, that indeed we have, venerable father," replied she. "Come in and -seat you by the fire, and we will see what the cottage can supply in -the way of victuals." - -He stepped in, and was welcomed with equal kindness by the husband, -who placed for him a seat near the fire, took off his coat, which he -suspended before the fire to dry, and gave him a sheepskin to throw -over his shoulders; whilst the dame bustled about in the way of cooking -some slices of mutton and bringing out some of her best bread, with a -wooden drinking vessel filled with home-made barley liquor, not unlike -the ale of after days. - -He was then invited to seat himself at the table, a board resting -on two trestles, and ate heartily of the viands before him. After -the meal, and when he was thoroughly warmed and made comfortable, he -entered into conversation with the worthy couple, and ascertained that -the man was a shepherd, and made a fairly comfortable living out of -his small flock of sheep, which supplied him and his wife with raiment -and flesh meat for food, besides a small surplus for barter to procure -other necessaries. He told them that he was a wanderer on the face of -the earth, not a Briton, but allied to people who lived in the far east -near the sun rising, and that he had come hither to tell the Britons -of the true God, and that they whom they worshipped were not gods at -all; to all which they listened with wonderment and awe, but displayed -none of the bigotry and hostility to adverse faiths which had been so -practically shown in the city. With eloquent tongue he explained to -them the mysteries of the Christian religion, but they comprehended -him not, such matters being entirely beyond the capacities of their -understandings. Nevertheless they were much interested in some of -the narratives, such as the nativity and the visit of the Magi; the -miraculous cures of the sick; the crucifixion, the resurrection, and -the ascension, all which were told with great graphic power, and -listened to with rapt ears; and they sat on late into the night in this -converse, and then a bed of several layers of straw was made for the -stranger in a warm corner of the cottage, and a couple of sheep skins -given him for coverlets. - -The following morning broke bright and cheerful, a complete contrast -to the preceding day. The sun came out with a radiance as brilliant as -it was possible for a midwinter sun to do, and lighted up the hills, -on which the snow crystals glistened, and the roofs of the houses in -the valley below, with a splendour seldom beheld at that period of the -year, and the people of the city hailed the sight as a response to -their festival prayers, that the God of Day would still continue to -shower his blessings upon them, and bring forth their crops and fruits -in due course. The guest at the shepherd's cottage, wearied with his -wanderings and the buffeting of the storm, slept long after the sun -had risen; but his hosts had been up betimes, the shepherd having -gone to look after his sheep, and his wife to prepare a warm breakfast -for him on his return. When this was ready, and the shepherd had come -home, their guest was awakened, and partook with them of their meal of -sheep's flesh, brown bread, and ewe's milk. He had performed certain -devotions on rising, such as his entertainers understood not, but which -they assumed to be acts of adoration and thanksgiving to his God. - -Resuming his cloak, now thoroughly dried, his flapped hat, and his -long walking staff, he went out to pursue his journey. With his hosts -he stood on the elevated ground on which the cottage was situated, and -looked down upon the city in the valley below, from which there rose up -the busy hum of voices of men going about their vocations for the day, -with them the first of their new-born year. - -The stranger looked down upon the city for some moments in silence; -then stretching forth his arms towards it, he exclaimed, "Oh city! thou -art fair to look upon, but thou art the habitation of hard, unfeeling, -and uncharitable men, who regard themselves alone, and neither respect -age nor sympathise with poverty and infirmity! Thou art the abode -of those who worship false gods, and shut their ears to, nay, more, -maltreat those who would point out their errors and lead them into the -path of truth; therefore, oh city! it is fitting that thou shouldst -cease to cumber the earth; that thou shouldst be swept away as were -Sodom and Gomorrah. As for you," he added, turning to the shepherd and -his wife, "you took the stranger in under your roof, sheltered him -from the storm, fed him when ahungered, and comforted him as far as -your means permitted. For this accept my thanks and benison, and know -that my benison is worth the acceptance, for I am not what I seem--a -frail mortal--but one of those who stand round the throne of the God -I told you of last evening, which is in the midst of the stars of the -firmament. May your flocks increase, and your crops never fail; may you -live to advanced age, and see your children and children's children -grow up around you, wealthy in this world's wealth, honoured, and -respected." Turning again towards the city, and again stretching forth -his arms over it, the mysterious stranger cried out in a voice that -might be heard in the streets below:-- - - "Semerwater, rise; Semerwater, sink; - And swallow all the town, save this lile - House, where they gave me meat and drink." - -Immediately a loud noise was heard, as of the bursting up of a hundred -fountains from the earth, and the water rushed upward from every part -of the city like the vomiting of volcanoes; the inhabitants cried out -with terror-fraught shouts, and attempted to escape up the hills, but -were swept back by the surging flood, which waved and dashed like -the waves of the tempestuous sea. Higher and higher rose the water; -overwhelmed the houses and advanced up the sides of the hill, engulfing -everything and destroying every vestige of life, and eventually it -settled down into the vast lake as it may now be seen. - -It may be thought that this was a cruel act of revenge on the part of -the angel, but we have the authority of Milton, that the angelic mind -was susceptible of the human weakness of ambition; why, therefore, -should it not be actuated by that other human passion of revenge? - -The shepherd and his wife gazed on the spectacle of the destruction -of the city with awe-stricken countenances, when another spectacle -filled them with equal amazement. They turned their eyes upon their -guest, who still stood by them, but who was undergoing a wonderful -transformation. From an aged and infirm man he was becoming youthful -in appearance, of noble figure, with lineaments of celestial beauty, -and an aureola of golden light flashing round his head. His tattered -and way-worn garments seemed to be melting into thin air and passing -away, and in their place appeared a long white robe, as if woven of the -snow crystals of the surrounding hills; whilst from his shoulders there -streamed forth a pair of pinions, which he now expanded, and waving an -adieu to his late entertainers, he rose up into the air, and in a few -minutes had passed beyond their sight. - -The shepherd's flocks soon began to multiply wonderfully, and he -speedily became one of the richest men of the countryside. His sons -grew up and prospered as their father had, and their descendants -flourished for many generations in their several branches as some -of the most important and wealthy families of the district. The old -man and his wife abandoned the old Druidical religion, and prayed to -the unknown God of whom their guest spoke on the memorable evening -preceding the destruction of the city; and when the Apostles of -Christianity came hither, were among the first converts. There may be -sceptics who may doubt the truth of this legend, but there the Lake of -Semerwater still remains, and what can be a more convincing proof of -its truth, as old Willet was wont to say, when pointing to the block -of wood at the door of his inn at Chigwell, as a triumphant proof -of the truth of the story he had been narrating. The rustics of the -neighbourhood also assert that they have seen, fathoms deep in the -lake, the chimneys and church spires of the engulfed city; but as there -were neither churches nor chimneys when that city was in existence, we -are inclined to believe that this is an optical delusion. - - - - -The "Worm" of Nunnington. - - -A charming pastoral scene might have been witnessed in the picturesque -valley of Ryedale, northward of Malton, and not far distant from the -spot where, in after ages, sprung up the towers of Byland Abbey, one -fair midsummer eve in the earlier half of the sixth century--a scene -that would have gladdened the heart of a painter, and made him eager -to transfer it to canvas, to display it on the walls of the next Royal -Academy Exhibition, had painters and Royal Academy Exhibitions been -then in vogue. It was in a village near the banks of the Rye--the -precursor of what is now called Nunnington; what was its Celtic name we -are informed not, but it was a Celtic village, and inhabited by Celtic -people, who had been Christianised, and taught the usages and habits -of civilized life during the supremacy of the Romans in the island, -who had now departed to defend the capital of the world against the -incursions of the hordes of barbarians who were thundering at its -gates, leaving the Britons, enervated by civilisation and its attendant -luxuries, a prey to the Picts and Scots and the Teutonic pirates who -infested the surrounding seas. - -It was an age of chivalry and romance; the half real, half mythical -Arthur ruled over the land, and made head against the Scots and the -Teutons, defeating both in several battles. He instituted the chivalric -Order of Knights of the Round Table--whose members were patterns of -valour and exemplars in religion, and who went forth as knights-errant -to correct abuses, protect the fairer and weaker sex, chastise -oppressors, release those who were under spells of enchantment, and -do battle with giants, ogres, malicious dwarfs, and enchanters, also -with dragons, hippogriffs, wyverns, serpents, and other similarly -obnoxious creatures. Who hath not read of their marvellous adventures -and valorous exploits in the quest of the Sang-real, the histories -of Sir Launcelot and Sir Tristram, La Morte d'Arthur, and the Idylls -of the King? Witches and warlocks, sorcerers and ogres, tyrants and -oppressors, then abounded in the land, and beauteous damsels, the -victims of their cruelty and lust, so that there was plenty of work, -to say nothing of the reptiles of the forests, for the entire army of -valiant knights who went forth from Caerleon on the Usk in quest of -adventures, inspired by the approving smile of Queen Guinevere and -of the fair ladies in whose honour they placed lance in rest, and -whose supremacy of beauty they vowed to maintain in many a joust and -tournament. - -The village lay in a spot where nature had spread out some of her -loveliest features of valley, upland, and meandering river of silvery -sheen running through the midst; whilst trees of luxuriant foliage, in -groups and thickets of forest land, enshrined the whole as a fitting -framework for the sylvan picture. Farmsteads were scattered about, and -a cluster of humbler cottages, the habitations of the serf class of -farm labourers constituted the village. - -As we have seen, it was Midsummer Eve, a day of festival and -rejoicing which had been observed from time immemorial, for now the -sun approached the nearest to the zenith with its fructifying beams, -and in celebration of the event a huge bonfire had been built up on -an eminence outside the village; whilst around it, hand in hand, -danced the youths and maidens with much glee and merriment, with -boisterous mirth, and many a joke and song, and moreover with no lack -of flirtation between the lads and lasses, who footed it merrily, and -became more and more vigorous in the dances as the flames mounted -higher and higher. Although they knew it not, this village carnival -was a survival of the paganism of the past, when the remote ancestors -of the existing generation worshipped Baal, the great Sun God. It -had come down through centuries of homage to the creature instead of -the Creator, and having been regarded as a great holiday, did not -suffer extinction at the advent of Christianity, but was permitted -to be retained in that capacity, without any reference to religious -ceremonial, which in course of time was entirely forgotten. And it is -a remarkable instance of the vitality of ancient customs to observe -that in some parts of Yorkshire, in Holderness to wit, "Beal fires" are -lighted on Midsummer Eve, even to the present day. - -The elders of the village were seated about in groups on the turf, -watching the upblazing of the fire, casting approving smiles on the -joyous gambols and incipient match-making of their progeny, and -talking of their own juvenile days, when they were equally happy -partners in the circling dance. The blue sky overhead was cloudless, -and in the western horizon the setting sun shot forth beams of golden -light; and all was hilarity and happiness. A queen of the festival had -been chosen--the most beautiful maiden of the village, a sweet girl of -eighteen, with brilliant complexion, melting blue eyes, and flowing -curls of flaxen hue. A platform of boughs had been improvised upon -which to carry her on the shoulders of a half-dozen young bachelors -back to the village with songs of triumph, and the procession had -just been arranged, when a loud hissing sound was heard to issue from -the neighbouring forest, a sound which in these days would have been -attributed to a passing railway train; but which then sounded strange -and unearthly, and spread consternation among the merrymakers, who -turned and looked with panic-stricken countenances in the direction -from whence the sound came. - -The first impulse of the crowd was to fly to their homes, from the -unknown object of dread, but curiosity prompted a counter-impulse, -a desire to see what gave rise to the fear-inspiring sound. Nor had -they long to wait, for a few minutes after a monstrous reptile, with -the body of a serpent and the head of a dragon, its mouth seeming, to -their excited imaginations, to breathe out flame, issued from the wood -and came across the open space with fearful but graceful undulations -towards the terrified villagers. The air appeared to become charged, -too, with a pestiferous influence, issuing from the nostrils of the -monster, which increased in intensity the nearer it came. With shrieks -and wild cries, those who had been dancing so merrily but a few -minutes before took to their heels to find refuge in their cottages, -exclaiming, "Oh, that Sir Peter Loschi were here to deliver us from -the monster!" All reached their habitations and barred their doors; -all save one, the beautiful young queen of the festival, the pride of -the village--the beloved of every one--who, fascinated like a bird -by the eyes of the reptile, had stood gazing upon it so long that -she was quite in the rear of the fugitives, and was overtaken by the -serpent, who immediately coiled the foremost part of its body round -her, and in this fashion carried her back into the forest. As she did -not reappear, it was concluded that she had been devoured; and day -after day one young damsel after another disappeared after going to -the spring for water, or on other open-air errands, all of whom, it -was doubted not, had furnished meals for the monster. Indeed, at times -he was seen carrying them off as he had done the poor little queen, -until at length the village seemed to be becoming depopulated of its -maidenhood. The men at times went armed with bludgeons to attack the -serpent in his cave on the hill side, but were ever driven back by the -poisonous exhalations of the animal's breath, which seemed to render -them faint and powerless; and two or three of the bolder spirits who -approached the nearest to the den died under its influence. And the -people continued to cry, "Oh, Sir Peter Loschi, why do you tarry?"--for -in him lay all their hope of deliverance. - -This Sir Peter Loschi, whose aid was so frequently and fervently -invoked, was the owner of a castle and certain broad acres in the -vicinity. He was a Celt of unadulterated blood, although his name has -nothing Celtic about it. Single names were then only used, with the -exception of an addition of some personal characteristic or locality, -for distinction sake when there were two persons bearing the same, -and we may suppose that the two names of Peter and Loschi originally -formed one word, which has become altered and corrupted in passing from -generation to generation, in a similar manner to that of George Zavier, -which became transmuted through Georgy Zavier, etc., to eventually -Corky Shaver. Be that as it may, he was the last male of a long line -of ancient British knights and warriors, and was himself not inferior -to any of his ancestors in military skill and almost reckless daring, -having fought with distinction against the wild hordes of Picts and -Scots, who came down from their desolate northern mountains to make -raids on the more fertile lands of the Britons south of the Border, -and against the piratical Saxons and Angles who were endeavouring to -get a foothold on the island. He was one of King Arthur's Knights of -the Round Table, and was often at the Court of Queen Guinevere at -Caerleon, consorting with his brother knights in the mutual recital of -their adventures, in friendly tilting matches, and in dallying with the -fair ladies of the Court, one of whom he had chosen as the mistress of -his heart, and whose favour he wore in front of his helmet at many -a passage of arms in the courtyard of a castle or in the field of a -tournament. Occasionally he went forth for periods of six or twelve -months as a knight-errant, for the purpose of redressing wrongs, -slaying enchanters, etc., and was known as the Knight of the Sable -Plume, from that ornamental appendage of his casque. The cognisance -that he bore on his shield was a chevron arg. between three plumes -sable, on ground or; and many a doughty deed had he performed, young as -he still was, under this cognisance. - -He did not spend much time at his ancestral home in Ryedale, being -so much occupied at Court and in the quest of adventures as a -knight-errant, only going there occasionally to regulate matters -relating to his household and estates, look after his vassals and -retainers, and make arrangements for the well-being of the villagers. -He had now been absent about three years, having, at the instance of -his ladye-love at Caerleon, donned his armour, taken his lance in -hand, and gone for that space of time to protect the impotent, redress -the injured and oppressed, and slay giants and sorcerers, as a test -of his valour, at the end of which said period, if he had acquitted -himself as a preux-chevalier, she might possibly consent to become the -mistress of Ryedale Castle. The period was now drawing to a close, and -he had performed many a valorous deed; he had slain a gigantic Saxon in -single combat; he had recovered the standard of King Arthur from some -half-dozen Picts, who had seized it after killing the bearer of it; he -had rescued a damsel from the hands of an enchanter; another from the -fangs and claws of a lion, and a third from a giant who was dragging -her along by the hair of her head; he had killed a dragon, a griffin, -and a hippogriff, had done many another wondrous and valorous deed, -and was now going back to Caerleon to claim the hand of the lady at -whose behest he had performed all these marvellous achievements, little -dreaming all the time that his own people in Ryedale were in sore need -of his stalwart arm and trusty sword. - -As the knight had been northward, it was necessary to pass through -what is now Yorkshire on his way to Caerleon, and he deemed it -expedient to call at his Ryedale Castle to see how matters had been -going on there during his long absence. It was about a month after -the first appearance of the "worm," when the villagers were beginning -to experience the truth of the saying that "hope deferred maketh the -heart sick," having lost many members of their community through the -propensity of the serpent for human flesh, and no Sir Peter coming -to deliver them from the ravages of the monster, when the figure of -a horseman, with a nodding black plume, was seen "pricking o'er the -plain," who was immediately recognised as the veritable Sir Peter -Loschi, which gave rise to an exhilarating shout of welcome from the -villagers, who cried, "Now shall we be delivered from the ravenous -worm." Sir Peter rode on to his castle, where the first being to -welcome him was a favourite mastiff, who came gambolling about him -with the most affectionate demonstrations of rejoicing at seeing his -master once more. The following morning a deputation of the villagers -waited upon him, explained their troubles in respect to the worm, and -prayed for his assistance in ridding them of the monster. He inquired -into the particulars, and having been accustomed in his travels to -several encounters with noxious animals of this character, he readily -understood what he would have to deal with, and promised his aid, but -added that as some preparations would be necessary, the enemy being -of an exceptional description, he would not be able to undertake it -within a month, and that they must endure it the best they could in the -interval. - -Sir Peter got a sight of the serpent, and a formidable monster he -appeared to be, more terrible than any he had previously met with; -and he saw that it behoved him to make special provision for the -combat. He pondered the matter over for a few days, and then mounted -his steed and rode to Sheffield, where he employed certain cunning -artificers to make him a complete suit of armour studded with razor -blades. Although razors are alluded to by Homer, and have been used -by the Chinese for unknown centuries, it is doubtful whether they -were a staple manufacture on the banks of the Sheaf and the Rivelin -in the sixth century. It is true that Chaucer speaks of a "Sheffield -whittle," but this was eight centuries afterwards, and it is equally to -be doubted whether Sheffield, even as a village, existed at that time; -but anachronisms are of small moment in legends, and we are required -to accept it as a fact, that the knight had his novel suit of armour -fabricated in the valley of the Sheaf. - -When it was completed, he returned with it to Ryedale, and gladly was -he welcomed by the villagers, as the serpent had been committing more -ravages amongst the population. He had a sword, a Damascus blade of -wonderful keenness, which possessed certain magical properties, similar -to those of King Arthur's famous Excaliber; and one morning, after -donning his armour, he took the sword in his hand and went forth to the -combat. His dog accompanied him, and it was with difficulty that he was -prevented from leaping up in caressing gambols against the sharp razor -blades. - -The serpent had its den in the side of a wooded eminence near East -Newton, by Stonegrave, which has since then gone by the name of Loschy -Hill, in memory of the great fight between the Knight and the Dragon. -Sir Peter, who was on foot, strode along boldly towards the hill, -followed by his dog, which seemed to be perfectly aware that some -exciting sport was before them, as he rushed about hither and thither, -sniffing the air, as if his keen scent gave him intimation that game of -an unusual character was not far off, and he barked and growled, as -if in defiance of the foe; whilst the villagers stood afar off, with -eager countenances, to watch the progress of the combat. As the knight -came nearer, he became aware of a pestiferous odour that seemed to -contaminate the air; and the dog scented and sniffed, and gave vent to -more prolonged growlings and louder barking, and seemed to tremble with -excitement in anticipation of the coming fray. - -The serpent had not yet breakfasted, and seeing the man and dog -approach, darted from his den and made for the dog, with which he -thought to stay his appetite as a first mouthful, but the dog was too -nimble and eluded his attack, leaping upon one of the curves of its -body and biting it with mad excitement; whilst the knight struck it a -blow with his sword which almost cut off its head, but the wound healed -up instantly, and the serpent coiled itself round his body, in order -to crush the life out of him, and then devour him at its leisure. It -had not, in doing so, taken into account the razor blades, which cut -its body in a multitude of gashes, and caused the blood to stream down -on the earth; but this was not of much consequence, as it immediately -uncoiled and rolled itself on the earth, when all the wounds closed -up. Foiled in this attack, the monster then began to vomit out a -poisonous vapour, so horrible and overcoming that the knight seemed -ready to sink under its influence, but rallying his energies, he aimed -a blow which cut the serpent in two, but the severed parts joined -again immediately. All this time the monster was hissing in a fearful -manner, and breathing out poison, and the knight began to fear he must -succumb and become its prey; but determined not to give in so long as -he could continue the fight, he aimed another blow with his sword and -severed a portion of the tail end, although feeling persuaded that it -would become reunited as before; but his dog, evidently a sagacious -animal, having witnessed the former reunion, seized it in its teeth -and ran off with it to a neighbouring hill, then returned and carried -away other portions as they were cut off successively. The serpent -writhed with pain, but afraid, or seeing the uselessness of attacking -the razor-armed man, made many attempts to seize the dog, but in vain, -as he was too agile to be caught; therefore he depended more on the -venom of his breath at this juncture, which he continued to pour forth, -and which he knew must eventually overpower his enemy. The dog had -returned from his third or fourth journey and came up to his master, -wagging his tail in seeming congratulation of the cleverness with which -they were gradually accomplishing the destruction of the foe, when the -serpent made a spring upon him, but at the same instant the knight's -magic sword descended upon his neck and severed the head from the body, -which the dog at once seized and carried off to a distance, placing it -on a hill near where Nunnington Church now stands. - -The monster was now dead which had caused so much terror and -desolation, and the villagers shouted with joy as they saw the head -carried past by the dog. Meanwhile the knight stood by the remaining -portion of the body as it lay prone on the earth, quivering with the -remains of its vitality. He was exhausted with his exertions, but more -by the poisonous exhalation which the body still gave forth, but in -rapidly diminishing volume. He was recovering from its effects and -was waiting awhile to gain sufficient energy to leave the scene of -his triumph, when the dog returned, but apparently in a very languid -condition; still, however, evincing marks of satisfaction and pleasure -at the conquest he and his master had achieved. The knight stooped down -to pat caressingly his faithful companion, who, in return, reached up -and licked his face. Unfortunately, in carrying away the head, the -seat of the venom, the dog had imbibed the poison, and in licking his -master's face had imparted the virus to him, and a few minutes were -sufficient to produce its fatal effects, the knight and his dog falling -to the earth together, and when the villagers came up they found both -dead. - -Although the villagers were rejoiced at the death of the serpent, their -lamentations were equally great over the fate of the knight, who had -sacrificed his life for their deliverance; and for many a month and -year did they cherish his memory and mourn his death. - -In Nunnington Church there is a monument of a knight, a recumbent -effigy, with a dog crouching at his feet; and this, tradition says, is -the tomb of the valorous Sir Peter Loschi and his equally valorous dog, -who were buried together, and the monument erected in grateful memory -of their achievement. - - - - -The Devil's Arrows. - - -One of the most interesting localities in broad Yorkshire, rich in -historic lore and fruitful in legend, is that which comprehends within -its limits the twin towns of Aldborough and Boroughbridge, on the river -Ure. Their history extends back to the Celtic and Roman times, when -Aldborough or Iseur, the Isurium of the Romans, was the capital of the -Brigantian Celts, and near by ran northward from York a great Roman -road, which crossed the Ure by a ford, which was supplanted after the -Conquest by a wooden bridge, which gave rise to a great convergence of -roads at this point, and the growth of a town, which obtained the name -of Boroughbridge, _i.e._, the borough by the bridge. - -This spot, says Dr. Stukeley, was in the British time "the scene of -the great Panegyre of the Druids, the midsummer meeting of all the -country round, to celebrate the great quarterly sacrifice, accompanied -with sports, games, races, and all kinds of exercises, with universal -festivity. This was like the Olympian and Nemean meetings and games -among the Grecians." - -Between the two towns there stands protruding from the earth three -rough-hewn and weather-worn obelisks of rag-stone or mill-stone grit, -which could not have been brought from a distance of less than seven -miles, and gave rise to a sense of wonder how such stupendous masses -could have been brought hither and placed upright in position by the -Celts with their utter lack of mechanical appliances. The northernmost -rises eighteen feet, the southernmost twenty-two and a half feet, -and the centre one also twenty-two and a half feet above the ground, -and from an excavation made under the latter, it was found to have -an entire length of thirty feet six inches. The estimated weight of -the northernmost is thirty-six tons, and of the other two thirty tons -each. Originally there were four stones, which were seen by Leland in -Henry VIII.'s time; but one of them fell or was removed for the sake of -the materials--useful for road repairing--in the seventeenth century. -Camden imagined them to be factitious compositions of sand, lime, -and small pebbles cemented together; but there is no doubt they were -quarried at Plumpton, the rock there corresponding exactly with their -grit. The Romans made use of them as metae, the turning point in their -chariot races. There have been varying and differing conjectures by -antiquaries as to their origin and purpose, but all agree as to their -remote antiquity, dating back certainly 1800 years, the most probable -conjecture as to their purpose being that they were connected in -some way with Druidical worship. They go by the name of "The Devil's -Arrows," and tradition gives an account of their origin altogether -different from antiquarian conjectures, and much more in accordance -with their popular designation. Thus runs the legend:-- - -It was soon after the Crucifixion that certain Apostles of the -Cross, headed by Joseph of Arimathea, found their way from Palestine -to the remote and benighted isle of Britain, in obedience to the -Divine command to go forth and preach the Gospel to every creature. -After their disembarkation they proceeded inland until they came to -Glastonbury; and ascending the hill there, Joseph struck his walking -staff in the earth and proclaimed that there should be established -the first Christian church of Britain, and in confirmation thereof his -staff miraculously took root, put forth branches, and although it was -midwinter--Christmas Day--budded and blossomed into a rose, as its -successors here continued to do on every successive Christmas Day. -The Apostles preached to the barbarian people, made some converts, -and erected a temporary wooden church for the performance of divine -service, which was the precursor of the magnificent Abbey that -afterwards rose on the site, and flourished in great prosperity until -its extinction under the sacrilegious hand of Henry the Eighth. - -When the new faith had taken root at Glastonbury, the Apostles divided -themselves into bands of two or three, and departed north, south, east, -and west, to proclaim the glad tidings in other parts of the island. -One of these bands, going northwards, preached to the Cornabii and the -Coritani of Mid-Britain, and then passed onward to the Brigantes, the -greatest and most warlike of the kingdoms of Britain. They travelled -on foot, staff in hand, and subsisted on the charity of the people; -but had often to endure great hardships, having often to pass through -scantily peopled districts, where wild fruits were their only food, the -water of the wayside brooks their drink, and their sleeping couches the -heather of the moor or the turf under the canopy of a forest tree. But -all these discomforts they endured with cheerfulness, besides perils -from wolves, wild boars, and other denizens of the woodlands, feeling -assured that their Master would reward them a thousand-fold for their -sufferings in His service. - -On entering the Brigantian kingdom they learned that the capital city -was Iseur, some considerable distance northward, and thither they bent -their way in the hope of enlightening the King in spiritual matters -as a means of facilitating the conversion of his people. With wearied -steps they passed from village to village, through forests and swamps, -and over black moorlands, fording the rivers where practicable, or -where they were too deep for so doing going along the bank until they -met with a fisherman or villager to ferry them across in his coracle; -and in due course, after many days of toilsome journeying, came to the -city of Iseur. - -The city stood in a forest clearing, surrounded by a stockade of -felled trees, with an entrenchment for protection against enemies, -and for the security of their flocks and herds against the attacks -of wild beasts. In the centre stood the King's Palace, a tolerably -spacious edifice built of unhewn blocks of stone, placed in cyclopean -fashion without mortar; and scattered around were the mud-built and -straw-thatched dwellings of the people. There was no temple of their -deity, the gods of the Britons disdaining mortal-built places of -worship. But adjacent was a separate forest clearing, with a circling -of huge forest oaks, on which grew the sacred mistletoe, which -constituted a temple not built with hands; and in which was a pool of -water, indispensable in the ceremonials of their religion, where the -beaver abounded, and was used as an emblem of the flood, of which the -Britons had a tradition; and here were constructed the wickerwork forms -of gigantic human beings, which at certain seasons were filled with -men, women, and children, and burnt to propitiate the wrath of their -god. - -They proceeded to the palace of the King and asked for an audience, -which was granted them after some demur; the King feeling uncertain, -from the description his attendants gave of their foreign aspect, -outlandish dresses, and imperfect utterance of the British language, -whether they might not be enemies, assassins, or sorcerers come hither -to take his life or subject him to some other evil. He received them -seated on a sort of throne, clad in a white, coarsely woven tunic of -wool reaching half way down his thighs, and leaving the lower limbs -altogether uncovered, and over his shoulders a wolf-skin mantle, -whilst he supported his dignity by holding in his right hand a long -bronze-headed spear, with a richly-carved shaft. By his side sat his -Queen, and at his feet gambolled three or four children, whilst around -him stood representatives of the Druidical hierarchy--the Druids proper -or high priests, the Eubates or soothsayers, and the Bards who chanted -anthems to the glory of their god and recited odes in praise of the -warriors and great men of their race. - -The King inquired of the strangers who they were and what was their -purpose in thus coming to his court. The Apostles replied that they -were people of a far distant land, near the sunrising, and had come -hither to show them their errors in worshipping false gods, and point -out to them the true object of worship, the one only God, the Maker -of heaven and earth, and the awarder of happiness or misery in the -future life beyond the grave. A murmur of dissatisfaction arose at this -announcement amongst the Druids, who whispered amongst themselves that -it was fitting such blasphemers should be offered up as sacrifices to -their god. - -"Truly," said the King, "you have come on a strange errand; we are -firm believers in and devout worshippers of the one Supreme God, as -you pretend to be. Do we not yearly offer up on His altars hundreds of -human victims to propitiate His good-will? What more would you have? -We believe what you do, and a great deal more, for we have a host of -minor deities whom we pay adoration to. Methinks you had better return -to your own country and not trouble us with your hallucinations, so as -to cause a schism in the faith. We are content with our own belief, -which teaches us that when we die the souls of those who have done -justly will pass gradually into a higher and higher sphere, until at -length, when perfectly purified, it will become absorbed in the essence -of the Deity, or become an inferior god; whilst those of the wicked -will be transformed to the bodies of inferior and unclean animals, and -eventually be annihilated." - -The Apostles upon this explained briefly the principles of the -Christian religion, the fall of man and his loss of the divine favour, -his necessary condemnation to temporal and eternal death, and the -redemptorial scheme, in which God himself, or rather his Son, who -was identical with himself, suffered death on the cross, taking upon -himself, in lieu of man, the threatened penalty. - -"Is your God dead, then?" inquired the King; "or is it possible for God -to die. If so, our faith is better than yours, for our God is immortal." - -The Apostles then entered into an elaborate disquisition on the -subtleties of the necessity and nature of the Divine scheme for the -salvation of the human race, but the reasonings were too abstruse -for the King's comprehension, as, indeed, were they for the more -cultured minds of the Druids; therefore the King declined any further -discourse on the subject, adding that he was perfectly willing that -they should be courteously treated and have fair play, as they had -come so far with the intent, as it seemed to them, of doing him and -his people a service; therefore he would appoint a day on which they -should have a full and fair discussion with the Druids on the merits of -the respective faiths, and in the meantime they should be hospitably -entertained at his cost, and with this the audience terminated. - -It happened that at this time the Father of Evil was prowling about -Britain, with the object of thwarting the efforts of St. Joseph and his -band of missionaries for the evangelisation of the land. He employed -himself chiefly about Glastonbury and its neighbourhood, the primitive -and central seat of British Christianity, and centuries elapsed before -he relaxed his persistent attempt to eradicate the faith, hostile to -himself, which had taken root there. Nine hundred years afterwards we -find that he was a perpetual annoyance to the holy St. Dunstan in his -Glastonbury cell, continually intruding upon him when engaged in his -studies, and offering to him the most seductive temptations, until, on -one occasion, he made his appearance before him when he was engaged on -some blacksmith work, and commenced tempting him to sell his soul to -him for unbounded wealth and the highest temporal distinction. The -saint, however, was proof against his temptations, and resolved to free -himself once for all from his importunities, took his red-hot tongs -from the fire, and seized him by the nose. The devil roared out lustily -with the pain, although one would fancy, from fire being his natural -element, that it would not incommode him greatly; nevertheless, he -prayed abjectly to be released from the tongs, but the saint would not -release him until he promised to give him no further annoyance. - -He had followed in the footsteps of the three Apostles on the northern -mission, and was present, although invisible, at the interview with the -King of the Brigantes; and when the conference between the Apostles -and the Druids was arranged by the King, he determined upon presenting -himself at the meeting in a more tangible and palpable form, to -overthrow the arguments of the former by the power of his eloquence and -logical force of reasoning, feeling exceedingly loth to run the risk -of losing so cherished a section of his dominions, which would ensue -in case the King should be convinced by the preaching and the powerful -arguments of the Apostles. - -The conference was appointed to come off on the slopes of the Hambleton -Hills, at the foot of Roulston Crag and there, on the auspicious -morning, might be seen a large assemblage gathered together, presenting -a very animated and picturesque grouping. The King, as president of -the assembly, took his seat on an improvised throne. He was clothed -in the most splendid of his regal vestments, and held in his hand -his bronze-headed spear, as an emblem of his Royal authority. On his -right stood a group of Druids, clad in long white linen robes, with -circlets of oak leaves round their heads, and on his left the three -Christian Apostles, in their weather-stained Oriental garments, whilst -scattered around, was a considerable number of Brigantian warriors, -courtiers, agriculturists, and serfs more or less garmented in coarse -woollen fabrics or skins of animals, or without clothing of any kind, -but with painted or tattooed skins, on which were depicted figures of -the sun, the moon, and sundry animals. The King opened the proceedings -by stating the object of the meeting, and calling upon the Apostles -to explain what they wished to inculcate, promising them a fair and -candid hearing, and assuring them that if what they said appeared at -all consonant with reason, it should have due consideration. In all -respects the meeting was very similar to that which was convened nearly -600 years afterwards by Eadwine, King of Northumbria, for a discussion -of the merits of Christianity, between St. Paulinus, the apostle of -Rome, and Coiffi, the High Priest of Woden, which resulted in the -second establishment of Christianity in the district, which constitutes -the modern Yorkshire. Just as one of the Apostles was commencing to -speak, a venerable Druid, with a beard reaching half-way down to -his waist, and attired in the official long white robe, entered the -assembly, and made his obeisance to the King, who inquired who he was -and whither he had come. "I am the High Priest, oh King," he replied, -"of the great and famous forest temple of Llyn yr a vanc" (on the site -of the modern Beverley). "A report came thither that certain strangers -had come to the Court of Iseur from some distant land, to promulgate a -foreign and damnable heresy; and I, as being well versed in the truths -of our faith, and gifted with an eloquent tongue, have been deputed -by my brethren to attend this conference, and aid, to the best of my -ability, in discomfiting these foreign heretics, whose object is to -uproot our holy religion and substitute a false theological creed." - -"You are welcome!" said the King. "Take your place among your brother -Druids on my right. Give heed to what the strangers have to say, and -reply to their arguments as your reason and lengthened experience may -dictate." - -The stranger took the place indicated, and the King bade the Apostles -tell what they had to say on the object of their mission, upon which -the eldest looking of the three, stretching forth his arms as Raphael -depicted Paul when preaching at Athens, commenced his harangue by -giving an outline of the history of man as recorded in the Scriptures, -his fall from innocence and perfection, by the seductions of the -enemy of mankind, who for his rebellious ambition had been banished -from heaven and cast down into hell, and who since then had been -going to and fro in the earth tempting man to sin against his Maker, -in which he had been so successful that God repented of having made -man, and had caused all mankind to perish save one family, and then -explained that afterwards, when the earth had again become populated, -he compassionated man's fallen estate, and had sent his Son to take -on himself the penalty due to man's transgression, that all, through -him, might be placed in a state of salvation from that death eternal -which they inherited from the transgression of their first ancestor; -and wound up by imploring the King and all present to abandon their -impotent and bloodthirsty gods, believe in the God of Mercy whom they -proclaimed, and accept the salvation offered through the merits of Him -who was crucified. - -The Druid, who had come afar, then rose and craved permission to -reply, which was granted, and he stood forth on a mass of rock, with -a majestic presence and dignified air. He laughed to scorn the fables -which they had listened to, which were only fit to delude the ears -of silly old women, and could not be accepted for a moment by men -endowed with the faculty of reasoning. "We are told," said he, "that -man was made perfect, and was at the same time fallible; that God is -immutable, and yet repented; that a creature, the work of His hands, -has become His rival, and from what we hear has become even more potent -than his Maker; has set up a rival kingdom, and is able to wrest from -the hands of God three-fourths of the beings whom He creates, a God -who is asserted to be omnipotent; with many such subtle questions, -inquiring--Can these be compatible with reason, and can you, as men of -sense, believe them?" He then descanted on the superior merits of the -Druidical religion, contrasting its "simple truth" with the "absurd -fables told us by these foreigners;" concluding with a forcible and -eloquent appeal to those who listened to him not to abandon the gods -of their fathers, and go hankering after strange gods, especially such -as were recommended by such baseless arguments and improbable tales as -they had just heard. - -When he concluded a murmur of applause agitated the assembly like a -rustling of leaves in the forest, and the King said, "Venerable father, -thou speakest well; thy words are those of truth; and it only remains -to bid these strangers depart from our shores and return to the land -from whence they have come, bearing with them our thanks for having -come so far to teach us what they conceive to be the truth, but which -we are unable to accept as consonant with reason." - -In the vehemence of his oratorical action, the Druid had caught up -the skirt of his robe, and the apostle had spied protruding therefrom -a cloven foot, and moreover that the heat issuing therefrom had caused -the upper part of the rock on which it was placed to become partially -liquefied, or rather gelatinised, so that it adhered to the foot. -Suspecting, therefore, whom he had to deal with, he cried out on -receiving the order to depart, "Hearken, oh King, I have told you of -the arch-enemy of God and mankind, who tempted the first man to sin, -and still goes about luring men to perdition; behold he--even he--is -present in this assembly, and has been addressing you in advocacy of -the false religion, which you, in your ignorance, maintain. Him will -I unmask;" and addressing himself to the Druid, he cried in a stern -and commanding voice, "Satan, I defy thee! in the name of the Saviour -of mankind, I command thee to display thyself in thy proper person, -and depart hence to the hell from whence thou comest." In an instant, -at that adjuration, the Druid's robe and the venerable beard fell -from him, and he stood revealed in all his hideous deformity, with a -malignant scowl on his countenance, and springing up, he took flight, -impregnating the air with a sulphurous perfume, carrying with him a -mass of rock, weighing several tons, which adhered to his foot. - -At this unanswerable demonstration of truth of the religion proclaimed -by the Apostles, the King, and even the Druids, became converted, and -underwent the ceremony of baptism; and the Apostles were empowered to -go throughout Brigantium and preach the Gospel, which resulted in the -conversion of multitudes, and the Brigantes became a Christian people. - -Satan, however, although foiled so signally, set his wits to work to -be avenged on the King for deserting his standard. He recollected -the piece of rock which he had brought from Roulston and dropped in -his flight some seven or eight miles from Iseur, the King's capital -city, and this he resolved upon making use of to destroy that city. -Accordingly he winged his way thither, and splitting up the rock -fashioned it into four huge obelisk-like forms, and standing upon -How-hill, he hurled them at Iseur, crying out:-- - - "Borobrig, keep out of the way, - For Auldboro town - I will ding down." - -It may be observed _en passant_ that there is a slight anachronism -here, as Aldborough was not so called until the Saxon age, and -Boroughbridge did not come into existence until after the Conquest. But -that is a matter of not much consequence in a legend. - -The stones which were thus intended to "ding down" the King's city -were miraculously intercepted in their flight, falling and fixing -themselves firmly in the earth between the city and the fords over the -Ure (Boroughbridge), where three of them, still called "The Devil's -Arrows," may be seen at this day. - - - - -The Giant Road-Maker of Mulgrave. - - -The stately Castle of Mulgrave, now the home of the Phipps -family--Marquises of Normanby--was built by Peter de Malo-lacu or de -Mauley, in the reign of King John. Cox says, "he built a castle here -for his defence, which, from its beauty and the grace it was to this -place, he named it Moultgrace, but because it proved afterwards a -great grievance to the neighbours thereabouts, the people, who will in -such cases take a liberty to nickname places and things by changing -one letter for another--c for v--called it Moultgrave, by which name -alone for many ages it hath been and is now everywhere known, though -the reason thereof is by few understood." A previous castle, with the -barony, had been held by the de Turnhams, and the last male heir, -Robert, having died without issue male, the barony and castle were -inherited by his only daughter, Isabel, who, as was then the law -respecting heiresses, became a ward of the Crown, and her hand at the -disposal of the King. This Peter de Malo-lacu, or Peter of the Evil -Eye, was a Poictevin of brutal and ferocious character, who was made -use of by King John as the instrument for the murder of his nephew -Arthur, for which piece of service he rewarded the murderer with the -hand of the fair Isabel, with her inheritance. - -But long before the de Mauleys and the de Turnhams, a noble Saxon -family were lords of the surrounding domain, and dwelt in a castle -on an eminence here, about three or four miles from the seashore at -Whitby. Leland says (_temp._ Hen. 8), "Mongrave Castel standeth on a -craggy hille, and on eche side of it is a hille far higher than that -whereon the castel standeth. The north hille on the topp of it hath -certain stones, commonly caul'd Wadda's grave, whom the people there -say to have bene a gigant and owner of Mongrave." And Camden, "Hard -by upon a steep hill near the sea (which yet is between two that are -much higher) a castle of Wade, a Saxon Duke, is said to have stood; -who, in the confused anarchy of the Northumbrians, so fatal to the -petty Princes, having combined with those that murdered King Ethered, -gave battel to King Ardulph at Whalley, in Lancashire, but with -such ill-sucess that his army was routed and himself forced to fly. -Afterwards he fell into a distemper, which killed him, and was interred -on a hill here between two solid rocks, about seven foot high, which -being at twelve foot distance from one another, occasions a current -opinion that he was of gyant-like stature." - -It is with this Duke Wada that we are concerned. He appears to have -been a Saxon, or rather an Anglian noble of considerable consequence -in the kingdom of Northumbria, and to have taken a conspicuous part -in the political movements of that troublous period, when, as Speed -narrates, "the Northumbrians were sore molested with many intruders -or rather tyrants that banded for the soueraintie for the space of -thirtie years." He was a man of gigantic stature and a champion of -redoubtable energy in war, dealing death around him and cumbering the -field with the bodies of those who had fallen beneath the blows of his -ponderous mace. He was indeed a true son of Woden in all respects, -excepting that he had relinquished the hope of banqueting in the halls -of the Walhalia, and appropriating the skulls of his enemies as -drinking vessels; for through the influence of St. Hilda's Abbey of -Streoneshalh, in the immediate vicinity, he had adopted the tenets of, -if he did not regulate his life altogether according to, the principles -of Christianity. - -Now Wada was a married man, and had a helpmate of stature and -proportions corresponding with his own. They were a well-matched -couple, and seemed to have lived together in a state of ordinary -connubial happiness, there being but one thing to disturb the even -tenor of their lives, and that was that the lady had to go in all sorts -of weather across a moor to milk her cows--a long and dreary journey -even in summer, along the rough and stone strewn trackway, but more -especially in winter, when the snow was frequently knee deep, and the -bitter blasts of the north-east wind came careering over the sea and -sweeping with relentless fury across the bleak and shelterless moorland. - -Wada's Castle was a massive structure of stone, with round-headed -unglazed windows, and a turret which commanded a fine outlook over the -sea on one side, and the moorlands and Cleveland hills on the other. -The rooms were of large size, as befitted the abode of a giant, but -presented few of the appliances of comfort that are deemed commonplace -essentials now-a-days. The walls were of bare stone, without drapery -of any kind, and no ornamentation excepting some zigzag mouldings; -the roofs were vaulted, and in those of large size supported at the -intersections by one or more stunted round pillars; the windows were -small, without glass, and furnished with wooden shutters to exclude the -wind and rain in the inclement seasons of the year; and the furniture -consisted of rough-hewn deal or oaken tables, and shapeless benches -or stools, with an oaken coffer to hold valuables, and side shelves -to hold wooden platters and vessels of earthenware. The fire in cold -weather was made on the floor, of logs of wood or cuttings of peat, the -smoke escaping as it could through the doorways or windows. - -It was in such a room as this that Wada and his wife sat at breakfast, -one rainy and boisterous morning. After devouring an enormous quantity -of beef and swine's flesh, with manchets of oaten bread, washed down by -repeated draughts of ale, Wada, wiping his mouth with the back of his -hand, rose and went to look forth at the weather. - -Wada was not a ferocious giant, dragging along half-a-dozen damsels, -with one hand, by their hair, to immure them in his dungeons, and grind -their bones to make his bread, as was the wont of the Cornish giants of -old; nor was he, like them, stupid and weak-minded, so as to be easily -outwitted and destroyed by the immortal Jack. On the contrary, although -valiant in war, he abused not his great strength by tyrannising and -oppressing his vassals, lived on good terms with his neighbours, and -was gentle and tender in all his domestic relations. Hence, when he -looked through his window and saw the sea foaming with wrath, and a -few fisher-boats tossed about by the waves in their endeavour to gain -shelter in Whitby Bay, and saw the sleet driving across the moor, he -heaved a sigh, saying, "Methinks, sweetheart, thou wilt have a rough -passage over the moor this morning; would to Heaven that it were not -necessary for thee so to do." "I care not much," she replied, "for -the falling rain and the boisterous wind, rough as they may be, but -experience more inconvenience and suffering from the roughness of the -road I have to traverse daily, so bestrewn is it with obstacles and -stumbling-blocks, and so many bog-holes and quagmires have I to pass -through." - -Now it chanced that a short while before this Wada, in one of his -wanderings, came upon the road constructed by the Romans, from -Eboracum, by way of Malton to the Bay of Filey, and was struck by the -facilities it gave for travelling, as compared with the more modern -Saxon roads, if roads they could be called, which were mere trackways, -formed and trodden down by the feet of men and animals. When his wife -made the above reply, this recurred to his memory, and after a few -minutes musing, the thought struck him--Why should not he make a road -on this pattern for the benefit of his wife, whom he loved so dearly, -and whose toil and labours he would be glad to lessen at any cost to -himself? - -After turning the matter over in his mind as to the practicability -of the project, he came to the conclusion that it was perfectly -feasible. There was plenty of material close at hand, in the shingle -on the beach, and he had sufficient strength and energy to level -the inequalities and fill up the boggy places, so as to make a firm -foundation, and to spread over the whole a layer of the stones -gathered from the sea shore. Yes; it was perfectly practicable, and -could be accomplished at the mere expense of a little labour. He -explained the project to his wife, who was delighted with it, and -undertook to bring up the stones whilst he placed them in position -after forming the foundation. - -They lost no time in commencing the work; he with his spade in the -levelling and bog-filling operations, and she carrying up the shingle -in her apron; and it went on apace day after day and week after week, -soon presenting the appearance of a newly macadamised road of modern -times, and was duly appreciated by Lady Wada in her daily tramps across -the moor. - -It chanced that when the road was nearly completed, in one of her -journeys from the beach, laden with shingle, her apron strings gave -way and her load fell to the earth, and there it was left (some twenty -cart-loads), and remained until recent times as a monument of her -industry and strength, and an incontestable evidence of the truth of -the narrative. It was after this that Wada joined in the insurrection -against Ethelred, the son of Moll, who, after his restoration from -exile, put to death the Princes Alfus and Alwin, sons of King Alfwald, -who were the rightful heirs to the crown, and repudiated his wife to -marry Elfled, the daughter of Offa, King of Mercia, "which things," -says Speed, "sate so neere the hearts of his subjects that they -rebelliously rose in arms, and at Cobre miserably slew him, the 18th -day of April, the yeare of Christ Jesus, 794." After which Wada and -his confederates were defeated in battle by Duke Ardulph, one of the -aspirants to the Crown, and fled to his castle, where he died of a -terrible disorder, and was buried, as stated, between two huge stones. - -The road leading from Dunsley Bay towards Malton still exists, and goes -by the name of "Wada's Causeway," and one of the ribs of Wada's wife -is preserved in the present Mulgrave Castle, but the present age is so -incredulous in respect to the chronicles of the past that there are -sceptics who assert that it is nothing more than the bone of a whale. - -Wada was the ancestor of the widely ramified family of Wade, one of -whom, at least--Marshal Wade--inherited the road-making skill of his -ancestor. After the rebellion of 1715 he was sent into the Highlands as -military governor, with the object of thoroughly subduing the country -and rendering it less available as a place of refuge for rebels. With -this view he constructed a series of military roads, where there had -previously been only trackways, with which the people were so delighted -that they set up a stone near Fort Augustus, with the inscription:-- - - "If you had seen these roads before they were made, - You would lift up your hands and bless General Wade." - - - - -The Virgin's Head of Halifax. - - -In the romantic and somewhat sterile region of south-western Yorkshire, -verging on the county of Lancaster, lies a valley, or rather what -has the aspect of a valley, from its nestling under the shadows of -some hills of considerable height. On the slope of an aclivity stands -the modern town of Halifax, with its forest of lofty chimneys, its -pretty park, and its many palatial structures, devoted to charitable -and philanthropic purposes, due chiefly to the benevolence of the -Crossleys, who, from a humble origin, have, within the memory of living -persons, become manufacturing princes of the locality, and who, in -consideration of their mercantile enterprise and the philanthropic use -of the wealth they have acquired, have been honoured with a baronetcy. -It is one of the most flourishing, or what Leland would term "quick," -towns of the Yorkshire clothing district, and in recent times has -increased rapidly in population, wealth, and importance. It is not -even mentioned in Domesday-Book, nor does its name appear in any record -until the twelfth century, when Earl Warren made a grant of the church -to the priory of Lewes, in Sussex. About the middle of the fifteenth -century it consisted of but thirteen houses, which during the following -hundred years increased to 520. In 1764, the parish, which, however, is -very extensive, being seventeen miles in length by an average width of -eleven, contained 8,244 families; and in 1811 the population numbered -73,815, that of the town being 9,159, since which period of eighty -years it has been more than nontupled, the census of 1891 giving the -population at 82,900. - -The town of Halifax owes its prosperity to its mineral wealth. It is -certainly not the place for the agriculturist or the cattle breeder. -In an Act passed _temp._ Philip and Mary, it is recited, "whereas the -parish of Halifax, being planted in waste and moors, where the ground -is not apt to bring forth any corn or good grass, but in rare places -and by exceeding and great industry of the inhabitants; and the same -inhabitants altogether do live by cloth making, and the greatest -part of them neither getteth corn nor is able to keepe horse to carry -wools, etc.;" and Camden, in 1574, observes that there are 12,000 men -in the parish, who outnumber the sheep, whereas in other parts we -find thousands of sheep and but few men, "but of all others, nothing -is so admirable in this town as the industry of the inhabitants, who, -notwithstanding an unprofitable, barren soil, not fit to live upon, -have so flourished in the cloth trade, which within these seventy -years they first fell to, that they are both very rich and have gained -a reputation for it above their neighbours, which confirms the truth -of the old observation that a barren country is a great whet to the -industry of the natives." - -For the first three or four centuries after the Conquest, England was a -great wool-growing but not a wool-manufacturing country. Sheep-breeding -was a great source of income to the Cistercians, who, with all the -private wool-growers, exported their produce to the spinners and -weavers of the Low Countries. It was not until King Edward III., with -great sagacity, foreseeing that England might manufacture as well as -produce the raw material, and thus share in the profits arising out of -that industry, invited over a number of Flemish artisans and settled -them in Norfolk and Yorkshire, prohibiting the exportation of wool -excepting under a tax of 50s. per pack. This was the foundation of the -clothing industry of the West Riding, which has since then expanded -so enormously; and Halifax was one of the first places to apply -itself to the spinning and weaving of wool. As stated above, although -poverty-stricken in an agricultural point of view, it possessed great -mineral wealth in the shape of almost limitless deposits of coal, which -was a valuable essential even in those primitive times, but which has -become an absolute essential since the introduction of steam-power -looms. - -It is supposed that the manufacture was introduced into Halifax about -the year 1414; but it was then on a very limited scale, and it was -not until the beginning of the eighteenth century that the first -great advance took place, by the erection of looms for the weaving -of shalloons, everlastings, moreens, shags, etc., since which time -damasks, and more recently still, carpets, have taken prominent -places in the industries of the town; indeed, Halifax has absorbed -a considerable portion of the trade which belongs legitimately to -Kidderminster. - -Although the town of Halifax is of comparatively modern origin, the -name is unmistakably Saxon, indicating that previously to the Conquest -there was a village or hamlet of some description to which that -appellation was given. One tradition asserts that there was a hermitage -dedicated to St. John the Baptist, in the valley, and that within it -was preserved the face of the saint, which attracted vast numbers of -pilgrims, and caused the name of the place of resort to be called -Hali-fax, or Holy-face; and there may possibly be some substratum of -truth in this, as the parish church is dedicated to the same saint. -Dr. Whitaker partially adopts this theory, but his etymologies are -frequently rather fanciful. He refers to this hermitage of St. John, -"whose imagined sanctity attracted a great concourse of people in every -direction, to accommodate whom there were four separate roads from -different points of the compass, which converged in the valley, and -hence the name Halifax, which is half Saxon and half Norman, signifying -the Holy-ways, fax in Norman-French being an old plural noun, denoting -highways." - -Camden gives a brief outline of the legend given below, which he -heard from the people of the vicinity, adding--"and thus the little -village of Horton, or as it was sometimes called, 'The Chapel in the -Grove,' grew up to a large town, assuming the new name of Halig-fax, -or Halifax, which signifies holy hair, for fax is used by the English -on the other side Trent to signify hair, and that the noble family of -Fairfax in these parts are so named from their fair hair." - -That the valley was esteemed a place of peculiar sanctity in the -early ages is a matter of which there can be little doubt, and this -is sufficiently evidenced by one fact alone. Within its precincts was -born, about the end of the twelfth or beginning of the thirteenth -century, John, the foremost mathematician of the age, author of -"Tractatus de Sphaeri Mundi," "De Computo Ecclesiastes," and "De -Algorismo," who was honoured with a public funeral at the expense of -the University of Paris, who assumed the name of Johannes de Sancto -Bosco, or John of the Holy Wood. And here it may be incidentally -noticed that the Holy Wood has since then produced other men upon -whom the mantle of Johannes seems to have fallen. Here was born, in -1556, Henry Briggs, the eminent mathematician; Gresham, Professor of -Geometry, Savilian Professor at Oxford, and author of "Arithmetica -Logarithmica," an improvement on Napier, containing logarithms of -30,000 natural numbers; Jesse Ramsden, the famous optician, and -improver of the Hadley quadrant, who died A.D. 1800; and at Horton, -seven miles distant, Abraham Sharpe, one of the best mathematicians and -astronomers of his time, who died in 1742. - -The shadows of evening were falling upon the valley, and the outlines -of the rugged, verdureless hills were gradually becoming more and more -indistinct, as Father Aelred, having passed out of his little chapel of -St. John the Baptist, where he had been performing the vesper service, -proceeded to his lonely habitation, and after a simple meal of wild -fruits and a draught of water from the little streamlet trickling down -the hillside, sat him down to read for the hundredth time a transcript -of a portion of Caedmon's Scriptural poems, after which he spent some -time in prayer and self-communion, and then cast himself upon his -sackcloth, which was spread over a layer of rough gravel, to slumber -for a short time, in this mortifying and penitential fashion, to rise -again at midnight for other devotional exercises. - -Father Aelred was a man of thirty or thirty-five years of age, of pale -countenance and emaciated frame, with sunken eyes and hollow voice, -the result of rigorous fasting, long vigils, mortification of the -flesh, and severe penitential exercises. In his boyhood he had been -regarded, from his gravity of aspect, love of learning, and incipient -piety, as one who was destined to become a light of the church of the -coming generation, and was sent for his education to the famous School -of Streoneshalh, established by the Lady Hilda, and at that time under -the superintendence of her successor, the Princess Elfleda, where he -imbibed Scriptural instruction from the lips of the then venerable -Caedmon, a monk of the house. He became a novice of the house, passed -the requisite examinations satisfactorily, and was in due course -admitted as a fully accredited member of the fraternity. The strictness -of his piety was such that he shortly found the life of a monk not to -answer his longings for a higher life of holiness and a position where -he could be of service to the souls of his fellowmen. He therefore -left the shelter of Whitby, and wandered about for some weeks, until -he came into the wild and barren-looking mountainous district of the -west, and finding there a secluded valley, shut in by towering hills -and frowning rocks--a spot with a very sparse and scattered population, -and removed far away from the noise and turmoil of the world--he -resolved to make it his home, and to settle down in it as a hermit, -shutting out all intercourse with his fellowmen and women, save in the -way of imparting spiritual teaching and consolation to the few simple -unsophisticated rustics who dwelt in the valley. He found a cavern in -the hillside, which he enlarged and fashioned into a habitation wherein -to live; fitting the entrance with a door, to shelter him from the cold -winter winds and prevent the intrusion of wild animals, above which -he made an orifice for the admission of light, which he glazed with a -thinly scraped sheet of horn, such as King Alfred's lanterns were made -of, and furnished the interior with two sections of a tree trunk, the -larger to serve as a table, the smaller as a seat; a shelf on which he -kept his eatables, with a knife, an earthen platter, and a drinking -horn, a piece of rough sackcloth for his bed, and over it, fixed to -the rock, a roughly-shapen cross, the emblem of his faith, beside which -hung a knotted rope for the purpose of penitential flagellation. At -a few rods distance he erected with his own hands, from timber cut -by himself, a small chapel--a temple of God, sufficiently rude and -unpretentious in point of architecture, but answering every purpose for -which it was intended, that of a place of assembly for the simple and -unlettered people of the valley, where they might join in the worship -of God; and here Aelred every evening performed divine service and -catechised the small flock of which he had constituted himself the -pastor, and on Sundays performed three full services, with a sermon and -the administration of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. And thus he -came to be looked upon in the district as a most holy man, as indeed -he was, and but little below a saint, who might be expected any day to -commence the working of miracles, in the cure of the sick and afflicted. - -There was one peculiarity about Aelred's character, which amounted -almost to a monomania. He entertained a shrinking horror of -fair-featured, beautiful women--not that there were many such in his -solitary valley, they being, as a rule, embrowned by exposure to the -sun, and their features corrugated by marks of rough toil and the -troubles of life even from girlhood, and as such they experienced his -sympathy and Christian charity; and the little children were always -treated by him with tenderness and love, in imitation of his Divine -Master, who had said "for of such is the kingdom of Heaven." But -for the vain and frivolous of the sex, who seemed to deem nothing -of supreme importance save the adornment of their persons, he felt -profound scorn and contempt, mixed with a modicum of pity, and -marvelled why they were sent into the world at all, unless, it might -be, to test the virtue of man by the temptation of their fascinating -allurements. - -It happened, however, that not far distant a benevolent and wealthy -lady had established a religious home for females. It was not exactly a -nunnery, although it possessed many of the features of one, the inmates -not being debarred from matrimony, although absolute chastity was an -essential while resident there; nor were they garbed in unbecoming -costumes, nor compelled to sacrifice that pride and ornament of -woman, her hair; besides which they were allowed a certain amount of -liberty in the way of visiting their friends, which was not accorded -to a regular nun. The ladies of this establishment were wont to go to -Father Aelred to confess their little peccadilloes, to which he saw no -reasonable objection, as they were generally very homely, ill-favoured -specimens of the sex, as is usually the case with the inmates of -nunneries, and thus were in no way perilous to his chaste soul and holy -communings. Had they been otherwise, it is probable that he might have -declined the office of father confessor to them, and closed the door of -St. John's Chapel against their intrusion. - -It is a well-known psychological fact that the body and the mind act -and re-act upon each other to their respective well-being or detriment, -and that if the one is neglected or abused the other suffers in -proportion; and this fact was evidenced in the case of Father Aelred. -As we have observed, he was a man of intense and fervid piety, the -whole of his thoughts being concentrated on one sole object--the -salvation of his own soul and that of his fellow-creatures. Hence he -fasted for prolonged periods, denied himself a sufficient measure -of sleep, such as nature demanded, subjected himself to severe -self-flagellations, and in other ways outraged nature, fancying that -by these mortifications of the flesh he was promoting the health of -his soul. But the laws of nature are never broken with impunity, and -he had to pay the penalty; instead of invigorating he impaired the -powers of the spiritual portion of his dual entity, which, although -distinct from, is essentially interwoven with the material half. At -first he merely experienced lassitude, depression of spirits, and a -harassing dread that after all his religious aspirations and rigid -observance of the duties of the Church, he might find himself cast -into the bottomless pit at last. These were followed by distressing -dreams and visions of the Judgment Day, the frown and sentence of the -arbiter of his eternal destiny, and the jeering scoffs of the enemy -of souls, as he passed into the region of everlasting weeping and -wailing. Deeming these to be proofs of the weakness of his faith and -the languor of his religious life, he was led to redouble the rigour -of his asceticism, the natural result being to intensify the malady he -sought to cure. From seeing fearful visions in his dreams at night, he -began to see horrible figures of demons by day, who crowded about him, -with scoffing grimaces and leering looks, sometimes, as it seemed to -his ears, as if uttering threats and sarcastic allusions to his assumed -piety, or anon indulging in demoniac yells of laughter. Of course he -attributed all these to the machinations of the devil, and prayed for -deliverance from them; but he was haunted by them day and night, with -increasing persistency, until at length the sanity of his mind gave -way, and he became in fact a maniac, not, however, so pronounced as to -render it evident to others, or prevent his performance of his priestly -offices, nor did he relax his private devotional exercises. - -On the evening above mentioned, when the holy father returned home -from the chapel and sat down to the perusal of the transcript of -Caedmon, which he had brought from Whitby, he was particularly disturbed -in mind, and could not concentrate his thoughts upon what he was -reading, which perpetually recurred at the evening service in the -chapel and the advent of a new member of his congregation; besides -which an imp had squatted himself on the table opposite him, and sat -there grinning at him in a most diabolical fashion. It was the usual -custom of the sisterhood of the religious house of which mention -has been made to attend his evening service; and on this occasion a -new member of the sisterhood was present for the first time. She had -been just admitted as a novice, and was young and beautiful, with the -fair, clear complexion, blue eyes, and long flaxen hair of the Anglian -race, a striking contrast to the elderly, homely featured spinsters -whom she accompanied. The moment he caught sight of her face, Aelred -experienced a species of fascination, similar to that of the bird in -the presence of the serpent, and although he battled with the feeling, -he could not shake it off. To his eyes, she seemed like an angel come -down from heaven, and the more he struggled to avert his thoughts from -contemplating her celestial beauty, the more he felt impelled to turn -his eyes again and again to where she sat. He felt it was wrong, so -he brought the service to an abrupt close and hastened home to purify -his soul, by prayer, from what he deemed the lust of the eye. But the -vision was ever present in his mind's eye, so much so that he scarcely -heeded or was conscious of the grinning imp on the table. He had -retired to his sackcloth couch, after a wholesome application of the -knotted rope and a prolonged prayer before the cross, and eventually -fell asleep, but his dreams were all of the fair vision he had seen in -the chapel, and for that night he was not haunted by his usual demon -visitants. - -A few days afterwards the Mother Superior of the little convent came -to the chapel for confession, and brought with her her new daughter, -to whom she introduced Aelred as her future father confessor, and it -was with a strange unusual throbbing of his heart that he looked upon -her fair form, as she bowed herself beneath his paternal greeting; -but when he listened to her soft, silvery accents as she told him in -confession her little sins of thought, his heart softened as it had -never done before to any woman. These feelings, however, involuntary as -they were, caused him much alarm, and he strove to banish them as being -perilous to his soul, but it was impossible to drive the fair, and as -he thought, angelic, image from his mind. A week passed by, to him a -week of sad spiritual tribulation, for when in prayer his mind wandered -away; nor was he able to fix his thoughts in contemplation, the angelic -vision ever rising up to distract and perplex him. - -One day when she came to confess she said to him--"Holy father, I -have fallen into grievous sin; I have made the probationary vow of -abstraction from the world and of devotion to the sole service of -God." "That is well, my daughter," said Aelred; "persevere in that -resolution, and God will bless you both now and for ever." "But, -father," she continued, "I have suffered a fearful lapse; I have looked -back upon the world, and have almost regretted having taken the vows." -"Backsliding," said Aelred in reply, "is, as you term it, a grievous -sin; but it is remediable by prayer, penitence, and fasting. But tell -me more in detail the evil thoughts which have assailed your soul." -"I almost fear to tell you," she answered. "Then can I not advise -you in the matter excepting in general terms. Confide in me; it is -but speaking to God through me, and he will inspire me with words of -remedial comfort; otherwise I cannot grant absolution." - -Thus urged, she stated that previously to entering the convent she -scarcely knew what the passion of love meant, but since then it had -sprung up in her heart with a vehemence that it seemed to be impossible -to suppress. She had seen one since she came into the valley, a pious -and godly man, who had at the first sight animated her breast with the -passion in so intense a degree that it glowed and raged within her -like a furnace. The holy man at once concluded that he himself was the -person she referred to, and he felt his heart beating wildly with an -hitherto unexperienced emotion, and at the same time his brow became -bedewed with perspiration, caused by an apprehensive terror of the -dangerous position in which he found himself placed. He stood silent -and almost paralysed, looking down upon her with fearful forebodings as -to what she would confess further, when she, wondering at his silence, -cast a furtive glance upward from her hitherto downcast eyes. Everyone -knows that there is wondrous eloquence in the glance of a female -eye, and as her's met his, he felt at once that it meant impassioned -love--lawless love, and it stirred up within his disordered mind -all the narrow bigotry of his sentiments in respect to sexual love. -He still stood silently gazing upon her, when all at once a fearful -idea flashed across his mind, which caused him to pass at once from a -person of slightly distempered intellect into a perfect madman. The -idea was that the girl before him was none other than Satan himself, -who, not having been able to tempt him to sin by means of his imps in -their repulsive demoniac forms, had assumed the semblance of a lovely -virgin to allure him to carnal sin. Rising up to his full height, with -eyeballs glaring and features distorted with indignant rage, he cried, -"Satan, I know thee, and I defy thee; but no more shalt thou tempt man -in that shape at least," and with that he dealt her a violent blow, and -she fell senseless on the floor. "Ah!" cried he, "thou hast found thy -match in me, but my work is not yet completed; thy head shall be placed -aloft as a warning to others," and with that he procured a knife and -severed her head from her body, which he then took out and fixed on the -trunk of a yew tree, just where it begins to ramify, and when that was -completed he rushed up the mountain with wild shouts of triumph and -maniacal gesticulations. - -The young novice not returning to the convent, search was made for -her, and her headless body was discovered in the chapel, lying in a -pool of blood, but it was not until the following day that the head -was found fixed in the yew tree. On attempting to remove it, it was -found that the long hair had taken root in the tree trunk, and was -spreading downwards in thin filaments, and as this was looked on as a -miracle, it was left there. Suspicion of the murder attached itself to -the hermit-priest, and as he had been seen going up the mountain in a -distraught state of mind, search was made for him in that direction, -and his body was found at the foot of a precipice down which he had -fallen, but whether through accident or for the purpose of suicide -could never be known. - -Camden says--"Her head was hung upon an ew-tree, where it was reputed -holy by the vulgar, till quite rotten, and was visited in pilgrimage by -them, every one picking off a branch of the tree as a holy relique. By -this means the tree became at last a mere trunk, but still retained its -reputation of sanctity among the people, who believed that those little -veins, which are spread out like hair in the rind between the bark and -the body of the tree, were indeed the very hair of the virgin. This -occasioned such resort of pilgrims to it that Horton, from a little -village grew up to a large town, assuming the name of Halig-fax, or -Halifax, which signifies holy hair." - - - - -The Dead Arm of St. Oswald the King. - - -The Anglian kingdom of Northumbria, of which York was the capital, -presented in the seventh century one almost continuous series of -battles and murders, massacres of the people, and desolation of the -land. Ethelfrid, grandson of Ida, founder of the kingdom of Bernicia, -and Eadwine, son of Aella, founder of that of Deira, succeeded their -fathers in their respective kingdoms about the same time; but -the former, who had married Acca, Eadwine's sister, usurped his -brother-in-law's throne and drove him into exile, who afterwards, by -the assistance of Redwald, King of the East Angles, in the year 617, -defeated and slew Ethelfrid in battle, and became King of Northumbria -and eighth Bretwalda, or paramount monarch of Britain. He was converted -to Christianity, and Penda, the pagan King of Mercia, in order to -extirpate the heretical religion, invaded Northumbria, and defeated -Eadwine at Hethfield, who was slain in the fight. This happened in -633, and Penda then went into East Anglia on the same mission, leaving -Cadwalla, a Welsh Prince, his ally, although a Christian, as Governor -of Northumbria, who made York his headquarters, and ruled the people, -especially those who had embraced Christianity and were the most -devoted adherents of the family of Eadwine, with the most ruthless -barbarity. On the death of Ethelfrid, his sons, Eanfrid and Oswald, -fled into Scotland along with Osric, son of Aelfrid, King Eadwine's -uncle, where they had been converted to Christianity under the teaching -of the monks of Iona, or, as Speed puts it, "had bin secured in -Scotland all his (Eadwine's) reigne, and among the Red-shanks liued as -banished men, where they learned the true Religion of Christ, and had -receiued the lauer of Baptisme." On hearing of the death of Eadwine, -they returned to Northumbria, were welcomed by the people, and assumed -the crowns--Osric of Deira, and Eanfrid of Bernicia. Cadwalla was -still, however, potent in Northumbria, holding York and tyrannising -over the people, and they were scarcely seated on their thrones when he -slew Osric in battle, and caused Eanfrid to be put to death when he -came before him to sue for peace. Seeing that Christianity was almost -extinct in the land, the people having reverted to the old faith, -they both deemed it expedient to renounce Christianity and restore -the worship of Woden, respecting which Bede says, "To this day that -year (the year during which they reigned) is looked upon as unhappy -and hateful to all good men; as well on account of the apostasy of -the English Kings, who had renounced the faith, as of the outrageous -tyranny of the British King. Hence it has been agreed by all who have -written about the reigns of the Kings to abolish the memory of these -perfidious Monarchs, and to assign that year to the reign of the -following King, Oswald, a man beloved of God." - -Oswald was an altogether different man from his brother Eanfrid, a man -of genuine faith, who had imbibed the true principles of Christianity, -sincere in his devotions, and prepared to undergo any suffering, even -death itself, rather than apostatise from what he was fully convinced -was the truth. On the death of his brother he collected around him -a small army of devoted followers, and with these advanced to meet -Cadwalla, relying on the justice of his cause, the bravery of his -handful of men, and the assistance of God. He set up his standard, -a cross, emblematic of his faith, at Denisbourne, near Hagulstad -(Hexham), "and this done," says Bede, "raising his voice, he cried -to his army, 'Let us all kneel and jointly beseech the true and -living God Almighty, in his mercy, to defend us, from the haughty and -fierce enemy, for he knows that we have undertaken a just war for the -safety of our nation.' All did as he had commanded, and accordingly, -advancing towards the enemy with the first dawn of day, they obtained -the victory, as their faith deserved." He adds, "In that place of -prayer very many miraculous cures have been performed, as a token and -memorial of the King's faith, for even to this day many are wont to cut -off small chips from the wood of the holy Cross, which being put into -water, men or cattle drinking thereof or sprinkled with that water are -immediately restored to health." He then gives some instances, one of -Bothelme, a brother of the church of Hagulstad, which was afterwards -built on the spot, who broke his arm by falling on the ice, causing "a -most raging pain," when he was given a portion of moss from the then -old cross, which he placed in his bosom, and went to bed forgetting -that he had it, but "awaking in the middle of the night, he felt -something cold lying by his side, and putting his hand to feel what it -was, he found his arm and hand as sound as if he had never felt any -such pain." - -Cadwalla was utterly defeated and slain, and his vast army (vast -as compared with Oswald's small band of heroes) cut to pieces and -dispersed. Having thus freed his country from the one disturbing -element, he applied himself to its regeneration and restoration from -anarchy and desolation to peace and good order. First and foremost, -his object was the re-conversion of his people from the paganism into -which they had lapsed, to Christianity, and to light afresh the lamp -of truth, which had been almost altogether extinguished through the -vigorous zeal of Penda on behalf of his ancestral gods of the north. -With this object in view he sent to Iona for missionaries, to preach -and teach throughout Northumbria, and Aidan was sent at the head -of a body of monks, whose headquarters were fixed on the island of -Lindisfarne, as resembling that of Iona, from whence they came, hoping -to make it, like the latter, a centre of evangelical light to the -mainland of Northumbria. Here they lived under the rule of Columba, the -founder of Iona, in monastic seclusion, when at home, which was but -seldom, as they were constantly on foot, staff in hand, tramping about -through forests and moors and wild places of Oswald's kingdom. The -King created a bishopric, to comprehend the whole of his territories, -and constituted Aidan the first Bishop, who, it is said--such was the -zeal of his subaltern monkish priests--baptised 15,000 converts in -seven days. Besides this, the King caused churches and monasteries to -be erected in various parts of his realm, and completed the church -which King Eadwine had commenced at York, the forerunner of the -magnificent fane which now adorns that city and is one of the most -glorious specimens of Gothic architecture in England. Nor was Oswald -less active in civil and secular matters, and in promoting the welfare -of his people. He governed his kingdom with great wisdom and prudence, -and under his peaceful sceptre the land was rapidly recovering from the -effects of Cadwalla's desolating hand. He was the fifth King of Deira, -ninth of Bernicia, third of Northumbria, and the ninth Bretwalda or -Supreme King of the island, "at which times the whole Iland flourished -both with peace and plenty, and acknowledged their subjection vnto -King Oswald. For, as Bede reporteth, all the nations of Britannie -which spake foure languages, that is to say, Britaines, Red-shankes, -Scots, and Englishmen, became subject vnto him. And yet being aduanced -to so Royall Majesty, he was notwithstanding (which is maruellous to -be reported), lowly to all; gracious to the poore, and bountifull to -strangers." - -It was a cold spring day; the sun shone brightly, but imparted little -warmth; the trees were leafless, and the early flowers looked sickly -and languid, the effect of a long continuance of north-easterly -winds, which on this particular day came coursing over the ocean, -and were roystering with boisterous glee and in fearful gusts round -the towers of Bamborough Castle, and through the openings in the -walls which served the purpose of the glazed windows of after-times. -It was Easter-tide, and here King Oswald had come from York, where -he had kept his Court, to celebrate this important festival of the -Church in the ancestral castle of his race. The feast was laid in the -banqueting-room, a tolerably large but gloomy and, to nineteenth -century eyes, a wretchedly appointed apartment, with but few of the -appliances of modern comfort. A fire of wood burnt on the hearth, the -smoke at times passing up the wide chimney, at others driven inward -by a down-current of the wind, and sent in curling wreaths along the -vaulted roof. The room was lighted by means of narrow recessed openings -and arrow slits, useful in times of siege, but inconveniently narrow -for the admission of light, yet wide enough to afford free entrance to -the chilling wind. The walls were of bare stones, and the furniture a -table of rough planks running down the centre, with a smaller cross -table, on a sort of dais. At the latter table were seated King Oswald, -with his Queen Kineburga, daughter of Kingils, the sixth monarch and -first Christian King of the West Saxons, on the one hand, and Bishop -Aidan on the other. Along the other table sat some nobles and thegns, -three or four of the monks of Lindisfarne, and below these the house -carles and outdoor retainers of the King's household. On the cross -table was placed a large silver dish filled with venison, wild boar's -flesh, and other dainties; and distributed down the long table were -earthen dishes containing meat of various kinds, wooden platters and -knives, with drinking horns, and small loaves of barley bread; and on -the table stood flagons of ale that had been brewed specially for the -festival. - -At the King's request the Bishop pronounced benediction on the food, -with special reference to Him in whose memory the festival was -celebrated, and who alone could administer the bread of life. He had -scarcely finished, and the guests were beginning to handle their knives -preparatory to an attack on the smoking viands, which gave forth a most -appetising odour, when a sound as of a multitude of persons outside -attracted their notice, and immediately after voices were heard: "In -the name of Him who rose from the tomb this blessed morning, give us -whereof to eat, that we starve not and die by the wayside." The King -sent one of his house carles out to inquire who and what they were, -who presently returned, saying that they were a band of some dozen -mendicants, formerly well-to-do husbandmen, and their families, whose -homes and crops had been destroyed by Cadwalla's followers, and that -they were utterly destitute, deprived of the means of living, and -dependent on charity for food until they could find means to replace -themselves on their farms. - -"Unfortunate creatures," exclaimed the King; "a fearful retribution -awaits that so-called Christian prince in that world to which his -crimes have sent him through our instrumentality by God's providence;" -and, taking up the large silver dish, continued, "It is better that -we celebrate not this festival, than that the poor of our realm die -of starvation. Take this, Wilfrid, and portion out its contents among -the famishing crowd, and when they have eaten, cut up the dish and -distribute the fragments, that they may have the wherewithal to procure -food on the morrow." Aidan, the Bishop, who was afterwards canonised, -was struck with admiration at the pious and charitable act of the King, -which he warmly applauded; and taking hold of his right arm, prayed -that that arm and hand which had passed forth the dish might never -become corrupt, but for ever remain fresh, in token and remembrance of -this pious act of self-abnegation; and instead of feasting, this Easter -day was spent by Oswald, his Queen, and the Bishop in fasting and -prayer. - -Penda, the pagan King of Mercia, was still living, and still as -inveterately hostile to the new heresy as when he had made his raid -on Northumbria, and trampled it out by the defeat and death of the -Royal convert of Paulinus; and now, when Oswald had been eight years -on the throne; had brought his kingdom, by wisdom and good government, -into a condition of peace and prosperity; and had re-established -Christianity on a sure and firm basis, he heard with some dismay that -the heathen King was muttering threats against him, and gathering his -forces together for another invasion, and a second suppression of the -religion that sought the dethronement of Woden as the god of heaven. -Yet although he heard these tidings with dismay, he felt assured of the -Divine protection, remembering how signally he had defeated Cadwalla -by fighting under the standard of the Cross, despite the disparity -of numbers. He remembered, too, what miseries were inflicted on the -Northumbrians by the marching of hostile bands to and fro, leaving, -as they usually did, a desert behind them strewn with the corpses of -men, women, and children; and he determined that, rather than allow -his people to be subjected again to these sufferings, he would be -beforehand with the enemy and carry the war, with its resultant -ravages, into his own land. He therefore hastily assembled his fighting -men, and again uplifting the standard of the Cross marched into Mercia, -his troops, like those of Cromwell a thousand years afterwards, singing -psalms and anthems as they passed along. - -Penda had collected together a large army, and the rival hosts met at -Masserfield, in the modern Shropshire. They rushed towards each other -in mortal conflict, the one with shouts of "Hallelujah!" the other -with cries of "Aid us, great Woden, thou mighty god of battle!" The -fight was long and obstinately contested, and victory seemed to waver -from one side to the other until towards evening, when an arrow struck -Oswald and he fell to the ground, although not mortally wounded; but a -cry arose amongst his followers that he was slain, and, thinking that -their God had deserted them, they were stricken with panic, threw down -their arms, and fled in every direction, hotly pursued by the Mercians, -who mercilessly killed all the fugitives whom they overtook. - -Although stricken down and faint from loss of blood, Oswald still -lived, and witnessed with anguish of mind the cowardly and ignominious -flight of his army. The Mercians came over the field, killing those of -the fallen who were merely wounded; but when they came to Oswald they -spared him, whom they had recognised, and brought him, with staggering -steps and downcast heart, into the presence of their chief. - -"Thou art he, then," said Penda, addressing him, "who darest to -invade my dominions--the dominions of a descendant of Woden--thou, a -worshipper of false gods!" - -"It is even I," replied Oswald, in a weak voice; "I, Oswald, King -of the Northumbrians, successor to the sainted Eadwine, who is now -standing by the throne of the one true God, Jehovah, the God whom -I worship, on whose arm I put my trust, and who, if He, in His -inscrutable providence, hath delivered me up to thy cruel behests, -will save my soul, that portion of me, my real self, which thou cannot -touch, and bring me to dwell with Him for ever, in that heaven which -thou canst never reach, unless thou repentest and abandonest thy false -demon-gods, who can only conduct thee to the flames of hell." - -"Blaspheming heretic," cried Penda, "I care not for the heaven thou -speakest of; sufficient for me will be the Halls of Walhalla, where, -amid everlasting banqueting, I will use thy skull as my drinking-cup. -Still, I will give thee one chance of life. Renounce thy false god; -restore the worship of Woden in Northumbria, and thou shalt be replaced -on thy throne as my tributary, whilst I, as monarch of Mercia, -Northumbria, and East Anglia, extending from the Thames to the Forth, -and from sea to sea, shall become the Bretwalda of Britain." - -"Never, O King," replied Oswald "will I prove recreant to the truth. -Thou mayest rend my sceptre from my grasp; thou mayest slay my kindred -and massacre my people; thou mayest torture me, and put an end to my -temporal existence; but never will I renounce that faith which affords -me a secure hope of everlasting blessedness, whilst thou, if thou -continuest the instrument of false gods, shalt be weeping and gnashing -thy teeth in the torments of the bottomless pit." - -"Then," roared out Penda, "thy death be on thy own head. Soldiers, -hew the blasphemer to pieces!" And immediately he was stricken by -half-a-dozen swords, and fell exclaiming, "Lord Jesus, into thy hands -I commend my soul." - -The ferocious pagan, kicking the body with his foot as the last insult, -gave directions for it to be cut into fragments, and scattered abroad -to be devoured by birds of prey and the wild beasts of the forest; and -his behests were at once carried into execution. And the birds and the -beasts gathered together to the horrible carnival, and soon there was -nothing left but the bare bones, saving one arm, which none of them -would touch, and it remained entire and perfect as in life. - -Some time after the battle of Masserfield the arm of the King was -found, fresh and undecayed, and was conveyed to Northumbria and -deposited in a magnificent shrine, where it remained uncorrupted -for nine centuries, at first in the chapel of St. Peter, Bamborough -Castle, and afterwards, when the Danes began to ravage the coast, in -the monastery of Peterborough, whither it was removed, as Ingulphus -informs us, for safety. The scattered bones were afterwards collected, -by the pious care of Offryd, Oswald's niece, the daughter of Oswy, the -illegitimate half-brother of Oswald, his successor on the throne of -Northumbria, and slayer of Penda in battle. She had become Queen of -Mercia by her marriage with Ethelred, son and successor of Penda, who, -after his father's death, had embraced Christianity. She placed the -relics in the monastery of Bardney, in Lincolnshire, and his "standard -of gold and purple over the shrine;" but when the Danes became -troublesome in Lindsey they were removed to Gloucester, "and there, -in the north side of the vpper end of the quire of the cathedrall -church, continueth a faire monument of him, with a chappell set betwixt -two pillers in the same church." At all these places--Masserfield, -afterwards called Oswestry, after the martyr; at the place of burial of -the relics; and at the shrines of the uncorrupted arm--throughout those -nine hundred years some most wonderful miracles were performed, which -are duly recorded in the pages of Bede and other writers; even a few -grains of the dust which settled on the shrine of the arm, when mixed -with water and drunk, were a sovereign specific for almost any disease. - -Winwick, in Lancashire, disputes with Oswestry the claim of having -been the place of St. Oswald's death, as there is St. Oswald's Well -there; and from an inscription in the church it appears to have been -anciently called Masserfelte; moreover there is a tradition that he -had a palace there, which was within his dominions, although his usual -places of residence were Bamborough and occasionally York. - -The village of Oswaldkirk, near Helmsley, derives its name from him, -and there are several churches in Yorkshire and elsewhere dedicated to -him. - - - - -The Translation of St. Hilda. - - -St. Hilda was the nursing-mother of the infant Saxon Church; the -instructress of Bishops; the preceptrix of scholars and learned men; -and the patroness of Caedmon, the first Saxon Christian poet--the Milton -of his age. The Abbey over which she ruled with so much piety and -prudence was, during her life and afterwards, one of the great centres -of civilization and Christian light of the kingdom of Northumbria, and -diffused its rays, beaming with celestial radiance, even beyond the -bounds of that great northern monarchy. - -She was a scion of the royal race of Aella, the founder of the kingdom -of Deira, or Southern Northumbria; the daughter of Hererick (nephew -of Eadwine, King of Northumbria), by his wife the Lady Breguswith; -was born in the year 614, and died in 680. She was converted to -Christianity by the preaching of Paulinus, and was baptised along -with her great-uncle and his court, in 627. Six years afterwards -Eadwine was slain in battle by Penda, the heathen King of Mercia, and -the nascent religion of Christianity stamped out, Paulinus flying for -shelter with the widowed Queen and her children, to the court of her -brother, the King of Kent. What became of Hilda during this period of -anarchy we know not; but it seems evident that the afflictions and -persecutions she underwent served only to deepen her faith and cause -her to cling more closely to the Cross of Christ. - -In 647, when she was thirty-three years of age, she resolved upon -devoting her life entirely to the service of God, and with that view -journeyed into East Anglia, where her nephew Heresuid reigned as King, -and where her cousin, the pious Anne, resided. Her intention was to -proceed hence to Chelles, in France, to join her sister, St. Herewide, -who had retired to a nunnery there; but for some reason or other she -lingered for twelve months in East Anglia. At the end of this period -she was granted a plot of land on the Wear, upon which she erected -a small house and resided there, in modest seclusion, for the space -of a year, when the fame of her piety having spread abroad, she was -appointed Abbess of Hartlepool, a nunnery founded by Hein, the first -woman who assumed the nun's habit in Northumbria, and who had now -retired to the nunnery of Calcaceaster (Tadcaster). In her new capacity -she set about her work with devoted zeal, regulating the discipline, -reforming abuses, promulgating new and wholesome rules, and enforcing -a strict attention to religious duties, in which she was aided by -the counsels of her friend Aidan, Bishop of Lindisfarne, who, at the -instance of King Oswald, had come from Iona to re-convert his subjects -to the faith which had been trampled out by Penda. - -In the year 642, Oswald, the second founder of Christianity in -Northumbria, fell, like his predecessor Eadwine, under the ferocious -sword of Penda, and was succeeded by Oswy in Bernicia, and Oswine in -Deira; but in 650, Oswy caused the king of Deira to be murdered, and -assumed the sceptre of Northumbria, north and south. Five years after -this, Penda, with unabated zeal for his god--Woden--again made an -inroad into Northumbria, with the intent of slaying the third Christian -king of that realm. At first Oswy attempted to buy him off by bribes, -but the Mercian potentate refused his offers, declaring that nothing -would content him but the death of the King, and the utter extirpation -of Christianity. "Then," said Oswy, "if the pagan will not accept -our gifts, we will offer them to one who will--the Lord our God;" -and he prepared for battle, making a vow that if God would vouchsafe -him the victory he would erect a monastery, endow it with twelve -farms, and dedicate his newly-born daughter to holy virginity and His -service. With a comparatively small force, he marched against Penda, -"confiding in the conduct of Christ," met him near Leeds, and, as the -Saxon chronicle says, "Slew King Penda, with thirty men of the Royal -race with him, and some of them were kings, among whom was Ethelhere, -brother of Anne, King of the East Angles; and the Mercians became -Christians." - -This great and decisive victory, the last conflict in England between -heathendom and Christianity, was the turning-point in Hilda's career -of eminence. Had Penda again been the victor, Northumbria would again -perhaps have lapsed into paganism, and the future saint never have been -heard of beyond the vicinity of Hartlepool. - -As it was, King Oswy, mindful of his vow, erected a monastery at -Streoneshalh, on the bank of the Esk, where it falls into the sea in -Whitby Bay. It was placed on a lofty headland, with a steep ascent from -the little fishing hamlet at its foot and a precipitous escarpment -to the sea. It was formed for both male and female recluses, and -the fame of Hilda for piety and judicious government was such that -she was selected by the King as the most fitting for the government -of the establishment. Under her rule Streoneshalh became not only a -model monastic house, but a great school of secular and theological -learning. During her superintendence, not less than five of her -scholars attained the mitre, all of them illustrious prelates of the -Saxon Church--St. John, of Beverley; St. Wilfrid, of Ripon; and Bosa, -Archbishops of York; Hedda, Bishop of Dorchester; and Oftfor, Bishop -of Worcester. "Thus," says Bede, "this servant of Christ, whom all -that knew her called 'mother,' for her singular piety and grace, was -not only an example of good life to those that lived in her monastery, -but afforded occasion of amendment and salvation to many who lived at -a distance, to whom the fame was brought of her industry and virtue." -Fuller observes, "I behold her as the most learned female before -the Conquest, and may call her the she-Gamaliel at whose feet many -learned men had their education." During her Abbacy, the famous Synod, -convened by King Oswy, was held within the walls of Streoneshalh, to -settle the vexed questions of the time for the celebration of Easter, -and of the tonsure, which were subjects of warm dispute between the -ancient British Church and that of Rome, the Northumbrians adhering -to the former, as inculcated by the missionary monks of Iona, who -had been brought hither by Oswald, and who now occupied the sees of -York and Lindisfarne. The King, who had been educated in Scotland, -and consequently held to the British modes, presided, whilst his son, -Prince Alfred, who had been in Rome, supported the Romanist views. - -On the British side were ranged the Abbess Hilda, Colman, Bishop of -Lindisfarne, and the venerable Cedd, Bishop of the East Saxons; on -the Romanist, Agilbert, Bishop of the West Saxons, Wilfrid of Ripon, -then a priest, Romanus, and James the Deacon. The dispute was settled -in favour of the Romish rule, chiefly through the eloquence and force -of argument of Wilfrid, who afterwards made so conspicuous a figure -in the Northumbrian Church; and Colman, with his British clergy -returned to Iona. The Abbess was as famous for miracles as for her -other qualities. On the coast of Whitby are found great numbers of -specimens of the petrified Cornu Ammonis, commonly called snake stones, -resembling as they do coiled-up snakes, without heads. This is how -their origin is accounted for. When the Abbey was first built, the -neighbourhood was infested by snakes, which were a great annoyance to -the brethren and sisters of the monastery, and the Abbess, by means of -prayer, caused them all to be changed into stone. - - "And how, of thousand snakes, each one - Was changed into a coil of stone - When holy Hilda prayed: - Themselves, within their holy bound, - Their stony folds had often found, - They told how sea fowls' pinions fail, - As over Whitby's towers they sail, - And, sinking down, with flutterings faint, - They do their homage to the saint." - -The Abbess founded some cells in divers places dependant on the Abbey, -one of which was at Hackness, near Scarborough, which she made use of -as a retreat from the bustle and cares of Streoneshalh, where she -could, undisturbed, devote her time more strictly to the exercises -of fasting, prayer, and meditation, returning to her duties at the -Abbey refreshed and invigorated spiritually, and the better enabled -to undergo the distractions incident to her position as head of a -community of differing and often perplexing temperaments. To these -cells also she frequently sent her nuns, to give them an opportunity -for cultivating closer communion with God, for their spiritual -edification. - -For the last six years of her life the Abbess suffered greatly from -severe indisposition, which frequently laid her prostrate for weeks -together, "Yet during all this time she never failed to return thanks -to her Maker, or publicly and privately to instruct the flock committed -to her charge, admonishing them to serve God in health, and thank Him -for adversity or bodily infirmity." - -Among the nuns under her care was one from Ireland named Bega, who was -most exemplary in her attention to the duties of her religious calling, -eminently endowed with spiritual grace, and conspicuous for her -humility, self-abnegation, and all the virtues which adorn a Christian -life; which qualities endeared her to the venerable Abbess, and they -came to regard each other as mother and daughter rather than as Lady -Superior and ordinary nun of a religious establishment. - -During the long illness of the Abbess, Bega was her constant attendant -and nurse, and accompanied her in her occasional retreats at Hackness. -One afternoon they were seated together in the Abbess's private room, -when the invalid seemed to be rallying in health and entering upon -one of her alternate periods of comparative convalescence. Bega had -been reading to her a new paraphrase of a portion of the Bible, the -composition of Caedmon, the cow-boy poet of Streoneshalh. She laid down -the manuscript at the conclusion, expressing a hope that the Abbess -had not been wearied by her imperfect reading, and that in spite of -defective knowledge of the characters on the part of the reader, she -had been enabled to follow the sense and appreciate the beauty of the -rendering. - -"Nothing from the pen of Caedmon," said the Abbess, "ever wearies me; -on the contrary, his compositions are so redolent of spiritual beauty -that they seem to refresh my soul, and invigorate my body as well. -Indeed, at this moment I feel so much better in health that if no -relapse occurs in the interval, I propose on the morrow relieving our -good Prioress from the duties which I have delegated upon her during my -sickness." - -"Happy am I," replied Bega at hearing this, "and I trust that God, -if he sees fit, may preserve you for many years to come, in the -superintendence and guidance of this holy house. But, mother dear, your -restoration of bodily strength emboldens me to solicit a boon." - -"What is it my dear child? Anything that I can grant shall be yours. I -promise this without knowing what you wish, feeling assured that you -will solicit nothing that is inconsistent either with your maidenly -character or with your altar-made vows." - -"I pray for nothing unbeseeming my character in such respects; -but, holy mother, of late I fear I have experienced some spiritual -declension, and that I have become more carnally minded than becomes -one whose thoughts should be centred on Christ alone, and I pray you, -mother dear, to permit me to retire into more entire seclusion from the -world, that I may by abstinence, prayer, and close communion with God, -be restored to a more wholesome frame of soul." - -"Your boon is granted, my child, gladly; repair at once to Hackness, -and may God shed his blessing upon your pious aspiration for a higher -life of holiness." - -The following day Bega was escorted to the cell, where the Abbess, -with an almost Cistercian eye for sylvan beauty, had planted it, that -in the midst of a natural Paradise it might bloom as a spiritual Eden, -and there she at once commenced a season of wholesome asceticism and -religious exercises. - -A week passed away, and Bega, absorbed in her devotional exercises, -had become emaciated by the rigour of her fasting without heeding it; -and as is usual in such cases, her spirit had become more etherealised -and more susceptible of supernatural influences. After vespers one -evening she returned to her lonely sleeping apartment, a bare and -scantily furnished room, and lay down on her bed, consisting of a thin -layer of straw on a hard, wooden pallet, with nothing more than a -coarse rug for her coverlet. She slept for a short space, then awoke -and rose to repeat the nocturnes, kneeling on the rough flooring -stones. She then lay down again and composed herself to sleep, and -was in the half-conscious state between sleeping and waking when she -was aroused by hearing a passing-bell boom forth, which sounded like -that of Streoneshalh, which was miles beyond earshot, and was the more -remarkable as the bell of Hackness was much smaller and altogether -different in tone. She listened with soul-thrilling awe, and thought, -"Can it be that the holy mother is departing at this moment to her -heavenly rest, and that the sound of the passing-bell is miraculously -brought to mine ears?" Scarcely had the thought flashed across her -mind, when, looking upward, the vaulted roof seemed to be melting away, -like a mist under the influence of the morning sun. In a very short -space of time it disappeared altogether, and there was presented to -the eye of the gazer the expanse of sky studded with stars, sparkling -like clusters of diamonds. Presently the knell of the passing-bell -ceased. And there broke upon her ear the sound of distant vocal music. -As it came nearer, it seemed different from any music she had ever -heard; unearthly; heavenly; so ravishingly sweet was the melody. The -words she was unable to comprehend, but there was something about them -which seemed to declare them of celestial origin. With raptured ears -she listened as the choir, which appeared to be floating in the air, -came on and on until it sounded as if immediately overhead. All this -while, too, a constantly increasing effulgence of supernatural light -was diffusing itself over the firmament, and when the music came into -close proximity to the cell, there burst upon her sight a vision, the -glory of which she could have hitherto formed no conception of. It was -that of a convoy of angels, fairer and more lovely in form and feature -than anything ever conceived by artist or poet, or than ever trod the -earth. It was they who were chanting the divine melody as they floated -along overhead with an upward tendency; and in their midst was the -beautified soul of the sainted mother of Streoneshalh, which they were -escorting to the everlasting realms of purity and peace; of eternal -rest, and an endless duration of unalloyed happiness. The rapt eyes of -Bega were not allowed to rest long on this celestial vision; the group -ascended higher and higher; the voices became fainter and fainter, -until they were altogether lost; and Bega overcome with emotion, fell -into an ecstatic trance, and when she awoke from it there was nothing -to be seen but the glimmer of the moonshine on the walls and roof of -her cell. - -The next day a messenger arrived announcing the death of the Abbess, -which he stated occurred immediately after nocturnes on the preceding -night. - -Bega remained a little while at Streoneshalh, and then went into -Cumberland, and provided a religious house, called after her, St. Bees, -where she spent the remainder of a most holy life. - - - - -A Miracle of St. John. - - -Two thousand years ago, what is now the East Riding of Yorkshire was -chiefly forest land, with the exception of the Wold uplands, which -were pastures, almost destitute of trees, having some semblance to the -swelling and rolling waves of the ocean, where the Brigantes fed their -flocks and herds, where they dwelt in scattered hamlets, and where they -now sleep in their multitudinous tumuli. In the lowlands at the foot, -the forest was very dense, and was the home of wolves, boars, deer, -and other wild animals, which were hunted by the natives, who fed upon -their flesh and clothed themselves with their skins. This was called -the forest of Deira, and in one spot by the river Hull, a few miles -distant from the Humber, was a cleared space, with an eminence in the -midst, and at its foot, extending westward, a pool of water, afterwards -a marsh or moor, and since drained, forming now a portion of the town -of Beverley, its former condition being indicated by two parallel -streets--Minster-moorgate, the place of the moor by the Minster; and -Keldgate, the place of springs. This was a Druidical open air temple, -where the mystical rites of Druidism were performed. - -When the primitive Christian religion was introduced into Britain, it -is presumed that a Christian church was established here, on the rising -ground by the lake, as the early Christians built their churches, where -practicable, on spots held sacred by the people, which supposition -seems to be confirmed by the express statement that St. John rebuilt, -not built, the church in Deira Wood. This early church, doubtless a -very rude affair of timber and thatch, was destroyed or allowed to fall -into ruin when the Saxons and Angles overspread the land and replaced -the religion of Christ by that of Odin. It might possibly be repaired -during the short period after the second introduction of Christianity -by Paulinus and the conversion of King Eadwine, but, if so, would be -again destroyed a few years after, under the desolating hands of Penda -of Mercia, and Cadwalla, as it lay in ruins until the beginning of -the eighth century, when it was restored on a grander scale by John, -Archbishop of York. - -St. John, the learned and pious prelate, one of the brightest -luminaries of the Saxon Church, was a member of a noble Saxon family, a -native of Harpham on the Wolds. He was born in the year 640, studied in -the famous Theological School of St. Hilda at Streoneshalh, and became -successively Bishop of Hagulstat (Hexham) and Archbishop of York, which -latter see he held, with unblemished reputation and great usefulness, -for a period of more than thirty-three years. - -He was almost incessantly employed in going about his vast diocese, -rectifying abuses, regulating disordered affairs, exhorting the lax, -and commending the faithful. In one of these visitations he came to -the place in the forest of Deira which had been, half a millennium -previously, the Llyn-yr-Avanc of the Celts, and, according to some -antiquaries, the Peturia of the Romans, a conjecture which is supported -by the discovery of a tesselated pavement and other Roman remains, -where he found the ruins of the old primeval British Church. The beauty -and seclusion of the spot struck him as being eminently fitted for the -establishment of a monastery, and probably the thought flashed across -his mind that hither he would like to retire, in his declining years, -to finish his life, after the cares and anxieties of his prelateship, -in the calm of cloistered existence and in the company of a pious -brotherhood. - -He did not allow the idea to pass away from his thoughts, but soon -after made arrangements for carrying it out. He rebuilt the choir of -the old church, founded a monastery of Black Monks, of the order of St. -Columba, and an oratory for nuns, south of the church, which afterwards -was converted into the parish church of St. Martin; erected the church -of St. Nicholas, in the manor of Riding; placed seven secular priests -and other ministers of the altar in the head church, and appointed -Brithunus the first Abbot of the monastery, with superintendence over -the other establishments. In 717, he resigned his see, being then -feeble and oppressed by the infirmities of age, and retired to his -monastery, where he died in 721, and was buried in the porch at the -eastern end of the church. - -After St. John, the next greatest benefactor to the church and town -of Beverley was Athelstan the Great, King of Saxon England. Indeed, -he may be considered the founder of the secular, as St. John was of -the ecclesiastical, town. The town and church had been destroyed by -the Danes in 867, but a few years after the dispersed canons and monks -returned, and repaired, as far as they could, their ruined buildings, -so as to be able to continue the celebration of the services; but -they remained in a dilapidated state for nearly half a century, -when Athelstan laid the foundations of the future grandeur of the -church, and of the commercial importance of the town. He had heard -of the sanctity of St. John, and the wonderful series of miracles he -had performed, both during his life and after his death, and having -occasion to chastise Constantine, King of Scotland, for abetting -the Danish Anlaf of Northumbria in an invasion of that portion of -his dominions--for he had by conquest added northern England to his -government, and was in truth the first King of England, rather than -Egbert--he visited Beverley on his march to Scotland, and implored the -aid of the Saint, leaving his dagger on the altar as a pledge that, if -successful, he would bestow princely benefactions on the church and -town. By the assistance of St. John, who appeared to him in a vision, -he was the victor in the decisive battle of Brunnanburgh, and nobly he -kept his word. He made the church a college of secular canons; endowed -it with four thraves of corn from every plough in the East Riding; and -made it a place of sanctuary, as a refuge for criminals, with a stone -frid-stool, still in the Minster. He granted a charter to the town, -constituting it the capital of the East Riding, with many privileges -and extraordinary rights; in consequence of which opulent merchants -flocked to the town, and it soon began to flourish mightily, and -became one of the wealthiest and most important of the trading towns -of the realm. He also assigned the manor to the Archbishops of York, -who built a palace there on the south of the church; vied with each -other in their patronage of the town, and in adding to and endowing the -collegiate church. - -In the beginning of the eleventh century Archbishop Puttock added -a chancellor, a precentor, and a sacrist to the establishment, and -erected a costly shrine for the relics of St. John, to which they -were translated with great pomp in 1037. Archbishop Kinsius erected a -western tower to the church, and Aldred, who held the see at the time -of the Conquest, rebuilt the choir, and ornamented it with paintings -and other decorative work, completed the refectory and dormitory of -the monastery, and increased the number of canons from seven to eight, -changing them at the same time from canons to prebendaries. - -At this time--the period of the Conquest and of the legend--we may -assume from the usual characteristics of the church architecture of -the time, that the church was an oblong building of two stories, -divided into a nave and chancel, with a low tower at the western end. -There would probably be a lower and an upper range of circular-headed -windows, with doorways of the same character, decorated with zigzag -mouldings, and in the interior would be a double row of massive stunted -columns, supporting semi-circular arches, and at the eastern end, -in the chancel, the superb shrine of St. John, which was attracting -pilgrims from all parts, and was beginning to be encrusted with the -silver and the gold and the gems, bestowed for that purpose by the -pilgrims in grateful remembrance of wonderful cures effected upon them -by the miracle working of the saint. Such would most probably be the -church in which occurred the incidents narrated in our legend. - -When the Norman Duke William had won the battle of Hastings, and -subdued southern and mid England, and had been crowned King in the -place of the slain Harold, he discovered that he was not really King -of England, but of a part only--that portion north of the Humber, -forming the old Saxon kingdom of Northumbria of the Heptarchy, and one -of the Vice-Royal Earldoms of Saxon England, continuing to maintain -its independence with stubborn tenacity; and it was not until after -much bloodshed that he overcame the sturdy Northumbrians of a mixed -Anglian and Danish race, and garrisoned York, the capital, with a -Norman garrison to keep the province in subjection. No sooner, however, -was his back turned than the people, under Gospatric, Waltheof, and -other Danish and Saxon leaders, broke out afresh in insurrection, -massacred the Norman garrison at York, and vowed to drive that people -and their Duke, the usurper of Harold's throne, from Northumbria at -least, if not from England altogether. It was after one of the most -formidable risings that the Conqueror swore that "by the splendour of -God" he would utterly destroy and exterminate the Northumbrians, so -that no more rebellions should rise to trouble him in that quarter of -his dominions; and with this view he marched northwards, crossed the -Humber--probably at Brough--and encamped at a spot some seven miles -westward of Beverley, purposing to proceed henceward to York on the -morrow. - -On his road from the Humber to his encampment he had burnt the villages -and crops, and slain the villagers who came in his way, but the -majority, taking the alarm, fled to Beverley, hoping to find safety -within the limits of the League of Sanctuary, thinking that even -so merciless a soldier as Duke William would respect its hallowed -precincts. But he, godly in a sense, and superstitious as he was, -entertained no such scruples, and he had no sooner seen his army -encamped than he despatched Thurstinus, one of the captains, with a -body of Norman soldiers to ravage and plunder the town. - -The people of Beverley and the fugitives who had fled thither -deemed themselves safe under the protection of their patron saint; -nevertheless they felt some alarm when the news was brought that the -ruthless Conqueror lay so near them, and still more when they heard -that a detachment was marching upon the town with hostile intentions. -The church was filled with devotees, who prostrated themselves before -the saint's shrine, imploring him not to abandon his church and town -in this extremity. The day had been gloomy and downcast, but when they -were thus supplicating the holy saint the sun came shining through -one of the windows directly upon the shrine, and lighted it up with -a brilliance that seemed supernatural, which was looked upon as a -favourable response to the prayers of the supplicants. - -Thurstinus and his followers had by this time entered the town, but -had, so far, done no injury to either person or property. As they -approached the church, they perceived before them a venerable figure, -clad in canonical raiment, with gold bracelets on his arms, moving -across the churchyard, towards the western porch. The sight of the -golden bracelets excited the cupidity of one of the subalterns of the -corps, who darted after him, sword in hand, and overtook him just as -he was passing through the portal. The soldier had but placed his foot -within the church, when the aged man turned towards him and exclaimed, -"Vain and presumptuous man! darest thou enter my church, the sacred -temple of Christ, sword in hand, with bloodthirsty intent? This shall -be the last time that thine hand shall draw the sword," and instantly -the sword fell from his grasp, and he sank down on the ground, stricken -by a deadly paralysis. Thurstinus, not witting what had happened to his -officer, came riding up, with drawn sword, with the intent of passing -into the church to despoil it of its valuables; but on entering the -doorway he was confronted by the aged man with the bracelets, who -stretched forth his arm, and said to him, "No further, sacrilegious -man; wouldst thou desolate my church? Know that it is guarded by -superhuman power, and thou must pay the penalty of thy impious -temerity!" and immediately he fell from his horse to the pavement -with a broken neck, his face turned backward, and his feet and hands -distorted "like a misshapen monster." At this manifest interposition -of Heaven the Normans fled back to the encampment with terror-stricken -countenances, and the people in the church looked round for their -deliverer, but he had vanished, and they then knew that it was St. -John himself, who had come down from heaven to protect his town and -church from the insult and ravages of Norman ferocity. - -When the soldiers reached the camp they reported to their superior -officer the result of their expedition and the horrible death of -their leader, which they could not attribute to anything less than -supernatural power. The report in due course reached the King, who -summoned the soldiers into his presence, and listened to their -narrative with superstitious awe. "Truly," said he, "this John must be -a potent saint, and it were well not to meddle with what appertains to -him, lest worse evil befal us. He may possibly use his influence in -thwarting our designs against the rebels of this barbarous northern -region. Let not his town and the lands pertaining to his church be -injured, or subject to the chastisement and just vengeance we intend -against those who have dared to raise the standard of revolt against -our divinely ordained authority; but rather let them be protected, for -it were bootless and perilous to fight against Heaven. Onward then -to York, and when we have, by such severity as the case warrants, -effectually crushed the spirit of revolt, we will consider what -further can be done to propitiate this saint, whom it were well to -conciliate by gifts, so that he may be led in gratitude to recompense -us by assisting in the consolidation of our power, which is not yet -established on sufficiently firm foundations." - -He found no difficulty in suppressing the insurrection when he reached -York, putting to the sword those of the insurgents who remained there -after their leaders had fled towards Scotland. In order to prevent any -future rising, with any possible chance of success or gleam of hope, he -then meditated and carried out a cold-blooded scheme, which might have -been deemed a measure of policy, but which for ferocity equalled any -act of cruelty perpetrated by the most atrocious tyrant of pagan ages. -He sent forth his men with swords and torches, to the north, the west, -and the east, and for an extent of sixty miles, from York to Durham, -by several miles in breadth, laid the country desolate. Villages, -churches, monasteries, and castles, with the granaries of corn and -the standing crops, were all destroyed by fire, and every person, -man, woman, child, or priest, met with was slaughtered without mercy; -and when the work had been accomplished, this vast extent of country -bore the aspect of a Western American prairie after it had been swept -by fire, leaving only the charred stumps of the trees standing, with -this difference, however, that there only the half-burnt bodies of -animals, such as were not able to escape by flight, are found; whilst -here, scattered profusely on the wood-side, and round their once -cheerful and happy homesteads, lay the rotting and putrefying corpses -of human beings, on which the wolves and birds of prey were battening -and gorging themselves; and it took many and many a year before this -region recovered itself and became again a country of farmsteads and -villages, of crops and fruit trees, and of an industrious population. -William of Malmesbury says that not less than 100,000 persons perished -in this fearful act of vengeance; and Alured of Beverley, a monkish -writer, and treasurer of St. John's Church, states that "The Conqueror -destroyed men, women, and children, from York even to the western sea, -except those who fled to the church of the glorious confessor, the -most blessed John, Archbishop, at Beverley, as the only asylum." An -indisputable proof of the desolation wrought on the lands appears in -the Domesday Book, which in most places in Yorkshire is described as -waste or partially waste, and which is represented as of no value or -of much less value than in King Edward's time; whilst in Beverley and -the lands of St. John there is scarcely any waste mentioned, and the -value is given as the same or nearly the same as in the reign of the -Confessor. Under Bevreli we read, "Value in King Edward's time, to the -Archbishop 24 pounds, to the Canons 20 pounds, the same as at present." - -The King not only exempted the town and demesne from devastation, but -became a notable benefactor thereto. He added to the possession of -the church certain lands at Sigglesthorne, and granted the following -confirmatory charter:--"William the King greets friendly all my Thanes -in Yorkshire, French and English. Know ye that I have given St. John -at Beverley sac and soc over all the lands which were given in King -Edward's days to St. John's Minster, and also over the lands which -Ealdred, the Archbishop, hath since obtained in my days, whether in -this Thorp or in Campland. It shall all be free from me and all other -men, excepting the Bishop and the Minster priests; and no man shall -slay deer, nor violate what I have given to Christ and St. John. And -I will that there shall be, for ever, monastic life and canonical -congregation so long as any man liveth. God's blessing be with all -Christian men who assist at this holy worship. Amen." - -And from this time the town flourished greatly, and grew rapidly in -population and wealth. As to the church, it became more than ever the -resort of pilgrims, who left rich presents on the shrine of St. John. -In the year 1188 the old Saxon church was destroyed by fire, which may -be deemed a fortunate occurrence, as men were stimulated at this, the -best period of Gothic architecture, to erect over the relics of St. -John a structure worthy of his eminence and fame; and the outcome of -this impulse was the uprising of the existing magnificent church, which -is now the great architectural glory of the East Riding. - - - - -The Beatified Sisters of Beverley. - - -In the south aisle of the nave of Beverley Minster may be seen an -uninscribed canopied altar tomb. It is a very fine specimen of the -Early Decorated style, manifestly dating from the period of Edward -II. or the earlier portion of the reign of his successor. It is -covered with a massive slab of Purbeck marble, rising above which is -an exquisitely proportioned pointed arch or canopy, with pinnacles -and turrets, crocketted work and finials, all elaborately chiselled -and carefully finished. History records not whose mortal remains are -deposited in the tomb: there it stands like the Sphynx on the sands -of Egypt, maintaining a mysterious silence as to its origin, "a thing -of beauty," displaying its elegance of form and the charms of its -sculptured features to all beholders; but seeming to say--"Admire the -perfection of my symmetry if you will, but inquire not whose relics I -enshrine, whether of noble or saint. Unlike my more gorgeous sister -tomb, in the choir, near the altar, which blazons forth the glory of -the Percys, I choose, with Christian humility, and recognising the fact -that death renders all equal, and that in the sight of the Almighty -Judge a Percy is no better for all his glories than the pauper--to draw -a veil over the earthly greatness of the family to which I belong." - -Although history is thus silent in respect to the origin of the tomb, -tradition is less reticent, and from its oral records we learn, not -perhaps all that can be desired, but a narrative that probably has a -basis of truth. - -About a mile westward of Beverley Westwood, on the road to York, lies -the pretty picturesque village of Bishop Burton, with its church on an -eminence commanding an extensive view of the Wold lands on one hand, -and of the country sloping down to the Humber on the other. It is -environed by groups of patriarchal trees, including a noble specimen of -the witch elm on the village green, with a trunk forty-eight feet in -circumference, and which is held in great veneration by the villagers; -and in the valley below is a small lake, which doubtless supplied fish -to the household of the Archbishops of York when they had a palace -here. It is a very ancient village, dating from the Celtic period, -when it formed a burial place of the Druids and British chieftains. -One of the numerous tumuli was opened in 1826. It was seventy yards in -circumference, and was found to contain several skeletons of our remote -forefathers of that race. From some tesselated pavements which have -been discovered, it appears also to have been occupied afterwards by -the Romans. - -At the end of the seventh and beginning of the eighth century, the -Lordship of South Burton, as it was then called, was held by Earl Puch, -a Saxon noble. Its name was changed, after the Conquest, to Bishop -Burton, from the circumstance that it belonged to the Archbishops of -York, and their having a palace in the village, where Archbishop John -le Romayne died in 1295. At this time South Burton formed a sort of -oasis in a vast wilderness of forest, extending for miles in every -direction, including the now open breezy upland of Beverley Westwood, -then infested by wolves, through which ran trackways to Beverlega, -where stood the recently founded church and monastery of St. John, -northward of which, at the foot of the Wolds, lay another extent of -forest land, called Northwood, perpetuated to this day in the name of -the street--Norwood. Earl Puch's mansion was an erection of timber, -with few of the appliances of modern domestic life, with a large hall, -wherein he dined with his family and guests at the upper end of a long -table, and his retainers and domestics at the lower end. More in the -interior were the Lady Puch's bower and other private and sleeping -apartments of the family; with inferior rooms for the household -servants, the swineherds, cowherds, huntsmen, and other outdoor menials -sleeping in the outhouses, with the animals of which they had charge. - -Earl Puch had built a church in the village, a very primitive specimen -of architecture, consisting of nave and chancel, of timber and wattles, -with round-headed doors and windows, and rude zigzag ornamentation. It -had neither tower nor transept, lacked bells, and its pulpit, altar, -and font were fashioned of rough-hewn wood. Yet was it sufficient for -the wants of the age, and served the purpose of worship, the heart -being rightly tuned, as the most gorgeous cathedral of after ages. - -St. John had now resigned the Archbishopric of York, and had retired -to his monastery at Beverlega, to spend the remnant of his life in -prayer, devotional exercises, and the seclusion of the cloister. The -Earl, a pious man, was on very friendly terms with the ex-Archbishop, -and invited him to come and consecrate his church, just finished, to -which John readily assented, and, despite his years and infirmities, on -the appointed day took up his walking staff and went on foot through -Westwood to South Burton, meditating by the way on his past life, -on his ancestral home at Harpham-on-the-Wolds, his student's life -under St. Hilda at the Abbey of Streoneshalh, his episcopal career -at Hagulstadt, his experience on the Archiepiscopal Throne of York, -and his retirement to the Abbey of Beverlega, acknowledging, with -grateful thanksgiving, the Providential hand that had sustained him -through his varied course of life. On the arrival of the ex-Prelate -at South Burton, he found the family in great grief in consequence of -the illness of the Lady Puch, who had been stricken down by a severe -attack of fever, which threatened to terminate her life. She was an -exceedingly devout woman, assiduous in her attention to the duties -of religion, charitable to the poor, and a great blessing to the -poor and destitute of the village. A great portion of her time was -spent in the educational training of her two lovely daughters, now -approaching womanhood, and who much resembled her in the piety of their -lives. She had now lain in bed a month, suffering agonies of torment, -and expecting every day would be her last. Her husband wished to -postpone the consecration of the church in consequence of her critical -condition, but she would not listen to it. "Why," said she, "should -the poor people be deprived of the privilege of hearing the service of -God performed in a consecrated edifice because I, a poor insignificant -mortal like themselves, am labouring under this affliction? Let the -consecration take place the same as if I were well and able to take -part in the ceremony; the thought of what is taking place will be more -beneficial to me than all the doctor's medicine that shall be given -me;" and it was determined that the ceremony should be proceeded with -as if there were no impediment in the way. - -Brithunus, a disciple of St. John, and the first abbot of his -monastery, had also come over to assist in the ceremony, and to him -we are indebted for a narrative of the miracle which accompanied -it, as well as of many another notable miracle performed by St. -John, which he communicated to Bede, who interwove them into his -Ecclesiastical History. The consecration was duly performed according -to the Anglo-Saxon style, with singing, prayers, the sprinkling of holy -water, and a proclamation from the Archbishop that the edifice was now -rendered sacred, and become a temple of the Living God, concluding with -a benediction. "Then," says Brithunus, "the Earl desired him to dine -at his house, but the Bishop declined, saying he must return to the -monastery. The Earl pressing him more earnestly, vowed he would give -alms to the poor if the Bishop would break his fast that day in his -house. I joined my entreaties to his, promising in like manner to give -alms for the relief of the poor if he would go and dine at the Earl's -house and give his blessing. Having at length, with great difficulty, -prevailed, we went in to dine." - -The banquet was served with the profusion and splendour of the time, -consisting chiefly of boar's flesh, venison, fish, and birds, eaten -from platters of wood, with an ample supply of wine, which was -passed round in flagons of silver. In the course of the repast, the -conversation was confined almost exclusively to two topics--the new -church and the hopes that were entertained of its becoming a blessing -to the neighbourhood, and the illness of the Earl's wife, with which -the Bishop sympathised with much kindly feeling. - -"Can nothing be done," inquired the Earl, "by means of the church -to alleviate her sufferings, if not to restore her to health? The -physicians are at their wit's end; they know nothing of the nature -of the disease, and the remedies they give seem rather to aggravate -than cure it. Peradventure the blessing of a holy man might have a -beneficial effect." - -"The issues of life and death," replied the Bishop, "are in the hands -of God alone. Sometimes it is even impious to attempt to overrule -His ordinations, which, although often inscrutable and productive of -affliction and suffering, are intended for some ultimate good." - -At this moment one of the lady's handmaidens entered the -banqueting-room with a message from her mistress to the effect that -her pains had materially lessened since the consecration had taken -place, and that she desired a draught of the holy water that had been -used, feeling an inward conviction that it, accompanied by the Bishop's -blessing, would be of great service. "The Bishop then," continues -Brithunus, "sent to the woman that lay sick some of the holy water -which he had blessed for the consecration of the church, by one of -the brothers that went along with me, ordering him to give her some -to drink, and wash the place where her greatest pain was with some of -the same. This being done, the woman immediately got up in health, -and perceiving that she had not only been delivered from her tedious -distemper, but at the same time recovered the strength which she had -lost, she presented the cup to the Bishop and me, and continued serving -us with drink, as she had begun, till dinner was over, following the -example of Peter's mother-in-law, who, having been sick of a fever, -arose at the touch of our Lord, and having at once received health and -strength, ministered to them." - -The two young daughters of the Earl, on witnessing the miraculous -restoration to health of their beloved mother, had retired together -to their chamber to offer up their heartfelt thanksgivings to God -for her recovery, and before the Bishop's departure came down to -the banqueting-hall and received his blessing. They were exceedingly -lovely both in form and feature, and when they entered the hall, with -modest downcast eyes, it seemed to those present as if two angelic -beings from the celestial sphere had deigned to visit them. "Come -hither, my children," said their mother, "and thank the good Bishop -for interceding with heaven on my behalf, and who has thus been -instrumental in delivering me from the terrible disease under which -I have been labouring for so long a period." In response, the young -maidens went to the Bishop, and kneeling at his feet, expressed their -gratitude to him for what he had done, and implored his blessing. -Placing his hands on their heads, he said, "My dear daughters in -Christ, attribute not to me, a sinful mortal, that which is due alone -to our Merciful Father in Heaven, who has seen fit first to afflict -your mother with grievous trials for some wise purpose, and then -suddenly to restore her to health, that her soul may be purified so -as to enable her to pass through this lower world, untainted by the -grosser sins, but, like all fallible mortals, to be still open to -lesser temptations, that in the end she may be rendered meet to enter -that higher sphere of existence which is reserved for those who live -holy lives here below. May God bless you, my dear daughters, tread in -the footsteps of your saintly mother, that you also may be made meet -for the same inheritance of light." So saying, the Bishop took up his -staff, and bidding farewell to the Earl and his family, wended his way, -accompanied by Brithunus and the monks, through Westwood to his home at -Beverlega. - -From this time the two young ladies continued to grow in stature and -loveliness of person, as well as in fervent piety and the grace of God. -They had sprung up into young womanhood, and many were the suitors -for their hands who came fluttering about South Burton, knowing well -that, as the Earl had no son, nor was likely to have one, they must, -if they survived him, become his co-heiresses. But they refused to -listen to the flatteries and protestations of everlasting love of these -young fellows, not so much because they saw through the hollowness -and feigned nature of their professions of love, but because they had -determined to live lives of celibacy, devoted solely to the service -of God. St. John made repeated visits to South Burton, and nothing -afforded them greater spiritual comfort and holy pleasure than -lengthened converse with him on the things that pertain to everlasting -life. But a couple of years after the consecration of the church he -passed away to his rest and reward, "with his memory overshadowed by -the benedictions of mankind," and was buried in the portico of the -church of Beverlega, which he had founded. - -A few years after this the two maidens, with the full consent of their -parents, entered the convent of St. John, at Beverlega, to spend the -remainder of their lives in the holy seclusion of the cloister. The -Earl was an extensive landed proprietor, with possessions in and about -South Burton, and others on the banks of the Hull, near Grovehill, a -landing-place of the Romans, and now a suburb of Beverley, with some -extensive manufacturing works. When his daughters entered the convent -he bestowed upon it the manor of Walkington, lying southward of South -Burton and abutting on Beverley Westwood. At the same time he made a -grant to the people of Beverlega of a tract of swampy land on the banks -of the Hull, to serve as a common pasturage for their cattle. This -tract of land, now called Swinemoor, is still held by the burgesses -of Beverley, forming one of the four valuable pastures, containing, in -the aggregate, nearly 1,200 acres, the property of the freemen of the -borough. - -There are reasons for believing that a Christian Church existed on the -shores of the Beaver Lake, in the wood of Deira, the site of the modern -Beverley, in the time of the Ancient British Apostolic Christianity, -which had formerly been the scene of the Druidical religion, which -was destroyed by the pagan Saxons, and re-edified by St. John the -Archbishop. In one of his progresses through his diocese, he came -to this clearing in the wood of Deira, with its sacred beaver-lake, -formerly called Llyn yr Avanc, now Inder-a-wood, and was struck by its -sylvan beauty and its quiet seclusion. He found there a very small -wooden church, thatched with reeds, which he determined to restore and -enlarge, and founded, in connection with it, a religious house for both -sexes--a monastery for men and a nunnery for women. He added to it a -choir, and appointed seven priests to officiate at the altar; built the -monastery, and endowed it with lands for its support. Hither he retired -when enfeebled by age, and here he was buried in the porch of his -church in the year 721. - -It was to this nunnery that the Sisters Agnes and Agatha went, and -after a period of probation, were despoiled of their hair, and assumed -the veil of the sisterhood. The religious houses of the Saxons were -not the luxurious abodes that they became in after years. The life -led there was one of ascetic severity, with bare walls, hard pallets, -scanty food of the simplest description, a continuous series of prayers -and religious exercises, accompanied by frequent fastings, penances, -and fleshly mortification, to all which the two sisters submitted with -cheerfulness, as conducive to the spiritual health of their souls. -They were never found sleeping when the summons for divine service was -sounded forth, and they were ever willing to perform the most menial -duties as tending to keep within them a spirit of Christian humility. -Their profound piety and rigorous attention to disciplinary matters -excited the admiration of the Mother Superior, but never would they -lend ear to praises from her lips, lest it should engender spiritual -pride, the aim of their lives being to rank as the lowest servants -of the servants of Christ. And thus the years passed along in one -monotonous but ever-blessed sameness, ever dwelling within the walls -and precincts of the nunnery, save on two occasions, when they went to -South Burton to attend the funerals of their parents. - -It was the eve of the Nativity, a bright starlight night, as that over -Bethlehem when the three wise men of the East came thither guided by -the wandering star. The nuns were assembled in their chapel for an -early service, amongst whom were the two sisters apparently absorbed in -divine meditation. The nuns then retired for their evening refection -and silent contemplation in their cells until midnight, when the bell -summoned them again to the chapel for midnight Mass, which was to usher -in the holy day. At this service there was a strange and unwonted -omission; the two sisters were absent. "Where are the Sisters Agnes and -Agatha?" inquired the Abbess; "surely something has befallen them, else -they would not be absent, especially on such an occasion as this. Go -and search diligently for them." Every corner of the building and the -grounds outside were searched, but in vain; not a vestige of them could -be found; and at length, as the hour of midnight was close at hand, -the Mass was proceeded with. The following day, that of the Nativity, -was devoted to the usual festal, religious duties; but a heaviness of -heart pervaded the assembly, as the sisters had not re-appeared, and no -tidings of them could be heard. - -Days, weeks, and months passed away, and no clue to their mysterious -disappearance presented itself until the eve of St. John, their patron -saint. The vespers had been sung, with special reference to the coming -day, and the nuns had gone out to breathe the air of the summer -evening, whilst the Abbess, taking the key of the tower, unlocked -the door and went up the stone stairs to the top, a place not much -frequented, where she thought to offer up her prayers beneath the open -dome of heaven, without any intervening walls. She had just placed her -foot on the topmost stair when she was startled at beholding the two -sisters lying locked in each other's arms and with upward turned eyes. -At the first glance she supposed them to be dead, but a moment after -was undeceived by their rising, and saying, "Mother, dear! it will soon -be time for the midnight Mass; but how is this? We lay down an hour -ago, under the sky of a winter night, but now we have awakened under -the setting sun of a summer eve." - -"An hour ago! my children," replied the Abbess, "it is now months -since you disappeared on the eve of the Nativity, and months since the -midnight Mass of the birth of our Saviour was sung. Can it be you have -been sleeping here all through the interval?" - -"Mother, dear," they replied, after some further questionings and -explanations, "we have not been sleeping, we have been transported -to heaven, and have seen sights inconceivable to the human eye, and -heard music such as has never been listened to in this lower world. -The heaven that we have visited is no mere localised spot, but extends -throughout infinite space. It possesses no land or water; no mountains -and valleys; no rivers, or lakes, or trees, or material objects of any -kind; but has picturesque scenery, impalpable and cloudlike, of the -most ravishing beauty. It is peopled by myriads of angelic beings and -beatified mortals, unsubstantial and etherealised, all of exquisitely -symmetrical figures, and with gloriously radiant features, beaming with -happiness and smiling with serenity. Unlike the popular opinion, it is -not a place of idle lounging and repose, but of intense activity, all -being engaged in employments which afford an intensity of pleasurable -emotions. The Almighty Father and Creator of all this realm of beauty -and of all these glorified creatures it was not possible for us to see -with our mortal eyes, but we were perfectly cognisant of His influence -and presence everywhere throughout the infinitude of space. But oh! the -music! here, on earth, it is termed divine, but our sweetest melodies -are but a jarring discord of sounds compared with that of heaven; -mortal ear cannot form the faintest conception of its sublime grandeur -and unutterable loveliness." - -Thus spake they to the astonished Abbess, who at once recognised -the fact of their miraculous transportation to the realms of light -for a temporary sojourn there, that on their return to earth they -might be the means of comforting and encouraging those who by holy -lives of asceticism, self-denial, and prayer, were wending their way -thitherwards; and she conducted them down to their sister nuns, to whom -again they had to narrate the visions that had been vouchsafed to them. - - "There is joy in the convent of Beverley, - Now these saintly maidens are found, - And to hear their story right wonderingly - The nuns have gathered around; - The long-lost maidens, to whom was given - To live so long the life of heaven." - -The Sisters further stated that the first spirit they met was the -holy St. John, the founder of their convent, whom they immediately -recognised, although he had cast off his earthly integuments, and -appeared in a glorified form, but in semblance as when he performed the -miracle at South Burton. - -He welcomed them with affectionate warmth, and told them that their -parents were now enjoying the reward of their virtuous and pious lives, -but that they could not be permitted to see them until they themselves -had finally passed away from earthly life. He further told them that he -kept a watchful eye over his town and monastery in Inder-a-wood, with -affectionate love, which should be seen in after ages, in the promotion -of their prosperity. - -The next day the festival of St. John was celebrated in the monastery -and church, with more than usual interest and devotion. Towards the -close of it-- - - "The maidens have risen, with noiseless tread - They glide o'er the marble floor; - They seek the Abbess with bended head: - 'Thy blessing we would implore, - Dear mother! for e'er the coming day - Shall blush into light, we must hence away.' - The Abbess hath lifted her gentle hands, - And the words of peace hath said, - 'O vade in pacem;' aghast she stands, - 'Have their innocent spirits fled?' - Yes, side by side lie these maidens fair, - Like two wreaths of snow in the moonlight there." - -At the same time the church became lighted up with a supernatural -roseate hue, and sounds of celestial music ravished the ears of the -assembly. The Sisters were laid side by side by tender and reverent -hands in a tomb near the altar of the church, and now-- - - "Fifty summers have come and passed away, - But their loveliness knoweth no decay; - And many a chaplet of flowers is hung, - And many a bead told there; - And many a hymn of praise is sung, - And many a low-breathed prayer; - And many a pilgrim bends the knee - At the shrine of the Sisters of Beverley." - -The tomb of the Sisters was destroyed in the great fire of 1188, which -destroyed not only St. John's Church and monastery, but the whole -town besides. They were afterwards rebuilt--the Minster in the superb -style which it now presents--and it was in remembrance of these sainted -Sisters that the uninscribed tomb was placed in the new church. - -This legend has formed the subject of an exquisite poem, which appeared -in the pages of the _Literary Gazette_, and has been attributed to the -pen of Alaric A. Watts, which, however, is open to doubt. - - - - -The Dragon of Wantley. - - -Once on a time--as the old storytellers were wont to commence their -tales of love, chivalry, and romance--there dwelt in the most wild and -rugged part of Wharncliffe Chase, near Rotherham, a fearful dragon, -with iron teeth and claws. How he came there no one knew, or where -he came from; but he proved to be a most pestilent neighbour to the -villagers of Wortley--blighting the crops by the poisonous stench of -his breath, devouring the cattle of the fields, making no scruple of -seizing upon a plump child or a tender young virgin to serve as a -_bonne-bouche_ for his breakfast table, and even crunching up houses -and churches to satisfy his ravenous appetite. - -Wortley, is situated in the parish of Penistone, and belongs now, as it -has done for centuries, to the Wortley family. Before the dissolution -of monasteries, the Rectory of Penistone belonged to the Abbey of St. -Stephen, Westminster, and was granted, when the Abbey was dissolved, -to Thomas Howard, third Duke of Norfolk, who out of the proceeds -established in Sheffield a set of almshouses. The impropriation of -the great tithes were let to the Wortley family, who, by measures of -oppression and extortion, contrived to get a great deal more than -they were entitled to, and Nicholas Wortley insisted on taking the -tithes in kind, but was opposed by Francis Bosville, who obtained a -decree (17th Elizabeth) against him; but Sir Francis Wortley, in the -succeeding reign, again attempted to enforce payment in kind, with so -much disregard to the suffering he inflicted upon the poor that they -determined upon finding out some champion who would dare to attack this -redoubtable dragon in his den at Wantley, so as to put an end, once and -for all, to the destruction of their crops, the loss of their cattle, -and the desolation of their ruined homes. Foremost in this movement -was one Lyonel Rowlestone, who married the widow of Francis Bosville; -and the parishioners entered into an agreement to unite in opposition -to the claims of the Wortleys. The parchment on which it is written -is dated 1st James I., and bristles with the names and seals of the -people of Penistone of that time, and is still extant. - -In the neighbourhood, on a moor not far from Bradfield, stood a mansion -called More or Moor Hall, and was inhabited by a family who had -resided there from the time of Henry II., but of whom little is known, -excepting the wonderful achievement of one member of the family, "More -of More Hall," who slew the Dragon of Wantley. - -The family had for their crest a green dragon, and there was formerly -in Bradfield Church a stone dragon, five feet in length, which had some -connection with the family. To this worthy, who, it is supposed, may -have been an attorney or counsellor, the parishioners of Penistone, -having decided upon appealing to the law courts, applied to undertake -their case, and make battle on the terrible dragon in his den among -the rocks of the forest of Wharncliffe. He readily complied with their -wish, and with great boldness and valour prepared for the conflict -by going to Sheffield and ordering a suit of armour, studded with -spikes--that is, arming himself with the panoply of law, and then -went forth and made the attack. The fight is said, in the ballad -narrative, to have lasted two days and nights, probably the duration -of the lawsuit, and in the end he killed the dragon, or won his suit, -thus relieving the people of Penistone from any further annoyance or -unjust exaction from that quarter. Sir Francis Wortley persuaded his -cousin Wordsworth, the freehold lord of the manor (ancestor, lineal or -collateral, of the Poet Wordsworth), to stand aloof in the matter, and -now the Wortley and the Wordsworth are the only estates in the parish -that pay tithes. - -To commemorate the event an exceedingly humorous and cleverly satirical -ballad was written, which, being also a lively burlesque on the -ballad romances of chivalry, served the same purpose towards them -that Cervantes' "Don Quixote" did for the prose fictions of the same -character. Thus opens the ballad-- - - "Old stories tell how Hercules - A dragon slew at Gerna, - With seven heads and fourteen eyes - To see and well discerna; - But he had a club, this dragon to drub, - Or he had ne'er I warrant ye; - But More of More Hall with nothing at all, - He slew the dragon of Wantley. - - "This dragon had two furious wings, - Each one upon each shoulder; - With a sting in his tail, as long as a flail, - Which made him bolder and bolder. - He had long claws, and in his jaws - Four and forty teeth of iron; - With a hide as tough as any buff, - Which did him round environ." - -It then goes on to describe how "he ate three children at one sup, as -one would eat an apple." Also all sorts of cattle and trees, the forest -beginning to diminish very perceptibly, and "houses and churches," -which to him were geese and turkeys, "leaving none behind." - - "But some stones, dear Jack, that he could not crack, - Which on the hills you will finda." - -These stones are supposed to be a reference to the Lyonel Rowlestone, -who was the leader of the opposition. There are many local allusions -of a similar character, which would no doubt add much to the keenness -of the satire and the humour, but which are lost to us through our -ignorance of the circumstances and persons alluded to. - -"In Yorkshire, near fair Rotherham," was his den, and at Wantley a well -from which he drank. - - "Some say this dragon was a witch, - Some say he was a devil; - For from his nose a smoke arose - And with it burning snivel." - -"Hard by a furious knight there dwelt," who could "wrestle, play at -quarter-staff, kick, cuff, and huff; and with his hands twain could -swing a horse till he was dead, and eat him all up but his head." To -this wonderful athlete came "men, women, girls, and boys, sighing and -sobbing, and made a hideous noise--O! save us all, More of More Hall, -thou peerless knight of these woods; do but slay this dragon, who won't -leave us a rag on, we'll give thee all our goods." The Knight replied-- - - "Tut, tut," quoth he, "no goods I want; - But I want, I want, in sooth, - A fair maid of sixteen, that's brisk and keen, - With smiles about her mouth; - Hair black as sloe, skin white as snow, - With blushes her cheeks adorning; - To anoint me o'er night, e'er I go to the fight, - And to dress me in the morning." - -This being agreed to, he hied to Sheffield, and had a suit of armour, -covered with spikes five or six inches long, made, which, when he -donned it, caused the people to take him for "an Egyptian porcupig," -and the cattle for "some strange, outlandish hedgehog." When he rose -in the morning, - - "To make him strong and mighty - He drank, by the tale, six pots of ale - And a quart of _aqua vitae_." - -Thus equipped and with his valour braced up, he went to Wantley, -concealing himself in the well, and when the dragon came to drink, he -shouted "Boh," and struck the monster a blow on the mouth. The knight -then came out of the well, and they commenced fighting, for some time -without advantage on either side--without either receiving a wound. At -length, however, after fighting two days and a night, the dragon gave -him a blow which made him reel and the earth to quake. "But More of -More Hall, like a valiant son of Mars," returned the compliment with -such vigour that-- - - "Oh! quoth the dragon, with a deep sigh, - And turned six times together; - Sobbing and tearing, cursing and swearing - Out of his throat of leather; - More of More Hall! O, thou rascal! - Would I had seen thee never; - With the thing on thy foot, thou has pricked my gut - And I'm quite undone for ever. - - "Murder! murder! the dragon cry'd. - Alack! alack! for grief; - Had you but mist that place, you could - Have done me no mischief. - Then his head he shaked, trembled and quaked, - And down he laid and cry'd, - First on one knee, then on back tumbled he: - So groan'd, kick't, and dy'd." - -Henry Carey, in 1738, brought out an opera on the subject, entitled -"The Dragon of Wantley," abounding in humour, and a fine burlesque on -the Italian operas of the period, then the rage of fashion. And in -1873, Poynter exhibited at the Royal Academy a picture of "More of More -Hall and the Dragon." - - - - -The Miracles and Ghost of Watton. - - -In a sweetly sequestered spot, environed by patriarchal trees of -luxuriant foliage, between the towns of Driffield and Beverley, nestles -a Tudoresque building, which goes by the name of Watton Abbey, although -it never was an abbey, but a Gilbertine Priory. It is now a private -residence, and was occupied for many years as a school, the existing -buildings apparently having been erected since the dissolution, and -there are but few remains of the original convent, saving a portion of -the nunnery, now converted into stables, a hollow square indicating the -site of the kitchen and the moat which originally surrounded the entire -enclosure. A couple of centuries ago there were extensive remains of -the old priory, but they were removed for the purpose of repairing -Beverley Minster. Moreover, the abbey has a haunted room, which, -however, has no connection with the monastic times, although the ghost -that haunts it is usually designated "The Headless Nun of Watton," but -belongs to the civil war period of the seventeenth century. The fact -is that story tellers of the legend confound two altogether different -narratives--the one of a trangressing nun of the twelfth century, and -the other of a murdered lady of the seventeenth, combining their two -histories into one story, as if their persons were identical. - -A nunnery was established here in a very early period of Anglo-Saxon -Christianity, probably soon after its re-introduction into Northumbria -by King Oswald, as we find St. John of Beverley performing a miracle -there, which would be about the year 720, after he had resigned his -Bishopric and retired to Beverley. It appears that he was an intimate -friend of the Lady Prioress--Heribury--and made frequent visits to -Watton to administer spiritual advice and ghostly consolation to the -inmates under her charge. On one occasion when he went thither, he -found the Prioress's daughter suffering great agony from a diseased and -swollen arm, the result of unskilful bleeding, and was solicited to go -to her chamber and give her his blessing, which might be the means of -alleviating the pain. He inquired when she had been bled, and was told -on the fourth day of the moon, which he said was a very inauspicious -day, quoting Archbishop Theodore as his authority, and he feared his -prayers would be of no avail. Nevertheless he went to her room, prayed -for her restoration to health, gave her his blessing, and went down to -dinner. They had, however, scarcely seated themselves when a servant -came in, stating that all her pain had gone, her swollen arm had been -reduced to its natural size, and that she was perfectly restored to -health, and was dressing to come down and dine with them. - -The nunnery was destroyed, it is presumed, by the Danes at the same -time that the Monastery of Beverley perished at their hands, in the -ninth century, and it lay waste and desolate until the twelfth century, -although we find from the Domesday survey that there were then a church -and priest in the village. - -In 1148-9, Eustace Fitz John, Lord of Knaresborough, and a favourite of -King Henry I., at the instance of Murdac, Archbishop of York, refounded -the convent, in atonement for certain crimes he had committed. It -was established for thirteen canons and thirty-six nuns of the new -Gilbertine order, who were to live in the same block of buildings, -but with a party wall for the separation of the sexes; the canons "to -serve the nuns perpetually in terrene as well as in divine matters." He -endowed it with the Lordship of Watton, with all its appurtenances in -pure and perpetual alms for the salvation of his soul, and those of his -wife, his father and mother, brothers and sisters, friends and servants. - -Archbishop Murdac was at the time resident at Beverley, the gates of -York having been shut against him; and it may be that the fact of his -predecessor, St. John, the patron-saint of the town where he dwelt, -having performed a great miracle there, was what influenced him in his -desire to see a resuscitation of the monastery. He was a remarkable -man, and had led a somewhat adventurous life. Archbishop Thurstan was -his patron, and gave him some preferments in the church of York, which -he resigned at the pressing invitation of St. Bernard, founder of the -Cistercians, to become a monk at Clervaux. Soon after he was sent by -his superior to found a Cistercian house at Vauclair, of which he was -appointed the first abbot, in 1131, where he remained until 1143, -when, at the recommendation of St. Bernard, he was elected Abbot of -Fountains. Under his judicious and able government the abbey prospered -and threw off not less than seven offshoots--those of Kirkstall, Lix, -Meaux, Vaudy, and Woburn. - -On the death of Archbishop Thurstan, King Stephen desired the canons -to elect William Fitzherbert, his nephew and their treasurer, in his -place, which they were willing to do, but the Cistercians, headed -by Murdac, suspecting that undue influence had been made use of, -vehemently opposed his election, and Pope Eugenius, on the appeal of -St. Bernard, suspended Fitzherbert. - -Fitzherbert, out of revenge, went with his friends to Fountains, broke -open the door, searched ineffectually for Murdac, then fired the abbey, -and retired. This act caused a great sensation, and the Archbishop -was deprived in 1147. The same year an assembly met at Richmond, and -elected Murdac as Archbishop, who immediately went to Rome and obtained -his pall from Pope Eugenius; but on his return found York barred -against his entrance, upon which he retired to Beverley. Stephen, the -King, refused to recognise him, sequestering the stalls of York, and -fining the town of Beverley for harbouring him. It was at this time -that he promoted the re-establishment of Watton, and placed within -its walls a child of four years of age to be educated, with a view of -taking the veil. - -In retaliation, he excommunicated Puisnet, Treasurer of York, and laid -the city under an interdict. Puisnet was afterwards elected Bishop of -Durham, upon which Murdac excommunicated the Prior and Archdeacon, who -came to Beverley to implore pardon, and could only obtain absolution on -acknowledging their fault and submitting to scourging at the entrance -to Beverley Minster. He died at Beverley in the same year (1153), and -was buried in York Cathedral. - -Elfleda, the child whom Murdac had placed in the convent, was a merry, -vivacious little creature; and whilst but a child was a source of -amusement to the sisterhood, who, although prim and demure in bearing, -and some of them sour-tempered and acid in their tempers, were wont to -smile at her youthful frolics and ringing laugh; but as she grew older, -her outbursts of merriment, and the sallies of wit that began to -animate her conversation, were checked, as being inconsistent with the -character of a young lady who was now enrolled as novice, preparatory -to taking the veil. As she advanced towards womanhood her form -gradually developed into a most symmetrical figure; and her features -became the perfection of beauty, set off with a transparent delicacy -of complexion, such as would have rendered her a centre of attraction -even among the beauties of a Royal Court. This excited the jealousy of -the sisters, who were chiefly elderly and middle-aged spinsters, whose -homely and somewhat coarse features had proved detrimental to their -hopes of obtaining husbands. They began to treat her with scornful -looks, chilling neglect, and petty persecutions; but when she, later -on, evinced a manifest repugnance to convent life, ridiculed the ways -of the holy sisters, and even satirised them, they charged her with -entertaining rebellious and ungodly sentiments, and subjected her -to penances and other modes of wholesome correction, such as they -considered would subdue her worldly spirit. - -Sprightly and light-hearted as she was, Elfleda was not happy, immured -as she was within these detested walls, and condemned to assist in -wearisome services, such as she thought might perhaps be congenial -to the souls of her elder sisters, whose hopes of worldly happiness -and conjugal endearment had been blighted, but which were altogether -unsuited for one so beautiful (for she knew that she was fair, and was -vain of her looks) and so cheerful-minded as herself; and she longed -with intense desire to make her escape, mingle with the outer world, -and have free intercourse with the other sex. - -According to the charter of endowment, the lay brethren of the -monastery were entrusted with the management of the secular affairs of -the nunnery, which necessitated their admission within its portals on -certain occasions for conference with the prioress. On these occasions -Elfleda would cast furtive and very un-nunlike glances upon their -persons. She was particularly attracted by one of them, a young man -of prepossessing mien and seductive style of speech, and she felt her -heart beat wildly whenever he came with the other visitors. He noticed -her surreptitious glances, and saw that she was exceedingly beautiful, -and his heart responded to the sentiment he felt that he had inspired -in hers. They maintained this silent but eloquent language of love for -some time, and soon found means of having stolen interviews under the -darkness of night, when vows of everlasting love were interchanged, and -led, eventually, to consequences which at the outset were not dreamt of -by the erring pair. - -Suspicion having been excited by her altered form, she was summoned -before her superiors on a charge of "transgressing the conventual -rules and violating one of the most stringent laws of monastic life," -and as concealment was impossible, she boldly confessed her fault, -adding that she had no vocation for a convent life, and desired to be -banished from the community. This request could not be listened to for -a moment. The culprit had brought a scandal and indelible stain upon -the fair fame of the house, which must, at any cost, be concealed from -the world; and her open avowal of her guilt raised in the breasts of -the pious sisterhood a perfect fury of indignation, and a determination -to inflict immediate and condign punishment on her. It was variously -suggested that she should be burnt to death, that she should be walled -up alive, that she should be flayed, that her flesh should be torn -from her bones with red-hot pincers, that she should be roasted to -death before a fire, etc.; but the more prudent and aged averted these -extreme measures, and suggested some milder forms of punishment, which -were at once carried out. The miserable object of their vengeance was -stripped of her clothing, stretched on the floor, and scourged with -rods until the blood trickled down profusely from her lacerated back. -She was then cast into a noisome dungeon, without light, fettered by -iron chains to the floor, and supplied with only bread and water, -"which was administered with bitter taunts and reproaches." - -Meanwhile the young man, her paramour, had left the monastery, and as -the nuns were desirous of inflicting some terrible punishment upon him -for his horrible crime, they extorted from Elfleda, under promise that -she should be released and given up to him, the confession that he was -still in the neighbourhood in disguise, and that not knowing of the -discovery that had been made, he would come to visit her, and make the -usual signal of throwing a stone on the roof over her sleeping cell. -The Prioress made this known to the brethren of the monastery, and -arranged with them for his capture. The following night he came, looked -cautiously round, and then threw the stone, when the monks rushed -out of ambush, cudgelled him soundly, and then took him a prisoner -into the house. "The younger part of the nuns, inflamed with a pious -zeal, demanded the custody of the prisoner, on pretence of gaining -further information. Their request was granted, and taking him to an -unfrequented part of the convent, they committed on his person such -brutal atrocities as cannot be translated without polluting the page -on which they are written; and, to increase the horror, the lady was -brought forth to be witness of the abominable scene." Whilst lying in -her dungeon, Elfleda became penitent, and conscious of having committed -a gross crime, and one night whilst sleeping in her fetters, Archbishop -Murdac appeared to her and charged her with having cursed him. She -replied that she certainly had cursed him for having placed her in so -uncongenial a sphere. "Rather curse yourself," said he, "for having -given way to temptation." "So I do," she answered, "and I regret having -imputed the blame to you." He then exhorted her to repentance and the -daily repetition of certain psalms, and then vanished,--a vision which -afforded her much consolation. - -The holy sisters were now much troubled on the question of what should -be done with the infant which was expected daily, and preparations -were made for its reception; when Elfleda was again visited by the -Archbishop, accompanied by two women who, "with the holy aid of the -Archbishop, safely delivered her of the infant, which they bore away -in their arms, covered with a fair linen cloth." When the nuns came -the next morning they found her in perfect health and restored to her -youthful appearance, without any signs of the accouchement, and charged -her with murdering the infant,--a very improbable idea, seeing that she -was still chained to the floor. She narrated what had occurred, but was -not believed. The next night all her fetters were miraculously removed, -and when her cell was entered the following morning she was found -standing free, and the chains not to be found. - -The Father Superior of the convent was then called in, and he invited -Alured, Abbot of Rievaulx, to assist him in the investigation of the -case, who decided that it was a miraculous intervention, and the Abbot -departed, saying, "What God hath cleansed call not thou common or -unclean, and whom He hath loosed thou mayest not bind." - -What afterwards became of Elfleda is not stated, but we may presume -that after these miraculous events she would be admitted as a thrice -holy member of the sisterhood, despite her little peccadillo. - -Alured of Rievaulx, the monkish chronicler, narrates the substance of -the above circumstances, and vouches for their truth. "Let no one," -says he, "doubt the truth of this account, for I was an eye-witness -to many of the facts, and the remainder were related to me by persons -of such mature age and distinguished piety, that I cannot doubt the -accuracy of the statement." - -This is the story of the frail and unfortunate nun; the other, which is -usually dovetailed on the former, is of much more recent date. In the -present house there is a chamber wainscoted throughout with panelled -oak, one of the panels forming a door, so accurately fitted that it -cannot be distinguished from the other panels. It is opened by a secret -spring, and communicates with a stone stair that goes down to the moat; -it may be that the room was a hiding-place for the Jesuits or priests -of the Catholic Church when they were so ruthlessly hunted down and -barbarously executed in the Elizabethan and Jacobean reigns. The room -is reputed to be haunted by the ghost of a headless lady with an infant -in her arms, who comes, or came thither formerly, to sleep nightly, the -bed-clothes being found the following morning in a disordered state, as -they would be after a person had been sleeping in them. If by chance -any person had daring enough to occupy the room, the ghost would come, -minus the head, dressed in blood-stained garments, with her infant -in her arms, and would stand motionless at the foot of the bed for a -while, and then vanish. A visitor on one occasion, who knew nothing of -the legend, was put to sleep in the chamber, who in the morning stated -that his slumbers had been disturbed by a spectral visitant, in the -form of a lady with bloody raiment and an infant, and that her features -bore a strange resemblance to those of a lady whose portrait hung in -the room; from which it would appear that on that special occasion she -had donned her head. - -According to the legend, a lady of distinction who then occupied the -house was a devoted Royalist in the great civil war which resulted in -the death of King Charles. It was after the battle of Marston Moor, -which was a death-blow to the Royalists north of the Humber, and when -the Parliamentarians dominated the broad lands of Yorkshire, that a -party of fanatical Roundheads came into the neighbourhood of Watton, -"breathing out threatenings and slaughter" against the "malignants," -and especially against such as still clung to the "vile rags of the -whore of Babylon," vowing to put all such to the sword. The Lady of -Watton, who was a devout Catholic, heard of this band of Puritan -soldiers, who were "rampaging" over the Wolds, and of the barbarous -murders of which they had been guilty. Her husband was away fighting -in the ranks of the King down Oxford way, and she was left without -any protector excepting a handful of servants, male and female, who -would be of no use against a band of armed soldiers, and it was with -great fear and trembling that she heard of their arrival at Driffield, -some three or four miles distant, where they had been plundering -and maltreating "the Philistines;" fearing more for her infant than -herself, as she believed the prevalent exaggerated rumour, that it was -a favourite amusement with them to toss babies up in the air and catch -them on the points of their pikes. - -At length news was brought that the marauders were on the march to -Watton, for the purpose of plundering it, as the home of a malignant, -and the lady, for better security, shut herself, with her child and -her jewels, in the wainscoted room, hoping in case of extremity to -escape by means of a secret stair, and in the meanwhile committed -herself and child to the care of the Virgin Mother. It was not long ere -the band of soldiers arrived and hammered at the door, calling aloud -for admittance, but met with no response. They were about breaking -down the door, and went in search of implements for the purpose, when -they caught sight of a low archway opening upon the moat, which they -guessed to be a side entrance to the house, and crossing the moat, they -found the stair, which they ascended and came to the panel, which they -concluded was a disguised door. A few blows sufficed to dash it open, -and they came into the presence of the lady, who was prostrate before -a crucifix. Rising up, she demanded what they wanted, and wherefore -this rude intrusion. They replied that they had come to despoil the -"Egyptian" who owned the mansion, and if he had been present, to smite -him to death as a worshipper of idols and an abomination in the eyes of -God. - -An angry altercation ensued, the lady, who possessed a high spirit, -making a free use of her tongue in upbraidings and reproaches for their -dastardly conduct on the Wolds, of which she had heard, to which they -listened very impatiently, and replied in coarse language not fit for a -lady's ears, at the same time demanding the plate and other valuables -of the house. She scornfully refused to give them up, and told them -that if they wanted them they must find them for themselves, and at -length so provoked them by her taunts that they cried, "Hew down with -the sword the woman of Belial and the spawn of the malignant," and -suiting the action to the word, they caught her child from her arms, -dashed its brains out against the wall, and then cut her down and -"hewed" off her head, after which they plundered the house and departed -with their spoil. - -It must not be supposed that these ruffians were a fair specimen of the -brave, God-fearing men who fought under Fairfax, and put Newcastle -and Rupert to flight at Marston Moor, who fought with the sword in -one hand and the Bible in the other, who laid the axe at the root of -Royal abitrary prerogative, and were the real authors of the civil and -religious liberty which we now enjoy. But, as in all times of civil -commotion, there were evil-minded wretches who, for purpose of plunder, -assumed the garb and adopted the phraseology of the noble-minded -soldiers of Fairfax and Hampden, and the Ironsides of Cromwell, -out-Puritaned them in their hypocritical cant, bringing disgrace and -scandal upon the armies with which they associated themselves. And such -were the villains who despoiled Watton, and slew so barbarously the -poor lady and her infant; and from that time the ghost of the lady has -haunted the room in which the deed was perpetrated. - -In the year 1780, Mr. Bethell, the then occupier of the house, was -giving a dinner-party in the dining-room, which adjoined the haunted -apartment. When they were seated over their wine the host related the -story of the ghost, and had scarcely finished it when an unearthly -sound issued from the floor beneath their feet. Consternation seized -on the party. They concluded that it was the ghost, and to their -imagination the candles began to emit a blue, ghostly light. It seemed -to be a confirmation of the truth of the story; but they summoned up -courage enough to make an examination, and although it was approaching -the "witching hour of night," they sent for a carpenter, who took up -some planks of the floor, and found--not the ghost, but the nest of an -otter from the moat, who had made there a home for her progeny, whose -cries had alarmed them; and thus was dissipated what might otherwise -have been deemed a veritable supernatural visitation. - - - - -The Murdered Hermit of Eskdale. - - -Sir Richard de Veron was a distinguished knight of the North Riding, -who held a considerable estate by knight's service of the De Brus -family in Cleveland. He was one of the heroes of the Battle of the -Standard, in 1138, who went forth at the behest of Archbishop Thurstan -to oppose the invasion of David of Scotland, and who signally defeated -that monarch. A few years after, he joined the forces of the Empress -Maud, whose pretensions to the throne of England he considered to -be more legitimate than those of Stephen, and fought on her side at -Lincoln, in 1141, when the King was defeated and taken prisoner, -continuing to uphold her cause until she was compelled to retire from -England. The war being thus brought to an end, and the adherents of -the Empress generally declining to take service under a King whom they -deemed a usurper, and by whom they were looked upon with suspicion, -De Veron sheathed his sword and retired to his family and home in -Cleveland. He had a wife, whom he dearly loved, and two children, a -boy--his heir, and a sweet little daughter for whom he entertained -the most tender affection; indeed, although he delighted in the clash -of arms and the exciting revelry of war, he was never so truly happy -as when in the midst of his family, teaching his young son to ride, -practice at the target, and follow his hounds in pursuit of the wild -animals of the chase; or listening to the prattle of his little -daughter, when taking lessons from her mother in reading, music, or -embroidery work. Thus happily passed a few months after his return -from his martial pursuits, when one morning, news was brought that a -case of plague had occurred in the village, causing, as it always did, -great consternation not only amongst the villagers, but in the knight's -mansion, which stood half a mile away from the village. It was hoped -that it might be an isolated case, and such rude remedial measures as -were then known were adopted to prevent the spread of the infection, -but within a week another case was reported, and another and another in -rapid succession, after which it spread with fearful speed, until half -the population succumbed to it, and were hastily buried without the -usual funeral rites. In a month the disease appeared to be dying out, -the deaths were fewer and fewer day by day, and it was fondly hoped -that the terrible infliction was passing away, but it was not until -three-fourths of the people had fallen victims to its pestilential fury. - -Although Sir Richard hesitated not to go down to the village and -employ himself in administering food, medicine, and consolation to -the afflicted, he took every known precaution against coming into too -close contact with the infected; he kept his family closely shut up at -home, and occupied a separate set of apartments himself, not allowing -them to come into his presence; but notwithstanding all his preventive -measures he was at last stricken down. He gave positive orders that he -should be left alone, and if it was God's will that he should die, he -declared his resolution that he would die alone, and with affectionate -earnestness sent a message to his wife, entreating her to remain apart -from him, and not imperil her dear life by coming to his bedside. But -she, true wife as she was, heeded not the risk to her own life, so long -as she could afford comfort and spiritual consolation to him, in what -might very probably be his last few moments on earth, and regardless of -the injunction, hastened, on receiving the message, to the room where -he lay. He reproached her gently for exposing herself to the risk of -infection, but was met by assurances that it was not possible for her -to remain away whilst he was lying there requiring careful tendence, -with all the servants standing aloof panic-stricken, or flying from the -house. He implored her to retire, but she replied that she might or -might not take the infection; that was as God pleased, and if she did -she might or might not fall a victim, but most assuredly if she left -him alone and shut herself up away from him she would die of anxiety, -or, in case of his death, of a broken heart. Finding remonstrance -useless, he was fain to submit to her nursing, and happily during the -night the malady passed its crisis, his strong, healthy constitution -enabling him to battle successfully with the disease, and he gradually -became convalescent. - -Happiness again seemed to be dawning over the household, but it was not -destined to last long. The faithful wife, who had watched so tenderly -over his sick bed, regardless of the risk she ran, maintained her -health so long as her services were needed, but in her ministrations -she had imbibed the seed of the fatal malady, and now, when her husband -was restored to health, the terrible plague spot made its appearance, -and so rapidly did the disease develop itself that, within twenty-four -hours, she fell a victim to its remorseless energy. It was a fearful -blow to Sir Richard, but this was not all the suffering he had to -undergo. Scarcely had he returned from the obsequies of his wife, when -his two children caught the infection, and in another four-and-twenty -hours they were both carried off, leaving him bereft of all the -best-beloved of his soul, and sunk in the depths of desolation and -despair. - -For some months he remained in his silent and cheerless home in -a state of profound apathy, taking no interest in the avocations -devolving on him as the lord of an extensive estate. It is true he -befriended, pecuniarily, the numerous widows and orphans left in the -village by the ruthless pestilence that had swept over it, and he -contributed large sums of money to the Church for prayers and masses -for the souls of the departed, not only of his own family, but of his -vassals and dependants. Nothing seemed capable of rousing him from the -despondency into which he had fallen; the sports of the field were -altogether neglected; the cheerful companionship of friends presented -no attractions for him, and he sat at home hour after hour through the -live-long day, plunged in moody melancholy and repining meditation on -his irreparable loss, and the utter extinction of all that was worth -living for. And thus passed week after week and month after month, -Time, the great mollifier of grief, seeming to impart no balm to his -sorrow-stricken soul. - -The only person whom he admitted as a visitor, besides those who -came on imperative business matters, was Father Anselm, a pious and -devout man, the priest of the village church. It was in his company -only, and in listening to his spiritual converse, that he felt any -relief from the grief that oppressed him, and gradually, after many -interviews, he began to look upon his affliction as a providential -dispensation, intended for some wise purpose. Gradually also he became -more weaned from earthly and secular things, and his soul to become -more spiritualised, and he began to experience a feeling of attraction -to the cloister. One day he mentioned this to his spiritual adviser, -and Father Anselm, rejoicing thereat, warmly applauded the feeling, -urging that such self-devotion would be most acceptable to God, and -that it was only in religious meditation and prayer that he would be -vouchsafed that true consolation which religion alone could give. The -holy father perhaps was not altogether single-minded in thus fostering -the idea of assuming the cowl, for he was a true Churchman, considering -that the promotion of the temporal aggrandisement of the Church was an -essential part of the duty of a Christian, a sentiment then universally -prevalent, and not unusual now. He knew that Sir Richard was the owner -of broad acres, and that now he had no heir to inherit them, and -he often made delicate and incidental allusions to the fact, which -seemed to produce an impression on the mind of the knight. At last an -opportunity offered itself of speaking out more openly. With a profound -sigh, Sir Richard one day said, when the conversation had turned upon -his estates and possessions, "Alas! why should I trouble or concern -myself about these lands and the improvements that might be made on -them? I shall never more be able to derive pleasure from the possession -of them, and I have no heir to bequeath them to. What is the good of -riches if they do not afford happiness? A crust and water from the -wayside brook with happiness is better than untold wealth accompanied -with sorrow and anguish of heart." - -Father Anselm saw his opportunity, and pertinently asked, "Since you -have no heir, why not make the holy Church of Christ your heir? By -doing so you would garner up for yourself riches in heaven--an eternity -of inconceivable happiness compared with which in duration your present -suffering is but as the pang of a moment." - -Sir Richard sat musing for the space of a quarter of an hour, and then -said, "Holy Father, what you say seems good, fitting, and worthy of -consideration. Give me a week to think it over, and at the expiration -of that period I will commune with you further on the subject," and -Father Anselm took his departure. - -At the week's end, when they met again, Sir Richard opened the subject -by saying, "Venerable Father, I have since our last meeting given -deep consideration to your counsels, and have come to the resolution -of doing as you advise me. I have determined on assuming the monkish -habit; spending the remainder of my life in pious communion with some -holy brotherhood; and on resigning my possessions into the hands of the -Church of God." - -"It is good," replied Father Anselm. "Have you thought of any specific -house on which to bestow your donation?" - -"It occurred to me," continued Sir Richard, "to become a canon of the -Augustinian house recently founded by my feudal Lord, Robert de Brus, -at Guisborough, and to add my lands to its further endowment." - -"Permit me to counsel you otherwise," said the Father, "Guisborough, -as an Augustinian house, is not so strict in its discipline as other -monastic houses, and is already very fairly endowed. But there is -another, of the Benedictine order, where you would have an opportunity -of cultivating a more strictly religious and less secular frame of -mind--I mean Whitby, a holy spot, once sanctified by the presence of -the blessed St. Hilda. It was founded by King Oswy in 687, was laid in -ruins by the sacrilegious Danes in 867, and so remained for another -couple of hundred years, when God moved the heart of Will de Percy to -refound it as a Priory. Within the last few years it has again been -converted into an Abbey; but it lacks endowment for the due maintenance -of its superior dignity. Let me advise you, therefore, to cast in your -lot with these Benedictines, and win the approval of God by bestowing -your wealth in his service, where it is much needed." - -Sir Richard assented to this suggestion, caused a deed of gift to be -drawn, in which he conveyed his lands to the Abbot and convent of -Whitby, and entered the house as a novice; and in due time, at the -expiration of his novitiate, was admitted as a monk. - -Brother Jerome (to use his monastic appellation) soon attracted notice -by the fervour of his piety, his asceticism, and a strict and sincere -observance of the conventual rules; as well as by his humility and -obedience to the ordinances of his superiors. It chanced that after he -had been in the house a few years, the Prior, whose position was that -of sub-Abbot in the house, sickened and died; and, at a meeting of the -chapter to elect his successor, Brother Jerome was suggested as the -most fitting, by his manifest piety and abilities, for the office; but -he resolutely declined taking it upon himself, preferring, as he said, -to be rather a hewer of wood or drawer of water--the servant of the -brotherhood--than to hold any superior office. - -In the course of his meditations he was wont to cast a retrospective -glance on his past life, and to grieve over his career as a soldier -and a shedder of blood; especially did he mourn over the excesses of -barbarous cruelty into which he had been drawn in emulation of the -ferocity of his fellow-soldiers, when marching under the banner of -the Empress, remembering with tears of bitter remorse, the burning -villages, the homeless people, the corpse-strewn fields, and the widows -and orphans they left in their rear. The more he thought of these -past phases of his life, the more intense became his self-reproaches -and the compunction excited by a sense of guilt and sin. He sought by -mortification and maceration of the flesh to make atonement for these -blood-stained deeds, but despite these self-inflicted punishments, he -was not able to find rest for his soul. For ever, when prostrate in -prayer, would they rise up before him, and the enemy of mankind would -whisper in his ear, "Thou fool! what is the good of praying and fasting -and weeping? Thy sins are too heinous for pardon; thou hast given -up thy possessions to secure a heritage in heaven, but thy guilt is -so damning that thou wilt assuredly find its gate shut against thee. -Instead of leading a miserable and wretched life here in the cloister, -return to the world and enjoy life while it lasts, for in either case -there is nothing to hope for in the future." - -Jerome took counsel of the Abbot, an old, wise, and experienced -Christian, who at once detected the cloven hoof in the temptation, and -was successful in convincing the tempted one of the fact, advising him -to go on in the course he was pursuing, assuring him that there was -mercy for the vilest of sinners if penitent, which afforded him great -consolation. - -Nevertheless the remorse-stricken sinner considered that his -misdeeds had been such that he could scarcely do sufficient in the -way of mortification to obliterate the guilt of the past, and he -determined upon withdrawing himself entirely from communion with his -fellow-creatures, even from the Holy Brotherhood of Whitby, and devote -the remainder of his life to meditation and prayer altogether apart -from the world. - -Connected with the Abbey there was, in a solitary place of the forest -which fringed the banks of the Esk, a chapel where the monks were wont -to retire at certain seasons for the purpose of devotion, away from the -bustle and distraction inevitable in a large community; and in close -proximity to this chapel, Jerome built for himself a wooden hut in -which to pass his remaining years as a hermit, secluded from society, -living on wild fruit and roots, quenching his thirst from the streamlet -which trickled past, and spending his days and nights in prayer, -flagellation, and abstinence. - -Resident in the neighbourhood of Whitby were two landed -proprietors--Ralph de Perci, Lord of Sneton, and William de Brus, -Lord of Ugglebarnby, who were great lovers of hunting and other field -sports, and near them lived one Allatson, a gentleman and freeholder. -The three were boon companions, and constantly meeting in the pursuance -of country sports, and at each other's houses for the purpose of -carousing together. One night when they were thus assembled together -they arranged to go boar-hunting on the following day, which was -the 16th of October, 5th Henry II., in the forest of Eskdale; and -soon after dinner they met, attired in their hunting garbs, with -boar-staves in their hands, and accompanied by a pack of boar-hounds, -yelping and barking, and as eager for the sport as their masters. - -A boar was soon started, which plunged into the recesses of the forest, -followed by the hounds in full cry, and by the hunters, shouting to -encourage them. Onward they rushed, through brake and briar, the huge -animal clearing a pathway through the tangled underwood, which enabled -his pursuers to follow without much impediment. Onward they went in -hot speed, the hounds sometimes overtaking the boar, and tearing him -with their fangs, and the hunters beating him with their staves, -maddening him with rage, and causing him to turn upon his pursuers, -and rend the dogs with his fangs, as he would also the hunters, could -he have escaped the environment of the dogs; and then he would dash -onward again, evidently becoming more and more exhausted from wounds -and bruises and loss of blood, until at length they came in sight -of the chapel and hermitage; from which point we cannot do better -than continue the narrative in the words of Burton, as given in his -"Monasticon Ebor." - -"The boar," says he, "being very sore and very hotly pursued, and dead -run, took in at the chapel door and there died, whereof the hermit -shut the hounds out of the chapel and kept himself within at his -meditations, the hounds standing at bay without. - -"The gentlemen called to the hermit (Brother Jerome), who opened the -door. They found the boar dead, for which they, in very great fury -(because their hounds were put from their game) did, most violently and -cruelly, run at the hermit with their boar staves, whereby he died soon -after." - -Fearful of the consequences of their crime, they fled to Scarborough, -and took sanctuary in the church; but the Abbot of Whitby, who was a -friend of the King, was authorised to take them out, "whereby they came -in danger of the law, and not to be privileged, but likely to have the -severity of the law, which was death." - -The hermit, who had been brought to Whitby Abbey, lay at the point of -death when the prisoners were brought thither; and hearing of their -arrival, he besought the Abbot that they might be brought into his -presence; and when they made their appearance said to them, "I am sure -to die of these wounds you gave me." "Aye," quoth the Abbot, "and they -shall surely die for the same." "Not so," continued the dying man, "for -I will freely forgive them my death if they will be contented to be -enjoined this penance for the safeguard of their souls." "Enjoin what -penance you will," replied the culprits, "so that you save our lives." -Then Brother Jerome explained the nature of the penance:--"You and -yours shall hold your lands of the Abbot of Whitby and his successors -in this manner. That upon Ascension Eve, you, or some of you, shall -come to the woods of Strayheads, which is in Eskdale, the same day at -sunrising, and there shall the abbot's officer blow his horn, to the -intent that you may know how to find him; and he shall deliver unto -you, William de Brus, ten stakes, eleven strutstowers, and eleven -yethers, to be cut by you, or some of you, with a knife of one penny -price; and you, Ralph de Perci, shall take twenty and one of each sort, -to be cut in the same manner; and you, Allatson, shall take nine of -each sort to be cut as aforesaid, and to be taken on your backs and -carried to the town of Whitby, and to be there before nine of the clock -the same day before mentioned. If at the same hour of nine of the -clock it be full sea, your labour or service shall cease; but if it -be not full sea, each of you shall set your stakes at the brim and so -yether them, on each side of your yethers, and so stake on each side -with your strowers, that they may stand three tides, without removing -by the force thereof. Each of you shall make and execute the said -service at that very hour, every year, except it shall be full sea at -that hour; but when it shall so fall out, this service shall cease.... -You shall faithfully do this, in remembrance that you did most cruelly -slay me; and that you may the better call to God for mercy, repent -unfeignedly for your sins, and do good works. The officer of Eskdale -side shall blow--'Out on you! out on you! out on you!' for this heinous -crime. If you, or your successors, shall refuse this service, so long -as it shall not be full sea, at the aforesaid hour, you, or yours, -shall forfeit your lands to the Abbot of Whitby, or his successors. -This I entreat, and earnestly beg that you may have lives and goods -preserved for this service; and I request of you to promise, by your -parts in Heaven, that it shall be done by you and your successors as -it is aforesaid requested, and I will confirm it by the faith of an -honest man." Then the hermit said, "My soul longeth for the Lord; and -I do freely forgive these men my death, as Christ forgave the thief -upon the cross," and in the presence of the Abbot and the rest, he -said, moreover, these words, "In manas tuas, domine, commendo spiritum, -meum, avinculis enim mortis redemisti me Domine veritatis. Amen." So -he yielded up the ghost the 8th day of December, A.D. 1160, upon whose -soul God have mercy. Amen. - -In 1753, the service was rendered by the last of the Allatsons, the -Lords of Sneton and Ugglebarnby having, it is supposed, bought off -their share of the penance. He held a piece of land, of L10 a year, at -Fylingdales, for which he brought five stakes, eight yethers, and six -strutstowers, and whilst Mr. Cholmley's bailiff, on an antique bugle -horn, blew "out on you," he made a slight edge of them a little way -into the shallow of the river. - -Burton, writing in 1757, adds, "This little farm is now out of the -Allatson family, but the present owner performed the service last -Ascension Eve, A.D. 1756." - -The horn garth or yether hedge, as the fence was called, was -constructed yearly on the east side of the Esk for the purpose of -keeping cattle from the landing places. - -Charlton, in his history of Whitby, discredits this tradition, saying -that there were no such persons as those mentioned, and no chapel, -only a hermitage in the forest; that the making of the horn garth is -of much older date than that indicated, and that there is no record in -the annals of the abbey of its ever having been made by way of penance; -concluding that it is altogether a monkish invention. - - - - -The Calverley Ghost. - - -A little northward of the road from Bradford to Leeds, four miles -distant from the former and seven from the latter, lies the village -of Calverley, the seat of a knightly family of that name for some -600 years. They occupied a stately mansion, which was converted into -workmen's tenements early in the present century, and the chapel -transformed into a wheelwright's shop. - -Near by is a lane, a weird and lonesome road a couple of centuries ago, -overshadowed as it was by trees, which cast a ghostly gloom over it -after the setting of the sun. It was not much frequented excepting in -broad daylight, and even then only by the bolder and more stout-hearted -of the village rustics, whilst the majority would as soon have dared -to sleep in the charnel-house under the church as have passed down it -by night, or even in the gloaming. Instances were known of strangers -having unwittingly gone through it, all of whom, however, came forth -with trembling limbs and scared faces, their hair erect on their -heads, and the perspiration streaming down from their foreheads. -When questioned as to what they had seen, the reply was always the -same, a cloudlike apparition, thin, transparent, and unsubstantial, -bearing the semblance of a human figure, with no seeming clothing, but -simply a misty, impalpable shape; the features frenzied with rage and -madness, and in the right hand the appearance of a bloody dagger. The -apparition, they averred, seemed to consolidate into form out of a -mist which environed them soon after entering the lane, and continued -to accompany them, but without sound, sign, or motion, save that of -gliding along, accommodating itself to the pace of the terrified -passenger, which was usually that of a full run, until the other end of -the lane was reached, when it melted again into a mere shapeless mass -of vapour. - -The apparition was that of the disquieted soul of a certain Walter -Calverley, which was denied the calm repose of death, and condemned -to flit about this lane, as a penance for a great and unnatural crime -of which he had been guilty. Various attempts were made to exorcise -the restless spirit, but all were ineffectual until some very potent -spiritual agencies were employed, which were successful in "laying -the ghost," but only for a time, as they operate only so long as a -certain holly tree, planted by the hand of the delinquent, continues to -flourish, when that decays the ghost may again be looked for. - -The Calverleys (originally Scott) were a family of distinction in -Yorkshire from the time of Henry I. to the period of the great Civil -War, intermarrying with some of the best families, and producing a -succession of notable men. - -John Scott was steward to Maud, daughter of Malcolm Canmore, King of -Scotland, and niece of Edgar the Atheling, the last scion of the Saxon -race of English Kings; he accompanied her to England on the occasion -of her alliance with King Henry I., and married Larderina, daughter of -Alphonsus Gospatrick, Lord of Calverley and other Yorkshire manors, -who was descended from Gospatrick, Earl of Northumbria, who so stoutly -supported the claims of Edgar the Atheling to the crown of England in -opposition to that of the usurping conqueror, William the Norman. By -this marriage, John Scott became _j.u._ Lord of Calverley. - -William, his grandson, gave the vicarage of Calverley to the chantry of -the Blessed Virgin, York Cathedral, _temp._ Henry III. - -John, his descendant, in the fourteenth century, assumed the name of de -Calverley in lieu of Scott. - -Sir John, Knight, his son, had issue three sons and a daughter, Isabel, -who became Prioress of Esholt. - -John, his son, was one of the squires to Anne, Queen of Richard II. He -fought in the French wars, was captured there, and beheaded for some -"horrible crime, the particulars of which are not known," and dying -_cael_, was succeeded by his brother, Walter, whose second son, Sir -Walter, was instrumental in the rebuilding of the church of Calverley, -and caused his arms--six owls--to be carved on the woodwork. - -Sir John, Knight, his son, was created a Knight-Banneret, and slain at -Shrewsbury, 1403, fighting under the banner of Henry IV. against the -Percies. Dying _s.p._, his brother Walter succeeded, whose second son, -Thomas, was ancestor, by his wife, Agnes Scargill, of the Calverleys -of Morley and of county Cumberland. - -Sir William, his grandson, was created a Knight-Banneret for valour in -the Scottish wars, by the Earl of Surrey; his grandson, Sir William -Knight, was Sheriff of Yorkshire, and died 1571; Thomas, his second -son, was ancestor of the Calverleys of county Durham. Sir Walter, his -son, had issue three sons, of whom Edmund, the third, was ancestor of -the Calverleys of counties Sussex and Surrey. - -William, the eldest son of Sir Walter, whose portrait was exhibited -at York in 1868, married Catherine, daughter of Sir John Thornholm, -Knight, of Haysthorpe, near Bridlington. This lady was a devoted -Catholic, and suffered much persecution for adhering to her faith and -giving refuge to proscribed priests, the estates being sequestered and -some manors sold to pay the fine for recusancy. They had issue Walter, -the subject of this tradition. - -Walter Calverley was born in the reign of Elizabeth, and in his youth -witnessed the relentless persecutions which his family, being adherents -of the old faith, had to endure from the ascendant Protestantism, which -held the reins of government. Those of the reformed religion were wont -to style Mary the "Bloody Queen," for the number of executions and -barbarities which, in the name of religion, stained the annals of her -reign; but it was a notable instance of the pot-and-kettle style of -vituperation, as the burning and hanging and quartering and pressing -to death of Jesuits and seminary priests, and of lay men and women who -afforded them refuge, went on as merrily during the reigns of her two -following successors, as did the roasting of heretics at Smithfield and -elsewhere under Bonner and Gardiner. He was witness, when a boy, of the -barbarous treatment to which his mother was subjected for worshipping -God according to the dictates of her conscience and for daring to -shelter priests of her persuasion. - -Walter was a lad of strong passions and vehement spirit, and the sight -of the sufferings endured by the friends and co-religionists of his -family drove him almost to madness. He would stamp his foot, clench -his fist, and vow vengeance upon the perpetrators, and it is highly -probable that he consorted and plotted with Guy Fawkes and others -of the gunpowder conspirators at Scotton, near Knaresborough, and -might have had a hand in the great plot itself, which culminated and -collapsed in the same year that he committed the crime which cost him -his life. - -He married Philippa, daughter of the Hon. Henry Brooke, fifth son of -George, fourth Baron Cobham, and sister of John, first Baron of the -second creation, and by her had issue three sons, the third of whom, -Henry, succeeded to the estates, whose son, Sir Walter, was a great -sufferer in person and estate for his loyalty during the Civil War, -and who was father of Sir Walter, who was created a baronet by Queen -Anne in 1711, the title becoming extinct in 1777, on the death, without -surviving issue, of his son, Sir Walter Calverley-Blackett. - -For a few years the newly-married couple lived in tolerable harmony -and happiness, such as falls to the lot of most married people. They -looked forward to giving an heir to the family estates who should -perpetuate the name in lineal descent; but the months and years passed -by, and they began to experience the truth that "hope deferred maketh -the heart sick," as no heir made his appearance, which was an especial -disappointment to the Lord of the Calverley domain, and gave rise to -the idea that he had married one who was barren, and incapable of -giving him an heir. Brooding over this impediment to his hopes, he -grew moody and discontented; treated his wife not only with neglect, -but upbraided her with opprobrious epithets, treated her with cold and -cruel disfavour, and in his occasional violent outbursts of passion -would wish her dead, that he might marry again to a more fruitful wife. -Moreover he gave way to over-indulgence in deep potations of ale, sack, -and "distilled waters," which added fire and force to his naturally -fierce temperament, and rendered him almost maniacal in his acts. He -was profuse in his hospitality to his neighbours, frequently giving -dinner parties to his roystering friends, with whom he would sit until -late in the night, or rather until early in the morning carousing over -their cups. - -Amongst the friends who thus visited him was a certain country squire -of the name of Leventhorpe, a young fellow of handsome figure and -insinuating address, who would drink his bottle with the veriest -toper, and yet would conduct himself in the company of ladies with the -utmost decorum and most fascinating demeanour, would converse with -them on flowers and birds and tapestry work, and quote with admirable -accentuation and feeling passages from the writings of the popular -poets, or recite with pathos and humour the novelettes of the Italian -romancists, which then were the delight of every lady's boudoir. He -was introduced by Calverley to his wife, and she being naturally of a -lively, vivacious disposition, and, like ladies of the present age, -a passionate admirer of works of fiction and imagination, she took -great pleasure in his society, as, indeed, he did in hers, and he was -consequently a constant visitor at Calverley Hall, whether invited or -not, and whether the lady's husband was at home or not; but always -was he gladly welcome, and in pure innocence and without any idea -of impropriety, by the lady. On his side, too, he went to the house -as a man might do to that of a sister, without any sentiment save -that of friendship, or, at the utmost, a feeling of platonic love. -Not so, however, the lady's husband. He began to feel annoyed and -disquieted at witnessing their growing intimacy, but hitherto saw no -reason to doubt the fidelity of his wife. Some twelve months after -the introduction of Leventhorpe to the Hall, symptoms became evident -of the probable birth of a child, and Calverley at first hailed the -prospect with satisfaction, praying and hoping that it might prove to -be the long-wished-for son and heir. In due course the child was born, -and of the desired sex, and great were the rejoicings and splendid the -banqueting at the christening. The next year a second son made his -appearance, and then dark thoughts and suspicions began to flit across -Calverley's mind. He considered it strange that no child should have -been born during the early years of his marriage, but that immediately -after Leventhorpe's introduction to the house his wife began to prove -fruitful, and had borne two children, with the prospect of a third. -He brooded over these dark thoughts by night and day until they -ripened into positive jealousy and the belief that the children were -Leventhorpe's, and not his own. - -Influenced by these sentiments, he drank still more deeply, and -was frequently subjected to _delirium tremens_ and maniacal fits -of passion, which rendered him the terror of all by whom he was -surrounded. He could not openly accuse Leventhorpe of a breach of the -seventh commandment, of which he believed him guilty, as he had no -basis of fact upon which to ground the charge; but he found means -to quarrel with him on some frivolous point, and made use of such -expressions of vituperation as he thought would impel him to demand -satisfaction at the sword's point; but Leventhorpe was a quiet, -peaceable man, who swallowed the affront, attributing it to the -deranged state of his friend's mind, induced by too free application to -the bottle; and he simply abstained from visiting the house. - -"He is a coward as well as a knave," said Calverley to himself. "No -gentleman would listen to such language as I have used and submit to it -patiently like a beaten cur, without resenting it with his sword, and -this circumstance proves his guilt, and the certainty of my suspicions; -but I will be amply revenged on both him and his paramour and their -progeny;" and he drank and drank day after day, and more and more -deeply, until he at length brought himself to a state fitting him for a -madhouse and personal restraint. Many a time he sought for Leventhorpe, -with the hope of provoking him to fight, but was not able to accomplish -his purpose, as circumstances had called Leventhorpe to London, where -he remained some months. - -In the meantime the third child was born, and as the mother's health -was delicate, it was sent out to nurse at a farm-house some two or -three miles distant, and it was then that Calverley charged his wife, -to her face, with adultery, adding that he felt positively assured -that the children were Leventhorpe's. She indignantly repelled the -charge, assuring him, with an appeal to the Virgin Mary as to the -truth of what she was saying, that the children were his and nobody -else's; but he would not listen to her denials--called her tears, -which were flowing profusely, the hypocritical tears of a strumpet, -and cursed and swore at her, threatening a dire vengeance on her and -her seducer, and finally left her in a fit of hysterics in the hands -of her women, who had rushed in on hearing her screams. He then went -downstairs to his dining room and sat down to dinner, but could not -eat much, each mouthful as he swallowed it seeming as if it would -choke him. "Take these things away," he exclaimed in a furious tone -to his servants, "and bring me sack, and plenty of it." The terrified -menials saw that he was in one of his maniacal moods, and knew that -it would be aggravated by drinking, but dared not disobey him. The -sack was placed on the table, and he dismissed the attendants with a -curse. Flagon after flagon he poured out and drank in rapid succession, -which soon produced its natural effect. "Ah, demon!" said he, "have -you come again to torment me? Why sit you there, opposite me, grinning -and gesticulating? You are an ugly devil, sure enough, with your fiery -eyes, your pointed horns, and your barbed tail. You tell me that it -were but just to murder my wife, Leventhorpe, and their brats, and I -don't know but what the advice is good. Aye, twirl your tail as a dog -does when he is pleased; you think you have got another recruit for -your nether kingdom, and you are right. I live here a hell upon earth, -and I do not see that I shall be much the worse off with you below; -besides I shall have the satisfaction of vengeance, and that will repay -me amply for any after-death punishment. Aye, grin on, but leave me now -to finish this bottle in quietness, for I cannot drink with comfort -whilst you are grimacing and jibing at me there." He spoke this in a -loud tone of voice, to which the scared servants were listening at the -door, after which he continued to drain goblet after goblet, giving -forth utterances more and more incoherent, until at length he fell -from his chair with a heavy thump on the floor. Hearing this, the -servants entered, and found him, as they had often found him before, in -a state of senseless intoxication, and carried him up to bed. - -Having slept off his debauch, he awoke late the following morning with -a raging thirst, which he endeavoured to assuage by deep draughts of -ale. Breakfast he could eat none, but continued drinking until his -familiar demon again made his appearance, and seemed to incite him -to the fulfilment of his vow of revenge. Leventhorpe was out of his -reach, but the other destined victims were at hand, and what more -fitting time than the present for the execution of his purpose? He -selected a dagger from his store of weapons, and carefully sharpened -it to a fine point; then gave directions to have his horse saddled -and brought to the door of the hall to await his pleasure. As he had -three or four men-servants, who might hinder him in his intent, he sent -them on several errands about the estate, and when they had departed, -leaving only the female domestics in the house, he went, dagger in -hand, into the hall, where he found his eldest son playing. Seizing -him by the hair of his head, he stabbed him in three or four places, -and, taking him in his arms, carried him bleeding to his mother's -apartment. "There," said he, throwing the body down, "is one of the -fruits of your illicit intercourse, and the others must share the same -fate." So saying, he laid hold of his second son, who was in the room, -and stabbed him to the heart. The mother, shrieking with terror and -agony, rushed forward to save the child, but was too late, and herself -received three or four blows from the dagger, and fell senseless to the -floor, but more from horror and fright than from her wounds, which were -but slight, thanks to a steel stomacher which she wore. Imagining that -he had killed her as well as the children, he mounted his horse and -rode towards the village, where his youngest child was at nurse, with -the intention of killing it also, but on the road he was thrown from -his horse, and before he could re-mount was secured by his servants, -who had gone in pursuit of him. - -He was taken before the nearest magistrate--Sir John Bland, of -Kippax--and in the course of his examination stated that he had -meditated the deed for four years, and that he was fully convinced that -the children were not his. He was committed to York Castle and brought -to trial, but refusing to plead, was subjected to _peine forte et -dure_. He was taken to the press-yard, stripped to his shirt, and laid -on a board with a stone under his back; his arms were stretched out and -secured by cords; another board was placed over his body, upon which -were laid heavy weights one by one, he being asked in the intervals if -he still refused. He bore the agony with firmness and endurance, even -when the great pressure broke his ribs and caused them to protrude from -the sides. As weight after weight was added, nothing could be extorted -from him save groans caused by the intensity of the pain, which at -length ceased and the weights were removed, revealing a mere mass of -crushed bloody flesh and mangled bones. - -The two children died, and the third lived to succeed to the estates. -The mother also recovered, and married for her second husband Sir -Thomas Burton, Knight. - -"Two Most Unnatural and Bloodie Murthers, by Master Calverley, a -Yorkshire gentleman, upon his wife and two children, 1605." Edited by -J. Payne Collier, 1863. - -"A Yorkshire Tragedy, not so new as lamentable, by Mr. Shakespeare; -acted at the Globe, 1608. London 1619. With a portrait of the brat at -nurse." Attributed to Shakespeare (without proof) by Stevens and others. - -"The Fatal Extravagance. By Joseph Mitchell, 1720." A play based on the -same subject, and performed at the Lincoln's Inn Theatre. - -The incident is also introduced by Harrison Ainsworth in his romance of -"Rookwood." - - - - -The Bewitched House of Wakefield. - - -In the earlier half of the seventeenth century, and during the -Commonwealth, there dwelt in a mud-walled and thatched cottage, in -the environs of Wakefield, a "wise woman," as she was styled, named -Jennet Benton, with her son, George Benton. He had been a soldier in -the Parliamentarian army, but, since its disbandment, had loafed about -Wakefield without any ostensible occupation, living, as it appeared, -on his mother's earnings in her profession. As a "wise woman," she -was resorted to by great numbers of people--by persons who had lost -property, to gain a clue to the discovery of the pilferers--by men -to learn the most propitious times for harvesting, sheepshearing, -etc.--by matrons to obtain charms for winning back their dissipated -or unfaithful husbands to domestic life, as it existed the first few -months after marriage--and by young men and maidens for consultation -with her on matters of love; and, as no advice was given without its -equivalent in the coin of the realm, she made a very fair living, and -was enabled to maintain her son in idleness, who was wont to spend a -great part of his time in pot houses, with other quondam troopers, -their chief topics of discourse being disputed points of controversy -between the Independents and Presbyterians, and revilings of the -Popish whore of Babylon and her progeny, the Church of England. -Although not imbued with much of the spirit of piety, Benton, in his -campaigning career, had imbibed much of the fanaticism, superstition, -and phraseology of the lower class of the Puritans, such of them as -assumed the hypocritical garb of Puritanism to curry favour with their -superiors, who were, as a rule, men of sincere piety, and, in so doing, -somewhat overdid the part by altogether out-Puritaning them in the -extravagance of their outbursts of zeal, and in the almost blasphemous -use of Scriptural expressions. Such was Benton amongst his companions, -and he passed for a fairly godly man. With his mother, however, he cast -off all this assumption of religion and the use of Bible phrases, for -she was a woman who despised all religions alike, and sneered equally -at the "snivelling cant" of the Puritans, the proud arrogance of the -Bishops of the Church, and the "absurd drivellings" of the Separatists; -but these ideas she was sufficiently wise to keep to herself, or -confide them to her son alone. She even went occasionally to church and -conventicle, that she might stand well with her customers, who were of -all sects. She had, besides, a voluble tongue, and was not deficient -in intelligence, so that she was able to converse with all, each one -according to his doctrinal bias, so as to leave an impression that she -was not opposed but rather inclined to the particular theological dogma -then under discussion. - -There was, however, a vague idea prevalent in Wakefield that Mother -Benton was a witch, had intercourse with the Devil, and was a dangerous -person to deal with otherwise than on friendly terms. She was old, -wrinkled, and ungainly in features; unmistakable characteristics of the -sisterhood. She was possessed of wisdom in occult matters seemingly -superhuman, which could only be derived from a compact with Satan. -She had a huge black cat, presumably an imp, her familiar, who would -bristle up his hair and spit viciously at the old woman's visitors -until restrained by her command. On one occasion, however, a handsome -young man came from her cottage followed by the cat, which was observed -to purr and rub himself affectionately against his legs, who, it was -assumed, could be none other than the Father of Evil himself, who had -assumed that guise to pay a friendly visit to his servant and disciple. -She was also sometimes away from her cottage for a night, and the -inquiry arose--for what purpose, excepting to attend a Sabbath of the -witches. It is true she had never been seen passing through the air -astride of her broom, but it was noticed that whenever she was absent -on such occasions her broom, which usually stood outside her cottage -door, disappeared also, and was found in its place again on her return. - -At this time the belief in witchcraft was universally prevalent, as -we find in the narrative of the witches of Fuystone, in the forest of -Knaresborough, who played such pranks in the family of Edward Fairfax, -the translator of Tasso, about the same time. Indeed it was considered -as impious then to doubt their existence as it is now-a-days of their -master and instigator, for is there not a Scriptural precept--"Thou -shalt not suffer a witch to live?" and was there not a witch of Endor -who summoned the spirit of Samuel? Besides, had not many decrepit -half-witted old women, when subjected to torture, confessed that -they had entered into compact with the Devil, bargaining their souls -for length of years and the power of inflicting mischief on their -neighbours? It is quite certain that the evidences of Mother Benton -being one of the sisterhood of Satan were so palpable that had she not -been so useful in Wakefield in her vocation of a "wise woman" she would -have been subjected to the usual ordeal, by way of testing whether she -were a witch or not. This ordeal consisted of stripping the accused, -tying her thumbs to her great toes and throwing her into a pond: if -she floated, it was a proof that she, having rejected the baptismal -water of regeneration, the water rejected her, and she was hauled out -and burnt at the stake as an undoubted witch, but if she sank and were -drowned she was declared innocent; so that, were she guilty or innocent -of the foul crime, the result was pretty much the same, excepting in -the mode of terminating her existence. - -At this time one Richard Jackson held a farm called Bunny Hall, under a -Mr. Stringer, of Sharlston, which lay near to Jennet Benton's cottage. -Over one of Jackson's fields was a pathway, really for the use of the -tenant of the farm, but which was used on sufferance by others, Jennet -and her son frequently having occasion to pass along it. Jackson, -however, in consequence of the damage done to his crops by passengers, -disputed the right of the public, and issued a public notice that after -a certain date it would be closed. The people of Wakefield, in reply to -the notice, asserted that it was an ancient footpath that had belonged -to the public time out of mind, and that they intended to continue the -use of it in spite of Jackson's prohibition. Jennet and her son were -the ringleaders of this opposition, and after the closure of the path, -passed over the railings placed across the entrance, and were going -along as they had been wont to do, when they were met by Daniel Craven, -one of Jackson's servants, who told them that they could not be allowed -to cross the field as it was private property. An angry altercation -ensued, in the course of which George Benton took up a piece of flint -and threw it with great force at Craven, "wherewith he cut his overlipp -and broake two teeth out of his chaps," and thus having overcome their -opponent they went onward and out at the other end. An action for -trespass was then laid against George Benton by Farmer Jackson, who -appears to have won his cause, as Benton "submitted to it, and indevors -were used to end the difference, which was composed and satisfaction -given unto the said Craven;" satisfaction of a pecuniary nature, no -doubt. - -A few days after the judicial termination of the case, "Jackson _v._ -Benton," the farmer was riding home from Wakefield market. He had to -pass Jennet's cottage on his road, and he thought to accost her in -a conciliatory style, as he did not wish to be at variance with his -neighbours, especially with one who had the reputation of being "a wise -woman," whose services he might require in cases of pilfering, sheep -stealing, and the like; in cases of sickness amongst his children, -or a murrain amongst his cattle; or in other cases beyond the ken of -ordinary mortals; hence he considered it politic to remain on good -terms with her, although he had felt it his duty to maintain the action -for trespass. - -As he approached the cottage, the old woman was seated outside her -door, watching a cauldron suspended from cross sticks, in which was -simmering a decoction of herbs, to eventuate in a love philtre -probably for some love-sick maiden. By her side was seated her black -cat, who bridled up and spat viciously at the farmer as he came up. - -"Ah, mother Benton," said he, reining up, "busy as usual, I see, -preparing something for the benefit of one of your clients." - -"It is no business of yours what I am preparing," she replied. "I sent -not for you, nor do I want your conversation or interference in my -concerns. Go your way, or it may be the worse for you." - -"Nay, good dame, be not angry, I came not to interfere with your -concerns; I merely stopped on my road home to say 'good even' to -you, and to see if I could be of any service to you, for I desire to -cultivate the good-will of my neighbours." - -"And a pretty way you have of doing so by prosecuting them in law -courts for maintaining the rights of themselves and their ancestors for -generations past." - -"That I was compelled to do, good Jennet, for the maintenance of my own -rights. It was a necessity forced upon me, but I bear no ill-will to -either you or your son. And see, as a proof thereof, I have brought -you a new kirtle from Wakefield," at the same time drawing from his -saddlebags a flaming scarlet garment of that kind, which he threw into -her lap. - -"Farmer Jackson," said she, "come not here with your honied lips and -deceitful expressions of friendship. I want none of your gifts," and -taking up the kirtle, she rent it into a dozen pieces, and thrust them -into the fire under the cauldron. - -"Listen to me one moment," commenced Jackson, but the old beldame, -rising up into a majestic attitude, interrupted him with, "I will -listen no more to your hypocritical palaver. You have done me a -grievous wrong in citing my son before your law courts, it is an -unpardonable offence, and soon shall you know what it is to incur -the wrath of Jennet Benton, the wise woman of Wakefield. Within a -twelvemonth and a day, Farmer Jackson, shall you find at what cost -you set the myrmidons of the law upon me and my belongings, and from -that time to your life's end shall you rue that day's work. It is I, -the wise woman of Wakefield, who say it, and see if I am not a true -soothsayer, and merit the appellation I bear. That is all I have -got to say," and she passed into her cottage, whilst the farmer rode -homeward, not without a foreboding of impending evil. - -We have many narratives on record of houses that have been the scenes -of remarkable disturbances and strange apparitions, of furniture -moved from place to place without apparent agency, of domestic -utensils thrown about by no perceptible impelling power, and of noises -attributable to no human cause, problems that in many cases have never -been solved, but which have usually been ascribed to some mischievous -goblin, or to the ghost of some unhappy person who has come by death -unfairly and by foul means. - -Farmer Jackson's house and homestead from this time, for the period -of a year and a day, became haunted in this fashion, but here there -could be no doubt as to the cause. It was the spell cast over it by -the machinations of the witch, Jennet Benton, and it was in fact not a -haunted but a bewitched house. - -As Jackson rode home he thought of the curse laid upon him by the -witch, but being a strong-minded man he did not entertain the current -superstition as to the superhuman diabolic power said to be possessed -by such persons, and he felt little or no apprehension on that score; -yet he inclined so far to the popular belief as to fear that by some -means she might cast incantations over his cattle and crops, so as to -cause the former to sicken and die, and the latter to wither and come -to naught. - -On reaching his home he stabled his horse, and going indoors he -accosted his wife with some cursory remark, but she made no reply, and -he thought to himself, "She is sullen to-night--in one of her tantrums; -what's the matter, I wonder." He then sat down to supper, with his -children about him, and a couple of maid-servants employed in some -domestic duty, when his wife inquired, "Why are you all so silent; are -you all dumb; have you got anything to tell me about the doings at -the market, husband, goodman?" "What on earth do you mean?" inquired -Jackson; "I spoke to you when I came in, and there has been noise -enough among the children since then to waken the Seven Sleepers." -Mrs. Jackson still stood staring, with a vacant countenance, and said, -after a pause, "Why don't you reply? It seems as if one were in the -charnel-house of the church, surrounded by the dead." It then occurred -to Jackson that his wife must have suddenly become stone deaf, and -by means of signs and such writing as the family had at command, he -ascertained that such was the fact; but he dreamt not that it was the -beginning of the witch's spell. - -A night or two after, one of the children was stricken by an epileptic -fit, throwing itself about with great violence and twisting its body -with strange contortions, with convulsive writhings, and requiring to -be held down by three or four persons to prevent its doing itself an -injury. - -One morning the swineherd of the farm came into the room where Jackson -was sitting at breakfast, and with a scared countenance told him that -a herd of swine that had been shut up in a barn the previous night -"had broake thorrow two barn dores," and had fled no one knew whither. -A search was immediately instituted, but it was not until after two -or three days that a portion of the herd was found at a considerable -distance from the farm, the remainder being lost altogether. - -On another occasion Jackson himself, "although helthfull of body, was -suddenly taken without any probable reason to be given or naturall -cause appearing, being sometimes in such extremity that he conceived -himselfe drawne in pieces at the hart, backe, and shoulders." During -the first fit he heard the sound of music and dancing, as if in the -room where he lay. He partially recovered the following day, but at -twelve o'clock the next night he had another fit, and during its -continuance he heard a loud ringing of bells, accompanied by sounds -of singing and dancing. He inquired of his wife, who appears by this -time to have recovered her sense of hearing, what the bell-ringing and -singing meant; but she replied that she heard nothing of it, as also -did his man. "He asked them againe and againe if they heard it not. -At last he and his wife and servant heard it (what?) give three hevie -groones. At that instant doggs did howle and yell at the windows as -though they would heve puld them in pieces." - -Jackson now became fully convinced that he was enduring all these -trials and sufferings from the curse of the witch Jennet, and he -expressed this opinion to his friends who came to condole with him. -They, with neighbourly feeling, proposed to put the question to the -test by submitting the old woman to the usual ordeal of the horse -pond; but he would not hear of this, not even yet, with such probable -evidence, believing that Satan could be authorised to endow old women -with such mischievous powers. By the counsel of his friends, however, -he sanctioned the sending a deputation to Jennet to investigate the -matter. The deputation went to her cottage and told her their errand, -but she only laughed at them. "It is true," said she, "that I called -down the wrath of Heaven upon him and his belongings for his cruel -persecution of a helpless widow and her orphan son; and if God has -listened to my supplication, and sent calamity upon him, it is intended -as a warning to him that, for the future, he may be more merciful to -the poor and unprotected. If he chooses to blame any one, he must -attribute his punishment to a much higher power than a feeble mortal -such as I am." - -During all this time Jackson's house was rendered almost uninhabitable -by noises and apparitions, so that the servants fled from it -panic-stricken, and others could not be found to take their places. -The commencement of the disturbances was some six months after the -utterance of the curse. The family were seated at supper when a -tremendous crash was heard in the next room, as if some heavy metal -vessel had been flung violently on the floor. Supposing it to be -something that had fallen from a shelf or a hook in the ceiling, they -went into the room, but found nothing to account for the noise. At -other times it would seem as if all the doors of the house were being -slammed to, or the windows shaken as by a storm of wind, although there -was not the slightest agitation in the atmosphere. Then would occur -shrieks as of persons in distress, groans as of sufferers in agonies of -pain, and bursts of demoniac laughter, with a flapping of huge bat-like -wings. "Apparitions like blacke dogges and catts were also scene," -which darted out from under the furniture and usually passed out up the -chimney, it being immaterial whether or not a fire was blazing in the -grate. Along with all these disturbances in the house and unaccountable -illnesses of the various members of the household, the horses and -cattle of the farm were subjected to similar inflictions, much to the -detriment of Jackson's material prosperity. Week after week news came -in of the death of horses, cows, and sheep: and in his deposition at -York, Jackson said that "since the time the said Jennet and George -Benton threatened him he hath lost eighteen horses and meares, and he -conceives he hath had all this loss by the use of some witchcraft or -sorcerie by the said Jennet and George Benton." - -For a twelvemonth and a day these disturbances, sufferings, and losses -continued, rendering Jackson almost bankrupt, and then they all at once -ceased. - -Being fully convinced that these troubles had been caused by the -diabolical incantations of the witch Jennet, he brought a charge -against her and her son, at York, of practising witchcraft against -him, and they were tried at the assizes on the 7th June, 1656. The -depositions of the trial are printed in a volume published by the -Surtees Society in 1861, entitled "Depositions from the Castle of York -relating to offences committed in the northern counties during the -seventeenth century. Edited by J. Raine." - - - - -_ELEGANTLY BOUND IN CLOTH GILT, DEMY 8vo., 6s._ - -YORKSHIRE FAMILY ROMANCE. - -By FREDERICK ROSS, F.R.H.S. - -AUTHOR OF "THE RUINED ABBEYS OF ENGLAND," "CELEBRITIES OF YORKSHIRE -WOLDS," "BIOGRAPHIA EBORACENSIS," "THE PROGRESS OF CIVILISATION," ETC. - - -Amongst Yorkshire Authors Mr. FREDERICK ROSS occupies a leading place. -For over sixty years he has been a close student of the history of -his native county, and perhaps no author has written so much and -well respecting it. His residence in London has enabled him to take -advantage of the important stores of unpublished information contained -in the British Museum, the Public Record Office, and in other places. -He has also frequently visited Yorkshire to collect materials for his -works. His new book is one of the most readable and instructive he -has written. It will be observed from the following list of subjects -that the work is of wide and varied interest, and makes a permanent -contribution to Yorkshire literature. - - - CONTENTS: - - The Synod of Streoneshalh. - The Doomed Heir of Osmotherley. - St. Eadwine, the Royal Martyr. - The Viceroy Siward. - Phases in the Life of a Political Martyr. - The Murderer's Bride. - The Earldom of Wiltes. - Blackfaced Clifford. - The Shepherd Lord. - The Felons of Ilkley. - The Ingilby Boar's Head. - The Eland Tragedy. - The Plumpton Marriage. - The Topcliffe Insurrection. - Burning of Cottingham Castle. - The Alum Workers. - The Maiden of Marblehead. - Rise of the House of Phipps. - The Traitor Governor of Hull. - - - IMPORTANT NOTICE.--The Edition is limited to 500 copies, and the - greater part are sold. The book will advance in price in course of - time. - - -HULL: WILLIAM ANDREWS & CO., THE HULL PRESS. -London: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent, & Co., Ltd. - - - - -_Elegantly bound in cloth gilt, demy 8vo., price 6s._ - -Old Church Lore. - -By WILLIAM ANDREWS, F.R.H.S., - -_Author of "Curiosities of the Church," "Old-Time Punishments," -"Historic Romance," etc._ - - - CONTENTS. - - The Right of Sanctuary--The Romance of Trial--A Fight between the - Mayor of Hull and the Archbishop of York--Chapels on Bridges--Charter - Horns--The Old English Sunday--The Easter Sepulchre--St. Paul's - Cross--Cheapside Cross--The Biddenden Maids Charity--Plagues and - Pestilences--A King Curing an Abbot of Indigestion--The Services - and Customs of Royal Oak Day--Marrying in a White Sheet--Marrying - under the Gallows--Kissing the Bride--Hot Ale at Weddings--Marrying - Children--The Passing Bell--Concerning Coffins--The Curfew - Bell--Curious Symbols of the Saints--Acrobats on Steeples--A - carefully-prepared Index. - -ILLUSTRATED. - - -PRESS OPINIONS. - - "A worthy work on a deeply interesting subject.... We commend this - book strongly."--_European Mail._ - - "An interesting volume."--_The Scotsman._ - - "Contains much that will interest and instruct."--_Glasgow Herald._ - - "Mr. Andrews' book does not contain a dull page.... Deserves to meet - with a very warm welcome."--_Yorkshire Post._ - - "Mr. Andrews, in 'Old Church Lore,' makes the musty parchments and - records he has consulted redolent with life and actuality, and has - added to his works a most interesting volume, which, written in a - light and easy narrative style, is anything but of the 'dry-as-dust' - order. The book is handsomely got up, being both bound and printed in - an artistic fashion."--_Northern Daily News._ - - -HULL: WILLIAM ANDREWS & CO., THE HULL PRESS. -London: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent, & Co., Ltd. - - - - - * * * * * * - - - - -Transcriber's note: - -Obvious printer errors have been corrected. 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