99 99 99 99 99 ---------------------------------------- -------- ,transcriber's ,note3 ,some very obvious typos were corrected in this text4 ,for a list please see the bottom of the document4 ---------------------------------------- -------- 99 99 99 99 99 ,illustration3 ,,for ,,the ,,blast ,,of ,,death ,,is ,,on ,,the ,,heath1 ,,and ,,the ,,grave ,,yawns ,,wide ,,for ,,the ,,child ,,of ,,moy4 ,,strange ,,pages ,,from ,,family ,,papers ,by ,t4,f4 ,,thiselton ,,dyer ,,author ,,of ,,great ,,men ,,at ,,play1 ,,church ,,lore ,,gleanings1 ,,the ,,ghost ,,world1 ,c4 ,,london ,,sampson ,,low1 ,,marston ,,company ,,limited ,st4 ,dunstan's ,house1 ,,fetter ,,lane1 ,,fleet ,,street1 ,e4,c4 #ahie ,,london3 ,,printed ,,by ,,horace ,,cox1 ,,windsor ,,house1 ,,bream',s ,,buildings1 ,e4,c4 ,,contents ,,chapter ,i4 ,fatal ,curses page #a ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,the ,screaming ,skull #bi ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,eccentric ,vows #df ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,strange ,banquets #fi ,,chapter ,v4 ,mysterious ,rooms #hh ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,indelible ,bloodstains #aad ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,curious ,secrets #ace ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,the ,dead ,hand #aed ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,devil ,compacts #afb ,,chapter ,x4 ,family ,death ,omens #ahj ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,weird ,possessions #aih ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,romance of ,disguise #bjh ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,extraordinary ,disappearances #bbi ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,honoured ,hearts #bec ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,romance of ,wealth #bfb ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,lucky ,accidents #bgi ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,fatal ,passion #bhi ,index #cji ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations #a4 ,for the blast of ,death is on the heath1 ,and the grave yawns wide for the child of ,moy4 ,frontispiece4 #b4 ,she opened it in secret page #ch #c4 ,madam1 you have attained your end4 ,you and ,i shall meet no more in this world #gb #d4 ,the figure stood motionless #aej #e4 ,lady ,sybil at the ,eagle's ,crag #afh #f4 ,dorothy ,vernon and the ,woodman #bad #g4 ,lady ,mabel and the ,palmer #bdh #h4 ,there came an old ,irish harper1 and sang an ancient song #bgb ,,strange ,,pages ,,from ,,family ,,papers4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,fatal ,,curses4 ,may the grass wither from thy feet6 the woods ,deny thee shelter6 ,earth a home6 the dust ,a grave6 ,the sun his light6 and heaven her ,god4 ,,byron1 ,cain4 ,many a strange and curious romance has been handed down in the history of our great families1 relative to the terrible curses uttered in cases of dire extremity against persons considered guilty of injustice and wrong doing4 ,it is to such fearful imprecations that the misfortune and downfall of certain houses have been attributed1 although1 it may be1 centuries have elapsed before their final fulfilment4 ,such curses1 too1 unlike the fatal ,curse of ,kehama1 have rarely turned into blessings1 nor have they been thought to be as harmless as the curse of the ,cardinal-,archbishop of ,rheims1 who banned the thief--both body and soul1 his life and for ever--who stole his ring4 ,it was an awful curse1 but none of the guests seemed the worse for it1 except the poor jackdaw who had hidden the ring in some sly corner as a practical joke4 ,but1 if we are to believe traditionary and historical lore1 only too many of the curses recorded in the chronicles of family history have been productive of the most disastrous results1 reminding us of that dreadful malediction given by ,byron in his ,curse of ,minerva3 ,so let him stand1 through ages yet unborn1 ,fix'd statue on the pedestal of scorn4 ,a popular form of curse seems to have been the gradual collapse of the family name from failure of male-issue2 and although there is1 perhaps1 no more romantic chapter in the vicissitudes of many a great house than its final extinction from lack of an heir1 such a disaster is all the more to be lamented when resulting from a curse4 ,a catastrophe of this kind was that connected with the ,m',alister family of ,scotch notoriety4 ,the story goes that many generations back1 one of their chiefs1 ,m',alister ,indre--an intrepid warrior who feared neither ,god nor man--in a skirmish with a neighbouring clan1 captured a widow's two sons1 and in a most heartless manner caused them to be hanged on a gibbet erected almost before her very door4 ,it was in vain that1 with well nigh heartbroken tears1 she denounced his iniquitous act1 for his comrades and himself only laughed and scoffed1 and even threatened to burn her cottage to the ground4 ,but as the crimson and setting rays of a summer sun fell on the lifeless bodies of her two sons1 her eyes met those of him who had so basely and cruelly wronged her1 and1 after once more stigmatizing his barbarity1 with deep measured voice she pronounced these ominous words1 embodying a curse which ,m',alister ,indre little anticipated would so surely come to pass4 ,i suffer now1 said the grief-stricken woman1 but you shall suffer always--you have made me childless1 but you and yours shall be heirless for ever--never shall there be a son to the house of ,m',alister4 ,these words were treated with contempt by ,m',alister ,indre1 who mocked and laughed at the malicious prattle of a woman's tongue4 ,but time proved only too truly how persistently the curse of the bereaved woman clung to the race of her oppressors1 and1 as ,sir ,bernard ,burke remarks1 it was in the reign of ,queen ,anne that the hopes of the house of ,m',alister flourished for the last time1 they were blighted for ever4 ,the closing scene of this prophetic curse was equally tragic and romantic2 for1 whilst espousing the cause of the ,pretender1 the young and promising heir of the ,m',alisters was taken prisoner1 and with many others put to death4 ,incensed at the wrongs of his exiled monarch1 and full of fiery impulse1 he had secretly left his youthful wife1 and joined the army at ,perth that was to restore the ,pretender to his throne4 ,for several months the deserted wife fretted under the terrible suspense1 often silently wondering if1 after all1 her husband--the last hope of the ,house of ,m',alister--was to fall under the ban of the widow's curse4 ,she could not dispel from her mind the hitherto disastrous results of those ill-fated words1 and would only too willingly have done anything in her power to make atonement for the wrong that had been committed in the past4 ,it was whilst almost frenzied with thoughts of this distracting kind1 that vague rumours reached her ears of a great battle which had been fought1 and ere long this was followed by the news that the ,pretender's forces had been successful1 and that he was about to be crowned at ,scone4 ,the shades of evening were fast setting in as1 overcome with the joyous prospect of seeing her husband home again1 she withdrew to her chamber1 and1 flinging herself on her bed in a state of hysteric delight1 fell asleep4 ,but her slumbers were broken1 for at every sound she started1 mentally exclaiming ,can that be my husband8 ,at last1 the happy moment came when her poor overwrought brain made sure it heard his footsteps4 ,she listened1 yes6 they were his6 ,full of feverish joy she was longing to see that long absent face1 when1 as the door opened1 to her horror and dismay1 there entered a figure in martial array without a head4 ,it was enough--he was dead4 ,and with an agonizing scream she fell down in a swoon2 and on becoming conscious only lived to hear the true narrative of the battle of ,sheriff-,muir1 which had brought to pass the ,widow's ,curse that there should be no heir to the house of ,m',alister4 ,this story reminds us of one told of ,sir ,richard ,herbert1 who1 with his brother1 the ,earl of ,pembroke1 pursuing a robber band in ,anglesea1 had captured seven brothers1 the ringleaders of many mischiefs and murders4 ,the ,earl of ,pembroke determined to make an example of these marauders1 and1 to root out so wretched a progeny1 ordered them all to be hanged4 ,upon this1 the mother of the felons came to the ,earl of ,pembroke1 and upon her knees besought him to pardon two1 or at least one1 of her sons1 a request which was seconded by the ,earl's brother1 ,sir ,richard4 ,but the ,earl1 finding the condemned men all equally guilty1 declared he could make no distinction1 and ordered them to be hanged together4 ,upon this the mother1 falling upon her knees1 cursed the ,earl1 and prayed that ,god's mischief might fall upon him in the first battle in which he was engaged4 ,curious to relate1 on the eve of the battle of ,edgcot ,field1 having marshalled his men in order to fight1 the ,earl of ,pembroke was surprised to find his brother1 ,sir ,richard ,herbert1 standing in the front of his company1 and leaning upon his pole-axe in a most dejected and pensive mood4 ,what1 cried the ,earl1 doth thy great body 7for ,sir ,richard was taller than anyone in the army7 apprehend anything1 that thou art so melancholy8 or art thou weary with marching1 that thou dost lean thus upon thy pole-axe8 ,i am not weary with marching1 replied ,sir ,richard1 nor do ,i apprehend anything for myself2 but ,i cannot but apprehend on your part lest the curse of the woman fall upon you4 ,and the curse of the frantic mother of seven convicts seemed1 we are told1 to have gained the authority of ,heaven1 for both the ,earl and his brother ,sir ,richard1 were defeated at the battle of ,edgcot1 were both taken prisoners and put to death4 ,sir ,walter ,scott has made a similar legend the subject of one of his ballads in the ,minstrelsy of the ,scottish ,border1 entitled ,the ,curse of ,moy1 a tale founded on an ancient ,highland tradition that originated in a feud between the clans of ,chattan and ,grant4 ,the ,castle of ,moy1 the early residence of ,mackintosh1 the chief of the clan ,chattan1 is situated among the mountains of ,inverness-shire1 and stands on the edge of a small gloomy lake called ,loch ,moy1 in which is still shown a rocky island as the spot where the dungeon stood in which prisoners were confined by the former chiefs of ,moy4 ,on a certain evening1 in the annals of ,moy1 the scene is represented as having been one of extreme merriment1 for ,in childbed lay the lady fair1 ,but now is come the appointed hour4 ,and vassals shout1 ,an heir1 an heir6 ,it is no ordinary occasion1 for a wretched curse has long hung over the ,castle of ,moy1 but at last the spell seems broken1 and1 as the well-spiced bowl goes round1 shout after shout echoes and re-echoes through the castle1 ,an heir1 an heir6 ,many a year had passed without the prospect of such an event1 and it had looked as if the ill-omened words uttered in the past were to be realised4 ,it was no wonder then that in the gloomy towers of ,moy there were feasting and revelry1 for a child is born who is to perpetuate the clan which hitherto had seemed threatened with extinction4 ,but1 even on this festive night when every heart is tuned for song and mirth1 there suddenly appears a mysterious figure1 a pale and shivering form1 by age and frenzy haggard made1 who defiantly exclaims ',tis vain6 ',tis vain6 ,at once all eyes are turned on this strange form1 as she1 in mocking gesture1 casts a look of withering scorn on the scene around her1 and startles the jovial vassals with the reproachful words ,no heir6 ,no heir6 ,the laughter is hushed1 the pipes no longer sound1 for the witch with uplifted hand beckons that she had a message to tell--a message from ,death--she might truly say1 ,what means these bowls of wine--these festive songs8 ,for the blast of ,death is on the heath1 ,and the grave yawns wide for the child of ,moy4 ,she then recounts the tale of treachery and cruelty committed by a chief of the ,house of ,moy in the days of old1 for which his name shall perish for ever off the earth--a son may be born--but that son shall verily die4 ,the witch brings tears into many an eye as she tells how this curse was uttered by one ,margaret1 a prominent figure in this sad feud1 for it was when deceived in the most base manner1 and when betrayed by a man who had violated his promise he had solemnly pledged1 that she is moved to pronounce the fatal words of doom3 ,she pray'd that childless and forlorn1 ,the chief of ,moy might pine away1 ,that the sleepless night1 and the careful morn ,might wither his limbs in slow decay4 ,but never the son of a chief of ,moy ,might live to protect his father's age1 ,or close in peace his dying eye1 ,or gather his gloomy heritage4 ,such was the ,curse of ,moy1 uttered1 it must be remembered1 too1 by a fair young girl1 against the ,chief of ,moy for a blood-thirsty crime--the act of a traitor--in that1 not content with slaying her father1 and murdering her lover1 he satiates his brutal passion by letting her eyes rest on their corpses4 ,and here1 they said1 is thy father dead1 ,and thy lover's corpse is cold at his side4 ,her tale ended1 the witch departs1 but now ceased the revels of the shuddering clan1 for despair had seized on every breast1 and in every vein chill terror ran4 ,on the morrow1 all is changed1 no joyous sounds are heard1 but silence reigns supreme--the silence of death4 ,the curse has triumphed1 the last hope of the house of ,moy is gone1 and-- ,scarce shone the morn on the mountain's head ,when the lady wept o'er her dying boy4 ,but tyranny1 or oppression1 has always been supposed to bring its own punishment1 as in the case of ,barcroft ,hall1 ,lancashire1 where the ,idiot's ,curse is commonly said to have caused the downfall of the family4 ,the tradition current in the neighbourhood states that one of the heirs to ,barcroft was of weak intellect1 and that he was fastened by a younger brother with a chain in one of the cellars1 and there in a most cruel manner gradually starved to death4 ,it appears that this unnatural conduct on the part of the younger brother was prompted by a desire to get possession of the property2 and it is added that1 long before the heir to ,barcroft was released from his sufferings1 he caused a report to be circulated that he was dead1 and by this piece of deception made himself master of the ,barcroft estate4 ,it was in one of his lucid intervals that the poor injured brother pronounced a curse upon the family of the ,barcrofts1 to the effect that their name should perish for ever1 and that the property should pass into other hands4 ,but this malediction was only regarded as the ravings of an imbecile1 unaccountable for his words1 and little or no heed was paid to this death sentence on the ,barcroft name4 ,and yet1 light as the family made of it1 within a short time there were not wanting indications that their prosperity was on the wane1 a fact which every year became more and more discernible until the curse was fulfilled in the person of ,thomas ,barcroft1 who died in #afhh without male issue4 ,after passing through the hands of the ,bradshaws1 the ,pimlots1 and the ,isherwoods1 the property was finally sold to ,charles ,towneley1 the celebrated antiquarian1 in the year #agie4a ,whatever the truth of this family tradition1 ,barcroft is still a good specimen of the later ,tudor style1 and its ample cellarage gives an idea of the profuse hospitality of its former owners1 some rude scribblings on one of the walls of which are still pointed out as the work of the captive4 ,in a still more striking way this spirit of persecution incurred its own condemnation4 ,in the #agth century1 ,francis ,howgill1 a noted ,quaker1 travelled about the ,south of ,england preaching1 which at ,bristol was the cause of serious rioting4 ,on returning to his own neighbourhood1 he was summoned to appear before the justices who were holding a court in a tavern at ,kendal1 and1 on his refusing to take the oath of allegiance1 he was imprisoned in ,appleby ,gaol4 ,in due time1 the judges of assizes tendered the same oath1 but with the like result1 and evidently wishing to show him some consideration offered to release him from custody if he would give a bond for his good behaviour in the interim1 which likewise declining to do1 he was recommitted to prison4 ,in the course of his imprisonment1 however1 a curious incident happened1 which gave rise to the present narrative4 ,having been permitted by the magistrates to go home to ,grayrigg for a few days on private affairs1 he took the opportunity of calling on a justice of the name of ,duckett1 residing at ,grayrigg ,hall1 who was not only a great persecutor of the ,quakers but was one of the magistrates who had committed him to prison4 ,as might be imagined1 ,justice ,duckett was not a little surprised at seeing ,howgill1 and said to him1 ,what is your wish now1 ,francis8 ,i thought you had been in ,appleby ,gaol4 ,howgill1 keenly resenting the magistrate's behaviour1 promptly replied1 ,no1 ,i am not1 but ,i am come with a message from the ,lord4 ,thou hast persecuted the ,lord's people1 but ,his hand is now against thee1 and ,he will send a blast upon all that thou hast1 and thy name shall rot out of the earth1 and this thy dwelling shall become desolate1 and a habitation for owls and jackdaws4 ,when ,howgill had delivered his message1 the magistrate seems to have been somewhat disconcerted1 and said1 ,francis1 are you in earnest8 ,but ,howgill only added1 ,yes1 ,i am in earnest1 it is the word of the ,lord to thee1 and there are many living now who will see it4 ,but the most remarkable part of the story remains to be told4 ,by a strange coincidence the prophetic utterance of ,howgill was fulfilled in a striking manner1 for all the children of ,justice ,duckett died without leaving any issue1 whilst some of them came to actual poverty1 one begging her bread from door to door4 ,grayrigg ,hall passed into the possession of the ,lowther family1 was dismantled1 and fell into ruins1 little more than its extensive foundations being visible in #aggg1 and1 after having long been the habitation of owls and jackdaws1 the ruins were entirely removed and a farmhouse erected upon the site of the old hall1 in accordance with what was popularly known as ,the ,quaker's ,curse1 and its fulfilment4 ,cornish biography1 however1 tells how a magistrate of that county1 ,sir ,john ,arundell1 a man greatly esteemed amongst his neighbours for his honourable conduct--fell under an imprecation which he in no way deserved4 ,in his official capacity1 it seems1 he had given offence to a shepherd who had by some means acquired considerable influence over the peasantry1 under the impression that he possessed some supernatural powers4 ,this man1 for some offence1 had been imprisoned by ,sir ,john ,arundell1 and on his release would constantly waylay the magistrate1 always looking at him with the same menacing eye1 at the same time slowly muttering these words3 ,when upon the yellow sand1 ,thou shalt die by human hand4 ,notwithstanding ,sir ,john ,arundell's education and position1 he was not wholly free from the superstition of the period1 and might have thought1 too1 that this man intended to murder him4 ,hence he left his home at ,efford and retired to the wood-clad hills of ,trevice1 where he lived for some years without the annoyance of meeting his old enemy4 ,but in the tenth year of ,edward ,,iv41 ,richard de ,vere1 ,earl of ,oxford1 seized ,st4 ,michael's ,mount2 on hearing of which news1 ,sir ,john ,arundell1 then ,sheriff of ,cornwall--led an attack on ,st4 ,michael's ,mount1 in the course of which he received his death wound in a skirmish on the sands near ,marazion4 ,although he had broken up his home at ,efford to counteract the will of fate1 the shepherd's prophecy was accomplished2 and tradition even says that1 in his dying moments1 his old enemy appeared1 singing in joyous tones3 ,when upon the yellow sand1 ,thou shalt die by human hand4 ,the misappropriation of property1 in addition to causing many a family complication1 has occasionally been attended with a far more serious result4 ,there is a strange curse1 for instance1 in the family of ,mar1 which can boast of great antiquity1 there being1 perhaps1 no title in ,europe so ancient as that of the ,earl of ,mar4 ,this curse has been attributed by some to ,thomas the ,rhymer1 by others to the ,abbot of ,cambuskenneth1 and by others to the ,bard of the ,house at that epoch4 ,but1 whoever its author1 the curse was delivered prior to the elevation of the ,earl1 in the year #aega1 to be the ,regent of ,scotland1 and runs thus3 ,proud ,chief of ,mar1 thou shalt be raised still higher1 until thou sittest in the place of the ,king4 ,thou shalt rule and destroy1 and thy work shall be after thy name1 but thy work shall be the emblem of thy house1 and shall teach mankind that he who cruelly and haughtily raiseth himself upon the ruins of the holy cannot prosper4 ,thy work shall be cursed1 and shall never be finished4 ,but thou shalt have riches and greatness1 and shall be true to thy sovereign1 and shalt raise his banner in the field of blood4 ,then1 when thou seemest to be highest1 when thy power is mightiest1 then shall come thy fall2 low shall be thy head amongst the nobles of the people4 ,deep shall be thy moan among the children of dool 7sorrow74 ,thy lands shall be given to the stranger1 and thy titles shall lie among the dead4 ,the branch that springs from thee shall see his dwelling burnt1 in which a ,king is nursed--his wife a sacrifice in that same flame2 his children numerous1 but of little honour2 and three born and grown who shall never see the light4 ,yet shall thine ancient tower stand2 for the brave and the true cannot be wholly forsaken4 ,thou1 proud head and daggered hand1 must dree thy weird1 until horses shall be stabled in thy hall1 and a weaver shall throw his shuttle in thy chamber of state4 ,thine ancient tower--a woman's dower--shall be a ruin and a beacon1 until an ash sapling shall spring from its topmost stone4 ,then shall thy sorrows be ended1 and the sunshine of royalty shall beam on thee once more4 ,thine honours shall be restored2 the kiss of peace shall be given to thy ,countess1 though she seek it not1 and the days of peace shall return to thee and thine4 ,the line of ,mar shall be broken2 but not until its honours are doubled1 and its doom is ended4 ,in support of this strange curse1 it may be noted that the ,earl of #aega was raised to be ,regent of ,scotland1 and guardian of ,james ,,vi4 ,as ,regent1 he commanded the destruction of ,cambuskenneth ,abbey1 and took its stones to build himself a palace at ,stirling1 which never advanced farther than the faade1 which has been popularly designated ,marr's ,work4 ,in the year #agae1 the ,earl of ,mar raised the banner of his ,sovereign1 the ,chevalier ,james ,stuart1 son of ,james the ,second1 or ,seventh4 ,he was defeated at the battle of ,sheriff-,muir1 his title being forfeited1 and his lands of ,mar confiscated and sold by the ,government to the ,earl of ,fife4 ,his grandson and representative1 ,john ,francis1 lived at ,alloa ,tower 7which had been for some time the abode of ,james ,,vi4 as an infant7 where1 a fire breaking out in one of the rooms1 ,mrs4 ,erskine was burnt1 and died1 leaving1 beside others1 three children who were born blind1 and who all lived to old age4 ,but this remarkable curse was to be further fulfilled1 for at the commencement of the present century1 upon the alarm of the ,french invasion1 a troop of the cavalry and yeomen of the district took possession of the tower1 and for a week fifty horses were stabled in its lordly hall2 and in the year #ahaj1 a party of visitors were surprised to find a weaver plying his loom in the grand old ,chamber of ,state4 ,between the years #ahae and #ahbj1 an ash sapling might be seen in the topmost stone1 and many of those who clasped it in their hands wondered if it really were the twig of destiny1 and if they should ever live to see the prophecy fulfilled4 ,in the year #ahbb1 ,george ,,iv4 visited ,scotland and searched out the families who had suffered by supporting the ,princes of the ,stuart line4 ,foremost of them all was the ,erskine of ,mar1 grandson of ,mar who had raised the ,chevalier's standard1 and to him the ,king restored his earldom4 ,john ,francis1 the grandson of the restored ,earl1 likewise came into favour1 for when ,queen ,victoria accidentally met his ,countess in a small room in ,stirling ,castle1 and ascertained who she was1 she detained her1 and1 after conversing with her1 kissed her4 ,although the ,countess had never been presented at ,st4 ,james's1 yet1 in a marvellous way1 the kiss of peace was given to her1 though she sought it not2 and then1 after the curse had worked through #cjj years1 the weird dreed out1 and the doom of ,mar was ended4#b ,another instance which may be quoted relates to ,sherborne ,castle4 ,according to the traditionary accounts handed down1 it appears that ,osmund1 one of ,william the ,conqueror's knights1 who had been rewarded1 among other possessions1 with the castle and barony of ,sherborne1 in the decline of life determined to resign his temporal honours1 and to devote himself exclusively to religion4 ,in pursuance of this object1 he obtained the ,bishopric of ,salisbury1 to which he gave certain lands1 but annexed to the gift the following conditional curse3 ,that whosoever should take those lands from the ,bishopric1 or diminish them in great or small1 should be accursed1 not only in this world1 but in the world to come1 unless in his lifetime he made restitution thereof4 ,in a strange and wonderful manner this curse is said to have been more than once fulfilled4 ,upon ,osmund's death1 the castle and lands fell into the hands of the next bishop1 ,roger ,niger1 who was dispossessed of them by ,king ,stephen1 on whose death they were held by the ,montagues1 all of whom1 it is affirmed1 so long as they kept these lands1 were subjected to grievous disasters1 in so much that the male line became altogether extinct4 ,about two hundred years from this time1 the lands again reverted to the ,church1 but in the reign of ,edward ,,vi4 the ,castle of ,sherborne was conveyed by the then ,bishop of ,sarum to the ,duke of ,somerset1 who lost his head on ,tower ,hill4 ,sir ,walter ,raleigh1 again1 obtained the property from the crown1 and it was to expiate this offence1 it has been suggested1 he ultimately lost his head4 ,but in allusion to this reputed curse1 ,sir ,john ,harrington gravely tells how it happened one day that ,sir ,walter riding post between ,plymouth and the ,court1 the castle being right in the way1 he cast such an eye upon it as ,ahab did upon ,naboth's vineyard1 and whilst talking of the commodiousness of the place1 and of the great strength of the seat1 and how easily it might be got from the ,bishopric1 suddenly over and over came his horse1 and his very face--which was then thought a very good one--ploughed up the earth where he fell4 ,then again ,prince ,henry died shortly after he took possession1 and ,carr1 ,earl of ,somerset1 the next proprietor fell in disgrace4 ,but the way the latter obtained ,sherborne was far from creditable1 for1 having discovered a technical flaw in the deed in which ,sir ,walter ,raleigh had settled the estate on his son1 he solicited it of his royal master1 and obtained it4 ,it was in vain that ,lady ,raleigh on her knees appealed to ,james against this injustice1 for he only answered1 ,i mun have the land1 ,i mun have it for ,carr4 ,but ,lady ,raleigh was a woman of high spirit1 and there on her knees1 before ,king ,james1 she prayed to ,god that ,he would punish those who had thus wrongfully exposed her1 and her children1 to ruin4 ,she was1 in fact1 re-echoing the curse uttered centuries beforehand4 ,and that prayer was not long unanswered1 for ,carr did not enjoy ,sherborne for any length of time4 ,committed to the ,tower for the murder of ,sir ,thomas ,overbury1 he was at last released and restricted to his house in the country1 where in constant companionship with the wife1 for the guilty love of whom he had become the murderer of his friend1 he passed the remainder of his life1 loathing the partner of his crimes1 and by her as cordially detested4 ,spelman goes so far as to say that all those families who took or had ,church property presented to them1 came1 either in their own persons or those of their descendants1 to sorrow and misfortune4 ,one of the many strange occurrences relating to ,sir ,anthony ,browne1 standard-bearer to ,king ,henry ,,viii41 was communicated some years ago in connection with the famous ,cowdray ,castle1 the principal seat of the ,montagues4 ,it is said that at the great festival given in the magnificent hall of the monks at ,battle ,abbey1 on ,sir ,anthony ,browne taking possession of his ,sovereign's gift of that estate1 a venerable monk stalked up the hall to the das1 where ,sir ,anthony ,browne sat1 and1 in prophetic language1 denounced him and his posterity for usurping the possessions of the ,church1 predicting their destruction by fire and water--a fate which was eventually fulfilled4 ,one of the last viscounts was1 in #agic1 drowned when trying to pass the ,falls of ,schaffhausen on the ,rhine1 accompanied by ,mr4 ,sedley ,burdett1 the elder brother of the distinguished ,sir ,francis4 ,they had engaged an open boat to take them through the rapids2 but it seems the authorities tried to prevent so dangerous an enterprise4 ,in order1 however1 to carry out their project1 they started two hours earlier than the time previously fixed--four o'clock in the morning--and successfully passed the first or upper fall4 ,but1 unhappily1 the same good fortune failed them in their next descent1 for the boat was swamped and sunk in passing the lower fall1 and was supposed to have been jammed in a cleft of the submerged rock1 as neither boat nor adventurers ever appeared again4 ,in the same week1 the ancient seat of the family1 ,cowdray ,castle1 was destroyed by fire1 and its venerable ruins are the significant monument at once of the fulfilment of the old monk's prophecy1 and of the extinction of the race of the great and powerful noble4 ,it is further added that the last inheritor of the title--the immediate successor and cousin of the ill-fated young nobleman of ,schaffhausen1 ,anthony ,browne1 the last ,montague1 who died at the opening of this century--left no male issue1 and his estates devolved on his only daughter1 who married ,mr4 ,stephen ,poyntz1 a great ,buckinghamshire landlord4 ,some years after their marriage ,mr4 ,poyntz was desirous of obtaining a grant of the dormant title ,viscount ,montague in favour of the elder of his two sons1 issue of this marriage2 but his hopes were suddenly destroyed by the death of the two boys1 who were drowned while bathing at ,bognor1 the fatal water thus becoming the means1 in fulfilment of the monk's terrible denunciation on the family in his fearful curse4 ,in a similar manner the great ,tichborne trial followed1 it is said1 upon the fulfilment1 in a manner1 of a prophecy1 respecting that ancient family1 made more than seven hundred years before4 ,when the ,lady ,mabelle ,tichborne1 wife of the ,sir ,roger who flourished in the reign of ,henry ,,ii41 was lying on her death-bed1 she besought her husband to grant her the means of leaving behind her a charitable bequest in the form of an annual dole of bread4 ,to gratify her whim1 he accordingly promised her the produce of as much land in the vicinity of the park as she could walk over while a certain brand was burning2 for1 as she had been bedridden for many years1 he supposed that she would be able to go round only a small portion of the property4 ,but when the venerable dame was carried out upon the ground1 she seemed to regain her strength1 and1 greatly to the surprise of her husband1 crawled round several rich and goodly acres1 which1 to this day1 retain the name of ,the ,crawls4 ,on being reconveyed to her chamber1 ,lady ,mabelle summoned her family to her bedside and predicted its prosperity so long as the annual dole was observed1 but she left her solemn curse on any of her descendants who should discontinue it1 prophesying that when such should happen1 the old house would fall1 and the family name become extinct from failure of male issue4 ,and she further added1 that this would be foretold by a generation of seven sons being followed immediately after by a generation of seven daughters and no son4 ,the custom of the annual doles was observed for six hundred years on every #beth of ,march1 until--owing to the complaints of the magistrates and local gentry that vagabonds1 gipsies1 and idlers of every description swarmed into the neighbourhood1 under the pretence of receiving the dole--it was discontinued in the year #agif4 ,strangely enough1 ,sir ,henry ,tichborne1 the baronet of that day1 had issue seven sons1 and his eldest son1 who succeeded him1 had seven daughters and no son4 ,the prophecy was apparently completed by the change of name of the possessors of the estate to ,doughty1 in the person of ,sir ,edward ,doughty1 who had assumed the name under the will of a relative from whom he inherited certain property4 ,finally1 it may be added1 the ,claimant appeared1 and instituted one of the most costly lawsuits ever tried1 in which the ,tichborne estate was put to an expense of close upon one hundred thousand pounds6 ,but1 occasionally1 the effect of a family curse1 through the misappropriation of property1 has been more sweeping and speedy in its retribution1 as in the case of ,furvie or ,forvie1 which now forms part of the parish of ,slains1 ,scotland--much1 if not most of it1 being covered with sand4 ,the popular account of the downfall of this parish tells how1 in times gone by1 the proprietor to whom it belonged left three daughters as heirs of his fair lands2 who were1 however1 most unjustly bereft of their property1 and thrown homeless on the world4 ,on quitting their home--their legal heritage--they uttered a terrible curse1 which was quickly accomplished1 and was considered an unmistakable sign of ,divine displeasure at the wrong they had received4 ,before many days had elapsed1 a storm of almost unparalleled violence--lasting nine days--burst over the district1 and transformed the parish of ,forvie into a desert of sand2--a calamity which is said to have befallen the district about the close of the #agth century4 ,in this way1 many local traditions account for the ruined and desolate condition of certain wild and uninhabited spots4 ,ettrick ,hall1 for instance1 near the head of ,ettrick ,water1 had such a history4 ,on and around its site in former days there was a considerable village1 and as late as the ,revolution1 it contained no fewer than fifty-three fine houses4 ,but about the year #agjj1 when the numbers in this little village were still very considerable1 ,james ,anderson1 a member of the ,tushielaw family1 pulled down a number of small cottages1 leaving many of the tenants--some of whom were aged and infirm--homeless4 ,it was in vain that these poor people appealed to him for a little merciful consideration1 for he refused to lend an ear to their complaints1 and in a short time a splendid house was built on the property1 known as ,ettrick ,hall4 ,what was considered by the inhabitants far and wide as an act of cruel injustice incurred its own punishment1 for a prophetic rhyme was about the same period made on it1 by whom nobody could tell1 and which1 says ,james ,hogg1 writing in the year #ahbf1 has been most wonderfully verified3 ,ettrick ,hall stands on yon plain1 ,right sore exposed to wind and rain2 ,and on it the sun shines never at morn1 ,because it was built in the widow's corn2 ,and its foundations can never be sure1 ,because it was built on the ruin of the poor4 ,and or an age is come and gane1 ,or the trees o'er the chimly-taps grow green1 ,we kinna wen where the house has been4 ,the curse that alighted on this fair mansion at length accomplished its destructive work1 because nowadays there is not a vestige of it remaining1 nor has there been for these many years2 indeed1 so complete was the collapse of this ill-fated house1 that its site could only be identified by the avenue and lanes of trees2 while many clay cottages1 on the other hand1 which were built previously1 long remained intact4 ,equally fatal1 also1 was the curse uttered against the old persecuting family of ,home of ,cowdenknowes--a place in the immediate neighbourhood of ,st4 ,thomas's ,castle4 ,vengeance1 vengeance6 ,when and where8 ,upon the house of ,cowdenknowes1 now and evermair6 ,this anathema1 awful as the cry of blood1 is generally said to have been realised in the extinction of the family and the transference of their property to other hands4 ,but some doubt1 writes ,mr4 ,robert ,chambers1#c seems to hang on the matter1 as the ,earl of ,home--a prosperous gentleman--is the lineal descendant of the ,cowdenknowes branch of the family which acceded to the title in the reign of ,charles ,i41 though1 it must be admitted1 the estate has long been alienated4 ,love and marriage1 again1 have been associated with many imprecations1 one of which dates as far back as the time of ,edmund1 ,king of the ,east ,angles1 in connection with his defeat and capture at ,hoxne1 in ,suffolk1 on the banks of the ,waveney not far from ,eye4 ,the story1 as told by ,sir ,francis ,palgrave in his ,anglo-,saxon ,history1 is this3 ,being hotly pursued by his foes1 the ,king fled to ,hoxne1 and attempted to conceal himself by crouching beneath a bridge1 now called ,goldbridge4 ,the glittering of his golden spurs discovered him to a newly-married couple1 who were returning home by moonlight1 and they betrayed him to the ,danes4 ,edmund1 as he was dragged from his hiding place1 pronounced a malediction upon all who should afterwards pass this bridge on their way to be married4 ,so much regard was paid to this tradition by the good folks of ,hoxne that no bride or bridegroom would venture along the forbidden path4 ,that inconstancy has not always escaped with impunity may be gathered from the following painful story1 one which1 if it had not been fully attested1 would seem to belong to the domain of fiction rather than truth3 ,on ,april #bh1 #agie1 a naval court-martial1 which had lasted for sixteen days1 and created considerable excitement1 was terminated4 ,the officer tried was ,captain ,anthony ,james ,pye ,molloy1 of ,h4,m4 ,ship ,csar and the charge brought against him was that1 in the memorable battle of ,june #a1 #agid1 he did not bring his ship into action1 and exert himself to the utmost of his power4 ,the decision of the court was adverse to the ,captain1 but1 having found that on many previous occasions ,captain ,molloy's courage had been unimpeachable1 he was sentenced to be dismissed his ship1 instead of the penalty of death4 ,it is said that ,captain ,molloy had behaved dishonourably to a young lady to whom he was betrothed4 ,the friends of the lady wished to bring an action for breach of promise against the ,captain1 but the lady declined doing so1 only remarking that ,god would punish him4 ,some time afterwards the two accidentally met at ,bath1 when the lady confronted her inconstant lover by saying3 ,capt4 ,molloy1 you are a bad man4 ,i wish you the greatest curse that can befall a ,british officer4 ,when the day of battle comes1 may your false heart fail you6 ,her words were fully realised1 his subsequent conduct and irremediable disgrace forming the fulfilment of her wish4#d ,another curse1 which may be said to have a historic interest1 has been popularly designated the ,midwife's ,curse4 ,it appears that ,colonel ,stephen ,payne1 who took a foremost part in striving to uphold the tottering fortunes of the ,stuarts1 had wooed and won a fair wife amid the battles of the ,rebellion4 ,the ,duke of ,york promised to stand as godfather to the first child if it should prove a boy2 but when a daughter was born1 the ,colonel in his mortification1 it is said1 formally devoted1 in succession1 his hapless wife1 his infant daughter1 himself and his belongings1 to the infernal deities4 ,but the story goes that the midwife1 ,douce ,vardon1 was commissioned by the shade of ,normandy's first duke to announce to her master that not only would his daughter die in infancy1 but that neither he nor anyone descended from him would ever again be blessed with a daughter's love4 ,not many days afterwards the child died1 whose involuntary coming had been the cause of the ,payne curse4 ,time passed on1 and that ,heaven is merciful1 writes ,sir ,bernard ,burke1#e ,stephen ,payne experienced in his own person1 for his wife subsequently presented him with a son1 who was sponsored by the ,duke of ,york by proxy4 ,but six generations of the descendants of ,colonel ,stephen ,payne1 it is added1 have come and gone since the utterance of the midwife's curse1 but they never yet have had a daughter born to them4 ,such is the immutability of the decrees of ,fate4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,harland's ,lancashire ,legends 7#ahhb71 #d1 #e4 #b ,see ,sir ,j4 ,bernard ,burke's ,family ,romance1 #ahec4 #c ,popular ,rhymes of ,scotland 7#ahgj71 #bag-ah4 #d ,see ,book of ,days1 ,i41 #eei4 #e ,the ,rise of ,great ,families1 #aia-bjb4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,the ,,screaming ,,skull4 ,look on its broken arch1 its ruined wall1 ,its chambers desolate1 its portals foul2 ,yes1 this was once ,ambition's airy hall-- ,the dome of thought1 the palace of the soul4 ,,byron4 ,there are told of certain houses1 in different parts of the country1 many weird skull stories1 the popular idea being that if any profane hand should be bold enough to remove1 or in any way tamper with1 such gruesome relics of the dead1 misfortune will inevitably overtake the family4 ,hence1 for years past1 there have been carefully preserved in some of our country homes numerous skulls1 all kinds of romantic traditions accounting for their present isolated and unburied condition4 ,an old farmstead known as ,bettiscombe1 near ,bridport1 ,dorsetshire1 has long been famous for its so-called screaming skull1 generally supposed to be that of a negro servant who declared before his death that his spirit would not rest until his body was buried in his native land4 ,but1 contrary to his dying wish1 he was interred in the churchyard of ,bettiscombe1 and hence the trouble which this skull has ever since occasioned4 ,in the ,august of #ahhc1 ,dr4 ,richard ,garnett1 his daughter1 and a friend1 while staying in the neighbourhood determined to pay this eccentric skull a visit1 the result of which is thus amusingly told by ,miss ,garnett3 ,one fine afternoon a party of three adventurous spirits started off1 hoping to discover the skull and investigate its history4 ,this much we knew1 that the skull would only scream when it was buried1 and so we hoped to get leave to inter it in the churchyard4 ,the village of ,bettiscombe was at length reached1 and we found our way to the old farmhouse1 which stood at the end of the village by itself4 ,it had evidently been a manor house1 and a very handsome one1 too4 ,we were admitted into a fine paved hall1 and attempted to break the ice by asking for milk4 ,we then endeavoured to draw the good woman of the house into conversation by admiring the place1 and asking in a guarded manner respecting the famous skull4 ,on this subject she was most reserved4 ,she had only lately had the farmhouse1 and had been obliged to take possession of the skull also2 but she did not wish us to suppose that she knew much about it2 it was a veritable 'skeleton in the closet' to her4 ,after exercising great diplomacy1 we persuaded her to allow us a sight of it4 ,we tramped up the fine old staircase till we reached the top of the house1 when1 opening a cupboard door1 she showed us a steep1 winding staircase1 leading to the roof1 and from one of the steps the skull sat grinning at us4 ,we took it in our hands and examined it carefully2 it was very old and weather-beaten1 and certainly human4 ,the lower jaw was missing1 the forehead very low and badly proportioned4 ,one of our party1 who was a medical student1 examined it long and gravely1 and then1 after first telling the good woman that he was a doctor1 pronounced it to be1 in his opinion1 the skull of a negro4 ,after this oracular utterance1 she resolved to make a clean breast of all she knew1 which1 however1 did not amount to much4 ,the skull1 we were informed1 was that of a negro servant1 who had lived in the service of a ,roman ,catholic priest4 ,some difference arose between them2 but whether the priest murdered the servant1 in order to conceal some crimes known to the negro1 or whether the negro1 in a fit of passion1 killed his master1 did not clearly appear4 ,however1 the negro had declared before his death that his spirit would not rest unless his body was taken to his native land and buried there4 ,this was not done1 he being buried in the churchyard of ,bettiscombe4 ,then the haunting began2 fearful screams proceeded from the grave1 the doors and windows of the house rattled and creaked1 strange sounds were heard all over the house2 in short1 there was no rest for the inmates until the body was dug up4 ,at different periods attempts were made to bury the body1 but similar disturbances always recurred4 ,in process of time the skeleton disappeared1 'all save the skull1' and its reputation as 'the screaming skull' remains unimpaired4 ,in a farm-house in ,sussex are preserved two skulls from ,hastings ,priory1 about which many gruesome stories are current in the neighbourhood4 ,one of these skulls1 it appears1 has been in the house many years2 the other was placed there by a former tenant of the farm4 ,it is the prevalent impression in the locality1 that1 if by any chance the former skull were to be removed1 the cattle in the farm would die1 and unearthly sounds be heard in and about the house at night time4 ,according to a local tradition1 the skull belonged to a man who murdered the owner of the house1 and marks of blood are pointed out on the floor of the adjoining room1 where the murder is said to have been committed1 and which no washing will remove4 ,but1 on more than one occasion1 the skull has been taken away without any ill-effects1 and1 one year1 was placed by a profane hand in a branch of a neighbouring tree1 where it remained a whole summer1 during which time a bird's nest was constructed within it1 and a young brood successfully reared4 ,and yet the old superstition still survives1 and the prejudice against tampering with this peculiar skull has in no way diminished4#f ,there are the remains of a skull1 in three parts1 at ,tunstead1 a farmhouse about a mile and a half from ,chapel-en-le-,frith1 which1 although popularly known by the male cognomen ,dickie1 has always been said to be that of a woman4 ,how long it has been located in its present home is not known1 but tradition tells how one of two co-heiresses residing here was murdered1 who solemnly affirmed that her bones should remain in the place for ever4 ,in days past1 this skull has been guilty of all sorts of eccentric pranks1 many of which are still told by the credulous peasantry with respectful awe4 ,it is added1#g also1 that if ,dickie should accidentally be removed1 everything in the farm will go wrong4 ,the cows will be dry and barren1 the sheep have the rot1 and horses fall down1 breaking their knees and otherwise injuring themselves4 ,the story goes1 too1 that when the ,london and ,north-,western ,railway to ,manchester was being made1 the foundations of a bridge gave way in the yielding sands and bog1 and1 after several attempts to build the bridge had failed1 it was found necessary to divert the highway1 and pass it under the railway on higher ground4 ,these engineering failures were attributed to the malevolent influence of ,dickie1 but as soon as the road was diverted it was bridged successfully1 because no longer in ,dickie's territory4 ,a similar superstition attaches to a skull kept in a farmhouse at ,chilton ,cantelo1 in ,somersetshire4 ,from the date on the tombstone of the former owner of the skull--#afgj--;it has been conjectured that he came to the retired village1 in which he was buried1 after taking an active part1 on the ,republican side1 in the ,civil ,war2 and that seeing the way in which the bodies of some of them who had acted with him were treated after the ,restoration1 he wished to provide against this in his own case4 ,but1 whatever the previous history of this curious skull1 it has at times caused a good deal of trouble1 resenting any proposal to consign it to the earth1 for buried it will not be1 no matter how many attempts are made to do so4 ,strange to say1 most of this class of skulls behave in the same extraordinary fashion4 ,at a short distance from ,turton ,tower--one of the most interesting structures in the neighbourhood of ,bolton--is a farmhouse locally designated ,timberbottom1 or the ,skull ,house1 so called from the circumstance that two skulls are or were kept there1 one of which was much decayed1 whereas the other appeared to have been cut through by a blow from some sharp instrument4 ,these skulls1 it is said1 have been buried many times in the graveyard at ,bradshaw ,chapel1 but they have always had to be exhumed1 and brought back to the farm-house4 ,on one occasion1 they were thrown into the adjacent river1 but to no purpose2 for they had to be fished up and restored to their old quarters before the ghosts of their owners could once more rest in peace4 ,a popular cause assigned for this strange behaviour on the part of certain skulls is that their owners met with a violent death1 and that the avenging spirit in this manner annoys the living1 reminding us of ,macbeth's words3 ,blood hath been shed ere now1 i' the olden time1 ,ere human statute purg'd the gentle weal2 ,ay1 and since too1 murders have been performed ,too terrible for the ear2 the times have been ,that1 when the brains were out1 the man would die ,and there an end2 but now they rise again1 ,with twenty mortal murders on their crowns1 ,and push us from our stools4 ,this is more strange ,than such a murder is4 ,hence1 a romantic and tragic story is told of two skulls which have long haunted an old house near ,ambleside4 ,it appears that a small piece of ground1 known as ,calgrath1 was owned by a humble farmer1 named ,kraster ,cook1 and his wife ,dorothy4 ,but their little inheritance was coveted by a wealthy magistrate1 ,myles ,phillipson1 who1 unable to induce them to part with it1 swore he'd have that ground1 be they 'live or dead4 ,as time wore on1 however1 he appeared more gracious to ,kraster and ,dorothy1 and actually invited them to a great ,christmas banquet given to the neighbours4 ,it was a dear feast for them1 for ,myles ,phillipson pretended they had stolen a silver cup1 and1 sure enough1 it was found in ,kraster's house--a plant1 of course4 ,such an offence was then capital1 and1 as ,phillipson was the magistrate1 ,kraster and ,dorothy were sentenced to death4 ,thereupon1 ,dorothy arose in the court-room and addressed ,phillipson in words that rang through the building and impressed all for their awful earnestness3 ,guard thyself1 ,myles ,phillipson6 ,thou thinkest thou hast managed grandly1 but that tiny lump of land is the dearest a ,phillipson has ever bought or stolen1 for you will never prosper1 neither your breed4 ,whatever scheme you undertake will wither in your hand2 the side you take will always lose2 the time shall come when no ,phillipson shall own an inch of land2 and while ,calgarth walls shall stand we'll haunt it night and day4 ,never will ye be rid of us6 ,henceforth1 the ,phillipsons had for their guests two skulls4 ,they were found at ,christmas at the head of a staircase4 ,they were buried in a distant region1 but they turned up in the old house again4 ,again and again were the two skulls burned2 they were brazed to dust and cast to the winds1 and for several years they were cast in the lake1 but the ,phillipsons could never get rid of them4 ,in the meantime1 ,dorothy's weird went steadily on to its fulfilment1 until the family sank into poverty1 and at length disappeared4#h ,as a more rational explanation of the matter1 it is told by some local historians that there formerly lived in the house a famous doctress1 who had two skeletons by her for the usual purposes of her profession1 and these skulls1 happening to meet with better preservation than the rest of the bones1 they were accidentally honoured with this singular tradition4#i ,wardley ,hall1 ,lancashire1 has its skull1 which is supposed to be the witness of some tragedy committed in the past1 and to have belonged to ,roger ,downes1 the last male representative of his family1 and who was one of the most abandoned courtiers of ,charles ,,ii4 ,roby1 in one of his ,traditions1 entitled ,the ,skull ,house1 has represented him as rushing forth hot from the stews1 drawing his sword as he staggered along1 and swearing that he would kill the first man he met4 ,terrible to say1 that fearful oath was fulfilled1 for his victim was a poor tailor1 whom he ran through with his weapon and killed on the spot4 ,he was apprehended for the crime1 but his interest at ,court quickly procured him a free pardon1 and he soon continued his reckless course4 ,but one evening1 as his sister and cousin ,eleanor were chatting together at ,wardley1 the carrier from ,manchester brought a wooden box1 which had come all the way from ,london by ,antony's waggon4 ,suspecting that there was something mysterious connected with this package1 for the direction was a quaint1 crabbed hand1 she opened it in secret1 when1 to her amazement and horror1 this writing attracted her notice3 ,thy brother has at length paid the forfeit of his crimes4 ,the wages of sin is death6 ,and his head is before thee4 ,heaven hath avenged the innocent blood he hath shed4 ,last night1 in the lusty vigour of a drunken debauch1 passing over ,london ,bridge1 he encounters another brawl1 wherein1 having run at the watchmen with his rapier1 one blow of the bill which they carried severed thy brother's head from his trunk4 ,the latter was cast over the parapet into the river4 ,the head only remained1 which an eye witness1 if not a friend1 hath sent to thee6 ,his sister tried at first to keep the story of her brother's death a secret1 and hid with all speed this ghastly memorial for ever1 as she hoped1 from the gaze and knowledge of the world4 ,it was her desire to conceal this foul stain upon the family name1 but the grave gives back its dead4 ,the charnel gapes4 ,the ghastly head hath burst its cold tabernacle1 and risen from the dust4 ,no human power could drive it away4 ,it hath been torn in pieces1 burnt1 and otherwise destroyed1 but even on the subsequent day it is seen filling its wonted place4 ,yet it was always observed that sore vengeance lighted on its persecutors4 ,one who hacked it in pieces was seized with such horrible torments in his limbs that it seemed as though he might be undergoing the same process4 ,sometimes1 if only displaced1 a fearful storm would arise1 so loud and terrible that the very elements themselves seemed to become the ministers of its wrath4 ,nor will this eccentric piece of mortality allow the little aperture in which it rests to be walled up1 for it remains there still1 whitened and bleached by the weather1 looking forth from those rayless sockets upon the scenes which1 when living1 they had once beheld4 ,towards the close of the last century1 ,thomas ,barritt1 the ,manchester antiquary1 visited this skull--this surprising piece of household furniture1 as he calls it1 and adds that one of us who was last in company with it1 removed it from its place into a dark part of the room1 and there left it1 and returned home4 ,but on the following night a violent storm arose in the neighbourhood1 causing an immense deal of damage--trees being blown down and roofs unthatched--and the cause1 as it was supposed1 being ascertained1 the skull was replaced1 when these terrific disturbances ceased4 ,and yet1 as ,thomas ,barritt sensibly remarks1 ,all this might have happened had the skull never been removed2 but withal it keeps alive the credibility of the tradition4 ,formerly two keys were provided for this place of a skull1 one being kept by the tenant of the ,hall1 and the other by the ,countess of ,ellesmere1 the owner of the property4 ,the ,countess occasionally accompanied visitors from the neighbouring ,worsley ,hall1 and herself unlocked the door1 and revealed to her friends the grinning skull of ,wardley ,hall4#aj ,illustration3 ,,she ,,opened ,,it ,,in ,,secret4 ,another romantic story is associated with ,burton ,agnes ,hall1 between ,bridlington and ,driffield1 ,yorkshire1 which is haunted by the spirit of a lady a former co-heiress of the estate--who is popularly known as ,awd ,nance4 ,the skull of this lady is carefully preserved in the ,hall1 and so long as it is left undisturbed all goes well1 but whenever any attempt is made to remove it1 the most unearthly noises are heard in the house1 and last until it is restored4 ,according to a local tradition1 many years ago the three co-heiresses of the estate of ,burton ,agnes were possessed of considerable wealth1 and finding the ancient mansion1 in which they resided1 not in harmony with their ideas of what a home should be suited to their position1 determined to erect a house in such a style as should eclipse all others in the neighbourhood4 ,the most prominent organiser of the scheme was the younger sister1 ,anne1 who could talk or think of nothing but the magnificent home about to be built1 which in due time1 it is said1 emerged from the hands of artists and workmen1 like a palace erected by the genii of the ,arabian ,nights1 a palace encrusted throughout on walls1 roof1 and furniture with the most exquisite carvings and sculptures of the most skilled masters of the age1 and radiant with the most glowing tints of the pencil of ,peter ,paul4 ,but soon after its completion and occupation by its three co-heiresses1 ,anne1 the enthusiast1 paid an afternoon visit to the ,st4 ,quentins1 at ,harpham4 ,on starting to return home about nightfall with her dog1 she had gone no great distance when she was confronted by two ruffianly-looking beggars1 who asked alms4 ,she readily gave them a few coins1 and in doing so the glitter of her finger-ring accidentally attracted their notice1 which they at once demanded should be given up to them4 ,this she refused to do1 as it had been her mother's ring1 and was one which she valued above all price4 ,mother or no mother1 gruffly replied one of the rogues1 we mean to have it1 and if you do not part with it freely1 we must take it1 whereupon he seized her hand and attempted to drag off the ring4 ,frightened at this act of violence1 ,anne screamed for help1 at which the other ruffian1 exclaiming1 ,stop that noise6 struck her a blow1 and she fell senseless to the earth4 ,but her screams had attracted attention1 and the approach of some villagers caused the villains to make a hasty retreat1 without being able to get the ring from her finger4 ,in a dying condition1 as it was supposed1 ,anne was carried back to ,harpham ,hall1 where1 under the care of ,lady ,st4 ,quentin1 she made sufficient recovery to be removed the following day to her own home4 ,the brutal treatment she had received from the highwaymen1 however1 had done its fatal work1 and after a few days1 during which she was alternately sensible and delirious1 she succumbed to the effects4 ,her one thought previous to death was her devotion to her home1 which had latterly been the ruling passion of her life2 and bidding her sisters farewell1 she addressed them thus3-- ,sisters1 never shall ,i sleep peacefully in my grave in the churchyard unless ,i1 or a part of me at least1 remain here in our beautiful home as long as it lasts4 ,promise me this1 dear sisters1 that when ,i am dead my head shall be taken from my body and preserved within these walls4 ,here let it for ever remain1 and on no account be removed4 ,and understand and make it known to those who in future shall become possessors of the house1 that if they disobey this my last injunction1 my spirit shall1 if so able and so permitted1 make such a disturbance within its walls as to render it uninhabitable for others so long as my head is divorced from its home4 ,her sisters promised to accede to her dying request1 but failed to do so1 and her body was laid entire under the pavement of the church4 ,within a few days ,burton ,agnes ,hall was disturbed by the most alarming noises1 and no servant could be induced to remain in the house4 ,in this dilemma1 the two sisters remembered that they had not carried out ,anne's last wish1 and1 at the suggestion of the clergyman1 the coffin was opened1 when a strange sight was seen4 ,the body lay without any marks of corruption or decay2 but the head was disengaged from the trunk1 and appeared to be rapidly assuming the semblance of a fleshless skull4 ,this was reported to the two sisters1 and on the vicar's advice the skull of ,anne was taken to ,burton ,agnes ,hall1 where1 so long as it remained undisturbed1 no ghostly noises were heard4 ,it may be added that numerous attempts have from time to time been made to rid the hall of this skull1 but without success4 ,many other similar skulls are still existing in various places1 and1 in addition to their antiquarian interest1 have attracted the sightseer1 connected as they mostly are with tales of legendary romance4 ,an amusing anecdote of a skull is told by the late ,mr4 ,wirt ,sikes4#aa ,it seems that on a certain day some men were drinking at an inn when one of them1 to show his courage and want of superstition1 affirmed that he was afraid of no ghosts1 and dared to go to the church and fetch a skull4 ,this he did1 and after an hour or so of merrymaking over the skull1 he carried it back to where he had found it2 but1 as he was leaving the church1 suddenly a tremendous blast like a whirlwind seized him1 and so mauled him that he ever after maintained that nothing should induce him to do such a thing again4 ,the man was still more convinced that the ghost of the original owner of the skull had been after him1 when his wife informed him that the cane which hung in his room had been beating against the wall in a dreadful manner4 ,byron had his skull romance at ,newstead1 but in this case the skull was more orderly1 and not given to those unpleasant pranks of which other skulls have seemingly been guilty4 ,whilst living at ,newstead1 a skull was one day found of large dimensions and peculiar whiteness4 ,concluding that it belonged to some friar who had been domesticated at ,newstead--prior to the confiscation of the monasteries by ,henry ,,viii4--,byron determined to convert it into a drinking vessel1 and for this purpose dispatched it to ,london1 where it was elegantly mounted4 ,on its return to ,newstead1 he instituted a new order at the ,abbey1 constituting himself grand master1 or abbot1 of the skull4 ,the members1 twelve in number1 were provided with black gowns--that of ,byron1 as head of the fraternity1 being distinguished from the rest4 ,a chapter was held at certain times1 when the skull drinking goblet was filled with claret1 and handed about amongst the gods of this consistory1 whilst many a grim joke was cracked at the expense of this relic of the dead4 ,the following lines were inscribed upon it by ,byron3 ,start not1 nor deem my spirit fled2 ,in me behold the only skull ,from which1 unlike a living head1 ,whatever flows is never dull4 ,i lived1 ,i loved1 ,i quaff'd1 like thee2 ,i died3 let earth my bones resign4 ,fill up1 thou canst not injure me2 ,the worm hath fouler lips than mine4 ,where once my wit1 perchance1 hath shone1 ,in aid of others1 let me shine1 ,and when1 alas6 our brains are gone1 ,what nobler substitute than wine4 ,quaff while thou canst4 ,another race1 ,when thou and thine1 like me1 are sped1 ,may rescue thee from earth's embrace1 ,and rhyme and revel with the dead4 ,why not8 since through life's little day ,our heads such sad effects produce2 ,redeem'd from worms and wasting clay1 ,this chance is theirs1 to be of use4 ,the skull1 it is said1 is buried beneath the floor of the chapel at ,newstead ,abbey4 ,,footnotes3 #f ,sussex ,archological ,collections xiii4 #afb-c4 #g ,see ,notes and ,queries1 #dth ,s41 ,,xi4 #fd4 #h ,told by ,mr4 ,moncure ,conway in ,harper's ,magazine4 #i ,tales and ,legends of the ,english ,lakes1 #if-g4 #aj ,harland's ,lancashire ,legends1 #ahhb1 #fe-gj4 #aa ,british ,goblins1 #ahhj1 p4 #adf4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,eccentric ,,vows4 ,no man takes or keeps a vow1 ,but just as he sees others do2 ,nor are they 'bliged to be so brittle ,as not to yield and bow a little3 ,for as best tempered blades are found ,before they break1 to bend quite round1 ,so truest oaths are still more tough1 ,and1 tho' they bow1 are breaking-proof4 ,,butler',s ,hudibras1 ,ep4 to his ,lady1 #ge4 ,some two hundred and fifty years ago1 the prevailing colour in all dresses was that shade of brown known as the couleur ,isabelle1 and this was its origin3--,a short time after the siege of ,ostend commenced1 at the beginning of the seventeenth century1 ,isabella ,eugenia1 ,gouvernante of the ,netherlands1 incensed at the obstinate bravery of the defenders1 is reported to have made a vow that she would not change her chemise till the town surrendered4 ,it was a marvellously inconvenient vow1 for the siege1 according to the precise historians thereof1 lasted three years1 three months1 three weeks1 three days1 and three hours2 and her highness's garment had wonderfully changed its colour before twelve months of the time had expired4 ,but the ladies and gentlemen of the ,court1 in no way dismayed1 resolved to keep their mistress in countenance1 and1 after a struggle between their loyalty and their cleanliness1 they hit upon the compromising expedient of wearing dresses of the presumed colour1 finally attained by the garment which clung to the ,imperial ,archduchess by force of religious obstinacy4 ,but1 foolish and eccentric as was the conduct of ,isabella ,eugenia1 there have been persons gifted1 like herself1 with sufficient mental power and strength of character to keep the vows they have sworn4 ,thus1 at a tournament held on the #agth ,november1 #aeei--the first anniversary of ,queen ,elizabeth's accession--,sir ,henry ,lee1 of ,quarendon1 made a vow that every year on the return of that auspicious day1 he would present himself in the tilt yard1 in honour of the ,queen1 to maintain her beauty1 worth1 and dignity1 against all comers1 unless prevented by infirmity1 accident1 or age4 ,elizabeth accepted ,sir ,henry as her knight and champion2 and the nobility and gentry of the ,court formed themselves into an ,honourable ,society of ,knights ,tilters1 which held a grand tourney every #agth ,november4 ,but in the year #aeij1 ,sir ,henry1 on account of age1 resigned his office1 having previously1 by ,her ,majesty's permission1 appointed the famous ,earl of ,cumberland as his successor4 ,on this occasion1 the royal choir sang the following verses as ,sir ,henry ,lee's farewell to the ,court3 ,my golden locks time hath to silver turned1 ,o ,time1 too swift1 and swiftness never ceasing6 ,my youth 'gainst age1 and age at youth both spurned1 ,but spurned in vain--youth waned by increasing2 ,beauty1 and strength1 and youth1 flowers fading been2 ,duty1 faith1 love1 are roots and evergreen4 ,my helmet now shall make a hive for bees1 ,and lover's songs shall turn to holy psalms2 ,a man-at arms must now sit on his knees1 ,and feed on prayers that are old age's alms4 ,and so from ,court to cottage ,i depart1 ,my ,saint is sure of mine unspotted heart4 ,and when ,i sadly sit in homely cell1 ,i'll teach my saints this carol for a song3 ,blest be the hearts that wish my sovereign well6 ,cursed be the souls that think to do her wrong6 ,goddess6 vouchsafe this aged man his right ,to be your beadsman now1 that was your knight4 ,but not long after ,sir ,henry ,lee had resigned his office of especial champion of the beauty of the sovereign1 he fell in love with the new maid of honour--the fair ,mrs4 ,anne ,vavasour--who1 though in the morning flower of her charms1 and esteemed the loveliest girl in the whole court1 drove a whole bevy of youthful lovers to despair by accepting this ancient relic of the age of chivalry4#ab ,queen ,isabella vowed to make a pilgrimage to ,barcelona1 and return thanks at the tomb of that ,city's patron ,saint1 if the ,infanta ,eulalie recovered from an apparently mortal illness1 and ,queen ,joan of ,naples honoured the knight ,galeazzo of ,mantua by opening the ball with him at a grand feast at her castle of ,gaita4 ,at the conclusion of the dance1 ,galeazzo1 kneeling down before his royal partner1 vowed1 as an acknowledgment of the honour he had received1 to visit every country where feats of arms were performed1 and not to rest until he had subdued two valiant knights1 and presented them as prisoners to the queen1 to be disposed of at her royal pleasure4 ,after an absence of twelve months1 ,galeazzo1 true to his vow1 appeared at ,naples1 and laid his two prisoners at the feet of ,queen ,joan1 but who1 it is said1 displayed commendable wisdom on the occasion1 and declined her right to impose rigorous conditions on her captives1 and gave them liberty without ransom4 ,such cases1 it is true1 have been somewhat rare1 for made oftentimes on the impulse of the moment1 unheedful vows1 as ,shakespeare says1 may heedfully be broken4 ,but1 scarce as the records of unbroken vows may be1 they are deserving of a permanent record1 more especially as the direction of their eccentricity is1 for the most part1 in itself curious and uncommon4 ,love1 for instance1 has been responsible for many strange and curious vows in the past1 and some years ago it was stated that the original of ,charles ,dickens's ,miss ,havisham was living in the flesh not far from ,ventnor in the person of an old maiden lady1 who1 because of the maternal objection to some love affair in her early life1 made and kept a vow that she would retire to her bed1 and there spend the remainder of her days4 ,it was a stern vow but she kept her word1 and the years have come and gone1 and the house has never been swept or garnished1 the garden is an overgrown tangle1 and the eccentric lady has spent twenty years between the sheets4 ,but whether this piece of romance is to be accepted or not1 love has been the cause of many foolish acts1 and many a disappointed damsel1 has acted in no less eccentric a fashion than ,miss ,havisham1 who was so completely overcome by the failure of ,compeyson to appear on the wedding morning that she became fossilised1 and gave orders that everything was to be kept unchanged1 but to remain as it had been on that hapless day4 ,henceforth she was always attired in her bridal dress with lace veil from head to foot1 white shoes1 bridal flowers in her white hair1 and jewels on her hands and neck4 ,years went on1 the wedding breakfast remained set on the table1 while the poor half demented lady flitted from one room to another like a restless ghost2 and the case is recorded of another lady whose lover was arrested for forgery on the day before their marriage was to have taken place4 ,her vow took the form of keeping to her room1 sitting winter and summer alike at her casement and waiting for him who was turning the treadmill1 and who was never to come again4 ,on the other hand1 vows have been made1 but persons have contrived to rid themselves of the inconveniences without breaking them1 reminding us of ,benedick1 who finding the charms of his ,dear ,lady ,disdain too much for his celibate resolves1 gets out of his difficulty by declaring that ,when ,i said ,i would die a bachelor1 ,i did not think ,i should live till ,i were married4 ,equally ludicrous1 also1 is the story told of a certain man1 who1 greatly terrified in a storm1 vowed he would eat no haberdine1 but1 just as the danger was over1 he qualified his promise with ,not without mustard1 ,o ,lord4 ,and ,voltaire1 in one of his romances1 represents a disconsolate widow vowing that she will never marry again1 so long as the river flows by the side of the hill4 ,but a few months afterwards the widow recovers from her grief1 and1 contemplating matrimony1 takes counsel with a clever engineer4 ,he sets to work1 the river is deviated from its course1 and1 in a short time1 it no longer flows by the side of the hill4 ,the lady1 released from her vow1 does not allow many days to elapse before she exchanges her weeds for a bridal veil4 ,however far fetched this little romance may be1 a veritable instance of thus keeping the letter of the vow and neglecting the spirit1 was recorded not so very long ago3 ,a ,salopian parish clerk seeing a woman crossing the churchyard with a bundle and a watering can1 followed her1 curious to know what intentions might be1 and discovered that she was a widow of a few months' standing4 ,inquiring what she was going to do with the watering pot1 she informed him that she had been obtaining some grass seed to sow on her husband's grave1 and had brought a little water to make it spring up quickly4 ,the clerk told her there was no occasion to trouble1 the grave would be green in good time4 ,ah6 that may be1 she replied1 but my poor husband made me take a vow not to marry again until the grass had grown over his grave1 and1 having a good offer1 ,i do not wish to break my vow1 or keep as ,i am longer than ,i can help4 ,but vows have not always been broken with impunity4 ,janet ,dalrymple1 daughter of the first ,lord ,stair1 secretly engaged herself to ,lord ,rutherford1 who was not acceptable to her parents1 either on account of his political principles1 or his want of fortune4 ,the young couple broke a piece of gold together1 and pledged their troth in the most solemn manner1 the young lady1 it is said1 imprecating dreadful evils on herself should she break her plighted faith4 ,but shortly afterwards another suitor sought the hand of ,janet ,dalrymple1 and1 when she showed a cold indifference to his overtures1 her mother1 ,lady ,stair1 insisted upon her consenting to marry the new suitor1 ,david ,dunbar1 son and heir of ,david ,dunbar of ,baldoon1 in ,wigtonshire4 ,it was in vain that ,janet ,dalrymple confessed her secret engagement1 for ,lady ,stair treated this objection as a mere trifle4 ,lord ,rutherford1 apprised of what had happened1 interfered by letter1 and insisted on the right he had acquired by his troth plighted with ,janet ,dalrymple4 ,but ,lady ,stair answered in reply that her daughter1 sensible of her undutiful behaviour in entering into a contract unsanctioned by her parents1 had retracted her unlawful vow1 and now refused to fulfil her engagement with him4 ,lord ,rutherford wrote again to ,lady ,stair1 and briefly informed her that he declined positively to receive such an answer from anyone but ,janet ,dalrymple1 and1 accordingly1 an interview was arranged between them1 at which ,lady ,stair took good care to be present1 with pertinacity insisting on the ,levitical law1 which declares that a woman shall be free of a vow which her parents dissent from4 ,while ,lady ,stair insisted on her right to break the engagement1 ,lord ,rutherford in vain entreated ,janet ,dalrymple to declare her feelings2 but she remained mute1 pale1 and motionless as a statue1 and it was only at her mother's command1 sternly uttered1 she summoned strength enough to restore the broken piece of gold--the emblem of her troth4 ,at this unexpected act ,lord ,rutherford burst into a tremendous passion1 took leave of ,lady ,stair with maledictions1 and1 as he left the room1 gave one angry glance at ,janet ,dalrymple1 remarking1 ,for you1 madam1 you will be a world's wonder--a phrase denoting some remarkable degree of calamity4 ,in due time1 the marriage between ,janet ,dalrymple and ,david ,dunbar of ,baldoon1 took place1 the bride showing no repugnance1 but being absolutely impassive in everything ,lady ,stair commanded or advised1 always maintaining the same sad1 silent1 and resigned look4 ,the bridal feast was followed by dancing1 and the bride and bridegroom retired as usual1 when suddenly the most wild and piercing cries were heard from the nuptial chamber1 which at length became so hideous that a general rush was made to learn the cause4 ,on opening the door a ghastly scene presented itself1 for the bridegroom was discovered lying on the floor1 dreadfully wounded1 and streaming with blood4 ,the bride was seen sitting in the corner of the large chimney1 dabbled in gore--grinning--in short1 absolutely insane1 and the only words she uttered were2 ,take up your bonny bridegroom4 ,she survived this tragic event little over a fortnight1 having been married on the #bdth ,august1 and dying on the #abth ,september4 ,the unfortunate bridegroom recovered from his wounds1 but1 strange to say1 he never permitted anyone to ask him respecting the manner in which he had received them2 but he did not long survive this dreadful catastrophe1 meeting with a fatal injury by a fall from a horse as he was one day riding between ,leith and ,holyrood ,house4 ,as might be expected1 various reports went abroad respecting this mysterious affair1 most of them being inaccurate4#ac ,but the story has gained a lasting notoriety from ,sir ,walter ,scott having founded his ,bride of ,lammermoor upon it2 who1 in his introductory notes to that novel1 has given some curious facts concerning this tragic occurrence1 quoting an elegy of ,andrew ,symson1 which takes the form of a dialogue between a passenger and a domestic servant4 ,the first recollecting that he had passed ,lord ,stair's house lately1 and seen all around enlivened by mirth and festivity1 is desirous of knowing what has changed so gay a scene into mourning1 whereupon the servant replies3-- ,sir1 'tis truth you've told1 ,we did enjoy great mirth2 but now1 ah me6 ,our joyful song's turned to an elegie4 ,a virtuous lady1 not long since a bride1 ,was to a hopeful plant by marriage tied1 ,and brought home hither4 ,we did all rejoice ,even for her sake4 ,but presently her voice ,was turned to mourning for that little time ,that she'd enjoy3 she waned in her prime1 ,for ,atropos1 with her impartial knife1 ,soon cut her thread1 and therewithal her life2 ,and for the time1 we may it well remember ,it being in unfortunate ,september2 ,where we must leave her till the resurrection1 ',tis then the ,saints enjoy their full perfection4 ,many a vow too rashly made has been followed by an equally tragic result1 instances of which are to be met with in the legendary lore of our county families4 ,a somewhat curious legend is connected with a monument in the church of ,stoke d',abernon1 ,surrey4 ,the story goes that two young brothers of the family of ,vincent1 the elder of whom had just come into his estate1 were out shooting on ,fairmile ,common1 about two miles from the village4 ,they had put up several birds1 but had not been able to get a single shot1 when the elder swore with an oath that he would fire at whatever they next met with4 ,they had not gone far before a neighbouring miller passed them1 whereupon the younger brother reminded the elder of his oath1 who immediately fired at the miller1 and killed him on the spot4 ,through the influence of his family1 backed by large sums of money1 no effective steps were taken to apprehend young ,vincent1 but1 after leading a life of complete seclusion for some years1 death finally put an end to the insupportable anguish of his mind4 ,a pretty romance is told of ,furness ,abbey1 locally known as ,the ,abbey ,vows4 ,many years ago1 ,matilda1 the pretty and much-admired daughter of a squire residing near ,stainton1 had been wooed and won by ,james1 a neighbouring farmer's son4 ,but as ,matilda was the only child1 her father fondly imagined that her rare beauty and fortune combined would procure her a good match1 little thinking that her heart was already given to one whose position he would never recognise4 ,it so happened1 however1 that the young people1 through force of circumstances1 were separated1 neither seeing nor hearing of each other for some years4 ,at last1 by chance1 they were thrown together1 when the active service in which ,james was employed had given his fine manly form an appearance which was at once imposing and captivating4 ,matilda1 too1 was improved in every eye1 and never had ,james seen so lovely a maid as his former playmate4 ,their youthful hearts were disengaged1 and they soon resolved to render their attachment as binding and as permanent as it was pure and undivided4 ,the period had arrived1 also1 when ,james must again go to sea1 and leave ,matilda to have her fidelity tried by other suitors4 ,both1 therefore1 were willing to bind themselves by some solemn pledge to live but for each other4 ,for this purpose they repaired1 on the evening before ,james's departure1 to the ruins of ,furness ,abbey4 ,it was a fine autumnal evening2 the sun had set in the greatest beauty1 and the moon was hastening up the eastern sky2 and in the roofless choir they knelt1 near where the altar formerly stood1 and repeated1 in the presence of ,heaven1 their vows of deathless love4 ,they parted4 ,but the fate of the betrothed lovers was a melancholy one4 ,james returned to his ship for foreign service1 and was killed by the first broadside of a ,french privateer1 with which the captain had injudiciously ventured to engage4 ,as for ,matilda1 she regularly went to the abbey to visit the spot where she had knelt with her lover2 and there1 it is said1 she would stand for hours1 with clasped hands1 gazing on that heaven which alone had been witness to their mutual vows4 ,another momentous vow1 but one of a terribly tragic nature1 relates to ,samlesbury ,hall1 which stands about midway between ,preston and ,blackburn1 and has long been famous for its apparition of ,the ,lady in ,white4 ,the story generally told is that one of the daughters of ,sir ,john ,southworth1 a former owner1 formed an attachment with the heir of a neighbouring house1 and nothing was wanting to complete their happiness except the consent of the lady's father4 ,sir ,john was accordingly consulted by the youthful couple1 but the tale of their love for each other only increased his rage1 and he dismissed them with the most bitter denunciations4 ,no daughter of his should ever be united to the son of a family which had deserted its ancestral faith1 he solemnly vowed1 and to intensify his disapproval of the whole affair1 he forbade the young man his presence for ever4 ,difficulty1 however1 only served to increase the ardour of the lovers1 and1 after many secret interviews among the wooded slopes of the ,ribble1 an elopement was arranged1 in the hope that time would eventually bring her father's forgiveness4 ,but the day and place were unfortunately overheard by the lady's brother1 who had hidden himself in a thicket close by1 determined1 if possible1 to prevent what he considered to be his sister's disgrace4 ,on the evening agreed upon both parties met at the appointed hour1 and1 as the young knight moved away with his betrothed1 her brother rushed from his hiding-place1 and1 in pursuance of a vow he had made1 slew him4 ,after this tragic occurrence1 ,lady ,dorothy was sent abroad to a convent1 where she was kept under strict surveillance2 but her mind at last gave way--the name of her murdered sweetheart was ever on her lips--and she died a raving maniac4 ,it is said that on certain clear1 still evenings1 a lady in white can be seen passing along the gallery and the corridors1 and then from the hall into the grounds1 where she meets a handsome knight1 who receives her on his bended knees1 and he then accompanies her along the walks4 ,on arriving at a certain spot1 in all probability the lover's grave1 both the phantoms stand still1 and as they seem to utter soft wailings of despair1 they embrace each other1 and then their forms rise slowly from the earth and melt away into the clear blue of the surrounding sky4#ad ,a strange and romantic story is told of ,blenkinsopp ,castle1 which1 too1 has long been haunted by a white lady4 ,it seems that its owner1 ,bryan de ,blenkinsopp1 despite many good qualities1 had an inordinate love of wealth which ultimately wrecked his fortune4 ,at the marriage feast of a brother warrior with a lady of high rank and fortune1 the health was drunk of ,bryan de ,blenkinsopp and his lady love4 ,but to the surprise of all present ,bryan made a vow that never shall that be until ,i meet with a lady possessed of a chest of gold heavier than ten of my strongest men can carry into my ,castle4 ,soon afterwards he went abroad1 and after an absence of twelve years returned1 not only with a wife1 but possessed of a box of gold that took three of the strongest men to convey it to the ,castle4 ,a grand banquet was given in honour of his return1 and1 after several days feasting and rejoicing1 vague rumours were spread of dissensions between the lord and his lady4 ,one day the young husband disappeared1 and never returned to ,blenkinsopp1 nothing more being heard of him4 ,but the traditionary account of this mystery asserts that his young wife1 filled with remorse at her undutiful conduct towards him1 cannot rest in her grave1 but must wander about the old castle1 and mourn over the chest of gold--the cursed cause of all their misery--of which it is supposed she1 with the assistance of others1 had deprived her husband4 ,it is generally admitted that the cause of ,bryan de ,blenkinsopp's future unhappiness was the rash vow he uttered at that fatal banquet4 ,associated with this curious romance there are current in the neighbourhood many tales of a more or less legendary character1 but there has long been a firm belief that treasure lies buried beneath the crumbling ruins4 ,according to one story given in ,richardson's ,table ,book of ,traditions some years ago1 two of the more habitable apartments of ,blenkinsopp ,castle were utilized by a labourer of the estate and his family4 ,but one night1 the parents were aroused by screams from the adjoining room1 and rushing in they found their little son sitting up in bed1 terribly frightened4 ,what was the matter8 ,the ,white ,lady6 ,the ,white ,lady6 cried the boy4 ,what lady1 asked the bewildered parents2 there is no lady here6 ,she is gone1 replied the boy1 and she looked so angry because ,i would not go with her4 ,she was a fine lady--and she sat down on my bedside and wrung her hands and cried sore2 then she kissed me and asked me to go with her1 and she would make me a rich man1 as she had buried a large box of gold1 many hundred years since1 down in a vault1 and she would give it me1 as she could not rest so long as it was there4 ,when ,i told her ,i durst not go1 she said she would carry me1 and was lifting me up when ,i cried out and frightened her away4 ,when the boy grew up he invariably persisted in the truth of his statement1 and at forty years of age could recall the scene so vividly as to make him shudder1 as if still he felt her cold lips press his cheeks and the death-like embrace of her wan arms4 ,equally curious is the old tradition told of ,lynton ,castle1 of which not a stone remains1 although1 once upon a time1 it was as stately a stronghold as ever echoed to the clash of knightly arms4 ,one evening there came to its gates a monk1 who in the name of the ,holy ,virgin asked alms1 but the lady of the ,castle liked not his gloomy brow1 and bade him begone4 ,resenting such treatment1 the monk drew up his well-knit frame1 and vowed3--,all that is thine shall be mine1 until in the porch of the holy church1 a lady and a child shall stand and beckon4 ,little heed was taken of these ominous words1 and as years passed by a baron succeeded to the ,lynton estates1 whose greed was such that he dared to lay his sacrilegious hand even upon holy treasures4 ,but as he sate among his gold1 the black monk entered1 and summoned him to his fearful audit2 and his servants1 aroused by his screams1 found only a lifeless corpse4 ,this was considered retribution for his sins of the past1 and his son1 taking warning1 girded on his sword1 and in ,palestine did doughty deeds against the ,saracen4 ,by his side was constantly seen the mysterious ,black ,monk--his friend and guide--but at length the wine-cup and the smiles of lewd women lured him from the path of right4 ,after a time the knight returned to ,devonshire1 and lo1 on the happy ,sabbath morning1 the chimes of the church-bells flung out their silver music on the air1 and the memories of an innocent childhood woke up instantly in his sorrowing heart4 ,in vain the ,black ,monk sought to beguile him from the holy fane1 and whispered to him of bright eyes and a distant bower4 ,he paused only for a moment4 ,in the shadow of the porch stood the luminous forms of his mother and sister1 who lifted up their spirit hands1 and beckoned4 ,the knight tore himself from the ,black ,monk's grasp and rushed towards them1 exclaiming1 ,i come6 ,i come6 ,mother1 sister1 ,i am saved6 ,o1 ,heaven1 have pity on me6 ,the story adds that the three were borne up in a radiant cloud1 but the ,black ,monk leapt headlong into the depths of the abyss beneath1 and the castle fell to pieces with a sudden crash1 and where its towers had soared statelily into the sunlit air was now outspread the very desolation--the valley of the rocks-- and thus the vow was accomplished1 all that remains nowadays to remind the visitor of that stately castle and its surroundings being a lonely glen in the valley of rocks where a party of marauders1 it is said1 were once overtaken and slaughtered4 ,in some cases churches have been built in performance of vows1 and at the ,tichborne ,trial one of the witnesses deposed how ,sir ,edward ,doughty made a vow1 when his son was ill1 that if the child recovered he would build a church at ,poole4 ,contrary to all expectation1 the child did recover most miraculously1 for it had been ill beyond all hope1 and ,sir ,edward built a church at ,poole1 and there it stands until this day4 ,there are numerous stories of the same kind1 and the peculiar position of the old church of ,st4 ,antony1 in ,kirrier1 ,cornwall1 is accounted for by the following tradition3 ,it is said that1 soon after the ,conquest1 as some ,normans of rank were crossing from ,normandy into ,england1 they were driven by a terrific storm on the ,cornish coast1 where they were in imminent danger of destruction4 ,in their peril and distress they called on ,st4 ,antony1 and made a vow that if he would preserve them from shipwreck they would build a church in his honour on the spot where they first landed4 ,the vessel was wafted into the ,durra ,creek1 and there the pious ,normans1 as soon as possible1 fulfilled their vow4 ,a similar tradition is told of ,gunwalloe ,parish ,church1 which1 a local legend says1 was erected as a votive offering by one who here escaped from shipwreck1 for1 when he had miraculously escaped from the fury of the waves1 he vowed that he would build a chapel in which the sounds of prayer and praise to ,god should blend with the never-ceasing voice of those waves from which he had but narrowly escaped4 ,so near to the sea is the church1 that at times it is reached by the waves1 which have frequently washed away the walls of the churchyard4 ,but vows of a similar nature have been connected with sacred buildings in most countries1 and ,vienna owes the church of ,st4 ,charles to a vow made by the ,emperor ,charles the ,sixth during an epidemic4 ,the silver ship1 given by the ,queen of ,st4 ,louis1 was made in accordance with a vow4 ,according to ,joinville1 the queen said she wanted the king1 to beg he would make some vows to ,god and the ,saints1 for the sailors around her were in the greatest danger of being drowned4 ',madam1' ,i replied1 'vow to make a pilgrimage to my lord ,st4 ,nicholas at ,varengeville1 and ,i promise you that ,god will restore you in safety to ,france4 ,at least1 then1 ,madam1 promise him that if ,god shall restore you in safety to ,france1 you will give him a silver ship of the value of five masses2 and if you shall do this1 ,i assure you that1 at the entreaty of ,st4 ,nicholas1 ,god will grant you a successful voyage4' ,upon this1 she made a vow of a silver ship to ,st4 ,nicholas4 ,similarly1 there was a statue at ,venice said to have performed great miracles4 ,a merchant vowed perpetual gifts of wax candles in gratitude for being saved by the light of a candle on a dark night1 reminding us of ,byron's description of a storm at sea1 in ',don ,juan' 7,canto ,,ii473 ,some went to prayers again and made vows ,of candles to their saints4 ,numerous vows of this kind are recorded1 and it may be remembered how a certain ,empress promised a golden lamp to the church of ,notre ,dame des ,victoires1 in the event of her husband coming safely out of the doctor's hands2 and1 as recently as the year #ahfg1 attired in the garb of a pilgrim of the olden time1 walked1 in fulfilment of a vow1 from ,madrid to ,rome when she fancied herself at death's door4 ,many card-players and gamesters1 unable to bear reverse1 have made vows which they lacked the moral courage to keep4 ,dr4 ,norman ,macleod tells a curious anecdote of a well-known character who lived in the parish of ,sedgley1 near ,wolverhampton1 and who1 having lost a considerable sum of money by a match at cock-fighting--to which practice he was notoriously addicted--made a vow that he would never fight another cock as long as he lived1 frequently calling upon ,god to damn his soul to all eternity if he did1 and1 with dreadful imprecations1 wishing the devil might fetch him if he ever made another bet4 ,for a time he adhered to his vow1 but two years afterwards he was inspired with a violent desire to attend a cock-fight at ,wolverhampton1 and accordingly visited the place for that purpose4 ,on reaching the scene he soon disregarded his vow1 and cried3 ,i hold four to three on such a cock6 ,four what8 said one of his companions4 ,four shillings1 replied he4 ,i'll lay1 said the other1 upon which they confirmed the wager1 and1 as his custom was1 he threw down his hat and put his hand in his pocket for the money1 when he instantly fell down dead4 ,terrified at the sight1 some who were present for ever after desisted from this infamous sport2 but others proceeded in the barbarous diversion as soon as the dead body was removed from the spot4 ,another inveterate gambler was ,colonel ,edgeworth1 who on one occasion1 having lost all his ready cash at the card tables1 actually borrowed his wife's diamond earrings1 and staking them had a fortunate turn of luck1 rising a winner2 whereupon he solemnly vowed never to touch cards or dice again4 ,and yet1 it is said1 before the week was out1 he was pulling straws from a rick1 and betting upon which should prove the longest4 ,on the other hand1 ,tate ,wilkinson relates an interesting anecdote of ,john ,wesley who in early life was very fond of a game of whist1 and every ,saturday was one of a constant party at a rubber1 not only for the afternoon1 but also for the evening4 ,but the last ,saturday that he ever played at cards the rubber at whist was longer than he expected1 and1 on observing the tediousness of the game he pulled out his watch1 and to his shame he found it was some minutes past eight1 which was beyond the time he had appointed for the ,lord4 ,he thought the devil had certainly tempted him beyond his hour1 he suddenly therefore gave up his cards to a gentleman near him to finish the game1 and left the room1 making a vow never to play with the devil's pages1 as he called them1 again4 ,that vow he never broke4 ,political vows1 as is well known1 have a curious history1 and an interesting incident is told in connection with one of the ancestors of ,sir ,walter ,scott4 ,it appears that ,walter ,scott1 the first of ,raeburn1 by ,ann ,isabel1 his wife1 daughter of ,william ,macdougall1 had two sons1 ,william1 direct ancestor of the ,lairds of ,raeburn1 and ,walter1 progenitor of the ,scotts of ,abbotsford4 ,the younger1 who was generally known by the curious appellation of ,bearded ,watt1 from a vow which he had made to leave his beard unshaven until the restoration of the ,stuarts1 reminds us of those ,servian patriots who during the bombardment of ,belgrade thirty years ago1 made a vow that they would never allow a razor to touch their faces until the thing could be done in the fortress itself4 ,five years afterwards1 in #ahfg1 the ,servians marched through the streets of ,belgrade1 with enormous beards1 preceded by the barbers1 each with razor in hand1 and entered the fortresses to have the last office of the vow performed on them4 ,,footnotes3 #ab ,agnes ,strickland1 ,lives of the ,queens of ,england1 #ahhd1 iii41 #ded-e4 #ac ,see ,sir ,walter ,scott's notes to the ,bride of ,lammermoor4 #ad ,harland's ,lancashire ,legends1 #ahhb1 p4 #bfc-d4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,strange ,,banquets4 ,o',rourke's noble feast will ne'er be forgot ,by those who were there--or those who were not4 ,in the above words the ,dean of ,st4 ,patrick has immortalised an ,irish festival of the eighteenth century2 and some such memory will long cling to many a family or historic banquet1 which--like the tragic one depicted in ,macbeth1 where the ghost of the murdered ,banquo makes its uncanny appearance1 or that remarkable feast described by ,lord ,lytton1 where ,zanoni drinks with impunity the poisoned cup1 remarking to the ,prince1 ,i pledge you even in this wine--has been the scene of some unusual1 or extraordinary occurrence4 ,at one time or another1 the wedding feast has witnessed many a strange and truly romantic occurrence1 in some instances the result of unrequited love1 or faithless pledges1 as happened at the marriage feast of the second ,viscount ,cullen4 ,at the early age of sixteen he had been betrothed to ,elizabeth ,trentham1 a great heiress2 but in the course of his travels abroad he formed a strong attachment to an ,italian lady of rank1 whom he afterwards deserted for his first betrothed4 ,in due time arrangements were made for their marriage2 but on the eventful day1 while the wedding party were feasting in the great hall at ,rushton1 a strange carriage1 drawn by six horses1 drew up1 and forth stepped a dark lady1 who1 at once entering the hall and1 seizing a goblet--to punish his falsehood and pride--to the astonishment of all present1 drank perdition to the bridegroom1 and1 having uttered a curse upon his bride1 to the effect that she would live in wretchedness and die in want1 promptly disappeared to be traced no further4 ,no small consternation was caused by this unlooked-for contretemps2 but the young ,viscount made light of it to his fair bride1 dispelling her alarm by explanations which satisfied her natural curiosity4 ,but1 it is said1 in after days1 this unpleasant episode created an unfavourable impression in her mind1 and at times made her give way to feelings of a despondent character4 ,as events turned out1 the curse of her marriage day was in a great measure fulfilled4 ,it is true she became a prominent beauty of the ,court of ,charles ,,ii41 and was painted with less than his usual amount of drapery by ,sir ,peter ,lely4 ,it is recorded also1 that she twice gave an asylum to ,monmouth1 in the room at ,rushton1 still known as the ,duke's ,room2 but1 living unhappily with her husband1 she died1 notwithstanding her enormous fortune1 in comparative penury1 at ,kettering1 at a great age1 as recently as the year #agac4 ,a curious tale of love and deception is told of ,bulgaden ,hall1 once--according to ,ferrers1 in his ,history of ,limerick--the most magnificent seat in the ,south of ,ireland--erected by the ,right ,hon4 ,george ,evans1 who was created ,baron ,carbery1 ,county of ,cork1 on the #ith of ,may1 #agae4 ,a family tradition proclaims him to have been noted for great personal attractions1 so much so1 that ,queen ,anne1 struck by his appearance1 took a ring from her finger at one of her levees1 and presented it to him--a ring preserved as a heir-loom at ,laxton ,hall1 ,northamptonshire4 ,in #agda1 he married ,grace1 the daughter1 and eventually heiress of ,sir ,ralph ,freke1 of ,castle ,freke1 in the ,county of ,cork1 by whom he had four sons and the same number of daughters2 and it was ,george ,evans1 the eldest son and heir1 who became the chief personage in the following extraordinary marriage fraud4 ,it appears that at an early age he fell in love with the beautiful daughter of his host1 ,colonel ,stamer1 who was only too ready to sanction such an alliance4 ,but1 despite the brilliant prospects which this contemplated marriage opened to the young lady1 she turned a deaf ear to any mention of it1 for she loved another4 ,as far as her parents could judge she seemed inexorable1 and they could only allay the suspense of the expectant lover by assuring him that their daughter's natural timidity alone prevented an immediate answer to his suit4 ,but what their feelings of surprise were on the following day can be imagined1 when ,miss ,stamer announced to her parents her willingness to marry ,george ,evans4 ,it was decided that there should be no delay1 and the marriage day was at once fixed4 ,at this period of our social life1 the wedding banquet was generally devoted to wine and feasting1 while the marriage itself did not take place till the evening4 ,and1 according to custom1 sobriety at these bridal feasts was1 we are told1 a positive violation of all good breeding1 and the guests would have thought themselves highly dishonoured had the bridegroom escaped scathless from the wedding banquet4 ,accordingly1 half unconscious of passing events1 ,george ,evans was conducted to the altar1 where the marriage knot was indissolubly tied4 ,but1 as soon as he had recovered from the effects of the bridal feast1 he discovered1 to his intense horror and dismay1 that the bride he had taken was not the woman of his choice--in short1 he was the victim of a cheat4 ,indignant at this cruel imposture1 he ascertained that the plot emanated from the woman who1 till then1 had been the ideal of his soul1 and that she had substituted her veiled sister ,anne for herself at the altar4 ,the remainder of this strange affair is briefly told3--,george ,evans had one1 and only one1 interview with his wife1 and thus addressed her in the following words3 ,madam1 you have attained your end4 ,i need not say how you bear my name2 and1 for the sake of your family1 ,i acknowledge you as my wife4 ,you shall receive an income from me suitable to your situation4 ,this1 probably1 is all you cared for with regard to me1 and you and ,i shall meet no more in this world4 ,illustration3 ,,madam1 ,,you ,,have ,,attained ,,your ,,end4 ,,you ,,and ,i ,,shall ,,meet ,,no ,,more ,,in ,,this ,,world4 ,he would allow no explanation1 and almost immediately left his home and country1 never to meet again the woman who had so basely betrayed him4 ,the glory of ,bulgaden ,hall was gone4 ,its young master1 in order to quench his sorrow and bury his disgust1 gave way to every kind of dissipation1 and died its victim in #agfi4 ,and1 writes ,sir ,bernard ,burke1 from the period of its desertion by its luckless master1 ,bulgaden ,hall gradually sank into ruin2 and to mark its site nought remains but the foundation walls and a solitary stone1 bearing the family arms4 ,a strange incident1 of which1 it is said1 no satisfactory explanation has ever yet been forthcoming1 happened during the wedding banquet of ,alexander ,,iii4 at ,jedburgh ,castle1 a weird and gruesome episode which ,edgar ,poe expanded into his ,masque of the ,red ,death4 ,the story goes that in the midst of the festivities1 a mysterious figure glided amongst the astonished guests--tall and gaunt1 and shrouded from head to foot in the habiliments of the grave1 the mask which concealed the visage resembling the countenance of a stiffened corpse4 ,who dares1 demands the royal host1 to insult us with this blasphemous mockery8 ,seize him and unmask him1 that we may know whom we have to hang at sunrise from the battlements4 ,but when the awe-struck revellers took courage and grasped the figure1 they gasped in unutterable horror on finding the grave cerements and corpse-like mask1 which they handled with so violent a rudeness1 untenanted by any tangible form1 vanishing as suddenly as it had appeared4 ,all sorts of theories have been suggested to account for this mysterious figure1 but no satisfactory solution has been forthcoming1 an incident of which1 it may be remembered1 ,heywood has given a graphic picture3 ,in the mid-revels1 the first ominous night ,of their espousals1 when the room shone bright ,with lighted tapers--the king and queen leading ,the curious measures1 lords and ladies treading ,the self-same strains--the king looks back by chance ,and spies a strange intruder fill the dance1 ,namely1 a mere anatomy1 quite bare1 ,his naked limbs both without flesh and hair 7,as he deciphers ,death71 who stalks about1 ,keeping true measure till the dance be out4 ,inexplicable1 however1 as the presence of this unearthly1 mysterious personage was felt to be by all engaged in the marriage revels1 it was regarded as the forerunner of some approaching catastrophe4 ,prophets and seers lost no time in turning the affair to their own interest1 and amongst them ,thomas the ,rhymer predicted that the #afth of ,march would be the stormiest day that ever was witnessed in ,scotland4 ,but when the supposed ill-fated day arrived1 it was the very reverse of stormy1 being still and mild1 and public opinion began to ridicule the prophetic utterance of ,thomas the ,rhymer1 when1 to the amazement and consternation of all1 there came the appalling news1 ,the king is dead1 whereupon ,thomas the ,rhymer ejaculated1 ,that is the storm which ,i meant1 and there was never tempest which will bring to ,scotland more ill-luck4 ,the disappearance of the heir to a property1 which has always been a favourite subject with novelists and romance writers1 has occasionally happened in real life1 and a ,shropshire legend relates how1 long ago1 the heir of the house of ,corbet went away to the wars1 and remained absent so many years that his family--as in the case of ,enoch ,arden--gave up all hope of ever seeing him again1 and eventually mourned for him as dead4 ,his younger brother succeeded to the property1 and prepared to take to himself a wife1 and reign in the old family hall4 ,but on the wedding day1 in the midst of the feasting1 a pilgrim came to the gate asking hospitality and alms4 ,he was bidden to sit down and share the feast1 but scarcely was the banquet ended when the pilgrim revealed himself as the long lost elder brother4 ,the disconcerted bridegroom acknowledged him at once1 but the latter generously resigned the greater part of the estates to his brother1 and1 sooner than mar the prospects of the newly married couple1 he lived a life of obscurity upon one small manor4 ,there seems1 however1 to be a very small basis of fact for this story4 ,the ,corbets of ,shropshire--one branch of whom are owners of ,moreton ,corbet--are among the very oldest of the many old ,shropshire families4 ,they trace their descent back to ,corbet the ,norman1 whose sons1 ,robert and ,roger1 appear in ,domesday ,book as holding large estates under ,roger1 ,earl of ,shrewsbury4 ,the grandsons of ,roger ,corbet were ,thomas ,corbet of ,wattlesborough1 and ,robert ,corbet4 ,thomas1 who was evidently the elder of the two1 it seems went beyond seas1 leaving his lands in the custody of his brother ,robert4 ,both brothers left descendants1 but the elder branch of the family never attained to such rank and prosperity as the younger one4 ,hence1 perhaps1 the origin of the legend2 but ,moreton ,corbet did not come into the possession of the family till long after this date4#ae ,whatever truth there may be in this old tradition1 there is every reason to believe that some of the worst tragedies recorded in family history have been due to jealousy2 and an extraordinary instance of such unnatural feeling was that displayed by the second wife of ,sir ,robert ,scott1 of ,thirlestane1 one of the most distinguished cadets of the great ,house of ,buccleuch4 ,distracted with mortification that her husband's rich inheritance would descend to his son by his first wife1 she secretly resolved to compass the destruction of her step-son1 and determined to execute her hateful purpose at the festivities held in honour of the young laird's twentieth birthday4 ,having taken into her confidence one ,john ,lally1 the family piper1 this wretched man procured three adders1 from which he selected the parts replete with the most deadly poison1 and1 after grinding them to fine powder1 ,lady ,thirlestane mixed them in a bottle of wine4 ,previous to the commencement of the birthday feast1 the young laird having called for wine to drink the healths of the workmen who had just completed the mason work of the new ,castle of ,gamescleugh--his future residence--the piper ,lally filled a silver cup from the poisoned bottle1 which the ill-fated youth hastily drank off4 ,so potent was the poison that the young laird died within an hour1 and a feeling of horror seized the birthday guests as to who could have done so foul a deed4 ,but the father seems to have had his suspicions1 and having caused a bugle to be blown1 as a signal for all the family to assemble in the castle court1 he inquired1 ,are we all here8 ,a voice answered1 ,all but the piper1 ,john ,lally6 ,these words1 it is said1 sounded like a knell in ,sir ,robert's ear1 and the truth was manifest to him4 ,but unwilling to make a public example of his own wife1 he adopted a somewhat unique method of vengeance1 and publicly proclaimed that as he could not bestow the estate on his son while alive1 he would spend it upon him when dead4 ,accordingly1 the body of his son was embalmed with the most costly drugs1 and lay in state for a year and a day1 during which time ,sir ,robert kept open house1 feasting all who chose to be his guests2 ,lady ,thirlestane meanwhile being imprisoned in a vault of the castle1 and fed upon bread and water4 ,during the last three days of this extraordinary feast1 writes ,sir ,bernard ,burke1#af the crowds were immense4 ,it was as if the whole of the south of ,scotland was assembled at ,thirlestane4 ,butts of the richest and rarest wine were carried into the fields1 their ends were knocked out with hatchets1 and the liquor was carried about in stoups4 ,the burn of ,thirlestane literally ran with wine4 ,sir ,robert died soon afterwards1 and left his family in utter destitution1 his wife dying in absolute beggary4 ,thus was avenged the crime of this cruel and unprincipled woman1 whose fatal jealousy caused the ruin of the family4 ,political intrigue1 again1 has been the origin of many an act of treachery1 done under the semblance of hospitality1 or given rise to strange incidents4 ,to go back to early times1 it seems that ,edward the ,confessor had long indulged a suspicion that ,earl ,godwin--who had in the first instance accused ,queen ,emma of having caused the death of her son--was himself implicated in that transaction4 ,it so happened that the ,king and a large concourse of prelates and nobility were holding a large dinner at ,winchester1 in honour of the ,easter festival1 when the butler1 in bringing in a dish1 slipped1 but recovered his balance by making adroit use of his other foot4 ,thus does brother assist brother1 exclaimed ,earl ,godwin1 thinking to be witty at the butler's expense4 ,and thus might ,i have been now assisted by my ,alfred1 if ,earl ,godwin had not prevented it1 replied the ,king3 for the ,earl's remark had recalled to his mind the suspicion he had long entertained of the ,earl having been concerned in ,prince ,alfred's death4 ,resenting the king's words1 the ,earl holding up the morsel which he was about to eat1 uttered a great oath1 and in the name of ,god expressed a wish that the morsel might choke him if he had in any way been concerned in that murder4 ,accordingly he there and then put the morsel into his mouth1 and attempted to swallow it2 but his efforts were in vain1 it stuck fast in his throat--immovable upward or downward--his respiration failed1 his eyes became fixed1 his countenance convulsed1 and in a minute more he fell dead under the table4 ,edward1 convinced of the ,earl's guilt1 and seeing divine justice manifested1 and remembering1 it is said1 with bitterness the days past when he had given a willing ear to the calumnies spread about his innocent mother1 cried out1 in an indignant voice1 ,carry away that dog1 and bury him in the high road4 ,but the body was deposited by the ,earl's cousin in the cathedral4 ,several accounts have been written of that terrible banquet1 to which the ,earl of ,douglas was invited by ,sir ,alexander ,livingstone and the ,chancellor ,crichton--who craftily dissembled their intentions--to sup at the royal table in the ,castle of ,edinburgh4 ,the ,earl was foolhardy enough to accept the ill-fated invitation1 and shortly after he had taken his place at the festive board1 the head of a black bull--the certain omen1 in those days in ,scotland1 of immediate death--was placed on the table4 ,the ,earl1 anticipating treachery1 instantly sprang to his feet1 and lost no time in making every effort to escape4 ,but no chance was given him to do so1 and with his younger brother he was hurried along into the courtyard of the castle1 and after being subjected to a mock trial1 he was beheaded in the back court of the castle that lieth to the west4 ,the death of the young earl1 and his untimely fate1 were the subjects of lament in one of the ballads of the time4 ,edinburgh castle1 town1 and tower1 ,god grant them sink for sin2 ,and that even for the black dinner ,earl ,douglas gat therein4 ,this emphatic malediction is cited by ,hume of ,godscroft in his ,history of the ,house of ,douglas1 as referring to ,william1 sixth ,earl of ,douglas1 a youth of eighteen2 and ,hume1 speaking of this transaction1 says1 with becoming indignation3 ,it is sure the people did abhorre it--execrating the very place where it was done1 in detestation of the fact--of which the memory remaineth yet to our dayes in these words4 ,many similar stories are recorded in the history of the past1 the worst form of treachery oftentimes lurking beneath the festive cup1 and in times of commotion1 when suspicion and mistrust made men feel insecure even when entertained in the banqueting hall of some powerful host1 it is not surprising that great persons had their food tasted by those who were supposed to have made themselves acquainted with its wholesomeness4 ,but this practice could not always afford security when the taster was ready to sacrifice his own life1 as in ,king ,john 7act v4 sc4 #f73 ,,hubert4 ,the king1 ,i fear1 is poisoned by a monk3 ,i left him almost speechless4 ,,bastard4 ,how did he take it8 ,who did taste to him8 ,,hubert4 ,a monk1 ,i tell you2 a resolved villain4 ,but1 in modern days1 one of the most unnatural tragedies on record was the murder of ,sir ,john ,goodere1 ,foote's maternal uncle1 by his brother ,captain ,goodere1 a naval officer4 ,in the year #agdj1 the two brothers dined at a friend's house near ,bristol4 ,for a long time they had been on bad terms1 owing to certain money transactions1 but at the dinner table a reconciliation was1 to all appearance1 made between them4 ,but it was a most terrible piece of underhand treachery1 for on leaving that dinner table1 ,sir ,john was waylaid on his return home by some men from his brother's vessel--acting by his brother's authority--carried on board1 and deliberately strangled2 ,captain ,goodere not only unconcernedly looking on1 but actually furnishing the rope with which this fearful crime was committed4 ,one of the strangest parts of this terrible tale1 ,foote used to relate1 was the fact that on the night the murder was committed he arrived at his father's house in ,truro1 and was kept awake for some time by the softest and sweetest strains of music he had ever heard4 ,at first he fancied it might be a serenade got up by some of the family to welcome him home1 but not being able to discover any trace of the musicians1 he came to the conclusion that he was deceived by his own imagination4 ,shortly afterwards1 however1 he learnt that the murder had been committed at the same hour of the same night as he had been haunted by the mysterious sounds4 ,in after days1 he often spoke of this curious occurrence1 regarding it as a supernatural warning1 a conviction which he retained till his death4 ,but1 strange and varied as are the scenes that have taken place at the banquet1 whether great or small1 such acts of fratricide have been rare1 although1 according to a family tradition relating to ,osbaldeston ,hall1 a similar tragedy once happened at a family banquet4 ,there is one room in the old hall whose walls are smeared with several red marks1 which1 it is said1 can never be obliterated4 ,these stains have some resemblance to blood1 and are generally supposed to have been caused when1 many years ago1 one of the family was brutally murdered4 ,the story commonly current is that there was once a great family gathering at ,osbaldeston ,hall1 at which every member of the family was present4 ,the feast passed off satisfactorily1 and the liquor was flowing freely round1 when1 unfortunately1 family differences began to be discussed4 ,these soon caused angry recriminations1 and at length two of the company challenged each other to mortal combat4 ,friends interfered1 and1 by the judicious intervention on their part1 the quarrel seemed to be made up4 ,but soon afterwards the two accidentally met in this room1 and ,thomas ,osbaldeston drew his sword and murdered his brother-in-law without resistance4 ,for this crime he was deemed a felon1 and forfeited his lands4 ,ever since that ill-fated day the room has been haunted4 ,tradition says that the ghost of the murdered man continues to haunt the scene of the conflict1 and during the silent hours of the night it may be seen passing from the room with uplifted hands1 and with the appearance of blood streaming from a wound in the breast4#ag ,but1 turning to incidents of a less tragic nature1 an amusing story is told of the ,earl of ,hopetoun1 who1 when he could not induce a certain ,scottish laird1 named ,dundas1 to sell his old family residence known as ,the ,tower1 which was on the very verge of his own beautiful pleasure grounds1 tried to lead him on to a more expensive style of living than that to which he had been accustomed1 thinking thereby he might run into debt1 and be compelled to sell his property4 ,accordingly1 ,dundas was frequently invited to ,hopetoun ,house1 and on one occasion his lordship invited himself and a fashionable shooting party to ,the ,tower1 congratulating himself on the hole which a few dinners like this would make in the old laird's rental4 ,but1 as soon as the covers were removed from the dishes1 no small chagrin was caused to ,lord ,hopetoun and his friends when their eyes rested on a goodly array of alternate herrings and potatoes spread from the top to the bottom1 ,dundas at the same time inviting his guests to pledge him in a bumper of excellent whiskey4 ,drinking jocularly to his lordship's health1 he humorously said1 ,it won't do1 my lord2 it won't do6 ,but1 whenever you or your guests will honour my poor hall of ,stang ,hill ,tower with your presence at this hour1 ,i promise you no worse fare than now set before you1 the best and fattest salt herrings that the ,forth can produce1 and the strongest mountain dew4 ,to this ,i beg that your lordship and your honoured friends may do ample justice4 ,it is needless to say that ,lord ,hopetoun never dined again at ,stang ,hill ,tower but some time after1 when ,dundas was on his death-bed1 he advised his son to make the best terms he could with ,lord ,hopetoun1 remarking1 ,he will1 sooner or later1 have our little property4 ,an exchange was made highly advantageous to the ,dundas family1 the estate of ,aithrey being made over to them4#ah ,a curious and humorous narrative is told of ,general ,dalzell1 a noted persecutor of the ,covenanters4 ,in the course of his ,continental service he had been brought into the immediate circle of the ,german ,court1 and one day had the honour to be a guest at a splendid ,imperial banquet1 where1 as a part of his state1 the ,german ,emperor was waited on by the great feudal dignitaries of the empire1 one of whom was the ,duke of ,modena1 the head of the illustrious house of ,este4 ,after his appointment by ,charles ,,ii4 as ,commander-in-,chief in ,scotland1 he was invited by the ,duke of ,york--afterwards ,james ,,ii41 and then residing at ,holyrood--to dine with him and the ,duchess1 ,princess ,may of ,modena4 ,but as this was1 we are told1 what might be called a family dinner1 the ,duchess demurred to the ,general being admitted to such an honour1 whereupon he naively replied that this was not his first introduction to the house of ,este1 for that he had known her ,royal ,highness's father1 the ,duke of ,modena1 and that he had stood behind his chair1 while he sat by the ,emperor's side4 ,there was another kind of banquet1 in which it has been remarked the defunct had the principal honours1 having the same ceremonious respect paid to his waxen image as though he were alive4 ,thus we are reminded how the famous ,henrietta1 ,duchess of ,marlborough demonstrated her appreciation for ,congreve in a most extraordinary manner4 ,report goes that she had his figure made in wax1 talked to it as if it had been alive1 placed it at the table with her1 took every care that it was supplied with different sorts of meat1 and1 in short1 the same formalities were1 throughout1 scrupulously observed in these weird and strange repasts1 just as if ,congreve himself had been present4 ,saint ,foix1 it may be remembered1 who wrote in the time of ,louis ,,xiv41 has left an interesting account of the ceremonial after the death of a ,king of ,france1 during the forty days before the funeral1 when his wax effigy lay in state4 ,it appears that the royal officers served him at meals as though he were still alive1 the matre d'hotel handed the napkin to the highest lord present to be delivered to the king1 a prelate blessed the table1 and the basins of water were handed to the royal armchair4 ,grace was said in the accustomed manner1 save that there was added to it the ,de ,profundis4 ,we cannot be surprised that such strange proceedings as these gave rise to much ridicule1 and helped to bring the ,court itself into contempt4 ,,footnotes3 #ae ,miss ,jackson's ,shropshire ,folklore1 #aja4 #af ,family ,romance1 #ahec1 pp4 #a-h4 #ag ,harland's ,lancashire ,legends1 #bga-b4 #ah ,sir ,bernard ,burke1 ,family ,romance1 #ahec1 ,i41 #cjg-ab4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,mysterious ,,rooms4 ,a jolly place1 said he1 in days of old2 ,but something ails it now--the spot is curst4 ,,wordsworth4 ,a peculiar feature of many old country houses is the so-called strange room1 around which the atmosphere of mystery has long clung4 ,in certain cases1 such rooms have gained an unenviable notoriety from having been the scene1 in days gone by1 of some tragic occurrence1 the memory of which has survived in the local legend1 or tradition4 ,the existence1 too1 of such rooms has supplied the novelist with the most valuable material for the construction of those plots in which the mysterious element holds a prominent place4 ,historical romance1 again1 with its tales of adventure1 has invested numerous rooms with a grim aspect1 and caused the imagination to conjure up all manner of weird and unearthly fancies concerning them4 ,walpole1 for instance1 writing of ,berkeley ,castle1 says3 ,the room shown for the murder of ,edward ,,ii41 and the shrieks of an agonising king1 ,i verily believe to be genuine4 ,it is a dismal chamber1 almost at the top of the house1 quite detached1 and to be approached only by a kind of footbridge1 and from that descends a large flight of steps that terminates on strong gates1 exactly a situation for a corps de garde4 ,and speaking of ,edward's imprisonment here1 may be mentioned the pathetic story told by ,sir ,richard ,baker1 in his usual odd1 circumstantial manner3 ,when ,edward ,,ii4 was taken by order of his ,queen and carried to ,berkeley ,castle1 to the end that he should not be known1 they shaved his head and beard1 and that in a most beastly manner2 for they took him from his horse and set him upon a hillock1 and then1 taking puddle water out of a ditch thereby1 they went to wash him1 his barber telling him that the cold water must serve for this time2 whereat the miserable king1 looking sternly upon him1 said that whether they would or no he would have warm water to wash him1 and therewithal1 to make good his word1 he presently shed forth a shower of tears4 ,never was king turned out of a kingdom in such a manner4 ,and there can be no doubt that many of the rooms which have attracted notice on account of their architectural peculiarities1 were purposely designed for concealment in times of political commotion4 ,of the numerous stories told of the mysterious death of ,lord ,lovel1 one informs us#ai how1 on the demolition of a very old house--formerly the patrimony of the ,lovel's--about a century ago1 there was found in a small chamber1 so secret that the farmer who inhabited the house knew it not1 the remains of an immured being1 and such remnants of barrels and jars as appeared to justify the idea of that chamber having been used as a place of refuge for the lord of the mansion2 and that after consuming the stores which he had provided in case of a disastrous event1 he died unknown even to his servants and tenants4 ,but the circumstances attending ,lord ,lovell's death have always been matter of conjecture1 and in the ,annals of ,england1 another version of the story is given3#bj ,lord ,lovel is believed to have escaped from the field1 and to have lived for a while in concealment at ,minster ,lovel1 ,oxfordshire1 but at length to have been starved to death through the neglect or treachery of an attendant4 ,at ,broughton ,castle there is a curiously designed room1 which1 at one time or another1 has attracted considerable attention4 ,according to ,lord ,nugent1 in his ,memorials of ,hampden1 this room is so contrived1 by being surrounded by thick stone walls1 and casemated1 that no sound from within can be heard4 ,the chamber appears to have been built about the time of ,king ,john1 and is reported1 on very doubtful grounds of tradition1 to have been the room used for the sittings of the ,puritans4 ,and1 he adds3 ,it seems an odd fancy1 although a very prevailing one1 to suppose that wise men1 employed in capital matters of state1 must needs choose the most mysterious and suspicious retirements for consultation1 instead of the safer and less remarkable expedient of a walk in the open fields4 ,it was probably in this room that the secret meetings of ,hampden and his confederates were held1 which ,anthony ,wood thus describes3 ,several years before the ,civil ,war began1 ,lord ,sage1 being looked upon as the godfather of that party1 had meetings of them in his house at ,broughton1 where was a room and passage thereunto1 which his servants were prohibited to come near4 ,and when they were of a complete number1 there would be a great noise and talkings heard among them1 to the admiration of those that lived in the house1 yet never could they discern their lord's companions4 ,amongst other secret rooms which have their historical associations1 are those at ,hendlip ,hall1 near ,worcester4 ,this famous residence--which has scarcely a room that is not provided with some means of escape--is commonly reported to have been built by ,john ,abingdon in the reign of ,queen ,elizabeth1 this personage having been a zealous partisan of ,mary ,queen of ,scots4 ,it was here also1 under the care of ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,abingdon1 that ,father ,garnet was concealed for several weeks in the winter of #afje-f1 but who eventually paid the penalty of his guilty knowledge of the ,gunpowder ,plot4 ,a hollow in the wall of ,mrs4 ,abingdon's bedroom was covered up1 and there was a narrow crevice into which a reed was laid1 so that soup and wine could be passed by her into the recess1 without the fact being noticed from any other room4 ,but the ,government1 suspecting that some of the ,gunpowder ,conspirators were concealed at ,hendlip ,hall1 sent ,sir ,henry ,bromley1 of ,holt ,castle1 a justice of the peace1 with the most minute orders1 which are very funny3 ,in the search1 says the document1 first observe the parlour where they use to dine and sup2 in the last part of that parlour it is conceived there is some vault1 which to discover1 you must take care to draw down the wainscot1 whereby the entry into the vault may be discovered4 ,the lower parts of the house must be tried with a broach1 by putting the same into the ground some foot or two1 to try whether there may be perceived some timber1 which if there be1 there must be some vault underneath it4 ,for the upper rooms you must observe whether they be more in breadth than the lower rooms1 and look in which places the rooms must be enlarged1 by pulling out some boards you may discover some vaults4 ,also1 if it appear that there be some corners to the chimneys1 and the same boarded1 if the boards be taken away there will appear some secret place4 ,if the walls seem to be thick and covered with wainscot1 being tried with a gimlet1 if it strike not the wall but go through1 some suspicion is to be had thereof4 ,if there be any double loft1 some two or three feet1 one above another1 in such places any person may be harboured privately4 ,also1 if there be a loft towards the roof of the house1 in which there appears no entrance out of any other place or lodging1 it must of necessity be opened and looked into1 for these be ordinary places of hovering 7hiding74 ,the house was searched from garret to cellar without any discovery being made1 and ,mrs4 ,abingdon1 feigning to be angry with the searchers1 shut herself up in her bedroom day and night1 eating and drinking there1 by which means through the secret tube she fed ,father ,garnet and another ,jesuit father4 ,but after a protracted search of ten days1 these two men surrendered themselves1 pressed1 it is said1 for the need of air rather than food1 for marmalade and other sweetmeats were found in their den1 and they had warm and nutritive drinks passed to them by the reed through the chimney1 as already described4 ,this historic mansion1 it may be added1 on account of its elevated position1 was capitally adapted as a place of concealment1 for it afforded the means of keeping a watchful look-out for the approach of the emissaries of the law1 or of persons by whom it might have been dangerous for any skulking priest to be seen1 supposing his reverence to have gone forth for an hour to take the air4 ,another important instance of a strange room is that existing at ,ingatestone ,hall1 in ,essex1 which was1 in years gone by1 a summer residence belonging to the ,abbey of ,barking4 ,it came with the estate into possession of the family of ,petre in the reign of ,henry ,,viii41 and continued to be occupied as their family seat until the latter half of the last century4 ,in the south-east corner of a small room attached to what was probably the host's bedroom1 there was discovered some years ago a mysterious hiding place--fourteen feet long1 two feet broad1 and ten feet high4 ,on some floor-boards being removed1 a hole or trap door--about two feet square--was found1 with a twelve-foot ladder1 to descend into the room below1 the floor of which was composed of nine inches of dry sand4 ,this1 on being examined1 brought to light a few bones which1 it has been suggested1 are the remains of food supplied to some unfortunate occupant during confinement4 ,but the existence of this secret room must1 it is said1 have been familiar to the heads of the family for several generations1 evidence of this circumstance being afforded by a packing case which was found in this hidden retreat1 and upon which was the following direction3 ,for the ,right ,honble the ,lady ,petre1 at ,ingatestone ,hall1 in ,essex4 ,the wood1 also1 was in a decayed state1 and the writing in an antiquated style1 which is only what might be expected considering that the ,petre family left ,ingatestone ,hall between the years #aggj and #aghj4 ,there are numerous rooms of this curious description which1 it must be remembered1 were1 in many cases1 the outcome of religious intolerance in the sixteenth century1 and early in the seventeenth1 when the celebration of ,mass in this country was forbidden4 ,hence those families that persisted in adhering to the ,roman ,catholic faith oftentimes kept a priest1 who celebrated it in a room--opening whence was a secret one1 to which in case of emergency he could retreat4 ,evelyn in his ,diary1 speaking of ,ham ,house1 at ,weybridge1 belonging to the ,duke of ,norfolk1 as having some of these secret rooms1 writes3 ,my lord1 leading me about the house1 made no scruple of showing me all the hiding places for ,popish priests1 and where they said ,masse1 for he was no bigoted papist4 ,the old ,manor ,house at ,dinsdale-upon-,tees has a secret room1 which is very cleverly situated at the top of the staircase1 to which access is gained from above4 ,the compartment is not very large1 and is between two bedrooms1 and alongside of the fireplace of one of them4 ,it would be a very snug place when the fire was lighted1 writes a correspondent of ,notes and ,queries1 and very secure1 as it is necessary to enter the cockloft by a trap door at the extreme end of the building1 and then crawl along under the roof into the hiding-place by a second trap-door4 ,among further instances of these curious relics of the past may be mentioned ,armscott ,manor1 two or three miles distant from ,shipston-on-,stour4 ,according to a local tradition1 ,george ,fox at one time lived here4 ,in a passage at the top of the house is the entrance to a secret room1 which receives light from a small window in one of the gables1 and in this room ,george ,fox is said to have been concealed during the period he was persecuted by the county magistrates4 ,but sometimes such rooms furthered the designs of those who abetted and connived at deeds that would not bear the light1 and ,southey records an anecdote which is a good illustration of the bad uses to which they were probably often put3 ,at ,bishop's ,middleham1 a man died with the reputation of a water drinker2 and it was discovered that he had killed himself by secret drunkenness4 ,there was a ,roman ,catholic hiding place1 the entrance to which was from his bedroom4 ,he converted it into a cellar1 and the quantity of brandy which he had consumed was ascertained4 ,indeed1 it is impossible to say to what ends these secret rooms were occasionally devoted2 and there is little doubt but that they were the scenes of many of those thrilling stories upon which many of our local traditions have been founded4 ,political refugees1 too1 were not infrequently secreted in these hiding places1 and in the ,manor ,house1 ,trent1 near ,sherborne1 there is a strangely constructed chamber1 entered from one of the upper rooms through a sliding panel in the oak wainscoting1 in which tradition tells us ,charles ,,ii4 lay concealed for a fortnight on his escape to the coast1 after the battle of ,worcester4 ,and ,boscobel ,house1 which also afforded ,charles ,,ii4 a safe retreat1 has two secret chambers2 and there are indications which point to the former existence of a third4 ,the hiding place in which the ,king was hidden is situated in the squire's bedroom4 ,it appears there was formerly a sliding panel in the wainscot1 near the fireplace1 which1 when opened1 gave access to a closet1 the false floor of which still admits of a person taking up his position in this secret nook4 ,the wainscoting1 too1 which concealed the movable panel in the bedroom was originally covered with tapestry1 with which the room was hung4 ,a curious story is told of ,street ,place1 an old house1 a mile and a half north of ,plumpton1 in the neighbourhood of ,lewes1 which dates from the time of ,james ,i41 and was the seat of the ,dobells4 ,behind the great chimney-piece of the hall was a deep recess1 used for purposes of concealment2 and it is said that one day a cavalier horseman1 hotly pursued by some troopers1 broke into the hall1 spurred his horse into the recess1 and disappeared for ever4 ,bistmorton ,court1 an old moated manor house in the ,malvern district1 has a cunningly contrived secret room1 which is opened by means of a spring1 and this hidden nook is commonly reported to have played an important part in the ,war of the ,roses1 when numerous persons were concealed there at this troublous period4 ,and a curious discovery was made some years ago at ,danby ,hall1 in ,wensleydale1 ,yorkshire1 when1 on a small secret room being brought to light1 it was found to contain arms and saddlery for a troop of forty or fifty horse4 ,it is generally supposed that these weapons had been hidden away in readiness for the ,jacobite rising of #agae or #agde4 ,in certain cases it would appear that1 for some reason or other1 the hiding place has been specially kept a secret among members of the family4 ,in the north of ,england there is ,netherall1 near ,maryport1 ,cumberland1 the seat of the old family of ,senhouse4 ,in this old mansion there is said to be a veritable secret room1 its exact position in the house being known but to two persons--the heir-at-law and the family solicitor4 ,it is affirmed that never has the secret of this hidden room been revealed to more than two living persons at a time4 ,this mysterious room has no window1 and1 despite every endeavour to discover it1 has successfully defied the ingenuity of even visitors staying in the house4 ,this ,netherall tradition is very similar to the celebrated one connected with ,glamis ,castle1 the seat of ,lord ,strathmore1 only in the latter case the secret room possesses a window1 which1 nevertheless1 has not led to its identification4 ,it is known as the secret room of the castle1 and1 although every other part of the castle has been satisfactorily explored1 the search for this famous room has been in vain4 ,none are supposed to be acquainted with its locality save ,lord ,strathmore1 his heir1 and the factor of the estate1 who are bound not to reveal it unless to their successors in the secret4 ,many weird stories have clustered round this remarkable room2 one legend connected with which has been thus described3 ,the castle now again behold1 ,then mark yon lofty turret bold1 ,which frowns above the western wing1 ,its grim walls darkly shadowing4 ,there is a room within that tower ,no mortal dare approach2 the power ,of an avenging ,god is there4 ,dread--awfully display'd--beware6 ,and enter not that dreadful room1 ,else yours may be a fearful doom4 ,according to one legendary romance--founded on an incident which is said to have occurred during one of the carousals of the ,earl of ,crawford1 otherwise styled ,earl ,beardie or the ,tiger ,earl--there was many years ago a grand meet at ,glamis1 as the result of which many a noble deer lay dead upon the hill1 and many a grizzly boar dyed with his heart's blood the rivers of the plain4 ,as the day drew to its close1 the wearied huntsmen1 with their fair attendants1 returned1 'midst the sounds of martial music and the low whispered roundelays of the ladies1 victorious to the castle4 ,in the old baronial dining hall was spread a sumptuous and savoury feast1 at which venison and reeking game1 rich smoked ham and savoury roe1 flanked by the wild boar's head1 and viands and pasties without name1 blent profusely on the hospitable board1 while jewelled and capacious goblets1 filled with ruby wine1 were lavishly handed round to the admiring guests4 ,at the completion of the banquet1 the minstrel strung his ancient harp1 and soon the company tripped lightly on the oaken floor1 till the rafters rang with the merry sounds of their midnight revelry4 ,for three days and nights the hunt and the feast continued1 and as1 at last1 the revelries drew to a close1 still four dark chieftains remained in the inner chamber of the castle1 and sang1 and drank1 and shouted1 right merrilie4 ,the day broke1 yet louder rang the wassail roar2 the goblets were over and over again replenished1 and the terrible oaths and ribald songs continued1 and the dice rattled1 and the revelry became louder still1 till the many walls of the old castle shook and reverberated with the awful sounds of debauchery1 blasphemy1 and crime4 ,at length their wild1 ungovernable frenzy reached its climax4 ,they had drunk until their eyes had grown dim1 and their hands could scarcely hold the hellish dice1 when1 driven by expiring fury1 with fiendish glee1 they defiantly gnashed their teeth and cursed the ,god of heaven6 ,then1 with returning strength1 and exhausting its last and fitful energies in still louder imprecations and more fearful yells1 they deliberately and with unanimous voice consigned their guilty souls to the nethermost hell6 ,fatal words6 ,in a bright1 broad sheet of lurid and sulphurous flame the ,prince of ,darkness appeared in their midst1 and struck--not the shaft of death1 but the vitality of eternal life--and there to this day in that dreaded room they sit1 transfixed in all their hideous expression of ghastly terror and dismay--doomed to drink the wine cup and throw the dice till the dawning of the ,great ,judgment ,day4#ba ,another explanation of the mystery is that during one of the feuds between the ,lindsays and the ,ogilvies1 a number of the latter ,clan1 flying from their enemies1 came to ,glamis ,castle1 and begged hospitality of the owner4 ,he admitted them1 and on the plea of hiding them1 he secured them all in this room1 and then left them to starve4 ,their bones1 it is averred1 lie there to this day1 the sight of which1 it has been stated1 so appalled the late ,lord ,strathmore on entering the room1 that he had it walled up4 ,some assert that1 owing to some hereditary curse1 like those described in a previous chapter1 at certain intervals a kind of vampire is born into the family of the ,strathmore ,lyons1 and that as no one would like to destroy this monstrosity1 it is kept concealed till its term of life is run4 ,but1 whatever the mystery may be1 such rooms1 like the locked chamber of ,blue ,beard1 are not open to vulgar gaze1 a circumstance which has naturally perpetuated the curiosity attached to them4 ,the reputation1 too1 which ,glamis ,castle has long had for possessing so strange a room has led to a host of the most gruesome stories being circulated in connection with it1 many of which from time to time have appeared in print4 ,according to one account1#bb a lady1 very well known in ,london society1 an artistic and social celebrity1 went to stay at ,glamis ,castle for the first time4 ,she was allotted very handsome apartments just on the point of junction between the new buildings--perhaps a hundred or two hundred years old--and the very ancient part of the castle4 ,the rooms were handsomely furnished2 no grim tapestry swung to and fro1 all was smooth1 easy1 and modern1 and the guest retired to bed without a thought of the mysteries of ,glamis4 ,in the morning she appeared at the breakfast table cheerful and self-possessed1 and1 to the inquiry how she had slept1 replied1 ,well1 thanks1 very well1 up to four o'clock in the morning4 ,but your ,scottish carpenters seem to come to work very early4 ,i suppose they are putting up their scaffolding quickly1 though1 for they are quiet now4 ,her remarks were followed by a dead silence1 and1 to her surprise1 she noticed that the faces of the family party were very pale4 ,but1 she was asked1 as she valued the friendship of all there1 never to speak on that subject again1 there had been no carpenters at ,glamis for months past4 ,the lady1 it seems1 had not the remotest idea that the hammering she had heard was connected with any story1 and had no notion of there being some mystery connected with the noise until enlightened on the matter at the breakfast table4 ,at ,rushen ,castle1 ,isle of ,man1 there is said to be a room which has never been opened in the memory of man4 ,various explanations have been assigned to account for this circumstance1 one being that the old place was once inhabited by giants1 who were dislodged by ,merlin1 and such as were not driven away remain spellbound beneath the castle4 ,waldron1 in his ,description of the ,isle of ,man1 has given a curious tradition respecting this strange room1 in which the supernatural element holds a prominent place1 and which is a good sample of other stories of the same kind3 ,they say there are a great many fine apartments underground1 exceeding in magnificence any of the upper rooms4 ,several men1 of more than ordinary courage have1 in former times1 ventured down to explore the secrets of this subterranean dwelling-place1 but as none of them ever returned to give an account of what they saw1 the passages to it were kept continually shut that no more might suffer by their temerity4 ,but about fifty years since1 a person of uncommon courage obtained permission to explore the dark abode4 ,he went down1 and returned by the help of a clue of packthread1 and made this report3 ',that after having passed through a great number of vaults he came into a long narrow place1 along which having travelled1 as far as he could guess1 for the space of a mile1 he saw a little gleam of light4 ,reaching at last the end of this lane of darkness1 he perceived a very large and magnificent house1 illuminated with a great many candles1 whence proceeded the light just mentioned4 ,after knocking at the door three times1 it was opened by a servant1 who asked him what he wanted4 ,i would go as far as ,i can1 he replied2 be so kind as to direct me1 for ,i see no passage but the dark cavern through which ,i came hither4 ,the servant directed him to go through the house1 and led him through a long entrance passage and out at the back door4 ,after walking a considerable distance1 he saw another house1 more magnificent than the former1 where he saw through the open windows lamps burning in every room4 ,he was about to knock1 but looking in at the window of a low parlour1 he saw in the middle of the room a large table of black marble1 on which lay extended a monster of at least fourteen feet long1 and ten round the body1 with a sword beside him4 ,he therefore deemed it prudent to make his way back to the first house where the servant reconducted him1 and informed him that if he had knocked at the second door he never would have returned4 ,he then took his leave1 and once more ascended to the light of the sun4' ,but1 leaving rooms of this supernatural kind1 we may allude to those which have acquired a strange notoriety from certain peculiarities of a somewhat gruesome character2 and1 with tales of horror attached to their guilty walls1 it is not surprising that many rooms in our old country houses have long been said to be troubled with mysterious noises1 and to have an uncanny aspect4 ,wye ,coller ,hall1 near ,colne1 which was long the seat of the ,cunliffes of ,billington1 had a room which the timid long avoided4 ,once a year1 it is said1 a spectre horseman visits this house and makes his way up the broad oaken staircase into a certain room1 from whence dreadful screams1 as from a woman1 are heard1 which soon subside into groans4 ,the story goes that one of the ,cunliffes murdered his wife in that room1 and that the spectre horseman is the ghost of the murderer1 who is doomed to pay an annual visit to the house of his victim1 who is said to have predicted the extinction of the family1 which has literally been fulfilled4 ,this strange visitor is always attired in the costume of the early ,stuart period1 and the trappings of his horse are of a most uncouth description2 the evening of his arrival being generally wild and tempestuous4 ,at ,creslow ,manor ,house1 ,buckinghamshire1 there is another mysterious room which1 although furnished as a bedroom1 is very rarely used1 for it cannot be entered1 even in the daytime1 without trepidation and awe4 ,according to common report1 this room1 which is situated in the most ancient portion of the building1 is haunted by the restless spirit of a lady1 long since deceased4 ,what the antecedent history of this uncomfortable room really is no one seems to know1 although it is generally agreed that in the distant past it must have been the silent witness of some tragic occurrence4 ,but ,littlecote ,house1 the ancient seat of the ,darrells1 is renowned1 writes ,lord ,macaulay1 not more on account of its venerable architecture and furniture1 than on account of a horrible and mysterious crime which was perpetrated there in the days of the ,tudors4 ,one of the bedchambers1 which is said to have been the scene of a terrible murder1 contains a bedstead with blue furniture1 which time has made dingy and threadbare4 ,in the bottom of one of the bed curtains is shown a strange place where a small piece has been cut out and sewn in again--a circumstance which served to identify the scene of a remarkable story1 in connection with which1 however1 there are several discrepancies4 ,according to one account1 when ,littlecote was in possession of its founders--the ,darrells--a midwife of high repute dwelt in the neighbourhood1 who1 on returning home from a professional visit at a late hour of the night1 had gone to rest only to be disturbed by one who desired to have her immediate help1 little anticipating the terrible night's adventure in store for her1 and which shall be told in her own words3 ,as soon as she had unfastened the door1 a hand was thrust in which struck down the candle1 and at the same time pulled her into the road4 ,the person who had used these abrupt means desired her to tie a handkerchief over her head and not wait for a hat1 and1 leading her to a stile where there was a horse saddled1 with a pillion on its back1 he desired her to seat herself1 and then1 mounting1 they set off at a brisk trot4 ,after travelling for an hour and a half1 they entered a paved court1 or yard1 and her conductor1 lifting her off her horse1 led her into the house1 and thus addressed her3 ',you must now suffer me to put this cap and bandage over your eyes1 which will allow you to breathe and speak1 but not to see4 ,keep up your presence of mind2 it will be wanted4 ,no harm will happen to you4' ,then1 taking her into a chamber1 he added1 ',now you are in a room with a lady in labour4 ,perform your office well1 and you shall be amply rewarded2 but if you attempt to remove the bandage from your eyes1 take the reward of your rashness4 ,shortly afterwards a male child was born1 and as soon as this crisis was over the woman received a glass of wine1 and was told to prepare to return home1 but in the interval she contrived to cut off a small piece of the bed curtain--an act which was supposed sufficient evidence to fix the mysterious transaction as having happened at ,littlecote4 ,according to ,sir ,walter ,scott1 the bandage was first put over the woman's eyes on her leaving her own house that she might be unable to tell which way she travelled1 and was only removed when she was led into the mysterious bedchamber1 where1 besides the lady in labour1 there was a man of a haughty and ferocious aspect4 ,as soon as the child was born1 adds ,scott1 he demanded the midwife to give it him1 and1 hurrying across the room1 threw it on the back of a fire that was blazing in the chimney1 in spite of the piteous entreaties of the mother4 ,suspicion eventually fell on ,darrell1 whose house was identified by the midwife1 and he was tried for murder at ,salisbury1 but1 by corrupting his judge1 ,sir ,john ,popham1 he escaped the sentence of the law1 only to die a violent death by a fall from his horse4 ,this tale of horror1 it may be added1 has been carefully examined1 and there is little doubt but that in its main and most prominent features it is true1 the bedstead with a piece of the curtain cut out identifying the spot as the scene of the tragic act4#bc ,with this strange story ,sir ,walter ,scott compares a similar one which was current at ,edinburgh during his childhood4 ,about the beginning of the eighteenth century1 when the large castles of the ,scottish nobles1 and even the secluded hotels1 like those of the ,french noblesse1 which they possessed in ,edinburgh1 were sometimes the scenes of mysterious transactions1 a divine of singular sanctity was called up at midnight to pray with a person at the point of death4 ,he was put into a sedan chair1 and after being transported to a remote part of the town1 he was blindfolded--an act which was enforced by a cocked pistol4 ,after many turns and windings the chair was carried upstairs into a lodging1 where his eyes were uncovered1 and he was introduced into a bedroom1 where he found a lady1 newly delivered of an infant4 ,he was commanded by his attendants to say such prayers by her bedside as were suitable for a dying person4 ,on remonstrating1 and observing that her safe delivery warranted better hopes1 he was sternly commanded to do as he had been ordered1 and with difficulty he collected his thoughts sufficiently to perform the task imposed on him4 ,he was then again hurried into the chair1 but as they conducted him downstairs he heard the report of a pistol4 ,he was safely conducted home1 a purse of gold was found upon him1 but he was warned that the least allusion to this transaction would cost him his life4 ,he betook himself to rest1 and after a deep sleep he was awakened by his servant1 with the dismal news that a fire of uncommon fury had broken out in the house of 999999991 near the head of the ,canongate1 and that it was totally consumed1 with the shocking addition that the daughter of the proprietor1 a young lady eminent for beauty and accomplishments had perished in the flames4 ,the clergyman had his suspicions2 he was timid2 the family was of the first distinction2 above all1 the deed was done1 and could not be amended4 ,time wore away1 but he became unhappy at being the solitary depository of this fearful mystery1 and1 mentioning it to some of his brethren1 the anecdote acquired a sort of publicity4 ,the divine1 however1 had long been dead1 and the story in some degree forgotten1 when a fire broke out again on the very same spot where the house of 99999999 had formerly stood1 and which was now occupied by buildings of an inferior description4 ,when the flames were at their height1 the tumult was suddenly suspended by an unexpected apparition4 ,a beautiful female1 in a nightdress1 extremely rich1 but at least half a century old1 appeared in the very midst of the fire1 and uttered these words in her vernacular idiom3 ,anes burned1 twice burned2 the third time ,i'll scare you all4 ,the belief in this apparition was formerly so strong that on a fire breaking out and seeming to approach the fatal spot1 there was a good deal of anxiety manifested lest the apparition should make good her denunciation4 ,but family romance contains many such tales of horror1 and one told of ,sir ,richard ,baker1 surnamed ,bloody ,baker1 is a match even for ,blue ,beard's locked chamber4 ,after spending some years abroad in consequence of a duel1 he returned to his old home at ,cranbrook1 in ,kent2 he only brought with him a foreign servant1 and these two lived alone4 ,very soon strange stories began to be whispered of unearthly shrieks having been frequently heard at nightfall to issue from his house1 and of persons who were missed and never heard of again4 ,but it never occurred to anyone to connect incidents of this kind with ,sir ,richard ,baker1 until1 one day1 he formed an apparent attachment to a young lady in the neighbourhood1 who always wore a great number of jewels4 ,he had often pressed her to call and see his house1 and1 happening to be near it1 she determined to surprise him with a visit4 ,her companion tried to dissuade her from doing so1 but she would not be turned from her purpose4 ,they knocked at the door1 but receiving no answer determined to enter4 ,at the head of the staircase hung a parrot1 which1 on their passing1 cried out3 ,peapot1 pretty lady1 be not too bold1 ,or your red blood will soon run cold4 ,and the blood of the adventurous women did run cold when on opening one of the room doors they found it nearly full of the bodies of murdered persons1 chiefly women4 ,and when1 too1 on looking out of the window they saw ,bloody ,baker and his servant bringing in the body of a lady1 paralysed with fear they concealed themselves in a recess under the staircase1 and1 as the murderers with their ghastly burden passed by1 the hand of the murdered lady hung in the baluster of the stairs1 which1 on ,baker chopping it off with an oath1 fell into the lap of one of the concealed ladies4 ,they quickly made their escape with the dead hand1 on one of the fingers of which was a ring4 ,reaching home1 they told the story1 and in proof of it displayed the ring4 ,families in the neighbourhood who had lost friends or relatives mysteriously were told of this blood chamber of horrors1 and it was arranged to ask ,baker to a party1 apparently in a friendly manner1 but to have constables concealed ready to take him into custody4 ,he accepted the invitation1 and then the lady1 pretending it was a dream1 told him all she had seen4 ,fair lady1 said he1 dreams are nothing2 they are but fables4 ,they may be fables1 she replied1 but is this a fable8 ,and she produced the hand and ring1 upon which the constables appeared on the scene1 and took ,baker into custody4 ,the tradition adds that he was found guilty1 and was burnt1 notwithstanding that ,queen ,mary tried to save him on account of his holding the ,roman ,catholic religion4#bd ,this tradition1 of course1 must not be taken too seriously2 the red hand in the armorial bearings having led1 it has been suggested1 to the supposition of some sanguinary business in the records of the family4 ,among the monuments in ,cranbrook ,church1 ,kent1 there is one erected to ,sir ,richard ,baker--the gauntlet1 red gloves1 helmet1 and spurs1 having been suspended over the tomb4 ,on one occasion1 a visitor being attracted by the colour of the gloves1 was accosted by an old woman1 who remarked1 ,aye1 ,miss1 those are ,bloody ,baker's gloves2 their red colour comes from the blood he shed4 ,but the red hand is only the ,ulster badge of baronetcy1 and there is scarcely a family bearing it of which some tale of murder and punishment has not been told4 ,,footnotes3 #ai ,andrew's ,history of ,great ,britain1 #agid-e4 #bj ,oxford1 #aheg4 #ba ,scenes and ,legends of the ,vale of ,strathmore4 ,j4 ,cargill ,guthrie1 #ahge4 #bb ,all the ,year ,round1 #ahhj4 #bc ,see ,wilts ,archological ,magazine1 vols4 i4-x4 #bd ,see ,notes and ,queries1 #ast ,s41 ,i41 p4 #fg4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,indelible ,,blood ,,stains4 ,will all great ,neptune's ocean wash this blood ,clean from my hand8 ,no2 this my hand will rather ,the multitudinous seas incarnardine1 ,making the green one red4--,,macbeth4 ,it was a popular suggestion in olden times that when a person had died a violent death1 the blood stains could not be washed away1 to which ,macbeth alludes1 as above1 after murdering ,duncan4 ,this belief was in a great measure founded on the early tradition that the wounds of a murdered man were supposed to bleed afresh at the approach or touch of the murderer4 ,to such an extent was this notion carried1 that by the side of the bier1 if the slightest change were observable in the eyes1 the mouth1 feet1 or hands of the corpse1 the murderer was conjectured to be present1 and many an innocent spectator must have suffered death4 ,this practice forms a rich pasture in the imagination of our old writers2 and their histories and ballads are laboured into pathos by dwelling on this phenomenon4#be ,at ,blackwell1 near ,darlington1 the murder of one ,christopher ,simpson is described in a pretty local ballad known as ,the ,baydayle ,banks ,tragedy4 ,a suspected person was committed1 because when he touched the body at the inquest1 upon his handlinge and movinge1 the body did bleed at the mouth1 nose1 and ears1 and he turned out to be the murderer4 ,similarly ,macbeth 7,act ,,iii41 sc4 #d71 speaking of the ghost1 says3-- ,it will have blood2 they say blood will have blood2 ,stones have been known to move and trees to speak1 ,auguries and understood relations have ,by magot pies and choughs and rooks brought forth ,the secret'st man of blood4 ,shakespeare here1 in all probability1 alludes to some story in which the stones covering the corpse of a murdered man were said to have moved of themselves1 and so revealed the secret4 ,in the same way1 it was said that where blood had been shed1 the marks could not be obliterated1 but would continually reappear until justice for the crime had been obtained4 ,on one occasion1 ,nathaniel ,hawthorne enjoyed the hospitality of ,smithells ,hall1 ,lancashire1 and was so impressed with the well-known legend of ,the ,bloody ,footstep that he1 in three separate instances1 founded fictions upon it4 ,in his romance of ,septimius he gives this graphic account of what he saw3 ,on the threshold of one of the doors of ,smithells ,hall there is a bloody footstep impressed into the doorstep1 and ruddy as if the bloody foot had just trodden there1 and it is averred that on a certain night of the year1 and at a certain hour of the night1 if you go and look at the doorstep1 you will see the mark wet with fresh blood4 ,some have pretended to say that this is but dew1 but can dew redden a cambric handkerchief8 ,and this is what the bloody footstep will surely do when the appointed night and hour come round4 ,a local tradition says that the stone bearing the imprint of the mysterious footprint was once removed and cast into a neighbouring wood1 but in a short time it had to be restored to its original position owing to the alarming noises which troubled the neighbourhood4 ,this strange footprint is traditionally said to have been caused by ,george ,marsh1 the martyr1 stamping his foot to confirm his testimony1 and has been ever since shewn as the miraculous memorial of the holy man4 ,the story is that being provoked by the taunts and persecutions of his examiner1 he stamped with his foot upon a stone1 and1 looking up to heaven1 appealed to ,god for the justice of his cause1 and prayed that there might remain in that place a constant memorial of the wickedness and injustice of his enemies4 ,it is also stated that in #agcb a guest sleeping alone in the ,green ,chamber at ,smithells ,hall saw an apparition1 in the dress of a minister with bands1 and a book in his hand4 ,the ghost of ,marsh1 for so it was pronounced to be1 disappeared through the doorway1 and on the owner of ,smithells hearing the story1 he directed that divine service--long discontinued--should be resumed at the hall chapel every ,sunday4#bf ,then there are the blood stains on the floor at the outer door of the ,queen's apartments in ,holyrood ,palace1 where ,rizzio was murdered4 ,sir ,walter ,scott has made these blood marks the subject of a jocular passage in his introduction to the ,chronicles of the ,canongate1 where a ,cockney traveller is represented as trying to efface them with the patent scouring drops which it was his mission to introduce into use in ,scotland4 ,in another of his novels--,the ,abbot--,sir ,walter ,scott alludes to the ,rizzio blood stains1 and in his ,tales of a ,grandfather he deliberately states that the floor at the head of the stair still bears visible marks of the blood of the unhappy victim4 ,in support of these blood stains1 it has been urged that the floor is very ancient1 manifestly much more so than the late floor of the neighbouring gallery1 which dated from the reign of ,charles ,,ii4 ,it is in all likelihood the very floor upon which ,mary and her courtiers trod4 ,the stain has been shown there since a time long antecedent to that extreme modern curiosity regarding historical matters which might have induced an imposture1 for it is alluded to by the son of ,evelyn as being exhibited in the year #agbb4bg ,at ,condover ,hall1 ,shropshire1 there is supposed to be a blood stain which has been there since the time of ,henry ,,viii41 and cannot be effaced4 ,according to a local tradition1 which has long been current in the neighbourhood1 it is the blood of ,lord ,knevett--the owner of the hall and estate at this period--who was treacherously slain by his son4 ,but unfortunately this piece of romance1 which is utterly at variance with facts bearing on the history of ,condover and its owners in years gone by1 must be classed among the legendary tales of the locality4 ,one room in ,clayton ,old ,hall1 ,lancashire1 has for years past been knicknamed ,the ,bloody ,chamber1 from some supposed stains of human gore on the oaken floor planks4 ,numerous stories have1 at different times1 been started to account for these blood-tokens1 which have gained all the more importance from the mansion having1 from time immemorial1 been the favourite haunt of a mischievious boggart until laid by the parson1 and now-- ,whilst ivy climbs and holly is green ,clayton ,hall boggart shall no more be seen4 ,in ,lincoln ,cathedral there are two fine rose windows1 one made by a master workman1 and the other by his apprentice1 out of the pieces of stained glass the former had thrown aside4 ,the apprentice's window was declared to be the more magnificent1 when the master1 in a fit of chagrin1 threw himself from the gallery beneath his boasted chef d'oeuvre1 and was killed upon the spot4 ,but his blood-stains on the floor are declared to be indelible4 ,at ,cothele1 a mansion on the banks of the ,tamar1 the marks are still visible of the blood spilt by the lord of the manor when1 for supposed treachery1 he slew the warder of the drawbridge2 but these are only to be seen on a wet day4 ,but there is no mystery about the so-called ,bloody ,chamber1 for the marks are only in reality natural red tinges of the wood1 denoting the presence of iron4 ,in addition to the appearance of such indelible marks of crime1 oftentimes the ghost of the spiller of blood1 or of the murdered person1 haunts the scene4 ,thus1 ,northam ,tower1 ,yorkshire1 an embattled structure of the time of ,henry ,,vii4--a true ,border mansion--has long been famous for the visits of some mysterious spectre in the form of a lady who was cruelly murdered in the wood1 her blood being pointed out on the stairs of the old tower4 ,another tragic story is told of the ,manor ,house which ,bishop ,pudsey built at ,darlington4 ,it was for very many years a residence of the ,bishops of ,durham1 and a resting place of ,margaret1 bride of ,james ,,iv41 of ,scotland1 and daughter of ,henry ,,vii41 in her splendid progress through the country4 ,this building was restored at great expense in the year #affh1 and gained a widespread notoriety on account of the ghost story of ,lady ,jerratt1 who was murdered there2 but1 as a testimony of the violent death she had received1 she left on the wall ghastly impressions of a thumb and fingers in blood for ever1 and always made her appearance with one arm1 the other having been cut off for the sake of a valuable ring on one of the fingers4 ,one room of ,holland ,house is supposed to be haunted by ,lord ,holland1 the first of his name and the chief builder of this splendid old mansion4 ,according to ,princess ,marie ,lichtenstein1 in her ,history of ,holland ,house1 the gilt room is said to be tenanted by the solitary ghost of its first lord1 who1 runs the tradition1 issues forth at midnight from behind a secret door1 and walks slowly through the scenes of former triumphs with his head in his hand4 ,and to add to this mystery1 there is a tale of three spots of blood on one side of the recess whence he issues--three spots which can never be effaced4 ,stains of blood--stains that cannot be washed away--are to be seen on the floor of a certain room at ,calverley ,hall1 ,yorkshire4 ,and there is one particular flag in the cellar which is never without a mysterious damp place upon it1 all the other flags being dry4 ,of course these are the witnesses of a terrible tragedy which was committed years ago within the walls of ,calverley ,hall4 ,it appears that ,walter ,calverley1 who had married ,philippa ,brooke1 daughter of ,lord ,cobham1 was a wild reckless man1 though his wife was a most estimable and virtuous lady1 and that one day he went into a fit of insane jealousy1 or pretended to do so1 over the then ,vavasour of ,weston4 ,money lenders1 too1 were pressing him hard1 and he had become desperate4 ,rushing madly into the house1 he plunged a dagger into one and then into another of his children1 and afterwards tried to take the life of their mother1 a steel corset which she wore luckily saving her life4 ,leaving her for dead1 he mounted his horse with the intention of killing the only other child he had1 and who was then at ,norton4 ,but being pursued by some villagers1 his horse stumbled and threw him off1 and the assassin was caught1 being pressed to death at ,york ,castle for his crimes4 ,not only have the stains of this bloody tragedy ever since been indelible1 but the spirit of ,walter ,calverley could not rest1 having often been seen galloping about the district at night on a headless horse4#bh ,and1 speaking of ghosts which appear in this eccentric fashion1 we may note that ,eastbury ,house1 near ,blandford--now pulled down--had in a certain marble-floored room1 ineffaceable stains of blood1 attributable1 it is said1 to the suicide of ,william ,doggett1 the steward of ,lord ,melcombe1 whose headless spirit long haunted the neighbourhood4 ,as a punishment for her unnatural cruelty in causing her child's death1 it is commonly reported that the spirit of ,lady ,russell is doomed to haunt ,bisham ,abbey1 ,berkshire1 the house where this act of violence was committed4 ,lady ,russell had by her first husband a son1 who1 unlike herself1 had a natural antipathy to every kind of learning1 and so great was his obstinate repugnance to learning to write that he would wilfully blot over his copy-books in the most careless and slovenly manner4 ,this conduct so irritated his mother that1 to cure him of the propensity1 she beat him again and again severely1 till at last she beat him to death4 ,to atone for her cruelty1 she is now doomed to haunt the room where the fatal deed was perpetrated2 and1 as her apparition glides along1 she is always seen in the act of washing the blood stains of her son from her hands4 ,although ever trying to free herself of these marks of her unnatural crime1 it is in vain1 as they are indelible stains which no water will remove4 ,by a strange coincidence1 some years ago1 in altering a window shutter1 a quantity of antique copy-books were discovered pushed into the rubble between the joints of the floor1 and one of these books was so covered with blots as to fully answer the description in the narrative above4 ,it is noteworthy1 also1 that ,lady ,russell had no comfort in her sons by her first husband4 ,her youngest son1 a posthumous child1 caused her special trouble1 insomuch so that she wrote to her brother-in-law1 ,lord ,burleigh1 for advice how to treat him4 ,this may have been1 it has been suggested1 the unfortunate boy who was flogged to death1 though he seems to have lived to near man's estate4 ,lady ,russell was buried at ,bisham1 by the remains of her first husband1 ,sir ,thomas ,hoby1 and her portrait may still be seen1 representing her in widow's weeds and with a very pale face4 ,a mysterious crime is traditionally reported to have1 some years ago1 taken place at the old parsonage at ,market1 or ,east ,lavington1 near ,devizes--now pulled down4 ,the ghost of the lady supposed to have been murdered haunted the locality1 and it has been said a child came to an untimely end in the house4 ,previous to the year #ahah1 writes a correspondent of ,notes and ,queries1 a witness states his father occupied the house1 and writes that 'in that year on ,feast ,day1 being left alone in the house1 ,i went to my room4 ,it was the one with marks of blood on the floor4 ,i distinctly saw a white figure glide into the room4 ,it went round by the washstand near the bed and disappeared6' ,it may be added that part of the road leading from ,market ,lavington to ,easterton which skirts the grounds of ,fiddington ,house1 used to be looked upon as haunted by a lady who was locally known as the ,easterton ghost4 ,but in the year #ahfi a wall was built round the roadside of the pond1 and curiously close to the spot where the lady had been in the habit of appearing two skeletons were disturbed--one of a woman1 the other of a child4 ,the bones were buried in the churchyard1 and no ghost1 it is said1 has since been seen4 ,it would seem1 also1 that blood stains1 wherever they may fall1 are equally indelible2 and even to this day the ,new ,forest peasant believes that the marl he digs is still red with the blood of his ancient foes1 the ,danes1 a form of superstition which we find existing in various places4 ,for very many years the road from ,reigate to ,dorking1 leading through a lonely lane into the village of ,buckland1 was haunted by a local spectre known as the ,buckland ,shag1 generally supposed to have been connected with a love tragedy4 ,in the most lonely part of this lane a stream of clear water ran by the side of--which laid for years--a large stone1 concerning which the following story is told3 ,once on a time1 a lovely blue-eyed girl1 whose father was a substantial yeoman in the neighbourhood1 was wooed and won by the subtle arts of an opulent owner of the ,manor ,house of ,buckland4 ,in the silence of the evening this lane was their accustomed walk1 the scene of her devoted love and of his deceitful vows4 ,here he swore eternal fidelity1 and the unsuspecting girl trusted him with the confiding affection of her innocent heart4 ,it was at such a moment that the wily seducer communicated to her the real nature of his designs1 the moon above being only the witness of his perfidy and her distress4 ,she heard the avowal in tremulous silence1 but her deadly paleness1 and her expressive look of mingled reproach and terror created alarm even in the mind of her would-be seducer1 and he hastily endeavoured to recall the fatal declaration2 but it was too late1 she sprang from his agitated grasp1 and1 with a sigh of agony1 fell dead at his feet4 ,when he beheld the work of his iniquitous designs1 he was seized with distraction1 and drawing a dagger from his bosom1 he plunged it into his own false heart1 and lay stretched by the side of her he had so basely wronged4 ,on the morrow1 as a peasant passed over the little stream1 he saw a dark stone with drops of blood trickling from its heart into the pure limpid water4 ,from that day the stream retained its untainted purity1 and the stone continued its sacrifice of blood4 ,soon afterwards a terrific object was seen hovering at midnight about this fatal spot1 taking its position at first upon the bleeding stone1 but it was ousted by the lord of the manor1 who removed the blood-tainted stone to his own premises1 to satisfy the timid minds of his neighbours4 ,but the stone still continued to bleed1 nor did its removal in any way intimidate the spectre4 ,connected with this alarming midnight visitor1 writes a correspondent of ,the ,gentleman's ,magazine1 ,i remember a circumstance related to me by those who were actually acquainted with the facts1 and with the person to whom they refer4 ,an inhabitant of ,buckland1 who had attended ,reigate ,market and become exceedingly intoxicated1 was joked by a companion upon the subject of the ',buckland ,shag1' whereupon he laid a wager that if ,shag appeared in his path that night he would fight him with his trusty hawthorn4 ,accordingly he set forth1 and arrived at the haunted spot4 ,the spectre stood in his path1 and1 raising his stick1 he struck it with all his strength1 but it made no impression1 nor did the goblin move4 ,the stick fell as upon a blanket--so the man described it--and he instantly became sober1 while a cold tremor ran through every nerve of his athletic frame4 ,he hurried on1 and the spectre followed4 ,at length he arrived at his own door2 then1 and not till then1 did the spectre vanish1 leaving the affrighted man in a state of complete exhaustion upon the threshold of his cottage4 ,he was carried to his bed1 and from that bed he never rose again2 he died in a week4 ,similarly1 there is a romantic old legend connected with ,kilburn ,priory1 to the effect that there was formerly1 not far distant1 a stone of dark red colour1 which was said to be the stain of the blood of ,st4 ,gervase de ,mertoun4 ,the story goes that ,stephen de ,mertoun1 being enamoured of his brother's wife1 made immoral overtures to her1 which she threatened to make known to ,sir ,gervase1 to prevent which disclosure ,stephen resolved to waylay his brother and slay him4 ,by a strange coincidence1 the identical stone on which his murdered body had expired formed a part of his tomb1 and the eye of the murderer resting upon it1 adds the legend1 blood was seen to issue from it4 ,struck with horror at this sight1 ,stephen de ,mertoun hastened to the ,bishop of ,london1 and making confession of his guilt1 demised his property to the ,priory of ,kilburn4 ,in the same way the ,cornishman knows1 from the red1 filmy growth on the brook pebbles1 that blood has been shed--a popular belief still firmly credited4 ,some years ago a ,cornish gentleman was cruelly murdered1 and his body thrown into a brook2 but ever since that day the stones in this brook are said to be spotted with gore--a phenomenon which had never occurred previously4 ,and1 according to another strange ,cornish belief told of ,st4 ,denis's blood1 it is related that at the very time when his decapitation took place in ,paris1 blood fell on the churchyard of ,st4 ,denis4 ,it is further said that these blood stains are specially visible when a calamity of any kind is near at hand2 and before the breaking out of the plague1 it is said the stains of the blood of ,st4 ,denis were seen2 and1 during our wars with the ,dutch1 the defeat of the ,english fleet was foretold by the rain of gore in this remote and sequestered place4 ,it is also a common notion that not only are the stains of human blood wrongfully shed ineffaceable1 but a curse lights upon the ground1 causing it to remain barren for ever4 ,there is1 for instance1 a dark-looking piece of ground devoid of verdure in the parish of ,kirdford1 ,sussex4 ,local tradition says that this was formerly green1 but the grass withered gradually away soon after the blood of a poacher1 who was shot there1 trickled down on the place4 ,but perhaps the most romantic tale of this kind was that known as the ,field of ,forty ,footsteps4 ,a legendary story of the period of the ,duke of ,monmouth's ,rebellion describes a mortal conflict which took place between two brothers in ,long ,fields1 afterwards called ,southampton ,fields1 in the rear of ,montague ,house1 ,bloomsbury1 on account of a lady who sat by4 ,the combatants fought so furiously as to kill each other1 after which their footsteps1 imprinted on the ground in the vengeful struggle1 were reported to remain1 with the indentations produced by their advancing and receding2 nor would any grass or vegetation grow afterwards over these forty footsteps4 ,the most commonly received version of the story is1 that two brothers were in love with the same lady1 who would not declare a preference for either1 but coolly sat upon a bank to witness the termination of a duel which proved fatal to both4 ,southey records this strange story in his ,commonplace ,book1#bi and after quoting a letter from a friend1 recommending him to take a view of those wonderful marks of the ,lord's hatred to duelling1 called ',the ,brothers' ,steps1' he thus describes his own visit to the spot3 ,we sought for near half an hour in vain4 ,we could find no steps at all within a quarter of a mile1 no1 nor half a mile1 of ,montague ,house4 ,we were almost out of hope1 when an honest man1 who was at work1 directed us to the next ground adjoining to a pond4 ,there we found what we sought1 about three-quarters of a mile north of ,montague ,house and five hundred yards east of ,tottenham ,court ,road4 ,the steps are of the size of a large human foot1 about three inches deep1 and lie nearly from north-east to south-west4 ,we counted only twenty-six2 but we were not exact in counting4 ,the place where one or both the brothers are supposed to have fallen is still bare of grass4 ,the labourer also showed us the bank where1 the tradition is1 the wretched woman sat to see the combat4 ,miss ,porter and her sister founded upon this tragic romance their story1 ,coming ,out1 or the ,field of ,forty ,footsteps2 and at ,tottenham ,street ,theatre was produced1 many years ago1 an effective melodrama based upon the same incident1 entitled ,the ,field of ,footsteps4 ,another romantic tale of a similar nature is connected with ,montgomery ,church walls1 and is locally designated ,the ,legend of the ,robber's ,grave1 of which there are several versions1 the most popular one being this3 ,once upon a time1 a man was said to have been wrongfully hanged at ,montgomery2 and1 when the rope was round his neck1 he declared in proof of his innocence that grass would never grow on his grave4 ,curious to relate1 be the cause what it may1 there is yet to be seen a strip of sterility--in the form of a cross--amidst a mass of verdure4#cj ,likewise1 the peasantry still talk mysteriously of ,lord ,derwentwater's execution1 and tell how his blood could not be washed away4 ,deep and lasting were the horror and grief which were felt when the news of his death reached his home in the north4 ,the inhabitants of the neighbourhood1 it is said1 saw the coming vengeance of heaven in the ,aurora ,borealis which appeared in unwonted brilliancy on the evening of the execution1 and which is still known as ,lord ,derwentwater's ,light in the northern counties2 the rushing ,devil's ,water1 too1 they said1 ran down with blood on that terrible night1 and the very corn which was ground on that day came tinged from the mill with crimson4 ,lord ,derwentwater's death1 too1 was all the more deplored on account of his having long been undecided as to whether he should embrace the enterprise against the ,house of ,hanover4 ,but there had long been a tradition in his family that a mysterious and unearthly visitant appeared to the head of the house in critical emergencies1 either to warn of danger1 or to announce impending calamity4 ,one evening1 a few days before he resolved to cast in his lot with the ,stuarts1 whilst he was wandering amid the solitudes of the hills1 a figure stood before him in robe and hood of grey4 ,this personage is said to have sadly reproached the ,earl for not having already joined the rising1 and to have presented him with a crucifix which was to render him secure against bullet or sword thrust4 ,after communicating this message the figure vanished1 leaving the ,earl in a state of bewilderment4 ,the mysterious apparition is reported to have spoken with the voice of a woman1 and as it is known that in the more critical conjunctures of the history of the ,stuarts every device was practised by secret agents to gain the support of a wavering follower1 it is not difficult to guess at a probable explanation of the ghost of the ,dilston ,groves4 ,it may be added that at ,dilston1 ,lady ,derwentwater was long said to revisit the pale glimpses of the moon to expiate the restless ambition which impelled her to drive ,lord ,derwentwater to the scaffold4 ,but how diverse have been the causes of many of these romantic blood stains may be gathered from another legendary tale connected with ,plaish ,hall1 near ,cardington1 ,shropshire4 ,the report goes that a party of clergymen met together one night at ,plaish ,hall to play cards4 ,in order that the real object of their gathering might not be known to any but themselves1 the doors were locked4 ,before very long1 however1 they flew open without any apparent cause4 ,again they were locked1 but presently they burst open a second time1 and even a third4 ,astonished at what seemed to baffle explanation1 and whilst mutually wondering what it could mean1 a panic was suddenly created when1 in their midst1 there appeared a mysterious figure resembling the ,evil ,one4 ,in a moment the invited guests all rose and fled1 leaving the unfortunate host by himself face to face with the enemy4 ,what happened after their departure was never divulged1 for no one ever saw that wretched man again1 either alive or dead4 ,that he had died some violent death was generally surmised1 for a great stain of blood shaped like a human form was found on the floor of the room1 and despite all efforts the mark could never be washed out4 ,ever since this inexplicable occurrence1 the house has been haunted1 and at midnight a ghostly troop of horses are occasionally heard1 creating so much noise as to awaken even heavy sleepers4 ,and ,aubrey in his ,miscellanies tells how when the bust of ,charles ,i41 carved by ,bernini1 was brought in a boat upon the ,thames1 a strange bird--the like whereof the bargemen had never seen--dropped a drop of blood1 or blood-like1 upon it1 which left a stain not to be wiped off4 ,the strange story of this ill-fated bust is more minutely told by ,dr4 ,zacharay ,grey in a pamphlet on the character of ,charles ,i43 ,vandyke having drawn the king in three different faces--a profile1 three-quarters1 and a full face--the picture was sent to ,rome for ,bernini to make a bust from it4 ,bernini was unaccountably dilatory in the work1 and upon this being complained of1 he said that he had set about it several times1 but there was something so unfortunate in the features of the face that he was shocked every time that he examined it1 and forced to leave off the work1 and1 if there was any stress to be laid on physiognomy1 he was sure the person whom the picture represented was destined to a violent end4 ,the bust was at last finished and sent to ,england4 ,as soon as the ship that brought it arrived in the river1 the king1 who was very impatient to see the bust1 ordered it to be carried immediately to ,chelsea4 ,it was conveyed thither1 and placed upon a table in the garden1 whither the king went with a train of nobility to inspect the bust4 ,as they were viewing it1 a hawk flew over their heads with a partridge in his claws1 which he had wounded to death4 ,some of the partridge's blood fell upon the neck of the bust1 where it remained without being wiped off4 ,this bust was placed over the door of the king's closet at ,whitehall and continued there till the palace was destroyed by fire4 ,,footnotes3 #be ,d',israeli's ,curiosities of ,literature4 #bf ,see ,harland and ,wilkinson's ,lancashire ,folklore1 #ace-acf4 #bg ,book of ,days1 ,i41 #bce4 #bh ,this tradition is the basis of the drama called ,the ,yorkshire ,tragedy1 and was adopted by ,ainsworth in his ,romance of ,rookwood4 #bi #bnd ,ser41 p4 #ba4 #cj ,a curious legend is related by ,roger de ,hoveden1 which shows the antiquity of the ,wakefield mills4 ,in the year #abja1 ,eustace1 ,abbot of ,flaye1 came over into ,england1 preaching the duty of extending the ,sabbath from three o'clock p4m4 on ,saturday to sunrising on ,monday morning1 pleading the authority of an epistle written by ,christ himself1 and found on the altar of ,st4 ,simon at ,golgotha4 ,the people of ,yorkshire treated the fanatic with contempt1 and the miller of ,wakefield persisted in grinding his corn after the hour of cessation1 for which disobedience his corn was turned into blood1 while the mill-wheel stood immovable against all the water of the ,calder4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,curious ,,secrets4 ,and now ,i will unclasp a secret book1 ,and to your quick-conceiving discontent ,i'll read your matter deep and dangerous4 #a4 ,,henry ,,iv41 ,act #a41 sc4 #c4 ,the ,depository of the ,secrets of all the ,world was the inscription over one of the brazen portals of ,fakreddin's valley1 reminding us of what ,ossian said to ,oscar1 when he resigned to him the command of the morrow's battle1 ,be thine the secret hill to-night1 referring to the ,gaelic custom of the commander of an army retiring to a secret hill the night before a battle to hold communion with the ghosts of departed heroes4 ,but1 as it has been often remarked of secrets--both political and social--they are only too frequently made to be revealed1 a truth illustrative of ,ben ,jonson's words in ,the ,case is ,unaltered -- ,a secret in his mouth ,is like a wild bird put into a cage1 ,whose door no sooner opens but 'tis out4 ,in family history1 some of the strangest secrets have related to concealment of birth1 many a fraud having been devised to alter or perpetuate the line of issue4 ,early in the present century1 a romantic story which was the subject of conversation in the circles both of ,london and ,paris1 related to ,lady ,newborough1 who had always considered herself the daughter of ,lorenzo ,chiappini1 formerly gaoler of ,modigliana1 and subsequently constable at ,florence1 and of his wife ,vincenzia ,diligenti4 ,possessed in her girlhood of fascinating appearance and charming manners1 she came out as a ballet dancer at the principal opera at ,florence1 and one night she so impressed ,lord ,newborough that1 by means of a golden bribe1 he had her transferred from the stage to his residence4 ,his conduct towards her was tender and affectionate1 and1 in spite of the disparity of years1 he afterwards married her1 introducing her to the ,london world as ,lady ,newborough4 ,some time after her marriage1 according to a memoir stated to be written by the fair claimant of the ,house of ,orleans1 and printed in ,paris before the ,revolution of #ahcj but immediately suppressed1 when staying at ,sienna she received a posthumous letter from her supposed father1 which1 from its extraordinary disclosures1 threw her into complete bewilderment4#ca ,it ran as follows3 ,,my ,,lady1--,i have at length reached the term of my days without having revealed to anyone a secret which directly concerns me and yourself4 ,the secret is this3 ,on the day when you were born1 of a person whom ,i cannot name and who now is in the other world1 a male child of mine was also born4 ,i was requested to make an exchange2 and1 considering the state of my finances in those days1 ,i accepted to the often-repeated and advantageous proposals1 and at that time ,i adopted you as my daughter in the same manner as my son was adopted by the other party4 ,i observe that heaven has repaired my faults by placing you in better circumstances than your father1 although his rank was somewhat similar4 ,this enables me to end my days with some comfort4 ,let this serve to extenuate my culpability towards you4 ,i entreat your pardon for my fault4 ,i desire you1 if you please1 to keep this transaction secret1 in order that the world shall not have any opportunity to speak of an affair which is now without remedy4 ,this1 my letter1 you will not receive until after my death4 ,,lorenzo ,,chiappini4 ,after receiving this letter1 ,lady ,newborough sent for ,ringrezzi1 the confessor of the late gaoler1 and ,fabroni1 a confessor of the late ,countess ,borghi1 and was told by the former that1 in his opinion1 she was the daughter of the ,grand ,duke ,leopold2 but the latter disagreed1 saying1 ,myladi is the daughter of a ,french lord called ,count ,joinville1 who had considerable property in ,champagne2 and ,i entertain no doubt that if your ladyship were to go to that province you would there find valuable documents1 which ,i have been told were there left in the hands of a respectable ecclesiastic4 ,it is further stated that two old sisters of the name of ,bandini1 who had been born and educated in the house of the ,borghis1 and been during all their life in the service of that family1 informed ,lady ,newborough1 and afterwards in the ,ecclesiastical ,court of ,faenza1 that in the year #aggc they followed their master and mistress to ,modigliana1 where the latter usually had their summer residence in a chateau belonging to them2 that1 arriving there1 they found a ,french count1 ,louis ,joinville1 and his countess1 established in the ,pretorial ,palace4 ,they further affirmed that between the ,borghis and this family a very intimate intercourse was soon established and that they daily interchanged visits4 ,furthermore1 the foreign lord1 it is said1 was extremely familiar with persons of the lowest rank1 and particularly with the gaoler1 ,chiappini1 who lived under the same roof4 ,the wives of both were pregnant2 and it appeared that they expected their delivery much about the same time4 ,but the ,count was tormented with a grievous anxiety2 his wife had as yet had no male offspring1 and he much feared that they would never be blessed with any4 ,having communicated his project to the ,borghis1 he at length made an overture to the gaoler1 telling him he apprehended the loss of a very great inheritance1 which absolutely depended on the birth of a son1 and that he was disposed1 in case the ,countess gave birth to a daughter1 to exchange her for a boy1 and that for this exchange he would liberally recompense the father4 ,the man1 highly pleased at finding his fortune thus unexpectedly made1 immediately accepted the offer1 and the bargain was concluded4 ,immediately after the accouchment of the ladies1 one of the ,bandinis went to the ,pretorial ,palace to see the new-born babies1 when some women in the house told her that the exchange had already taken place2 and ,chappiani himself being present1 confirmed their statement4 ,but as there were several persons in the secret--however solemnly secrecy had been promised--public rumour soon accused the barterers4 ,the ,count ,louis1 fearing the people's indignation1 concealed himself in the ,convent of ,st4 ,bernard1 at ,brisighella4 ,the lady1 it is added1 departed with her suppositious son2 her own daughter being baptized and called ,maria ,stella ,petronilla1 and designated as the daughter of ,lorenzo ,chappiani and ,vincenzia ,diligenti4 ,having learnt so much1 ,lady ,newborough being in ,paris in the year #ahbc1 had recourse to a stratagem by which she expected to gain additional information4 ,accordingly she inserted in the newspapers1 that she had been desired by the ,countess ,pompeo ,borghi to discover in ,france a ,count ,louis ,joinville1 who in the year #aggc was with his ,countess at ,modigliana1 where the latter gave birth to a son on the #afth ,april1 and that if either of these persons were still alive1 or the child born at ,modigliana1 she was empowered to communicate to them something of the highest importance4 ,subsequently to this advertisement1 she was waited upon by a ,colonel ,joinville1 but he derived his title only from ,louis ,,xviii4 ,but before the ,colonel was out of the door1 she had a call from the ,abb de ,saint-,fare1 whom she gave to understand that she was anxious to discover the identity of a birth connected with the sojourn with the late ,comte de ,joinville4 ,in the course of conversation1 this ,abb is stated to have made most injudicious admissions1 from which ,lady ,newborough gathered that he was the confidential agent of the ,duke of ,orleans1 being currently said to be his illegitimate brother4 ,lady ,newborough was now convinced in her own mind that she was the eldest child of the late ,duke of ,orleans1 and hence was the first princess of the blood of ,france1 and the rightful heiress of immense wealth4 ,but this discovery brought her no happiness1 and subjected to her to much discomfort and misery4 ,her story--whether true or false--will in all probability remain a mystery to the end of time1 being one of those political puzzles which must remain an open question4 ,secret intrigue1 however1 at one time or another1 has devised the most subtle plans for supplanting the rightful owner out of his birthright--a second wife through jealously entering into some shameful compact to defraud her husband's child by his former wife of his property in favour of her own4 ,such a secret conspiracy is connected with ,draycot1 and1 although it has been said to be one of the most mysterious in the whole range of ,english legends1 yet1 singular as the story may be1 writes ,sir ,bernard ,burke1 no small portion of it is upon record as a thing not to be questioned2 and it is not necessary to believe in supernatural agency to give all parties credit for having faithfully narrated their impressions4 ,the main facts of this strange story are briefly told3 ,walter ,long of ,draycot had two wives1 the second being ,catherine1 daughter of ,sir ,john ,thynne1 of ,longleat4 ,on their arrival at ,draycot after the honeymoon1 there were great rejoicings into which all entered save the heir of the houses of ,draycot and ,wraxhall1 who was silent and sad4 ,once arrived in her new home1 the mistress of ,draycot lost no time in studying the character of her step-son1 for she had an object in view which made it necessary that she should completely understand his character4 ,her design was1 in short1 that the young master of ,draycot1 the heir of all his father's property--the obstruction in the way of whatever children there might be by the second marriage--must be ruined1 or at any rate so disgraced as to provoke his father to disinherit him4 ,taking into her confidence her brother1 ,sir ,egremont ,thynne1 of ,longleat1 with his help she soon discovered that the youthful heir of ,draycot was fond of wine and dice1 and that he had on more than one occasion met with his father's displeasure for indulgence in such acts of dissipation4 ,having learnt1 too1 that the young man was kept on short supplies by his parsimonious father1 and had often complained that he was not allowed sufficient pocket-money for the bare expenses of his daily life2 the crafty step-mother seized this opportunity for carrying out her treacherous and dishonourable conduct4 ,commiserating with the inexperienced youth in his want of money1 and making him feel more than ever dissatisfied at his father's meanness to him1 she quickly enlisted him on her side1 especially when she gave him liberal supplies of money1 and recommended him to enjoy his life whilst it was in his power to do so4 ,with a full rather than an empty purse1 the young squire was soon seen with a cheerful party over the wine bottle1 and1 at another time1 with a gambling group gathered round the dice box4 ,but this kind of thing suited admirably his step-mother1 for she took good care that such excesses were brought under the notice of the lad's father1 and magnified into heinous crimes4 ,from time to time this unprincipled woman kept supplying the unsuspecting youth with money1 and did all in her power to encourage him in his tastes for reckless living4 ,fresh stories of his son's dissipated conduct were continually being told to the master of ,draycot1 until at last1 influenced by the wiles of his charming wife1 on the other by deeper wiles of his brother-in-law1 he agreed to make out a will disinheriting his son by his first wife1 and settling all his possessions on his second wife and her relations4 ,hitherto1 the secret entered into by brother and sister had been a perfect success1 for not only was the son completely alienated from his father1 but the latter deemed it a sin to make any provision for one who was given to drink and gambling4 ,a draft will was drawn up by ,sir ,egremont ,thynne1 and when approved of was ordered to be copied by a clerk4 ,but here comes the remarkable part of the tale4 ,the work of engrossing demands a clear1 bright light1 and the slightest shadow intervening between the light and the parchment would be sure to interrupt operations4 ,such an interruption the clerk was suddenly8 subjected to1 when1 on looking up he beheld a white hand--a lady's delicate white hand--so placed between the light and the deed as to obscure the spot on which he was engaged4 ,the unaccountable hand1 however1 was gone almost as soon as noticed4 ,the clerk concluding that this was some optical delusion1 proceeded with his work1 and had come to the clause wherein the ,master of ,draycot disinherited his son1 when again the same ghostly hand was thrust between the light and the parchment4 ,terrified at this unearthly intervention1 the clerk awoke ,sir ,egremont from his midnight slumbers1 and told him what had occurred1 adding that the spectre hand was no other than that of the first wife of the master of ,draycot1 who resented the cruel wrong done to her son4 ,in due time the deed was engrossed by another clerk1 and duly signed and sealed4 ,but the white hand had not appeared in vain1 for the clerk's curious adventure afterwards became the topic of general conversation1 and the injustice done to the disinherited heir of ,draycot excited so much sympathetic indignation that the trustees of the late ,lady ,long arrested the old knight's corpse at the church door1 her nearest relations commenced a suit against the intended heir1 and the result was a compromise between the parties1 ,john ,long taking possession of ,wroxhall1 while his other half-brother was allowed to retain ,draycot1 a settlement that1 it is said1 explains the division of the two estates1 which we find at the present day4 ,the secret between the brother and sister was well kept1 and whatever explanation may be given to the white hand1 the story is as singular as any in the annals of domestic history4 ,it was the betrayal of a secret1 on the other hand1 on the part of a woman that is traditionally said to have caused the sudden and tragic death of ,richard1 second ,earl of ,scarborough4 ,this nobleman1 it seems1 was in the confidence of the ,king1 and had been entrusted by him with the keeping of a most important secret4 ,but1 like most favourites1 the ,earl was surrounded by enemies who were ever on the alert to compass his ruin1 and1 amidst other devices1 they laid their plans to prevail on the unsuspecting ,earl to betray the confidence which the ,king had implicitly reposed on him4 ,finding it1 however1 impossible by this means to make him guilty of a breach of trust towards the ,king1 they had recourse to another scheme which proved successful1 and thereby irrevocably compromised him in the ,king's eyes4 ,having discovered that the ,earl was in love with a certain lady and was in the habit of frequently visiting her1 some of his enemies discovered where she lived1 and1 calling on her1 promised an exceeding rich reward if she could draw the royal secret from her lover1 and communicate it to them4 ,easily bought over by the offer of so rich a bribe1 the treacherous woman1 like ,delilah of old1 soon prevailed upon the ,earl to give her the desired information1 and the secret was revealed4 ,as soon as the ,earl's enemies were apprised of the same1 they lost no time in hurrying to the king1 and submitting to him the proofs of his protg's imprudence4 ,they gained their end1 for the next time the ,earl came into the royal presence1 the ,king said to him in a sad but firm voice1 ,lumley1 you have lost a friend1 and ,i a good servant4 ,this was a bitter shock to the ,earl1 for he learnt now for the first time that she in whom he had reposed his love and faith had been his worst enemy1 and that1 as far as his relations to the ,king were concerned1 he was disgraced as a man of honour in his estimation4 ,with his proud and haughty spirit1 unable to bear the misery and chagrin of his fall and ruin1 he had recourse to the suicide's escape from trouble--he shot himself4 ,but another secret1 no less tragic and of a far more sensational nature1 related to a certain ,mr4 ,macfarlane4 ,one ,sunday1 in the autumn of the year #agai1 ,sir ,john ,swinton1 of ,swinton1 in ,berwickshire1 left his little daughter ,margaret1 who had been indisposed through a childish ailment1 at home when he went with the rest of his family to church1 taking care to lock the outer door4 ,after the lapse of an hour or so1 the child had become dull through being alone1 and she made her way into the parlour below stairs1 where1 on her arrival1 she hastily bolted the door to keep out any ghost or bogie1 stories relating to which had oftentimes excited her fears4 ,but great was her terror when1 on looking round1 she was confronted by a tall lady1 gracefully attired1 and possessed of remarkable handsome features4 ,the poor child stood motionless with terror1 afraid to go forwards or backwards4 ,her throbbing heart1 however1 quickly recovered from its fright1 as the mysterious lady1 with a kind eye and sweet smile1 addressed her by name1 and taking her hand1 spoke3 ,margaret1 you may tell your mother what you have seen1 but1 for your life1 to no one else4 ,if you do1 much evil may come of it1 some of which will fall on yourself4 ,you are young1 but you must promise to be silent as the grave itself in this matter4 ,full of childish wonderment1 ,margaret1 half in shyness and half in fear at being an agent in so strange a secret1 turned her head towards the window1 but on turning round found the lady had disappeared1 although the door remained bolted4 ,her curiosity was now more than before aroused1 and she concluded that after all this lady must be one of those fairies she had often read of in books2 and it was whilst pondering on what she had seen that the family returned from church4 ,surprised at finding ,margaret bolted in this parlour1 ,sir ,john learnt that she had been frightened1 she knew not why1 at the solitude of her own room1 and had bolted herself in the parlour4 ,although she was soon laughed out of her childish fears1 ,lady ,swinton was quick enough to perceive that ,margaret had not communicated everything1 and insisted upon knowing the whole truth4 ,the child made no objection1 as she had not been told to keep the secret from her mother4 ,after describing all that happened1 ,lady ,swinton kissed her daughter tenderly and said1 ,since you have kept the secret so well1 you shall know something more of this strange lady4 ,thereupon ,lady ,swinton pushed aside one of the oaken panels in the parlour1 which revealed a small room beyond1 where sat the mysterious lady4 ,and now1 ,margaret dear1 said her mother1 listen to me4 ,this lady is persecuted by cruel men1 who1 if they find her1 will certainly take her life4 ,she is my guest1 she is now yours1 and ,i am sure ,i need not tell you the meanest peasant in all ,scotland would shame to betray his guest4 ,margaret promised to keep the secret1 never evincing the slightest curiosity to know who the lady was1 and it is said she had reached her twentieth year when one day the adventure of her childhood was explained4 ,it seems that the lady in question was a ,mrs4 ,macfarlane1 daughter of ,colonel ,charles ,straiton1 a zealous ,jacobite4 ,when about nineteen years old she married ,john ,macfarlane--law agent of ,simon ,fraser1 ,lord ,lovat--who was many years her senior4 ,soon after her marriage ,mrs4 ,macfarlane made the acquaintance of ,captain ,john ,cayley1 a commissioner of ,customs1 and on ,september #bith1 #agaf1 he called on her at ,edinburgh1 when1 for reasons only known to herself or him1 she fired two shots at him with a pistol1 one of which pierced his heart4 ,according to ,sir ,bernard ,burke1 it was when she would not yield to ,captain ,cayley's immoral overtures that the latter vowed to blacken her character1 a threat which he so successfully carried out that not one of her female acquaintances upon whom she called would admit her2 not one of all she met in the street would acknowledge her4 ,desperate at this villainy on his part1 ,mrs4 ,macfarlane1 under pretence of agreeing to ,captain ,cayley's overtures1 sent for him1 when fully confident that he was about to reap the fruit of his infamous daring he obeyed her summons4 ,but no sooner had he entered the room than she locked the door1 and1 snatching up a brace of pistols1 she exclaimed3 ,wretch1 you have blasted the reputation of a woman who never did you the slightest wrong4 ,you have fixed an indelible stain upon the child at her bosom2 and all this because1 coward as you are1 you thought there was no one to take her part4 ,at the same time1 it is said1 she fired two shots at him with a pistol1 one of which pierced his heart4 ,her husband asserted1 however1 that she fired to save herself from outrage1 an explanation which she affirmed was only too true4 ,her husband also declared that his wife was desirous of sending for a magistrate and of telling him the whole story1 but that he advised her against it4 ,but not appearing to stand her trial in the ensuing ,february1 she was outlawed1 and obtained refuge in the mansion house of the ,swinton family in the concealed apartment already described4#cb ,according to ,sir ,walter ,scott1 she returned and lived and died in ,edinbugh2 but her life must have been comparatively short1 as her husband married again on ,october #fth1 #agai4 ,akin to this dramatic episode may be mentioned one concerning ,robert ,perceval1 the second son of the ,right ,hon4 ,sir ,john ,perceval1 when reading for the law in his chambers in ,lincoln's ,inn4 ,the clock had just struck the hour of midnight1 when1 on looking up from his book1 he was astonished to see a figure standing between himself and the door1 completely muffled up in a long cloak so as to defy recognition4 ,who are you8 ,but the figure made no answer4 ,what do you want8 ,no reply4 ,the figure stood motionless4 ,thinking it made a low hollow laugh1 the young student struck at the intruder with his sword1 but the weapon met with no resistance1 and not a single drop of blood stained it4 ,this was amazing1 and still no answer4 ,determined to solve the mystery of this strange being1 he cast aside its cloak1 when lo6 he saw his own apparition1 bloody and ghostly1 whereat he was so astonished that he immediately swooned away1 but1 recovering1 he saw the spectre depart4 ,at first this occurrence left the most unpleasant impressions on his mind1 but as days passed by without anything happening1 the warning1 or whatever it was1 faded gradually from his memory1 and he lived as before1 drinking and quarrelling1 managing to embroil himself at play with the celebrated ,beau ,fielding4 ,the day at last came1 however1 when his equanimity was disturbed1 for1 as he was walking from his chambers in ,lincoln's ,inn to a favourite tavern in the ,strand1 he imagined that he was followed by an ungainly looking man4 ,he tried to avoid him1 but the man followed on1 and after a time1 fully convinced that he was dogged by this man1 he demanded ,who he was1 and why he followed him8 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,figure ,,stood ,,motionless4 ,but the man replied1 ,i am not following you2 ,i'm following my own business4 ,by no means satisfied1 young ,perceval crossed over to the opposite side of the street1 but the man followed him step by step1 and before many minutes had elapsed he was joined by another man as ungainly-looking as himself4 ,perceval1 no longer doubting that he was followed1 called upon the two men to retire at their peril1 and although he succeeded in making them take to their heels after a sharp sword skirmish1 he was himself wounded in the leg1 and made his way to the nearest tavern4 ,this unpleasant encounter1 reviving the memory of the ghastly figure he had seen in his chambers1 made him feel that he was a doomed man1 and he was not far wrong1 for that night near the so-called ,may-pole in the ,strand he was found dead--but how he died was a secret never divulged4 ,another equally strange incident connected with this mysterious crime happened to a ,mrs4 ,brown1 perhaps from her holding some situation in the family of his uncle1 ,sir ,robert4 ,on this fatal night1 writes ,sir ,bernard ,burke1 she dreamt that one ,mrs4 ,shearman--the housekeeper--came to her and asked for a sheet4 ,she demanded1 for what purpose1 to which ,mrs4 ,shearman replied1 ,poor ,master ,robert is killed1 and it is to wind him in4 ,curious to say1 in the morning ,mrs4 ,shearman came at an early hour into her room1 and asked for a sheet4 ,for what purpose8 inquired ,mrs ,brown4 ,poor ,mr4 ,robert is murdered1 was the reply2 he lies dead in the ,strand watch-house1 and it is to wind his body in4 ,in the year #ahdh1 the ,warwick magistrates investigated a most extraordinary and preposterous charge of murder against ,lord ,leigh1 his deceased mother1 and persons employed by them1 in the course of which inquiry one of the accusers professed to have been in possession of a secret connected with the matter for a number of years4 ,the accusation seems to have originated from the attempt of certain parties to seize ,stoneleigh ,abbey on pretence that it rightfully belonged to them1 and not to ,lord ,leigh4 ,in ,november1 #ahdd1 a mob took possession of the place for one ,george ,leigh2 several of the ringleaders were tried for the offence1 and not fewer than twenty-eight were convicted4 ,the account of this curious conspiracy1 as given in the ,annual ,register1 goes on to say that ,richard ,barnett made the charge of murder3 in #ahad he was employed under ,lady ,julia ,leigh and her son at the ,abbey1 where a number of workmen were engaged in making alterations2 four of these men were murdered by large stones having been allowed to fall on them1 and their bodies were placed within an abutment of a bridge1 and then inclosed with masonry4 ,another man was shot by ,hay1 a keeper4 ,in cross-examination1 the witness said he had kept silence on these atrocities for thirty years1 because he feared ,lord ,leigh1 and because he did not expect to obtain anything by speaking4 ,he first divulged the secret to those who were trying to seize the estate2 as this information he thought would help them to get it1 for the murders were committed to keep out the proper owners4 ,in the course of the inquiry1 ,john ,wilcox was required to repeat evidence which he had given before a ,master of ,chancery2 but1 instead of doing so1 the man confessed that he was not sober when he made the declaration4 ,he further declared how some servants of the ,leigh family had burned pictures1 and had been paid to keep the secrets of the house4 ,the whole story1 however1 was a deliberate and wilful fabrication1 the facts were contradicted and circumstantially refuted1 and of course so worthless a charge was dismissed by the ,bench4 ,,footnotes3 #ca ,see ,annual ,register 7#ahcb71 #aeb-e4 #cb ,this incident suggested to ,sir ,walter ,scott his description of the concealment and discovery of the ,countess of ,derby in ,peveril of the ,peak4 ,see ,dictionary of ,national ,biography1 xxxv41 #gd4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,the ,,dead ,,hand4 ,open1 lock1 ,to the dead man's knock6 ,fly1 bolt1 and bar1 and band2 ,nor move1 nor swerve1 ,joint1 muscle1 or nerve1 ,at the spell of the dead man's hand4 ,,ingoldsby ,,legends4 ,one of the most curious and widespread instances of deception and credulity is the magic potency which has long been supposed to reside in the so-called ,hand of ,glory--the withered hand of a dead man4 ,numerous stories are told of its marvellous properties as a charm1 and on the ,continent many a wonderful cure is said to have been wrought by its agency4 ,southey1 it may be remembered1 in his ,thalaba1 the ,destroyer1 has placed it in the hands of the enchanter1 ,king ,mohareb1 when he would lull to sleep ,zohak1 the giant keeper of the ,caves of ,babylon4 ,and the history of this wonder-working talisman1 as used by ,mohareb1 is thus graphically told3 ,thus he said1 ,and from his wallet drew a human hand1 ,shrivelled and dry and black4 ,and fitting1 as he spake1 ,a taper in his hold1 ,pursued3 ,a murderer on the stake had died4 ,i drove the vulture from his limbs and lopt ,the hand that did the murder1 and drew up ,the tendon strings to close its grasp1 ,and in the sun and wind ,parched it1 nine weeks exposed4 ,from the many accounts given of this ,dead ,hand1 we gather that it has generally been considered necessary that the hand should be taken from a man who has been put to death for some crime4 ,then1 when dried and prepared with certain weird unguents1 it is ready for use4 ,sir ,walter ,scott1 in the ,antiquary has introduced this object of superstition1 making the ,german adventurer1 ,dousterswivel1 describe it to the assembled party among the ruins at ,st4 ,ruth's thus jocosely3 ,de ,hand of ,glory is very well known in de countries where your worthy progenitors did live2 and it is a hand cut off from a dead man as he has been hanged for murder1 and dried very nice in de smoke of juniper wood2 then you do take something of de fatsh of de bear1 and of de badger1 and of de great eber 7as you do call ye grand boar71 and of de little sucking child as has not been christened 7for dat is very essential71 and you do make a candle1 and put into de ,hand of ,glory at de proper hour and minute1 with the proper ceremonials2 and he who seeketh for treasures shall never find none at all4 ,possessed of these mystic qualities1 such a hand could not fail to find favour with those engaged in any kind of evil and enterprise2 and1 on account of its lulling to sleep all persons within the circle of its influence1 was of course held invaluable by thieves and burglars4 ,thus the case is recorded of some thieves1 who1 a few years ago1 attempted to commit a robbery on a certain estate in the county ,meath4 ,to quote a contemporary account of the affair1 it appears that they entered the house armed with a dead man's hand1 with a lighted candle in it1 believing in the superstitious notion that a candle placed in a dead man's hand will not be seen by any but by those by whom it is used1 and also that if a candle in a dead hand be introduced into a house1 it will prevent those who may be asleep from awaking4 ,the inmates1 however1 were alarmed1 and the robbers fled1 leaving the hand behind them4 ,another story communicated by the ,rev4 ,s4 ,baring-,gould1 tells how two thieves1 having come to lodge in a public-house1 with a view to robbing it1 asked permission to pass the night by the fire1 and obtained it4 ,but when the house was quiet the servant girl1 suspecting mischief1 crept downstairs1 and looked through the keyhole4 ,she saw the men open a sack1 and take out a dry withered hand4 ,they anointed the fingers with some unguents1 and lighted them4 ,each finger flamed1 but the thumb they could not light--that was because one of the household was not asleep4 ,the girl hastened to her master1 but found it impossible to arouse him--she tried every other sleeper1 but could not break the charmed sleep4 ,at last stealing down into the kitchen1 while the thieves were busy over her master's strong-box1 she secured the hand1 blew out the flames1 and at once the whole house was aroused4 ,among other qualities which have been supposed to belong to a dead man's hand1 are its medicinal virtues1 in connection with which may be mentioned the famous dead hand1 which was1 in years past1 kept at ,bryn ,hall1 ,lancashire4 ,there are several stories relating to this gruesome relic1 one being that it was the hand of ,father ,arrowsmith1 a priest1 who1 according to some accounts1 is said to have been put to death for his religion in the time of ,william ,,iii4 ,it is recorded that when about to suffer he desired his spiritual attendant to cut off his right hand1 which should ever after have power to work miraculous cures on those who had faith to believe in its efficacy4 ,this relic1 which forms the subject of one of ,roby's ,traditions of ,lancashire1 was preserved with great care in a white silk bag1 and was resorted to by many diseased persons1 who are reported to have derived wonderful cures from its application4 ,thus the case is related of a woman who1 attacked with the smallpox1 had this dead hand in bed with her every night for six weeks1 and of a poor lad living near ,manchester who was touched with it for the cure of scrofulous sores4 ,it has been denied1 however1 that ,father ,arrowsmith was hanged for witnessing a good confession1 and ,mr4 ,roby1 in his ,traditions of ,lancashire1 says that1 having been found guilty of a rape1 in all probability this story of his martyrdom1 and of the miraculous attestation to the truth of the cause for which he suffered1 were contrived for the purpose of preventing the scandal that would have come upon the ,church through the delinquency of an unworthy member4 ,it is further said that one of the family of the ,kenyons attended as under-sheriff at the execution1 and that he refused the culprit some trifling favour at the gallows1 whereupon ,arrowsmith denounced a curse upon him1 to wit1 that1 whilst the family could boast of an heir1 so long they never should want a cripple--a prediction which was supposed by the credulous to have been literally fulfilled4 ,but this story is discredited1 the real facts of the case1 no doubt1 being that he was hanged under sanction of an atrocious law1 for no other reason but because he had taken orders as a ,roman ,catholic priest1 and had endeavoured to prevail upon others to be of his own faith4 ,according to another version of the story1 ,edmund ,arrowsmith was a native of ,haydock1 in the parish of ,winwick4 ,he entered the ,roman ,catholic ,college of ,douay1 where he was educated1 afterwards being ordained priest4 ,but in the year #afbh he was apprehended and brought to ,lancaster on the charge of being a priest contrary to the laws of the realm1 and was executed on #bfth ,august1 #afbh1 his last words being ,bone ,jesu4#cc ,as recently as the year #agcf1 a boy of twelve years1 the son of ,caryl ,hawarden1 of ,appleton-within-,widnes1 county of ,lancaster1 is stated to have been cured of what appeared to be a fatal malady by the application of ,father ,arrowsmith's hand1 which was effected in the following manner3 ,the boy had been ill fifteen months1 and was at length deprived of the use of his limbs1 with loss of his memory and impaired sight4 ,in this condition1 which the physicians had declared hopeless1 it was suggested to his parents that1 as wonderful cures had been effected by the hand of the martyred saint1 it was advisable to try its effects upon their afflicted child4 ,the holy hand was accordingly procured from ,bryn1 packed in a box and wrapped in linen4 ,mrs4 ,hawarden1 having explained to the invalid boy her hopes and intentions1 applied the back part of the dead hand to his back1 stroking it down each side the backbone and making the sign of the ,cross1 which she accompanied with a fervent prayer that ,jesus ,christ would aid it with ,his blessing4 ,having twice repeated this operation1 the patient1 who had before been utterly helpless1 rose from his seat and walked about the house1 to the surprise of seven persons who had witnessed the miracle4 ,from that day the boy's pains left him1 his memory was restored1 and his health became re-established4 ,this mystic hand1 it seems1 was removed from ,bryn ,hall to ,garswood1 a seat of the ,gerard family1 and subsequently to the priest's house at ,ashton-in-,makerfield4 ,but many ludicrous tales are current in the neighbourhood1 of pilgrims having been rather roughly handled by some of the servants1 such as getting a good beating with a wooden hand1 so that the patients rapidly retraced their steps without having had the application of the holy hand4 ,it is curious to find that such a ghastly relic as a dead hand should have been preserved in many a country house1 and used as a talisman1 to which we find an amusing and laughable reference in the ,ingoldsby ,legends3 ,open1 lock1 ,to the dead man's knock6 ,fly bolt1 and bar1 and band2 ,nor move1 nor swerve1 ,joint1 muscle1 or nerve1 ,at the spell of the dead man's hand4 ,sleep1 all who sleep6 ,wake1 all who wake6 ,but be as dead for the dead man's sake4 ,the story goes on to tell how1 influenced by the mysterious spell of the enchanted hand1 neither lock1 bolt1 nor bar avails1 neither stout oak panel1 thick studded with nails2 but1 heavy and harsh1 the hinges creak1 though they had been oiled in the course of the week1 and ,the door opens wide as wide may be1 ,and there they stand1 ,that wondrous band1 ,lit by the light of the glorious hand1 ,by one6 by two6 by three6 ,at ,danesfield1 ,berkshire--so-called from an ancient horseshoe entrenchment of great extent near the house1 supposed to be of ,danish origin--is preserved a withered hand1 which has long had the reputation of being that presented by ,henry ,i4 to ,reading ,abbey1 and reverenced there as the hand of ,james the ,apostle4 ,it answers exactly to the incorrupt hand described by ,hoveden1 and was found among the ruins of the abbey1 where it is thought to have been secreted at the dissolution4 ,,footnotes3 #cc ,baines's ,lancashire1 iii41 #fch2 ,harland and ,wilkinson's ,lancashire ,folklore1 #aeh-afc4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,devil ,,compacts4 ,,mephistopheles4--,i will bind myself to your service here1 and never sleep nor slumber at your call4 ,when we meet on the other side1 you shall do as much for me4 ,,goethe',s ,faust4 ,the well-known story of ,faust reminds us of the many similar weird tales which have long held a prominent place in family traditions4 ,but in the majority of cases the devil is cheated out of his bargain by some spell against which his influence is powerless4 ,according to the popular notion1 compacts are frequently made with the devil1 by which he is bound to complete1 for instance1 a building--as a house1 a church1 a bridge1 or the like--within a certain period2 but1 through some artifice1 by which the soul of the person for whom he is doing the work is saved1 the completion of the undertaking is prevented3 ,thus the cock is made to crow1 because1 like all spirits that shun the light of the sun1 the devil loses his power at break of day4 ,the idea of bartering the soul for temporary gain has not been confined to any country1 but as an article of terrible superstition has been widespread4 ,mr ,lecky has pointed out how1 in the fourteenth century1 the bas-reliefs on cathedrals frequently represent men kneeling down before the devil1 and devoting themselves to him as his servants4 ,in our own country1 such compacts were generally made at midnight in some lonely churchyard1 or amid the ruins of some castle4 ,but fortunately for mankind1 by resorting to spells and counterspells the binding effects of these devil-bonds as they have been termed were1 in most cases1 rendered ineffectual1 the devil thereby losing the advantage4 ,it is noteworthy that the wisdom of the serpent is frequently outwitted by a crafty woman1 or a cunning priest4 ,a well-known ,lancashire tradition gives a humorous account of how the devil was on one occasion deluded by the shrewdness of a clever woman4 ,barely three miles from ,clitheroe1 on the high road to ,gisburne1 stood a public house with this title1 ,the ,dule upo' ,dun1 which means ,the ,devil upon ,dun 7horse74 ,the story runs that a poor tailor sold himself to ,satan for seven years on his granting him certain wishes1 after which term1 according to the contract1 signed1 as is customary1 with the victim's own blood1 his soul was to become the devil's own4 ,when the fatal day arrived1 on the advice of his wife1 he consulted the holy father of ,salley in his extremity4 ,at last the hour came when the ,evil ,one claimed his victim1 who tremblingly contended that the contract was won from him by fraud and dishonest pretences1 and had not been fulfilled4 ,he even ventured to hint at his lack of power to bestow riches1 or any great gift1 on which ,satan was goaded into granting him another wish4 ,then1 said the trembling tailor1 ,i wish thou wert riding back again to thy quarters on yonder dun horse1 and never able to plague me again1 or any other poor wretch whom thou has gotten into thy clutches6 ,the words were no sooner uttered than the devil1 with a roar which was heard as far as ,colne1 went away rivetted to the back of this dun horse1 the tailor watching his departure almost beside himself for joy4 ,he lived for many years in health and affluence1 and1 at his death1 one of his relatives having bought the house where he resided1 turned it into an inn1 having for his sign1 ,the ,dule upo' ,dun4 ,on it was depicted ,old ,hornie mounted on a scraggy dun horse1 without saddle or bridle1 the terrified steed being off and away at full gallop from the door1 while a small hilarious tailor with shears and measures1 viewed his departure with anything but grief or disapprobation4#cd ,the authors of ,lancashire ,legends1 describing this old house1 inform us that it was one of those ancient gabled black and white edifices1 now fast disappearing under the march of improvement4 ,many windows of little lozenge-shaped panes set in lead1 might be seen here in all the various stages of renovation and decay4 ,over the door1 till lately1 swung the old and quaint sign1 attesting the truth of the tradition4 ,occasionally similar bargains have been rendered ineffectual by cunning device4 ,in the north wall of the church of ,tremeirchion1 ,north ,wales1 has long been shown the tomb of a former vicar1 who was also celebrated as a necromancer1 flourishing in the middle of the fourteenth century4 ,it is reported that he proved himself more clever than the ,wicked ,one himself4 ,a bargain was made between them that the vicar should practise the black art with impunity during his life1 but that the devil should possess his body after death1 whether he were buried within or without the church4 ,but the worthy vicar dexterously cheated his ally of his bargain by being buried within the church wall itself4 ,a similar tradition is told of other localities1 and amongst them of ,barn ,hall1 in the parish of ,tolleshunt ,knights1 on the border of the ,essex marshes4 ,in the middle of a field is shown an enclosed uncultivated spot1 where1 the legend says1 it was originally intended to erect the hall1 had not the devil come by night and destroyed the work of the day4 ,this kind of thing went on for some time1 when it was arranged that a knight1 attended by two dogs1 should watch for the author of this mischief4 ,he had not long to wait1 for1 in the quiet of the night1 the ,prince of ,darkness made his appearance1 bent on his mischievous errand4 ,a tussle ensued1 in the course of which1 snatching up a beam from the building1 he hurled it to the site of the present hall1 exclaiming3 ,wheresoe'er this beam shall fall1 ,there shall stand ,barn ,hall4 ,but the devil1 very angry at being thus foiled by the knight1 vowed that he would have him at his death1 whether he was buried in the church or out of it4 ,but this doom was averted by burying him in the wall--half in and half out of the church4 ,at ,brent ,pelham ,church1 ,herts1 too1 there is the tomb of one ,piers ,shonkes1 and there is a tale current in the neighbourhood that the devil swore he would have him1 no matter whether buried within or without the church4 ,so1 as a means of escape1 he was built up in the wall of the sacred edifice4 ,another extraordinary story has long been told of ,hermitage ,castle1 one of the most famous of the ,border ,keeps in the days of its splendour4 ,it is not surprising1 therefore1 that for many years past it has had the reputation of being haunted1 having been described as3-- ,haunted ,hermitage1 ,where long by spells mysterious bound1 ,they pace their round with lifeless smile1 ,and shake with restless foot the guilty pile1 ,till sink the smouldering towers beneath the burdened ground4 ,it is popularly said that ,lord ,soulis1 the evil hero of ,hermitage1 in an unguarded moment made a compact with the devil1 who appeared to him in the shape of a spirit wearing a red cap1 which gained its hue from the blood of human victims in which it was steeped4 ,lord ,soulis sold himself to the demon1 and in return he was permitted to summon his familiar1 whenever he was desirous of doing so1 by rapping thrice on an iron chest1 the condition being that he never looked in the direction of the spirit4 ,but one day1 whether wittingly or not has never been ascertained1 he failed to comply with this stipulation1 and his doom was sealed4 ,but even then the foul fiend kept the letter of the compact4 ,lord ,soulis was protected by an unholy charm against any injury from rope or steel2 hence cords could not bind him1 and steel could not slay him4 ,but when at last he was delivered over to his enemies1 it was found necessary to adopt the ingenious and effective expedient of rolling him up in a sheet of lead1 and boiling him to death1 and so3 ,on a circle of stones they placed the pot1 ,on a circle of stones but barely nine2 ,they heated it red and fiery hot ,and the burnished brass did glimmer and shine4 ,they rolled him up in a sheet of lead-- ,a sheet of lead for a funeral pall2 ,they plunged him into the cauldron red ,and melted him1 body1 lead1 bones and all4 ,this was the terrible end of the body of ,lord ,soulis1 but his spirit is supposed to still linger on the scene4 ,and once every seven years he keeps tryst with ,red ,cap on the scene of his former devilries4 ,and still when seven years are o'er ,is heard the jarring sound ,when hollow opes the charmd door ,of chamber underground4 ,a tradition well-known in ,yorkshire relates how on the ,eagle's ,crag1 otherwise nicknamed the ,witches' ,horseblock1 the ,lady of ,bernshaw ,tower made that strange compact with the devil1 whereby she not only became mistress of the country around1 but the dreaded queen of the ,lancashire witches4 ,it seems that this ,lady ,sybil was possessed of almost unrivalled beauty1 and scarcely a day passed without some fresh admirer seeking her hand--an additional attraction being her great wealth4 ,her intellectual attainments1 too1 were commonly said to be far beyond those of her sex1 and oftentimes she would visit the ,eagle's ,crag in order to study nature and admire the varied aspects of the surrounding country4 ,illustration3 ,,lady ,,sybil ,,at ,,the ,,eagles' ,,crag4 ,it was on these occasions that ,lady ,sybil often felt a strong desire to possess supernatural powers2 and1 in an unwary moment1 it is said that she was induced to sell her soul to the devil1 in order that she might be able to take a part in the nightly revelries of the then famous ,lancashire witches4 ,it is added that the bond was duly attested with her blood1 and that in consequence of this compact her utmost wishes were at all times granted4 ,hapton ,tower was1 at this time1 occupied by a junior branch of the ,towneley family1 and1 although ,lord ,william had long been a suitor for the hand of ,lady ,sybil1 his proposals were constantly rejected4 ,in his despair1 he determined to consult a famous ,lancashire witch--one ,mother ,helston--who promised him success on the ensuing ,all ,hallows' ,eve4 ,when the day arrived1 in accordance with her directions1 he went out hunting1 and on nearing ,eagle's ,crag he started a milk-white doe1 but1 after scouring the country for miles--the hounds being well-nigh exhausted--he returned to the ,crag4 ,at this crisis1 a strange hound joined them--the familiar of ,mother ,helston1 which had been sent to capture ,lady ,sibyl1 who had assumed the disguise of the white doe4 ,the remainder of the curious family legend1 as told by ,mr4 ,harland1 is briefly this3 ,during the night1 ,hapton ,tower was shaken as by an earthquake1 and in the morning the captured doe appeared as the fair heiress of ,bernshaw4 ,counter spells were adopted1 her powers of witchcraft were suspended1 and before many days had passed ,lord ,william had the happiness to lead his newly-wedded bride to his ancestral home4 ,but within a year she had renewed her diabolical practices1 causing a serious breach between her husband and herself4 ,happily a reconciliation was eventually effected1 but her bodily strength gave way1 and her health rapidly declined4 ,when it became evident that the hour of her death was drawing near1 ,lord ,william obtained the services of the neighbouring clergy1 and by their holy offices the devil's bond was cancelled4 ,soon afterwards1 ,lady ,sybil died in peace1 but ,bernshaw ,tower was from that time deserted4 ,popular tradition1 however1 still alleges that her grave was dug where the dark ,eagle's ,crag shoots out its cold1 bare peak into the sky1 and on the eve of ,all ,hallows1 the hound and the milk-white doe are supposed by the peasantry to meet on the ,crag1 pursued by a spectre huntsman in full chase4 ,it is further added that the belated peasant crosses himself at the sound1 remembering the sad fate of ,lady ,sybil of ,bernshaw ,tower4 ,it is curious to find no less a person than ,sir ,francis ,drake charged with having been befriended by the devil2 and the many marvellous stories current respecting him still linger among the ,devonshire peasantry4 ,by the aid of the devil1 it is said1 he was enabled to destroy the ,spanish ,armada4 ,and his connection with the old ,abbey of ,buckland is equally singular4 ,an extensive building attached to the abbey1 for instance1 which was no doubt used as barns and stables after the place had been deprived of its religious character1 was reported to have been built by the devil in three nights4 ,after the first night1 writes ,mr4 ,hunt1#ce the butler1 astonished at the work done1 resolved to watch and see how it was performed4 ,consequently1 on the second night1 he mounted into a large tree and hid himself between the forks of its five branches4 ,at midnight1 so the story goes1 the devil came1 driving teams of oxen1 and1 as some of them were lazy1 he plucked this tree from the ground and used it as a goad4 ,the poor butler lost his senses and never recovered them4 ,although1 as it has been truly remarked1 on the waters that wash the shores of the county of ,devon were achieved many of those triumphs which make ,sir ,francis ,drake's life read more like a romance than a sober chronicle of facts2 the extraordinary traditions told respecting him have largely invested his life with the supernatural4 ,but1 whatever may have been the nature of his dealings with the devil1 we are told that he has had to pay dearly for any earthly advantages he may have derived therefrom in his lifetime1 being forced to drive at night a black hearse1 drawn by headless horses1 and urged on by running devils and yelping headless dogs1 along the road from ,tavistock to ,plymouth4 ,among the many tales related1 in which the demoniacal element holds a prominent place1 there is one relating to the projected marriage of his wife4 ,it seems that ,sir ,francis was abroad1 and his wife1 not hearing from him for seven years1 concluded he must be dead1 and hence was at liberty to enter for a second time the holy estate of matrimony4 ,her choice was made and the nuptial day fixed2 but ,sir ,francis ,drake was informed of all this by a spirit that attended him4 ,and just as the wedding was about to be solemnised1 he hastily charged one of his big guns and discharged a ball4 ,so true was the aim that the ball shot up right through the globe1 dashed through the roof of the church1 and fell with a loud explosion between the lady and her intended bridegroom4 ,the spectators and assembled guests were thrown into the wildest confusion2 but the bride declared it was an indication that ,sir ,francis ,drake was still alive1 and1 as she refused to allow another golden circlet to be placed on her finger1 the intended ceremony was1 in the most abrupt and unexpected manner1 ended4 ,the prettiest part of the tale remains to be told4 ,not long afterwards ,sir ,francis ,drake returned1 and1 disguised as a beggar1 he solicited alms from his wife at her own door2 when1 unable to prevent smiling in the midst of a feigned tale of abject poverty1 she recognised him1 and a very joyful meeting took place4 ,and even ,buckland ,abbey did not escape certain strange influences4 ,some years ago1 a small box was found in a closet which had been long closed1 containing1 it is supposed1 family papers4 ,it was arranged that this box should be sent to the residence of the inheritor of the property4 ,the carriage was at the abbey door1 into which it was easily lifted4 ,the owner having taken his seat1 the coachman attempted to start his horses1 but in vain4 ,they would not1 they could not1 move4 ,more horses were brought and then the heavy farm horses1 and eventually all the oxen4 ,they were powerless to start the carriage4 ,at length a mysterious voice was heard declaring that the box could never be moved from ,buckland ,abbey4 ,accordingly it was taken from the carriage easily by one man1 and a pair of horses galloped off with the carriage4 ,the famous ,jewish banker1 ,samuel ,bernard1 who died in the year #aghi1 leaving an enormous property1 had1 it is said1 a favourite black cock which was regarded by many as uncanny1 and as unpleasantly connected with the amassing of his fortune4 ,the bird died a day or two before his master4 ,it would seem that in bygone years black cocks were extensively used in magical incantations and in sacrifices to the devil1 and ,burns1 it may be remembered1 in his ,address to the ,deil says1 ,some cock or cat your rage must stop2 and a well-known ,french recipe for invoking the ,evil ,one runs thus3 ,take a black cock under your left arm1 and go at midnight to where four cross roads meet4 ,then cry three times ',poul ,noir6' or else utter ',robert' nine times1 and the devil will appear4 ,among the romantic stories told of ,kersal ,hall1 ,lancashire1 it is related how ,eustace ,dauntesey1 one of its chiefs in days of old1 wooed a maiden fair with a handsome fortune2 but she gave her heart to a rival suitor4 ,the wedding day was fixed1 but the prospect of her marriage was a terrible trouble to ,eustace1 and threatened to mar the happiness of his life4 ,having1 however1 in his youth perfected himself in the black art1 he drew a magic circle1 at the witching hour of night1 and summoned the ,evil ,one to a consultation4 ,the meeting came off1 at which the usual bargain was quickly struck1 the soul of ,eustace being bartered for the coveted body of the beautiful young lady4 ,the compact1 it was arranged1 should close at her death1 but the ,evil ,one was to remain meanwhile by the side of ,dauntesey in the form of an elegant self1 or genteel companion4 ,in due course the eventful day arrived when ,eustace stood before the altar4 ,but the marriage ceremony was no sooner over than1 on leaving the sacred edifice1 the elements were found to be the reverse of favourable to them4 ,the flowers strewed before their feet stuck to their wet shoes1 and soaking rain cast a highly depressing influence on all the bridal surroundings2 and1 on arriving at the festive hall where the marriage feast was to be held1 the ill-fortune of ,eustace assumed another shape4 ,strange to say1 his bride began to melt away before his very eyes1 and1 thoroughly familiar as he was with the laws of magic1 here was a new phase of mystery which was completely beyond his comprehension4 ,in short1 poor ,eustace was the wretched victim of a complete swindle1 for while1 on the one hand1 something is recorded about a holy prayer1 a sunny beam1 and an angel train bearing the fair maiden slowly to a fleecy cloud1 in whose bosom she became lost to earth1 ,dauntesey1 on the other hand1 awakened to consciousness by a touch from his sinister companion1 saw a huge yawning gulf at his feet1 and felt himself gradually sinking in a direction exactly the opposite of that taken by his bride1 who1 in the short space of an hour1 was lost to him for ever4 ,but one of the most curious cases of this kind was that recorded in an old tractate#cf published in #affb1 giving an account attested by six of the sufficientest men of the town1 of what happened to a certain ,john ,leech1 a farmer living at ,raveley4 ,being desirous of visiting ,whittlesea fair1 he went beforehand with a neighbour to an inn for the purpose of drinking his morninges draught4 ,whilst the two were enjoying their morninges draught1 ,mr4 ,leech began to be very merry1 and1 seeing his friend was desirous of going1 he exclaimed1 ,let the devil take him who goeth out of this house to-day4 ,but in his merriment he forgot his rash observation1 and shortly afterwards1 calling for his horse1 set out for the fair4 ,he had not travelled far on the road when he remembered what he had said1 his conscience being sore troubled at that damnable oath which he had took4 ,not knowing what to do1 he rode about1 first one way and then another1 until darkness set in1 and at about two o'clock in the night he espied two grim creatures before him in the likeness of griffins4 ,these were the devil's messengers1 who had been sent to take him at his word1 and take him they did1 according to the testimony of the six sufficientist men of the town4 ,they roughly handled him1 took him up in the air1 stripped him1 and then dropped him1 a sad spectacle1 all bloody and goared1 in a farmyard just outside the town of ,doddington4 ,here he was discovered1 lying upon some harrows1 in the condition described4 ,he was picked up1 and carried to a gentleman's house1 where1 being well cared for1 he narrated the remarkable adventure which had befallen him4 ,before long1 however1 he grew into a frenzy so desperate that they were afraid to stay in his chamber1 and the gentleman of the house1 not knowing what to do1 sent for the parson of the town4 ,prompted1 it is supposed1 by the ,satanic influence which still held him1 ,mr4 ,leech rushed at the minister1 and attacked him with so much fury that it was like to have cost him his life4 ,but the noise being heard below1 the servants rushed up1 rescued the parson1 and tied ,mr4 ,leech down in his bed1 and left him4 ,the next morning1 hearing nothing1 they thought he was asleep1 but on entering his room he was discovered with his neck broke1 his tongue out of his mouth1 and his body as black as a shoe1 all swelled1 and every bone in his body out of joint4#cg ,we may conclude these extraordinary cases of devil-bonds with two further strange incidents1 one an apparent record of a case of a similar kind1 which was practised1 amidst the frivolities and plotting of the ,french ,court1 by no less celebrated a lady than ,catharine de ,medicis4 ,in the ,secret ,history of ,france for the ,last ,century1#ch this incredible story is given3 ,in the first ,civil ,war1 when the ,prince of ,conde was1 in all appearance1 likely to prevail1 and ,katherine was thought to be very near the end of her much desired ,regency1 during the young king's minority1 she was known to have been for two days together retired to her closet1 without admitting her menial servants to her presence4 ,some few days after1 having called for ,monsieur de ,mesme1 one of the ,long ,robe1 and always firm to her interest1 she delivered him a steel box1 fast locked1 to whom she said1 giving him the key3 ',that in respect she knew not what might come to her by fortune1 amidst those intestine broils that then shook ,france1 she had thought fit to enclose a thing of great value within that box1 which she consigned to his care1 not to open it upon oath1 but by an express order under her own hand4' ,the queen dying without ever calling for the box1 it continued many years unopened in the family of ,de ,mesme1 after both their deaths1 till1 at last1 curiosity1 or the suspicion of some treasure1 from the heaviness of it1 tempted ,monsieur de ,mesme's successor to break it open1 which he did4 ,instead of any rich present from so great a queen1 what horror must the lookers on have when they found a copper plate of the form and bigness of one of the ancient ,roman ,votive ,shields1 on which was engraved ,queen ,katherine de ,medicis on her knees1 in a praying posture1 offering up to the devil sitting upon a throne1 in one of the ugliest shapes they used to paint him1 ,charles the ,i,xth1 then reigning1 the ,duke of ,anjou1 afterwards ,henry ,,iii41 and the ,duke of ,alanson1 her three sons1 with this motto in ,french1 ,so be it1 ,i but reign4 ,and in the ,court ,rolls of the ,manor of ,hatfield1 near the ,isle of ,axholme1 ,yorkshire1 the following ridiculous story is given3 ,robert de ,roderham appeared against ,john de ,ithon1 for that he had not kept the agreement made between them1 and therefore complains that on a certain day and year1 at ,thorne1 there was an agreement between the aforesaid ,robert and ,john1 whereby the said ,john sold to the said ,robert the ,devil1 bound in a certain bond1 for threepence farthing1 and thereupon1 the said ,robert delivered to the said ,john one farthing as earnest money1 by which the property of the said devil1 was vested in the person of the said ,robert1 to have livery of the said devil on the fourth day next following1 at which day the said ,robert came to the forenamed ,john and asked delivery of the said devil1 according to the agreement between them made4 ,but the said ,john refused to deliver the said devil1 nor has he yet done it1 c41 to the great damage of the said ,robert1 to the amount of #fj;gs1 and he has1 therefore1 brought his suit4 ,the said ,john came1 and did not deny the said agreement2 and because it appeared to the ,court that such a suit ought not to subsist among ,christians1 the aforesaid parties are1 therefore1 adjourned to the infernal regions1 there to hear their judgment1 and both parties were amerced by ,william de ,scargell1 ,seneschall4 ,,footnotes3 #cd ,harland and ,wilkinson's ,lancashire ,legends1 #ae-af4 #ce ,romances of the ,west of ,england4 #cf ,a ,strange and ,true ,relation of one ,mr4 ,john ,leech1 #affb4 #cg ,saunders' ,legends and ,traditions of ,huntingdonshire1 #ahgh1 #a-c4 #ch ,london1 printed for ,a4 ,bell1 #agad4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,family ,,death ,,omens4 ,say not 'tis vain6 ,i tell thee1 some ,are warned by a meteor's light1 ,or a pale bird flitting calls them home1 ,or a voice on the winds by night-- ,and they must go4 ,and he too1 he1 ,woe for the fall of the glorious tree4 --,,mrs4 ,,hemans4 ,a curious chapter in the history of many of our old county families is that relating to certain forewarnings1 which1 from time immemorial1 have been supposed to indicate the approach of death4 ,however incredible the existence of these may seem1 their appearance is still intimately associated with certain houses1 instances of which have been recorded from time to time4 ,thus ,cuckfield ,place1 ,sussex1 is not only interesting as a fine ,elizabethan mansion1 but as having suggested to ,ainsworth the ,rookwood ,hall of his striking romance4 ,the supernatural occurrence1 he says1 forming the groundwork of one of the ballads which ,i have made the harbinger of doom to the house of ,rookwood1 is ascribed1 by popular superstition1 to a family resident in ,sussex1 upon whose estate the fatal tree--a gigantic lime1 with mighty arms and huge girth of trunk--is still carefully preserved4 ,in the avenue that winds towards the house the doom-tree still stands3-- ,and whether gale or calm prevail1 or threatening cloud hath fled1 ,by hand of ,fate1 predestinate1 a limb that tree will shed2 ,a verdant bough1 untouched1 ,i trow1 by axe or tempest's breath1 ,to ,rookwood's head1 an omen dread of fast approaching death4 ,cuckfield ,place1 adds ,ainsworth1 to which this singular piece of timber is attached1 is the real ,rookwood ,hall1 for ,i have not drawn upon imagination1 but upon memory1 in describing the seat and domains of that fated family4 ,a similar tradition is associated with the ,edgewell ,oak1 which is said to indicate the coming death of an inmate of ,castle ,dalhousie by the fall of one of its branches2 and ,camden in his ,magna ,britannia1 alluding to the antiquity of the ,brereton family1 relates this peculiar fact which is reported to have been repeated many times3 ,this wonderful thing respecting them is commonly believed1 and ,i have heard it myself affirmed by many1 that for some days before the death of the heir of the family the trunk of a tree has always been seen floating in the lake adjoining their mansion2 a popular superstition to which ,mrs4 ,hemans refers in the lines which head the present chapter4 ,a further instance of a similar kind is given by ,sir ,bernard ,burke1 who informs us that opposite the dining-room at ,gordon ,castle is a large and massive willow tree1 the history of which is somewhat singular4 ,duke ,alexander1 when four years old1 planted this willow in a tub filled with earth4 ,the tub floated about in a marshy-piece of land1 till the shrub1 expanding1 burst its cerements1 and struck root in the earth below2 here it grew and prospered till it attained its present goodly size4 ,it is said the ,duke regarded the tree with a sort of fatherly and even superstitious regard1 half-believing there was some mysterious affinity between its fortune and his own4 ,if an accident happened to the one by storm or lightning1 some misfortune was not long in befalling the other4 ,it has been noted1 also1 that the same thing is related of the brave but unfortunate ,admiral ,kempenfeldt1 who went down in the ,royal ,george off ,portsmouth4 ,during his proprietary of ,lady ,place1 he and his brother planted two thorn trees4 ,but one day1 on coming home1 the brother noted that the tree planted by the ,admiral had completely withered away4 ,astonished at this unexpected sight1 he felt some apprehensions as to ,admiral ,kempenfeldt's safety1 and exclaimed with some emotion1 ,i feel sure that this is an omen that my brother is dead4 ,by a striking coincidence1 his worst fears were realised1 for on that evening came the terrible news of the loss of the ,royal ,george4 ,whenever any member of the family of ,kirkpatrick of ,closeburn1 in the county of ,dumfries was about to die--either by accident or disease--a swan that was never seen but on such occasions1 was sure to make its appearance upon the lake which surrounded ,closeburn ,castle1 coming no one knew whence1 and passing away as mysteriously when the predicted death had taken place1 in connection with which the following singular legend has been handed down3 ,in days gone by1 the lake of ,closeburn ,castle was the favourite resort during the summer season of a pair of swans1 their arrival always being welcome to the family at the castle from a long established belief that they were ominous of good fortune to the ,kirkpatricks4 ,no matter1 it is said1 what mischance might have before impended1 it was sure to cease at their coming1 and so suddenly1 as well as constantly1 that it required no very ardent superstition to connect the two events into cause and effect4 ,but a century and a half had passed away1 when it happened that the young heir of ,closeburn ,castle--a lad of not quite thirteen years of age--in one of his visits to ,edinburgh attended at the theatre a performance of ,the ,merchant of ,venice1 in the course of which he was surprised to hear ,portia say of ,bassanio that he should ,make a swan-like end1 ,fading in music4 ,often wondering whether swans really sang before dying he determined1 at the first opportunity1 to test the truth of these words for himself4 ,on his return home1 he was one day walking by the lake when the swans came sailing majestically towards him1 and at once reminded of ,portia's remark4 ,without a moment's thought1 he lodged in the breast of the foremost one a bolt from his crossbow1 killing it instantly4 ,frightened at what he had done1 he made up his mind it should not be known2 and1 as the water drifted the dead body of the bird towards the shore1 he buried it deep in the ground4 ,no small surprise1 however1 was occasioned in the neighbourhood1 when1 for several years1 no swans made their annual appearance1 the idea at last being that they must have died in their native home1 wherever that might chance to be4 ,the yearly visit of the swans of ,closeburn had become a thing of the past1 when one day much excitement was caused by the return of a single swan1 and much more so when a deep blood-red stain was observed upon its breast4 ,as might be expected1 this unlooked-for occurrence occasioned grave suspicions even amongst those who had no great faith in omens2 and that such fears were not groundless was soon abundantly clear1 for in less than a week the lord of ,closeburn ,castle died suddenly4 ,thereupon the swan vanished1 and was seen no more for some years1 when it again appeared to announce the loss of one of the house by shipwreck4 ,the last recorded appearance of the bird was at the third nuptials of ,sir ,thomas ,kirkpatrick1 the first baronet of that name4 ,on the wedding-day1 his son ,roger was walking by the lake1 when1 on a sudden1 as if it had emerged from the waters1 the swan appeared with the bleeding breast4 ,roger had heard of this mysterious swan1 and1 although his father's wedding bells were ringing merrily1 he himself returned to the castle a sorrowful man1 for he felt convinced that some evil was hanging over him4 ,despite his father's jest at what he considered groundless superstition on his part1 the young man could not shake off his fears1 replying to his father1 ,perhaps before long you also may be sorrowful4 ,on the night of that very day the son died1 and here ends the strange story of the swans of ,closeburn4#ci ,similarly1 whenever two owls are seen perched on the family mansion of the noble family of ,arundel of ,wardour1 it has long been regarded as a certain indication that one of its members before very long will be summoned out of the world2 and the appearance of a white-breasted bird was the death-warning of the ,oxenham family1 particulars relating to the tragic origin of which are to be found in a local ballad1 which commences thus#dj3 ,where lofty hills in grandeur meet1 ,and ,taw meandering flows1 ,there is a sylvan1 calm retreat1 ,where erst a mansion rose4 ,there dwelt ,sir ,james of ,oxenham1 ,a brave and generous lord2 ,benighted travellers never came ,unwelcome to his board4 ,in early life his wife had died2 ,a son he ne'er had known2 ,and ,margaret1 his age's pride1 ,was heir to him alone4 ,in course of time1 ,margaret became affianced to a young knight1 and their wedding-day was fixed4 ,on the evening preceding it1 her father1 in accordance with custom1 gave a banquet to his friends1 in order that they might congratulate him on the approaching happy union4 ,he stood up to thank them for their kind wishes1 and in alluding to the young knight--in a few hours time to be his daughter's husband--he jestingly called him his son3-- ,but while the dear unpractised word ,still lingered on his tongue1 ,he saw a silvery breasted bird ,fly o'er the festive throng4 ,swift as the lightning's flashes fleet1 ,and lose their brilliant light1 ,sir ,james sank back upon his seat ,pale and entranced with fright4 ,with some difficulty he managed to conceal the cause of his embarrassment1 but on the following day the priest had scarcely begun the marriage service1 ,when ,margaret with terrific screams ,made all with horror start4 ,good heavens6 her blood in torrents streams1 ,a dagger in her heart4 ,the deed had been done by a discarded lover1 who1 by the aid of a clever disguise1 had managed to station himself just behind her3-- ,now marry me1 proud maid1 he cried1 ,thy blood with mine shall wed2 ,he dashed the dagger in his side1 ,and at her feet fell dead4 ,and this pathetic ballad concludes by telling us how ,poor ,margaret1 too1 grows cold with death1 ,and round her hovering flies ,the phantom bird for her last breath1 ,to bear it to the skies4 ,equally strange is the omen with which the ancient baronet's family of ,clifton1 of ,clifton ,hall1 in ,nottinghamshire1 is forewarned when death is about to visit one of its members4 ,it appears that in this case the omen takes the shape of a sturgeon1 which is seen forcing itself up the river ,trent1 on whose bank the mansion of the ,clifton family is situated4 ,and1 it may be remembered1 how in the park of ,chartley1 near ,lichfield1 there has long been preserved the breed of the indigenous ,staffordshire cow1 of white sand colour1 with black ears1 muzzle1 and tips at the hoofs4 ,in the year of the battle of ,burton ,bridge a black calf was born2 and the downfall of the great house of ,ferrers happening at the same period1 gave rise to the tradition1 which to this day has been current in the neighbourhood1 that the birth of a parti-coloured calf from the wild breed in ,chartley ,park is a sure omen of death within the same year to a member of the family4 ,by a noticeable coincidence1 a calf of this description has been born whenever a death has happened in the family of late years4 ,the decease of the ,earl and his ,countess1 of his son ,lord ,tamworth1 of his daughter ,mrs4 ,william ,joliffe1 as well as the deaths of the son and heir of the eighth ,earl and his daughter ,lady ,frances ,shirley1 were each preceded by the ominous birth of a calf4 ,in the spring of the year #ahce1 an animal perfectly black1 was calved by one of this mysterious tribe in the park of ,chartley1 and it was soon followed by the death of the ,countess4#da ,the park of ,chartley1 where this weird announcement of one of the family's death has oftentimes caused so much alarm1 is a wild romantic spot1 and was in days of old attached to the ,royal ,forest of ,needwood and the ,honour of ,tutbury--of the whole of which the ancient family of ,ferrers were the puissant lords4 ,their immense possessions1 now forming part of the ,duchy of ,lancaster1 were forfeited by the attainder of ,earl ,ferrers after his defeat at ,burton ,bridge1 where he led the rebellious ,barons against ,henry ,,iii4 ,the ,chartley estate1 being settled in dower1 was alone reserved1 and has been handed down to its present possessor4 ,of ,chartley ,castle itself--which appears to have been in ruins for many years--many interesting historical facts are recorded4 ,thus it is said ,queen ,elizabeth visited her favourite1 the ,earl of ,essex1 here in ,august1 #aege1 and was entertained by him in a half-timbered house which formerly stood near the ,castle1 but was long since destroyed by fire4 ,it is questionable whether ,mary ,queen of ,scots was imprisoned in this house1 or in a portion of the old ,castle4 ,certain1 however1 it is that the unfortunate queen was brought to ,chartley from ,tutbury on ,christmas day1 #aehe4 ,the exact date at which she left ,chartley is uncertain1 but it appears she was removed thence under a plea of taking the air without the bounds of the ,castle4 ,she was then conducted by daily stages from the house of one gentleman to another1 under pretence of doing her honour1 without her having the slightest idea of her destination1 until she found herself on the #bjth of ,september1 within the fatal walls of ,fotheringhay ,castle4 ,cortachy ,castle1 the seat of the ,earl of ,airlie1 has for many years past been famous for its mysterious drummer1 for whenever the sound of his drum is heard it is regarded as the sure indication of the approaching death of a member of the ,ogilvie family4 ,there is a tragic origin given to this curious phenomenon1 the story generally told being to the effect that either the drummer1 or some officer whose emissary he was1 had excited the jealousy of a former ,lord ,airlie1 and that he was in consequence of this occurrence put to death by being thrust into his own drum1 and flung from the window of the tower1 in which is situated the chamber where his music is apparently chiefly heard4 ,it is also said that the drummer threatened to haunt the family if his life were taken1 a promise which he has not forgotten to fulfil4 ,then there is the well-known tradition that prior to the death of any of the lords of ,roslin1 ,roslin ,chapel appears to be on fire1 a weird occurrence which forms the subject of ,harold's song in the ,lay of the ,last ,ministrel4 ,o'er ,roslin all that dreary night ,a wondrous blaze was seen to gleam2 ',twas broader than the watch-fire light ,and redder than the bright moonbeam4 ,it glared on ,roslin's castled rock1 ,it ruddied all the copse-wood glen2 ',twas seen from ,dryden's groves of oak1 ,and seen from cavern'd ,hawthornden4 ,seem'd all on fire that ,chapel proud1 ,where ,roslin's chiefs uncoffin'd lie2 ,each ,baron1 for a sable shroud1 ,sheathed in his iron panoply4 ,seem'd all on fire1 within1 around1 ,deep sacristy and altar's pale ,shone every pillar1 foliage-bound1 ,and glimmer'd all the dead men's mail4 ,blazed battlement and pinnet high1 ,blazed every rose-carved buttress fair2 ,so still they blaze when ,fate is nigh ,the lordly line of ,hugh ,st4 ,clair4 ,but1 although the last ,roslin1 as he was called1 died in the year #aggh1 and the estates passed into the possession of the ,erskines1 ,earls of ,rosslyn1 the old tradition has not been extinguished4 ,something of the same kind is described as having happened to the old ,cornish family of the ,vingoes on their estate of ,treville1 for through all time a peculiar token has marked the coming death of one of the family4 ,above the deep caverns in the ,treville ,cliff rises a carn4 ,on this chains of fire were seen ascending and descending1 and oftentimes were accompanied by loud and frightful noises4 ,but it is reported that these tokens have not taken place since the last male of the family came to a violent end4 ,according to ,mr4 ,hunt1#db tradition tells us this estate was given to an old family who came with the ,conqueror to this country4 ,this ancestor is said to have been the ,duke of ,normandy's wine taster1 and to have belonged to the ancient ,counts of ,treville1 hence the name of the estate4 ,for many generations the family has been declining1 and the race is now nearly1 if not quite1 extinct4 ,in some cases1 families have been apprised of an approaching death by some strange spectre1 either male or female1 a remarkable instance of which occurs in the ,,ms4 memoirs of ,lady ,fanshaw1 and is to this effect3 ,her husband1 ,sir ,richard1 and she1 chanced1 during their abode in ,ireland1 to visit a friend1 who resided in his ancient baronial castle surrounded with a moat4 ,at midnight she was awakened by a ghastly and supernatural scream1 and1 looking out of bed1 beheld by the moonlight a female face and part of the form hovering at the window4 ,the face was that of a young and rather handsome woman1 but pale2 and the hair1 which was reddish1 was loose and dishevelled4 ,this apparition continued to exhibit itself for some time1 and then vanished with two shrieks1 similar to that which had at first excited ,lady ,fanshaw's attention4 ,in the morning1 with infinite terror1 she communicated to her host what had happened1 and found him prepared not only to credit1 but to account for1 what had happened4 ,a near relation of mine1 said he1 expired last night in the castle4 ,before such an event happens in this family and castle1 the female spectre whom you have seen is always visible4 ,she is believed to be the spirit of a woman of inferior rank1 whom one of my ancestors degraded himself by marrying1 and whom afterwards1 to expiate the dishonour done his family1 he caused to be drowned in the castle moat4 ,this1 of course1 was no other than the ,banshee1 which in times past has been the source of so much terror in ,ireland4 ,amongst the innumerable stories told of its appearance may be mentioned one related by ,mrs4 ,lefanu1 the niece of ,sheridan1 in the memoirs of her grandmother1 ,mrs4 ,frances ,sheridan4 ,from this account we gather that ,miss ,elizabeth ,sheridan was a firm believer in the ,banshee1 and firmly maintained that the one attached to the ,sheridan family was distinctly heard lamenting beneath the windows of the family residence before the news arrived from ,france of ,mrs4 ,frances ,sheridan's death at ,blois4 ,she adds that a niece of ,miss ,sheridan's made her very angry by observing that as ,mrs4 ,frances ,sheridan was by birth a ,chamberlaine1 a family of ,english extraction1 she had no right to the guardianship of an ,irish fairy1 and that therefore the ,banshee must have made a mistake4 ,likewise1 many a ,scotch family has its death-warning1 a notable one being the ,bodach ,glass1 which ,sir ,walter ,scott has introduced in his ,waverley as the messenger of bad-tidings to the ,mac,ivors1 the truth of which1 it is said1 has been traditionally proved by the experience of no less than three hundred years4 ,it is thus described by ,fergus to ,waverley3 ',you must know that when my ancestor1 ,ian nan ,chaistel1 wanted ,northumberland1 there was appointed with him in the expedition a sort of southland chief1 or captain of a band of ,lowlanders1 called ,halbert ,hall4 ,in their return through the ,cheviots they quarrelled about the division of the great booty they had acquired1 and came from words to blows4 ,the ,lowlanders were cut off to a man1 and their chief fell the last1 covered with wounds1 by the sword of my ancestor4 ,since that day his spirit has crossed the ,vich ,ian ,vohr of the day when any great disaster was impending4' ,fergus then gives to ,waverley a graphic and detailed account of the appearance of the ,bodach3 ',last night ,i felt so feverish that ,i left my quarters and walked out1 in hopes the keen frosty air would brace my nerves4 ,i crossed a small foot bridge1 and kept walking backwards and forwards1 when ,i observed1 with surprise1 by the clear moonlight1 a tall figure in a grey plaid1 which1 move at what pace ,i would1 kept regularly about four yards before me4' ',you saw a ,cumberland peasant in his ordinary dress1 probably4' ',no2 ,i thought so at first1 and was astonished at the man's audacity in daring to dog me4 ,i called to him1 but received no answer4 ,i felt an anxious troubling at my heart1 and to ascertain what ,i dreaded1 ,i stood still1 and turned myself on the same spot successively to the four points of the compass4 ,by heaven1 ,edward1 turn where ,i would1 the figure was instantly before my eyes at precisely the same distance4 ,i was then convinced it was the ,bodach ,glass4 ,my hair bristled1 and my knees shook4 ,i manned myself1 however1 and determined to return to my quarters4 ,my ghastly visitor glided before me until he reached the footbridge1 there he stopped1 and turned full round4 ,i must either wade the river or pass him as close as ,i am to you4 ,a desperate courage1 founded on the belief that my death was near1 made me resolve to make my way in despite of him4 ,i made the sign of the cross1 drew my sword1 and uttered1 ',in the name of ,god1 evil spirit1 give place6' ',vich ,ian ,vohr1' it said1 in a voice that made my very blood curdle2 'beware of to-morrow4' ',it seemed at that moment not half a yard from my sword's point2 but the words were no sooner spoken than it was gone1 and nothing appeared further to obstruct my passage4' ,an ancestor of the family of ,mc,clean1 of ,lochburg1 was commonly reported1 before the death of any of his race1 to gallop along the sea-beach1 announcing the event by dismal cries1 and lamentations1 and ,sir ,walter ,scott1 in his ,peveril of the ,peak1 tells us that the ,stanley family are forewarned of the approach of death by a female spirit1 weeping and bemoaning herself before the death of any person of distinction belonging to the family4 ,these family death-omens are of a most varied description1 having assumed particular forms in different localities4 ,corby ,castle1 ,cumberland1 was famed for its ,radiant ,boy1 a luminous apparition which occasionally made its appearance1 the tradition in the family being that the person who happened to see it would rise to the summit of power1 and after reaching that position would die a violent death4 ,as an instance of this strange belief1 it is related how ,lord ,castlereagh in early life saw this spectre2 as is well-known1 he afterwards became head of the government1 but finally perished by his own hand4 ,then there was the dreaded spectre of the ,goblin ,friar associated with ,newstead ,abbey3 ,a monk1 arrayed ,in cowl and beads1 and dusky garb1 appeared1 ,now in the moonlight1 and now lapsed in shade1 ,with steps that trod as heavy1 yet unheard-- ,this apparition was generally supposed to forebode evil to the member of the family to whom it appeared1 and its movements have thus been poetically described by ,lord ,byron1 who1 it may be added1 maintained that he beheld this uncanny spectre before his ill-starred union with ,miss ,millbanke3 ,by the marriage bed of their lords1 'tis said1 ,he flits on the bridal eve2 ,and 'tis held as faith1 to their bed of death ,he comes--but not to grieve4 ,when an heir is born1 he is heard to mourn1 ,and when aught is to befall ,that ancient line1 in the pale moonshine ,he walks from hall to hall4 ,his form you may trace1 but not his face1 ',tis shadowed by his cowl2 ,but his eyes may be seen from the folds between1 ,and they seem of a parted soul4 ,an ancient ,roman ,catholic family in ,yorkshire1 of the name of ,middleton1 is said to be apprised of the death of anyone of its members by the appearance of a ,benedictine nun1 and ,berry ,pomeroy ,castle1 ,devonshire1 was supposed to be haunted by the daughter of a former baron1 who bore a child to her own father1 and afterwards strangled the fruit of their incestuous intercourse4 ,but1 after death1 it seems this wretched woman could not rest1 and whenever death was about to visit the castle she was generally seen sadly wending her way to the scene of her earthly crimes4 ,according to another tradition1 there is a circular tower1 called ,margaret's ,tower1 rising above some broken steps that lead into a dismal vault1 and the tale still runs that1 on certain evenings in the year1 the spirit of the ,ladye ,margaret1 a young daughter of the house of ,pomeroy1 appears clad in white on these steps1 and1 beckoning to the passers-by1 lures them to destruction into the dungeon ruin beneath them4 ,and1 indeed1 it would seem to have been a not infrequent occurrence for family ghosts to warn the living when death was at hand--a piece of superstition which has always held a prominent place in our household traditions1 reminding us of kindred stories on the ,continent1 where the so-called ,white ,lady has long been an object of dread4 ,there has1 too1 long been a strange notion that when storms1 heavy rains1 or other elemental strife1 take place at the death of a great man1 the spirit of the storm will not be appeased till the moment of burial4 ,this belief seems to have gained great strength on the occasion of the ,duke of ,wellington's funeral1 when1 after some weeks of heavy rain1 and some of the highest floods ever known1 the skies began to clear1 and both rain and flood abated4 ,it was a common observation in the week before the duke's interment1 ,oh1 the rain won't give o'er till the ,duke is buried6 ,,footnotes3 #ci ,family ,romance--,sir ,bernard ,burke--#ahec1 ii41 #bjj-baj4 #dj ,in #afda there was published a tract1 with a frontispiece1 entitled ,a ,true ,relation of an ,apparition1 in the ,likeness of a ,bird with a white breast1 that appeared hovering over the ,death-bed of some of the children of ,mr4 ,james ,oxenham1 c4 #da ,this tradition has been wrought into a romantic story1 entitled ,chartley1 or the ,fatalist4 #db ,popular ,romances of ,west of ,england4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,weird ,,possessions4 ,but not a word o' it2 'tis fairies' treasure1 ,which1 but revealed1 brings on the blabber's ruin4 ,,massinger',s ,fatal ,dowry4 ,from the earliest days a strange fatality has been supposed to cling to certain things--a phase of superstition which probably finds as many believers nowadays as when ,homer wrote of the fatal necklace of ,eriphyle that wrought mischief to all who had been in possession of it4 ,in numerous cases1 it is difficult to account for the prejudice thus displayed1 although occasionally it is based on some traditionary story4 ,but whatever the origin of the luck1 or ill-luck1 attaching to sundry family possessions1 such heirlooms have been preserved with a kind of superstitious care1 handed down from generation to generation4 ,one of the most remarkable curiosities connected with family superstitions is what is commonly known as ,the ,coalstoun ,pear1 the strange antecedent history of which is thus given in a work entitled1 ,the ,picture of ,scotland3 ,within sight of the ,house of ,lethington1 in ,haddingtonshire1 stands the mansions of ,coalstoun1 the seat of the ancient family of ,coalstoun1 whose estate passed by a series of heirs of line into the possession of the ,countess of ,dalhousie4 ,this place is chiefly worthy of attention here1 on account of a strange heirloom1 with which the welfare of the family was formerly supposed to be connected4 ,one of the ,barons of ,coalstoun1 about three hundred years ago1 married ,jean ,hay1 daughter of ,john1 third ,lord ,yester1 with whom he obtained a dowry1 not consisting of such base materials as houses or land1 but neither more nor less than a pear4 ',sure such a pear was never seen1' however1 as this of ,coalstoun1 which a remote ancestor of the young lady1 famed for his necromantic power1 was supposed to have invested with some enchantment that rendered it perfectly invaluable4 ,lord ,yester1 in giving away his daughter1 informed his son-in-law that1 good as the lass might be1 her dowry was much better1 because1 while she could only have value in her own generation1 the pear1 so long as it was continued in his family1 would be attended with unfailing prosperity1 and thus might cause the family to flourish to the end of time4 ,accordingly1 the pear was preserved as a sacred palladium1 both by the laird who first obtained it1 and by all his descendants2 till one of their ladies1 taking a longing for the forbidden fruit while pregnant1 inflicted upon it a deadly bite3 in consequence of which1 it is said1 several of the best farms on the estate very speedily came to the market4 ,the pear1 tradition goes on to tell us1 became stone hard immediately after the lady had bit it1 and in this condition it remains till this day1 with the marks of ,lady ,broun's teeth indelibly imprinted on it4 ,whether it be really thus fortified against all further attacks of the kind or not1 it is certain that it is now disposed in some secure part of the house--or as we have been informed in a chest1 the key of which is kept secure by the ,earl of ,dalhousie--so as to be out of all danger whatsoever4 ,the ,coalstowne pear1 it is added1 without regard to the superstition attached to it1 must be considered a very great curiosity in its way1 having1 in all probability1 existed five hundred years--a greater age than1 perhaps1 has ever been reached by any other such production of nature4 ,another strange heirloom--an antique crystal goblet--is said to have been for a long time in the possession of ,colonel ,wilks1 the proprietor of the estate of ,ballafletcher1 four or five miles from ,douglas1 ,isle of ,man4 ,it is described as larger than a common bell-shaped tumbler1 uncommonly light and chaste in appearance1 and ornamented with floral scrolls1 having between the designs on two sides1 upright columell of five pillars1 and according to an old tradition1 it is reported to have been taken by ,magnus1 the ,norwegian ,king of ,man1 from ,st4 ,olave's shrine4 ,although it is by no means clear on what ground this statement rests1 there can be no doubt but that the goblet is very old4 ,after belonging for at least a hundred years to the ,fletcher family--the owners of ,ballafletcher--it was sold with the effects of the last of the family1 in #aggh1 and was bought by ,robert ,csar1 ,esq41 who gave it to his niece for safe keeping4 ,the tradition goes that it had been given to the first of the ,fletcher family more than two centuries ago1 with this special injunction1 that as long as he preserved it1 peace and plenty would follow2 but woe to him who broke it1 as he would surely be haunted by the ',ihiannan ,shee' or 'peaceful spirit' of ,ballafletcher4 ,it was kept in a recess1 whence it was never removed1 except at ,christmas and ,eastertide1 when it was filled with wine1 and quaffed off at a breath by the head of the house only1 as a libation to the spirit for her protection4 ,then there is the well-known ,english tradition relating to ,eden ,hall1 where an old painted drinking-glass is preserved1 the property of ,sir ,george ,musgrave of ,edenhall1 in ,cumberland1 in the possession of whose family it has been for many generations4 ,the tradition is that a butler going to draw water from a well in the garden1 called ,st4 ,cuthbert's well1 came upon a company of fairies at their revels1 and snatched it from them4 ,they did all they could to recover their ravished property1 but failing1 disappeared after pronouncing the following prophecy3 ,if this glass do break or fall ,farewell the luck of ,edenhall4 ,so long1 therefore1 runs the legendary tale1 as this drinking glass is preserved1 the luck of ,edenhall will continue to exist1 but should ever the day occur when any mishap befalls it1 this heirloom will instantly become an unlucky possession in the family4 ,the most recent account of this cup appeared in ,the ,scarborough ,gazette in the year #ahhj1 in which it was described as a glass stoup1 a drinking vessel1 about six inches in height1 having a circular base1 perfectly flat1 two inches in diameter1 gradually expanding upwards till it ends in a mouth four inches across4 ,the general hue is a warm green1 resembling the tone known by artists as brown pink4 ,upon the transparent glass is traced a geometric pattern in white and blue enamel1 somewhat raised1 aided by gold and a little crimson4 ,the earliest mention of this curious relic seems to have been made by ,francis ,douce1 who was at ,edenhall in the year #aghe1 and wrote some verses upon it1 but there does not seem to be any authentic family history attaching to it4 ,there is a room at ,muncaster ,castle which has long gone by the name of ,henry the ,sixth's room1 from the circumstance of his having been concealed in it at the time he was flying from his enemies in the year #adfa1 when ,sir ,john ,pennington1 the then possessor of ,muncaster1 gave him a secret reception4 ,when the time for the king's departure arrived1 before he proceeded on his journey1 he addressed ,sir ,john ,pennington with many kind and courteous acknowledgments for his loyal reception1 regretting1 at the same time1 that he had nothing of more value to present him with1 as a testimony of his goodwill1 than the cup out of which he crossed himself4 ,he then gave it into the hands of ,sir ,john1 accompanying the present with these words3 ,the family shall prosper so long as they preserve it unbroken4 ,hence it is called the ,luck of ,muncaster4 ,the benediction attached to its security1 says ,roby1 in his ,traditions of ,lancashire1 being then uppermost in the recollection of the family1 it was considered essential to the prosperity of the house at the time of the usurpation1 that the ,luck of ,muncaster should be deposited in a safe place2 it was consequently buried till the cessation of hostilities had rendered all further care and concealment unnecessary4 ,but1 unfortunately1 the person commissioned to disinter the precious relic1 let the box fall in which it was locked up1 which so alarmed the then existing members of the family1 that they could not muster courage enough to satisfy their apprehensions4 ,the box1 therefore1 according to the traditionary story preserved in the family1 remained unopened for more than forty years2 at the expiration of which period1 a ,pennington1 more courageous than his predecessors1 unlocked the casket1 and1 much to the delight of all1 proclaimed the ,luck of ,muncaster to be uninjured4 ,it was an auspicious moment1 for the doubts as to the cup's safety were now dispelled1 and the promise held good3 ,it shall bless thy bed1 it shall bless thy board1 ,they shall prosper by this token1 ,in ,muncaster ,castle good luck shall be1 ,till the charmed cup is broken4 ,some things1 again1 have gained a strange notoriety through the force of circumstances4 ,a curious story is told1 for instance1 of a certain iron chest in ,ireland1 the facts relating to which are these3 ,in the year #afed1 ,mr4 ,john ,bourne1 chief trustee of the estate of ,john ,mallet1 of ,enmore1 fell sick at his house at ,durley1 when his life was pronounced by a physician to be in imminent danger4 ,within twenty-four hours1 while the doctor and ,mrs4 ,carlisle--a relative of ,mr4 ,bourne--were sitting by his bedside1 the doctor opened the curtains at the bed-foot to give him air1 when suddenly a great iron chest by the window1 with three locks--in which chest were all the writings and title deeds of ,mr4 ,mallet's estate--began to open lock by lock4 ,the lid of the iron chest then lifted itself up1 and stood wide open4 ,it is added that ,mr4 ,bourne1 who had not spoken for twenty-four hours1 raised himself up in the bed1 and looking at the chest1 cried out1 ,you say true1 you say true2 you are in the right2 ,i will be with you by and bye4 ,he then lay down apparently in an exhausted condition1 and spoke no more4 ,the chest lid fell again1 and locked itself lock by lock1 and within an hour afterwards ,mr4 ,bourne expired4 ,there is a story current of ,lord ,lovat that when he was born a number of swords that hung up in the hall of the house leaped1 of themselves1 out of the scabbard4 ,this circumstance often formed the topic of conversation1 and1 among his clan1 was looked upon as an unfortunate omen4 ,by a curious coincidence1 ,lord ,lovat was not only the last person beheaded on ,tower ,hill1 but was the last person beheaded in this country--,april #i1 #agdg--;an event which ,walpole has thus described in one of his letters1 telling us that he died extremely well1 without passion1 affectation1 buffoonery1 or timidity4 ,he professed himself a ,jansenist1 made no speech1 but sat down a little while in a chair on the scaffold and talked to the people about him4 ,and ,aubrey1 relating a similar anecdote of a picture1 tells us how ,sir ,walter ,long's widow did make a solemn promise to him on his death-bed that she would not marry after his decease2 but this she did not keep1 for not long after1 one ,sir----,fox1 a very beautiful young gentleman1 did win her love1 so that1 notwithstanding her promise aforesaid1 she married him4 ,they were at ,south ,wrathall1 where the picture of ,sir ,walter hung over the parlour door1 and1 on entering this room on their return from church1 the string of the picture broke1 and the picture1 which was painted on wood1 fell on the lady's shoulder and cracked in the fall4 ,this made her ladyship reflect on her promise1 and drew some tears from her eyes4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,romance ,,of ,,disguise4 ,,pisanio to ,,imogen3 ,you must forget to be a woman2 change ,command into obedience3 fear and niceness-- ,the handmaids of all women1 or1 more truly1 ,woman its pretty self1 into a waggish courage3 ,ready in gibes1 quick answered1 saucy1 and ,as quarrelsome as the weasel2 nay1 you must ,forget that rarest treasure of your cheek ,exposing it--but1 ,oh6 the harder heart6 ,alack6 no remedy6 to the greedy touch ,of common-kissing ,titan1 and forget ,your laboursome and dainty trims4 ,cymbeline1 ,,act ,,iii41 ,,sc4 #d4 ,that a woman1 under any circumstances1 should dismiss her proper apparel1 it has been remarked1 may well appear to us as something like a phenomenon4 ,yet instances are far from uncommon1 the motive being originated in a variety of circumstances4 ,a young lady1 it may be1 falls in love1 and1 to gain her end1 assumes male attire so that she may escape detection1 as in the case of a girl1 who1 giving her affections to a sailor1 and not being able to follow him in her natural and recognised character1 put on jacket and trousers1 and became1 to all appearance1 a brother of his mess4 ,in other cases1 a pure masculinity of character seems to lead women to take on the guise of men4 ,apparently feeling themselves misplaced in1 and misrepresented by1 the female dress1 they take up with that of men simply that they may be allowed to employ themselves in those manly avocations for which their taste and nature are fitted4 ,in ,caulfield's ,portraits of ,remarkable ,persons1 we find a portrait of ,anne ,mills1 styled the female sailor1 who is represented as standing on what appears to be the end of a pier and holding in one hand a human head1 while the other bears a sword1 the instrument doubtless with which the decapitation was effected4 ,in the year #agdj1 she was serving on board the ,maidstone1 a frigate1 and in an action between that vessel and the enemy1 she exhibited such desperate and daring valour as to be particularly noticed by the whole crew4 ,but her motives for assuming the male habit do not seem to have transpired4#dc ,a far more exciting career was that of ,mary ,anne ,talbot1 the youngest of sixteen illegitimate children1 whom her mother bore to one of the heads of the noble house of ,talbot4 ,she was born on ,february #bnd1 #aggh1 and educated under the eye of a married sister1 at whose death she was committed to the care of a gentleman named ,sucker1 who treated her with great severity1 and who appears to have taken advantage of her friendless situation in order to transfer her1 for the vilest of purposes1 to the hands of a ,captain ,bowen1 whom he directed her to look upon as her future guardian4 ,although barely fourteen years old1 ,captain ,bowen made her his mistress2 and1 on being ordered to join his regiment at ,st4 ,domingo1 he compelled the girl to go with him in the disguise of a footboy and under the name of ,john ,taylor4 ,but ,captain ,bowen had scarcely reached ,st4 ,domingo when he was remanded with his regiment to ,europe to join the ,duke of ,york's ,flanders ,expedition4 ,and this time she was made to enrol herself as a drummer in the corps4 ,she was in several skirmishes1 being wounded once by a ball which struck one of her ribs1 and another time by a sabre stroke on the side4 ,at ,valenciennes1 however1 ,captain ,bowen was killed2 and1 finding among his effects several letters relating to herself1 which proved that she had been cruelly defrauded of money left to her1 she resolved to leave the regiment1 and to return1 if possible1 to ,england4 ,accordingly she set out attired as a sailor boy1 and eventually hired herself to the ,commander of a ,french lugger1 which turned out to be a privateer4 ,but when the vessel fell in with some of ,lord ,howe's vessels in the ,channel1 she refused to fight against her countrymen1 notwithstanding all the blows and menaces the ,french captain could use4 ,the privateer was taken1 and our heroine was carried before ,lord ,howe1 to whom she told candidly all that had happened to her--keeping her sex a secret4 ,mary ,anne ,talbot1 or ,john ,taylor1 was next placed on board the ,brunswick1 where she witnessed ,lord ,howe's great victory of the #ast ,june1 and was actively engaged in it4 ,but she was seriously wounded1 her left leg being struck a little above the knee by a musket-ball1 and broken1 and severely smashed lower down by a grape shot4 ,on reaching ,england she was conveyed to ,haslar ,hospital1 where she remained four months1 no suspicion having ever been entertained of her being a woman4 ,but she was no sooner out of the hospital than1 retaining her disguise1 she entered a small man-of-war--the ,vesuvius1 which was captured by two ,french ships1 when she was sent to the prisons of ,dunkirk4 ,here she was incarcerated for eighteen months1 but1 having been discovered planning an escape with a young midshipman1 she was confined in a pitch-dark dungeon for eleven weeks1 on a diet of bread and water4 ,an exchange of prisoners set her at liberty1 and1 hearing accidentally an ,american merchant captain inquiring in the streets of ,dunkirk for a lad to go to ,new ,york as ship's steward she offered her services1 and was accepted4 ,accordingly1 in ,august1 #agif1 she sailed with ,captain ,field1 and1 on arriving at ,rhode ,island1 she resided with the ,captain's family4 ,but here another kind of adventure was to befall her--for a niece of ,captain ,field's fell deeply in love with her1 even going so far as to propose marriage4 ,on leaving ,rhode ,island1 the young lady had such alarming fits that1 after sailing two miles1 ,mary ,anne ,talbot was called back by a boat1 and compelled to promise a speedy return to the enamoured young lady4 ,on reaching ,england1 she was one day on shore with some of her comrades when she was seized by a press-gang1 and finding there was no other way of getting off than by revealing her sex1 she did so1 her story creating a great sensation4 ,from this time she never went to sea again1 and soon afterwards lived in service with a bookseller1 ,mr4 ,kirby1 who wrote her memoir4#dd ,and the late ,colonel ,fred ,burnaby has recorded the history of a singular case1 the facts of which came under his notice when he was with ,don ,carlos during the ,carlist rising of the year #ahgd3 ,a discovery was made a few days ago that a woman was serving in the ,royalists' ranks1 dressed in a soldier's uniform4 ,she was found out in the following manner4 ,the priest of the village to where she belonged happening to pass through a town where the regiment was quartered1 and chancing to see her1 was struck by the likeness she bore to one of his parishioners4 ,you must be ,andalicia ,bravo1 he remarked4 ,no1 ,i am her brother1 was the reply4 ,the ,cure's suspicions were aroused1 and at his suggestion1 an inquiry was made1 when it was discovered that the youthful soldier had no right to the masculine vestments she wore4 ,don ,carlos1 who was told of the affair1 desired that she should be sent as a nurse to the hospital of ,durango1 and1 when he visited the establishment1 presented the fair ,amazon with a military cross of merit4 ,the poor girl was delighted with the decoration1 and besought the ,king to allow her to return to the regiment1 as she said she was more accustomed to inflicting wounds than to healing them4 ,in fact1 she so implored to be permitted to serve once more as a soldier1 that at last1 ,don ,carlos1 to extricate himself from the difficulty1 said1 ,no1 ,i cannot allow you to join a regiment of men2 but when ,i form a battalion of women1 ,i promise1 upon my honour1 that you shall be named the ,colonel4 ,it will never happen1 said the girl1 and she burst into tears as the ,king left the hospital4 ,at ,haddon ,hall may still be seen ,dorothy ,vernon's ,door1 whence the heiress of ,haddon stole out one moonlight night to join her lover4 ,the story generally told is that1 while her elder sister1 the affianced bride of ,sir ,thomas ,stanley1 second son of the ,earl of ,derby1 was made much of in her recognised attachment1 ,dorothy1 on the other hand1 was not only kept in the background1 but every obstacle was thrown in her way against a connection she had formed with ,john ,manners1 son of the ,earl of ,rutland4 ,but something of the wild bird1 it is said1 was noticed in ,dorothy1 and she was closely watched1 kept almost a prisoner1 and could only beat her wings against the bars that confined her4 ,this kind of surveillance went on for some time1 but did not check the young lady's infatuation for her lover1 and it was not long before the young couple contrived to see one another4 ,disguised as a woodman1 ,john ,manners lurked of a day in the woods round ,haddon for several weeks1 obtaining now and then a stolen glance1 a hurried word1 or a pressure of the hand from the fair ,dorothy4 ,at length1 however1 an opportunity arrived which enabled ,dorothy to carry out the plan which had been suggested to her by ,john ,manners4 ,it so happened that a grand ball was given at ,haddon ,hall1 to celebrate the approaching marriage of the elder daughter1 and1 whilst a throng of guests filled the ball-room1 where the stringed minstrels played old dances in the ,minstrels' ,gallery1 and the horns blew low1 everyone being too busy with his own interests and pleasures to attend to those of another1 the young ,miss ,dorothy stole away unobserved from the ball-room1 passed out of the door1 which is now one of the most interesting parts of this historic pile of buildings1 and crossed the terrace to where1 at the ladies' steps1 she could dimly discern figures hiding in the shadow of the trees4 ,another moment1 and she was in her lover's arms4 ,horses were waiting1 and ,dorothy was soon riding away with her lover through the moonlight1 and was married on the following morning4 ,this story1 which has been gracefully told by ,eliza ,meteyard under the title of ,the ,love ,steps of ,dorothy ,vernon1 has always been regarded as one of the most romantic and pleasant episodes in the history of ,haddon ,hall4 ,through ,dorothy's marriage1 the estate of ,haddon passed from the family of ,vernon to that of ,manners1 and a branch of the house of ,rutland was transferred to the county of ,derby4 ,illustration3 ,,dorothy ,,vernon ,,and ,,the ,,woodman4 ,but love has always been an inducement1 in one form or another for disguise1 and a romantic story is told of ,sir ,john ,bolle1 of ,thorpe ,hall1 in ,lincolnshire1 who distinguished himself at ,cadiz1 in the year #aeif4 ,among the prisoners taken at this memorable seige1 was a fair captive of great beauty1 high rank1 and immense wealth1 and who was the peculiar charge of ,sir ,john ,bolle4 ,she soon became deeply enamoured of her gallant captor1 and in his courteous company was all her joy1 her infatuation being so great that she entreated him to allow her to accompany him to ,england disguised as his page4 ,but ,sir ,john had a wife at home1 and replied--to quote the version of the story given in ,dr4 ,percy's ,relics of ,ancient ,english ,poetry3-- ,courteous lady1 leave this fancy1 ,here comes all that breeds the strife2 ,i in ,england have already ,a sweet woman to my wife4 ,i will not falsify my vow for gold or gain1 ,nor yet for all the fairest dames that live in ,spain4 ,thereupon the fair lady determined to retire to a convent1 admiring the gallant soldier all the more for his faithful devotion to his wife4 ,o happy is that woman ,that enjoys so true a friend6 ,many happy days ,god send her6 ,of my suit ,i make an end1 ,on my knees ,i pardon crave for my offence1 ,which did from love and true affection first commence4 ,i will spend my days in prayer1 ,love and all her laws defy2 ,in a nunnery will ,i shroud me1 ,far from any company4 ,but ere my prayers have an end be sure of this1 ,to pray for thee and for thy love ,i will not miss4 ,but1 before forsaking the world1 she transmitted to her unconscious rival in ,england her jewels and valuable knicknacks1 including her own portrait drawn in green--a circumstance which obtained for the original the designation of the ,green ,lady1 and ,thorpe ,hall has long been said to be haunted by the lady in green1 who has been in the habit of appearing beneath a particular tree close to the mansion4 ,a story1 which has been gracefully told in one of ,moore's ,irish ,melodies1 relates to ,henry ,cecil1 ,earl of ,exeter1 who early in life fell in love with the rich heiress of the ,vernons of ,hanbury4 ,a marriage was eventually arranged1 but this union proved a complete failure1 and terminated in a divorce4 ,thereupon young ,cecil1 distrustful of the conventionalities of society1 and to prevent any one of the fair sex marrying him on account of his position1 resolved on laying aside the artificial attractions of his rank1 and seeking some country maiden who would wed him from disinterested motives of affection4 ,accordingly he took up his abode at a small inn in a retired ,shropshire village1 but even here his movements created suspicion1 some maintaining that he was connected with smugglers or gamesters1 while all agreed that dishonesty or fraud was the cause of the mystery of the ',london gentleman's' proceedings4 ,annoyed at the rude molestations to which he was daily1 more or less1 exposed1 he quitted the inn and removed to a farm-house in the neighbourhood1 where he remained for two years1 in the course of which time he purchased some land1 and commenced building himself a house3 ,but the landlord of the cottage where he lived had a beautiful daughter of about seventeen years1 to whom young ,cecil became so deeply attached that1 in spite of her humble birth1 and simple education1 he resolved to make her his wife1 taking an early opportunity of informing her parents of his resolve4 ,the matter came as a surprise to the farmer and his wife1 and all the more so because they had always regarded ,mr4 ,cecil as far too grand a person to entertain such an idea4 ,marry our daughter8 exclaimed the good wife1 in amazement4 ,what1 to a fine gentleman6 ,no1 indeed6 ,yes1 marry her1 added the husband1 he shall marry her1 for she likes him4 ,has he not house and land1 too1 and plenty of money to keep her8 ,so the rustic beauty was married1 and it was not long afterwards that her husband found it necessary to repair to town on account of the ,earl of ,exeter's death4 ,setting out1 as the young bride thought1 on a pleasure trip1 they stopped in the course of their journey at several noblemen's seats1 where1 to her astonishment1 ,cecil was welcomed in the most friendly manner4 ,at last they reached ,burleigh1 in ,northamptonshire--the home of the ,cecils4 ,and on driving up to the house1 ,cecil unconcernedly asked his wife1 whether she would like to be at home there8 ,oh1 yes1 she excitedly exclaimed2 it is1 indeed1 a lovely spot1 exceeding all ,i have seen1 and making me almost envy its possessor4 ,then1 said the young earl1 it is yours4 ,the whole affair seemed like a fairy tale to the bewildered girl1 and who1 but herself1 could describe the feelings she experienced at the acclamations of joy and welcome which awaited her in her magnificent home4 ,but it was no dream1 and as soon as the young earl had arranged his affairs1 he returned to ,shropshire1 threw off his disguise1 and revealed his rank to his wife's parents1 assigning to them the house he had built1 with a settlement of #gjj per annum4 ,but1 writes ,sir ,bernard ,burke1 if report speak truly1 the narrative must have a melancholy end4 ,her ladyship1 unaccustomed to the exalted sphere in which she moved1 chilled by its formalities1 and depressed in her own esteem1 survived only a few years her extraordinary elevation1 and sank into an early grave1 although ,moore has given a brighter picture of this sad close to a pretty romance4 ,you remember ,ellen1 our hamlet's pride1 ,how meekly she blessed her humble lot1 ,when the stranger1 ,william1 had made her his bride1 ,and love was the light of their lowly cot4 ,together they toiled through wind and rain ,till ,william at length in sadness said1 ,we must seek our fortunes on other plains2 ,then sighing she left her lowly shed4 ,they roam'd a long and weary way1 ,nor much was the maiden's heart at ease1 ,when now1 at close of one stormy day ,they see a proud castle among the trees4 ,to night1 said the youth1 we'll shelter there2 ,the wind blows cold1 the hour is late2 ,so he blew the horn with a chieftain's air1 ,and the porter bow'd as they pass'd the gate4 ,now welcome1 ,lady6 exclaimed the youth2 ,this castle is thine1 and these dark woods all4 ,she believed him wild1 but his words were truth1 ,for ,ellen is ,lady of ,rosna ,hall6 ,and dearly the ,lord of ,rosna loves ,what ,william the stranger woo'd and wed2 ,and the light of bliss in those lordly groves ,is pure as it shone in the lowly shed4 ,but one of the most extraordinary instances of disguise was that of the ,chevalier d',eon1 who was born in the year #agbh1 and was an excellent scholar1 soldier1 and political intriguer4 ,in the service of ,louis ,,xv41 he went to ,russia in female attire1 obtained employment as the female reader to the ,czarina ,elizabeth1 under which disguise he carried on political and semi-political negotiations with wonderful success4 ,in the year #agfb1 he appeared in ,england as ,secretary of the ,embassy to the ,duke of ,nivernois1 and when ,louis ,,xvi4 granted him a pension and he went over to ,versailles to return thanks for the favour1 ,marie ,antoinette is said to have insisted on his assuming women's attire4 ,accordingly1 to gratify this foolish whim1 ,d',eon is reported to have one day swept into the royal presence attired like a duchess1 which character he supported to the great delight of the royal spectators4 ,in the year #agid1 he returned to this country1 and1 being here after the ,revolution was accomplished1 his name was placed in the fatal list of emigrs1 and he was deprived of his pension4 ,the ,english ,government1 however1 gave him an allowance of #bjj a year2 and in his old days he turned his fencing capabilities to account1 for he occasionally appeared in matches with the ,chevalier de ,st4 ,george1 and permanently reassumed female attire4 ,this eccentric character was the subject of much speculation in his lifetime1 and1 curious to say1 in the year #agga1 it was proved to the satisfaction of a jury1 on a trial before ,lord ,chief ,justice ,mansfield1 that the ,chevalier was of the female sex4 ,the case in question arose from a wager between ,hayes1 a surgeon1 and ,jacques1 an underwriter1 the latter having bound himself1 on receiving a premium1 to pay the former a certain sum whenever the fact was established that ,d',eon was a woman4 ,one of the witnesses was ,morande1 an infamous ,frenchman1 who gave such testimony that no human being could doubt the fact of ,d',eon being of the female sex1 and two ,french medical men gave equally conclusive evidence4 ,the result of this absurd trial was that the jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff1 with #gjb damages4#de ,but all doubt was cleared away when ,d',eon died1 in the year #ahaj1 for1 an examination of the body being made1 it was publicly declared that the ,chevalier was an old man4 ,walpole collected some facts about this remarkable man1 and writes3 ,the ,due de ,choiseul believed it was a woman4 ,after the death of ,louis ,,xv41 ,d',eon had leave to go to ,france1 on which the young ,comte de ,guerchy went to ,m4 de ,vergennes1 ,secretary of ,state1 and gave him notice that the moment ,d',eon landed at ,calais he1 ,guerchy1 would cut his throat1 or ,d',eon should his2 on which ,vergennes told the ,count that ,d',eon was certainly a woman4 ,louis ,,xv4 corresponded with ,d',eon1 and when the ,duc de ,choiseul had sent a vessel1 which lay six months in the ,thames1 to trepan and bring off ,d',eon1 the king wrote a letter with his own hand to give him warning of the vessel4 ,like the ,chevalier ,d',eon1 a certain individual named ,russell1 a native of ,streatham1 adopted the guise and habits of the opposite sex1 and so skilfully did he keep up the deception that it was not known till after his death4 ,it appears from ,streatham ,register that he was buried on ,april #ad1 #aggb1 the subjoined memorandum being affixed to the entry3 ,this person was always known under the guise or habit of a woman1 and answered to the name of ,elizabeth1 as registered in this parish1 ,november #ba1 #affi1 but on death proved to be a man4 ,it also appears from the registers of ,streatham ,parish1 that his father1 ,john ,russell1 had three daughters1 and two sons--,william1 born in #affh1 and ,thomas in #afgb2 and there is very little doubt that the above person1 who was also commonly known as ,betsy the ,doctress1 was one of these sons4 ,it is said that when he assumed the garb of the softer sex he also took the name of his sister ,elizabeth1 who1 very likely1 either died in infancy1 or settled at a distance2 but1 under this name1 he applied1 about two years before his death1 for a certificate of his baptism4 ,early in life1 he associated with the gypsies1 and became the companion of the famous ,bampfylde ,moore ,carew4 ,later on in life he resided at ,chipstead1 in ,kent1 and there catered for the miscellaneous wants of the villagers4 ,he also visited most parts of the continent as a stroller and a vagabond1 and sometimes in the company of a man who passed for his husband1 he moved about from one place to another1 changing his maiden name to that of his companion1 at whose death he passed as his widow1 being generally known by the familiar name of ,bet ,page4 ,according to ,lysons1 in the course of his wanderings he attached himself to itinerant quacks1 learned their remedies1 practised their calling1 his knowledge1 coupled with his great experience1 gaining for him the reputation of being a most infallible doctress4 ,he also went in for astrology1 and made a considerable sum of money1 but was so extravagant that when he died his worldly goods were not valued at half-a-sovereign4 ,about a year before his death he returned to his native parish1 his great age bringing him into much notoriety2 but his death was very sudden1 and great was the surprise on all sides when it became known that he was a man4 ,in life this strange character was a general favourite1 and ,mr4 ,thrale was wont to have him in his kitchen at ,streatham ,park1 while ,dr4 ,johnson1 who considered him a shrewd person1 held long conversations with him4 ,to prevent the discovery of his sex he used to wear a cloth tied under his chin1 and a large pair of nippers1 found in his pocket after death1 are supposed to have been the instruments with which he was in the habit of removing the tell-tale hairs from his face4#df ,in some instances1 as in times of political intrigue and commotion1 disguise has been resorted to as a means of escape and concealment of personal identity1 one of the most romantic and remarkable cases on record being that of ,lord ,clifford1 popularly known as the shepherd lad4 ,it appears that ,lady ,clifford1 apprehensive lest the life of her son1 seven years of age1 might be sacrificed in vengeance for the blood of the youthful ,earl of ,rutland1 whom ,lord ,clifford had murdered in cold blood at the termination of the battle of ,sandal1 placed him in the keeping of a shepherd who had married one of her inferior servants--an attendant on the boy's nurse4 ,his name and parentage laid aside1 the young boy was brought up among the moors and hills as one of the shepherd's own children4 ,on reaching the age of fourteen1 a rumour somehow spread to the ,court that the son of the black-faced ,clifford1 as his father had been called1 was living in concealment in ,yorkshire4 ,his mother1 naturally alarmed1 had the boy immediately removed to the vicinity of the village of ,threlkeld1 amidst the ,cumberland hills1 where she had sometimes the opportunity of seeing him4 ,but1 strange to say it is doubtful whether ,lady ,clifford made known her relationship to him1 or whether1 indeed1 the shepherd lord had any distinct idea of his lofty lineage4 ,it is generally supposed1 however1 that there was a complete separation between mother and child--a tradition which was accepted by ,wordsworth1 with whom the story of the shepherd boy was an especial favourite4 ,in his ,song at the ,feast of ,brougham ,castle1 the poet thus prettily describes the shepherd boy's curious career3-- ,now who is he that bounds with joy ,on ,carroch's side1 a shepherd boy8 ,no thoughts hath he but thoughts that pass1 ,light as the wind along the grass4 ,can this be he who hither came ,in secret1 like a smothered flame8 ,o'er whom such thankful tears were shed ,for shelter1 and a poor man's bread6 ,god loves the child2 and ,god hath willed ,that those dear words should be fulfilled1 ,the lady's words1 when forced away1 ,the last she to her babe did say1 ',my own1 my own1 thy fellow guest ,i may not be2 but rest thee1 rest1 ,for lowly shepherd's life is best4' ,many items of traditionary lore still linger about the ,cumberland hills respecting the young lord who grew up as hardy as the heath on which he vegetated1 and as ignorant as the rude herds which bounded over it4 ,but the following description of young ,clifford in his disguise1 and of his employment1 as given by ,wordsworth1 probably gives the most reliable traditionary account respecting him that prevailed in the district where he spent his lonely youth3-- ,his garb is humble1 ne'er was seen ,such garb with such a noble mien2 ,among the shepherd grooms no mate ,hath he1 a child of strength and state6 ,yet lacks not friends for solemn glee1 ,and a cheerful company1 ,that learned of him submissive ways2 ,and comforted his private days4 ,to his side the fallow deer ,came1 and rested without fear2 ,the eagle1 lord of land and sea1 ,stooped down to pay him fealty2 ,and both the undying fish that swim1 ,through ,bowscale-,tarn did wait on him1 ,the pair were servants to his eye ,in their immortality2 ,they moved about in open sight1 ,to and fro1 for his delight4 ,he knew the rocks which angels haunt ,on the mountains visitant1 ,he hath kenned them taking wing2 ,and the caves where fairies sing ,he hath entered2 and been told ,by voices how men lived of old4 ,but one of the first acts of ,henry ,,vii41 on his accession to the throne was to restore young ,clifford to his birthright1 and to all the possessions that his distinguished sire had won4 ,there are few authentic facts1 however1 recorded concerning him2 for it seems that as soon as he had emerged from the hiding-place where he had been brought up in ignorance of his rank1 finding himself more illiterate than was usual1 even in an illiterate age1 he retired to a tower1 which he built in a beautiful and sequestered forest1 where1 under the direction of the monks of ,bolton ,abbey1 he gave himself up to the forbidden studies of alchemy and astrology4 ,his descendant ,anne ,clifford1 ,countess of ,pembroke1 describes him as a plain man1 who lived for the most part a country life1 and came seldom either to ,court or ,london1 excepting when called to ,parliament1 on which occasion he behaved himself like a wise and good ,english nobleman4 ,he was twice married1 and was succeeded by his son1 called ,wild ,henry ,clifford1 from the irregularities of his youth4 ,and we may cite the case of ,matthew ,hale1 who1 on one occasion was instrumental to justice being done through himself appearing in disguise1 and supporting the wronged party4 ,it is related that the younger of two brothers had endeavoured to deprive the elder of an estate of #ejj a year by suborning witnesses to declare that he died in a foreign land4 ,but appearing in ,court in the guise of a miller1 ,sir ,matthew ,hale was chosen the twelfth juryman to sit on this cause4 ,as soon as the clerk of the juryman had sworn in the juryman1 a short dexterous fellow came into their apartment1 and slipped ten gold pieces into the hands of eleven of the jury1 giving the miller only five1 while the judge was generally supposed to be bribed with a large sum4 ,at the conclusion of the case1 the judge summed up the evidence in favour of the younger brother1 and the jury were about to give their verdict1 when the supposed miller stood up1 and addressed the court4 ,to the surprise of all present1 he spoke with energetic and manly eloquence1 unravelled the sophistry to the very bottom1 proved the fact of bribery1 shewed the elder brother's title to the estate from the contradictory evidence of the witnesses1 and in short1 he gained a complete victory in favour of truth and justice4 ,,footnotes3 #dc ,see ,annual ,register1 #ahac1 #ahce1 and #ahdb1 for similar cases4 #dd ,see ,notes and ,queries1 #fth ,series1 ,x41 passim1 for ,women on board ships in action2 and ,chambers's ,pocket ,miscellany1 ,disguised ,females1 #ahec4 #de ,see ,dictionary of ,national ,biography1 xiv41 #dhe4 #df ,arnold's ,history of ,streatham1 #ahff1 #afd-aff4 ,an extraordinary case of concealment of sex is recorded in the ,annual ,register1 under ,jan4 #bc1 #ahcc4 ,an inquiry was instituted by order of the ,home ,secretary relative to the death of a person who had been known for years by the name of ,eliza ,edwards1 but who turned out to be a man4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,extraordinary ,,disappearances4 ,o ,annie1 ,it is beyond all hope1 against all chance1 ,that he who left you ten long years ago ,should still be living2 well1 then--let me speak2 ,i grieve to see you poor and wanting help3 ,i cannot help you as ,i wish to do ,unless--they say that women are so quick-- ,perhaps you know what ,i would have you know-- wish you for my wife4 ,,enoch ,,arden4 ,a glance at the agony columns of our daily newspapers1 or the notice boards of police stations1 it has been remarked1 shows how many individuals disappear from home1 from their business haunts1 and from the circle of their acquaintances1 and leave not the slightest trace of their whereabouts4 ,in only too many instances1 no satisfactory explanation has ever been forthcoming to account for a disappearance of this nature1 and in the vast majority of cases no evidence has been discovered to prove the death of such persons4 ,it is well known that in ,france1 before the ,revolution1 the vanishing of men almost before the eyes of their friends was so common that it scarcely excited any surprise at all4 ,the only inquiry was1 had he a beautiful wife or daughter1 for in that case the explanation was easy2 some one who had influence with the ,government had designs upon the lady1 and made interest to have her natural guardian put out of the way while those designs were being fulfilled4 ,but1 accountable as the disappearance of an individual was at such an unquiet time in ,french history1 such a solution of the difficulty cannot be made to apply to our own country4 ,like other social problems1 which no amount of intellectual ingenuity has been able to unravel1 the reason why1 at intervals1 persons are missed and never found must always be regarded as an open question4 ,thus a marriage is recorded which took place in ,lincolnshire1 about the year #agej4 ,in this instance1 the wedding party adjourned after the marriage ceremony to the bridegroom's residence1 and dispersed1 some to ramble in the garden and others to rest in the house till the dinner hour4 ,but the bridegroom was suddenly summoned away by a domestic1 who said that a stranger wished to speak to him1 and henceforward he was never seen again4 ,all kinds of inquiries were made but to no purpose1 and terrible as the dismay was of the poor bride at this inexplicable disappearance of the bridegroom1 no trace could be found of him4 ,a similar tradition hangs about an old deserted ,welsh ,hall1 standing in a wood near ,festiniog4 ,in a similar manner1 the bridegroom was asked to give audience to a stranger on his wedding day1 and disappeared from the face of the earth from that moment4 ,the bride1 however1 seems to have survived the shock1 exceeding her three score years and ten1 although1 it is said1 during all those years1 while there was light of sun or moon to lighten the earth1 she sat watching--watching at one particular window which commanded a view of the approach to the house4 ,in short1 her whole faculties1 her whole mental powers1 became completely absorbed in that weary process of watching1 and long before she died she was childish1 and only conscious of one wish--to sit in that long high window1 and watch the road1 along which he might come4 ,family romance records1 from time to time1 many such stories1 and it was not so very long ago that a bridal party were thrown into much consternation by the non-arrival of the bridegroom4 ,everything was in readiness1 the clergy and the choir1 already vested1 stood in the robing room1 crimson carpets were laid down from the door to the carriages2 some of the guests were at the church and others at the bride's house1 when an alarm was raised by the best man that the bridegroom could nowhere be found4 ,the bride-expectant burst into a flood of tears at this cruel disappointment1 especially when the ominous news reached the church that the bridegroom's wedding suit had been found in the room1 laid out ready to wear1 but that there was not the slightest clue as to his whereabouts4 ,it only remained for the bridal party to return home1 and for the dejected and disconsolate bride to lay aside her veil and orange-blossoms4 ,sometimes1 on the other hand1 it is the bride who disappears at this crisis4 ,not many years back1 an ex-lieutenant in the ,royal ,navy applied to a ,london magistrate1 as he wanted to find his newly married wife4 ,the applicant affirmed that the lady he had wedded was an actress1 and that they were married at the registry office at ,croydon4 ,the magistrate asked if there had been any wedding breakfast4 ,the applicant said ,no2 they had partaken of a little luncheon and that was all4 ,mysterious and inexplicable as was this disappearance of a wife so shortly after marriage1 it was suggested by the magistrate whether there were any rivals1 but the applicant promptly replied1 ,no1 certainly not1 and that made the matter all the more incomprehensible4 ,of course1 the magistrate could not recover the missing bride2 but1 remarking that the application was a very singular one1 he recommended the applicant to consult the police on the matter1 who replied that he would do so1 as he was really afraid that some mischief had happened to her1 utterly disregarding the proposition of the magistrate as to whether the lady could not possibly have changed her mind1 remarking that such a thing had occasionally happened4 ,in the life of ,dr4 ,raffles1 an amusing story is quoted1 which is somewhat to the point3 ,on our way from ,wem to ,hawkstone1 we passed a house1 of which the following occurrence was told3 ',a young lady1 the daughter of the owner of the house1 was addressed by a man who1 though agreeable to her1 was disliked by her father4 ,of course1 he would not consent to their union1 and she determined to disappear and elope4 ,the night was fixed1 the hour came1 he placed the ladder to the window1 and in a few minutes she was in his arms4 ,they mounted a double horse1 and were soon at some distance from the house4 ,after awhile the lady broke silence by saying1 ',well1 you see what a proof ,i have given you of my affection2 ,i hope you will make me a good husband6' ,he was a surly fellow1 and gruffly answered1 ',perhaps ,i may1 and perhaps not4' ,she made him no reply1 but1 after a few minutes' silence1 she suddenly exclaimed1 ',o1 what shall we do8 ,i have left my money behind me in my room6' ',then1' said he1 'we must go and fetch it4' ,they were soon again at the house1 the ladder was again placed1 the lady remounted1 while the ill-natured lover waited below4 ,but she delayed to come1 and so he gently called1 ',are you coming8' when she looked out of the window and said1 ',perhaps ,i may1 and perhaps not1' then shut down the window1 and left him to return upon the double horse alone4 ,but1 if traditionary lore is to be believed1 the sudden disappearance of the bride on her wedding day has had1 in more than one instance1 a very romantic and tragic origin4 ,there is the well-known story which tells how ,lord ,lovel married a young lady1 a baron's daughter1 who1 on the wedding night1 proposed that the guests should play at hide-and-seek4 ,accordingly1 the bride hid herself in an old oak chest1 but the lid falling down1 shut her in1 for it went with a spring lock4 ,lord ,lovel and the rest of the company sought her that night and many days in succession1 but nowhere could she be found4 ,her strange disappearance for many years remained an unsolved mystery1 but some time afterwards the fatal chest was sold1 which1 on being opened1 was found to contain the skeleton of the long-lost bride4 ,this popular story was made the subject of a song1 entitled ,the ,mistletoe ,bough1 by ,thomas ,haynes ,bayley1 who died in #ahci2 and ,marwell ,old ,hall1 near ,winchester1 once the residence of the ,seymours1 and afterwards of the ,dacre family1 has a similar tradition attached to it4 ,indeed1 the very chest has been preserved in the hall of ,upham ,rectory1 having been removed from ,marwell some forty years ago4 ,the great house at ,malsanger1 near ,basingstoke1 has a story of a like nature connected with it1 reminding us of that of ,tony ,forster in ,kenilworth1 and of ,rogers's ,ginevra3 ,there then had she found a grave6 ,within that chest had she concealed herself1 ,fluttering with joy1 the happiest of the happy1 ,when a spring lock that lay in ambush there1 ,fastened her down for ever4 ,this story is found in many places1 and the chest in which the poor bride was found is shown at ,bramshill1 in ,hampshire1 the residence of ,sir ,john ,cope4 ,but only too frequently the young lady disappears from some preconcerted arrangement2 a striking instance being that of ,agnes1 daughter of ,james ,ferguson1 the mechanist4 ,while walking down the ,strand with her father1 she slipt her hand out of his whilst he was absorbed in thought1 and he never saw her from that day1 nor was anything known of the girl's fate till many years after ,ferguson's death4 ,at the time1 the story of her extraordinary disappearance was matter of public comment1 and all kinds of extravagant theories were started to account for it4 ,the young lady1 however1 was gone1 and despite the most patient search1 and the most persistent inquiries1 no tidings could be gained as to her whereabouts4 ,in course of years the mystery was cleared up1 and revealed a pitiable case of sin and shame4 ,it appears that a nobleman to whom she had become known at her father's lectures took her1 in the first instance1 to ,italy1 and afterwards deserted her4 ,in her distress1 being ashamed to return home1 she resolved to try the stage as a means of livelihood1 and applied to ,garrick1 who gave her a trial on the boards1 but the attempt proved a failure4 ,she then turned her hand to authorship1 but with no better success4 ,although reduced to the most abject poverty1 she would not make herself known to her relatives1 and in complete despair1 and overwhelmed with a sense of her disgrace1 in her last extremity she threw herself on the streets1 and died in miserable beggary and wretchedness in ,round ,court1 off the ,strand4 ,it was on her death-bed that she disclosed to the surgeon who attended her the melancholy and tragic story of her wasted life4 ,but from the localities in which she had habitually moved1 she must have many a time passed her relatives in the streets1 though withheld by shame from making herself known1 when they imagined her to be in some distant country1 or in the grave4 ,the strange disappearance of ,lady ,cathcart1 on the other hand1 whose fourth husband was ,hugh ,maguire1 an officer in the ,hungarian service1 is an extraordinary instance of a wife being1 for a long term of years1 imprisoned by her own husband without any chance of escape4 ,it seems that1 soon after her last marriage1 she discovered that her husband had only made her his wife with the object of possessing himself of her property1 and1 alarmed at the idea of losing everything1 she plaited some of her jewels in her hair and others in her petticoat4 ,but she little anticipated what was in store for her1 although she had already become suspicious of her husband's intentions towards her4 ,his plans1 however1 were soon executed2 for one morning1 under the pretence of taking her for a drive1 he carried her away altogether3 and when she suggested1 after they had been driving some time1 that they would be late for dinner1 he coolly replied1 ,we do not dine to-day at ,tewing1 but at ,chester1 whither we are journeying4 ,some alarm was naturally caused1 writes ,sir ,bernard ,burke1 by her sudden disappearance1 and an attorney was sent in pursuit with a writ of habeas corpus or ne exeat regno1 who found the travellers at ,chester1 on their way to ,ireland1 and demanded a sight of ,lady ,cathcart4 ,colonel ,maguire at once consented1 but1 knowing that the attorney had never seen his wife1 he persuaded a woman to personate her4 ,the attorney1 in due time1 was introduced to the supposed ,lady ,cathcart1 and was asked if she accompanied ,colonel ,maguire to ,ireland of her own free will4 ,perfectly so1 said the woman4 ,whereupon the attorney set out again for ,london1 and the ,colonel resumed his journey with ,lady ,cathcart to ,ireland1 where1 on his arrival at his own house at ,tempo1 in ,fermanagh1 his wife was imprisoned for many years4 ,during this period the ,colonel was visited by the neighbouring gentry1 and it was his regular custom at dinner to send his compliments to ,lady ,cathcart1 informing her that the company had the honour to drink her ladyship's health1 and begging to know whether there was anything at table that she would like to eat8 ,but the answer was always the same1 ,lady ,cathcart's compliments1 and she has everything she wants4 ,fortunately for ,lady ,cathcart1 ,colonel ,maguire died in the year #agfd1 when her ladyship was released1 after having been locked up for twenty years1 possessing1 at the time of her deliverance1 scarcely clothes to her back4 ,she lost no time in hastening back to ,england1 and found her house at ,tewing in possession of a ,mr4 ,joseph ,steele1 against whom she brought an act of ejectment1 and1 attending the assize in person1 gained her case4 ,although she had been so cruelly treated by ,colonel ,maguire1 his conduct does not seem to have injured her health1 for she did not die till the year #aghi1 when she was in her ninety-eighth year4 ,and1 when eighty years of age1 it is recorded that she took part in the gaieties of the ,welwyn ,assembly1 and danced with the spirit of a girl4 ,it may be added that although she survived ,colonel ,maguire twenty years1 she was not tempted1 after his treatment1 to carry out the resolution which she had inscribed as a poesy on her wedding ring4 ,if ,i survive ,i will have five4#dg ,another disappearance and supposed imprisonment which created considerable sensation in the last century was that of ,elizabeth ,canning4 ,on ,new ,year's ,day1 #agec1 she visited an uncle and aunt who lived at ,saltpetre ,bank1 near ,well ,close ,square1 who saw her part of the way home as far as ,houndsditch4 ,but as no tidings were afterwards heard of her1 she was advertised for1 rumours having gone abroad1 that she had been heard to shriek out of a hackney coach in ,bishopsgate-street4 ,prayers1 too1 were offered up for her in churches and meeting-houses1 but all inquiries were in vain1 and it was not until the #bith of the month that the missing girl returned in a wretched condition1 ill1 half-starved1 and half-clad4 ,her story was that after leaving her uncle and aunt on the #ast of ,january1 she had been attacked by two men in great coats1 who robbed1 partially stripped her1 and dragged her away to a house in the ,hertfordshire road1 where an old woman cut off her stays1 and shut her up in a room in which she had been imprisoned ever since1 subsisting on bread and water1 and a mince pie that her assailants had overlooked in her pocket1 and ultimately1 she said1 she had escaped through the window1 tearing her ear in doing so4 ,her story created much sympathy for her1 and steps were immediately taken to punish those who had abducted her in this outrageous manner4 ,the girl1 who was in a very weak condition1 was taken to the house she had specified1 one ,mother ,wells1 who kept an establishment of doubtful reputation at ,enfield ,wash1 and on being asked to identify the woman who had cut off her stays1 and locked her up in the room referred to1 pointed out one ,mary ,squires1 an old gipsy of surpassing ugliness4 ,accordingly1 ,squires and ,wells were committed for trial for assault and felony2 the result of the trial being that ,squires was condemned to death1 and ,wells to be burned in the hand1 a sentence which was executed forthwith1 much to the delight of the excited crowd in the ,old ,bailey ,sessions-house4 ,but the ,lord ,mayor1 ,sir ,crisp ,gascoyne1 who had presided at the trial ex-officio1 was not satisfied with the verdict1 and caused further and searching inquiries to be made4 ,the verdict1 on the weight of fresh evidence obtained1 was upset1 and ,squires was granted a free pardon4 ,on #bith ,april1 #aged1 ,elizabeth ,canning was summoned again to the ,old ,bailey1 but this time to take her trial for wilful and corrupt perjury4 ,the trial lasted eight days1 and1 being found guilty1 she was transported in ,august1 at the request of her friends1 to ,new ,england4 ,according to the ,annual ,register1 she returned to this country at the expiration of her sentence to receive a legacy of #ejj1 left to her three years before by an old lady of ,newington ,green2 whereas1 later accounts affirm that she never came back1 but died #bbnd ,july1 #aggc1 at ,weathersfield1 in ,connecticut1 it being further stated that she married abroad a ,quaker of the name of ,treat1 and for some time followed the occupation of a schoolmistress4 ,the mystery of her life--her disappearance from ,jan4 #ast to the #bith of that month1 and what transpired in that interval--is a secret that has never been to this day divulged4 ,indeed1 as it has been observed1 notwithstanding the many strange circumstances of her story1 none is so strange as that it should not be discovered in so many years where she had concealed herself during the time she had invariably declared she was at the house of ,mother ,wells4#dh ,another curious disappearance is recorded by ,sir ,john ,coleridge1 forming a strange story of romance4 ,it seems there lived in ,cornwall1 a highly respectable family1 named ,robinson1 consisting of two sons--,william and ,nicholas--and two daughters4 ,the property was settled on the two sons and their male issue1 and in case of death on the two daughters4 ,nicholas was placed with an eminent attorney of ,st4 ,austen as his clerk1 with a prospect of being one day admitted into partnership4 ,but his legal studies were somewhat interrupted by his falling in love with a milliner's apprentice2 the result being that he was sent to ,london to qualify himself as an attorney4 ,but he had no sooner been admitted an attorney of the ,queen's ,bench and ,common ,pleas than he disappeared1 and thenceforward he was never seen by any member of his family or former friends1 all search for him proving fruitless4 ,in course of time the father died1 and ,william1 the elder son1 succeeded to the property1 dying unmarried in ,may1 #ahjb4 ,as nothing was heard of ,nicholas1 the two sisters became entitled to the property1 of which they held possession for twenty years1 no claim being made to disturb their possession of it4 ,but in the year #aghc1 a young man1 whose looks and manners were above his means and situation1 had made his appearance as a stranger at ,liverpool1 going by the name of ,nathaniel ,richardson--the same initials as ,nicholas ,robinson4 ,he bought a cab and horse1 and plied for hire in the streets of ,liverpool--and being a civil1 sober1 and prudent man1 he soon became prosperous1 and drove a coach between ,london and ,liverpool4 ,he married1 had children1 and gradually acquired considerable wealth4 ,having gone to ,wales1 however1 in the year #ahjb1 to purchase some horses1 he was accidentally drowned in the ,mersey4 ,many years after his death1 it was rumoured in #ahba that this ,nathaniel ,richardson was no other than ,nicholas ,robinson1 and his eldest son claimed the property1 which was then inherited by the two daughters4 ,an action was accordingly tried in ,cornwall to recover the property4 ,the strange part of the proceedings was that nearly forty years had elapsed since anyone had seen ,nicholas ,robinson2 but1 says ,sir ,john ,coleridge1 ,it was made out conclusively1 in a most remarkable way1 and by a variety of small circumstances1 all pointing to one conclusion1 that ,nathaniel ,richardson was the identical ,nicholas ,robinson4 ,the ,cornish and ,liverpool witnesses agreed in the description of his person1 his height1 the colour of his hair1 his general appearance1 and1 more particularly1 it was mentioned that he had a peculiar habit of biting his nails1 and that he had a great fondness for horses4 ,in addition to other circumstances1 there was this remarkable one--that ,nathaniel's widow married again and that the furniture and effects were taken to the second husband's house4 ,among the articles1 was an old trunk1 which she had never seen opened2 but1 on its contents being examined one day1 among other letters and papers1 were found the two certificates of ,nicholas ,robinson's admission as ,attorney to the ,courts of ,queen's ,bench and ,common ,pleas--and1 on the trial1 the old master of ,nicholas ,robinson1 alias ,nathaniel ,richardson1 swore to his handwriting1 and so the property was discovered4 ,it has been often remarked that ,london is about the only place in all ,europe where a man1 if so desirous1 can disappear and live for years unknown in some secure retreat4 ,about the year #agjf1 a certain ,mr4 ,howe1 after he had been married some seven or eight years1 rose early one morning1 and informed his wife that he was obliged to go to the ,tower on special business1 and at about noon the same day he sent a note to his wife informing her that business summoned him to ,holland1 where he would probably have to remain three weeks or a month4 ,but from that day he was absent from his home for seventeen years1 during which time his wife neither heard from him1 nor of him4 ,his strange and unaccountable disappearance at the time naturally created comment1 but no trace could be found of his whereabouts1 or as to whether he had met with foul treatment4 ,and yet the most curious part of the story remains to be told4 ,on leaving his house in ,jermyn ,street1 ,piccadilly1 ,mr4 ,howe went no further than to a small street in ,westminster1 where he took a room1 for which he paid five or six shillings a week1 and changing his name1 and disguising himself by wearing a black wig--for he was a fair man--he remained in this locality during the whole time of his absence4 ,at the time he disappeared from his home1 ,mr4 ,howe had had two children by his wife1 but these both died a few years afterwards4 ,but1 being left without the necessary means of subsistence1 ,mrs4 ,howe1 after waiting two or three years in the hope of her husband's return1 was forced to apply for an ,act of ,parliament to procure an adequate settlement of his estate1 and a provision for herself out of it during his absence1 as it was uncertain whether he was alive or dead4 ,this act ,mr4 ,howe suffered to be passed1 and read the progress of it in a little coffee-house which he frequented4 ,after the death of her children1 ,mrs4 ,howe removed from her house in ,jermyn ,street to a smaller one in ,brewer ,street1 near ,golden ,square4 ,just over against her lived one ,salt1 a corn chandler1 with whom ,mr4 ,howe became acquainted1 usually dining with him once or twice a week4 ,the room where they sat overlooked ,mrs4 ,howe's dining room1 and ,salt1 believing ,howe to be a bachelor1 oftentimes recommended her to him as a suitable wife4 ,and1 curious to add1 during the last seven years of his mysterious absence1 ,mr4 ,howe attended every ,sunday service at ,st4 ,james's ,church1 ,piccadilly1 and sat in ,mr4 ,salt's seat1 where he had a good view of his wife1 although he could not be easily seen by her4 ,at last1 however1 ,mr4 ,howe made up his mind to return home1 and the evening before he took this step1 sent her an anonymous note requesting her to meet him the following day in ,birdcage ,walk1 ,st4 ,james's ,square4 ,at the time this billet arrived1 ,mrs4 ,howe was entertaining some friends and relatives at supper--one of her guests being a ,dr4 ,rose1 who had married her sister4 ,after reading the note1 ,mrs4 ,howe tossed it to ,dr4 ,rose1 laughingly remarking1 ,you see1 brother1 old as ,i am1 ,i have got a gallant4 ,but ,dr4 ,rose recognised the handwriting as that of ,mr4 ,howe1 which so upset ,mrs4 ,howe that she fainted away4 ,it was eventually arranged that ,dr4 ,rose and his wife1 with the other guests who were then at supper1 should accompany ,mrs4 ,howe the following evening to the appointed spot4 ,they had not long to wait before ,mr4 ,howe appeared1 who1 after embracing his wife1 walked home with her in the most matter-of-fact manner1 the two living together in the most happy and harmonious manner till death divided them4 ,the reason of this mysterious disappearance1 ,mr4 ,howe would never explain1 but ,dr4 ,rose often maintained that he believed his brother would never have returned to his wife had not the money which he took with him--supposed to have been from one to two thousand pounds--been all spent4 ,anyhow1 he used to add1 ,mr4 ,howe must have been a good economist1 and frugal in his manner of living1 otherwise the money would scarce have held out4 ,a romance associated with ,haigh ,hall1 in ,lancashire1 tells how ,sir ,william ,bradshaigh1 stimulated by his love of travel and military ardour1 set out for the ,holy land4 ,ten years elapsed1 and1 as no tidings reached his wife of his whereabouts1 it was generally supposed that he had perished in some religious crusade4 ,taking it for granted1 therefore1 that he was dead1 his wife ,mabel did not abandon herself to a life of solitary widowhood1 but accepted an offer of marriage from a ,welsh knight4 ,but1 not very long afterwards1 ,sir ,william ,bradshaigh returned from his prolonged sojourn in the ,holy land1 and1 disguised as a palmer1 he visited his own castle1 where he took his place amongst the recipients of ,lady ,mabel's bounty4 ,as soon1 however1 as ,lady ,mabel caught sight of the palmer1 she was struck by the strong resemblance he bore to her first husband2 and this impression was quickly followed by bewilderment when the mysterious stranger handed to her a ring which he affirmed had been given him by ,sir ,william1 in his dying moments1 to bear to his wife at ,haigh ,hall4 ,in a moment ,lady ,mabel's thoughts travelled back into the distant past1 and she burst into tears as the ring brought back the dear memories of bygone days4 ,it was in vain she tried to stifle her feelings1 and1 as her second husband--the ,welsh ,knight--looked on and saw how distressed she was1 he grew1 says the old record1 exceeding wroth1 and1 in a fit of jealous passion1 struck ,lady ,mabel4 ,this ungallant act was the climax of the painful scene1 for there and then ,sir ,william threw aside his disguise1 and hastened to revenge the unchivalrous conduct of the ,welsh knight4 ,completely confounded at this unexpected turn of events1 and fearing violence from ,sir ,william1 the ,welsh knight rode off at full speed1 without waiting for any explanation of the matter4 ,but he was overtaken very speedily and slain by his opponent1 an offence for which ,sir ,william was outlawed for a year and a day2 while ,mabel1 his wife1 was enjoined by her confessor to do penance by going once every week1 barefoot and bare legged1 to a cross near ,wigan1 popularly known as ,mab's ,cross4#di ,in ,wigan ,parish ,church1 two figures of whitewashed stone preserve the memory of ,sir ,william ,bradshaigh and his ,lady ,mabel1 he in an antique coat of mail1 cross-legged1 with his sword1 partly drawn from the scabbard1 by his left side1 and she in a long robe1 veiled1 her hands elevated and conjoined in the attitude of fervent prayer4 ,sir ,walter ,scott informs us that from this romance he adopted his idea of ,the ,betrothed1 from the edition preserved in the mansion of ,haigh ,hall1 of old the mansion house of the family of ,bradshaigh1 now possessed by their descendants on the female side1 the ,earls of ,balcarres4#ej ,illustration3 ,,lady ,,mabel ,,and ,,the ,,palmer4 ,scottish tradition ascribes to the ,clan of ,tweedie a descent of a similar romantic nature4 ,a baron1 somewhat elderly1 had wedded a buxom young wife1 but some months after their union he left her to ply the distaff among the mountains of the county of ,peebles1 near the sources of the ,tweed4 ,after being absent seven or eight years--no uncommon space for a pilgrimage to ,palestine--he returned1 and found1 to quote the account given by ,sir ,walter ,scott1 his family had not been lonely in his absence1 the lady having been cheered by the arrival of a stranger who hung on her skirts and called her mammy1 and was just such as the baron would have longed to call his son1 but that he could by no means make his age correspond with his own departure for ,palestine4 ,he applied1 therefore1 to his wife for the solution of the dilemma1 who1 after many floods of tears1 informed her husband that1 walking one day along the banks of the river1 a human form arose from a deep eddy1 termed ,tweed-pool1 who deigned to inform her that he was the tutelar genius of the stream1 and he became the father of the sturdy fellow whose appearance had so much surprised her husband4 ,after listening to this strange adventure1 the husband believed1 or seemed to believe1 the tale1 and remained contented with the child with whom his wife and the ,tweed had generously presented him4 ,the only circumstance which preserved the memory of the incident was that the youth retained the name of ,tweed or ,tweedie4 ,having bred up the young ,tweed as his heir while he lived1 the baron left him in that capacity when he died1 and the son of the river-god founded the family of ,drummelzier and others1 from whom have flowed1 in the phrase of the ,ettrick shepherd1 'many a brave fellow1 and many a bauld feat4' ,it may be added that1 in some instances1 the science of the medical jurist has aided in elucidating the history of disappearances1 through identifying the discovered remains with the presumed missing subjects4 ,some years ago1 the examination of a skeleton found deeply imbedded in the sand of the sea-coast at a certain ,scotch watering-place showed that the person when living must have walked with a very peculiar and characteristic gait1 in consequence of some deposits of a rheumatic kind which affected the lower part of the spine4 ,the mention of this circumstance caused a search to be made through some old records of the town1 and resulted in the discovery of a mysterious disappearance1 which1 at the time1 had been duly noted--the subject being a person whose mode of walking had made him an object of attention1 and whose fate1 but for the observant eye of the anatomist1 must have remained wholly unknown4 ,similarly1 it has been pointed out how skeletons found in mines1 in disused wells1 in quarries1 in the walls of ruins1 and various other localities imply so many social mysteries which probably occasioned in their day a wide-spread excitement1 or at least agitated profoundly some small circle of relatives or friends4 ,according to the ,annual ,register 7#ahde1 p4 #aie71 while some men were being employed in taking the soil from the bottom of the river in front of some mills a human skeleton was accidentally found4 ,at a coroner's inquest1 it transpired that about nine years before a ,jew whose name was said to be ,abrams1 visited ,taverham in the course of his business1 sold some small articles for which he gave credit to the purchasers1 and left the neighbourhood on his way to ,drayton1 the next village1 with a sum of #ij in his possession4 ,but at ,drayton he disappeared1 and never returned to ,taverham to claim the amount due to him4 ,search was made for the missing man1 but to no purpose1 and after the excitement in the neighbourhood had abated1 the matter was soon forgotten4 ,but some time afterwards a man named ,page was apprehended for sheep stealing1 tried1 and sentenced to be transported for life4 ,during his imprisonment1 he told divers stories of robberies and crimes1 most of which turned out to be false4 ,but1 amongst other things1 he wrote a letter promising that if he were released from gaol and brought to ,cossey1 he would show them that1 from under the willow tree1 which would make every hair in their heads rise up4 ,the man was not released1 but the river was drawn1 and some sheep's skins and sheep's heads were found1 which were considered to be the objects alluded to by ,page4 ,the search1 however1 was still pursued1 and from under the willow tree the skeleton was fished up1 evidently having been fastened down4 ,it was generally supposed that these were the bones of the long lost ,jew1 who1 no doubt1 had been murdered for the money on his person--a crime of which ,page was aware1 if he were not an accomplice4 ,,footnotes3 #dg ,see ,romantic ,records of the ,aristocracy1 #ahej1 ,i41 #hc-hg4 #dh ,see ,dict4 of ,nat4 ,biog41 ,,viii41 #dah-dbj2 ,caulfield's ,remarkable ,persons1 and ,gent4 ,mag41 #agec and #aged4 #di ,sir ,b4 ,burke's ,vicissitudes of ,families1 first series1 #bgj-bgc4 ,harland's ,lancashire ,legends1 #de-dg4 ,roby's ,traditions of ,lancashire4 #ej ,the tale of the noble ,moringer is1 in some respects1 almost identical with this tradition4 ,it exists in a collection of ,german popular songs1 and is supposed to be extracted from a manuscript ,chronicle of ,nicholas ,thomann1 ,chaplain to ,st4 ,leonard in ,weissenhorn1 and dated #aecc4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,honoured ,,hearts4 ,i will ye charge1 after that ,i depart ,to holy grave1 and thair bury my heart1 ,let it remaine ever bothe tyme and hour1 ,to ye last day ,i see my ,saviour4 --,old ballad quoted in ,sir ,walter ,scott's notes to ,marmion4 ,a curious and remarkable custom which prevailed more or less down to the present century was that of heart burial4 ,in connection with this strange practice numerous romantic stories are told1 the supreme regard for the heart as the source of the affections1 having caused it to be bequeathed by a relative or friend1 in times past1 as the most tender and valuable legacy4 ,in many cases1 too1 the heart1 being more easy to transport1 was removed from some distant land to the home of the deceased1 and hence it found a resting place1 apart from the body1 in a locality endeared by past associations4 ,westminster ,abbey1 it may be remembered1 contains the hearts of many illustrious personages4 ,the heart of ,queen ,elizabeth was buried there1 and it is related how a prying ,westminster boy one day1 discovering the depositories of the hearts of ,elizabeth and her sister1 ,queen ,mary1 subsequently boasted how he had grasped in his hand those once haughty hearts4 ,prince ,henry of ,wales1 son of ,james ,i41 who died at the early age of eighteen1 was interred in ,westminster ,abbey1 his heart being enclosed in lead and placed upon his breast1 and among further royal personages whose hearts were buried in a similar manner may be mentioned ,charles ,,ii41 ,william and ,mary1 ,george1 ,prince of ,denmark1 and ,queen ,anne4 ,the heart of ,edward1 ,lord ,bruce1 was enclosed in a silver case1 and deposited in the abbey church of ,culross1 near the family seat4 ,in the year #ahjh1 this sad relic was discovered by ,sir ,robert ,preston1 the lid of the silver case bearing on the exterior the name of the unfortunate duellist2 and1 after drawings had been taken of it1 the whole was carefully replaced in the vault2 and in ,st4 ,nicholas's ,chapel1 ,westminster1 was enshrined the heart of ,esme ,stuart1 ,duke of ,richmond1 where a monument to his memory is still to be seen with this fact inscribed upon it4 ,many interesting instances of heart burial are to be found in our parish churches4 ,in the church of ,horndon-on-the-,hill1 ,essex1 which was once the seat of ,sir ,thomas ,boleyn1 a nameless black marble monument is pointed out as that of ,anne ,boleyn4 ,according to a popular tradition long current in the neighbourhood1 this is said to have contained the head1 or heart4 ,it is within a narrow seat1 writes ,miss ,strickland1 and may have contained her head1 or her heart1 for it is too short to contain a body4 ,the oldest people in the neighbourhood all declare that they have heard the tradition in their youth from a previous generation of aged persons1 who all affirm it to be ,anne ,boleyn's monument4 ,but1 it would seem1 there has always been a mysterious uncertainty about ,anne ,boleyn's burial place1 and a correspondent of the ,gentleman's ,magazine 7,october1 #ahae71 speaks of the headless remains of the departed queen1 as deposited in the arrow chest and buried in the ,tower ,chapel before the high altar4 ,where that stood1 the most sagacious antiquary1 after a lapse of more than #cjj years1 cannot now determine2 nor is the circumstance1 though related by eminent writers1 clearly ascertained4 ,in a cellar1 the body of a person of short stature1 without a head1 not many years since1 was found1 and supposed to be the reliques of poor ,anne1 but soon after it was reinterred in the same place and covered with earth4#ea ,by her testament1 ,eleanor1 ,duchess of ,buckingham1 wife of ,edward1 ,duke of ,buckingham1 who was beheaded on ,may #agth1 #aeba1 appointed her heart to be buried in the church of the ,grey ,friars1 within the ,city of ,london2 and in the ,sackville ,vault1 in ,withyam ,church1 ,sussex1 is a curiously shaped leaden box in the form of a heart1 on a brass plate attached to which is this inscription3 ,the heart of ,isabella1 ,countess of ,northampton1 died on ,october #adth1 #affa4 ,a leaden drum deposited in a vault in the church of ,brington is generally supposed to contain the head of ,henry ,spencer1 ,earl of ,sunderland1 who received his death wound at the battle of ,newbury2 and at ,wells ,cathedral1 in a box of copper1 a heart was accidentally discovered1 supposed to be that of one of the bishops2 and in the family vault of the ,hungerfords1 at ,farley ,castle1 a heart was one day found in a glazed earthenware pot1 covered with white leather4 ,the widow of ,john ,baliol1 father of ,bruce's rival1 showed her affection for her dead lord in a strange way1 for she embalmed his heart1 placed it in an ivory casket1 and during her twenty years of widowhood she never sat down to meals without this silent reminder of happier days4 ,on her death1 she left instructions for her husband's heart to be laid on her bosom1 and from that day ,new ,abbey was known as ,sweet ,heart ,abbey1 and never1 it is said1 did abbey walls shelter a sweeter1 truer heart than that of the lady of ,barnard ,castle4 ,among the many instances of heart-bequests may be noticed that of ,edward ,i41 who on his death-bed expressed a wish to his son that his heart might be sent to ,palestine1 inasmuch as after his accession he had promised to return to ,jerusalem1 and aid the crusade which was then in a depressed condition4 ,but1 unfortunately1 owing to his wars with ,scotland1 he failed to fulfil his engagement1 and at his death he provided two thousand pounds of silver for an expedition to convey his heart thither1 trusting that ,god would accept this fulfilment of his vow1 and grant his blessing on the undertaking2 at the same time imprecating eternal damnation on any who should expend the money for any other purpose4 ,but his injunction was not performed4 ,robert ,bruce1 king of ,scotland1 the avowed foe of ,edward ,i41 also gave directions to his trusted friend1 ,sir ,james ,douglas1 that his heart should be buried in the ,holy ,land1 because he had left unfulfilled a vow to assist in the ,crusade1 but his wish was frustrated owing to the following tragic occurrence4 ,after the king's death1 his heart was taken from his body1 and1 enclosed in a silver case1 was worn by ,sir ,james ,douglas suspended to his neck1 who set out for the ,holy ,land4 ,on reaching ,spain1 he found the ,king of ,castile engaged in war with the ,moors1 and thinking any contest with ,saracens consistent with his vows1 he joined the ,spaniards against the ,moors4 ,but being overpowered by the enemy's horsemen1 in desperation he took the heart from his neck1 and threw it before him1 shouting aloud1 ,pass on as thou wert wont1 ,i will follow or die4 ,he was almost immediately struck down1 and under his body was found the heart of ,bruce1 which was intrusted to the charge of ,sir ,simon ,locard of ,lee1 who conveyed it back to ,scotland1 and interred it beneath the high altar in ,melrose ,abbey1 in connection with which ,mrs4 ,hemans wrote some spirited lines3-- ,heart6 thou didst press forward still ,when the trumpet's note rang shrill1 ,where the knightly swords were crossing ,and the plumes like sea-foam tossing4 ,leader of the charging spear1 ,fiery heart--and liest thou here8 ,may this narrow spot inurn ,aught that so could heat and burn8 ,the heart of ,richard1 the ,lion-hearted1 has had a somewhat eventful history4 ,it seems that this monarch bequeathed his heart to ,rouen1 as a lasting recognition of the constancy of his ,norman subjects4 ,the honour was gratefully acknowledged1 and in course of time a beautiful shrine was erected to his memory in the cathedral4 ,but this costly structure did not escape being destroyed in the year #agch with other ,plantagenet memorials4 ,a hundred years afterwards the mutilated effigy of ,richard was discovered under the cathedral pavement1 and near it the leaden casket that had inclosed his heart1 which was replaced4 ,before long it was taken up again1 and removed to the ,museum of ,antiquities1 where it remained until the year #ahfi1 when it found a more fitting resting-place in the choir of the cathedral4 ,james ,,ii4 bequeathed his heart to be buried in the ,church of the ,convent ,dames de ,st4 ,marie1 at ,chaillot1 whence it was afterwards removed to the chapel of the ,english ,benedictines in the ,faubourg ,st4 ,jacques4 ,and the heart of ,mary ,beatrice1 his wife1 was also bequeathed to the ,monastery of ,chaillot1 in perpetuity1 to be placed in the tribune beside those of her late husband1 ,king ,james1 and the ,princess1 their daughter4 ,dr4 ,richard ,rawlinson1 the well known antiquary bequeathed his heart to ,st4 ,john's ,college1 ,oxford2 and ,edward1 ,lord ,windsor1 of ,bradenham1 ,bucks1 who died at ,spa in the year #aged1 directed that his body should be buried in the ,cathedral church of the noble city of ,liege1 with a convenient tomb to his memory1 but his heart to be enclosed in lead and sent to ,england1 there to be buried in the chapel of ,bradenham1 under his father's tomb1 in token of a true ,englishman4 ,paul ,whitehead1 who died in the year #aggd1 left his heart to his friend ,lord le ,despencer1 to be deposited in his mausoleum at ,west ,wycombe4 ,lord le ,despencer accepted the bequest1 and on the #afth ,may1 #agge1 the heart1 after being wrapped in lead and placed in a marble urn1 was carried with much ceremony to its resting place4 ,preceding the bier bearing the urn1 a grenadier marched in full uniform1 nine grenadiers two deep1 the odd one last2 two ,german flute players1 two surpliced choristers with notes pinned to their backs1 two more flute players1 eleven singing men in surplices1 two ,french horn players1 two bassoon players1 six fifers1 and four drummers with muffled drums4 ,lord le ,despencer1 as chief mourner1 followed the bier1 in his uniform as ,colonel of the ,bucks ,militia1 and was succeeded by nine officers of the same corps1 two fifers1 two drummers1 and twenty soldiers with their firelocks reversed4 ,the ,dead ,march in ,saul was played1 the church bell tolled1 and cannons were discharged every three and a half minutes4 ,on arriving at the mausoleum1 another hour was spent by the procession in going round and round it1 singing funeral dirges1 after which the urn containing the heart was carried inside1 and placed upon a pedestal bearing the name of ,paul ,whitehead1 and these lines3 ,unhallowed hands1 this urn forbear2 ,no gems1 no ,orient spoil1 ,lie here concealed2 but what's more rare1 ,a heart that knew no guile4 ,but in the year #ahbi some unhallowed hand stole the urn1 and the whereabouts of ,whitehead's heart remains a mystery to the present day4 ,in recent times an interesting case of heart burial was that of ,lord ,byron1 whose heart was enclosed in a silver urn and placed at ,newstead ,abbey in the family vault2 and another was that of the poet1 ,shelley1 whose body1 according to ,italian custom after drowning1 was burnt to ashes4 ,but the heart would not consume1 and so was deposited in the ,english burying ground at ,rome4 ,it is worthy1 too1 of note that heart burial prevailed to a very large extent on the ,continent4 ,to mention a few cases1 the heart of ,philip1 ,king of ,navarre1 was buried in the ,jacobin's ,church1 ,paris1 and that of ,philip1 ,king of ,france1 at the convent of the ,carthusians at ,bourgfontaines1 in ,valois4 ,the heart of ,henri ,,ii41 ,king of ,france1 was enshrined in an urn of gilt bronze in the ,celestins1 ,paris2 that of ,henri ,,iii41 according to ,camden1 was enclosed in a small tomb1 and ,henri ,,iv4's heart was buried in the ,college of the ,jesuits at ,la ,fleche4 ,heart burial1 again1 was practised at the deaths of ,louis ,,ix41 ,,xii41 ,,xiii41 and ,,xiv41 and in the last instance was the occasion of an imposing ceremony4 ,the heart of this great monarch1 writes ,miss ,hartshorne1 was carried to the ,convent of the ,jesuits4 ,a procession was arranged by the ,cardinal de ,rohan1 and1 surrounded by flaming torches and escorted by a company of the ,royal ,guards1 the heart arrived at the convent1 where it was received by the rector1 who pronounced over it an eloquent and striking discourse4 ,the heart of ,marie de ,medicis1 who built the magnificent palace of the ,luxembourg1 was interred at the ,church of the ,jesuits1 in ,paris2 and that of ,maria ,theresa1 wife of ,louis ,,xiv41 was deposited in a silver case in the monastery of ,val de ,grace4 ,the body of ,gustavus ,adolphus1 the illustrious monarch who fell in the field of ,lutzen1 was embalmed1 and his heart received sepulchre at ,stockholm2 and1 as is well known1 the heart of ,cardinal ,mazarin was1 by his own desire1 sent to the ,church of the ,theatins4 ,and ,anne of ,austria1 the mother of ,louis ,,xiv41 directed in her will that her body should be buried at ,st4 ,denis near to her husband1 of glorious memory1 but her heart she bequeathed to ,val de ,grace2 and she also decreed that it should be drawn out through her side without making any further opening than was absolutely necessary4 ,instances such as these show the prevalence of the custom of heart burial in bygone times1 a further proof of which may be gathered from the innumerable effigies or brasses in which a heart holds a prominent place4 ,,footnotes3 #ea ,see ,timbs' ,abbeys1 ,castles1 and ,ancient ,halls of ,england1 i41 p4 #cjj2 and ,enshrined ,hearts of ,warriors and ,illustrious ,people1 by ,emily ,sophia ,hartshorne1 #ahfa4 ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,romance ,,of ,,wealth4 ,the unsunn'd heaps ,of miser's treasure4 ,,milton4 ,stories of lost or unclaimed property have always possessed a fascinating charm1 but1 unfortunately1 the links for proving the rightful ownership break off generally at the point where its history seems on the verge of being unravelled4 ,at the same time1 however romantic and improbable some of the announcements relating to such treasure-hoards may seem1 there is no doubt that many a poor family1 at the present day1 would be possessed of great wealth if it could only gain a clue to the whereabouts of money rightfully its own4 ,the legal identification1 too1 of such property when discovered has frequently precluded its successfully being claimed by those really entitled to enjoy it1 and few persons are aware of the enormous amount of unclaimed money--amounting to some millions--which lies dormant1 although continually made public in the agony columns of the ,times and other daily newspapers4 ,it should be also remembered that wealth of this kind is carefully preserved in all kinds of places2 bankers' cellars1 for instance1 containing some of the most curious unclaimed deposits1 many of them being of rare intrinsic value1 whilst others are of great romantic interest4 ,thus1 not many years ago1 there was accidentally discovered in the vaults of the ,bank of ,england a large chest of some considerable age1 which1 on being removed from its resting place1 almost fell to pieces4 ,on the contents of this old chest being examined1 some massive plate of the time of ,charles ,,ii4 was brought to light1 of very beautiful and chaste workmanship4 ,nor was this all1 for much to the surprise of the explorers1 a bundle of love letters1 written during the period of the ,restoration1 was found carefully packed away with the plate4 ,on search being made by the directors of the bank in their books1 the surviving heir of the original depositor was ascertained1 to whom the plate and packet of love letters were handed over4 ,many similar cases might be quoted1 for in most of our bank cellars are hoarded away family treasures1 which for some inexplicable reason have never been claimed4 ,some1 again1 of our old jewellers' shops have had strange deposits in their cellars1 the history and whereabouts of their owners having baffled the most searching and minute inquiries4 ,as an illustration1 may be given an instance which occurred some years back in connection with a jeweller's shop near ,soho4 ,it seems that an old lady lodged for a few weeks over the said shop1 and1 on leaving for the ,continent1 left behind her1 for safety's sake1 several boxes of plate to be taken care of until further notice4 ,but years passed by and no tidings of the lady reached the jeweller1 although from time to time the most careful inquiries were instituted4 ,at last1 however1 it transpired that she had died somewhat suddenly1 but1 as no record was found amongst her papers relating to the boxes of plate1 a lengthened litigation arose as to the rightful claimant of the property4 ,occasionally1 through domestic differences1 homes are broken up and the members dispersed1 some perhaps going abroad4 ,in many cases1 such persons it may be are not only lost sight of for years1 but are never heard of again1 and hence1 when they become entitled to money1 large sums are frequently spent in advertising for their whereabouts1 and oftentimes with no satisfactory results4 ,indeed1 advertisements for missing relatives are1 it is said1 yearly on the increase1 and considerable sums of money cannot be touched owing to the uncertainty as to whether persons of this description are alive or dead4 ,an interesting instance occurred in the year #ahhb1 when ,sir ,james ,hannen had the following case brought before him3 ,counsel applied on behalf of ,augustus ,alexander de ,niceville for letters of administration to the property of his father1 supposed to be dead1 as he had not been heard of since the year #ahca1 and who1 if alive1 would be #aje years old4 ,in early life he held a commission in the ,french army1 but in the year #ahbf he came to this country and settled in ,devonshire4 ,on the breaking out of the ,french ,revolution he returned with his wife to ,france1 but his wife came back to ,england1 and corresponded with her husband till the year #ahca1 when she ceased to hear from him4 ,in spite of every means employed for tracing his whereabouts1 nothing was ever heard of him1 his wife dying in the year #ahge4 ,affidavits in support of these facts having been read1 the application was granted4 ,then there are the well-known unclaimed funds in ,chancery1 concerning which so much interest attaches4 ,it may not be generally known what a mine of wealth these dormant funds constitute1 amounting to many millions2 indeed1 the ,royal ,courts of ,justice have been mainly built with the surplus interest of this money1 and occasionally large sums from this fund have been borrowed to enable the ,chancellor of the ,exchequer to carry through his financial operations4 ,by an ,act passed in the year #ahfe1 facilities are afforded to apply #a1jjj1jjj from funds standing in the books of the ,bank of ,england to an account thus designated3 ,account of securities purchased with surplus interest arising from securities carried to the account of moneys placed out for the benefit and better security of the suitors of the ,court of ,chancery4 ,not so very long ago the subject was discussed in ,parliament1 when it was urged that1 as the ,government were trustees of these funds1 something should be done1 as far as possible1 by publicity1 to adopt measures whereby the true owners might become claimants if they had but the knowledge of their rights4 ,another reason for money remaining unclaimed for a number of years1 is through missing wills4 ,hence many a family forfeits its claim to certain property on account of the testator's last wishes not being forthcoming4 ,thackeray makes one of his plots hang in a most ingenious way upon a missing will1 which is discovered eventually in the sword-box of a family coach1 and various curious instances are on record of wills having been discovered years after the testator's death in the most out-of-the-way and unlikely hiding places4 ,in some cases1 also1 through a particular clause in a will being peculiarly or doubtfully worded1 heirs have been deprived of what was really due to them1 a goodly part of the property having been squandered and wasted in prolonged legal expenses4 ,then1 again1 it is universally acknowledged that there is an immense quantity of money1 and other valuables1 concealed in the earth4 ,in olden days1 the householder was the guardian of his own money1 and so had to conceal it as his ingenuity could devise4 ,accordingly large sums of money were frequently buried underground1 and in excavating old houses1 treasures of various kinds are oftentimes found underneath the floors4 ,the custom of making the earth a stronghold1 and confiding to its safe-keeping deposits of money1 prevailed until a comparatively recent period1 and was only natural1 when it is remembered how1 in consequence of civil commotions1 many a home was likely to be robbed of its most valuable belongings4 ,hence every precaution was taken1 a circumstance which accounts for the cunning secretal of rich and costly relics in old buildings4 ,according to an entry given by ,pepys in his ,diary1 a large amount was supposed to be buried in his day1 and he gives an amusing account of the hiding of his own money by his wife and father when the ,dutch fleet was supposed to be in the ,medway4 ,times of trouble1 therefore1 will account for many of the treasures which were so carefully secreted in olden times4 ,many years ago1 as the foundations of some old houses in ,exeter were being removed1 a large collection of silver coins was discovered--the money found dating from the time of ,henry ,,viii4 to ,charles ,i41 or the ,commonwealth--and it has been suggested that the disturbed state of affairs in the middle of the #agth century led to this mode of securing treasure4 ,this will account in some measure for the traditions of the existence of large sums of hidden money associated with some of our old family mansions4 ,an amusing story is related by ,thomas of ,walsingham1 which dates as far back as the #adth century4 ,a certain ,saracen physician came to ,earl ,warren to ask permission to kill a dragon which had its den at ,bromfield1 near ,ludlow1 and committed great ravages in the earl's lands4 ,the dragon was overcome2 but it transpired that a large treasure lay hid in its den4 ,thereupon some men of ,herefordshire went by night to dig for the gold1 and had just succeeded in reaching it when the retainers of the ,earl of ,warren1 having learnt what was going on1 captured them and took possession of the hoard for the earl4 ,a legend of this kind was long connected with ,hulme ,hall1 formerly a seat of a branch of the ,prestwich family4 ,it seems that during the civil wars its then owner1 ,sir ,thomas ,prestwich1 was very much impoverished by fines and sequestrations1 so that he was forced to sell the mansion and estate to ,sir ,oswald ,mosley4 ,on more than one occasion his mother had induced him to advance large sums of money to ,charles ,i4 and his adherents1 under the assurance that she had hidden treasures which would amply repay him4 ,this hoard was generally supposed to have been hidden1 either in the hall itself1 or in the grounds adjoining1 and it was said to be protected by spells and incantations1 known only to the lady dowager herself4 ,time passed on1 and the old lady became every day more infirm1 and at last she was struck down with apoplexy before she could either practise the requisite incantations1 or inform her son where the treasure was secreted4 ,after her burial1 diligent search was made1 but to no effect2 and ,sir ,thomas ,prestwich went down to the grave in comparative poverty4 ,since that period fortune-tellers and astrologers have tried their powers to discover the whereabouts of this hidden hoard1 and1 although they have been unsuccessful1 it is still believed that one day their labours will be rewarded1 and that the demons who guard the money will be forced to give up their charge4 ,some years ago the hall and estate were sold to the ,duke of ,bridgewater1 and1 the site having been required for other purposes1 the hall was pulled down1 but no money was discovered4 ,in ,ireland1 there are few old ruins in and about which excavations have not been made in the expectation of discovering hidden wealth1 and in some instances the consequence of this belief has been the destruction of the building1 which has been actually undermined4 ,about three miles south of ,cork1 near the village of ,douglas1 is a hill called ,castle ,treasure1 where a cross of gold was supposed to be concealed2 and the discovery1 some years ago1 of a rudely-formed clay urn and two or three brazen implements attracted for some time crowds to the spot4 ,but such stories are not confined to any special locality1 and there is1 in most parts of ,england1 a popular belief that vast treasures are hidden beneath the old ruins of many houses1 and that supernatural obstacles always prevent their being discovered4 ,indeed1 ,scotland has numerous legends of this kind1 some of which1 as ,mr4 ,chambers has pointed out1 have been incorporated into its popular rhymes4 ,thus1 on a certain farm in the parish of ,lesmahagow1 from time immemorial there existed a tradition that underneath a very large stone was secreted a vast treasure in the shape of a kettleful1 a bootful1 and a bull-hide full of gold1 all of which have been designated ',katie ,neevie's hoord1' having given rise to the following adage3 ,between ,dillerhill and ,crossford ,there lies ,katie ,neevie's hoord4 ,and at ,fardell1 anciently the seat of ,sir ,walter ,raleigh's family1 in the courtyard formerly stood an inscribed bilingual stone of the ,roman ,british period2 the stone is now in the ,british ,museum4 ,the tradition current in the neighbourhood makes the inscription refer to a treasure buried by ,sir ,walter ,raleigh1 and hence the local rhyme3 ,between this stone and ,fardell ,hall ,lies as much money as the devil can haul4 ,a curious incident happened in ,ireland about the commencement of the last century4 ,the ,bishop of ,derry being at dinner1 there came in an old ,irish harper1 and sang an ancient song to his harp4 ,the ,bishop1 not being acquainted with ,irish1 was at a loss to understand the meaning of the song1 but on inquiry he ascertained the substance of it to be this--that in a certain spot a man of gigantic stature lay buried1 and that over his breast and back were plates of pure gold1 and on his fingers rings of gold so large that an ordinary man might creep through them4 ,the spot was so exactly described that two persons actually went in quest of the garden treasure4 ,after they had dug for some time1 they discovered two thin pieces of gold1 circular1 and more than two inches in diameter4 ,but when they renewed their excavations on the following morning they found nothing more4 ,the song of the harper has been identified as ,moiva ,borb1 and the lines which suggested the remarkable discovery have been translated thus3 ,in earth1 beside the loud cascade1 ,the son of ,sora's king we laid2 ,and on each finger placed a ring ,of gold1 by mandate of our king4 ,the loud cascade was the well-known waterfall at ,ballyshannon1 known as ,the ,salmon ,leap now4 ,illustration3 ,,there ,,came ,,in ,,an ,,old ,,irish ,,harper ,,and ,,sang ,,an ,,ancient ,,song ,,to ,,his ,,harp4 ,it was also a common occurrence for a miser to hide away his hoards underground1 and before he had an opportunity of making known their whereabouts he died1 without his heirs being put in the necessary possession of the information regarding that part of the earth wherein he had kept secreted his wealth4 ,at different times1 in old houses have been discovered misers' hoards1 and which1 but for some accident1 would have remained buried in their forgotten resting-place4 ,this will frequently account for money being found in the most eccentric nooks1 an illustration of which happened a few years ago in ,paris1 when a miser died1 leaving behind him1 as was supposed1 money to the value of sixty pounds4 ,after some months had passed by1 the claimant to the property made his appearance1 and1 on the miser's apartments being thoroughly searched1 no small astonishment was caused by the discovery of the large sum of thirty-two thousand pounds4 ,it may be noted that in former years our forefathers were extremely fond of hiding away their money for safety1 making use of the chimney1 or the wainscot or skirting-board4 ,there it frequently remained2 and such depositories of the family wealth were occasionally1 from death and other causes1 completely forgotten4 ,in one of ,hogarth's well-known pictures1 the young spendthrift1 who has just come into his inheritance1 is being measured by a fashionable tailor1 when1 from behind the panels which the builders are ripping down1 is seen falling a perfect shower of golden money4 ,there can be no doubt that there is many an old house in this country which1 if thoroughly ransacked1 would be found to contain treasures of the most valuable and costly kind4 ,some years ago1 for example1 a collection of pictures was discovered at ,merton ,college1 ,oxford1 hidden away between the ceiling and the roof2 and missing deeds have from time to time been discovered located in all sorts of mysterious nooks4 ,in a set of rooms in ,magdalen ,college1 too1 which had been originally occupied by one of the ,fellows1 and had subsequently been abandoned and devoted to lumber1 was unearthed a strong wooden box1 containing1 together with some valuable articles of silver plate1 a beautiful loving-cup1 with a cover of pure gold4 ,when1 also1 the ,vicarage house of ,ormesby1 in ,yorkshire1 required reparation1 some stonework had to be removed in order to carry out the necessary alterations1 in the course of which a small box was found1 measuring about a foot square1 which had been embedded in the wall4 ,the box1 when opened1 was full of angels1 angelets1 and nobles4 ,some of the money was of the reign of ,edward ,,iv41 some of ,henry ,,vi41 and some1 too1 of the reigns of ,henry ,,vii4 and ,henry ,,viii4 ,it has been suggested that when ,henry ,,viii4 dissolved the lesser monasteries1 the monks of ,guisboro' ,priory1 which was only about six miles off1 fearing the worst1 fled with their treasures1 and1 with the craft and cunning peculiar to their order1 buried a portion of them in the walls of the parsonage house of ,ormesby4#eb ,to quote another case1 ,dunsford1 in his ,memories of ,tiverton 7#agij71 p4 #bhe1 speaking of the village of ,chettiscombe1 says that in the middle of the #afth century1 in the north part of this village was a chapel entire1 dedicated to ,st4 ,mary4 ,the walls and roof are still whole1 and served some years past for a dwelling-house1 but is now uninhabited4 ,it appears that not only was there some superstition attaching to this building1 which accounted for its untenanted condition1 but certain money was supposed to be hidden away1 to discover which every attempt had hitherto been in vain4 ,it was therefore proposed1 says the author1 that some person should lodge in the chapel for a night to obtain preternatural information respecting it4 ,two persons at length complied with the request to do so1 and1 aided by strong beer1 approached about nine o'clock the hallowed walls4 ,they trembled exceedingly at the sudden appearance of a white owl that flew from a broken window with the message that considerable wealth lay in certain fields1 that if they would diligently dig there1 they would undoubtedly find it4 ,they quickly attended to this piece of information1 and employed a body of workmen who1 before long1 succeeded in bringing to light the missing money4 ,a similar tradition was associated with ,bransil ,castle1 a stronghold of great antiquity1 situated in a romantic position about two miles from the ,herefordshire ,beacon4 ,the story goes that the ghost of ,lord ,beauchamp1 who died in ,italy1 could never rest until his bones were delivered to the right heir of ,bransil ,castle4 ,accordingly1 they were sent from ,italy enclosed in a small box1 and were for a considerable time in the possession of ,mr4 ,sheldon1 of ,abberton4 ,the tradition further states that the old ,castle of ,bransil was moated round1 and in that moat a black crow1 presumed to be an infernal spirit1 sat to guard a chest of money1 till discovered by the rightful owner4 ,the chest could never be moved without the mover being in possession of the bones of ,lord ,beauchamp4 ,such stories of hidden wealth being watched over by phantom beings are not uncommon1 and remind us of those anecdotes of treasures concealed at the bottom of wells1 guarded over by the white ladies4 ,in ,shropshire1 there is an old buried well of this kind1 at the bottom of which a large hoard has long been supposed to lie hidden1 or as a local rhyme expresses it3 ,near the brook of ,bell ,there is a well ,which is richer than any man can tell4 ,in the ,south of ,scotland it is the popular belief that vast treasures have for many a year past been concealed beneath the ruins of ,hermitage ,castle2 but1 as they are supposed to be in the keeping of the ,evil ,one1 they are considered beyond redemption4 ,at different times various efforts have been made to dig for them1 yet somehow the elements always on such occasions contrived to produce an immense storm of thunder and lightning1 and deterred the adventurers from proceeding1 otherwise1 of course the money would long ago have been found4 ,and to give another of these strange family legends1 may be quoted one told of ,stokesay ,castle1 ,shropshire4 ,it seems that many years ago all the country in the neighbourhood of ,stokesay belonged to two giants1 who lived the one upon ,view ,edge1 and the other at ,norton ,camp4 ,the story commonly current is that they kept all their money locked up in a big oak chest in the vaults under ,stokesay ,castle1 and when either of them wanted any of it he just took the key and got some4 ,but one day one of them wanted the key1 and the other had got it1 so he shouted to him to throw it over as they had been in the habit of doing1 and he went to throw it1 but somehow he made a mistake and threw too short1 and dropped the key into the moat down by the ,castle1 where it has remained ever since4 ,and the chest of treasure stands in the vaults still1 but no one can approach it1 for there is a big raven always sitting on the top of it1 and he won't allow anybody to try and break it open1 so no one will ever be able to get the giants' treasure until the key is found1 and many say it never will be found1 let folks try as much as they please4#ec ,amongst further reasons for the hiding away of money1 may be noticed eccentricity of character1 or mental delusion1 a singular instance of which occurred some years ago4 ,it appears that whilst some workmen were grubbing up certain tree at ,tufnell ,park1 near ,highgate1 they came upon two jars1 containing nearly four hundred pounds in gold4 ,this they divided1 and shortly afterwards1 when the lord of the manor claimed the whole as treasure trove1 the real owner suddenly made his appearance4 ,in the course of inquiry1 it transpired that he was a brassfounder1 living at ,clerkenwell1 and having been about nine months before under a temporary delusion1 he one night secreted the jars in a field at ,tufnell ,park4 ,on proving the truth of his statement1 the money was refunded to him4 ,,footnotes3 #eb ,journal of the ,archological ,association1 #ahei1 ,vol4 xv41 p4 #ajd4 #ec ,shropshire ,folklore 7,miss ,jackson71 #g1 #h4 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,lucky ,,accidents4 ,as the unthought-on accident is guilty ,of what we wildly do1 so we profess ,ourselves to be the slaves of chance1 and flies ,of every wind that blows4 ,winter's ,tale1 ,act iv41 ,sc4 #c4 ,pascal1 one day1 remarked that if ,cleopatra's nose had been shorter the whole face of the world would probably have been changed4 ,the same idea may be applied to the unforeseen advantages produced by accidents1 some of which have occasionally had not a little to do with determining the future position in life of many eminent men4 ,prevented from pursuing the sphere in this world they had intended1 compulsory leisure compelled them to adopt some hobby as a recreation1 in which1 unconsciously1 their real genius lay4 ,thus ,david ,allan1 popularly known as the ,scottish ,hogarth1 owed his fame and success in life to an accident4 ,when a boy1 having burnt his foot1 he amused the monotony of his leisure hours by drawing on the floor with a piece of chalk--a mode of passing his time which soon obtained an extraordinary fascination for him4 ,on returning to school1 he drew a caricature of his schoolmaster punishing a pupil1 which caused him to be summarily expelled4 ,but1 despite this punishment1 his success as an artist was decided1 the caricature being considered so clever that he was sent to ,glasgow to study art1 where he was apprenticed in #agee to ,robert ,foulis1 a famous painter1 who with his brother ,andrew had secretly established an academy of arts in that city4 ,their kindness to him he was afterwards able to return when their fortunes were reversed4 ,if ,sir ,walter ,scott had not sprained his foot in running round the room when a child1 the world would probably have had none of those works which have made his name immortal4 ,when his son intimated a desire to enter the army1 ,sir ,walter ,scott wrote to ,southey1 ,i have no title to combat a choice which would have been my own1 had not my lameness prevented4 ,in the same way1 the effects of a fall when about a year old rendered ,talleyrand lame for life1 and being1 on this account1 unfit for a military career1 he was obliged to renounce his birthright in favour of his second brother4 ,but what seemed an obstacle to his future success was the very reverse1 for1 turning his attention to politics and books1 he eventually became one of the leading diplomatists of his day4 ,again1 ,josiah ,wedgwood was seized in his boyhood with an attack of smallpox1 which was followed by a disease in the right knee1 some years afterwards necessitating the amputation of the affected limb4 ,but1 as ,mr4 ,gladstone1 in his address on ,wedgwood's life and work delivered at ,burslem1 ,oct4 #bfth1 #ahfc1 remarked1 the disease from which he suffered was1 no doubt1 the cause of his subsequent greatness1 for it prevented him from growing up to be the active1 vigorous ,english workman1 but it put upon him considering whether1 as he could not be that1 he might not be something else1 and something greater4 ,it drove him to meditate upon the laws and secrets of his art4 ,flamsteed was an astronomer by accident4 ,being removed from school on account of his health1 it appears that a cold caught in the summer of #affj while bathing1 which produced a rheumatic affection of the joints1 accompanied by other ailments4 ,he became unable to walk to school1 and he finally left in ,may1 #affb4 ,his self-training now began1 and ,sacroborco's ,de ,sphra was lent to him1 with the perusal of which he was so pleased that he forthwith commenced a course of astronomic studies4 ,accordingly1 he constructed a rude quadrant and calculated a table of the sun's altitudes1 pursuing his studies1 as he said himself1 under the discouragement of friends1 the want of health1 and all other instructors1 except his better genius4#ed ,alluding to accidents as sometimes developing greatness1 ,mr4 ,smiles remarks that ,pope's satire was in a measure the outcome of his deformity2 and ,lord ,byron's club foot1 he adds1 had probably not a little to do with determining his destiny as a poet4 ,had not his mind been embittered1 and made morbid by his deformity1 he might never have written a line4 ,but his misshapen foot stimulated his mind1 roused his ardour1 threw him upon his own resources1 and we know with what result4 ,again1 in numerous other ways1 it has been remarked1 accidents have taken a lucky turn1 and1 if not being the road to fortune1 have had equally important results4 ,the story is told of a young officer in the army of ,general ,wolfe who was supposed to be dying of an abscess in the lungs4 ,he was absent from his regiment on sick leave1 but resolved to join it when a battle was expected1 for1 said he1 since ,i am given over ,i had better be doing my duty1 and my life's being shortened a few days matters not4 ,he received a shot which pierced the abscess and made an opening for the discharge1 the result being that he recovered and lived to eighty years of age4 ,brunel1 the celebrated engineer1 had a curious accident1 which might have forfeited his life4 ,while one day playing with his children and astonishing them by passing a half sovereign through his mouth out at his ear1 he unfortunately swallowed the coin1 which dropped into his windpipe4 ,brunel regarded the mischief caused by the accident as purely mechanical2 a foreign body had got into his breathing apparatus1 and must be removed1 if at all1 by some mechanical expedient4 ,but he was equal to the emergency1 and had an apparatus constructed which had the effect of relieving him of the coin4 ,in after days he used to tell how1 when his body was inverted1 and he heard the gold piece strike against his upper front teeth1 was1 perhaps1 the most exquisite moment in his whole life1 the half sovereign having been in his windpipe for not less than six weeks4 ,in the year #aghd1 ,william ,pitt almost fell the victim to the folly of a festive meeting1 for he was nearly accidentally shot as a highwayman4 ,returning late at night on horseback from ,wimbledon to ,addiscombe1 together with ,lord ,thurlow1 he found the turnpike gate between ,tooting and ,streatham thrown open4 ,both passed through it1 regardless of the threats of the turnpike man1 who1 taking the two for highwaymen1 discharged the contents of his blunderbuss at their backs2 but1 happily1 no injury was done1 and ,pitt had the good fortune to escape from what might have been a very serious1 if not fatal1 accident4 ,foote1 too1 met with a bad accident on horseback1 which1 at the time1 seemed a lasting obstacle to his career as an actor4 ,whilst riding with the ,duke of ,york and some other noblemen1 he was thrown from his horse and his leg broken1 so that an amputation became necessary4 ,in consequence of this accident1 the ,duke of ,york obtained for him the patent of the ,haymarket ,theatre for his life2 but he continued to perform his former characters with no less agility and spirit than he had done before to the most crowded houses4 ,similarly1 on one occasion--a very important one--,charles ,james ,matthews was nearly prevented making his first appearance on the stage through being thrown from his horse1 but1 to quote his own words1 the excitement of the evening dominated all other feelings1 and ,i walked for the time as well as ever4 ,some men1 again1 have owed their success to the accidents of others4 ,a notable instance was that of ,baron ,ward1 the well-known minister of the ,duke of ,parma4 ,after working some time as a stable-boy in ,howden1 he went to ,london1 where he had the good luck to come to the ,duke of ,parma's assistance after a fall from his horse in ,rotten ,row4 ,the ,duke took him back to ,lucca as his groom1 and ere long ,ward made the ducal stud the envy of ,italy4 ,he soon rose to a higher position1 and became the minister and confidential friend of the ,duke of ,parma1 with whom he escaped in the year #ahdh to ,dresden1 and for whom he succeeded in recovering ,parma and ,placenza4 ,indeed1 ,lord ,palmerston once remarked1 ,baron ,ward was one of the most remarkable men ,i ever met with4 ,it was through witnessing an accident that ,sir ,astley ,cooper made up his final decision to take up surgery as his profession4 ,a young man1 having been run over by a cart1 was in danger of dying from loss of blood1 when young ,cooper lost no time in tying his handkerchief about the wounded limb so as to stop the hemorrhage4 ,it was this incident which assured him of his taste for surgery4 ,in the same way1 the story is quoted of the eminent ,french surgeon1 ,ambrose ,par4 ,it is stated that he was acting as stable-boy to an abb at ,laval when a surgical operation was about to be performed on one of the brethren of the monastery4 ,on being called in to assist1 ,ambrose ,par not only proved so useful1 but was so fascinated with the operation that he made up his mind to devote his life to the study and practice of surgery4 ,instances of this kind might be enumerated1 being of frequent occurrence in biographical literature1 and showing to what unforeseen circumstances men have occasionally owed their greatness4 ,a romance which1 had it lacked corroborative evidence1 would have seemed highly improbable1 is told of the two ,countesses of ,kellie4 ,in the latter half of the last century1 ,mr ,gordon1 the proprietor of ,ardoch ,castle--situated upon a high rock1 overlooking the sea--was one evening aroused by the firing of a gun evidently from a vessel in distress near the shore4 ,hastening down to the beach1 with the servants of the ,castle1 it was evident that the distressed vessel had gone down1 as the floating spars but too clearly indicated4 ,after looking out in vain for some time1 in the hope of recovering some of the passengers--either dead or alive--he found a sort of crib1 which had been washed ashore1 containing a live infant4 ,the little creature proved to be a female child1 but beyond the fact that its wrappings pointed to its being the offspring of persons in no mean condition1 there was no trace as to who these were4 ,the little foundling was brought up with ,mr4 ,gordon's own daughters1 and when she had attained to womanhood1 by an inexplicable coincidence1 a storm similar to that just mentioned occurred4 ,an alarm-gun was fired1 and this time ,mr4 ,gordon had the satisfaction of receiving a shipwrecked party1 whom he at once made his guests at the ,castle4 ,amongst them was one gentleman passenger1 who after a comfortable night spent in the ,castle1 was surprised at breakfast by the entrance of a troop of blooming girls1 the daughters of his host1 as he understood1 but one of whom specially attracted his attention4 ,is this young lady your daughter1 too8 he inquired of ,mr4 ,gordon4 ,no1 replied his host1 but she is as dear to me as if she were4 ,he then related her history1 to which the stranger listened with eager interest1 and at its close he not a little surprised ,mr4 ,gordon by remarking that he had reason to believe that the young lady was his own niece4 ,he then gave a detailed account of his sister's return from ,india1 corresponding to the time of the shipwreck1 and added1 she is now an orphan1 but if ,i am not mistaken in my supposition1 she is entitled to a handsome provision which her father bequeathed to her in the hope of her yet being found4 ,before many days had elapsed1 sufficient evidence was forthcoming to prove that by this strange1 but lucky1 accident of the shipwreck1 the long lost niece was found4 ,the young heiress keenly felt leaving the old castle1 but to soften the wrench it was arranged that one of the ,misses ,gordon should accompany her to ,gottenburg1 where her uncle had long been settled as a merchant4 ,the sequel of this romance1 as it is pointed out in the ,book of ,days1#ee is equally astonishing4 ,it seems that among the ,scotch merchants settled in the ,swedish port1 was ,mr4 ,thomas ,erskine--a younger son of a younger brother of ,sir ,william ,erskine1 of ,cambo1 in ,fife--an offshoot of the family of the ,earl of ,kellie--to whom ,miss ,anne ,gordon was married in the year #agga4 ,a younger brother1 named ,methven1 ten years later married ,joanna1 a sister of ,miss ,gordon4 ,it was never contemplated that these two brothers would ever come near to the peerage of their family--there being at one time seventeen persons between them and the family titles2 but in the year #agig the baronet of ,cambo became ,earl of ,kellie1 and two years later the title came to the husband of ,anne ,gordon4 ,in short1 these two daughters of ,mr4 ,gordon1 of ,ardoch1 became in succession ,countesses of ,kellie in consequence of the incident of the shipwrecked foundling1 whom their father's humanity had rescued from the waves4 ,,footnotes3 #ed ,see ,dictionary of ,national ,biography1 xix41 #bdb4 #ee ,the ,two ,countesses of ,kellie1 ii4 #da1 #db4 ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,,fatal ,,passion4 ,what dreadful havoc in the human breast ,the passions make1 when1 unconfined and mad1 ,they burst1 unguided by the mental eye1 ,the light of reason1 which1 in various ways1 ,points them to good1 or turns them back from ill6 ,,thomson4 ,the annals of some of our old and respected families have occasionally been sadly stained by hideous exhibitions of cruelty and lust1 in certain instances the result of an unscrupulous disregard of moral duty and of a vindictive fierceness in avenging injury4 ,it has been oftentimes remarked that few tragedies which the brain of the novelist has depicted have surpassed in their unnatural and horrible details those enacted in real life1 for ,when headstrong passion gets the reins of reason1 ,the force of ,nature1 like too strong a gale1 ,for want of ballast1 oversets the vessel4 ,love1 indeed1 which has been proverbially said to lead to as much evil as any impulse that agitates the human bosom1 must be held responsible for only too many of those crimes which from time to time outrage society1 for1 as the authors of ,guesses at ,truth have remarked1 jealousy is said to be the offspring of love1 yet1 unless the parent make haste to strangle the child1 the child will not rest till it has poisoned the parent4 ,thus1 a tragedy which made the ,castle of ,corstorphine the scene of a terrible crime and scandal in the year #afgi1 may be said to have originated in an unhallowed passion4 ,george1 first ,lord ,forrester1 having no male issue1 made an arrangement whereby his son-in-law1 ,james ,baillie1 was to succeed him as second ,lord ,forrester and proprietor of the estate of ,corstorphine4 ,just four years after this compact was made1 ,lord ,forrester died1 and ,james ,baillie1 a young man of twenty-five1 succeeded to the title and property4 ,but this arrangement did not meet with the approval of ,lord ,forrester's daughters1 who regarded it as a manifest injustice that the honours of their ancient family should devolve on an alien--a feeling of dissatisfaction which was more particularly nourished by the third daughter1 ,lady ,hamilton1 whose husband was far from wealthy4 ,it so happened that ,lady ,hamilton had a daughter1 ,christian1 who was noted for her rare beauty and high spirit4 ,but1 unfortunately1 she was a girl of strong passion1 which1 added to her self-will1 caused her1 when she had barely arrived at a marriageable age1 to engage herself to one ,james ,nimmo1 the son of an ,edinburgh merchant4 ,before many weeks had elapsed1 the young couple were married1 and the handsome young wife was settled in her new home in ,edinburgh4 ,time wore on1 the novelty of marriage died away1 and as ,mrs4 ,nimmo dwelt on her mercantile surroundings1 she recognised more and more what an ill-assorted match she had made1 and in her excitable mind1 she cursed the bond which connected her with a man whose social position she despised1 and whose occupations she scorned4 ,the report1 however1 of her uncommon beauty1 could not fail to reach the ears of young ,lord ,forrester1 who on the score of relationship was often attracted to ,mrs4 ,nimmo's house4 ,at first he was received with coldness1 but1 by flattering and appealing to her vanity1 he gradually accomplished the ruin of this unhappy young woman1 and made her the victim of his licentious and unprincipled designs4 ,but no long time had elapsed when this shameful intrigue became the subject of common talk1 and public indignation took the side of the injured woman1 when ,lord ,forrester1 after getting tired of her1 was so cruel and base as to speak of her openly in the most opprobrious manner1 even alluding to her criminal connection with him4 ,in so doing1 however1 he had not taken into consideration the violent character of the woman he had wronged1 nor thought he of her jealousy1 wounded pride1 and despair4 ,in his haste1 also1 to rid himself of the woman who no longer fascinated him1 he paid no heed to the passion that was lurking in her inflamed bosom1 nor counted on her spret injuria form4 ,on the other hand1 whilst he was forgetting the past in his orgies1 ,mrs4 ,nimmo--whose love for him was turned to the bitterest hate--was hourly reproaching him1 and at last the fatal moment arrived when she felt bound to proceed to ,corstorphine ,castle1 and confront her evil-doer4 ,at the time1 ,lord ,forrester was drinking at the village tavern1 and1 when the infuriated woman demanded to see him1 he was flushed with claret1 and himself in no amiable mood4 ,the altercation1 naturally1 soon became violent1 bitter reproaches were uttered on the one side1 and contemptuous sneers on the other4 ,goaded to frenzy1 the unhappy woman stabbed her paramour to the heart1 killing him instantly4 ,when taken before the sheriff of ,edinburgh1 she confessed her crime1 and1 although she told the court in the most pathetic manner how basely she had been wronged by one who should have supported rather than ruined her1 sentence of death was passed upon her4 ,she managed1 writes ,sir ,bernard ,burke1#ef to postpone the execution of her sentence by declaring that she was with child by her seducer1 and during her imprisonment succeeded in escaping in the disguise of a young man4 ,but she was captured1 and on the #abth ,november1 #afgi1 paid the penalty of her rash act1 appearing at her execution attired in deep mourning1 covered with a large veil4 ,radcliffe to this day possesses the tradition of a terrible tragedy of which there are several versions4 ,it appears that one ,sir ,william de ,radclyffe had a very beautiful daughter whose mother died in giving her birth4 ,after a time he married again1 and the step-mother1 actuated by feeling of jealousy1 conceived a violent hatred to the girl1 which ere long prompted her to be guilty of the most insane cruelty4 ,one day1 runs the story1 when ,sir ,william was out hunting1 she sent the unsuspecting girl into the kitchen with a message to the cook that he was to dress the white doe4 ,but the cook professing ignorance of the particular white doe he was to dress1 asserted1 to the young lady's intense horror1 that he had received orders to kill her1 which there and then he did1 afterwards making her into a pie4 ,on ,sir ,william's return from hunting1 he made inquiries for his daughter1 but his wife informed him that she had taken the opportunity in his absence of going into a nunnery4 ,suspicious1 however1 of the truth of her story--for her jealous hatred of his daughter had not escaped his notice--he flew into a passion1 and demanded in the most peremptory manner where his daughter was1 whereupon the scullion boy denounced the step-mother1 and warned ,sir ,william against eating the pie4 ,the whole truth was soon revealed1 and the diabolic wickedness of ,lady ,william did not pass unpunished1 for she was burnt1 and the cook was condemned to stand in boiling lead4 ,a ballad in the ,pepys' collection1 entitled1 ,the ,lady ,isabella's ,tragedy1 or the ,step-mother's ,cruelty1 records this horrible barbarity2 and in a ,lancashire ballad1 called ,fair ,ellen of ,radcliffe1 it is thus graphically told3-- ,she straighte into the kitchen went1 ,her message for to tell2 ,and then she spied the master cook1 ,who did with malice swell4 ,nowe1 master cooke1 it must be soe1 ,do that which ,i thee tell2 ,you needs must dress the milk-white doe1 ,you which do knowe full well4 ,then straight his cruel1 bloody hands1 ,he on the ladye laid1 ,who1 quivering and ghastly1 stands ,while thus to her he sayd3 ,thou art the doe that ,i must dress2 ,see here6 behold1 my knife6 ,for it is pointed1 presentli ,to rid thee of thy life4 ,o then1 cryed out the scullion boye1 ,as loud as loud might be1 ,o save her life1 good master cook1 ,and make your pyes of me4 ,the tradition adds that ,sir ,william was not unmindful of the scullion boy's heroic conduct1 for he made him heir to his possessions4 ,another cruel case of woman's jealousy1 which1 happily1 was not so disastrous in its result as the former1 relates to ,maria1 daughter of the ,hon4 ,alexander ,mackenzie1 second son of ,kenneth1 ,earl of ,seaforth1 who was ,maid of ,honour to ,queen ,caroline4 ,report goes that between this young lady1 who was one of the greatest beauties about the ,court1 and a ,mr4 ,price1 an admired man about town1 there subsisted a strong attachment4 ,unfortunately for ,miss ,mackenzie1 ,mr4 ,price was an especial favourite of the celebrated ,countess of ,deloraine1 who1 to get rid of her rival in beauty1 poisoned her4 ,but this crime was discovered in time1 antidotes were administered with success1 and the girl's life was saved2 although her lovely complexion is said to have been ruined1 ever after continuing of a lemon tint4 ,queen ,caroline1 desirous of shielding the ,countess of ,deloraine from the consequences of her act1 persuaded the poisoned beauty to appear1 as soon as she was sufficiently recovered1 at a supper1 given either by the ,countess of ,deloraine or where she was to be present4 ,accordingly1 on the night arranged1 some excitement was caused by the arrival of ,miss ,mackenzie1 for as she entered the room1 someone exclaimed1 ,how entirely changed6 ,but ,mr4 ,price1 who was seated by ,lady ,deloraine remarked1 ,in my eyes she is more beautiful than ever1 and it only remains to add that they were married next morning4 ,like jealousy1 thwarted love has often been cause of the most unnatural crimes1 and a tragic story is told of the untimely death of ,mr ,blandy1 of ,henley1 in ,oxfordshire1 who1 by practice as an attorney1 had accumulated a large fortune4 ,he had an only child1 ,mary1 who was regarded as an heiress1 and consequently had suitors many4 ,on one occasion1 it happened that ,william ,cranstoun1 brother of ,lord ,cranstoun1 being upon a recruiting party in ,oxfordshire1 and hearing of ,miss ,blandy's great expectations1 found an opportunity of introducing himself to the family4 ,the ,captain's attentions1 however1 to ,miss ,blandy met with the strong disapproval of her father1 for he had ascertained that this suitor for his daughter's hand had been privately married in ,scotland4 ,but against this objection ,captain ,cranstoun replied that he hoped to get this marriage speedily set aside by a decree of the ,supreme ,court of ,session4 ,and when the ,court refused to annul the marriage1 ,mr4 ,blandy absolutely refused to allow his daughter to have any further communications with so dishonourable a man2 a resolution to which he remained inexorable4 ,intrigue between the two was the result1 for it seems that ,miss ,blandy's affection for this profligate man--almost double her age--was violent4 ,as might be expected1 ,captain ,cranstoun not only worked upon her feelings1 but imposed on her credulity4 ,he sent her from ,scotland a pretended love powder1 which he enjoined her to administer to her father1 in order to gain his affection and procure his consent4 ,this injunction she did not carry out1 on account of a frightful dream1 in which she saw her father fall from a precipice into the ocean4 ,thereupon the ,captain wrote a second time1 and told her in words somewhat enigmatical1 but easily understood by her1 his design4 ,horrible to relate1 the wicked girl was so elated with the idea of removing her father1 that she was heard to exclaim before the servants1 who would not send an old fellow to hell for thirty thousand pounds8 ,the fatal die was cast4 ,the deadly powder was mixed and given to him in a cup of tea1 after drinking which he soon began to swell enormously4 ,what have you given me1 ,mary8 asked the unhappy dying man4 ,you have murdered me2 of this ,i was warned1 but1 alas6 ,i thought it was a false alarm4 ,o1 fly2 take care of the ,captain6 ,thus ,mr4 ,blandy died of poison1 but his daughter was captured whilst attempting to escape1 and was conveyed to ,oxford ,castle1 where she was imprisoned till the assizes1 when she was tried for parricide1 was found guilty1 and executed4 ,captain ,cranstoun managed to effect his escape1 and went abroad1 where he died soon afterwards in a deplorable state of mind1 brought about by remorse for the evil and misery he had caused4 ,almost equally tragic was the fatal passion of ,sir ,william ,kyte1 forming another strange domestic drama in real life4 ,possessed of considerable fortune1 and of ancient family1 ,sir ,william was deemed a very desirable match1 and when he offered his hand to a young lady of noble rank1 and of great beauty1 he was at once accepted4 ,the marriage for the first few years turned out happily1 but the crisis came when ,sir ,william was nominated1 at a contested election1 to represent the borough of ,warwick1 in which county lay the bulk of his estate4 ,after the election was over1 ,lady ,kyte1 by way of recompensing a zealous partisan of her husband1 took an innkeeper's daughter1 ,molly ,jones1 for her maid2 a tall1 genteel girl1 with a fine complexion1 and seemingly very modest and innocent4 ,but before many months had elapsed1 ,sir ,william was attracted by the girl1 and1 eventually1 became so infatuated by her charms1 that1 casting aside all restraints of shame or fear1 he agreed to a separation between his wife and himself4 ,accordingly1 ,sir ,william left ,lady ,kyte1 with the two younger children1 in possession of the mansion-house in ,warwickshire1 and retired with his mistress and his two eldest sons to a farmhouse on the ,cotswold hills4 ,charmed with the situation1 he was soon tempted to build a handsome house here1 to which were added two large side-fronts1 for no better reason than that ,molly ,jones1 one day1 happened to say1 ,what is a ,kite without wings4 ,but the expense of completing this establishment1 amounting to at least #aj1jjj1 soon involved ,sir ,william in financial difficulties1 which caused him to drown his worries in drink4 ,at this juncture1 ,molly ,jones1 forgetting her own past1 was injudicious enough to engage a fresh coloured country girl--who was scarcely twenty--as dairymaid1 for whom ,sir ,william quickly conceived an amorous regard4 ,actuated by jealousy or disgust1 ,molly ,jones threatened to leave ,sir ,william1 a resolution which she soon carried out1 retiring to ,cambden1 a neighbouring market town1 where she was reduced to keep a small sewing school as a means of livelihood4 ,although left to carry on his intrigue undisturbed1 ,sir ,william soon became a victim to gloomy reflections1 feeling at times that he had not only cruelly wronged a good wife1 but had been deserted by the very woman for whose sake he had brought this trouble and disgrace upon his family4 ,tormented by these conflicting passions1 he occasionally worked himself up into such a state of frenzy that even his new favourite was terrified1 and had run away4 ,it was when almost maddened with the thought of his evil past that he formed that fatal resolve which was a hideous ending to the dreadful consequence of a licentious passion not checked in its infancy4 ,one ,october evening1 as a housemaid was on the stairs1 suddenly the lobby was all in a cloud of smoke4 ,she gave the alarm1 and on the door being forced open whence the smoke proceeded1 it was discovered that ,sir ,william had set fire to a large heap of fine linen1 piled up in the middle of the room4 ,from an adjoining room1 where ,sir ,william had made his escape1 the flames burst out with such fury that all were glad to make their escape out of the house1 the greater part of which was in a few hours burnt to the ground--no other remains of its master being found next morning but the hip-bone1 and bones of the back4 ,a case which1 at the time1 created considerable sensation was the murder of ,thynne of ,longleat by a jealous antagonist4 ,the eleventh ,duke of ,northumberland left an only daughter1 whose career1 it has been said1 might match that of the most erratic or adventurous of her race4 ,before she was sixteen years old1 she had been twice a widow1 and three times a wife4 ,at the age of thirteen1 she was married to the only son of the ,duke of ,newcastle1 a lad of her own age1 who died in a few months4 ,her second husband was ,thynne of ,longleat1 ,tom of ,ten ,thousand1 but the tie was abruptly severed by the bullet of an assassin1 set on by the notorious ,count ,konigsmark1 who had been a suitor for her hand1 and was desirous of another chance4 ,after his death1 the young widow1 who was surrounded by a host of admirers1 married the ,duke of ,somerset1 and she seems to have made him a fitting mate1 for when his second wife1 a ,finch1 tapped him familiarly on the shoulder1 or1 according to another version1 seated herself on his knee1 he exclaimed indignantly3 ,my first wife was a ,percy1 and she never thought of taking such a liberty4 ,it may be added that one of the most remarkable incidents in this celebrated beauty's life was when by dint of tears and supplications she prevented ,queen ,anne from making ,swift a bishop1 out of revenge for the ,windsor prophecy1 in which she was ridiculed for the redness of her hair1 and upbraided as having been privy to the brutal murder of her second husband4 ,it was doubted1 says ,scott1 which imputation she accounted the more cruel insult1 especially since the first charge was undoubted1 and the second arose only from the malice of the poet4 ,another tragedy of a similar kind was the murder of ,william ,mountford1 the player4 ,captain ,richard ,hill had conceived a violent passion for ,mrs4 ,bracegirdle1 the beautiful actress1 and is said to have offered her his hand1 and to have been refused4 ,at last his passion became ungovernable1 and he determined to carry her off by force4 ,to carry out his purpose1 he induced his friend ,lord ,mohun to assist him in the attempt4 ,according to one account1 he dodged the fair actress for a whole day at the theatre1 stationed a coach near the ,horseshoe ,tavern1 in ,drury ,lane1 to carry her off in1 and hired six soldiers to force her into it4 ,as the beautiful actress came down ,drury ,lane1 at ten o'clock at night1 accompanied by her mother and brother1 and escorted by her friend ,mr4 ,page1 one of the soldiers seized her in his arms1 and endeavoured to force her into the coach4 ,but the lady's scream attracted a crowd1 and ,captain ,hill1 finding his endeavours ineffectual1 bid the soldiers let her go4 ,disappointed in their object1 ,lord ,mohun and ,captain ,hill vowed vengeance2 and ,mrs4 ,bracegirdle on reaching home sent her servant to ,mr4 ,mountford's house to take care of himself1 warning him against ,lord ,mohun and ,captain ,hill1 who she feared1 had no good intention toward him1 and did wait for him in the street4 ,it appears that ,mountford had already heard of the attempt to carry off ,mrs4 ,bracegirdle1 and hearing that ,lord ,mohun and ,captain ,hill were in the street1 did not shrink from approaching them4 ,the account says that he addressed ,lord ,mohun1 and told him how sorry he was to find him in the company of such a pitiful fellow as ,captain ,hill1 whereupon1 it is said1 the captain came forth and said he would justify himself1 and went towards the middle of the street1 and ,mr4 ,mountford followed him and drew4 ,the end of the quarrel was that ,mountford fell with a terrible wound1 of which he died on the following day1 declaring in his last moments that ,captain ,hill ran him through the body before he could draw his sword4 ,captain ,hill1 it seems1 owed ,mountford a deadly grudge1 having attributed his rejection by ,mrs4 ,bracegirdle to her love for him--an unlikely passion1 it is thought1 as ,mountford was a married man1 with a good-looking wife of his own1 afterwards ,mrs4 ,verbruggen1 and a celebrated actress4 ,oulton ,house1 ,suffolk1 long known as the ,haunted ,house1 acquired its ill-omened name from a tragic occurrence traditionally said to have happened many years ago1 and the peasantry in the neighbourhood affirm that at midnight a wild huntsman1 with his hounds1 accompanied by a lady carrying a poisoned cup1 is occasionally seen4 ,the story is that1 in the reign of ,george ,,ii41 a squire1 returning unexpectedly home from the chase1 discovered his wife with an officer1 one of his guests1 in too familiar a friendship4 ,high words followed1 and the indignant husband1 provoked by the cool manner in which the officer treated the matter1 struck him1 whereupon the guilty lover drew his sword and drove it through the squire's heart1 the faithless wife and her paramour afterwards making their escape4 ,some years afterwards1 runs the tale1 the ,squire's daughter1 who had been left behind in the hasty departure1 having grown to womanhood1 was affianced to a youthful farmer of the neighbourhood4 ,but on their bridal eve1 as they were sitting together talking over the new life they were about to enter1 a carriage1 black and sombre as a hearse1 with closely drawn curtains1 and attended by servants clad in sable liveries1 drew up to the door4 ,the young girl was seized by masked men1 carried off in the carriage to her unnatural mother1 while her betrothed was stabbed as he vainly endeavoured to rescue her4 ,a grave is pointed out in the cemetery at ,namur1 as that in which was laid the body of the unhappy girl1 poisoned1 it is alleged1 by her unscrupulous and wicked mother4 ,it is not surprising1 we are told1 that the locality was supposed to be haunted by the wretched woman--both as wife and mother equally criminal4 ,family romance1 once more1 has many a dark page recording how despairing love has ended in self-destruction4 ,at the beginning of the present century1 a sad catastrophe befell the ,shuckburghs of ,shuckburgh ,hall4 ,it appears the ,bedfordshire ,militia were stationed near ,upper ,shuckburgh1 and the officers were in the habit of visiting the ,hall1 whose hospitable owner1 ,sir ,stewkley ,shuckburgh1 received them with every mark of cordiality4 ,his daughter1 then about twenty years of age1 was a young lady of no ordinary attractions1 and her fascinations soon produced their natural effect on one of the officers1 ,lieutenant ,sharp1 who became deeply attached to her4 ,but as soon as ,sir ,stewkley became aware of this love affair1 he gave it his decided disapproval4 ,lieutenant ,sharp was forbidden the house1 and ,miss ,shuckburgh resolved to smother her love in deference to her father's wishes4 ,it was accordingly decided between the young people that their intimacy should cease1 and that the letters which had passed between them should be returned4 ,an arrangement was1 therefore1 made that the lady should leave the packet for ,lieutenant ,sharp in the summer-house in the garden on a specified evening1 and that on the following morning she should find the packet intended for her in the same place4 ,the sad engagement was kept1 and having left her packet in the evening1 ,miss ,shuckburgh set out on the following morning to find her own4 ,a servant1 it is said1 who saw her in the garden1 was curious to know what could have brought her out at so early an hour4 ,he followed her unobserved1 and on drawing near to the summer-house1 he heard the voices of the lieutenant and of the lady in earnest dispute4 ,the officer was loud and impassioned1 the lady firm but unconsenting4 ,immediately was heard the report of a pistol1 and the fall of a body--another report and fall4 ,guessing the tragic truth1 the servant raised an alarm1 and the two lovers were found lying dead in their own blood4 ,it is generally supposed that this terrible act of self-destruction was the result of mutual agreement--the outcome of passion and despair4 ,since that hour1 writes ,howitt1 every object1 about the place which could suggest to the memory this fatal event1 has been changed or removed4 ,the summer-house has been razed to the ground2 the disposition of the garden itself altered2 but1 he adds1 such tragic passages in human life become part and parcel of the scene where they occur--they become the topic of the winter fireside4 ,they last while passions and affections1 youth and beauty last4 ,they fix themselves into the soil1 and the very rock on which it lies1 and though the house was razed from the spot1 and its park and pleasaunces turned into ploughed fields1 it would still be said for ages3 ,here stood ,shuckburgh ,hall1 and here fell the young and lovely ,miss ,shuckburgh by the hand of her despairing lover4 ,and to conclude with a romance in brief1 some forty or fifty years ago1 in the far north of ,england a girl was on the eve of being married4 ,her wedding dress was ordered1 the guests were bidden4 ,but1 it is said that at the eleventh hour1 in a fit of passion and paltry jealousy1 she resented some fancied want of devotion in her lover4 ,he was single-minded1 loyal1 and altogether of finer stuff than herself2 but she was a wretched slave to such old stock phrases as delicacy1 family pride1 and the like1 and so he was allowed to go1 for she came of people who looked upon unforgiveness as a virtue4 ,accordingly the discarded lover exchanged into a regiment under orders for ,afghanistan4 ,at the time1 our troops were engaged there in hot fighting4 ,the lad fell1 and hidden on his breast was found a locket which his sweetheart had once given him4 ,it came back to her through a brother officer1 who had known something of his sad story1 with a stain on it--a stain of his blood4 ,when that painful relic silently told her of the devotion which she had so unjustly and basely wronged1 there came1 in the familiar lines3 ,a mist and a weeping rain1 ,and life was never the same again4 ,that stain marked every day of a lonely life throughout forty years or more4 ,,footnotes3 #ef ,vicissitudes of ,families1 #ahfc1 ,,iii4 ,ser41 #bjb-bjc4 ,,index4 ,abbey ,vows1 ,the1 #ef-eh4 ,abingdon1 ,john1 ,secret ,room built by1 at ,hendlip ,hall1 #ia-ic4 ,abrams1 ,disappearance of a ,jew named1 #bea1 #beb4 ,accidents1 ,lucky1 #bgi-bhh4 ,adolphus1 ,gustavus1 ,burial of1 #bfb4 ,ainsworth and ,cuckfield ,place1 #ahj1 #aha4 ,alexander ,,iii41 ,banquet of1 #gc-ge4 ,alfred1 ,prince1 ,death of1 #gi1 #hj4 ,allan ,david1 the ,painter1 #bgi1 #bhj4 ,anne of ,austria1 ,heart of1 #bfb4 ,anne of ,burton ,agnes ,hall1 ,skull of1 #dj-dc4 ,antoinette1 ,m41 and the ,chevalier ,d',eon1 #bbj4 ,armscott ,manor1 ,secret ,room at1 #ie1 #if4 ,arrowsmith1 ,father1 ,hand of1 #aeh-afj4 ,arundell1 ,sir ,john1 #ab1 #ac4 ,aubrey's ,miscellanies1 #acb1 #acc4 ,awd ,nance of ,burton ,agnes ,hall1 #dj-dc4 ,baillie1 ,james1 #bij-bib4 ,baker1 ,sir ,richard1 #aaj-aab4 ,baker1 ,sir ,richard1 and the ,murder of ,edward ,,ii41 #hi4 ,baliol1 ,john1 ,the ,heart of1 #bef4 ,ballafletcher1 ,estate of1 #bja1 #bjb4 ,ballyshannon1 ,waterfall at1 #bgb4 ,bandini1 ,the ,sisters1 #acg-adj4 ,bank of ,england1 ,discovery in the ,vaults of the1 #bfd4 ,banquets1 ,strange1 #fi-hg4 ,banshee1 ,the1 #aic4 ,barcroft ,hall2 the ,idiot's ,curse1 #i1 #aj4 ,baring-,gould1 ,rev4 ,s41 ,story by1 #aef1 #aeg4 ,barn ,hall1 ,tradition of1 #afe1 #aff4 ,barritt1 ,thomas1 and the ,wardley ,hall ,skull1 #ci1 #dj4 ,baydoyle ,bank's ,tragedy1 ,the1 #aae4 ,bearded ,watt1 ,the1 #fh4 ,beauchamp1 ,lord1 ,ghost of1 #bge1 #bgf4 ,belgrade1 ,bombardment of1 ,vow made by the ,servians at1 #fh4 ,benedick1 ,vow of1 #ea4 ,berkeley ,castle1 ,walpole and1 #hh1 #hi4 ,bernard1 ,samuel1 ,address to the ,deil1 #agc4 ,bernshaw ,tower1 ,lady ,sybil of1 #afh-agj4 ,berry ,pomeroy ,castle1 ,spectre at1 #aig4 ,betsy1 the ,doctress 7,russell71 #bbb-bbd4 ,bettiscombe1 ,screaming ,skull at1 #bi-cb4 ,bisham ,abbey1 ,spirit of ,lady ,russell at1 #abb1 #abc4 ,bistmorton ,court1 ,secret ,room at1 #ig4 ,blackwell1 ,murder at1 #aad1 #aae ,blandy1 ,miss1 #bif1 #big4 ,blandy1 ,mr41 of ,henley1 ,poisoning of1 #bif1 #big ,blenkinsopp ,castle1 ,romantic ,story of1 #fj-fb4 ,blood ,stains1 ,indelible1 #aad-acd4 ,bloody ,baker1 #aaj-aab4 ,bloody ,chamber1 ,the1 #aah1 #aai ,bloody ,footstep1 ,legend of the1 #aae-aag4 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,vavasour1 ,mrs4 ,a41 and ,sir ,henry ,lee1 #dh4 ,venice1 ,statue at1 #fe1 #ff4 ,vernons of ,hanbury1 ,cecil1 ,earl of ,exeter1 and one of the1 #bag-bbj4 ,vienna1 ,the ,church of ,st4 ,charles1 #fe4 ,vincent1 ,family of1 at ,stoke d',abernon1 #ef4 ,voltaire1 ,vow in one of his ,romances1 #ea1 #eb4 ,vows1 ,eccentric1 #df-fh4 ,wakefield ,mills1 ,the1 #acj4 ,walpole and ,berkeley ,castle1 #hh1 #hi4 ,ward1 ,baron1 #bhd4 ,wardley ,hall1 ,skull at1 #cg-dj4 ,wealth1 ,romance of1 #bfc-bgh4 ,wedgwood1 ,josiah1 #bhj1 #bha4 ,weird ,possessions1 #aii-bjg4 ,wellington1 ,duke of1 ,strange belief on the occasion of his funeral1 #aih4 ,wells1 ,mother1 #bdj1 #bda4 ,wesley1 ,john1 and the game of whist1 #fg1 #fh4 ,westminster ,abbey1 ,hearts of ,illustrious ,personages at1 #bec4 ,whitehead1 ,paul1 ,the ,heart of1 #bei1 #bfj4 ,widow's ,curse1 ,the1 #b-e4 ,wilkinson1 ,tate1 #fg1 #fh4 ,wilks1 ,col41 ,heirloom in possession of1 #bja1 #bjb4 ,wills1 ,missing1 #bfg4 ,witches' ,horseblock1 ,the1 #afh-agj4 ,wordsworth's ,song at the ,feast of ,brougham ,castle1 #bbe-bbg4 ,wye ,coller ,hall1 ,room at1 #aje4 99 99 99 99 99 ,typos corrected in text3 ,page #ec3 ',jane' corrected to ',janet'4 ,page #adc3 'suddedly' corrected to 'suddenly'4 ,page #aij3 'fulful' corrected to 'fulfil'4 ,page #bai3 'accompany-' corrected to 'accompanying'4 ,page #bfi3 'various others localities' corrected to 'various other localities'4 ,page #bgi3 'playes' corrected to 'players'4 ,page #bha3 ',de ,sphoera' corrected to ',de ,sphra' ,on the basis of information found here3 www4hps4cam4ac4uk_/starry_/sacrobosco4ht ml4 ,page #bid3 'call' corrected to 'called'4 99 99 99 99 99