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| author | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 04:42:17 -0700 |
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| committer | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 04:42:17 -0700 |
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diff --git a/13515-h/13515-h.htm b/13515-h/13515-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2accb71 --- /dev/null +++ b/13515-h/13515-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,14808 @@ +<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> + +<!DOCTYPE html + PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd" > + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" lang="en"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=UTF-8" /> + <title>Bracebridge Hall, or The Humorists, by Washington Irving</title> + <meta content="pg2html (binary v0.17)" /> + <style type="text/css" xml:space="preserve"> + body { margin:5%; background:#faebd0; text-align:justify} + P { text-indent: 1em; margin-top: .75em; margin-bottom: .75em; } + H1,H2,H3,H4,H5,H6 { text-align: center; margin-left: 15%; margin-right: 15%; } + hr { width: 50%; text-align: center;} + .foot { margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 5%; text-align: justify; font-size: 80%; font-style: italic;} + blockquote {font-size: 97%; font-style: italic; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%;} + .mynote {background-color: #DDE; color: #000; padding: .5em; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 95%;} + .toc { margin-left: 10%; margin-bottom: .75em;} + .toc2 { margin-left: 20%;} + .xx-small {font-size: 60%;} + .x-small {font-size: 75%;} + .small {font-size: 85%;} + .large {font-size: 115%;} + .x-large {font-size: 130%;} + .indent5 { margin-left: 5%;} + .indent10 { margin-left: 10%;} + .indent15 { margin-left: 15%;} + .indent20 { margin-left: 20%;} + .indent25 { margin-left: 25%;} + .indent30 { margin-left: 30%;} + .indent35 { margin-left: 35%;} + .indent40 { margin-left: 40%;} + div.fig { display:block; margin:0 auto; text-align:center; } + div.middle { margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: justify; } + .figleft {float: left; margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 1%;} + .figright {float: right; margin-right: 0%; margin-left: 1%;} + .pagenum {position: absolute; right: 1%; font-size: 0.6em; + font-variant: normal; font-style: normal; + text-align: right; background-color: #FFFACD; + border: 1px solid; padding: 0.3em;text-indent: 0em;} + .side { float: left; font-size: 75%; width: 15%; padding-left: 0.8em; + border-left: dashed thin; text-align: left; + text-indent: 0; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; + font-weight: bold; color: black; background: #eeeeee; border: solid 1px;} + .head { float: left; font-size: 90%; width: 98%; padding-left: 0.8em; + border-left: dashed thin; text-align: center; + text-indent: 0; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; + font-weight: bold; color: black; background: #eeeeee; border: solid 1px;} + p.pfirst, p.noindent {text-indent: 0} + span.dropcap { float: left; margin: 0 0.1em 0 0; line-height: 0.8 } + pre { font-style: italic; font-size: 90%; margin-left: 10%;} +</style> + </head> + <body> +<div>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 13515 ***</div> + + <div style="height: 8em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h1> + BRACEBRIDGE HALL OR THE HUMORISTS + </h1> + <h2> + By Washington Irving + </h2> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <p> + <b>CONTENTS</b> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0001"> BRACEBRIDGE HALL; OR, THE HUMOURISTS </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0002"> THE AUTHOR. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0003"> THE HALL. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0004"> THE BUSY MAN. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0005"> FAMILY SERVANTS. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0006"> THE WIDOW. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0007"> THE LOVERS. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0008"> FAMILY RELIQUES. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0009"> AN OLD SOLDIER </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0010"> THE WIDOW’S RETINUE. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0011"> READY-MONEY JACK. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0012"> BACHELORS. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0013"> WIVES. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0014"> STORY TELLING. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0015"> THE STOUT GENTLEMAN. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0016"> FOREST TREES. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0017"> A LITERARY ANTIQUARY. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0018"> THE FARM-HOUSE. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0019"> HORSEMANSHIP. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0020"> LOVE SYMPTOMS. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0021"> FALCONRY. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0022"> HAWKING. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0023"> ST. MARK’S EVE. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0024"> GENTILITY. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0025"> FORTUNE-TELLING. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0026"> LOVE-CHARMS. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0027"> THE LIBRARY. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0028"> THE STUDENT OF SALAMANCA. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0029"> BRACEBRIDGE HALL; </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0030"> ENGLISH COUNTRY GENTLEMEN. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0031"> A BACHELOR’S CONFESSIONS. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0032"> ENGLISH GRAVITY. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0033"> GIPSIES. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0034"> MAY-DAY CUSTOMS. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0035"> VILLAGE WORTHIES. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0036"> THE SCHOOLMASTER. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0037"> THE SCHOOL. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0038"> A VILLAGE POLITICIAN. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0039"> THE ROOKERY. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0040"> MAY-DAY. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0041"> THE MANUSCRIPT. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0042"> ANNETTE DELARBRE. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0043"> TRAVELLING. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0044"> POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0045"> THE CULPRIT. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0046"> FAMILY MISFORTUNES. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0047"> LOVERS’ TROUBLES. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0048"> THE HISTORIAN. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0049"> THE HAUNTED HOUSE. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0050"> DOLPH HEYLIGER. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0051"> THE STORM-SHIP. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0052"> THE WEDDING. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0053"> THE AUTHOR’S FAREWELL. </a> + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0001" id="link2H_4_0001"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + BRACEBRIDGE HALL; OR, THE HUMOURISTS + </h2> + <h3> + A MEDLEY. + </h3> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Under this cloud I walk, Gentlemen; pardon my rude assault. I am a + traveller who, having surveyed most of the terrestrial angles of + this globe, am hither arrived, to peruse this little spot. + + —CHRISTMAS ORDINARY. +</pre> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0002" id="link2H_4_0002"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + THE AUTHOR. + </h2> + <h3> + WORTHY READER! + </h3> + <p> + On again taking pen in hand, I would fain make a few observations at the + outset, by way of bespeaking a right understanding. The volumes which I + have already published have met with a reception far beyond my most + sanguine expectations. I would willingly attribute this to their intrinsic + merits; but, in spite of the vanity of authorship, I cannot but be + sensible that their success has, in a great measure, been owing to a less + flattering cause. It has been a matter of marvel, to my European readers, + that a man from the wilds of America should express himself in tolerable + English. I was looked upon as something new and strange in literature; a + kind of demi-savage, with a feather in his hand, instead of on his head; + and there was a curiosity to hear what such a being had to say about + civilized society. + </p> + <p> + This novelty is now at an end, and of course the feeling of indulgence + which it produced. I must now expect to bear the scrutiny of sterner + criticism, and to be measured by the same standard with contemporary + writers; and the very favor which has been shown to my previous writings, + will cause these to be treated with the greater rigour; as there is + nothing for which the world is apt to punish a man more severely, than for + having been over-praised. On this head, therefore, I wish to forestall the + censoriousness of the reader; and I entreat he will not think the worse of + me for the many injudicious things that may have been said in my + commendation. + </p> + <p> + I am aware that I often travel over beaten ground, and treat of subjects + that have already been discussed by abler pens. Indeed, various authors + have been mentioned as my models, to whom I should feel flattered if I + thought I bore the slightest resemblance; but in truth I write after no + model that I am conscious of, and I write with no idea of imitation or + competition. In venturing occasionally on topics that have already been + almost exhausted by English authors, I do it, not with the presumption of + challenging a comparison, but with the hope that some new interest may be + given to such topics, when discussed by the pen of a stranger. + </p> + <p> + If, therefore, I should sometimes be found dwelling with fondness on + subjects that are trite and commonplace with the reader, I beg that the + circumstances under which I write may be kept in recollection. Having been + born and brought up in a new country, yet educated from infancy in the + literature of an old one, my mind was early filled with historical and + poetical associations, connected with places, and manners, and customs of + Europe; but which could rarely be applied to those of my own country. To a + mind thus peculiarly prepared, the most ordinary objects and scenes, on + arriving in Europe, are full of strange matter and interesting novelty. + England is as classic ground to an American as Italy is to an Englishman; + and old London teems with as much historical association as mighty Rome. + </p> + <p> + Indeed, it is difficult to describe the whimsical medley of ideas that + throng upon his mind, on landing among English scenes. He, for the first + time, sees a world about which he has been reading and thinking in every + stage of his existence. The recollected ideas of infancy, youth, and + manhood; of the nursery, the school, and the study, come swarming at once + upon him; and his attention is distracted between great and little + objects; each of which, perhaps, awakens an equally delightful train of + remembrances. + </p> + <p> + But what more especially attracts his notice, are those peculiarities + which distinguish an old country and an old state of society from a new + one. I have never yet grown familiar enough with the crumbling monuments + of past ages, to blunt the intense interest with which I at first beheld + them. Accustomed always to scenes where history was, in a manner, in + anticipation; where every thing in art was new and progressive, and + pointed to the future rather than to the past; where, in short, the works + of man gave no ideas but those of young existence, and prospective + improvement; there was something inexpressibly touching in the sight of + enormous piles of architecture, gray with antiquity, and sinking + into-decay. I cannot describe the mute but deep-felt enthusiasm with which + I have contemplated a vast monastic ruin, like Tintern Abbey, buried in + the bosom of a quiet valley, and shut up from the world, as though it had + existed merely for itself; or a warrior pile, like Conway Castle, standing + in stern loneliness on its rocky height, a mere hollow yet threatening + phantom of departed power. They spread a grand, and melancholy, and, to + me, an unusual charm over the landscape; I, for the first time, beheld + signs of national old age, and empire’s decay, and proofs of the transient + and perishing glories of art, amidst the ever-springing and reviving + fertility of nature. + </p> + <p> + But, in fact, to me every thing was full of matter; the footsteps of + history were every where to be traced; and poetry had breathed over and + sanctified the land. I experienced the delightful freshness of feeling of + a child, to whom every thing is new. I pictured to myself a set of + inhabitants and a mode of life for every habitation that I saw, from the + aristocratical mansion, amidst the lordly repose of stately groves and + solitary parts, to the straw-thatched cottage, with its scanty garden and + its cherished woodbine. I thought I never could be sated with the + sweetness and freshness of a country so completely carpeted with verdure; + where every air breathed of the balmy pasture, and the honey-suckled + hedge. I was continually coming upon some little document of poetry, in + the blossomed hawthorn, the daisy, the cowslip, the primrose, or some + other simple object that has received a supernatural value from the muse. + The first time that I heard the song of the nightingale, I was intoxicated + more by the delicious crowd of remembered associations than by the melody + of its notes; and I shall never forget the thrill of ecstasy with which I + first saw the lark rise, almost from beneath my feet, and wing its musical + flight up into the morning sky. + </p> + <p> + In this way I traversed England, a grown-up child, delighted by every + object, great and small; and betraying a wondering ignorance, and simple + enjoyment, that provoked many a stare and a smile from my wiser and more + experienced fellow-travellers. Such too was the odd confusion of + associations that kept breaking upon me, as I first approached London. One + of my earliest wishes had been to see this great metropolis. I had read so + much about it in the earliest books that had been put into my infant + hands; and I had heard so much about it from those around me who had come + from the “old countries.” I was familiar with the names of its streets, + and squares, and public places, before I knew those of my native city. It + was, to me, the great centre of the world, round which every thing seemed + to revolve. I recollect contemplating so wistfully, when a boy, a paltry + little print of the Thames, and London Bridge, and St. Paul’s, that was in + front of an old magazine; and a picture of Kensington Gardens, with + gentlemen in three-cornered hats and broad skirts, and ladies in hoops and + lappets, that hung up in my bed-room; even the venerable cut of St. John’s + Gate, that has stood, time out of mind, in front of the Gentleman’s + Magazine, was not without its charms to me; and I envied the odd-looking + little men that appeared to be loitering about its arches. + </p> + <p> + How then did my heart warm when the towers of Westminster Abbey were + pointed out to me, rising above the rich groves of St. James’s Park, with + a thin blue haze about their gray pinnacles! I could not behold this great + mausoleum of what is most illustrious in our paternal history, without + feeling my enthusiasm in a glow. With what eagerness did I explore every + part of the metropolis! I was not content with those matters which occupy + the dignified research of the learned traveller; I delighted to call up + all the feelings of childhood, and to seek after those objects which had + been the wonders of my infancy. London Bridge, so famous in nursery songs; + the far-famed Monument; Gog and Magog, and the Lions in the Tower, all + brought back many a recollection of infantile delight, and of good old + beings, now no more, who had gossiped about them to my wondering ear. Nor + was it without a recurrence of childish interest, that I first peeped into + Mr. Newberry’s shop, in St. Paul’s Church-yard, that fountain-head of + literature. Mr. Newberry was the first that ever filled my infant mind + with the idea of a great and good man. He published all the picture-books + of the day; and, out of his abundant love for children, he charged + “nothing for either paper or print, and only a penny-halfpenny for the + binding!” + </p> + <p> + I have mentioned these circumstances, worthy reader, to show you the + whimsical crowd of associations that are apt to beset my mind on mingling + among English scenes. I hope they may, in some measure, plead my apology, + should I be found harping upon stale and trivial themes, or indulging an + over-fondness for any thing antique and obsolete. I know it is the humour, + not to say cant of the day, to run riot about old times, old books, old + customs, and old buildings; with myself, however, as far as I have caught + the contagion, the feeling is genuine. To a man from a young country, all + old things are in a manner new; and he may surely be excused in being a + little curious about antiquities, whose native land, unfortunately, cannot + boast of a single ruin. + </p> + <p> + Having been brought up, also, in the comparative simplicity of a republic, + I am apt to be struck with even the ordinary circumstances incident to an + aristocratical state of society. If, however, I should at any time amuse + myself by pointing out some of the eccentricities, and some of the + poetical characteristics of the latter, I would not be understood as + pretending to decide upon its political merits. My only aim is to paint + characters and manners. I am no politician. The more I have considered the + study of politics, the more I have found it full of perplexity; and I have + contented myself, as I have in my religion, with the faith in which I was + brought up, regulating my own conduct by its precepts; but leaving to + abler heads the task of making converts. + </p> + <p> + I shall continue on, therefore, in the course I have hitherto pursued; + looking at things poetically, rather than politically; describing them as + they are, rather than pretending to point out how they should be; and + endeavouring to see the world in as pleasant a light as circumstances will + permit. + </p> + <p> + I have always had an opinion that much good might be done by keeping + mankind in good-humour with one another. I may be wrong in my philosophy, + but I shall continue to practise it until convinced of its fallacy. When I + discover the world to be all that it has been represented by sneering + cynics and whining poets, I will turn to and abuse it also; in the + meanwhile, worthy reader, I hope you will not think lightly of me, because + I cannot believe this to be so very bad a world as it is represented. + </p> + <p> + Thine truly, + </p> + <h3> + GEOFFREY CRAYON. + </h3> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0003" id="link2H_4_0003"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + THE HALL. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + The ancient house, and the best for housekeeping in this county or + the next; and though the master of it write but squire, I know no + lord like him. + —<i>Merry Beggars</i>. +</pre> + <p> + The reader, if he has perused the volumes of the Sketch-Book, will + probably recollect something of the Bracebridge family, with which I once + passed a Christmas. I am now on another visit to the Hall, having been + invited to a wedding which is shortly to take place. The Squire’s second + son, Guy, a fine, spirited young captain in the army, is about to be + married to his father’s ward, the fair Julia Templeton. A gathering of + relations and friends has already commenced, to celebrate the joyful + occasion; for the old gentleman is an enemy to quiet, private weddings. + “There is nothing,” he says, “like launching a young couple gayly, and + cheering them from the shore; a good outset is half the voyage.” + </p> + <p> + Before proceeding any farther, I would beg that the Squire might not be + confounded with that class of hard-riding, foxhunting gentlemen so often + described, and, in fact, so nearly extinct in England. I use this rural + title partly because it is his universal appellation throughout the + neighbourhood, and partly because it saves me the frequent repetition of + his name, which is one of those rough old English names at which Frenchmen + exclaim in despair. + </p> + <p> + The Squire is, in fact, a lingering specimen of the old English country + gentleman; rusticated a little by living almost entirely on his estate, + and something of a humourist, as Englishmen are apt to become when they + have an opportunity of living in their own way. I like his hobby passing + well, however, which is, a bigoted devotion to old English manners and + customs; it jumps a little with my own humor, having as yet a lively and + unsated curiosity about the ancient and genuine characteristics of my + “father land.” + </p> + <p> + There are some traits about the Squire’s family, also, which appear to me + to be national. It is one of those old aristocratical families, which, I + believe, are peculiar to England, and scarcely understood in other + countries; that is to say, families of the ancient gentry, who, though + destitute of titled rank, maintain a high ancestral pride; who look down + upon all nobility of recent creation, and would consider it a sacrifice of + dignity to merge the venerable name of their house in a modern title. + </p> + <p> + This feeling is very much fostered by the importance which they enjoy on + their hereditary domains. The family mansion is an old manor-house, + standing in a retired and beautiful part of Yorkshire. Its inhabitants + have been always regarded, through the surrounding country, as “the great + ones of the earth;” and the little village near the Hall looks up to the + Squire with almost feudal homage. An old manor-house, and an old family of + this kind, are rarely to be met with at the present day; and it is + probably the peculiar humour of the Squire that has retained this secluded + specimen of English housekeeping in something like the genuine old style. + </p> + <p> + I am again quartered in the panelled chamber, in the antique wing of the + house. The prospect from the window, however, has quite a different aspect + from that which it wore on my winter visit. Though early in the month of + April, yet a few warm, sunshiny days have drawn forth the beauties of the + spring, which, I think, are always most captivating on their first + opening. The parterres of the old-fashioned garden are gay with flowers; + and the gardener has brought out his exotics, and placed them along the + stone balustrades. The trees are clothed with green buds and tender + leaves. When I throw open my jingling casement, I smell the odour of + mignonette, and hear the hum of the bees from the flowers against the + sunny wall, with the varied song of the throstle, and the cheerful notes + of the tuneful little wren. + </p> + <p> + While sojourning in this strong-hold of old fashions, it is my intention + to make occasional sketches of the scenes and characters before me. I + would have it understood, however, that I am not writing a novel, and have + nothing of intricate plot, or marvellous adventure, to promise the reader. + The Hall of which I treat, has, for aught I know, neither trap-door, nor + sliding-panel, nor donjon-keep; and indeed appears to have no mystery + about it. The family is a worthy, well-meaning family, that, in all + probability, will eat and drink, and go to bed, and get up regularly, from + one end of my work to the other; and the Squire is so kind-hearted an old + gentleman, that I see no likelihood of his throwing any kind of distress + in the way of the approaching nuptials. In a word, I cannot foresee a + single extraordinary event that is likely to occur in the whole term of my + sojourn at the Hall. + </p> + <p> + I tell this honestly to the reader, lest, when he finds me dallying along, + through every-day English scenes, he may hurry ahead, in hopes of meeting + with some marvellous adventure further on. I invite him, on the contrary, + to ramble gently on with me, as he would saunter out into the fields, + stopping occasionally to gather a flower, or listen to a bird, or admire a + prospect, without any anxiety to arrive at the end of his career. Should + I, however, in the course of my loiterings about this old mansion, see or + hear anything curious, that might serve to vary the monotony of this + every-day life, I shall not fail to report it for the reader’s + entertainment: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + For freshest wits I know will soon be wearie + Of any book, how grave so e’er it be, + Except it have odd matter, strange and merrie, + Well sauc’d with lies and glared all with glee.<a href="#linknote-1" + name="linknoteref-1" id="linknoteref-1">1</a> +</pre> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="linknote-1" id="linknote-1"> Note--></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 1 (<a href="#linknoteref-1">return</a>)<br /> [ <i>Mirror for Magistrates</i>.] + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0004" id="link2H_4_0004"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + THE BUSY MAN. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + A decayed gentleman, who lives most upon his own mirth and my + master’s means, and much good do him with it. He does hold my + master up with his stories, and songs, and catches, and such tricks + and jigs, you would admire—he is with him now. + + —<i>Jovial Crew</i>. +</pre> + <p> + By no one has my return to the Hall been more heartily greeted than by Mr. + Simon Bracebridge, or Master Simon, as the Squire most commonly calls him. + I encountered him just as I entered the park, where he was breaking a + pointer, and he received me with all the hospitable cordiality with which + a man welcomes a friend to another one’s house. I have already introduced + him to the reader as a brisk old bachelor-looking little man; the wit and + superannuated beau of a large family connection, and the Squire’s + factotum. I found him, as usual, full of bustle; with a thousand petty + things to do, and persons to attend to, and in chirping good-humour; for + there are few happier beings than a busy idler; that is to say, a man who + is eternally busy about nothing. + </p> + <p> + I visited him, the morning after my arrival, in his chamber, which is in a + remote corner of the mansion, as he says he likes to be to himself, and + out of the way. He has fitted it up in his own taste, so that it is a + perfect epitome of an old bachelor’s notions of convenience and + arrangement. The furniture is made up of odd pieces from all parts of the + house, chosen on account of their suiting his notions, or fitting some + corner of his apartment; and he is very eloquent in praise of an ancient + elbow-chair, from which he takes occasion to digress into a censure on + modern chairs, as having degenerated from the dignity and comfort of + high-backed antiquity. + </p> + <p> + Adjoining to his room is a small cabinet, which he calls his study. Here + are some hanging shelves, of his own construction, on which are several + old works on hawking, hunting, and farriery, and a collection or two of + poems and songs of the reign of Elizabeth, which he studies out of + compliment to the Squire; together with the Novelist’s Magazine, the + Sporting Magazine; the Racing Calendar, a volume or two of the Newgate + Calendar, a book of peerage, and another of heraldry. + </p> + <p> + His sporting dresses hang on pegs in a small closet; and about the walls + of his apartment are hooks to hold his fishing-tackle, whips, spurs, and a + favourite fowling-piece, curiously wrought and inlaid, which he inherits + from his grandfather. He has, also, a couple of old single-keyed flutes, + and a fiddle which he has repeatedly patched and mended himself, affirming + it to be a veritable Cremona, though I have never heard him extract a + single note from it that was not enough to make one’s blood run cold. + </p> + <p> + From this little nest his fiddle will often be heard, in the stillness of + mid-day, drowsily sawing some long-forgotten tune; for he prides himself + on having a choice collection of good old English music, and will scarcely + have any thing to do with modern composers. The time, however, at which + his musical powers are of most use, is now and then of an evening, when he + plays for the children to dance in the hall, and he passes among them and + the servants for a perfect Orpheus. + </p> + <p> + His chamber also bears evidence of his various avocations: there are + half-copied sheets of music; designs for needle-work; sketches of + landscapes, very indifferently executed; a camera lucida; a magic lantern, + for which he is endeavoring to paint glasses; in a word, it is the cabinet + of a man of many accomplishments, who knows a little of everything, and + does nothing well. + </p> + <p> + After I had spent some time in his apartment, admiring the ingenuity of + his small inventions, he took me about the establishment, to visit the + stables, dog-kennel, and other dependencies, in which he appeared like a + general visiting the different quarters of his camp; as the Squire leaves + the control of all these matters to him, when he is at the Hall. He + inquired into the state of the horses; examined their feet; prescribed a + drench for one, and bleeding for another; and then took me to look at his + own horse, on the merits of which he dwelt with great prolixity, and + which, I noticed, had the best stall in the stable. + </p> + <p> + After this I was taken to a new toy of his and the Squire’s, which he + termed the falconry, where there were several unhappy birds in durance, + completing their education. Among the number was a fine falcon, which + Master Simon had in especial training, and he told me that he would show + me, in a few days, some rare sport of the good old-fashioned kind. In the + course of our round, I noticed that the grooms, game-keeper, whippers-in, + and other retainers, seemed all to be on somewhat of a familiar footing + with Master Simon, and fond of having a joke with him, though it was + evident they had great deference for his opinion in matters relating to + their functions. + </p> + <p> + There was one exception, however, in a testy old huntsman, as hot as a + pepper-corn; a meagre, wiry old fellow, in a threadbare velvet jockey cap, + and a pair of leather breeches, that, from much wear, shone, as though + they had been japanned. He was very contradictory and pragmatical, and + apt, as I thought, to differ from Master Simon now and then, out of mere + captiousness. This was particularly the case with respect to the treatment + of the hawk, which the old man seemed to have under his peculiar care, + and, according to Master Simon, was in a fair way to ruin: the latter had + a vast deal to say about <i>casting</i>, and <i>imping</i>, and <i>gleaming</i>, + and <i>enseaming</i>, and giving the hawk the <i>rangle</i>, which I saw + was all heathen Greek to old Christy; but he maintained his point + notwithstanding, and seemed to hold all this technical lore in utter + disrespect. + </p> + <p> + I was surprised with the good-humour with which Master Simon bore his + contradictions, till he explained the matter tom e afterwards. Old Christy + is the most ancient servant in the place, having lived among dogs and + horses the greater part of a century, and been in the service of Mr. + Bracebridge’s father. He knows the pedigree of every horse on the place, + and has bestrode the great-great-grandsires of most of them. He can give a + circumstantial detail of every fox-hunt for the last sixty or seventy + years, and has a history for every stag’s head about the house, and every + hunting trophy nailed to the door of the dog-kennel. + </p> + <p> + All the present race have grown up under his eye, and humour him in his + old age. He once attended the Squire to Oxford, when he was a student + there, and enlightened the whole university with his hunting lore. All + this is enough to make the old man opinionated, since he finds, on all + these matters of first-rate importance, he knows more than the rest of the + world. Indeed, Master Simon had been his pupil, and acknowledges that he + derived his first knowledge in hunting from the instructions of Christy: + and I much question whether the old man does not still look upon him + rather as a greenhorn. + </p> + <p> + On our return homewards, as we were crossing the lawn in front of the + house, we heard the porter’s bell ring at the lodge, and shortly + afterwards, a kind of cavalcade advanced slowly up the avenue. At sight of + it my companion paused, considered it for a moment, and then, making a + sudden exclamation, hurried away to meet it. As it approached, I + discovered a fair, fresh-looking elderly lady, dressed in an old-fashioned + riding-habit, with a broad-brimmed white beaver hat, such as may be seen + in Sir Joshua Reynolds’ paintings. She rode a sleek white pony, and was + followed by a footman in rich livery, mounted on an over-fed hunter. At a + little distance in the rear came an ancient cumbrous chariot, drawn by two + very corpulent horses, driven by as corpulent a coachman, beside whom sat + a page dressed in a fanciful green livery. Inside of the chariot was a + starched prim personage, with a look somewhat between a lady’s companion + and a lady’s maid; and two pampered curs, that showed their ugly faces, + and barked out of each window. + </p> + <p> + There was a general turning out of the garrison, to receive this new + comer. The Squire assisted her to alight, and saluted her affectionately; + the fair Julia flew into her arms, and they embraced with the romantic + fervour of boarding-school friends: she was escorted into the house by + Julia’s lover, towards whom she showed distinguished favour; and a line of + the old servants, who had collected in the Hall, bowed most profoundly as + she passed. + </p> + <p> + I observed that Master Simon was most assiduous and devout in his + attentions upon this old lady. He walked by the side of her pony, up the + avenue; and, while she was receiving the salutations of the rest of the + family, he took occasion to notice the fat coachman; to pat the sleek + carriage horses, and, above all, to say a civil word to my lady’s + gentlewoman, the prim, sour-looking vestal in the chariot. + </p> + <p> + I had no more of his company for the rest of the morning. He was swept off + in the vortex that followed in the wake of this lady. Once indeed he + paused for a moment, as he was hurrying on some errand of the good lady’s, + to let me know that this was Lady Lillycraft, a sister of the Squire’s, of + large fortune, which the captain would inherit, and that her estate lay in + one of the best sporting counties in all England. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0005" id="link2H_4_0005"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + FAMILY SERVANTS. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Verily old servants are the vouchers of worthy housekeeping. They + are like rats in a mansion, or mites in a cheese, bespeaking the + antiquity and fatness of their abode. +</pre> + <p> + In my casual anecdotes of the Hall, I may often he tempted to dwell on + circumstances of a trite and ordinary nature, from their appearing to me + illustrative of genuine national character. It seems to be the study of + the Squire to adhere, as much as possible, to what he considers the old + landmarks of English manners. His servants all understand his ways, and + for the most part have been accustomed to them from infancy; so that, upon + the whole, his household presents one of the few tolerable specimens that + can now be met with, of the establishment of an English country gentleman + of the old school. + </p> + <p> + By the by, the servants are not the least characteristic part of the + household: the housekeeper, for instance, has been born and brought up at + the Hall, and has never been twenty miles from it; yet she has a stately + air, that would not disgrace a lady that had figured at the court of Queen + Elizabeth. + </p> + <p> + I am half inclined to think that she has caught it from living so much + among the old family pictures. It may, however, be owing to a + consciousness of her importance in the sphere in which she has always + moved; for she is greatly respected in the neighbouring village, and among + the farmers’ wives, and has high authority in the household, ruling over + the servants with quiet, but undisputed sway. + </p> + <p> + She is a thin old lady, with blue eyes and pointed nose and chin. Her + dress is always the same as to fashion. She wears a small, well-starched + ruff, a laced stomacher, full petticoats, and a gown festooned and open in + front, which, on particular occasions, is of ancient silk, the legacy of + some former dame of the family, or an inheritance from her mother, who was + housekeeper before her. I have a reverence for these old garments, as I + make no doubt they have figured about these apartments in days long past, + when they have set off the charms of some peerless family beauty; and I + have sometimes looked from the old housekeeper to the neighbouring + portraits, to see whether I could not recognize her antiquated brocade in + the dress of some one of those long-waisted dames that smile on me from + the walls. + </p> + <p> + Her hair, which is quite white, is frizzed out in front, and she wears + over it a small cap, nicely plaited, and brought down under the chin. Her + manners are simple and primitive, heightened a little by a proper dignity + of station. + </p> + <p> + The Hall is her world, and the history of the family the only history she + knows, excepting that which she has read in the Bible. She can give a + biography of every portrait in the picture gallery, and is a complete + family chronicle. + </p> + <p> + She is treated with great consideration by the Squire. Indeed, Master + Simon tells me that there is a traditional anecdote current among the + servants, of the Squire’s having been seen kissing her in the picture + gallery, when they were both young. As, however, nothing further was ever + noticed between them, the circumstance caused no great scandal; only she + was observed to take to reading Pamela shortly afterwards, and refused the + hand of the village inn-keeper, whom she had previously smiled on. + </p> + <p> + The old butler, who was formerly footman, and a rejected admirer of hers, + used to tell the anecdote now and then, at those little cabals that will + occasionally take place among the most orderly servants, arising from the + common propensity of the governed to talk against administration; but he + has left it off, of late years, since he has risen into place, and shakes + his head rebukingly when it is mentioned. + </p> + <p> + It is certain that the old lady will, to this day, dwell on the looks of + the Squire when he was a young man at college; and she maintains that none + of his sons can compare with their father when he was of their age, and + was dressed out in his full suit of scarlet, with his hair craped and + powdered, and his three-cornered hat. + </p> + <p> + She has an orphan niece, a pretty, soft-hearted baggage, named Phoebe + Wilkins, who has been transplanted to the Hall within a year or two, and + been nearly spoiled for any condition of life. She is a kind of attendant + and companion of the fair Julia’s; and from loitering about the young + lady’s apartments, reading scraps of novels, and inheriting second-hand + finery, has become something between a waiting-maid and a slipshod fine + lady. + </p> + <p> + She is considered a kind of heiress among the servants, as she will + inherit all her aunt’s property; which, if report be true, must be a round + sum of good golden guineas, the accumulated wealth of two housekeepers’ + savings; not to mention the hereditary wardrobe, and the many little + valuables and knick-knacks, treasured up in the housekeepers’ room. + Indeed, the old housekeeper has the reputation, among the servants and the + villagers, of being passing rich; and there is a japanned chest of + drawers, and a large iron-bound coffer in her room, which are supposed, by + the house-maids, to hold treasures of wealth. + </p> + <p> + The old lady is a great friend of Master Simon, who, indeed, pays a little + court to her, as to a person high in authority; and they have many + discussions on points of family history, in which, notwithstanding his + extensive information, and pride of knowledge, he commonly admits her + superior accuracy. He seldom returns to the Hall, after one of his visits + to the other branches of the family, without bringing Mrs. Wilkins some + remembrance from the ladies of the house where he has been staying. + </p> + <p> + Indeed, all the children of the house look up to the old lady with + habitual respect and attachment, and she seems almost to consider them as + her own, from their having grown up under her eye. The Oxonian, however, + is her favourite, probably from, being the youngest, though he is the most + mischievous, and has been apt to play tricks upon her from boyhood. + </p> + <p> + I cannot help mentioning one little ceremony, which, I believe, is + peculiar to the Hall. After the cloth is removed at dinner, the old + housekeeper sails into the room and stands behind the Squire’s chair, when + he fills her a glass of wine with his own hands, in which she drinks the + health of the company in a truly respectful yet dignified manner, and then + retires. The Squire received the custom from his father, and has always + continued it. + </p> + <p> + There is a peculiar character about the servants of old English families + that reside principally in the country. They have a quiet, orderly, + respectful mode of doing their duties. They are always neat in their + persons, and appropriately, and if I may use the phrase, technically + dressed; they move about the house without hurry or noise; there is + nothing of the bustle of employment, or the voice of command; nothing of + that obtrusive housewifery that amounts to a torment. You are not + persecuted by the process of making you comfortable; yet every thing is + done, and is done well. The work of the house is performed as if by magic, + but it is the magic of system. Nothing is done by fits and starts, nor at + awkward seasons; the whole goes on like well-oiled clock-work, where there + is no noise nor jarring in its operations. + </p> + <p> + English servants, in general, are not treated with great indulgence, nor + rewarded by many commendations; for the English are laconic and reserved + toward their domestics; but an approving nod and a kind word from master + or mistress, goes as far here, as an excess of praise or indulgence + elsewhere. Neither do servants often exhibit any animated marks of + affection to their employers; yet, though quiet, they are strong in their + attachments; and the reciprocal regard of masters and servants, though not + ardently expressed, is powerful and lasting in old English families. + </p> + <p> + The title of “an old family servant” carries with it a thousand kind + associations, in all parts of the world; and there is no claim upon the + home-bred charities of the heart more irresistible than that of having + been “born in the house.” It is common to see gray-headed domestics of + this kind attached to an English family of the “old school,” who continue + in it to the day of their death, in the enjoyment of steady, unaffected + kindness, and the performance of faithful, unofficious duty. I think such + instances of attachment speak well for both master and servant, and the + frequency of them speaks well for national character. + </p> + <p> + These observations, however, hold good only with families of the + description I have mentioned; and with such as are somewhat retired, and + pass the greater part of their time in the country. + </p> + <p> + As to the powdered menials that throng the halls of fashionable town + residences, they equally reflect the character of the establishments to + which they belong; and I know no more complete epitomes of dissolute + heartlessness and pampered inutility. + </p> + <p> + But, the good “old family servant!”—the one who has always been + linked, in idea, with the home of our heart; who has led us to school in + the days of prattling childhood; who has been the confidant of our boyish + cares, and schemes, and enterprises; who has hailed us as we came home at + vacations, and been the promoter of all our holiday sports; who, when we, + in wandering manhood, have left the paternal roof, and only return thither + at intervals—will welcome us with a, joy inferior only to that of + our parents; who, now grown gray and infirm with age, still totters about + the house of our fathers, in fond and faithful servitude; who claims us, + in a manner, as his own; and hastens with querulous eagerness to + anticipate his fellow-domestics in waiting upon us at table; and who, when + we retire at night to the chamber that still goes by our name, will linger + about the room to have one more kind look, and one more pleasant word + about times that are past—who does not experience towards such a + being a feeling of almost filial affection? + </p> + <p> + I have met with several instances of epitaphs on the gravestones of such + valuable domestics, recorded with the simple truth of natural feeling. I + have two before me at this moment; one copied from a tombstone of a + church-yard in Warwickshire: + </p> + <p> + “Here lieth the body of Joseph Batte, confidential servant to George + Birch, Esq., of Hamstead Hall. His grateful friend and master caused this + inscription to be written in memory of his discretion, fidelity, + diligence, and continence. He died (a bachelor) aged 84, having lived 44 + years in the same family.” + </p> + <p> + The other was taken from a tombstone in Eltham churchyard: + </p> + <p> + “Here lie the remains of Mr. James Tappy, who departed this life on the + 8th of September, 1818, aged 84, after a faithful service of 60 years in + one family; by each individual of which he lived respected, and died + lamented by the sole survivor.” + </p> + <p> + Few monuments, even of the illustrious, have given me the glow about the + heart that I felt while copying this honest epitaph in the church-yard of + Eltham. I sympathized with this “sole survivor” of a family mourning over + the grave of the faithful follower of his race, who had been, no doubt, a + living memento of times and friends that had passed away; and in + considering this record of long and devoted service, I called to mind the + touching speech of Old Adam, in “As You Like It,” when tottering after the + youthful son of his ancient master: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + “Master, go on, and I will follow thee + To the last gasp, with love and loyalty!” + </pre> + <p> + [NOTE.—I cannot but mention a tablet which I have seen somewhere in + the chapel of Windsor Castle, put up by the late king to the memory of a + family servant, who had been a faithful attendant of his lamented + daughter, the Princess Amelia. George III. possessed much of the strong + domestic feeling of the old English country gentleman; and it is an + incident curious in monumental history, and creditable to the human heart, + a monarch erecting a monument in honour of the humble virtues of a + menial.] + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0006" id="link2H_4_0006"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + THE WIDOW. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + She was so charitable and pitious + She would weep if that she saw a mous + Caught in a trap, if it were dead or Wed: + Of small hounds had she, that she fed + With rost flesh, milke, and wastel bread, + But sore wept she if any of them were dead, + Or if man smote them with a yard smart. + + —CHAUCER. +</pre> + <p> + Notwithstanding the whimsical parade made by Lady Lillycraft on her + arrival, she has none of the petty stateliness that I had imagined; but, + on the contrary, she has a degree of nature and simple-heartedness, if I + may use the phrase, that mingles well with her old-fashioned manners and + harmless ostentation. She dresses in rich silks, with long waist; she + rouges considerably, and her hair, which is nearly white, is frizzed out, + and put up with pins. Her face is pitted with the small-pox, but the + delicacy of her features shows that she may once have been beautiful; and + she has a very fair and well-shaped hand and arm, of which, if I mistake + not, the good lady is still a little vain. + </p> + <p> + I have had the curiosity to gather a few particulars concerning her. She + was a great belle in town, between thirty and forty years since, and + reigned for two seasons with all the insolence of beauty, refusing several + excellent offers; when, unfortunately, she was robbed of her charms and + her lovers by an attack of the small-pox. She retired immediately into the + country, where she some time after inherited an estate, and married a + baronet, a former admirer, whose passion had suddenly revived; “having,” + as he said, “always loved her mind rather than her person.” + </p> + <p> + The baronet did not enjoy her mind and fortune above six months, and had + scarcely grown very tired of her, when he broke his neck in a fox-chase, + and left her free, rich, and disconsolate. She has remained on her estate + in the country ever since, and has never shown any desire to return to + town, and revisit the scene of her early triumphs and fatal malady. All + her favourite recollections, however, revert to that short period of her + youthful beauty. She has no idea of town but as it was at that time; and + continually forgets that the place and people must have changed materially + in the course of nearly half a century. She will often speak of the toasts + of those days as if still reigning; and, until very recently, used to talk + with delight of the royal family, and the beauty of the young princes and + princesses. She cannot be brought to think of the present king otherwise + than as an elegant young man, rather wild, but who danced a minuet + divinely; and before he came to the crown, would often mention him as the + “sweet young prince.” + </p> + <p> + She talks also of the walks in Kensington Garden, where the gentlemen + appeared in gold-laced coats, and cocked hats, and the ladies in hoops, + and swept so proudly along the grassy avenues; and she thinks the ladies + let themselves sadly down in their dignity, when they gave up cushioned + head-dresses, and high-heeled shoes. She has much to say too of the + officers who were in the train of her admirers; and speaks familiarly of + many wild young blades, that are now, perhaps, hobbling about + watering-places with crutches and gouty shoes. + </p> + <p> + Whether the taste the good lady had of matrimony discouraged her or not, I + cannot say; but though her merits and her riches have attracted many + suitors, she has never been tempted to venture again into the happy state. + This is singular, too, for she seems of a most soft and susceptible heart; + is always talking of love and connubial felicity, and is a great stickler + for old-fashioned gallantry, devoted attentions, and eternal constancy, on + the part of the gentlemen. She lives, however, after her own taste. Her + house, I am told, must have been built and furnished about the time of Sir + Charles Grandison: every thing about it is somewhat formal and stately; + but has been softened down into a degree of voluptuousness, characteristic + of an old lady, very tender-hearted and romantic, and that loves her ease. + The cushions of the great arm-chairs, and wide sofas, almost bury you when + you sit down on them. Flowers of the most rare and delicate kind are + placed about the rooms, and on little japanned stands; and sweet bags lie + about the tables and mantel-pieces. The house is full of pet dogs, Angora + cats, and singing birds, who are as carefully waited upon as she is + herself. + </p> + <p> + She is dainty in her living, and a little of an epicure, living on white + meats, and little lady-like dishes, though her servants have substantial + old English fare, as their looks bear witness. Indeed, they are so + indulged, that they are all spoiled; and when they lose their present + place, they will be fit for no other. Her ladyship is one of those + easy-tempered beings that are always doomed to be much liked, but ill + served by their domestics, and cheated by all the world. + </p> + <p> + Much of her time is passed in reading novels, of which she has a most + extensive library, and has a constant supply from the publishers in town. + Her erudition in this line of literature is immense; she has kept pace + with the press for half a century. Her mind is stuffed with love-tales of + all kinds, from the stately amours of the old books of chivalry, down to + the last blue-covered romance, reeking from the press; though she + evidently gives the preference to those that came out in the days of her + youth, and when she was first in love. She maintains that there are no + novels written now-a-days equal to Pamela and Sir Charles Grandison; and + she places the Castle of Otranto at the head of all romances. + </p> + <p> + She does a vast deal of good in her neighbourhood, and is imposed upon by + every beggar in the county. She is the benefactress of a village adjoining + to her estate, and takes an especial interest in all its love-affairs. She + knows of every courtship that is going on; every lovelorn damsel is sure + to find a patient listener and a sage adviser in her ladyship. She takes + great pains to reconcile all love-quarrels, and should any faithless swain + persist in his inconstancy, he is sure to draw on himself the good lady’s + violent indignation. + </p> + <p> + I have learned these particulars partly from Frank Bracebridge, and partly + from Master Simon. I am now able to account for the assiduous attention of + the latter to her ladyship. Her house is one of his favourite resorts, + where he is a very important personage. He makes her a visit of business + once a year, when he looks into all her affairs; which, as she is no + manager, are apt to get into confusion. He examines the books of the + overseer, and shoots about the estate, which, he says, is well stocked + with game, notwithstanding that it is poached by all the vagabonds in the + neighbourhood. + </p> + <p> + It is thought, as I before hinted, that the captain will inherit the + greater part of her property, having always been her chief favourite; for, + in fact, she is partial to a red coat. She has now come to the Hall to be + present at his nuptials, having a great disposition to interest herself in + all matters of love and matrimony. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0007" id="link2H_4_0007"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + THE LOVERS. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away; for, lo, the winter + is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the + earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of + the turtle is heard in the land. + + —SONG OF SOLOMON. +</pre> + <p> + To a man who is a little of a philosopher, and a bachelor to boot; and + who, by dint of some experience in the follies of life, begins to look + with a learned eye upon the ways of man, and eke of woman; to such a man, + I say, there is something very entertaining in noticing the conduct of a + pair of young lovers. It may not be as grave and scientific a study as the + loves of the plants, but it is certainly as interesting. + </p> + <p> + I have, therefore, derived much pleasure, since my arrival at the Hall, + from observing the fair Julia and her lover. She has all the delightful, + blushing consciousness of an artless girl, inexperienced in coquetry, who + has made her first conquest; while the captain regards her with that + mixture of fondness and exultation with which a youthful lover is apt to + contemplate so beauteous a prize. + </p> + <p> + I observed them yesterday in the garden, advancing along one of the + retired walks. The sun was shining with delicious warmth, making great + masses of bright verdure, and deep blue shade. The cuckoo, that “harbinger + of spring,” was faintly heard from a distance; the thrush piped from the + hawthorn; and the yellow butterflies sported, and toyed, and coquetted in + the air. + </p> + <p> + The fair Julia was leaning on her lover’s arm, listening to his + conversation, with her eyes cast down, a soft blush on her cheek, and a + quiet smile on her lips, while in the hand that hung negligently by her + side was a bunch of flowers. In this way they were sauntering slowly + along; and when I considered them and the scene in which they were moving, + I could not but think it a thousand pities that the season should ever + change, or that young people should ever grow older, or that blossoms + should give way to fruit, or that lovers should ever get married. + </p> + <p> + From what I have gathered of family anecdote, I understand that the fair + Julia is the daughter of a favourite college friend of the Squire; who, + after leaving Oxford, had entered the army, and served for many years in + India, where he was mortally wounded in a skirmish with the natives. In + his last moments he had, with a faltering pen, recommended his wife and + daughter to the kindness of his early friend. + </p> + <p> + The widow and her child returned to England helpless and almost hopeless. + When Mr. Bracebridge received accounts of their situation, he hastened to + their relief. He reached them just in time to soothe the last moments of + the mother, who was dying of a consumption, and to make her happy in the + assurance that her child should never want a protector. + </p> + <p> + The good Squire returned with his prattling charge to his strong-hold; + where he had brought her up with a tenderness truly paternal. As he has + taken some pains to superintend her education, and form her taste, she has + grown up with many of his notions, and considers him the wisest, as well + as the best of men. Much of her time, too, has been passed with Lady + Lillycraft, who has instructed her in the manners of the old school, and + enriched her mind with all kinds of novels and romances. Indeed, her + ladyship has had a great hand in promoting the match between Julia and the + captain, having had them together at her country-seat, the moment she + found there was an attachment growing up between them; the good lady being + never so happy as when she has a pair of turtles cooing about her. + </p> + <p> + I have been pleased to see the fondness with which the fair Julia is + regarded by the old servants at the Hall. She has been a pet with them + from childhood, and every one seems to lay some claim to her education; so + that it is no wonder that she should be extremely accomplished. The + gardener taught her to rear flowers, of which she is extremely fond. Old + Christy, the pragmatical huntsman, softens when she approaches; and as she + sits lightly and gracefully in her saddle, claims the merit of having + taught her to ride; while the housekeeper, who almost looks upon her as a + daughter, intimates that she first gave her an insight into the mysteries + of the toilet, having been dressing-maid, in her young days, to the late + Mrs. Bracebridge. I am inclined to credit this last claim, as I have + noticed that the dress of the young lady had an air of the old school, + though managed with native taste, and that her hair was put up very much + in the style of Sir Peter Lely’s portraits in the picture gallery. + </p> + <p> + Her very musical attainments partake of this old-fashioned character, and + most of her songs are such as are not at the present day to be found on + the piano of a modern performer. I have, however, seen so much of modern + fashions, modern accomplishments, and modern fine ladies, that I relish + this tinge of antiquated style in so young and lovely a girl; and I have + had as much pleasure in hearing her warble one of the old songs of + Herrick, or Carew, or Suckling, adapted to some simple old melody, as I + have had from listening to a lady amateur skylark it up and down through + the finest bravura of Rossini or Mozart. We have very pretty music in the + evenings, occasionally, between her and the captain, assisted sometimes by + Master Simon, who scrapes, dubiously, on his violin; being very apt to get + out, and to halt a note or two in the rear. Sometimes he even thrums a + little on the piano, and takes a part in a trio, in which his voice can + generally be distinguished by a certain quavering tone, and an occasional + false note. + </p> + <p> + I was praising the fair Julia’s performance to him, after one of her + songs, when I found he took to himself the whole credit of having formed + her musical taste, assuring me that she was very apt; and, indeed, summing + up her whole character in his knowing way, by adding, that “she was a very + nice girl, and had no nonsense about her.” + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0008" id="link2H_4_0008"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + FAMILY RELIQUES. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + My Infelice’s face, her brow, her eye, + The dimple on her cheek: and such sweet skill + Hath from the cunning workman’s pencil flown, + These lips look fresh and lively as her own. + False colours last after the true be dead. + Of all the roses grafted on her cheeks, + Of all the graces dancing in her eyes, + Of all the music set upon her tongue, + Of all that was past woman’s excellence + In her white bosom; look, a painted board + Circumscribes all! + + —DEKKER. +</pre> + <p> + An old English family mansion is a fertile subject for study. It abounds + with illustrations of former times, and traces of the tastes, and humours, + and manners of successive generations. The alterations and additions, in + different styles of architecture; the furniture, plate, pictures, + hangings; the warlike and sporting implements of different ages and + fancies; all furnish food for curious and amusing speculation. As the + Squire is very careful in collecting and preserving all family reliques, + the Hall is full of remembrances of the kind. In looking about the + establishment, I can picture to myself the characters and habits that have + prevailed at different eras of the family history. I have mentioned, on a + former occasion, the armour of the crusader which hangs up in the Hall. + There are also several jack-boots, with enormously thick soles and high + heels, that belonged to a set of cavaliers, who filled the Hall with the + din and stir of arms during the time of the Covenanters. A number of + enormous drinking vessels of antique fashion, with huge Venice glasses, + and green-hock-glasses, with the apostles in relief on them, remain as + monuments of a generation or two of hard livers, that led a life of + roaring revelry, and first introduced the gout into the family. + </p> + <p> + I shall pass over several more such indications of temporary tastes of the + Squire’s predecessors; but I cannot forbear to notice a pair of antlers in + the great hall, which is one of the trophies of a hard-riding squire of + former times, who was the Nimrod of these parts. There are many traditions + of his wonderful feats in hunting still existing, which are related by old + Christy, the huntsman, who gets exceedingly nettled if they are in the + least doubted. Indeed, there is a frightful chasm, a few miles from the + Hall, which goes by the name of the Squire’s Leap, from his having cleared + it in the ardour of the chase; there can be no doubt of the fact, for old + Christy shows the very dints of the horse’s hoofs on the rocks on each + side of the chasm. + </p> + <p> + Master Simon holds the memory of this squire in great veneration, and has + a number of extraordinary stories to tell concerning him, which he repeats + at all hunting dinners; and I am told that they wax more and more + marvellous the older they grow. He has also a pair of Rippon spurs which + belonged to this mighty hunter of yore, and which he only wears on + particular occasions. + </p> + <p> + The place, however, which abounds most with mementos of past times, is the + picture gallery; and there is something strangely pleasing, though + melancholy, in considering the long rows of portraits which compose the + greater part of the collection. They furnish a kind of narrative of the + lives of the family worthies, which I am enabled to read with the + assistance of the venerable housekeeper, who is the family chronicler, + prompted occasionally by Master Simon. There is the progress of a fine + lady, for instance, through a variety of portraits. One represents her as + a little girl, with a long waist and hoop, holding a kitten in her arms, + and ogling the spectator out of the corners of her eyes, as if she could + not turn her head. In another, we find her in the freshness of youthful + beauty, when she was a celebrated belle, and so hard-hearted as to cause + several unfortunate gentlemen to run desperate and write bad poetry. In + another, she is depicted as a stately dame, in the maturity of her charms; + next to the portrait of her husband, a gallant colonel in full-bottomed + wig and gold-laced hat, who was killed abroad; and, finally, her monument + is in the church, the spire of which may be seen from the window, where + her effigy is carved in marble, and represents her as a venerable dame of + seventy-six. + </p> + <p> + In like manner, I have followed some of the family great men through a + series of pictures, from early boyhood to the robe of dignity, or + truncheon of command; and so on by degrees, until they were garnered up in + the common repository, the neighbouring church. + </p> + <p> + There is one group that particularly interested me. It consisted of four + sisters, of nearly the same age, who flourished about a century since, + and, if I may judge from their portraits, were extremely beautiful. I can + imagine what a scene of gayety and romance this old mansion must have + been, when they were in the heyday of their charms; when they passed like + beautiful visions through its halls, or stepped daintily to music in the + revels and dances of the cedar gallery; or printed, with delicate feet, + the velvet verdure of these lawns. How must they have been looked up to + with mingled love, and pride, and reverence by the old family servants; + and followed with almost painful admiration by the aching eyes of rival + admirers! How must melody, and song, and tender serenade, have breathed + about these courts, and their echoes whispered to the loitering tread of + lovers! How must these very turrets have made the hearts of the young + galliards thrill, as they first discerned them from afar, rising from + among the trees, and pictured to themselves the beauties casketed like + gems within these walls! Indeed, I have discovered about the place several + faint records of this reign of love and romance, when the Hall was a kind + of Court of Beauty. + </p> + <p> + Several of the old romances in the library have marginal notes expressing + sympathy and approbation, where there are long speeches extolling ladies’ + charms, or protesting eternal fidelity, or bewailing the cruelty of some + tyrannical fair one. The interviews, and declarations, and parting scenes + of tender lovers, also bear the marks of having been frequently read, and + are scored and marked with notes of admiration, and have initials written + on the margins; most of which annotations have the day of the month and + year annexed to them. Several of the windows, too, have scraps of poetry + engraved on them with diamonds, taken from the writings of the fair Mrs. + Philips, the once celebrated Orinda. Some of these seem to have been + inscribed by lovers; and others, in a delicate and unsteady hand, and a + little inaccurate in the spelling, have evidently been written by the + young ladies themselves, or by female friends, who have been on visits to + the Hall. Mrs. Philips seems to have been their favourite author, and they + have distributed the names of her heroes and heroines among their circle + of intimacy. Sometimes, in a male hand, the verse bewails the cruelty of + beauty, and the sufferings of constant love; while in a female hand it + prudishly confines itself to lamenting the parting of female friends. The + bow-window of my bed-room, which has, doubtless, been inhabited by one of + these beauties, has several of these inscriptions. I have one at this + moment before my eyes, called “Camilla parting with Leonora:” + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + “How perish’d is the joy that’s past, + The present how unsteady! + What comfort can be great and last, + When this is gone already;” + </pre> + <p> + And close by it is another, written, perhaps, by some adventurous lover, + who had stolen into the lady’s chamber during her absence: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + “THEODOSIUS TO CAMILLA. + + I’d rather in your favour live, + Than in a lasting name; + And much a greater rate would give + For happiness than fame. + + THEODOSIUS. 1700.” + </pre> + <p> + When I look at these faint records of gallantry and tenderness; when I + contemplate the fading portraits of these beautiful girls, and think, too, + that they have long since bloomed, reigned, grown old, died, and passed + away, and with them all their graces, their triumphs, their rivalries, + their admirers; the whole empire of love and pleasure in which they ruled—“all + dead, all buried, all forgotten,” I find a cloud of melancholy stealing + over the present gayeties around me. I was gazing, in a musing mood, this + very morning, at the portrait of the lady whose husband was killed abroad, + when the fair Julia entered the gallery, leaning on the arm of the + captain. The sun shone through the row of windows on her as she passed + along, and she seemed to beam out each time into brightness, and relapse + into shade, until the door at the bottom of the gallery closed after her. + I felt a sadness of heart at the idea, that this was an emblem of her lot: + a few more years of sunshine and shade, and all this life and loveliness, + and enjoyment, will have ceased, and nothing be left to commemorate this + beautiful being but one more perishable portrait; to awaken, perhaps, the + trite speculations of some future loiterer, like myself, when I and my + scribblings shall have lived through our brief existence, and been + forgotten. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0009" id="link2H_4_0009"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + AN OLD SOLDIER + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + I’ve worn some leather out abroad; let out a heathen soul or two; fed + this good sword with the black blood of pagan Christians; converted + a few infidels with it.—But let that pass. + + —<i>The Ordinary</i>. +</pre> + <p> + The Hall was thrown into some little agitation, a few days since, by the + arrival of General Harbottle. He had been expected for several days, and + had been looked for, rather impatiently, by several of the family. Master + Simon assured me that I would like the general hugely, for he was a blade + of the old school, and an excellent table companion. Lady Lillycraft, + also, appeared to be somewhat fluttered, on the morning of the general’s + arrival, for he had been one of her early admirers; and she recollected + him only as a dashing young ensign, just come upon the town. She actually + spent an hour longer at her toilette, and made her appearance with her + hair uncommonly frizzed and powdered, and an additional quantity of rouge. + She was evidently a little surprised and shocked, therefore, at finding + the lithe, dashing ensign transformed into a corpulent old general, with a + double chin; though it was a perfect picture to witness their salutations; + the graciousness of her profound curtsy, and the air of the old school + with which the general took off his hat, swayed it gently in his hand, and + bowed his powdered head. + </p> + <p> + All this bustle and anticipation has caused me to study the general with a + little more attention than, perhaps, I should otherwise have done; and the + few days that he has already passed at the Hall have enabled me, I think, + to furnish a tolerable likeness of him to the reader. + </p> + <p> + He is, as Master Simon observed, a soldier of the old school, with + powdered head, side locks, and pigtail. His face is shaped like the stern + of a Dutch man-of-war, narrow at top and wide at bottom, with full rosy + cheeks and a double chin; so that, to use the cant of the day, his organs + of eating may be said to be powerfully developed. + </p> + <p> + The general, though a veteran, has seen very little active service, except + the taking of Seringapatam, which forms an era in his history. He wears a + large emerald in his bosom, and a diamond on his finger, which he got on + that occasion, and whoever is unlucky enough to notice either, is sure to + involve himself in the whole history of the siege. To judge from the + general’s conversation, the taking of Seringapatam is the most important + affair that has occurred for the last century. + </p> + <p> + On the approach of warlike times on the continent, he was rapidly promoted + to get him out of the way of younger officers of merit; until, having been + hoisted to the rank of general, he was quietly laid on the shelf. Since + that time, his campaigns have been principally confined to + watering-places; where he drinks the waters for a slight touch of the + liver which he got in India; and plays whist with old dowagers, with whom + he has flirted in his younger days. Indeed, he talks of all the fine women + of the last half century, and, according to hints which he now and then + drops, has enjoyed the particular smiles of many of them. + </p> + <p> + He has seen considerable garrison duty, and can speak of almost every + place famous for good quarters, and where the inhabitants give good + dinners. He is a diner out of first-rate currency, when in town; being + invited to one place, because he has been seen at another. In the same way + he is invited about the country-seats, and can describe half the seats in + the kingdom, from actual observation; nor is any one better versed in + court gossip, and the pedigrees and intermarriages of the nobility. + </p> + <p> + As the general is an old bachelor, and an old beau, and there are several + ladies at the Hall, especially his quondam flame Lady Jocelyne, he is put + rather upon his gallantry. He commonly passes some time, therefore, at his + toilette, and takes the field at a late hour every morning, with his hair + dressed out and powdered, and a rose in his button-hole. After he has + breakfasted, he walks up and down the terrace in the sunshine, humming an + air, and hemming between every stave, carrying one hand behind his back, + and with the other touching his cane to the ground, and then raising it up + to his shoulder. Should he, in these morning promenades, meet any of the + elder ladies of the family, as he frequently does Lady Lillycraft, his hat + is immediately in his hand, and it is enough to remind one of those + courtly groups of ladies and gentlemen, in old prints of Windsor terrace, + or Kensington garden. + </p> + <p> + He talks frequently about “the service,” and is fond of humming the old + song, + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Why, soldiers, why, + Should we be melancholy, boys? + Why, soldiers, why, + Whose business ‘t is to die! +</pre> + <p> + I cannot discover, however, that the general has ever run any great risk + of dying, excepting from an apoplexy or an indigestion. He criticises all + the battles on the continent, and discusses the merits of the commanders, + but never fails to bring the conversation, ultimately, to Tippoo Saib and + Seringapatam. I am told that the general was a perfect champion at + drawing-rooms, parades, and watering-places, during the late war, and was + looked to with hope and confidence by many an old lady, when labouring + under the terror of Buonaparte’s invasion. + </p> + <p> + He is thoroughly loyal, and attends punctually on levees when in town. He + has treasured up many remarkable sayings of the late king, particularly + one which the king made to him on a field-day, complimenting him on the + excellence of his horse. He extols the whole royal family, but especially + the present king, whom he pronounces the most perfect gentleman and best + whist-player in Europe. The general swears rather more than is the fashion + of the present day; but it was the mode in the old school. He is, however, + very strict in religious matters, and a staunch churchman. He repeats the + responses very loudly in church, and is emphatical in praying for the king + and royal family. + </p> + <p> + At table, his loyalty waxes very fervent with his second bottle, and the + song of “God save the King” puts him into a perfect ecstasy. He is + amazingly well contented with the present state of things, and apt to get + a little impatient at any talk about national ruin and agricultural + distress. He says he has travelled about the country as much as any man, + and has met with nothing but prosperity; and to confess the truth, a great + part of his time is spent in visiting from one country-seat to another, + and riding about the parks of his friends. “They talk of public distress,” + said the general this day to me, at dinner, as he smacked a glass of rich + burgundy, and cast his eyes about the ample board; “they talk of public + distress, but where do we find it, sir? I see none. I see no reason why + any one has to complain. Take my word for it, sir, this talk about public + distress is all humbug!” + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0010" id="link2H_4_0010"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + THE WIDOW’S RETINUE. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Little dogs and all! + + —<i>Lear</i>. +</pre> + <p> + In giving an account of the arrival of Lady Lillycraft at the Hall, I + ought to have mentioned the entertainment which I derived from witnessing + the unpacking of her carriage, and the disposing of her retinue. There is + something extremely amusing to me in the number of factitious wants, the + loads of imaginary conveniences, but real encumbrances, with which the + luxurious are apt to burthen themselves. I like to watch the whimsical + stir and display about one of these petty progresses. The number of + robustious footmen and retainers of all kinds bustling about, with looks + of infinite gravity and importance, to do almost nothing. The number of + heavy trunks, and parcels, and bandboxes belonging to my lady; and the + solicitude, exhibited about some humble, odd-looking box, by my lady’s + maid; the cushions piled in the carriage to make a soft seat still softer, + and to prevent the dreaded possibility of a jolt; the smelling-bottles, + the cordials, the baskets of biscuit and fruit; the new publications; all + provided to guard against hunger, fatigue, or ennui; the led horses, to + vary the mode of travelling; and all this preparation and parade to move, + perhaps, some very good-for-nothing personage about a little space of + earth! + </p> + <p> + I do not mean to apply the latter part of these observations to Lady + Lillycraft, for whose simple kind-heartedness I have a very great respect, + and who is really a most amiable and worthy being. I cannot refrain, + however, from mentioning some of the motley retinue she has brought with + her; and which, indeed, bespeak the overflowing kindness of her nature, + which requires her to be surrounded with objects on which to lavish it. + </p> + <p> + In the first place, her ladyship has a pampered coachman, with a red face, + and cheeks that hang down like dew-laps. He evidently domineers over her a + little with respect to the fat horses; and only drives out when he thinks + proper, and when he thinks it will be “good for the cattle.” + </p> + <p> + She has a favourite page, to attend upon her person; a handsome boy of + about twelve years of age, but a mischievous varlet, very much spoiled, + and in a fair way to be good for nothing. He is dressed in green, with a + profusion of gold cord and gilt buttons about his clothes. She always has + one or two attendants of the kind, who are replaced by others as soon as + they grow to fourteen years of age. She has brought two dogs with her, + also, out of a number of pets which she maintains at home. One is a fat + spaniel, called Zephyr—though heaven defend me from such a zephyr! + He is fed out of all shape and comfort; his eyes are nearly strained out + of his head; he wheezes with corpulency, and cannot walk without great + difficulty. The other is a little, old, gray-muzzled curmudgeon, with an + unhappy eye, that kindles like a coal if you only look at him; his nose + turns up; his mouth is drawn into wrinkles, so as to show his teeth; in + short, he has altogether the look of a dog far gone in misanthropy, and + totally sick of the world. When he walks, he has his tail curled up so + tight that it seems to lift his feet from the ground; and he seldom makes + use of more than three legs at a time, keeping the other drawn up as a + reserve. This last wretch is called Beauty. + </p> + <p> + These dogs are full of elegant ailments, unknown to vulgar dogs; and are + petted and nursed by Lady Lillycraft with the tenderest kindness. They are + pampered and fed with delicacies by their fellow-minion, the page; but + their stomachs are often weak and out of order, so that they cannot eat; + though I have now and then seen the page give them a mischievous pinch, or + thwack over the head, when his mistress was not by. They have cushions for + their express use, on which they lie before the fire, and yet are apt to + shiver and moan if there is the least draught of air. When any one enters + the room, they make a most tyrannical barking that is absolutely + deafening. They are insolent to all the other dogs of the establishment. + There is a noble stag-hound, a great favourite of the Squire’s, who is a + privileged visitor to the parlour; but the moment he makes his appearance, + these intruders fly at him with furious rage; and I have admired the + sovereign indifference and contempt with which he seems to look down upon + his puny assailants. When her ladyship drives out, these dogs are + generally carried with her to take the air; when they look out of each + window of the carriage, and bark at all vulgar pedestrian dogs. These dogs + are a continual source of misery to the household as they are always in + the way, they every now and then get their toes trod on, and then there is + a yelping on their part, and a loud lamentation on the part of their + mistress, that fills the room with clamour and confusion. + </p> + <p> + Lastly, there is her ladyship’s waiting-gentlewoman, Mrs. Hannah, a prim, + pragmatical old maid; one of the most intolerable and intolerant virgins + that ever lived. She has kept her virtue by her until it has turned sour, + and now every word and look smacks of verjuice. She is the very opposite + to her mistress, for one hates, and the other loves, all mankind. How they + first came together I cannot imagine; but they have lived together for + many years; and the abigail’s temper being tart and encroaching, and her + ladyship’s easy and yielding, the former has got the complete upper hand, + and tyrannizes over the good lady in secret. + </p> + <p> + Lady Lillycraft now and then complains of it, in great confidence, to her + friends, but hushes up the subject immediately, if Mrs. Hannah makes her + appearance. Indeed, she has been so accustomed to be attended by her, that + she thinks she could not do without her; though one great study of her + life, is to keep Mrs. Hannah in good-humour, by little presents and + kindnesses. + </p> + <p> + Master Simon has a most devout abhorrence, mingled with awe, for this + ancient spinster. He told me the other day, in a whisper, that she was a + cursed brimstone—in fact, he added another epithet, which I would + not repeat for the world. I have remarked, however, that he is always + extremely civil to her when they meet. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0011" id="link2H_4_0011"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + READY-MONEY JACK. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + My purse, it is my privy wyfe, + This song I dare both syng and say, + It keepeth men from grievous stryfe + When every man for himself shall pay. + As I ryde in ryche array + For gold and silver men wyll me floryshe; + But thys matter I dare well saye, + Every gramercy myne own purse. + + —<i>Book of Hunting</i>. +</pre> + <p> + On the skirts of the neighbouring village, there lives a kind of small + potentate, who, for aught I know, is a representative of one of the most + ancient legitimate lines of the present day; for the empire over which he + reigns has belonged to his family time out of mind. His territories + comprise a considerable number of good fat acres; and his seat of power is + in an old farm-house, where he enjoys, unmolested, the stout oaken chair + of his ancestors. The personage to whom I allude is a sturdy old yeoman of + the name of John Tibbets, or rather, Ready-Money Jack Tibbets, as he is + called throughout the neighbourhood. + </p> + <p> + The first place where he attracted my attention was in the church-yard on + Sunday; where he sat on a tombstone after the service, with his hat a + little on one side, holding forth to a small circle of auditors; and, as I + presumed, expounding the law and the prophets; until, on drawing a little + nearer, I found he was only expatiating on the merits of a brown horse. He + presented so faithful a picture of a substantial English yeoman, such as + he is often described in books, heightened, indeed, by some little finery, + peculiar to himself, that I could not but take note of his whole + appearance. + </p> + <p> + He was between fifty and sixty, of a strong, muscular frame, and at least + six feet high, with a physiognomy as grave as a lion’s, and set off with + short, curling, iron-gray locks. His shirt-collar was turned down, and + displayed a neck covered with the same short, curling, gray hair; and he + wore a coloured silk neckcloth, tied very loosely, and tucked in at the + bosom, with a green paste brooch on the knot. His coat was of dark green + cloth, with silver buttons, on each of which was engraved a stag, with his + own name, John Tibbets, underneath. He had an inner waistcoat of figured + chintz, between which and his coat was another of scarlet cloth, + unbuttoned. His breeches were also left unbuttoned at the knees, not from + any slovenliness, but to show a broad pair of scarlet garters. His + stockings were blue, with white clocks; he wore large silver shoe-buckles; + a broad paste buckle in his hatband; his sleeve-buttons were gold + seven-shilling pieces; and he had two or three guineas hanging as + ornaments to his watch-chain. + </p> + <p> + On making some inquiries about him, I gathered that he was descended from + a line of farmers, that had always lived on the same spot, and owned the + same property; and that half of the church-yard was taken up with the + tombstones of his race. He has all his life been an important character in + the place. When a youngster, he was one of the most roaring blades of the + neighbourhood. No one could match him at wrestling, pitching the bar, + cudgel play, and other athletic exercises. Like the renowned Pinner of + Wakefield, he was the village champion; carried off the prize at all the + fairs, and threw his gauntlet at the country round. Even to this day, the + old people talk of his prowess, and undervalue, in comparison, all heroes + of the green that have succeeded him; nay, they say, that if Ready-Money + Jack were to take the field even now, there is no one could stand before + him. + </p> + <p> + When Jack’s father died, the neighbours shook their heads, and predicted + that young hopeful would soon make way with the old homestead; but Jack + falsified all their predictions. The moment he succeeded to the paternal + farm, he assumed a new character; took a wife; attended resolutely to his + affairs, and became an industrious, thrifty farmer. With the family + property, he inherited a set of old family maxims, to which he steadily + adhered. He saw to everything himself; put his own hand to the plough; + worked hard; ate heartily; slept soundly; paid for every thing in cash + down; and never danced, except he could do it to the music of his own + money in both pockets. He has never been without a hundred or two pounds + in gold by him, and never allows a debt to stand unpaid. This has gained + him his current name, of which, by the by, he is a little proud; and has + caused him to be looked upon as a very wealthy man by all the village. + </p> + <p> + Notwithstanding his thrift, however, he has never denied himself the + amusements of life, but has taken a share in every passing pleasure. It is + his maxim that “he that works hard can afford to play.” He is, therefore, + an attendant at all the country fairs and wakes, and has signalized + himself by feats of strength and prowess on every village green in the + shire. He often makes his appearance at horse-races, and sports his half + guinea, and even his guinea at a time; keeps a good horse for his own + riding, and to this day is fond of following the hounds, and is generally + in at the death. He keeps up the rustic revels, and hospitalities too, for + which his paternal farm-house has always been noted; has plenty of good + cheer and dancing at harvest-home, and, above all, keeps the “merry + night,"<a href="#linknote-2" name="linknoteref-2" id="linknoteref-2"><small>2</small></a> + as it is termed, at Christmas. With all his love of amusement, however, + Jack is by no means a boisterous, jovial companion. He is seldom known to + laugh even in the midst of his gayety; but maintains the same grave, + lion-like demeanour. He is very slow at comprehending a joke; and is apt + to sit puzzling at it with a perplexed look, while the rest of the company + is in a roar. This gravity has, perhaps, grown on him with the growing + weight of his character; for he is gradually rising into patriarchal + dignity in his native place. Though he no longer takes an active part in + athletic sports, yet he always presides at them, and is appealed to on all + occasions as umpire. He maintains the peace on the village green at + holiday games, and quells all brawls and quarrels by collaring the parties + and shaking them heartily, if refractory. No one ever pretends to raise a + hand against him, or to contend against his decisions; the young men + having grown up in habitual awe of his prowess, and in implicit deference + to him as the champion and lord of the green. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="linknote-2" id="linknote-2"> Note--></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 2 (<a href="#linknoteref-2">return</a>)<br /> [ MERRY NIGHT—a rustic + merry-making in a farm-house about Christmas, common in some parts of + Yorkshire. There is abundance of homely fare, tea, cakes, fruit, and ale; + various feats of agility, amusing games, romping, dancing, and kissing + withal. They commonly break up at midnight.] + </p> + <p> + He is a regular frequenter of the village inn, the landlady having been a + sweetheart of his in early life, and he having always continued on kind + terms with her. He seldom, however, drinks any thing but a draught of ale; + smokes his pipe, and pays his reckoning before leaving the tap-room. Here + he “gives his little senate laws;” decides bets, which are very generally + referred to him; determines upon the characters and qualities of horses; + and, indeed, plays now and then the part of a judge in settling petty + disputes between neighbours, which otherwise might have been nursed by + country attorneys into tolerable law-suits. Jack is very candid and + impartial in his decisions, but he has not a head to carry a long + argument, and is very apt to get perplexed and out of patience if there is + much pleading. He generally breaks through the argument with a strong + voice, and brings matters to a summary conclusion, by pronouncing what he + calls the “upshot of the business,” or, in other words, “the long and the + short of the matter.” + </p> + <p> + Jack once made a journey to London, a great many years since, which has + furnished him with topics of conversation ever since. He saw the old king + on the terrace at Windsor, who stopped, and pointed him out to one of the + princesses, being probably struck with Jack’s truly yeoman-like + appearance. This is a favourite anecdote with him, and has no doubt had a + great effect in making him a most loyal subject ever since, in spite of + taxes and poors’ rates. He was also at Bartholomew fair, where he had half + the buttons cut off his coat; and a gang of pick-pockets, attracted by his + external show of gold and silver, made a regular attempt to hustle him as + he was gazing at a show; but for once they found that they had caught a + tartar; for Jack enacted as great wonders among the gang as Samson did + among the Philistines. One of his neighbours, who had accompanied him to + town, and was with him at the fair, brought back an account of his + exploits, which raised the pride of the whole village; who considered + their champion as having subdued all London, and eclipsed the achievements + of Friar Tuck, or even the renowned Robin Hood himself. + </p> + <p> + Of late years, the old fellow has begun to take the world easily; he works + less, and indulges in greater leisure, his son having grown up, and + succeeded to him both in the labours of the farm, and the exploits of the + green. Like all sons of distinguished men, however, his father’s renown is + a disadvantage to him, for he can never come up to public expectation. + Though a fine active fellow of three-and-twenty, and quite the “cock of + the walk,” yet the old people declare he is nothing like what Ready-Money + Jack was at his time of life. The youngster himself acknowledges his + inferiority, and has a wonderful opinion of the old man, who indeed taught + him all his athletic accomplishments, and holds such a sway over him, that + I am told, even to this day, he would have no hesitation to take him in + hands, if he rebelled against paternal government. + </p> + <p> + The Squire holds Jack in very high esteem, and shows him to all his + visitors, as a specimen of old English “heart of oak.” He frequently calls + at his house, and tastes some of his homebrewed, which is excellent. He + made Jack a present of old Tusser’s “Hundred Points of good Husbandrie,” + which has furnished him with reading ever since, and is his text-book, and + manual in all agricultural and domestic concerns. He has made dog’s ears + at the most favourite passages, and knows many of the poetical maxims by + heart. + </p> + <p> + Tibbets, though not a man to be daunted or flattered by high + acquaintances; and though he cherishes a sturdy independence of mind and + manner, yet is evidently gratified by the attentions of the Squire, whom + he has known from boyhood, and pronounces “a true gentleman every inch of + him.” He is also on excellent terms with Master Simon, who is a kind of + privy counsellor to the family; but his great favourite is the Oxonian, + whom he taught to wrestle and play at quarter-staff when a boy, and + considers the most promising young gentleman in the whole country. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0012" id="link2H_4_0012"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + BACHELORS. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + The Bachelor most joyfully + In pleasant plight doth pass his dales, + Good fellowship and companie + He doth maintain and keep alwaies. + + —EVEN’S <i>Old Ballads</i>. +</pre> + <p> + There is no character in the comedy of human life that is more difficult + to play well, than that of an old Bachelor. When a single gentleman, + therefore, arrives at that critical period when he begins to consider it + an impertinent question to be asked his age, I would advise him, to look + well to his ways. This period, it is true, is much later with some men + than with others; I have witnessed more than once the meeting of two + wrinkled old lads of this kind, who had not seen each other for several + years, and have been amused by the amicable exchange of compliments on + each other’s appearance, that takes place on such occasions. There is + always one invariable observation: “Why, bless my soul! you look younger + than when I last saw you!” Whenever a man’s friends begin to compliment + him about looking young, he may be sure that they think he is growing old. + </p> + <p> + I am led to make these remarks by the conduct of Master Simon and the + general, who have become great cronies. As the former is the younger by + many years, he is regarded as quite a youthful blade by the general, who + moreover looks upon him as a man of great wit and prodigious acquirements. + I have already hinted that Master Simon is a family beau, and considered + rather a young fellow by all the elderly ladies of the connexion; for an + old bachelor, in an old family connexion, is something like an actor in a + regular dramatic corps, who seems to “flourish in immortal youth,” and + will continue to play the Romeos and Rangers for half a century together. + </p> + <p> + Master Simon, too, is a little of the chameleon, and takes a different hue + with every different companion: he is very attentive and officious, and + somewhat sentimental, with Lady Lillycraft; copies out little namby-pamby + ditties and love-songs for her, and draws quivers, and doves, and darts, + and Cupids, to be worked on the corners of her pocket-handkerchiefs. He + indulges, however, in very considerable latitude with the other married + ladies of the family; and has many sly pleasantries to whisper to them, + that provoke an equivocal laugh and a tap of the fan. But when he gets + among young company, such as Frank Bracebridge, the Oxonian, and the + general, he is apt to put on the mad wag, and to talk in a very + bachelor-like strain about the sex. + </p> + <p> + In this he has been encouraged by the example of the general, whom he + looks up to as a man who has seen the world. The general, in fact, tells + shocking stories after dinner, when the ladies have retired, which he + gives as some of the choice things that are served up at the Mulligatawney + club; a knot of boon companions in London. He also repeats the fat jokes + of old Major Pendergast, the wit of the club, and which, though the + general can hardly repeat them for laughing, always make Mr. Bracebridge + look grave, he having a great antipathy to an indecent jest. In a word, + the general is a complete instance of the declension in gay life, by which + a young man of pleasure is apt to cool down into an obscene old gentleman. + </p> + <p> + I saw him and Master Simon, an evening or two since, conversing with a + buxom milkmaid in a meadow; and from their elbowing each other now and + then, and the general’s shaking his shoulders, blowing up his cheeks, and + breaking out into a short fit of irrepressible laughter, I had no doubt + they were playing the mischief with the girl. + </p> + <p> + As I looked at them through a hedge, I could not but think they would have + made a tolerable group for a modern picture of Susannah and the two + elders. It is true, the girl seemed in nowise alarmed at the force of the + enemy; and I question, had either of them been alone, whether she would + not have been more than they would have ventured to encounter. Such + veteran roysters are daring wags when together, and will put any female to + the blush with their jokes; but they are as quiet as lambs when they fall + singly into the clutches of a fine woman. + </p> + <p> + In spite of the general’s years, he evidently is a little vain of his + person, and ambitious of conquests. I have observed him on Sunday in + church, eyeing the country girls most suspiciously; and have seen him leer + upon them with a downright amorous look, even when he has been gallanting + Lady Lillycraft, with great ceremony, through the church-yard. The + general, in fact, is a veteran in the service of Cupid, rather than of + Mars, having signalized himself in all the garrison towns and country + quarters, and seen service in every ball-room of England. Not a celebrated + beauty but he has laid siege to; and if his word may be taken in a matter + wherein no man is apt to be over-veracious, it is incredible the success + he has had with the fair. At present he is like a worn-out warrior, + retired from service; but who still cocks his beaver with a military air, + and talks stoutly of fighting whenever he comes within the smell of + gunpowder. + </p> + <p> + I have heard him speak his mind very freely over his bottle, about the + folly of the captain in taking a wife; as he thinks a young soldier should + care for nothing but his “bottle and kind landlady.” But, in fact, he says + the service on the continent has had a sad effect upon the young men; they + have been ruined by light wines and French quadrilles. “They’ve nothing,” + he says, “of the spirit of the old service. There are none of your + six-bottle men left, that were the souls of a mess dinner, and used to + play the very deuce among the women.” + </p> + <p> + As to a bachelor, the general affirms that he is a free and easy man, with + no baggage to take care of but his portmanteau; but a married man, with + his wife hanging on his arm, always puts him in mind of a chamber + candlestick, with its extinguisher hitched to it. I should hot mind all + this, if it were merely confined to the general; but I fear he will be the + ruin of my friend, Master Simon, who already begins to echo his heresies, + and to talk in the style of a gentleman that has seen life, and lived upon + the town. Indeed, the general seems to have taken Master Simon in hand, + and talks of showing him the lions when he comes to town, and of + introducing him to a knot of choice spirits at the Mulligatawney club; + which, I understand, is composed of old nabobs, officers in the Company’s + employ, and other “men of Ind,” that have seen service in the East, and + returned home burnt out with curry, and touched with the liver complaint. + They have their regular club, where they eat Mulligatawney soup, smoke the + hookah, talk about Tippoo Saib, Seringapatam, and tiger-hunting; and are + tediously agreeable in each other’s company. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0013" id="link2H_4_0013"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + WIVES. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Believe me, man, there is no greater blisse + Than is the quiet joy of loving wife; + Which whoso wants, half of himselfe doth misse. + Friend without change, playfellow without strife, + Food without fulnesse, counsaile without pride, + Is this sweet doubling of our single life. + + —SIR P. SIDNEY. +</pre> + <p> + There is so much talk about matrimony going on around me, in consequence + of the approaching event for which we are assembled at the Hall, that I + confess I find my thoughts singularly exercised on the subject. Indeed, + all the bachelors of the establishment seem to be passing through a kind + of fiery ordeal; for Lady Lillycraft is one of those tender, romance-read + dames of the old school, whose mind is filled with flames and darts, and + who breathe nothing but constancy and wedlock. She is for ever immersed in + the concerns of the heart; and, to use a poetical phrase, is perfectly + surrounded by “the purple light of love.” The very general seems to feel + the influence of this sentimental atmosphere; to melt as he approaches her + ladyship, and, for the time, to forget all his heresies about matrimony + and the sex. + </p> + <p> + The good lady is generally surrounded by little documents of her prevalent + taste; novels of a tender nature; richly bound little books of poetry, + that are filled with sonnets and love tales, and perfumed with + rose-leaves; and she has always an album at hand, for which she claims the + contributions of all her friends. On looking over this last repository, + the other day, I found a series of poetical extracts, in the Squire’s + handwriting, which might have been intended as matrimonial hints to his + ward. I was so much struck with several of them, that I took the liberty + of copying them out. They are from the old play of Thomas Davenport, + published in 1661, entitled “The City Night-Cap;” in which is drawn out + and exemplified, in the part of Abstemia, the character of a patient and + faithful wife, which, I think, might vie with that of the renowned + Griselda. + </p> + <p> + I have often thought it a pity that plays and novels should always end at + the wedding, and should not give us another act, and another volume, to + let us know how the hero and heroine conducted themselves when married. + Their main object seems to be merely to instruct young ladies how to get + husbands, but not how to keep them: now this last, I speak it with all due + diffidence, appears to me to be a desideratum in modern married life. It + is appalling to those who have not yet adventured into the holy state, to + see how soon the flame of romantic love burns out, or rather is quenched + in matrimony; and how deplorably the passionate, poetic lover declines + into the phlegmatic, prosaic husband. I am inclined to attribute this very + much to the defect just mentioned in the plays and novels, which form so + important a branch of study of our young ladies; and which teach them how + to be heroines, but leave them totally at a loss when they come to be + wives. The play from which the quotations before me were made, however, is + an exception to this remark; and I cannot refuse myself the pleasure of + adducing some of them for the benefit of the reader, and for the honour of + an old writer, who has bravely attempted to awaken dramatic interest in + favour of a woman, even after she was married! + </p> + <p> + The following is a commendation of Abstemia to her husband Lorenzo: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + She’s modest, but not sullen, and loves silence; + Not that she wants apt words, (for when she speaks, + She inflames love with wonder,) but because + She calls wise silence the soul’s harmony. + She’s truly chaste; yet such a foe to coyness, + The poorest call her courteous; and which is excellent, + (Though fair and young) she shuns to expose herself + To the opinion of strange eyes. She either seldom + Or never walks abroad but in your company. + And then with such sweet bashfulness, as if + She were venturing on crack’d ice, and takes delight + To step into the print your foot hath made, + And will follow you whole fields; so she will drive + Tediousness out of time, with her sweet character. +</pre> + <p> + Notwithstanding all this excellence, Abstemia has the misfortune to incur + the unmerited jealousy of her husband. Instead, however, of resenting his + harsh treatment with clamorous upbraidings, and with the stormy violence + of high, windy virtue, by which the sparks of anger are so often blown + into a flame, she endures it with the meekness of conscious, but patient, + virtue; and makes the following beautiful appeal to a friend who has + witnessed her long suffering: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + ———Hast thou not seen me + Bear all his injuries, as the ocean suffers + The angry bark to plough through her bosom, + And yet is presently so smooth, the eye + Cannot perceive where the wide wound was made? +</pre> + <p> + Lorenzo, being wrought on by false representations, at length repudiates + her. To the last, however, she maintains her patient sweetness, and her + love for him, in spite of his cruelty. She deplores his error, even more + than his unkindness; and laments the delusion which has turned his very + affection into a source of bitterness. There is a moving pathos in her + parting address to Lorenzo, after their divorce: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + ———Farewell, Lorenzo, + Whom my soul doth love: if you e’er marry, + May you meet a good wife; so good, that you + May not suspect her, nor may she be worthy + Of your suspicion; and if you hear hereafter + That I am dead, inquire but my last words, + And you shall know that to the last I lov’d you. + And when you walk forth with your second choice + Into the pleasant fields, and by chance talk of me, + Imagine that you see me, lean and pale, + Strewing your path with flowers.— + But may she never live to pay my debts: (<i>weeps</i>) + If but in thought she wrong you, may she die + In the conception of the injury. + Pray make me wealthy with one kiss: farewell, sir: + Let it not grieve you when you shall remember + That I was innocent: nor this forget, + Though innocence here suffer, sigh, and groan, + She walks but thorow thorns to find a throne. +</pre> + <p> + In a short time Lorenzo discovers his error, and the innocence of his + injured wife. In the transports of his repentance, he calls to mind all + her feminine excellence; her gentle, uncomplaining, womanly fortitude + under wrongs and sorrows: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + ———Oh, Abstemia! + How lovely thou lookest now! now thou appearest + Chaster than is the morning’s modesty + That rises with a blush, over whose bosom + The western wind creeps softly; now I remember + How, when she sat at table, her obedient eye + Would dwell on mine, as if it were not well, + Unless it look’d where I look’d: oh how proud + She was, when she could cross herself to please me! + But where now is this fair soul? Like a silver cloud + She hath wept herself, I fear, into the dead sea. + And will be found no more. +</pre> + <p> + It is but doing right by the reader, if interested in the fate of Abstemia + by the preceding extracts, to say, that she was restored to the arms and + affections of her husband, rendered fonder than ever, by that disposition + in every good heart, to atone for past injustice, by an overflowing + measure of returning kindness: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Thou wealth, worth more than kingdoms; I am now + Confirmed past all suspicion; thou art far + Sweeter in thy sincere truth than a sacrifice + Deck’d up for death with garlands. The Indian winds + That blow from off the coast and cheer the sailor + With the sweet savour of their spices, want + The delight flows in thee. +</pre> + <p> + I have been more affected and interested by this little dramatic picture, + than by many a popular love tale; though, as I said before, I do not think + it likely either Abstemia or patient Grizzle stand much chance of being + taken for a model. Still I like to see poetry now and then extending its + views beyond the wedding-day, and teaching a lady how to make herself + attractive even after marriage. There is no great need of enforcing on an + unmarried lady the necessity of being agreeable; nor is there any great + art requisite in a youthful beauty to enable her to please. Nature has + multiplied attractions around her. Youth is in itself attractive. The + freshness of budding beauty needs no foreign aid to set it off; it pleases + merely because it is fresh, and budding, and beautiful. But it is for the + married state that a woman needs the most instruction, and in which she + should be most on her guard to maintain her powers of pleasing. No woman + can expect to be to her husband all that he fancied her when he was a + lover. Men are always doomed to be duped, not so much by the arts of the + sex, as by their own imaginations. They are always wooing goddesses, and + marrying mere mortals. A woman should, therefore, ascertain what was the + charm that rendered her so fascinating when a girl, and endeavour to keep + it up when she has become a wife. One great thing undoubtedly was, the + chariness of herself and her conduct, which an unmarried female always + observes. She should maintain the same niceness and reserve in her person + and habits, and endeavour still to preserve a freshness and virgin + delicacy in the eye of her husband. She should remember that the province + of woman is to be wooed, not to woo; to be caressed, not to caress. Man is + an ungrateful being in love; bounty loses instead of winning him. The + secret of a woman’s power does not consist so much in giving, as in + withholding. + </p> + <p> + A woman may give up too much even to her husband. It is to a thousand + little delicacies of conduct that she must trust to keep alive passion, + and to protect herself from that dangerous familiarity, that thorough + acquaintance with every weakness and imperfection incident to matrimony. + By these means she may still maintain her power, though she has + surrendered her person, and may continue the romance of love even beyond + the honeymoon. + </p> + <p> + “She that hath a wise husband,” says Jeremy Taylor, “must entice him to an + eternal dearnesse by the veil of modesty, and the grave robes of chastity, + the ornament of meekness, and the jewels of faith and charity. She must + have no painting but blushings; her brightness must be purity, and she + must shine round about with sweetness and friendship; and she shall be + pleasant while she lives, and desired when she dies.” + </p> + <p> + I have wandered into a rambling series of remarks on a trite subject, and + a dangerous one for a bachelor to meddle with. That I may not, however, + appear to confine my observations entirely to the wife, I will conclude + with another quotation from Jeremy Taylor, in which the duties of both + parties are mentioned; while I would recommend his sermon on the + marriage-ring to all those who, wiser than myself, are about entering the + happy state of wedlock. + </p> + <p> + “There is scarce any matter of duty but it concerns them both alike, and + is only distinguished by names, and hath its variety by circumstances and + little accidents: and what in one is called love, in the other is called + reverence; and what in the wife is obedience, the same in the man is duty. + He provides, and she dispenses; he gives commandments, and she rules by + them; he rules her by authority, and she rules him by love; she ought by + all means to please him, and he must by no means displease her.” + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0014" id="link2H_4_0014"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + STORY TELLING. + </h2> + <p> + A favorite evening pastime at the Hall, and one which the worthy Squire is + fond of promoting, is story telling, “a good, old-fashioned fire-side + amusement,” as he terms it. Indeed, I believe he promotes it, chiefly, + because it was one of the choice recreations in those days of yore, when + ladies and gentlemen were not much in the habit of reading. Be this as it + may, he will often, at supper-table, when conversation flags, call on some + one or other of the company for a story, as it was formerly the custom to + call for a song; and it is edifying to see the exemplary patience, and + even satisfaction, with which the good old gentleman will sit and listen + to some hackneyed tale that he has heard for at least a hundred times. + </p> + <p> + In this way, one evening, the current of anecdotes and stories ran upon + mysterious personages that have figured at different times, and filled the + world with doubt and conjecture; such as the Wandering Jew, the Man with + the Iron Mask, who tormented the curiosity of all Europe; the Invisible + Girl, and last, though not least, the Pig-faced Lady. + </p> + <p> + At length, one of the company was called upon that had the most + unpromising physiognomy for a story teller, that ever I had seen. He was a + thin, pale, weazen-faced man, extremely nervous, that had sat at one + corner of the table, shrunk up, as it were, into himself, and almost + swallowed up in the cape of his coat, as a turtle in its shell. + </p> + <p> + The very demand seemed to throw him into a nervous agitation; yet he did + not refuse. He emerged his head out of his shell, made a few odd grimaces + and gesticulations, before he could get his muscles into order, or his + voice under command, and then offered to give some account of a mysterious + personage that he had recently encountered in the course of his travels, + and one whom he thought fully entitled to being classed with the Man with + the Iron Mask. + </p> + <p> + I was so much struck with his extraordinary narrative, that I have written + it out to the best of my recollection, for the amusement of the reader. I + think it has in it all the elements of that mysterious and romantic + narrative, so greedily sought after at the present day. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0015" id="link2H_4_0015"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + THE STOUT GENTLEMAN. + </h2> + <h3> + A STAGE-COACH ROMANCE. + </h3> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + “I’ll cross it, though it blast me!” + + —<i>Hamlet</i>. +</pre> + <p> + It was a rainy Sunday, in the gloomy month of November. I had been + detained, in the course of a journey, by a slight indisposition, from + which I was recovering; but I was still feverish, and was obliged to keep + within doors all day, in an inn of the small town of Derby. A wet Sunday + in a country inn!—whoever has had the luck to experience one can + alone judge of my situation. + </p> + <p> + The rain pattered against the casements; the bells tolled for church with + a melancholy sound. I went to the windows, in quest of something to amuse + the eye; but it seemed as if I had been placed completely out of the reach + of all amusement. The windows of my bed-room looked out among tiled roofs + and stacks of chimneys, while those of my sitting-room commanded a full + view of the stable-yard. I know of nothing more calculated to make a man + sick of this world, than a stable-yard on a rainy day. The place was + littered with wet straw, that had been kicked about by travellers and + stable-boys. In one corner was a stagnant pool of water, surrounding an + island of muck; there were several half-drowned fowls crowded together + under a cart, among which was a miserable, crest-fallen cock, drenched out + of all life and spirit; his drooping tail matted, as it were, into a + single feather, along which the water trickled from his back; near the + cart was a half-dozing cow chewing the cud, and standing patiently to be + rained on, with wreaths of vapor rising from her reeking hide; a wall-eyed + horse, tired of the loneliness of the stable, was poking his spectral head + out of the window, with the rain dripping on it from the eaves; an unhappy + cur, chained to a dog-house hard by, uttered something every now and then, + between a bark and a yelp; a drab of a kitchen-wench tramped backwards and + forwards through the yard in pattens, looking as sulky as the weather + itself; every thing, in short, was comfortless and forlorn, excepting a + crew of hard-drinking ducks, assembled like boon companions round a + puddle, and making a riotous noise over their liquor. + </p> + <p> + I was lonely and listless, and wanted amusement. My room soon became + insupportable. I abandoned it, and sought what is technically called the + travellers’-room. This is a public room set apart at most inns for the + accommodation of a class of wayfarers called travellers, or riders; a kind + of commercial knights-errant, who are incessantly scouring the kingdom in + gigs, on horseback, or by coach. They are the only successors that I know + of, at the present day, to the knights-errant of yore. They lead the same + kind of roving adventurous life, only changing the lance for a + driving-whip, the buckler for a pattern-card, and the coat of mail for an + upper Benjamin. Instead of vindicating the charms of peerless beauty, they + rove about spreading the fame and standing of some substantial tradesman + or manufacturer, and are ready at any time to bargain in his name; it + being the fashion now-a-days to trade, instead of fight, with one another. + As the room of the hotel, in the good old fighting times, would be hung + round at night with the armour of wayworn warriors, such as coats of mail, + falchions, and yawning helmets; so the travellers room is garnished with + the harnessing of their successors, with box-coats, whips of all kinds, + spurs, gaiters, and oil-cloth covered hats. + </p> + <p> + I was in hopes of finding some of these worthies to talk with, but was + disappointed. There were, indeed, two or three in the room; but I could + make nothing of them. One was just finishing his breakfast, quarrelling + with his bread and butter, and huffing the waiter; another buttoned on a + pair of gaiters, with many execrations at Boots for not having cleaned his + shoes well; a third sat drumming on the table with his fingers, and + looking at the rain as it streamed down the window-glass; they all + appeared infected by the weather, and disappeared, one after the other, + without exchanging a word. + </p> + <p> + I sauntered to the window, and stood gazing at the people picking their + way to church, with petticoats hoisted mid-leg high, and dripping + umbrellas. The bell ceased to toll, and the streets became silent. I then + amused myself with watching the daughters of a tradesman opposite; who, + being confined to the house for fear of wetting their Sunday finery, + played off their charms at the front windows, to fascinate the chance + tenants of the inn. They at length were summoned away by a vigilant + vinegar-faced mother, and I had nothing further from without to amuse me. + </p> + <p> + What was I to do to pass away the long-lived day? I was sadly nervous and + lonely; and every thing about an inn seems calculated to make a dull day + ten times duller. Old newspapers, smelling of beer and tobacco-smoke, and + which I had already read half-a-dozen times—good-for-nothing books, + that were worse than rainy weather. I bored myself to death with an old + volume of the Lady’s Magazine. I read all the commonplaced names of + ambitious travellers scrawled on the panes of glass; the eternal families + of the Smiths, and the Browns, and the Jacksons, and the Johnsons, and all + the other sons; and I deciphered several scraps of fatiguing inn-window + poetry which I have met with in all parts of the world. + </p> + <p> + The day continued lowering and gloomy; the slovenly, ragged, spongy clouds + drifted heavily along; there was no variety even in the rain: it was one + dull, continued, monotonous patter—patter—patter, excepting + that now and then I was enlivened by the idea of a brisk shower, from the + rattling of the drops upon a passing umbrella. + </p> + <p> + It was quite <i>refreshing</i> (if I may be allowed a hackneyed phrase of + the day) when, in the course of the morning, a horn blew, and a + stage-coach whirled through the street, with outside passengers stuck all + over it, cowering under cotton umbrellas, and seethed together, and + reeking with the steams of wet box-coats and upper Benjamins. + </p> + <p> + The sound brought out from their lurking-places a crew of vagabond boys, + and vagabond dogs, and the carroty-headed hostler, and that nondescript + animal ycleped Boots, and all the other vagabond race that infest the + purlieus of an inn; but the bustle was transient; the coach again whirled + on its way; and boy and dog, and hostler and Boots, all slunk back again + to their holes; the street again became silent, and the rain continued to + rain on. In fact, there was no hope of its clearing up; the barometer + pointed to rainy weather; mine hostess’ tortoise-shell cat sat by the fire + washing her face, and rubbing her paws over her ears; and, on referring to + the almanac, I found a direful prediction stretching from the top of the + page to the bottom through the whole month, “expect—much—rain—about—this—time.” + </p> + <p> + I was dreadfully hipped. The hours seemed as if they would never creep by. + The very ticking of the clock became irksome. At length the stillness of + the house was interrupted by the ringing of a bell. Shortly after, I heard + the voice of a waiter at the bar: “The stout gentleman in No. 13 wants his + breakfast. Tea and bread and butter with ham and eggs; the eggs not to be + too much done.” + </p> + <p> + In such a situation as mine, every incident is of importance. + </p> + <p> + Here was a subject of speculation presented to my mind, and ample exercise + for my imagination. I am prone to paint pictures to myself, and on this + occasion I had some materials to work upon. Had the guest up-stairs been + mentioned as Mr. Smith, or Mr. Brown, or Mr. Jackson, or Mr. Johnson, or + merely as “the gentleman in No. 13,” it would have been a perfect blank to + me. I should have thought nothing of it; but “The stout gentleman!”—the + very name had something in it of the picturesque. It at once gave the + size; it embodied the personage to my mind’s eye, and my fancy did the + rest. + </p> + <p> + He was stout, or, as some term it, lusty; in all probability, therefore, + he was advanced in life, some people expanding as they grow old. By his + breakfasting rather late, and in his own room, he must be a man accustomed + to live at his ease, and above the necessity of early rising; no doubt a + round, rosy, lusty old gentleman. + </p> + <p> + There was another violent ringing. The stout gentleman was impatient for + his breakfast. He was evidently a man of importance; “well-to-do in the + world;” accustomed to be promptly waited upon; of a keen appetite, and a + little cross when hungry; “perhaps,” thought I, “he maybe be some London + Alderman; or who knows but he may be a Member of Parliament?” + </p> + <p> + The breakfast was sent up and there was a short interval of silence; he + was, doubtless, making the tea. Presently there was a violent ringing, and + before it could be answered, another ringing still more violent. “Bless + me! what a choleric old gentleman!” The waiter came down in a huff. The + butter was rancid, the eggs were overdone, the ham was too salt:—the + stout gentleman was evidently nice in his eating; one of those who eat and + growl, and keep the waiter on the trot, and live in a state militant with + the household. + </p> + <p> + The hostess got into a fume. I should observe that she was a brisk, + coquettish woman; a little of a shrew, and something of a slammerkin, but + very pretty withal; with a nincompoop for a husband, as shrews are apt to + have. She rated the servants roundly for their negligence in sending up so + bad a breakfast, but said not a word against the stout gentleman; by which + I clearly perceived that he must be a man of consequence, entitled to make + a noise and to give trouble at a country inn. Other eggs, and ham, and + bread and butter, were sent up. They appeared to be more graciously + received; at least there was no further complaint. + </p> + <p> + I had not made many turns about the travellers’-room, when there was + another ringing. Shortly afterwards there was a stir and an inquest about + the house. The stout gentleman wanted the Times or the Chronicle + newspaper. I set him down, therefore, for a whig; or rather, from his + being so absolute and lordly where he had a chance, I suspected him of + being a radical. Hunt, I had heard, was a large man; “who knows,” thought + I, “but it is Hunt himself!” + </p> + <p> + My curiosity began to be awakened. I inquired of the waiter who was this + stout gentleman that was making all this stir; but I could get no + information; nobody seemed to know his name. The landlords of bustling + inns seldom trouble their heads about the names or occupations of their + transient guests. The colour of a coat, the shape or size of the person, + is enough to suggest a travelling name. It is either the tall gentleman, + or the short gentleman, or the gentleman in black, or the gentleman in + snuff-colour; or, as in the present instance, the stout gentleman. A + designation of the kind once hit on answers every purpose, and saves all + further inquiry. + </p> + <p> + Rain—rain—rain! pitiless, ceaseless rain! No such thing as + putting a foot out of doors, and no occupation nor amusement within. By + and by I heard some one walking overhead. It was in the stout gentleman’s + room. He evidently was a large man, by the heaviness of his tread; and an + old man, from his wearing such creaking soles. “He is doubtless,” thought + I, “some rich old square-toes, of regular habits, and is now taking + exercise after breakfast.” + </p> + <p> + I now read all the advertisements of coaches and hotels that were stuck + about the mantel-piece. The Lady’s Magazine had become an abomination to + me; it was as tedious as the day itself. I wandered out, not knowing what + to do, and ascended again to my room. I had not been there long, when + there was a squall from a neighbouring bed-room. A door opened and slammed + violently; a chamber-maid, that I had remarked for having a ruddy, + good-humoured face, went down-stairs in a violent flurry. The stout + gentleman had been rude to her. + </p> + <p> + This sent a whole host of my deductions to the deuce in a moment. This + unknown personage could not be an old gentleman; for old gentlemen are not + apt to be so obstreperous to chamber-maids. He could not be a young + gentleman; for young gentlemen are not apt to inspire such indignation. He + must be a middle-aged man, and confounded ugly into the bargain, or the + girl would not have taken the matter in such terrible dudgeon. I confess I + was sorely puzzled. + </p> + <p> + In a few minutes I heard the voice of my landlady. I caught a glance of + her as she came tramping up-stairs; her face glowing, her cap flaring, her + tongue wagging the whole way. “She’d have no such doings in her house, + she’d warrant! If gentlemen did spend money freely, it was no rule. She’d + have no servant maids of hers treated in that way, when they were about + their work, that’s what she wouldn’t!” + </p> + <p> + As I hate squabbles, particularly with women, and above all with pretty + women, I slunk back into my room, and partly closed the door; but my + curiosity was too much excited not to listen. The landlady marched + intrepidly to the enemy’s citadel, and entered it with a storm: the door + closed after her. I heard her voice in high windy clamour for a moment or + two. Then it gradually subsided, like a gust of wind in a garret; then + there was a laugh; then I heard nothing more. + </p> + <p> + After a little while, my landlady came out with an odd smile on her face, + adjusting her cap, which was a little on one side. As she wont + down-stairs, I heard the landlord ask her what was the matter; she said, + “Nothing at all, only the girl’s a fool.” I was more than ever perplexed + what to make of this unaccountable personage, who could put a good-natured + chamber-maid in a passion, and send away a termagant landlady in smiles. + He could not be so old, nor cross, nor ugly either. + </p> + <p> + I had to go to work at his picture again, and to paint him entirely + different. I now set him down for one of those stout gentlemen that are + frequently met with, swaggering about the doors of country inns. Moist, + merry fellows, in Belcher handkerchiefs, whose bulk is a little assisted + by malt liquors. Men who have seen the world, and been sworn at Highgate; + who are used to tavern life; up to all the tricks of tapsters, and knowing + in the ways of sinful publicans. Free-livers on a small scale; who are + prodigal within the compass of a guinea; who call all the waiters by name, + touzle the maids, gossip with the landlady at the bar, and prose over a + pint of port, or a glass of negus, after dinner. + </p> + <p> + The morning wore away in forming of these and similar surmises. As fast as + I wove one system of belief, some movement of the unknown would completely + overturn it, and throw all my thoughts again into confusion. Such are the + solitary operations of a feverish mind. I was, as I have said, extremely + nervous; and the continual meditation on the concerns of this invisible + personage began to have its effect:—I was getting a fit of the + fidgets. + </p> + <p> + Dinner-time came. I hoped, the stout gentleman might dine in the + travellers’-room, and that I might at length get a view of his person; but + no—he had dinner served in his own room. What could be the meaning + of this solitude and mystery? He could not be a radical; there was + something too aristocratical in thus keeping himself apart from the rest + of the world, and condemning himself to his own dull company throughout a + rainy day. And then, too, he lived too well for a discontented politician. + He seemed to expatiate on a variety of dishes, and to sit over his wine + like a jolly friend of good living. Indeed, my doubts on this head were + soon at an end; for he could not have finished his first bottle before I + could faintly hear him humming a tune; and on listening, I found it to be + “God save the King.” ‘Twas plain, then, he was no radical, but a faithful + subject; one that grew loyal over his bottle, and was ready to stand by + king and constitution, when he could stand by nothing else. But who could + he be? My conjectures began to run wild. Was he not some personage of + distinction, traveling incog.? “God knows!” said I, at my wit’s end; “it + may be one of the royal family for aught I know, for they are all stout + gentlemen!” + </p> + <p> + The weather continued rainy. The mysterious unknown kept his room, and, as + far as I could judge, his chair, for I did not hear him move. In the + meantime, as the day advanced, the travellers’-room began to be + frequented. Some, who had just arrived, came in buttoned up in box-coats; + others came home, who had been dispersed about the town. Some took their + dinners, and some their tea. Had I been in a different mood, I should have + found entertainment in studying this peculiar class of men. There were two + especially, who were regular wags of the road, and up to all the standing + jokes of travellers. They had a thousand sly things to say to the + waiting-maid, whom they called Louisa, and Ethelinda, and a dozen other + fine names, changing the name every time, and chuckling amazingly at their + own waggery. My mind, however, had become completely engrossed by the + stout gentleman. He had kept my fancy in chase during a long day, and it + was not now to be diverted from the scent. + </p> + <p> + The evening gradually wore away. The travellers read the papers two or + three times over. Some drew round the fire, and told long stories about + their horses, about their adventures, their overturns, and breakings down. + They discussed the credits of different merchants and different inns; and + the two wags told several choice anecdotes of pretty chamber-maids, and + kind landladies. All this passed as they were quietly taking what they + called their night-caps, that is to say, strong glasses of brandy and + water and sugar, or some other mixture of the kind; after which they one + after another rang for “Boots” and the chamber-maid, and walked off to bed + in old shoes cut down into marvellously uncomfortable slippers. + </p> + <p> + There was only one man left; a short-legged, long-bodied, plethoric + fellow, with a very large, sandy head. He sat by himself, with a glass of + port wine negus, and a spoon; sipping and stirring, and meditating and + sipping, until nothing was left but the spoon. He gradually fell asleep + bolt upright in his chair, with the empty glass standing before him; and + the candle seemed to fall asleep too, for the wick grew long, and black, + and cabbaged at the end, and dimmed the little light that remained in the + chamber. The gloom that now prevailed was contagious. Around hung the + shapeless, and almost spectral, box-coats of departed travellers, long + since buried in deep sleep. I only heard the ticking of the clock, with + the deep-drawn breathings of the sleeping topers, and the drippings of the + rain, drop—drop—drop, from the eaves of the house. The + church-bells chimed midnight. All at once the stout gentleman began to + walk overhead, pacing slowly backwards and forwards. There was something + extremely awful in all this, especially to one in my state of nerves. + These ghastly greatcoats, these guttural breathings, and the creaking + footsteps of this mysterious being. His steps grew fainter and fainter, + and at length died away. I could bear it no longer. I was wound up to the + desperation of a hero of romance. “Be he who or what he may,” said I to + myself, “I’ll have a sight of him!” I seized a chamber candle, and hurried + up to number 13. The door stood ajar. I hesitated—I entered: the + room was deserted. There stood a large, broad-bottomed elbow chair at a + table, on which was an empty tumbler, and a “Times” newspaper, and the + room smelt powerfully of Stilton cheese. + </p> + <p> + The mysterious stranger had evidently but just retired. I turned off, + sorely disappointed, to my room, which had been changed to the front of + the house. As I went along the corridor, I saw a large pair of boots, with + dirty, waxed tops, standing at the door of a bed-chamber. They doubtless + belonged to the unknown; but it would not do to disturb so redoubtable a + personage in his den; he might discharge a pistol, or something worse, at + my head. I went to bed, therefore, and lay awake half the night in a + terrible nervous state; and even when I fell asleep, I was still haunted + in my dreams by the idea of the stout gentleman and his wax-topped boots. + </p> + <p> + I slept rather late the next morning, and was awakened by some stir and + bustle in the house, which I could not at first comprehend; until getting + more awake, I found there was a mail-coach starting from the door. + Suddenly there was a cry from below, “The gentleman has forgot his + umbrella! look for the gentleman’s umbrella in No. 13!” I heard an + immediate scampering of a chamber-maid along the passage, and a shrill + reply as she ran, “Here it is! here’s the gentleman’s umbrella!” + </p> + <p> + The mysterious stranger then was on the point of setting off. This was the + only chance I should ever have of knowing him. I sprang out of bed, + scrambled to the window, snatched aside the curtains, and just caught a + glimpse of the rear of a person getting in at the coach-door. The skirts + of a brown coat parted behind, and gave me a full view of the broad disk + of a pair of drab breeches. The door closed—“all right!” was the + word—the coach whirled off:—and that was all I ever saw of the + stout gentleman! + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0016" id="link2H_4_0016"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + FOREST TREES. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + “A living gallery of aged trees.” + </pre> + <p> + One of the favourite themes of boasting with the Squire, is the noble + trees on his estate, which, in truth, has some of the finest that I have + seen in England. There is something august and solemn in the great avenues + of stately oaks that gather their branches together high in air, and seem + to reduce the pedestrians beneath them to mere pigmies. “An avenue of oaks + or elms,” the Squire observes, “is the true colonnade that should lead to + a gentleman’s house. As to stone and marble, any one can rear them at once—they + are the work of the day; but commend me to the colonnades that have grown + old and great with the family, and tell by their grandeur how long the + family has endured.” + </p> + <p> + The Squire has great reverence for certain venerable trees, gray with + moss, which he considers as the ancient nobility of his domain. There is + the ruin of an enormous oak, which has been so much battered by time and + tempest, that scarce any thing is left; though he says Christy recollects + when, in his boyhood, it was healthy and nourishing, until it was struck + by lightning. It is now a mere trunk, with one twisted bough stretching up + into the air, leaving a green branch at the end of it. This sturdy wreck + is much valued by the Squire; he calls it his standard-bearer, and + compares it to a veteran warrior beaten down in battle, but bearing up his + banner to the last. He has actually had a fence built round it, to protect + it as much as possible from further injury. + </p> + <p> + It is with great difficulty that the Squire can ever be brought to have + any tree cut down on his estate. To some he looks with reverence, as + having been planted by his ancestors; to others with a kind of paternal + affection, as having been planted by himself; and he feels a degree of awe + in bringing down, with a few strokes of the axe, what it has cost + centuries to build up. I confess I cannot but sympathize, in some degree, + with the good Squire on the subject. Though brought up in a country + overrun with forests, where trees are apt to be considered mere + encumbrances, and to be laid low without hesitation or remorse, yet I + could never see a fine tree hewn down without concern. The poets, who are + naturally lovers of trees, as they are of every thing that is beautiful, + have artfully awakened great interest in their favour, by representing + them as the habitations of sylvan deities; insomuch that every great tree + had its tutelar genius, or a nymph, whose existence was limited to its + duration. Evelyn, in his Sylva, makes several pleasing and fanciful + allusions to this superstition. “As the fall,” says he, “of a very aged + oak, giving a crack like thunder, has often been heard at many miles’ + distance; constrained though I often am to fell them with reluctancy, I do + not at any time remember to have heard the groans of those nymphs + (grieving to be dispossessed of their ancient habitations) without some + emotion and pity.” And again, in alluding to a violent storm that had + devastated the woodlands, he says, “Methinks I still hear, sure I am that + I still feel, the dismal groans of our forests; the late dreadful + hurricane having subverted so many thousands of goodly oaks, prostrating + the trees, laying them in ghastly postures, like whole regiments fallen in + battle by the sword of the conqueror, and crushing all that grew beneath + them. The public accounts,” he adds, “reckon no less than three thousand + brave oaks in one part only of the forest of Dean blown down.” + </p> + <p> + I have paused more than once in the wilderness of America, to contemplate + the traces of some blast of wind, which seemed to have rushed down from + the clouds, and ripped its way through the bosom of the woodlands; rooting + up, shivering, and splintering the stoutest trees, and leaving a long + track of desolation. There was something awful in the vast havoc made + among these gigantic plants; and in considering their magnificent remains, + so rudely torn and mangled, and hurled down to perish prematurely on their + native soil, I was conscious of a strong movement of the sympathy so + feelingly expressed by Evelyn. I recollect, also, hearing a traveller of + poetical Temperament expressing the kind of horror which he felt on + Beholding on the banks of the Missouri, an oak of prodigious size, which + had been, in a manner, overpowered by an enormous wild grape-vine. The + vine had clasped its huge folds round the trunk, and from thence had wound + about every branch and twig, until the mighty tree had withered in its + embrace. It seemed like Laocoon struggling ineffectually in the hideous + coils of the monster Python. It was the lion of trees perishing in the + embraces of a vegetable boa. + </p> + <p> + I am fond of listening to the conversation of English gentlemen on rural + concerns, and of noticing with what taste and discrimination, and what + strong, unaffected interest they will discuss topics, which, in other + countries, are abandoned to mere woodmen, or rustic cultivators. I have + heard a noble earl descant on park and forest scenery with the science and + feeling of a painter. He dwelt on the shape and beauty of particular trees + on his estate, with as much pride and technical precision as though he had + been discussing the merits of statues in his collection I found that he + had even gone considerable distances to examine trees which were + celebrated among rural amateurs; for it seems that trees, like horses, + have their established points of excellence; and that there are some in + England which enjoy very extensive celebrity among tree-fanciers, from + being perfect in their kind. + </p> + <p> + There is something nobly simple and pure in such a taste: it argues, I + think, a sweet and generous nature, to have this strong relish for the + beauties of vegetation, and this friendship for the hardy and glorious + sons of the forest. There is a grandeur of thought connected with this + part of rural economy. It is, if I may be allowed the figure, the heroic + line of husbandry. It is worthy of liberal, and free-born, and aspiring + men. He who plants an oak, looks forward to future ages, and plants for + posterity. Nothing can be less selfish than this. He cannot expect to sit + in its shade, nor enjoy its shelter; but he exults in the idea that the + acorn which he has buried in the earth shall grow up into a lofty pile, + and shall keep on flourishing, and increasing, and benefiting mankind, + long after he shall have ceased to tread his paternal fields. Indeed, it + is the nature of such occupations to lift the thoughts above mere + worldliness. As the leaves of trees are said to absorb all noxious + qualities of the air, and to breathe forth a purer atmosphere, so it seems + to me as if they drew from us all sordid and angry passions, and breathed + forth peace and philanthropy. There is a serene and settled majesty in + woodland scenery, that enters into the soul, and dilates and elevates it, + and fills it with noble inclinations. The ancient and hereditary groves, + too, that embower this island, are most of them full of story. They are + haunted by the recollections of great spirits of past ages, who have + sought for relaxation among them from the tumult of arms, or the toils of + state, or have wooed the muse beneath their shade. Who can walk, with soul + unmoved, among the stately groves of Penshurst, where the gallant, the + amiable, the elegant Sir Philip Sidney passed his boyhood; or can look + without fondness upon the tree that is said to have been planted on his + birthday; or can ramble among the classic bowers of Hagley; or can pause + among the solitudes of Windsor Forest, and look at the oaks around, huge, + gray, and time-worn, like the old castle towers, and not feel as if he + were surrounded by so many monuments of long-enduring glory? It is, when + viewed in this light, that planted groves, and stately avenues, and + cultivated parks, have an advantage over the more luxuriant beauties of + unassisted nature. It is that they teem with moral associations, and keep + up the ever-interesting story of human existence. + </p> + <p> + It is incumbent, then, on the high and generous spirits of an ancient + nation, to cherish these sacred groves that surround their ancestral + mansions, and to perpetuate them to their descendants. Republican as I am + by birth, and brought up as I have been in republican principles and + habits, I can feel nothing of the servile reverence for titled rank, + merely because it is titled; but I trust that I am neither churl nor bigot + in my creed. I can both see and feel how hereditary distinction, when it + falls to the lot of a generous mind, may elevate that mind into true + nobility. It is one of the effects of hereditary rank, when it falls thus + happily, that it multiplies the duties, and, as it were, extends the + existence of the possessor. He does not feel himself a mere individual + link in creation, responsible only for his own brief term of being. He + carries back his existence in proud recollection, and he extends it + forward in honourable anticipation. He lives with his ancestry, and he + lives with his posterity. To both does he consider himself involved in + deep responsibilities. As he has received much from those that have gone + before, so he feels bound to transmit much to those who are to come after + him. His domestic undertakings seem to imply a longer existence than those + of ordinary men; none are so apt to build and plant for future centuries, + as noble-spirited men, who have received their heritages from foregone + ages. + </p> + <p> + I cannot but applaud, therefore, the fondness and pride with which I have + noticed English gentlemen, of generous temperaments, and high aristocratic + feelings, contemplating those magnificent trees, which rise like towers + and pyramids, from the midst of their paternal lands. There is an affinity + between all nature, animate and inanimate: the oak, in the pride and + lustihood of its growth, seems to me to take its range with the lion and + the eagle, and to assimilate, in the grandeur of its attributes, to heroic + and intellectual man. With its mighty pillar rising straight and direct + towards heaven, bearing up its leafy honours from the impurities of earth, + and supporting them aloft in free air and glorious sunshine, it is an + emblem of what a true nobleman <i>should be</i>; a refuge for the weak, a + shelter for the oppressed, a defence for the defenceless; warding off from + them the peltings of the storm, or the scorching rays of arbitrary power. + He who is <i>this</i>, is an ornament and a blessing to his native land. + He who is <i>otherwise</i>, abuses his eminent advantages; abuses the + grandeur and prosperity which he has drawn from the bosom of his country. + Should tempests arise, and he be laid prostrate by the storm, who would + mourn over his fall? Should he be borne down by the oppressive hand of + power, who would murmur at his fate?—“Why cumbereth he the ground?” + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0017" id="link2H_4_0017"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + A LITERARY ANTIQUARY. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Printed bookes he contemnes, as a novelty of this latter age; but + a manuscript he pores on everlastingly; especially if the cover be + all moth-eaten, and the dust make a parenthesis betweene every + syllable. + + —<i>Mico-Cosmographie</i>, 1638. +</pre> + <p> + The Squire receives great sympathy and support, in his antiquated humours, + from the parson, of whom I made some mention on my former visit to the + Hall, and who acts as a kind of family chaplain. He has been cherished by + the Squire almost constantly, since the time that they were + fellow-students at Oxford; for it is one of the peculiar advantages of + these great universities, that they often link the poor scholar to the + rich patron, by early and heart-felt ties, that last through life, without + the usual humiliations of dependence and patronage. Under the fostering + protection of the Squire, therefore, the little parson has pursued his + studies in peace. Having lived almost entirely among books, and those, + too, old books, he is quite ignorant of the world, and his mind is as + antiquated as the garden at the Hall, where the flowers are all arranged + in formal beds, and the yew-trees clipped into urns and peacocks. + </p> + <p> + His taste for literary antiquities was first imbibed in the Bodleian + Library at Oxford; where, when a student, he passed many an hour foraging + among the old manuscripts. He has since, at different times, visited most + of the curious libraries in England, and has ransacked many of the + cathedrals. With all his quaint and curious learning, he has nothing of + arrogance or pedantry; but that unaffected earnestness and guileless + simplicity which seem to belong to the literary antiquary. + </p> + <p> + He is a dark, mouldy little man, and rather dry in his manner; yet, on his + favourite theme, he kindles up, and at times is even eloquent. No + fox-hunter, recounting his last day’s sport, could be more animated than I + have seen the worthy parson, when relating his search after a curious + document, which he had traced from library to library, until he fairly + unearthed it in the dusty chapter-house of a cathedral. When, too, he + describes some venerable manuscript, with its rich illuminations, its + thick creamy vellum, its glossy ink, and the odour of the cloisters that + seemed to exhale from it, he rivals the enthusiasm of a Parisian epicure, + expatiating on the merits of a Perigord pie, or a <i>Patté de Strasbourg</i>. + </p> + <p> + His brain seems absolutely haunted with love-sick dreams about gorgeous + old works in “silk linings, triple gold bands, and tinted leather, locked + up in wire cases, and secured from the vulgar hands of the mere reader;” + and, to continue the happy expressions of an ingenious writer, “dazzling + one’s eyes like eastern beauties, peering through their jealousies."<a + href="#linknote-3" name="linknoteref-3" id="linknoteref-3"><small>3</small></a> + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="linknote-3" id="linknote-3"> Note--></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 3 (<a href="#linknoteref-3">return</a>)<br /> [ D’Israeli—<i>Curiosities + of Literature</i>.] + </p> + <p> + He has a great desire, however, to read such works in the old libraries + and chapter-houses to which they belong; for he thinks a black-letter + volume reads best in one of those venerable chambers where the light + struggles through dusty lancet windows and painted glass; and that it + loses half its zest, if taken away from the neighbourhood of the + quaintly-carved oaken book-case and Gothic reading-desk. At his + suggestion, the Squire has had the library furnished in this antique + taste, and several of the windows glazed with painted glass, that they may + throw a properly tempered light upon the pages of their favourite old + authors. + </p> + <p> + The parson, I am told, has been for some time meditating a commentary on + Strutt, Brand, and Douce, in which he means to detect them in sundry + dangerous errors in respect to popular games and superstitions; a work to + which the Squire looks forward with great interest. He is, also, a casual + contributor to that long-established repository of national customs and + antiquities, the Gentleman’s Magazine, and is one of those that every now + and then make an inquiry concerning some obsolete custom or rare legend; + nay, it is said that several of his communications have been at least six + inches in length. He frequently receives parcels by coach from different + parts of the kingdom, containing mouldy volumes and almost illegible + manuscripts; for it is singular what an active correspondence is kept up + among literary antiquaries, and how soon the fame of any rare volume, or + unique copy, just discovered among the rubbish of a library, is circulated + among them. The parson is more busy than common just now, being a little + flurried by an advertisement of a work, said to be preparing for the + press, on the mythology of the middle ages. The little man has long been + gathering together all the hobgoblin tales he could collect, illustrative + of the superstitions of former times; and he is in a complete fever lest + this formidable rival should take the field before him. + </p> + <p> + Shortly after my arrival at the Hall, I called at the parsonage, in + company with Mr. Bracebridge and the general. The parson had not been seen + for several days, which was a matter of some surprise, as he was an almost + daily visitor at the Hall. We found him in his study; a small dusky + chamber, lighted by a lattice window that looked into the church-yard, and + was overshadowed by a yew-tree. His chair was surrounded by folios and + quartos, piled upon the floor, and his table was covered with books and + manuscripts. The cause of his seclusion was a work which he had recently + received, and with which he had retired in rapture from the world, and + shut himself up to enjoy a literary honeymoon undisturbed. Never did + boarding-school girl devour the pages of a sentimental novel, or Don + Quixote a chivalrous romance, with more intense delight than did the + little man banquet on the pages of this delicious work. It was Dibdin’s + Bibliographical Tour; a work calculated to have as intoxicating an effect + on the imaginations of literary antiquaries, as the adventures of the + heroes of the round table, on all true knights; or the tales of the early + American voyagers on the ardent spirits of the age, filling them with + dreams of Mexican and Peruvian mines, and of the golden realm of El + Dorado. + </p> + <p> + The good parson had looked forward to this bibliographical expedition as + of far greater importance than those to Africa or the North Pole. With + what eagerness had he seized upon the history of the enterprise! with what + interest had he followed the redoubtable bibliographer and his graphical + squire in their adventurous roamings among Norman castles, and cathedrals, + and French libraries, and German convents and universities; penetrating + into the prison-houses of vellum manuscripts, and exquisitely illuminated + missals, and revealing their beauties to the world! + </p> + <p> + When the parson had finished a rapturous eulogy on this most curious and + entertaining work, he drew forth from a little drawer a manuscript, lately + received from a correspondent, which had perplexed him sadly. It was + written in Norman French, in very ancient characters, and so faded and + mouldered away as to be almost illegible. It was apparently an old Norman + drinking song, that might have been brought over by one of William the + Conqueror’s carousing followers. The writing was just legible enough to + keep a keen antiquity-hunter on a doubtful chase; here and there he would + be completely thrown out, and then there would be a few words so plainly + written as to put him on the scent again. In this way he had been led on + for a whole day, until he had found himself completely at fault. + </p> + <p> + The Squire endeavoured to assist him, but was equally baffled. The old + general listened for some time to the discussion, and then asked the + parson if he had read Captain Morris’s, or George Stevens’s, or Anacreon + Moore’s bacchanalian songs? On the other replying in the negative, “Oh, + then,” said the general, with a sagacious nod, “if you want a drinking + song, I can furnish you with the latest collection—I did not know + you had a turn for those kind of things; and I can lend you the + Encyclopedia of Wit into the bargain. I never travel without them; they’re + excellent reading at an inn.” + </p> + <p> + It would not be easy to describe the odd look of surprise and perplexity + of the parson, at this proposal; or the difficulty the Squire had in + making the general comprehend, that though a jovial song of the present + day was but a foolish sound in the ears of wisdom, and beneath the notice + of a learned man, yet a trowl, written by a tosspot several hundred years + since, was a matter worthy of the gravest research, and enough to set + whole colleges by the ears. + </p> + <p> + I have since pondered much on this matter, and have figured to myself what + may be the fate of our current literature, when retrieved, piecemeal, by + future antiquaries, from among the rubbish of ages. What a Magnus Apollo, + for instance, will Moore become, among sober divines and dusty schoolmen! + Even his festive and amatory songs, which are now the mere quickeners of + our social moments, or the delights of our drawing-rooms, will then become + matters of laborious research and painful collation. How many a grave + professor will then waste his midnight oil, or worry his brain through a + long morning, endeavouring to restore the pure text, or illustrate the + biographical hints of “Come, tell me, says Rosa, as kissing and kissed;” + and how many an arid old bookworm, like the worthy little parson, will + give up in despair, after vainly striving to fill up some fatal hiatus in + “Fanny of Timmol”! + </p> + <p> + Nor is it merely such exquisite authors as Moore that are doomed to + consume the oil of future antiquaries. Many a poor scribbler, who is now, + apparently, sent to oblivion by pastrycooks and cheese-mongers, will then + rise again in fragments, and flourish in learned immortality. + </p> + <p> + After all, thought I, time is not such an invariable destroyer as he is + represented. If he pulls down, he likewise builds up; if he impoverishes + one, he enriches another; his very dilapidations furnish matter for new + works of controversy, and his rust is more precious than the most costly + gilding. Under his plastic hand, trifles rise into importance; the + nonsense of one age becomes the wisdom of another; the levity of the wit + gravitates into the learning of the pedant, and an ancient farthing + moulders into infinitely more value than a modern guinea. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0018" id="link2H_4_0018"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + THE FARM-HOUSE. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + ———“Love and hay + Are thick sown, but come up full of thistles.” + + —BEAUMONT AND FLETCHER. +</pre> + <p> + I was so much pleased with the anecdotes which were told me of Ready-Money + Jack Tibbets, that I got Master Simon, a day or two since, to take me to + his house. It was an old-fashioned farm-house built with brick, with + curiously twisted chimneys. It stood at a little distance from the road, + with a southern exposure, looking upon a soft green slope of meadow. There + was a small garden in front, with a row of bee-hives humming among beds of + sweet herbs and flowers. Well-scoured milking tubs, with bright copper + hoops, hung on the garden paling. Fruit trees were trained up against the + cottage, and pots of flowers stood in the windows. A fat, superannuated + mastiff lay in the sunshine at the door; with a sleek cat sleeping + peacefully across him. + </p> + <p> + Mr. Tibbets was from home at the time of our calling, but we were received + with hearty and homely welcome by his wife; a notable, motherly woman, and + a complete pattern for wives; since, according to Master Simon’s account, + she never contradicts honest Jack, and yet manages to have her own way, + and to control him in every thing. + </p> + <p> + She received us in the main room of the house, a kind of parlour and hall, + with great brown beams of timber across it, which Mr. Tibbets is apt to + point out with some exultation, observing, that they don’t put such timber + in houses now-a-days. The furniture was old-fashioned, strong, and highly + polished; the walls were hung with coloured prints of the story of the + Prodigal Son, who was represented in a red coat and leather breeches. Over + the fire-place was a blunderbuss, and a hard-favoured likeness of + Ready-Money Jack, taken when he was a young man, by the same artist that + painted the tavern sign; his mother having taken a notion that the Tibbets + had as much right to have a gallery of family portraits as the folks at + the Hall. + </p> + <p> + The good dame pressed us very much to take some refreshment, and tempted + us with a variety of household dainties, so that we were glad to compound + by tasting some of her homemade wines. While we were there, the son and + heir-apparent came home; a good-looking young fellow, and something of a + rustic beau. He took us over the premises, and showed us the whole + establishment. An air of homely but substantial plenty prevailed + throughout; every thing was of the best materials, and in the best + condition. Nothing was out of place, or ill made; and you saw every where + the signs of a man that took care to have the worth of his money, and that + paid as he went. + </p> + <p> + The farm-yard was well stocked; under a shed was a taxed cart, in trim + order, in which Ready-Money Jack took his wife about the country. His + well-fed horse neighed from the stable, and when led out into the yard, to + use the words of young Jack, “he shone like a bottle;” for he said the old + man made it a rule that every thing about him should fare as well as he + did himself. + </p> + <p> + I was pleased to see the pride which the young fellow seemed to have of + his father. He gave us several particulars concerning his habits, which + were pretty much to the effect of those I have already mentioned. He had + never suffered an account to stand in his life, always providing the money + before he purchased any thing; and, if possible, paying in gold and + silver. He had a great dislike to paper money, and seldom went without a + considerable sum in gold about him. On my observing that it was a wonder + he had never been waylaid and robbed, the young fellow smiled at the idea + of any one venturing upon such an exploit, for I believe he thinks the old + man would be a match for Robin Hood and all his gang. + </p> + <p> + I have noticed that Master Simon seldom goes into any house without having + a world of private talk with some one or other of the family, being a kind + of universal counsellor and confidant. We had not been long at the farm, + before the old dame got him into a corner of her parlour, where they had a + long, whispering conference together; in which I saw, by his shrugs, that + there were some dubious matters discussed, and by his nods that he agreed + with every thing she said. + </p> + <p> + After we had come out, the young man accompanied us a little distance, and + then, drawing Master Simon aside into a green lane, they walked and talked + together for nearly half an hour. Master Simon, who has the usual + propensity of confidants to blab every thing to the next friend they meet + with, let me know that there was a love affair in question; the young + fellow having been smitten with the charms of Phoebe Wilkins, the pretty + niece of the housekeeper at the Hall. Like most other love concerns, it + had brought its troubles and perplexities. Dame Tibbets had long been on + intimate, gossiping terms with the housekeeper, who often visited the + farm-house; but when the neighbours spoke to her of the likelihood of a + match between her son and Phoebe Wilkins, “Marry come up!” she scouted the + very idea. The girl had acted as lady’s maid; and it was beneath the blood + of the Tibbets’, who had lived on their own lands time out of mind, and + owed reverence and thanks to nobody, to have the heir-apparent marry a + servant! + </p> + <p> + These vapourings had faithfully been carried to the housekeeper’s ear, by + one of their mutual go-between friends. The old housekeeper’s blood, if + not as ancient, was as quick as that of Dame Tibbets. She had been + accustomed to carry a high head at the Hall, and among the villagers; and + her faded brocade rustled with indignation at the slight cast upon her + alliance by the wife of a petty farmer. She maintained that her niece had + been a companion rather than a waiting-maid to the young ladies. “Thank + heavens, she was not obliged to work for her living, and was as idle as + any young lady in the land; and when somebody died, would receive + something that would be worth the notice of some folks, with all their + ready money.” + </p> + <p> + A bitter feud had thus taken place between the two worthy dames, and the + young people were forbidden to think of one another. As to young Jack, he + was too much in love to reason upon the matter; and being a little heady, + and not standing in much awe of his mother, was ready to sacrifice the + whole dignity of the Tibbets’ to his passion. He had lately, however, had + a violent quarrel with his mistress, in consequence of some coquetry on + her part, and at present stood aloof. The politic mother was exerting all + her ingenuity to widen the accidental breach; but, as is most commonly the + case, the more she meddled with this perverse inclination of the son, the + stronger it grew. In the meantime, old Ready-Money was kept completely in + the dark; both parties were in awe and uncertainty as to what might be his + way of taking the matter, and dreaded to awaken the sleeping lion. Between + father and son, therefore, the worthy Mrs. Tibbets was full of business, + and at her wit’s end. It is true there was no great danger of honest + Ready-Money’s finding the thing out, if left to himself; for he was of a + most unsuspicious temper, and by no means quick of apprehension; but there + was daily risk of his attention being aroused, by the cobwebs which his + indefatigable wife was continually spinning about his nose. + </p> + <p> + Such is the distracted state of politics, in the domestic empire of + Ready-Money Jack; which only shows the intrigues and internal dangers to + which the best-regulated governments are liable. In this perplexed + situation of their affairs, both mother and son have applied to Master + Simon for counsel; and, with all his experience in meddling with other + people’s concerns, he finds it an exceedingly difficult part to play, to + agree with both parties, seeing that their opinions and wishes are so + diametrically opposite. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0019" id="link2H_4_0019"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + HORSEMANSHIP. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + A coach was a strange monster in those days, and the sight put both + horse and man into amazement. Some said it was a great crabshell + brought out of China, and some imagined it to be one of the pagan + temples, in which the canibals adored the divell. + + —TAYLOR, THE WATER POET. +</pre> + <p> + I have made casual mention, more than once, of one of the Squire’s + antiquated retainers, old Christy, the huntsman. I find that his crabbed + humour is a source of much entertainment among the young men of the + family; the Oxonian, particularly, takes a mischievous pleasure, now and + then, in slyly rubbing the old man against the grain, and then smoothing + him down again; for the old fellow is as ready to bristle up his back as a + porcupine. He rides a venerable hunter called Pepper, which is a + counterpart of himself, a heady cross-grained animal, that frets the flesh + off its bones; bites, kicks, and plays all manner of villainous tricks. He + is as tough, and nearly as old as his rider, who has ridden him time out + of mind, and is, indeed, the only one that can do any thing with him. + Sometimes, however, they have a complete quarrel, and a dispute for + mastery, and then, I am told, it is as good as a farce to see the heat + they both get into, and the wrong-headed contest that ensues; for they are + quite knowing in each other’s ways, and in the art of teasing and fretting + each other. Notwithstanding these doughty brawls, however, there is + nothing that nettles old Christy sooner than to question the merits of the + horse; which he upholds as tenaciously as a faithful husband will + vindicate the virtues of the termagant spouse, that gives him a curtain + lecture every night of his life. + </p> + <p> + The young men call old Christy their “professor of equitation;” and in + accounting for the appellation, they let me into some particulars of the + Squire’s mode of bringing up his children. There is an odd mixture of + eccentricity and good sense in all the opinions of my worthy host. His + mind is like modern Gothic, where plain brick-work is set off with pointed + arches and quaint tracery. Though the main ground-work of his opinions is + correct, yet he has a thousand little notions, picked up from old books, + which stand out whimsically on the surface of his mind. + </p> + <p> + Thus, in educating his boys, he chose Peachem, Markam, and such like old + English writers, for his manuals. At an early age he took the lads out of + their mother’s hands, who was disposed, as mothers are apt to be, to make + fine, orderly children of them, that should keep out of sun and rain and + never soil their hands, nor tear their clothes. + </p> + <p> + In place of this, the Squire turned them loose to run free and wild about + the park, without heeding wind or weather. He was, also, particularly + attentive in making them bold and expert horsemen; and these were the days + when old Christy, the huntsman, enjoyed great importance, as the lads were + put under his care to practise them at the leaping-bars, and to keep an + eye upon them in the chase. + </p> + <p> + The Squire always objected to their riding in carriages of any kind, and + is still a little tenacious on this point. He often rails against the + universal use of carriages, and quotes the words of honest Nashe to that + effect. “It was thought,” says Nashe, in his Quaternio, “a kind of + solecism, and to savour of effeminacy, for a young gentleman in the + flourishing time of his age to creep into a coach, and to shroud himself + from wind and weather: our great delight was to outbrave the blustering + Boreas upon a great horse; to arm and prepare ourselves to go with Mars + and Bellona into the field, was our sport and pastime; coaches and + caroches we left unto them for whom they were first invented, for ladies + and gentlemen, and decrepit age and impotent people.” + </p> + <p> + The Squire insists that the English gentlemen have lost much of their + hardiness and manhood, since the introduction of carriages. “Compare,” he + will say, “the fine gentleman of former times, ever on horseback, booted + and spurred, and travel-stained, but open, frank, manly, and chivalrous, + with the fine gentleman of the present day, full of affectation and + effeminacy, rolling along a turnpike in his voluptuous vehicle. The young + men of those days were rendered brave, and lofty, and generous in their + notions, by almost living in their saddles, and having their foaming + steeds ‘like proud seas under them.’ There is something,” he adds, “in + bestriding a fine horse that makes a man feel more than mortal. He seems + to have doubled his nature, and to have added to his own courage and + sagacity the power, the speed, and stateliness of the superb animal on + which he is mounted.” + </p> + <p> + “It is a great delight,” says old Nashe, “to see a young gentleman with + his skill and cunning, by his voice, rod, and spur, better to manage and + to command the great Bucephalus, than the strongest Milo, with all his + strength; one while to see him make him tread, trot, and gallop the ring; + and one after to see him make him gather up roundly; to bear his head + steadily; to run a full career swiftly; to stop a sudden lightly; anon + after to see him make him advance, to yerke, to go back, and sidelong, to + turn on either hand; to gallop the gallop galliard; to do the capriole, + the chambetta, and dance the curvetty.” + </p> + <p> + In conformity to these ideas, the Squire had them all on horseback at an + early age, and made them ride, slapdash, about the country, without + flinching at hedge, or ditch, or stone wall, to the imminent danger of + their necks. + </p> + <p> + Even the fair Julia was partially included in this system; and, under the + instructions of old Christy, has become one of the best horsewomen in the + country. The Squire says it is better than all the cosmetics and + sweeteners of the breath that ever were invented. He extols the + horsemanship of the ladies in former times, when Queen Elizabeth would + scarcely suffer the rain to stop her accustomed ride. “And then think,” he + will say, “what nobler and sweeter beings it made them. What a difference + must there be, both in mind and body, between a joyous, high-spirited dame + of those days, glowing with health and exercise, freshened by every breeze + that blows, seated loftily and gracefully on her saddle, with plume on + head, and hawk on hand, and her descendant of the present day, the pale + victim of routs and ball-rooms, sunk languidly in one corner of an + enervating carriage.” + </p> + <p> + The Squire’s equestrian system has been attended with great success; for + his sons, having passed through the whole course of instruction without + breaking neck or limb, are now healthful, spirited, and active, and have + the true Englishman’s love for a horse. If their manliness and frankness + are praised in their father’s hearing, he quotes the old Persian maxim, + and says, they have been taught “to ride, to shoot, and to speak the + truth.” + </p> + <p> + It is true, the Oxonian has now and then practised the old gentleman’s + doctrines a little in the extreme. He is a gay youngster, rather fonder of + his horse than his book, with a little dash of the dandy; though the + ladies all declare that he is “the flower of the flock.” The first year + that he was sent to Oxford, he had a tutor appointed to overlook him, a + dry chip of the university. When he returned home in the vacation, the + Squire made many inquiries about how he liked his college, his studies, + and his tutor. + </p> + <p> + “Oh, as to my tutor, sir, I’ve parted with him some time since.” + </p> + <p> + “You have! and, pray, why so?” + </p> + <p> + “Oh, sir, hunting was all the go at our college, and I was a little short + of funds; so I discharged my tutor, and took a horse, you know.” + </p> + <p> + “Ah, I was not aware of that, Tom,” said the Squire, mildly. + </p> + <p> + When Tom returned to college, his allowance was doubled, that he might be + enabled to keep both horse and tutor. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0020" id="link2H_4_0020"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + LOVE SYMPTOMS. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + I will now begin to sigh, read poets, look pale, go neatly, and be + most apparently in love. + + —MARSTON. +</pre> + <p> + I should not be surprised, if we should have another pair of turtles at + the Hall; for Master Simon has informed me, in great confidence, that he + suspects the general of some design upon the susceptible heart of Lady + Lillycraft. I have, indeed, noticed a growing attention and courtesy in + the veteran towards her ladyship; he softens very much in her company, + sits by her at table, and entertains her with long stories about + Seringapatam, and pleasant anecdotes of the Mulligatawney club. I have + even seen him present her with a full-blown rose from the hot-house, in a + style of the most captivating gallantry, and it was accepted with great + suavity and graciousness; for her ladyship delights in receiving the + homage and attention of the sex. + </p> + <p> + Indeed, the general was one of the earliest admirers that dangled in her + train, during her short reign of beauty; and they flirted together for + half a season in London, some thirty or forty years since. She reminded + him lately, in the course of a conversation about former days, of the time + when he used to ride a white horse, and to canter so gallantly by the side + of her carriage in Hyde Park; whereupon I have remarked that the veteran + has regularly escorted her since, when she rides out on horseback; and, I + suspect, he almost persuades himself that he makes as captivating an + appearance as in his youthful days. + </p> + <p> + It would be an interesting and memorable circumstance in the chronicles of + Cupid, if this spark of the tender passion, after lying dormant for such a + length of time, should again be fanned into a flame, from amidst the ashes + of two burnt-out hearts. It would be an instance of perdurable fidelity, + worthy of being placed beside those recorded in one of the Squire’s + favourite tomes, commemorating the constancy of the olden times; in which + times, we are told, “Men and wymmen coulde love togyders seven yeres, and + no licours lustes were betwene them, and thenne was love, trouthe, and + feythfulnes; and lo in lyke wyse was used love in King Arthur’s dayes."<a + href="#linknote-4" name="linknoteref-4" id="linknoteref-4"><small>4</small></a> + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="linknote-4" id="linknote-4"> Note--></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 4 (<a href="#linknoteref-4">return</a>)<br /> [ Morte d’ Arthur.] + </p> + <p> + Still, however, this may be nothing but a little venerable flirtation, the + general being a veteran dangler, and the good lady habituated to these + kind of attentions. Master Simon, on the other hand, thinks the general is + looking about him with the wary eye of an old campaigner; and, now that he + is on the wane, is desirous of getting into warm winter-quarters. Much + allowance, however, must be made for Master Simon’s uneasiness on the + subject, for he looks on Lady Lillycraft’s house as one of his + strongholds, where he is lord of the ascendant; and, with all his + admiration of the general, I much doubt whether he would like to see him + lord of the lady and the establishment. + </p> + <p> + There are certain other symptoms, notwithstanding, that give an air of + probability to Master Simon’s intimations. Thus, for instance, I have + observed that the general has been very assiduous in his attentions to her + ladyship’s dogs, and has several times exposed his fingers to imminent + jeopardy, in attemptingto pat Beauty on the head. It is to be hoped his + advances to the mistress will be more favourably received, as all his + overtures towards a caress are greeted by the pestilent little cur with a + wary kindling of the eye, and a most venomous growl. + </p> + <p> + He has, moreover, been very complaisant towards my lady’s gentlewoman, the + immaculate Mrs. Hannah, whom he used to speak of in a way that I do not + choose to mention. Whether she has the same suspicions with Master Simon + or not, I cannot say; but she receives his civilities with no better grace + than the implacable Beauty; unscrewing her mouth into a most acid smile, + and looking as though she could bite a piece out of him. In short, the + poor general seems to have as formidable foes to contend with, as a hero + of ancient fairy tale; who had to fight his way to his enchanted princess + through ferocious monsters of every kind, and to encounter the brimstone + terrors of some fiery dragon. + </p> + <p> + There is still another circumstance, which inclines me to give very + considerable credit to Master Simon’s suspicions. Lady Lillycraft is very + fond of quoting poetry, and the conversation often turns upon it, on which + occasions the general is thrown completely out. It happened the other day + that Spenser’s Fairy Queen was the theme for the greater part of the + morning, and the poor general sat perfectly silent. I found him not long + after in the library, with spectacles on nose, a book in his hand, and + fast asleep. On my approach, he awoke, slipt the spectacles into his + pocket, and began to read very attentively. After a little while he put a + paper in the place, and laid the volume aside, which I perceived was the + Fairy Queen. I have had the curiosity to watch how he got on in his + poetical studies; but though I have repeatedly seen him with the book in + his hand, yet I find the paper has not advanced above three or four pages; + the general being extremely apt to fall asleep when he reads. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0021" id="link2H_4_0021"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + FALCONRY. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Ne is there hawk which mantleth on her perch, + Whether high tow’ring or accousting low, + But I the measure of her flight doe search, + And all her prey and all her diet know. + + —SPENSER. +</pre> + <p> + There are several grand sources of lamentation furnished to the worthy + Squire, by the improvement of society and the grievous advancement of + knowledge; among which there is none, I believe, that causes him more + frequent regret than the unfortunate invention of gunpowder. To this he + continually traces the decay of some favourite custom, and, indeed, the + general downfall of all chivalrous and romantic usages. “English + soldiers,” he says, “have never been the men they were in the days of the + cross-bow and the long-bow; when they depended upon the strength of the + arm, and the English archer could draw a cloth-yard shaft to the head. + These were the times when, at the battles of Cressy, Poietiers, and + Agincourt, the French chivalry was completely destroyed by the bowmen of + England. The yeomanry, too, have never been what they were, when, in times + of peace, they were constantly exercised with the bow, and archery was a + favourite holiday pastime.” + </p> + <p> + Among the other evils which have followed in the train of this fatal + invention of gunpowder, the Squire classes the total decline of the noble + art of falconry. “Shooting,” he says, “is a skulking, treacherous, + solitary sport, in comparison; but hawking was a gallant, open, sunshiny + recreation; it was the generous sport of hunting carried into the skies.” + </p> + <p> + “It was, moreover,” he says, “according to Braithwate, the stately + amusement of ‘high and mounting spirits;’ for as the old Welsh proverb + affirms in those tunes, ‘you might know a gentleman by his hawk, horse, + and grayhound.’ Indeed, a cavalier was seldom seen abroad without his hawk + on his fist; and even a lady of rank did not think herself completely + equipped, in riding forth, unless she had a tassel-gentel held by jesses + on her delicate hand. It was thought in those excellent days, according to + an old writer, ‘quite sufficient for noblemen to winde their horn, and to + carry their hawke fair; and leave study and learning to the children of + mean people.’” + </p> + <p> + Knowing the good Squire’s hobby, therefore, I have not been surprised at + finding that, among the various recreations of former times which he has + endeavoured to revive in the little world in which he rules, he has + bestowed great attention on the noble art of falconry. In this he, of + course, has been seconded by his indefatigable coadjutor, Master Simon; + and even the parson has thrown considerable light on their labours, by + various hints on the subject, which he has met with in old English works. + As to the precious work of that famous dame, Juliana Barnes; the + Gentleman’s Academie, by Markham; and the other well-known treatises that + were the manuals of ancient sportsmen, they have them at their fingers’ + ends; but they have more especially studied some old tapestry in the + house, whereon is represented a party of cavaliers and stately dames, with + doublets, caps, and flaunting feathers, mounted on horse, with attendants + on foot, all in animated pursuit of the game. + </p> + <p> + The Squire has discountenanced the killing of any hawks in his + neighbourhood, but gives a liberal bounty for all that are brought him + alive; so that the Hall is well stocked with all kinds of birds of prey. + On these he and Master Simon have exhausted their patience and ingenuity, + endeavouring to “reclaim” them, as it is termed, and to train them up for + the sport; but they have met with continual checks and disappointments. + Their feathered school has turned out the most untractable and graceless + scholars: nor is it the least of their trouble to drill the retainers who + were to act as ushers under them, and to take immediate charge of these + refractory birds. Old Christy and the gamekeeper both, for a time, set + their faces against the whole plan of education; Christy having been + nettled at hearing what he terms a wild-goose chase put on a par with a + fox-hunt; and the gamekeeper having always been accustomed to look upon + hawks as arrant poachers, which it was his duty to shoot down, and nail, + in terrorem, against the out-houses. + </p> + <p> + Christy has at length taken the matter in hand, but has done still more + mischief by his intermeddling. He is as positive and wrong-headed about + this, as he is about hunting. Master Simon has continual disputes with + him, as to feeding and training the hawks. He reads to him long passages + from the old authors I have mentioned; but Christy, who cannot read, has a + sovereign contempt for all book-knowledge, and persists in treating the + hawks according to his own notions, which are drawn from his experience, + in younger days, in the rearing of game-cocks. + </p> + <p> + The consequence is, that, between these jarring systems, the poor, birds + have had a most trying and unhappy time of it. Many have fallen victims to + Christy’s feeding and Master Simon’s physicking; for the latter has gone + to work <i>secundum artem</i>, and has given them all the vomitings and + scourings laid down in the books; never were poor hawks so fed and + physicked before. Others have been lost by being but half “reclaimed,” or + tamed; for on being taken into the field, they have “raked” after the game + quite out of hearing of the call, and never returned to school. + </p> + <p> + All these disappointments had been petty, yet sore grievances to the + Squire, and had made him to despond about success. He has lately, however, + been made happy by the receipt of a fine Welsh falcon, which Master Simon + terms a stately high-flyer. It is a present from the Squire’s friend, Sir + Watkyn Williams Wynne; and is, no doubt, a descendant of some ancient line + of Welsh princes of the air, that have long lorded it over their kingdom + of clouds, from Wynnstay to the very summit of Snowden, or the brow of + Penmanmawr. + </p> + <p> + Ever since the Squire received this invaluable present, he has been as + impatient to sally forth and make proof of it, as was Don Quixote to assay + his suit of armour. There have been some demurs as to whether the bird was + in proper health and training; but these have been overruled by the + vehement desire to play with a new toy; and it has been determined, right + or wrong, in season or out of season, to have a day’s sport in hawking + to-morrow. + </p> + <p> + The Hall, as usual, whenever the Squire is about to make some new sally on + his hobby, is all agog with the thing. Miss Templeton, who is brought up + in reverence for all her guardian’s humours, has proposed to be of the + party; and Lady Lillycraft has talked also of riding out to the scene of + action and looking on. This has gratified the old gentleman extremely; he + hails it as an auspicious omen of the revival of falconry, and does not + despair but the time will come when it will be again the pride of a fine + lady to carry about a noble falcon, in preference to a parrot or a + lap-dog. + </p> + <p> + I have amused myself with the bustling preparations of that busy spirit, + Master Simon, and the continual thwartings he receives from that genuine + son of a pepper-box, old Christy. They have had half-a-dozen consultations + about how the hawk is to be prepared for the morning’s sport. Old Nimrod, + as usual, has always got in a pet, upon which Master Simon has invariably + given up the point, observing, in a good-humoured tone, “Well, well, have + it your own way, Christy; only don’t put yourself in a passion;” a reply + which always nettles the old man ten times more than ever. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0022" id="link2H_4_0022"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + HAWKING. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + The soaring hawk, from fist that flies, + Her falconer doth constrain + Some times to range the ground about + To find her out again; + And if by sight or sound of bell, + His falcon he may see, + Wo ho! he cries, with cheerful voice— + The gladdest man is he. + + —<i>Handful of Pleasant Delites</i>. +</pre> + <p> + At an early hour this morning, the Hall was in a bustle preparing for the + sport of the day. I heard Master Simon whistling and singing under my + window at sunrise, as he was preparing the jesses for the hawk’s legs, and + could distinguish now and then a stanza of one of his favourite old + ditties: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + “In peascod time, when hound to horn + Gives note that buck be kill’d; + And little boy, with pipe of corn, + Is tending sheep a-field,” &c. +</pre> + <p> + A hearty breakfast, well flanked by cold meats, was served up in the great + hall. The whole garrison of retainers and hangers-on were in motion, + re-enforced by volunteer idlers from the village. The horses were led up + and down before the door; every body had something to say, and something + to do, and hurried hither and thither; there was a direful yelping of + dogs; some that were to accompany us being eager to set off, and others + that were to stay at home being whipped back to their kennels. In short, + for once, the good Squire’s mansion might have been taken as a good + specimen of one of the rantipole establishments of the good old feudal + times. + </p> + <p> + Breakfast being finished, the chivalry of the Hall prepared to take the + field. The fair Julia was of the party, in a hunting-dress, with a light + plume of feathers in her riding-hat. As she mounted her favourite + galloway, I remarked, with pleasure, that old Christy forgot his usual + crustiness, and hastened to adjust her saddle and bridle. He touched his + cap, as she smiled on him, and thanked him; and then, looking round at the + other attendants, gave a knowing nod of his head, in which I read pride + and exultation at the charming appearance of his pupil. + </p> + <p> + Lady Lillycraft had likewise determined to witness the sport. She was + dressed in her broad white beaver, tied under the chin, and a riding-habit + of the last century. She rode her sleek, ambling pony, whose motion was as + easy as a rocking-chair; and was gallantly escorted by the general, who + looked not unlike one of the doughty heroes in the old prints of the + battle of Blenheim. The parson, likewise, accompanied her on the other + side; for this was a learned amusement, in which he took great interest; + and, indeed, had given much counsel, from his knowledge of old customs. + </p> + <p> + At length every thing was arranged, and off we set from the Hall. The + exercise on horseback puts one in fine spirits; and the scene was gay and + animating. The young men of the family accompanied Miss Templeton. She sat + lightly and gracefully in her saddle, her plumes dancing and waving in the + air; and the group had a charming effect, as they appeared and disappeared + among the trees, cantering along, with the bounding animation of youth. + The Squire and Master Simon rode together, accompanied by old Christy, + mounted on Pepper. The latter bore the hawk on his fist, as he insisted + the bird was most accustomed to him. There was a rabble rout on foot, + composed of retainers from the Hall, and some idlers from the village, + with two or three spaniels, for the purpose of starting the game. + </p> + <p> + A kind of corps de reserve came on quietly in the rear, composed of Lady + Lillycraft, General Harbottle, the parson, and a fat footman. Her ladyship + ambled gently along on her pony, while the general, mounted on a tall + hunter, looked down upon her with an air of the most protecting gallantry. + </p> + <p> + For my part, being no sportsman, I kept with this last party, or rather + lagged behind, that I might take in the whole picture; and the parson + occasionally slackened his pace, and jogged on in company with me. + </p> + <p> + The sport led us at some distance from the Hall, in a soft meadow, reeking + with the moist verdure of spring. A little river ran through it, bordered + by willows, which had put forth their tender early foliage. The sportsmen + were in quest of herons, which were said to keep about this stream. + </p> + <p> + There was some disputing, already, among the leaders of the sport. The + Squire, Master Simon, and old Christy, came every now and then to a pause, + to consult together, like the field officers in an army; and I saw, by + certain motions of the head, that Christy was as positive as any old + wrong-headed German commander. + </p> + <p> + As we were prancing up this quiet meadow, every sound we made was answered + by a distinct echo, from the sunny wall of an old building, that lay on + the opposite margin of the stream; and I paused to listen to this “spirit + of a sound,” which seems to love such quiet and beautiful places. The + parson informed me that this was the ruin of an ancient grange, and was + supposed, by the country people, to be haunted by a dobbie, a kind of + rural sprite, something like Robin-good-fellow. They often fancied the + echo to be the voice of the dobbie answering them, and were rather shy of + disturbing it after dark. He added, that the Squire was very careful of + this ruin, on account of the superstition connected with it. As I + considered this local habitation of an “airy nothing,” I called to mind + the fine description of an echo in Webster’s Duchess of Malfry: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + —“Yond side o’ th’ river lies a wall, + Piece of a cloister, which, in my opinion, + Gives the best echo that you ever heard: + So plain in the distinction of our words, + That many have supposed it a spirit + That answers.” + </pre> + <p> + The parson went on to comment on a pleasing and fanciful appellation which + the Jews of old gave to the echo, which they called Bath-kool, that is to + say, “the daughter of the voice;” they considered it an oracle, supplying + in the second temple the want of the urim and thummim, with which the + first was honoured.<a href="#linknote-5" name="linknoteref-5" + id="linknoteref-5"><small>5</small></a> The little man was just entering + very largely and learnedly upon the subject, when we were startled by a + prodigious bawling, shouting, and yelping. A flight of crows, alarmed by + the approach of our forces, had suddenly risen from a meadow; a cry was + put up by the rabble rout on foot—“Now, Christy! now is your time, + Christy!” The Squire and Master Simon, who were beating up the river banks + In quest of a heron, called out eagerly to Christy to keep quiet; the old + man, vexed and bewildered by the confusion of voices, completely lost his + head; in his flurry he slipped off the hood, cast off the falcon, and away + flew the crows, and away soared the hawk. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="linknote-5" id="linknote-5"> Note--></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 5 (<a href="#linknoteref-5">return</a>)<br /> [ Bekker’s Monde enchanté.] + </p> + <p> + I had paused on a rising ground, close to Lady Lillycraft and her escort, + from whence I had a good view of the sport. I was pleased with the + appearance of the party in the meadow, riding along in the direction that + the bird flew; their bright beaming faces turned up to the bright skies as + they watched the game; the attendants on foot scampering along, looking + up, and calling out; and the dogs bounding and yelping with clamorous + sympathy. + </p> + <p> + The hawk had singled out a quarry from among the carrion crew. It was + curious to see the efforts of the two birds to get above each other; one + to make the fatal swoop, the other to avoid it. Now they crossed athwart a + bright feathery cloud, and now they were against the clear blue sky. I + confess, being no sportsman, I was more interested for the poor bird that + was striving for its life, than for the hawk that was playing the part of + a mercenary soldier. At length the hawk got the upper hand, and made a + rushing stoop at her quarry, but the latter made as sudden a surge + downwards, and slanting up again, evaded the blow, screaming and making + the best of his way for a dry tree on the brow of a neighbouring hill; + while the hawk, disappointed of her blow, soared up again into the air, + and appeared to be “raking” off. It was in vain old Christy called, and + whistled, and endeavoured to lure her down: she paid no regard to him; + and, indeed, his calls were drowned in the shouts and yelps of the army of + militia that had followed him into the field. + </p> + <p> + Just then an exclamation from Lady Lillycraft made me turn my head. I + beheld a complete confusion among the sportsmen in the little vale below + us. They were galloping and running towards the edge of a bank; and I was + shocked to see Miss Templeton’s horse galloping at large without his + rider. I rode to the place to which the others were hurrying, and when I + reached the bank, which almost overhung the stream, I saw at the foot of + it, the fair Julia, pale, bleeding, and apparently lifeless, supported in + the arms of her frantic lover. + </p> + <p> + In galloping heedlessly along, with her eyes turned upward, she had + unwarily approached too near the bank; it had given way with her, and she + and her horse had been precipitated to the pebbled margin of the river. + </p> + <p> + I never saw greater consternation. The captain was distracted; Lady + Lillycraft fainting; the Squire in dismay, and Master Simon at his wit’s + end. The beautiful creature at length showed signs of returning life; she + opened her eyes; looked around her upon the anxious group, and + comprehending in a moment the nature of the scene, gave a sweet smile, and + putting her hand in her lover’s, exclaimed, feebly, “I am not much hurt, + Guy!” I could have taken her to my heart for that single exclamation. + </p> + <p> + It was found, indeed, that she had escaped almost miraculously, with a + contusion on the head, a sprained ankle, and some slight bruises. After + her wound was stanched, she was taken to a neighbouring cottage, until a + carriage could be summoned to convey her home; and when this had arrived, + the cavalcade which had issued forth so gayly on this enterprise, returned + slowly and pensively to the Hall. + </p> + <p> + I had been charmed by the generous spirit shown by this young creature, + who, amidst pain and danger, had been anxious only to relieve the distress + of those around her. I was gratified, therefore, by the universal concern + displayed by the domestics on our return. They came crowding down the + avenue, each eager to render assistance. The butler stood ready with some + curiously delicate cordial; the old housekeeper was provided with + half-a-dozen nostrums, prepared by her own hands, according to the family + receipt-book; while her niece, the melting Phoebe, having no other way of + assisting, stood wringing her hands, and weeping aloud. + </p> + <p> + The most material effect that is likely to follow this accident, is a + postponement of the nuptials, which were close at hand. Though I + commiserate the impatience of the captain on that account, yet I shall not + otherwise be sorry at the delay, as it will give me a better opportunity + of studying the characters here assembled, with which I grow more and more + entertained. + </p> + <p> + I cannot but perceive that the worthy Squire is quite disconcerted at the + unlucky result of his hawking experiment, and this unfortunate + illustration of his eulogy on female equitation. Old Christy, too, is very + waspish, having been sorely twitted by Master Simon for having let his + hawk fly at carrion. As to the falcon, in the confusion occasioned by the + fair Julia’s disaster, the bird was totally forgotten. I make no doubt she + has made the best of her way back to the hospitable Hall of Sir Watkyn + Williams Wynne; and may very possibly, at this present writing, be pluming + her wings among the breezy bowers of Wynnstay. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0023" id="link2H_4_0023"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + ST. MARK’S EVE. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + O ‘t is a fearful thing to be no more. + Or if to be, to wander after death! + To walk as spirits do, in brakes all day, + And, when the darkness comes, to glide in paths + That lead to graves; and in the silent vault, + Where lies your own pale shroud, to hover o’er it, + Striving to enter your forbidden corpse. + + —DRYDEN. +</pre> + <p> + The conversation this evening at the supper-table took a curious turn, on + the subject of a superstition, formerly very prevalent in this part of the + country, relative to the present night of the year, which is the Eve of + St. Mark’s. It was believed, the parson informed us, that if any one would + watch in the church porch on this eve, for three successive years, from + eleven to one o’clock at night, he would see, on the third year, the + shades of those of the parish who were to die in the course of the year, + pass by him into church, clad in their usual apparel. + </p> + <p> + Dismal as such a sight would be, he assured us that it was formerly a + frequent thing for persons to make the necessary vigils. He had known more + than one instance in his time. One old woman, who pretended to have seen + this phantom procession, was an object of great awe for the whole year + afterwards, and caused much uneasiness and mischief. If she shook her head + mysteriously at a person, it was like a death-warrant; and she had nearly + caused the death of a sick person, by looking ruefully in at the window. + </p> + <p> + There was also an old man, not many years since, of a sullen, melancholy + temperament, who had kept two vigils, and began to excite some talk in the + village, when, fortunately for the public comfort, he died shortly after + his third watching; very probably from a cold that he had taken, as the + night was tempestuous. It was reported about the village, however, that he + had seen his own phantom pass by him into the church. + </p> + <p> + This led to the mention of another superstition of an equally strange and + melancholy kind, which, however, is chiefly confined to Wales. It is + respecting what are called corpse-candles, little wandering fires, of a + pale bluish light, that move about like tapers in the open air, and are + supposed to designate the way some corpse is to go. One was seen at + Lanyler, late at night, hovering up and down, along the bank of the + Istwith, and was watched by the neighbours until they were tired, and went + to bed. Not long afterwards there came a comely country lass, from + Montgomeryshire, to see her friends, who dwelt on the opposite side of the + river. She thought to ford the stream at the very place where the light + had been first seen, but was dissuaded on account of the height of the + flood. She walked to and fro along the bank, just where the candle had + moved, waiting for the subsiding of the water. She at length endeavored to + cross, but the poor girl was drowned in the attempt.<a href="#linknote-6" + name="linknoteref-6" id="linknoteref-6"><small>6</small></a> + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="linknote-6" id="linknote-6"> Note--></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 6 (<a href="#linknoteref-6">return</a>)<br /> [ Aubrey’s Miscel.] + </p> + <p> + There was something mournful in this little anecdote of rural + superstition, that seemed to affect all the listeners. Indeed, it is + curious to remark how completely a conversation of the kind will absorb + the attention of a circle, and sober down its gayety, however boisterous. + By degrees I noticed that every one was leaning forward over the table, + with eyes earnestly fixed upon the parson; and at the mention of + corpse-candles which had been seen about the chamber of a young lady who + died on the eve of her wedding-day, Lady Lillycraft turned pale. + </p> + <p> + I have witnessed the introduction of stories of the kind into various + evening circles; they were often commenced in jest, and listened to with + smiles; but I never knew the most gay or the most enlightened of + audiences, that were not, if the conversation continued for any length of + time, completely and solemnly interested in it. There is, I believe, a + degree of superstition lurking in every mind; and I doubt if any one can + thoroughly examine all his secret notions and impulses, without detecting + it, hidden, perhaps, even from himself. It seems, in fact, to be a part of + our nature, like instinct in animals, acting independently of our reason. + It is often found existing in lofty natures, especially those that are + poetical and aspiring. A great and extraordinary poet of our day, whose + life and writings evince a mind subject to powerful exaltations, is said + to believe in omens and secret intimations. Caesar, it is well known, was + greatly under the influence of such belief; and Napoleon had his good and + evil days, and his presiding star. + </p> + <p> + As to the worthy parson, I have no doubt that he is strongly inclined to + superstition. He is naturally credulous, and passes so much of his time + searching out popular traditions and supernatural tales, that his mind has + probably become infected by them. He has lately been immersed in the + Demonolatria of Nicholas Remigus, concerning supernatural occurrences in + Lorraine, and the writings of Joachimus Camerius, called by Vossius the + Phoenix of Germany; and he entertains the ladies with stories from them, + that make them almost afraid to go to bed at night. I have been charmed + myself with some of the wild little superstitions which he has adduced + from Blefkénius, Scheffer, and others, such as those of the Laplanders + about the domestic spirits which wake them at night, and summon them to go + and fish; of Thor, the deity of thunder, who has power of life and death, + health and sickness, and who, armed with the rainbow, shoots his arrows at + those evil demons that live on the tops of rocks and mountains, and infest + the lakes; of the Jubles or Juhlafolket, vagrant troops of spirits, which + roam the air, and wander up and down by forests and mountains, and the + moonlight sides of hills. + </p> + <p> + The parson never openly professes his belief in ghosts, but I have + remarked that he has a suspicious way of pressing great names into the + defence of supernatural doctrines, and making philosophers and saints + fight for him. He expatiates at large on the opinions of the ancient + philosophers about larves, or nocturnal phantoms, the spirits of the + wicked, which wandered like exiles about the earth; and about those + spiritual beings which abode in the air, but descended occasionally to + earth, and mingled among mortals, acting as agents between them and the + gods. He quotes also from Philo the rabbi, the contemporary of the + apostles, and, according to some, the friend of St. Paul, who says that + the air is full of spirits of different ranks; some destined to exist for + a time in mortal bodies, from which being emancipated, they pass and + repass between heaven and earth, as agents or messengers in the service of + the deity. + </p> + <p> + But the worthy little man assumes a bolder tone, when he quotes from the + fathers of the church; such as St. Jerome, who gives it as the opinion of + all the doctors, that the air is filled with powers opposed to each other; + and Lactantius, who says that corrupt and dangerous spirits wander over + the earth, and seek to console themselves for their own fall by effecting + the ruin of the human race; and Clemens Alexandrinus, who is of opinion + that the souls of the blessed have knowledge of what passes among men, the + same as angels have. + </p> + <p> + I am now alone in my chamber, but these themes have taken such hold of my + imagination, that I cannot sleep. The room in which I sit is just fitted + to foster such a state of mind. The walls are hung with tapestry, the + figures of which are faded, and look like unsubstantial shapes melting + away from sight. Over the fire-place is the portrait of a lady, who, + according to the housekeeper’s tradition, pined to death for the loss of + her lover in the battle of Blenheim. She has a most pale and plaintive + countenance, and seems to fix her eyes mournfully upon me. The family have + long since retired. I have heard their steps die away, and the distant + doors clap to after them. The murmur of voices, and the peal of remote + laughter, no longer reach the ear. The clock from the church, in which so + many of the former inhabitants of this house lie buried, has chimed the + awful hour of midnight. + </p> + <p> + I have sat by the window and mused upon the dusky landscape, watching the + lights disappearing, one by one, from the distant village; and the moon + rising in her silent majesty, and leading up all the silver pomp of + heaven. As I have gazed upon these quiet groves and shadowy lawns, + silvered over, and imperfectly lighted by streaks of dewy moonshine, my + mind has been crowded by “thick-coming fancies” concerning those spiritual + beings which + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + ———“walk the earth + Unseen, both when we wake and when we sleep.” + </pre> + <p> + Are there, indeed, such beings? Is this space between us and the deity + filled up by innumerable orders of spiritual beings, forming the same + gradations between the human soul and divine perfection, that we see + prevailing from humanity downwards to the meanest insect? It is a sublime + and beautiful doctrine, inculcated by the early fathers, that there are + guardian angels appointed to watch over cities and nations; to take care + of the welfare of good men, and to guard and guide the steps of helpless + infancy. “Nothing,” says St. Jerome, “gives up a greater idea of the + dignity of our soul, than that God has given each of us, at the moment of + our birth, an angel to have care of it.” + </p> + <p> + Even the doctrine of departed spirits returning to visit the scenes and + beings which were dear to them during the body’s existence, though it has + been debased by the absurd superstitions of the vulgar, in itself is + awfully solemn and sublime. + </p> + <p> + However lightly it may be ridiculed, yet the attention involuntarily + yielded to it whenever it is made the subject of serious discussion; its + prevalence in all ages and countries, and even among newly-discovered + nations, that have had no previous interchange of thought with other parts + of the world, prove it to be one of those mysteries, and almost + instinctive beliefs, to which, if left to ourselves, we should naturally + incline. + </p> + <p> + In spite of all the pride of reason and philosophy, a vague doubt will + still lurk in the mind, and perhaps will never be perfectly eradicated; as + it is concerning a matter that does not admit of positive demonstration. + Every thing connected with our spiritual nature is full of doubt and + difficulty. “We are fearfully and wonderfully made;” we are surrounded by + mysteries, and we are mysteries even to ourselves. Who yet has been able + to comprehend and describe the nature of the soul, its connection with the + body, or in what part of the frame it is situated? We know merely that it + does exist; but whence it came, and when it entered into us, and how it is + retained, and where it is seated, and how it operates, are all matters of + mere speculation, and contradictory theories. If, then, we are thus + ignorant of this spiritual essence, even while it forms a part of + ourselves, and is continually present to our consciousness, how can we + pretend to ascertain or to deny its powers and operations when released + from its fleshy prison-house? It is more the manner, therefore, in which + this superstition has been degraded, than its intrinsic absurdity, that + has brought it into contempt. Raise it above the frivolous purposes to + which it has been applied, strip it of the gloom and horror with which it + has been surrounded, and there is none of the whole circle of visionary + creeds that could more delightfully elevate the imagination, or more + tenderly affect the heart. It would become a sovereign comfort at the bed + of death, soothing the bitter tear wrung from us by the agony of our + mortal separation. What could be more consoling than the idea, that the + souls of those whom we once loved were permitted to return and watch over + our welfare?—that affectionate and guardian spirits sat by our + pillows when we slept, keeping a vigil over our most helpless hours?—that + beauty and innocence which had languished into the tomb, yet smiled unseen + around us, revealing themselves in those blest dreams wherein we live over + again the hours of past endearment? A belief of this kind would, I should + think, be a new incentive to virtue; rendering us circumspect even in our + most secret moments, from the idea that those we once loved and honoured + were invisible witnesses of all our actions. + </p> + <p> + It would take away, too, from that loneliness and destitution which we are + apt to feel more and more as we get on in our pilgrimage through the + wilderness of this world, and find that those who set forward with us, + lovingly and cheerily, on the journey, have, one by one, dropped away from + our side. Place the superstition in this light, and I confess I should + like to be a believer in it. I see nothing in it that is incompatible with + the tender and merciful nature of our religion, nor revolting to the + wishes and affections of the heart. + </p> + <p> + There are departed beings that I have loved as I never again shall love in + this world;—that have loved me as I never again shall be loved! If + such beings do ever retain in their blessed spheres the attachments which + they felt on earth—if they take an interest in the poor concerns of + transient mortality, and are permitted to hold communion with those whom + they have loved on earth, I feel as if now, at this deep hour of night, in + this silence and solitude, I could receive their visitation with the most + solemn, but unalloyed delight. + </p> + <p> + In truth, such visitations would be too happy for this world; they would + be incompatible with the nature of this imperfect state of being. We are + here placed in a mere scene of spiritual thraldom and restraint. Our souls + are shut in and limited by bounds and barriers; shackled by mortal + infirmities, and subject to all the gross impediments of matter. In vain + would they seek to act independently of the body, and to mingle together + in spiritual intercourse. They can only act here through their fleshy + organs. Their earthly loves are made up of transient embraces and long + separations. The most intimate friendship, of what brief and scattered + portions of time does it consist! We take each other by the hand, and we + exchange a few words and looks of kindness, and we rejoice together for a + few short moments-and then days, months, years intervene, and we see and + know nothing of each other. Or, granting that we dwell together for the + full season of this our mortal life, the grave soon closes its gates + between us, and then our spirits are doomed to remain in separation and + widowhood; until they meet again in that more perfect state of being, + where soul will dwell with soul in blissful communion, and there will be + neither death, nor absence, nor any thing else to interrupt our felicity. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <p> + In the foregoing paper, I have alluded to the writings of some of the old + Jewish rabbis. They abound with wild theories; but among them are many + truly poetical flights; and their ideas are often very beautifully + expressed. Their speculations on the nature of angels are curious and + fanciful, though much resembling the doctrines of the ancient + philosophers. In the writings of the Rabbi Eleazer is an account of the + temptation of our first parents, and the fall of the angels, which the + parson pointed out to me as having probably furnished some of the + groundwork for “Paradise Lost.” + </p> + <p> + According to Eleazer, the ministering angels said to the Deity, “What is + there in man, that thou makest him of such importance? Is he any thing + else than vanity? for he can scarcely reason a little on terrestrial + things.” To which God replied, “Do you imagine that I will be exalted and + glorified only by you here above? I am the same below that I am here. Who + is there among you that can call all the creatures by their names?” There + was none found among them that could do so. At that moment Adam arose, and + called all the creatures by their names. Seeing which, the ministering + angels said among themselves, “Let us consult together how we may cause + Adam to sin against the Creator, otherwise he will not fail to become our + master.” + </p> + <p> + Sammaël, who was a great prince in the heavens, was present at this + council, with the saints of the first order, and the seraphim of six + bands. Sammaël chose several out of the twelve orders to accompany him, + and descended below, for the purpose of visiting all the creatures which + God had created. He found none more cunning and more fit to do evil than + the serpent. + </p> + <p> + The Rabbi then treats of the seduction and the fall of man; of the + consequent fall of the demon, and the punishment which God inflicted on + Adam, Eve, and the serpent. “He made them all come before him; pronounced + nine maledictions on Adam and Eve, and condemned them to suffer death; and + he precipitated Sammaël and all his band from heaven. He cut off the feet + of the serpent, which had before the figure of a camel (Sammaël having + been mounted on him), and he cursed him among all beasts and animals.” + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0024" id="link2H_4_0024"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + GENTILITY. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + ———True Gentrie standeth in the trade + Of virtuous life, not in the fleshy line; + For bloud is knit, but Gentrie is divine. + + —<i>Mirror for Magistrates</i>. +</pre> + <p> + I have mentioned some peculiarities of the Squire in the education of his + sons; but I would not have it thought that his instructions were directed + chiefly to their personal accomplishments. He took great pains also to + form their minds, and to inculcate what he calls good old English + principles, such as are laid down in the writings of Peachem and his + contemporaries. There is one author of whom he cannot speak without + indignation, which is Chesterfield. He avers that he did much, for a time, + to injure the true national character, and to introduce, instead of open, + manly sincerity, a hollow, perfidious courtliness. “His maxims,” he + affirms, “were calculated to chill the delightful enthusiasm of youth; to + make them ashamed of that romance which is the dawn of generous manhood, + and to impart to them a cold polish and a premature worldliness. + </p> + <p> + “Many of Lord Chesterfield’s maxims would make a young man a mere man of + pleasure; but an English gentleman should not be a mere man of pleasure. + He has no right to such selfish indulgence. His ease, his leisure, his + opulence, are debts due to his country, which he must ever stand ready to + discharge. He should be a man at all points; simple, frank, courteous, + intelligent, accomplished, and informed; upright, intrepid, and + disinterested; one that can mingle among freemen; that can cope with + statesmen; that can champion his country and its rights, either at home or + abroad. In a country like England, where there is such free and unbounded + scope for the exertion of intellect, and where opinion and example have + such weight with the people, every gentleman of fortune and leisure should + feel himself bound to employ himself in some way towards promoting the + prosperity or glory of the nation. In a country where intellect and action + are trammelled and restrained, men of rank and fortune may become idlers + and triflers with impunity; but an English coxcomb is inexcusable; and + this, perhaps, is the reason why he is the most offensive and + insupportable coxcomb in the world.” + </p> + <p> + The Squire, as Frank Bracebridge informs me, would often hold forth in + this manner to his sons, when they were about leaving the paternal roof; + one to travel abroad, one to go to the army, and one to the university. He + used to have them with him in the library, which is hung with the + portraits of Sidney, Surrey, Raleigh, Wyat, and others. “Look at those + models of true English gentlemen, my sons,” he would say with enthusiasm; + “those were men that wreathed the graces of the most delicate and refined + taste around the stern virtues of the soldier; that mingled what was + gentle and gracious, with what was hardy and manly; that possessed the + true chivalry of spirit, which is the exalted essence of manhood. They are + the lights by which the youth of the country should array themselves. They + were the patterns and idols of their country at home; they were the + illustrators of its dignity abroad. ‘Surrey,’ says Camden, ‘was the first + nobleman that illustrated his high birth with the beauty of learning. He + was acknowledged to be the gallantest man, the politest lover, and the + completest gentleman of his time.’ And as to Wyat, his friend Surrey most + amiably testifies of him, that his person was majestic and beautiful, his + visage ‘stern and mild;’ that he sung, and played the lute with remarkable + sweetness; spoke foreign languages with grace and fluency, and possessed + an inexhaustible fund of wit. And see what a high commendation is passed + upon these illustrious friends: ‘They were the two chieftains, who, having + travelled into Italy, and there tasted the sweet and stately measures and + style of the Italian poetry, greatly polished our rude and homely manner + of vulgar poetry from what it had been before, and therefore may be justly + called the reformers of our English poetry and style.’ And Sir Philip + Sidney, who has left us such monuments of elegant thought, and generous + sentiment, and who illustrated his chivalrous spirit so gloriously in the + field. And Sir Walter Raleigh, the elegant courtier, the intrepid soldier, + the enterprising discoverer, the enlightened philosopher, the magnanimous + martyr. These are the men for English gentlemen to study. Chesterfield, + with his cold and courtly maxims, would have chilled and impoverished such + spirits. He would have blighted all the budding romance of their + temperaments. Sidney would never have written his Arcadia, nor Surrey have + challenged the world in vindication of the beauties of his Geraldine. + “These are the men, my sons,” the Squire will continue, “that show to what + our national character may be exalted, when its strong and powerful + qualities are duly wrought up and refined. The solidest bodies are capable + of the highest polish; and there is no character that may be wrought to a + more exquisite and unsullied brightness, than that of the true English + gentleman.” + </p> + <p> + When Guy was about to depart for the army, the Squire again took him + aside, and gave him a long exhortation. He warned him against that + affectation of cool-blooded indifference, which he was told was cultivated + by the young British officers, among whom it was a study to “sink the + soldier” in the mere man of fashion. “A soldier,” said he, “without pride + and enthusiasm in his profession, is a mere sanguinary hireling. Nothing + distinguishes him from the mercenary bravo, but a spirit of patriotism, or + a thirst for glory. It is the fashion now-a-days, my son,” said he, “to + laugh at the spirit of chivalry; when that spirit is really extinct, the + profession of the soldier becomes a mere trade of blood.” He then set + before him the conduct of Edward the Black Prince, who is his mirror of + chivalry; valiant, generous, affable, humane; gallant in the field. But + when he came to dwell on his courtesy toward his prisoner, the king of + France; how he received him in his tent, rather as a conqueror than as a + captive; attended on him at table like one of his retinue; rode uncovered + beside him on his entry into London, mounted on a common palfrey, while + his prisoner was mounted in state on a white steed of stately beauty; the + tears of enthusiasm stood in the old gentleman’s eyes. + </p> + <p> + Finally, on taking leave, the good Squire put in his son’s hands, as a + manual, one of his favourite old volumes, the life of the Chevalier + Bayard, by Godefroy; on a blank page of which he had written an extract + from the Morte d’Arthur, containing the eulogy of Sir Ector over the body + of Sir Launcelot of the Lake, which the Squire considers as comprising the + excellencies of a true soldier. “Ah, Sir Launcelot! thou wert head of all + Christian knights; now there thou liest: thou wert never matched of none + earthly knights-hands. And thou wert the curtiest knight that ever bare + shield. And thou wert the truest friend to thy lover that ever bestrood + horse; and thou wert the truest lover of a sinfull man that ever loved + woman. And thou wert the kindest man that ever strook with sword; and thou + wert the goodliest person that ever came among the presse of knights. And + thou wert the meekest man and the gentlest that ever eate in hall among + ladies. And thou wert the sternest knight to thy mortal foe that ever put + speare in the rest.” + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0025" id="link2H_4_0025"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + FORTUNE-TELLING. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Each city, each town, and every village, + Affords us either an alms or pillage. + And if the weather be cold and raw. + Then in a barn we tumble on straw. + If warm and fair, by yea-cock and nay-cock, + The fields will afford us a hedge or a hay-cock. + + —<i>Merry Beggars</i>. +</pre> + <p> + As I was walking one evening with the Oxonian, Master Simon, and the + general, in a meadow not far from the village, we heard the sound of a + fiddle, rudely played, and looking in the direction from whence it came, + we saw a thread of smoke curling up from among the trees. The sound of + music is always attractive; for, wherever there is music, there is + good-humour, or good-will. We passed along a footpath, and had a peep + through a break in the hedge, at the musician and his party, when the + Oxonian gave us a wink, and told us that if we would follow him we should + have some sport. + </p> + <p> + It proved to be a gipsy encampment, consisting of three or four little + cabins, or tents, made of blankets and sail-cloth, spread over hoops that + were stuck in the ground. It was on one side of a green lane, close under + a hawthorn hedge, with a broad beech-tree spreading above it. A small rill + tinkled along close by, through the fresh sward, that looked like a + carpet. + </p> + <p> + A tea-kettle was hanging by a crooked piece of iron, over a fire made from + dry sticks and leaves, and two old gipsies, in red cloaks, sat crouched on + the grass, gossiping over their evening cup of tea; for these creatures, + though they live in the open air, have their ideas of fireside comforts. + There were two or three children sleeping on the straw with which the + tents were littered; a couple of donkeys were grazing in the lane, and a + thievish-looking dog was lying before the fire. Some of the younger + gipsies were dancing to the music of a fiddle, played by a tall, slender + stripling, in an old frock-coat, with a peacock’s feather stuck in his + hat-band. + </p> + <p> + As we approached, a gipsy girl, with a pair of fine, roguish eyes, came + up, and, as usual, offered to tell our fortunes. I could not but admire a + certain degree of slattern elegance about the baggage. Her long black + silken hair was curiously plaited in numerous small braids, and + negligently put up in a picturesque style that a painter might have been + proud to have devised. + </p> + <p> + Her dress was of figured chintz, rather ragged, and not over-clean but of + a variety of most harmonious and agreeable colours; for these beings have + a singularly fine eye for colours. Her straw hat was in her hand, and a + red cloak thrown over one arm. + </p> + <p> + The Oxonian offered at once to have his fortune told, and the girl began + with the usual volubility of her race; but he drew her on one side, near + the hedge, as he said he had no idea of having his secrets overheard. I + saw he was talking to her instead of she to him, and by his glancing + towards us now and then, that he was giving the baggage some private + hints. When they returned to us, he assumed a very serious air. “Zounds!” + said he, “it’s very astonishing how these creatures come by their + knowledge; this girl has told me some things that I thought no one knew + but myself!” The girl now assailed the general: “Come, your honour,” said + she, “I see by your face you’re a lucky man; but you’re not happy in your + mind; you’re not, indeed, sir; but have a good heart, and give me a good + piece of silver, and I’ll tell you a nice fortune.” + </p> + <p> + The general had received all her approaches with a banter, and had + suffered her to get hold of his hand; but at the mention of the piece of + silver, he hemmed, looked grave, and, turning to us, asked if we had not + better continue our walk. “Come, my master,” said the girl, archly, “you’d + not be in such a hurry, if you knew all that I could tell you about a fair + lady that has a notion for you. Come, sir; old love burns strong; there’s + many a one comes to see weddings, that go away brides themselves.”—Here + the girl whispered something in a low voice, at which the general coloured + up, was a little fluttered, and suffered himself to be drawn aside under + the hedge, where he appeared to listen to her with great earnestness, and + at the end paid her half-a-crown with the air of a man that has got the + worth of his money. The girl next made her attack upon Master Simon, who, + however, was too old a bird to be caught, knowing that it would end in an + attack upon his purse, about which he is a little sensitive. As he has a + great notion, however, of being considered a royster, he chucked her under + the chin, played her off with rather broad jokes, and put on something of + the rake-helly air, that we see now and then assumed on the stage, by the + sad-boy gentleman of the old school. “Ah, your honour,” said the girl, + with a malicious leer, “you were not in such a tantrum last year, when I + told you about the widow, you know who; but if you had taken a friend’s + advice, you’d never have come away from Doncaster races with a flea in + your ear!” There was a secret sting in this speech, that seemed quite to + disconcert Master Simon. He jerked away his hand in a pet, smacked his + whip, whistled to his dogs, and intimated that it was high time to go + home. The girl, however, was determined not to lose her harvest. She now + turned upon me, and, as I have a weakness of spirit where there is a + pretty face concerned, she soon wheedled me out of my money, and, in + return, read me a fortune; which, if it prove true, and I am determined to + believe it, will make me one of the luckiest men in the chronicles of + Cupid. + </p> + <p> + I saw that the Oxonian was at the bottom of all this oracular mystery, and + was disposed to amuse himself with the general, whose tender approaches to + the widow have attracted the notice of the wag. I was a little curious, + however, to know the meaning of the dark hints which had so suddenly + disconcerted Master Simon; and took occasion to fall in the rear with the + Oxonian on our way home, when he laughed heartily at my questions, and + gave me ample information on the subject. + </p> + <p> + The truth of the matter is, that Master Simon has met with a sad rebuff + since my Christmas visit to the Hall. He used at that time to be joked + about a widow, a fine dashing woman, as he privately informed me. I had + supposed the pleasure he betrayed on these occasions resulted from the + usual fondness of old bachelors for being teased about getting married, + and about flirting, and being fickle and false-hearted. I am assured, + however, that Master Simon had really persuaded himself the widow had a + kindness for him; in consequence of which he had been at some + extraordinary expense in new clothes, and had actually got Frank + Bracebridge to order him a coat from Stultz. He began to throw out hints + about the importance of a man’s settling himself in life before he grew + old; he would look grave, whenever the widow and matrimony were mentioned + in the same sentence; and privately asked the opinion of the Squire and + parson about the prudence of marrying a widow with a rich jointure, but + who had several children. + </p> + <p> + An important member of a great family connexion cannot harp much upon the + theme of matrimony, without its taking wind; and it soon got buzzed about + that Mr. Simon Bracebridge was actually gone to Doncaster races, with a + new horse; but that he meant to return in a curricle with a lady by his + side. Master Simon did, indeed, go to the races, and that with a new + horse; and the dashing widow did make her appearance in a curricle; but it + was unfortunately driven by a strapping young Irish dragoon, with whom + even Master Simon’s self-complacency would not allow him to venture into + competition, and to whom she was married shortly after. + </p> + <p> + It was a matter of sore chagrin to Master Simon for several months, having + never before been fully committed. The dullest head in the family had a + joke upon him; and there is no one that likes less to be bantered than an + absolute joker. He took refuge for a time at Lady Lillycraft’s, until the + matter should blow over; and occupied himself by looking over her + accounts, regulating the village choir, and inculcating loyalty into a pet + bulfinch, by teaching him to whistle “God save the King.” + </p> + <p> + He has now pretty nearly recovered from the mortification; holds up his + head, and laughs as much as any one; again affects to pity married men, + and is particularly facetious about widows, when Lady Lillycraft is not + by. His only time of trial is when the general gets hold of him, who is + infinitely heavy and persevering in his waggery, and will interweave a + dull joke through the various topics of a whole dinner-time. Master Simon + often parries these attacks by a stanza from his old work of “Cupid’s + Solicitor for Love:” + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + “‘Tis in vain to wooe a widow over long, + In once or twice her mind you may perceive; + Widows are subtle, be they old or young, + And by their wiles young men they will deceive.” + </pre> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0026" id="link2H_4_0026"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + LOVE-CHARMS. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + ———Come, do not weep, my girl, + Forget him, pretty Pensiveness; there will + Come others, every day, as good as he. + + —SIR J. SUCKLING. +</pre> + <p> + The approach of a wedding in a family is always an event of great + importance, but particularly so in a household like this, in a retired + part of the country. Master Simon, who is a pervading spirit, and, through + means of the butler and housekeeper, knows every thing that goes forward, + tells me that the maid-servants are continually trying their fortunes, and + that the servants’-hall has of late been quite a scene of incantation. + </p> + <p> + It is amusing to notice how the oddities of the head of a family flow down + through all the branches. The Squire, in the indulgence of his love of + every thing that smacks of old times, has held so many grave conversations + with the parson at table, about popular superstitions and traditional + rites, that they have been carried from the parlour to the kitchen by the + listening domestics, and, being apparently sanctioned by such high + authority, the whole house has become infected by them. + </p> + <p> + The servants are all versed in the common modes of trying luck, and the + charms to insure constancy. They read their fortunes by drawing strokes in + the ashes, or by repeating a form of words, and looking in a pail of + water. St. Mark’s Eve, I am told, was a busy time with them; being an + appointed night for certain mystic ceremonies. Several of them sowed + hemp-seed to be reaped by their true lovers; and they even ventured upon + the solemn and fearful preparation of the dumb-cake. This must be done + fasting, and in silence. The ingredients are handed down in traditional + form: “An eggshell full of salt, an eggshell full of malt, and an eggshell + full of barley-meal.” When the cake is ready, it is put upon a pan over + the fire, and the future husband will appear, turn the cake, and retire; + but if a word is spoken or a fast is broken during this awful ceremony, + there is no knowing what horrible consequences would ensue! + </p> + <p> + The experiments, in the present instance, came to no result; they that + sowed the hemp-seed forgot the magic rhyme that they were to pronounce—so + the true lover never appeared; and as to the dumb-cake, what between the + awful stillness they had to keep, and the awfulness of the midnight hour, + their hearts failed them when they had put the cake in the pan; so that, + on the striking of the great house-clock in the servants’-hall, they were + seized with a sudden panic, and ran out of the room, to which they did not + return until morning, when they found the mystic cake burnt to a cinder. + </p> + <p> + The most persevering at these spells, however, is Phoebe Wilkins, the + housekeeper’s niece. As she is a kind of privileged personage, and rather + idle, she has more time to occupy herself with these matters. She has + always had her head full of love and matrimony. She knows the dream-book + by heart, and is quite an oracle among the little girls of the family, who + always come to her to interpret their dreams in the mornings. + </p> + <p> + During the present gayety of the house, however, the poor girl has worn a + face full of trouble; and, to use the housekeeper’s words, “has fallen + into a sad hystericky way lately.” It seems that she was born and brought + up in the village, where her father was parish-clerk, and she was an early + playmate and sweetheart of young Jack Tibbets. Since she has come to live + at the Hall, however, her head has been a little turned. Being very + pretty, and naturally genteel, she has been much noticed and indulged; and + being the housekeeper’s niece, she has held an equivocal station between a + servant and a companion. She has learnt something of fashions and notions + among the young ladies, which have effected quite a metamorphosis; + insomuch that her finery at church on Sundays has given mortal offence to + her former intimates in the village. This has occasioned the + misrepresentations which have awakened the implacable family pride of Dame + Tibbets. But what is worse, Phoebe, having a spice of coquetry in her + disposition, showed it on one or two occasions to her lover, which + produced a downright quarrel; and Jack, being very proud and fiery, has + absolutely turned his back upon her for several successive Sundays. + </p> + <p> + The poor girl is full of sorrow and repentance, and would fain make up + with her lover; but he feels his security, and stands aloof. In this he is + doubtless encouraged by his mother, who is continually reminding him what + he owes to his family; for this same family pride seems doomed to be the + eternal bane of lovers. + </p> + <p> + As I hate to see a pretty face in trouble, I have felt quite concerned for + the luckless Phoebe, ever since I heard her story. It is a sad thing to be + thwarted in love at any time, but particularly so at this tender season of + the year, when every living thing, even to the very butterfly, is sporting + with its mate; and the green fields, and the budding groves, and the + singing of the birds, and the sweet smell of the flowers, are enough to + turn the head of a love-sick girl. I am told that the coolness of young + Ready-Money lies very heavy at poor Phoebe’s heart. Instead of singing + about the house as formerly, she goes about pale and sighing, and is apt + to break into tears when her companions are full of merriment. + </p> + <p> + Mrs. Hannah, the vestal gentlewoman of my Lady Lillycraft, has had long + talks and walks with Phoebe, up and down the avenue of an evening; and has + endeavoured to squeeze some of her own verjuice into the other’s milky + nature. She speaks with contempt and abhorrence of the whole sex, and + advises Phoebe to despise all the men as heartily as she does. But + Phoebe’s loving temper is not to be curdled; she has no such thing as + hatred or contempt for mankind in her whole composition. She has all the + simple fondness of heart of poor, weak, loving woman; and her only + thoughts at present are how to conciliate and reclaim her wayward swain. + </p> + <p> + The spells and love-charms, which are matters of sport to the other + domestics, are serious concerns with this love-stricken damsel. She is + continually trying her fortune in a variety of ways. I am told that she + has absolutely fasted for six Wednesdays and three Fridays successively, + having understood that it was a sovereign charm to insure being married to + one’s liking within the year. She carries about, also, a lock of her + sweetheart’s hair, and a riband he once gave her, being a mode of + producing constancy in a lover. She even went so far as to try her fortune + by the moon, which has always had much to do with lovers’ dreams and + fancies. For this purpose, she went out in the night of the full moon, + knelt on a stone in the meadow, and repeated the old traditional rhyme: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + “All hail to thee, moon, all hail to thee; + I pray thee, good moon, now show to me + The youth who my future husband shall be.” + </pre> + <p> + When she came back to the house, she was faint and pale, and went + immediately to bed. The next morning she told the porter’s wife that she + had seen some one close by the hedge in the meadow, which she was sure was + young Tibbets; at any rate, she had dreamt of him all night; both of + which, the old dame assured her, were most happy signs. It has since + turned out that the person in the meadow was old Christy, the huntsman, + who was walking his nightly rounds with the great stag-hound; so that + Phoebe’s faith in the charm is completely shaken. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0027" id="link2H_4_0027"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + THE LIBRARY. + </h2> + <p> + Yesterday the fair Julia made her first appearance downstairs since her + accident; and the sight of her spread an universal cheerfulness through + the household. She was extremely pale, however, and could not walk without + pain and difficulty. She was assisted, therefore, to a sofa in the + library, which is pleasant and retired, looking out among trees; and so + quiet, that the little birds come hopping upon the windows, and peering + curiously into the apartment. Here several of the family gathered round, + and devised means to amuse her, and make the day pass pleasantly. Lady + Lillycraft lamented the want of some new novel to while away the time; and + was almost in a pet, because the “Author of Waverley” had not produced a + work for the last three months. + </p> + <p> + There was a motion made to call on the parson for some of his old legends + or ghost stories; but to this Lady Lillycraft objected, as they were apt + to give her the vapours. General Harbottle gave a minute account, for the + sixth time, of the Disaster of a friend in India, who had his leg bitten + off by a tiger, whilst he was hunting; and was proceeding to menace the + company with a chapter or two about Tippoo Saib. + </p> + <p> + At length the captain bethought himself and said, he believed he had a + manuscript tale lying in one corner of his campaigning trunk, which, if he + could find, and the company were desirous, he would read to them. The + offer was eagerly accepted. He retired, and soon returned with a roll of + blotted manuscript, in a very gentlemanlike, but nearly illegible, hand, + and a great part written on cartridge-paper. + </p> + <p> + “It is one of the scribblings,” said he, “of my poor friend, Charles + Lightly, of the dragoons. He was a curious, romantic, studious, fanciful + fellow; the favourite, and often the unconscious butt of his + fellow-officers, who entertained themselves with his eccentricities. He + was in some of the hardest service in the peninsula, and distinguished + himself by his gallantry. When the intervals of duty permitted, he was + fond of roving about the country, visiting noted places, and was extremely + fond of Moorish ruins. When at his quarters, he was a great scribbler, and + passed much of his leisure with his pen in his hand. + </p> + <p> + “As I was a much younger officer, and a very young man, he took me, in a + manner, under his care, and we became close friends. He used often to read + his writings to me, having a great confidence in my taste, for I always + praised them. Poor fellow! he was shot down close by me, at Waterloo. We + lay wounded together for some time, during a hard contest that took place + near at hand. As I was least hurt, I tried to relieve him, and to stanch + the blood which flowed from a wound in his breast. He lay with his head in + my lap, and looked up thankfully in my face, but shook his head faintly, + and made a sign that it was all over with him; and, indeed, he died a few + minutes afterwards, just as our men had repulsed the enemy, and came to + our relief. I have his favourite dog and his pistols to this day, and + several of his manuscripts, which he gave to me at different times. The + one I am now going to read, is a tale which he said he wrote in Spain, + during the time that he lay ill of a wound received at Salamanca.” + </p> + <p> + We now arranged ourselves to hear the story. The captain seated himself on + the sofa, beside the fair Julia, who I had noticed to be somewhat affected + by the picture he had carelessly drawn of wounds and dangers in a field of + battle. She now leaned her arm fondly on his shoulder, and her eye + glistened as it rested on the manuscript of the poor literary dragoon. + Lady Lillycraft buried herself in a deep, well-cushioned elbow-chair. Her + dogs were nestled on soft mats at her feet; and the gallant general took + his station in an armchair, at her side, and toyed with her elegantly + ornamented work-bag. The rest of the circle being all equally well + accommodated, the captain began his story; a copy of which I have procured + for the benefit of the reader. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0028" id="link2H_4_0028"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + THE STUDENT OF SALAMANCA. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + What a life do I lead with my master; nothing but blowing of + bellowes, beating of spirits, and scraping of croslets! It is a + very secret science, for none almost can understand the language + of it. Sublimation, almigation, calcination, rubification, + albification, and fermentation; with as many termes unpossible to + be uttered as the arte to be compassed. + + —LILLY’S <i>Gallathea</i>. +</pre> + <p> + Once upon a time, in the ancient city of Granada, there sojourned a young + man of the name of Antonio de Castros. He wore the garb of a student of + Salamanca, and was pursuing a course of reading in the library of the + university; and, at intervals of leisure, indulging his curiosity by + examining those remains of Moorish magnificence for which Granada is + renowned. + </p> + <p> + Whilst occupied in his studies, he frequently noticed an old man of a + singular appearance, who was likewise a visitor to the library. He was + lean and withered, though apparently more from study than from age. His + eyes, though bright and visionary, were sunk in his head, and thrown into + shade by overhanging eyebrows. His dress was always the same: a black + doublet; a short black cloak, very rusty and threadbare; a small ruff and + a large overshadowing hat. + </p> + <p> + His appetite for knowledge seemed insatiable. He would pass whole days in + the library, absorbed in study, consulting a multiplicity of authors, as + though he were pursuing some interesting subject through all its + ramifications; so that, in general, when evening came, he was almost + buried among books and manuscripts. + </p> + <p> + The curiosity of Antonio was excited, and he inquired of the attendants + concerning the stranger. No one could give him any information, excepting + that he had been for some time past a casual frequenter of the library; + that his reading lay chiefly among works treating of the occult sciences, + and that he was particularly curious in his inquiries after Arabian + manuscripts. They added, that he never held communication with any one, + excepting to ask for particular works; that, after a fit of studious + application, he would disappear for several days, and even weeks, and when + he revisited the library, he would look more withered and haggard than + ever. The student felt interested by this account; he was leading rather a + desultory life, and had all that capricious curiosity which springs up in + idleness. He determined to make himself acquainted with this book-worm, + and find out who and what he was. + </p> + <p> + The next time that he saw the old man at the library, he commenced his + approaches by requesting permission to look into one of the volumes with + which the unknown appeared to have done. The latter merely bowed his head, + in token of assent. After pretending to look through the volume with great + attention, he returned it with many acknowledgments. + </p> + <p> + The stranger made no reply. + </p> + <p> + “May I ask, senor,” said Antonio, with some hesitation, “may I ask what + you are searching after in all these books?” + </p> + <p> + The old man raised his head, with an expression of surprise, at having his + studies interrupted for the first time, and by so intrusive a question. He + surveyed the student with a side glance from head to foot: “Wisdom, my + son,” said he, calmly; “and the search requires every moment of my + attention.” He then cast his eyes upon his book, and resumed his studies. + </p> + <p> + “But, father,” said Antonio, “cannot you spare a moment to point out the + road to others? It is to experienced travellers like you, that we + strangers in the paths of knowledge must look for directions on our + journey.” + </p> + <p> + The stranger looked disturbed: “I have not time enough, my son, to learn,” + said he, “much less to teach. I am ignorant myself of the path of true + knowledge; how then can I show it to others?” + </p> + <p> + “Well, but, father—” + </p> + <p> + “Senor,” said the old man, mildly, but earnestly, “you must see that I + have but few steps more to the grave. In that short space have I to + accomplish the whole business of my existence. I have no time for words; + every word is as one grain of sand of my glass wasted. Suffer me to be + alone.” + </p> + <p> + There was no replying to so complete a closing of the door of intimacy. + The student found himself calmly but totally repulsed. Though curious and + inquisitive, yet he was naturally modest, and on after-thoughts he blushed + at his own intrusion. His mind soon became occupied by other objects. He + passed several days wandering among the mouldering piles of Moorish + architecture, those melancholy monuments of an elegant and voluptuous + people. He paced the deserted halls of the Alhambra, the paradise of the + Moorish kings. He visited the great court of the lions, famous for the + perfidious massacre of the gallant Abencerrages. He gazed with admiration + at its mosaic cupolas, gorgeously painted in gold and azure; its basins of + marble, its alabaster vase, supported by lions, and storied with + inscriptions. + </p> + <p> + His imagination kindled as he wandered among these scenes. They were + calculated to awaken all the enthusiasm of a youthful mind. Most of the + halls have anciently been beautified by fountains. The fine taste of the + Arabs delighted in the sparkling purity and reviving freshness of water; + and they erected, as it were, altars on every side, to that delicate + element. Poetry mingles with architecture in the Alhambra. It breathes + along the very walls. Wherever Antonio turned his eye, he beheld + inscriptions in Arabic, wherein the perpetuity of Moorish power and + splendour within these walls was confidently predicted. + </p> + <p> + Alas! how has the prophecy been falsified! Many of the basins, where the + fountains had once thrown up their sparkling showers, were dry and dusty. + Some of the palaces were turned into gloomy convents, and the barefoot + monk paced through these courts, which had once glittered with the array, + and echoed to the music, of Moorish chivalry. + </p> + <p> + In the course of his rambles, the student more than once encountered the + old man of the library. He was always alone, and so full of thought as not + to notice any one about him. He appeared to be intent upon studying those + half-buried inscriptions, which, are found, here and there, among the + Moorish ruins, and seem to murmur from the earth the tale of former + greatness. The greater part of these have since been translated; but they + were supposed by many at the time, to contain symbolical revelations, and + golden maxims of the Arabian sages and astrologers. As Antonio saw the + stranger apparently deciphering these inscriptions, he felt an eager + longing to make his acquaintance, and to participate in his curious + researches; but the repulse he had met with at the library deterred him + from making any further advances. + </p> + <p> + He had directed his steps one evening to the sacred mount, which overlooks + the beautiful valley watered by the Darro, the fertile plain of the Vega, + and all that rich diversity of vale and mountain that surrounds Granada + with an earthly paradise. It was twilight when he found himself at the + place, where, at the present day, are situated the chapels, known by the + name of the Sacred Furnaces. They are so called from grottoes, in which + some of the primitive saints are said to have been burnt. At the time of + Antonio’s visit, the place was an object of much curiosity. In an + excavation of these grottoes, several manuscripts had recently been + discovered, engraved on plates of lead. They were written in the Arabian + language, excepting one, which was in unknown characters. The Pope had + issued a bull, forbidding any one, under pain of excommunication, to speak + of these manuscripts. The prohibition had only excited the greater + curiosity; and many reports were whispered about, that these manuscripts + contained treasures of dark and forbidden knowledge. + </p> + <p> + As Antonio was examining the place from whence these mysterious + manuscripts had been drawn, he again observed the old man of the library + wandering among the ruins. His curiosity was now fully awakened; the time + and place served to stimulate it. He resolved to watch this groper after + secret and forgotten lore, and to trace him to his habitation. There was + something like adventure in the thing, that charmed his romantic + disposition. He followed the stranger, therefore, at a little distance; at + first cautiously, but he soon observed him to be so wrapped in his own + thoughts, as to take little heed of external objects. + </p> + <p> + They passed along the skirts of the mountain, and then by the shady banks + of the Darro. They pursued their way, for some distance from Granada, + along a lonely road that led among the hills. The gloom of evening was + gathering, and it was quite dark when the stranger stopped at the portal + of a solitary mansion. + </p> + <p> + It appeared to be a mere wing, or ruined fragment, of what had once been a + pile of some consequence. The walls were of great thickness; the windows + narrow, and generally secured by iron bars. The door was of planks, + studded with iron spikes, and had been of great strength, though at + present it was much decayed. At one end of the mansion was a ruinous + tower, in the Moorish style of architecture. The edifice had probably been + a country retreat, or castle of pleasure, during the occupation of Granada + by the Moors, and rendered sufficiently strong to withstand any casual + assault in those warlike times. + </p> + <p> + The old man knocked at the portal. A light appeared at a small window just + above it, and a female head looked out: it might have served as a model + for one of Raphael’s saints. The hair was beautifully braided, and + gathered in a silken net; and the complexion, as well as could be judged + from the light, was that soft, rich brunette, so becoming in southern + beauty. + </p> + <p> + “It is I, my child,” said the old man. The face instantly disappeared, and + soon after a wicket-door in the large portal opened. Antonio, who had + ventured near to the building, caught a transient sight of a delicate + female form. A pair of fine black eyes darted a look of surprise at seeing + a stranger hovering near, and the door was precipitately closed. + </p> + <p> + There was something in this sudden gleam of beauty that wonderfully struck + the imagination of the student. It was like a brilliant, flashing from its + dark casket. He sauntered about, regarding the gloomy pile with increasing + interest. A few simple, wild notes, from among some rocks and trees at a + little distance, attracted his attention. He found there a group of + Gitanas, a vagabond gipsy race, which at that time abounded in Spain, and + lived in hovels and caves of the hills about the neighbourhood of Granada. + Some were busy about a fire, and others were listening to the uncouth + music which one of their companions, seated on a ledge of the rock, was + making with a split reed. + </p> + <p> + Antonio endeavoured to obtain some information of them, concerning the old + building and its inhabitants. The one who appeared to be their spokesman + was a gaunt fellow, with a subtle gait, a whispering voice, and a sinister + roll of the eye. He shrugged his shoulders on the student’s inquiries, and + said that all was not right in that building. An old man inhabited it, + whom nobody knew, and whose family appeared to be only a daughter and a + female servant. He and his companions, he added, lived up among the + neighbouring hills; and as they had been about at night, they had often + seen strange lights, and heard strange sounds from the tower. Some of the + country people, who worked in the vineyards among the hills, believed the + old man to be one that dealt in the black art, and were not over-fond of + passing near the tower at night; “but for our parts,” said the Gitano, “we + are not a people that trouble ourselves much with fears of that kind.” + </p> + <p> + The student endeavoured to gain more precise information, but they had + none to furnish him. They began to be solicitous for a compensation for + what they had already imparted; and, recollecting the loneliness of the + place, and the vagabond character of his companions, he was glad to give + them a gratuity, and to hasten homewards. + </p> + <p> + He sat down to his studies, but his brain was too full of what he had seen + and heard; his eye was upon the page, but his fancy still returned to the + tower; and he was continually picturing the little window, with the + beautiful head peeping out; or the door half open, and the nymph-like form + within. He retired to bed, but the same object haunted his dreams. He was + young and susceptible; and the excited state of his feelings, from + wandering among the abodes of departed grace and gallantry, had + predisposed him for a sudden impression from female beauty. + </p> + <p> + The next morning, he strolled again in the direction of the tower. It was + still more forlorn, by the broad glare of day, than in the gloom of + evening. The walls were crumbling, and weeds and moss were growing in + every crevice. It had the look of a prison, rather than a dwelling-house. + In one angle, however, he remarked a window which seemed an exception to + the surrounding squalidness. There was a curtain drawn within it, and + flowers standing on the window-stone. Whilst he was looking at it, the + curtain was partially withdrawn, and a delicate white arm, of the most + beautiful roundness, was put forth to water the flowers. + </p> + <p> + The student made a noise, to attract the attention of the fair florist. He + succeeded. The curtain was further drawn, and he had a glance of the same + lovely face he had seen the evening before; it was but a mere glance—the + curtain again fell, and the casement closed. All this was calculated to + excite the feelings of a romantic youth. Had he seen the unknown under + other circumstances, it is probable that he would not have been struck + with her beauty; but this appearance of being shut up and kept apart, gave + her the value of a treasured gem. He passed and repassed before the house + several times in the course of the day, but saw nothing more. He was there + again in the evening. The whole aspect of the house was dreary. The narrow + windows emitted no rays of cheerful light, to indicate that there was + social life within. Antonio listened at the portal, but no sound of voices + reached his ear. Just then he heard the clapping to of a distant door, and + fearing to be detected in the unworthy act of eavesdropping, he + precipitately drew off to the opposite side of the road, and stood in the + shadow of a ruined archway. + </p> + <p> + He now remarked a light from a window in the tower. It was fitful and + changeable; commonly feeble and yellowish, as if from a lamp; with an + occasional glare of some vivid metallic colour, followed by a dusky glow. + A column of dense smoke would now and then rise in the air, and hang like + a canopy over the tower. There was altogether such a loneliness and + seeming mystery about the building and its inhabitants, that Antonio was + half inclined to indulge the country people’s notions, and to fancy it the + den of some powerful sorcerer, and the fair damsel he had seen to be some + spell-bound beauty. + </p> + <p> + After some time had elapsed, a light appeared in the window where he had + seen the beautiful arm. The curtain was down, but it was so thin that he + could perceive the shadow of some one passing and repassing between it and + the light. He fancied that he could distinguish that the form was + delicate; and, from the alacrity of its movements, it was evidently + youthful. He had not a doubt but this was the bed-chamber of his beautiful + unknown. + </p> + <p> + Presently he heard the sound of a guitar, and a female voice singing. He + drew near cautiously, and listened. It was a plaintive Moorish ballad, and + he recognized in it the lamentations of one of the Abencerrages on leaving + the walls of lovely Granada. It was full of passion and tenderness. It + spoke of the delights of early life; the hours of love it had enjoyed on + the banks of the Darro, and among the blissful abodes of the Alhambra. It + bewailed the fallen honours of the Abencerrages, and imprecated vengeance + on their oppressors. Antonio was affected by the music. It singularly + coincided with the place. It was like the voice of past times echoed in + the present, and breathing among the monuments of its departed glory. + </p> + <p> + The voice ceased; after a time the light disappeared, and all was still. + “She sleeps!” said Antonio, fondly. He lingered about the building, with + the devotion with which a lover lingers about the bower of sleeping + beauty. The rising moon threw its silver beams on the gray walls, and + glittered on the casement. The late gloomy landscape gradually became + flooded with its radiance. Finding, therefore, that he could no longer + move about in obscurity, and fearful that his loiterings might be + observed, he reluctantly retired. + </p> + <p> + The curiosity which had at first drawn the young man to the tower, was now + seconded by feelings of a more romantic kind. His studies were almost + entirely abandoned. He maintained a kind of blockade of the old mansion; + he would take a book with him, and pass a great part of the day under the + trees in its vicinity; keeping a vigilant eye upon it, and endeavouring to + ascertain what were the walks of his mysterious charmer. He found, + however, that she never went out except to mass, when she was accompanied + by her father. He waited at the door of the church, and offered her the + holy water, in the hope of touching her hand; a little office of gallantry + common in Catholic countries. She, however, modestly declined without + raising her eyes to see who made the offer, and always took it herself + from the font. She was attentive in her devotion; her eyes were never + taken from the altar or the priest; and, on returning home, her + countenance was almost entirely concealed by her mantilla. + </p> + <p> + Antonio had now carried on the pursuit for several days, and was hourly + getting more and more interested in the chase, but never a step nearer to + the game. His lurkings about the house had probably been noticed, for he + no longer saw the fair face at the window, nor the white arm put forth to + water the flowers. His only consolation was to repair nightly to his post + of observation, and listen to her warbling; and if by chance he could + catch a sight of her shadow, passing and repassing before the window, he + thought himself most fortunate. + </p> + <p> + As he was indulging in one of these evening vigils, which were complete + revels of the imagination, the sound of approaching footsteps made him + withdraw into the deep shadow of the ruined archway opposite to the tower. + A cavalier approached, wrapped in a large Spanish cloak. He paused under + the window of the tower, and after a little while began a serenade, + accompanied by his guitar, in the usual style of Spanish gallantry. His + voice was rich and manly; he touched the instrument with skill, and sang + with amorous and impassioned eloquence. The plume of his hat was buckled + by jewels that sparkled in the moon-beams; and as he played on the guitar, + his cloak falling off from one shoulder, showed him to be richly dressed. + It was evident that he was a person of rank. + </p> + <p> + The idea now flashed across Antonio’s mind, that the affections of his + unknown beauty might be engaged. She was young, and doubtless susceptible; + and it was not in the nature of Spanish females to be deaf and insensible + to music and admiration. The surmise brought with it a feeling of + dreariness. There was a pleasant dream of several days suddenly dispelled. + He had never before experienced any thing of the tender passion; and, as + its morning dreams are always delightful, he would fain have continued in + the delusion. + </p> + <p> + “But what have I to do with her attachments?” thought he; “I have no claim + on her heart, nor even on her acquaintance. How do I know that she is + worthy of affection? Or if she is, must not so gallant a lover as this, + with his jewels, his rank, and his detestable music, have completely + captivated her? What idle humour is this that I have fallen into? I must + again to my books. Study, study, will soon chase away all these idle + fancies!” + </p> + <p> + The more he thought, however, the more he became entangled in the spell + which his lively imagination had woven round him; and now that a rival had + appeared, in addition to the other obstacles that environed this enchanted + beauty, she appeared ten times more lovely and desirable. It was some + slight consolation to him to perceive that the gallantry of the unknown + met with no apparent return from the tower. The light at the window was + extinguished. The curtain remained undrawn, and none of the customary + signals were given to intimate that the serenade was accepted. + </p> + <p> + The cavalier lingered for some time about the place, and sang several + other tender airs with a taste and feeling that made Antonio’s heart ache; + at length he slowly retired. The student remained with folded arms, + leaning against the ruined arch, endeavouring to summon up resolution + enough to depart; but there was a romantic fascination that still + enchained him to the place. “It is the last time,” said he, willing to + compromise between his feelings and his judgment, “it is the last time; + then let me enjoy the dream a few moments longer.” + </p> + <p> + As his eye ranged about the old building to take a farewell look, he + observed the strange light in the tower, which he had noticed on a former + occasion. It kept beaming up, and declining, as before. A pillar of smoke + rose in the air, and hung in sable volumes. It was evident the old man was + busied in some of those operations that had gained him the reputation of a + sorcerer throughout the neighbourhood. + </p> + <p> + Suddenly an intense and brilliant glare shone through the casement, + followed by a loud report, and then a fierce and ruddy glow. A figure + appeared at the window, uttering cries of agony or alarm, but immediately + disappeared, and a body of smoke and flame whirled out of the narrow + aperture. Antonio rushed to the portal, and knocked at it with vehemence. + He was only answered by loud shrieks, and found that the females were + already in helpless consternation. With an exertion of desperate strength + he forced the wicket from its hinges, and rushed into the house. + </p> + <p> + He found himself in a small vaulted hall, and, by the light of the moon + which entered at the door, he saw a staircase to the left. He hurried up + it to a narrow corridor, through which was rolling a volume of smoke. He + found here the two females in a frantic state of alarm; one of them + clasped her hands, and implored him to save her father. + </p> + <p> + The corridor terminated in a spiral flight of steps, leading up to the + tower. He sprang up it to a small door, through the chinks of which came a + glow of light, and smoke was spuming out. He burst it open, and found + himself in an antique vaulted chamber, furnished with a furnace and + various chemical apparatus. A shattered retort lay on the stone floor; a + quantity of combustibles, nearly consumed, with various half-burnt books + and papers, were sending up an expiring flame, and filling the chamber + with stifling smoke. Just within the threshold lay the reputed conjurer. + He was bleeding, his clothes were scorched, and he appeared lifeless. + Antonio caught him up, and bore him down the stairs to a chamber, in which + there was a light, and laid him on a bed. The female domestic was + despatched for such appliances as the house afforded; but the daughter + threw herself frantically beside her parent, and could not be reasoned out + of her alarm. Her dress was all in disorder; her dishevelled hair hung in + rich confusion about her neck and bosom, and never was there beheld a + lovelier picture of terror and affliction. + </p> + <p> + The skilful assiduities of the scholar soon produced signs of returning + animation in his patient. The old man’s wounds, though severe, were not + dangerous. They had evidently been produced by the bursting of the retort; + in his bewilderment he had been enveloped in the stifling metallic + vapours, which had overpowered his feeble frame, and had not Antonio + arrived to his assistance, it is possible he might never have recovered. + </p> + <p> + By slow degrees’ he came to his senses. He looked about with a bewildered + air at the chamber, the agitated group around, and the student who was + leaning over him. + </p> + <p> + “Where am I?” said he wildly. + </p> + <p> + At the sound of his voice, his daughter uttered a faint exclamation of + delight. “My poor Inez!” said he, embracing her; then, putting his hand to + his head, and taking it away stained with blood, he seemed suddenly to + recollect himself, and to be overcome with emotion. + </p> + <p> + “Ah!” cried he, “all is over with me! all gone! all vanished! gone in a + moment! the labour of a lifetime lost!” + </p> + <p> + His daughter attempted to soothe him, but he became slightly delirious, + and raved incoherently about malignant demons, and about the habitation of + the green lion being destroyed. His wounds being dressed, and such other + remedies administered as his situation required, he sunk into a state of + quiet. Antonio now turned his attention to the daughter, whose sufferings + had been little inferior to those of her father. Having with great + difficulty succeeded in tranquillizing her fears, he endeavoured to + prevail upon her to retire, and seek the repose so necessary to her frame, + proffering to remain by her father until morning. “I am a stranger,” said + he, “it is true, and my offer may appear intrusive; but I see you are + lonely and helpless, and I cannot help venturing over the limits of mere + ceremony. Should you feel any scruple or doubt, however, say but a word, + and I will instantly retire.” + </p> + <p> + There was a frankness, a kindness, and a modesty, mingled in Antonio’s + deportment, that inspired instant confidence; and his simple scholar’s + garb was a recommendation in the house of poverty. The females consented + to resign the sufferer to his care, as they would be the better able to + attend to him on the morrow. On retiring, the old domestic was profuse in + her benedictions; the daughter only looked her thanks; but as they shone + through the tears that filled her fine black eyes, the student thought + them a thousand times the most eloquent. + </p> + <p> + Here, then, he was, by a singular turn of chance, completely housed within + this mysterious mansion. When left to himself, and the bustle of the scene + was over, his heart throbbed as he looked round the chamber in which he + was sitting. It was the daughter’s room, the promised land toward which he + had cast so many a longing gaze. The furniture was old, and had probably + belonged to the building in its prosperous days; but every thing was + arranged with propriety. The flowers that he had seen her attend stood in + the window; a guitar leaned against a table, on which stood a crucifix, + and before it lay a missal and a rosary. There reigned an air of purity + and serenity about this little nestling-place of innocence; it was the + emblem of a chaste and quiet mind. Some few articles of female dress lay + on the chairs; and there was the very bed on which she had slept—the + pillow on which her soft cheek had reclined! The poor scholar was treading + enchanted ground; for what fairy land has more of magic in it, than the + bedchamber of innocence and beauty? + </p> + <p> + From various expressions of the old man in his ravings, and from what he + had noticed on a subsequent visit to the tower, to see that the fire was + extinguished, Antonio had gathered that his patient was an alchymist. The + philosopher’s stone was an object eagerly sought after by visionaries in + those days; but in consequence of the superstitious prejudices of the + times, and the frequent persecutions of its votaries, they were apt to + pursue their experiments in secret; in lonely houses, in caverns and + ruins, or in the privacy of cloistered cells. + </p> + <p> + In the course of the night, the old man had several fits of restlessness + and delirium; he would call out upon Theophrastus, and Geber, and Albertus + Magnus, and other sages of his art; and anon would murmur about + fermentation and projection, until, toward daylight, he once more sunk + into a salutary sleep. When the morning sun darted his rays into the + casement, the fair Inez, attended by the female domestic, came blushing + into the chamber. The student now took his leave, having himself need of + repose, but obtaining ready permission to return and inquire after the + sufferer. + </p> + <p> + When he called again, he found the alchymist languid and in pain, but + apparently suffering more in mind than in body. His delirium had left him, + and he had been informed of the particulars of his deliverance, and of the + subsequent attentions of the scholar. He could do little more than look + his thanks, but Antonio did not require them; his own heart repaid him for + all that he had done, and he almost rejoiced in the disaster that had + gained him an entrance into this mysterious habitation. The alchymist was + so helpless as to need much assistance; Antonio remained with him, + therefore, the greater part of the day. He repeated his visit the next + day, and the next. Every day his company seemed more pleasing to the + invalid; and every day he felt his interest in the latter increasing. + Perhaps the presence of the daughter might have been at the bottom of this + solicitude. + </p> + <p> + He had frequent and long conversations with the alchymist. He found him, + as men of his pursuits were apt to be, a mixture of enthusiasm and + simplicity; of curious and extensive reading on points of little utility, + with great inattention to the everyday occurrences of life, and profound + ignorance of the world. He was deeply versed in singular and obscure + branches of knowledge, and much given to visionary speculations. Antonio, + whose mind was of a romantic cast, had himself given some attention to the + occult sciences, and he entered upon these themes with an ardour that + delighted the philosopher. Their conversations frequently turned upon + astrology, divination, and the great secret. The old man would forget his + aches and wounds, rise up like a spectre in his bed, and kindle into + eloquence on his favourite topics. When gently admonished of his + situation, it would but prompt him to another sally of thought. + </p> + <p> + “Alas, my son!” he would say, “is not this very decrepitude and suffering + another proof of the importance of those secrets with which we are + surrounded? Why are we trammelled by disease, withered by old age, and our + spirits quenched, as it were, within, us, but because we have lost those + secrets of life and youth which were known to our parents before their + fall? To regain these, have philosophers been ever since aspiring; but + just as they are on the point of securing the precious secrets for ever, + the brief period of life is at an end; they die, and with them all their + wisdom and experience. ‘Nothing,’ as De Nuysment observes, ‘nothing is + wanting for man’s perfection but a longer life, less crossed with sorrows + and maladies, to the attaining of the full and perfect knowledge of + things.’” + </p> + <p> + At length Antonio so far gained on the heart of his patient, as to draw + from him the outlines of his story. + </p> + <p> + Felix de Vasques, the alchymist, was a native of Castile, and of an + ancient and honourable line. Early in life he had married a beautiful + female, a descendant from one of the Moorish families. The marriage + displeased his father, who considered the pure Spanish blood contaminated + by this foreign mixture. It is true, the lady traced her descent from one + of the Abencerrages, the most gallant of Moorish cavaliers, who had + embraced the Christian faith on being exiled from the walls of Granada. + </p> + <p> + The injured pride of the father, however, was not to be appeased. He never + saw his son afterwards, and on dying left him but a scanty portion of his + estate; bequeathing the residue, in the piety and bitterness of his heart, + to the erection of convents, and the performance of masses for souls in + purgatory. Don Felix resided for a long time in the neighbourhood of + Valladolid, in a state of embarrassment and obscurity. He devoted himself + to intense study, having, while at the university of Salamanca, imbibed a + taste for the secret sciences. He was enthusiastic and speculative; he + went on from one branch of knowledge to another, until he became zealous + in the search after the grand Arcanum. + </p> + <p> + He had at first engaged in the pursuit with the hopes of raising himself + from his present obscurity, and resuming the rank and dignity to which his + birth entitled him; but, as usual, it ended in absorbing every thought, + and becoming the business of his existence. He was at length aroused from + this mental abstraction, by the calamities of his household. A malignant + fever swept off his wife and all his children, excepting an infant + daughter. These losses for a time overwhelmed and stupefied him. His home + had in a manner died away from around him, and he felt lonely and forlorn. + When his spirit revived within him, he determined to abandon the scene of + his humiliation and disaster; to bear away the child that was still left + him beyond the scene of contagion, and never to return to Castile until he + should be enabled to reclaim the honours of his line. + </p> + <p> + He had ever since been wandering and unsettled in his abode;—sometimes + the resident of populous cities, at other times of absolute solitudes. He + had searched libraries, meditated on inscriptions, visited adepts of + different countries, and sought to gather and concentrate the rays which + had been thrown by various minds upon the secrets of alchymy. He had at + one time travelled quite to Padua to search for the manuscripts of Pietro + d’Abano, and to inspect an urn which had been dug up near Este, supposed + to have been buried by Maximus Olybius, and to have contained the grand + elixir.<a href="#linknote-7" name="linknoteref-7" id="linknoteref-7"><small>7</small></a> + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="linknote-7" id="linknote-7"> Note--></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 7 (<a href="#linknoteref-7">return</a>)<br /> [ This urn was found in 1533. + It contained a lesser one, in which was a burning lamp betwixt two small + vials, the one of gold, the other of silver, both of them full of a very + clear liquor. On the largest was an inscription, stating that Maximus + Olybius shut up in this small vessel elements which he had prepared with + great toil. There were many disquisitions among the learned on the + subject. It was the most received opinion, that this Maximus Olybius was + an inhabitant of Padua, that he had discovered the great secret, and that + these vessels contained liquor, one to transmute metals to gold, and other + to silver. The peasants who found the urns, imagining this precious liquor + to be common water, spilt every drop, so that the art of transmuting + metals remains as much a secret as ever.] + </p> + <p> + While at Padua, he had met with an adept versed in Arabian lore, who + talked of the invaluable manuscripts that must remain in the Spanish + libraries, preserved from the spoils of the Moorish academies and + universities; of the probability of meeting with precious unpublished + writings of Geber, and Alfarabius, and Avicenna, the great physicians of + the Arabian schools, who, it was well known, had treated much of alchymy; + but, above all, he spoke of the Arabian tablets of lead, which had + recently been dug up in the neighbourhood of Granada, and which, it was + confidently believed among adepts, contained the lost secrets of the art. + </p> + <p> + The indefatigable alchymist once more bent his steps for Spain, full of + renovated hope. He had made his way to Granada: he had wearied himself in + the study of Arabic, in deciphering inscriptions, in rummaging libraries, + and exploring every possible trace left by the Arabian sages. + </p> + <p> + In all his wanderings, he had been accompanied by Inez through the rough + and the smooth, the pleasant and the adverse; never complaining, but + rather seeking to soothe his cares by her innocent and playful caresses. + Her instruction had been the employment and the delight of his hours of + relaxation. She had grown up while they were wandering, and had scarcely + ever known any home but by his side. He was family, friends, home, + everything to her. He had carried her in his arms, when they first began + their wayfaring; had nestled her, as an eagle does its young, among the + rocky heights of the Sierra Morena; she had sported about him in + childhood, in the solitudes of the Bateucas; had followed him, as a lamb + does the shepherd, over the rugged Pyrenees, and into the fair plains of + Languedoc; and now she was grown up to support his feeble steps among the + ruined abodes of her maternal ancestors. + </p> + <p> + His property had gradually wasted away, in the course of his travels and + his experiments. Still hope, the constant attendant of the alchymist, had + led him on; ever on the point of reaping the reward of his labours, and + ever disappointed. With the credulity that often attended his art, he + attributed many of his disappointments to the machination of the malignant + spirits that beset the paths of the alchymist and torment him in his + solitary labours. “It is their constant endeavour,” he observed, “to close + up every avenue to those sublime truths, which would enable man to rise + above the abject state into which he has fallen, and to return to his + original perfection.” To the evil offices of these demons, he attributed + his late disaster. He had been on the very verge of the glorious + discovery; never were the indications more completely auspicious; all was + going on prosperously, when, at the critical moment which should have + crowned his labours with success, and have placed him at the very summit + of human power and felicity, the bursting of a retort had reduced his + laboratory and himself to ruins. + </p> + <p> + “I must now,” said he, “give up at the very threshold of success. My books + and papers are burnt; my apparatus is broken. I am too old to bear up + against these evils. The ardour that once inspired me is gone; my poor + frame is exhausted by study and watchfulness, and this last misfortune has + hurried me towards the grave.” He concluded in a tone of deep dejection. + Antonio endeavoured to comfort and reassure him; but the poor alchymist + had for once awakened to a consciousness of the worldly ills that were + gathering around him, and had sunk into despondency. After a pause, and + some thoughtfulness and perplexity of brow, Antonio ventured to make a + proposal. + </p> + <p> + “I have long,” said he, “been filled with a love for the secret sciences, + but have felt too ignorant and diffident to give myself up to them. You + have acquired experience; you have amassed the knowledge of a lifetime; it + were a pity it should be thrown away. You say you are too old to renew the + toils of the laboratory; suffer me to undertake them. Add your knowledge + to my youth and activity, and what shall we not accomplish? As a + probationary fee, and a fund on which to proceed, I will bring into the + common stock a sum of gold, the residue of a legacy, which has enabled me + to complete my education. A poor scholar cannot boast much; but I trust we + shall soon put ourselves beyond the reach of want; and if we should fail, + why, I must depend, like other scholars, upon my brains to carry me + through the world.” + </p> + <p> + The philosopher’s spirits, however, were more depressed than the student + had imagined. This last shock, following in the rear of so many + disappointments, had almost destroyed the reaction of his mind. The fire + of an enthusiast, however, is never so low but that it may be blown again + into a flame. By degrees, the old man was cheered and reanimated by the + buoyancy and ardour of his sanguine companion. He at length agreed to + accept of the services of the student, and once more to renew his + experiments. He objected, however, to using the student’s gold, + notwithstanding that his own was nearly exhausted; but this objection was + soon overcome; the student insisted on making it a common stock and common + cause;—and then how absurd was any delicacy about such a trifle, + with men who looked forward to discovering the philosopher’s stone! + </p> + <p> + While, therefore, the alchymist was slowly recovering, the student busied + himself in getting the laboratory once more in order. It was strewed with + the wrecks of retorts and alembics, with old crucibles, boxes and phials + of powders and tinctures, and half-burnt books and manuscripts. + </p> + <p> + As soon as the old man was sufficiently recovered, the studies and + experiments were renewed. The student became a privileged and frequent + visitor, and was indefatigable in his toils in the laboratory. The + philosopher daily derived new zeal and spirits from the animation of his + disciple. He was now enabled to prosecute the enterprise with continued + exertion, having so active a coadjutor to divide the toil. While he was + poring over the writings of Sandivogius, and Philalethes, and Dominus de + Nuysment, and endeavouring to comprehend the symbolical language in which + they have locked up their mysteries, Antonio would occupy himself among + the retorts and crucibles, and keep the furnace in a perpetual glow. + </p> + <p> + With all his zeal, however, for the discovery of the golden art, the + feelings of the student had not cooled as to the object that first drew + him to this ruinous mansion. During the old man’s illness, he had frequent + opportunities of being near the daughter; and every day made him more + sensible to her charms. There was a pure simplicity, and an almost passive + gentleness, in her manners; yet with all this was mingled something, + whether mere maiden shyness, or a consciousness of high descent, or a dash + of Castilian pride, or perhaps all united, that prevented undue + familiarity, and made her difficult of approach. The danger of her father, + and the measures to be taken for his relief, had at first overcome this + coyness and reserve, but as he recovered and her alarm subsided, she + seemed to shrink from the familiarity she had indulged with the youthful + stranger, and to become every day more shy and silent. + </p> + <p> + Antonio had read many books, but this was the first volume of womankind + that he had ever studied. He had been captivated with the very title-page; + but the further he read, the more he was delighted. She seemed formed to + love; her soft black eye rolled languidly under its long silken lashes, + and wherever it turned, it would linger and repose; there was tenderness + in every beam. To him alone she was reserved and distant. Now that the + common cares of the sick-room were at an end, he saw little more of her + than before his admission to the house. Sometimes he met her on his way to + and from the laboratory, and at such times there was ever a smile and a + blush; but, after a simple salutation, she glided on and disappeared. + </p> + <p> + “‘Tis plain,” thought Antonio, “my presence is indifferent, if not irksome + to her. She has noticed my admiration, and is determined to discourage it; + nothing but a feeling of gratitude prevents her treating me with marked + distaste—and then has she not another lover, rich, gallant, + splendid, musical? how can I suppose she would turn her eyes from so + brilliant a cavalier, to a poor obscure student, raking among the cinders + of her father’s laboratory?” + </p> + <p> + Indeed, the idea of the amorous serenader continually haunted his mind. He + felt convinced that he was a favoured lover; yet, if so, why did he not + frequent the tower?—why did he not make his approaches by noon-day? + There was mystery in this eavesdropping and musical courtship. Surely Inez + could not be encouraging a secret intrigue! Oh! no! she was too artless, + too pure, too ingenuous! But then the Spanish females were so prone to + love and intrigue; and music and moonlight were so seductive, and Inez had + such a tender soul languishing in every look.—“Oh!” would the poor + scholar exclaim, clasping his hands, “oh, that I could but once behold + those loving eyes beaming on me with affection!” + </p> + <p> + It is incredible to those who have not experienced it, on what scanty + aliment human life and human love may be supported. A dry crust, thrown + now and then to a starving man, will give him a new lease of existence; + and a faint smile, or a kind look, bestowed at casual intervals, will keep + a lover loving on, when a man in his sober senses would despair. + </p> + <p> + When Antonio found himself alone in the laboratory, his mind would be + haunted by one of these looks, or smiles, which he had received in + passing. He would set it in every possible light, and argue on it with all + the self-pleasing, self-teasing logic of a lover. + </p> + <p> + The country around him was enough to awaken that voluptuousness of feeling + so favourable to the growth of passion. The window of the tower rose above + the trees of the romantic valley of the Darro, and looked down upon some + of the loveliest scenery of the Vega, where groves of citron and orange + were refreshed by cool springs and brooks of the purest water. + </p> + <p> + The Xenel and the Darro wound their shining streams along the plain, and + gleamed from among its bowers. The surrounding hills were covered with + vineyards, and the mountains, crowned with snow, seemed to melt into the + blue sky. The delicate airs that played about the tower were perfumed by + the fragrance of myrtle and orange-blossoms, and the ear was charmed with + the fond warbling of the nightingale, which, in these happy regions, sings + the whole day long. Sometimes, too, there was the idle song of the + muleteer, sauntering along the solitary road; or the notes of the guitar, + from some group of peasants dancing in the shade. All these were enough to + fill the head of the young lover with poetic fancies; and Antonio would + picture to himself how he could loiter among those happy groves, and + wander by those gentle rivers, and love away his life with Inez. + </p> + <p> + He felt at times impatient at his own weakness, and would endeavour to + brush away these cobwebs of the mind. He would turn his thoughts, with + sudden effort, to his occult studies, or occupy himself in some perplexing + process; but often, when he had partially succeeded in fixing his + attention, the sound of Inez’s lute, or the soft notes of her voice, would + come stealing upon the stillness of the chamber, and, as it were, floating + round the tower. There was no great art in her performance; but Antonio + thought he had never heard music comparable to this. It was perfect + witchcraft to hear her warble forth some of her national melodies; those + little Spanish romances and Moorish ballads, that transport the hearer, in + idea, to the banks of the Guadalquivir, or the walls of the Alhambra, and + make him dream of beauties, and balconies, and moonlight serenades. + </p> + <p> + Never was poor student more sadly beset than Antonio. Love is a + troublesome companion in a study, at the best of tunes; but in the + laboratory of an alchymist, his intrusion is terribly disastrous. Instead + of attending to the retorts and crucibles, and watching the process of + some experiment intrusted to his charge, the student would get entranced + in one of these love-dreams, from which he would often be aroused by some + fatal catastrophe. The philosopher, on returning from his researches in + the libraries, would find every thing gone wrong, and Antonio in despair + over the ruins of the whole day’s work. The old man, however, took all + quietly, for his had been a life of experiment and failure. + </p> + <p> + “We must have patience, my son,” would he say, “as all the great masters + that have gone before us have had. Errors, and accidents, and delays are + what we have to contend with. Did not Pontanus err two hundred times, + before he could obtain even the matter on which to found his experiments? + The great Flamel, too, did he not labour four-and-twenty years, before he + ascertained the first agent? What difficulties and hardships did not + Cartilaceus encounter, at the very threshold of his discoveries? And + Bernard de Treves, even after he had attained a knowledge of all the + requisites, was he not delayed full three years? What you consider + accidents, my son, are the machinations of our invisible enemies. The + treasures and golden secrets of nature are surrounded by spirits hostile + to man. The air about us teems with them. They lurk in the fire of the + furnace, in the bottom of the crucible, and the alembic, and are ever on + the alert to take advantage of those moments when our minds are wandering + from intense meditation on the great truth that we are seeking. We must + only strive the more to purify ourselves from, those gross and earthly + feelings which becloud the soul, and prevent her from piercing into + nature’s arcana.” + </p> + <p> + “Alas!” thought Antonio, “if to be purified from all earthly feeling + requires that I should cease to love Inez, I fear I shall never discover + the philosopher’s stone!” + </p> + <p> + In this way, matters went on for some time, at the alchymist’s. Day after + day was sending the student’s gold in vapour up the chimney; every blast + of the furnace made him a ducat the poorer, without apparently helping him + a jot nearer to the golden secret. Still the young man stood by, and saw + piece after piece disappearing without a murmur: he had daily an + opportunity of seeing Inez, and felt as if her favour would be better than + silver or gold, and that every smile was worth a ducat. + </p> + <p> + Sometimes, in the cool of the evening, when the toils of the laboratory + happened to be suspended, he would walk with the alchymist in what had + once been a garden belonging to the mansion. There were still the remains + of terraces and balustrades, and here and there a marble urn, or mutilated + statue overturned, and buried among weeds and flowers run wild. It was the + favourite resort of the alchymist in his hours of relaxation, where he + would give full scope to his visionary flights. His mind was tinctured + with the Rosicrucian doctrines. He believed in elementary beings; some + favourable, others adverse to his pursuits; and, in the exaltation of his + fancy, had often imagined that he held communion with them in his solitary + walks, about the whispering groves and echoing walls of this old garden. + </p> + <p> + When accompanied by Antonio, he would prolong these evening recreations. + Indeed, he sometimes did it out of consideration for his disciple, for he + feared lest his too close application, and his incessant seclusion in the + tower, should be injurious to his health. He was delighted and surprised + by this extraordinary zeal and perseverance in so young a tyro, and looked + upon him as destined to be one of the great luminaries of the art. Lest + the student should repine at the time lost in these relaxations, the good + alchymist would fill them up with wholesome knowledge, in matters + connected with their pursuits; and would walk up and down the alleys with + his disciple, imparting oral instruction, like an ancient philosopher. In + all his visionary schemes, these breathed a spirit of lofty, though + chimerical philanthropy, that won the admiration of the scholar. Nothing + sordid nor sensual, nothing petty nor selfish, seemed to enter into his + views, in respect to the grand discoveries he was anticipating. On the + contrary, his imagination kindled with conceptions of widely dispensated + happiness. He looked forward to the time when he should be able to go + about the earth, relieving the indigent, comforting the distressed; and, + by his unlimited means, devising and executing plans for the complete + extirpation of poverty, and all its attendant sufferings and crimes. Never + were grander schemes for general good, for the distribution of boundless + wealth and universal competence, devised than by this poor, indigent + alchymist in his ruined tower. + </p> + <p> + Antonio would attend these peripatetic lectures with all the ardour of a + devotee; but there was another circumstance which may have given a secret + charm to them. The garden was the resort also of Inez, where she took her + walks of recreation; the only exercise that her secluded life permitted. + As Antonio was duteously pacing by the side of his instructor, he would + often catch a glimpse of the daughter, walking pensively about the alleys + in the soft twilight. Sometimes they would meet her unexpectedly, and the + heart of the student would throb with agitation. A blush, too, would + crimson the cheek of Inez, but still she passed on and never joined them. + </p> + <p> + He had remained one evening until rather a late hour with the alchymist in + this favourite resort. It was a delightful night after a sultry day, and + the balmy air of the garden was peculiarly reviving. The old man was + seated on a fragment of a pedestal, looking like a part of the ruin on + which he sat. He was edifying his pupil by long lessons of wisdom from the + stars, as they shone out with brilliant lustre in the dark-blue vault of a + southern sky; for he was deeply versed in Behmen, and other of the + Rosicrucians, and talked much of the signature of earthly things and + passing events, which may be discerned in the heavens; of the power of the + stars over corporeal beings, and their influence on the fortunes of the + sons of men. + </p> + <p> + By degrees the moon rose and shed her gleaming light among the groves. + Antonio apparently listened with fixed attention to the sage, but his ear + was drinking in the melody of Inez’s voice, who was singing to her lute in + one of the moonlight glades of the garden. The old man, having exhausted + his theme, sat gazing in silent reverie at the heavens. Antonio could not + resist an inclination to steal a look at this coy beauty, who was thus + playing the part of the nightingale, so sequestered and musical. Leaving + the alchymist in his celestial reverie, he stole gently along one of the + alleys. The music had ceased, and he thought he heard the sound of voices. + He came to an angle of a copse that had screened a kind of green recess, + ornamented by a marble fountain. The moon shone full upon the place, and + by its light he beheld his unknown, serenading rival at the feet of Inez. + He was detaining her by the hand, which he covered with kisses; but at + sight of Antonio he started up and half drew his sword, while Inez, + disengaged, fled back to the house. + </p> + <p> + All the jealous doubts and fears of Antonio were now confirmed. He did not + remain to encounter the resentment of his happy rival at being thus + interrupted, but turned from the place in sudden wretchedness of heart. + That Inez should love another, would have been misery enough; but that she + should be capable of a dishonourable amour, shocked him to the soul. The + idea of deception in so young and apparently artless a being, brought with + it that sudden distrust in human nature, so sickening to a youthful and + ingenuous mind; but when he thought of the kind, simple parent she was + deceiving, whose affections all centred in her, he felt for a moment a + sentiment of indignation, and almost of aversion. + </p> + <p> + He found the alchymist still seated in his visionary contemplation of the + moon. “Come hither, my son,” said he, with his usual enthusiasm, “come, + read with me in this vast volume of wisdom, thus nightly unfolded for our + perusal. Wisely did the Chaldean sages affirm, that the heaven is as a + mystic page, uttering speech to those who can rightly understand; warning + them of good and evil, and instructing them in the secret decrees of + fate.” + </p> + <p> + The student’s heart ached for his venerable master; and, for a moment, he + felt the futility of his occult wisdom. “Alas! poor old man!” thought he, + “of what avails all thy study? Little dost thou dream, while busied in + airy speculations among the stars, what a treason against thy happiness is + going on under thine eyes; as it were, in thy very bosom!—Oh Inez! + Inez! where shall we look for truth and innocence, where shall we repose + confidence in woman, if even you can deceive?” + </p> + <p> + It was a trite apostrophe, such as every lover makes when he finds his + mistress not quite such a goddess as he had painted her. With the student, + however, it sprung from honest anguish of heart. He returned to his + lodgings, in pitiable confusion of mind. He now deplored the infatuation + that had led him on until his feelings were so thoroughly engaged. He + resolved to abandon his pursuits at the tower, and trust to absence to + dispel the fascination by which he had been spellbound. He no longer + thirsted after the discovery of the grand elixir: the dream of alchymy was + over; for, without Inez, what was the value of the philosopher’s stone? + </p> + <p> + He rose, after a sleepless night, with the determination of taking his + leave of the alchymist, and tearing himself from Granada. For several days + did he rise with the same resolution, and every night saw him come back to + his pillow, to repine at his want of resolution, and to make fresh + determinations for the morrow. In the meanwhile, he saw less of Inez than + ever. She no longer walked in the garden, but remained almost entirely in + her apartment. When she met him, she blushed more than usual; and once + hesitated, as if she would have spoken; but, after a temporary + embarrassment, and still deeper blushes, she made some casual observation, + and retired. Antonio read, in this confusion, a consciousness of fault, + and of that fault’s being discovered. “What could she have wished to + communicate? Perhaps to account for the scene in the garden;—but how + can she account for it, or why should she account for it to me? What am I + to her?—or rather, what is she to me?” exclaimed he, impatiently, + with a new resolution to break through these entanglements of the heart, + and fly from this enchanted spot for ever. + </p> + <p> + He was returning that very night to his lodgings, full of this excellent + determination, when, in a shadowy part of the road, he passed a person + whom he recognized, by his height and form, for his rival: he was going in + the direction of the tower. If any lingering doubts remained, here was an + opportunity of settling them completely. He determined to follow this + unknown cavalier, and, under favour of the darkness, observe his + movements. If he obtained access to the tower, or in any way a favourable + reception, Antonio felt as if it would be a relief to his mind, and would + enable him to fix his wavering resolution. + </p> + <p> + The unknown, as he came near the tower, was more cautious and stealthy in + his approaches. He was joined under a clump of trees by another person, + and they had much whispering together. A light was burning in the chamber + of Inez; the curtain was down, but the casement was left open, as the + night was warm. After some time, the light was extinguished. A + considerable interval elapsed. The cavalier and his companion remained + under covert of the trees, as if keeping watch. At length they approached + the tower, with silent and cautious steps. The cavalier received a + dark-lantern from his companion, and threw off his cloak. The other then + softly brought something from the clump of trees, which Antonio perceived + to be a light ladder: he placed it against the wall, and the serenader + gently ascended. A sickening sensation came over Antonio. Here was indeed + a confirmation of every fear. He was about to leave the place, never to + return, when he heard a stifled shriek from Inez’s chamber. + </p> + <p> + In an instant, the fellow that stood at the foot of the ladder lay + prostrate on the ground. Antonio wrested a stiletto from his nerveless + hand, and hurried up the ladder. He sprang in at the window, and found + Inez struggling in the grasp of his fancied rival; the latter, disturbed + from his prey, caught up his lantern, turned its light full upon Antonio, + and, drawing his sword, made a furious assault; luckily the student saw + the light gleam along the blade, and parried the thrust with the stiletto. + A fierce, but unequal combat ensued. Antonio fought exposed to the full + glare of the light, while his antagonist was in shadow: his stiletto, too, + was but a poor defence against a rapier. He saw that nothing would save + him but closing with his adversary, and getting within his weapon: he + rushed furiously upon him, and gave him a severe blow with the stiletto; + but received a wound in return from the shortened sword. At the same + moment, a blow was inflicted from behind, by the confederate, who had + ascended the ladder; it felled him to the floor, and his antagonists made + their escape. + </p> + <p> + By this time, the cries of Inez had brought her father and the domestic + into the room. Antonio was found weltering in his blood, and senseless. He + was conveyed to the chamber of the alchymist, who now repaid in kind the + attentions which the student had once bestowed upon him. Among his varied + knowledge he possessed some skill in surgery, which at this moment was of + more value than even his chymical lore. He stanched and dressed the wounds + of his disciple, which on examination proved less desperate than he had at + first apprehended. For a few days, however, his case was anxious, and + attended with danger. The old man watched over him with the affection of a + parent. He felt a double debt of gratitude towards him, on account of his + daughter and himself; he loved him too as a faithful and zealous disciple; + and he dreaded lest the world, should be deprived of the promising talents + of so aspiring an alchymist. + </p> + <p> + An excellent constitution soon medicined his wounds; and there was a + balsam in the looks and words of Inez, that had a healing effect on the + still severer wounds which he carried in his heart. She displayed the + strongest interest in his safety; she called him her deliverer, her + preserver. It seemed as if her grateful disposition sought, in the warmth + of its acknowledgments, to repay him for past coldness. But what most + contributed to Antonio’s recovery, was her explanation concerning his + supposed rival. It was some time since he had first beheld her at church, + and he had ever since persecuted her with his attentions. He had beset her + in her walks, until she had been obliged to confine herself to the house, + except when accompanied by her father. He had besieged her with letters, + serenades, and every art by which he could urge a vehement, but + clandestine and dishonourable suit. The scene in the garden was as much of + a surprise to her as to Antonio. Her persecutor had been attracted by her + voice, and had found his way over a ruined part of the wall. He had come + upon her unawares; was detaining her by force, and pleading his insulting + passion, when the appearance of the student interrupted him, and enabled + her to make her escape. She had forborne to mention to her father the + persecution which she suffered; she wished to spare him unavailing anxiety + and distress, and had determined to confine herself more rigorously to the + house; though it appeared that even here she had not been safe from his + daring enterprise. + </p> + <p> + Antonio inquired whether she knew the name of this impetuous admirer? She + replied that he had made his advances under a fictitious name; but that + she had heard him once called by the name of Don Ambrosio de Loxa. + </p> + <p> + Antonio knew him, by report, for one of the most determined and dangerous + libertines in all Granada. Artful, accomplished, and, if he chose to be + so, insinuating; but daring and headlong in the pursuit of his pleasures; + violent and implacable in his resentments. He rejoiced to find that Inez + had been proof against his seductions, and had been inspired with aversion + by his splendid profligacy; but he trembled to think of the dangers she + had run, and he felt solicitude about the dangers that must yet environ + her. + </p> + <p> + At present, however, it was probable the enemy had a temporary quietus. + The traces of blood had been found for some distance from the ladder, + until they were lost among thickets; and as nothing had been heard or seen + of him since, it was concluded that he had been seriously wounded. + </p> + <p> + As the student recovered from his wounds, he was enabled to join Inez and + her father in their domestic intercourse. The chamber in which they + usually met had probably been a saloon of state in former times. The floor + was of marble; the walls partially covered with remains of tapestry; the + chairs, richly carved and gilt, were crazed with age, and covered with + tarnished and tattered brocade. Against the wall hung a long rusty rapier, + the only relic that the old man retained of the chivalry of his ancestors. + There might have been something to provoke a smile, in the contrast + between the mansion and its inhabitants; between present poverty and the + graces of departed grandeur; but the fancy of the student had thrown so + much romance about the edifice and its inmates, that every thing was + clothed with charms. The philosopher, with his broken-down pride, and his + strange pursuits, seemed to comport with the melancholy ruin he inhabited; + and there was a native elegance of spirit about the daughter, that showed + she would have graced the mansion in its happier days. + </p> + <p> + What delicious moments were these to the student! Inez was no longer coy + and reserved. She was naturally artless and confiding; though the kind of + persecution she had experienced from one admirer had rendered her, for a + time, suspicious and circumspect toward the other. She now felt an entire + confidence in the sincerity and worth of Antonio, mingled with an + overflowing gratitude. When her eyes met his, they beamed with sympathy + and kindness; and Antonio, no longer haunted by the idea of a favoured + rival, once more aspired to success. + </p> + <p> + At these domestic meetings, however, he had little opportunity of paying + his court, except by looks. The alchymist, supposing him, like himself, + absorbed in the study of alchymy, endeavoured to cheer the tediousness of + his recovery by long conversations on the art. He even brought several of + his half-burnt volumes, which the student had once rescued from the + flames, and rewarded him for their preservation, by reading copious + passages. He would entertain him with the great and good acts of Flamel, + which he effected through means of the philosopher’s stone, relieving + widows and orphans, founding hospitals, building churches, and what not; + or with the interrogatories of King Kalid, and the answers of Morienus, + the Roman hermit of Jerusalem; or the profound questions which Elardus, a + necromancer of the province of Catalonia, put to the devil, touching the + secrets of alchymy, and the devil’s replies. + </p> + <p> + All these were couched, in occult language, almost unintelligible to the + unpractised ear of the disciple. Indeed, the old man delighted in the + mystic phrases and symbolical jargon in which the writers that have + treated of alchymy have wrapped their communications; rendering them + incomprehensible except to the initiated. With what rapture would he + elevate his voice at a triumphant passage, announcing the grand discovery! + “Thou shalt see,” would he exclaim, in the words of Henry Kuhnrade,<a + href="#linknote-8" name="linknoteref-8" id="linknoteref-8"><small>8</small></a> + “the stone of the philosophers (our king) go forth of the bed-chamber of + his glassy sepulchre into the theatre of this world; that is to say, + regenerated and made perfect, a shining carbuncle, a most temperate + splendour, whose most subtle and depurated parts are inseparable, united + into one with a concordial mixture, exceeding equal, transparent as + chrystal, shining red like a ruby, permanently colouring or ringing, fixt + in all temptations or tryals; yea, in the examination of the burning + sulphur itself, and the devouring waters, and in the most vehement + persecution of the fire, always incombustible and permanent as a + salamander!” + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="linknote-8" id="linknote-8"> Note--></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 8 (<a href="#linknoteref-8">return</a>)<br /> [ Amphitheatre of the Eternal + Wisdom.] + </p> + <p> + The student had a high veneration for the fathers of alchymy, and a + profound respect for his instructor; but what was Henry Kuhnrade, Geber, + Lully, or even Albertus Magnus himself, compared to the countenance of + Inez, which presented such a page of beauty to his perusal? While, + therefore, the good alchymist was doling out knowledge by the hour, his + disciple would forget books, alchymy, every thing but the lovely object + before him. Inez, too, unpractised in the science of the heart, was + gradually becoming fascinated by the silent attentions of her lover. Day + by day, she seemed more and more perplexed by the kindling and strangely + pleasing emotions of her bosom. Her eye was often cast down in thought. + Blushes stole to her cheek without any apparent cause, and light, + half-suppressed sighs would follow these short fits of musing. Her little + ballads, though the same that she had always sung, yet breathed a more + tender spirit. Either the tones of her voice were more soft and touching, + or some passages were delivered with a feeling she had never before given + them. Antonio, beside his love for the abstruse sciences, had a pretty + turn for music; and never did philosopher touch the guitar more + tastefully. As, by degrees, he conquered the mutual embarrassment that + kept them asunder, he ventured to accompany Inez in some of her songs. He + had a voice full of fire and tenderness: as he sang, one would have + thought, from the kindling blushes of his companion, that he had been + pleading his own passion in her ear. Let those who would keep two youthful + hearts asunder, beware of music. Oh! this leaning over chairs, and conning + the same music-book, and entwining of voices, and melting away in + harmonies!—the German waltz is nothing to it. + </p> + <p> + The worthy alchymist saw nothing of all this. His mind could admit of no + idea that was not connected with the discovery of the grand arcanum, and + he supposed his youthful coadjutor equally devoted. He was a mere child as + to human nature; and, as to the passion of love, whatever he might once + have felt of it, he had long since forgotten that there was such an idle + passion in existence. But, while he dreamed, the silent amour went on. The + very quiet and seclusion of the place were favourable to the growth of + romantic passion. The opening bud of love was able to put forth leaf by + leaf, without an adverse wind to check its growth. There was neither + officious friendship to chill by its advice, nor insidious envy to wither + by its sneers, nor an observing world to look on and stare it out of + countenance. There was neither declaration, nor vow, nor any other form of + Cupid’s canting school. Their hearts mingled together, and understood each + other without the aid of language. They lapsed into the full current of + affection, unconscious of its depth, and thoughtless of the rocks that + might lurk beneath its surface. Happy lovers! who wanted nothing to make + their felicity complete, but the discovery of the philosopher’s stone! + </p> + <p> + At length, Antonio’s health was sufficiently restored to enable him to + return to his lodgings in Granada. He felt uneasy, however, at leaving the + tower, while lurking danger might surround its almost defenceless inmates. + He dreaded lest Don Ambrosio, recovered from his wounds, might plot some + new attempt, by secret art, or open violence. From all that he had heard, + he knew him to be too implacable to suffer his defeat to pass unavenged, + and too rash and fearless, when his arts were unavailing, to stop at any + daring deed in the accomplishment of his purposes. He urged his + apprehensions to the alchymist and his daughter, and proposed that they + should abandon the dangerous vicinity of Granada. + </p> + <p> + “I have relations,” said he, “in Valentia, poor indeed, but worthy and + affectionate. Among them you will find friendship and quiet, and we may + there pursue our labours unmolested.” He went on to paint the beauties and + delights of Valentia, with all the fondness of a native, and all the + eloquence with which a lover paints the fields and groves which he is + picturing as the future scenes of his happiness. His eloquence, backed by + the apprehensions of Inez, was successful with the alchymist, who, indeed, + had led too unsettled a life to be particular about the place of his + residence; and it was determined, that, as soon as Antonio’s health was + perfectly restored, they should abandon the tower, and seek the delicious + neighbourhood of Valentia.<a href="#linknote-9" name="linknoteref-9" + id="linknoteref-9"><small>9</small></a> + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="linknote-9" id="linknote-9"> Note--></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 9 (<a href="#linknoteref-9">return</a>)<br /> [ Here are the strongest + silks, the sweetest wines, the excellent’st almonds, the best oyls, and + beautifull’st females of all Spain. The very bruit animals make themselves + beds of rosemary, and other fragrant flowers hereabouts; and when one is + at sea, if the winde blow from the shore, he may smell this soyl before he + comes in sight of it, many leagues off, by the strong odoriferous scent it + casts. As it is the most pleasant, so it is also the temperat’st clime of + all Spain, and they commonly call it the second Italy; which made the + Moors, whereof many thousands were disterr’d, and banish’d hence to + Barbary, to think that Paradise was in that part of the heavens which hung + over this citie.—HOWELL’S <i>Letters</i>.] + </p> + <p> + To recruit his strength, the student suspended his toils in the + laboratory, and spent the few remaining days, before departure, in taking + a farewell look at the enchanting environs of Granada. He felt returning + health and vigour, as he inhaled the pure temperate breezes that play + about its hills; and the happy state of his mind contributed to his rapid + recovery. Inez was often the companion of his walks. Her descent, by the + mother’s side, from one of the ancient Moorish families, gave her an + interest in this once favourite seat of Arabian power. She gazed with + enthusiasm upon its magnificent monuments, and her memory was filled with + the traditional tales and ballads of Moorish chivalry. Indeed, the + solitary life she had led, and the visionary turn of her father’s mind, + had produced an effect upon her character, and given it a tinge of what, + in modern days, would be termed romance. All this was called into full + force by this new passage; for, when a woman first begins to love, life is + all romance to her. + </p> + <p> + In one of their evening strolls, they had ascended to the mountain of the + Sun, where is situated the Generaliffe, the palace of pleasure, in the + days of Moorish dominion, but now a gloomy convent of Capuchins. They had + wandered about its garden, among groves of orange, citron, and cypress, + where the waters, leaping in torrents, or gushing in fountains, or tossed + aloft in sparkling jets, fill the air with music and freshness. + </p> + <p> + There is a melancholy mingled with all the beauties of this garden, that + gradually stole over the feelings of the lovers. The place is full of the + sad story of past times. It was the favourite abode of the lovely queen of + Granada, where she was surrounded by the delights of a gay and voluptuous + court. It was here, too, amidst her own bowers of roses, that her + slanderers laid the base story of her dishonour, and struck a fatal blow + to the line of the gallant Abencerrages. + </p> + <p> + The whole garden has a look of ruin and neglect. Many of the fountains are + dry and broken; the streams have wandered from their marble channels, and + are choked by weeds and yellow leaves. The reed whistles to the wind, + where it had once sported among roses, and shaken perfume from the + orange-blossom. The convent-bell flings its sullen sound, or the drowsy + vesper-hymn floats along these solitudes, which once resounded with the + song, and the dance, and the lover’s serenade. Well may the Moors lament + over the loss of this earthly paradise; well may they remember it in their + prayers, and beseech Heaven to restore it to the faithful; well may their + ambassadors smite their breasts when they behold these monuments of their + race, and sit down and weep among the fading glories of Granada! + </p> + <p> + It is impossible to wander about these scenes of departed love and gayety, + and not feel the tenderness of the heart awakened. It was then that + Antonio first ventured to breathe his passion, and to express by words + what his eyes had long since so eloquently revealed. He made his avowal + with fervour, but with frankness. He had no gay prospects to hold out: he + was a poor scholar, dependent on his “good spirits to feed and clothe + him.” But a woman in love is no interested calculator. Inez listened to + him with downcast eyes, but in them was a humid gleam that showed her + heart was with him. She had no prudery in her nature; and she had not been + sufficiently in society to acquire it. She loved him with all the absence + of worldliness of a genuine woman; and, amidst timid smiles and blushes, + he drew from her a modest acknowledgment of her affection. + </p> + <p> + They wandered about the garden, with that sweet intoxication of the soul + which none but happy lovers know. The world about them was all fairy land; + and, indeed, it spread forth one of its fairest scenes before their eyes, + as if to fulfil their dream of earthly happiness. They looked out from + between groves of orange, upon the towers of Granada below them; the + magnificent plain of the Vega beyond, streaked with evening sunshine, and + the distant hills tinted with rosy and purple hues: it seemed an emblem of + the happy future, that love and hope were decking out for them. + </p> + <p> + As if to make the scene complete, a group of Andalusians struck up a + dance, in one of the vistas of the garden, to the guitars of two wandering + musicians. The Spanish music is wild and plaintive, yet the people dance + to it with spirit and enthusiasm. The picturesque figures of the dancers; + the girls with their hair in silken nets that hung in knots and tassels + down their backs, their mantillas floating round their graceful forms, + their slender feet peeping from under their basquinas, their arms tossed + up in the air to play the castanets, had a beautiful effect on this airy + height, with the rich evening landscape spreading out below them. + </p> + <p> + When the dance was ended, two of the parties approached Antonio and Inez; + one of them began a soft and tender Moorish ballad, accompanied by the + other on the lute. It alluded to the story of the garden, the wrongs of + the fair queen of Granada, and the misfortunes of the Abencerrages. It was + one of those old ballads that abound in this part of Spain, and live, like + echoes, about the ruins of Moorish greatness. The heart of Inez was at + that moment open to every tender impression; the tears rose into her eyes, + as she listened to the tale. The singer approached nearer to her; she was + striking in her appearance;—young, beautiful, with a mixture of + wildness and melancholy in her fine black eyes. She fixed them mournfully + and expressively on Inez, and, suddenly varying her manner, sang another + ballad, which treated of impending danger and treachery. All this might + have passed for a mere accidental caprice of the singer, had there not + been something in her look, manner, and gesticulation that made it pointed + and startling. + </p> + <p> + Inez was about to ask the meaning of this evidently personal application + of the song, when she was interrupted by Antonio, who gently drew her from + the place. Whilst she had been lost in attention to the music, he had + remarked a group of men, in the shadows of the trees, whispering together. + They were enveloped in the broad hats and great cloaks so much worn by the + Spanish, and, while they were regarding himself and Inez attentively, + seemed anxious to avoid observation. Not knowing what might be their + character or intention, he hastened to quit a place where the gathering + shadows of evening might expose them to intrusion and insult. On their way + down the hill, as they passed through the wood of elms, mingled with + poplars and oleanders, that skirts the road leading from the Alhambra, he + again saw these men apparently following at a distance; and he afterwards + caught sight of them among the trees on the banks of the Darro. He said + nothing on the subject to Inez, nor her father, for he would not awaken + unnecessary alarm; but he felt at a loss how to ascertain or to avert any + machinations that might be devising against the helpless inhabitants of + the tower. + </p> + <p> + He took his leave of them late at night, full of this perplexity. As he + left the dreary old pile, he saw some one lurking in the shadow of the + wall, apparently watching his movements. He hastened after the figure, but + it glided away, and disappeared among some ruins. Shortly after he heard a + low whistle, which was answered from a little distance. He had no longer a + doubt but that some mischief was on foot, and turned to hasten back to the + tower, and put its inmates on their guard. He had scarcely turned, + however, before he found himself suddenly seized from behind by some one + of Herculean strength. His struggles were in vain; he was surrounded by + armed men. One threw a mantle over him that stifled his cries, and + enveloped him in its folds; and he was hurried off with irresistible + rapidity. + </p> + <p> + The next day passed without the appearance of Antonio at the alchymist’s. + Another, and another day succeeded, and yet he did not come; nor had any + thing been heard of him at his lodgings. His absence caused, at first, + surprise and conjecture, and at length alarm. Inez recollected the + singular intimations of the ballad-singer upon the mountain, which seemed + to warn her of impending danger, and her mind was full of vague + forebodings. She sat listening to every sound at the gate, or footstep on + the stairs. She would take up her guitar and strike a few notes, but it + would not do; her heart was sickening with suspense and anxiety. She had + never before felt what it was to be really lonely. She now was conscious + of the force of that attachment which had taken possession of her breast; + for never do we know how much we love, never do we know how necessary the + object of our love is to our happiness, until we experience the weary void + of separation. + </p> + <p> + The philosopher, too, felt the absence of his disciple almost as sensibly + as did his daughter. The animating buoyancy of the youth had inspired him + with new ardour, and had given to his labours the charm of full + companionship. However, he had resources and consolations of which his + daughter was destitute. His pursuits were of a nature to occupy every + thought, and keep the spirits in a state of continual excitement. Certain + indications, too, had lately manifested themselves, of the most favourable + nature. Forty days and forty nights had the process gone on successfully; + the old man’s hopes were constantly rising, and he now considered the + glorious moment once more at hand, when he should obtain not merely the + major lunaria, but likewise the tinctura solaris, the means of multiplying + gold, and of prolonging existence. He remained, therefore, continually + shut up in his laboratory, watching his furnace; for a moment’s + inadvertency might once more defeat all his expectations. + </p> + <p> + He was sitting one evening at one of his solitary vigils, wrapped up in + meditation; the hour was late, and his neighbour, the owl, was hooting + from the battlement of the tower, when he heard the door open behind him. + Supposing it to be his daughter coming to take her leave of him for the + night, as was her frequent practice, he called her by name, but a harsh + voice me this ear in reply. He was grasped by the arms, and, looking up, + perceived three strange men in the chamber. He attempted to shake them + off, but in vain. He called for help, but they scoffed at his cries. + “Peace, dotard!” cried one: “think’st thou the servants of the most holy + inquisition are to be daunted by thy clamours? Comrades, away with him!” + </p> + <p> + Without heeding his remonstrances and entreaties, they seized upon his + books and papers, took some note of the apartment, and the utensils, and + then bore him off a prisoner. + </p> + <p> + Inez, left to herself, had passed a sad and lonely evening; seated by a + casement which looked into the garden, she had pensively watched star + after star sparkle out of the blue depths of the sky, and was indulging a + crowd of anxious thoughts about her lover, until the rising tears began to + flow. She was suddenly alarmed by the sound of voices, that seemed to come + from a distant part of the mansion. There was, not long after, a noise of + several persons descending the stairs. Surprised at these unusual sounds + in their lonely habitation, she remained for a few moments in a state of + trembling, yet indistinct apprehension, when the servant rushed into the + room, with terror in her countenance, and informed her that her father was + carried off by armed men. + </p> + <p> + Inez did not stop to hear further, but flew down-stairs to overtake them. + She had scarcely passed the threshold, when she found herself in the grasp + of strangers.—“Away!—away!” cried she, wildly, “do not stop me—let + me follow my father.” + </p> + <p> + “We come to conduct you to him, senora,” said one of the men, + respectfully. + </p> + <p> + “Where is he, then?” + </p> + <p> + “He is gone to Granada,” replied the man: “an unexpected circumstance + requires his presence there immediately; but he is among friends.” + </p> + <p> + “We have no friends in Granada,” said Inez, drawing back; but then the + idea of Antonio rushed into her mind; something relating to him might have + call her father thither. “Is senor Antonio de Castros with him?” demanded + she, with agitation. + </p> + <p> + “I know not, senora,” replied the man. “It is very possible. I only know + that your father is among friends, and is anxious for you to follow him.” + </p> + <p> + “Let us go, then,” cried she, eagerly. The men led her a little distance + to where a mule was waiting, and, assisting her to mount, they conducted + her slowly towards the city. + </p> + <p> + Granada was on that evening a scene of fanciful revel. It was one of the + festivals of the Maestranza, an association of the nobility to keep up + some of the gallant customs of ancient chivalry. There had been a + representation of a tournament in one of the squares; the streets would + still occasionally resound with the beat of a solitary drum, or the bray + of a trumpet from some straggling party of revellers. Sometimes they were + met by cavaliers, richly dressed in ancient costumes, attended by their + squires; and at one time they passed in sight of a palace brilliantly + illuminated, from whence came the mingled sounds of music and the dance. + Shortly after, they came to the square where the mock tournament had been + held. It was thronged by the populace, recreating themselves among booths + and stalls where refreshments were sold, and the glare of torches showed + the temporary galleries, and gay-coloured awnings, and armorial trophies, + and other paraphernalia of the show. The conductors of Inez endeavoured to + keep out of observation, and to traverse a gloomy part of the square; but + they were detained at one place by the pressure of a crowd surrounding a + party of wandering musicians, singing one of those ballads of which the + Spanish populace are so passionately fond. The torches which were held by + some of the crowd, threw a strong mass of light upon Inez, and the sight + of so beautiful a being, without mantilla or veil, looking so bewildered, + and conducted by men who seemed to take no gratification in the + surrounding gayety, occasioned expressions of curiosity. One of the + ballad-singers approached, and striking her guitar with peculiar + earnestness, began to sing a doleful air, full of sinister forebodings. + Inez started with surprise. It was the same ballad-singer that had + addressed her in the garden of the Generaliffe. + </p> + <p> + It was the same air that she had then sung. It spoke of impending dangers; + they seemed, indeed, to be thickening around her. She was anxious to speak + with the girl, and to ascertain whether she really had a knowledge of any + definite evil that was threatening her; but, as she attempted to address + her, the mule, on which she rode, was suddenly seized, and led forcibly + through the throng by one of her conductors, while she saw another + addressing menacing words to the ballad-singer. The latter raised her hand + with a warning gesture, as Inez lost sight of her. + </p> + <p> + While she was yet lost in perplexity, caused by this singular occurrence, + they stopped at the gate of a large mansion. One of her attendants + knocked, the door was opened, and they entered a paved court. “Where are + we?” demanded Inez, with anxiety. “At the house of a friend, senora,” + replied the man. “Ascend this staircase with me, and in a moment you will + meet your father.” + </p> + <p> + They ascended a staircase, that led to a suite of splendid apartments. + They passed through several, until they came to an inner chamber. The door + opened—some one approached; but what was her terror at perceiving, + not her father, but Don Ambrosio! + </p> + <p> + The men who had seized upon the alchymist had, at least, been more honest + in their professions. They were, indeed, familiars of the inquisition. He + was conducted in silence to the gloomy prison of that horrible tribunal. + It was a mansion whose very aspect withered joy, and almost shut out hope. + It was one of those hideous abodes which the bad passions of men conjure + up in this fair world, to rival the fancied dens of demons and the + accursed. + </p> + <p> + Day after day went heavily by, without anything to mark the lapse of time, + but the decline and reappearance of the light that feebly glimmered + through the narrow window of the dungeon in which the unfortunate + alchymist was buried rather than confined. His mind was harassed with + uncertainties and fears about his daughter, so helpless and inexperienced. + He endeavoured to gather tidings of her from the man who brought his daily + portion of food. The fellow stared, as if astonished at being asked a + question in that mansion of silence and mystery, but departed without + saying a word. Every succeeding attempt was equally fruitless. + </p> + <p> + The poor alchymist was oppressed by many griefs; and it was not the least, + that he had been again interrupted in his labours on the very point of + success. Never was alchymist so near attaining the golden secret—a + little longer, and all his hopes would have been realized. The thoughts of + these disappointments afflicted him more even than the fear of all that he + might suffer from the merciless inquisition. His waking thoughts would + follow him into his dreams. He would be transported in fancy to his + laboratory, busied again among retorts and alembics, and surrounded by + Lully, by D’Abano, by Olybius, and the other masters of the sublime art. + The moment of projection would arrive; a seraphic form would rise out of + the furnace, holding forth a vessel containing the precious elixir; but, + before he could grasp the prize, he would awake, and find himself in a + dungeon. + </p> + <p> + All the devices of inquisitorial ingenuity were employed to ensnare the + old man, and to draw from him evidence that might be brought against + himself, and might corroborate certain secret information that had been + given against him. He had been accused of practising necromancy and + judicial astrology, and a cloud of evidence had been secretly brought + forward to substantiate the charge. It would be tedious to enumerate all + the circumstances, apparently corroborative, which had been industriously + cited by the secret accuser. The silence which prevailed about the tower, + its desolateness, the very quiet of its inhabitants, had been adduced as + proofs that something sinister was perpetrated within. The alchymist’s + conversations and soliloquies in the garden had been overheard and + misrepresented. The lights and strange appearances at night, in the tower, + were given with violent exaggerations. Shrieks and yells were said to have + been heard from thence at midnight, when, it was confidently asserted, the + old man raised familiar spirits by his incantations, and even compelled + the dead to rise from their graves, and answer to his questions. + </p> + <p> + The alchymist, according to the custom of the inquisition, was kept in + complete ignorance of his accuser; of the witnesses produced against him; + even of the crimes of which he was accused. He was examined generally, + whether he knew why he was arrested, and was conscious of any guilt that + might deserve the notice of the holy office? He was examined as to his + country, his life, his habits, his pursuits, his actions, and opinions. + The old man was frank and simple in his replies; he was conscious of no + guilt, capable of no art, practised in no dissimulation. After receiving a + general admonition to bethink himself whether he had not committed any act + deserving of punishment and to prepare, by confession, to secure the well + known mercy of the tribunal, he was remanded to his cell. + </p> + <p> + He was now visited in his dungeon by crafty familiars of the inquisition, + who, under pretence of sympathy and kindness, came to beguile the + tediousness of his imprisonment with friendly conversation. They casually + introduced the subject of alchymy, on which they touched with great + caution and pretended indifference. There was no need of such craftiness. + The honest enthusiast had no suspicion in his nature: the moment they + touched upon his favourite theme, he forgot his misfortunes and + imprisonment, and broke forth into rhapsodies about the divine science. + </p> + <p> + The conversation was artfully turned to the discussion of elementary + beings. The alchymist readily avowed his belief in them; and that there + had been instances of their attending upon philosophers, and administering + to their wishes. He related many miracles said to have been performed by + Apollonius Thyaneus, through the aid of spirits or demons; insomuch that + he was set up by the heathens in opposition to the Messiah; and was even + regarded with reverence by many Christians. The familiars eagerly demanded + whether he believed Apollonius to be a true and worthy philosopher. The + unaffected piety of the alchymist protected him even in the midst of his + simplicity; for he condemned Apollonius as a sorcerer and an impostor. No + art could draw from him an admission that he had ever employed or invoked + spiritual agencies in the prosecution of his pursuits, though he believed + himself to have been frequently impeded by their invisible interference. + </p> + <p> + The inquisitors were sorely vexed at not being able to inveigle him into a + confession of a criminal nature; they attributed their failure to craft, + to obstinacy, to every cause but the right one, namely, that the harmless + visionary had nothing guilty to confess. They had abundant proof of a + secret nature against him; but it was the practice of the inquisition to + endeavour to procure confession from the prisoners. An auto da fé was at + hand; the worthy fathers were eager for his conviction, for they were + always anxious to have a good number of culprits condemned to the stake, + to grace these solemn triumphs. He was at length brought to a final + examination. + </p> + <p> + The chamber of trial was spacious and gloomy. At one end was a huge + crucifix, the standard of the inquisition. A long table extended through + the centre of the room, at which sat the inquisitors and their secretary; + at the other end, a stool was placed for the prisoner. + </p> + <p> + He was brought in, according to custom, bare-headed and bare-legged. He + was enfeebled by confinement and affliction; by constantly brooding over + the unknown fate of his child, and the disastrous interruption of his + experiments. He sat bowed down and listless; his head sunk upon his + breast; his whole appearance that of one “past hope, abandoned, and by + himself given over.” + </p> + <p> + The accusation alleged against him was now brought forward in a specific + form; he was called upon by name, Felix de Vasquez, formerly of Castile, + to answer to the charges of necromancy and demonology. He was told that + the charges were amply substantiated; and was asked whether he was ready, + by full confession, to throw himself upon the well-known mercy of the holy + inquisition. + </p> + <p> + The philosopher testified some slight surprise at the nature of the + accusation, but simply replied, “I am innocent.” + </p> + <p> + “What proof have you to give of your innocence?” + </p> + <p> + “It rather remains for you to prove your charges,” said the old man. “I am + a stranger and a sojourner in the land, and know no one out of the doors + of my dwelling. I can give nothing in my vindication but the word of a + nobleman and a Castilian.” + </p> + <p> + The inquisitor shook his head, and went on to repeat the various inquiries + that had before been made as to his mode of life and pursuits. The poor + alchymist was too feeble and too weary at heart to make any but brief + replies. He requested that some man of science might examine his + laboratory, and all his books and papers, by which it would be made + abundantly evident that he was merely engaged in the study of alchymy. + </p> + <p> + To this the inquisitor observed, that alchymy had become a mere covert for + secret and deadly sins. That the practisers of it were apt to scruple at + no means to satisfy their inordinate greediness of gold. Some had been + known to use spells and impious ceremonies; to conjure the aid of evil + spirits; nay, even to sell their souls to the enemy of mankind, so that + they might riot in boundless wealth while living. + </p> + <p> + The poor alchymist had heard all patiently, or, at least, passively. He + had disdained to vindicate his name otherwise than by his word; he had + smiled at the accusations of sorcery, when applied merely to himself; but + when the sublime art, which had been the study and passion of his life, + was assailed, he could no longer listen in silence. His head gradually + rose from his bosom; a hectic colour came in faint streaks to his cheek; + played about there, disappeared, returned, and at length kindled into a + burning glow. The clammy dampness dried from his forehead; his eyes, which + had nearly been extinguished, lighted up again, and burned with their + wonted and visionary fires. He entered into a vindication of his favourite + art. His voice at first was feeble and broken; but it gathered strength as + he proceeded, until it rolled in a deep and sonorous volume. He gradually + rose from his seat, as he rose with his subject; he threw back the scanty + black mantle which had hitherto wrapped his limbs; the very uncouthness of + his form and looks gave an impressive effect to what he uttered; it was as + though a corpse had become suddenly animated. + </p> + <p> + He repelled with scorn the aspersions cast upon alchymy by the ignorant + and vulgar. He affirmed it to be the mother of all art and science, citing + the opinions of Paracelsus, Sandivogius, Raymond Lully, and others, in + support of his assertions. He maintained that it was pure and innocent and + honourable both in its purposes and means. What were its objects? The + perpetuation of life and youth, and the production of gold. “The elixir + vitae,” said he, “is no charmed potion, but merely a concentration of + those elements of vitality which nature has scattered through her works. + The philosopher’s stone, or tincture, or powder, as it is variously + called, is no necromantic talisman, but consists simply of those particles + which gold contains within itself for its reproduction; for gold, like + other things, has its seed within itself, though bound up with + inconceivable firmness, from the vigour of innate fixed salts and + sulphurs. In seeking to discover the elixir of life, then,” continued he, + “we seek only to apply some of nature’s own specifics against the disease + and decay to which our bodies are subjected; and what else does the + physician, when he tasks his art, and uses subtle compounds and cunning + distillations, to revive our languishing powers, and avert the stroke of + death for a season? + </p> + <p> + “In seeking to multiply the precious metals, also, we seek but to + germinate and multiply, by natural means, a particular species of nature’s + productions; and what else does the husbandman, who consults times and + seasons, and, by what might be deemed a natural magic, from the mere + scattering of his hand, covers a whole plain with golden vegetation? The + mysteries of our art, it is true, are deeply and darkly hidden; but it + requires so much the more innocence and purity of thought, to penetrate + unto them. No, father! the true alchymist must be pure in mind and body; + he must be temperate, patient, chaste, watchful, meek, humble, devout. ‘My + son,’ says Hermes Trismegestes, the great master of our art, ‘my son, I + recommend you above all things to fear God.’ And indeed it is only by + devout castigation of the senses, and purification of the soul that the + alchymist is enabled to enter into the sacred chambers of truth. ‘Labour, + pray, and read,’ is the motto of our science. As De Nuysment well + observes, ‘These high and singular favours are granted unto none, save + only unto the sons of God, (that is to say, the virtuous and devout,) who, + under his paternal benediction, have obtained the opening of the same, by + the helping hand of the queen of arts, divine Philosophy.’ Indeed, so + sacred has the nature of this knowledge been considered, that we are told + it has four times been expressly communicated by God to man, having made a + part of that cabalistical wisdom which was revealed to Adam to console him + for the loss of Paradise; and to Moses in the bush, and to Solomon in a + dream, and to Esdras by the angel. + </p> + <p> + “So far from demons and malign spirits being the friends and abettors of + the alchymist, they are the continual foes with which he has to contend. + It is their constant endeavour to shut up the avenues to those truths + which would enable him to rise above the abject state into which he has + fallen, and return to that excellence which was his original birthright. + For what would be the effect of this length of days, and this abundant + wealth, but to enable the possessor to go on from art to art, from science + to science, with energies unimpaired by sickness, uninterrupted by death? + For this have sages and philosophers shut themselves up in cells and + solitudes; buried themselves in caves and dens of the earth; turning from + the joys of life, and the pleasance of the world; enduring scorn, poverty, + persecution. For this was Raymond Lully stoned to death in Mauritania. For + this did the immortal Pietro D’Abano suffer persecution at Padua, and, + when he escaped from his oppressors by death, was despitefully burnt in + effigy. For this have illustrious men of all nations intrepidly suffered + martyrdom. For this, if unmolested, have they assiduously employed the + latest hour of life, the expiring throb of existence; hoping to the last + that they might yet seize upon the prize for which they had struggled, and + pluck themselves back even from the very jaws of the grave! + </p> + <p> + “For, when once the alchymist shall have attained the object of his toils; + when the sublime secret shall be revealed to his gaze, how glorious will + be the change in his condition! How will he emerge from his solitary + retreat, like the sun breaking forth from the darksome chamber of the + night, and darting his beams throughout the earth! Gifted with perpetual + youth and boundless riches, to what heights of wisdom may he attain! How + may he carry on, uninterrupted, the thread of knowledge, which has + hitherto been snapped at the death of each philosopher! And, as the + increase of wisdom is the increase of virtue, how may he become the + benefactor of his fellow-men; dispensing, with liberal but cautious and + discriminating hand, that inexhaustible wealth which is at his disposal; + banishing poverty, which is the cause of so much sorrow and wickedness; + encouraging the arts; promoting discoveries, and enlarging all the means + of virtuous enjoyment! His life will be the connecting band of + generations. History will live in his recollection; distant ages will + speak with his tongue. The nations of the earth will look to him as their + preceptor, and kings will sit at his feet and learn wisdom. Oh glorious! + oh celestial alchymy!”— + </p> + <p> + Here he was interrupted by the inquisitor, who had suffered him to go on + thus far, in hopes of gathering something from his unguarded enthusiasm. + “Senor,” said he, “this is all rambling, visionary talk. You are charged + with sorcery, and in defence you give us a rhapsody about alchymy. Have + you nothing better than this to offer in your defence?” + </p> + <p> + The old man slowly resumed his seat, but did not deign a reply. The fire + that had beamed in his eye gradually expired. His cheek resumed its wonted + paleness; but he did not relapse into inanity. He sat with a steady, + serene, patient look. Like one prepared not to contend, but to suffer. + </p> + <p> + His trial continued for a long time, with cruel mockery of justice, for no + witnesses were ever in this court confronted with the accused, and the + latter had continually to defend himself in the dark. Some unknown and + powerful enemy had alleged charges against the unfortunate alchymist, but + who he could not imagine. Stranger and sojourner as he was in the land, + solitary and harmless in his pursuits, how could he have provoked such + hostility? The tide of secret testimony, however, was too strong against + him; he was convicted of the crime of magic, and condemned to expiate his + sins at the stake, at the approaching auto da fé. + </p> + <p> + While the unhappy alchymist was undergoing his trial at the inquisition, + his daughter was exposed to trials no less severe. Don Ambrosio, into + whose hands she had fallen, was, as has before been intimated, one of the + most daring and lawless profligates in all Granada. He was a man of hot + blood and fiery passions, who stopped at nothing in the gratification of + his desires; yet with all this he possessed manners, address, and + accomplishments, that had made him eminently successful among the sex. + From the palace to the cottage he had extended his amorous enterprises; + his serenades harassed the slumbers of half the husbands in Granada; no + balcony was too high for his adventurous attempts, nor any cottage too + lowly for his perfidious seductions. Yet he was as fickle as he was + ardent; success had made him vain and capricious; he had no sentiment to + attach him to the victim of his arts; and many a pale cheek and fading + eye, languishing amidst the sparkling of jewels, and many a breaking + heart, throbbing under the rustic bodice, bore testimony to his triumphs + and his faithlessness. + </p> + <p> + He was sated, however, by easy conquests, and wearied of a life of + continual and prompt gratification. There had been a degree of difficulty + and enterprise in the pursuit of Inez that he had never before + experienced. It had aroused him from the monotony of mere sensual life, + and stimulated him with the charm of adventure. He had become an epicure + in pleasure; and now that he had this coy beauty in his power, he was + determined to protract his enjoyment, by the gradual conquest of her + scruples and downfall of her virtue. He was vain of his person and + address, which he thought no woman could long withstand; and it was a kind + of trial of skill to endeavour to gain, by art and fascination, what he + was secure of obtaining at any time by violence. + </p> + <p> + When Inez, therefore, was brought into his presence by his emissaries, he + affected not to notice her terror and surprise, but received her with + formal and stately courtesy. He was too wary a fowler to flutter the bird + when just entangled in the net. To her eager and wild inquiries about her + father, he begged her not to be alarmed; that he was safe, and had been + there, but was engaged elsewhere in an affair of moment, from which he + would soon return; in the meantime, he had left word that she should await + his return in patience. After some stately expressions of general + civility, Don Ambrosio made a ceremonious bow and retired. + </p> + <p> + The mind of Inez was full of trouble and perplexity. The stately formality + of Don Ambrosio was so unexpected as to check the accusations and + reproaches that were springing to her lips. Had he had evil designs, would + he have treated her with such frigid ceremony when he had her in his + power? But why, then, was she brought to his house? Was not the mysterious + disappearance of Antonio connected with this? A thought suddenly darted + into her mind. Antonio had again met with Don Ambrosio—they had + fought—Antonio was wounded—perhaps dying! It was him to whom + her father had gone—it was at his request that Don Ambrosio had sent + for them, to soothe his dying moments! These, and a thousand such horrible + suggestions, harassed her mind; but she tried in vain to get information + from the domestics; they knew nothing but that her father had been there, + had gone, and would soon return. + </p> + <p> + Thus passed a night of tumultuous thought, and vague yet cruel + apprehensions. She knew not what to do or what to believe—whether + she ought to fly, or to remain; but if to fly, how was she to extricate + herself?—and where was she to seek her father? As the day dawned + without any intelligence of him, her alarm increased; at length a message + was brought from him, saying that circumstances prevented his return to + her, but begging her to hasten to him without delay. + </p> + <p> + With an eager and throbbing heart did she set forth with the men that were + to conduct her. She little thought, however, that she was merely changing + her prison-house. Don Ambrosio had feared lest she should be traced to his + residence in Granada; or that he might be interrupted there before he + could accomplish his plan of seduction. He had her now conveyed, + therefore, to a mansion which he possessed in one of the mountain + solitudes in the neighbourhood of Granada; a lonely, but beautiful + retreat. In vain, on her arrival, did she look around for her father or + Antonio; none but strange faces met her eye: menials, profoundly + respectful, but who knew nor saw anything but what their master pleased. + </p> + <p> + She had scarcely arrived before Don Ambrosio made his appearance, less + stately in his manner, but still treating her with the utmost delicacy and + deference. Inez was too much agitated and alarmed to be baffled by his + courtesy, and became vehement in her demand to be conducted to her father. + </p> + <p> + Don Ambrosio now put on an appearance of the greatest embarrassment and + emotion. After some delay, and much pretended confusion, he at length + confessed that the seizure of her father was all a stratagem; a mere false + alarm, to procure him the present opportunity of having access to her, and + endeavouring to mitigate that obduracy, and conquer that repugnance, which + he declared had almost driven him to distraction. + </p> + <p> + He assured her that her father was again at home in safety, and occupied + in his usual pursuits; having been fully satisfied that his daughter was + in honourable hands, and would soon be restored to him. It was in vain + that she threw herself at his feet, and implored to be set at liberty; he + only replied by gentle entreaties, that she would pardon the seeming + violence he had to use; and that she would trust a little while to his + honour. “You are here,” said he, “absolute mistress of every thing: + nothing shall be said or done to offend you; I will not even intrude upon + your ear the unhappy passion that is devouring my heart. Should you + require it, I will even absent myself from your presence; but, to part + with you entirely at present, with your mind full of doubts and + resentments, would be worse than death to me. No, beautiful Inez, you must + first know me a little better, and know by my conduct that my passion for + you is as delicate and respectful as it is vehement.” + </p> + <p> + The assurance of her father’s safety had relieved Inez from one cause of + torturing anxiety, only to render her fears the more violent on her own + account. Don Ambrosio, however, continued to treat her with artful + deference, that insensibly lulled her apprehensions. It is true she found + herself a captive, but no advantage appeared to be taken of her + helplessness. She soothed herself with the idea that a little while would + suffice to convince Don Ambrosio of the fallacy of his hopes, and that he + would be induced to restore her to her home. Her transports of terror and + affliction, therefore, subsided, in a few days, into a passive, yet + anxious melancholy, with which she awaited the hoped-for event. + </p> + <p> + In the meanwhile, all those artifices were employed that are calculated to + charm the senses, ensnare the feelings, and dissolve the heart into + tenderness. Don Ambrosio was a master of the subtle arts of seduction. His + very mansion breathed an enervating atmosphere of languor and delight. It + was here, amidst twilight saloons and dreamy chambers, buried among groves + of orange and myrtle, that he shut himself up at times from the prying + world, and gave free scope to the gratification of his pleasures. + </p> + <p> + The apartments were furnished in the most sumptuous and voluptuous manner; + the silken couches swelled to the touch, and sunk in downy softness + beneath the slightest pressure. The paintings and statues, all told some + classic tale of love, managed, however, with an insidious delicacy; which, + while it banished the grossness that might disgust, was the more + calculated to excite the imagination. There the blooming Adonis was seen, + not breaking away to pursue the boisterous chase, but crowned with + flowers, and languishing in the embraces of celestial beauty. There Acis + wooed his Galatea in the shade, with the Sicilian sea spreading in halcyon + serenity before them. There were depicted groups of fauns and dryads, + fondly reclining in summer bowers, and listening to the liquid piping of + the reed; or the wanton satyrs, surprising some wood-nymph during her + noontide slumber. There, too, on the storied tapestry, might be seen the + chaste Diana, stealing, in the mystery of moonlight, to kiss the sleeping + Endymion; while Cupid and Psyche, entwined in immortal marble, breathed on + each other’s lips the early kiss of love. + </p> + <p> + The ardent rays of the sun were excluded from these balmy halls; soft and + tender music from unseen musicians floated around, seeming to mingle with + the perfumes that were exhaled from a thousand flowers. At night, when the + moon shed a fairy light over the scene, the tender serenade would rise + from among the bowers of the garden, in which the fine voice of Don + Ambrosio might often be distinguished; or the amorous flute would be heard + along the mountain, breathing in its pensive cadences the very soul of a + lover’s melancholy. + </p> + <p> + Various entertainments were also devised to dispel her loneliness, and to + charm away the idea of confinement. Groups of Andalusian dancers + performed, in the splendid saloons, the various picturesque dances of + their country; or represented little amorous ballets, which turned upon + some pleasing scene of pastoral coquetry and courtship. Sometimes there + were bands of singers, who, to the romantic guitar, warbled forth ditties + full of passion and tenderness. + </p> + <p> + Thus all about her enticed to pleasure and voluptuousnesss; but the heart + of Inez turned with distaste from this idle mockery. The tears would rush + into her eyes, as her thoughts reverted from this scene of profligate + splendour, to the humble but virtuous home from whence she had been + betrayed; or if the witching power of music ever soothed her into a tender + reverie, it was to dwell with fondness on the image of Antonio. But if Don + Ambrosio, deceived by this transient calm, should attempt at such time to + whisper his passion, she would start as from a dream, and recoil from him + with involuntary shuddering. + </p> + <p> + She had passed one long day of more than ordinary sadness, and in the + evening a band of these hired performers were exerting all the animating + powers of song and dance to amuse her. But while the lofty saloon + resounded with their warblings, and the light sound of feet upon its + marble pavement kept time to the cadence of the song, poor Inez, with her + face buried in the silken couch on which she reclined, was only rendered + more wretched by the sound of gayety. + </p> + <p> + At length her attention was caught by the voice of one of the singers, + that brought with it some indefinite recollections. She raised her head, + and cast an anxious look at the performers, who, as usual, were at the + lower end of the saloon. + </p> + <p> + One of them advanced a little before the others. It was a female, dressed + in a fanciful, pastoral garb, suited to the character she was sustaining; + but her countenance was not to be mistaken. It was the same ballad-singer + that had twice crossed her path, and given her mysterious intimations of + the lurking mischief that surrounded her. When the rest of the + performances were concluded, she seized a tambourine, and, tossing it + aloft, danced alone to the melody of her own voice. In the course of her + dancing, she approached to where Inez reclined: and as she struck the + tambourine, contrived dexterously to throw a folded paper on the couch. + Inez seized it with avidity, and concealed it in her bosom. The singing + and dancing were at an end; the motley crew retired; and Inez, left alone, + hastened with anxiety to unfold the paper thus mysteriously conveyed. It + was written in an agitated, and almost illegible handwriting: “Be on your + guard! you are surrounded by treachery. Trust not to the forbearance of + Don Ambrosio; you are marked out for his prey. An humble victim to his + perfidy gives you this warning; she is encompassed by too many dangers to + be more explicit.—Your father is in the dungeons of the + inquisition!” + </p> + <p> + The brain of Inez reeled, as she read this dreadful scroll. She was less + filled with alarm at her own danger, than horror at her father’s + situation. The moment Don Ambrosio appeared, she rushed and threw herself + at his feet, imploring him to save her father. Don Ambrosio stared with + astonishment; but immediately regaining his self-possession, endeavoured + to soothe her by his blandishments, and by assurances that her father was + in safety. She was not to be pacified; her fears were too much aroused to + be trifled with. She declared her knowledge of her father’s being a + prisoner of the inquisition, and reiterated her frantic supplications that + he would save him. + </p> + <p> + Don Ambrosio paused for a moment in perplexity, but was too adroit to be + easily confounded. “That your father is a prisoner,” replied he, “I have + long known. I have concealed it from you, to save you from fruitless + anxiety. You now know the real reason of the restraint I have put upon + your liberty: I have been protecting instead of detaining you. Every + exertion has been made in your father’s favour; but I regret to say, the + proofs of the offences of which he stands charged have been too strong to + be controverted. Still,” added he, “I have it in my power to save him; I + have influence, I have means at my beck; it may involve me, it is true, in + difficulties, perhaps in disgrace; but what would I not do, in the hope of + being rewarded by your favour? Speak, beautiful Inez,” said he, his eyes + kindling with sudden eagerness; “it is with you to say the word that seals + your father’s fate. One kind word—say but you will be mine, and you + will behold me at your feet, your father at liberty and in affluence, and + we shall all be happy!” + </p> + <p> + Inez drew back from him with scorn and disbelief. “My father,” exclaimed + she, “is too innocent and blameless to be convicted of crime; this is some + base, some cruel artifice!” Don Ambrosio repeated his asseverations, and + with them also his dishonourable proposals; but his eagerness overshot its + mark: her indignation and her incredulity were alike awakened by his base + suggestions; and he retired from her presence, checked and awed by the + sudden pride and dignity of her demeanour. + </p> + <p> + The unfortunate Inez now became a prey to the most harrowing anxieties. + Don Ambrosio saw that the mask had fallen from his face, and that the + nature of his machinations was revealed. He had gone too far to retrace + his steps, and assume the affectation of tenderness and respect; indeed, + he was mortified and incensed at her insensibility to his attractions, and + now only sought to subdue her through her fears. He daily represented to + her the dangers that threatened her father, and that it was in his power + alone to avert them. Inez was still incredulous. She was too ignorant of + the nature of the inquisition, to know that even innocence was not always + a protection from its cruelties; and she confided too surely in the virtue + of her father, to believe that any accusation could prevail against him. + </p> + <p> + At length Don Ambrosio, to give an effectual blow to her confidence, + brought her the proclamation of the approaching auto da fé, in which the + prisoners were enumerated. She glanced her eye over it, and beheld her + father’s name, condemned to the stake for sorcery! + </p> + <p> + For a moment she stood transfixed with horror. Don Ambrosio seized upon + the transient calm. “Think, now, beautiful Inez,” said he, with a tone of + affected tenderness, “his life is still in your hands; one word from you, + one kind word, and I can yet save him.” + </p> + <p> + “Monster! wretch!” cried she, coming to herself, and recoiling from him + with insuperable abhorrence: “‘Tis you that are the cause of this—‘tis + you that are his murderer!” Then, wringing her hands, she broke forth into + exclamations of the most frantic agony. + </p> + <p> + The perfidious Ambrosio saw the torture of her soul, and anticipated from + it a triumph. He saw that she was in no mood, during her present paroxysm, + to listen to his words; but he trusted that the horrors of lonely + rumination would break down her spirit, and subdue her to his will. In + this, however, he was disappointed. Many were the vicissitudes of mind of + the wretched Inez; at one time, she would embrace his knees, with piercing + supplications; at another, she would shrink with nervous horror at his + very approach; but any intimation of his passion only excited the same + emotion of loathing and detestation. + </p> + <p> + At length the fatal day drew nigh. “To-morrow,” said Don Ambrosio, as he + left her one evening, “to-morrow is the auto da fé. To-morrow you will + hear the sound of the bell that tolls your father to his death. You will + almost see the smoke that rises from the funeral pile. I leave you to + yourself. It is yet in my power to save him. Think whether you can stand + to-morrow’s horrors without shrinking! Think whether you can endure the + after-reflection, that you were the cause of his death, and that merely + through a perversity in refusing proffered happiness.” + </p> + <p> + What a night was it to Inez!—her heart already harassed and almost + broken, by repeated and protracted anxieties; her strength wasted and + enfeebled. On every side, horrors awaited her; her father’s death, her own + dishonour—there seemed no escape from misery or perdition. “Is there + no relief from man—no pity in heaven?” exclaimed she. “What —what + have we done, that we should be thus wretched?” + </p> + <p> + As the dawn approached, the fever of her mind arose to agony; a thousand + times did she try the doors and windows of her apartment, in the desperate + hope of escaping. Alas! with all the splendour of her prison, it was too + faithfully secured for her weak hands to work deliverance. Like a poor + bird, that beats its wings against its gilded cage, until it sinks panting + in despair, so she threw herself on the floor in hopeless anguish. Her + blood grew hot in her veins, her tongue was parched, her temples throbbed + with violence, she gasped rather than breathed; it seemed as if her brain + was on fire. “Blessed Virgin!” exclaimed she, clasping her hands and + turning up her strained eyes, “look down with pity, and support me in this + dreadful hour!” + </p> + <p> + Just as the day began to dawn, she heard a key turn softly in the door of + her apartment. She dreaded lest it should be Don Ambrosio; and the very + thought of him gave her a sickening pang. It was a female clad in a rustic + dress, with her face concealed by her mantilla. She stepped silently into + the room, looked cautiously round, and then, uncovering her face, revealed + the well-known features of the ballad-singer. Inez uttered an exclamation + of surprise, almost of joy. The unknown started back, pressed her finger + on her lips enjoining silence, and beckoned her to follow. She hastily + wrapped herself in her veil, and obeyed. They passed with quick, but + noiseless steps through an antechamber, across a spacious hall, and along + a corridor; all was silent; the household was yet locked in sleep. They + came to a door, to which the unknown applied a key. Inez’s heart misgave + her; she knew not but some new treachery was menacing her; she laid her + cold hand on the stranger’s arm: “Whither are you leading me?” said she. + “To liberty,” replied the other, in a whisper. + </p> + <p> + “Do you know the passages about this mansion?” + </p> + <p> + “But too well!” replied the girl, with a melancholy shake of the head. + There was an expression of sad veracity in her countenance, that was not + to be distrusted. The door opened on a small terrace, which was overlooked + by several windows of the mansion. + </p> + <p> + “We must move across this quickly,” said the girl, “or we may be + observed.” + </p> + <p> + They glided over it, as if scarce touching the ground. A flight of steps + led down into the garden; a wicket at the bottom was readily unbolted: + they passed with breathless velocity along one of the alleys, still in + sight of the mansion, in which, however, no person appeared to be + stirring. At length they came to a low private door in the wall, partly + hidden by a fig-tree. It was secured by rusty bolts, that refused to yield + to their feeble efforts. + </p> + <p> + “Holy Virgin!” exclaimed the stranger, “what is to be done? one moment + more, and we may be discovered.” + </p> + <p> + She seized a stone that lay near by: a few blows, and the bolt flew back; + the door grated harshly as they opened it, and the next moment they found + themselves in a narrow road. + </p> + <p> + “Now,” said the stranger, “for Granada as quickly as possible! The nearer + we approach it, the safer we shall be; for the road will be more + frequented.” + </p> + <p> + The imminent risk they ran of being pursued and taken, gave supernatural + strength to their limbs; they flew, rather than ran. The day had dawned; + the crimson streaks on the edge of the horizon gave tokens of the + approaching sunrise; already the light clouds that floated in the western + sky were tinged with gold and purple; though the broad plain of the Vega, + which now began to open upon their view, was covered with the dark haze of + morning. As yet they only passed a few straggling peasants on the road, + who could have yielded them no assistance in case of their being + overtaken. They continued to hurry forward, and had gained a considerable + distance, when the strength of Inez, which had only been sustained by the + fever of her mind, began to yield to fatigue: she slackened her pace, and + faltered. + </p> + <p> + “Alas!” said she, “my limbs fail me! I can go no farther!” + </p> + <p> + “Bear up, bear up,” replied her companion, cheeringly; “a little farther, + and we shall be safe: look! yonder is Granada, just showing itself in the + valley below us. A little farther, and we shall come to the main road, and + then we shall find plenty of passengers to protect us.” + </p> + <p> + Inez, encouraged, made fresh efforts to get forward, but her weary limbs + were unequal to the eagerness of her mind; her mouth and throat were + parched by agony and terror: she gasped for breath, and leaned for support + against a rock. “It is all in vain!” exclaimed she; “I feel as though I + should faint.” + </p> + <p> + “Lean on me,” said the other; “let us get into the shelter of yon thicket, + that will conceal us from the view; I hear the sound of water, which will + refresh you.” + </p> + <p> + With much difficulty they reached the thicket, which overhung a small + mountain-stream, just where its sparkling waters leaped over the rock and + fell into a natural basin. Here Inez sank upon the ground, exhausted. Her + companion brought water in the palms of her hands, and bathed her pallid + temples. The cooling drops revived her; she was enabled to get to the + margin of the stream, and drink of its crystal current; then, reclining + her head on the bosom of her deliverer, she was first enabled to murmur + forth her heartfelt gratitude. + </p> + <p> + “Alas!” said the other, “I deserve no thanks; I deserve not the good + opinion you express. In me you behold a victim of Don Ambrosio’s arts. In + early years he seduced me from the cottage of my parents: look! at the + foot of yonder blue mountain, in the distance, lies my native village: but + it is no longer a home for me. From thence he lured me, when I was too + young for reflection; he educated me, taught me various accomplishments, + made me sensible to love, to splendour, to refinement; then, having grown + weary of me, he neglected me, and cast me upon the world. Happily the + accomplishments he taught me have kept me from utter want; and the love + with which he inspired me has kept me from farther degradation. Yes! I + confess my weakness; all his perfidy and wrongs cannot efface him from my + heart. I have been brought up to love him; I have no other idol: I know + him to be base, yet I cannot help adoring him. I am content to mingle + among the hireling throng that administer to his amusements, that I may + still hover about him, and linger in those halls where I once reigned + mistress. What merit, then, have I in assisting your escape? I scarce know + whether I am acting from sympathy and a desire to rescue another victim + from his power; or jealousy, and an eagerness to remove too powerful a + rival!” + </p> + <p> + While she was yet speaking, the sun rose in all its splendour; first + lighting up the mountain summits, then stealing down height by height, + until its rays gilded the domes and towers of Granada, which they could + partially see from between the trees, below them. Just then the heavy + tones of a bell came sounding from a distance, echoing, in sullen clang, + along the mountain. Inez turned pale at the sound. She knew it to be the + great bell of the cathedral, rung at sunrise on the day of the auto da fé, + to give note of funeral preparation. Every stroke beat upon her heart, and + inflicted an absolute, corporeal pang. She started up wildly. “Let us + begone!” cried she; “there is not a moment for delay!” + </p> + <p> + “Stop!” exclaimed the other; “yonder are horsemen coming over the brow of + that distant height; if I mistake not, Don Ambrosio is at their head.—Alas! + ‘tis he! we are lost. Hold!” continued she; “give me your scarf and veil; + wrap yourself in this mantilla. I will fly up yon footpath that leads to + the heights. I will let the veil flutter as I ascend; perhaps they may + mistake me for you, and they must dismount to follow me. Do you hasten + forward: you will soon reach the main road. You have jewels on your + fingers: bribe the first muleteer you meet, to assist you on your way.” + </p> + <p> + All this was said with hurried and breathless rapidity. The exchange of + garments was made in an instant. The girl darted up the mountain-path, her + white veil fluttering among the dark shrubbery, while Inez, inspired with + new strength, or rather new terror, flew to the road, and trusted to + Providence to guide her tottering steps to Granada. + </p> + <p> + All Granada was in agitation on the morning of this dismal day. The heavy + bell of the cathedral continued to utter its clanging tones, that pervaded + every part of the city, summoning all persons to the tremendous spectacle + that was about to be exhibited. The streets through which the procession + was to pass were crowded with the populace. The windows, the roofs, every + place that could admit a face or a foothold, were alive with spectators. + In the great square, a spacious scaffolding, like an amphitheatre, was + erected, where the sentences of the prisoners were to be read, and the + sermon of faith to be preached; and close by were the stakes prepared, + where the condemned were to be burnt to death. Seats were arranged for the + great, the gay, the beautiful; for such is the horrible curiosity of human + nature, that this cruel sacrifice was attended with more eagerness than a + theatre, or even a bull-feast. + </p> + <p> + As the day advanced, the scaffolds and balconies were filled with + expecting multitudes; the sun shone brightly upon fair faces and gallant + dresses; one would have thought it some scene of elegant festivity, + instead of an exhibition of human agony and death. But what a different + spectacle and ceremony was this, from those which Granada exhibited in the + days of her Moorish splendour! “Her galas, her tournaments, her sports of + the ring, her fêtes of St. John, her music, her Zambras, and admirable + tilts of canes! Her serenades, her concerts, her songs in Generaliffe! The + costly liveries of the Abencerrages, their exquisite inventions, the skill + and valour of the Alabaces, the superb dresses of the Zegries, Mazas, and + Gomeles!”<a href="#linknote-10" name="linknoteref-10" id="linknoteref-10"><small>10</small></a>—All + these were at an end. The days of chivalry were over. Instead of the + prancing cavalcade, with neighing steed and lively trumpet; with burnished + lance, and helm, and buckler; with rich confusion of plume, and scarf, and + banner, where purple, and scarlet, and green, and orange, and every gay + colour, were mingled with cloth of gold and fair embroidery; instead of + this, crept on the gloomy pageant of superstition, in cowl and sackcloth; + with cross and coffin, and frightful symbols of human suffering. In place + of the frank, hardy knight, open and brave, with his lady’s favour in his + casque, and amorous motto on his shield, looking, by gallant deeds, to win + the smile of beauty, came the shaven, unmanly monk, with downcast eyes, + and head and heart bleached in the cold cloister, secretly exulting in + this bigot triumph. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="linknote-10" id="linknote-10"> Note--></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 10 (<a href="#linknoteref-10">return</a>)<br /> [ Rodd’s Civil Wars of + Granada.] + </p> + <p> + The sound of the bells gave notice that the dismal procession was + advancing. It passed slowly through the principal streets of the city, + bearing in advance the awful banner of the Holy Office. The prisoners + walked singly, attended by confessors, and guarded by familiars of the + inquisition. They were clad in different garments, according to the nature + of their punishments; those who were to suffer death wore the hideous + Samarra, painted with flames and demons. The procession was swelled by + choirs of boys, different religious orders and public dignitaries, and + above all, by the fathers of the faith, moving “with slow pace, and + profound gravity, truly triumphing as becomes the principal generals of + that great victory."<a href="#linknote-11" name="linknoteref-11" + id="linknoteref-11"><small>11</small></a> + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="linknote-11" id="linknote-11"> Note--></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 11 (<a href="#linknoteref-11">return</a>)<br /> [ Gonsalvius, p. 135.] + </p> + <p> + As the sacred banner of the inquisition advanced, the countless throng + sunk on their knees before it; they bowed their faces to the very earth as + it passed, and then slowly rose again, like a great undulating billow. A + murmur of tongues prevailed as the prisoners approached, and eager eyes + were strained, and fingers pointed, to distinguish the different orders of + penitents, whose habits denoted the degree of punishment they were to + undergo. But as those drew near whose frightful garb marked them as + destined to the flames, the noise of the rabble subsided; they seemed + almost to hold in their breath; filled with that strange and dismal + interest with which we contemplate a human being on the verge of suffering + and death. + </p> + <p> + It is an awful thing—a voiceless, noiseless multitude! The hushed + and gazing stillness of the surrounding thousands, heaped on walls, and + gates, and roofs, and hanging, as it were, in clusters, heightened the + effect of the pageant that moved drearily on. The low murmuring of the + priests could now be heard in prayer and exhortation, with the faint + responses of the prisoners, and now and then the voices of the choir at a + distance, chanting the litanies of the saints. + </p> + <p> + The faces of the prisoners were ghastly and disconsolate. Even those who + had been pardoned, and wore the Sanbenito, or penitential garment, bore + traces of the horrors they had undergone. Some were feeble and tottering, + from long confinement; some crippled and distorted by various tortures; + every countenance was a dismal page, on which might be read the secrets of + their prison-house. But in the looks of those condemned to death, there + was something fierce and eager. They seemed men harrowed up by the past, + and desperate as to the future. They were anticipating, with spirits + fevered by despair, and fixed and clenched determination, the vehement + struggle with agony and death which they were shortly to undergo. Some + cast now and then a wild and anguished look about them, upon the shining + day; the “sun-bright palaces,” the gay, the beautiful world, which they + were soon to quit for ever; or a glance of sudden indignation at the + thronging thousands, happy in liberty and life, who seemed, in + contemplating their frightful situation, to exult in their own comparative + security. + </p> + <p> + One among the condemned, however, was an exception to these remarks. It + was an aged man, somewhat bowed down, with a serene, though dejected + countenance, and a beaming, melancholy eye. It was the alchymist. The + populace looked upon him with a degree of compassion, which they were not + prone to feel towards criminals condemned by the inquisition; but when + they were told that he was convicted of the crime of magic, they drew back + with awe and abhorrence. + </p> + <p> + The procession had reached the grand square. The first part had already + mounted the scaffolding, and the condemned were approaching. The press of + the populace became excessive, and was repelled, as it were, in billows by + the guards. Just as the condemned were entering the square, a shrieking + was heard among the crowd. A female, pale, frantic, dishevelled, was seen + struggling through the multitude. “My father! my father!” was all the cry + she uttered, but it thrilled through every heart. The crowd instinctively + drew back, and made way for her as she advanced. + </p> + <p> + The poor alchymist had made his peace with Heaven, and, by a hard + struggle, had closed his heart upon the world, when the voice of his child + called him once more back to worldly thought and agony. He turned towards + the well-known voice; his knees smote together; he endeavoured to stretch + forth his pinioned arms, and felt himself clasped in the embraces of his + child. The emotions of both were too agonizing for utterance. Convulsive + sobs and broken exclamations, and embraces more of anguish than + tenderness, were all that passed between them. The procession was + interrupted for a moment. The astonished monks and familiars were filled + with involuntary respect, at the agony of natural affection. Ejaculations + of pity broke from the crowd, touched by the filial piety, the + extraordinary and hopeless anguish, of so young and beautiful a being. + </p> + <p> + Every attempt to soothe her, and prevail on her to retire, was unheeded; + at length they endeavoured to separate her from her father by force. The + movement roused her from her temporary abandonment. With a sudden paroxysm + of fury, she snatched a sword from one of the familiars. Her late pale + countenance was flushed with rage, and fire flashed from her once soft and + languishing eyes. The guards shrunk back with awe. There was something in + this filial frenzy, this feminine tenderness wrought up to desperation, + that touched even their hardened hearts. They endeavoured to pacify her, + but in vain. Her eye was eager and quick, as the she-wolf’s guarding her + young. With one arm she pressed her father to her bosom, with the other + she menaced every one that approached. + </p> + <p> + The patience of the guards was soon exhausted. They had held back in awe, + but not in fear. With all her desperation the weapon was soon wrested from + her feeble hand, and she was borne shrieking and struggling among the + crowd. The rabble murmured compassion; but such was the dread inspired by + the inquisition, that no one attempted to interfere. + </p> + <p> + The procession again resumed its march. Inez was ineffectually struggling + to release herself from the hands of the familiars that detained her, when + suddenly she saw Don Ambrosio before her. “Wretched girl!” exclaimed he + with fury, “why have you fled from your friends? Deliver her,” said he to + the familiars, “to my domestics; she is under my protection.” + </p> + <p> + His creatures advanced to seize her. “Oh, no! oh, no!” cried she, with new + terrors, and clinging to the familiars, “I have fled from no friends. He + is not my protector! He is the murderer of my father!” + </p> + <p> + The familiars were perplexed; the crowd pressed on, with eager curiosity. + “Stand off!” cried the fiery Ambrosio, dashing the throng from around him. + Then turning to the familiars, with sudden moderation, “My friends,” said + he, “deliver this poor girl to me. Her distress has turned her brain; she + has escaped from her friends and protectors this morning; but a little + quiet and kind treatment will restore her to tranquillity.” + </p> + <p> + “I am not mad! I am not mad!” cried she, vehemently. “Oh, save me!—save + me from these men! I have no protector on earth but my father, and him + they are murdering!” + </p> + <p> + The familiars shook their heads; her wildness corroborated the assertions + of Don Ambrosio, and his apparent rank commanded respect and belief. They + relinquished their charge to him, and he was consigning the struggling + Inez to his creatures. + </p> + <p> + “Let go your hold, villain!” cried a voice from among the crowd—and + Antonio was seen eagerly tearing his way through the press of people. + </p> + <p> + “Seize him! seize him!” cried Don Ambrosio to the familiars, “‘tis an + accomplice of the sorcerer’s.” + </p> + <p> + “Liar!” retorted Antonio, as he thrust the mob to the right and left, and + forced himself to the spot. + </p> + <p> + The sword of Don Ambrosio flashed in an instant from the scabbard; the + student was armed, and equally alert. There was a fierce clash of weapons: + the crowd made way for them as they fought, and closed again, so as to + hide them from the view of Inez. All was tumult and confusion for a + moment; when there was a kind of shout from the spectators, and the mob + again opening, she beheld, as she thought, Antonio weltering in his blood. + </p> + <p> + This new shock was too great for her already overstrained intellect. A + giddiness seized upon her; every thing seemed to whirl before her eyes; + she gasped some incoherent words, and sunk senseless upon the ground. + </p> + <p> + Days—weeks elapsed, before Inez returned to consciousness. At length + she opened her eyes, as if out of a troubled sleep. She was lying upon a + magnificent bed, in a chamber richly furnished with pier-glasses, and + massive tables inlaid with silver, of exquisite workmanship. The walls + were covered with tapestry; the cornices richly gilded; through the door, + which stood open, she perceived a superb saloon, with statues and crystal + lustres, and a magnificent suite of apartments beyond. The casements of + the room were open to admit the soft breath of summer, which stole in, + laden with perfumes from a neighbouring garden; from whence, also, the + refreshing sound of fountains and the sweet notes of birds came in mingled + music to her ear. + </p> + <p> + Female attendants were moving, with noiseless step, about the chamber; but + she feared to address them. She doubted whether this was not all delusion, + or whether she was not still in the palace of Don Ambrosio, and that her + escape, and all its circumstances, had not been but a feverish dream. She + closed her eyes again, endeavouring to recall the past, and to separate + the real from the imaginary. The last scenes of consciousness, however, + rushed too forcibly, with all their horrors, to her mind to be doubted, + and she turned shuddering from the recollection, to gaze once more on the + quiet and serene magnificence around her. As she again opened her eyes, + they rested on an object that at once dispelled every alarm. At the head + of her bed sat a venerable form, watching over her with a look of fond + anxiety—it was her father! + </p> + <p> + I will not attempt to describe the scene that ensued; nor the moments of + rapture which more than repaid all the sufferings that her affectionate + heart had undergone. As soon as their feelings had become more calm, the + alchymist stepped out of the room to introduce a stranger, to whom he was + indebted for his life and liberty. He returned, leading in Antonio, no + longer in his poor scholar’s garb, but in the rich dress of a nobleman. + </p> + <p> + The feelings of Inez were almost overpowered by these sudden reverses, and + it was some time before she was sufficiently composed to comprehend the + explanation of this seeming romance. + </p> + <p> + It appeared that the lover, who had sought her affections in the lowly + guise of a student, was only son and heir of a powerful grandee of + Valentia. He had been placed at the university of Salamanca; but a lively + curiosity, and an eagerness for adventure, had induced him to abandon the + university, without his father’s consent, and to visit various parts of + Spain. His rambling inclination satisfied, he had remained incognito for a + time at Granada, until, by farther study and self-regulation, he could + prepare himself to return home with credit, and atone for his + transgressions against paternal authority. + </p> + <p> + How hard he had studied, does not remain on record. All that we know is + his romantic adventure of the tower. It was at first a mere youthful + caprice, excited by a glimpse of a beautiful face. In becoming a disciple + of the alchymist, he probably thought of nothing more than pursuing a + light love affair. Farther acquaintance, however, had completely fixed his + affections; and he had determined to conduct Inez and her father to + Valentia, and to trust to her merits to secure his father’s consent to + their union. + </p> + <p> + In the meantime, he had been traced to his concealment. His father had + received intelligence of his being entangled in the snares of a mysterious + adventurer and his daughter, and likely to become the dupe of the + fascinations of the latter. Trusty emissaries had been despatched to seize + upon him by main force, and convey him without delay to the paternal home. + </p> + <p> + What eloquence he had used with his father, to convince him of the + innocence, the honour, and the high descent of the alchymist, and of the + exalted worth of his daughter, does not appear. All that we know is, that + the father, though a very passionate, was a very reasonable man, as + appears by his consenting that his son should return to Granada, and + conduct Inez as his affianced bride to Valentia. + </p> + <p> + Away, then, Don Antonio hurried back, full of joyous anticipations. He + still forbore to throw off his disguise, fondly picturing to himself what + would be the surprise of Inez, when, having won her heart and hand as a + poor wandering scholar, he should raise her and her father at once to + opulence and splendour. + </p> + <p> + On his arrival he had been shocked at finding the tower deserted by its + inhabitants. In vain he sought for intelligence concerning them; a mystery + hung over their disappearance which he could not penetrate, until he was + thunderstruck, on accidentally reading a list of the prisoners at the + impending auto da fé, to find the name of his venerable master among the + condemned. + </p> + <p> + It was the very morning of the execution. The procession was already on + its way to the grand square. Not a moment was to be lost. The grand + inquisitor was a relation of Don Antonio, though they had never met. His + first impulse was to make himself known; to exert all his family + influence, the weight of his name, and the power of his eloquence, in + vindication of the alchymist. But the grand inquisitor was already + proceeding, in all his pomp, to the place where the fatal ceremony was to + be performed. How was he to be approached? Antonio threw himself into the + crowd, in a fever of anxiety, and was forcing his way to the scene of + horror, where he arrived just in time to rescue Inez, as has been + mentioned. + </p> + <p> + It was Don Ambrosio that fell in their contest. Being desperately wounded, + and thinking his end approaching, he had confessed to an attending father + of the inquisition, that he was the sole cause of the alchymist’s + condemnation, and that the evidence on which it was grounded was + altogether false. The testimony of Don Antonio came in corroboration of + this avowal; and his relationship to the grand inquisitor had, in all + probability, its proper weight. Thus was the poor alchymist snatched, in a + manner, from the very flames; and so great had been the sympathy awakened + in his case, that for once a populace rejoiced at being disappointed of an + execution. + </p> + <p> + The residue of the story may readily be imagined, by every one versed in + this valuable kind of history. Don Antonio espoused the lovely Inez, and + took her and her father with him to Valentia. As she had been a loving and + dutiful daughter, so she proved a true and tender wife. It was not long + before Don Antonio succeeded to his father’s titles and estates, and he + and his fair spouse were renowned for being the handsomest and happiest + couple in all Valentia. + </p> + <p> + As to Don Ambrosio, he partially recovered to the enjoyment of a broken + constitution and a blasted name, and hid his remorse and disgrace in a + convent; while the poor victim of his arts, who had assisted Inez in her + escape, unable to conquer the early passion that he had awakened in her + bosom, though convinced of the baseness of the object, retired from the + world, and became an humble sister in a nunnery. + </p> + <p> + The worthy alchymist took up his abode with his children. A pavilion, in + the garden of their palace, was assigned to him as a laboratory, where he + resumed his researches with renovated ardour, after the grand secret. He + was now and then assisted by his son-in-law; but the latter slackened + grievously in his zeal and diligence, after marriage. Still he would + listen with profound gravity and attention to the old man’s rhapsodies, + and his quotations from Paracelsus, Sandivogius, and Pietro D’Abano, which + daily grew longer and longer. In this way the good alchymist lived on + quietly and comfortably, to what is called a good old age, that is to say, + an age that is good for nothing; and unfortunately for mankind, was + hurried out of life in his ninetieth year, just as he was on the point of + discovering the Philosopher’s Stone. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <p> + Such was the story of the captain’s friend, with which we whiled away the + morning. The captain was, every now and then, interrupted by questions and + remarks, which I have not mentioned, lest I should break the continuity of + the tale. He was a little disturbed, also, once or twice, by the general, + who fell asleep, and breathed rather hard, to the great horror and + annoyance of Lady Lillycraft. In a long and tender love scene, also, which + was particularly to her ladyship’s taste, the unlucky general, having his + head a little sunk upon his breast, kept making a sound at regular + intervals, very much like the word <i>pish</i>, long drawn out. At length + he made an odd abrupt guttural sound, that suddenly awoke him; he hemmed, + looked about with a slight degree of consternation, and then began to play + with her ladyship’s work-bag, which, however, she rather pettishly + withdrew. The steady sound of the captain’s voice was still too potent a + soporific for the poor general; he kept gleaming up and sinking in the + socket, until the cessation of the tale again roused him, when he started + awake, put his foot down upon Lady Lillycraft’s cur, the sleeping Beauty, + which yelped and seized him by the leg, and, in a moment, the whole + library resounded with yelpings and exclamations. Never did man more + completely mar his fortunes while he was asleep. Silence being at length + restored, the company expressed their thanks to the captain, and gave + various opinions of the story. The parson’s mind, I found, had been + continually running upon the leaden manuscripts, mentioned in the + beginning, as dug up at Granada, and he put several eager questions to the + captain on the subject. The general could not well make out the drift of + the story, but thought it a little confused. “I am glad, however,” said + he, “that they burnt the old chap of the tower; I have no doubt he was a + notorious impostor.” + </p> + <h3> + (END OF VOL. ONE) + </h3> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0029" id="link2H_4_0029"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + BRACEBRIDGE HALL; + </h2> + <h3> + OR, + </h3> + <h3> + THE HUMOURISTS. + </h3> + <h3> + A MEDLEY. + </h3> + <p> + BY GEOFFREY CRAYON, Gent. + </p> + <h3> + VOLUME SECOND. + </h3> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Under this cloud I walk, Gentlemen; pardon my rude + assault. I am a traveller, who, having surveyed most of + the terrestrial angles of this globe, am hither arrived, + to peruse this little spot. + + —<i>Christmas Ordinary</i>. +</pre> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0030" id="link2H_4_0030"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + ENGLISH COUNTRY GENTLEMEN. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + His certain life, that never can deceive him, + Is full of thousand sweets, and rich content; + The smooth-leaved beeches in the field receive him + With coolest shade, till noontide’s heat be spent. + His life is neither tost in boisterous seas + Or the vexatious world; or lost in slothful ease. + Pleased and full blest he lives, when he his God can please. + + —Phineas Fletcher. +</pre> + <p> + I take great pleasure in accompanying the Squire in his Perambulations + about his estate, in which he is often attended by a kind of cabinet + council. His prime minister, the steward, is a very worthy and honest old + man, that assumes a right of way; that is to say, a right to have his own + way, from having lived time out of mind on the place. He loves the estate + even better than he does the Squire; and thwarts the latter sadly in many + of his projects of improvement, being a little prone to disapprove of + every plan that does not originate with himself. + </p> + <p> + In the course of one of these perambulations, I have known the Squire to + point out some important alteration which he was contemplating, in the + disposition or cultivation of the grounds; this, of course, would be + opposed by the steward, and a long argument would ensue, over a stile, or + on a rising piece of ground, until the Squire, who has a high opinion of + the other’s ability and integrity, would be fain to give up the point. + This concession, I observed, would immediately mollify the old man; and, + after walking over a field or two in silence, with his hands behind his + back, chewing the cud of reflection, he would suddenly turn to the Squire, + and observe, that “he had been turning the matter over in his mind, and, + upon the whole, he believed he would take his honour’s advice.” + </p> + <p> + Christy, the huntsman, is another of the Squire’s occasional attendants, + to whom he continually refers in all matters of local history, as to a + chronicle of the estate, having, in a manner, been acquainted with many of + the trees, from the very time that they were acorns. Old Nimrod, as has + been shown, is rather pragmatical in those points of knowledge on which he + values himself; but the Squire rarely contradicts him, and is, in fact, + one of the most indulgent potentates that ever was henpecked by his + ministry. + </p> + <p> + He often laughs about it himself, and evidently yields to these old men + more from the bent of his own humour than from any want of proper + authority. He likes this honest independence of old age, and is well aware + that these trusty followers love and honour him in their hearts. He is + perfectly at ease about his own dignity, and the respect of those around + him; nothing disgusts him sooner than any appearance of fawning or + sycophancy. + </p> + <p> + I really have seen no display of royal state, that could compare with one + of the Squire’s progresses about his paternal fields and through his + hereditary woodlands, with several of these faithful adherents about him, + and followed by a body-guard of dogs. He encourages a frankness and + manliness of deportment among his dependants, and is the personal friend + of his tenants; inquiring into their concerns, and assisting them in times + of difficulty and hardship. This has rendered him one of the most popular, + and of course one of the happiest, of landlords. + </p> + <p> + Indeed, I do not know a more enviable condition of life, than that of an + English gentleman, of sound judgment and good feelings, who passes the + greater part of his time on an hereditary estate in the country. From the + excellence of the roads, and the rapidity and exactness of the public + conveyances, he is enabled to command all the comforts and conveniences, + all the intelligence and novelties of the capital, while he is removed + from its hurry and distraction. He has ample means of occupation and + amusement, within his own domains; he may diversify his time, by rural + occupations, by rural sports, by study, and by the delights of friendly + society collected within his own hospitable halls. + </p> + <p> + Or, if his views and feelings are of a more extensive and liberal nature, + he has it greatly in his power to do good, and to have that good + immediately reflected back upon himself. He can render essential services + to his country, by assisting in the disinterested administration of the + laws; by watching over the opinions and principles of the lower orders + around him; by diffusing among them those lights which may be important to + their welfare; by mingling frankly among them, gaining their confidence, + becoming the immediate auditor of their complaints, informing himself of + their wants, making himself a channel through which their grievances may + be quietly communicated to the proper sources of mitigation and relief; or + by becoming, if need be, the intrepid and incorruptible guardian of their + liberties—the enlightened champion of their rights. + </p> + <p> + All this, it appears to me, can be done without any sacrifice of personal + dignity, without any degrading arts of popularity, without any truckling + to vulgar prejudices or concurrence in vulgar clamour; but by the steady + influence of sincere and friendly counsel, of fair, upright, and generous + deportment. Whatever may be said of English mobs and English demagogues, I + have never met with a people more open to reason, more considerate in + their tempers, more tractable by argument in the roughest times, than the + English. They are remarkably quick at discerning and appreciating whatever + is manly and honourable. They are, by nature and habit, methodical and + orderly; and they feel the value of all that is regular and respectable. + They may occasionally be deceived by sophistry, and excited into + turbulence by public distresses and the misrepresentations of designing + men; but open their eyes, and they will eventually rally round the + landmarks of steady truth and deliberate good sense. They are fond of + established customs; they are fond of long-established names; and that + love of order and quiet which characterizes the nation, gives a vast + influence to the descendants of the old families, whose forefathers have + been lords of the soil from time immemorial. + </p> + <p> + It is when the rich and well-educated and highly-privileged classes + neglect their duties, when they neglect to study the interests, and + conciliate the affections, and instruct the opinions, and champion the + rights of the people, that the latter become discontented and turbulent, + and fall into the hands of demagogues: the demagogue always steps in, + where the patriot is wanting. There is a common high-handed cant among the + high-feeding, and, as they fancy themselves, high-minded men, about + putting down the mob; but all true physicians know that it is better to + sweeten the blood than attack the tumour, to apply the emollient rather + than the cautery. It is absurd, in a country like England, where there is + so much freedom, and such a jealousy of right, for any man to assume an + aristocratical tone, and to talk superciliously of the common people. + There is no rank that makes him independent of the opinions and affections + of his fellow-men; there is no rank nor distinction that severs him from + his fellow-subjects; and if, by any gradual neglect or assumption on the + one side, and discontent and jealousy on the other, the orders of society + should really separate, let those who stand on the eminence beware that + the chasm is not mining at their feet. The orders of society, in all + well-constituted governments, are mutually bound together, and important + to each other; there can be no such thing in a free government as a + vacuum; and whenever one is likely to take place, by the drawing off of + the rich and intelligent from the poor, the bad passions of society will + rush in to fill up the space, and rend the whole asunder. + </p> + <p> + Though born and brought up in a republic, and more and more confirmed in + republican principles by every year’s observation and experience, yet I am + not insensible to the excellence that may exist in other forms of + government, nor to the fact that they may be more suitable to the + situation and circumstances of the countries in which they exist: I have + endeavoured rather to look at them as they are, and to observe how they + are calculated to effect the end which they propose. Considering, + therefore, the mixed nature of the government of this country, and its + representative form, I have looked with admiration at the manner in which + the wealth and influence and intelligence were spread over its whole + surface; not as in some monarchies, drained from the country, and + collected in towns and cities. I have considered the great rural + establishments of the nobility, and the lesser establishments of the + gentry, as so many reservoirs of wealth and intelligence distributed about + the kingdom, apart from the towns, to irrigate, freshen, and fertilize the + surrounding country. I have looked upon them, too, as the august retreat + of patriots and statesmen, where, in the enjoyment of honourable + independence and elegant leisure, they might train up their minds to + appear in those legislative assemblies, whose debates and decisions form + the study and precedents of other nations, and involve the interests of + the world. + </p> + <p> + I have been both surprised and disappointed, therefore, at finding that on + this subject I was often indulging in an Utopian dream, rather than a + well-founded opinion. I have been concerned at finding that these fine + estates were too often involved, and mortgaged, or placed in the hands of + creditors, and the owners exiled from their paternal lands. There is an + extravagance, I am told, that runs parallel with wealth; a lavish + expenditure among the great; a senseless competition among the aspiring; a + heedless, joyless dissipation among all the upper ranks, that often + beggars even these splendid establishments, breaks down the pride and + principles of their possessors, and makes too many of them mere + place-hunters, or shifting absentees. It is thus that so many are thrown + into the hands of government; and a court, which ought to be the most pure + and honourable in Europe, is so often degraded by noble, but importunate + time-servers. It is thus, too, that so many become exiles from their + native land, crowding the hotels of foreign countries, and expending upon + thankless strangers the wealth so hardly drained from their laborious + peasantry. I have looked upon these latter with a mixture of censure and + concern. Knowing the almost bigoted fondness of an Englishman for his + native home, I can conceive what must be their compunction and regret, + when, amidst the sunburnt plains of France, they call to mind the green + fields of England; the hereditary groves which they have abandoned; and + the hospitable roof of their fathers, which they have left desolate, or to + be inhabited by strangers. But retrenchment is no plea for abandonment of + country. They nave risen with the prosperity of the land; let them abide + its fluctuations, and conform to its fortunes. It is not for the rich to + fly, because the country is suffering: let them share, in their relative + proportion, the common lot; they owe it to the land that has elevated them + to honour and affluence. When the poor have to diminish their scanty + morsels of bread; when they have to compound with the cravings of nature, + and study with how little they can do, and not be starved; it is not then + for the rich to fly, and diminish still farther the resources of the poor, + that they themselves may live in splendour in a cheaper country. Let them + rather retire to their estates, and there practise retrenchment. Let them + return to that noble simplicity, that practical good sense, that honest + pride, which form the foundation of true English character, and from them + they may again rear the edifice of fair and honourable prosperity. + </p> + <p> + On the rural habits of the English nobility and gentry, on the manner in + which they discharge their duties of their patrimonial possessions, depend + greatly the virtue and welfare of the nation. So long as they pass the + greater part of their time in the quiet and purity of the country; + surrounded by the monuments of their illustrious ancestors; surrounded by + every thing that can inspire generous pride, noble emulation, and amiable + and magnanimous sentiment; so long they are safe, and in them the nation + may repose its interests and its honour. But the moment that they become + the servile throngers of court avenues, and give themselves up to the + political intrigues and heartless dissipations of the metropolis, that + moment they lose the real nobility Of their natures, and become the mere + leeches of the country. + </p> + <p> + That the great majority of nobility and gentry in England are endowed with + high notions of honour and independence, I thoroughly believe. They have + evidenced it lately on very important questions, and have given an example + of adherence to principle, in preference to party and power, that must + have astonished many of the venal and obsequious courts of Europe. Such + are the glorious effects of freedom, when infused into a constitution. But + it seems to me, that they are apt to forget the positive nature of their + duties, and to fancy that their eminent privileges are only so many means + of self-indulgence. They should recollect, that in a constitution like + that of England, the titled orders are intended to be as useful as they + are ornamental, and it is their virtues alone that can render them both. + Their duties are divided between the sovereign and the subjects; + surrounding and giving lustre and dignity to the throne, and at the same + time tempering and mitigating its rays, until they are transmitted in mild + and genial radiance to the people. Born to leisure and opulence, they owe + the exercise of their talents, and the expenditure of their wealth, to + their native country. They may be compared to the clouds; which, being + drawn up by the sun, and elevated in the heavens, reflect and magnify his + splendour; while they repay the earth, from which they derive their + sustenance, by returning their treasures to its bosom in fertilizing + showers. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0031" id="link2H_4_0031"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + A BACHELOR’S CONFESSIONS. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + “I’ll live a private, pensive single life.” + + —<i>The Collier of Croydon</i>. +</pre> + <p> + I was sitting in my room, a morning or two since, reading, when some one + tapped at the door, and Master Simon entered. He had an unusually fresh + appearance; he had put on a bright green riding-coat, with a bunch of + violets in the button-hole, and had the air of an old bachelor trying to + rejuvenate himself. He had not, however, his usual briskness and vivacity; + but loitered about the room with somewhat of absence of manner, humming + the old song—“Go, lovely rose, tell her that wastes her time and + me;” and then, leaning against the window, and looking upon the landscape, + he uttered a very audible sigh. As I had not been accustomed to see Master + Simon in a pensive mood, I thought there might be some vexation preying on + his mind, and I endeavoured to introduce a cheerful strain of + conversation; but he was not in the vein to follow it up, and proposed + that we should take a walk. + </p> + <p> + It was a beautiful morning, of that soft vernal temperature, that seems to + thaw all the frost out of one’s blood, and to set all nature in a ferment. + The very fishes felt its influence; the cautious trout ventured out of his + dark hole to seek his mate; the roach and the dace rose up to the surface + of the brook to bask in the sunshine, and the amorous frog piped from + among the rushes. If ever an oyster can really fall in love, as has been + said or sung, it must be on such a morning. + </p> + <p> + The weather certainly had its effect even upon Master Simon, for he seemed + obstinately bent upon the pensive mood. Instead of stepping briskly along, + smacking his dog-whip, whistling quaint ditties, or telling sporting + anecdotes, he leaned on my arm, and talked about the approaching nuptials; + from whence he made several digressions upon the character of womankind, + touched a little upon the tender passion, and made sundry very excellent, + though rather trite, observations upon disappointments in love. It was + evident that he had something on his mind which he wished to impart, but + felt awkward in approaching it. I was curious to see to what this strain + would lead; but was determined not to assist him. Indeed, I mischievously + pretended to turn the conversation, and talked of his usual topics, dogs, + horses, and hunting; but he was very brief in his replies, and invariably + got back, by hook or by crook, into the sentimental vein. + </p> + <p> + At length we came to a clump of trees that overhung a whispering brook, + with a rustic bench at their feet. The trees were grievously scored with + letters and devices, which had grown out of all shape and size by the + growth of the bark; and it appeared that this grove had served as a kind + of register of the family loves from time immemorial. Here Master Simon + made a pause, pulled up a tuft of flowers, threw them one by one into the + water, and at length, turning somewhat abruptly upon me, asked me if I had + ever been in love. I confess the question startled me a little, as I am + not over-fond of making confessions of my amorous follies; and above all, + should never dream of choosing my friend Master Simon for a confidant. He + did not wait, however, for a reply; the inquiry was merely a prelude to a + confession on his own part, and after several circumlocutions and + whimsical preambles, he fairly disburthened himself of a very tolerable + story of his having been crossed in love. + </p> + <p> + The reader will, very probably, suppose that it related to the gay widow + who jilted him not long since at Doncaster races;—no such thing. It + was about a sentimental passion that he once had for a most beautiful + young lady, who wrote poetry and played on the harp. He used to serenade + her; and, indeed, he described several tender and gallant scenes, in which + he was evidently picturing himself in his mind’s eye as some elegant hero + of romance, though, unfortunately for the tale, I only saw him as he stood + before me, a dapper little old bachelor, with a face like an apple that + has dried with the bloom on it. + </p> + <p> + What were the particulars of this tender tale, I have already forgotten; + indeed, I listened to it with a heart like a very pebble-stone, having + hard work to repress a smile while Master Simon was putting on the amorous + swain, uttering every now and then a sigh, and endeavouring to look + sentimental and melancholy. + </p> + <p> + All that I recollect is that the lady, according to his account, was + certainly a little touched; for she used to accept all the music that he + copied for her harp, and all the patterns that he drew for her dresses; + and he began to flatter himself, after a long course of delicate + attentions, that he was gradually fanning up a gentle flame in her heart, + when she suddenly accepted the hand of a rich, boisterous, fox-hunting + baronet, without either music or sentiment, who carried her by storm after + a fortnight’s courtship. + </p> + <p> + Master Simon could not help concluding by some observation about “modest + merit,” and the power of gold over the sex. As a remembrance of his + passion, he pointed out a heart carved on the bark of one of the trees; + but which, in the process of time, had grown out into a large excrescence; + and he showed me a lock of her hair, which he wore in a true-lover’s knot, + in a large gold brooch. + </p> + <p> + I have seldom met with an old bachelor that had not, at some time or + other, his nonsensical moment, when he would become tender and + sentimental, talk about the concerns of the heart, and have some + confession of a delicate nature to make. Almost every man has some little + trait of romance in his life, which he looks back to with fondness, and + about which he is apt to grow garrulous occasionally. He recollects + himself as he was at the time, young and gamesome; and forgets that his + hearers have no other idea of the hero of the tale, but such as he may + appear at the time of telling it; peradventure, a withered, whimsical, + spindle-shanked old gentleman. With married men, it is true, this is not + so frequently the case: their amorous romance is apt to decline after + marriage; why, I cannot for the life of me imagine; but with a bachelor, + though it may slumber, it never dies. It is always liable to break out + again in transient flashes, and never so much as on a spring morning in + the country; or on a winter evening when seated in his solitary chamber + stirring up the fire and talking of matrimony. + </p> + <p> + The moment that Master Simon had gone through his confession, and, to use + the common phrase, “had made a clean breast of it,” he became quite + himself again. He had settled the point which had been worrying his mind, + and doubtless considered himself established as a man of sentiment in my + opinion. Before we had finished our morning’s stroll, he was singing as + blithe as a grasshopper, whistling to his dogs, and telling droll stories: + and I recollect that he was particularly facetious that day at dinner on + the subject of matrimony, and uttered several excellent jokes, not to be + found in Joe Miller, that made the bride elect blush and look down; but + set all the old gentlemen at the table in a roar, and absolutely brought + tears into the general’s eyes. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0032" id="link2H_4_0032"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + ENGLISH GRAVITY. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + “Merrie England!” + + —<i>Ancient Phrase</i>. +</pre> + <p> + There is nothing so rare as for a man to ride his hobby without + molestation. I find the Squire has not so undisturbed an indulgence in his + humours as I had imagined; but has been repeatedly thwarted of late, and + has suffered a kind of well-meaning persecution from a Mr. Faddy, an old + gentleman of some weight, at least of purse, who has recently moved into + the neighbourhood. He is a worthy and substantial manufacturer, who, + having accumulated a large fortune by dint of steam-engines and + spinning-jennies, has retired from business, and set up for a country + gentleman. He has taken an old country-seat, and refitted it; and painted + and plastered it, until it looks not unlike his own manufactory. He has + been particularly careful in mending the walls and hedges, and putting up + notices of spring-guns and man-traps in every part of his premises. + Indeed, he shows great jealousy about his territorial rights, having + stopped up a footpath that led across his fields, and given warning, in + staring letters, that whoever was found trespassing on those grounds would + be prosecuted with the utmost rigour of the law. He has brought into the + country with him all the practical maxims of town, and the bustling habits + of business; and is one of those sensible, useful, prosing, troublesome, + intolerable old gentlemen, that go about wearying and worrying society + with excellent plans for public utility. + </p> + <p> + He is very much disposed to be on intimate terms with the Squire, and + calls on him every now and then, with some project for the good of the + neighbourhood, which happens to run diametrically opposite to some one or + other of the Squire’s peculiar notions; but which is “too sensible a + measure” to be openly opposed. He has annoyed him excessively, by + enforcing the vagrant laws; persecuting the gipsies, and endeavouring to + suppress country wakes and holiday games; which he considers great + nuisances, and reprobates as causes of the deadly sin of idleness. + </p> + <p> + There is evidently in all this a little of the ostentation of + newly-acquired consequence; the tradesman is gradually swelling into the + aristocrat; and he begins to grow excessively intolerant of every thing + that is not genteel. He has a great deal to say about “the common people;” + talks much of his park, his preserves, and the necessity of enforcing the + game-laws more strictly; and makes frequent use of the phrase, “the gentry + of the neighbourhood.” + </p> + <p> + He came to the Hall lately, with a face full of business, that he and the + Squire, to use his own words, “might lay their heads together,” to hit + upon some mode of putting a stop to the frolicking at the village on the + approaching May-day. It drew, he said, idle people together from all parts + of the neighbourhood, who spent the day fiddling, dancing, and carousing, + instead of staying at home to work for their families. + </p> + <p> + Now, as the Squire, unluckily, is at the bottom of these May-day revels, + it may be supposed that the suggestions of the sagacious Mr. Faddy were + not received with the best grace in the world. It is true, the old + gentleman is too courteous to show any temper to a guest in his own house; + but no sooner was he gone, than the indignation of the Squire found vent, + at having his poetical cobwebs invaded by this buzzing, bluebottle fly of + traffic. In his warmth, he inveighed against the whole race of + manufacturers, who, I found, were sore disturbers of his comfort. “Sir,” + said he, with emotion, “it makes my heart bleed, to see all our fine + streams dammed up, and bestrode by cotton-mills; our valleys smoking with + steam-engines, and the din of the hammer and the loom scaring away all our + rural delight. What’s to become of merry old England, when its + manor-houses are all turned into manufactories, and its sturdy peasantry + into pin-makers and stocking-weavers? I have looked in vain for merry + Sherwood, and all the greenwood haunts of Robin Hood; the whole country is + covered with manufacturing towns. I have stood on the ruins of Dudley + Castle, and looked round, with an aching heart, on what were once its + feudal domains of verdant and beautiful country. Sir, I beheld a mere <i>campus + phlegrae</i>; a region of fire; reeking with coal-pits, and furnaces, and + smelting-houses, vomiting forth flames and smoke. The pale and ghastly + people, toiling among vile exhalations, looked more like demons than human + beings; the clanking wheels and engines, seen through the murky + atmosphere, looked like instruments of torture in this pandemonium. What + is to become of the country, with these evils rankling in its very core? + Sir, these manufacturers will be the ruin of our rural manners; they will + destroy the national character; they will not leave materials for a single + line of poetry!” + </p> + <p> + The Squire is apt to wax eloquent on such themes; and I could hardly help + smiling at this whimsical lamentation over national industry and public + improvement. I am told, however, that he really grieves at the growing + spirit of trade, as destroying the charm of life. He considers every new + shorthand mode of doing things, as an inroad of snug sordid method; and + thinks that this will soon become a mere matter-of-fact world, where life + will be reduced to a mathematical calculation of conveniences, and every + thing will be done by steam. + </p> + <p> + He maintains, also, that the nation has declined in its free and joyous + spirit, in proportion as it has turned its attention to commerce and + manufactures; and that, in old times, when England was an idler, it was + also a merrier little island. In support of this opinion, he adduces the + frequency and splendour of ancient festivals and merry-makings, and the + hearty spirit with which they were kept up by all classes of people. His + memory is stored with the accounts given by Stow, in his Survey of London, + of the holiday revels at the inns of court, the Christmas mummeries, and + the masquings and bonfires about the streets. London, he says, in those + days, resembled the continental cities in its picturesque manners and + amusements. The court used to dance after dinner, on public occasions. + After the coronation dinner of Richard II, for example, the king, the + prelates, the nobles, the knights, and the rest of the company, danced in + Westminster Hall to the music of the minstrels. The example of the court + was followed by the middling classes, and so down to the lowest, and the + whole nation was a dancing, jovial nation. He quotes a lively city picture + of the times, given by Stow, which resembles the lively scenes one may + often see in the gay city of Paris; for he tells us that on holidays, + after evening prayers, the maidens in London used to assemble before the + door, in sight of their masters and dames, and while one played on a + timbrel, the others danced for garlands, hanged athwart the street. + </p> + <p> + “Where will we meet with such merry groups now-a-days?” the Squire will + exclaim, shaking his head mournfully;—“and then as to the gayety + that prevailed in dress throughout all ranks of society, and made the very + streets so fine and picturesque: ‘I have myself,’ says Gervaise Markham, + ‘met an ordinary tapster in his silk stockings, garters deep fringed with + gold lace, the rest of his apparel suitable, with cloak lined with + velvet!’ Nashe, too, who wrote in 1593, exclaims at the finery of the + nation: ‘England, the player’s stage of gorgeous attire, the ape of all + nations’ superfluities, the continual masquer in outlandish habiliments.’” + </p> + <p> + Such are a few of the authorities quoted by the Squire, by way of + contrasting what he supposes to have been the former vivacity of the + nation with its present monotonous character. “John Bull,” he will say, + “was then a gay cavalier, with his sword by his side and a feather in his + cap; but he is now a plodding citizen, in snuff-coloured coat and + gaiters.” + </p> + <p> + By the by, there really appears to have been some change in the national + character, since the days of which the Squire is so fond of talking; those + days when this little island acquired its favourite old title of “merry + England.” This may be attributed in part to the growing hardships of the + times, and the necessity of turning the whole attention to the means of + subsistence; but England’s gayest customs prevailed at times when her + common people enjoyed comparatively few of the comforts and conveniences + that they do at present. It may be still more attributed to the universal + spirit of gain, and the calculating habits that commerce has introduced; + but I am inclined to attribute it chiefly to the gradual increase of the + liberty of the subject, and the growing freedom and activity of opinion. + </p> + <p> + A free people are apt to be grave and thoughtful. They have high and + important matters to occupy their minds. They feel that it is their right, + their interest, and their duty, to mingle in public concerns, and to watch + over the general welfare. The continual exercise of the mind on political + topics gives intenser habits of thinking, and a more serious and earnest + demeanour. A nation becomes less gay, but more intellectually active and + vigorous. It evinces less play of the fancy, but more power of the + imagination; less taste and elegance, but more grandeur of mind; less + animated vivacity, but deeper enthusiasm. + </p> + <p> + It is when men are shut out of the regions of manly thought, by a despotic + government; when every grave and lofty theme is rendered perilous to + discussion and almost to reflection; it is then that they turn to the + safer occupations of taste and amusement; trifles rise to importance, and + occupy the craving activity of intellect. No being is more void of care + and reflection than the slave; none dances more gayly, in his intervals of + labour; but make him free, give him rights and interests to guard, and he + becomes thoughtful and laborious. + </p> + <p> + The French are a gayer people than the English. Why? Partly from + temperament, perhaps; but greatly because they have been accustomed to + governments which surrounded the free exercise of thought with danger, and + where he only was safe who shut his eyes and ears to public events, and + enjoyed the passing pleasure of the day. Within late years, they have had + more opportunity of exercising their minds; and within late years, the + national character has essentially changed. Never did the French enjoy + such a degree of freedom as they do at this moment; and at this moment the + French are comparatively a grave people. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0033" id="link2H_4_0033"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + GIPSIES. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + What’s that to absolute freedom; such as the very beggars have; + to feast and revel here to-day, and yonder to-morrow; next day + where they please; and so on still, the whole country or + kingdom over? There’s liberty! the birds of the air can take + no more. + + —<i>Jovial Crew</i>. +</pre> + <p> + Since the meeting with the gipsies, which I have related in a former + paper, I have observed several of them haunting the purlieus of the Hall, + in spite of a positive interdiction of the Squire. They are part of a gang + that has long kept about this neighbourhood, to the great annoyance of the + farmers, whose poultry-yards often suffer from their nocturnal invasions. + They are, however, in some measure patronized by the Squire, who considers + the race as belonging to the good old times; which, to confess the private + truth, seem to have abounded with good-for-nothing characters. + </p> + <p> + This roving crew is called “Starlight Tom’s Gang,” from the name of its + chieftain, a notorious poacher. I have heard repeatedly of the misdeeds of + this “minion of the moon;” for every midnight depredation that takes place + in park, or fold or farm-yard, is laid to his charge. Starlight Tom, in + fact, answers to his name; he seems to walk in darkness, and, like a fox, + to be traced in the morning by the mischief he has done. He reminds me of + that fearful personage in the nursery rhyme: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Who goes round the house at night? + None but bloody Tom! + Who steals all the sheep at night? + None but one by one! +</pre> + <p> + In short, Starlight Tom is the scapegoat of the neighbourhood, but so + cunning and adroit, that there is no detecting him. Old Christy and the + game-keeper have watched many a night, in hopes of entrapping him; and + Christy often patrols the park with his dogs, for the purpose, but all in + vain. It is said that the Squire winks hard at his misdeeds, having an + indulgent feeling towards the vagabond, because of his being very expert + at all kinds of games, a great shot with the cross-bow, and the best + morris-dancer in the country. + </p> + <p> + The Squire also suffers the gang to lurk unmolested about the skirts of + his estate, on condition that they do not come about the house. The + approaching wedding, however, has made a kind of Saturnalia at the Hall, + and has caused a suspension of all sober rule. It has produced a great + sensation throughout the female part of the household; not a housemaid but + dreams of wedding favours, and has a husband running in her head. Such a + time is a harvest for the gipsies: there is a public footpath leading + across one part of the park, by which they have free ingress, and they are + continually hovering about the grounds, telling the servant-girls’ + fortunes, or getting smuggled in to the young ladies. + </p> + <p> + I believe the Oxonian amuses himself very much by furnishing them with + hints in private, and bewildering all the weak brains in the house with + their wonderful revelations. The general certainly was very much + astonished by the communications made to him the other evening by the + gipsy girl: he kept a wary silence towards us on the subject, and affected + to treat it lightly; but I have noticed that he has since redoubled his + attentions to Lady Lillycraft and her dogs. + </p> + <p> + I have seen also Phoebe Wilkins, the housekeeper’s pretty and love-sick + niece, holding a long conference with one of these old sibyls behind a + large tree in the avenue, and often looking round to see that she was not + observed. I make no doubt that she was endeavouring to get some favourable + augury about the result of her love-quarrel with young Ready-Money, as + oracles have always been more consulted on love affairs than upon any + thing else. I fear, however, that in this instance the response was not so + favourable as usual; for I perceived poor Phoebe returning pensively + towards the house, her head hanging down, her hat in her hand, and the + riband trailing along the ground. + </p> + <p> + At another time, as I turned a corner of a terrace, at the bottom of the + garden, just by a clump of trees, and a large stone urn, I came upon a + bevy of the young girls of the family, attended by this same Phoebe + Wilkins. I was at a loss to comprehend the meaning of their blushing and + giggling, and their apparent agitation, until I saw the red cloak of a + gipsy vanishing among the shrubbery. A few moments after, I caught sight + of Master Simon and the Oxonion stealing along one of the walks of the + garden, chuckling and laughing at their successful waggery; having + evidently put the gipsy up to the thing, and instructed her what to say. + </p> + <p> + After all, there is something strangely pleasing in these tamperings with + the future, even where we are convinced of the fallacy of the prediction. + It is singular how willingly the mind will half deceive itself, and with + what a degree of awe we will listen to these babblers about futurity. For + my part, I cannot feel angry with these poor vagabonds, that seek to + deceive us into bright hopes and expectations. I have always been + something of a castle-builder, and have found my liveliest pleasures to + arise from the illusions which fancy has cast over commonplace realities. + As I get on in life, I find it more difficult to deceive myself in this + delightful manner; and I should be thankful to any prophet, however false, + that would conjure the clouds which hang over futurity into palaces, and + all its doubtful regions into fairy-land. + </p> + <p> + The Squire, who, as I have observed, has a private good-will towards + gipsies, has suffered considerable annoyance on their account. Not that + they requite his indulgence with ingratitude, for they do not depredate + very flagrantly on his estate; but because their pilferings and misdeeds + occasion loud murmurs in the village. I can readily understand the old + gentleman’s humour on this point; I have a great toleration for all kinds + of vagrant sunshiny existence, and must confess I take a pleasure in + observing the ways of gipsies. The English, who are accustomed to them + from childhood, and often suffer from their petty depredations, consider + them as mere nuisances; but I have been very much struck with their + peculiarities. I like to behold their clear olive complexions, their + romantic black eyes, their raven locks, their lithe, slender figures; and + hear them in low silver tones dealing forth magnificent promises of + honours and estates, of world’s wealth, and ladies’ love. + </p> + <p> + Their mode of life, too, has something in it very fanciful and + picturesque. They are the free denizens of nature, and maintain a + primitive independence, in spite of law and gospel; of county gaols and + country magistrates. It is curious to see this obstinate adherence to the + wild, unsettled habits of savage life transmitted from generation to + generation, and preserved in the midst of one of the most cultivated, + populous, and systematic countries in the world. They are totally distinct + from the busy, thrifty people about them. They seem to be, like the + Indians of America, either above or below the ordinary cares and anxieties + of mankind. Heedless of power, of honours, of wealth; and indifferent to + the fluctuations of times; the rise or fall of grain, or stock, or + empires, they seem to laugh at the tolling, fretting world around them, + and to live according to the philosophy of the old song: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + “Who would ambition shun, + And loves to lie i’ the sun, + Seeking the food he eats, + And pleased with what he gets, + Come hither, come hither, come hither; + Here shall he see + No enemy, + But winter and rough weather.” + </pre> + <p> + In this way, they wander from county to county; keeping about the purlieus + of villages, or in plenteous neighbourhoods, where there are fat farms and + rich country-seats. Their encampments are generally made in some beautiful + spot—either a green shady nook of a road; or on the border of a + common, under a sheltering hedge; or on the skirts of a fine spreading + wood. They are always to be found lurking about fairs, and races, and + rustic gatherings, wherever there is pleasure, and throng, and idleness. + They are the oracles of milk-maids and simple serving-girls; and sometimes + have even the honour of perusing the white hands of gentlemen’s daughters, + when rambling about their fathers’ grounds. They are the bane of good + housewives and thrifty farmers, and odious in the eyes of country + justices; but, like all other vagabond beings, they have something to + commend them to the fancy. They are among the last traces, in these + matter-of-fact days, of the motley population of former times; and are + whimsically associated in my mind with fairies and witches, Robin + Goodfellow, Robin Hood, and the other fantastical personages of poetry. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0034" id="link2H_4_0034"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + MAY-DAY CUSTOMS. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Happy the age, and harmless were the dayes, + (For then true love and amity was found,) + When every village did a May-pole raise, + And Whitsun ales and May-games did abound: + And all the lusty yonkers in a rout, + With merry lasses daunc’d the rod about, + Then friendship to their banquets bid the guests, + And poore men far’d the better for their feasts. + + —PASQUIL’S <i>Palinodia</i>. +</pre> + <p> + The month of April has nearly passed away, and we are fast approaching + that poetical day, which was considered, in old times, as the boundary + that parted the frontiers of winter and summer. With all its caprices, + however, I like the month of April. I like these laughing and crying days, + when sun and shade seem to run in billows over the landscape. I like to + see the sudden shower coursing over the meadow, and giving all nature a + greener smile; and the bright sunbeams chasing the flying cloud, and + turning all its drops into diamonds. + </p> + <p> + I was enjoying a morning of the kind, in company with the Squire, in one + of the finest parts of the park. We were skirting a beautiful grove, and + he was giving me a kind of biographical account of several of his + favourite forest trees, when he heard the strokes of an axe from the midst + of a thick copse. The Squire paused and listened, with manifest signs of + uneasiness. He turned his steps in the direction of the sound. The strokes + grew louder and louder as we advanced; there was evidently a vigorous arm + wielding the axe. The Squire quickened his pace, but in vain; a loud + crack, and a succeeding crash, told that the mischief had been done, and + some child of the forest laid low. When we came to the place, we found + Master Simon and several others standing about a tall and beautifully + straight young tree, which had just been felled. + </p> + <p> + The Squire, though a man of most harmonious dispositions, was completely + put out of tune by this circumstance. He felt like a monarch witnessing + the murder of one of his liege subjects, and demanded, with some asperity, + the meaning of the outrage. It turned out to be an affair of Master + Simon’s, who had selected the tree, from its height and straightness, for + a May-pole, the old one which stood on the village green being unfit for + farther service. If any thing could have soothed the ire of my worthy + host, it would have been the reflection that his tree had fallen for so + good a cause; and I saw that there was a great struggle between his + fondness for his groves, and his devotion to May-day. He could not + contemplate the prostrate tree, however, without indulging in lamentation, + and making a kind of funeral eulogy, like Mark Antony over the body of + Caesar; and he forbade that any tree should thenceforward be cut down on + his estate, without a warrant from himself; being determined, he said, to + hold the sovereign power of life and death in his own hands. + </p> + <p> + This mention of the May-pole struck my attention, and I inquired whether + the old customs connected with it were really kept up in this part of the + country. The Squire shook his head mournfully; and I found I had touched + on one of his tender points, for he grew quite melancholy in bewailing the + total decline of old May-day. Though it is regularly celebrated in the + neighbouring village, yet it has been merely resuscitated by the worthy + Squire, and is kept up in a forced state of existence at his expense. He + meets with continual discouragements; and finds great difficulty in + getting the country bumpkins to play their parts tolerably. He manages to + have every year a “Queen of the May;” but as to Robin Hood, Friar Tuck, + the Dragon, the Hobby-Horse, and all the other motley crew that used to + enliven the day with their mummery, he has not ventured to introduce them. + </p> + <p> + Still I looked forward with some interest to the promised shadow of old + May-day, even though it be but a shadow; and I feel more and more pleased + with the whimsical yet harmless hobby of my host, which is surrounding him + with agreeable associations, and making a little world of poetry about + him. Brought up, as I have been, in a new country, I may appreciate too + highly the faint vestiges of ancient customs which I now and then meet + with, and the interest I express in them may provoke a smile from those + who are negligently suffering them to pass away. But with whatever + indifference they may be regarded by those “to the manner born,” yet in my + mind the lingering flavour of them imparts a charm to rustic life, which + nothing else could readily supply. + </p> + <p> + I shall never forget the delight I felt on first seeing a May-pole. It was + on the banks of the Dee, close by the picturesque old bridge that + stretches across the river from the quaint little city of Chester. I had + already been carried back into former days, by the antiquities of that + venerable place; the examination of which is equal to turning over the + pages of a black-letter volume, or gazing on the pictures in Froissart. + The May-pole on the margin of that poetic stream completed the illusion. + My fancy adorned it with wreaths of flowers, and peopled the green bank + with all the dancing revelry of May-day. The mere sight of this May-pole + gave a glow to my feelings, and spread a charm over the country for the + rest of the day; and as I traversed a part of the fair plain of Cheshire, + and the beautiful borders of Wales, and looked from among swelling hills + down a long green valley, through which “the Deva wound its wizard + stream,” my imagination turned all into a perfect Arcadia. + </p> + <p> + Whether it be owing to such poetical associations early instilled into my + mind, or whether there is, as it were, a sympathetic revival and budding + forth of the feelings at this season, certain it is, that I always + experience, wherever I may be placed, a delightful expansion of the heart + at the return of May. It is said that birds about this time will become + restless in their cages, as if instinct with the season, conscious of the + revelry that is going on in the groves, and impatient to break from their + bondage, and join in the jubilee of the year. In like manner I have felt + myself excited, even in the midst of the metropolis, when the windows, + which had been churlishly closed all winter, were again thrown open to + receive the balmy breath of May; when the sweets of the country were + breathed into the town, and flowers were cried about the streets. I have + considered the treasures of flowers thus poured in, as so many missives + from nature, inviting us forth to enjoy the virgin beauty of the year, + before its freshness is exhaled by the heats of sunny summer. + </p> + <p> + One can readily imagine what a gay scene it must have been in jolly old + London, when the doors were decorated with flowering branches, when every + hat was decked with hawthorn, and Robin Hood, Friar Tuck, Maid Marian, the + morris-dancers, and all the other fantastic masks and revellers, were + performing their antics about the May-pole in every part of the city. + </p> + <p> + I am not a bigoted admirer of old times and old customs, merely because of + their antiquity: but while I rejoice in the decline of many of the rude + usages and coarse amusements of former days, I cannot but regret that this + innocent and fanciful festival has fallen into disuse. It seemed + appropriate to this verdant and pastoral country, and calculated to light + up the too pervading gravity of the nation. I value every custom that + tends to infuse poetical feeling into the common people, and to sweeten + and soften the rudeness of rustic manners, without destroying their + simplicity. Indeed, it is to the decline of this happy simplicity, that + the decline of this custom may be traced; and the rural dance on the + green, and the homely May-day pageant, have gradually disappeared, in + proportion as the peasantry have become expensive and artificial in their + pleasures, and too knowing for simple enjoyment. + </p> + <p> + Some attempts, the Squire informs me, have been made of late years, by men + of both taste and learning, to rally back the popular feeling to these + standards of primitive simplicity; but the time has gone by, the feeling + has become chilled by habits of gain and traffic, the country apes the + manners and amusements of the town, and little is heard of May-day at + present, except from the lamentations of authors, who sigh after it from + among the brick walls of the city: + </p> + <p> + “For O, for O, the Hobby-Horse is forgot.” + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0035" id="link2H_4_0035"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + VILLAGE WORTHIES. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Nay, I tell you, I am so well beloved in our town, that not + the worst dog in the street will hurt my little finger. + + —<i>Collier of Croydon</i>. +</pre> + <p> + As the neighbouring village is one of those out-of-the-way, but gossiping, + little places where a small matter makes a great stir, it is not to be + supposed that the approach of a festival like that of May-day can be + regarded with indifference, especially since it is made a matter of such + moment by the great folks at the Hall. Master Simon, who is the faithful + factotum of the worthy Squire, and jumps with his humour in every thing, + is frequent just now in his visits to the village, to give directions for + the impending fête; and as I have taken the liberty occasionally of + accompanying him, I have been enabled to get some insight into the + characters and internal politics of this very sagacious little community. + </p> + <p> + Master Simon is in fact the Caesar of the village. It is true the Squire + is the protecting power, but his factotum is the active and busy agent. He + intermeddles in all its concerns, is acquainted with all the inhabitants + and their domestic history, gives counsel to the old folks in their + business matters, and the young folks in their love affairs, and enjoys + the proud satisfaction of being a great man in a little world. + </p> + <p> + He is the dispenser, too, of the Squire’s charity, which is bounteous; + and, to do Master Simon justice, he performs this part of his functions + with great alacrity. Indeed, I have been entertained with the mixture of + bustle, importance, and kind-heartedness which he displays. He is of too + vivacious a temperament to comfort the afflicted by sitting down, moping + and whining, and blowing noses in concert: but goes whisking about like a + sparrow, chirping consolation into every hole and corner of the village. I + have seen an old woman, in a red cloak, hold him for half an hour together + with some long phthisical tale of distress, which Master Simon listened to + with many a bob of the head, smack of his dog-whip, and other symptoms of + impatience, though he afterwards made a most faithful and circumstantial + report of the case to the Squire. I have watched him, too, during one of + his pop visits into the cottage of a superannuated villager, who is a + pensioner of the Squire, where he fidgeted about the room without sitting + down, made many excellent off-hand reflections with the old invalid, who + was propped up in his chair, about the shortness of life, the certainty of + death, and the necessity of preparing for “that awful change;” quoted + several texts of scripture very incorrectly, but much to the edification + of the cottager’s wife; and on coming out, pinched the daughter’s rosy + cheek, and wondered what was in the young men that such a pretty face did + not get a husband. + </p> + <p> + He has also his cabinet counsellors in the village, with whom he is very + busy just now, preparing for the May-day ceremonies. Among these is the + village tailor, a pale-faced fellow, that plays the clarionet in the + church choir; and; being a great musical genius, has frequent meetings of + the band at his house, where they “make night hideous” by their concerts. + He is, in consequence, high in favour with Master Simon; and, through his + influence, has the making, or rather marring, of all the liveries of the + Hall; which generally look as though they had been cut out by one of those + scientific tailors of the Flying Island of Laputa, who took measure of + their customers with a quadrant. The tailor, in fact, might rise to be one + of the moneyed men of the village, were he not rather too prone to gossip, + and keep holidays, and give concerts, and blow all his substance, real and + personal, through his clarionet; which literally keeps him poor, both in + body and estate. He has for the present thrown by all his regular work, + and suffered the breeches of the village to go unmade and unmended, while + he is occupied in making garlands of party-coloured rags, in imitation of + flowers, for the decoration of the May-pole. + </p> + <p> + Another of Master Simon’s counsellors is the apothecary, a short and + rather fat man, with a pair of prominent eyes, that diverge like those of + a lobster. He is the village wise man; very sententious, and full of + profound remarks on shallow subjects. Master Simon often quotes his + sayings, and mentions him as rather an extraordinary man; and even + consults him occasionally, in desperate cases of the dogs and horses. + Indeed, he seems to have been overwhelmed by the apothecary’s philosophy, + which is exactly one observation deep, consisting of indisputable maxims, + such as may be gathered from the mottoes of tobacco-boxes. I had a + specimen of his philosophy, in my very first conversation with him; in the + course of which he observed, with great solemnity and emphasis, that “man + is a compound of wisdom and folly;” upon which Master Simon, who had hold + of my arm, pressed very hard upon it, and whispered in my ear “That’s a + devilish shrewd remark!” + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0036" id="link2H_4_0036"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + THE SCHOOLMASTER. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + There will be no mosse stick to the stone of Sisiphus, no + grasse hang on the heeles of Mercury, no butter cleave on the + bread of a traveller. For as the eagle at every flight loseth + a feather, which maketh her bauld in her age, so the traveller + in every country loseth some fleece, which maketh him a beggar + in his youth, by buying that for a pound which he cannot sell + again for a penny—repentance. + + —LILLY’S <i>Euphues</i>. +</pre> + <p> + Among the worthies of the village that enjoy the peculiar confidence of + Master Simon, is one who has struck my fancy so much that I have thought + him worthy of a separate notice. It is Slingsby, the schoolmaster, a thin, + elderly man, rather threadbare and slovenly, somewhat indolent in manner, + and with an easy, good-humoured look, not often met with in his craft. I + have been interested in his favour by a few anecdotes which I have picked + up concerning him. + </p> + <p> + He is a native of the village, and was a contemporary and playmate of + Ready-Money Jack in the days of their boyhood. Indeed, they carried on a + kind of league of mutual good offices. Slingsby was rather puny, and + withal somewhat of a coward, but very apt at his learning; Jack, on the + contrary, was a bully-boy out of doors, but a sad laggard at his books. + Slingsby helped Jack, therefore, to all his lessons; Jack fought all + Slingsby’s battles; and they were inseparable friends. This mutual + kindness continued even after they left the school, notwithstanding the + dissimilarity of their characters. Jack took to ploughing and reaping, and + prepared himself to till his paternal acres; while the other loitered + negligently on in the path of learning, until he penetrated even into the + confines of Latin and mathematics. + </p> + <p> + In an unlucky hour, however, he took to reading voyages and travels, and + was smitten with a desire to see the world. This desire increased upon him + as he grew up; so, early one bright, sunny morning, he put all his effects + in a knapsack, slung it on his back, took staff in hand, and called in his + way to take leave of his early schoolmate. Jack was just going out with + the plough: the friends shook hands over the farm-house gate; Jack drove + his team a-field, and Slingsby whistled, “Over the hills and far away,” + and sallied forth gayly to “seek his fortune.” + </p> + <p> + Years and years passed by, and young Tom Slingsby was forgotten; when, one + mellow Sunday afternoon in autumn, a thin man, somewhat advanced in life, + with a coat out at elbows, a pair of old nankeen gaiters, and a few things + tied in a handkerchief and slung on the end of a stick, was seen loitering + through the village. He appeared to regard several houses attentively, to + peer into the windows that were open, to eye the villagers wistfully as + they returned from church, and then to pass some time in the church-yard + reading the tombstones. + </p> + <p> + At length he found his way to the farm-house of Ready-Money Jack, but + paused ere he attempted the wicket; contemplating the picture of + substantial independence before him. In the porch of the house sat + Ready-Money Jack, in his Sunday dress; with his hat upon his head, his + pipe in his mouth, and his tankard before him, the monarch of all he + surveyed. Beside him lay his fat house-dog. The varied sounds of poultry + were heard from the well-stocked farm-yard; the bees hummed from their + hives in the garden; the cattle lowed in the rich meadow; while the + crammed barns and ample stacks bore proof of an abundant harvest. + </p> + <p> + The stranger opened the gate and advanced dubiously toward the house. The + mastiff growled at the sight of the suspicious-looking intruder; but was + immediately silenced by his master, who, taking his pipe from his mouth, + awaited with inquiring aspect the address of this equivocal personage. The + stranger eyed old Jack for a moment, so portly in his dimensions, and + decked out in gorgeous apparel; then cast a glance upon his own + thread-bare and starveling condition, and the scanty bundle which he held + in his hand; then giving his shrunk waistcoat a twitch to make it meet its + receding waistband, and casting another look, half sad, half humorous, at + the sturdy yeoman, “I suppose,” said he, “Mr. Tibbets, you have forgot old + times and old playmates.” + </p> + <p> + The latter gazed at him with scrutinizing look, but acknowledged that he + had no recollection of him. + </p> + <p> + “Like enough, like enough,” said the stranger, “every body seems to have + forgotten poor Slingsby!” + </p> + <p> + “Why, no, sure! it can’t be Tom Slingsby?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, but it is, though!” replied the stranger, shaking his head. + </p> + <p> + Ready-Money Jack was on his feet in a twinkling, thrust out his hand, gave + his ancient crony the gripe of a giant, and slapping the other hand on a + bench, “Sit down there,” cried he, “Tom Slingsby!” + </p> + <p> + A long conversation ensued about old times, while Slingsby was regaled + with the best cheer that the farm-house afforded; for he was hungry as + well as wayworn, and had the keen appetite of a poor pedestrian. The early + playmates then talked over their subsequent lives and adventures. Jack had + but little to relate, and was never good at a long story. A prosperous + life, passed at home, has little incident for narrative; it is only poor + devils, that are tossed about the world, that are the true heroes of + story. Jack had stuck by the paternal farm, followed the same plough that + his forefathers had driven, and had waxed richer and richer as he grew + older. As to Tom Slingsby, he was an exemplification of the old proverb, + “a rolling stone gathers no moss.” He had sought his fortune about the + world, without ever finding it, being a thing oftener found at home than + abroad. He had been in all kinds of situations, and had learned a dozen + different modes of making a living; but had found his way back to his + native village rather poorer than when he left it, his knapsack having + dwindled down to a scanty bundle. + </p> + <p> + As luck would have it, the Squire was passing by the farmhouse that very + evening, and called there, as is often his custom. He found the two + schoolmates still gossiping in the porch, and according to the good old + Scottish song, “taking a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.” The + Squire was struck by the contrast in appearance and fortunes of these + early playmates. Ready-Money Jack, seated in lordly state, surrounded by + the good things of this life, with golden guineas hanging to his very + watch-chain, and the poor pilgrim Slingsby, thin as a weasel, with all his + worldly effects, his bundle, hat, and walking-staff, lying on the ground + beside him. + </p> + <p> + The good Squire’s heart warmed towards the luckless cosmopolite, for he is + a little prone to like such half-vagrant characters. He cast about in his + mind how he should contrive once more to anchor Slingsby in his native + village. Honest Jack had already offered him a present shelter under his + roof, in spite of the hints, and winks, and half remonstrances of the + shrewd Dame Tibbets; but how to provide for his permanent maintenance was + the question. Luckily the Squire bethought himself that the village school + was without a teacher. A little further conversation convinced him that + Slingsby was as fit for that as for any thing else, and in a day or two he + was seen swaying the rod of empire in the very school-house where he had + often been horsed in the days of his boyhood. + </p> + <p> + Here he has remained for several years, and, being honoured by the + countenance of the Squire, and the fast friendship of Mr. Tibbets, he has + grown into much importance and consideration in the village. I am told, + however, that he still shows, now and then, a degree of restlessness, and + a disposition to rove abroad again, and see a little more of the world; an + inclination which seems particularly to haunt him about springtime. There + is nothing so difficult to conquer as the vagrant humour, when once it has + been fully indulged. + </p> + <p> + Since I have heard these anecdotes of poor Slingsby, I have more than once + mused upon the picture presented by him and his schoolmate, Ready-Money + Jack, on their coming together again after so long a separation. It is + difficult to determine between lots in life, where each one is attended + with its peculiar discontents. He who never leaves his home repines at his + monotonous existence, and envies the traveller, whose life is a constant + tissue of wonder and adventure; while he who is tossed about the world, + looks back with many a sigh to the safe and quiet shore which he has + abandoned. I cannot help thinking, however, that the man that stays at + home, and cultivates the comforts and pleasures daily springing up around + him, stands the best chance for happiness. There is nothing so fascinating + to a young mind as the idea of travelling; and there is very witchcraft in + the old phrase found in every nursery tale, of “going to seek one’s + fortune.” A continual change of place, and change of object, promises a + continual succession of adventure and gratification of curiosity. But + there is a limit to all our enjoyments, and every desire bears its death + in its very gratification. Curiosity languishes under repeated stimulants, + novelties cease to excite surprise, until at length we cannot wonder even + at a miracle. + </p> + <p> + He who has sallied forth into the world, like poor Slingsby, full of sunny + anticipations, finds too soon how different the distant scene becomes when + visited. The smooth place roughens as he approaches; the wild place + becomes tame and barren; the fairy tints that beguiled him on, still fly + to the distant hill, or gather upon the land he has left behind; and every + part of the landscape seems greener than the spot he stands on. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0037" id="link2H_4_0037"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + THE SCHOOL. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + But to come down from great men and higher matters to my + little children and poor school-house again; I will, God + willing, go forward orderly, as I purposed, to instruct children + and young men both for learning and manners. + + —ROGER ASCHAM. +</pre> + <p> + Having given the reader a slight sketch of the village schoolmaster, he + may be curious to learn something concerning his school. As the Squire + takes much interest in the education of the neighbouring children, he put + into the hands of the teacher, on first installing him in office, a copy + of Roger Ascham’s Schoolmaster, and advised him, moreover, to con over + that portion of old Peacham which treats of the duty of masters, and which + condemns the favourite method of making boys wise by flagellation. + </p> + <p> + He exhorted Slingsby not to break down or depress the free spirit of the + boys, by harshness and slavish fear, but to lead them freely and joyously + on in the path of knowledge, making it pleasant and desirable in their + eyes. He wished to see the youth trained up in the manners and habitudes + of the peasantry of the good old times, and thus to lay a foundation for + the accomplishment of his favorite object, the revival of old English + customs and character. He recommended that all the ancient holidays should + be observed, and that the sports of the boys, in their hours of play, + should be regulated according to the standard authorities laid down in + Strutt, a copy of whose invaluable work, decorated with plates, was + deposited in the school-house. Above all, he exhorted the pedagogue to + abstain from the use of birch, an instrument of instruction which the good + Squire regards with abhorrence, as fit only for the coercion of brute + natures that cannot be reasoned with. + </p> + <p> + Mr. Slingsby has followed the Squire’s instructions, to the best of his + disposition and abilities. He never flogs the boys, because he is too + easy, good-humoured a creature to inflict pain on a worm. He is bountiful + in holidays, because he loves holidays himself, and has a sympathy with + the urchins’ impatience of confinement, from having divers times + experienced its irksomeness during the time that he was seeing the world. + As to sports and pastimes, the boys are faithfully exercised in all that + are on record, quoits, races, prison-bars, tipcat, trap-ball, bandy-ball, + wrestling, leaping, and what not. The only misfortune is, that having + banished the birch, honest Slingsby has not studied Roger Ascham + sufficiently to find out a substitute; or rather, he has not the + management in his nature to apply one; his school, therefore, though one + of the happiest, is one of the most unruly in the country; and never was a + pedagogue more liked, or less heeded by his disciples, than Slingsby. + </p> + <p> + He has lately taken a coadjutor worthy of himself, being another stray + sheep that has returned to the village fold. This is no other than the son + of the musical tailor, who had bestowed some cost upon his education, + hoping to see him one day arrive at the dignity of an exciseman, or at + least of a parish clerk. The lad grew up, however, as idle and musical as + his father; and, being captivated by the drum and fife of a recruiting + party, he followed them off to the army. He returned not long since, out + of money, and out at the elbows, the prodigal son of the village. He + remained for some time lounging about the place in half-tattered soldier’s + dress, with a foraging-cap on one side of his head, jerking stones across + the brook, or loitering about the tavern-door, a burthen to his father, + and regarded with great coldness by all warm householders. + </p> + <p> + Something, however, drew honest Slingsby towards the youth. It might be + the kindness he bore to his father, who is one of the schoolmaster’s great + cronies; it might be that secret sympathy which draws men of vagrant + propensities towards each other; for there is something truly magnetic in + the vagabond feeling; or it might be, that he remembered the time when he + himself had come back, like this youngster, a wreck, to his native place. + At any rate, whatever the motive, Slingsby drew towards the youth. They + had many conversations in the village tap-room about foreign parts and the + various scenes and places they had witnessed during their wayfaring about + the world. The more Slingsby talked with him, the more he found him to his + taste; and finding him almost as learned as himself, he forthwith engaged + him as an assistant, or usher, in the school. Under such admirable + tuition, the school, as may be supposed, flourishes apace; and if the + scholars do not become versed in all the holiday accomplishments of the + good old times, to the Squire’s heart’s content, it will not be the fault + of their teachers. The prodigal son has become almost as popular among the + boys as the pedagogue himself. His instructions are not limited to school + hours; and having inherited the musical taste and talents of his father, + he has bitten the whole school with the mania. He is a great hand at + beating a drum, which is often heard rumbling from the rear of the + school-house. He is teaching half the boys of the village, also, to play + the fife, and the pandean pipes; and they weary the whole neighbourhood + with their vague pipings, as they sit perched on stiles, or loitering + about the barn-doors in the evenings. Among the other exercises of the + school, also, he has introduced the ancient art of archery, one of the + Squire’s favourite themes, with such success, that the whipsters roam in + truant bands about the neighbourhood, practising with their bows and + arrows upon the birds of the air, and the beasts of the field; and not + unfrequently making a foray into the Squire’s domains, to the great + indignation of the gamekeepers. In a word, so completely are the ancient + English customs and habits cultivated at this school, that I should not be + surprised if the Squire should live to see one of his poetic visions + realized, and a brood reared up, worthy successors to Robin Hood and his + merry gang of outlaws. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0038" id="link2H_4_0038"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + A VILLAGE POLITICIAN. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + I am a rogue if I do not think I was designed for the helm of + state; I am so full of nimble stratagems, that I should have + ordered affairs, and carried it against the stream of a faction, + with as much ease as a skipper would laver against the wind. + + —<i>The Goblins</i>. +</pre> + <p> + In one of my visits to the village with Master Simon, he proposed that we + should stop at the inn, which he wished to show me, as a specimen of a + real country inn, the head-quarters of village gossips. I had remarked it + before, in my perambulations about the place. It has a deep, old-fashioned + porch, leading into a large hall, which serves for tap-room and + travellers’-room; having a wide fire-place, with high-backed settles on + each side, where the wise men of the village gossip over their ale, and + hold their sessions during the long winter evenings. The landlord is an + easy, indolent fellow, shaped a little like one of his own beer-barrels, + and is apt to stand gossiping at his door, with his wig on one side, and + his hands in his pockets, whilst his wife and daughter attend to + customers. His wife, however, is fully competent to manage the + establishment; and, indeed, from long habitude, rules over all the + frequenters of the tap-room as completely as if they were her dependants + instead of her patrons. Not a veteran ale-bibber but pays homage to her, + having, no doubt, been often in her arrears. I have already hinted that + she is on very good terms with Ready-Money Jack. He was a sweetheart of + hers in early life, and has always countenanced the tavern on her account. + Indeed, he is quite the “cock of the walk” at the tap-room. + </p> + <p> + As we approached the inn, we heard some one talking with great volubility, + and distinguished the ominous words, “taxes,” “poor’s rates,” and + “agricultural distress.” It proved to be a thin, loquacious fellow, who + had penned the landlord up in one corner of the porch, with his hands in + his pockets as usual, listening with an air of the most vacant + acquiescence. + </p> + <p> + The sight seemed to have a curious effect on Master Simon, as he squeezed + my arm, and, altering his course, sheered wide of the porch, as though he + had not had any idea of entering. This evident evasion induced me to + notice the orator more particularly. He was meagre, but active in his + make, with a long, pale, bilious face; a black beard, so ill-shaven as to + bloody his shirt-collar, a feverish eye, and a hat sharpened up at the + sides, into a most pragmatical shape. He had a newspaper in his hand, and + seemed to be commenting on its contents, to the thorough conviction of + mine host. + </p> + <p> + At sight of Master Simon, the landlord was evidently a little flurried, + and began to rub his hands, edge away from his corner, and make several + profound publican bows; while the orator took no other notice of my + companion than to talk rather louder than before, and with, as I thought, + something of an air of defiance. Master Simon, however, as I have before + said, sheered off from the porch, and passed on, pressing my arm within + his, and whispering, as we got by, in a tone of awe and horror, “That’s a + radical! he reads Cobbett!” + </p> + <p> + I endeavoured to get a more particular account of him from my companion, + but he seemed unwilling even to talk about him, answering only in general + terms, that he was “a cursed busy fellow, that had a confounded trick of + talking, and was apt to bother one about the national debt, and such + nonsense;” from which I suspected that Master Simon had been rendered wary + of him by some accidental encounter on the field of argument; for these + radicals are continually roving about in quest of wordy warfare, and never + so happy as when they can tilt a gentleman logician out of his saddle. + </p> + <p> + On subsequent inquiry, my suspicions have been confirmed. I find the + radical has but recently found his way into the village, where he + threatens to commit fearful devastations with his doctrines. He has + already made two or three complete converts, or new lights; has shaken the + faith of several others; and has grievously puzzled the brains of many of + the oldest villagers, who had never thought about politics, or scarce any + thing else, during their whole lives. + </p> + <p> + He is lean and meagre from the constant restlessness of mind and body; + worrying about with newspapers and pamphlets in his pockets, which he is + ready to pull out on all occasions. He has shocked several of the + staunchest villagers, by talking lightly of the Squire and his family; and + hinting that it would be better the park should be cut into small farms + and kitchen-gardens, or feed good mutton instead of worthless deer. + </p> + <p> + He is a great thorn in the side of the Squire, who is sadly afraid that he + will introduce politics into the village, and turn it into an unhappy, + thinking community. He is a still greater grievance to Master Simon, who + has hitherto been able to sway the political opinions of the place, + without much cost of learning or logic; but has been much puzzled of late + to weed out the doubts and heresies already sown by this champion of + reform. + </p> + <p> + Indeed, the latter has taken complete command at the tap-room of the + tavern, not so much because he has convinced, as because he has out-talked + all the old-established oracles. The apothecary, with all his philosophy, + was as nought before him. He has convinced and converted the landlord at + least a dozen times; who, however, is liable to be convinced and converted + the other way, by the next person with whom he talks. It is true the + radical has a violent antagonist in the landlady, who is vehemently loyal, + and thoroughly devoted to the king, Master Simon, and the Squire. She now + and then comes out upon the reformer with all the fierceness of a + cat-o’-mountain, and does not spare her own soft-headed husband, for + listening to what she terms such “low-lived politics.” What makes the good + woman the more violent, is the perfect coolness with which the radical + listens to her attacks, drawing his face up into a provoking supercilious + smile; and when she has talked herself out of breath, quietly asking her + for a taste of her home-brewed. + </p> + <p> + The only person that is in any way a match for this redoubtable + politician, is Ready-Money Jack Tibbets, who maintains his stand in the + tap-room, in defiance of the radical and all his works. Jack is one of the + most loyal men in the country, without being able to reason about the + matter. He has that admirable quality for a tough arguer, also, that he + never knows when he is beat. He has half-a-dozen old maxims which he + advances on all occasions, and though his antagonist may overturn them + never so often, yet he always brings them anew to the field. He is like + the robber in Ariosto, who, though his head might be cut off + half-a-hundred times, yet whipped it on his shoulders again in a + twinkling, and returned as sound a man as ever to the charge. + </p> + <p> + Whatever does not square with Jack’s simple and obvious creed, he sets + down for “French politics;” for, notwithstanding the peace, he cannot be + persuaded that the French are not still laying plots to ruin the nation, + and to get hold of the Bank of England. The radical attempted to overwhelm + him, one day, by a long passage from a newspaper; but Jack neither reads + nor believes in newspapers. In reply, he gave him one of the stanzas which + he has by heart from his favourite, and indeed only author, old Tusser, + and which he calls his Golden Rules: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Leave princes’ affairs undescanted on, + And tend to such doings as stand thee upon; + Fear God, and offend not the king nor his laws, + And keep thyself out of the magistrate’s claws. +</pre> + <p> + When Tibbets had pronounced this with great emphasis, he pulled out a + well-filled leathern purse, took out a handful of gold and silver,—paid + his score at the bar with great punctuality, returned his money, piece by + piece, into his purse, his purse into his pocket, which he buttoned up; + and then, giving his cudgel a stout thump upon the floor, and bidding the + radical “good-morning, sir!” with the tone of a man who conceives he has + completely done for his antagonist, he walked with lion-like gravity out + of the house. Two or three of Jack’s admirers who were present, and had + been afraid to take the field themselves, looked upon this as a perfect + triumph, and winked at each other when the radical’s back was turned. “Ay, + ay!” said mine host, as soon as the radical was out of hearing, “let old + Jack alone; I’ll warrant he’ll give him his own!” + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0039" id="link2H_4_0039"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + THE ROOKERY. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + But cawing rooks, and kites that swim sublime + In still repeated circles, screaming loud; + The jay, the pie, and e’en the boding owl, + That hails the rising moon, have charms for me. + + —COWPER. +</pre> + <p> + In a grove of tall oaks and beeches, that crowns a terrace-walk just on + the skirts of the garden, is an ancient rookery, which is one of the most + important provinces in the Squire’s rural domains. The old gentleman sets + great store by his rooks, and will not suffer one of them to be killed: in + consequence of which, they have increased amazingly; the tree-tops are + loaded with their nests; they have encroached upon the great avenue, and + have even established, in times long past, a colony among the elms and + pines of the church-yard, which, like other distant colonies, has already + thrown off allegiance to the mother country. + </p> + <p> + The rooks are looked up by the Squire as a very ancient and honourable + line of gentry, highly aristocratical in their notions, fond of place, and + attached to church and state; as their building so loftily, keeping about + churches and cathedrals, and in the venerable groves of old castles and + manor-houses, sufficiently manifests. The good opinion thus expressed by + the Squire put me upon observing more narrowly these very respectable + birds, for I confess, to my shame, I had been apt to confound them with + their cousins-german the crows, to whom, at the first glance, they bear so + great a family resemblance. Nothing, it seems, could be more unjust or + injurious than such a mistake. The rooks and crows are, among the + feathered tribes, what the Spaniards and Portuguese are among nations, the + least loving, in consequence of their neighbourhood and similarity. The + rooks are old established housekeepers, high-minded gentlefolk, that have + had their hereditary abodes time out of mind; but as to the poor crows, + they are a kind of vagabond, predatory, gipsy race, roving about the + country without any settled home; “their hands are against every body, and + every body’s against them;” and they are gibbeted in every corn-field. + Master Simon assures me that a female rook, that should so far forget + herself as to consort with a crow, would inevitably be disinherited, and + indeed would he totally discarded by all her genteel acquaintance. + </p> + <p> + The Squire is very watchful over the interests and concerns of his sable + neighbours. As to Master Simon, he even pretends to know many of them by + sight, and to have given names to them; he points out several, which he + says are old heads of families, and compares them to worthy old citizens, + beforehand in the world, that wear cocked hats, and silver buckles in + their shoes. Notwithstanding the protecting benevolence of the Squire, and + their being residents in his empire, they seem to acknowledge no + allegiance, and to hold no intercourse or intimacy. Their airy tenements + are built almost out of the reach of gun-shot; and, notwithstanding their + vicinity to the Hall, they maintain a most reserved and distrustful + shyness of mankind. + </p> + <p> + There is one season of the year, however, which brings all birds in a + manner to a level, and tames the pride of the loftiest high-flyer—which + is the season of building their nests. This takes place early in the + spring, when the forest trees first begin to show their buds; the long, + withy ends of the branches to turn green; when the wild strawberry, and + other herbage of the sheltered woodlands, put forth their tender and + tinted leaves; and the daisy and the primrose peep from under the hedges. + At this time there is a general bustle among the feathered tribes; an + incessant fluttering about, and a cheerful chirping; indicative, like the + germination of the vegetable world, of the reviving life and fecundity of + the year. + </p> + <p> + It is then that the rooks forget their usual stateliness and their shy and + lofty habits. Instead of keeping up in the high regions of the air, + swinging on the breezy tree-tops, and looking down with sovereign contempt + upon the humble crawlers upon earth, they are fain to throw off for a time + the dignity of the gentleman, to come down to the ground, and put on the + pains-taking and industrious character of a labourer. They now lose their + natural shyness, become fearless and familiar, and may be seen plying + about in all directions, with an air of great assiduity, in search of + building materials. Every now and then your path will be crossed by one of + these busy old gentlemen, worrying about with awkward gait, as if troubled + with the gout, or with corns on his toes, casting about many a prying + look, turning down first one eye, then the other, in earnest + consideration, upon every straw he meets with; until, espying some mighty + twig, large enough to make a rafter for his air-castle, he will seize upon + it with avidity, and hurry away with it to the tree-top; fearing, + apparently, lest you should dispute with him the invaluable prize. + </p> + <p> + Like other castle-builders, these airy architects seem rather fanciful in + the materials with which they build, and to like those most which come + from a distance. Thus, though there are abundance of dry twigs on the + surrounding trees, yet they never think of making use of them, but go + foraging in distant lands, and come sailing home, one by one, from the + ends of the earth, each bearing in his bill some precious piece of timber. + </p> + <p> + Nor must I avoid mentioning what, I grieve to say, rather derogates from + the grave and honourable character of these ancient gentlefolk; that, + during the architectural season, they are subject to great dissensions + among themselves; that they make no scruple to defraud and plunder each + other; and that sometimes the rookery is a scene of hideous brawl and + commotion, in consequence of some delinquency of the kind. One of the + partners generally remains on the nest, to guard it from depredation, and + I have seen severe contests, when some sly neighbour has endeavoured to + filch away a tempting rafter that has captivated his eye. As I am not + willing to admit any suspicion hastily, that should throw a stigma on the + general character of so worshipful a people, I am inclined to think that + these larcenies are very much discountenanced by the higher classes, and + even rigorously punished by those in authority; for I have now and then + seen a whole gang of rooks fall upon the nest of some individual, pull it + all to pieces, carry off the spoils, and even buffet the luckless + proprietor. I have concluded this to be some signal punishment inflicted + upon him, by the officers of the police, for some pilfering misdemeanour; + or, perhaps, that it was a crew of bailiffs carrying an execution into his + house. + </p> + <p> + I have been amused with another of their movements during the building + season. The steward has suffered a considerable number of sheep to graze + on a lawn near the house, somewhat to the annoyance of the Squire, who + thinks this an innovation on the dignity of a park, which ought to be + devoted to deer only. Be this as it may, there is a green knoll, not far + from the drawing-room window, where the ewes and lambs are accustomed to + assemble towards evening, for the benefit of the setting sun. No sooner + were they gathered here, at the time when these politic birds were + building, than a stately old rook, who Master Simon assured me was the + chief magistrate of this community, would settle down upon the head of one + of the ewes, who, seeming conscious of this condescension, would desist + from grazing, and stand fixed in motionless reverence of her august + burthen; the rest of the rookery would then come wheeling down, in + imitation of their leader, until every ewe had two or three of them + cawing, and fluttering, and battling upon her back. Whether they requited + the submission of the sheep, by levying a contribution upon their fleece + for the benefit of the rookery, I am not certain; though I presume they + followed the usual custom of protecting powers. + </p> + <p> + The latter part of May is the time of great tribulation among the + rookeries, when the young are just able to leave their nests, and balance + themselves on the neighbouring branches. Now comes on the season of “rook + shooting;” a terrible slaughter of the innocents. The Squire, of course, + prohibits all invasion of the kind on his territories; but I am told that + a lamentable havoc takes place in the colony about the old church. Upon + this devoted commonwealth the village charges “with all its chivalry.” + Every idle wight that is lucky enough to possess an old gun or + blunderbuss, together with all the archery of Slingsby’s school, take the + field on the occasion. In vain does the little parson interfere, or + remonstrate, in angry tones from his study window that looks into the + churchyard; there is a continual popping, from morning till night. Being + no great marksmen, their shots are not often effective; but every now and + then, a great shout from the besieging army of bumpkins makes known the + downfall of some unlucky squab rook, which comes to the ground with the + emphasis of a squashed apple-dumpling. + </p> + <p> + Nor is the rookery entirely free from other troubles and disasters. In so + aristocratical and lofty-minded a community, which boasts so much ancient + blood and hereditary pride, it is natural to suppose that questions of + etiquette will sometimes arise and affairs of honour ensue. In fact, this + is very often the case; bitter quarrels break out between individuals, + which produce sad scufflings on tree-tops, and I have more than once seen + a regular duel take place between two doughty heroes of the rookery. Their + field of battle is generally the air; and their contest is managed in the + most scientific and elegant manner; wheeling round and round each other, + and towering higher and higher, to get the vantage-ground, until they + sometimes disappear in the clouds before the combat is determined. + </p> + <p> + They have also fierce combats now and then with an invading hawk, and will + drive him off from their territories by a <i>posse comitatus</i>. They are + also extremely tenacious of their domains, and will suffer no other bird + to inhabit the grove or its vicinity. There was a very ancient and + respectable old bachelor owl, that had long had his lodgings in a corner + of the grove, but has been fairly ejected by the rooks; and has retired, + disgusted with the world, to a neighbouring wood, where he leads the life + of a hermit, and makes nightly complaints of his ill-treatment. + </p> + <p> + The hootings of this unhappy gentleman may generally be heard in the still + evenings, when the rooks are all at rest; and I have often listened to + them of a moonlight night with a kind of mysterious gratification. This + gray-bearded misanthrope, of course, is highly respected by the Squire; + but the servants have superstitious notions about him, and it would be + difficult to get the dairy-maid to venture after dark near to the wood + which he inhabits. + </p> + <p> + Beside the private quarrels of the rooks, there are other misfortunes to + which they are liable, and which often bring distress into the most + respectable families of the rookery. Having the true baronial spirit of + the good old feudal times, they are apt now and then to issue forth from + their castles on a foray, and to lay the plebeian fields of the + neighbouring country under contribution; in the course of which chivalrous + expeditions, they now and then get a shot from the rusty artillery of some + refractory farmer. Occasionally, too, while they are quietly taking the + air beyond the park boundaries, they have the incaution to come within the + reach of the truant bowman of Slingsby’s school, and receive a flight shot + from some unlucky urchin’s arrow. In such case, the wounded adventurer + will sometimes have just strength enough to bring himself home, and, + giving up the ghost at the rookery, will hang dangling “all abroad” on a + bough, like a thief on a gibbet—an awful warning to his friends, and + an object of great commiseration to the Squire. + </p> + <p> + But, maugre all these untoward incidents, the rooks have, upon the whole, + a happy holiday life of it. When their young are reared and fairly + launched upon their native element, the air, the cares of the old folks + seem over, and they resume all their aristocratical dignity and idleness. + I have envied them the enjoyment which they appear to have in their + ethereal heights, sporting with clamorous exultation about their lofty + bowers; sometimes hovering over them, sometimes partially alighting upon + the topmost branches, and there balancing with outstretched wings and + swinging in the breeze. Sometimes they seem to take a fashionable drive to + the church and amuse themselves by circling in airy rings about its spire; + at other times a mere garrison is left at home to mount guard in their + stronghold at the grove, while the rest roam abroad to enjoy the fine + weather. About sunset the garrison gives notice of their return; their + faint cawing will be heard from a great distance, and they will be seen + far off like a sable cloud, and then nearer and nearer, until they all + come soaring home. Then they perform several grand circuits in the air + over the Hall and garden, wheeling closer and closer until they gradually + settle down, when a prodigious cawing takes place, as though they were + relating their day’s adventures. + </p> + <p> + I like at such times to walk about these dusky groves, and hear the + various sounds of these airy people roosted so high above me. As the gloom + increases, their conversation subsides, and they seem to be gradually + dropping asleep; but every now and then there is a querulous note, as if + some one was quarrelling for a pillow, or a little more of the blanket. It + is late in the evening before they completely sink to repose, and then + their old anchorite neighbour, the owl, begins his lonely hooting from his + bachelor’s-hall in the wood. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0040" id="link2H_4_0040"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + MAY-DAY. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + It is the choice time of the year, + For the violets now appear; + Now the rose receives its birth, + And pretty primrose decks the earth. + Then to the May-pole come away, + For it is now a holiday. + + —<i>Acteon and Diana</i>. +</pre> + <p> + As I was lying in bed this morning, enjoying one of those half dreams, + half reveries, which are so pleasant in the country, when the birds are + singing about the window, and the sunbeams peeping through the curtains, I + was roused by the sound of music. On going down-stairs I found a number of + villagers, dressed in their holiday clothes, bearing a pole ornamented + with garlands and ribands, and accompanied by the village band of music, + under the direction of the tailor, the pale fellow who plays on the + clarionet. They had all sprigs of hawthorn, or, as it is called, “the + May,” in their hats, and had brought green branches and flowers to + decorate the Hall door and windows. They had come to give notice that the + May-pole was reared on the green, and to invite the household to witness + the sports. The Hall, according to custom, became a scene of hurry and + delighted confusion. The servants were all agog with May and music; and + there was no keeping either the tongues or the feet of the maids quiet, + who were anticipating the sports of the green and the evening dance. + </p> + <p> + I repaired to the village at an early hour, to enjoy the merrymaking. The + morning was pure and sunny, such as a May morning is always described. The + fields were white with daisies, the hawthorn was covered with its fragrant + blossoms, the bee hummed about every bank, and the swallow played high in + the air about the village steeple. It was one of those genial days when we + seem to draw in pleasure with the very air we breathe, and to feel happy + we know not why. Whoever has felt the worth of worthy man, or has doted on + lovely woman, will, on such a day, call them tenderly to mind, and feel + his heart all alive with long-buried recollections. “For thenne,” says the + excellent romance of King Arthur, “lovers call ageyne to their mynde old + gentilnes and old servyse, and many kind dedes that were forgotten by + neglygence.” + </p> + <p> + Before reaching the village, I saw the May-pole towering above the + cottages with its gay garlands and streamers, and heard the sound of + music. I found that there had been booths set up near it, for the + reception of company; and a bower of green branches and flowers for the + Queen of May, a fresh, rosy-cheeked girl of the village. + </p> + <p> + A band of morris-dancers were capering on the green in their fantastic + dresses, jingling with hawks’ bells, with a boy dressed up as Maid Marian, + and the attendant fool rattling his box to collect contributions from the + bystanders. The gipsy-women too were already plying their mystery in + by-corners of the village, reading the hands of the simple country girls, + and no doubt promising them all good husbands and tribes of children. + </p> + <p> + The Squire made his appearance in the course of the morning, attended by + the parson, and was received with loud acclamations. He mingled among the + country people throughout the day, giving and receiving pleasure wherever + he went. The amusements of the day were under the management of Slingsby, + the schoolmaster, who is not merely lord of misrule in his school, but + master of the revels to the village. He was bustling about, with the + perplexed and anxious air of a man who has the oppressive burthen of + promoting other people’s merriment upon his mind. He had involved himself + in a dozen scrapes, in consequence of a politic intrigue, which, + by-the-by, Master Simon and the Oxonian were at the bottom of, which had + for object the election of the Queen of May. He had met with violent + opposition from a faction of ale-drinkers, who were in favour of a + bouncing bar-maid, the daughter of the innkeeper; but he had been too + strongly backed not to carry his point, though it shows that these rural + crowns, like all others, are objects of great ambition and heart-burning. + I am told that Master Simon takes great interest, though in an Underhand + way, in the election of these May-day Queens, and that the chaplet is + generally secured for some rustic beauty that has found favour in his + eyes. + </p> + <p> + In the course of the day, there were various games of strength and agility + on the green, at which a knot of village veterans presided, as judges of + the lists. Among these I perceived that Ready-Money Jack took the lead, + looking with a learned and critical eye on the merits of the different + candidates; and, though he was very laconic, and sometimes merely + expressed himself by a nod, yet it was evident that his opinions far + outweighed those of the most loquacious. + </p> + <p> + Young Jack Tibbets was the hero of the day, and carried off most of the + prizes, though in some of the feats of agility he was rivalled by the + “prodigal son,” who appeared much in his element on this occasion; but his + most formidable competitor was the notorious gipsy, the redoubtable + “Starlight Tom.” I was rejoiced at having an opportunity of seeing this + “minion of the moon” in broad daylight. I found him a tall, swarthy, + good-looking fellow, with a lofty air, something like what I have seen in + an Indian chieftain; and with a certain lounging, easy, and almost + graceful carriage, which I have often remarked in beings of the lazzaroni + order, that lead an idle loitering life, and have a gentlemanlike contempt + of labour. + </p> + <p> + Master Simon and the old general reconnoitred the ground together, and + indulged a vast deal of harmless raking among the buxom country girls. + Master Simon would give some of them a kiss on meeting with them, and + would ask after their sisters, for he is acquainted with most of the + farmers’ families. Sometimes he would whisper, and affect to talk + mischievously with them, and, if bantered on the subject, would turn it + off with a laugh, though it was evident he liked to be suspected of being + a gay Lothario amongst them. + </p> + <p> + He had much to say to the farmers about their farms; and seemed to know + all their horses by name. There was an old fellow, with round ruddy face, + and a night-cap under his hat, the village wit, who took several occasions + to crack a joke with him in the hearing of his companions, to whom he + would turn and wink hard when Master Simon had passed. + </p> + <p> + The harmony of the day, however, had nearly, at one time, been interrupted + by the appearance of the radical on the ground, with two or three of his + disciples. He soon got engaged in argument in the very thick of the + throng, above which I could hear his voice, and now and then see his + meagre hand, half a mile out of the sleeve, elevated in the air in violent + gesticulation, and flourishing a pamphlet by way of truncheon. He was + decrying these idle nonsensical amusements in time of public distress, + when it was every one’s business to think of other matters, and to be + miserable. The honest village logicians could make no stand against him, + especially as he was seconded by his proselytes; when, to their great joy, + Master Simon and the general came drifting down into the field of action. + I saw that Master Simon was for making off, as soon as he found himself in + the neighbourhood of this fire-ship; but the general was too loyal to + suffer such talk in his hearing, and thought, no doubt, that a look and a + word from a gentleman would be sufficient to shut up so shabby an orator. + The latter, however, was no respecter of persons, but rather seemed to + exult in having such important antagonists. He talked with greater + volubility than ever, and soon drowned them in declamation on the subject + of taxes, poor’s rates, and the national debt. Master Simon endeavoured to + brush along in his usual excursive manner, which had always answered + amazingly well with the villagers; but the radical was one of those + pestilent fellows that pin a man down to facts; and, indeed, he had two or + three pamphlets in his pocket, to support every thing he advanced by + printed documents. The general, too, found himself betrayed into a more + serious action than his dignity could brook; and looked like a mighty + Dutch Indiaman, grievously peppered by a petty privateer. It was in vain + that he swelled and looked big, and talked large, and endeavoured to make + up by pomp of manner for poverty of matter; every home-thrust of the + radical made him wheeze like a bellows, and seemed to let a volume of wind + out of him. + </p> + <p> + In a word, the two worthies from the Hall were completely dumbfounded, and + this too in the presence of several of Master Simon’s staunch admirers, + who had always looked up to him as infallible. I do not know how he and + the general would have managed to draw their forces decently from the + field, had there not been a match at grinning through a horse-collar + announced, whereupon the radical retired with great expression of + contempt, and, as soon as his back was turned, the argument was carried + against him all hollow. + </p> + <p> + “Did you ever hear such a pack of stuff, general?” said Master Simon; + “there’s no talking with one of these chaps, when he once gets that + confounded Cobbett in his head.” + </p> + <p> + “S’blood, sir!” said the general, wiping his forehead, “such fellows ought + all to be transported.” + </p> + <p> + In the latter part of the day, the ladies from the Hall paid a visit to + the green. The fair Julia made her appearance leaning on her lover’s arm, + and looking extremely pale and interesting. As she is a great favourite in + the village, where she has been known from childhood; and as her late + accident had been much talked about, the sight of her caused very manifest + delight, and some of the old women of the village blessed her sweet face + as she passed. + </p> + <p> + While they were walking about, I noticed the schoolmaster in earnest + conversation with the young girl that represented the Queen of May, + evidently endeavouring to spirit her up to some formidable undertaking. At + length, as the party from the Hall approached her bower, she came forth, + faltering at every step, until she reached the spot where the fair Julia + stood between her lover and Lady Lillycraft. The little Queen then took + the chaplet of flowers from her head, and attempted to put it on that of + the bride elect; but the confusion of both was so great, that the wreath + would have fallen to the ground, had not the officer caught it, and, + laughing, placed it upon the blushing brows of his mistress. There was + something charming in the very embarrassment of these two young creatures, + both so beautiful, yet so different in their kinds of beauty. Master Simon + told me, afterwards, that the Queen of May was to have spoken a few verses + which the schoolmaster had written for her; but that she had neither wit + to understand, nor memory to recollect them. “Besides,” added he, “between + you and I, she murders the king’s English abominably; so she has acted the + part of a wise woman, in holding her tongue, and trusting to her pretty + face.” + </p> + <p> + Among the other characters from the Hall was Mrs. Hannah, my Lady + Lillycraft’s gentlewoman; to my surprise, she was escorted by old Christy, + the huntsman, and followed by his ghost of a grayhound; but I find they + are very old acquaintances, being drawn together by some sympathy of + disposition. Mrs. Hannah moved about with starched dignity among the + rustics, who drew back from her with more awe than they did from her + mistress. Her mouth seemed shut as with a clasp; excepting that I now and + then heard the word “fellows!” escape from between her lips, as she got + accidentally jostled in the crowd. + </p> + <p> + But there was one other heart present that did not enter into the + merriment of the scene, which was that of the simple Phoebe Wilkins, the + housekeeper’s niece. The poor girl has continued to pine and whine for + some time past, in consequence of the obstinate coldness of her lover; + never was a little flirtation more severely punished. She appeared this + day on the green, gallanted by a smart servant out of livery, and had + evidently resolved to try the hazardous experiment of awakening the + jealousy of her lover. She was dressed in her very best; affected an air + of great gayety; talked loud and girlishly, and laughed when there was + nothing to laugh at. There was, however, an aching, heavy heart in the + poor baggage’s bosom, in spite of all her levity. Her eye turned every now + and then in quest of her reckless lover, and her cheek grew pale, and her + fictitious gayety vanished, on seeing him paying his rustic homage to the + little May-day Queen. + </p> + <p> + My attention was now diverted by a fresh stir and bustle. Music was heard + from a distance; a banner was seen advancing up the road, preceded by a + rustic band playing something like a march, and followed by a sturdy + throng of country lads, the chivalry of a neighbouring and rival village. + </p> + <p> + No sooner had they reached the green, than they challenged the heroes of + the day to new trials of strength and activity. Several gymnastic contests + ensued, for the honour of the respective villages. In the course of these + exercises, young Tibbets and the champion of the adverse party had an + obstinate match at wrestling. They tugged, and strained, and panted, + without either getting the mastery, until both came to the ground, and + rolled upon the green. Just then, the disconsolate Phoebe came by. She saw + her recreant lover in fierce contest, as she thought, and in danger. In a + moment pride, pique, and coquetry, were forgotten; she rushed into the + ring, seized upon the rival champion by the hair, and was on the point of + wreaking on him her puny vengeance, when a buxom, strapping country lass, + the sweetheart of the prostrate swain, pounced upon her like a hawk, and + would have stripped her of her fine plumage in a twinkling, had she also + not been seized in her turn. + </p> + <p> + A complete tumult ensued. The chivalry of the two villages became + embroiled. Blows began to be dealt, and sticks to be flourished. Phoebe + was carried off from the field in hysterics. + </p> + <p> + In vain did the sages of the village interfere. The sententious apothecary + endeavoured to pour the soothing oil of his philosophy upon this + tempestuous sea of passion, but was tumbled into the dust. Slingsby, the + pedagogue, who is a great lover of peace, went into the midst of the + throng, as marshal of the day, to put an end to the commotion; but was + rent in twain, and came out with his garment hanging in two strips from + his shoulders; upon which the prodigal son dashed in with fury, to revenge + the insult which his patron had sustained. The tumult thickened; I caught + glimpses of the jockey-cap of old Christy, like the helmet of a chieftain, + bobbing about in the midst of the scuffle; whilst Mistress Hannah, + separated from her doughty protector, was squalling and striking at right + and left with a faded parasol; being tossed and tousled about by the crowd + in such wise as never happened to maiden gentle woman before. + </p> + <p> + At length I beheld old Ready-Money Jack making his way into the very + thickest of the throng; tearing it, as it were, apart, and enforcing + peace, <i>vi et armis</i>. It was surprising to see the sudden quiet that + ensued. The storm settled down at once into tranquillity. The parties, + having no real grounds of hostility, were readily pacified, and in fact + were a little at a loss to know why and how they had got by the ears. + Slingsby was speedily stitched together again by his friend the tailor, + and resumed his usual good-humour. Mrs. Hannah drew on one side, to plume + her rumpled feathers; and old Christy, having repaired his damages, took + her under his arm, and they swept back again to the Hall, ten times more + bitter against mankind than ever. + </p> + <p> + The Tibbets family alone seemed slow in recovering from the agitation of + the scene. Young Jack was evidently very much moved by the heroism of the + unlucky Phoebe. His mother, who had been summoned to the field of action + by news of the affray, was in a sad panic, and had need of all her + management to keep him from following his mistress, and coming to a + perfect reconciliation. + </p> + <p> + What heightened the alarm and perplexity of the good managing dame was, + that the matter had aroused the slow apprehension of old Ready-Money + himself; who was very much struck by the intrepid interference of so + pretty and delicate a girl, and was sadly puzzled to understand the + meaning of the violent agitation in his family. + </p> + <p> + When all this came to the ears of the Squire, he was grievously + scandalized that his May-day fête should have been disgraced by such a + brawl. He ordered Phoebe to appear before him; but the girl was so + frightened and distressed, that she came sobbing and trembling, and, at + the first question he asked, fell again into hysterics. Lady Lillycraft, + who had understood that there was an affair of the heart at the bottom of + this distress, immediately took the girl into great favour and protection, + and made her peace with the Squire. + </p> + <p> + This was the only thing that disturbed the harmony of the day, if we + except the discomfiture of Master Simon and the general by the radical. + Upon the whole, therefore, the Squire had very fair reason to be satisfied + that he had ridden his hobby throughout the day without any other + molestation. + </p> + <p> + The reader, learned in these matters, will perceive that all this was but + a faint shadow of the once gay and fanciful rites of May. The peasantry + have lost the proper feeling for these rites, and have grown almost as + strange to them as the boom of La Mancha were to the customs of chivalry, + in the days of the valorous Don Quixote. Indeed, I considered it a proof + of the discretion with which the Squire rides his hobby, that he had not + pushed the thing any farther, nor attempted to revive many obsolete usages + of the day, which, in the present matter-of-fact times, would appear + affected and absurd. I must say, though I do it under the rose, the + general brawl in which this festival had nearly terminated, has made me + doubt whether these rural customs of the good old times were always so + very loving and innocent as we are apt to fancy them; and whether the + peasantry in those times were really so Arcadian, as they have been fondly + represented. I begin to fear— + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + —“Those days were never; airy dream + Sat for the picture, and the poet’s hand, + Imparting substance to an empty shade, + Imposed a gay delirium for a truth. + Grant it; I still must envy them an age + That favour’d such a dream.” + </pre> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0041" id="link2H_4_0041"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + THE MANUSCRIPT. + </h2> + <p> + Yesterday was a day of quiet and repose, after the bustle of May-day. + During the morning, I joined the ladies in a small sitting-room, the + windows of which came down to the floor, and opened upon a terrace of the + garden, which was set out with delicate shrubs and flowers. The soft + sunshine that fell into the room through the branches of trees that + overhung the windows, the sweet smell of the flowers, and the singing of + the birds, seemed to produce a pleasing yet calming effect on the whole + party; for some time elapsed without any one speaking. Lady Lillycraft and + Miss Templeton were sitting by an elegant work-table, near one of the + windows, occupied with some pretty lady-like work. The captain was on a + stool at his mistress’ feet, looking over some music; and poor Phoebe + Wilkins, who has always been a kind of pet among the ladies, but who has + risen vastly in favour with Lady Lillycraft, in consequence of some tender + confessions, sat in one corner of the room, with swoln eyes, working + pensively at some of the fair Julia’s wedding ornaments. + </p> + <p> + The silence was interrupted by her ladyship, who suddenly proposed a task + to the captain. “I am in your debt,” said she, “for that tale you read to + us the other day; I will now furnish one in return, if you’ll read it: and + it is just suited to this sweet May morning, for it is all about love!” + </p> + <p> + The proposition seemed to delight every one present. The captain smiled + assent. Her ladyship rung for her page, and despatched him to her room for + the manuscript. “As the captain,” said she, “gave us an account of the + author of his story, it is but right I should give one of mine. It was + written by the parson of the parish where I reside. He is a thin, elderly + man, of a delicate constitution, but positively one of the most charming + men that ever lived. He lost his wife a few years since; one of the + sweetest women you ever saw. He has two sons, whom he educates himself; + both of whom already write delightful poetry. His parsonage is a lovely + place, close by the church, all overrun with ivy and honeysuckles; with + the sweetest flower-garden about it; for, you know, our country clergymen + are almost always fond of flowers, and make their parsonages perfect + pictures. + </p> + <p> + “His living is a very good one, and he is very much beloved, and does a + great deal of good in the neighbourhood, and among the poor. And then such + sermons as he preaches! Oh, if you could only hear one taken from a text + in Solomon’s Song, all about love and matrimony, one of the sweetest + things you ever heard! He preaches it at least once a year, in springtime, + for he knows I am fond of it. He always dines with me on Sundays, and + often brings me some of the sweetest pieces of poetry, all about the + pleasures of melancholy, and such subjects, that make me cry so, you can’t + think. I wish he would publish. I think he has some things as sweet as any + thing of Moore or Lord Byron. + </p> + <p> + “He fell into very ill health some time ago, and was advised to go to the + continent; and I gave him no peace until he went, and promised to take + care of his two boys until he returned. + </p> + <p> + “He was gone for above a year, and was quite restored. When he came back, + he sent me the tale I’m going to show you.—Oh, here it is!” said + she, as the page put in her hands a beautiful box of satinwood. She + unlocked it, and from among several parcels of notes on embossed paper, + cards of charades, and copies of verses, she drew out a crimson velvet + case, that smelt very much of perfumes. From this she took a manuscript, + daintily written on gilt-edged vellum paper, and stitched a light blue + riband. This she handed to the captain, who read the following tale, which + I have procured for the entertainment of the reader. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0042" id="link2H_4_0042"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + ANNETTE DELARBRE. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + The soldier frae the war returns, + And the merchant from the main, + But I hae parted with my love, + And ne’er to meet again, + My dear. + And ne’er to meet again. + When day is gone, and night is come, + And a’ are boun to sleep, + I think on them that’s far awa + The lee-lang night, and weep, + My dear, + The lee-lang night, and weep. + + —<i>Old Scotch Ballad</i>. +</pre> + <p> + In the course of a tour that I once made in Lower Normandy, I remained for + a day or two at the old town of Honfleur, which stands near the mouth of + the Seine. It was the time of a fête, and all the world was thronging in + the evening to dance at the fair, held before the chapel of Our Lady of + Grace. As I like all kinds of innocent merry-making, I joined the throng. + </p> + <p> + The chapel is situated at the top of a high hill, or promontory, from + whence its bell may be heard at a distance by the mariner at night. It is + said to have given the name to the port of Havre-de-Grace, which lies + directly opposite, on the other side of the Seine. The road up to the + chapel went in a zigzag course, along the brow of the steep coast; it was + shaded by trees, from between which I had beautiful peeps at the ancient + towers of Honfleur below, the varied scenery of the opposite shore, the + white buildings of Havre in the distance, and the wide sea beyond. The + road was enlivened by groups of peasant girls, in their bright crimson + dresses and tall caps; and I found all the flower of the neighbourhood + assembled on the green that crowns the summit of the hill. + </p> + <p> + The chapel of Notre Dame de Grace is a favourite resort of the inhabitants + of Honfleur and its vicinity, both for pleasure and devotion. At this + little chapel prayers are put up by the mariners of the port previous to + their voyages, and by their friends during their absence; and votive + offerings are hung about its walls, in fulfilment of vows made during + times of shipwreck and disaster. The chapel is surrounded by trees. Over + the portal is an image of the Virgin and child, with an inscription which + struck me as being quite poetical: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + “Etoile de la mer, priez pour nous!” + (Star of the sea, pray for us.) +</pre> + <p> + On a level spot near the chapel, under a grove of noble trees, the + populace dance on fine summer evenings; and here are held frequent fairs + and fêtes, which assemble all the rustic beauty of the loveliest parts of + Lower Normandy. The present was an occasion of the kind. Booths and tents + were erected among the trees; there were the usual displays of finery to + tempt the rural coquette, and of wonderful shows to entice the curious; + mountebanks were exerting their eloquence; jugglers and fortune-tellers + astonishing the credulous; while whole rows of grotesque saints, in wood + and wax-work, were offered for the purchase of the pious. + </p> + <p> + The fête had assembled in one view all the picturesque costumes of the + Pays d’Auge, and the Coté de Caux. I beheld tall, stately caps, and trim + bodices, according to fashions which have been handed down from mother to + daughter for centuries, the exact counterparts of those worn in the time + of the Conqueror; and which surprised me by their faithful resemblance to + those which I had seen in the old pictures of Froissart’s Chronicles, and + in the paintings of illuminated manuscripts. Any one, also, that has been + in Lower Normandy, must have remarked the beauty of the peasantry, and + that air of native elegance that prevails among them. It is to this + country, undoubtedly, that the English owe their good looks. It was from + hence that the bright carnation, the fine blue eye, the light auburn hair, + passed over to England in the train of the Conqueror, and filled the land + with beauty. + </p> + <p> + The scene before me was perfectly enchanting: the assemblage of so many + fresh and blooming faces; the gay groups in fanciful dresses; some dancing + on the green, others strolling about, or seated on the grass; the fine + clumps of trees in the foreground, bordering the brow of this airy height, + and the broad green sea, sleeping in summer tranquillity in the distance. + </p> + <p> + Whilst I was regarding this animated picture, I was struck with the + appearance of a beautiful girl, who passed through the crowd without + seeming to take any interest in their amusements. She was slender and + delicate in her form; she had not the bloom upon her cheek that is usual + among the peasantry of Normandy, and her blue eyes had a singular and + melancholy expression. She was accompanied by a venerable-looking man, + whom I presumed to be her father. There was a whisper among the + bystanders, and a wistful look after her as she passed; the young men + touched their hats, and some of the children followed her at a little + distance, watching her movements. She approached the edge of the hill, + where there is a little platform, from whence the people of Honfleur look + out for the approach of vessels. Here she stood for some time waving her + handkerchief, though there was nothing to be seen but two or three + fishing-boats, like mere specks on the bosom of the distant ocean. + </p> + <p> + These circumstances excited my curiosity, and I made some inquiries about + her, which were answered with readiness and intelligence by a priest of + the neighbouring chapel. Our conversation drew together several of the + by-standers, each of whom had something to communicate, and from them all + I gathered the following particulars. + </p> + <p> + Annette Delarbre was the only daughter of one of the higher order of + farmers, or small proprietors, as they are called, who lived at Pont + l’Eveque, a pleasant village not far from Honfleur, in that rich pastoral + part of Lower Normandy called the Pays d’Auge. Annette was the pride and + delight of her parents, and was brought up with the fondest indulgence. + She was gay, tender, petulant, and susceptible. All her feelings were + quick and ardent; and having never experienced contradiction or restraint, + she was little practised in self-control: nothing but the native goodness + of her heart kept her from running continually into error. + </p> + <p> + Even while a child, her susceptibility was evinced in an attachment which + she formed to a playmate, Eugene La Forgue, the only son of a widow, who + lived in the neighbourhood. Their childish love was an epitome of maturer + passion; it had its caprices, and jealousies, and quarrels, and + reconciliations. It was assuming something of a graver character, as + Annette entered her fifteenth and Eugene his nineteenth year, when he was + suddenly carried off to the army by the conscription. + </p> + <p> + It was a heavy blow to his widowed mother, for he was her only pride and + comfort; but it was one of those sudden bereavements which mothers were + perpetually doomed to feel in France, during the time that continual and + bloody wars were incessantly draining her youth. It was a temporary + affliction also to Annette, to lose her lover. With tender embraces, half + childish, half womanish, she parted from him. The tears streamed from her + blue eyes, as she bound a braid of her fair hair round his wrist; but the + smiles still broke through; for she was yet too young to feel how serious + a thing is separation, and how many chances there are, when parting in + this wide world, against our ever meeting again. + </p> + <p> + Weeks, months, years flew by. Annette increased in beauty as she increased + in years, and was the reigning belle of the neighbourhood. Her time passed + innocently and happily. Her father was a man of some consequence in the + rural community, and his house was the resort of the gayest of the + village. Annette held a kind of rural court; she was always surrounded by + companions of her own age, among whom she alone unrivalled. Much of their + time was passed in making lace, the prevalent manufacture of the + neighbourhood. As they sat at this delicate and feminine labour, the merry + tale and sprightly song went round; none laughed with a lighter heart than + Annette; and if she sang, her voice was perfect melody. Their evenings + were enlivened by the dance, or by those pleasant social games so + prevalent among the French; and when she appeared at the village ball on + Sunday evenings, she was the theme of universal admiration. + </p> + <p> + As she was a rural heiress, she did not want for suitors. Many + advantageous offers were made her, but she refused them all. She laughed + at the pretended pangs of her admirers, and triumphed over them with the + caprice of buoyant youth and conscious beauty. With all her apparent + levity, however, could any one have read the story of her heart, they + might have traced in it some fond remembrance of her early playmate, not + so deeply graven as to be painful, but too deep to be easily obliterated; + and they might have noticed, amidst all her gayety, the tenderness that + marked her manner towards the mother of Eugene. She would often steal away + from her youthful companions and their amusements, to pass whole days with + the good widow; listening to her fond talk about her boy, and blushing + with secret pleasure, when his letters were read, at finding herself a + constant theme of recollection and inquiry. + </p> + <p> + At length the sudden return of peace, which sent many a warrior to his + native cottage, brought back Eugene, a young sun-burnt soldier, to the + village. I need not say how rapturously his return was greeted by his + mother, who saw in him the pride and staff of her old age. He had risen in + the service by his merits; but brought away little from the wars, + excepting a soldier-like air, a gallant name, and a scar across the + forehead. He brought back, however, a nature unspoiled by the camp. He was + frank, open, generous, and ardent. His heart was quick and kind in its + impulses, and was perhaps a little softer from having suffered: it was + full of tenderness for Annette. He had received frequent accounts of her + from his mother; and the mention of her kindness to his lonely parent, had + rendered her doubly dear to him. He had been wounded; he had been a + prisoner; he had been in various troubles, but had always preserved the + braid of her hair, which she had bound round his arm. It had been a kind + of talisman to him; he had many a time looked upon it as he lay on the + hard ground, and the thought that he might one day see Annette again, and + the fair fields about his native village, had cheered his heart, and + enabled him to bear up against every hardship. + </p> + <p> + He had left Annette almost a child—he found her a blooming woman. If + he had loved her before, he now adored her. Annette was equally struck + with the improvement which time had made in her lover. She noticed, with + secret admiration, his superiority to the other young men of the village; + the frank, lofty, military air, that distinguished him from all the rest + at their rural gatherings. The more she saw him, the more her light, + playful fondness of former years deepened into ardent and powerful + affection. But Annette was a rural belle. + </p> + <p> + She had tasted the sweets of dominion, and had been rendered wilful and + capricious by constant indulgence at home, and admiration abroad. She was + conscious of her power over Eugene, and delighted in exercising it. She + sometimes treated him with petulant caprice, enjoying the pain which she + inflicted by her frowns, from the idea how soon she would chase it away + again by her smiles. She took a pleasure in alarming his fears, by + affecting a temporary preference to some one or other of his rivals; and + then would delight in allaying them, by an ample measure of returning + kindness. Perhaps there was some degree of vanity gratified by all this; + it might be a matter of triumph to show her absolute power over the young + soldier, who was the universal object of female admiration. Eugene, + however, was of too serious and ardent a nature to be trifled with. He + loved too fervently not to be filled with doubt. He saw Annette surrounded + by admirers, and full of animation; the gayest among the gay at all their + rural festivities, and apparently most gay when he was most dejected. + Every one saw through this caprice, but himself; everyone saw that in + reality she doted on him; but Eugene alone suspected the sincerity of her + affection. For some time he bore this coquetry with secret impatience and + distrust; but his feelings grew sore and irritable, and overcame his + self-command. A slight misunderstanding took place; a quarrel ensued. + Annette, unaccustomed to be thwarted and contradicted, and full of the + insolence of youthful beauty, assumed an air of disdain. She refused all + explanations to her lover, and they parted in anger. + </p> + <p> + That very evening Eugene saw her, full of gayety, dancing with one of his + rivals; and as her eye caught his, fixed on her with unfeigned distress, + it sparkled with more than usual vivacity. It was a finishing blow to his + hopes, already so much impaired by secret distrust. Pride and resentment + both struggled in his breast, and seemed to rouse his spirit to all its + wonted energy. He retired from her presence, with the hasty determination + never to see her again. + </p> + <p> + A woman is more considerate in affairs of love than a man; because love is + more the study and business of her life. Annette soon repented of her + indiscretion; she felt that she had used her lover unkindly; she felt that + she had trifled with his sincere and generous nature—and then he + looked so handsome when he parted after their quarrel—his fine + features lighted up by indignation. She had intended making up with him at + the evening dance; but his sudden departure prevented her. She now + promised herself that when next they met she would amply repay him by the + sweets of a perfect reconciliation, and that, thenceforward, she would + never—never tease him more! That promise was not to be fulfilled. + Day after day passed—but Eugene did not make his appearance. Sunday + evening came, the usual time when all the gayety of the village assembled—butEugene + was not there. She inquired after him; he had left the village. She now + became alarmed, and, forgetting all coyness and affected indifference, + called on Eugene’s mother for an explanation. She found her full of + affliction, and learnt with surprise and consternation that Eugene had + gone to sea. + </p> + <p> + While his feelings were yet smarting with her affected disdain, and his + heart a prey to alternate indignation and despair, he had suddenly + embraced an invitation which had repeatedly been made him by a relation, + who was fitting out a ship from the port of Honfleur, and who wished him + to be the companion of his voyage. Absence appeared to him the only cure + for his unlucky passion; and in the temporary transports of his feelings, + there was something gratifying in the idea of having half the world + intervene between them. The hurry necessary for his departure left no time + for cool reflection; it rendered him deaf to the remonstrances of his + afflicted mother. He hastened to Honfleur just in time to make the needful + preparations for the voyage; and the first news that Annette received of + this sudden determination was a letter delivered by his mother, returning + her pledges of affection, particularly the long-treasured braid of her + hair, and bidding her a last farewell, in terms more full of sorrow and + tenderness than upbraiding. + </p> + <p> + This was the first stroke of real anguish that Annette had ever received, + and it overcame her. The vivacity of her spirits was apt to hurry her to + extremes; she for a time gave way to ungovernable transports of affliction + and remorse, and manifested, in the violence of her grief, the real ardour + of her affection. The thought occurred to her that the ship might not yet + have sailed; she seized on the hope with eagerness, and hastened with her + father to Honfleur. The ship had sailed that very morning. From the + heights above the town she saw it lessening to a speck on the broad bosom + of the ocean, and before evening the white sail had faded from her sight. + She turned full of anguish to the neighbouring chapel of Our Lady of + Grace, and throwing herself on the pavement, poured out prayers and tears + for the safe return of her lover. + </p> + <p> + When she returned home, the cheerfulness of her spirits was at an end. She + looked back with remorse and self-upbraiding at her past caprices; she + turned with distaste from the adulation of her admirers, and had no longer + any relish for the amusements of the village. With humiliation and + diffidence, she sought the widowed mother of Eugene; but was received by + her with an overflowing heart; for she only beheld in Annette one who + could sympathize in her doting fondness for her son. It seemed some + alleviation of her remorse to sit by the mother all day, to study her + wants, to beguile her heavy hours, to hang about her with the caressing + endearments of a daughter, and to seek by every means, if possible, to + supply the place of the son, whom she reproached herself with having + driven away. + </p> + <p> + In the mean time, the ship made a prosperous voyage to her destined port. + Eugene’s mother received a letter from him, in which he lamented the + precipitancy of his departure. The voyage had given him time for sober + reflection. If Annette had been unkind to him, he ought not to have + forgotten what was due to his mother, who was now advanced in years. He + accused himself of selfishness, in only listening to the suggestions of + his own inconsiderate passions. He promised to return with the ship, to + make his mind up to his disappointment, and to think of nothing but making + his mother happy—“And when he does return,” said Annette, clasping + her hands with transport, “it shall not be my fault if he ever leaves us + again.” + </p> + <p> + The time approached for the ship’s return. She was daily expected, when + the weather became dreadfully tempestuous. Day after day brought news of + vessels foundered, or driven on shore, and the coast was strewed with + wrecks. Intelligence was received of the looked-for ship having been seen + dismasted in a violent storm, and the greatest fears were entertained for + her safety. + </p> + <p> + Annette never left the side of Eugene’s mother. She watched every change + of her countenance with painful solicitude, and endeavoured to cheer her + with hopes, while her own mind was racked by anxiety. She tasked her + efforts to be gay; but it was a forced and unnatural gayety: a sigh from + the mother would completely check it; and when she could no longer + restrain the rising tears, she would hurry away and pour out her agony in + secret. Every anxious look, every anxious inquiry of the mother, whenever + a door opened, or a strange face appeared, was an arrow to her soul. She + considered every disappointment as a pang of her own infliction, and her + heart sickened under the careworn expression of the maternal eye. At + length this suspense became insupportable. She left the village and + hastened to Honfleur, hoping every hour, every moment, to receive some + tidings of her lover. She paced the pier, and wearied the seamen of the + port with her inquiries. She made a daily pilgrimage to the chapel of Our + Lady of Grace; hung votive garlands on the wall, and passed hours either + kneeling before the altar, or looking out from the brow of the hill upon + the angry sea. + </p> + <p> + At length word was brought that the long-wished-for vessel was in sight. + She was seen standing into the mouth of the Seine, shattered and crippled, + bearing marks of having been sadly tempest-tost. There was a general joy + diffused by her return; and there was not a brighter eye, nor a lighter + heart, than Annette’s, in the little port of Honfleur. The ship came to + anchor in the river, and shortly after a boat put off for the shore. The + populace crowded down to the pier-head, to welcome it. Annette stood + blushing, and smiling, and trembling, and weeping; for a thousand + painfully-pleasing emotions agitated her breast at the thoughts of the + meeting and reconciliation about to take place. + </p> + <p> + Her heart throbbed to pour itself out, and atone to her gallant lover for + all its errors. At one moment she would place herself in a conspicuous + situation, where she might catch his view at once, and surprise him by her + welcome; but the next moment a doubt would come across her mind, and she + would shrink among the throng, trembling and faint, and gasping with her + emotions. Her agitation increased as the boat drew near, until it became + distressing; and it was almost a relief to her when she perceived that her + lover was not there. She presumed that some accident had detained him on + board of the ship; and she felt that the delay would enable her to gather + more self-possession for the meeting. As the boat neared the shore, many + inquiries were made, and laconic answers returned. + </p> + <p> + At length Annette heard some inquiries after her lover. Her heart + palpitated—there was a moment’s pause: the reply was brief, but + awful. He had been washed from the deck, with two of the crew, in the + midst of a stormy night, when it was impossible to render any assistance. + A piercing shriek broke from among the crowd; and Annette had nearly + fallen into the waves. + </p> + <p> + The sudden revulsion of feelings after such a transient gleam of + happiness, was too much for her harassed frame. She was carried home + senseless. Her life was for some time despaired of, and it was months + before she recovered her health; but she never had perfectly recovered her + mind: it still remained unsettled with respect to her lover’s fate. + </p> + <p> + “The subject,” continued my informant, “is never mentioned in her hearing; + but she sometimes speaks of it herself, and it seems as though there were + some vague train of impressions in her mind, in which hope and fear are + strangely mingled—some imperfect idea of her lover’s shipwreck, and + yet some expectation of his return. + </p> + <p> + “Her parents have tried every means to cheer her, and to banish these + gloomy images from her thoughts. They assemble round her the young + companions in whose society she used to delight; and they will work, and + chat, and sing, and laugh, as formerly; but she will sit silently among + them, and will sometimes weep in the midst of their gayety; and, if spoken + to, will make no reply, but look up with streaming eyes, and sing a dismal + little song, which she has learned somewhere, about a shipwreck. It makes + every one’s heart ache to see her in this way, for she used to be the + happiest creature in the village. + </p> + <p> + “She passes the greater part of the time with Eugene’s mother; whose only + consolation is her society, and who dotes on her with a mother’s + tenderness. She is the only one that has perfect influence over Annette in + every mood. The poor girl seems, as formerly, to make an effort to be + cheerful in her company; but will sometimes gaze upon her with the most + piteous look, and then kiss her gray hairs, and fall on her neck and weep. + </p> + <p> + “She is not always melancholy, however; she has occasional intervals, when + she will be bright and animated for days together; but there is a degree + of wildness attending these fits of gayety, that prevents their yielding + any satisfaction to her friends. At such times she will arrange her room, + which is all covered with pictures of ships and legends of saints; and + will wreathe a white chaplet, as if for a wedding, and prepare wedding + ornaments. She will listen anxiously at the door, and look frequently out + at the window, as if expecting some one’s arrival. It is supposed that at + such times she is looking for her lover’s return; but, as no one touches + upon the theme, nor mentions his name in her presence, the current of her + thoughts is mere matter of conjecture. Now and then she will make a + pilgrimage to the chapel of Notre Dame de Grace; where she will pray for + hours at the altar, and decorate the images with wreaths that she had + woven; or will wave her handkerchief from the terrace, as you have seen, + if there is any vessel in the distance.” + </p> + <p> + Upwards of a year, he informed me, had now elapsed without effacing from + her mind this singular taint of insanity; still her friends hoped it might + gradually wear away. They had at one time removed her to a distant part of + the country, in hopes that absence from the scenes connected with her + story might have a salutary effect; but, when her periodical melancholy + returned, she became more restless and wretched than usual, and, secretly + escaping from her friends, set out on foot, without knowing the road, on + one of her pilgrimages to the chapel. + </p> + <p> + This little story entirely drew my attention from the gay scene of the + fête, and fixed it upon the beautiful Annette. While she was yet standing + on the terrace, the vesper-bell was rung from the neighbouring chapel. She + listened for a moment, and then drawing a small rosary from her bosom, + walked in that direction. Several of the peasantry followed her in + silence; and I felt too much interested, not to do the same. + </p> + <p> + The chapel, as I said before, is in the midst of a grove, on the high + promontory. The inside is hung round with little models of ships, and rude + paintings of wrecks and perils at sea, and providential deliverances—the + votive offerings of captains and crews that have been saved. On entering, + Annette paused for a moment before a picture of the virgin, which, I + observed, had recently been decorated with a wreath of artificial flowers. + When she reached the middle of the chapel she knelt down, and those who + followed her involuntarily did the same at a little distance. The evening + sun shone softly through the checkered grove into one window of the + chapel. A perfect stillness reigned within; and this stillness was the + more impressive contrasted with the distant sound of music and merriment + from the fair. I could not take my eyes off from the poor suppliant; her + lips moved as she told her beads, but her prayers were breathed in + silence. It might have been mere fancy excited by the scene, that, as she + raised her eyes to heaven, I thought they had an expression truly + seraphic. But I am easily affected by female beauty, and there was + something in this mixture of love, devotion, and partial insanity, that + was inexpressibly touching. + </p> + <p> + As the poor girl left the chapel, there was a sweet serenity in her looks; + and I was told that she would return home, and in all probability be calm + and cheerful for days, and even weeks; in which time it was supposed that + hope predominated in her mental malady; and that, when the dark side of + her mind, as her friends call it, was about to turn up, it would be known + by her neglecting her distaff or her lace, singing plaintive songs, and + weeping in silence. + </p> + <p> + She passed on from the chapel without noticing the fête, but smiling and + speaking to many as she passed. I followed her with my eye as she + descended the winding road towards Honfleur, leaning on her father’s arm. + “Heaven,” thought I, “has ever its store of balms for the hurt mind and + wounded spirit, and may in time rear up this broken flower to be once more + the pride and joy of the valley. The very delusion in which the poor girl + walks, may be one of those mists kindly diffused by Providence over the + regions of thought, when they become too fruitful of misery. The veil may + gradually be raised which obscures the horizon of her mind, as she is + enabled steadily and calmly to contemplate the sorrows at present hidden + in mercy from her view.” + </p> + <p> + On my return from Paris, about a year afterwards, I turned off from the + beaten route at Rouen, to revisit some of the most striking scenes of + Lower Normandy. Having passed through the lovely country of the Pays + d’Auge, I reached Honfleur on a fine afternoon, intending to cross to + Havre the next morning, and embark for England. As I had no better way of + passing the evening, I strolled up the hill to enjoy the fine prospect + from the chapel of Notre Dame de Grace; and while there, I thought of + inquiring after the fate of poor Annette Delarbre. The priest who had told + me her story was officiating at vespers, after which I accosted him, and + learnt from him the remaining circumstances. He told me that from the time + I had seen her at the chapel, her disorder took a sudden turn for the + worse, and her health rapidly declined. Her cheerful intervals became + shorter and less frequent, and attended with more incoherency. She grew + languid, silent, and moody in her melancholy; her form was wasted, her + looks pale and disconsolate, and it was feared she would never recover. + She became impatient of all sounds of gayety, and was never so contented + as when Eugene’s mother was near her. The good woman watched over her with + patient, yearning solicitude; and in seeking to beguile her sorrows, would + half forget her own. Sometimes, as she sat looking upon her pallid face, + the tears would fill her eyes, which, when Annette perceived, she would + anxiously wipe them away, and tell her not to grieve, for that Eugene + would soon return; and then she would affect a forced gayety, as in former + times, and sing a lively air; but a sudden recollection would come over + her, and she would burst into tears, hang on the poor mother’s neck, and + entreat her not to curse her for having destroyed her son. + </p> + <p> + Just at this time, to the astonishment of every one, news was received of + Eugene; who, it appeared, was still living. When almost drowned, he had + fortunately seized upon a spar which had been washed from the ship’s deck. + Finding himself nearly exhausted, he had fastened himself to it, and + floated for a day and night, until all sense had left him. On recovering, + he had found himself on board a vessel bound to India, but so ill as not + to move without assistance. His health had continued precarious throughout + the voyage; on arriving in India, he had experienced many vicissitudes, + and had been transferred from ship to ship, and hospital to hospital. His + constitution had enabled him to struggle through every hardship; and he + was now in a distant port, waiting only for the sailing of a ship to + return home. + </p> + <p> + Great caution was necessary in imparting these tidings to the mother, and + even then she was nearly overcome by the transports of her joy. But how to + impart them to Annette, was a matter of still greater perplexity. Her + state of mind had been so morbid; she had been subject to such violent + changes, and the cause of her derangement had been of such an inconsolable + and hopeless kind, that her friends had always forborne to tamper with her + feelings. They had never even hinted at the subject of her griefs, nor + encouraged the theme when she adverted to it, but had passed it over in + silence, hoping that time would gradually wear the traces of it from her + recollection, or, at least, would render them less painful. They now felt + at a loss how to undeceive her even in her misery, lest the sudden + recurrence of happiness might confirm the estrangement of her reason, or + might overpower her enfeebled frame. They ventured, however, to probe + those wounds which they formerly did not dare to touch, for they now had + the balm to pour into them. They led the conversation to those topics + which they had hitherto shunned, and endeavoured to ascertain the current + of her thoughts in those varying moods that had formerly perplexed them. + They found, however, that her mind was even more affected than they had + imagined. All her ideas were confused and wandering. Her bright and + cheerful moods, which now grew seldomer than ever, were all the effects of + mental delusion. At such times she had no recollection of her lover’s + having been in danger, but was only anticipating his arrival. “When the + winter has passed away,” said she, “and the trees put on their blossoms, + and the swallow comes back over the sea, he will return.” When she was + drooping and desponding, it was in vain to remind her of what she had said + in her gayer moments, and to assure her that Eugene would indeed return + shortly. She wept on in silence, and appeared insensible to their words. + But at times her agitation became violent, when she would upbraid herself + with having driven Eugene from his mother, and brought sorrow on her gray + hairs. Her mind admitted but one leading idea at a time, which nothing + could divert or efface; or if they ever succeeded in interrupting the + current of her fancy, it only became the more incoherent, and increased + the feverishness that preyed upon both mind and body. Her friends felt + more alarm for her than ever, for they feared that her senses were + irrecoverably gone, and her constitution completely undermined. + </p> + <p> + In the mean time, Eugene returned to the village. He was violently + affected, when the story of Annette was told him. With bitterness of heart + he upbraided his own rashness and infatuation that had hurried him away + from her, and accused himself as the author of all her woes. His mother + would describe to him all the anguish and remorse of poor Annette; the + tenderness with which she clung to her, and endeavoured, even in the midst + of her insanity, to console her for the loss of her son, and the touching + expressions of affection that were mingled with her most incoherent + wanderings of thought, until his feelings would be wound up to agony, and + he would entreat her to desist from the recital. They did not dare as yet + to bring him into Annette’s sight; but he was permitted to see her when + she was sleeping. The tears streamed down his sunburnt cheeks, as he + contemplated the ravages which grief and malady had made; and his heart + swelled almost to breaking, as he beheld round her neck the very braid of + hair which she once gave him in token of girlish affection, and which he + had returned to her in anger. + </p> + <p> + At length the physician that attended her determined to adventure upon an + experiment, to take advantage of one of those cheerful moods when her mind + was visited by hope, and to endeavour to engraft, as it were, the reality + upon the delusions of her fancy. These moods had now become very rare, for + nature was sinking under the continual pressure of her mental malady, and + the principle of reaction was daily growing weaker. Every effort was tried + to bring on a cheerful interval of the kind. Several of her most favourite + companions were kept continually about her; they chatted gayly, they + laughed, and sang, and danced; but Annette reclined with languid frame and + hollow eye, and took no part in their gayety. At length the winter was + gone; the trees put forth their leaves; the swallows began to build in the + eaves of the house, and the robin and wren piped all day beneath the + window. Annette’s spirits gradually revived. She began to deck her person + with unusual care; and bringing forth a basket of artificial flowers, she + went to work to wreathe a bridal chaplet of white roses. Her companions + asked her why she prepared the chaplet. “What!” said she with a smile, + “have you not noticed the trees putting on their wedding dresses of + blossoms? Has not the swallow flown back over the sea? Do you not know + that the time is come for Eugene to return? that he will be home + to-morrow, and that on Sunday we are to be married?” + </p> + <p> + Her words were repeated to the physician, and he seized on them at once. + He directed that her idea should be encouraged and acted upon. Her words + were echoed through the house. Every one talked of the return of Eugene, + as a matter of course; they congratulated her upon her approaching + happiness, and assisted her in her preparations. The next morning, the + same theme was resumed. She was dressed out to receive her lover. Every + bosom fluttered with anxiety. A cabriolet drove into the village. “Eugene + is coming!” was the cry. She saw him alight at the door, and rushed with a + shriek into his arms. + </p> + <p> + Her friends trembled for the result of this critical experiment; but she + did not sink under it, for her fancy had prepared her for his return. She + was as one in a dream, to whom a tide of unlooked-for prosperity, that + would have overwhelmed his waking reason, seems but the natural current of + circumstances. Her conversation, however, showed that her senses were + wandering. There was an absolute forgetfulness of all past sorrow—a + wild and feverish gayety, that at times was incoherent. + </p> + <p> + The next morning, she awoke languid and exhausted. All the occurrences of + the preceding day had passed away from her mind, as though they had been + the mere illusions of her fancy. She rose melancholy and abstracted, and, + as she dressed herself, was heard to sing one of her plaintive ballads. + When she entered the parlour, her eyes were swoln with weeping. She heard + Eugene’s voice without, and started. She passed her hand across her + forehead, and stood musing, like one endeavouring to recall a dream. + Eugene entered the room, and advanced towards her; she looked at him with + an eager, searching look, murmured some indistinct words, and before he + could reach her, sank upon the floor. + </p> + <p> + She relapsed into a wild and unsettled state of mind; but now that the + first shock was over, the physician ordered that Eugene should keep + continually in her sight. Sometimes she did not know him; at other times + she would talk to him as if he were going to sea, and would implore him + not to part from her in anger; and when he was not present, she would + speak of him as if buried in the ocean, and would sit, with clasped hands, + looking upon the ground, the picture of despair. As the agitation of her + feelings subsided, and her frame recovered from the shock which it had + received, she became more placid and coherent. Eugene kept almost + continually near her. He formed the real object round which her scattered + ideas once more gathered, and which linked them once more with the + realities of life. But her changeful disorder now appeared to take a new + turn. She became languid and inert, and would sit for hours silent, and + almost in a state of lethargy. If roused from this stupor, it seemed as if + her mind would make some attempts to follow up a train of thought, but + would soon become confused. She would regard every one that approached her + with an anxious and inquiring eye, that seemed continually to disappoint + itself. Sometimes, as her lover sat holding her hand, she would look + pensively in his face without saying a word, until his heart was overcome; + and after these transient fits of intellectual exertion, she would sink + again into lethargy. + </p> + <p> + By degrees, this stupor increased; her mind appeared to have subsided into + a stagnant and almost death-like calm. For the greater part of the time, + her eyes were closed; her face almost as fixed and passionless as that of + a corpse. She no longer took any notice of surrounding objects. There was + an awfulness in this tranquillity, that filled her friends with + apprehensions. The physician ordered that she should be kept perfectly + quiet; or that, if she evinced any agitation, she should be gently lulled, + like a child, by some favourite tune. + </p> + <p> + She remained in this state for hours, hardly seeming to breathe, and + apparently sinking into the sleep of death. Her chamber was profoundly + still. The attendants moved about it with noiseless tread; every thing was + communicated by signs and whispers. Her lover sat by her side, watching + her with painful anxiety, and fearing that every breath which stole from + her pale lips would be the last. + </p> + <p> + At length she heaved a deep sigh; and, from some convulsive motions, + appeared to be troubled in her sleep. Her agitation increased, accompanied + by an indistinct moaning. One of her companions, remembering the + physician’s instructions, endeavoured to lull her by singing, in a low + voice, a tender little air, which was a particular favourite of Annette’s. + Probably it had some connexion in her mind with her own story; for every + fond girl has some ditty of the kind, linked in her thoughts with sweet + and sad remembrances. + </p> + <p> + As she sang, the agitation of Annette subsided. A streak of faint colour + came into her cheeks; her eyelids became swoln with rising tears, which + trembled there for a moment, and then, stealing forth, coursed down her + pallid cheek. When the song was ended, she opened her eyes and looked + about her, as one awakening in a strange place. + </p> + <p> + “Oh, Eugene! Eugene!” said she, “it seems as if I have had a long and + dismal dream; what has happened, and what has been the matter with me?” + </p> + <p> + The questions were embarrassing; and before they could be answered, the + physician, who was in the next room, entered. She took him by the hand, + looked up in his face, and made the same inquiry. He endeavoured to put + her off with some evasive answer;—“No, no!” cried she, “I know I + have been ill, and I have been dreaming strangely. I thought Eugene had + left us—and that he had gone to sea—and that—and that he + was drowned!—But he <i>has</i> been to sea!” added she, earnestly, + as recollection kept flashing upon her, “and he has been wrecked—and + we were all so wretched—and he came home again one bright morning—and—Oh!” + said she, pressing her hand against her forehead, with a sickly smile, “I + see how it is; all has not been right here: I begin to recollect—but + it is all past now—Eugene is here! and his mother is happy—and + we shall never—never part again—shall we, Eugene?” + </p> + <p> + She sunk back in her chair, exhausted; the tears streamed down her cheeks. + Her companions hovered round her, not knowing what to make of this sudden + dawn of reason. Her lover sobbed aloud. She opened her eyes again, and + looked upon them with an air of the sweetest acknowledgment. “You are all + so good to me!” said she, faintly. + </p> + <p> + The physician drew the father aside. “Your daughter’s mind is restored,” + said he; “she is sensible that she has been deranged; she is growing + conscious of the past, and conscious of the present. All that now remains + is to keep her calm and quiet until her health is re-established, and then + let her be married in God’s name!” + </p> + <p> + “The wedding took place,” continued the good priest, “but a short time + since; they were here at the last fête during their honeymoon, and a + handsomer and happier couple was not to be seen as they danced under + yonder trees. The young man, his wife, and mother, now live on a fine farm + at Pont l’Eveque; and that model of a ship which you see yonder, with + white flowers wreathed round it, is Annette’s offering of thanks to Our + Lady of Grace, for having listened to her prayers, and protected her lover + in the hour of peril.” + </p> + <p> + The captain having finished, there was a momentary silence. The + tender-hearted Lady Lillycraft, who knew the story by heart, had led the + way in weeping, and indeed had often begun to shed tears before they had + come to the right place. + </p> + <p> + The fair Julia was a little flurried at the passage where wedding + preparations were mentioned; but the auditor most affected was the simple + Phoebe Wilkins. She had gradually dropt her work in her lap, and sat + sobbing through the latter part of the story, until towards the end, when + the happy reverse had nearly produced another scene of hysterics. “Go, + take this case to my room again, child,” said Lady Lillycraft, kindly, + “and don’t cry so much.” + </p> + <p> + “I won’t, an’t please your ladyship, if I can help it;—but I’m glad + they made all up again, and were married.” + </p> + <p> + By the way, the case of this lovelorn damsel begins to make some talk in + the household, especially among certain little ladies, not far in their + teens, of whom she has made confidants. She is a great favourite with them + all, but particularly so since she has confided to them her love secrets. + They enter into her concerns with all the violent zeal and overwhelming + sympathy with which little boarding-school ladies engage in the politics + of a love affair. + </p> + <p> + I have noticed them frequently clustering about her in private + conferences, or walking up and down the garden terrace under my window, + listening to some long and dolorous story of her afflictions; of which I + could now and then distinguish the ever-recurring phrases, “says he,” and + “says she.” + </p> + <p> + I accidentally interrupted one of these little councils of war, when they + were all huddled together under a tree, and seemed to be earnestly + considering some interesting document. The flutter at my approach showed + that there were some secrets under discussion; and I observed the + disconsolate Phoebe crumpling into her bosom either a love-letter or an + old valentine, and brushing away the tears from her cheeks. + </p> + <p> + The girl is a good girl, of a soft melting nature, and shows her concern + at the cruelty of her lover only in tears and drooping looks; but with the + little ladies who have espoused her cause, it sparkles up into fiery + indignation: and I have noticed on Sunday many a glance darted at the pew + of the Tibbets’s, enough even to melt down the silver buttons on old Ready + Money’s jacket. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0043" id="link2H_4_0043"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + TRAVELLING. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + A citizen, for recreation sake, + To see the country would a journey take + Some dozen mile, or very little more; + Taking his leave with friends two months before, + With drinking healths, and shaking by the hand, + As he had travail’d to some new-found land. + + —<i>Doctor Merrie-Man</i>, 1609. +</pre> + <p> + The Squire has lately received another shock in the saddle, and been + almost unseated by his marplot neighbour, the indefatigable Mr. Faddy, who + rides his jog-trot hobby with equal zeal; and is so bent upon improving + and reforming the neighbourhood, that the Squire thinks, in a little + while, it will be scarce worth living in. The enormity that has thus + discomposed my worthy host, is an attempt of the manufacturer to have a + line of coaches established, that shall diverge from the old route, and + pass through the neighbouring village. + </p> + <p> + I believe I have mentioned that the Hall is situated in a retired part of + the country, at a distance from any great coachroad; insomuch that the + arrival of a traveller is apt to make every one look out of the window, + and to cause some talk among the ale-drinkers at the little inn. I was at + a loss, therefore, to account for the Squire’s indignation at a measure + apparently fraught with convenience and advantage, until I found that the + conveniences of travelling were among his greatest grievances. + </p> + <p> + In fact, he rails against stage-coaches, post-chaises, and turnpike-roads, + as serious causes of the corruption of English rural manners. They have + given facilities, he says, to every humdrum citizen to trundle his family + about the kingdom, and have sent the follies and fashions of town, + whirling, in coachloads, to the remotest parts of the island. The whole + country, he says, is traversed by these flying cargoes; every by-road is + explored by enterprising tourists from Cheapside and the Poultry, and + every gentleman’s park and lawns invaded by cockney sketchers of both + sexes, with portable chairs and portfolios for drawing. + </p> + <p> + He laments over this, as destroying the charm of privacy, and interrupting + the quiet of country life; but more especially as affecting the simplicity + of the peasantry, and filling their heads with half-city notions. A great + coach-inn, he says, is enough to ruin the manners of a whole village. It + creates a horde of sots and idlers, makes gapers and gazers and + newsmongers of the common people, and knowing jockeys of the country + bumpkins. + </p> + <p> + The Squire has something of the old feudal feeling. He looks back with + regret to the “good old times” when journeys were only made on horseback, + and the extraordinary difficulties of travelling, owing to bad roads, bad + accommodations, and highway robbers, seemed to separate each village and + hamlet from the rest of the world. The lord of the manor was then a kind + of monarch in the little realm around him. He held his court in his + paternal hall, and was looked up to with almost as much loyalty and + deference as the king himself. Every neighbourhood was a little world + within itself, having its local manners and customs, its local history and + local opinions. The inhabitants were fonder of their homes, and thought + less of wandering. It was looked upon as an expedition to travel out of + sight of the parish steeple; and a man that had been to London was a + village oracle for the rest of his life. + </p> + <p> + What a difference between the mode of travelling in those days and at + present! At that time, when a gentleman went on a distant visit, he + sallied forth like a knight-errant on an enterprise, and every family + excursion was a pageant. How splendid and fanciful must one of those + domestic cavalcades have been, where the beautiful dames were mounted on + palfreys magnificently caparisoned, with embroidered harness, all tinkling + with silver bells, attended by cavaliers richly attired on prancing + steeds, and followed by pages and serving-men, as we see them represented + in old tapestry! The gentry, as they travelled about in those days, were + like moving pictures. They delighted the eyes and awakened the admiration + of the common people, and passed before them like superior beings; and, + indeed, they were so; there was a hardy and healthful exercise connected + with this equestrian style that made them generous and noble. + </p> + <p> + In his fondness for the old style of travelling, the Squire makes most of + his journeys on horseback, though he laments the modern deficiency of + incident on the road, from the want of fellow-wayfarers, and the rapidity + with which every one else is whirled along in coaches and post-chaises. In + the “good old times,” on the contrary, a cavalier jogged on through bog + and mire, from town to town and hamlet to hamlet, conversing with friars + and franklins, and all other chance companions of the road; beguiling the + way with travellers’ tales, which then were truly wonderful, for every + thing beyond one’s neighbourhood was full of marvel and romance; stopping + at night at some “hostel,” where the bush over the door proclaimed good + wine, or a pretty hostess made bad wine palatable; meeting at supper with + travellers, or listening to the song or merry story of the host, who was + generally a boon companion, and presided at his own board; for, according + to old Tusser’s “Innholder’s Posie,” + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + “At meales my friend who vitleth here + And sitteth with his host, + Shall both be sure of better cheere, + And ‘scape with lesser cost.” + </pre> + <p> + The Squire is fond, too, of stopping at those inns which may be met with + here and there in ancient houses of wood and plaster, or calimanco houses, + as they are called by antiquaries, with deep porches, diamond-paned + bow-windows, pannelled rooms, and great fire-places. He will prefer them + to more spacious and modern inns, and would cheerfully put up with bad + cheer and bad accommodations in the gratification of his humour. They give + him, he says, the feelings of old times, insomuch that he almost expects + in the dusk of the evening to see some party of weary travellers ride up + to the door with plumes and mantles, trunk-hose, wide boots, and long + rapiers. + </p> + <p> + The good Squire’s remarks brought to mind a visit that I once paid to the + Tabbard Inn, famous for being the place of assemblage from whence + Chaucer’s pilgrims set forth for Canterbury. It is in the borough of + Southwark, not far from London Bridge, and bears, at present, the name of + “the Talbot.” It has sadly declined in dignity since the days of Chaucer, + being a mere rendezvous and packing-place of the great wagons that travel + into Kent. The court-yard, which was anciently the mustering-place of the + pilgrims previous to their departure, was now lumbered with huge wagons. + Crates, boxes, hampers, and baskets, containing the good things of town + and country, were piled about them; while, among the straw and litter, the + motherly hens scratched and clucked, with their hungry broods at their + heels. Instead of Chaucer’s motley and splendid throng, I only saw a group + of wagoners and stable-boys enjoying a circulating pot of ale; while a + long-bodied dog sat by, with head on one side, ear cocked up, and wistful + gaze, as if waiting for his turn at the tankard. + </p> + <p> + Notwithstanding this grievous declension, however, I was gratified at + perceiving that the present occupants were not unconscious of the poetical + renown of their mansion. An inscription over the gateway proclaimed it to + be the inn where Chaucer’s pilgrims slept on the night previous to their + departure; and at the bottom of the yard was a magnificent sign + representing them in the act of sallying forth. I was pleased, too, at + noticing that though the present inn was comparatively modern, yet the + form of the old inn was preserved. There were galleries round the yard, as + in old times, on which opened the chambers of the guests. To these ancient + inns have antiquaries ascribed the present forms of our theatres. Plays + were originally acted in inn-yards. The guests lolled over the galleries, + which answered to our modern dress-circle; the critical mob clustered in + the yard, instead of the pit; and the groups gazing from the + garret-windows were no bad representatives of the gods of the shilling + gallery. When, therefore, the drama grew important enough to have a house + of its own, the architects took a hint for its construction from the yard + of the ancient “hostel.” + </p> + <p> + I was so well pleased at finding these remembrances of Chaucer and his + poem, that I ordered my dinner in the little parlour of the Talbot. Whilst + it was preparing, I sat at the window musing and gazing into the + court-yard, and conjuring up recollections of the scenes depicted in such + lovely colours by the poet, until, by degrees, boxes, bales and hampers, + boys, wagoners and dogs, faded from sight, and my fancy peopled the place + with the motley throng of Canterbury pilgrims. The galleries once more + swarmed with idle gazers, in the rich dresses of Chaucer’s time, and the + whole cavalcade seemed to pass before me. There was the stately knight on + sober steed, who had ridden in Christendom and heathenesse, and had + “foughten for our faith at Tramissene;”—and his son, the young + squire, a lover, and a lusty bachelor, with curled locks and gay + embroidery; a bold rider, a dancer, and a writer of verses, singing and + fluting all day long, and “fresh as the month of May;”—and his + “knot-headed” yeoman; a bold forester, in green, with horn, and baudrick, + and dagger, a mighty bow in hand, and a sheaf of peacock arrows shining + beneath his belt;—and the coy, smiling, simple nun, with her gray + eyes, her small red mouth, and fair forehead, her dainty person clad in + featly cloak and “‘ypinched wimple,” her choral beads about her arm, her + golden brooch with a love motto, and her pretty oath by Saint Eloy;—and + the merchant, solemn in speech and high on horse, with forked beard and + “Flaundrish bever hat;”—and the lusty monk, “full fat and in good + point,” with berry brown palfrey, his hood fastened with gold pin. wrought + with a love-knot, his bald head shining like glass, and his face + glistening as though it had been anointed; and the lean, logical, + sententious clerk of Oxenforde, upon his half-starved, scholar-like horse;—and + the bowsing sompnour, with fiery cherub face, all knobbed with pimples, an + eater of garlic and onions, and drinker of “strong wine, red as blood,” + that carried a cake for a buckler, and babbled Latin in his cups; of whose + brimstone visage “children were sore aferd;”—and the buxom wife of + Bath, the widow of five husbands, upon her ambling nag, with her hat broad + as a buckler, her red stockings and sharp spurs;—and the slender, + choleric reeve of Norfolk, bestriding his good gray stot; with + close-shaven beard, his hair cropped round his ears, long, lean, calfless + legs, and a rusty blade by his side;—and the jolly Limitour, with + lisping tongue and twinkling eye, well-beloved franklins and housewives, a + great promoter of marriages among young women, known at the taverns in + every town, and by every “hosteler and gay tapstere.” In short, before I + was roused from my reverie by the less poetical but more substantial + apparition of a smoking beef-steak, I had seen the whole cavalcade issue + forth from the hostel-gate, with the brawny, double-jointed, red-haired + miller, playing the bagpipes before them, and the ancient host of the + Tabbard giving them his farewell God-send to Canterbury. + </p> + <p> + When I told the Squire of the existence of this legitimate descendant of + the ancient Tabbard Inn, his eyes absolutely glistened with delight. He + determined to hunt it up the very first time he visited London, and to eat + a dinner there, and drink a cup of mine host’s best wine in memory of old + Chaucer. The general, who happened to be present, immediately begged to be + of the party; for he liked to encourage these long-established houses, as + they are apt to have choice old wines. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0044" id="link2H_4_0044"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Farewell rewards and fairies, + Good housewives now may say; + For now fowle sluts in dairies + Do fare as well as they; + And though they sweepe their hearths no lease + Than maids were wont to doo, + Yet who of late for cleanlinesse + Finds sixpence in her shooe? + + —BISHOP CORBET. +</pre> + <p> + I have mentioned the Squire’s fondness for the marvellous, and his + predilection for legends and romances. His library contains a curious + collection of old works of this kind, which bear evident marks of having + been much read. In his great love for all that is antiquated, he cherishes + popular superstitions, and listens, with very grave attention, to every + tale, however strange; so that, through his countenance, the household, + and, indeed, the whole neighbourhood, is well stocked with wonderful + stories; and if ever a doubt is expressed of any one of them, the narrator + will generally observe, that “the Squire thinks there’s something in it.” + </p> + <p> + The Hall of course comes in for its share, the common people having always + a propensity to furnish a great superannuated building of the kind with + supernatural inhabitants. The gloomy galleries of such old family + mansions; the stately chambers, adorned with grotesque carvings and faded + paintings; the sounds that vaguely echo about them; the moaning of the + wind; the cries of rooks and ravens from the trees and chimney-tops; all + produce a state of mind favourable to superstitious fancies. + </p> + <p> + In one chamber of the Hall, just opposite a door which opens upon a dusky + passage, there is a full-length portrait of a warrior in armour; when, on + suddenly turning into the passage, I have caught a sight of the portrait, + thrown into strong relief by the dark pannelling against which it hangs, I + have more than once been startled, as though it were a figure advancing + towards me. + </p> + <p> + To superstitious minds, therefore, predisposed by the strange and + melancholy stories that are connected with family paintings, it needs but + little stretch of fancy, on a moonlight night, or by the flickering light + of a candle, to set the old pictures on the walls in motion, sweeping in + their robes and trains about the galleries. + </p> + <p> + To tell the truth, the Squire confesses that he used to take a pleasure in + his younger days in setting marvellous stories afloat, and connecting them + with the lonely and peculiar places of the neighbourhood. Whenever he read + any legend of a striking nature, he endeavoured to transplant it, and give + it a local habitation among the scenes of his boyhood. Many of these + stories took root, and he says he is often amused with the odd shapes in + which they will come back to him in some old woman’s narrative, after they + have been circulating for years among the peasantry, and undergoing rustic + additions and amendments. Among these may doubtless be numbered that of + the crusader’s ghost, which I have mentioned in the account of my + Christmas visit; and another about the hard-riding Squire of yore; the + family Nimrod; who is sometimes heard in stormy winter nights, galloping, + with hound and horn, over a wild moor a few miles distant from the Hall. + This I apprehend to have had its origin in the famous story of the wild + huntsman, the favourite goblin in German tales; though, by-the-by, as I + was talking on the subject with Master Simon the other evening in the dark + avenue, he hinted that he had himself once or twice heard odd sounds at + night, very like a pack of hounds in cry; and that once, as he was + returning rather late from a hunting dinner, he had seen a strange figure + galloping along this same moor; but as he was riding rather fast at the + time, and in a hurry to get home, he did not stop to ascertain what it + was. + </p> + <p> + Popular superstitions are fast fading away in England, owing to the + general diffusion of knowledge, and the bustling intercourse kept up + throughout the country; still they have their strong-holds and lingering + places, and a retired neighbourhood like this is apt to be one of them. + The parson tells me that he meets with many traditional beliefs and + notions among the common people, which he has been able to draw from them + in the course of familiar conversation, though they are rather shy of + avowing them to strangers, and particularly to “the gentry,” who are apt + to laugh at them. He says there are several of his old parishioners who + remember when the village had its bar-guest, or bar-ghost—a spirit + supposed to belong to a town or village, and to predict any impending + misfortune by midnight shrieks and wailings. The last time it was heard + was just before the death of Mr. Bracebridge’s father, who was much + beloved throughout the neighbourhood; though there are not wanting some + obstinate unbelievers, who insisted that it was nothing but the howling of + a watch-dog. I have been greatly delighted, however, at meeting with some + traces of my old favourite, Robin Goodfellow, though under a different + appellation from any of those by which I have heretofore heard him called. + The parson assures me that many of the peasantry believe in household + goblins, called Dubbies, which live about particular farms and houses, in + the same way that Robin Goodfellow did of old. Sometimes they haunt the + barns and outhouses, and now and then will assist the farmer wonderfully, + by getting in all his hay or corn in a single night. In general, however, + they prefer to live within doors, and are fond of keeping about the great + hearths, and basking, at night, after the family have gone to bed, by the + glowing embers. When put in particular good-humour by the warmth of their + lodgings, and the tidiness of the house-maids, they will overcome their + natural laziness, and do a vast deal of household work before morning; + churning the cream, brewing the beer, or spinning all the good dame’s + flax. All this is precisely the conduct of Robin Goodfellow, described so + charmingly by Milton: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + “Tells how the drudging goblin sweat + To earn his cream-bowl duly get, + When in one night, ere glimpse of morn, + His shadowy flail had thresh’d the corn + That ten day-labourers could not end; + Then lays him down the lubber-fiend, + And, stretch’d out all the chimney’s length, + Basks at the fire his hairy strength, + And crop-full, out of door he flings + Ere the first cock his matin rings.” + </pre> + <p> + But beside these household Dubbies, there are others of a more gloomy and + unsocial nature, that keep about lonely barns at a distance from any + dwelling-house, or about ruins and old bridges. These are full of + mischievous and often malignant tricks, and are fond of playing pranks + upon benighted travellers. There is a story, among the old people, of one + that haunted a ruined mill, just by a bridge that crosses a small stream; + how that, late one night, as a traveller was passing on horseback, the + Dubbie jumped up behind him, and grasped him so close round the body that + he had no power to help himself, but expected to be squeezed to death: + luckily his heels were loose, with which he plied the sides of his steed, + and was carried, with the wonderful instinct of a traveller’s horse, + straight to the village inn. Had the inn been at any greater distance, + there is no doubt but he would have been strangled to death; as it was, + the good people were a long time in bringing him to his senses, and it was + remarked that the first sign he showed of returning consciousness was to + call for a bottom of brandy. + </p> + <p> + These mischievous Dubbies bear much resemblance in their natures and + habits to those sprites which Heywood, in his Heirarchie, calls pugs or + hobgoblins: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + “———Their dwellings be + In corners of old houses least frequented + Or beneath stacks of wood, and these convented, + Make fearfull noise in butteries and in dairies; + Robin Goodfellow some, some call them fairies. + In solitarie rooms these uprores keep, + And beate at doores, to wake men from their slape, + Seeming to force lockes, be they nere so strong, + And keeping Christmasse gambols all night long. + Pots, glasses, trenchers, dishes, pannes and kettles. + They will make dance about the shelves and settles. + As if about the kitchen tost and cast, + Yet in the morning nothing found misplac’t. + Others such houses to their use have fitted, + In which base murthers have been once committed. + Some have their fearful habitations taken + In desolate houses, ruin’d and forsaken.” + </pre> + <p> + In the account of our unfortunate hawking expedition, I mentioned an + instance of one of these sprites, supposed to haunt the ruined grange that + stands in a lonely meadow, and has a remarkable echo. The parson informs + me, also, that the belief was once very prevalent, that a household Dubbie + kept about the old farm-house of the Tibbets. It has long been + traditional, he says, that one of these good-natured goblins is attached + to the Tibbets family, and came with, them when they moved into this part + of the country; for it is one of the peculiarities of these household + sprites, that they attach themselves to the fortunes of certain families, + and follow them in all their removals. + </p> + <p> + There is a large old-fashioned fire-place in the farm-house, which affords + fine quarters for a chimney-corner sprite that likes to lie warm; + especially as Ready-Money Jack keeps up rousing fires in the winter-time. + The old people of the village recollect many stories about this goblin, + that were current in their young days. It was thought to have brought good + luck to the house, and to be the reason why the Tibbets were always + beforehand in the world, and why their farm was always in better order, + their hay got in sooner, and their corn better stacked, than that of their + neighbours. The present Mrs. Tibbets, at the time of her courtship, had a + number of these stories told her by the country gossips; and when married, + was a little fearful about living in a house where such a hobgoblin was + said to haunt: Jack, however, who has always treated this story with great + contempt, assured her that there was no spirit kept about his house that + he could not at any time lay in the Red Sea with one flourish of his + cudgel. Still his wife has never got completely over her notions on the + subject, but has a horseshoe nailed on the threshold, and keeps a branch + of rauntry, or mountain ash, with its red berries, suspended from one of + the great beams in the parlour—a sure protection from all evil + spirits. + </p> + <p> + These stories, however, as I before observed, are fast fading away, and in + another generation or two will probably be completely forgotten. There is + something, however, about these rural superstitions, that is extremely + pleasing to the imagination; particularly those which relate to the + good-humoured race of household demons, and indeed to the whole fairy + mythology. The English have given an inexplicable charm to these + superstitions, by the manner in which they have associated them with + whatever is most homefelt and delightful in nature. I do not know a more + fascinating race of beings than these little fabled people, that haunted + the southern sides of hills and mountains, lurked in flowers and about + fountain-heads, glided through key-holes into ancient halls, watched over + farm-houses and dairies, danced on the green by summer moonlight, and on + the kitchen-hearth in winter. They seem to accord with the nature of + English housekeeping and English scenery. I always have them in mind, when + I see a fine old English mansion, with its wide hall and spacious kitchen; + or a venerable farm-house, in which there is so much fireside comfort and + good housewifery. There was something of national character in their love + of order and cleanliness; in the vigilance with which they watched over + the economy of the kitchen, and the functions of the servants; + munificently rewarding, with silver sixpence in shoe, the tidy housemaid, + but venting their direful wrath, in midnight bobs and pinches, upon the + sluttish dairymaid. I think I can trace the good effects of this ancient + fairy sway over household concerns, in the care that prevails to the + present day among English housemaids, to put their kitchens in order + before they go to bed. + </p> + <p> + I have said, too, that these fairy superstitions seemed to me to accord + with the nature of English scenery. They suit these small landscapes, + which are divided by honeysuckled hedges into sheltered fields and + meadows, where the grass is mingled with daisies, buttercups, and + harebells. When I first found myself among English scenery, I was + continually reminded of the sweet pastoral images which distinguish their + fairy mythology; and when for the first time a circle in the grass was + pointed out to me as one of the rings where they were formerly supposed to + have held their moonlight revels, it seemed for a moment as if fairy-land + were no longer a fable. Brown, in his Britannia’s Pastorals, gives a + picture of the kind of scenery to which I allude: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + “———A pleasant mead + Where fairies often did their measures tread; + Which in the meadows make such circles green, + As if with garlands it had crowned been. + Within one of these rounds was to be seen + A hillock rise, where oft the fairy queen + At twilight sat.” + </pre> + <p> + And there is another picture of the same, in a poem ascribed to Ben + Jonson. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + “Bywells and rills in meadows green, + We nightly dance our heyday guise, + And to our fairy king and queen + We chant our moonlight minstrelsies.” + </pre> + <p> + Indeed, it seems to me, that the older British poets, with that true + feeling for nature which distinguishes them, have closely adhered to the + simple and familiar imagery which they found in these popular + superstitions; and have thus given to their fairy mythology those + continual allusions to the farm-house and the dairy, the green meadow and + the fountain-head, that fill our minds with the delightful associations of + rural life. It is curious to observe how the most beautiful fictions have + their origin among the rude and ignorant. There is an indescribable charm + about the illusions with which chimerical ignorance once clothed every + subject. These twilight views of nature are often more captivating than + any which are revealed by the rays of enlightened philosophy. The most + accomplished and poetical minds, therefore, have been fain to search back + into these accidental conceptions of what are termed barbarous ages, and + to draw from them their finest imagery and, machinery. If we look through + our most admired poets, we shall find that their minds have been + impregnated by these popular fancies, and that those have succeeded best + who have adhered closest to the simplicity of their rustic originals. Such + is the case with Shakspeare in his Midsummer-Night’s Dream, which so + minutely describes the employments and amusements of fairies, and embodies + all the notions concerning them which were current among the vulgar. It is + thus that poetry in England has echoed back every rustic note, softened + into perfect melody; it is thus that it has spread its charms over + every-day life, displacing nothing, taking things as it found them, but + tinting them up with its own magical hues, until every green hill and + fountain-head, every fresh meadow, nay, every humble flower, is full of + song and story. + </p> + <p> + I am dwelling too long, perhaps, upon a threadbare subject; yet it brings + up with it a thousand delicious recollections of those happy days of + childhood, when the imperfect knowledge I have since obtained had not yet + dawned upon my mind, and when a fairy tale was true history to me. I have + often been so transported by the pleasure of these recollections, as + almost to wish that I had been born in the days when the fictions of + poetry were believed. Even now I cannot look upon those fanciful creations + of ignorance and credulity, without a lurking regret that they have all + passed away. The experience of my early days tells me, that they were + sources of exquisite delight; and I sometimes question whether the + naturalist who can dissect the flowers of the field, receives half the + pleasure from contemplating them, that he did who considered them the + abode of elves and fairies. I feel convinced that the true interests and + solid happiness of man are promoted by the advancement of truth; yet I + cannot but mourn over the pleasant errors which it has trampled down in + its progress. The fauns and sylphs, the household sprite, the moonlight + revel, Oberon, Queen Mab, and the delicious realms of fairy-land, all + vanish before the light of true philosophy; but who does not sometimes + turn with distaste from the cold realities of morning, and seek to recall + the sweet visions of the night? + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0045" id="link2H_4_0045"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + THE CULPRIT. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + From fire, from water, and all things amies, + Deliver the house of an honest justice. + + —<i>The Widow</i>. +</pre> + <p> + The serenity of the Hall has been suddenly interrupted by a very important + occurrence. In the course of this morning a posse of villagers was seen + trooping up the avenue, with boys shouting in advance. As it drew near, we + perceived Ready-Money Jack Tibbets striding along, wielding his cudgel in + one hand, and with the other grasping the collar of a tall fellow, whom, + on still nearer approach, we recognized for the redoubtable gipsy hero, + Starlight Tom. He was now, however, completely cowed and crestfallen, and + his courage seemed to have quailed in the iron gripe of the lion-hearted + Jack. + </p> + <p> + The whole gang of gipsy women and children came dragging in the rear; some + in tears, others making a violent clamour about the ears of old + Ready-Money, who, however, trudged on in silence with his prey, heeding + their abuse as little as a hawk that has pounced upon a barn-door hero + regards the outcries and cacklings of his whole feathered seraglio. + </p> + <p> + He had passed through the village on his way to the Hall, and of course + had made a great sensation in that most excitable place, where every event + is a matter of gaze and gossip. The report flew like wildfire, that + Starlight Tom was in custody. The ale-drinkers forthwith abandoned the + tap-room; Slingsby’s school broke loose, and master and boys swelled the + tide that came rolling at the heels of old Ready-Money and his captive. + </p> + <p> + The uproar increased, as they approached the Hall; it aroused the whole + garrison of dogs, and the crew of hangers-on. The great mastiff barked + from the dog-house; the stag-hound, and the grayhound, and the spaniel, + issued barking from the hall-door, and my Lady Lillycraft’s little dogs + ramped and barked from the parlour window. I remarked, however, that the + gipsy dogs made no reply to all these menaces and insults, but crept close + to the gang, looking round with a guilty, poaching air, and now and then + glancing up a dubious eye to their owners; which shows that the moral + dignity, even of dogs, may be ruined by bad company! + </p> + <p> + When the throng reached the front of the house, they were brought to a + halt by a kind of advanced guard, composed of old Christy, the gamekeeper, + and two or three servants of the house, who had been brought out by the + noise. The common herd of the village fell back with respect; the boys + were driven back by Christy and his compeers; while Ready-Money Jack + maintained his ground and his hold of the prisoner, and was surrounded by + the tailor, the schoolmaster, and several other dignitaries of the + village, and by the clamorous brood of gipsies, who were neither to be + silenced nor intimidated. + </p> + <p> + By this time the whole household were brought to the doors and windows, + and the Squire to the portal. An audience was demanded by Ready-Money + Jack, who had detected the prisoner in the very act of sheep-stealing on + his domains, and had borne him off to be examined before the Squire, who + is in the commission of the peace. + </p> + <p> + A kind of tribunal was immediately held in the servants’ hall, a large + chamber, with a stone floor, and a long table in the centre, at one end of + which, just under an enormous clock, was placed the Squire’s chair of + justice, while Master Simon took his place at the table as clerk of the + court. An attempt had been made by old Christy to keep out the gipsy gang, + but in vain, and they, with the village worthies, and the household, half + filled the hall. The old housekeeper and the butler were in a panic at + this dangerous irruption. They hurried away all the valuable things and + portable articles that were at hand, and even kept a dragon watch on the + gipsies, lest they should carry off the house clock, or the deal table. + </p> + <p> + Old Christy, and his faithful coadjutor the gamekeeper, acted as + constables to guard the prisoner, triumphing in having at last got this + terrible offender in their clutches. Indeed, I am inclined to think the + old man bore some peevish recollection of having been handled rather + roughly by the gipsy, in the chance-medley affair of May-day. + </p> + <p> + Silence was now commanded by Master Simon; but it was difficult to be + enforced, in such a motley assemblage. There was a continual snarling and + yelping of dogs, and, as fast as it was quelled in one corner, it broke + out in another. The poor gipsy curs, who, like errant thieves, could not + hold up their heads in an honest house, were worried and insulted by the + gentlemen dogs of the establishment, without offering to make resistance; + the very curs of my Lady Lillycraft bullied them with impunity. + </p> + <p> + The examination was conducted with great mildness and indulgence by the + Squire, partly from the kindness of his nature, and partly, I suspect, + because his heart yearned towards the culprit, who had found great favour + in his eyes, as I have already observed, from the skill he had at various + times displayed in archery, morris-dancing, and other obsolete + accomplishments. Proofs, however, were too strong. Ready-Money Jack told + his story in a straight-forward, independent way, nothing daunted by the + presence in which he found himself. He had suffered from various + depredations on his sheepfold and poultry-yard, and had at length kept + watch, and caught the delinquent in the very act of making off with a + sheep on his shoulders. + </p> + <p> + Tibbets was repeatedly interrupted, in the course of his testimony, by the + culprit’s mother, a furious old beldame, with an insufferable tongue, and + who, in fact, was several times kept, with some difficulty, from flying at + him tooth and nail. The wife, too, of the prisoner, whom I am told he does + not beat above half-a-dozen times a week, completely interested Lady + Lillycraft in her husband’s behalf, by her tears and supplications; and + several of the other gipsy women were awakening strong sympathy among the + young girls and maid-servants in the back-ground. The pretty, black-eyed + gipsy girl whom I have mentioned on a former occasion as the sibyl that + read the fortunes of the general, endeavoured to wheedle that doughty + warrior into their interests, and even made some approaches to her old + acquaintance, Master Simon; but was repelled by the latter with all the + dignity of office, having assumed a look of gravity and importance + suitable to the occasion. + </p> + <p> + I was a little surprised, at first, to find honest Slingsby, the + schoolmaster, rather opposed to his old crony Tibbets, and coming forward + as a kind of advocate for the accused. It seems that he had taken + compassion on the forlorn fortunes of Starlight Tom, and had been trying + his eloquence in his favour the whole way from the village, but without + effect. During the examination of Ready-Money Jack, Slingsby had stood + like “dejected Pity at his side,” seeking every now and then, by a soft + word, to soothe any exacerbation of his ire, or to qualify any harsh + expression. He now ventured to make a few observations to the Squire, in + palliation of the delinquent’s offence; but poor Slingsby spoke more from + the heart than the head, and was evidently actuated merely by a general + sympathy for every poor devil in trouble, and a liberal toleration for all + kinds of vagabond existence. + </p> + <p> + The ladies, too, large and small, with the kind-heartedness of the sex, + were zealous on the side of mercy, and interceded strenuously with the + Squire; insomuch that the prisoner, finding himself unexpectedly + surrounded by active friends, once more reared his crest, and seemed + disposed, for a time, to put on the air of injured innocence. The Squire, + however, with all his benevolence of heart, and his lurking weakness + towards the prisoner, was too conscientious to swerve from the strict path + of justice. There was abundant concurring testimony that made the proof of + guilt incontrovertible, and Starlight Tom’s mittimus was made out + accordingly. + </p> + <p> + The sympathy of the ladies was now greater than ever; they even made some + attempts to mollify the ire of Ready-Money Jack; but that sturdy potentate + had been too much incensed by the repeated incursions that had been made + into his territories by the predatory band of Starlight Tom, and he was + resolved, he said, to drive the “varment reptiles” out of the + neighbourhood. To avoid all further importunities, as soon as the mittimus + was made out, he girded up his loins, and strode back to his seat of + empire, accompanied by his interceding friend, Slingsby, and followed by a + detachment of the gipsy gang, who hung on his rear, assailing him with + mingled prayers and execrations. + </p> + <p> + The question now was, how to dispose of the prisoner—a matter of + great moment in this peaceful establishment, where so formidable a + character as Starlight Tom was like a hawk entrapped in a dove-cote. As + the hubbub and examination had occupied a considerable time, it was too + late in the day to send him to the county prison, and that of the village + was sadly out of repair, from long want of occupation. Old Christy, who + took great interest in the affair, proposed that the culprit should be + committed for the night to an upper loft of a kind of tower in one of the + outhouses, where he and the gamekeeper would mount guard. After much + deliberation, this measure was adopted; the premises in question were + examined and made secure, and Christy and his trusty ally, the one armed + with a fowling-piece, the other with an ancient blunderbuss, turned out as + sentries to keep watch over this donjon-keep. + </p> + <p> + Such is the momentous affair that has just taken place, and it is an event + of too great moment in this quiet little world, not to turn it completely + topsy-turvy. Labour is at a stand: the house has been a scene of confusion + the whole evening. It has been beleagured by gipsy women, with their + children on their backs, wailing and lamenting; while the old virago of a + mother has cruised up and down the lawn in front, shaking her head, and + muttering to herself, or now and then breaking into a paroxysm of rage, + brandishing her fist at the Hall, and denouncing ill-luck upon Ready-Money + Jack, and even upon the Squire himself. + </p> + <p> + Lady Lillycraft has given repeated audiences to the culprit’s weeping + wife, at the Hall door; and the servant maids have stolen out, to confer + with the gipsy women under the trees. As to the little ladies of the + family, they are all outrageous on Ready-Money Jack, whom they look upon + in the light of a tyrannical giant of fairy tale. Phoebe Wilkins, contrary + to her usual nature, is the only one that is pitiless in the affair. She + thinks Mr. Tibbets quite in the right; and thinks the gipsies deserve to + be punished severely, for meddling with the sheep of the Tibbets’s. + </p> + <p> + In the mean time, the females of the family evinced all the provident + kindness of the sex, ever ready to soothe and succour the distressed, + right or wrong. Lady Lillycraft has had a mattress taken to the outhouse, + and comforts and delicacies of all kinds have been taken to the prisoner; + even the little girls have sent their cakes and sweetmeats; so that, I’ll + warrant, the vagabond has never fared so well in his life before. Old + Christy, it is true, looks upon every thing with a wary eye; struts about + with his blunderbuss with the air of a veteran campaigner, and will hardly + allow himself to be spoken to. + </p> + <p> + The gipsy women dare not come within gun-shot, and every tatterdemalion of + a boy has been frightened from the park. The old fellow is determined to + lodge Starlight Tom in prison with his own hands; and hopes, he says, to + see one of the poaching crew made an example of. + </p> + <p> + I doubt, after all, whether the worthy Squire is not the greatest sufferer + in the whole affair. His honourable sense of duty obliges him to be rigid, + but the overflowing kindness of his nature makes this a grievous trial to + him. + </p> + <p> + He is not accustomed to have such demands upon his justice, in his truly + patriarchal domain; and it wounds his benevolent spirit, that while + prosperity and happiness are flowing in thus bounteously upon him, he + should have to inflict misery upon a fellow-being. + </p> + <p> + He has been troubled and cast down the whole evening; took leave of the + family, on going to bed, with a sigh, instead of his usual hearty and + affectionate tone; and will, in all probability, have a far more sleepless + night than his prisoner. Indeed, this unlucky affair has cast a damp upon + the whole household, as there appears to be an universal opinion that the + unlucky culprit will come to the gallows. + </p> + <p> + Morning.—The clouds of last evening are all blown over. A load has + been taken from the Squire’s heart, and every face is once more in smiles. + The gamekeeper made his appearance at an early hour, completely shamefaced + and crestfallen. Starlight Tom had made his escape in the night; how he + had got out of the loft, no one could tell: the Devil, they think, must + have assisted him. Old Christy was so mortified that he would not show his + face, but had shut himself up in his stronghold at the dog-kennel, and + would not be spoken with. What has particularly relieved the Squire, is, + that there is very little likelihood of the culprit’s being retaken, + having gone off on one of the old gentleman’s best hunters. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0046" id="link2H_4_0046"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + FAMILY MISFORTUNES. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + The night has been unruly; where we lay, + The chimneys were blown down. + + —<i>Macbeth</i>. +</pre> + <p> + We have for a day or two past had a flow of unruly weather, which has + intruded itself into this fair and flowery month, and for a time has quite + marred the beauty of the landscape. Last night, the storm attained its + crisis; the rain beat in torrents against the casements, and the wind + piped and blustered about the old Hall with quite a wintry vehemence. The + morning, however, dawned clear and serene; the face of the heavens seemed + as if newly washed, and the sun shone with a brightness that was undimmed + by a single vapour. Nothing over-head gave traces of the recent storm; but + on looking from my window, I beheld sad ravage among the shrubs and + flowers; the garden-walks had formed the channels for little torrents; + trees were lopped of their branches; and a small silver stream that wound + through the park, and ran at the bottom of the lawn, had swelled into a + turbid yellow sheet of water. + </p> + <p> + In an establishment like this, where the mansion is vast, ancient, and + somewhat afflicted with the infirmities of age, and where there are + numerous and extensive dependencies, a storm is an event of a very grave + nature, and brings in its train a multiplicity of cares and disasters. + </p> + <p> + While the Squire was taking his breakfast in the great hall, he was + continually interrupted by some bearer of ill-tidings from some part or + other of his domains; he appeared to me like the commander of a besieged + city, after some grand assault, receiving at his headquarters reports, of + damages sustained in the various quarters of the place. At one time the + housekeeper brought him intelligence of a chimney blown down, and a + desperate leak sprung in the roof over the picture gallery, which + threatened to obliterate a whole generation of his ancestors. Then the + steward came in with a doleful story of the mischief done in the + woodlands; while the gamekeeper bemoaned the loss of one of his finest + bucks, whose bloated carcass was seen floating along the swoln current of + the river. + </p> + <p> + When the Squire issued forth, he was accosted, before the door, by the + old, paralytic gardener, with a face full of trouble, reporting, as I + supposed, the devastation of his flower-beds, and the destruction of his + wall-fruit. I remarked, however, that his intelligence caused a peculiar + expression of concern, not only with the Squire and Master Simon, but with + the fair Julia and Lady Lillycraft, who happened to be present. From a few + words which reached my ear, I found there was some tale of domestic + calamity in the case, and that some unfortunate family had been rendered + houseless by the storm. Many ejaculations of pity broke from the ladies; I + heard the expressions of “poor, helpless beings,” and “unfortunate little + creatures,” several times repeated; to which the old gardener replied by + very melancholy shakes of the head. + </p> + <p> + I felt so interested, that I could not help calling to the gardener, as he + was retiring, and asking what unfortunate family it was that had suffered + so severely? The old man touched his hat, and gazed at me for an instant, + as if hardly comprehending my question. “Family!” replied he, “there be no + family in the case, your honour; but here have been sad mischief done in + the rookery!” + </p> + <p> + I had noticed, the day before, that the high and gusty winds which + prevailed had occasioned great disquiet among these airy householders; + their nests being all filled with young, who were in danger of being + tilted out of their tree-rocked cradles. Indeed, the old birds themselves + seemed to have hard work to maintain a foothold; some kept hovering and + cawing in the air; or, if they ventured to alight, they had to hold fast, + flap their wings, and spread their tails, and thus remain see-sawing on + the topmost twigs. + </p> + <p> + In the course of the night, however, an awful calamity had taken place in + this most sage and politic community. There was a great tree, the tallest + in the grove, which seemed to have been a kind of court-end of the + metropolis, and crowded with the residence of those whom Master Simon + considers the nobility and gentry. A decayed limb of this tree had given + way with the violence of this storm, and had come down with all its + aircastles. + </p> + <p> + One should be well aware of the humours of the good Squire and his + household, to understand the general concern expressed at this disaster. + It was quite a public calamity in this rural empire, and all seemed to + feel for the poor rooks as for fellow-citizens in distress. + </p> + <p> + The ground had been strewed with the callow young, which were now + cherished in the aprons and bosoms of the maid-servants, and the little + ladies of the family. I was pleased with this touch of nature; this + feminine sympathy in the sufferings of the offspring, and the maternal + anxiety of the parent birds. + </p> + <p> + It was interesting, too, to witness the general agitation and distress + that seemed to prevail throughout the feathered community; the common + cause that was made of it; and the incessant hovering, and fluttering, and + lamenting, that took place in the whole rookery. There is a cord of + sympathy, that runs through the whole feathered race, as to any + misfortunes of the young; and the cries of a wounded bird in the breeding + season will throw a whole grove in a flutter and an alarm. Indeed, why + should I confine it to the feathered tribe? Nature seems to me to have + implanted an exquisite sympathy on this subject, which extends through all + her works. It is an invariable attribute of the female heart, to melt at + the cry of early helplessness, and to take an instinctive interest in the + distresses of the parent and its young. On the present occasion, the + ladies of the family were full of pity and commiseration; and I shall + never forget the look that Lady Lillycraft gave the general; on his + observing that the young birds would make an excellent curry, or an + especial good rook-pie. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0047" id="link2H_4_0047"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + LOVERS’ TROUBLES. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + The poor soul sat singing by a sycamore tree, + Sing all a green willow; + Her hand on her bosom, her head on her knee + Sing willow, willow, willow; + Sing all a green willow must be my garland. + + —<i>Old Song</i>. +</pre> + <p> + The fair Julia having nearly recovered from the effects of her hawking + disaster, it begins to be thought high time to appoint a day for the + wedding. As every domestic event in a venerable and aristocratic family + connexion like this is a matter of moment, the fixing upon this important + day has of course given rise to much conference and debate. + </p> + <p> + Some slight difficulties and demurs have lately sprung up, originating in + the peculiar humours that are prevalent at the Hall. Thus, I have + overheard a very solemn consultation between Lady Lillycraft, the parson, + and Master Simon, as to whether the marriage ought not to be postponed + until the coming month. + </p> + <p> + With all the charms of the flowery month of May, there is, I find, an + ancient prejudice against it as a marrying month. An old proverb says, “To + wed in May is to wed poverty.” Now, as Lady Lillycraft is very much given + to believe in lucky and unlucky times and seasons, and indeed is very + superstitious on all points relating to the tender passion, this old + proverb seems to have taken great hold upon her mind. She recollects two + or three instances, in her own knowledge, of matches that took place in + this month, and proved very unfortunate. Indeed, an own cousin of hers, + who married on a May-day, lost her husband by a fall from his horse, after + they had lived happily together for twenty years. + </p> + <p> + The parson appeared to give great weight to her ladyship’s objections, and + acknowledged the existence of a prejudice of the kind, not merely confined + to modern times, but prevalent likewise among the ancients. In + confirmation of this, he quoted a passage from Ovid, which had a great + effect on Lady Lillycraft, being given in a language which she did not + understand. Even Master Simon was staggered by it; for he listened with a + puzzled air; and then, shaking his head, sagaciously observed, that Ovid + was certainly a very wise man. + </p> + <p> + From this sage conference I likewise gathered several other important + pieces of information, relative to weddings; such as that, if two were + celebrated in the same church, on the same day, the first would be happy, + the second unfortunate. If, on going to church, the bridal party should + meet the funeral of a female, it was an omen that the bride would die + first; if of a male, the bridegroom. If the newly-married couple were to + dance together on their wedding-day, the wife would thenceforth rule the + roast; with many other curious and unquestionable facts of the same + nature, all which made me ponder more than ever upon the perils which + surround this happy state, and the thoughtless ignorance of mortals as to + the awful risks they run in venturing upon it. I abstain, however, from + enlarging upon this topic, having no inclination to promote the increase + of bachelors. + </p> + <p> + Notwithstanding the due weight which the Squire gives to traditional saws + and ancient opinions, yet I am happy to find that he makes a firm stand + for the credit of this loving month, and brings to his aid a whole legion + of poetical authorities; all which, I presume, have been conclusive with + the young couple, as I understand they are perfectly willing to marry in + May, and abide the consequences. In a few days, therefore, the wedding is + to take place, and the Hall is in a buzz of anticipation. The housekeeper + is bustling about from morning till night, with a look full of business + and importance, having a thousand arrangements to make, the Squire + intending to keep open house on the occasion; and as to the house-maids, + you cannot look one of them in the face, but the rogue begins to colour up + and simper. + </p> + <p> + While, however, this leading love affair is going on with a tranquillity + quite inconsistent with the rules of romance, I cannot say that the + under-plots are equally propitious. The “opening bud of love” between the + general and Lady Lillycraft seems to have experienced some blight in the + course of this genial season. I do not think the general has ever been + able to retrieve the ground he lost, when he fell asleep during the + captain’s story. Indeed, Master Simon thinks his case is completely + desperate, her ladyship having determined that he is quite destitute of + sentiment. + </p> + <p> + The season has been equally unpropitious to the lovelorn Phoebe Wilkins. I + fear the reader will be impatient at having this humble amour so often + alluded to; but I confess I am apt to take a great interest in the love + troubles of simple girls of this class. Few people have an idea of the + world of care and perplexity that these poor damsels have, in managing the + affairs of the heart. + </p> + <p> + We talk and write about the tender passion; we give it all the colourings + of sentiment and romance, and lay the scene of its influence in high life; + but, after all, I doubt whether its sway is not more absolute among + females of an humbler sphere. How often, could we but look into the heart, + should we find the sentiment throbbing in all its violence in the bosom of + the poor lady’s-maid, rather than in that of the brilliant beauty she is + decking out for conquest; whose brain is probably bewildered with beaux, + ball-rooms, and wax-light chandeliers. + </p> + <p> + With these humble beings, love is an honest, engrossing concern. They have + no ideas of settlements, establishments, equipages, and pin-money. The + heart—the heart, is all-in-all with them, poor things! There is + seldom one of them but has her love cares, and love secrets; her doubts, + and hopes, and fears, equal to those of any heroine of romance, and ten + times as sincere. And then, too, there is her secret hoard of love + documents;—the broken sixpence, the gilded brooch, the lock of hair, + the unintelligible love scrawl, all treasured up in her box of Sunday + finery, for private contemplation. + </p> + <p> + How many crosses and trials is she exposed to from some lynx-eyed dame, or + staid old vestal of a mistress, who keeps a dragon watch over her virtue, + and scouts the lover from the door! But then, how sweet are the little + love scenes, snatched at distant intervals of holiday, and fondly dwelt on + through many a long day of household labour and confinement! If in the + country, it is the dance at the fair or wake, the interview in the + church-yard after service, or the evening stroll in the green lane. If in + town, it is perhaps merely a stolen moment of delicious talk between the + bars of the area, fearful every instant of being seen; and then, how + lightly will the simple creature carol all day afterwards at her labour! + </p> + <p> + Poor baggage! after all her crosses and difficulties, when she marries, + what is it but to exchange a life of comparative ease and comfort, for one + of toil and uncertainty? Perhaps, too, the lover for whom in the fondness + of her nature she has committed herself to fortune’s freaks, turns out a + worthless churl, the dissolute, hard-hearted husband of low life; who, + taking to the ale-house, leaves her to a cheerless home, to labour, + penury, and child-bearing. + </p> + <p> + When I see poor Phoebe going about with drooping eye, and her head hanging + “all o’ one side,” I cannot help calling to mind the pathetic little + picture drawn by Desdemona:— + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + My mother had a maid, called Barbara; + She was in love; and he she loved proved mad, + And did forsake her; she had a song of willow, + An old thing ‘twas; but it express’d her fortune, + And she died singing it. +</pre> + <p> + I hope, however, that a better lot is in reserve for Phoebe Wilkins, and + that she may yet “rule the roast,” in the ancient empire of the Tibbets! + She is not fit to battle with hard hearts or hard times. She was, I am + told, the pet of her poor mother, who was proud of the beauty of her + child, and brought her up more tenderly than a village girl ought to be; + and ever since she has been left an orphan, the good ladies at the Hall + have completed the softening and spoiling of her. + </p> + <p> + I have recently observed her holding long conferences in the church-yard, + and up and down one of the lanes near the village, with Slingsby, the + schoolmaster. I at first thought the pedagogue might be touched with the + tender malady so prevalent in these parts of late; but I did him + injustice. Honest Slingsby, it seems, was a friend and crony of her late + father, the parish clerk; and is on intimate terms with the Tibbets + family. Prompted, therefore, by his good-will towards all parties, and + secretly instigated, perhaps, by the managing dame Tibbets, he has + undertaken to talk with Phoebe upon the subject. He gives her, however, + but little encouragement. Slingsby has a formidable opinion of the + aristocratical feeling of old Ready-Money, and thinks, if Phoebe were even + to make the matter up with the son, she would find the father totally + hostile to the match. The poor damsel, therefore, is reduced almost to + despair; and Slingsby, who is too good-natured not to sympathize in her + distress, has advised her to give up all thoughts of young Jack, and has + proposed as a substitute his learned coadjutor, the prodigal son. He has + even, in the fullness of his heart, offered to give up the school-house to + them; though it would leave him once more adrift in the wide world. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0048" id="link2H_4_0048"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + THE HISTORIAN. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + <i>Hermione</i>. Pray you sit by us, + And tell’s a tale. + + <i>Mamilius</i>. Merry or sad shall’t be? + + <i>Hermione</i>. As merry as you will. + + <i>Mamilius</i>. A sad tale’s best for winter. + I have one of sprites and goblins. + + <i>Hermione</i>. Let’s have that, sir. + + —<i>Winter’s Tale</i>. +</pre> + <p> + As this is a story-telling age, I have been tempted occasionally to give + the reader one of the many tales that are served up with supper at the + Hall. I might, indeed, have furnished a series almost equal in number to + the Arabian Nights; but some were rather hackneyed and tedious; others I + did not feel warranted in betraying into print; and many more were of the + old general’s relating, and turned principally upon tiger-hunting, + elephant-riding, and Seringapatam; enlivened by the wonderful deeds of + Tippoo Saib, and the excellent jokes of Major Pendergast. + </p> + <p> + I had all along maintained a quiet post at a corner of the table, where I + had been able to indulge my humour undisturbed: listening attentively when + the story was very good, and dozing a little when it was rather dull, + which I consider the perfection of auditorship. + </p> + <p> + I was roused the other evening from a slight trance into which I had + fallen during one of the general’s histories, by a sudden call from the + Squire to furnish some entertainment of the kind in my turn. Having been + so profound a listener to others, I could not in conscience refuse; but + neither my memory nor invention being ready to answer so unexpected a + demand, I begged leave to read a manuscript tale from the pen of my + fellow-countryman, the late Mr. Diedrich Knickerbocker, the historian of + New-York. As this ancient chronicler may not be better known to my readers + than he was to the company at the Hall, a word or two concerning him may + not be amiss, before proceeding to his manuscript. + </p> + <p> + Diedrich Knickerbocker was a native of New-York, a descendant from one of + the ancient Dutch families which originally settled that province, and + remained there after it was taken possession of by the English in 1664. + The descendants of these Dutch families still remain in villages and + neighbourhoods in various parts of the country, retaining with singular + obstinacy, the dresses, manners, and even language of their ancestors, and + forming a very distinct and curious feature in the motley population of + the State. In a hamlet whose spire may be seen from New-York, rising from + above the brow of a hill on the opposite side of the Hudson, many of the + old folks, even at the present day, speak English with an accent, and the + Dominie preaches in Dutch; and so completely is the hereditary love of + quiet and silence maintained, that in one of these drowsy villages, in the + middle of a warm summer’s day, the buzzing of a stout bluebottle fly will + resound from one end of the place to the other. + </p> + <p> + With the laudable hereditary feeling thus kept up among these worthy + people, did Mr. Knickerbocker undertake to write a history of his native + city, comprising the reign of its three Dutch governors during the time + that it was yet under the domination of the Hogenmogens of Holland. In the + execution of this design, the little Dutchman has displayed great + historical research, and a wonderful consciousness of the dignity of his + subject. His work, however, has been so little understood, as to be + pronounced a mere work of humour, satirizing the follies of the times, + both in politics and morals, and giving whimsical views of human nature. + </p> + <p> + Be this as it may:—among the papers left behind him were several + tales of a lighter nature, apparently thrown together from materials which + he had gathered during his profound researches for his history, and which + he seems to have cast by with neglect, as unworthy of publication. Some of + these have fallen into my hands, by an accident which it is needless at + present to mention; and one of these very stories, with its prelude in the + words of Mr. Knickerbocker, I undertook to read, by way of acquitting + myself of the debt which I owed to the other story-tellers at the Hall. I + subjoin it, for such of my readers as are fond of stories.<a + href="#linknote-12" name="linknoteref-12" id="linknoteref-12"><small>12</small></a> + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="linknote-12" id="linknote-12"> Note--></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 12 (<a href="#linknoteref-12">return</a>)<br /> [ I find that the tale of + Rip Van Winkle, given in the Sketch-Book, has been discovered by divers + writers in magazines to have been founded on a little German tradition, + and the matter has been revealed to the world as if it were a foul + instance of plagiarism marvellously brought to light. In a note which + follows that tale, I had alluded to the superstition on which it was + founded, and I thought a mere allusion was sufficient, as the tradition + was so notorious as to be inserted in almost every collection of German + legends. I had seen it myself in three. I could hardly have hoped, + therefore, in the present age, when every source of ghost and goblin story + is ransacked, that the origin of the tale would escape discovery. In fact, + I had considered popular traditions of the kind as fair foundations for + authors of fiction to build upon, and made use of the one in question + accordingly, I am not disposed to contest the matter, however, and indeed + consider myself so completely overpaid by the public for my trivial + performances, that I am content to submit to any deduction, which, in + their after-thoughts, they may think proper to make.] + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0049" id="link2H_4_0049"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + THE HAUNTED HOUSE. + </h2> + <h3> + FROM THE MSS. OF THE LATE DIEDRICH KNICKERBOCKER. + </h3> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Formerly, almost every place had a house of this kind. If a house + was seated on some melancholy place, or built in some old romantic + manner, or if any particular accident had happened in it, such as + murder, sudden death, or the like, to be sure that house had a mark + set upon it, and was afterwards esteemed the habitation of a + ghost. + + —BOURNE’S <i>Antiquities</i>. +</pre> + <p> + In the neighbourhood of the ancient city of the Manhattoes, there stood, + not very many years since, an old mansion, which, when I was a boy, went + by the name of the Haunted House. It was one of the very few remains of + the architecture of the early Dutch settlers, and must have been a house + of some consequence at the time when it was built. It consisted of a + centre and two wings, the gable-ends of which were shaped like stairs. It + was built partly of wood, and partly of small Dutch bricks, such as the + worthy colonists brought with them from Holland, before they discovered + that bricks could be manufactured elsewhere. The house stood remote from + the road, in the centre of a large field, with an avenue of old locust<a + href="#linknote-13" name="linknoteref-13" id="linknoteref-13"><small>13</small></a> + trees leading up to it, several of which had been shivered by lightning, + and two or three blown down. A few apple-trees grow straggling about the + field; there were traces also of what had been a kitchen-garden; but the + fences were broken down, the vegetables had disappeared, or had grown + wild, and turned to little better than weeds, with here and there a ragged + rosebush, or a tall sunflower shooting up from among brambles, and hanging + its head sorrowfully, as if contemplating the surrounding desolation. Part + of the roof of the old house had fallen in, the windows were shattered, + the panels of the doors broken, and mended with rough boards; and there + were two rusty weathercocks at the ends of the house, which made a great + jingling and whistling as they whirled about, but always pointed wrong. + The appearance of the whole place was forlorn and desolate, at the best of + times; but, in unruly weather, the howling of the wind about the crazy old + mansion, the screeching of the weathercocks, the slamming and banging of a + few loose window-shutters, had altogether so wild and dreary an effect, + that the neighbourhood stood perfectly in awe of the place, and pronounced + it the rendezvous of hobgoblins. I recollect the old building well; for I + remember how many times, when an idle, unlucky urchin, I have prowled + round its precincts, with some of my graceless companions, on holiday + afternoons, when out on a freebooting cruise among the orchards. There was + a tree standing near the house, that bore the most beautiful and tempting + fruit; but then it was on enchanted ground, for the place was so charmed + by frightful stories that we dreaded to approach it. Sometimes we would + venture in a body, and get near the Hesperian tree, keeping an eye upon + the old mansion, and darting fearful glances into its shattered window; + when, just as we were about to seize upon our prize, an exclamation from + some one of the gang, or an accidental noise, would throw us all into a + panic, and we would scamper headlong from the place, nor stop until we had + got quite into the road. Then there were sure to be a host of fearful + anecdotes told of strange cries and groans, or of some hideous face + suddenly seen staring out of one of the windows. By degrees we ceased to + venture into these lonely grounds, but would stand at a distance and throw + stones at the building; and there was something fearfully pleasing in the + sound, as they rattled along the roof, or sometimes struck some jingling + fragments of glass out of the windows. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="linknote-13" id="linknote-13"> Note--></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 13 (<a href="#linknoteref-13">return</a>)<br /> [ Acacias.] + </p> + <p> + The origin of this house was lost in the obscurity that covers the early + period of the province, while under the government of their high + mightinesses the states-general. Some reported it to have been a country + residence of Wilhelmus Kieft, commonly called the Testy, one of the Dutch + governors of New-Amsterdam; others said that it had been built by a naval + commander who served under Van Tromp, and who, on being disappointed of + preferment, retired from the service in disgust, became a philosopher + through sheer spite, and brought over all his wealth to the province, that + he might live according to his humour, and despise the world. The reason + of its having fallen to decay, was likewise a matter of dispute; some said + that it was in chancery, and had already cost more than its worth in legal + expenses; but the most current, and, of course, the most probable account, + was that it was haunted, and that nobody could live quietly in it. There + can, in fact, be very little doubt that this last was the case, there were + so many corroborating stories to prove it,—not an old woman in the + neighbourhood but could furnish at least a score. There was a gray-headed + curmudgeon of a negro that lived hard by, who had a whole budget of them + to tell, many of which had happened to himself. I recollect many a time + stopping with my schoolmates, and getting him to relate some. The old + crone lived in a hovel, in the midst of a small patch of potatoes and + Indian corn, which his master had given him on setting him free. He would + come to us, with his hoe in his hand, and as we sat perched, like a row of + swallows, on the rail of the fence, in the mellow twilight of a summer + evening, he would tell us such fearful stories, accompanied by such awful + rollings of his white eyes, that we were almost afraid of our own + footsteps as we returned home afterwards in the dark. + </p> + <p> + Poor old Pompey! many years are past since he died, and went to keep + company with the ghosts he was so fond of talking about. He was buried in + a comer of his own little potato-patch; the plough soon passed over his + grave, and levelled it with the rest of the field, and nobody thought any + more of the gray-headed negro. By a singular chance, I was strolling in + that neighbourhood several years afterwards, when I had grown up to be a + young man, and I found a knot of gossips speculating on a skull which had + just been turned up by a ploughshare. They of course determined it to be + the remains of some one that had been murdered, and they had raked up with + it some of the traditionary tales of the haunted house. I knew it at once + to be the relic of poor Pompey, but I held my tongue; for I am too + considerate of other people’s enjoyment, ever to mar a story of a ghost or + a murder. I took care, however, to see the bones of my old friend once + more buried in a place where they were not likely to be disturbed. As I + sat on the turf and watched the interment, I fell into a long conversation + with an old gentleman of the neighbourhood, John Josse Vandermoere, a + pleasant gossiping man, whose whole life was spent in hearing and telling + the news of the province. He recollected old Pompey, and his stories about + the Haunted House; but he assured me he could give me one still more + strange than any that Pompey had related: and on my expressing a great + curiosity to hear it, he sat down beside me on the turf, and told the + following tale. I have endeavoured to give it as nearly as possible in his + words; but it is now many years since, and I am grown old, and my memory + is not over-good, I cannot therefore vouch for the language, but I am + always scrupulous as to facts. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0050" id="link2H_4_0050"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + DOLPH HEYLIGER. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + “I take the town of Concord, where I dwell, + All Kilborn be my witness, if I were not + Begot in bashfulness, brought up in shamefacedness. + Let ‘un bring a dog but to my vace that can + Zay I have beat ‘un, and without a vault; + Or but a cat will swear upon a book, + I have as much as zet a vire her tail, + And I’ll give him or her a crown for ‘mends.” + + —<i>Tale of a Tub</i>. +</pre> + <p> + In the early time of the province of New-York, while it groaned under the + tyranny of the English governor, Lord Cornbury, who carried his cruelties + towards the Dutch inhabitants so far as to allow no Dominie, or + schoolmaster, to officiate in their language, without his special license; + about this time, there lived in the jolly little old city of the + Manhattoes, a kind motherly dame, known by the name of Dame Heyliger. She + was the widow of a Dutch sea-captain, who died suddenly of a fever, in + consequence of working too hard, and eating too heartily, at the time when + all the inhabitants turned out in a panic, to fortify the place against + the invasion of a small French privateer.<a href="#linknote-14" + name="linknoteref-14" id="linknoteref-14"><small>14</small></a> He left + her with very little money, and one infant son, the only survivor of + several children. The good woman had need of much management, to make both + ends meet, and keep up a decent appearance. However, as her husband had + fallen a victim to his zeal for the public safety, it was universally + agreed that “something ought to be done for the widow;” and on the hopes + of this “something” she lived tolerably for some years; in the meantime, + every body pitied and spoke well of her; and that helped along. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="linknote-14" id="linknote-14"> Note--></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 14 (<a href="#linknoteref-14">return</a>)<br /> [ 1705.] + </p> + <p> + She lived in a small house, in a small street, called Garden-street, very + probably from a garden which may have flourished there some time or other. + As her necessities every year grew greater, and the talk of the public + about doing “something for her” grew less, she had to cast about for some + mode of doing something for herself, by way of helping out her slender + means, and maintaining her independence, of which she was somewhat + tenacious. + </p> + <p> + Living in a mercantile town, she had caught something of the spirit, and + determined to venture a little in the great lottery of commerce. On a + sudden, therefore, to the great surprise of the street, there appeared at + her window a grand array of gingerbread kings and queens, with their arms + stuck a-kimbo, after the invariable royal manner. There were also several + broken tumblers, some filled with sugar-plums, some with marbles; there + were, moreover, cakes of various kinds, and barley sugar, and Holland + dolls, and wooden horses, with here and there gilt-covered picture-books, + and now and then a skein of thread, or a dangling pound of candles. At the + door of the house sat the good old dame’s cat, a decent demure-looking + personage, that seemed to scan every body that passed, to criticise their + dress, and now and then to stretch her neck, and look out with sudden + curiosity, to see what was going on at the other end of the street; but if + by chance any idle vagabond dog came by, and offered to be uncivil—hoity-toity!—how + she would bristle up, and growl, and spit, and strike out her paws! she + was as indignant as ever was an ancient and ugly spinster, on the approach + of some graceless profligate. + </p> + <p> + But though the good woman had to come down to these humble means of + subsistence, yet she still kept up a feeling of family pride, having + descended from the Vanderspiegels, of Amsterdam; and she had the family + arms painted and framed, and hung over her mantel-piece. She was, in + truth, much respected by all the poorer people of the place; her house was + quite a resort of the old wives of the neighbourhood; they would drop in + there of a winter’s afternoon, as she sat knitting on one side of her + fire-place, her cat purring on the other, and the tea-kettle singing + before it; and they would gossip with her until late in the evening. There + was always an arm-chair for Peter de Groodt, sometimes called Long Peter, + and sometimes Peter Longlegs, the clerk and sexton of the little Lutheran + church, who was her great crony, and indeed the oracle of her fire-side. + Nay, the Dominie himself did not disdain, now and then, to step in, + converse about the state of her mind, and take a glass of her special good + cherry-brandy. Indeed, he never failed to call on new-year’s day, and wish + her a happy new year; and the good dame, who was a little vain on some + points, always piqued herself on giving him as large a cake as any one in + town. + </p> + <p> + I have said that she had one son. He was the child of her old age; but + could hardly be called the comfort—for, of all unlucky urchins, + Dolph Heyliger was the most mischievous. Not that the whipster was really + vicious; he was only full of fun and frolic, and had that daring, gamesome + spirit, which is extolled in a rich man’s child, but execrated in a poor + man’s. He was continually getting into scrapes: his mother was incessantly + harassed with complaints of some waggish pranks which he had played off; + bills were sent in for windows that he had broken; in a word, he had not + reached his fourteenth year before he was pronounced, by all the + neighbourhood, to be a “wicked dog, the wickedest dog in the street!” Nay, + one old gentleman, in a claret-coloured coat, with a thin red face, and + ferret eyes, went so far as to assure Dame Heyliger, that her son would, + one day or other, come to the gallows! + </p> + <p> + Yet, notwithstanding all this, the poor old soul loved her boy. It seemed + as though she loved him the better, the worse he behaved; and that he grew + more in her favour, the more he grew out of favour with the world. Mothers + are foolish, fond-hearted beings; there’s no reasoning them out of their + dotage; and, indeed, this poor woman’s child was all that was left to love + her in this world;—so we must not think it hard that she turned a + deaf ear to her good friends, who sought to prove to her that Dolph would + come to a halter. + </p> + <p> + To do the varlet justice, too, he was strongly attached to his parent. He + would not willingly have given her pain on any account; and when he had + been doing wrong, it was but for him to catch his poor mother’s eye fixed + wistfully and sorrowfully upon him, to fill his heart with bitterness and + contrition. But he was a heedless youngster, and could not, for the life + of him, resist any new temptation to fun and mischief. Though quick at his + learning, whenever he could be brought to apply himself, yet he was always + prone to be led away by idle company, and would play truant to hunt after + birds’-nests, to rob orchards, or to swim in the Hudson. + </p> + <p> + In this way he grew up, a tall, lubberly boy; and his mother began to be + greatly perplexed what to do with him, or how to put him in a way to do + for himself; for he had acquired such an unlucky reputation, that no one + seemed willing to employ him. + </p> + <p> + Many were the consultations that she held with Peter de Groodt, the clerk + and sexton, who was her prime counsellor. Peter was as much perplexed as + herself, for he had no great opinion of the boy, and thought he would + never come to good. He at one time advised her to send him to sea—a + piece of advice only given in the most desperate cases; but Dame Heyliger + would not listen to such an idea; she could not think of letting Dolph go + out of her sight. She was sitting one day knitting by her fireside, in + great perplexity, when the sexton entered with an air of unusual vivacity + and briskness. He had just come from a funeral. It had been that of a boy + of Dolph’s years, who had been apprentice to a famous German doctor, and + had died of a consumption. It is true, there had been a whisper that the + deceased had been brought to his end by being made the subject of the + doctor’s experiments, on which he was apt to try the effects of a new + compound, or a quieting draught. This, however, it is likely, was a mere + scandal; at any rate, Peter de Groodt did not think it worth mentioning; + though, had we time to philosophize, it would be a curious matter for + speculation, why a doctor’s family is apt to be so lean and cadaverous, + and a butcher’s so jolly and rubicund. + </p> + <p> + Peter de Groodt, as I said before, entered the house of Dame Heyliger, + with unusual alacrity. He was full of a bright idea that had popped into + his head at the funeral, and over which he had chuckled as he shovelled + the earth into the grave of the doctor’s disciple. It had occurred to him, + that, as the situation of the deceased was vacant at the doctor’s, it + would be the very place for Dolph. The boy had parts, and could pound a + pestle and run an errand with any boy in the town-and what more was wanted + in a student? + </p> + <p> + The suggestion of the sage Peter was a vision of glory to the mother. She + already saw Dolph, in her mind’s eye, with a cane at his nose, a knocker + at his door, and an M.D. at the end of his name—one of the + established dignitaries of the town. + </p> + <p> + The matter, once undertaken, was soon effected; the sexton had some + influence with the doctor, they having had much dealing together in the + way of their separate professions; and the very next morning he called and + conducted the urchin, clad in his Sunday clothes, to undergo the + inspection of Dr. Karl Lodovick Knipperhausen. + </p> + <p> + They found the doctor seated in an elbow-chair, in one corner of his + study, or laboratory, with a large volume, in German print, before him. He + was a short, fat man, with a dark, square face, rendered more dark by a + black velvet cap. He had a little, knobbed nose, not unlike the ace of + spades, with a pair of spectacles gleaming on each side of his dusky + countenance, like a couple of bow-windows. + </p> + <p> + Dolph felt struck with awe, on entering into the presence of this learned + man; and gazed about him with boyish wonder at the furniture of this + chamber of knowledge, which appeared to him almost as the den of a + magician. In the centre stood a claw-footed table, with pestle and mortar, + phials and gallipots, and a pair of small, burnished scales. At one end + was a heavy clothes-press, turned into a receptacle for drugs and + compounds; against which hung the doctor’s hat and cloak, and gold-headed + cane, and on the top grinned a human skull. Along the mantelpiece were + glass vessels, in which were snakes and lizards, and a human foetus + preserved in spirits. A closet, the doors of which were taken off, + contained three whole shelves of books, and some, too, of mighty folio + dimensions—a collection, the like of which Dolph had never before + beheld. As, however, the library did not take up the whole of the closet, + the doctor’s thrifty housekeeper had occupied the rest with pots of + pickles and preserves; and had hung about the room, among awful implements + of the healing art, strings of red pepper and corpulent cucumbers, + carefully preserved for seed. + </p> + <p> + Peter de Groodt, and his protégé, were received with great gravity and + stateliness by the doctor, who was a very wise, dignified little man, and + never smiled. He surveyed Dolph from head to foot, above, and under, and + through his spectacles; and the poor lad’s heart quailed as these great + glasses glared on him like two full moons. The doctor heard all that Peter + de Groodt had to say in favour of the youthful candidate; and then, + wetting his thumb with the end of his tongue, he began deliberately to + turn over page after page of the great black volume before him. At length, + after many hums and haws, and strokings of the chin, and all that + hesitation and deliberation with which a wise man proceeds to do what he + intended to do from the very first, the doctor agreed to take the lad as a + disciple; to give him bed, board, and clothing, and to instruct him in the + healing art; in return for which, he was to have his services until his + twenty-first year. + </p> + <p> + Behold, then, our hero, all at once transformed from an unlucky urchin, + running wild about the streets, to a student of medicine, diligently + pounding a pestle, under the auspices of the learned Doctor Karl Lodovick + Knipperhausen. It was a happy transition for his fond old mother. She was + delighted with the idea of her boy’s being brought up worthy of his + ancestors; and anticipated the day when he would be able to hold up his + head with the lawyer, that lived in the large house opposite; or, + peradventure, with the Dominie himself. + </p> + <p> + Doctor Knipperhausen was a native of the Palatinate of Germany; from + whence, in company with many of his countrymen, he had taken refuge in + England, on account of religious persecution. He was one of nearly three + thousand Palatines, who came over from England in 1710, under the + protection of Governor Hunter. Where the doctor had studied, how he had + acquired his medical knowledge, and where he had received his diploma, it + is hard at present to say, for nobody knew at the time; yet it is certain + that his profound skill and abstruse knowledge were the talk and wonder of + the common people, far and near. + </p> + <p> + His practice was totally different from that of any other physician; + consisting in mysterious compounds, known only to himself, in the + preparing and administering of which, it was said, he always consulted the + stars. So high an opinion was entertained of his skill, particularly by + the German and Dutch inhabitants, that they always resorted to him in + desperate cases. He was one of those infallible doctors, that are always + effecting sudden and surprising cures, when the patient has been given up + by all the regular physicians; unless, as is shrewdly observed, the case + has been left too long before it was put into their hands. The doctor’s + library was the talk and marvel of the neighbourhood, I might almost say + of the entire burgh. The good people looked with reverence at a man that + had read three whole shelves full of books, and some of them, too, as + large as a family Bible. There were many disputes among the members of the + little Lutheran church, as to which was the wiser man, the doctor or the + Dominie. Some of his admirers even went so far as to say, that he knew + more than the governor himself-in a word, it was thought that there was no + end to his knowledge! + </p> + <p> + No sooner was Dolph received into the doctor’s family, than he was put in + possession of the lodging of his predecessor. It was a garret-room of a + steep-roofed Dutch house, where the rain patted on the shingles, and the + lightning gleamed, and the wind piped through the crannies in stormy + weather; and where whole troops of hungry rats, like Don Cossacks, + galloped about in defiance of traps and ratsbane. + </p> + <p> + He was soon up to his ears in medical studies, being employed, morning, + noon, and night, in rolling pills, filtering tinctures, or pounding the + pestle and mortar, in one corner of the laboratory; while the doctor would + take his seat in another corner, when he had nothing else to do, or + expected visitors, and, arrayed in his morning-gown and velvet cap, would + pore over the contents of some folio volume. It is true, that the regular + thumping of Dolph’s pestle, or, perhaps, the drowsy buzzing of the summer + flies, would now and then lull the little man into a slumber; but then his + spectacles were always wide awake, and studiously regarding the book. + </p> + <p> + There was another personage in the house, however, to whom Dolph was + obliged to pay allegiance. Though a bachelor, and a man of such great + dignity and importance, yet the doctor was, like many other wise men, + subject to petticoat government. He was completely under the sway of his + housekeeper; a spare, busy, fretting housewife, in a little, round, + quilted, German cap, with a huge bunch of keys jingling at the girdle of + an exceedingly long waist. Frau Ilsé (or Frow Ilsy, as it was pronounced) + had accompanied him in his various migrations from Germany to England, and + from England to the province; managing his establishment and himself too: + ruling him, it is true, with a gentle hand, but carrying a high hand with + all the world beside. How she had acquired such ascendency, I do not + pretend to say. People, it is true, did talk—but have not people + been prone to talk ever since the world began? Who can tell how women + generally contrive to get the upper hand? A husband, it is true, may now + and then be master in his own house; but who ever knew a bachelor that was + not managed by his housekeeper? + </p> + <p> + Indeed, Frau Ilsy’s power was not confined to the doctor’s household. She + was one of those prying gossips that know every one’s business better than + they do themselves; and whose all-seeing eyes, and all-telling tongues, + are terrors throughout a neighbourhood. + </p> + <p> + Nothing of any moment transpired in the world of scandal of this little + burgh, but it was known to Frau Ilsy. She had her crew of cronies, that + were perpetually hurrying to her little parlour, with some precious bit of + news; nay, she would sometimes discuss a whole volume of secret history, + as she held the street-door ajar, and gossiped with one of these garrulous + cronies in the very teeth of a December blast. + </p> + <p> + Between the doctor and the housekeeper, it may easily be supposed that + Dolph had a busy life of it. As Frau Ilsy kept the keys, and literally + ruled the roast, it was starvation to offend her, though he found the + study of her temper more perplexing even than that of medicine. When not + busy in the laboratory, she kept him running hither and thither on her + errands; and on Sundays he was obliged to accompany her to and from + church, and carry her Bible. Many a time has the poor varlet stood + shivering and blowing his fingers, or holding his frost-bitten nose, in + the church-yard, while Ilsy and her cronies were huddled together, wagging + their heads, and tearing some unlucky character to pieces. + </p> + <p> + With all his advantages, however, Dolph made very slow progress in his + art. This was no fault of the doctor’s, certainly, for he took unwearied + pains with the lad, keeping him close to the pestle and mortar, or on the + trot about town with phials and pill-boxes; and if he ever flagged in his + industry, which he was rather apt to do, the doctor would fly into a + passion, and ask him if he ever expected to learn his profession, unless + he applied himself closer to the study. The fact is, he still retained the + fondness for sport and mischief that had marked his childhood; the habit, + indeed, had strengthened with his years, and gained force from being + thwarted and constrained. He daily grew more and more untractable, and + lost favour in the eyes both of the doctor and the housekeeper. + </p> + <p> + In the meantime the doctor went on, waxing wealthy and renowned. He was + famous for his skill in managing cases not laid down in the books. He had + cured several old women and young girls of witchcraft; a terrible + complaint, nearly as prevalent in the province in those days as + hydrophobia is at present. He had even restored one strapping country girl + to perfect health, who had gone so far as to vomit crooked pins and + needles; which is considered a desperate stage of the malady. It was + whispered, also, that he was possessed of the art of preparing + love-powders; and many applications had he in consequence from love-sick + patients of both sexes. But all these cases formed the mysterious part of + his practice, in which, according to the cant phrase, “secrecy and honour + might be depended on.” Dolph, therefore, was obliged to turn out of the + study whenever such consultations occurred, though it is said he learnt + more of the secrets of the art at the key-hole, than by all the rest of + his studies put together. + </p> + <p> + As the doctor increased in wealth, he began to extend his possessions, and + to look forward, like other great men, to the time when he should retire + to the repose of a country-seat. For this purpose he had purchased a farm, + or, as the Dutch settlers called it, a <i>bowerie</i>, a few miles from + town. It had been the residence of a wealthy family, that had returned + some time since to Holland. A large mansion-house stood in the centre of + it, very much out of repair, and which, in consequence of certain reports, + had received the appellation of the Haunted House. Either from these + reports, or from its actual dreariness, the doctor had found it impossible + to get a tenant; and, that the place might not fall to ruin before he + could reside in it himself, he had placed a country boor, with his family, + in one wing, with the privilege of cultivating the farm on shares. + </p> + <p> + The doctor now felt all the dignity of a landholder rising within him. He + had a little of the German pride of territory in his composition, and + almost looked upon himself as owner of a principality. He began to + complain of the fatigue of business; and was fond of riding out “to look + at his estate.” His little expeditions to his lands were attended with a + bustle and parade that created a sensation throughout the neighbourhood. + His wall-eyed horse stood, stamping and whisking off the flies, for a full + hour before the house. Then the doctor’s saddle-bags would be brought out + and adjusted; then, after a little while, his cloak would be rolled up and + strapped to the saddle; then his umbrella would be buckled to the cloak; + while, in the meantime, a group of ragged boys, that observant class of + beings, would gather before the door. At length, the doctor would issue + forth, in a pair of jack-boots that reached above his knees, and a cocked + hat flapped down in front. As he was a short, fat man, he took some time + to mount into the saddle; and when there, he took some time to have the + saddle and stirrups properly adjusted, enjoying the wonder and admiration + of the urchin crowd. Even after he had set off, he would pause in the + middle of the street, or trot back two or three times to give some parting + orders; which were answered by the housekeeper from the door, or Dolph + from the study, or the black cook from the cellar, or the chambermaid from + the garret-window; and there were generally some last words bawled after + him, just as he was turning the corner. + </p> + <p> + The whole neighbourhood would be aroused by this pomp and circumstance. + The cobbler would leave his last; the barber would thrust out his frizzed + head, with a comb sticking in it; a knot would collect at the grocer’s + door; and the word would be buzzed from one end of the street to the + other, “The doctor’s riding out to his country-seat.” + </p> + <p> + These were golden moments for Dolph. No sooner was the doctor out of + sight, than pestle and mortar were abandoned; the laboratory was left to + take care of itself, and the student was off on some madcap frolic. + </p> + <p> + Indeed, it must be confessed, the youngster, as he grew up, seemed in a + fair way to fulfil the prediction of the old claret-coloured gentleman. He + was the ringleader of all holiday sports, and midnight gambols; ready for + all kinds of mischievous pranks, and harebrained adventures. + </p> + <p> + There is nothing so troublesome as a hero on a small scale, or, rather, a + hero in a small town. Dolph soon became the abhorrence of all drowsy, + housekeeping old citizens, who hated noise, and had no relish for waggery. + The good dames, too, considered him as little better than a reprobate, + gathered their daughters under their wings whenever he approached, and + pointed him out as a warning to their sons. No one seemed to hold him in + much regard, excepting the wild striplings of the place, who were + captivated by his open-hearted, daring manners, and the negroes, who + always look upon every idle, do-nothing youngster as a kind of gentleman. + Even the good Peter de Groodt, who had considered himself a kind of patron + of the lad, began to despair of him; and would shake his head dubiously, + as he listened to a long complaint from the housekeeper, and sipped a + glass of her raspberry brandy. + </p> + <p> + Still his mother was not to be wearied out of her affection, by all the + waywardness of her boy; nor disheartened by the stories of his misdeeds, + with which her good friends were continually regaling her. She had, it is + true, very little of the pleasure which rich people enjoy, in always + hearing their children praised; but she considered all this ill-will as a + kind of persecution which he suffered, and she liked him the better on + that account. She saw him growing up, a fine, tall, good-looking + youngster, and she looked at him with the secret pride of a mother’s + heart. It was her great desire that Dolph should appear like a gentleman, + and all the money she could save went towards helping out his pocket and + his wardrobe. She would look out of the window after him, as he sallied + forth in his best array, and her heart would yearn with delight; and once, + when Peter de Groodt, struck with the youngster’s gallant appearance on a + bright Sunday morning, observed, “Well, after all, Dolph does grow a + comely fellow!” the tear of pride started into the mother’s eye: “Ah, + neighbour! neighbour!” exclaimed she, “they may say what they please; poor + Dolph will yet hold up his head with the best of them.” + </p> + <p> + Dolph Heyliger had now nearly attained his one-and-twentieth year, and the + term of his medical studies was just expiring; yet it must be confessed + that he knew little more of the profession than when he first entered the + doctor’s doors. This, however, could not be from want of quickness of + parts, for he showed amazing aptness in mastering other branches of + knowledge, which he could only have studied at intervals. He was, for + instance, a sure marksman, and won all the geese and turkeys at Christmas + holidays. He was a bold rider; he was famous for leaping and wrestling; he + played tolerably on the fiddle; could swim like a fish; and was the best + hand in the whole place at fives or nine-pins. + </p> + <p> + All these accomplishments, however, procured him no favour in the eyes of + the doctor, who grew more and more crabbed and intolerant, the nearer the + term of apprenticeship approached. Frau Ilsy, too, was for ever finding + some occasion to raise a windy tempest about his ears; and seldom + encountered him about the house, without a clatter of the tongue; so that + at length the jingling of her keys, as she approached, was to Dolph like + the ringing of the prompter’s bell, that gives notice of a theatrical + thunder-storm. Nothing but the infinite good-humour of the heedless + youngster, enabled him to bear all this domestic tyranny without open + rebellion. It was evident that the doctor and his housekeeper were + preparing to beat the poor youth out of the nest, the moment his term + should have expired; a shorthand mode which the doctor had of providing + for useless disciples. + </p> + <p> + Indeed, the little man had been rendered more than usually irritable + lately, in consequence of various cares and vexations which his country + estate had brought upon him. The doctor had been repeatedly annoyed by the + rumours and tales which prevailed concerning the old mansion; and found it + difficult to prevail even upon the countryman and his family to remain + there rent-free. Every time he rode out to the farm, he was teased by some + fresh complaint of strange noises and fearful sights, with which the + tenants were disturbed at night; and the doctor would come home fretting + and fuming, and vent his spleen upon the whole household. It was indeed a + sore grievance, that affected him both in pride and purse. He was + threatened with an absolute loss of the profits of his property; and then, + what a blow to his territorial consequence, to be the landlord of a + haunted house! + </p> + <p> + It was observed, however, that with all his vexation, the doctor never + proposed to sleep in the house himself; nay, he could never be prevailed + upon to remain in the premises after dark, but made the best of his way + for town, as soon as the bats began to flit about in the twilight. The + fact was, the doctor had a secret belief in ghosts, having passed the + early part of his life in a country where they particularly abound; and + indeed the story went, that, when a boy, he had once seen the devil upon + the Hartz mountains in Germany. + </p> + <p> + At length, the doctor’s vexations on this head were brought to a crisis. + One morning, as he sat dozing over a volume in his study, he was suddenly + started from his slumbers by the bustling in of the housekeeper. + </p> + <p> + “Here’s a fine to do!” cried she, as she entered the room. “Here’s Claus + Hopper come in, bag and baggage, from the farm, and swears he’ll have + nothing more to do with it. The whole family have been frightened out of + their wits; for there’s such racketing and rummaging about the old house, + that they can’t sleep quiet in their beds!” + </p> + <p> + “Donner und blitzen!” cried the doctor, impatiently; “will they never have + done chattering about that house? What a pack of fools, to let a few rats + and mice frighten them out of good quarters!” + </p> + <p> + “Nay, nay,” said the housekeeper, wagging her head knowingly, and piqued + at having a good ghost story doubted, “there’s more in it than rats and + mice. All the neighbourhood talks about the house; and then such sights + have been seen in it! Peter de Groodt tells me, that the family that sold + you the house and went to Holland, dropped several strange hints about it, + and said, ‘they wished you joy of your bargain;’ and you know yourself + there’s no getting any family to live in it.” + </p> + <p> + “Peter de Groodt’s a ninny—an old woman,” said the doctor, + peevishly; “I’ll warrant he’s been filling these people’s heads full of + stories. It’s just like his nonsense about the ghost that haunted the + church belfry, as an excuse for not ringing the bell that cold night when + Hermanus Brinkerhoff’s house was on fire. Send Claus to me.” + </p> + <p> + Claus Hopper now made his appearance: a simple country lout, full of awe + at finding himself in the very study of Dr. Knipperhausen, and too much + embarrassed to enter into much detail of the matters that had caused his + alarm. He stood twirling his hat in one hand, resting sometimes on one + leg, sometimes on the other, looking occasionally at the doctor, and now + and then stealing a fearful glance at the death’s-head that seemed ogling + him from the top of the clothes-press; + </p> + <p> + The doctor tried every means to persuade him to return to the farm, but + all in vain; he maintained a dogged determination on the subject; and at + the close of every argument or solicitation, would make the same brief, + inflexible reply, “Ich kan nicht, mynheer.” The doctor was a “little pot, + and soon hot;” his patience was exhausted by these continual vexations + about his estate. The stubborn refusal of Claus Hopper seemed to him like + flat rebellion; his temper suddenly boiled over, and Claus was glad to + make a rapid retreat to escape scalding. + </p> + <p> + When the bumpkin got to the housekeeper’s room, he found Peter de Groodt, + and several other true believers, ready to receive him. Here he + indemnified himself for the restraint he had suffered in the study, and + opened a budget of stories about the haunted house that astonished all his + hearers. The housekeeper believed them all, if it was only to spite the + doctor for having received her intelligence so uncourteously. Peter de + Groodt matched them with many a wonderful legend of the times of the Dutch + dynasty, and of the Devil’s Stepping-stones; and of the pirate that was + hanged at Gibbet Island, and continued to swing there at night long after + the gallows was taken down; and of the ghost of the unfortunate Governor + Leisler, who was hanged for treason, which haunted the old fort and the + government house. The gossiping knot dispersed, each charged with direful + intelligence. The sexton disburdened himself at a vestry meeting that was + held that very day, and the black cook forsook her kitchen, and spent half + the day at the street pump, that gossiping place of servants, dealing + forth the news to all that came for water. In a little time, the whole + town was in a buzz with tales about the haunted house. Some said that + Claus Hopper had seen the devil, while others hinted that the house was + haunted by the ghosts of some of the patients whom the doctor had + physicked out of the world, and that was the reason why he did not venture + to live in it himself. + </p> + <p> + All this put the little doctor in a terrible fume. He threatened vengeance + on any one who should affect the value of his property by exciting popular + prejudices. He complained loudly of thus being in a manner dispossessed of + his territories by mere bugbears; but he secretly determined to have the + house exorcised by the Dominie. Great was his relief, therefore, when, in + the midst of his perplexities, Dolph stepped forward and undertook to + garrison the haunted house. The youngster had been listening to all the + stories of Claus Hopper and Peter de Groodt: he was fond of adventure, he + loved the marvellous, and his imagination had become quite excited by + these tales of wonder. Besides, he had led such an uncomfortable life at + the doctor’s, being subjected to the intolerable thraldom of early hours, + that he was delighted at the prospect of having a house to himself, even + though it should be a haunted one. His offer was eagerly accepted, and it + was determined that he should mount guard that very night. His only + stipulation was, that the enterprise should be kept secret from his + mother; for he knew the poor soul would not sleep a wink, if she knew that + her son was waging war with the powers of darkness. + </p> + <p> + When night came on, he set out on this perilous expedition. The old black + cook, his only friend in the household, had provided him with a little + mess for supper, and a rushlight; and she tied round his neck an amulet, + given her by an African conjurer, as a charm against evil spirits. Dolph + was escorted on his way by the doctor and Peter de Groodt, who had agreed + to accompany him to the house, and to see him safe lodged. The night was + overcast, and it was very dark when they arrived at the grounds which + surrounded the mansion. The sexton led the way with a lantern. As they + walked along the avenue of acacias, the fitful light, catching from bush + to bush, and tree to tree, often startled the doughty Peter, and made him, + fall back upon his followers; and the doctor grabbed still closer hold of + Dolph’s arm, observing that the ground was very slippery and uneven. At + one time they were nearly put to a total rout by a bat, which came + flitting about the lantern; and the notes of the insects from the trees, + and the frogs from a neighbouring pond, formed a most drowsy and doleful + concert. + </p> + <p> + The front door of the mansion opened with a grating sound, that made the + doctor turn pale. They entered a tolerably large hall, such as is common + in American country-houses, and which serves for a sitting-room in warm + weather. From hence they went up a wide staircase, that groaned and + creaked as they trod, every step making its particular note, like the key + of a harpsichord. This led to another hall on the second story, from + whence they entered the room where Dolph was to sleep. It was large, and + scantily furnished; the shutters were closed; but as they were much + broken, there was no want of a circulation of air. It appeared to have + been that sacred chamber, known among Dutch housewives by the name of “the + best bed-room;” which is the best furnished room in the house, but in + which scarce any body is ever permitted to sleep. Its splendour, however, + was all at an end. There were a few broken articles of furniture about the + room, and in the centre stood a heavy deal table and a large arm-chair, + both of which had the look of being coeval with the mansion. The + fire-place was wide, and had been faced with Dutch tiles, representing + scripture stories; but some of them had fallen out of their places, and + lay shattered about the hearth. The sexton had lit the rushlight; and the + doctor, looking fearfully about the room, was just exhorting Dolph to be + of good cheer, and to pluck up a stout heart, when a noise in the chimney, + like voices and struggling, struck a sudden panic into the sexton. He took + to his heels with the lantern; the doctor followed hard after him; the + stairs groaned and creaked as they hurried down, increasing their + agitation and speed by its noises. The front door slammed after them; and + Dolph heard them scrabbling down the avenue, till the sound of their feet + was lost in the distance. That he did not join in this precipitate + retreat, might have been owing to his possessing a little more courage + than his companions, or perhaps that he had caught a glimpse of the cause + of their dismay, in a nest of chimney swallows, that came tumbling down + into the fire-place. + </p> + <p> + Being now left to himself, he secured the front door by a strong bolt and + bar; and having seen that the other entrances were fastened, he returned + to his desolate chamber. Having made his supper from the basket which the + good old cook had provided, he locked the chamber door, and retired to + rest on a mattress in one corner. The night was calm and still; and + nothing broke upon the profound quiet but the lonely chirping of a cricket + from the chimney of a distant chamber. The rushlight, which stood in the + centre of the deal table, shed a feeble yellow ray, dimly illumining the + chamber, and making uncouth shapes and shadows on the walls, from the + clothes which Dolph had thrown over a chair. + </p> + <p> + With all his boldness of heart, there was something subduing in this + desolate scene; and he felt his spirits flag within him, as he lay on his + hard bed and gazed about the room. He was turning over in his mind his + idle habits, his doubtful prospects, and now and then heaving a heavy + sigh, as he thought on his poor old mother; for there is nothing like the + silence and loneliness of night to bring dark shadows over the brightest + mind. By-and-by, he thought he heard a sound as if some one was walking + below stairs. He listened, and distinctly heard a step on the great + staircase. It approached solemnly and slowly, tramp—tramp—tramp! + It was evidently the tread of some heavy personage; and yet how could he + have got into the house without making a noise? He had examined all the + fastenings, and was certain that every entrance was secure. Still the + steps advanced, tramp—tramp—tramp! It was evident that the + person approaching could not be a robber—the step was too loud and + deliberate; a robber would either be stealthy or precipitate. And now the + footsteps had ascended the staircase; they were slowly advancing along the + passage, resounding through the silent and empty apartments. The very + cricket had ceased its melancholy note, and nothing interrupted their + awful distinctness. The door, which had been locked on the inside, slowly + swung open, as if self-moved. The footsteps entered the room; but no one + was to be seen. They passed slowly and audibly across it, tramp—tramp—tramp! + but whatever made the sound was invisible. Dolph rubbed his eyes, and + stared about him; he could see to every part of the dimly-lighted chamber; + all was vacant; yet still he heard those mysterious footsteps, solemnly + walking about the chamber. They ceased, and all was dead silence. There + was something more appalling in this invisible visitation, than there + would have been in anything that addressed itself to the eyesight. It was + awfully vague and indefinite. He felt his heart beat against his ribs; a + cold sweat broke out upon his forehead; he lay for some time in a state of + violent agitation; nothing, however, occurred to increase his alarm. His + light gradually burnt down into the socket, and he fell asleep. When he + awoke it was broad daylight; the sun was peering through the cracks of the + window-shutters, and the birds were merrily singing about the house. The + bright, cheery day soon put to flight all the terrors of the preceding + night. Dolph laughed, or rather tried to laugh, at all that had passed, + and endeavoured to persuade himself that it was a mere freak of the + imagination, conjured up by the stories he had heard; but he was a little + puzzled to find the door of his room locked on the inside, notwithstanding + that he had positively seen it swing open as the footsteps had entered. He + returned to town in a state of considerable perplexity; but he determined + to say nothing on the subject, until his doubts were either confirmed or + removed by another night’s watching. His silence was a grievous + disappointment to the gossips who had gathered at the doctor’s mansion. + They had prepared their minds to hear direful tales; and they were almost + in a rage at being assured that he had nothing to relate. + </p> + <p> + The next night, then, Dolph repeated his vigil. He now entered the house + with some trepidation. He was particular in examining the fastenings of + all the doors, and securing them well. He locked the door of his chamber, + and placed a chair against it; then, having despatched his supper, he + threw himself on his mattress and endeavoured to sleep. It was all in vain—a + thousand crowding fancies kept him waking. The time slowly dragged on, as + if minutes were spinning out themselves into hours. As the night advanced, + he grew more and more nervous; and he almost started from his couch, when + he heard the mysterious footstep again on the staircase. Up it came, as + before, solemnly and slowly, tramp—tramp—tramp! It approached + along the passage; the door again swung open, as if there had been neither + lock nor impediment, and a strange-looking figure stalked into the room. + It was an elderly man, large and robust, clothed in the old Flemish + fashion. He had on a kind of short cloak, with a garment under it, belted + round the waist; trunk hose, with great bunches or bows at the knees; and + a pair of russet boots, very large at top, and standing widely from his + legs. His hat was broad and slouched, with a feather trailing over one + side. His iron-gray hair hung in thick masses on his neck; and he had a + short grizzled beard. He walked slowly round the room, as if examining + that all was safe; then, hanging his hat on a peg beside the door, he sat + down in the elbow-chair, and, leaning his elbow on the table, he fixed his + eyes on Dolph with an unmoving and deadening stare. + </p> + <p> + Dolph was not naturally a coward; but he had been brought up in an + implicit belief in ghosts and goblins. A thousand stories came swarming to + his mind, that he had heard about this building; and as he looked at this + strange personage, with his uncouth garb, his pale visage, his grizzly + beard, and his fixed, staring, fish-like eye, his teeth began to chatter, + his hair to rise on his head, and a cold sweat to break out all over his + body. How long he remained in this situation he could not tell, for he was + like one fascinated. He could not take his gaze off from the spectre; but + lay staring at him with his whole intellect absorbed in the contemplation. + The old man remained seated behind the table, without stirring or turning + an eye, always keeping a dead steady glare upon Dolph. At length the + household cock from a neighbouring farm clapped his wings, and gave a loud + cheerful crow that rung over the fields. At the sound, the old man slowly + rose and took down his hat from the peg; the door opened and closed after + him; he was heard to go slowly down the staircase—tramp—tramp—tramp! + —and when he had got to the bottom, all was again silent. Dolph lay + and listened earnestly; counted every footfall; listened and listened if + the steps should return—until, exhausted by watching and agitation, + he fell into a troubled sleep. + </p> + <p> + Daylight again brought fresh courage and assurance. He would fain have + considered all that had passed as a mere dream; yet there stood the chair + in which the unknown had seated himself; there was the table on which he + had leaned; there was the peg on which he had hung his hat; and there was + the door, locked precisely as he himself had locked it, with the chair + placed against it. He hastened down-stairs and examined the doors and + windows; all were exactly in the same state in which he had left them, and + there was no apparent way by which any being could have entered and left + the house without leaving some trace behind. “Pooh!” said Dolph to + himself, “it was all a dream;”—but it would not do; the more he + endeavoured to shake the scene off from his mind, the more it haunted him. + </p> + <p> + Though he persisted in a strict silence as to all that he had seen or + heard, yet his looks betrayed the uncomfortable night that he had passed. + It was evident that there was something wonderful hidden under this + mysterious reserve. The doctor took him into the study,—locked the + door, and sought to have a full and confidential communication; but he + could get nothing out of him. Frau Ilsy took him aside into the pantry, + but to as little purpose; and Peter de Groodt held him by the button for a + full hour in the church-yard, the very place to get at the bottom of a + ghost story, but came off not a whit wiser than the rest. It is always the + case, however, that one truth concealed makes a dozen current lies. It is + like a guinea locked up in a bank, that has a dozen paper representatives. + Before the day was over, the neighbourhood was full of reports. Some said + that Dolph Heyliger watched in the haunted house with pistols loaded with + silver bullets; others, that he had a long talk with the spectre without a + head; others, that Doctor Knipperhausen and the sexton had been hunted + down the Bowery lane, and quite into town, by a legion of ghosts of their + customers. Some shook their heads, and thought it a shame that the doctor + should put Dolph to pass the night alone in that dismal house, where he + might be spirited away, no one knew whither; while others observed, with a + shrug, that if the devil did carry off the youngster, it would be but + taking his own. + </p> + <p> + These rumours at length reached the ears of the good Dame Heyliger, and, + as may be supposed, threw her into a terrible alarm. For her son to have + opposed himself to danger from living foes, would have been nothing so + dreadful in her eyes as to dare alone the terrors of the haunted house. + She hastened to the doctor’s, and passed a great part of the day in + attempting to dissuade Dolph from repeating his vigil; she told him a + score of tales, which her gossiping friends had just related to her, of + persons who had been carried off when watching alone in old ruinous + houses. It was all to no effect. Dolph’s pride, as well as curiosity, was + piqued. He endeavoured to calm the apprehensions of his mother, and to + assure her that there was no truth in all the rumours she had heard; she + looked at him dubiously, and shook her head; but finding his determination + was not to be shaken, she brought him a little thick Dutch Bible, with + brass clasps, to take with him, as a sword wherewith to fight the powers + of darkness; and, lest that might not be sufficient, the housekeeper gave + him the Heidelburgh catechism by way of dagger. + </p> + <p> + The next night, therefore, Dolph took up his quarters for the third time + in the old mansion. Whether dream or not, the same thing was repeated. + Towards midnight, when every thing was still, the same sound echoed + through the empty halls—tramp—tramp—tramp! The stairs + were again ascended; the door again swung open; the old man entered, + walked round the room, hung up his hat, and seated himself by the table. + The same fear and trembling came over poor Dolph, though not in so violent + a degree. He lay in the same way, motionless and fascinated, staring at + the figure, which regarded him, as before, with a dead, fixed, chilling + gaze. In this way they remained for a long time, till, by degrees, Dolph’s + courage began gradually to revive. Whether alive or dead, this being had + certainly some object in his visitation; and he recollected to have heard + it said, that spirits have no power to speak until they are spoken to. + Summoning up resolution, therefore, and making two or three attempts + before he could get his parched tongue in motion, he addressed the unknown + in the most solemn form of adjuration that he could recollect, and + demanded to know what was the motive of his visit. + </p> + <p> + No sooner had he finished, than the old man rose, took down his hat, the + door opened, and he went out, looking back upon Dolph just as he crossed + the threshold, as if expecting him to follow. The youngster did not + hesitate an instant. He took the candle in his hand, and the Bible under + his arm, and obeyed the tacit invitation. The candle emitted a feeble, + uncertain ray; but still he could see the figure before him, slowly + descend the stairs. He followed, trembling. When it had reached the bottom + of the stairs, it turned through the hall towards the back door of the + mansion. Dolph held the light over the balustrades; but, in his eagerness + to catch a sight of the unknown, he flared his feeble taper so suddenly, + that it went out. Still there was sufficient light from the pale + moonbeams, that fell through a narrow window, to give him an indistinct + view of the figure, near the door. He followed, therefore, down-stairs, + and turned towards the place; but when he had got there, the unknown had + disappeared. The door remained fast barred and bolted; there was no other + mode of exit; yet the being, whatever he might be, was gone. He unfastened + the door, and looked out into the fields. It was a hazy, moonlight night, + so that the eye could distinguish objects at some distance. He thought he + saw the unknown in a footpath that led from the door. He was not mistaken; + but how had he got out of the house? He did not pause to think, but + followed on. The old man proceeded at a measured pace, without looking + about him, his footsteps sounding on the hard ground. He passed through + the orchard of apple-trees that stood near the house, always keeping the + footpath. It led to a well, situated in a little hollow, which had + supplied the farm with water. Just at this well, Dolph lost sight of him. + He rubbed his eyes, and looked again; but nothing was to be seen of the + unknown. He reached the well, but nobody was there. All the surrounding + ground was open and clear; there was no bush nor hiding-place. He looked + down the well, and saw, at a great depth, the reflection of the sky in the + still water. After remaining here for some time, without seeing or hearing + any thing more of his mysterious conductor, he returned to the house, full + of awe and wonder. He bolted the door, groped his way back to bed, and it + was long before he could compose himself to sleep. + </p> + <p> + His dreams were strange and troubled. He thought he was following the old + man along the side of a great river, until they came to a vessel that was + on the point of sailing; and that his conductor led him on board and + vanished. He remembered the commander of the Tessel, a short swarthy man,—with + crisped black hair, blind of one eye, and lame of one leg; but the rest of + his dream was very confused. Sometimes he was sailing; sometimes on shore; + now amidst storms and tempests, and now wandering quietly in unknown + streets. The figure of the old man was strangely mingled up with the + incidents of the dream; and the whole distinctly wound up by his finding + himself on board of the vessel again, returning home, with a great bag of + money! + </p> + <p> + When he woke, the gray, cool light of dawn was streaking the horizon, and + the cocks passing the reveil from farm to farm throughout the country. He + rose more harassed and perplexed than ever. He was singularly confounded + by all that he had seen and dreamt, and began to doubt whether his mind + was not affected, and whether all that was passing in his thoughts might + not be mere feverish fantasy. In his present state of mind, he did not + feel disposed to return immediately to the doctor’s, and undergo the + cross-questioning of the household. He made a scanty breakfast, therefore, + on the remains of the last night’s provisions, and then wandered out into + the fields to meditate on all that had befallen him. Lost in thought, he + rambled about, gradually approaching the town, until the morning was far + advanced, when he was roused by a hurry and bustle around him. He found + himself near the water’s edge, in a throng of people, hurrying to a pier, + where there was a vessel ready to make sail. He was unconsciously carried + along by the impulse of the crowd, and found that it was a sloop, on the + point of sailing up the Hudson to Albany. There was much leave-taking and + kissing of old women and children, and great activity in carrying on board + baskets of bread and cakes, and provisions of all kinds, notwithstanding, + the mighty joints of meat that dangled over the stern; for a voyage to + Albany was an expedition of great moment in those days. The commander of + the sloop was hurrying about, and giving a world of orders, which were not + very strictly attended to; one man being busy in lighting his pipe, and + another in sharpening his snicker-snee. + </p> + <p> + The appearance of the commander suddenly caught Dolph’s attention. He was + short and swarthy, with crisped black hair; blind of one eye, and lame of + one leg—the very commander that he had seen in his dream! Surprised + and aroused, he considered the scene more attentively, and recalled still + further traces of his dream: the appearance of the vessel, of the river, + and of a variety of other objects, accorded with the imperfect images + vaguely rising to recollection. + </p> + <p> + As he stood musing on these circumstances, the captain suddenly called out + to him in Dutch, “Step on board, young man, or you’ll be left behind!” He + was startled by the sum mons; he saw that the sloop was cast loose, and + was actually moving from the pier; it seemed as if he was actuated by some + irresistible impulse; he sprang upon the deck, and the next moment the + sloop was hurried off by the wind and tide. Dolph’s thoughts and feelings + were all in tumult and confusion. He had been strongly worked upon by the + events that had recently befallen him, and could not but think that there + was some connexion between his present situation and his last night’s + dream. He felt as if he was under supernatural influence; and he tried to + assure himself with an old and favourite maxim of his, that “one way or + other, all would turn out for the best.” For a moment, the indignation of + the doctor at his departure without leave, passed across his mind—but + that was matter of little moment. Then he thought of the distress of his + mother at his strange disappearance, and the idea gave him a sudden pang; + he would have entreated to be put on shore; but he knew with such wind and + tide the entreaty would have been in vain. Then, the inspiring love of + novelty and adventure came rushing in full tide through his bosom; he felt + himself launched strangely and suddenly on the world, and under full way + to explore the regions of wonder that lay up this mighty river, and beyond + those blue mountains that had bounded his horizon since childhood. While + he was lost in this whirl of thought, the sails strained to the breeze; + the shores seemed to hurry away behind him; and, before he perfectly + recovered his self-possession, the sloop was ploughing her way past + Spiking-devil and Yonkers, and the tallest chimney of the Manhattoes had + faded from his sight. + </p> + <p> + I have said, that a voyage up the Hudson in those days was an undertaking + of some moment; indeed, it was as much thought of as a voyage to Europe is + at present. The sloops were often many days on the way; the cautious + navigators taking in sail when it blew fresh, and coming to anchor at + night; and stopping to send the boat ashore for milk for tea, without + which it was impossible for the worthy old lady passengers to subsist. And + there were the much-talked-of perils of the Tappaan Zee, and the + highlands. In short, a prudent Dutch burgher would talk of such a voyage + for months, and even years, beforehand; and never undertook it without + putting his affairs in order, making his will, and having prayers said for + him in the Low Dutch churches. + </p> + <p> + In the course of such a voyage, therefore, Dolph was satisfied he would + have time enough to reflect, and to make up his mind as to what he should + do when he arrived at Albany. The captain, with his blind eye and lame + leg, would, it is true, bring his strange dream to mind, and perplex him + sadly for a few moments; but, of late, his life had been made up so much + of dreams and realities, his nights and days had been so jumbled together, + that he seemed to be moving continually in a delusion. There is always, + however, a kind of vagabond consolation in a man’s having nothing in this + world to lose; with this Dolph comforted his heart, and determined to make + the most of the present enjoyment. + </p> + <p> + In the second day of the voyage they came to the highlands. It was the + latter part of a calm, sultry day, that they floated gently with the tide + between these stern mountains. There was that perfect quiet which prevails + over nature in the languor of summer heat; the turning of a plank, or the + accidental falling of an oar on deck, was echoed from the mountain side + and reverberated along the shores; and if by chance the captain gave a + shout of command, there were airy tongues that mocked it from every cliff. + </p> + <p> + Dolph gazed about him in mute delight and wonder, at these scenes of + nature’s magnificence. To the left the Dunderberg reared its woody + precipices, height over height, forest over forest, away into the deep + summer sky. To the right strutted forth the bold promontory of Anthony’s + Nose, with a solitary eagle wheeling about it; while beyond, mountain + succeeded to mountain, until they seemed to lock their arms together, and + confine this mighty river in their embraces. There was a feeling of quiet + luxury in gazing at the broad, green bosoms here and there scooped out + among the precipices; or at woodlands high in air, nodding over the edge + of some beetling bluff, and their foliage all transparent in the yellow + sunshine. + </p> + <p> + In the midst of his admiration, Dolph remarked a pile of bright, snowy + clouds peering above the western heights. It was succeeded by another, and + another, each seemingly pushing onwards its predecessor, and towering, + with dazzling brilliancy, in the deep-blue atmosphere: and now muttering + peals of thunder were faintly heard rolling behind the mountains. The + river, hitherto still and glassy, reflecting pictures of the sky and land, + now showed a dark ripple at a distance, as the breeze came creeping up it. + The fish-hawks wheeled and screamed, and sought their nests on the high + dry trees; the crows flew clamorously to the crevices of the rocks, and + all nature seemed conscious of the approaching thunder-gust. + </p> + <p> + The clouds now rolled in volumes over the mountain tops; their summits + still bright and snowy, but the lower parts of an inky blackness. The rain + began to patter down in broad and scattered drops; the wind freshened, and + curled up the waves; at length it seemed as if the bellying clouds were + torn open by the mountain tops, and complete torrents of rain came + rattling down. The lightning leaped from cloud to cloud, and streamed + quivering against the rocks, splitting and rending the stoutest forest + trees. The thunder burst in tremendous explosions; the peals were echoed + from mountain to mountain; they crashed upon Dunderberg, and rolled up the + long defile of the highlands, each headland making a new echo, until old + Bull hill seemed to bellow back the storm. + </p> + <p> + For a time the scudding rack and mist, and the sheeted rain, almost hid + the landscape from the sight. There was a fearful gloom, illumined still + more fearfully by the streams of lightning which glittered among the + rain-drops. Never had Dolph beheld such an absolute warring of the + elements: it seemed as if the storm was tearing and rending its way + through this mountain defile, and had brought all the artillery of heaven + into action. + </p> + <p> + The vessel was hurried on by the increasing wind, until she came to where + the river makes a sudden bend, the only one in the whole course of its + majestic career.<a href="#linknote-15" name="linknoteref-15" + id="linknoteref-15"><small>15</small></a> Just as they turned the point, a + violent flaw of wind came sweeping down a mountain gully, bending the + forest before it, and, in a moment, lashing up the river into white froth + and foam. The captain saw the danger, and cried out to lower the sail. + Before the order could be obeyed, the flaw struck the sloop, and threw her + on her beam-ends. Everything was now fright and confusion: the flapping of + the sails, the whistling and rushing of the wind, the bawling of the + captain and crew, the shrieking of the passengers, all mingled with the + rolling and bellowing of the thunder. In the midst of the uproar, the + sloop righted; at the same time the mainsail shifted, the boom came + sweeping the quarter-deck, and Dolph, who was gazing unguardedly at the + clouds, found himself, in a moment, floundering in the river. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="linknote-15" id="linknote-15"> Note--></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 15 (<a href="#linknoteref-15">return</a>)<br /> [ This must have been the + bend at West-Point.] + </p> + <p> + For once in his life, one of his idle accomplishments was of use to him. + The many truant hours which he had devoted to sporting in the Hudson, had + made him an expert swimmer, yet, with all his strength and skill, he found + great difficulty in reaching the shore. His disappearance from the deck + had not been noticed by the crew, who were all occupied by their own + danger. The sloop was driven along with inconceivable rapidity. She had + hard work to weather a long promontory on the eastern shore, round which + the river turned, and which completely shut her from Dolph’s view. + </p> + <p> + It was on a point of the western shore that he landed, and, scrambling up + the rocks, he threw himself, faint and exhausted, at the foot of a tree. + By degrees, the thunder-gust passed over. The clouds rolled away to the + east, where they lay piled in feathery masses, tinted with the last rosy + rays of the sun. The distant play of the lightning might be seen about the + dark bases, and now and then might be heard the faint muttering of the + thunder. Dolph rose, and sought about to see if any path led from the + shore; but all was savage and trackless. The rocks were piled upon each + other; great trunks of trees lay shattered about, as they had been blown + down by the strong winds which draw through these mountains, or had fallen + through age. The rocks, too, were overhung with wild vines and briers, + which completely matted themselves together, and opposed a barrier to all + ingress; every movement that he made, shook down a shower from the + dripping foliage. He attempted to scale one of these almost perpendicular + heights; but, though strong and agile, he found it an Herculean + undertaking. Often he was supported merely by crumbling projections of the + rock, and sometimes he clung to roots and branches of trees, and hung + almost suspended in the air. The wood-pigeon came cleaving his whistling + flight by him, and the eagle screamed from the brow of the impending + cliff. As he was thus clambering, he was on the point of seizing hold of a + shrub to aid his ascent, when something rustled among the leaves, and he + saw a snake quivering along like lightning, almost from under his hand. It + coiled itself up immediately, in an attitude of defiance, with flattened + head, distended jaws, and quickly-vibrating tongue, that played like a + little flame about its mouth. Dolph’s heart turned faint within him, and + he had well-nigh let go his hold, and tumbled down the precipice. The + serpent stood on the defensive but for an instant; it was an instinctive + movement of defence; and finding there was no attack, it glided away into + a cleft of the rock. Dolph’s eye followed with fearful intensity; and he + saw at a glance that he was in the vicinity of a nest of adders, that lay + knotted, and writhing, and hissing in the chasm. He hastened with all + speed to escape from so frightful a neighbourhood. His imagination was + full of this new horror; he saw an adder in every curling vine, and heard + the tail of a rattlesnake in every dry leaf that rustled. + </p> + <p> + At length he succeeded in scrambling to the summit of a precipice; but it + was covered by a dense forest. Wherever he could gain a look-out between + the trees, he saw that the coast rose in heights and cliffs, one rising + beyond another, until huge mountains overtopped the whole. There were no + signs of cultivation, nor any smoke curling amongst the trees, to indicate + a human residence. Every thing was wild and solitary. As he was standing + on the edge of a precipice that overlooked a deep ravine fringed with + trees, his feet detached a great fragment of rock; it fell, crashing its + way through the tree tops, down into the chasm. A loud whoop, or rather + yell, issued from the bottom of the glen; the moment after, there was the + report of a gun; and a ball came whistling over his head, cutting the + twigs and leaves, and burying itself deep in the bark of a chestnut-tree. + </p> + <p> + Dolph did not wait for a second shot, but made a precipitate retreat; + fearing every moment to hear the enemy in pursuit. He succeeded, however, + in returning unmolested to the shore, and determined to penetrate no + farther into a country so beset with savage perils. + </p> + <p> + He sat himself down, dripping, disconsolately, on a wet stone. What was to + be done? Where was he to shelter himself? The hour of repose was + approaching; the birds were seeking their nests, the bat began to flit + about in the twilight, and the night-hawk soaring high in heaven, seemed + to be calling out the stars. Night gradually closed in, and wrapped every + thing in gloom; and though it was the latter part of summer, yet the + breeze, stealing along the river, and among these dripping forests, was + chilly and penetrating, especially to a half-drowned man. + </p> + <p> + As he sat drooping and despondent in this comfortless condition, he + perceived a light gleaming through the trees near the shore, where the + winding of the river made a deep bay. It cheered him with the hopes that + here might be some human habitation, where he might get something to + appease the clamorous cravings of his stomach, and, what was equally + necessary in his shipwrecked condition, a comfortable shelter for the + night. It was with extreme difficulty that he made his way towards the + light, along ledges of rocks down which he was in danger of sliding into + the river, and over great trunks of fallen trees; some of which had been + blown down in the late storm, and lay so thickly together, that he had to + struggle through their branches. At length he came to the brow of a rock + that overhung a small dell, from whence the light proceeded. It was from a + fire at the foot of a great tree, that stood in the midst of a grassy + interval, or plat, among the rocks. The fire cast up a red glare among the + gray crags and impending trees; leaving chasms of deep gloom, that + resembled entrances to caverns. A small brook rippled close by, betrayed + by the quivering reflection of the flame. There were two figures moving + about the fire, and others squatted before it. As they were between him + and the light, they were in complete shadow; but one of them happening to + move round to the opposite side, Dolph was startled at perceiving, by the + full glare falling on painted features, and glittering on silver + ornaments, that he was an Indian. He now looked more narrowly, and saw + guns leaning against a tree, and a dead body lying on the ground. + </p> + <p> + Dolph began to doubt whether he was not in a worse condition than before; + here was the very foe that had fired at him from the glen. He endeavoured + to retreat quietly, not caring to entrust himself to these half-human + beings in so savage and lonely a place. It was too late: the Indian, with + that eagle quickness of eye so remarkable in his race, perceived something + stirring among the bushes on the rock: he seized one of the guns that + leaned against the tree; one moment more, and Dolph might have had his + passion for adventure cured by a bullet. He hallooed loudly, with the + Indian salutation of friendship: the whole party sprang upon their feet; + the salutation was returned, and the straggler was invited to join them at + the fire. + </p> + <p> + On approaching, he found, to his consolation, that the party was composed + of white men as well as Indians. One, who was evidently the principal + personage, or commander, was seated on the trunk of a tree before the + fire. He was a large, stout man, somewhat advanced in life, but hale and + hearty. His face was bronzed almost to the colour of an Indian’s; he had + strong but rather jovial features, an aquiline nose, and a mouth shaped + like a mastiff’s. His face was half thrown in shade by a broad hat, with a + buck’s-tail in it. His gray hair hung short in his neck. He wore a + hunting-frock, with Indian leggings, and moccasons, and a tomahawk in the + broad wampum belt round his waist. As Dolph caught a distinct view of his + person and features, he was struck with something that reminded him of the + old man of the haunted house. The man before him, however, was different + in his dress and age; he was more cheery, too, in his aspect, and it was + hard to define where the vague resemblance lay—but a resemblance + there certainly was. Dolph felt some degree of awe in approaching him; but + was assured by the frank, hearty welcome with which he was received. As he + case his eyes about, too, he was still further encouraged, by perceiving + that the dead body, which had caused him some alarm, was that of a deer; + and his satisfaction was complete, in discerning, by the savoury steams + which issued from a kettle suspended by a hooked stick over the fire, that + there was a part cooking for the evening’s repast. + </p> + <p> + He now found that he had fallen in with a rambling hunting party, such as + often took place in those days among the settlers along the river. The + hunter is always hospitable; and nothing makes men more social and + unceremonious, than meeting in the wilderness. The commander of the party + poured him out a dram of cheering liquor, which he gave him with a merry + leer, to warm his heart; arid ordered one of his followers to fetch some + garments from a pinnace, which was moored in a cove close by, while those + in which our hero was dripping might be dried before the fire. + </p> + <p> + Dolph found, as he had suspected, that the shot from the glen, which had + come so near giving him his quietus when on the precipice, was from the + party before him. He had nearly crushed one of them by the fragment of + rock which he had detached; and the jovial old hunter, in the broad hat + and buck-tail, had fired at the place where he saw the bushes move, + supposing it to be some wild animal. He laughed heartily at the blunder; + it being what is considered an exceeding good joke among hunters; “but + faith, my lad,” said he, “if I had but caught a glimpse of you to take + sight at, you would have followed the rock. Antony Vander Heyden is seldom + known to miss his aim.” These last words were at once a clue to Dolph’s + curiosity; and a few questions let him completely into the character of + the man before him, and of his band of woodland rangers. The commander in + the broad hat and hunting-frock, was no less a personage than the Heer + Antony Vander Heyden, of Albany, of whom Dolph had many a time heard. He + was, in fact, the hero of many a story; being a man of singular humours + and whimsical habits, that were matters of wonder to his quiet Dutch + neighbours. As he was a man of property, having had a father before him, + from whom he inherited large tracts of wild land, and whole barrels full + of wampum, he could indulge his humours without control. Instead of + staying quietly at home, eating and drinking at regular meal times; + amusing himself by smoking his pipe on the bench before the door, and then + turning into a comfortable bed at night; he delighted in all kinds of + rough, wild expeditions. He was never so happy as when on a hunting party + in the wilderness, sleeping under trees or bark sheds, or cruising down + the river, or on some woodland lake, fishing and hunting, and living the + Lord knows how. + </p> + <p> + He was a great friend to Indians, and to an Indian mode of life; which he + considered true natural liberty and manly enjoyment. When at home, he had + always several Indian hangers-on, who loitered about his house, sleeping + like hounds in the sunshine, or preparing hunting and fishing-tackle for + some new expedition, or shooting at marks with bows and arrows. + </p> + <p> + Over these vagrant beings, Heer Antony had as perfect command as a + huntsman over his pack; though they were great nuisances to the regular + people of his neighbourhood. As he was a rich man, no one ventured to + thwart his humours; indeed, he had a hearty, joyous manner about him, that + made him universally popular. He would troll a Dutch song, as he tramped + along the street; hail every one a mile off; and when he entered a house, + he would slap the good man familiarly on the back, shake him by the hand + till he roared, and kiss his wife and daughters before his face—in + short, there was no pride nor ill-humour about Heer Antony. + </p> + <p> + Besides his Indian hangers-on, he had three or four humble friends among + the white men, who looked up to him as a patron, and had the run of his + kitchen, and the favour of being taken with him occasionally on his + expeditions. It was with a medley of such retainers that he was at present + on a cruise along the shores of the Hudson, in a pinnace which he kept for + his own recreation. There were two white men with him, dressed partly in + the Indian style, with moccasons and hunting-shirts; the rest of his crew + consisted of four favourite Indians. They had been prowling about the + river, without any definite object until thay found themselves in the + highlands; where they had passed two or three days, hunting the deer which + still lingered among these mountains. + </p> + <p> + “It is a lucky circumstance, young man,” said Antony Vander Heyden, “that + you happened to be knocked overboard to-day, as to-morrow morning we start + early on our return homewards, and you might then have looked in vain for + a meal among the mountains—but come, lads, stir about! stir about! + Let’s see what prog we have for supper; the kettle has boiled long enough; + my stomach cries cupboard; and I’ll warrant our guest is in no mood to + dally with his trencher.” + </p> + <p> + There was a bustle now in the little encampment. One took off the kettle, + and turned a part of the contents into a huge wooden bowl; another + prepared a flat rock for a table; while a third brought various utensils + from the pinnace, which was moored close by; and Heer Antony himself + brought a flask or two of precious liquor from his own private locker—knowing + his boon companions too well to trust any of them with the key. + </p> + <p> + A rude but hearty repast was soon spread; consisting of venison smoking + from the kettle, with cold bacon, boiled Indian corn, and mighty loaves of + good brown household bread. Never had Dolph made a more delicious repast; + and when he had washed it down with two or three draughts from the Heer + Antony’s flask, and felt the jolly liquor sending its warmth through his + veins, and glowing round his very heart, he would not have changed his + situation, no, not with the governor of the province. + </p> + <p> + The Heer Antony, too, grew chirping and joyous; told half-a-dozen fat + stories, at which his white followers laughed immoderately, though the + Indians, as usual, maintained an invincible gravity. + </p> + <p> + “This is your true life, my boy!” said he, slapping Dolph on the shoulder; + “a man is never a man till he can defy wind and weather, range woods and + wilds, sleep under a tree, and live on bass-wood leaves!” + </p> + <p> + And then would he sing a stave or two of a Dutch drinking song, swaying a + short squab Dutch bottle in his hand, while his myrmidons would join in + chorus, until the woods echoed again;—as the good old song has it: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + “They all with a shout made the elements ring, + So soon as the office was o’er; + To feasting they went with true merriment. + And tippled strong liquor gillore.” + </pre> + <p> + In the midst of his jovialty, however, Heer Antony did not lose sight of + discretion. Though he pushed the bottle without reserve to Dolph, yet he + always took care to help his followers himself, knowing the beings he had + to deal with; and he was particular in granting but a moderate allowance + to the Indians. The repast being ended, the Indians having drunk their + liquor and smoked their pipes, now wrapped themselves in their blankets, + stretched themselves on the ground with their feet to the fire, and soon + fell asleep, like so many tired hounds. The rest of the party remained + chatting before the fire, which the gloom of the forest, and the dampness + of the air from the late storm, rendered extremely grateful and + comforting. The conversation gradually moderated from the hilarity of + supper-time, and turned upon hunting adventures, and exploits and perils + in the wilderness; many of which were so strange and improbable, that I + will not venture to repeat them, lest the veracity of Antony Vander Heyden + and his comrades should be brought into question. There were many + legendary tales told, also, about the river, and the settlements on its + borders; in which valuable kind of lore, the Heer Antony seemed deeply + versed. As the sturdy bush-beater sat in the twisted root of a tree, that + served him for a kind of arm-chair, dealing forth these wild stories, with + the fire gleaming on his strongly-marked visage, Dolph was again + repeatedly perplexed by something that reminded him of the phantom of the + haunted house; some vague resemblance, that could not be fixed upon any + precise feature or lineament, but which pervaded the general air of his + countenance and figure. + </p> + <p> + The circumstance of Dolph’s falling overboard being again discussed, led + to the relation of divers disasters and singular mishaps that had befallen + voyagers on this great river, particularly in the earlier periods of + colonial history; most of which the Heer deliberately attributed to + supernatural causes. Dolph stared at this suggestion; but the old + gentleman assured him that it was very currently believed by the settlers + along the river, that these highlands were under the dominion of + supernatural and mischievous beings, which seemed to have taken some pique + against the Dutch colonists in the early time of the settlement. In + consequence of this, they have ever since taken particular delight in + venting their spleen, and indulging their humours, upon the Dutch + skippers; bothering them with flaws, head winds, counter currents, and all + kinds of impediments; insomuch, that a Dutch navigator was always obliged + to be exceedingly wary and deliberate in his proceedings; to come to + anchor at dusk; to drop his peak, or take in sail, whenever he saw a + swag-bellied cloud rolling over the mountains; in short, to take so many + precautions, that he was often apt to be an incredible time in toiling up + the river. + </p> + <p> + Some, he said, believed these mischievous powers of the air to be evil + spirits conjured up by the Indian wizards, in the early times of the + province, to revenge themselves on the strangers who had dispossessed them + of their country. They even attributed to their incantations the + misadventure which befell the renowned Hendrick Hudson, when he sailed so + gallantly up this river in quest of a north-west passage, and, as he + thought, run his ship aground; which they affirm was nothing more nor less + than a spell of these same wizards, to prevent his getting to China in + this direction. + </p> + <p> + The greater part, however, Heer Antony observed, accounted for all the + extraordinary circumstances attending this river, and the perplexities of + the skippers which navigated it, by the old legend of the Storm-ship, + which haunted Point-no-point. On finding Dolph to be utterly ignorant of + this tradition, the Heer stared at him for a moment with surprise, and + wondered where he had passed his life, to be uninformed on so important a + point of history. To pass away the remainder of the evening, therefore, he + undertook the tale, as far as his memory would serve, in the very words in + which it had been written out by Mynheer Selyne, an early poet of the + New-Nederlandts. Giving, then, a stir to the fire, that sent up its sparks + among the trees like a little volcano, he adjusted himself comfortably in + his root of a tree; and throwing back his head, and closing his eyes for a + few moments, to summon up his recollection, he related the following + legend. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0051" id="link2H_4_0051"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + THE STORM-SHIP. + </h2> + <p> + In the golden age of the province of the New-Netherlands, when it was + under the sway of Wouter Van Twiller, otherwise called the Doubter, the + people of the Manhattoes were alarmed, one sultry afternoon, just about + the time of the summer solstice, by a tremendous storm of thunder and + lightning. The rain descended in such torrents, as absolutely to spatter + up and smoke along the ground. It seemed as if the thunder rattled and + rolled over the very roofs of the houses; the lightning was seen to play + about the church of St. Nicholas, and to strive three times, in vain, to + strike its weather-cock. Garret Van Horne’s new chimney was split almost + from top to bottom; and Doffue Mildeberger was struck speechless from his + bald-faced mare, just as he was riding into town. In a word, it was one of + those unparalleled storms, that only happen once within the memory of that + venerable personage, known in all towns by the appellation of “the oldest + inhabitant.” + </p> + <p> + Great was the terror of the good old women of the Manhattoes. They + gathered their children together, and took refuge in the cellars; after + having hung a shoe on the iron point of every bed-post, lest it should + attract the lightning. At length the storm abated: the thunder sunk into a + growl; and the setting sun, breaking from under the fringed borders of the + clouds, made the broad bosom of the bay to gleam like a sea of molten, + gold. + </p> + <p> + The word was given from the fort, that a ship was standing up the bay. It + passed from mouth to mouth, and street to street, and soon put the little + capital in a bustle. The arrival of a ship, in those early times of the + settlement, was an event of vast importance to the inhabitants. It brought + them news from the old world, from the land of their birth, from which + they were so completely severed: to the yearly ship, too, they looked for + their supply of luxuries, of finery, of comforts, and almost of + necessaries. The good vrouw could not have her new cap, nor new gown, + until the arrival of the ship; the artist waited for it for his tools, the + burgomaster for his pipe and his supply of Hollands, the school-boy for + his top and marbles, and the lordly landholder for the bricks with which + he was to build his new mansion. Thus every one, rich and poor, great and + small, looked out for the arrival of the ship. It was the great yearly + event of the town of New-Amsterdam; and from one end of the year to the + other, the ship—the ship—the ship—was the continual + topic of conversation. + </p> + <p> + The news from the fort, therefore, brought all the populace down to the + battery, to behold the wished-for sight. It was not exactly the time when + she had been expected to arrive, and the circumstance was a matter of some + speculation. Many were the groups collected about the battery. Here and + there might be seen a burgomaster, of slow and pompous gravity, giving his + opinion with great confidence to a crowd of old women and idle boys. At + another place was a knot of old weatherbeaten fellows, who had been seamen + or fishermen in their times, and were great authorities on such occasions; + these gave different opinions, and caused great disputes among their + several adherents: but the man most looked up to, and followed and watched + by the crowd, was Hans Van Pelt, an old Dutch sea-captain retired from + service, the nautical oracle of the place. He reconnoitred the ship + through an ancient telescope, covered with tarry canvas, hummed a Dutch + tune to himself, and said nothing. A hum, however, from Hans Van Pelt had + always more weight with the public than a speech from another man. + </p> + <p> + In the meantime, the ship became more distinct to the naked eye: she was a + stout, round Dutch-built vessel, with high bow and poop, and bearing Dutch + colours. The evening sun gilded her bellying canvas, as she came riding + over the long waving billows. The sentinel who had given notice of her + approach, declared, that he first got sight of her when she was in the + centre of the bay; and that she broke suddenly on his sight, just as if + she had come out of the bosom of the black thunder-cloud. The bystanders + looked at Hans Van Pelt, to see what he would say to this report: Hans Van + Pelt screwed his mouth closer together, and said nothing; upon which some + shook their heads, and others shrugged their shoulders. + </p> + <p> + The ship was now repeatedly hailed, but made no reply, and, passing by the + fort, stood on up the Hudson. A gun was brought to bear on her, and, with + some difficulty, loaded and fired by Hans Van Pelt, the garrison not being + expert in artillery. The shot seemed absolutely to pass through the ship, + and to skip along the water on the other side, but no notice was taken of + it! What was strange, she had all her sails set, and sailed right against + wind and tide, which were both down the river. Upon this Hans Van Pelt, + who was likewise harbour-master, ordered his boat, and set off to board + her; but after rowing two or three hours, he returned without success. + Sometimes he would get within one or two hundred yards of her, and then, + in a twinkling, she would be half a mile off. Some said it was because his + oarsmen, who were rather pursy and short-winded, stopped every now and + then to take breath, and spit on their hands; but this, it is probable, + was a mere scandal. He got near enough, however, to see the crew; who were + all dressed in the Dutch style, the officers in doublets and high hats and + feathers: not a word was spoken by any one on board; they stood as + motionless as so many statues, and the ship seemed as if left to her own + government. Thus she kept on away up the river, lessening and lessening in + the evening sunshine, until she faded from sight, like a little white + cloud melting away in the summer sky. + </p> + <p> + The appearance of this ship threw the governor into one of the deepest + doubts that ever beset him in the whole course of his administration. + Fears were entertained for the security of the infant settlements on the + river, lest this might be an enemy’s ship in disguise, sent to take + possession. The governor called together his council repeatedly to assist + him with their conjectures. He sat in his chair of state, built of timber + from the sacred forest of the Hague, and smoking his long jasmine pipe, + and listened to all that his counsellors had to say on a subject about + which they knew nothing; but, in spite of all the conjecturing of the + sagest and oldest heads, the governor still continued to doubt. + </p> + <p> + Messengers were despatched to different places on the river; but they + returned without any tidings—the ship had made no port. Day after + day, and week after week, elapsed; but she never returned down the Hudson. + As, however, the council seemed solicitous for intelligence, they had it + in abundance. The captains of the sloops seldom arrived without bringing + some report of having seen the strange ship at different parts of the + river; sometimes near the Palisadoes; sometimes off Croton Point, and + sometimes in the highlands; but she never was reported as having been seen + above the highlands. The crews of the sloops, it is true, generally + differed among themselves in their accounts of these apparitions; but they + may have arisen from the uncertain situations in which they saw her. + Sometimes it was by the flashes of the thunder-storm lighting up a pitchy + night, and giving glimpses of her careering across Tappaan Zee, or the + wide waste of Haverstraw Bay. At one moment she would appear close upon + them, as if likely to run them down, and would throw them into great + bustle and alarm; but the next flash would show her far off, always + sailing against the wind. Sometimes, in quiet moonlight nights, she would + be seen under some high bluff of the highlands, all in deep shadow, + excepting her top-sails glittering in the moonbeams; by the time, however, + that the voyagers would reach the place, there would be no ship to be + seen; and when they had passed on for some distance, and looked back, + behold! there she was again with her top-sails in tha moonshine! Her + appearance was always just after, or just before, or just in the midst of, + unruly weather; and she was known by all the skippers and voyagers of the + Hudson, by the name of “the storm-ship.” + </p> + <p> + These reports perplexed, the governor and his council more than ever; and + it would be endless to repeat the conjectures and opinions that were + uttered on the subject. Some quoted cases in point, of ships seen off the + coast of New-England, navigated by witches and goblins. Old Hans Van Pelt, + who had been more than once to the Dutch colony at the Cape of Good Hope, + insisted that this must be the Flying Dutchman which had so long haunted + Table Bay, but, being unable to make port, had now sought another harbour. + Others suggested, that, if it really was a supernatural apparition, as + there was every natural reason to believe, it might be Hendrick Hudson, + and his crew of the Half-Moon; who, it was well-known, had once run + aground in the upper part of the river, in seeking a north-west passage to + China. This opinion had very little weight with the governor, but it + passed current out of doors; for indeed it had already been reported, that + Hendrick Hudson and his crew haunted the Kaatskill Mountain; and it + appeared very reasonable to suppose, that his ship might infest the river, + where the enterprise was baffled, or that it might bear the shadowy crew + to their periodical revels in the mountain. + </p> + <p> + Other events occurred to occupy the thoughts and doubts of the sage Wouter + and his council, and the storm-ship ceased to be a subject of deliberation + at the board. It continued, however, to be a matter of popular belief and + marvellous anecdote through the whole time of the Dutch government, and + particularly just before the capture of New-Amsterdam, and the subjugation + of the province by the English squadron. About that time the storm-ship + was repeatedly seen in the Tappaan Zee, and about Weehawk, and even down + as far as Hoboken; and her appearance was supposed to be ominous of the + approaching squall in public affairs, and the downfall of Dutch + domination. + </p> + <p> + Since that time, we have no authentic accounts of her; though it is said + she still haunts the highlands and cruises about Point-no-point. People + who live along the river, insist that they sometimes see her in summer + moonlight; and that in a deep still midnight, they have heard the chant of + her crew, as if heaving the lead; but sights and sounds are so deceptive + along the mountainous shores, and about the wide bays and long reaches of + this great river, that I confess I have very strong doubts upon the + subject. + </p> + <p> + It is certain, nevertheless, that strange things have been seen in these + highlands in storms, which are considered as connected with the old story + of the ship. The captains of the river craft talk of a little + bulbous-bottomed Dutch goblin, in trunk hose and sugar-loafed hat, with a + speaking trumpet in his hand, which they say keeps about the Dunderberg.<a + href="#linknote-16" name="linknoteref-16" id="linknoteref-16"><small>16</small></a> + They declare they have heard him, in stormy weather, in the midst of the + turmoil, giving orders in Low Dutch for the piping up of a fresh gust of + wind, or the rattling off of another thunder-clap. That sometimes he has + been seen surrounded by a crew of little imps in broad breeches and short + doublets; tumbling head-over-heels in the rack and mist, and playing a + thousand gambols in the air; or buzzing like a swarm of flies about + Antony’s Nose; and that, at such times, the hurry-scurry of the storm was + always greatest. One time, a sloop, in passing by the Dunderberg, was + overtaken by a thunder-gust, that came scouring round the mountain, and + seemed to burst just over the vessel. Though tight and well ballasted, yet + she laboured dreadfully, until the water came over the gunwale. All the + crew were amazed, when it was discovered that there was a little white + sugar-loaf hat on the mast-head, which was known at once to be that of the + Heer of the Dunderberg. Nobody, however, dared to climb to the mast-head, + and get rid of this terrible hat. The sloop continued labouring and + rocking, as if she would have rolled her mast overboard. She seemed in + continual danger either of upsetting or of running on shore. In this way + she drove quite through the highlands, until she had passed Pollopol’s + Island, where, it is said, the jurisdiction of the Dunderberg potentate + ceases. No sooner had she passed this bourne, than the little hat, all at + once, spun up into the air like a top, whirled up all the clouds into a + vortex, and hurried them back to the summit of the Dunderberg, while the + sloop righted herself, and sailed on as quietly as if in a mill-pond. + Nothing saved her from utter wreck, but the fortunate circumstance of + having a horse-shoe nailed against the mast—a wise precaution + against evil spirits, which has since been adopted by all the Dutch + captains that navigate this haunted river. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="linknote-16" id="linknote-16"> Note--></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 16 (<a href="#linknoteref-16">return</a>)<br /> [ i.e., the + “Thunder-Mountain,” so called from its echoes.] + </p> + <p> + There is another story told of this foul-weather urchin, by Skipper Daniel + Ouslesticker, of Fish-Hill, who was never known to tell a lie. He + declared, that, in a severe squall, he saw him seated astride of his + bowsprit, riding the sloop ashore, full butt against Antony’s Nose; and + that he was exorcised by Dominie Van Gieson, of Esopus, who happened to be + on board, and who sung the hymn of St. Nicholas; whereupon the goblin + threw himself up in the air like a ball, and went off in a whirlwind, + carrying away with him the nightcap of the Dominie’s wife; which was + discovered the next Sunday morning hanging on the weather-cock of Esopus + church steeple, at least forty miles off! After several events of this + kind had taken place, the regular skippers of the river, for a long time, + did not venture to pass the Dunderberg, without lowering their peaks, out + of homage to the Heer of the mountain; and it was observed that all such + as paid this tribute of respect were suffered to pass unmolested.<a + href="#linknote-17" name="linknoteref-17" id="linknoteref-17"><small>17</small></a> + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="linknote-17" id="linknote-17"> Note--></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 17 (<a href="#linknoteref-17">return</a>)<br /> [ Among the superstitions + which prevailed in the colonies during the early times of the settlements, + there seems to have been a singular one about phantom ships. The + superstitious fancies of men are always apt to turn upon those objects + which concern their daily occupations. The solitary ship, which, from year + to year, came like a raven in the wilderness, bringing to the inhabitants + of a settlement the comforts of life from the world from which they were + cut off, was apt to be present to their dreams, whether sleeping or + waking. The accidental sight from shore, of a sail gliding along the + horizon, in those, as yet, lonely seas, was apt to be a matter of much + talk and speculation. There is mention made in one of the early + New-England writers, of a ship navigated by witches, with a great horse + that stood by the mainmast. I have met with another story, somewhere, of a + ship that drove on shore, in fair, sunny, tranquil weather, with sails all + set, and a table spread in the cabin, as if to regale a number of guests, + yet not a living being on board. These phantom ships always sailed in the + eye of the wind; or ploughed their way with great velocity, making the + smooth sea foam before their bows, when not a breath of air was stirring. + </p> + <p> + Moore has finely wrought up one of these legends of the sea into a little + tale which, within a small compass, contains the very essence of this + species of supernatural fiction. I allude to his Spectre-Ship bound to + Dead-man’s Isle.] + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <p> + “Such,” said Antony Vander Heyden, “are a few of the stories written down + by Selyne the poet concerning this storm-ship; which he affirms to have + brought this colony of mischievous imps into the province, from some old + ghost-ridden country of Europe. I could give you a host more, if + necessary; for all the accidents that so often befall the river craft in + the highlands, are said to be tricks played off by these imps of the + Dunderberg; but I see that you are nodding, so let us turn in for the + night.” + </p> + <p> + The moon had just raised her silver horns above the round back of old + Bull-Hill, and lit up the gray rocks and shagged forests, and glittered on + the waving bosom of the river. The night-dew was falling, and the late + gloomy mountains began to soften, and put on a gray aerial tint in the + dewy light. The hunters stirred the fire, and threw on fresh fuel to + qualify the damp of the night air. They then prepared a bed of branches + and dry leaves under a ledge of rocks, for Dolph; while Antony Vander + Heyden, wrapping himself up in a huge coat made of skins, stretched + himself before the fire. It was some time, however, before Dolph could + close his eyes. He lay contemplating the strange scene before him: the + wild woods and rocks around—the fire, throwing fitful gleams on the + faces of the sleeping savages—and the Heer Antony, too, who so + singularly, yet vaguely reminded him of the nightly visitant to the + haunted house. Now and then he heard the cry of some animal from the + forest; or the hooting of the owl; or the notes of the whip-poor-will, + which seemed to abound among these solitudes; or the splash of a sturgeon, + leaping out of the river, and falling back full length on its placid + surface. He contrasted all this with his accustomed nest in the + garret-room of the doctor’s mansion; where the only sounds he heard at + night were the church-clock telling the hour; the drowsy voice of the + watchman, drawling out all was well; the deep snoring of the doctor’s + clubbed nose from below stairs; or the cautious labours of some carpenter + rat gnawing in the wainscot. His thoughts then wandered to his poor old + mother: what would she think of his mysterious disappearance?—what + anxiety and distress would she not suffer? This was the thought that would + continually intrude itself, to mar his present enjoyment. It brought with + it a feeling of pain and compunction, and he fell asleep with the tears + yet standing in his eyes. + </p> + <p> + Were this a mere tale of fancy, here would be a fine opportunity for + weaving in strange adventures among these wild mountains and roving + hunters; and, after involving my hero in a variety of perils and + difficulties, rescuing him from them all by some miraculous contrivance: + but as this is absolutely a true story, I must content myself with simple + facts, and keep to probabilities. + </p> + <p> + At an early hour the next day, therefore, after a hearty morning’s meal, + the encampment broke up, and our adventurers embarked in the pinnace of + Antony Vander Heyden. There being no wind for the sails, the Indians rowed + her gently along, keeping time to a kind of chant of one of the white men: + The day was serene and beautiful; the river without a wave; and as the + vessel cleft the glassy water, it left a long, undulating track behind. + The crows, who had scented the hunters’ banquèt, were already gathering + and hovering in the air, just where a column of thin, blue smoke, rising + from among the trees, showed the place of their last night’s quarters. As + they coasted along the bases of the mountains, the Heer Antony pointed out + to Dolph a bald eagle, the sovereign of these regions, who sat perched on + a dry tree that projected over the river; and, with eye turned upwards, + seemed to be drinking in the splendour of the morning sun. Their approach + disturbed the monarch’s meditations. He first spread one wing, and then + the other; balanced himself for a moment; and then, quitting his perch + with dignified composure, wheeled slowly over their heads. Dolph snatched + up a gun, and sent a whistling ball after him, that cut some of the + feathers from his wing; the report of the gun leaped sharply from rock to + rock, and awakened a thousand echoes; but the monarch of the air sailed + calmly on, ascending higher and higher, and wheeling widely as he + ascended, soaring up the green bosom of the woody mountain, until he + disappeared over the brow of a beetling precipice. Dolph felt in a manner + rebuked by this proud tranquillity, and almost reproached himself for + having so wantonly insulted this majestic bird. Heer Antony told him, + laughing, to remember that he was not yet out of the territories of the + lord of the Dunderberg; and an old Indian shook his head, and observed + that there was bad luck in killing an eagle—the hunter, on the + contrary, should always leave him a portion of his spoils. + </p> + <p> + Nothing, however, occurred to molest them on their voyage. They passed + pleasantly through magnificent and lonely scenes, until they came to where + Pollopol’s Island lay, like a floating bower, at the extremity of the + highlands. Here they landed, until the heat of the day should abate, or a + breeze spring up, that might supersede the labour of the oar. Some + prepared the mid-day meal, while others reposed under the shade of the + trees in luxurious summer indolence, looking drowsily forth upon the + beauty of the scene. On the one side were the highlands, vast and cragged, + feathered to the top with forests, and throwing their shadows on the + glassy water that dimpled at their feet. On the other side was a wide + expanse of the river, like a broad lake, with long sunny reaches, and + green headlands; and the distant line of Shawungunk mountains waving along + a clear horizon, or checkered by a fleecy cloud. + </p> + <p> + But I forbear to dwell on the particulars of their cruise along the river; + this vagrant, amphibious life, careering across silver sheets of water; + coasting wild woodland shores; banqueting on shady promontories, with the + spreading tree overhead, the river curling its light foam to one’s feet, + and distant mountain, and rock, and tree, and snowy cloud, and deep-blue + sky, all mingling in summer beauty before one; all this, though never + cloying in the enjoyment, would be but tedious in narration. + </p> + <p> + When encamped by the water-side, some of the party would go into the woods + and hunt; others would fish: sometimes they would amuse themselves by + shooting at a mark, by leaping, by running, by wrestling; and Dolph gained + great favour in the eyes of Antony Vander Heyden, by his skill and + adroitness in all these exercises; which the Heer considered as the + highest of manly accomplishments. + </p> + <p> + Thus did they coast jollily on, choosing only the pleasant hours for + voyaging; sometimes in the cool morning dawn, sometimes in the sober + evening twilight, and sometimes when the moonshine spangled the crisp + curling waves that whispered along the sides of their little bark. Never + had Dolph felt so completely in his element; never had he met with any + thing so completely to his taste as this wild, hap-hazard life. He was the + very man to second Antony Vander Heyden in his rambling humours, and + gained continually on his affections. The heart of the old bushwhacker + yearned toward the young man, who seemed thus growing up in his own + likeness; and as they approached to the end of their voyage, he could not + help inquiring a little into his history. Dolph frankly told him his + course of life, his severe medical studies, his little proficiency, and + his very dubious prospects. The Heer was shocked to find that such amazing + talents and accomplishments were to be cramped and buried under a doctor’s + wig. He had a sovereign contempt for the healing art, having never had any + other physician than the butcher. He bore a mortal grudge to all kinds of + study also, ever since he had been flogged about an unintelligible book + when he was a boy. But to think that a young fellow like Dolph, of such + wonderful abilities, who could shoot, fish, run, jump, ride, and wrestle, + should be obliged, to roll pills and administer juleps for a living—‘twas + monstrous! He told Dolph never to despair, but to “throw physic to the + dogs;” for a young fellow of his prodigious talents could never fail to + make his way. “As you seem to have no acquaintance in Albany,” said Heer + Antony, “you shall go home with me, and remain under my roof until you can + look about you; and in the meantime we can take an occasional bout at + shooting and fishing, for it is a pity such talents should lie idle.” + </p> + <p> + Dolph, who was at the mercy of chance, was not hard to be persuaded. + Indeed, on turning over matters in his mind, which he did very sagely and + deliberately, he could not but think that Antony Vander Heyden was, “some + how or other,” connected with the story of the Haunted House; that the + misadventure in the highlands, which had thrown them so strangely + together, was, “some how or other,” to work out something good: in short, + there is nothing so convenient as this “some how or other” way of + accommodating one’s self to circumstances; it is the main-stay of a + heedless actor, and tardy reasoner, like Dolph Heyliger; and he who can, + in this loose, easy way, link foregone evil to anticipated good, possesses + a secret of happiness almost equal to the philosopher’s stone. + </p> + <p> + On their arrival at Albany, the sight of Dolph’s companion seemed to cause + universal satisfaction. Many were the greetings at the river side, and the + salutations in the streets: the dogs bounded before him; the boys whooped + as he passed; every body seemed to know Antony Vander Heyden. Dolph + followed on in silence, admiring the neatness of this worthy burgh; for in + those days Albany was in all its glory, and inhabited almost exclusively + by the descendants of the original Dutch settlers, for it had not as yet + been discovered and colonized by the restless people of New-England. Every + thing was quiet and orderly; every thing was conducted calmly and + leisurely; no hurry, no bustle, no struggling and scrambling for + existence. The grass grew about the unpaved streets, and relieved the eye + by its refreshing verdure. The tall sycamores or pendent willows shaded + the houses, with caterpillars swinging, in long silken strings, from their + branches, or moths, fluttering about like coxcombs, in joy at their gay + transformation. The houses were built in the old Dutch style, with the + gable-ends towards the street. The thrifty housewife was seated on a bench + before her door, in close crimped cap, bright flowered gown, and white + apron, busily employed in knitting. The husband smoked his pipe on the + opposite bench, and the little pet negro girl, seated on the step at her + mistress’ feet, was industriously plying her needle. The swallows sported + about the eaves, or skimmed along the streets, and brought back some rich + booty for their clamorous young; and the little housekeeping wren flew in + and out of a Lilliputian house, or an old hat nailed against the wall. The + cows were coming home, lowing through the streets, to be milked at their + owner’s door; and if, perchance, there were any loiterers, some negro + urchin, with a long goad, was gently urging them homewards. + </p> + <p> + As Dolph’s companion passed on, he received a tranquil nod from the + burghers, and a friendly word from their wives; all calling him familiarly + by the name of Antony; for it was the custom in this strong-hold of the + patriarchs, where they had all grown up together from childhood, to call + every one by the Christian name. The Heer did not pause to have his usual + jokes with them, for he was impatient to reach his home. At length they + arrived at his mansion. It was of some magnitude, in the Dutch style, with + large iron figures on the gables, that gave the date of its erection, and + showed that it had been built in the earliest times of the settlement. + </p> + <p> + The news of Heer Antony’s arrival had preceded him; and the whole + household was on the look-out. A crew of negroes, large and small, had + collected in front of the house to receive him. The old, white-headed + ones, who had grown gray in his service, grinned for joy and made many + awkward bows and grimaces, and the little ones capered about his knees. + But the most happy being in the household was a little, plump, blooming + lass, his only child, and the darling of his heart. She came bounding out + of the house; but the sight of a strange young man with her father called + up, for a moment, all the bashfulness of a homebred damsel. Dolph gazed at + her with wonder and delight; never had he seen, as he thought, any thing + so comely in the shape of woman. She was dressed in the good old Dutch + taste, with long stays, and full, short petticoats, so admirably adapted + to show and set off the female form. Her hair, turned up under a small + round cap, displayed the fairness of her forehead; she had fine, blue, + laughing eyes, a trim, slender waist, and soft swell—but, in a word, + she was a little Dutch divinity; and Dolph, who never stopt half-way in a + new impulse, fell desperately in love with her. + </p> + <p> + Dolph was now ushered into the house with a hearty welcome. In the + interior was a mingled display of Heer Antony’s taste and habits, and of + the opulence of his predecessors. The chambers were furnished with good + old mahogany; the beau-fets and cupboards glittered with embossed silver, + and painted china. Over the parlour fire-place was, as usual, the family + coat-of-arms, painted and framed; above which was a long duck + fowling-piece, flanked by an Indian pouch, and a powder horn. The room was + decorated with many Indian articles, such as pipes of peace, tomahawks, + scalping-knives, hunting pouches, and belts of wampum; and there were + various kinds of fishing tackle, and two or three fowling-pieces in the + corners. The household affairs seemed to be conducted, in some measure, + after the master’s humours; corrected, perhaps, by a little quiet + management of the daughter’s. There was a degree of patriarchal + simplicity, and good-humoured indulgence. The negroes came into the room + without being called, merely to look at their master, and hear of his + adventures; they would stand listening at the door until he had finished a + story, and then go off on a broad grin, to repeat it in the kitchen. A + couple of pet negro children were playing about the floor with the dogs, + and sharing with them their bread and butter. All the domestics looked + hearty and happy; and when the table was set for the evening repast, the + variety and abundance of good household luxuries bore testimony to the + openhanded liberality of the Heer, and the notable housewifery of his + daughter. + </p> + <p> + In the evening there dropped in several of the worthies of the place, the + Van Rennsellaers, and the Gansevoorts, and the Rosebooms, and others of + Antony Vander Heyden’s intimates, to hear an account of his expedition; + for he was the Sindbad of Albany, and his exploits and adventures were + favourite topics of conversation among the inhabitants. While these sat + gossiping together about the door of the hall, and telling long twilight + stories, Dolph was cozily seated, entertaining the daughter on a + window-bench. He had already got on intimate terms; for those were not + times of false reserve and idle ceremony; and, besides, there is something + wonderfully propitious to a lover’s suit, in the delightful dusk of a long + summer evening; it gives courage to the most timid tongue, and hides the + blushes of the bashful. The stars alone twinkled brightly; and now and + then a fire-fly streamed his transient light before the window, or, + wandering into the room, flew gleaming about the ceiling. + </p> + <p> + What Dolph whispered in her ear, that long summer evening, it is + impossible to say: his words were so low and indistinct, that they never + reached the ear of the historian. It is probable, however, that they were + to the purpose; for he had a natural talent at pleasing the sex, and was + never long in company with a petticoat without paying proper court to it. + In the meantime, the visitors, one by one, departed; Antony Vander Heyden, + who had fairly talked himself silent, sat nodding alone in his chair by + the door, when he was suddenly aroused by a hearty salute with which Dolph + Heyliger had unguardedly rounded off one of his periods, and which echoed + through the still chamber like the report of a pistol. The Heer started + up, rubbed his eyes, called for lights, and observed, that it was high + time to go to bed; though, on parting for the night, he squeezed Dolph + heartily by the hand, looked kindly in his face, and shook his head + knowingly; for the Heer well remembered what he himself had been at the + youngster’s age. + </p> + <p> + The chamber in which our hero was lodged was spacious, and panelled with + oak. It was furnished with clothes-presses, and mighty chests of drawers, + well waxed, and glittering with brass ornaments. These contained ample + stock of family linen; for the Dutch housewives had always a laudable + pride in showing off their household treasures to strangers. + </p> + <p> + Dolph’s mind, however, was too full to take particular note of the objects + around him; yet he could not help continually comparing the free, + open-hearted cheeriness of this establishment with the starveling, sordid, + joyless housekeeping at Doctor Knipperhausen’s. Still there was something + that marred the enjoyment—the idea that he must take leave of his + hearty host and pretty hostess and cast himself once more adrift upon the + world. To linger here would be folly; he should only get deeper in love; + and for a poor varlet like himself to aspire to the daughter of the great + Heer Vander Heyden—it was madness to think of such a thing! The very + kindness that the girl had shown towards him prompted him, on reflection, + to hasten his departure; it would be a poor return for the frank + hospitality of his host to entangle his daughter’s heart in an injudicious + attachment. In a word, Dolph was like many other young reasoners, of + exceeding good hearts and giddy heads, who think after they act, and act + differently from what they think; who make excellent determinations + overnight and forget to keep them the next morning. + </p> + <p> + “This is a fine conclusion, truly, of my voyage,” said he, as he almost + buried himself in a sumptuous feather-bed, and drew the fresh white sheets + up to his chin. “Here am I, instead of finding a bag of money to carry + home, launched in a strange place, with scarcely a stiver in my pocket; + and, what is worse, have jumped ashore up to my very ears in love into the + bargain. However,” added he, after some pause, stretching himself and + turning himself in bed, “I’m in good quarters for the present, at least; + so I’ll e’en enjoy the present moment, and let the next take care of + itself; I dare say all will work out, ‘some hew or other,’ for the best.” + </p> + <p> + As he said these words, he reached out his hand to extinguish the candle, + when he was suddenly struck with astonishment and dismay, for he thought + he beheld the phantom of the haunted house staring on him from a dusky + part of the chamber. A second look reassured him, as he perceived that + what he had taken for the spectre was, in fact, nothing but a Flemish + portrait, that hung in a shadowy corner just behind a clothes-press. It + was, however, the precise representation of his nightly visitor:—the + same cloak and belted jerkin, the same grizzled beard and fixed eye, the + same broad slouched hat, with a feather hanging over one side. Dolph now + called to mind the resemblance he had frequently remarked between his host + and the old man of the haunted house; and was fully convinced that they + were in some way connected, and that some especial destiny had governed + his voyage. He lay gazing on the portrait with almost as much awe as he + had gazed on the ghostly original, until the shrill house-clock warned him + of the lateness of the hour. He put out the light; but remained for a long + time turning over these curious circumstances and coincidences in his + mind, until he fell asleep. His dreams partook of the nature of his waking + thoughts. He fancied that he still lay gazing on the picture, until, by + degrees, it became animated; that the figure descended from the wall and + walked out of the room; that he followed it and found himself by the well, + to which the old man pointed, smiled on him, and disappeared. + </p> + <p> + In the morning when Dolph waked, he found his host standing by his + bed-side, who gave him a hearty morning’s salutation, and asked him how he + had slept. Dolph answered cheerily; but took occasion to inquire about the + portrait that hung against the wall. “Ah,” said Heer Antony, “that’s a + portrait of old Killian Vander Spiegel, once a burgomaster of Amsterdam, + who, on some popular troubles, abandoned Holland and came over to the + province during the government of Peter Stuyvesant. He was my ancestor by + the mother’s side, and an old miserly curmudgeon he was. When the English + took possession of New-Amsterdam in 1664, he retired into the country. He + fell into a melancholy, apprehending that his wealth would be taken from + him and that he would come to beggary. He turned all his property into + cash, and used to hide it away. He was for a year or two concealed in + various places, fancying himself sought after by the English, to strip him + of his wealth; and finally was found dead in his bed one morning, without + any one being able to discover where he had concealed the greater part of + his money.” + </p> + <p> + When his host had left the room, Dolph remained for some time lost in + thought. His whole mind was occupied by what he had heard. Vander Spiegel + was his mother’s family name; and he recollected to have heard her speak + of this very Killian Vander Spiegel as one of her ancestors. He had heard + her say, too, that her father was Kollian’s rightful heir, only that the + old man died without leaving any thing to be inherited. It now appeared + that Heer Antony was likewise a descendant, and perhaps an heir also, of + this poor rich man; and that thus the Heyligers and the Vander Heydens + were remotely connected. “What,” thought he, “if, after all, this is the + interpretation of my dream, that this is the way I am to make my fortune + by this voyage to Albany, and that I am to find the old man’s hidden + wealth in the bottom of that well? But what an odd, round-about mode of + communicating the matter! Why the plague could not the old goblin have + told me about the well at once, without sending me all the way to Albany + to hear a story that was to send me all the way back again?” + </p> + <p> + These thoughts passed through his mind while he was dressing. He descended + the stairs, full of perplexity, when the bright face of Marie Vander + Heyden suddenly beamed in smiles upon him, and seemed to give him a clue + to the whole mystery. “After all,” thought he, “the old goblin is in the + right. If I am to get his wealth, he means that I shall marry his pretty + descendant; thus both branches of the family will be again united, and the + property go on in the proper channel.” + </p> + <p> + No sooner did this idea enter his head, than it carried conviction with + it. He was now all impatience to hurry back and secure the treasure, + which, he did not doubt, lay at the bottom of the well, and which he + feared every moment might be discovered by some other person. “Who knows,” + thought he, “but this night-walking old fellow of the haunted house may be + in the habit of haunting every visitor, and may give a hint to some + shrewder fellow than myself, who will take a shorter cut to the well than + by the way of Albany?” He wished a thousand times that the babbling old + ghost was laid in the Red Sea, and his rambling portrait with him. He was + in a perfect fever to depart. Two or three days elapsed before any + opportunity presented for returning down the river. They were ages to + Dolph, notwithstanding that he was basking in the smiles of the pretty + Marie, and daily getting more and more enamoured. + </p> + <p> + At length the very sloop from which he had been knocked overboard, + prepared to make sail. Dolph made an awkward apology to his host for his + sudden departure. Antony Vander Heyden was sorely astonished. He had + concerted half-a-dozen excursions into the wilderness; and his Indians + were actually preparing for a grand expedition to one of the lakes. He + took Dolph aside, and exerted his eloquence to get him to abandon all + thoughts of business, and to remain with him—but in vain; and he at + length gave up the attempt, observing, “that it was a thousand pities so + fine a young man should throw himself away.” Heer Antony, however, gave + him a hearty shake by the hand at parting, with a favourite fowling-piece, + and an invitation to come to his house whenever he revisited Albany. The + pretty little Marie said nothing; but as he gave her a farewell kiss, her + dimpled cheek turned pale, and a tear stood in her eye. + </p> + <p> + Dolph sprang lightly on board of the vessel. They hoisted sail; the wind + was fair; they soon lost sight of Albany, and its green hills, and + embowered islands. They were wafted gayly past the Kaatskill mountains, + whose fairy heights were bright and cloudless. They passed prosperously + through the highlands, without any molestation from the Dunderberg goblin + and his crew; they swept on across Haverstraw Bay, and by Croton Point, + and through the Tappaan Zee, and under the Palisadoes, until, in the + afternoon of the third day, they saw the promontory of Hoboken, hanging + like a cloud in the air; and, shortly after, the roofs of the Manhattoes + rising out of the water. + </p> + <p> + Dolph’s first care was to repair to his mother’s house; for he was + continually goaded by the idea of the uneasiness she must experience on + his account. He was puzzling his brains, as he went along, to think how he + should account for his absence, without betraying the secrets of the + haunted house. In the midst of these cogitations, he entered the street in + which his mother’s house was situated, when he was thunderstruck at + beholding it a heap of ruins. + </p> + <p> + There had evidently been a great fire, which had destroyed several large + houses, and the humble dwelling of poor Dame Heyliger had been involved in + the conflagration. The walls were not so completely destroyed but that + Dolph could distinguish some traces of the scene of his childhood. The + fire-place, about which he had often played, still remained, ornamented + with Dutch tiles, illustrating passages in Bible history, on which he had + many a time gazed with admiration. Among the rubbish lay the wreck of the + good dame’s elbow-chair, from which she had given him so many a wholesome + precept; and hard by it was the family Bible, with brass clasps; now, + alas! reduced almost to a cinder. + </p> + <p> + For a moment Dolph was overcome by this dismal sight, for he was seized + with the fear that his mother had perished in the flames. He was relieved, + however, from this horrible apprehension, by one of the neighbours who + happened to come by, and who informed him that his mother was yet alive. + </p> + <p> + The good woman had, indeed, lost every thing by this unlooked-for + calamity; for the populace had been so intent upon saving the fine + furniture of her rich neighbours, that the little tenement, and the little + all of poor Dame Heyliger, had been suffered to consume without + interruption; nay, had it not been for the gallant assistance of her old + crony, Peter de Groodt, the worthy dame and her cat might have shared the + fate of their habitation. + </p> + <p> + As it was, she had been overcome with fright and affliction, and lay ill + in body, and sick at heart. The public, however, had showed her its wonted + kindness. The furniture of her rich neighbours being, as far as possible, + rescued from the flames; themselves duly and ceremoniously visited and + condoled with on the injury of their property, and their ladies + commiserated on the agitation of their nerves; the public, at length, + began to recollect something about poor Dame Heyliger. She forthwith + became again a subject of universal sympathy; every body pitied more than + ever; and if pity could but have been coined into cash—good Lord! + how rich she would have been! + </p> + <p> + It was now determined, in good earnest, that something ought to be done + for her without delay. The Dominie, therefore, put up prayers for her on + Sunday, in which all the congregation joined most heartily. Even Cobus + Groesbeck, the alderman, and Mynheer Milledollar, the great Dutch + merchant, stood up in their pews, and did not spare their voices on the + occasion; and it was thought the prayers of such great men could not but + have their due weight. Doctor Knipperhausen, too, visited her + professionally, and gave her abundance of advice gratis, and was + universally lauded for his charity. As to her old friend, Peter de Groodt, + he was a poor man, whose pity, and prayers, and advice could be of but + little avail, so he gave her all that was in his power—he gave her + shelter. + </p> + <p> + To the humble dwelling of Peter de Groodt, then, did Dolph turn his steps. + On his way thither, he recalled all the tenderness and kindness of his + simple-hearted parent, her indulgence of his errors, her blindness to his + faults; and then he bethought himself of his own idle, harum-scarum life. + “I’ve been a sad scape-grace,” said Dolph, shaking his head sorrowfully. + “I’ve been a complete sink-pocket, that’s the truth of it!—But,” + added he, briskly, and clasping his hands, “only let her live—only + let her live—and I’ll show myself indeed a son!” + </p> + <p> + As Dolph approached the house, he met Peter de Groodt coming out of it. + The old man started back aghast, doubting whether it was not a ghost that + stood before him. It being bright daylight, however, Peter soon plucked up + heart, satisfied that no ghost dare show his face in such clear sunshine. + Dolph now learned from the worthy sexton the consternation and rumour to + which his mysterious disappearance had given rise. It had been universally + believed that he had been spirited away by those hobgoblin gentry that + infested the haunted house; and old Abraham Vandozer, who lived by the + great button-wood trees, at the three-mile stone, affirmed, that he had + heard a terrible noise in the air, as he was going home late at night, + which seemed just as if a flight of wild geese were overhead, passing off + towards the northward. The haunted house was, in consequence, looked upon + with ten times more awe than ever; nobody would venture to pass a night in + it for the world, and even the doctor had ceased to make his expeditions + to it in the day-time. + </p> + <p> + It required some preparation before Dolph’s return could be made known to + his mother, the poor soul having bewailed him as lost; and her spirits + having been sorely broken down by a number of comforters, who daily + cheered her with stories of ghosts, and of people carried away by the + devil. He found her confined to her bed, with the other member of the + Heyliger family, the good dame’s cat, purring beside her, but sadly + singed, and utterly despoiled of those whiskers which were the glory of + her physiognomy. The poor woman threw her arms about Dolph’s neck: “My + boy! my boy! art thou still alive?” For a time she seemed to have + forgotten all her losses and troubles, in her joy at his return. Even the + sage grimalkin showed indubitable signs of joy, at the return of the + youngster. She saw, perhaps, that they were a forlorn and undone family, + and felt a touch of that kindliness which fellow-sufferers only know. But, + in truth, cats are a slandered people; they have more affection in them + than the world commonly gives them credit for. + </p> + <p> + The good dame’s eyes glistened as she saw one being, at least, beside + herself, rejoiced at her son’s return. “Tib knows thee! poor dumb beast!” + said she, smoothing down the mottled coat of her favourite; then + recollecting herself, with a melancholy shake of the head, “Ah, my poor + Dolph!” exclaimed she, “thy mother can help thee no longer! She can no + longer help herself! What will become of thee, my poor boy!” + </p> + <p> + “Mother,” said Dolph, “don’t talk in that strain; I’ve been too long a + charge upon you; it’s now my part to take care of you in your old days. + Come! be of good heart! you, and I, and Tib, will all see better days. I’m + here, you see, young, and sound, and hearty; then don’t let us despair; I + dare say things will all, some how or other, turn out for the best.” + </p> + <p> + While this scene was going on with the Heyliger family, the news was + carried to Doctor Knipperhausen, of the safe return of his disciple. The + little doctor scarcely knew whether to rejoice or be sorry at the tidings. + He was happy at having the foul reports which had prevailed concerning his + country mansion thus disproved; but he grieved at having his disciple, of + whom he had supposed himself fairly disencumbered, thus drifting back, a + heavy charge upon his hands. While he was balancing between these two + feelings, he was determined by the counsels of Frau Ilsy, who advised him + to take advantage of the truant absence of the youngster, and shut the + door upon him for ever. + </p> + <p> + At the hour of bed-time, therefore, when it was supposed the recreant + disciple would seek his old quarters, every thing was prepared for his + reception. Dolph, having talked his mother into a state of tranquillity, + sought the mansion of his quondam master, and raised the knocker with a + faltering hand. Scarcely, however, had it given a dubious rap, when the + doctor’s head, in a red night-cap, popped out of one window, and the + housekeeper’s, in a white night-cap, out of another. He was now greeted + with a tremendous volley of hard names and hard language, mingled with + invaluable pieces of advice, such as are seldom ventured to be given + excepting to a friend in distress, or a culprit at the bar. In a few + moments, not a window in the street but had its particular night-cap, + listening to the shrill treble of Frau Ilsy, and the guttural croaking of + Dr. Knipperhausen; and the word went from window to window, “Ah! here’s + Dolph Heyliger come back, and at his old pranks again.” In short, poor + Dolph found he was likely to get nothing from the doctor but good advice—a + commodity so abundant as even to be thrown out of the window; so he was + fain to beat a retreat, and take up his quarters for the night under the + lowly roof of honest Peter de Groodt. + </p> + <p> + The next morning, bright and early, Dolph was at the haunted house. Every + thing looked just as he had left it. The fields were grass-grown and + matted, and it appeared as if nobody had traversed them since his + departure. With palpitating heart, he hastened to the well. He looked down + into it, and saw that it was of great depth, with water at the bottom. He + had provided himself with a strong line, such as the fishermen use on the + banks of Newfoundland. At the end was a heavy plummet and a large + fish-hook. With this he began to sound the bottom of the well, and to + angle about in the water. He found that the water was of some depth; there + appeared also to be much rubbish, stones from the top having fallen in. + Several times his hook got entangled, and he came near breaking his line. + Now and then, too, he hauled up mere trash, such as the skull of a horse, + an iron hoop, and a shattered iron-bound bucket. He had now been several + hours employed without finding any thing to repay his trouble, or to + encourage him to proceed. He began to think himself a great fool, to be + thus decoyed into a wild-goose-chase by mere dreams, and was on the point + of throwing line and all into the well, and giving up all further angling. + </p> + <p> + “One more cast of the line,” said he, “and that shall be the last.” As he + sounded, he felt the plummet slip, as it were, through the interstices of + loose stones; and as he drew back the line, he felt that the hook had + taken hold of something heavy. He had to manage his line with great + caution, lest it should be broken by the strain upon it. By degrees, the + rubbish that lay upon the article which he had hooked gave way; he drew it + to the surface of the water, and what was his rapture at seeing something + like silver glittering at the end of his line! Almost breathless with + anxiety, he drew it up to the mouth of the well, surprised at its great + weight, and fearing every instant that his hook would slip from its hold, + and his prize tumble again to the bottom. At length he landed it safe + beside the well. It was a great silver porringer, of an ancient form, + richly embossed, and with armorial bearings, similar to those over his + mother’s mantel-piece, engraved on its side. + </p> + <p> + The lid was fastened down by several twists of wire; Dolph loosened them + with a trembling hand, and on lifting the lid, behold! the vessel was + filled with broad golden pieces, of a coinage which he had never seen + before! It was evident he had lit on the place where Killian Vander + Spiegel had concealed his treasure. + </p> + <p> + Fearful of being seen by some straggler, he cautiously retired, and buried + his pot of money in a secret place. He now spread terrible stories about + the haunted house, and deterred every one from approaching it, while he + made frequent visits to it on stormy days, when no one was stirring in the + neighbouring fields; though, to tell the truth, he did not care to venture + there in the dark. For once in his life he was diligent and industrious, + and followed up his new trade of angling with such perseverance and + success, that in a little while he had hooked up wealth enough to make + him, in those moderate days, a rich burgher for life. + </p> + <p> + It would be tedious to detail minutely the rest of this story:—to + tell how he gradually managed to bring his property into use without + exciting surprise and inquiry—how he satisfied all scruples with + regard to retaining the property, and at the same time gratified his own + feelings, by marrying the pretty Marie Vander Heyden—and how he and + Heer Antony had many a merry and roving expedition together. + </p> + <p> + I must not omit to say, however, that Dolph took his mother home to live + with, him, and cherished her in her old days. The good dame, too, had the + satisfaction of no longer hearing her son made the theme of censure; on + the contrary, he grew daily in public esteem; every body spoke well of him + and his wines, and the lordliest burgomaster was never known to decline + his invitation to dinner. Dolph often related, at his own table, the + wicked pranks which had once been the abhorrence of the town; but they + were now considered excellent jokes, and the gravest dignitary was fain to + hold his sides when listening to them. No one was more struck with Dolph’s + increasing merit, than his old master the doctor; and so forgiving was + Dolph, that he actually employed the doctor as his family physician, only + taking care that his prescriptions should be always thrown out of the + window. His mother had often her junto of old cronies, to take a snug cup + of tea with her in her comfortable little parlour; and Peter de Groodt, as + he sat by the fire-side, with one of her grandchildren on his knee, would + many a time congratulate her upon her son turning out so great a man; upon + which the good old soul would wag her head with exultation, and exclaim, + “Ah, neighbour, neighbour! did I not say that Dolph would one day or other + hold up his head with the best of them?” + </p> + <p> + Thus did Dolph Heyliger go on, cheerily and prosperously, growing merrier + as he grew older and wiser, and completely falsifying the old proverb + about money got over the devil’s back; for he made good use of his wealth, + and became a distinguished citizen, and a valuable member of the + community. He was a great promoter of public institutions, such as + beef-steak societies and catch-clubs. He presided at all public dinners, + and was the first that introduced turtle from the West Indies. He improved + the breed of race-horses and game-cocks, and was so great a patron of + modest merit, that any one who could sing a good song, or tell a good + story, was sure to find a place at his table. + </p> + <p> + He was a member, too, of the corporation, made several laws for the + protection of game and oysters, and bequeathed to the board a large silver + punch-bowl, made out of the identical porringer before mentioned, and + which is in the possession of the corporation to this very day. + </p> + <p> + Finally, he died, in a florid old age, of an apoplexy, at a corporation + feast, and was buried with great honours in the yard of the little Dutch + church in Garden-street, where his tombstone may still be seen, with a + modest epitaph in Dutch, by his friend Mynheer Justus Benson, an ancient + and excellent poet of the province. + </p> + <p> + The foregoing tale rests on better authority than most tales of the kind, + as I have it at second-hand from the lips of Dolph Heyliger himself. He + never related it till towards the latter part of his life, and then in + great confidence, (for he was very discreet,) to a few of his particular + cronies at his own table over a supernumerary bowl of punch; and, strange + as the hobgoblin parts of the story may seem, there never was a single + doubt expressed on the subject by any of his guests. It may not be amiss, + before concluding, to observe that, in addition to his other + accomplishments, Dolph Heyliger was noted for being the ablest drawer of + the long-bow in the whole province. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0052" id="link2H_4_0052"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + THE WEDDING. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + No more, no more, much honour aye betide + The lofty bridegroom and the lovely bride; + That all of their succeeding days may say, + Each day appears like to a wedding-day. + + —BRAITHWAITE. +</pre> + <p> + Notwithstanding the doubts and demurs of Lady Lillycraft, and all the + grave objections that were conjured up against the month of May, yet the + wedding has at length happily taken place. It was celebrated at the + village church, in presence of a numerous company of relatives and + friends, and many of the tenantry. The Squire must needs have something of + the old ceremonies observed on the occasion; so, at the gate of the + church-yard, several little girls of the village, dressed in white, were + in readiness with baskets of flowers, which they strewed before the bride; + and the butler bore before her the bride-cup, a great silver embossed + bowl, one of the family relics from the days of the hard drinkers. This + was filled with rich wine, and decorated with a branch of rosemary, tied + with gay ribands, according to ancient custom. + </p> + <p> + “Happy is the bride that the sun shines on,” says the old proverb; and it + was as sunny and auspicious a morning as heart could wish. The bride + looked uncommonly beautiful; but, in fact, what woman does not look + interesting on her wedding-day? I know no sight more charming and touching + than that of a young and timid bride, in her robes of virgin white, led up + trembling to the altar. When I thus behold a lovely girl, in the + tenderness of her years, forsaking the house of her fathers and the home + of her childhood; and, with the implicit confiding, and the sweet + self-abandonment, which belong to woman, giving up all the world for the + man of her choice: when I hear her, in the good old language of the + ritual, yielding herself to him “for better for worse, for richer for + poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honour and obey, till death us + do part,” it brings to my mind the beautiful and affecting self-devotion + of Ruth: “Whither thou goest I will go, and where thou lodgest I will + lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.” + </p> + <p> + The fair Julia was supported on the trying occasion by Lady Lillycraft, + whose heart was overflowing with its wonted sympathy in all matters of + love and matrimony. As the bride approached the altar, her face would be + one moment covered with blushes, and the next deadly pale; and she seemed + almost ready to shrink from sight among her female companions. + </p> + <p> + I do not know what it is that makes every one serious, and, as it were, + awe-struck, at a marriage ceremony—which is generally considered as + an occasion of festivity and rejoicing. As the ceremony was performing, I + observed many a rosy face among the country girls turn pale, and I did not + see a smile throughout the church. The young ladies from the Hall were + almost as much frightened as if it had been their own case, and stole many + a look of sympathy at their trembling companion. A tear stood in the eye + of the sensitive Lady Lillycraft; and as to Phoebe Wilkins, who was + present, she absolutely wept and sobbed aloud; but it is hard to tell, + half the time, what these fond foolish creatures are crying about. + </p> + <p> + The captain, too, though naturally gay and unconcerned, was much agitated + on the occasion; and, in attempting to put the ring upon the bride’s + finger, dropped it on the floor; which Lady Lillycraft has since assured + me is a very lucky omen. Even Master Simon had lost his usual vivacity, + and had assumed a most whimsically solemn face, which he is apt to do on + all occasions of ceremony. He had much whispering with the parson and + parish-clerk, for he is always a busy personage in the scene, and he + echoed the clerk’s amen with a solemnity and devotion that edified the + whole assemblage. + </p> + <p> + The moment, however, that the ceremony was over, the transition was + magical. The bride-cup was passed round, according to ancient usage, for + the company to drink to a happy union; every one’s feelings seemed to + break forth from restraint. Master Simon had a world of bachelor + pleasantries to utter; and as to the gallant general, he bowed and cooed + about the dulcet Lady Lillycraft, like a mighty cock-pigeon about his + dame. + </p> + <p> + The villagers gathered in the church-yard, to cheer the happy couple as + they left the church; and the musical tailor had marshalled his band, and + set up a hideous discord, as the blushing and smiling bride passed through + a lane of honest peasantry to her carriage. The children shouted, and + threw up their hats; the bells rung a merry peal, that set all the crows + and rooks flying and cawing about the air, and threatened to bring down + the battlements of the old tower; and there was a continual popping off of + rusty fire-locks from every part of the neighbourhood. + </p> + <p> + The prodigal son distinguished himself on the occasion, having hoisted a + flag on the top of the school-house, and kept the village in a hubbub from + sunrise, with the sound of drum and fife and pandean pipe; in which + species of music several of his scholars are making wonderful proficiency. + In his great zeal, however, he had nearly done mischief; for on returning + from church, the horses of the bride’s carriage took fright from the + discharge of a row of old gun-barrels, which he had mounted as a park of + artillery in front of the school-house, to give the captain a military + salute as he passed. + </p> + <p> + The day passed off with great rustic rejoicing. Tables were spread under + the trees in the park, where all the peasantry of the neighbourhood were + regaled with roast-beef and plum-pudding and oceans of ale. Ready-Money + Jack presided at one of the tables, and became so full of good cheer, as + to unbend from his usual gravity, to sing a song out of all tune, and give + two or three shouts of laughter, that almost electrified his neighbours, + like so many peals of thunder. The schoolmaster and the apothecary vied + with each other in making speeches over their liquor; and there were + occasional glees and musical performances by the village band, that must + have frightened every faun and dryad from the park. Even old Christy, who + had got on a new dress from top to toe, and shone in all the splendour of + bright leather breeches and an enormous wedding favour in his cap, forgot + his usual crustiness, became inspired by wine and wassel, and absolutely + danced a hornpipe on one of the tables, with all the grace and agility of + a manikin hung upon wires. + </p> + <p> + Equal gayety reigned within doors, where a large party of friends were + entertained. Every one laughed at his own pleasantry, without attending to + that of his neighbours. Loads of bride-cake were distributed. The young + ladies were all busy in passing morsels of it through the wedding-ring to + dream on, and I myself assisted a few little boarding-school girls in + putting up a quantity for their companions, which I have no doubt will set + all the little heads in the school gadding, for a week at least. + </p> + <p> + After dinner, all the company, great and small, gentle and simple, + abandoned themselves to the dance: not the modern quadrille, with its + graceful gravity, but the merry, social, old country-dance; the true + dance, as the Squire says, for a wedding occasion, as it sets all the + world jigging in couples, hand in hand, and makes every eye and every + heart dance merrily to the music. According to frank old usage, the + gentlefolks of the Hall mingled for a tune in the dance of the peasantry, + who had a great tent erected for a ball-room; and I think I never saw + Master Simon more in his element, than when figuring about among his + rustic admirers, as master of the ceremonies; and, with a mingled air of + protection and gallantry, leading out the quondam Queen of May, all + blushing at the signal honour conferred upon her. + </p> + <p> + In the evening the whole village was illuminated, excepting the house of + the radical, who has not shown his face during the rejoicings. There was a + display of fire-works at the school-house, got up by the prodigal son, + which had well-nigh set fire to the building. The Squire is so much + pleased with the extraordinary services of this last mentioned worthy, + that he talks of enrolling him in his list of valuable retainers, and + promoting him to some important post on the estate; per-adventure to be + falconer, if the hawks can ever be brought into proper training. + </p> + <p> + There is a well-known old proverb, that says “one wedding makes many,”—or + something to the same purpose; and I should not be surprised if it holds + good in the present instance. I have seen several flirtations among the + young people, that have been brought together on this occasion; and a + great deal of strolling about in pairs, among the retired walks and + blossoming shrubberies of the old garden: and if groves were really given + to whispering, as poets would fain make us believe, Heaven knows what love + tales the grave-looking old trees about this venerable country-seat might + blab to the world. + </p> + <p> + The general, too, has waxed very zealous in his devotions within the last + few days, as the time of her ladyship’s departure approaches. I observed + him casting many a tender look at her during the wedding dinner, while the + courses were changing; though he was always liable to be interrupted in + his adoration by the appearance of any new delicacy. The general, in fact, + has arrived at that time of life when the heart and the stomach maintain a + kind of balance of power, and when a man is apt to be perplexed in his + affections between a fine woman and a truffled turkey. Her ladyship was + certainly rivalled, through the whole of the first course, by a dish of + stewed carp; and there was one glance, which was evidently intended to be + a point-blank shot at her heart, and could scarcely have failed to effect + a practicable breach, had it not unluckily been directed away to a + tempting breast of lamb, in which it immediately produced a formidable + incision. Thus did this faithless general go on, coquetting during the + whole dinner, and committing an infidelity with every new dish; until, in + the end, he was so overpowered by the attentions he had paid to fish, + flesh, and fowl; to pastry, jelly, cream, and blanc-mange, that he seemed + to sink within himself: his eyes swam beneath their lids, and their fire + was so much slackened, that he could no longer discharge a single glance + that would reach across the table. Upon the whole, I fear the general ate + himself into as much disgrace, at this memorable dinner, as I have seen + him sleep himself into on a former occasion. + </p> + <p> + I am told, moreover, that young Jack Tibbets was so touched by the wedding + ceremony, at which he was present, and so captivated by the sensibility of + poor Phoebe Wilkins, who certainly looked all the better for her tears, + that he had a reconciliation with her that very day, after dinner, in one + of the groves of the park, and danced with her in the evening; to the + complete confusion of all Dame Tibbets’ domestic politics. I met them + walking together in the park, shortly after the reconciliation must have + taken place. Young Jack carried himself gayly and manfully; but Phoebe + hung her head, blushing, as I approached. However, just as she passed me, + and dropped a curtsy, I caught a shy gleam of her eye from, under her + bonnet; but it was immediately cast down again. I saw enough in that + single gleam, and in the involuntary smile that dimpled about her rosy + lips, to feel satisfied that the little gipsy’s heart was happy again. + </p> + <p> + What is more, Lady Lillycraft, with her usual benevolence and zeal in all + matters of this tender nature, on hearing of the reconciliation of the + lovers, undertook the critical task of breaking the matter to Ready-Money + Jack. She thought there was no time like the present, and attacked the + sturdy old yeoman that very evening in the park, while his heart was yet + lifted up with the Squire’s good cheer. Jack was a little surprised at + being drawn aside by her ladyship, but was not to be flurried by such an + honour: he was still more surprised by the nature of her communication, + and by this first intelligence of an affair which had been passing under + his eye. He listened, however, with his usual gravity, as her ladyship + represented the advantages of the match, the good qualities of the girl, + and the distress which she had lately suffered: at length his eye began to + kindle, and his hand to play with the head of his cudgel. Lady Lillycraft + saw that something in the narrative had gone wrong, and hastened to + mollify his rising ire by reiterating the soft-hearted Phoebe’s merit and + fidelity, and her great unhappiness; when old Ready-Money suddenly + interrupted her by exclaiming, that if Jack did not marry the wench, he’d + break every bone in his body! The match, therefore, is considered a + settled thing: Dame Tibbets and the housekeeper have made friends, and + drank tea together; and Phoebe has again recovered her good looks and good + spirits, and is carolling from morning till night like a lark. + </p> + <p> + But the most whimsical caprice of Cupid is one that I should be almost + afraid to mention, did I not know that I was writing for readers well + experienced in the waywardness of this most mischievous deity. The morning + after the wedding, therefore, while Lady Lillycraft was making + preparations for her departure, an audience was requested by her + immaculate hand-maid, Mrs. Hannah, who, with much primming of the mouth, + and many maidenly hesitations, requested leave to stay behind, and that + Lady Lillycraft would supply her place with some other servant. Her + ladyship was astonished: “What! Hannah going to quit her, that had lived + with her so long!” + </p> + <p> + “Why, one could not help it; one must settle in life some time or other.” + </p> + <p> + The good lady was still lost in amazement; at length, the secret was + gasped from the dry lips of the maiden gentlewoman: “She had been some + time thinking of changing her condition, and at length had given her word, + last evening, to Mr. Christy, the huntsman.” + </p> + <p> + How, or when, or where this singular courtship had been carried on, I have + not been able to learn; nor how she has been able, with the vinegar of her + disposition, to soften the stony heart of old Nimrod: so, however, it is, + and it has astonished every one. With all her ladyship’s love of + match-making, this last fume of Hymen’s torch has been too much for her. + She has endeavoured to reason with Mrs. Hannah, but all in vain; her mind + was made up, and she grew tart on the least contradiction. Lady Lillycraft + applied to the Squire for his interference. “She did not know what she + should do without Mrs. Hannah, she had been used to have her about her so + long a time.” + </p> + <p> + The Squire, on the contrary, rejoiced in the match, as relieving the good + lady from a kind of toilet-tyrant, under whose sway she had suffered for + years. Instead of thwarting the affair, therefore, he has given it his + full countenance; and declares that he will set up the young couple in one + of the best cottages on his estate. The approbation of the Squire has been + followed by that of the whole household; they all declare, that if ever + matches are really made in heaven, this must have been; for that old + Christy and Mrs. Hannah were as evidently formed to be linked together, as + ever were pepper-box and vinegar-cruet. + </p> + <p> + As soon as this matter was arranged, Lady Lillycraft took her leave of the + family at the Hall; taking with her the captain and his blushing bride, + who are to pass the honeymoon with her. Master Simon accompanied them on + horseback, and indeed means to ride on ahead to make preparations. The + general, who was fishing in vain for an invitation to her seat, handed her + ladyship into the carriage with a heavy sigh; upon which his bosom friend, + Master Simon, who was just mounting his horse, gave me a knowing wink, + made an abominably wry face, and, leaning from his saddle, whispered + loudly in my ear, “It won’t do!” Then, putting spurs to his horse, away he + cantered off. The general stood for some time waving his hat after the + carriage as it rolled down the avenue, until he was seized with a fit of + sneezing, from exposing his head to the cool breeze. I observed that he + returned rather thoughtfully to the house; whistling softly to himself, + with his hands behind his back, and an exceedingly dubious air. + </p> + <p> + The company have now almost all taken their departure; I have determined + to do the same to-morrow morning; and I hope my reader may not think that + I have already lingered too long at the Hall. I have been tempted to do + so, however, because I thought I had lit upon one of the retired places + where there are yet some traces to be met with of old English character. A + little while hence, and all these will probably have passed away. + Ready-Money Jack will sleep with his fathers: the good Squire, and all his + peculiarities, will be buried in the neighbouring church. The old Hall + will be modernized into a fashionable country-seat, or, peradventure, a + manufactory. The park will be cut up into petty farms and kitchen-gardens. + A daily coach will run through the village; it will become, like all other + commonplace villages, thronged with coachmen, post-boys, tipplers, and + politicians: and Christmas, May-day, and all the other hearty + merry-makings of the “good old times,” will be forgotten. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0053" id="link2H_4_0053"> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + THE AUTHOR’S FAREWELL. + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + And so without more circumstance at all, + I hold it fit that we shake hands and part. + + —<i>Hamlet</i>. +</pre> + <p> + Having taken leave of the Hall and its inmates, and brought the history of + my visit to something like a close, there seems to remain nothing further + than to make my bow, and exit. It is my foible, however, to get on such + companionable terms with my reader in the course of a work, that it really + costs me some pain to part with him; and I am apt to keep him by the hand, + and have a few farewell wards at the end of my last volume. + </p> + <p> + When I cast an eye back upon the work I am just concluding, I cannot but + be sensible how full it must be of errors and imperfections: indeed, how + should it be otherwise, writing as I do about subjects and scenes with + which, as a stranger, I am but partially acquainted? Many will doubtless + find cause to smile at very obvious blunders which I may have made; and + many may, perhaps, be offended at what they may conceive prejudiced + representations. Some will think I might have said much more on such + subjects as may suit their peculiar tastes; whilst others will think I had + done wiser to have left those subjects entirely alone. + </p> + <p> + It will probably be said, too, by some, that I view England with a partial + eye. Perhaps I do; for I can never forget that it is my “father land.” And + yet, the circumstances under which I have viewed it have by no means been + such as were calculated to produce favourable impressions. For the greater + part of the time that I have resided in it, I have lived almost unknowing + and unknown; seeking no favours, and receiving none: “a stranger and a + sojourner in the land,” and subject to all the chills and neglects that + are the common lot of the stranger. + </p> + <p> + When I consider these circumstances, and recollect how often I have taken + up my pen, with a mind ill at ease, and spirits much dejected and cast + down, I cannot but think I was not likely to err on the favourable side of + the picture. The opinions I have given of English character have been the + result of much quiet, dispassionate, and varied observation. It is a + character not to be hastily studied, for it always puts on a repulsive and + ungracious aspect to a stranger. Let those, then, who condemn my + representations as too favourable, observe this people as closely and + deliberately as I have done, and they will, probably, change their + opinion. Of one thing, at any rate, I am certain, that I have spoken + honestly and sincerely, from the convictions of my mind, and the dictates + of my heart. When I first published my former writings, it was with no + hope of gaining favour in English eyes, for I little thought they were to + become current out of my own country: and had I merely sought popularity + among my own countrymen, I should have taken a more direct and obvious + way, by gratifying rather than rebuking the angry feelings that were then + prevalent against England. + </p> + <p> + And here let me acknowledge my warm, my thankful feelings, at the effect + produced by one of my trivial lucubrations. I allude to the essay in the + Sketch-Book, on the subject of the literary feuds between England and + America. I cannot express the heartfelt delight I have experienced, at the + unexpected sympathy and approbation with which those remarks have been + received on both sides of the Atlantic. I speak this not from any paltry + feelings of gratified vanity; for I attribute the effect to no merit of my + pen. The paper in question was brief and casual, and the ideas it conveyed + were simple and obvious. “It was the cause: it was the cause” alone. There + Vras a predisposition on the part of my readers to be favourably affected. + My countrymen responded in heart to the filial feelings I had avowed in + their name towards the parent country: and there was a generous sympathy + in every English bosom towards a solitary individual, lifting up his voice + in a strange land, to vindicate the injured character of his nation. There + are some causes sosacred as to carry with them an irresistible appeal to + every virtuous bosom; and he needs but little power of eloquence, who + defends the honour of his wife, his mother, or his country. + </p> + <p> + I hail, therefore, the success of that brief paper, as showing how much + good may be done by a kind word, however feeble, when spoken in season—as + showing how much dormant good-feeling actually exists in each country, + towards the other, which only wants the slightest spark to kindle it into + a genial flame—as showing, in fact, what I have all along believed + and asserted, that the two nations would grow together in esteem and + amity, if meddling and malignant spirits would but throw by their + mischievous pens, and leave kindred hearts to the kindly impulses of + nature. + </p> + <p> + I once more assert, and I assert it with increased conviction of its + truth, that there exists, among the great majority of my countrymen, a + favourable feeling toward England. I repeat this assertion, because I + think it a truth that cannot too often be reiterated, and because it has + met with some contradiction. Among all the liberal and enlightened minds + of my countrymen, among all those which eventually give a tone to national + opinion, there exists a cordial desire to be on terms of courtesy and + friendship. But at the same time, there exists in those very minds a + distrust of reciprocal good-will on the part of England. They have been + rendered morbidly sensitive by the attacks made upon their country by the + English press; and their occasional irritability on this subject has been + misinterpreted into a settled and unnatural hostility. + </p> + <p> + For my part, I consider this jealous sensibility as belonging to generous + natures. I should look upon my countrymen as fallen indeed from that + independence of spirit which is their birth-gift; as fallen indeed from + that pride of character which they inherit from the proud nation from + which they sprung, could they tamely sit down under the infliction of + contumely and insult. Indeed, the very impatience which they show as to + the misrepresentations of the press, proves their respect for English + opinion, and their desire for English amity; for there is never jealousy + where there is not strong regard. + </p> + <p> + It is easy to say, that these attacks are all the effusions of worthless + scribblers, and treated with silent contempt by the nation; but, alas! the + slanders of the scribbler travel abroad, and the silent contempt of the + nation is only known at home. With England, then, it remains, as I have + formerly asserted, to promote a mutual spirit of conciliation; she has but + to hold the language of friendship and respect, and she is secure of the + good-will of every American bosom. + </p> + <p> + In expressing these sentiments, I would utter nothing that should commit + the proper spirit of my countrymen. We seek no boon at England’s hands: we + ask nothing as a favour. Her friendship is not necessary, nor would her + hostility be dangerous to our well-being. We ask nothing from abroad that + we cannot reciprocate. But with respect to England, we have a warm feeling + of the heart, the glow of consanguinity that still lingers in our blood. + Interest apart—past differences forgotten—we extend the hand + of old relationship. We merely ask, do not estrange us from you; do not + destroy the ancient tie of blood; do not let scoffers and slanderers drive + a kindred nation from your side; we would fain be friends; do not compel + us to be enemies. + </p> + <p> + There needs no better rallying-ground for international amity, than that + furnished by an eminent English writer: “There is,” say she, “a sacred + bond between us of blood and of language, which no circumstances can + break. Our literature must always be theirs; and though their laws are no + longer the same as ours, we have the same Bible, and we address our common + Father in the same prayer. Nations are too ready to admit that they have + natural enemies; why should they be less willing to believe that they have + natural friends?"<a href="#linknote-18" name="linknoteref-18" + id="linknoteref-18"><small>18</small></a> + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <a name="linknote-18" id="linknote-18"> Note--></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 18 (<a href="#linknoteref-18">return</a>)<br /> [ From an article (said to + be by Robert Southey, Esq.) published in the Quarterly Review. It is to be + lamented that that publication should so often forget the generous text + here given!] + </p> + <p> + To the magnanimous spirits of both countries must we trust to carry such a + natural alliance of affection into full effect. To pens more powerful than + mine, I leave the noble task of promoting the cause of national amity. To + the intelligent and enlightened of my own country, I address my parting + voice, entreating them to show themselves superior to the petty attacks of + the ignorant and the worthless, and still to look with dispassionate and + philosophic eye to the moral character of England, as the intellectual + source of our rising greatness; while I appeal to every generous-minded + Englishman from the slanders which disgrace the press, insult the + understanding, and belie the magnanimity of his country: and I invite him + to look to America, as to a kindred nation, worthy of its origin; giving, + in the healthy vigour of its growth, the best of comments on its parent + stock; and reflecting, in the dawning brightness of its fame, the moral + effulgence of British glory. + </p> + <p> + I am sure that such an appeal will not be made in vain. Indeed, I have + noticed, for some time past, an essential change in English sentiment with + regard to Amerioar. In parliament, that fountain-head of public opinion, + there seems to be an emulation, on both sides of the house, in holding the + language of courtesy and friendship. The same spirit is daily becoming + more and more prevalent in good society. There is a growing curiosity + concerning my country; a craving desire for correct information, that + cannot fail to lead to a favourable understanding. The scoffer, I trust, + has had his day; the time of the slanderer is gone by; the ribald jokes, + the stale commonplaces, which have so long passed current when America was + the theme, are now banished to the ignorant and the vulgar, or only + perpetuated by the hireling scribblers and traditional jesters of the + press. The intelligent and high-minded now pride themselves upon making + America a study. + </p> + <p> + But however my feelings may be understood or reciprocated on either side + of the Atlantic, I utter them without reserve, for I have ever found that + to speak frankly is to speak safely. I am not so sanguine as to believe + that the two nations are ever to be bound together by any romantic ties of + feeling; but I believe that much may be done towards keeping alive cordial + sentiments, were every well-disposed mind occasionally to throw in a + simple word of kindness. If I have, indeed, produced any such effect by my + writings, it will be a soothing reflection to me, that for once, in the + course of a rather negligent life, I have been useful; that for once, by + the casual exercise of a pen which has been in general but too + unprofitably employed, I have awakened a cord of sympathy between the land + of my fathers and the dear land that gave me birth. + </p> + <p> + In the spirit of these sentiments, I now take my farewell of the paternal + soil. With anxious eye do I behold the clouds of doubt and difficulty that + are lowering over it, and earnestly do I hope that they may all clear up + into serene and settled sunshine. In bidding this last adieu, my heart is + filled with fond, yet melancholy emotions; and still I linger, and still, + like a child leaving the venerable abodes of his forefathers, I turn to + breathe forth a filial benediction: Peace be within thy walls, O England! + and plenteousness within thy palaces; for my brethren and my companions’ + sake I will now say, Peace be within thee! + </p> + <div style="height: 6em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <div>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 13515 ***</div> +</body> +</html> |