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The House of Walderne A Tale of the Cloister and the Forest in the Days of the Barons' Wars By: Augustine D. Crake (1836-1890) |
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A Tale of the Cloister and the Forest in the Days of the Barons' Wars by the Reverend A. D. Crake Preface.
Prologue.
Chapter 1: The Knight And Squire.
Chapter 2: Michelham Priory.
Chapter 3: Kenilworth.
Chapter 4: In the Greenwood.
Chapter 5: Martin Leaves Kenilworth.
Chapter 6: At Walderne Castle.
Chapter 7: Martin's First Day At Oxford.
Chapter 8: Hubert At Lewes Priory.
Chapter 9: The Other Side Of The Picture.
Chapter 10: Foul And Fair.
Chapter 11: The Early Franciscans.
Chapter 12: How Hubert Gained His Spurs.
Chapter 13: How Martin Gained His Desire.
Chapter 14: May Day In Lewes.
Chapter 15: The Crusader Sets Forth.
Chapter 16: Michelham Once More.
Chapter 17: The Castle Of Fievrault.
Chapter 18: The Retreat Of The Outlaws.
Chapter 19: The Preaching Friar.
Chapter 20: The Old Man Of The Mountain.
Chapter 21: To Arms! To Arms!
Chapter 22: A Medieval Tyrant.
Chapter 23: Saved As By Fire.
Chapter 24: Before The Battle.
Chapter 25: The Battle Of Lewes.
Chapter 26: After The Battle.
Epilogue.
Notes. Preface.
It is not without pleasure that the author presents this, the
twelfth of his series of historical novelettes, to his friends and
readers; the characters, real and imaginary, are very dear to him;
they have formed a part of his social circle for some two years
past, and if no one else should believe in Sir Hubert of Walderne
and Brother Martin, the author assuredly does. It was during a
pleasant summer holiday that the plan of this little work was
conceived: the author was taking temporary duty at Waldron in
Sussex, during the absence of its vicar the Walderne of our story,
formerly so called, a lovely village situated on the southern slope
of that range of low hills which extends from Hastings to Uckfield,
and which formed the backbone of the Andredsweald. In the depths of
a wood below the vicarage he found the almost forgotten site of the
old Castle of Walderne, situate in a pathless thicket, and only
approachable through the underwood. The moat was still there,
although at that time destitute of water, the space within
completely occupied by trees and bushes, where once all the bustle
and life of a medieval household was centred. The author felt a strong interest in the spot; he searched in the
Sussex Archaeological Collections for all the facts he could gather
together about this forgotten family: he found far more information
than he had hoped to gain, especially in an article contributed by
the Reverend John Ley, a former vicar of Waldron. He also made
himself familiar with the topography of the neighbourhood, and
prepared to make the old castle the chief scene of his next story,
and to revivify the dry dust so far as he was able. In a former story, the Andredsweald, a tale of the Norman Conquest,
he wrote of "The House of Michelham," in the same locality, and he
has introduced one of the descendants of that earlier family, in
the person of Friar Martin, thinking it might prove a link of
interest to the readers of the earlier story. He had intended to incorporate more of the general history of the
time, but space forbade, so he can only recommend his readers who
are curious to know more of the period to the Life of Simon de
Montfort, by Canon Creighton {1}, which will serve well to
accompany the novelette. And also those who wish to know more of
the loving and saintly Francis of Assisi, will find a most
excellent biography by Mrs. Oliphant, in Macmillan's Sunday
Library, to which the author also acknowledges great obligations. If it be objected, as it probably may, that the author's
Franciscans are curiously like the early Wesleyans, or in some
respects even like a less respectable body of modern religionists,
he can only reply "so they were;" but there was this great
difference, that they deeply realised the sacramental system of the
Church, and led people to her, not from her; the preacher was never
allowed to supersede the priest. But, on the other hand, it may reasonably be objected that Brother
Martin only exhibits one side of the religion of his period; that
there is an unaccountable absence of the popular superstitions of
the age in his teaching; and that, more especially, he does not
invoke the saints as a friar would naturally have done again and
again... Continue reading book >>
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