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WOODSTOCK
made his way from Worcester hither, where, with Joceline’s
assistance, we will care well enough for his safety. It was even
for this reason that I pressed you to accept of your nephew’s
proposal to return to the old Lodge, where a hundred men
might be concealed, though a thousand were making search to
discover them. Never such a place for hide-and-seek, as I shall
make good when I can fi nd means to publish my Wonders of
Woodstock.”
“But, my son – my dear son,” said the knight, “shall I not
then instantly see him! and wherefore did you not forewarn
me of this joyful event?”
“Because I was uncertain of his motions,” said the doctor,
“and rather thought he was bound for the sea-side, and that
it would be best to tell you of his fate when he was safe on
board, and in full sail for France. We had appointed to let you
know all when I came hither to-night to join you. But there
is a red-coat in the house whom we care not to trust farther
than we could not help. We dared not, therefore, venture in by
the hall; and so, prowling round the building, Albert informed
us, that an old prank of his, when a boy, consisted of entering by this window. A lad who was with us would needs make
the experiment, as there seemed to be no light in the chamber, and the moonlight without made us liable to be detected.
His foot slipped, and our friend Bevis came upon us.”
“In good truth, you acted simply,” said Sir Henry, “to attack
a garrison without a summons. But all this is nothing to my
son, Albert – where is he? – Let me see him.”
“But, Sir Henry, wait,” said the doctor, “till your restored
strength” –
“A plague of my restored strength, man!” answered
the knight, as his old spirit began to awaken within him. – “Dost
331
WALTER SCOTT
not remember, that I lay on Edgehill-fi eld all night, bleeding
like a bullock from fi ve several wounds, and wore my armour
within six weeks? and you talk to me of the few drops of blood
that follow such a scratch as a cat’s claw might have made!”
“Nay, if you feel so courageous,” said the doctor, “I will
fetch your son – he is not far distant.”
So saying, he left the apartment, making a sign to Alice to
remain, in case any symptoms of her father’s weakness should
return.
It was fortunate, perhaps, that Sir Henry never seemed to
recollect the precise nature of the alarm, which had at once,
and effectually as the shock of the thunderbolt, for the moment
suspended his faculties. Something he said more than once of
being certain he had done mischief with that stramaзon, as he
called it; but his mind did not recur to that danger, as having
been incurred by his son. Alice, glad to see that her father appeared to have forgotten a circumstance so fearful, (as men often forget the blow, or other sudden cause, which has thrown
them into a swoon,) readily excused herself from throwing
much light on the matter, by pleading the general confusion.
And in a few minutes, Albert cut off all farther enquiry, by entering the room, followed by the doctor, and throwing himself
alternately into the arms of his father and of his sister.
FOOTNOTES
1
A puritanic character in one of Beaumont and Fletcher’s
plays.
2
Rere-suppers (quasi arriere) belonged to a species of luxury
introduced in the jolly days of King James’s extravagance, and continued through the subsequent reign. The supper took place at an early
hour, six or seven o’clock at latest – the rere-supper was a postliminary banquet, a hors d’oeuvre, which made its appearance at ten or
eleven, and served as an apology for prolonging the entertainment
till midnight.
3
Michael Hudson, the plain-dealing chaplain of King Charles
I., resembled, in his loyalty to that unfortunate monarch, the fi ctitious character of Dr. Rochecliffe; and the circumstances of his
death were copied in the narrative of the Presbyterian’s account of
the slaughter of his school-fellow; – he was chosen by Charles I.,
along with John Ashburnham, as his guide and attendant, when
he adopted the ill-advised resolution of surrendering his person to
the Scots army.
333
WALTER SCOTT
He was taken prisoner by the Parliament, remained long in their
custody, and was treated with great severity. He made his escape
for about a year in 1647; was retaken, and again escaped in 1648.
and heading an insurrection of cavaliers, seized on a strong moated
house in Lincolnshire, called Woodford House. He gained the place
without resistance; and there are among Peck’s Desiderata Curiosa several accounts of his death, among which we shall transcribe
that of Bishop Kenneth, as the most correct, and concise: – “I have
been on the spot,” saith his Lordship, “and made all possible enquiries, and fi nd that the relation given by Mr. Wood may be a little
rectifi ed and supplied.
“Mr. Hudson and his party did not fl y to Woodford, but had quietly taken possession of it, and held it for a garrison, with a good party of horse, who made a stout defence, and frequent sallies, against
a party of the Parliament at Stamford, till the colonel commanding
them sent a stronger detachment, under a captain, his own kinsman, who was shot from the house, upon which the colonel himself
came up to renew the attack, and to demand surrender, and brought
them to capitulate upon terms of safe quarter. But the colonel, in
base revenge, commanded that they should not spare that rogue
Hudson. Upon which, Hudson fought his way up to the leads; and
when he saw they were pushing in upon him, threw himself over
the battlements (another account says, he caught hold of a spout or
outstone,) and hung by the hands, as intending to fall into the moat
beneath, till they cut off his wrists and let him drop, and then ran
down to hunt him in the water, where they found him paddling with
his stumps, and barbarously knocked him on the head.” – Peck’s
Desiderata Curiosa, Book ix.
Other accounts mention he was refused the poor charity of coming to die on land, by one Egborough, servant to Mr. Spinks, the intruder into the parsonage. A man called Walker, a chandler or gro-
334
WOODSTOCK
cer, cut out the tongue of the unfortunate divine, and showed it as
a trophy through the country. But it was remarked, with vindictive
satisfaction, that Egborough was killed by the bursting of his own
gun; and that Walker, obliged to abandon his trade through poverty, became a scorned mendicant.
For some time a grave was not vouchsafed to the remains of this
brave and loyal divine, till one of the other party said, “Since he is
dead, let him be buried.”
Литературно-художественное издание
Walter Scott
Woodstock I
Выпускающий редактор: И. Краснова
Редактор: П. Воронин
Корректор: И. Иванова
Компьютерная верстка: Т. Серёгина
Художественное оформление: М. Кылосова
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