Part 16 (1/2)
”He has joined the standard of the Duke of Monmouth, who landed this afternoon, and he badeassured that you would approve of his proceeding”
”Would that I could join him myself!” exclaimed Mr Battisob
”But I can, and I can,” cried out two of his other sons, rising froht; and you will return with us, Roger, of course”
”I aer ”I could not take such a step without consulting ht not to hesitate for aBattisobs; ”but if you will not go with us we must set out without you”
”Better wait till to-,” said Mr Battisob ”E such articles as you er's sturdy refusal to join the Duke, the young Battisobs treated him with unusual coldness, barely indeed with civility; he, therefore, wishi+ng the, mounted his horse and made his way towards theht?”
asked his father
”Yes,” answered Roger, and he described who had landed from them
”Stephen has joined the Duke, and wanted me much to do the same, but I declined till I had consulted you”
”You acted wisely, Roger,” said his uncle ”It ain the day, it may be that he will lose it; but certain it is that he who brings civil war into a land brings a heavy curse”
”And has Stephen actually joined the Duke of Moned him not to join so desperate a cause as that which the Duke's must be when he comes to oppose constituted authority”
”But he does not consider it desperate,” said Roger, ”but a right noble cause; and judging by the enthusiasht arms to put into their hands, and officers to drill thee army under his command”
”That remains to be seen,” observed the Colonel ”I had hoped not to witness another civil war in our country”
Mr Willoughby had all the tih, perhaps, thankful that his son had not joined Monmouth's standard, he rejoiced that the Duke had safely landed and that the people showed enthusiasm in his cause His belief was that the whole of the west of England would quickly be up in arms, that the army of James would melt away, and that a bloodless victory would be obtained over the tyrant He made a remark to that effect to the Colonel
”I wish no ill to the Duke of Monmouth,” he answered ”If he succeeds he will be called the deliverer of our country, if he fails he will be branded as a traitor It all depends on the prudence hich he acts, no less than on the purity of his views If his cause is so intrinsically just, he is likely to obtain general support If not, should he fail, he will be guilty of the ruin and destruction of those who engage with him Undoubtedly the Duke, like you and others, believes that the whole of the west country, including the noble will take place in London, that the Duke of Argyll will be successful in Scotland, and that the rebellion will be organised in Ireland; but all this remains to be proved, and it appears to round, should have thoroughly assured himself that these events would occur”
Such were the opinions of a large number of the upper classes ere not unfavourable to the Duke, but were unwilling to hazard their lives and fortunes by taking an active part in an enterprise which had been commenced, as they considered, without due and sufficient preparation
The older er ones had heard too ain to see it commence, unless they could be satisfied that the cause they advocated would be speedily and entirely triuladly have seen the Popish king driven froht be purchased at too high a price, and thus they thought it prudent to re to bed the Colonel su commended him for the prudence hich he had acted, he added, ”Now, ive me your word of honour that you will not be tempted by any persuasions to join the Duke I know the enthusiastic spirit which anied in a righteous cause, regardless of all the consequences of failure He acts with the approval of his father, therefore I do not blame him; but I think it probable that he will endeavour to win you and others over, and I therefore wish to prepare you to resist all his arguer was somewhat surprised at this address, for he fancied that Stephen, whatever he ht say, was not at all likely to win hiave his word to his uncle
”I can noithyour brief stay with us,” said the Colonel, ”and feel confident that you will make the best of your way back to London to join your shi+p when your leave is up”
The next day Mr Battisob caton Hall to call on the Colonel and Mr Willoughby The object of his visit was very evident
He at once entered into the subject of the Duke of Monument he could think of to induce his friends to support it
He had given his sons, he said, to the cause, though his age and infir it personally, but he purposed setting to work to enlist men ould soon raise a body of cavalry, of which he hoped Colonel Tregellen would take co of the sort,days are over, and even if I thought better of the Duke's cause than I do, I would not risk the safety of those dependent onin it As a friend, I would advise you to return hoiven your sons to the cause, and I pray that they ers to which they must inevitably be exposed”
Madareatly relieved when she heard the Colonel say this Poor Alice looked pale and anxious She wasacted contrary to her advice, when she heard that he had done so in obedience to his father's wishes; still she dreaded the dangers to which he would be exposed,--dangers which the Colonel's reer's stay was to be a very short one, he had spent so much tier returning, it was settled that he was to start on the following Monday The faer, a very unusual thing for him, could not sleep He had thrown open the hich looked northward; before it, at some distance, ran the road between Lyme and Bridport Presently he heard the tramp of feet and the murmur of voices As he watched a part of the road which could be seen between the trees, he observed it filled with are nu forward, then there cath they all passed by He was doubtful whether he should tell his uncle, but ould be the use, he thought, if they are Monmouth's men?--he would not join theot an arht be called upon to give his assistance He was very o and ascertain what they were about He resisted the temptation, however Should he be discovered, his uncle, he felt,his word Drowsiness stealing over him, he left hisopen and turned into bed He rose rather later than usual, and on going down to breakfast ht; but no one had been disturbed, and his father declared that he er asserted that he had both seen and heard a large body of hby never left the house at an early hour, so Roger volunteered to go out and ascertain if anything unusual had taken place He had just got to the edge of the plantations which bordered the high-road, when he heard the trae body offro to encounter the the underwood At their head rode one of the officers who had landed with the Duke, who he heard was Lord Grey His followers see on before the others, as the oxen in a large drove are apt to do when the dogs are barking at their heels They looked neither to the right hand nor to the left The road was somewhat narrow, only three or four could ride abreast; thus they were soone by, when, looking up, he observed a s thenised Stephen Battisob, who kept continually turning round as if he expected soer was much inclined to shout out and ask what had occurred, but he restrained hiht look upon him as an enemy or a spy, and make him a prisoner The appearance of Stephen had left no doubt that the party belonged to the Duke, and that they had been engaged in some expedition which had apparently not been successful He noent on to the village, expecting there to obtain some certain information
Except the landlord of the little inn, as too burly and short-winded to move, not a one, Master Roger,” said Joe Tippler; ”marched away to Lyme to join the Duke of Mono and take London town”