WOODBURN AND ROCKVILLE AT WAR.
Once more spring; and though many things had occurred to sadden the
hearts once so light at Woodburn, there were yet days there when
something of the old charm seemed to come back. There were hearts
and minds all the more bound together by sympathy in sorrow, and
by a common endurance of the petty enmity of proud and ignorant
neighbours. One fine May Sunday evening, Mr. and Mrs. Degge had
come in to tea at the Grange. Sir Henry Clavering was there; and
after tea a walk was proposed down by the river-side to a copse,
where two nightingales were continually heard, evening and night,
singing against each other in marvellous rivalry. Mr. and Mrs.
Degge, Sir Henry, George, Ann, and Letty, set out for this walk. A
more delicious evening never shed its charms on such a company. A
light breeze blew the odours of legions of flowers towards them as
they slowly wandered down the valley. They had then to cross some
fields, and pass through a farm-yard, before reaching the copse in
question. These fields and this copse were on Sir Roger Rockville’s
land; and as they approached the gate leading into the fields, they
saw, to their surprise, a board erected, declaring that there was no
road that way. As this was, and always had been, a road far beyond
the memory of man, and as no legal measures had been taken to stop
it, the gentlemen were quite confident that it could not be legally
stopped. They, therefore, went on, passed through the farm-yard, saw
no one, and reached the copse.
As they were standing beneath some trees just within it, and were
listening to the songs of the emulative birds, suddenly a gun was
discharged over their heads, and one of the birds fell at their feet.
In the greatest astonishment and indignation, the three gentlemen
rushed towards the place whence the discharge came, but could discern
no one. The ladies had picked up the poor little musician, now with
its feathers dabbled with its blood, and all its wondrous music
hushed for ever, and were in the highest state of pity and resentment.
The party took its way back in a mood of extreme exasperation at the
barbarous deed, which they attributed to some one of Sir Roger’s
keepers, and that the poor bird had fallen a martyr to the baronet’s
known feelings against them. As they entered the farm-yard, two young
men came towards them, one having a gun on his shoulders. This one
addressed the party without any sign of courtesy.
“Did not you see the board up by the gate?”
“Yes!” it was replied. “We saw it, but it has no business there. This
is an old road, and has not, to our certain knowledge, been legally
stopped.”
“I tell you,” said the young man, in an excited tone, “there is no
road—never was a road, and no one shall come this way.”
“Pray, who are you, young man?” said Sir Henry Clavering.
“Who am I? I am the son of the tenant here.”
“Then let me tell you,” said Sir Henry, “that I am Sir Henry
Clavering, a magistrate. This is Mr. Degge, another magistrate, who
must have heard of any intention to stop this road by legal means.
You young men are new here,—your father has only entered on this farm
at Lady Day. We are old inhabitants, and know that this has always
been a road.”
“I don’t care,” said the young farmer, “who you are. I tell you there
is no road here. I am ordered by Sir Roger to let nobody pass here,
and I won’t, and”—clapping his gun with one hand, as the other rested
it on his shoulder—“if any one comes after this notice, I’ll give him
what shall prevent him coming again.”
“Do you know,” said Mr. Degge, “what you are saying and doing? With
a gun in your hand, menacing death or disablement to any one coming
upon a lawful road?”
“Yes, I know what I say; and if you want to know more, this is my
legal adviser”—pointing to the other man, who had a town look about
him.
“So,” said Mr. Degge, “you are a lawyer; and do you approve of such
language as this?”
“I say,” replied the lawyer, “resist force by force.”
“Then,” said Mr. Degge, “you are a very dangerous and unlawyerlike
adviser, and this matter cannot rest here.” And with that the party
walked on.
On inquiry, it was found that the lawyer was the brother of the
young farmer, and a mere lawyer’s clerk in Castleborough. Sir Henry
Clavering immediately wrote to Sir Roger Rockville, detailing what
had taken place, and requesting to know whether these proceedings
were really sanctioned by him. In reply, Sir Roger said that the road
through the farm-yard in question was a great nuisance, and he had
told the farmer that he might get it stopped if he could, but that
he had not authorised him to use any menace or violence. Sir Henry
requested to know whether Sir Roger denied the ancient right of road,
and whether he had ordered the board to be put up? To these questions
Sir Roger gave no reply. Sir Henry and Mr. Degge, therefore, issued a
warrant for the farmer to appear before the bench, on a given day,
in order to have him bound over to keep the peace.
When the day arrived, it was found that never had there been so full
an assembly of magistrates for years. It was evident that Sir Roger
had mustered all his friends. The man was called up, and charged by
Sir Henry Clavering with the menaces already mentioned. He replied,
that he had only done as he was ordered by his landlord. Sir Henry
looked round, but though Sir Roger’s friends were there in great
force, he himself was absent. As the man swore positively that Sir
Roger had ordered him to turn everybody back, and, if they would not
go, to use force, and had sent the warning-board for him to put up,
Sir Henry produced and read Sir Rogers letter, declaring that he had
not authorised the farmer to use any menace or violence. This was a
poser, and the responsibility of the act was thrown wholly on the
man, who was declared by Sir Henry to be perjured. He added, that
he should prosecute him for the perjury; but he now demanded that
he should be bound to keep the peace towards every one for twelve
months, under a very heavy penalty. But here the united power of
Sir Henry and Mr. Degge failed against the whole bench, who were
unanimous in declaring that it would be quite sufficient if the young
man promised that he would not thus offend again. And on a ready
promise on his part, he was discharged.
Mr. Degge told the magistrates that they had taken a very heavy
responsibility upon themselves, as, from what he had seen of the
young man’s temperament, he believed him to be so excitable that,
under the least provocation, he might do some serious mischief to
some one, and that he should, for public security, feel himself
compelled to sue for a mandamus requiring them to show cause for
neglecting the very necessary precaution of binding the delinquent
to keep the peace.
This announcement produced an evident damp on the assembled justices;
but the man was already discharged, and there was no help for it.
But even before Sir Henry could issue a warrant to summon the man
to answer the charge of perjury, a fresh encounter had produced a
repetition of the very same conduct in him. All the people of the
neighbourhood were incensed at the clandestine attempt to stop this
road, and made constant use of it, though round about, in going to
Rockville; and in a very short time the effect of the reiterated
irritation of this popular opposition had produced actual insanity in
the young farmer, whose mother, it was found, was already confined in
a lunatic asylum, and whither he himself had to be conducted. This
melancholy visitation of course stopped all proceedings on the part
of Sir Henry and Mr. Degge, even against the magistrates. The road
was left peaceably open; but the condition of mind originated by this
constant clashing of views betwixt what might be called the Woodburn
and Rockville parties, was one very prejudicial to the happiness of
the neighbourhood, and ominous of results of no agreeable kind.
END OF VOL. II.
BRADBURY, EVANS, AND CO., PRINTERS, WHITEFRIARS.
Transcriber’s Notes
pg 8 Changed locked herself in her bed-room to: bedroom
pg 22 Changed comma to period end of: honour and all affection
pg 43 Removed repeated word of from: one of of the toll-bars
pg 77 Added quote after: everybody go to church.
pg 92 Removed unnecessary quotes before: “I think,” added Thorsby
pg 101 Changed imagine the déjeûner to: déjeuner
pg 130 Changed duty battling wtih to: with
pg 131 Removed unneeded quote after: might be different.
pg 136 Added a comma after: abandon an ardent lover
pg 145 Changed if you considerth at to: consider that
pg 151 Removed quote after: wish to see them.
pg 154 Removed quote after: roof and care?
pg 169 Changed that of Edmund Barington to: Barrington
pg 171 Changed nothing which can unncessarily to: unnecessarily
pg 174 Added quote before: I must hasten
pg 191 Removed quote after: seen the effect of that,
pg 205 Changed word s to as: But s it is done
pg 246 Removed word to from: soon returned to her attention
pg 271 Changed hedges and hedgerow to: hedge-row
pg 272 Changed and fell hedgerow to: hedge-row
Other hyphenated and non-hyphenated words left as written.