age,) and in many places was crumbled so as to be defaced. On the pedestal, however, was a tablet which had been kept in sufficient preservation to make its inscription perfectly visible. Curious almost to impertinence in these things, I jumped off my horse, (a movement which my companion did not oppose,) to read the inscription: it was in old characters, rather dilapidated; bore the date 1572, and read thus: "Trust in thy own good sword, To trust in Parvenu." Under the tablet was a device, cut rudely enough, in the same crumbling sort of stone, consisting of the shaft of a column, broken from its base, and the trunk of a tree hollow with age, but from which one or two fresh branches seemed to sprout, with the motto of Rude, and even uncouth as all this was, I was pleased with it. The place seemed worthy of the pillar; the pillar, of the sentiment; and both place and sentiment filled me with reflection. I feared indeed to detain my companion, but saw with pleasure he was disposed to give me all the time I could wish. He was however silent, till I remarked, as to the inscription, that there appeared more ingenuity in the thought, than skill in the execution; but that the thought itself was, I hoped, unfounded, and the poetry, even for that age, seemed bad. "For the thought," returned my companion, "if you consider it unfounded, (which, at your age, is so natural,) I will not be the person to defend it. As for the poetry, I cannot pretend to say much for that; but you see it is at least very old. This identical inscription, tablet and all, was supposed to have been cut from the wall of the cabinet or oratory of Edward de Vere, seventeenth Earl of Oxford, at Castle Headingham, in Essex, the chief seat of the family. He was a poet, and not a very good one, but ranked with those of his time; and this, added to his quarrels with his father-in-law, Burleigh, for not saving his friend the Duke of Norfolk, according, as he thought, to a promise made, both by queen and minister, created a tradition in the family that the inscription was his. "Whether in his passion, (for he was a man of most vehement spirit) by Parvenu, he meant the minister, whose family, though ancient enough, was not to be compared with his own; or whether it referred to an insinuating, designing flatterer of a secretary, who he thought had influenced the minister, I cannot make out; but I certainly am not averse to the sentiment contained in the last couplet, whatever I may be to those preceding; which also," he added with a sort of hesitating seriousness," may have their favourers." "Which of my ancestors," he then went on, "transferred the tablet, and built a column for it in this place, I have never discovered; but mouldering as is this memorial of trust ill requited, the family never would suffer it to be taken down, and I have thought it my duty, whether from my love of quaintness, or from old prejudice, to follow their example, and have accordingly preserved it.” He ceased; and his last words surprised me not a little, since they announced my companion as no other than the owner of this singular, recluse, and interesting residence. By this time his groom had dismounted, and opened one of the ponderous iron gates abovementioned, at which he stood with great respect until his master should enter. off my horse, my conductor As I was myself followed my ex ample, and leading the way, took off his hat as we passed the moat bridge into his demesne, and shaking hands with me with great courtesy, while he pointed to the two shields of arms on the pillars, and particularly to that supported by the boar (the device of the old Earls of Oxford), said I was welcome to Talbois, the ancient residence of the Astleys and De Veres. "We are not what we were," observed he, with something, which I could not help thinking emotion; 66 yet more illustrious families than ours have taken the motto that would best become us,- Fuimus.' God, however, knows what is good for us all, and submission to him is our honour as well as duty." 6 He said this with firmness, and almost even with cheerfulness; and I felt my respect rise higher and higher for him as he led the way towards the house. CHAPTER III. A SECLUSION. No longer staying than to give the mother Notice of my affair. SHAKSPEARE. THE house of Talbois, which owed its designation to the Angevin family of that name, which anciently possessed it, had been the residence of that Elizabeth Talbois, who bore a son to Henry VIII. whom he created Duke of Richmond. From that family, it passed to the famous Astleys, and by marriage to the De Veres. It was completely oldfashioned, but not now, as formerly, gothic. It was not even of the date of Elizabeth ; though the mansion was moated all round. It had been rebuilt, in the time of Charles II., very differently from its original taste, though the architect, to my great delight, had preserved a precious relic of the old fabric, which, without VOL. I. |