Peveril of the Peak | Page 2

than a brass-plate in the chancel, had he not lived in

times which forced the most inactive spirits into exertion, as a tempest
influences the sluggish waters of the deadest mere. When the Civil
Wars broke out, Peveril of the Peak, proud from pedigree, and brave by
constitution, raised a regiment for the King, and showed upon several
occasions more capacity for command than men had heretofore given
him credit for.
Even in the midst of the civil turmoil, he fell in love with, and married,
a beautiful and amiable young lady of the noble house of Stanley; and
from that time had the more merit in his loyalty, as it divorced him
from her society, unless at very brief intervals, when his duty permitted
an occasional visit to his home. Scorning to be allured from his military
duty by domestic inducements, Peveril of the Peak fought on for
several rough years of civil war, and performed his part with sufficient
gallantry, until his regiment was surprised and cut to pieces by Poyntz,
Cromwell's enterprising and successful general of cavalry. The
defeated Cavalier escaped from the field of battle, and, like a true
descendant of William the Conqueror, disdaining submission, threw
himself into his own castellated mansion, which was attacked and
defended in a siege of that irregular kind which caused the destruction
of so many baronial residences during the course of those unhappy
wars. Martindale Castle, after having suffered severely from the cannon
which Cromwell himself brought against it, was at length surrendered
when in the last extremity. Sir Geoffrey himself became a prisoner, and
while his liberty was only restored upon a promise of remaining a
peaceful subject to the Commonwealth in future, his former
delinquencies, as they were termed by the ruling party, were severely
punished by fine and sequestration.
But neither his forced promise, nor the fear of farther unpleasant
consequences to his person or property, could prevent Peveril of the
Peak from joining the gallant Earl of Derby the night before the fatal
engagement in Wiggan Lane, where the Earl's forces were dispersed.
Sir Geoffrey having had his share in that action, escaped with the relics
of the Royalists after the defeat, to join Charles II. He witnessed also
the final defeat of Worcester, where he was a second time made
prisoner; and as, in the opinion of Cromwell and the language of the

times, he was regarded as an obstinate malignant, he was in great
danger of having shared with the Earl of Derby his execution at
Bolton-le-Moor, having partaken with him the dangers of two actions.
But Sir Geoffrey's life was preserved by the interest of a friend, who
possessed influence in the councils of Oliver.--This was a Mr.
Bridgenorth, a gentleman of middling quality, whose father had been
successful in some commercial adventure during the peaceful reign of
James I.; and who had bequeathed his son a considerable sum of money,
in addition to the moderate patrimony which he inherited from his
father.
The substantial, though small-sized, brick building of Moultrassie Hall,
was but two miles distant from Martindale Castle, and the young
Bridgenorth attended the same school with the heir of the Peverils. A
sort of companionship, if not intimacy, took place betwixt them, which
continued during their youthful sports--the rather that Bridgenorth,
though he did not at heart admit Sir Geoffrey's claims of superiority to
the extent which the other's vanity would have exacted, paid deference
in a reasonable degree to the representative of a family so much more
ancient and important than his own, without conceiving that he in any
respect degraded himself by doing so.
Mr. Bridgenorth did not, however, carry his complaisance so far as to
embrace Sir Geoffrey's side during the Civil War. On the contrary, as
an active Justice of the Peace, he rendered much assistance in arraying
the militia in the cause of the Parliament, and for some time held a
military commission in that service. This was partly owing to his
religious principles, for he was a zealous Presbyterian, partly to his
political ideas, which, without being absolutely democratical, favoured
the popular side of the great national question. Besides, he was a
moneyed man, and to a certain extent had a shrewd eye to his worldly
interest. He understood how to improve the opportunities which civil
war afforded, of advancing his fortune, by a dexterous use of his capital;
and he was not at a loss to perceive that these were likely to be obtained
in joining the Parliament; while the King's cause, as it was managed,
held out nothing to the wealthy but a course of exaction and
compulsory loans. For these reasons, Bridgenorth became a decided

Roundhead, and all friendly communication betwixt his neighbour and
him was abruptly broken asunder. This was done with