The House of Walderne

A free download from http://www.dertz.in


The House of Walderne

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The House of Walderne, by A. D.
Crake This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and
with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away
or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net
Title: The House of Walderne A Tale of the Cloister and the Forest in
the Days of the Barons' Wars
Author: A. D. Crake
Release Date: November 5, 2005 [EBook #17012]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE
HOUSE OF WALDERNE ***

Produced by Martin Robb

THE HOUSE OF WALDERNE
A Tale of the Cloister and the Forest in the Days of the Barons' Wars

by the Reverend A. D. Crake

Preface. Prologue.
Chapter 1
: The Knight And Squire.
Chapter 2
: Michelham Priory.
Chapter 3
: Kenilworth.
Chapter 4
: In the Greenwood.
Chapter 5
: Martin Leaves Kenilworth.
Chapter 6
: At Walderne Castle.
Chapter 7
: Martin's First Day At Oxford.
Chapter 8
: Hubert At Lewes Priory.

Chapter 9
: The Other Side Of The Picture.
Chapter 10
: Foul And Fair.
Chapter 11
: The Early Franciscans.
Chapter 12
: How Hubert Gained His Spurs.
Chapter 13
: How Martin Gained His Desire.
Chapter 14
: May Day In Lewes.
Chapter 15
: The Crusader Sets Forth.
Chapter 16
: Michelham Once More.
Chapter 17
: The Castle Of Fievrault.
Chapter 18

: The Retreat Of The Outlaws.
Chapter 19
: The Preaching Friar.
Chapter 20
: The Old Man Of The Mountain.
Chapter 21
: To Arms! To Arms!
Chapter 22
: A Medieval Tyrant.
Chapter 23
: Saved As By Fire.
Chapter 24
: Before The Battle.
Chapter 25
: The Battle Of Lewes.
Chapter 26
: After The Battle. Epilogue. Notes.

Preface.

It is not without pleasure that the author presents this, the twelfth of his
series of historical novelettes, to his friends and readers; the characters,
real and imaginary, are very dear to him; they have formed a part of his
social circle for some two years past, and if no one else should believe
in Sir Hubert of Walderne and Brother Martin, the author assuredly
does. It was during a pleasant summer holiday that the plan of this little
work was conceived: the author was taking temporary duty at Waldron
in Sussex, during the absence of its vicar--the Walderne of our story,
formerly so called, a lovely village situated on the southern slope of
that range of low hills which extends from Hastings to Uckfield, and
which formed the backbone of the Andredsweald. In the depths of a
wood below the vicarage he found the almost forgotten site of the old
Castle of Walderne, situate in a pathless thicket, and only approachable
through the underwood. The moat was still there, although at that time
destitute of water, the space within completely occupied by trees and
bushes, where once all the bustle and life of a medieval household was
centred.
The author felt a strong interest in the spot; he searched in the Sussex
Archaeological Collections for all the facts he could gather together
about this forgotten family: he found far more information than he had
hoped to gain, especially in an article contributed by the Reverend John
Ley, a former vicar of Waldron. He also made himself familiar with the
topography of the neighbourhood, and prepared to make the old castle
the chief scene of his next story, and to revivify the dry dust so far as he
was able.
In a former story, the Andredsweald, a tale of the Norman Conquest, he
wrote of "The House of Michelham," in the same locality, and he has
introduced one of the descendants of that earlier family, in the person
of Friar Martin, thinking it might prove a link of interest to the readers
of the earlier story.
He had intended to incorporate more of the general history of the time,
but space forbade, so he can only recommend his readers who are
curious to know more of the period to the Life of Simon de Montfort,
by Canon Creighton {1}, which will serve well to accompany the

novelette. And also those who wish to know more of the loving and
saintly Francis of Assisi, will find a most excellent biography by Mrs.
Oliphant, in Macmillan's Sunday Library, to which the author also
acknowledges great obligations.
If it be objected, as it probably may, that the author's Franciscans are
curiously like the early Wesleyans, or in some respects even like a less
respectable body of modern religionists, he can only