The Old English Baron | Page 4

seat of his ancestors?"
"Why, sir, he married his sister to this said Lord; and so he sold the
Castle to him, and went away, and built himself a house in the north
country, as far as Northumberland, I think they call it."
"That is very strange!" said Sir Philip.
"So it is, please your honour; but this is all I know about it."
"I thank you, friend, for your intelligence; I have taken a long journey
to no purpose, and have met with nothing but cross accidents. This life
is, indeed, a pilgrimage! Pray direct me the nearest way to the next
monastery."
"Noble sir," said the peasant, "it is full five miles off, the night is
coming on, and the ways are bad; I am but a poor man, and cannot
entertain your honour as you are used to; but if you will enter my poor
cottage, that, and every thing in it, are at your service."
"My honest friend, I thank you heartily," said Sir Philip; "your kindness
and hospitality might shame many of higher birth and breeding; I will
accept your kind offer;--but pray let me know the name of my host?"
"John Wyatt, sir; an honest man though a poor one, and a Christian

man, though a sinful one."
"Whose cottage is this?"
"It belongs to the Lord Fitz-Owen."
"What family have you?"
"A wife, two sons and a daughter, who will all be proud to wait upon
your honour; let me hold your honour's stirrup whilst you alight."
He seconded these words by the proper action, and having assisted his
guest to dismount, he conducted him into his house, called his wife to
attend him, and then led his horse under a poor shed, that served him as
a stable. Sir Philip was fatigued in body and mind, and was glad to
repose himself anywhere. The courtesy of his host engaged his
attention, and satisfied his wishes. He soon after returned, followed by
a youth of about eighteen years.
"Make haste, John," said the father, "and be sure you say neither more
nor less than what I have told you."
"I will, father," said the lad; and immediately set off, ran like a buck
across the fields, and was out of sight in an instant.
"I hope, friend," said Sir Philip, "you have not sent your son to provide
for my entertainment; I am a soldier, used to lodge and fare hard; and,
if it were otherwise, your courtesy and kindness would give a relish to
the most ordinary food."
"I wish heartily," said Wyatt, "it was in my power to entertain your
honour as you ought to be; but, as I cannot do so, I will, when my son
returns, acquaint you with the errand I sent him on."
After this they conversed together on common subjects, like
fellow-creatures of the same natural form and endowments, though
different kinds of education had given a conscious superiority to the
one, a conscious inferiority to the other; and the due respect was paid
by the latter, without being exacted by the former. In about half an hour
young John returned.
"Thou hast made haste," said the father.
"Not more than good speed," quoth the son.
"Tell us, then, how you speed?"
"Shall I tell all that passed?" said John.
"All," said the father; "I don't want to hide any thing."
John stood with his cap in his hand, and thus told his tale--
"I went straight to the castle as fast as I could run; it was my hap to

light on young Master Edmund first, so I told him just as you bad me,
that a noble gentleman was come a long journey from foreign parts to
see the Lord Lovel, his friend; and, having lived abroad many years, he
did not know that he was dead, and that the castle was fallen into other
hands; that upon hearing these tidings he was much grieved and
disappointed, and wanting a night's lodging, to rest himself before he
returned to his own home, he was fain to take up with one at our
cottage; that my father thought my Lord would be angry with him, if he
were not told of the stranger's journey and intentions, especially to let
such a man lie at our cottage, where he could neither be lodged nor
entertained according to his quality."
Here John stopped, and his father exclaimed--
"A good lad! you did your errand very well; and tell us the answer."
John proceeded--
"Master Edmund ordered me some beer, and went to acquaint my Lord
of the message; he stayed a while, and then came back to me.-- 'John,'
said he, 'tell the noble stranger that the Baron Fitz-Owen greets him
well, and desires him to rest assured, that