The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-07 00:00:00

LITERATURE

Agnes Strickland's Novel.
How Will it End ? By Agnes Strickland. Three

Vols. Richard Bentley.
A novel in three volumes, by Agnes Strickland,
whose labours in the field of historical research have
been for some years past so unremitting and so suc-
cessful—a work of fiction by the Historian of the
Queens of England is very naturally a subject of
interest and curiosity. The admirers of Miss
Strickland, and her admirers are her readers, will
have no cause to be disappointed with her novel.
The subject is, of course, historical ; the time is dur-
ing the wars of the Cavaliers and Roundheads, and
the hero of Miss Strickland's selection is the dashing
and desperate Major Robert Phillipson, well known
to friend and foe by the surname of "Robin the
Devil." This gentleman, Miss Strickland tells us, is
ancestrally connected with her own family, and his
feud with his cousin, Colonel Briggs, and the
struggles of both for the possession of Calgarth Hall,
claimed by each as his lawful inheritance, are
matters of history, or at least of local tradition.
Colonel Briggs and his household, for example, are
during a considerable period persecuted and
alarmed by the continual and unaccountable
appearance of two skulls which no precaution can
keep away and which no destruction can annihilate.
In reference to which visitation we are inf ormed—
The frequent appearance of skulls at Old Calgarth Hall
during the contest of the rival kinsmen, Colonel Briggs
and the Phillipsons, for its possession, is still among the
traditions of that mansion, and even recorded in the local
history of Windermere ; but how the imposition was
effected has never been thoroughly explained.
Miss Strickland has in her version of the appear-

AN AUDACIOUS WOOER.
" Beautiful Althea, marry me to-morrow, if it be only to
avert so evil a destiny, and outwit the devil and his allies,"
exclaimed a gay voice behind her. Althea, turning about
with a cry of surprise, recognised the veritable man whose
mysterious likeness she Ltd just been contemplating in
Mereb's glass. Overcome with confusion, she started vio-
lently, staggered, and might have fallen to the ground had
not Phillipson caught her in his arms. He pressed her to
his bosom, and imprinted an unauthorised kiss on her
trembling lips at the same time.
" Major Phillipson, this is ill done of you," exclaimed
Alnea, as soon as she recovered her voice.
" How ill done, my life, my joy ? " cried he, audaciously
repeating the offence ; " this, I hope, is better."
" Leave me, sir ; you cannot treat me with the respect
which is my due," said Althea indignantly, extricating
herself from his embrace.
Phillipson threw himself at her feet. "Pardon," ho said,
"but my rapture at seeingyou once more overcame my rea-
son. Nay, turn not thus away to conceal your faultless
attempts to conjure up a frown on thy fair face ; useless,
indeed, you disdain to bestow a smile on a soldier who has
just returned from a lost battle."
"A lost battle," exclaimed Althea anxiously.
" A skirmish, I should rather call it, which took place
in Lindale-close that morning between the rebel Rigby's
regular troops and the raw Cumberland muster which
Pennington, of Muncaster, and Col. Huddlestone had led
into Fu•:ness to fight for King Charles. I and some of our
loyal Lakers joined them at Dalston, where we slept last
night. But Br:ggs and his solemn crew met the other
roundheads at yon grey tows of Ulverston, o'er sands.
They kad prayers and psalm singing in Swartmoor
at
daybreal-, and we came to the tussle at Lindale. They
got the better of us after an hour's hard fighting, and we
had to scamper off, which irked me not a little ; but it was
the fortune of war, and I live in hope of better luck next
time we have a brush ; and now my charming cousin,
listen. You love me: I know you do, and are wretched
in my absence."
"Who told you so, audacious man ?" exclaimed Althea,.
It was you who sent the witch woman to beguile me. I
know it was; yea, I'll tax her with it. Hal She is gone,

ance suggested a very reasonable and most probable
explanation. The great historical events and con-
spicuous personages of that stormy period are not
introduced in these pages, but as a good actor per-
forms effectively any minor part, so do the various
characters here grouped together, even the most
subordinate, bear witness of the master-hand that
has set them in motion. They are men not of the
present day, but of the seventeenth century. In
like manner every description, every scene, and
every incident is imbued with the spirit of the
age to which it belongs. That most appropriate
motto on the title-page of her most famous work—
" The treasures of antiquity laid up in old his-
toric stores I opened," has been again and again
most faithfully realised by Miss Agnes Strickland. It
is a matter of no surprise that the reader who yields
himself to her guidance should find himself actually
transported into another age, so truly is the
soul of the Past revived by the spell of this his-
torical enchantress. Before we approach the actual
story, the mystery of " How will it End ?" or de-
scribe the very charming Althea Woodville, the
heroine, let us take a glance at the condition of the
public press in the days of Charles 1., when the
daily papers rejoiced in the appropriate names of—

DIURNALS AND MERCURDES.
The dull monotony of Calgarth Hall was at length broken
by a dinner-party, consisting, however, of gentlemen only.
Colonel Briggs, when at home, was accustomed to invite
those who espoused the cause of the parliament to meet at
Calgarth Hall on that day of the week when he expected
his packet of diurnals and Mercuries from London. Many
of these gentlemen lived in places where there were no
posts, and yet possessed the keenest appetites for London
news.

These simple-minded squires were so little aware of
the science of newscraft, by which each party retained and
paid its own journal to invent and distort public intelli-
gence to suit their political interests, that they devoutly-
received for facts all statements put forth in the diurnals
of their way of thinking, for absolute truth. If the incon-
sistencies of any story derived from such a source were re-
presented to them by persons better informed, or less cre-
dulous, the invariable reply would be, " I ken nowt about'n,
it were printed in t' Mercury frae Lunnon, so it canna be
!Ruse."

but whither ?"
"No matter," replied Phillipson, Time is precious. I
cannot live without you, my Althea. My swift little
shallot is snugly moored hard by, and a few strokes of the
oars will land you on a fairy isle, where you shall reign as
queen, if you would deign to bear the burden of a poor but

faithful cavalier."
"It cannot be," answered Althea, with a sigh.
Not heeding her denial, the impetuous lover, hearing
steps approaching, lifts Althea into his boat and
bears her off to his neighbouring castle, in the full
expectation that she will become his wife. This
arrangement, however, the lady indignantly rejects,
and demands to be set at liberty. The scene,
or rather the succession of scenes, that ensue are
cleverly imagined. Althea maintains her proud
determination, until Phillipson, whom nothing can
abash, becomes offended, and then the fair damsel
fears that she has gone too far. A reconciliation
takes place, and Phillipson departs to attack Briggs
in his own stronghold. Althea, while mourning
over his absence, is visited by a fortune-teller, or
prophetess of evil, who foretells her troubles in the
following sweet and plaintive lines, which, in the
last stanzas, shadow forth the mystery of the whole
story :

The battle is o'er,
But he comes not again ;
There's blood on the shore,
But he's not with the slain.

It were sweeter, to him,
That ye wept o'er his bier,
Than your eye should grow diin
With the tale you must hear

Colonel Briggs's mail was always placed, at its arrival,
on his writing-table in the justice-room, the apartment
where he transacted the business connected with his office

Ye parted in sorrow,
Yet dreamt not I weon
How dismal a morrow
Should riso from such i'en.

as a magistrate.
Thither he and his company adjourned after dinner, to
see him unfold his despatches, both public and private, and
open his gazettes—operations that were looked upon with
the greatest awe and curiosity by his guests, to most of
whom the arrival of a letter once in two years wag regarded
as an event extraordinary, and the composition of ono wits
considered a feat only fit for a conjuror or a counsellor.
Colonel Briggs seldom published any portion of his letters,
but on this occasion he handed the Perfect Diurnal to
Squire Newbiggen, of New Place, who, as the largest land-
owner present, occupied the place of honour at his right
hand, and requested him to open the readings, and take
especial care not to let one word Pill to the ground, "Latin
gibberish, of course, excepted, being a Popish vanity," said
the squire.
The soldiers and domestics were considerately sum-
moned to attend this political banquet, nor were even the
ladies excused, in order, as Colonel Briggs observed, "that
not a single crumb of comfort should fall idly, and without
its use. For," continued he, "it is my prayer that wher-
ever these precious diurnals abound, ears may be found to
hear them."

For the tears of your parting,
Fair maid, shall be sweet,
To those wildly starting
Again when ye meet.

Squire Newbiggen succeeded in reading the Perfect
Diurnal with great credit to himself, as he skipped very
few of the hard words, and spelt none ; at least not
audibly.
"By my fay, thou bait done wonders, Master Newbiggen,
and hest read the diurnal specially," cried Squire
Thistlethwaite, of Crossbank, who sat nearest in the circle,
and expected to be complimented with the next turn of
reading.
Squire Thistlethwaite, of Crossbank, was a sturdy elderly
gentleman, with a remarkable thick head and neck, and
stout, square body ; one of those persons whom the most
common observer would pronounce to be inordinately ob-
stinate, only from a view of his person —while every fea-
ture in his bluff face told the fact that when once the Squire
had made up his mind to do anything, neither force,
fraud, nor persuasion could divert him from its way,
Country gossips said he had lived a batchelor life for
the sake of Miss Kezia Bfiggs, who had been cruel to him
from her youth upwards, and that for love of her ho visited
at Colgarth, though his principles were suspected of being
the very reverse of puritanical,
To this humourist did Colonel Briggs, prompted by his
evil destiny, consign the next diurnal, and with a toler-
ably good ascent Squire Thistlothwaie proceeded very
fluently to read its contents.
The news which was contained in the first page of this
journal was of a character to make the assembly first stare,
and then utter a variety of groans, for it appeared to be a
direct contradiction to all the crowning mercies detailed
with so much exultation in the Perfect Diurnal ; and
Master Thistlethwaite wits civilly requested to pass over
such melancholy buffetings in silence, which could only
have found their way into the journal in consequence of
some blamewot shy stumbling of the diurnal maker.
" Peradventure ho was disguised in strong drink when
making up this sheet or he would not have put forth such
untoward intelligence. Prythee cast it from thee, neigh-
bour, and betake thee to another containing more accept-
able things," said Briggs.
But Master Thistlethwaite sturdily replied " That if the
parliament had been buffeted, ho saw no reason for salv-
ing their sores with lies and dissimulation, and as he had
begun to read that diurnal, ho should continue it to the
end. Besides," he aCded, "the next article is news
from the Lancaster and Lake country, and sure we all crave
to know what Lunnon folks ha heard of us."
Althea is compelled to accompany Colonel Briggs
to the chapel, and to witness the peculiarities of

times to find even his audacity compelled to give whole soul was, as it were, dissolved in tenderness by this
way to the determined spirit of the dignified Althea. unexpected Froof of her devoted love ; and whose eyes
On her mother's death Althea is left in the guar-
which were but a moment before blazing with a fury that
made their beauty terrible, now melting with the softest
emotions,
dianship of Colonel Briggs, who determines, by a wept tears of fondness over the pale pure cheek
closer guardianship, to obtain possession of the that rested on his bosom.
fortune of the heiress. On one occasion, while ~ Tear them apart !" cried Col. Briggs, raging at this
she is wandering in the grounds of Calgarth, by the sight; "he shall die, but die alone."
river side, Althea protests that she will die rather " Oh, let him live," cried Althea, striving vainly at the
than marry Colonel Briggs, when she is startled same time to resist, with desperate struggles, the force that
rent her from Philipson.
by a sudden apparition at her side. Then flinging herself once more in the dust at the feet

of Col. Briggs, she cried,
" Oh, let him—let him live and I will buy his life
with half—nay, why do I talk of a part? with the whole
—of my fair inheritance to which indeed the manor of
Colgarth is but a yeoman's pittance. Ha, ha 1" con-
tinued she bursting into a wild hysterical laugh, that
spoke more fearfully in the sense of those present than
the most woeful cry could have done. " Ha, ha, lam
rich—l am a wealthy heiress—and now I know the
value of my dowry! Ha ha! I will buy him of you.
Some men will barter their souls for love of gold, and
you love it well I trow."
"Yet I will not sell my revenge !" whispered he in an
emphatic tone, "which is at this time sweeter to me,
AltheaWoodville, than aught your wealth could purchase."
" Ay, but you are not aware of the large ransom I can
offer you, or indeed you would grant my prayer," cried
Althea, grasping his garments with frantic vehemence.
" Shall I tell you the terms on which I will accede to
your wish," said he, in a deep under voice, fixing, at the
same time, a look upon her that curdled her blood.
"Name them," gasped Althea, "they must be hard,
indeed, if I do not embrace thorn at such a moment."
The condition is, of course, a promise from Althea
that she will become the wife of Colonel Briggs.
In her anguish and desperation Althea gives the
required pledge and Phillipson is set at liberty.
Upon this promise rests the whole history and mys-
tery of the tale. A combination of events interfere
with the immediate ratification of the engagement,
but again and again does Colonel Briggs demand
its fulfilment, and again and again does Althea,
with bleeding heart but resolute truthfulness, alter-
nately endeavour to find excuses and delays, or
again to summon courage to complete the sacrifice.
"How will it end" becomes the bewilderment of the
reader, and how it does end shall not be revealed by
us, excepting inasmuch as we may assure our
readers that it does end in a manner that reflects
new credit on the eloquent biographer of " The
Queens of England."

COUrt
_
Ciradar.

HER MAJESTY.

-- a- -

WINDSOR CASTLE, Wednesday.

The Queen walked in the grounds yesterday
afternoon with Princess Helena and Prince Christian
of Schleswig-Holstein,
Her Royal Highness Princess Louise went to
London last evening, and honoured the performance
at the Adelphi Theatre with her presence, and after-
wards returned to Windsor Castle, attended by
Lady Caroline Barrington, the Hon. Mary Lascelles,
and Lieut.-Col. Du Plat.

Prince Christian visited the cavalry barracks at
Windsor, and returned at 1 o'clock.
Prince Frederick of Schleswig-Holstein, first
cousin to Prince Christian, visited the Queen.
The Dean of Westminster and Lady Augusta
Stanley arrived at the Castle yesterday, and had the
honour of dining with her Majesty and the royal
family.

Ye shall meet in that sadness
No words can declare,
And shall part in the madness
Of utter despair.
The direful truth too soon becomes mauifes\
Phillipson is a prisoner in the hands of his enemy,
and is led forth to be executed in the court-yard of
Calgarth Hall. In this supreme moment Robin
the Devil maintains his characteristic demeanour.
TILE PLACE OF EXECUTION.
Not remote from this spot, and in the full view of the
prisoner himself, two other men were employed in fram-
ing a rough coffin destined to receive his remains after
the murderous work of vengeance should be completed.
The preparations were surveyed with an undaunted eye
byPhillipson, as he stood between two roundhead soldiers.
The white scarf,which was wrapped about his sword-arm,
was literally soaked in blood ; he was without his cloak,
and bareheaded; his dress was altogether much disordered,
torn, and marked with sanguine stains, his bright ringlets
were dishevelled, and he occasionally shook them back from
his face in an impatient gesture, and more than once made
an effort to got his hands at liberty, which movement
caused Briggs, in spite of bodily pain and weakness, to
start from his chair and bawl to the men to look to their
prisoner at the peril of their lives.
Phillipson smiled scornfully at this, glanced carelessly
over the scene before him, and whistled "Prince Rupert's
Rant." Notwithstanding his fatigue and loss of blood
the awful circumstances in which he stood, and the
dreadful preparations he was compelled to witness, his
eye retained its wonted fire and his bearing its usual
daring intrepidity ; if he felt uneasiness at anything it was
at the vocal exertions of Samuel Stunner and the choir of
psalm-singers militant. Of these Briggs himself was no
less impatient than his victim, and, raising his hand, he
made a signal to Samuel Stunner to cease; but Samuel was
in the very cream of a quiver, and in spite of all intima-
tion of his commander's displeasure, continued to trill and
shake on the note in a most donkey-like strain of disson-
ance, followed by the voices of all the choir, good, bad,
and indifferent ; and they obstinately persevered in sing-
ing a psalm of thirty-eight verses to the end.
" By my faith," soliloquised Phillipson, "a man with
ears of any sensibility would incontinently prefer being
hanged outright to the infliction of another of this solemn
bt aying."
In short, it was difficult to determine which was most
weary of the psalmody, the doomer or the doomed. But
men's lungs are not really made of leather, and even if they
were, they must in turn crack with undue exertion. There
is a point beyond which human nature cannot go in any of
its functions—the vocalists had gone to the very extremity
of their powers, most manfully, regardless of hoarseness,
faltering, squeaking, and wheezing—they had arrived at
the ne plus ultra of their energies, and were—silent.
As a crowning indignity to his fallen foe, Briggs
had condemned the gallant soldier to a felon's doom
—the gibbet. When summoned to take his place
at the gallows—
" Phillipson, starting on his feet, cast out a glance of
fiercest disdain upon his volunteer deathsmenthat they fell
back with dismay, and almost expected to see him burst
his bonds as the mighty captive of Gaza did of yore, and
take memorable vengeance on them. No one was more
thoroughly impressed with this idea than Briggs himself,
who, on perceiving the bearing of his prisoner, cried out
hastily to the troopers,
"Make ready, present, and fire if the prisoner offers to
stir a foot further, except to the gibbet."
" Cousin Bat," said Phillipson, coolly, you may spare
yourself much trouble by ordering your men to fire at once,
for I give you my word of honour that I shall never set a
step gallows-ward at the bidding of any roundhead.
" Verily," observed Bethuliel, "I stand amazed at the
contumacy of the malignant, for in all my days I never
knew a man of any kind refuse to merit the ladder after
he bad been condemned to the gibbet."
" That is," replied Phillipson," because your experience
has fallen amongst felonious villains like yourself, whose
birthright the gallows is, and who naturally take possession
of their lawful inheritance, as a matter of course."
" Oh, that thou would'st be persuaded to let me do mine
offence quietly and discreetly," said Bethuliel, holding the
rope neatly twisted towards Phillipson in a most inviting
manner, yet not daring to approach within arms' length

of him.
" Cowardly scoundrel," cried Briggs, " are you afraid of
a fettered man? Why don't you throw the rope boldly
about his neck, and drag him to the gibbet foot, since he
fears to approach it fairly ?"
Before the final command is given the heart-broken
Althea rashes desperately to the spot and implores
of her guardian the safety of her lover, but in vain.
THE CRISIS.

The demon of revenge once more scowled from under
the lowering brow of Colonel Briggs, as he muttered :
" Wherefori do I tarry for refinements in vengeance
while he lives, and lives to bravo me to my teeth ?

Soldiers, fire."
"'Then we will die together," shrieked Althea, throwing
herself before Phillipson and fearlessly enclosing the loved
form in the sanctuary of her arms.
" Go, go my loved one !" said Phillipson, gently striving
to put her from Wilt with his fettered hands, though his

The Visit of the Prince and Princess of
Wales to Lord Suffield.
GUNTON, Dec. 6.
The visit of their Royal Highnesses the Prince
and Princess of Wales to Lord Suffield is being
celebrated with a brilliancy hitherto unknown at
Gunton.
Yesterday morning the Prince, with his noble
host, Lord Leicester, Lord Spencer, Lord Rendles-
ham, Lord Alfred Paget, Lord Berkeley Paget,
Lord Hamilton, Lord Royston, and the lion. IL
llarbord, &c., spent the first day in the Gunton
preserves, Thorpe Wood being the locality selected
for the first day's sport. The head of game on the
estate is something tremendous, owing partially to
its having been strictly preserved, and also to his
Lordship's having abstained from shooting over the
domain this year and last, in expectation of the
honour of the Royal visit. The total result of the
day's battue was 2,131 killed—of which enormous
number, it is said, no less than 200 head fell to the
Prince's own gun.
At 8 o'clock a grand dinner party took place at
the hall, attended by the Prince and Princess
of Wales, Lord and Lady Suffield, Lord and
Lady Leicester, Lord and Lady Sondes, Lord and
Lady Spencer, Lord Dunmore, Lord and Lady Al-
fred Paget, Lord and Lady Rendlesham, Lord and
Lady Royston, Lord Hamilton, Lord Berkeley
Paget, &c. The band of the East Norfolk Militia
performed a number of pieces during the dinner.
A grand ball was given last night in honour of
the royal visit, to which, in addition to the guests
mentioned above, the leading members of the aris-
tocracy of the country were invited. The ballroom
had been magnificently decorated by the Messrs. J.
and J. King, of Norwich. The drawing-room,
billiard-room, and supper-room are all connected
with the ballroom. Dancing commenced about 10
o'clock to the music of Mr. Walter Howlett's Nor-
wich Quadrille Band. The Prince of Wales opened
the first quadrille with Lady Suffield, his lordship
being honoured with her Royal Highness the
Princess as a partner. Their Royal Highnesses
entered with the greatest zest into the pleasures of
the dance, and at about 12 o'clock his Royal High-
ness led Lady Suffield, and Lord Suffield had the
honour of leading the Princess to the supper-room.
After supper dancing was resumed and continued
till about half-past two.
This morning the Prince and party are gone out
shooting again. To-morrow Lord Hastings' hounds
are to meet in the neighbourhood, and in the even-
Jag there is to be another dance, to which a select
arty is invited.

Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess
d'Aumale will be at the Marquis and Marchioness of Salis-
bury's residence at Hatfield to-morrow for their residence)
at T wickenham.
His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, as
Field Marshal Commanding-in-Chief, held a levee yester-
day afternoon at the Horse Guards. Nearly 100 officers
attended.
The Duke of Northumberland and Lady Louisa
Percy are still remaining at the family residence in Port-
man-square. The noble duke is in remarkably good
health.
The Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch and Lady
Victoria Scott left town a few days ago, on a tour of visits,
on their way to Dalkeith Palace, N.B.
The Earl Russell is suffering from a severe cold,
and was in consequence unable to attend at the Cabinet
Council held yesterday afternoon.
A Cabinet Council was held yesterday at the
official residence of the First Lord of the TreasurYl
in Downing-street. The Ministers present were the Lord
Chancellor, Earl Granville, Sir George Grey, the Earl of
Clarendon, the Right Hon. Edward Cardwell, Earl De
Grey, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Duke 0
Somerset, the Right Hon. T. Milner Gibson, and the Hight
Hon. C. P. Villiers.