The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1869-01-08
SELECT STORY.
ALEGEND OF DUNSMORE CASTLE

"0pen, / command thee, in tn,
lname of Cromwell and OF the Par
lament -
Thus spoke stern, gaunt man
the leader of band of about thirty
mounted and armed followers, whose
rigid mien and close-cropped hair
proclaimed them to be Roundheads
4 Pheys were collected iii front O
Dunsmore Castle, whose lord was
absent, a leader Of the troops of King
Charles. The two armies were nov
very near each other, and n battle
was daily anticipated.
az dare not open," was the reply
of the warder upon the walls, "since
our liege lord is absent, and his Or
ders were to admit none save such as
came in the Kings name"s %
"Go thou, and say to thy worship
fIil lady that Colonel Langstaif, of the
parliamentary troops, with thirty
followers, crave an hours rest and
refreshment beneath her roof. Were
!. 1t not that Lady DunsInore's hOspi-
tslity is renowned throughout the
land we might not, perchance, vent
ure to entrust ourselves within an
enemy's walls but with thy noble
and honorable lady, well We ween OF
our ssfety'
This fiattering message had its ef-
feet upon the kind-hearted but weak
minded lady OF Dunsmore. Langstafi
and his friends were admitted, and
the best cheer that the castle could
afford was spread forth in the old
banquet hall for the refreshment OF
the Cromwellians, and this against
the earnest advice and remon-
STRANGE OF her daughter, the lady Is
abel, as also the old seneschel and
butler, who mistrusted tho peaceful
intent of the Puritans.
The result showed them to have
been correct. Scarcely was the meal
concluded, when instead of taking
peaceful and courteous leave, Colo
mel Langstaff issued orders to his
band, and in few moments the few
retainers that had been left by Lord
Armidale for the safe keeping of the
castle were overpowered, and Duns-
more declared to be in possession OF
the Roundheads, sin the name of the
protector and the parliament" The
lady of the castle herself, together
with the lady Isabel, and their tiring
woman, were restricted to suite OF
apartments, and there carefully guar
ded while no inmate of the castle was
allowed to go without the walls upon
any pretext whatever. Langstaff well
knew that Lord Armidale would soon
visit his castle, being encamped now
but few leagues distant, and with
him the young Lord Percy, the be-
trothed of Lady Isabel, and who had
already, by his bravery and strategy,
rendered himself obnoxious to CrOm-
wells troops.
Such thoughts had also occurred
to the mind of Lady Isabel, as at
her open window she sat and gazed
far across the level country in the
direction of the Royalist encampment
Anticipating visit from her father
and lover this very evening, her mind
was now dev sing some plan by which
to warn them of the change in the
castle, and the consequent danger
which threatened them.
But pent up as she was, cut of
; from all communication even with thu
household, what could she do ? Step
ming upon the diss beneath the lofty
E window, she leaned out as far as th,
thick wall of the tower would admit
|. On the ramparts above her head sh'
> heard the measured tread of the sen
Itrs; below was a sheer descent of for
ty feet, without leop.hole or projec
tile. What signal could she max
/ that would serve as warning Il
! those she woald fain preserve from
danger 7 Would not the waving OF
5. scarf or handkerchief be looked upol
by the father and lover as a signal o
q welcome only. and serve rather t.
Il hasten than to check their approach
e Isabel, in ths despair of cOnseiou
: Ihelplessnes elasped her hands to
oether and bowed her fair head upol
them, murmuring, "May God he'll
!; them, for | cannot
= Lady Dunsmore paced the chambe
r llamenting and wrineing her hands.
d sit was my fault who should hav