New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-26
DE BRUTON'S SWORD Hit.

ID l.
Though the plague Of tourists has not ye fallen
upon IT, there exists within the narrow seas no
more picturesque little town than MOnkmoOr. 1t
lies among bills on the borders OF Shropshire and
Herefordshire, some thirty miles from Shrewsbury.
The latter MoIkmoor Yields to as the iounty Town
its gray old castle was prncey residence, ana
when IL lorded it ta. and wde over the Marches or
Wales. o. its prory but name IS eit, OF Us
than match; of its church, WELL the tOwnsmen Say
i is the second parsh-church in England and look
with scorn on the tall spire OF 81. Mary's, at
Shrewsbury. Whether it is the second parish r,
church in England, know not: only ono inner
have / seen; that, as far as know, that may
in nainted glass Honor where honor is due. But,
Grand rs are the wooded hills rising around It, in
fefestng as are its historical monuments. MONK
moor lies out of the road of the crowd OF travellers
aud only a few, a very few, artists come hther III
summer, attracted chiefly by some old timber
houses equal TO any that Chester can show. Not
withstardng one August morning two years ago,
Eustace Walters, Young balrister OF m1aerai;e
family ard more moderate fortune, touna hIhsG i
standing under the Butchers Row outside the
Angel Hotel at Monkmoor lie rad been merely
passing along the ShreN sbury and Hereford hall-
way intending TO spend some weeks OF the summer
vacation on tie Wye, when the sight of the old
castle framed in Mary Knoll Woods had attracted
him, and rejoicing In uhenGnmpered '3nth Nc na d
determined TO stay and see the place his was tne
third day Of his stay. and IL was wet one; ne had
seer the castle; he had seen the church he had
admin
bearing panels 90 the Bull he had heard ailIana
that was very little-that was 20 he heard about
the .Priory. Finally, as he rcmarked 10 tne b0ous,
the billiard able was only moderate, ana games
with the marker are apt to become monoiohp1s.
So the Boots regarded him with doubtful ar; the
Angel would gladly nave had tourists az timex as
locnsts and failing that wished to do tue best by
such stray ones as lighted down; wherefore, as
remarked, the Boots was looking doubtful "hat
amusement he shOuld suggest to carry the sontaTy
ouest over enother day lie looked GOWN inc
street out the Broad Gate gave him no lnsplra-
ton nor when he looked up, did the butter Oross:
But his memory proved true 10 him: the hons OF
MonkmoOr were not exhausted
L do declare, SIR said he with hearty slap on
his thigh you've never seen the museum lts JUST
the day for il, with the ram stopping eNeIyulnS
else or yon might have gone to Iitterstone hllI, OF
TO Wicmore Castle tried for trout IN the RENE
ov aud the day after tomorrow there's n cricket
match! But there's some Things very curious ~
the museum now, Pve Lizard say frsI iuinlHe on
fbe left up Castle-st., and then inquire at the
corner shop, sir 49,. 49,, .,o d,sors.;o, 40 IN
the merits of numerous small, or a rev large
,uuseuns. MonkmOOr, with It's old associations,
conld well supply a collection OF It's own, III winch
rs tho Boots at the Angel said were many curious
Things: and our hero. though no deep antquarlah,
coz fhrourh an hour very pleasantly. The curator,
who outside tue door. acted as statiOneI: kDe"
thing of the things he had i'll charge yet rot so
much rs TO bore ms audience with abstruse Io Ie.
There was a good show cf fossil remains Oh sneIis
end eggs and ferns-an quickly passed overIDut
the relics found il and about the castIe iorleu hc
Greoter tbe uni1ue part of the collection. quaint
OH parchnents illuinned with the names OF oman
and Mortimer and Sidney; mysterious lnstI umehtS
of tortuie rusty arms, and arlnoT- these WIZ
there in plenty, and as signs OF the khiBhts 1i
whom but dust and rust remain. they awake I'D al
some interest in the past. One sword-nllt 10
which INT a couple of inches of blade renamed.
particularly attracted Walters: il was honored by
q small glass topped case al TO itseil which "aS'
moreover locked lie inquired Its history
Well sir explained the Oh gentleman, as no
reverenty unlocked the case ana drew OUT Ihe
fraoment il was found some twenty years ago
80 Mariners Cross "a battlefield about, II the
snGt be rightly guessed. ten mil es from here Inc
hit said to be- of Italian maze ana 10 nave De
tInTe detented by the YorkistS in the Wars of the
Roses But antiQuarians say that IL was mace long
before even his time. , H..
IL must have belonged 10 some one OF marx Ior
IT 49, indeed unique In shape. o., . l..
Yes. the figure cruciied usplderdown TO form dl
the crOss-handlc Is certainly St. IeteI' WIN "a'
possibly the owners patron saint c.,- -
is il heavy3 May handle itf Silver was
more valuable then than now. an ,,oro ,,ero oncs
The crossed KEYS surmOuntng the loot OF the cross
but now only two fragments are leit 10 lhoical9
them. good MANY have guessed ~ oo Ita4ffe
oripnally TO a crusader, oil knight OF some Italian
military order
nv love. I did not see that it was hollow
rare idea. worthy of ID. Lynn himself, :" nat 9
capital hiding place for your secrets, III the NIT VI
Hollow Good Heavens so it isl And we've
had il twenty years and never suspected IT,
though I've cleaned it several tmesl Now, to
think of your finding it out like that!
Never was antiquarian so astonlshed.
.FvidepIly the old baron's secrets were reserved
,r ,na 70 hiring TO light answered the young man
merriIy as he pointed to tiny roll OF iparchnehe
i,,;u0 In the hollow now 50 cuIlously discovered.
INC old Italian craftsman had MADE the neure 10
Ain mo the cross. when small lndentatoh at the
root OF tue blade pressed III tne UacK OF tn9
t0nre was "a square cavity now containing roIleu
Sin Of parchment. SpOrtively as the discoVcrei
smoke there was, and naturally 100 shauoW vi
gravity over his tace, and that OF the ora cua'Vi,
O. thev fenderly unrOlled the slip concealed Dy
GngeIs which had struck their final battle-stroR
before the Tudors rose to rule over an Ehglahu dS
diflerent from our England rs could wen dc IN,
agined How little could he, VINO tlus Inrueeu
- sccret TO his own right hand, at the crsis per
Laps of his fate. imagine how ana when anu Thg h
4 would be brought to hght ma,1elS neru L nd
six words of Latin: Quantum porta. tant9in
pscina, Below, the vague signature H. de y. -,
:" As far from the gate as IRON ,ne pi1hc ana;t
III 10 evidently "A memorandum, ana thlhk Oh
come SPOT. though Intentionally vague ono
,SinC Is certain X. de Il. cannot well stahd lor
T2ot reolied the curator, who had not got the
,,tar. 81 ~ surnr Sc and would hardly have maj,
yelled nov if the blade bad appeared ana Teun n
itself to the treasured nut 10 'niiiA '"'' W
handled il scores of times Inysen h+ 7 to,r u
will do me little good expect ~ ~ .ne beToLu VI
the hold barons plunderrece ptacle thOugh a
church seems funny place Tor u at nIst sisnt'
You see there is nothing else no lhScI VI vrIS
THE spring is still in working OfdeI OF ~ mouiu
not have been found even by you, sI. ~ WIN SUI
nrise some of town. who are great
Perhaps some of them may make some inlne ! iolo
ont of it, for at all versed in such matters;
n 81 Peter reveal any more OF his secret pray leu
And Walters gave his address to the OLD gentle
man who gladly promised TO do so. ana peloIo
leaving took last glance at the relic. ere Win iIs
parchment safe in its breast. II was again
10 the glass case. Another half hours TAX Detweeh
onr two discoveries it would not he US 10 Ielate,
M wa need only follow Walters rs he stIoiis Daek
10 his inn, his thoughts naturally full OF tne oda
GscOyeIy aud his brain hard at Work. see KING some