Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-06-19

~ again came to the rescue Of the brilliant
impostor. She invited him to her court.
ard in the presence OF the world, as repre-
sented by ambassadors. statesmen and
generais, she proclaimed him Duke Of
York and my nephew"
While the continent was thus treating
Perkin Warbeck many Of the leading Eng.
tish mobiles, won by his romantic story and
the belief that he was indeed the son of
che beloved king whom he SO strongly re.
sembled, declared for him So great was
the division that civil war was threatened.
Henry VII learned the true story. or
rather sufficient to prove TINT Perkin War
beck was an impostor. He caused it to be
published and ordered all who believed in
the impostor to be put to death. As con-
sequence some of the foremost men in the
Kingdom were sent to the scaffold.
Although there was not drop Of 90
called royal blood in his veins, there was
not in Europe at that time man occupy
ing throne who in all the attributes of
manhood at all compared with the Inn
poster and adventurer, Perkin Warbeck.
Backed by the Duchess of Burgundy
and many of the French mobiles whom the
peace Of Naples did not win to Henry
VII, Warbeck landed in the north Of Eng.
land with small but well equipped army.
in the managemeut of which he showed
unmistakable evidence of generalship. .
He maintained himself for six months
against all the force Henry could send
against him; but. having no treasury, gov.
eminent or base Of supplies, he was, after
q stubborn fight, driven into Scotland,
then an independent kingdom under
James ".
The English dared not pursue beyond
the border, where lowlanders and high
landers had gathered by thousands ito
help the son Of Edward. miraculously
saved by heaven to bring vengeance on
the regicides"
The Scotch king received Pcrkin War
beck as an equal. He sent out q royal
edict prOclaiming him Duke of York and
1.-THE uncrOwned king of our neiRhbor
England"
Masses were said in all the chapels of
Scotland thanking heaven for the miracu.
lous preservation Of the prince
Fctes were given in his honor, and the
Scotch nobility threw wide open their cas-.
tie gates to receive him, and their retain
ers girded on their claymores and swore
on the crucifix to defend him.
There was never a doubt of this mans
genuincncss In the minds of the Scots.
and with Celtic impulsiveness they stood
ready to prove their faith.
The most beautiful woman in Scotland
ut this time was Lady Catherine Gordon.
daughter of the powerful Earl of Huntly.
Great was the rejoicing in the northern
Kingdom when it was learned that the
daughter of Scotland's foremost noble was
betrothed to 1.-THE Duke of York, the right
full sovereign of England"
They were married in the chapel NJ
Hollywood, and the festivities up to this
time had never been equaled at a royal
wedding.
Even ii Perkin Warbeck had been all he
claimed the hOnors Of the great and the
adulatiOns of interiors, of which he was
now the object, might well have turned
his head and conveyed to himself an idea
OF divine protection, II not of infallibility.
But, impostOr though he knew himself to
be, he bore himself with q modesty, grace
and dignity that show he was not made of
ordinary clay.
A few months after his marriage mes
sengers came to him from Cornwall. in
the south Of England, where the language
OF ancient Britain was still spoken, assur-
ing him that the people in that section
were organized and ready to join his stand
ard as soon as he appeared
With q small but gallant force composed
of young men Of the best Scotch families,
Perkin Warbeck landed in Cornwall.
where the people met him and Loyalty kept
their pledge
Not only Cornwall and the men of the
rocky islands to the south, but the men Of
Devonshire also, rallied to his defense.
With soldierly celebrity he pushed for
ward, believing that all England would
rise to his support, and that he could reach
London and the throne without much
difficulty.
But Henry met him and checked him
near Exeter. That this was not the inva-
sion OF mob led by a daring adventurer
Is shown by the fact that this young man
this son of nobody, this brilliant impos-
tor-kept up the war in England's heart
Tor three years, during which time he out
ranked the best generals and circumvented
or defeated the best armies sent to stay
him.
In the battle Of Taunton he led 5000
mon and came SO near to victory and the
throne that only an accident defeated him
and ended the hopes of himself and his
heroic dupes.
He was taken prisoner in the New For
est and carried to London. Here he was
speedily tried and was at once sentenced
to death He was then under 80 years Of
age.
He confessed to his priest that he was
an tmpostor; but, not satisfied with this,
the king ordered him to sit in the stocks
at Westminster for SIX hours before his ex.
ecution and there to 'read q dying confes-
sion that had been prepared for him.
Pcrkin Warbeck was an frnpostor. one
Of tho greatest in history, but England
has never bad . king his intellectual peer.
ALFRED r. CALHOUN.
Burglar Caught b. the Teagse.