Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-04-26
XNNIX.
OF THE COMING OF SOLOMON
SPRENT


OF THE COMING OF SOLOMON
SPRENT.
The church of Gommatch was n small
ivy-clad building with u square Norman
tower, standing in the center of the ham
let Of that name It's great oaken doors
studded with iron, and high. narrow win
dows, fitted it well for the use to which
1t was now turned. Two companies of
DumbartOn's foot had been quartered in
the village, with a portly major at their
head, to whom | was handed over by
Sergt. Gredder, with some account of my
capture, and of the reasons which had
prevented my summary execution
Night was now drawing in but a few
dlm lamps hung here and there upon the
walls, cast an uncertain fiickering light
over the scene. \ hundred or more pris-
onefS were scattered about upon the
stone hoor, many of them wounded, and
some evidently dying. The hale had
gathered in silent, subdued groups round
their stricken friends, and were doing
what they could to lessen their suffer
lngS Some had even removed the great
er part of their clothing in order to fur
nlSh headrests and pallets for the wound
ed Here and there ian the shadows dark
kneefIng figures might be seen, and the
measured sound of their prayers ran
g u7H thc aiSits, Wall Sroal: now and
AGAIN, or choking gasp as some Dsar
sufferer battled for breath. The dim
yellow light streaming over the earnest
pam drawn faces, and the tattered mud
colored figures, would have made ii a
httlng study for amy of those Low C@ula-
my painters whose pictures j saw bong
afterwards ut The Hague.
On Thursday morning, the third dap
after the battle, we We're all conveyed
INTO Bridgewater, where we We're aSsp.
hned for the remainder of the week in
St. Mary's church, the very one from
the tower of which Monmouth and his
commanders had inspected Feyelxbam's
position. The more we heard of the
light from the soldiers and Others, the
more clear it became that, bur for the
most unfortunate accidents thprp was
every chance that our night attack might
have succeeded. There was searcely n
fault which general could commit
which Eeversham had not been guilty Of
lie had Thought too lightly of his en-
'emy and left his camp entirely open To
q surprise. When the firing broke out
he sprang from his couch. but failing to
find his wig he had CROPPED about his tent
while the battle was being decided. and
only came out when it was wellnigh
over. All We're agreed that had 1t not
been for the chance of the Busser Rhine
having been overlooked by our guides
and scouts, we should have been among
the tents before the men could have been
called TO arms. Only this and the fiery
energy of john Churchill the second in
command. afterwards better kn0Wn I'M
der a higher name, both TO French and
to English history, prevented the royal
army from meeting with Il reverse which
might have altered the result of the cam
paign. Should We hear. or read. then.
my dear children, that Monm0uth:s rising
was easily put down, or that 1T was
hnnnfAGC {zn Ef.st 2l,n4 4
who was concerned in il. say confidently
that it only TTembled in the balance.
and that this handful of reSolute peas
ants with their picks aud scyrhee were
within an ace of altering the whole
course of English history. The ferecity of
the privy council. after the rebellion was
quelled. arose from their knowledge of
how very close it had been 10 success.
| do not wish 10 say too much of the
cruelty and haTbaIity of the vlctfrs. for
it is not good for your childish ears TO
hear of such doIngs. The sluggard Fee
Nersham and the brutal Kirke have
earned themselves name III the West
which is second only to that Of the arch
villain who came after them. AS for
their victims. when they had hanged
and quartered and done their wicked
worst upon them, at least left Their
names in their Gwn little village. 10 be
treasured M and handed from generation
who had died for a noble cause. Go now
to Milverton. or TO Wiveliscombe, or to
Minehead. or To ColyfOrd, or TO any VII
lage through the whole breadth aIsd
length Of Somersetshire, and you VIII
find that they have not forgotten what
they proudly cali their martyrs. But
where now is kirke and where is Fever
shamE Their names are preserved, 1t Is
true, hut preserved IN a country's hatred
Who can fail to see now that these men
in furnishing others brought n far heay-
Ter punishment upon themselves! Their
sin hath indeed found them ont.
They did all that wicked and callous-
hearted men could do, knowing well that
such deeds were accentable TO the cold
blooded, bigoted hypocrite who sat upon
the throne. They worked to win his
favor an. they won IL. Men were
hanged and cut down and hanged
again. Every cross-road in the
country was CHASTITY with gibfsets. There
was not an insult or a contumely which
might make the pangs of death more I'M
endurable which was not heaped upon
those long-suffering men: yet IT is proud
ly recounted in their native shire that of
all the host of victims, Their was not one
who did not meet his end with a firm
lip, protesting that if the thing were TO
do again he was ready to do il.
At the end of a week or two news
came to the fugitives. Monmouth, it
seems, had been captured by Potman's
yellow-coats when trying to make his way
to the New Forest, whence he hoped to
escape to the continent. He was dragged
gaunt, unshaven. and trembling, out of
a bean field in which he had taken refuge,
and was carried 10 Ringwood, in Dor
Setshirp. Strange rumors reached us
concerning his behavi0r-rumors which
came TO our ears through the coarse jests
of our guards. Some said that he had
gone on his knees to the yOkels who had
seized him. Others that he had written
TO the King offering TO do anything even
to throw over the Protestant cause, to