Northumberland Yesterday and To-day Part 15

"Word went east, and word went west, And word is gone over the sea, That a laidly worm in Spindleston Heugh Would ruin the North Countree."

The news in due course comes to the ears of Princess Margaret's only brother, the Childe Wynde, who is away seeking fame and fortune abroad.

In fear for his lovely sister, he calls together his "merry men all,"

and they set to work to build a s.h.i.+p

"With masts of the rowan-tree,"

a sure defence against the spells of witchcraft; and hoisting their silken sails they hasten homeward.

"... ... The wind with speed Blew them along the deep.

The sea was calm, the weather clear, When they approached nigher; King Ida's castle well they knew, And the banks of Bamburghs.h.i.+re."

The wicked queen saw the little bark coming near, and knew that her guilt was about to meet its reward. In haste she tried to wreck the vessel, but the rowan-tree masts made her spells of no avail. Then she bade her servants go to the beach and oppose the landing of the Childe and his crew; but the servants were beaten back, and the young knight and his men landed in Budle Bay. The worm came fiercely to the attack, as the Childe Wynde advanced against it; but on meeting him, and feeling the touch of his "berry-brown sword," it besought him to do it no harm.

"'O quit thy sword, unbend thy brow, And give me kisses three; For though I be a laidly worm No harm I'll do to thee.

O quit thy sword, unbend thy brow, And give me kisses three; If I'm not won ere the sun goes down Won shall I never be.'

He quitted his sword, and smoothed his brow, And gave her kisses three; She crept intill the hole a worm, And came out a fayre ladie."

The knight clasped his lovely sister in his arms, and, casting around her his crimson cloak, led her back to her home, where the trembling queen awaited them. Her doom was spoken by the Childe Wynde--

"Woe be to thee, thou wicked witch; An ill death mayst thou dee!

As thou hast likened my sister dear, So likened shalt thou be"

and he turned her into the likeness of an ugly toad, in which hateful shape she remained to her dying day, wandering around the castle and the green fields, an object of hatred to all who saw her. The "Spindlestone," a tall crag on which the young knight hung his bridle, when he went further on to seek the worm in the "heugh," is still to be seen, but the huge trough from which the worm was said to drink has been destroyed.

There are two legends somewhat similar to each other which are told of a company held in the spell of a magic sleep, to be awakened by certain devices, in which the blowing of a horn and the drawing of a sword are prominent. One is the story of "Sir Guy the Seeker," and is told of Dunstanborough Castle. Sir Guy sought refuge in the Castle from a storm; and while within the walls a spectre form with flaming hair addressed him,

"Sir knight, Sir knight, if your heart be right, And your nerves be firm and true,"

(fancy "nerves" in a ballad!)--

"Sir knight, Sir knight, a beauty bright In durance waits for you."

The ballad, written by M.G. Lewis, now describes in a painfully commonplace manner the knight's further adventures. He and his guide wandered round and round and high and low in the maze of chambers within the castle, until at last a door of bra.s.s, whose bolt was a venomous snake, gave them entrance to a gloomy hall, draped in black, which the "hundred lights" failed to brighten. In the hall a hundred knights of "marble white" lay sleeping by their steeds of "marble black as the raven's back." At the end of the hall, guarded by two huge skeleton forms, the imprisoned lady was seen in tears within a crystal tomb. One skeleton held in his bony fingers a horn, the other a "falchion bright,"

and the knight was told to choose between them, and the fate of himself and the lady would depend upon his choice. Sir Guy, after long hesitation, blew a shrill blast upon the horn; at the sound the hundred steeds stamped their hoofs, the hundred knights sprang up, and the unlucky knight fell down senseless, with his ghastly guide's words ringing in his ears--

"Shame on the coward who sounded a horn When he might have unsheathed a sword!"

In the morning, the unfortunate Sir Guy awoke to find himself lying amongst the ruins, and forthwith began his ceaseless and unavailing search for the lady he had failed to rescue.

The legend similar to this in many respects is that of King Arthur and his court at Sewings.h.i.+elds, to which allusion has already been made in the chapter on the Roman Wall. I cannot do better than give this in the words of Mr. Hodgson, who tells the story in his History of Northumberland. "Immemorial tradition has a.s.serted that King Arthur, his queen Guenever, his court of lords and ladies, and his hounds were enchanted in some cave of the crags, or in a hall below the castle of Sewings.h.i.+elds, and would continue entranced there until someone should first blow a bugle-horn that lay on a table near the entrance of the hall, and then with the 'sword of the stone' (was this Excalibur?) cut a garter, also placed there beside it. But none had ever heard where the entrance to this enchanted hall was, till the farmer at Sewings.h.i.+elds, about fifty years since, was sitting knitting on the ruins of the castle, and his clew fell, and ran downwards through a rush of briars and nettles, as he supposed, into a subterraneous pa.s.sage. Full in the faith that the entrance to King Arthur's hall had now been discovered, he cleared the briary portal of its weeds and rubbish, and entering a vaulted pa.s.sage, followed in his darkling way the thread of his clew.

The floor was infested with toads and lizards; and the dark wings of bats, disturbed by his unhallowed intrusion, flitted fearfully around him. At length his sinking courage was strengthened by a dim, distant light, which as he advanced grew gradually brighter, till all at once he entered a vast and vaulted hall, in the centre of which a fire without fuel, from a broad crevice in the floor blazed with a high and lambent flame, that showed all the carved walls and fretted roof, and the monarch and his queen and court reposing around, in a theatre of thrones and costly couches. On the floor beyond the fire lay the faithful and deep-toned pack of thirty couple of hounds; and on a table before it the spell-dissolving horn, sword, and garter. The shepherd reverently, but firmly, grasped the sword, and as he drew it leisurely from its rusty scabbard, the eyes of the monarch and his courtiers began to open, and they rose till they sat upright. He cut the garter; and as the sword was being slowly sheathed the spell a.s.sumed its ancient power, and they all gradually sank to rest; but not before the monarch had lifted up his eyes and hands, and exclaimed--

"O woe betide that evil day On which this witless wight was born, Who drew the sword, the garter cut.

But never blew the bugle horn!"

Terror brought on loss of memory, and the shepherd was unable to give any correct account of his adventure, or to find again the entrance to the enchanted hall.

Another legend is connected with Tynemouth. Just above the short sands was a cave known as Jingling Geordie's Hole; the "Geordie" is evidently a late interpolation, for earlier mention of the cave gives it as the Jingling Man's Hole. No one knows how it came by its name; tradition says that it was the entrance to a subterranean pa.s.sage leading from the Priory beneath the Tyne to Jarrow. In this cave it was said that a treasure of a fabulous amount was concealed, and the tale of this h.o.a.rd fired a boy named Walter to seek it out, when he heard the tale from his mother. On his attaining to knighthood, he resolved to make the finding of the treasure his particular "quest," and arming himself, he adventured forth on the Eve of St. John. Making his way fearlessly down into the cave, undaunted by spectre or dragon, as they attempted to dispute his pa.s.sage, he arrived at a gloomy gateway, where hung a bugle, fastened by a golden cord. Boldly he placed the bugle to his lips, and blew three loud blasts. To his amazement, at the sound the doors rolled back, displaying a vast and brightly-lit hall, whose roof was supported on pillars of jasper and crystal; the glow from lamps of gold shone softly down on gold and gems, which were heaped upon the floor of this magic chamber, and the treasure became the rich reward of the dauntless youth.

"Gold heaped upon gold, and emeralds green, And diamonds and rubies, and sapphires untold, Rewarded the courage of Walter the Bold."

The fortunate youth became a very great personage, indeed, as by means of his great riches he was "lord of a hundred castles" and wide domains.

Of a very different character is the story of the Hermit of Warkworth.

It is unfortunate that this, the most tragic and moving of all Northumbrian tales, should be most widely known by means of the prosy imitation ballad by Dr. Percy, whose ability as a poet did by no means equal his zeal as a collector of ballads. The hero of the sorrowful tale is said to have been a Bertram of Bothal, who loved fair Isabel, daughter of the lord of Widdrington. Bertram was a knight in Percy's train, and at a great feast made by the lord of Alnwick the fair maiden and her father were amongst the guests. As the minstrels chanted the praises of their lord, and sang of the valiant deeds by which his n.o.ble house had won renown, the heart of Isabel thrilled at the thought of her true knight rivalling those deeds of fame. Summoning one of her attendant maidens, she sent her to Bertram, bearing a helmet of steel with crest of gold. With the helmet the maiden gave her mistress'

message, that she would yield to her knight's pleadings and become his bride, as soon as he had proved himself a valiant and worthy wearer of the golden-crested helm. Reverently Bertram accepted the commands of his lady, and vowed to prove his devotion wherever hard blows were to be given and danger to be found. The lord of Alnwick straightway arranged for an expedition on to Scottish land, in requital of old scores, and a.s.sembled together a goodly company to ride against the Scots. Earl Douglas and his men opposed them, and blows were dealt thick and fast on both sides. Bertram was sorely wounded, after showing wondrous prowess in the fight; but being rescued by Percy, was borne to the castle of Wark upon the Tweed, to recover from his wounds in safety. Isabel's aged father had seen the young knight's valour, and promised that the maiden herself should tend his hurts and care for him until he recovered. Day after day pa.s.sed, however, and still she came not. At last the knight, scarcely able to take the saddle, rode back to Widdrington, tended by his gallant young brother, to satisfy himself of what had become of his lady. They reached Widdrington tower to find it all in darkness; and after repeated knockings the aged nurse came to the gateway and demanded the name of those who so insistently clamoured at the door. Bertram enquired for the lady Isabel; and then, indeed, all was dismay. The nurse, trembling with fear, told the two youths that her mistress had set out immediately on hearing of her lover's plight, reproaching herself for having led him to adventure his life so rashly, and it was now six days since she had gone. Weary and weak, Bertram rested the night at the castle, and then set out on his search for his lost lady.

That they might the sooner search the country round, he and his brother, who loved him dearly, took different directions, one going eastward, and the other north. They put on various disguises as they went, Bertram appearing now in the guise of a holy Palmer, now as a wandering minstrel As he was sitting, despondent and well-nigh despairing, beneath a hawthorn tree, an aged monk came by, and on seeing the supposed minstrel's face of sorrow, said to him,

"All minstrels yet that e'er I saw Are full of game and glee, But thou art sad and woe-begone; I marvel whence it be."

Bertram replied that he served an aged lord whose only child had been stolen away, and that he would know no happiness until he had found her.

The pilgrim comforted him and bade him hope, telling him that

"Behind yon hills so steep and high, Down in a lonely glen, There stands a castle fair and strong, Far from the abode of men."

Saying that he had heard a lady's voice lamenting in this lonely tower, he pa.s.sed on, giving Bertram the hope that now at last his quest was ended. He made his way to that strong castle, and with his music prevailed upon the porter to let him stay near at hand in a cavern; for the porter refused to admit him to the castle in the absence of his lord, though at the same time giving him food and directing him to the cave. He piped all day and watched all night, and was rewarded by hearing his lady's voice lamenting within the walls of her prison. On the second night he caught a glimpse of her beauteous form, fair as the moonbeams that shone around the tower. On the third night, worn with watching, he slept, and only awakened as dawn drew nigh. Grasping his weapon, he stole near to the castle walls, when to his amazement, he saw his lady descend from her window by a ladder of rope, held for her by a youth in Highland dress. Stunned at the sight, he could not move to follow them, till they had left behind them the castle where the lady had been held captive, and were about to disappear over the hill.

Silently and swiftly then he drew near, and crying furiously, "Vile traitor! yield that lady up!" fell upon the youth who accompanied her, who in his turn fought as furiously as he. In a few moments Bertram's antagonist lay stretched on the ground; and as he gave him the fatal thrust he cried, "Die, traitor, die!" The lady recognised his voice, and rus.h.i.+ng forward, shrieked, "Stay! stay! it is thy brother." But the sword of Bertram, already descending with the force of rage and fury in the blow, could not be stayed until too late. The fair maid's breast was pierced by the sword of the knight who loved her, and she sank down by the side of the youth who had delivered her. It was indeed Bertram's brother, who had succeeded in his search; and the dying maiden found time to tell of his devotion, in rescuing her from this castle of the son of a Scottish lord who fain would have made her his bride, before she, too, lay lifeless by the side of her brave rescuer, leaving her lover too despairing and desolate to seek safety in flight, so that the band of searchers from the castle, seeking their prisoner on the hills, and dreading their lord's wrath on his return, bore him back with them to the dungeon. Their lord, however, had meantime been taken captive by Percy (Hotspur), who, as soon as he heard of Bertram's capture, quickly exchanged the Scottish chief for his friend. Bertram's sorrow lasted for the rest of his days; he gave away his lands and possessions to the poor, and retiring to a lovely spot on the banks of the Coquet, where rocky cliffs overhung the river, he carved out in the living stone a little cell, dormitory, and chapel, and dwelt there, pa.s.sing his days in mourning, meditation, and prayer. In the chapel, with its gracefully arched roof, he fas.h.i.+oned on an altar-tomb the image of a lady, and at her feet the figure of a hermit, in the att.i.tude of grief, one hand supporting his head and the other pressed against his breast, leaning over and gazing at the lady for ever. The poignant sentence "My tears have been my meat day and night," is carved over the entrance to the little chapel. Here, in this beautiful spot, almost under the shadow of the castle walls belonging to his n.o.ble friend, the sorrowing knight, now a holy hermit, spent the remainder of his life in the little dwelling he had wrought in the living rock. It remains to-day more beautiful, if possible, than ever, overhung by a canopy of waving greenery, and draped with ferns and mosses, their graceful fronds laved by the rippling Coquet whose gentle murmurings fill the still air with music.

The next tale takes us to the neighbourhood of Belford, and out upon the old post road from London to Edinburgh. In the unsettled times of James the Second's reign, one Sir John Cochrane of Ochiltree was condemned to death for his part in the rising which was led by the Duke of Argyle.

Powerful friends, heavily bribed by Sir John's father, the Earl of Dundonald, were working in Sir John's favour, and they had strong hopes of obtaining a pardon. But meanwhile, Sir John lay in the Tolbooth at Edinburgh, and the warrant for his execution was already on its way northward, in the post-bag carried forward by horseman after horseman throughout the length of the way. Could the arrival of the warrant only be delayed by some means, his life might be saved. In this strait, his daughter Grizzel, a girl of eighteen, conceived the desperate idea of preventing the warrant's reaching its destination. Saying nothing to anyone of her intentions, she stole away from home, and rode swiftly to the Border. Following the road for about four miles on the English side, she arrived at the house of her old nurse; and here she changed her clothes, persuading the old dame to lend her a suit belonging to her foster-brother. Making her way southward, she went to the inn at Belford where the riders carrying the mail usually put up for the night. Here, the same night, came the postman, and the seeming youth watched nervously, but determinedly, for an opportunity of finding out whether the fateful paper was in his bag or not. No slightest chance presented itself, however, and an attempt to obtain the mail-bag during the night failed by reason of the fact that the man slept upon it. One thing she did accomplish, which gave her hope that the encounter for which she was nerving herself might end successfully for her; she managed, unseen, to draw the charges from his pistols. Then the courageous girl rode off through the dark night to select a favourable spot in which to await his coming. For two or three lonely hours she waited, the thought that she was fighting for her father's life giving her courage. In the dim light of the early dawn she heard the sound of his horse's hoofs from where she stood in the shadow of a clump of trees; and steeling herself for the part she was to play, and in ignorance of whether he might have found out that the charges had been withdrawn from his pistols and might have re-loaded them, she waited until he was almost abreast of her, and fired at his horse, bringing it down. Before he could extricate himself she was upon him with drawn sword; but promising to spare his life if he would let her have the mail-bag, she seized it and darted away. He attempted to follow to recover his charge, but she reached her horse, and rode off like the wind. When she reached a place of safety and examined the contents of the bag, what was her joy to find that the warrant was there. It was speedily destroyed; and during the time that elapsed before the news of the loss could be sent to London and another one made out, the friends of Sir John succeeded in obtaining his pardon.

"Cochrane's bonny Grizzy" lived to a good old age; and "Grizzy's clump"

on the north road near the little village of Buckton keeps green the memory of her daring exploit.

"Bonny Grizzy" was a Scottish maid, though her gallant if lawless deed was performed on Northumbrian soil; but there is one Northumbrian maiden whose fame will live as long as the sea-waves beat on the wild north-east coast, and as long as men's hearts thrill to a tale of courage and high resolve. Grace Darling's name still awakens in every bosom a response to all that is compa.s.sionate, courageous, and unselfish; and the thoughts of all north-country folk bold that admiration for the gentle girl which has been voiced as no other could voice it, in the magical words of Swinburne--

"Take, O star of all our seas, from not an alien hand, Homage paid of song bowed down before thy glory's face, Thou the living light of all our lovely stormy strand, Thou the brave north-country's very glory of glories, Grace."

The story of her gallantry has been many times re-told, but never grows wearisome. The memory of that stormy voyage of the _Forfars.h.i.+re_, which ended in disaster on the Harcar rocks in the Farne group, remains in men's minds as the dark and tragic setting which throws into bright relief the gallant action of the father and daughter who dared almost certain death to rescue their fellow-creatures in peril. It was in September, 1838, that the ill-fated vessel left Hull for Dundee; but a leak in the boilers caused the fires to be nearly extinguished in the storm the vessel encountered. It reached St. Abb's Head by the aid of the sails, but then drifted southward, driven by the storm, and struck in the early morning, in a dense fog, on the Harcar rocks. Nine of the people on board managed to escape in a small boat, which was driven in a miraculous manner through the only safe outlet between the rocks. They were picked up by a pa.s.sing boat and taken to s.h.i.+elds. Meanwhile a heavy sea had crashed down upon the _Forfars.h.i.+re_, and broken it in half, one portion, with the greater number of crew and pa.s.sengers, being swept away immediately. The remaining portion, the fore part of the vessel, was firmly fixed upon the rock. Here the s.h.i.+vering survivors clung all that stormy day, the waves das.h.i.+ng over them continually. The captain and his wife were washed overboard, clasped in each others' arms; and two little children, a boy of eight and a girl of eleven years of age, died from exposure and the relentless buffeting of the waves, their distracted mother clasping them by the hand long after life was extinct.

To a terrible day succeeded a yet more terrible night.

"Scarce the cliffs of the islets, scarce the walls of Joyous Gard Flash to sight between the deadlier lightnings of the sea; Storm is lord and master of a midnight evil-starred, Nor may sight nor fear discern what evil stars may be."

Until the morning they endured; and in the stormy dawn the keeper of the Longstone lighthouse, William Darling, and his daughter Grace saw them huddled in a s.h.i.+vering heap upon the wave-swept fragments of the wreck.

The girl begged her father to try to save them, and to allow her to help in the task, and after some natural hesitation he consented. The brave-hearted mother helped them to launch the boat, and they set forth.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The Wreck of the "Forfars.h.i.+re"]

"Sire and daughter, hand on oar and face against the night.

Maid and man whose names are beacons ever to the north.

...... all the madness of the stormy surf Hounds and roars them back, but roars and hounds them back in vain.

Not our mother, not Northumberland, brought ever forth.

Though no southern sh.o.r.e may match the sons that kiss her mouth, Children worthier all the birthright given of the ardent north, Where the fire of hearts outburns the suns that fire the south."

They reached the rock, where nine persons were still clinging to the wreck, and