CHAPTER X.
WOODBURN AND ROCKVILLE AT WAR.
Once more spring; and though many things had occurred to sadden the hearts once so light at Woodburn, there were yet days there when something of the old charm seemed to come back. There were hearts and minds all the more bound together by sympathy in sorrow, and by a common endurance of the petty enmity of proud and ignorant neighbours. One fine May Sunday evening, Mr. and Mrs. Degge had come in to tea at the Grange. Sir Henry Clavering was there; and after tea a walk was proposed down by the river-side to a copse, where two nightingales were continually heard, evening and night, singing against each other in marvellous rivalry. Mr. and Mrs. Degge, Sir Henry, George, Ann, and Letty, set out for this walk. A more delicious evening never shed its charms on such a company. A light breeze blew the odours of legions of flowers towards them as they slowly wandered down the valley. They had then to cross some fields, and pass through a farm-yard, before reaching the copse in question. These fields and this copse were on Sir Roger Rockville’s land; and as they approached the gate leading into the fields, they saw, to their surprise, a board erected, declaring that there was no road that way. As this was, and always had been, a road far beyond the memory of man, and as no legal measures had been taken to stop it, the gentlemen were quite confident that it could not be legally stopped. They, therefore, went on, passed through the farm-yard, saw no one, and reached the copse.
As they were standing beneath some trees just within it, and were listening to the songs of the emulative birds, suddenly a gun was discharged over their heads, and one of the birds fell at their feet. In the greatest astonishment and indignation, the three gentlemen rushed towards the place whence the discharge came, but could discern no one. The ladies had picked up the poor little musician, now with its feathers dabbled with its blood, and all its wondrous music hushed for ever, and were in the highest state of pity and resentment.
The party took its way back in a mood of extreme exasperation at the barbarous deed, which they attributed to some one of Sir Roger’s keepers, and that the poor bird had fallen a martyr to the baronet’s known feelings against them. As they entered the farm-yard, two young men came towards them, one having a gun on his shoulders. This one addressed the party without any sign of courtesy.
“Did not you see the board up by the gate?”
“Yes!” it was replied. “We saw it, but it has no business there. This is an old road, and has not, to our certain knowledge, been legally stopped.”
“I tell you,” said the young man, in an excited tone, “there is no road—never was a road, and no one shall come this way.”
“Pray, who are you, young man?” said Sir Henry Clavering.
“Who am I? I am the son of the tenant here.”
“Then let me tell you,” said Sir Henry, “that I am Sir Henry Clavering, a magistrate. This is Mr. Degge, another magistrate, who must have heard of any intention to stop this road by legal means. You young men are new here,—your father has only entered on this farm at Lady Day. We are old inhabitants, and know that this has always been a road.”
“I don’t care,” said the young farmer, “who you are. I tell you there is no road here. I am ordered by Sir Roger to let nobody pass here, and I won’t, and”—clapping his gun with one hand, as the other rested it on his shoulder—“if any one comes after this notice, I’ll give him what shall prevent him coming again.”
“Do you know,” said Mr. Degge, “what you are saying and doing? With a gun in your hand, menacing death or disablement to any one coming upon a lawful road?”
“Yes, I know what I say; and if you want to know more, this is my legal adviser”—pointing to the other man, who had a town look about him.
“So,” said Mr. Degge, “you are a lawyer; and do you approve of such language as this?”
“I say,” replied the lawyer, “resist force by force.”
“Then,” said Mr. Degge, “you are a very dangerous and unlawyerlike adviser, and this matter cannot rest here.” And with that the party walked on.
On inquiry, it was found that the lawyer was the brother of the young farmer, and a mere lawyer’s clerk in Castleborough. Sir Henry Clavering immediately wrote to Sir Roger Rockville, detailing what had taken place, and requesting to know whether these proceedings were really sanctioned by him. In reply, Sir Roger said that the road through the farm-yard in question was a great nuisance, and he had told the farmer that he might get it stopped if he could, but that he had not authorised him to use any menace or violence. Sir Henry requested to know whether Sir Roger denied the ancient right of road, and whether he had ordered the board to be put up? To these questions Sir Roger gave no reply. Sir Henry and Mr. Degge, therefore, issued a warrant for the farmer to appear before the bench, on a given day, in order to have him bound over to keep the peace.
When the day arrived, it was found that never had there been so full an assembly of magistrates for years. It was evident that Sir Roger had mustered all his friends. The man was called up, and charged by Sir Henry Clavering with the menaces already mentioned. He replied, that he had only done as he was ordered by his landlord. Sir Henry looked round, but though Sir Roger’s friends were there in great force, he himself was absent. As the man swore positively that Sir Roger had ordered him to turn everybody back, and, if they would not go, to use force, and had sent the warning-board for him to put up, Sir Henry produced and read Sir Rogers letter, declaring that he had not authorised the farmer to use any menace or violence. This was a poser, and the responsibility of the act was thrown wholly on the man, who was declared by Sir Henry to be perjured. He added, that he should prosecute him for the perjury; but he now demanded that he should be bound to keep the peace towards every one for twelve months, under a very heavy penalty. But here the united power of Sir Henry and Mr. Degge failed against the whole bench, who were unanimous in declaring that it would be quite sufficient if the young man promised that he would not thus offend again. And on a ready promise on his part, he was discharged.
Mr. Degge told the magistrates that they had taken a very heavy responsibility upon themselves, as, from what he had seen of the young man’s temperament, he believed him to be so excitable that, under the least provocation, he might do some serious mischief to some one, and that he should, for public security, feel himself compelled to sue for a mandamus requiring them to show cause for neglecting the very necessary precaution of binding the delinquent to keep the peace.
This announcement produced an evident damp on the assembled justices; but the man was already discharged, and there was no help for it. But even before Sir Henry could issue a warrant to summon the man to answer the charge of perjury, a fresh encounter had produced a repetition of the very same conduct in him. All the people of the neighbourhood were incensed at the clandestine attempt to stop this road, and made constant use of it, though round about, in going to Rockville; and in a very short time the effect of the reiterated irritation of this popular opposition had produced actual insanity in the young farmer, whose mother, it was found, was already confined in a lunatic asylum, and whither he himself had to be conducted. This melancholy visitation of course stopped all proceedings on the part of Sir Henry and Mr. Degge, even against the magistrates. The road was left peaceably open; but the condition of mind originated by this constant clashing of views betwixt what might be called the Woodburn and Rockville parties, was one very prejudicial to the happiness of the neighbourhood, and ominous of results of no agreeable kind.
END OF VOL. II.
BRADBURY, EVANS, AND CO., PRINTERS, WHITEFRIARS.