Ovingdean Grange ebook

Contents

BOOK I. JOHN HABERGEON

CHAPTER I A View From An Old Barrow On The South Downs

CHAPTER II Ovingdean Grange In The Year Sixteen Hundred And Fifty-One

CHAPTER III Showing What Befel Clavering Maunsel After The Battle Of Worcester

BOOK II. INCREASE MICKLEGIFT

CHAPTER I Showing That A Chimney May Serve For Other Purposes Than As A Passage For Smoke

CHAPTER II What Passed Between The Independent Minister And Dulcia In The Churchyard

CHAPTER III Some Of The Vexations Experienced By A Royalist Gentleman At The Time Of The Commonwealth

BOOK III. HAWKING ON THE DOWNS

CHAPTER I The Ostreger And His Son

CHAPTER II The Proclamation

CHAPTER III The Tartaret And The Heron

CHAPTER IV Captain Stelfax

BOOK IV. THE SEARCH BY THE IRONSIDES

CHAPTER I The Priory Ruins

CHAPTER II Mock-Beggar Hall And Its Inmate

CHAPTER III How Ninian Delivered His Message

CHAPTER IV In What Manner The Captain Of The Ironsides Employed His Time At The Grange

CHAPTER V Showing How Increase Micklegift Did A Turn To Clavering

BOOK V. FOX AND WOLF

CHAPTER I How Clavering Came Down The Chimney; And How Mickelgift Lent Him Aid For The Second Time

CHAPTER II How Mickelgift Was Ignominiously Expelled From The Grange

CHAPTER III How The Captain Of The Ironsides Took Possession Of The Colonel’s Chamber

CHAPTER IV Of The Message Sent By Micklegift To Stelfax; And Of The Plan For Ensnaring The Fugitives Devised By The Latter

CHAPTER V How The Captain Of The Ironsides Inspected The Village Church, And Made Another Capture

BOOK VI. THE DEVIL’S DYKE

CHAPTER I Showing How Ninian Escaped; And How The Other Prisoners Were Taken To The Church Tower

CHAPTER II The Chase Of The Cavalier

CHAPTER III Of The Guests At The Poynings’ Arms

CHAPTER IV The Legend Of The Devil’s Dyke As Related By Master Cisbury Oldfirle, Schoolmaster, Of Poynings

CHAPTER V How Stelfax Took The Cavalier To The Grange; And What Happened By The Way

CHAPTER VI By What Means The Prisoners Escaped From The Church

BOOK VII. CAPTAIN TATTERSALL OF THE SWIFTSURE

CHAPTER I How Sargeant Delves Was Reprimanded By His Leader

CHAPTER II In What Manner Colonel Gunter Was Liberated

CHAPTER III The Night Ride To Newhaven—The Brig And The Frigate

CHAPTER IV The “Star” At Alfriston

CHAPTER V How Mr. Beard And Dulcia Were Taken As Hostages For Colonel Maunsel

CHAPTER VI The Shepherds On Mount Caburn

CHAPTER VII What Happened At The “Dolphin” At Shoreham

BOOK VIII. CHARLES THE SECOND AT OVINGDEAN GRANGE

CHAPTER I The Paper Bullet

CHAPTER II A Royal Wanderer

CHAPTER III An Encounter With The Governor Of Arundel Castle

CHAPTER IV The Blacksmith Of Angmering

CHAPTER V The Patriarch Of The Downs

CHAPTER VI What Happened At The “White Horse” At Steyning

CHAPTER VII Ditchling Beacon

CHAPTER VIII Of The King’s Reception At The Grange

CHAPTER IX How The King Was Shut Up In The Hiding-Place

CHAPTER X The Puritan’s Daughter

CHAPTER XI In Which The Tables Are Turned Upon Stelfax

BOOK IX. BRIGHTELMSTONE IN 1651

CHAPTER I A Glance At Brightelmstone In The Nineteenth Century

CHAPTER II The “George” At Brightelmstone

CHAPTER III Introducing Two Of Captain Tattersall’s Crew

CHAPTER IV Containing Particulars Of The Conflict On Kingston Hill, And Of The Embarkation At Shoreham

L’ENVOY

BOOK I. JOHN HABERGEON

CHAPTER I. A View From An Old Barrow On The South Downs

FAIRER spot than this cannot be found amidst the whole range of the South Downs–nor one commanding more delightful views.

Look at it and judge.

It is the rounded summit of a hill; or, to speak with greater precision, the mid-summit of a series of soft bosomy eminences, springing from a hilly ridge, that trends towards the coast, and rises and falls smoothly and gently in its course, like the waves of a slightly agitated sea. The lovely mount is covered with short elastic sward, redolent of thyme and other sweet-smelling herbs, and is crowned by an ancient bowl-shaped British barrow, on the bank of which we will seat ourselves, and look around.

How pleasing is the prospect! how fresh the air that visits us! No breeze so fine and invigorating as that of these Sussex downs; no turf so springy to the foot as their smooth greensward. A flock of larks flies past us, and a cloud of mingled rooks and starlings wheels overhead. Mark yon little T-shaped cuttings on the slope below us–those are the snares set by the shepherds for the delicious wheatear–our English ortolan. The fairies still haunt this spot, and hold their midnight revels upon it, as yon dark-green rings testify. The common folk hereabouts term the good people “Pharisees,” and style those emerald circles “hag-tracks:” why, we care not to inquire. Enough for us, the fairies are not altogether gone. A smooth, soft carpet is here spread out for Oberon and Titania and their attendant elves to dance upon by moonlight; and there is no lack of mushrooms to form tables for Puck’s banquets.

Own that no hills can be more beautiful than these South Downs. They may want height, boldness, grandeur, sublimity; they possess not forest, rock, torrent, or ravine; but they have gentleness, softness, and other endearing attributes. We will not attempt to delineate the slight but infinite varieties of form and aspect that distinguish one hill from its neighbour; for though a strong family likeness marks them all, each down has an individual character. Regarded in combination with each other, the high ranges form an exquisite picture.

Contemplation of such a scene soothes rather than excites, and inspires only feelings of placid enjoyment. We are called upon for no violent emotion. We are not required to admire Nature in her wildest and most savage aspect. We have a peaceful landscape before us, of a primitive character, and possessing accompaniments of pastoral life. Yonder is the shepherd, with crook and dog, watching his flock browse on the thymy slopes–the unequalled sheep of the South Downs, remember. At our feet lies a well-cultivated valley, with broad patches of turnip and mangel-wurzel on one side, and a large stubble-field on the other, where the ploughman with his yoke of patient oxen is at work. In this valley you may note a farm-shed and a sheepfold, with rows of haystacks and cornstacks at various points, evidencing the fertility of the soil. In front of us is the British Channel. A burst of sunshine illumines the tall white cliffs on the east, and gleams upon the far-off lighthouse. That pharos is on Beachy Head. On the near height overlooking the sea stands a windmill, while a solitary barn forms a landmark on that distant hill. Altogether, a charming picture.

But we have not yet fully examined it.

The beauteous hill, on the brow of which we are seated, has necessarily a valley on either side. On the right, and immediately beneath us, is a pretty little village, nestling amid a grove of trees, above whose tops you may discern the tower of a small, grey old church. With this village we trust to make you more intimately acquainted by-and-by. It is Ovingdean. On the left, and nearer the sea, you may discern another, and considerably larger village than Ovingdean, almost as picturesque as the latter, and possessing a grey, antique church at its northern extremity. This second village is Rottingdean.

Behind and around on every side, save towards the sea, are downs–downs with patches of purple heather or grey gorse clothing their sides–downs with small holts within their coombs, partially cultivated, or perfectly bare–everywhere downs.

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