When Charles the First Was King

to me that the burgesses of Pontefract, taken as a body, were much more in favour of Parliament than King, and were inclined to break the head of anyone who went against them. Not, indeed, that his Majesty had no supporters in these parts, for of the gentry and clergy he had plenty, in addition to the garrison of the Castle, under Colonel Lowther, a right valiant commander. For when the King erected his standard, and called upon all true subjects to aid him in subduing his rebellious Parliament, there were many gallant gentlemen showed themselves ready to espouse his cause, and give time and money to serve him. Most, indeed, of the great families in our parts did liberally contribute to the royal exchequer at this time, giving, according to their means, from one hundred to many thousands of pounds in money. Moreover, they formed companies of their tenantry and supported them at their own expense, and they provisioned the Castle against the siege which was expected, and formed themselves and their companies into a garrison, and in this and other ways did all they could to further the King’s cause. Such were Sir William Lowther, Colonel Middleton, Colonel Wheatley, Major Dennis, and many others, besides the gentlemen volunteers, which were formed into four divisions, commanded respectively by Colonel Grey, son of Lord Grey, of Warke, in Northumberland, Sir Richard Hutton, Sir John Ramsden, and Sir George Wentworth. These gentlemen volunteers had amongst them many great and honourable names, such as the Daveys of Lincolnshire, lords of thirty-three baronies in that county; Sir Edward Radcliffe, of Threshfield, in Craven; Colonel Portington, of Barnby Dun, who suffered great things for the royal cause; Captain Vavasour, of Haslewood, a man of old and noble family, and an adherent of the ancient religion, being a Catholic, as were also several of the gentlemen volunteers, such as the Crofts, the Sayles, the Hammertons, the Stapletons, the Annes of Burghwallis, the Pearrys, the Easts, the Emsons, and many others; Sir John Ramsden of Byram, Lieutenant Saville, Sir Richard Hutton, High Sheriff of Yorkshire, whom the King was used to call the honest judge, with many another gallant gentleman who was more minded to serve the monarchy than the democracy. All these helped to make the ancient Castle a stronghold for the King, and did there practise their companies in the art of war, so that there was good prospect of their being able to hold out in the event of the Parliamentary troops being led against them.

Now, for some time after that news came to us but very rarely, and was not stirring or eventful when it did come, so that our lives went on in much the old way. I went about my farm and did my work, riding into market every Saturday, and there transacting my business and hearing whatever gossip was afloat. There might have been no disturbance in the land, so smoothly did things go with us at Dale’s Field. To me, indeed, it was a pleasant time, for the presence of Rose Lisle seemed to cast a new light over the old house. She had made herself one of us already, looking up to my mother as if she were her own daughter, and busying herself about the household duties just as Lucy did. And so much did she win my mother’s heart that I believe she began to love Rose as a daughter, at which I was well pleased, being strangely rejoiced to see it.

Looking back upon that time, I cannot decide in my own mind when it was that I first began to love Rose Lisle. Nay, I do not think that there ever was a time when I did not love her, from the first moment in which I set eyes on her, coming singing along the path in the woods, for I thought of her from that day constantly, boy as I was. And yet when I met her again and found her grown a woman, and more beautiful than any woman I have even seen, I was conscious of a new feeling and a new hope springing up in my heart, so that I came to look upon her as the one desire of my life. To me she was always the same, a maiden to be loved and honoured and won if my unworthiness could win her. Yet there was nothing fiery or impatient about my love for her, for it was enough for me that I could see her and enjoy her presence. And I knew not whether in those days she saw that I loved her, as indeed I did.

But there were others who saw it, and of these none were quicker in seeing it than Jacob Trusty, whose old eyes, I think, could see through a millstone in anything that concerned me. I had often noticed him watching Rose and myself narrowly as we walked of an evening in the garden or orchard, and many a time I had come across him and Rose talking together on such matters as the rearing of poultry and feeding of calves and other similar subjects on which Jacob’s heart delighted. But for a long time he said nothing to me, though I could see that he was thinking a good deal, for he was one of those people who do not deliver their minds in a hurry, and this quality seemed to deepen in him as his years increased. However, he was at last minded to address me on the matter, which he did one day as we stood in the cow-house, where we had been considering the advisability of feeding the roan cow for market.

“Master Tuckett,” said Jacob, “seems to come courting very strong. A persevering young man as ever I saw.”

This was true. I suppose nobody was ever more slavishly in love than Ben was with my sister Lucy.

“The doorstep,” continued Jacob, “never cools of him. However, ’tis the way of