Featuring Women's History, Women Authors, Writing In General, And Author Interviews. Home of the Teresa Thomas Bohannon author of the Historical, Paranormal Romance, Shadows In A Timeless Myth, the Regency Romance Novel, A Very Merry Chase, and the illustrated version of Jane Austen's posthumously published Juvenilia, The Widow's Tale.
Mary Anne Talbot, the youngest
of sixteen illegitimate children, whom her mother bore to one of the
heads of the noble house of Talbot was betrayed into a life of servitude and disguise. Mary was born on February 2nd,
1778, and educated under the eye of a married sister, at whose death
she was committed to the care of a gentleman named Sucker, "who
treated her with great severity, and who appears to have taken
advantage of her friendless situation in order to transfer her, for
the vilest of purposes, to the hands of a Captain Bowen, whom he
directed her to look upon as her future guardian." Although barely
fourteen years old, Captain Bowen made her his mistress; and, on being
ordered to join his regiment at St. Domingo, he compelled the girl to
go with him in the disguise of a footboy and under the name of John
Taylor. But Captain Bowen had scarcely reached St. Domingo when he was
remanded with his regiment to Europe to join the Duke of York's
Flanders Expedition. And this time she was made to enrol herself as a
drummer in the corps.
She was in several skirmishes, being wounded once by a ball which
struck one of her ribs, and another time by a sabre stroke on the
side. At Valenciennes, however, Captain Bowen was killed; and, finding
among his effects several letters relating to herself, which proved
that she had been cruelly defrauded of money left to her, she resolved
to leave the regiment, and to return, if possible, to England.
Accordingly she set out attired as a sailor boy, and eventually hired
herself to the Commander of a French lugger, which turned out to be a
privateer. But when the vessel fell in with some of Lord Howe's
vessels in the Channel, she refused to fight against her countrymen,
"notwithstanding all the blows and menaces the French captain could
use." The privateer was taken, and our heroine was carried before Lord
Howe, to whom she told candidly all that had happened to her—keeping
her sex a secret.
Mary Anne Talbot, or John Taylor, was next placed on board the
Brunswick, where she witnessed Lord Howe's great victory of the 1st
June, and was actively engaged in it. But she was seriously wounded,
"her left leg being struck a little above the knee by a musket-ball,
and broken, and severely smashed lower down by a grape shot." On
reaching England she was conveyed to Haslar Hospital, where she
remained four months, no suspicion having ever been entertained of her
being a woman. But she was no sooner out of the hospital than,
retaining her disguise, she entered a small man-of-war—the
Vesuvius, which was captured by two French ships, when she was sent
to the prisons of Dunkirk. Here she was incarcerated for eighteen
months, but, having been discovered planning an escape with a young
midshipman, she was confined in a pitch-dark dungeon for eleven weeks,
on a diet of bread and water. An exchange of prisoners set her at
liberty, and, hearing accidentally an American merchant captain
inquiring in the streets of Dunkirk for a lad to go to New York as
ship's steward she offered her services, and was accepted.
Accordingly, in August, 1796, she sailed with Captain Field, and, on
arriving at Rhode Island, she resided with the Captain's family.
But here another kind of adventure was to befall her—for a niece of
Captain Field's fell deeply in love with her, even going so far as to
propose marriage. On leaving Rhode Island, the young lady had such
alarming fits that, after sailing two miles, Mary Anne Talbot was
called back by a boat, and compelled to promise a speedy return to the
enamoured young lady. On reaching England, she was one day on shore
with some of her comrades when she was seized by a press-gang, and
finding there was no other way of getting off than by revealing her
sex, she did so, her story creating a great sensation. From this time
she never went to sea again, and soon afterwards lived in service with
a bookseller, Mr. Kirby, who wrote her memoir.
Notes and Queries, 6th Series, X., passim, for
"Women on board ships in action"; and "Chambers's Pocket Miscellany,"
"Disguised Females, 1853."
Compiled From Sources In The Public Domain. Ladies who are abducted and prevail...and those who do not, figure prominently in the plot of Shadows In A Timeless Myth.
Please take a moment to "Like" Shadows In A Timeless Myth on Amazon. Complimentary Shadows In A Timeless Myth Short Story Complimentary Shadows In A Timeless Myth Book Cover Musical Jigsaw Puzzle Shadows In A Timeless Myth Book Trailer Video Smiles & Good Fortune, Teresa ************************************ It is not wealth one asks for, but just enough to preserve one’s dignity,
to work unhampered, to be generous, frank and independent. W.
Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) Of Human Bondage, 1915
A Frankish noble named Sigismer, who lived a.d. 600, was to marry a
Visigoth princess. A Roman soldier saw their wedding, and gave the
following description of it in a letter to a friend:
"As you are so fond of beholding war and armor, it would have been a
great pleasure for you if you had seen the royal youth Sigismer dressed
as a bridegroom, according to the custom of his people, walking to his
father-in-law's house. His horse was decorated with brilliant housings,
and other horses went before and behind him all glittering with precious
stones. The bridegroom, however, did not ride, for it was considered
more becoming that he should go on foot among his comrades, dressed in
bright purple, with ornaments of red gold and white silk, while his
hair, complexion, and skin were in keeping with these ornaments. But the
appearance of his comrades was formidable even in peace: their feet up
to the ankles were encased in rough boots, above which their shins,
knees, and thighs were bare. Besides these, they wore a short
tight-fitting tunic of many colors, which did not reach down to the
knees. The sleeves reached only to the elbows, the bright green tunic
contrasting sharply with the ruddy limbs. Their swords were suspended by
straps from their shoulders, and stuck close to their fur-clad hips. The
same dress which serves them for ornament serves also for defense. In
the right hand they carried barbed lances and battle-axes, which can
also be used as missiles; and in the left a shield, with a snow-white
rim and yellow boss. This shield is evidence of the wealth of its owner,
as well as of the skill of its maker. Altogether everything was so
arranged that the whole seemed to be not merely a bridal procession, but
a military one also."
Compiled From Sources In The Public Domain.
Smiles & Good Fortune,
Teresa
************************************
It is not wealth one asks for, but just enough to preserve one’s dignity, to work unhampered, to be generous, frank and independent. W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) Of Human Bondage, 1915
Today MyLadyWeb is pleased to present an interview with Angela Ford, author of the new Romantic Suspense novel Closure.:
Well to begin, I live in Mississauga (Canada) and originally from Nova Scotia. I'm a Mom to two amazing kids. I have two full-time jobs besides being Mom and Author. I work for Public Education as an Accounts Payable Clerk and I manage the building I live in. I am also a member of the RWA, an avid romance reader and the Author of the new Romantic Suspense "Closure".
Q. Tell us about Closure
A. Closure is a romantic suspense about an FBI task force that tracks online predators who prey on children. With three murdered teenagers, Agent Jessica Resario confronts the serial killer only to put her own life at risk. She escapes to her family beach home for the first time since her parents were murdered there and discovers a horrific secret of the past. Ghosts, secrets, danger and an attraction to her boss send her on an emotional rollercoaster, while trying to catch a killer.
Q. What was it about Romantic Suspense that captured your fancy?
A. I love to read romance in all genres but its the thrill and twists of a mystery that captures my interest. I love trying to figure out "who-dunnit?" while sitting on the edge of my seat...so to say.
Q. Do you have an all-time favorite Romantic Suspense novel, and what elements make it your favorite?
A. Allison Brennan's "Love Me to Death" (introducing the Lucy Kincaid series). Allison is the master of suspense and can definitely deliver a terrifying and nail-biting thriller. Her storyline is always cleverly-delivered with definite conflict and believable characters you fall in love with. A definite page-turner.
Q. How do you research your novels?
A. Through books, the web and experts in the field.
Q. Tell us about your favorite novel that you have written, and why it's your favorite?
A. Closure is my first published...it's my favorite. With many dedicated years of volunteering within schools, I was involved with cyber safety seminars with our local police. So, I crafted what I learned into a suspense and of course with a dash of romance.
On Writing:
Q. Is there anything you absolutely must have in order to write?
A. Solitude :) A peaceful place so I can escape into another world.
Q. What is the most difficult part of writing for you?
A. Writing the query letter....
Q. What's a typical working day like for you? When and where do you write?
A. It's a long day...My day begins at 5am to clean the building I live in and manage. By 7am I have my morning coffee in hand and ready
to check my social network sites or get a little writing in. By 9am I'm at the SchoolBoard in the Accounting department until 430pm.
Back to the building to make dinner for the kids and catch up on their days, and deal with any tenant or building issues.
Hopefully by 8pm I'm in the 'bat-cave' I call it...my room of solitude...to write. Somewhere around 11pm I catch an episode of Criminal Minds
and crash into a well-deserved sleep!
Q. Tell us a little bit about your life online and the sites you maintain.
A. Posts..Tweets..Pins...Votes...Notifies...Replies...My daily maintenance consists of Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, The Romance Reviews and my website emails.
Just For Fun:
Q. What is your favorite quote?
A. "While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about."
Q. Where is your favorite place to read?
A. The Beach. :)
Q. What is your favorite non-romantic suspense book and author, and why?
A. Danielle Steele. I started reading her books when I was a teenager. They are my treasured collection.
I love the way she draws me into the world of her characters and the storyline.
Q. If you were a supernatural or mythological entity, what, or who, would you be, and why?
A. I would chose mythological and pick 'fairy'...more so, a fairy-godmother. A fairy-godmother has magical powers
and acts as a parent or mentor to help and support. I'm a mom and a romance author of happily-ever-afters.
Q. If you were stranded on a desert island what 3 things would you desperately want with you, and why?
A. books...chocolate...my kids...because I couldn't live without any of them!
So to wrap up:
Special Agent Jessica Resario is compelled to save the next victim and puts her life into the hands of a serial killer.
Her supervisor, Tom Erickson, sends her away to escape the danger. Jess returns to her family beach home for the first
time since her parents were murdered there. The stakes are raised when she discovers postcards marked "I Crave You".
Old ghosts, secrets, imminent threats and an inevitable attraction to Tom send her on an emotional rollercoaster.
To Enter To Win A Copy of Closure visit Angela's Facebook Page Here:
Smiles & Good Fortune,
Teresa
************************************
It is not wealth one asks for, but just enough to preserve one’s dignity, to work unhampered, to be generous, frank and independent. W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) Of Human Bondage, 1915
The Fair Janet The Young Tamlane and the Fairy Queen
"He's ta'en her by the milk-white hand,
Among the leaves so green."
This tale belongs to the romantic side of the
Border minstrelsy, and illustrates some of the
common superstitions of olden times concerning
elves and fairies. The scene is laid in the Selkirk
or Ettrick Forest, a mountainous tract covered with
the remains of the old Caledonian Forest. About a
mile above Selkirk is a plain called Carterhaugh, and
here may still be seen those fairy rings of which it was
believed that anyone sleeping upon one will wake in a
fairy city. And here was, and perhaps still is, an ancient
well. The ballad opens by telling how all young maids
were forbidden to come or go by way of Carterhaugh,
"for young Tamlane (or Thomalin) is there," and
every one going by Carterhaugh is obliged to leave him
something in pledge. But the Lady Janet, the fairest
of the Selkirk lasses, was obstinate, and declared that
she would come or go to Carterhaugh, as she pleased,
"and ask no leave of him," since the land there belonged
to her by hereditary right. She kilted her green mantle
above her knee, and braided her yellow hair above her
brow, and off she went to Carterhaugh. When she got
to the well, she found the steed of the elfin knight
Tamlane standing there, but he himself was away.
"She hadna pu'd a red, red rose,
A rose but barely three;
Till up and starts a wee, wee man
At Lady Janet's knee.
Says—'Why pu' ye the rose, Janet?
What gars (makes) ye break the tree?
Or why come ye to Carterhaugh,
Withouten leave of me?'
Says—'Carterhaugh it is mine ain;
My daddy gave it me:
I'll come and gang to Carterhaugh,
And ask nae leave o' thee.'"
But Tamlane took her by the hand and worked upon
her his spells, which no maiden might resist, however
proud she might be.
When she came back to her father's hall, she looked
pale and wan; and it seemed that she had some sore
sickness. She ceased to take any pleasure in combing
her yellow hair, and everything she ate seemed like to
be her death. When her ladies played at ball, she, once
the strongest player, was now the faintest. One day
her father spoke out, and said he, "Full well I know that
you must have some lover." She said:—
"'If my love were an earthly knight,
As he's an elfin grey,
I wouldna give my own true love
For no lord that ye hae.'"
Then she prinked herself, and preened herself, all by the
light of the moon alone, and went away to Carterhaugh,
to speak with Tamlane. When she got to the well, she
found the steed standing, but Tamlane was away. She
had barely pulled a double rose, when up started the elf.
"Why pull ye the rose, Janet?" says he; "why
pull ye the rose within this garden green?" "The truth
ye'll tell me, Tamlane; were ye ever in holy chapel, or
received into the Christian Church?" "The truth I'll
tell thee, Janet; a knight was my father, and a lady
was my mother, like your own parents. Randolph,
Earl Moray, was my sire; Dunbar, Earl March, is thine.
We loved when we were children, which yet you may
remember. When I was a boy just turned nine, my
uncle sent for me to hunt, and hawk, and ride with him,
and keep him company. There came a wind out of the
north, a deep sleep came over me, and I fell from my
horse. The queen of the fairies took me off to yon
green hill, and now I'm a fairy, lithe and limber. In
Fairyland we know neither sickness nor pain. We
quit our body, or repair unto them, when we please.
We can inhabit, earth, or air, as we will. Our shapes and
size we can convert to either large or small. We sleep
in rose-buds, revel in the stream, wanton lightly on the
wind, or glide on a sunbeam. I would never tire, Janet,
to dwell in Elfland, were it not that every seven years
a tithe is paid to hell, and I am so fair of flesh, I fear
'twill be myself. If you dare to win your true love,
you have no time to lose. To-night is Hallowe'en, and
the fairy folk ride. If you would win your true love,
bide at Miles Cross." Miles Cross is about half a mile
from Carterhaugh, and Janet asked how she should know
Tamlane among so many unearthly knights. "The
first company that passes by, let them go. The next
company that passes by, let them go. The third
company that passes by, I'll be one of those. First
let pass the black steed, Janet, then let pass the
brown; but grip the milk-white steed, and pull down
the rider—
"For I ride on the milk-white steed,
And aye nearest the town;
Because I was a christened knight,
They gave me that renown."
Tamlane went on to explain that his fairy comrades
would make every effort to disgust her with her captive.
They would turn him in her very arms into an adder;
they would change him into a burning faggot, into a
red-hot iron goad, but she must hold him fast. In order
to remove the enchantment, she must dip him in a
churn of milk, and then in a barrel of water. She must
still persevere, for they would shape him in her arms
into a badger, eel, dove, swan, and, last of all, into a
naked man, but
"Cast your green mantle over me,
I'll be myself again."
So fair Janet in her green mantle went that gloomy
night to Miles Cross. The heavens were black, the
place was inexpressibly dreary, a north wind raged;
but there she stood, eagerly wishing to embrace her
lover. Between the hours of twelve and one she heard
strange eldrich sounds and the ringing of elfin bridles,
which gladdened her heart. The oaten pipes of the
faires grew shrill, the hemlock blew clear. The fairies
cannot bear solemn sounds or sober thoughts; they
sing like skylarks, inspired by love and joy. Fair Janet
stood upon the dreary heath, and the sounds waxed
louder as the fairy train came riding on. Will o' the
Wisp shone out as a twinkling light before them, and
soon she saw the fairy bands passing. She let the black
steed go by, and then the brown. But she gripped fast
the milk-white steed, and pulled down the rider. Then
up rose an eldrich cry, "He's won among us all!" As
Janet grasped him in her arms the fairies changed
him into a newt, an adder, and many other fantastic
and terrifying shapes. She held him fast in every
shape. They turned him at last into a naked man in
her arms, but she wrapped him in her green mantle.
At last her stedfast courage was rewarded, she redeemed
the fairies' captive, and by so doing won his true love!
Then up spoke the Queen of Fairies, "She that has
borrowed young Tamlane has got a stately groom!
She's taken the bonniest knight in all my company!
But had I known, Tamlane," said the fairy queen,
"had I known that a lady would borrow thee, I would
have taken out thy two grey eyes, and put in wooden
eyes. I would have taken out thy heart of flesh, Tamlane,
and put in a heart of stone. I would have paid my
tithe seven times to hell ere I would have let her win
you away."
Compiled From Sources In The Public Domain.
Please take a moment to "Like" Shadows In A Timeless Myth on Amazon.
(Shadows is also available at Barnes & Noble for the Nook)
Smiles & Good Fortune,
Teresa
************************************
It
is not wealth one asks for, but just enough to preserve one’s dignity,
to work unhampered, to be generous, frank and independent. W.
Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) Of Human Bondage, 1915
Only in the Russian penal code, especially in the sections
Ulosheniye and Ustav on felonies and frauds, as cited by Löwenstimm,
do we find a distinct recognition and designation of various
forms of superstition as incentives to crime. Thus, in paragraph
1469 of the first of these sections, the murder of "monstrous births
or misshapen sucklings" as changelings is expressly mentioned,
and the penalty prescribed; and in other clauses of the code punishments
are imposed for the desecration of graves and mutilation of
corpses, in order to procure talismans or to prevent the dead from
revisiting the earth as vampires, and for various offenses emanating
from the belief in sorcery and diabolical possession.
The practice
of opening graves and mutilating dead bodies is quite common, and
arises in general from the notion that persons who die impenitent and
without extreme unction, including suicides and victims to delirium
tremens, apoplexy, and other forms of sudden death, as well as
schismatics, sorcerers, and witches, come forth from their graves and
wander about as vampires, sucking the blood of individuals during
sleep and inflicting misery upon entire communities by producing
drought, famine, and pestilence. The means employed to prevent
this dangerous metamorphosis, or at least to compel the vampire to
remain in the grave, differ in different countries.
In Russia the
deceased is buried with his face downward, and an ashen stake driven
through his back, while in Poland and East Prussia the corpse is
wrapped up in a fish net and covered with poppies, owing, doubtless,
to the soporific qualities of this plant. Preventive measures of this
kind are often taken with the consent and co-operation of the clergy
and local authorities. Thus, in 1849, at Mariensee, near Dantzig, in
West Prussia, a peasant's wife came to the Catholic priest of the
parish and complained that an old woman named Welm, recently
deceased, appeared in her house and beat and otherwise tormented
her child. The priest seems to have accepted the truth of her statement,
since he ordered the corpse to be disinterred, decapitated, reburied
at a cross-road, and covered with poppies.
In 1851, during the
prevalence of cholera in Ukraine, in the governmental province of
Kiev, the peasants of Possady attributed the epidemic to a deceased
sacristan and his wife, who were supposed to roam about at night
as vampires and kill people by sucking their blood. In order to
stay the ravages of the scourge the corpses of this couple were exhumed,
their heads cut off and burned, and ashen stakes driven
through their backs into the ground. In 1892 a peasant woman in
the Russian province of Kovno hanged herself in a wood near the
village of Somenishki. The priest refused her Christian burial because
she had committed suicide, and was therefore given over to the
devil. In order that she might rest quietly in her grave and not be
changed into a vampire, her sons severed her head from her body and
laid it at her feet. In thus refusing to perform religious funeral
rites the priest obeyed the canons of the church and also the laws of
the Russian Empire.
Until the twentieth century a corner of unconsecrated
ground next to the wall of the Russian cemetery was reserved as a
sort of carrion pit for the corpses of self-murderers, and it is expressly
prescribed in the Svod Sakonov that they "shall be dragged
to such place of infamy by the knacker, and there covered with
earth." This treatment of a felo-de-se by the ecclesiastical and civil
authorities directly fosters popular superstition by tending to confirm
the notion that there is something uncanny, eldritch, demoniacal,
and preternaturally malignant inherent in his mortal remains, a notion
still further strengthened by a most unjust paragraph (1472)
in the Russian code, which declares the last will and testament of a
suicide to have no legal validity.
Drought, too, as well as pestilence,
is ascribed to the evil agency of vampires, which "milk the clouds,"
and hinder the falling of the dew. In 1887 the South Russian province
of Cherson began to suffer from drought soon after a peasant
had hanged himself in the village of Ivanovka, the inhabitants of
which, assuming a causative connection between the aridity and the
self-homicide, poured water on the grave while uttering the following
words: "I sprinkle, I pour; may God send a shower, bring on a
little rainfall, and relieve us from misery!" As this invocation
failed to produce the desired effect, the body was taken up and inhumed
again in a gorge outside of the village. In some districts the
corpse is disinterred, beaten on the head, and drenched with water
poured through a sieve; in others it is burned.
General Code, vol. xiii, edition of 1892, cited by Löwenstimm.
Compiled From Sources In The Public Domain.
The main character in Shadows In A Timeless Myth is based on my unique interpretation of where the legends of Vampire arose.
Smiles & Good Fortune,
Teresa
************************************
It
is not wealth one asks for, but just enough to preserve one’s dignity,
to work unhampered, to be generous, frank and independent. W.
Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) Of Human Bondage, 1915
The fortress of Dunbar was always a very
important one to the Scots. It commanded the
coast road from England across the Border to
Edinburgh, not only one of the best routes in itself,
but one which had the additional advantage to the
English that by following it they could keep in touch
with their ships. So it is not surprising that many
stirring events in history took place at this historic
town.
King Edward I. of England won a very important
victory at Dunbar during his first invasion of Scotland,
and to the place which had witnessed the triumph of the
father, his son, Edward II., fled for safety after his
defeat at Bannockburn, taking ship thence back to
England. In the time of Mary Queen of Scots the
fortress was held by Earl Bothwell; from here he
consented to the surrender of poor Mary, and here he
rested in safety before his final flight to Scandinavia.
Oliver Cromwell fought and won at Dunbar his desperate
battle with the Scottish Presbyterians, the fate of which
for some time hung in the balance. Cromwell
considered the place so valuable that he had new harbour
works made there, and a portion of his work, forming
part of the east pier of the present much larger harbour,
is still to be seen.
The last time that Dunbar resounded to the march
of an army bent on immediate fight was in 1745, when
the boastful English general, Sir John Cope, landed
here to engage the Highland followers of Prince Charles
Edward (called the "Young Pretender"). Prince
Charlie was at Edinburgh, and Dunbar Castle
commanded the road into England. Cope asserted that the
Highlanders would run away at the mere sight of his
army. He marched westward, but was surprised in the
early morning by his enemies when near Prestonpans.
In less than ten minutes it was the unprepared English
who were flying in disorder, utterly routed.
The foregoing is but a brief outline of the stormy
history of those grey and ruined battlements
overlooking the bleak North Sea at the southernmost point
of entrance to the noble Firth of Forth. The mention
of these stirring incidents, however, will serve to show
what a very important place Dunbar was, and that it
was necessary to Scottish safety that a strong hand
should have charge of its fortress. We are now to see
how at one of the most critical hours a woman was to
hold command, and to hold it worthily.
Early in the reign of King Edward III. of England
Scottish affairs were in some confusion. King Robert
Bruce had lately died, leaving a son, King David II.,
then only five years old. That great leader and friend
of Bruce, Randolph, Earl of Moray, was appointed
Guardian of Scotland, but he too soon died. Edward
III., anxious to interfere in Scottish affairs, agreed
to help Edward Balliol to make himself king of the
Scots. So an English army was again in Scotland, and
one of the places they were keenest to take was the
fortress of Dunbar.
The castle was a very strong one. It was built on a
chain of great rocks that stretched out to sea, and could
only be reached from land by one road, which was, of
course, strictly guarded. The lord of the castle was the
Earl of March (the word March in those days meant a
border-land), but he was away with the Scottish army,
and his wife was in charge of the castle. She was the
daughter of that brave Earl of Moray, Guardian of
Scotland, who has just been mentioned. The English
army was led by an experienced general, the Earl of
Salisbury, and he probably thought that he would not
have much trouble in overcoming "Black Agnes,"
as the dark-haired countess was called.
He soon discovered that she was of heroic mould,
however, for though he himself led the storming-parties,
she on her side, urging on her men in person, hurled back
his every attack. The Lady Agnes was quite fearless,
and treated the siege as if it were a pastime to be enjoyed.
When the English, with machines made for the purpose,
hurled heavy stones against the walls, Black Agnes
would call one of her maidens with a napkin to wipe off
the dust that they made! The biggest of all the English
war-machines was called a sow, and when it was brought
to the walls the countess cried out in rough jest that it
was surrounded by little pigs. At the same moment
a mass of rock, which she had caused to be loosened,
was hurled by her men on to the English, crushing their
sow and many soldiers with it.
At last there seemed a chance for the English. Near
midnight a Scot came into their camp, saying that he
was ready to betray the castle for a reward. The Earl
of Salisbury and some chosen knights rode carefully
forward, and found the gate open and the portcullis
raised, as the man had promised. But for all that, they
doubted if Black Agnes could so far relax her vigilance;
wherefore instead of the earl entering first, he sent
forward a retainer. His caution was soon justified,
for no sooner had this man passed the gate than the
portcullis fell. It was a trick to capture the earl,
but the Scots were disappointed this time.
The gallant English lord was loud in admiration of
the brave Scottish lady who was thus defying him.
Once when examining the defences with a lieutenant,
an arrow struck his companion dead. "The countess's
love-arrows pierce to the heart," said Salisbury, on his
return to the camp. Despite the courtly manner in
which the well-bred baron referred to the lady, however,
he did not relax his efforts to overcome her.
Salisbury's land forces had now surrounded the
castle on the land side, while his ships at sea completed
the blockade. The garrison was threatened with
starvation. Greater and greater became the privations
of the heroic defenders. The countess, no less brave
than ever, hoped on, though ground for hope grew less
and less. She could not bring herself to think of defeat,
and her brave, bright face still gave courage and
inspiration to all.
Meantime the story of the struggle and difficulties of
the defenders was raising up helpers, and Sir Alexander
Ramsay of Dalhousie got ready a light vessel filled with
provisions and manned by forty brave Scots, who only
waited for a dark night to make the attempt to steal
past the English fleet. They lay hidden by the Bass
Rock, a lofty islet at the mouth of the Firth of Forth,
some seven or eight miles from Dunbar, until one
starless night they stole very cautiously down the wild
coast-line of Haddingtonshire, sometimes all but bumping
into an English vessel in the dark. Fortune favours the
brave, and despite dangers and difficulties they got
safely at last to the castle, whose distant light had been
their guide. Be sure Black Agnes welcomed them!
This proved to be the turning-point of the long siege.
With fresh hope, the garrison made a sudden sally on the
English, driving back their advance guard, and after
five months of fierce but fruitless attempts, Salisbury
was compelled to withdraw his forces and admit defeat.
Nevertheless, the English were gallant enough to sing
their praises of this Scottish heroine; their minstrels
made songs in her honour, in one of which Salisbury
is made to say:—
"Came I early, came I late,
I found Black Agnes at the gate."
Compiled From Sources In The Public Domain.
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Smiles & Good Fortune,
Teresa
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It
is not wealth one asks for, but just enough to preserve one’s dignity,
to work unhampered, to be generous, frank and independent. W.
Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) Of Human Bondage, 1915
