From the time of
the Norman Conquest his ancestors had inherited this tract of country;
and as they were not famous for any particular talents or virtues, had
passed into dust and oblivion in the vault of the old gothic church,
which lifted its ivy-covered tower above the venerable oaks and yews
that were coeval with its existence.
In proportion to their valueless existence was the pride of the
Hurdlestone family. Their wealth gained for them the respect of the
world; their ancient name the respect of those who place an undue
importance on such things; and their own vanity and self-importance
maintained the rank and consequence which they derived from these
adventitious claims.
Squire Hurdlestone the elder was a shrewd worldly minded man, whose
natural _hauteur_ concealed from common observers the paucity of his
intellect. His good qualities were confined to his love of Church and
State; and to do him justice, in this respect he was a loyal man and
true--the dread of every hapless Jacobite in the country. In his early
days he had fought under the banners of the Duke of Cumberland as a
gentleman volunteer; and had received the public thanks of that worthy
for the courage he displayed at the memorable battle of Culloden, and
for the activity and zeal with which he afterwards assisted in
apprehending certain gentlemen in his own neighborhood, who were
suspected of secretly befriending the unfortunate cause.
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25