Rowland Bradshaw, his Struggles and Adventures on the Way to Fame. By the author of 'Raby Rattler' [i.e. Thomas Hall] . With twenty-eight illustrations on steel by S. P. Fletcher

Front matter

_^^m*?t6&m^tt*y a@W0# EEATO1MW \is SitxuqtrUrs anb UuYjentures on DEDICATED to the YOUTH of ENGIANI BY vMtoW LONDON SHERWOQOX.LBER.TSc PSPEJi PATERNOSTER ROW MDCCCXtVK ROWLAND BRADSHAW, HIS STRUGGLES AND ADVENTURES ON THE WAY TO FAME. BV THE AUTHOR OF " RABY RATTLER.'' WITH TWENTY-EIGHT ILLUSTRATIONS ON STEEL, BY S. P. FLETCHER. LONDON : SHERWOOD AND CO., PATERNOSTER ROW: MDCCCXLVIII. DIRECTIONS FOR THE BINDER. The Denouement to face Title. The Race to face page 16 Old Peggy consoles Mrs. Windley .... 31 Bryrant Gow's Humiliation .... 37 The Philosopher Wildingair .... 51 Paddy's Politeness , .... 62 The Ford 76 The Sheriff and his Chaplain do combat .... 108 Lord Wandly recognises Rowland .... 120 '• And the whistle was made" ..., 137 " 'Twas a cowardly shot" .... 139 The two Secretaries.. .... 150 Lord Wandly and Knurly Pryet .... 178 The Chartist Meeting 186 The BaQ 224 The Bench 226 Mr. Chipster's Pedigree .... 244 The Gipsey's visit 256 The Chipster Banquet 269 The Wounded Messenger .... 309 The Surprise 320 English and Foreign Diplomacy .... 361 The Election at Frescoth 371 The Secret demanded -. .... 379 Jack Lout and Rowland .... 386 Rowland visits the School .... 397 Adieu CONTENTS. «*««».

PAGE. I. — A Chapter that may be skipped 1 II. — How Rowland Bradshaw goes on trial to Mr. Windley 6 HI. — A faithful description of the hero 12 IV.— Tlie White Horse bar 19 V.— The Ghosts 27 VI. — Mr. Rowbottom advises Master Bradshaw 31 VII. — Rowland cannot avoid becoming the repository of all the family secrets 38 VIII. — A lesson to plagiarists 43 IX. — The philosopher Wildingair 47 X. — The Dantskipp family 54 XI. — Parish affairs of Fleigh 62 XII. — A road-side adventure 70 XIII. — Adventure in the " Deluge" 78 XIV. — The landlady's benediction 82 XV. — The boarding-school 84 XVI . — More secrets 88 XVII. — Mr. Rowbottom's notions of things 94 XVIII.— Small Sessions of Frescoth 100 XIX. — Frescoth Riots — Mr. Rowbottom's opinions of tyranny 110 '■ XX. — A mysterious acquaintance 117 XXI. — The dinner and the battle 121 XXII.— Colonel Dillon consults Lord Wandly 131 XXIII.— The sequel 135 XXIV. — Mrs. Bradshaw's fireside 136 XXV. — Should be read by all young men 142 XXVI.— The two Secretaries 149 XXVII. — Mr. Rowbottom leaves his native town 156 XXVIII.— Great doings at Frescoth 159 XXIX. — A surprise for the reader , 181 XXX.— The Flight 188 XXXI.— Liverpool 189 XXXII.— The Dinner Party at the Fox and Glove 198 XXXIIL— Further doings at the Fox and Glove 202 XXXIV.— The Royal Circus 206 XXXV. — Another spoke in the wheel VI CONTENTS.

CHAPT.Ki PACE. XXXVI.— Bridewell and Breakfast 219 XXXVII. — An old acquaintance and a new friend 232 XXXVIII.— The adventurers consult 234 XXXIX. — The great Chipster is introduced 237 XL. — A retrospect 248 XLI. — Once more in Liverpool 256 XLII.— The grand ball of the Chipsters 260 XLTII. — Our old friend, Mr. Gibbon, arrives 274 XLIV. — Rowland's attainments tested 278 XLV. — Mr. Rowbottom writes to Rowland 28 1 XLVL— Rowland's studies 295 XLVIL— Mrs. Bradshaw relates her history , 297 XLVIIL— The story continued ... 319 XLIX. — Two old acquaintances arrive .'.... 324 L.— Lord Wandly and Knurly Pryet 330 LI. — The school of Johannes Donne 339 LII. — Mrs. Bradshaw resumes her history 349 LUI. — Mr. Pierre Priappe and Mr. Knurly Pryet 359 LIV. — Johannes Donne and his pupils 363 LV- — Joseph Styrrup surprises Rowland 367 LVI. — Nomination day at Frescoth 369 LVII. — Rowland journeys to Fleigh 378 LVIIL— Fleigh White Horse bar 391 LIX. — Rowland and Mrs. Windley 398 LX. — Rowland departs for London 401 LXI. — A tale for Lord Wandly 406 LXII. — Parting opinion of Johannes 412 LXIII. — The denouement 417 LXIV.— The trap 4]9 With a deep sense of the grievous neglect under which the zealous disciples of literature, science, and art, in this country have still to struggle, the author of the following pages has humbly endeavored to assert their claims to that dignity of position, and those public honors which have too long been exclusively awarded to the hereditary claimant, to the expounder of law, and the professor of war. OR, THE WAY TO FAME.

Chapter I

A CHAPTER THAT MAY BE SKIPPED. In a populous and now thriving manufactural district, situated within the immediate influence of its great focus, Manchester, is the ancient town of Fleigh. We shall not attempt to give any lengthened descrip tion of this flourishing place, as to avoid invidiousness will, at all times, be a principal part of our study, in the succeeding pages. And how can we avoid it, if we describe the ancient town of Fleigh ? for were we to say too much about its market place, the height of its cross, the length of its maypole, the size of the principal draper's shop, or, what would still be more dangerous, the size of the principal factory — the length of its main street, the magnitude ofthe bowling greens, the weight of its heaviest landlord, or the tone of its old church bells, to say nothing of the beauty of its ladies, or the breed of its bull dogs, we should — we know the surrounding spirit well — bring the six adjoining towns with all the horrors of parish strife on the poor Fleighers.

Thus we see the danger of saying too much in a neighbourhood where every three miles presents us with a manufacturing population equal to the town of Fleigh, and of a district, too. where each contends that itself is the principal spoke in the ponderous wheel of which, as we have already said, Manchester is the nave. Now to say too little of the seat of many of our scenes, would, the cotton and silk trade flourishing as it does at this time, involve us in serious cala mities, and perhaps incite the Fleighers iuto a determination to destroy the sale of our labors. As we may not indulge our readers in a description of the town of Fleigh, we trust that none of the foregoing reasons will operate against us, if we unfold a page or two of its history. In the first place, then, we had better commence with the Etymology of its. name.

And, though we know we are on a very conflicting point, we unhesitatingly assert that the word was originally spelled Flee ; and not — as a recent historian has so pompously asserted — Flea ! We shall not follow him in all his gloomy labyrinths, nor attempt to combat with him the overweening erudition "of whether the word is derived from Saxon, corrupted by Norman idiom, or whether it is from the Danish patois "Fleizh," which signifies "start," when used, as we should use it, in the imperative. No, instead of all this, we shall give the record, and enable the reader to exercise those faculties which have been so abun dantly supplied to the elaborate topographer of Fleigh. We agree with the above authority so far — indeed we have no means of disproving it, when he says, that where now stands the town pump, with the Latin in scription shewing it was put there by subscription of a few who recommend, in all large towns, the blessing of a good supply of water— the new cast-iron stocks, which have recently displaced the old oaken ones, the two butchers' shambles, the two white Elizabethan-built cottages ; the quarter-sessions room over and the new Mechanics' Institute under, together with the church, its yard, and the two hearses' house — was a mighty castle — a castle of such amazing antiquity that, although our historical friend has given us a most graphic picture of its appearance, as it stood in its latter days, he has not been able, so he confesses, to ascertain its name.

Thus we see there has ever been a difficulty about castles, whether in building them in the air, or getting anything like correct data respecting those whose humbler projectors had only founded them on rocks, which we are assured was the case with the one where Fleigh, or nearly so, now stands. But now to the Etymology. Although this black and frowning castle had thrown terror into most of its foes, certainly had been subdued by none, and, as we have seen, withstood with amazing fortitude the subtle attacks of the conquering hero of the scythe-blade himself : yet, we say, although deemed impenetrable to all its foes, it was at last not only taken, but so possessed, that the stoutest heart quaked even at a distant glimpse of its turrets. What then must have been the fear inspired by one peep at its dread owner.

This was a temerity that the most besotted rashness voluntarily shrank from. And we need not wonder, nor will the reader, when we once inform him of the host's name. It was no other than our eternal enemy, who has alike despoiled Eden and the old black castle that stood on the spot we have so graphically pointed out. How long this unholy host had possession is not recorded, though most of the devilries of his household are. And it is not unlikely that he might have remained in quiet possession, and his rash servants have still gone on in their old way, but, two jackdaws, who had for half a century pertained to the castle, found that they could no longer, at least with that comfort and security for their young that well affected parents are accustomed to expect at such times, attend to their brooding seasons ; if indeed to anything else ; such were the junketings and infernal noises heard all over their abode, and that, too, at a time when every other well regulated household is the quietest ; we need not perhaps add night.

This, to a people hke the daws, who had to be up early, not only to earn their daily worms, but to pick up something of a more delicate texture for their unconscious little ones in the castle louvres, was truly unendurable. It fell to the lot of this discreet couple to act as sentinels to a number of their brethren who were on a slight predatory excursion, and, for the better reconnoitring of the country, they took their perch upon a clump of amazingly lofty beech trees. They had scarcely chattered over their discontents, when, to their surprise, and indeed much to their dismay, they beheld, exactly under them, a kneeling figure. They both sprang up about a yard from their perch, as at the first glance they mistook the kneeler's long staff and some small sticks that lay by his side, for a stout bow with plenty of arrows.

They were soon convinced of their mistake, and as soon blessed themselves, when they discovered the stranger to be a holy father, instead of, what their first fears painted him to be, a stout fowler. Now this pious kneeler happened to be no other than the good, and now great, St. Jubean, banished, as everybody knows, from Spain, and who was, at that very moment, vowing, if Heaven would help him, to found, on that very spot, a Benedictine monastery. His prayers were heard ; his vow was to be fulfilled ; nor were the sable listeners over his head to be uninstrumental to the great and good design. The female had, it is true, to attend to the cares of her family, the husband was destined for higher purposes : for though high and holy were the duties imposed upon the good St. Jubean, he could not perfect them without occasional hunger.

This the good daw saw, and forgeting his own, was resolved to alleviate that of the saint ; so at once procured from the deserted castle a small loaf, and repeated the task as often as he perceived the cœnobite require it. A disciple joined the good father ; then the female daw joined in the laudable duties of her husband, and two loaves were procured for the founders of the monastery. Nay, it is said, that more delicacies than appearances would warrant, were supplied to the scrips of the pious founders. These, it is asserted, were nightly presented by a neighbouring owl. This is, however, denied; and at a solemn council held some hundreds of years after the apotheosis of the good St. Jubean, for the purpose of for ever settling the question, it was carried by a majority of three, there being only six hundred present, that it was an angel, and not an owl.

Some, however, to this day, say the owl portion is altogether apocryphal, and assert, as their reason, that it is derogatory to the good saint to suppose, that, with the assistance of the daws, he could not have founded twenty such religious abodes. Be all this as it may, one thing is certain— and now we have come to the Etymology — that the entire of the old black castle was pulled down to make the more useful edifice — dedicated to hospitality and piety. Now, great as were the reputations of all concerned in the new erection, the reader will probably not be surprised if there was a difficulty in obtaining hearts stout enough to raze the old one, or, at least, before it was disbursed of its terrible tenant. Twenty-one of the good Benedic tines were deputed to this important duty, who entered upon it with the enthusiasm of men who are engaged in so great a benefaction to mankind, as well as the inspiritive hope of canonization in a better state, which they, to a man, all entertained.

There is an accommodation in all things ; great emergencies call out great generals ; great crimes arouse greater virtues ; epidemics, countless antidotes. Thus the more frequent visits of him that should be visitless, rat-led forth a potency in the exorcisms of that day, of which the en -ire astrology, assisted by all modern divinity, could not now get through a dozeu sentences of the prœmium, and would distinguish themselves in pirouette, whilst they would be labyrinthed in the mazes of their astounding peroratio. So we see that a maniple of the holy band was dispatched to effect a task that thousands, in our more sinecure days, durst not undertake. It is true the good Benedictines had weary work ; but they fairly hemmed him, after a myriad subterfuges, into a small chamber that, of yore, had been used for a groom's bed room, and there, for a long time, both sight and smell of him were lost.

Nothing is so " crawling as evil ;" and so it would seem, for a timid lay brother, rather from curiosity than duty, turned the quilt of the deserted bed. And then a sight, to the more skilled, presented itself, that called forth a thousand requests that heaven would pour upon them immediate protection, with all the blessings of which the emergency of the case would admit. The phenomena presented by the creature, as it ran about the bed, differed little from those which are exhibited, to the uninitiated, when a couple of interesting (to zoology and microscopes) insects of the hemiptera order, longitudinize your big toe, or taste the quality of the skin covering the lower, as juxtaposed to the higher part of your reposing vertebræ. And here is the comfort of Ignorance, as it bore itself with its usual quietness of demeanor, whilst Learning frittered itself into an attitude, the contrary of which is ever supposed to convey magna nimity, or at all events to those who have had the good fortune to witness it.

The twenty disciples of St. Benedict tried the coaxing system first, not, it must be understood, desiring the concentration of evil to come out of the bed ; but to go out ; and bade it involare, circumvolare, volitare,fugere, vitare : and as they did so, they began (to) involare, circumvolare ; and even in expressing these desires, they had a proper respect to the dignity of the infernal visiter ; for the most temeritous never spoke without receding an inch, and the rest in proportion as their Latin was supposed to be rusty. When, however, they got to such a distance that they thought bolder experiments might be tried, they changed the modus of the verbs we have just seen used ; from the coalescive, to the more resolute of its forms — the imperative, which was given most desperately. Still all was impotency, when an agency, which some of our modern theologists most UHlearnedly ascribe to a wrong proprietory — we mean, when they say that heaven is adored through dread of another place— effected the liberation of the old black castle.

Fear, then, was the instrument, and he was introduced into the terrible chamber by a servitor lad, just as he produced the morning refreshments to the twenty Benedictines. Fear, as now, was no scholar, still he had enough of learning to know from the spluttering Latin he had heard at his entrance, that the object of the hunt was at bay. He felt for his lntroducee, so jogged his elbow, the effect of which was, to cause the "OrFS-_mt"' t0 dr°P hlS SalVer' Clysta1' and chaliceand this vocative, Then did Sathan as the lad desired, and from then, or nearly so, did the argument commence ; how was the verb in those days spelled? was it as we hay.? given it? or, was it not flea? was it a noun, as we have it — was it an apostrophe or a command ! The wholejearaing of Fleigh says "no;" the entire of Fleigh' s enemies says "aye."

Every child belonging to the town we have described, is taught, almost as soon as he is tlie use of his clogs, to believe the name of his birth place to be a concentration of that sentence, "flee from the wrath to come," when quaintly spelled ; and kicks, with hob-nailed clogs and love-of-town feeling, every belligerent who asserts that the whole tale about the derivation is humbug. But though they laudate in these efforts, still their opponents have an ugly argument, which is often used, with some hundreds of fists, at their merry meetings, toll-bar meetings, or central workhouse-meetings, and which argument is, that the derivation is a vulgarism, not from any absurd exordium, could not be, however ingeniously put, but is, was, and will be, either from the verb " flay," or the noun " flea," and this, the more merciful say, is the likeliest, and is taken from the redoubtable town of our history .

The one or the other, contend they, must be it, or why this singular motto, which can be proved to belong to their arms, Ne cui obtrectato; which has been liberally translated upon ever shutter in Fleigh, " do not back-bite nobody." We need not, perhaps, hint at the number of little tributary arguments which have run into the great streams of reasoning so often urged by the contendents, of whether the good people of Fleigh were so little skilled in orthographical attainments as not to know how to spell Flea correctly ; or, did they more cunningly devise the present mode to elude the real origin of their name. Where there has been such evident exultations on one hand, and unwarrantable envy and detraction on the other, the reader will not feel much surprised at the difficulty we find in coming to that happy equipoise which stamps the historian's labor with candor and all-accessible truth.

We have given the fors and againsts, and the facts, and as readers should have employment as well as authors, the deductions we shall deem their part of this solemn enquiry. Thus we have briefly come to the conclusion of our promise, the Etymology of this distinguished town, and which we think it will be confessed is of more use to the reader than the most elaborate description of its resources, polity, &c. ; and perhaps we could not conclude our remarks and chapter better, than by giving a quotation from the learned soho that now hes before us, for although it was merely written to shew the advantages there would be to the modern Fleighers in turning the town-field and brook into a bleacher's croft, instead of the latter through the principal cellars in the town, which in floody weather too frequently happens, — the sentences are so accordant with our views upon the subject, that we shall not apologize for their transcription.

" The Fleighers were always loyal ! their militia shewed it, when they attacked the shuttle-takers ; their special trains to the seat of royalty, prove it. " And who shall doubt their devotion to religion ? If any, let yon ancient pile answer it; a christian bulwark so large and strong that even Cromwell made a barrack of it : so well ventilated that though the last diocesan confirmation saw within its mural enclosure, the protestant population of eight townships, yet not one fainted. And though dissent has been as busy as their improved machinery, still there is not one of its victims but as readily submits to a church-rate as a pacha does to the Sultan's bowstring. _ _ " The men of Fleigh glory in their town, appreciate its rising honors, but above all are proud of the epithet that distinguishes them in their densely situated districts. 'We are Fleighers,' say they, * at home or abroad, nay, shew the time we were ever attacked that we did not prove the fitness of our name !' " It may not be unfitting to mention here, that most of the middling classes and all the lower orders of Fleigh pronounce the word as if it were written Fleigth.

Chapter II. How Rowland Bradshaw Goes On Trial To Mr

WINDLEY. The reader will perceive, from the brief way in which we bring facts before him, that he must be on his mettle, or many of our happiest conceits may escape him, and thus be a waste of time to both of us. With this hint let us proceed. In a tolerably wide street, and one that is honoured with forming an obtuse angle with the one which the town hall distinguishes, might be seen a remarkably grand sign, every word, and in some lines, every letter being in different colors ; though none but what was either gilded in the raising, perspective, or in the letter itself. Some of the letters were sloping and graceful, some thick where it is usual to make them thin, some were running three or four yards in the ground, whilst others appeared as though they were resolved to spring into the passing carts.

It was one mass of flourish and grandeur, light and shadow, and as the artist had discovered that the sun shone on it from the left hand in the morning, and reversed his beams in the afternoon, he had resolved to meet the contingency; so, judiciously shadowed one word on one side, and another on the other, alternately. The ground was to imitate no less than twenty different woods, so lined as to form quiet radii, whilst outside the border was half as many different sorts of the richest veined marbles. Of course a concentration of so many glories a httle confused the delighted orbs of the Fleighers, as not one in three could make it out ; but this, perhaps, added to, rather than diminished, the gorgeousness of the mass. The announcement it bore was this, "Ornamenting, decorating, painting, plumbing, and glazing, by H. Windley, from London."

These smiling gerunds had thrown more terror into the painters' shops of all the adjoining neighbourhood, of course including Fleigh itself, than bricks thrown at their crown-glass crates would have done. And it, perhaps, were needless to observe, at least to painters, plumbers, and glaziers, that the more Mr. Windley had saddened the faces and contracted the hearts of his opponents, the more his own became expanded and overflowing with benevolence. Yes, there was a great ness, a goodness towards them all — no sneering, uo blustering ; of course excepting in his cups, and then we are all alike. No : when his attention was called to the overpowering beauties of his own sign, as juxtaposed to those of his neighbours', he would only mildly observe, " Ah, poor fellows, what can they know ? when they have worked two years in London, as I have done, and written 'private' on the Lord Chancellor's retiring room, as I have done, then they might appreciate a little ; but, though I thank them for their praise of my board, it's not their applause I look after.

No ; we must wait for some London-men coming this way, or the completion of the trigonometrical survey, and then we may find other things mentioned, save Fleigh Church and Davidson's new mill, although their engine is 500 horses." The sign sensation was getting a little sobered, at least amongst the Fleighers, but not amongst distant carters and market people, when might be seen viewing it, a respectably clad female — if, indeed, not a lady, should we judge of her education by her appearance — and a stripling. They had not looked at it long, when they crossed the street, knocked at the door next the shop door, and being answered, asked if they could see Mr. Windley. Mr. Windley could be seen, and his lady also if necessary. It was intimated by the stranger, who, we had forgotten to observe, was in deep black, that probably Mr. Windley would be sufficient.

They were desired to walk in, and were scarcely seated, when entered the artist andjmaster of the establishment; who, at once, by his carriage and breeding, shewed that other towns, if not climes, had been honored by his residuary selections, as well as that of Fleigh, for he not only desired them to select chairs for their accommodation, but preceded the ceremony by giving a personal example. No sooner were all seated, after the usual comforting remarks on the fineness of the weather, when the lady we have just described said — "I am the person who wrote to you, Mr. Windley, respecting the apprenticeship of my son. My name is Bradshaw, of Willowton. This is my son. But, pardon me, I think I did not hear you say how Mrs. Windley and family are." " Indoor ?" interrogatively looked Mr. Windley.

" Of course ; but as we are going to reside within about twelve miles, he can come over whenever it may suit your convenience, or pleasure." " Aye, aye, Mrs. Windley has read your letter, and we think we can make room for him. What age is he ma'am? I hope hc has been to school — nothing to be done now without edecation ; we are laying the gutters of the new Mechanics' to-day, and shall flash the chimnies to-morrow. I'm a life subscriber ; one hundred and eight volums given to the library already, and immense curiosities. I suppose I must give um something in that way. I was thinking of the section of a self acting closet ; there was not room on my sign, or I would have had it there — put my name at the bottom of the painting — for I shall do it in oil — and it might do me some good you know."

" It might." " Then, when the annal exhibition comes, I'll give something rum ; perhaps, what's his name here ? by that time may be " " Rowland Bradshaw," said the lady mildly. " Aye — may be able to lend me a hand. I'll let um see I did not work two years in London for nothing — that you knew ma'am ?" " I was not exactly aware ; I perhaps need not — pardon a mother's anxiety — ask if he will be thoroughly initiated in his business, should we agree upon the terms, as that you know is everything — " " Bis business ?" reiterated the plumber, glazier, and life subscriber to the embryo institution. " His business ? here, young-un, just go and look at my sign, and when you have done so, go from the grainers' to the putty bench and ask if any man touched it but myself. No, ma'am, I actually knotted the wood it's painted upon ; primed it, grounded it, grained it, marbled it, wrote it, raised it, shadowed it, varnished it, and put the first wall-hook into it, I'll not say the last, or will I say that I reared every ladder, I keep men ma'am and there's reason — " '• I beg pardon, I am not for a moment sir, doubting your capability to teach my son, if your many duties may not prevent that attention to him which we all know youth require.

He has always shewn a taste for drawing, and in his absence I may say, I think, has some skill in that way ; I thought you would not deem it offensive if I were to bring you a few of his drawings — they will probably enable you, sir, to judge whether the boy has talent or otherwise, for I am one who thinks it of Uttle purpose to put a youth to a profession that may jar with his early tastes and bent of mind. With this impression, and entertaining the belief I have expressed, I thought your business might suit him. Here are the sketches — you will probably think me silly, it was against Rowland's wish I brought them, but I supposed you might deem it necessary to judge of his taste and. studies : your wishing to know the amount of his education has further emboldened me to submit them for your examination," concluded the lady, producing a portfolio full of Bristol-board drawings.