Castle Cornet; or, the Island's troubles in the troublous times

Front matter

■ CASTLE CORNET; OR, &§* JsIauVs {fontUs in % S*oniIjras SKmts. Castle Come CAsTLE CORNET Frontispiece. CASTLE CORNET; OR, THE ISLAND'S TROUBLES IN THE TROUBLOUS TIMES. % £tot[g of the Channel Islands. By LOUISA HAWTREY. PUBLISHED tMjLii THE DIRECTION OP TLIE COMMITTEE OF GE.MKM, LITEBATUBE AND EDUCATION* APPOINTED BY THE SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE. LONDON: SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE; SOLD AT THE DEPOSITORIES : 77, GREAT QUEEN STREET, LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS ; 4, ROYAL EXCHANGE ; 48, PICCADILLY ; AND BY ALL BOOKSELLERS. LONDON: F&INTED BT Ji«. TaoscOTT AND SOH, Suffolk Lane, City.

Preface

. Any one who has crossed from Southampton or Weymouth to the Channel Islands, will remember that, after the tossing and rocking of the steamer as it passes the Casket Rocks, where the sea is always rough, the joyful sound, "In sight of Guernsey!" often encourages the pale, much-enduring passenger to creep on deck. There the keen, fresh air soon revives him — he again enjoys life, and has the opportunity of seeing that grand spectacle of nature, the sun rising out of the sea, and sending a long line of quivering light over the water. Its rosy beams light up the island of Alderney, and bring to sight the far-off coast of France, near Cherbourg. These are soon left behind in the distance, and the traveller turns to the scene he is approaching, the low land of Guernsey, looking, if it be low water, very grim and inhospitable, for the dark rocks which crop out of the sea lie thick and many on that coast. But soon the steamer rounds the point of the Vale Castle and St. Sampson's Harbour, and Guern- VI

PREFACE.

. sey, in all its loveliness, appears before him. Quaint old houses rise one above the other on the hilly ground, while to the left stretches out the green promontory on which Fort George is built, and which is crowned by the monument to Sir John Doyle. On the other side the steep islands of Herm and Jethou come out clear and sharp in the morning sunshine; and behind them is the blue line of Serk, that very gem of the Channel Islands, glorying in its pure mountain air, its lovely bays and many-tinted cliffs, its ferns, flowers, wild thyme, and green valleys. Besides these are smaller islands, mere rocks, indeed, but fortified, to guard these little treasures of the English crown from foreign invaders. As the ship steams into the harbour, Castle Cornet stands out in bold relief, not, as it once was, isolated and distinct from Guernsey, but now connected with it by a breakwater, which, however convenient and useful it may be, is not so picturesque as when the castle stood alone in its gloomy grandeur half a-mile from the town, the black rocks, which could be seen at low water, covered by a sea so bright and blue, that it might almost vie with the waters of the Mediterranean.

Small as is the rock on which this ancient castle is built, it formed the only defence of the island of Guernsey for five hundred years, and protected the

PREFACE.

. VII roadstead from pirates and other enemies — to quote the words of Mr. Tupper, from whose " Chronicles of Castle Cornet" the writer has thankfully gleaned much of the history of the castle. The manuscript which contains the account of the escape of the prisoners is still in possession of the Carey family, as well as the knife with which they succeeded in effecting their deliverance. To all Lords of Serk, past, present, or future, the writer begs to apologise for making her hero descend from a line of ancestry bearing that title previously to its gift by Queen Elizabeth to the De Carterets. She trusts that her encroach ment on Seignorial rights in this instance may meet with no severer censure than a smile, and the customary indulgent award — " Se non e vero, e ben trovato." CASTLE CORNET; OK, Sfltit Island's <$t[onbtys in the ®t[oublous fees.

Chapter I

" Hark to yonder milkmaid, singing Cheerly o'er the brimming pail; Cowslips, all around her springing, Sweetly paint the golden vale." Wordsworth. " MAKE haste, Marie ! the sun is rising," was the call of a rosy-cheeked woman, as she threw open the window of the little cottage and looked out on the sea beyond, sparkling as it caught the early rays of golden light. " I 'm coming, mother," was the answer, and Marie came in with a great market-basket on her arm, which was already half-full of shelled peas. "Ah! you did not know I was up before the sun this morning," she said, as she kissed her mother. " Have I not got forward in my day's work ?" " That you have," said Rachel La Rue, approv- B o CASTLE CORNET ; OR, ingly, as she took down the light milking-can and went out to milk the sleek cream-coloured cows that were tethered in a field of clover not far from the cottage.

Marie returned to her work, and had soon filled her basket ; but she had other duties to do : tlie hen-roosts were to be visited, and the fresh eggs carefully brought in. Then she had to gather gooseberries till she had three times filled the quart mug. Then little bundles of thyme, marigold, and sweet-marjoram were tied together, and sprigs of crisp green parsley were rolled up in a cabbage-leaf to keep them fresh. Then the sheltered corner of the garden, where the strawberry-plants grew, had to be visited, and every here and there amongst the luxuriant leaves a bright red strawberry was seen, and a little wicker basket, half-full, was brought in triumph to add to the other treasures on the white deal table in the kitchen, which Rachel La Rue was arranging in the large market basket ; and, lastly, a large nosegay of the bright coloured and sweet-smelling flowers, that grew in such abundance round the cottage, crowned the whole, and Marie and her mother were ready to start for the town.

The townwas about four miles off, and the way lay over a broken, hilly country, commanding every here and there the view of the bright blue sea, which, though interspersed at low-tide by grey rocks near the land, stretched out to the horizon till it mingled with the sky. It was one of the Channel Islands, and most beautiful indeed was the mixture of fertile lowland and granite-hill. Breakfast was soon eaten, and the key of the door having been safely deposited in the thatch above the little porch, the mother and daughter took their way with their well-filled baskets to the market, not without an occasional look at the fish ing-boats in the distance, which had been out since daybreak. " Father will find his breakfast all ready in the oven," said Marie, " if he is not too late to-day. I am afraid, if he is, the fire will be out."

" He has not had much luck lately in his fishing," answered the mother. " I can't help thinking that all those big ships sailing about, and the guns one hears so often now thundering over the water, have something to do with frightening the fish from the old fishing-grounds. O Marie, dear! what a misery war is, and what a blessing is peace ! " " Won't this war soon be over, mother ?" " Who can tell that, Marie? I see no end to it at present. The King is going on his own way, with out regard to the good of his people ; and I am afraid his people are forgetting that he is their crowned and anointed King." B ; OR, " It 's a bad business for us, though, above all," said Susan Lucas, another market-woman, who was resting on a bank by the side of the road, and waiting till her friends came up to her.

" It 's a bad business to be divided as we are : the island for the Parliament, and the castle for the King ; guns firing all day, sometimes, and great ships going backwards and forwards, and no sale for our butter and vegetables as we used to have. You must find a difference now, Rachel, from what it was when there were no disputes between the King and us." "Yes, indeed," sighed Rachel ; "we don't find it so easy to live as we used to do, and my good man and Francois work just as hard. Ah ! last mid summer-day they had to go without their holiday cake, which they had never done before, I can answer for it." " You were not worse off than your neighbours, I can tell you," said Susan ; " my poor children had to content themselves with barley-bread on their fete-day ; but as long as they can play on the sand, and paddle among the rocks, they are as happy as crickets.

I wish my little maids were as helpful as your Marie. Did I hear some talk of her going to service ? If I remember right, Rachel, you have said before now that such an old family as the La Rue's should at least keep themselves independent." " Indeed, I have said so," returned Rachel, with a sigh, " and it is not quite with my will that Marie should go as a servant ; but my husband tells me I am quite wrong, and that becoming waiting-maid in such a family as that of M. Des Granges will ennoble, not degrade my child. They know our history well — how we in Queen Elizabeth's time were deprived by strangers of our little island of Serk, where my husband's forefathers had been Seigneurs for hundreds of years. The good Queen did not know but that the island was uninhabited, when she gave Carteret the Lordship of Serk, the La Rues' right."

" Yes, yes, Rachel, we all know that ; but they hold up their heads still. I am sure Francois looks more like a prince than a poor peasant, even when he is trawling the net, or at work with your hus band." " Francois had a very good education before he came to us ; but I am sometimes afraid it has made him hold his head too high. We must resign our selves to our circumstances, neighbour, and if we cannot have our rights in this world, we know it will all be settled for us in another." " So Marie is really going to M. Des Granges to service ?" "Yes, that is her great hope," said her mother, looking fondly at the young girl, who, in her blue ; OR, 6 petticoat and short grey jacket, was walking on in front with the market-basket on her arm. " One great reason why her father is so anxious about it is, that she is too delicate for our hard life, and we have no means of giving her an education, which she is sure to get there, for Madame Des Granges promised me that she would see to it.

It is not settled yet when Marie goes, but every time that she takes eggs and butter to the house she hopes to hear something about it." " Ah, in these troublous times we poor folks can't expect to be thought as much about as when there was nothing to disturb the peace of the island," said Susan. " Those were better days," said Rachel, " when good Queen Bess reigned, and when Master Brad shaw used to come and pray to the people, as I have often heard my mother say. He was tutor to the Governor's children at the castle, fifty years ago, it may be, and I think it 's partly through him that our leaders here have joined the side of the Parliament. They are so afraid of Popery, which is idolatry." "Ah, is it?" said Susan; "well, perhaps so; I only know that I don't think it 's altogether right to be fighting against one's own flesh and blood, as it were : there 's the island on one side and the castle on the other, and great guns firing from the castle into the town, and the town smashing into the castle with the cannon.

It 's horrid work, neighbour, Popery or not ; and there 's my sister's husband's son in the castle with Sir Peter, and just to think of him pointing the guns that may strike his mother's cottage ! They live, as you know, down by the water, at the back of Horn-street." " Weh." said Rachel La Rue, solemnly, " I say as my husband often says, when we hear one and another deliver their opinions. Our nephew Fran cois is very strong one way, and some of our neighbours are very strong the other. I say as he says, ' I do not exercise myself in great matters which are too hard for me, but I refrain my soul and keep it low.' Here we are, Susan, at the old gateway of M. Des Granges, and Marie is going in with her eggs ; so good-bye for the present." The mother and daughter turned down the long avenue of trees, whose summer foliage cast a deep shadow along the path, and Rachel La Rue sat down and rested on the bank, thankful for the cool, refreshing shade, while Marie trudged onward with the eggs.

When she reappeared, it was with a joyful look. " Next week, mother, I am to come here as the young ladies' waiting-maid ; I have seen the lady herself, and she told me I was to get all my things ready, that I might be fit to attend upon them."

Chapter II

" Ring out a slowly dying cause, And ancient forms of party strife ; Ring in the nobler modes of lite, With sweeter manners, purer laws." Tennyson. About a mile from the town church of St. Peter's Port, stood a large old-fashioned house built of granite. In front it was perfectly plain, the win dows small and tolerably regular. The only attempt at ornament consisted in the Norman arched door, and the shield carved above it with the family arms. There was a corresponding arch which opened from the court-yard of the old chateau into a long avenue of trees, at the other end of which was another arch almost covered with ivy, and which opened upon the road to the town. This was the residence of Peter de Beauvoir — commonly called M. Des Granges, from the name of his estate — and, being situated at the foot of a hill, very little view could be obtained of the sea or shore, and as one looked round on hill and valley, rich in verdure of every kind, it was almost the AVENUE.

Castlt Cornet. difficult to believe that a circumference of thirty miles constituted the whole of the little island. At the back of the house a rounded turret pro jected, which was also covered with ivy. This looked into a well-filled garden, where peaches, nectarines, greengages, and other fruits grew and ripened in great abundance. The time of fruit, however, was not yet come. M. Des Granges paced up and down the broad walk of his garden, where large bushes of syringa were interspersed with the pink and light blue hydrangea, and roses, Cape jessamine, and sweetpeas filled the air with their fragrance. His brow was knit, and his eyes bent on the ground, as with hasty steps he walked backwards and forwards, with a mind evidently ill at ease. His dress was made in the fashion of the day, with deep skirts and ruffled point-lace sleeves ; but it was sober of hue, and devoid of the embroidery and other ornaments so much in vogue in the reign of Charles the First.

He affected, indeed, the dress of the Puri tans, who at that time were becoming a distinct body ; but he still wore his soft brown hair in long curls over his shoulders, and the front of his shirt was frilled with dainty lace. " These are no times for inaction," he muttered ; " and yet, what can men do, almost prisoners in their own island, their very castle keeping guard IO CASTLE CORNET ; OR, over them, and the King's ships always on the watch. Not but what it would be easy enough to give them the slip : there are plenty of embarking places from the low lands of the island, along the west coast. But to think of our being considered traitors, and a watch set upon us : we, who have always stood by our kings ; we, among whom so recently a college has been founded by good Queen Bess ! Times are changed indeed !

Yet, were it not that my duty is to my God before my King, and that we are bound to consider His Holy Word as a guide, nothing would induce me to waver in my allegiance to my earthly monarch. But are we not warned against idolatry ? and shall we see Popery creeping into this land again without making a stand against it ? That is all we desire. We will stand fast against any inroad upon our faith, though we desire not to fail in our allegiance to our King. We have been, it is true, in corre spondence with the leaders of the Parliament ; but we only wish for leave to hold our religion, as here tofore, free from all taint of Popery." Such were the musings of M. Des Granges as he walked slowly round his garden, enjoying the flowers and the sunshine. His meditations were disturbed by the entrance of a man into the garden with a large packet in his hand, carefully tied round with crimson silk, and secured over the knot by a seal.

"What can this mean ?" he added. " Has Sir Peter Osborne some fresh charge to make, or some new insult to put upon us ; or does this come from any other quarter ?" " You may go," he said to the serving-man, who stood respectfully near the gate after he had deli vered the letter. " But stop — how came this letter ? This is from England." " There is a large ship anchored at the back of the island, sir, and the messenger was guided to this house by the fisherman La Rue. He waits in the court for your answer." " Let him have refreshment, and go with all speed to the Sieurs Carey and De Havilland. Beg them to hasten hither, as I have news from the Earl of Warwick, and I desire their counsel." Then, descending a flight of steps which led from the garden to the court-yard in front of his house, M. Des Granges turned into a study by a private door.

Those were indeed troublous times, but they were only the beginning of evil days. If M. Des Granges could but have looked forward for the next twenty years, and have seen the horrors of civil war, and the crime of regicide which the Par liament were to bring upon the nation, he would have paused ere he allowed his dread of Popery to master the honest feelings of loyalty to his King, CASTLE CORNET; OR. 12 which struggled within him. Indeed, through all that sad and unnatural time of civil war. it was remarkable how the old spirit of loyalty seemed to wrestle with the stronger one of duty. When his companions had assembled, the seal of the letter was broken, the silk which encircled it unwound, and the following letter read aloud : — " June 2nd, 1643. " Gentlemen, — I am something amazed, after so long a patience, and such good evidences given of your affections for the maintenance of so just a cause.

I say, I am amazed you grow remiss, and seem to neglect, and draw back, as if it were an indifferent thing to defend yourselves, your liberties, and your properties, and, what is of greater consequence, your religion and the purity thereof, against traitors, papists, atheists, and the like, who have laboured and daily do labour to enthral our liber ties and religion, and to bring us into slavery to themselves and to the devil by the darkness of errors and pernicious heresies, whereby they ob fuscate the Christian air we live in." The letter went on to reproach them for having received provisions and supplies of all sorts from England, and warned them that they would repent it if they wavered in their allegiance to the Par liament. Long and anxious were the debates which followed the reading of this severe letter.

Immured in their little island, and seldom hearing news of what was going on in England, they knew nothing of the unhappy course of events which marked the downward path of the King and the rise of the Parliament. Their first thought was their religion, and, with the memory of the fearful cruelties perpe trated in Queen Mary's time in their own island fresh in their mind, it cannot be wondered that they dreaded a revival of that creed which in its zeal against heretics ignored the command to love as brethren. And their wavering minds were again attached to the Parliament, and such an answer was returned as must have satisfied the Lord High Admiral of England, the Earl of Warwick, and the other Roundhead leaders, as to the adherence of the little island of Guernsey to the Parliamentary cause.

Chapter III

" In May, o'er grassy hill and vale, Like some young fawn her footsteps bounded; In May, upon the morning gale, Like some blithe bird her carols sounded." Praed. " To-MORROW ! to-morrow! away with all sorrow," sang, merrily, little Marie La Rue, as she danced in and out and about the house, now hanging out her apron on the line to dry, or bringing in the linen already dried and ready for the ironing. It was such a tiny house ! or at least, the part in which the La Rues lived was tiny ; but on the other side of the door was a good-sized room, with sanded floor, and hearth made bright with various coloured mosses and lichens tastefully disposed so as to show off the grey, white, and yellow tints against the darker brown ones. There was also a pot of mignonette in the window, and on the walls were curious pictures of Bible history.

This room was never used excepting on Sundays, when the Bible, that was the great treasure of the house, was opened, while all the family sat around and heard the gracious words which till lately had been deli vered in another tongue. But the rest of the house was very small indeed : the kitchen seemed scarcely large enough to turn round in, and yet it had a large green bed, with its fragrant covering of fresh fern, a massive oak table, and a carved oak cabinet. Above, attached to the ceiling, was a rafter well filled with the brown barley-bread for the family eating, and in the only vacant corner of the room, behind the old chair which was always kept for " Father," stood a couple of burnished milk-cans, and one or two bright brazen vessels. Indeed, to an English eye the cottage would, probably, have looked untidy, for under the " green bed," or settle, were placed the pails for drawing water, and a broom standing with a hoe, a spade, and a large shrimping-net, behind the door, were more picturesque than neat.

Out side the house, hung on nails against the wall to dry, were several salted fish, and on the elder-hedge opposite lay the nets which they had just brought up after their day's work. Besides all this, a coil of rope, and several crab-pots made of wicker-work, added to the confusion of the place, if it could be so called, while some late roses hung over the little porch, and bright-coloured flowers grew under the hedge and along the paths. " Is that you, Marie, singing ' To-morrow, to-mor- ; OR, row'?" said her father, taking the pipe from his mouth, and pretending to look very fierce. " Why are you in such a hurry to leave us ? don't you think you'll miss your mother and me and your bro thers, not to speak of all your pets, the fowls and the rabbits ? Why, I '11 venture to say in a month you '11 want to be back again, and you '11 have got quite tired of the grand house of M. Des Granges, and all the young ladies too."

" Perhaps so," said Marie, thoughtfully. " I don't know, I am sure, what Henri and Jacques are to do without me, or how I am to live without you and mother and the sea. The smell of the roses is sweet, but it is nothing to the fresh vraic* on the sea-shore. How I shall miss that ! " " Come, come, husband, don't put these thoughts into Marie's head," said her mother. " She is quite fortunate to have such a good place to go to now she is old enough to go to service. My word for it, she '11 be as happy as a bird there. Ah, here is Francois come to bid her good-bye." Francois was a tall, well-made youth, long limbed and muscular, but who had not yet deve loped into the manly figure of which he gave promise. His manner was reserved and distant, as if he was either very shy or very proud, and there was something in his whole bearing that seemed at Sea-weed. variance with his trade : not that he was uncourteous in manner, but indifferent and absent.

Although extremely fond of his cousin Marie, he scarcely showed her more civility than to others. He was, like his uncle, Jean La Rue, a fisherman, and shared the boat with him, so that he was often at the cot tage, and his skill and bravery made him a great favourite. But in one respect Frangois was very different from his relatives. He was a zealous adherent to the Crown, and as loyal a subject as Charles the First had in his dominions. He saw or believed none of the faults and weaknesses which were setting men's minds against their lawful King. He did not enter into the question of religion, which was so strong a cause for their rebellion. His one thought was that Charles was their King and he would not desert him, whether Protestants or Catholics gained the day. This caused him many a bitter word from those around, who were all zealous partisans of the Roundhead party ; and he was suspected of friendly visits to the Governor of the castle, Sir Peter Osborne, who through him obtained occasionally luxuries, such as fresh butter and milk, with which he must otherwise have dis pensed.

He was also an attendant on Sir Peter when he went from Castle Cornet to the neigh bouring island of Herm for the purpose of field sports. Hares, pheasants, and roebucks were to be C OR, found in profusion on the little islet ; but the right of shooting was exclusively held by the Governor of the castle, who, in happier days, had willingly shared his privilege with the principal inhabitants of Guernsey. Now, however, unless one of the King's ships was in the roadstead, Sir Peter Osborne and his officers had no companions in the sport, and it was not altogether a safe or an easy enjoyment, now that there was an open rupture between the castle and the island. Each party, however, stood aloof, unwilling to push on hostilities, and Sir Peter still occasionally visited his sporting ground with impunity.

" Francois," said Rachel La Rue, "why don't you come in ? You know Marie is going to service to-morrow." Francois did not reply, but remained leaning against the door, and, with one hand shading his eyes, gazed out upon the sea. " Come in, lad, come in," called out the old fisher man. " What is keeping you there ?" " There is a strange sail out far at sea, and she seems nearing the island. I can't make her out very well." " Leave it alone, and come and eat your supper," said Rachel, good-naturedly. " Such good barley bread and sour curds you don't find every day." " Come, Frangois," said Marie, going up to him -i and putting her hand into his rough palm. " Here's your plate, and here 's your place, and here am I to sit beside you — which I won't be to-morrow." "So much the worse," he said.

"You'd better stay at home with your father and mother, than go into that nest of traitors." " Silence, Frangois ! " shouted Jean. " No calling names in my house ! M. Des Granges is a good man, and fears God at least." "Ay; but he does not 'honour his King,'" returned the youth; "and that comes in the same text, you know." " He is unfortunate enough to live under a king who can't be trusted, who promises one thing and performs another ; but leave that question alone, Frangois, it is not our business. Have you been out to look at the crab-pots this evening ?" " Yes, uncle : there was nothing except one small lobster, which was not worth bringing away, so I let it go again and baited the pots afresh ; but there are mackerel about, and I 'm ready to go with you early in the morning." " I shall be ready," said the old man, as he pushed his chair from the table, and then, returning thanks, he shouldered his spade and went out to his potato ground.