The Waverley novels, by Sir Walter Scott, complete in 12 vol., printed from the latest English ed., embracing the author's last corrections, prefaces & notes.

394 WAVERLEY NOVELS.
"I am sorry to hear that it is so," said the lady. "I had heard no such
newS."
"News?" repeated Sir Geoffrey;'"why, here has a new plot broken out
amongl the Roundheads, worse than Venner's by a butt's length;* and who
should be so deep in it as our old neighbour Bridgenorth? There is search
for him everywhere; and I promise you, if he is found, he is like to pay old
scores."
" Then I am sure, I trust he will not be found," said Lady Peveril.
"Do you so?" replied Sir Geoffrey. " Now I, on my part, ho e that he
will; and it shall not be my fault if he be not; for which effect t will presently ride down to Moultrassie, and make strict search, according to my
duty; there shall neither rebel nor traitor earth so near Martindale Castle,
that I will assure them. And you, my lady, be pleased for once to dispense
with a pillion, and get up, as you have done before, behind Saunders, who
shall, convey you safe homne."
The lady obeyed in silence; indeed, she did not dare to trust her voice in
an attempt to reply, so much was she disconcerted with the intelligence she
had just heard.
She rode behind the groom to the Castle, where she awaited in great
anxiety the return of her husband. He came back at length; but, to her
great relief, without any prisoner. He then explained more fully than his
haste had before permitted, that an express had come down to Chesterfield,
with news from Court of a proposed insurrection amongst the old Commonwealth men, especially those who had served in the army; and that
Bridgenorth, said to be lurking in Derbyshire, was one of the principal
conspirators.
After some time, this report of a conspiracy seemed to die away like many
others of that period. The warrants were recalled, but nothing more was
seen or heard of Major Bridgenorth; although it is probable he might safely
enough have shown himself as openly as many did who lay under the same
circumstances of suspicion.t''lThe celebrated insurrection of the Anabaptists and Fifth Monarchy men in London, in the year'1661.
t It is naturally to be supposed, that the twenty vears' triumph of the Puritans, and the violence towards
the nialialbyanls, as they were wolt to call the Cavaliers, had generated many grudges and feuds in almost
every neighlbourlhood, which the victlorious royalists failed not to act upon, so soon as the lRestoration gave
tlher a superiority. Captain Hodgson, a parliamentary officer who wrote his own memoirs, gives us nmany
instances of this. I shall somewhat compress his long-winded account of his sufferings.' It oas after the I(ing's retlrn to London, one night a parcel of armed men comes to my house at Coalley
Hall, niear Halifax, and ii aon iunseasonable hour in the nighlt denlands entrance, anrd mry ser-vnts having some
discouise with tlhem on the outside, they gave threatening language, and put their pislols in at tile winidow.
Ply wife being withi chilsd, I ordered the doors to be opened, and they camne in. After they had presented a
pistol to nly breast, they showedl me their autlhto-ity to apprehend tie under the llands andt seals of two
kni hlts and deputy-lieutenants,'for spealking treasonable words against the King.' T'he ci-devslit captain
was conveyed to prison at Bradford, and bail refused. His prosecutor proved to be one Daniel Lyster, brother
to the peace-officer who headed the troop for his apprehension. It seeriis that the prisoner lolsdgsori had
once in fomler days bound over to his good behaviour this Daniel vLyster, then accused of adtultery an;d other
debauched habits. " After the Kitng came in," says Hodgson, " this nml nmeets mie, and demnands the nanies
nf tlhose that inforrmed agninst him, and a copy of their information. I told him that the business was over,
and that it was not reasonable to rip lip old troubles, on which lie thrtealened me, and said he would hlave
themr.''The sun,' lIe said,'Inow shines on our side of tile hedge.'" Such being his,accuser, ltodgsonr was
tried for having said, " There is a crown provided, lut the KiLng will lnever wear it;" to which was added,
that he alleged he had " never been a trricoat, —never took the oath of allegiance- and never would do."
Little or no ptart of thle charge was proved, while, oi tihe contrary, it was shown. that the prosecutor had been
heard to say, that if times ever clotnged, ile would sit on Hoiidgson's skirts. In fine, I-Iodgson escaped for five
months' imprisolnment, about thirty pounds expenses, and the necessity of swallowirg the oath of allegiance,
whlich seems to have been a bitter pill.
About the rmiddle of Juniie, 1662, Capttain Hodgson was agrain arrested in a summary manner by one Peebles,
an attorney, qualrter-master to Sir Johan Arimvntage's troop of hlorse-militia, with about twelve other Cavaliers,
who used him rudely, called him rebel arrd tiraitor, and seered to wish to pick a quarrel with hinr, upon
which lie demanded to see their authority. Peebles laid his hIlrld on his sword, and told thim it was better
authority than any ever granted by Cromwell.'lhey suffered him, however, to depart, which hie partly owed
to the valour of his landlady, who sate down at the table-end betwvixt him and danger, and kept his antagonist
at somtie distance.
H-te was afterwards accused of having assembled some trioopers, fromn his having been accidentally seen
ridinrg with a soldier, from whicl- accusation lie also escaped. Finally. he fell under sulspicioti of being corlcerlned in a plot, of whichl the scene is called Sowerby. On this ctlarge lie is not explicit, but the grandl jury
found the bill ignortamus.'After this the poor Rounldhead was again repeatedly accused and arrested; anud tle last occasion we shall
notice occurred on llth September, 1662. when lie was disarmed by his old friend Mr. Peebles, at tile head of
a party. lie demanded to see the warrant; on whicht he was answered as ftrinmierly by the quarter-master
laying his halld on Iris sword-hilt, saying it was a etter ordler than OLiver used to give. At length a warrant
was produced, and Hodgson submlitting to thle search, they took fronl lis dwelling- lhouse better than 201. value
m fowling-pieces, pistols, mluskets, carbines, and such like. A quarrel ensued. about his buff-coat, which