Page 181 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol V

1958 berkshire encyclopedia of world history

The Black Arrow—A Tale Of The Two Roses
by Robert Lewis Stevenson

This scene opens a novel by Robert Lewis Stevenson, But now there was the noise of a horse; and soon,
author of Treasure Island. It is set in England during out of the edge of the wood and over the echoing
the War of the Roses (1455 to 1487). bridge, there rode up young Master Richard Shel-
ton, Sir Daniel’s ward. He, at the least, would know,
On a certain afternoon, in the late springtime, the bell
and they hailed him and begged him to explain. He
upon Tunstall Moat House was heard ringing at an
drew bridle willingly enough—a young fellow not
unaccustomed hour. Far and near, in the forest and in
yet eighteen, sun-browned and grey-eyed, in a jacket
the fields along the river, people began to desert
of deer’s leather, with a black velvet collar, a green
their labours and hurry towards the sound; and in
hood upon his head, and a steel cross-bow at his
Tunstall hamlet a group of poor country-folk stood
back. The express, it appeared, had brought great
wondering at the summons.
news. A battle was impending. Sir Daniel had sent
Tunstall hamlet at that period, in the reign of old
for every man that could draw a bow or carry a bill
King Henry VI, wore much the same appearance as
to go post-haste to Kettley, under pain of his severe
it wears to-day. A score or so of houses, heavily
displeasure; but for whom they were to fight, or of
framed with oak, stood scattered in a long green val-
where the battle was expected, Dick knew nothing.
ley ascending from the river. At the foot, the road
Sir Oliver would come shortly himself, and Bennet
crossed a bridge, and mounting on the other side, dis-
Hatch was arming at that moment, for he it was
appeared into the fringes of the forest on its way to
who should lead the party.
the Moat House, and further forth to Holywood
“It is the ruin of this kind land,” a woman said. “If
Abbey....
the barons live at war, ploughfolk must eat roots.”
Hard by the bridge, there was a stone cross upon
“Nay,” said Dick, “every man that follows shall
a knoll, and here the group had collected—half a
have sixpence a day, and archers twelve.”
dozen women and one tall fellow in a russet smock
“If they live,” returned the woman, “that may very
—discussing what the bell betided. An express had
well be; but how if they die, my master?”
gone through the hamlet half an hour before, and
“They cannot better die than for their natural
drunk a pot of ale in the saddle, not daring to dis-
lord,” said Dick.
mount for the hurry of his errand; but he had been
“No natural lord of mine,” said the man in the
ignorant himself of what was forward, and only
smock. “I followed the Walsinghams; so we all did
bore sealed letters from Sir Daniel Brackley to Sir
down Brierly way, till two years ago, come Candle-
Oliver Oates, the parson, who kept the Moat House
mas. And now I must side with Brackley! It was the
in the master’s absence.
law that did it; call ye that natural? But now, what
Muslims. In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, France
Major Periods of Warfare and Britain fought the Hundred Years War. After the dis-
in Europe covery of the Americas by Columbus in 1492, European
Roman warfare dominated Europe from 100 BCE to warfare was exported overseas. Religious warfare started
250 CE. The migration of nations culminated with the in the sixteenth century, especially in France and Ger-
Huns invading Europe from 375 onward. Europeans many. From 1618 the Thirty Years War involved large
stopped Muslim invaders in 732 CE (at Poitiers and parts of Europe, thus culminating the internal religious
Tours). In 793 CE, Vikings from northern Europe first feuds with a hitherto unknown destruction, which ended
attacked the British Isles (at Lindesfarne). From 1096 with the Treaty of Westphalia. During the seventeenth
Europeans several times invaded the Holy Land ruled by and eighteenth centuries, a continuous series of wars of