Woodstock; or, the Cavalier

Walter Scott

Woodstock; or, the Cavalier

APPENDIX TO INTRODUCTION

APPENDIX NO. I

THE WOODSTOCK SCUFFLE; or, Most dreadfull apparitions that were lately seene in the Mannor-house of Woodstock, neere Oxford, to the great terror and the wonderful amazement of all there that did behold them.

It were a wonder if one unites,And not of wonders and strange sights;For ev'ry where such things affrightsPoore people,That men are ev'n at their wits' end;God judgments ev'ry where doth send,And yet we don't our lives amend,But tipple,And sweare, and lie, and cheat, and – ,Because the world shall drown no more,As if no judgments were in storeBut water;But by the stories which I tell,You'll heare of terrors come from hell,And fires, and shapes most terribleFor matter.It is not long since that a childSpake from the ground in a large field,And made the people almost wildThat heard it,Of which there is a printed book,Wherein each man the truth may look,If children speak, the matter's tookFor verdict.But this is stranger than that voice,The wonder's greater, and the noyse;And things appeare to men, not boyes,At Woodstock;Where Rosamond had once a bower,To keep her from Queen Elinour,And had escap'd her poys'nous powerBy good-luck,But fate had otherwise decreed,And Woodstock Manner saw a deed,Which is in Hollinshed or SpeedChro-nicled;But neither Hollinshed nor Stow,Nor no historians such things show,Though in them wonders we well knowAre pickled;For nothing else is historyBut pickle of antiquity,Where things are kept in memoryFrom stinking;Which otherwise would have lain dead,As in oblivion buried,Which now you may call into headWith thinking.The dreadfull story, which is true,And now committed unto view,By better pen, had it its due,Should see light.But I, contented, do indite,Not things of wit, but things of right;You can't expect that things that frightShould delight.O hearken, therefore, hark and shake!My very pen and hand doth quake!While I the true relation makeO' th' wonder,Which hath long time, and still appearesUnto the State's Commissioners,And puts them in their beds to fearesFrom under.They come, good men, imploi'd by th' StateTo sell the lands of Charles the late.And there they lay, and long did waiteFor chapmen.You may have easy pen'worths, woods,Lands, ven'son, householdstuf, and goods,They little thought of dogs that wou'dThere snap-men.But when they'd sup'd, and fully fed,They set up remnants and to bed.Where scarce they had laid down a headTo slumber,But that their beds were heav'd on high;They thought some dog under did lie,And meant i' th' chamber (fie, fie, fie)To scumber.Some thought the cunning cur did meanTo eat their mutton (which was lean)Reserv'd for breakfast, for the menWere thrifty.And up one rises in his shirt,Intending the slie cur to hurt,And forty thrusts made at him for't,Or fifty.But empty came his sword again.He found he thrust but all in vain;An the mutton safe, hee went amainTo's fellow.And now (assured all was well)The bed again began to swell,The men were frighted, and did smellO' th' yellow.From heaving, now the cloaths it plucktThe men, for feare, together stuck,And in their sweat each other duck't.They wishedA thousand times that it were day;'Tis sure the divell! Let us pray.They pray'd amain; and, as they say,—Approach of day did cleere the doubt,For all devotions were run out,They now waxt strong and something stout,One peakedUnder the bed, but nought was there;He view'd the chamber ev'ry where,Nothing apear'd but what, for feare.They leaked.Their stomachs then return'd apace,They found the mutton in the place,And fell unto it with a grace.They laughedEach at the other's pannick feare,And each his bed-fellow did jeere,And having sent for ale and beere,They quaffed.And then abroad the summons went,Who'll buy king's-land o' th' Parliament?A paper-book contein'd the rent,Which lay there;That did contein the severall farmes,Quit-rents, knight services, and armes;But that they came not in by swarmesTo pay there.Night doth invite to bed again,The grand Commissioners were lain,But then the thing did heave amain,It busled,And with great clamor fil'd their eares,The noyse was doubled, and their feares;Nothing was standing but their haires,They nuzled.Oft were the blankets pul'd, the sheeteWas closely twin'd betwixt their feete,It seems the spirit was discreeteAnd civill.Which makes the poore CommissionersFeare they shall get but small arreares,And that there's yet for cavaliersOne divell.They cast about what best to doe;Next day they would to wisemen goe,To neighb'ring towns some cours to know;For schollarsCome not to Woodstock, as before,And Allen's dead as a nayle-doore,And so's old John (eclep'd the poore)His follower;Rake Oxford o're, there's not a manThat rayse or lay a spirit can,Or use the circle, or the wand,Or conjure;Or can say (Boh!) unto a divell,Or to a goose that is uncivill,Nor where Keimbolton purg'd out evill,'Tis sin sure.There were two villages hard by,With teachers of presbytery,Who knew the house was hidiouslyBe-pestred;But 'lasse! their new divinityIs not so deep, or not so high;Their witts doe (as their meanes did) lieSequestred;But Master Joffman was the wightWhich was to exorcise the spright;Hee'll preach and pray you day and nightAt pleasure.And by that painfull gainfull trade,He hath himselfe full wealthy made;Great store of guilt he hath, 'tis said,And treasure.But no intreaty of his friendsCould get him to the house of fiends,He came not over for such endsFrom Dutch-land,But worse divinity hee brought,And hath us reformation taught,And, with our money, he hath boughtHim much land.Had the old parsons preached still,The div'l should nev'r have had his wil;But those that had or art or skillAre outed;And those to whom the pow'r was giv'nOf driving spirits, are out-driv'n;Their colledges dispos'd, and livings,To grout-heads.There was a justice who did boast,Hee had as great a gift almost,Who did desire him to accostThis evill.But hee would not employ his gifts.But found out many sleights and shifts;Hee had no prayers, nor no snifts,For th' divell.Some other way they cast about,These brought him in, they throw not out;A woman, great with child, will do't;They got one.And she i' th' room that night must lie;But when the thing about did flie,And broke the windows furiouslyAnd hot oneOf the contractors o're the head,Who lay securely in his bed,The woman, shee-affrighted, fled—And now they lay the cause on her.That e're that night the thing did stir,Because her selfe and grandfatherWere Papists;They must be barnes-regenerate,(A Hans en Kelder of the state,Which was in reformation gatt,)They said, whichDoth make the divell stand in awe,Pull in his hornes, his hoof, his claw;But having none, they did in draw—But in the night there was such worke,The spirit swaggered like a Turke;The bitch had spi'd where it did lurke,And howledIn such a wofull manner that Their very hearts went pit a pat; * * * * * —The stately rooms, where kings once layBut the contractors show'd the way.But mark what now I tell you, pray,'Tis worth it.That book I told you of before,Wherein were tenants written store,A register for many moreNot forth yet,That very book, as it did lie,Took of a flame, no mortall eyeSeeing one jot of fire thereby,Or taper;For all the candles about flew,And those that burned, burned blew,Never kept soldiers such a doeOr vaper.The book thus burnt and none knew howThe poore contractors made a vowTo work no more; this spoil'd their plowIn that place.Some other part o' th' house they'll find,To which the divell hath no mind,But hee, it seems, is not inclin'dWith that grace;But other pranks it plaid elsewhere.An oake there was stood many a yeere,Of goodly growth as any where,Was hewn down,Which into fewell-wood was cut,And some into a wood-pile put,But it was hurled all aboutAnd thrown down.In sundry formes it doth appeare;Now like a grasping claw to teare;Now like a dog; anon a beareIt tumbles;And all the windows battered are,No man the quarter enter dare;All men (except the glasier)Doe grumble.Once in the likenesse of woman,Of stature much above the common,'Twas seene, but spak a word to no man,And vanish'd.'Tis thought the ghost of some good wifeWhose husband was depriv'd of life,Her children cheated, land in strifeShe banist.No man can tell the cause of theseSo wondrous dreadful outrages;Yet if upon your sinne you pleaseTo discant,You'le find our actions out-doe hell's;O wring your hands and cease the bells,Repentance must, or nothing elseAppease can't.No. IITHE JUST DEVIL OF WOODSTOCK;OR,A TRUE NARRATIVE OF THE SEVERAL APPARITIONS, THE FRIGHTS AND PUNISHMENTS, INFLICTED UPON THE RUMPISH COMMISSIONERS SENT THITHER TO SURVEY THE MANNORS AND HOUSES BELONGING TO HIS MAJESTIE

[London, printed in the year 1660. 4to.]

The names of the persons in the ensuing Narrative mentioned, with others: —

CAPTAIN COCKAINE.

CAPTAIN HART.

CAPTAIN CROOK.

CAPTAIN CARELESSE.

CAPTAIN ROE.

Mr. CROOK, the Lawyer.

Mr. BROWNE, the Surveyor.

Their three Servants.

Their Ordinary-keeper, and others.

The Gatekeeper, with the Wife and Servants.

Besides many more, who each night heard the noise; as Sir Gerrard Fleetwood and his lady, with his family, Mr. Hyans, with his family, and several others, who lodged in the outer courts; and during the three last nights, the inhabitants of Woodstock town, and other neighbor villages.

And there were many more, both divines and others, who came out of the country, and from Oxford, to see the glass and stones, and other stuffe, the devil had brought, wherewith to beat out the Commissioners; the marks upon some walls remain, and many, this to testifie.

THE PREFACE TO THE ENSUING NARRATIVE

Since it hath pleased the Almighty God, out of his infinite mercy, so to make us happy, by restoring of our native King to us, and us unto our native liberty through him, that now the good may say, magna temporum felicitas ubi sentire quoe velis, et dicere licet quoe sentias, we cannot but esteem ourselves engaged in the highest of degrees, to render unto him the highest thanks we can express. Although, surpris'd with joy, we become as lost in the performance; when gladness and admiration strikes us silent, as we look back upon the precipiece of our late condition, and those miraculous deliverances beyond expression. Freed from the slavery, and those desperate perils, we dayly lived in fear of, during the tyrannical times of that detestable usurper, Oliver Cromwell; he who had raked up such judges, as would wrest the most innocent language into high treason, when he had the cruel conscience to take away our lives, upon no other ground of justice or reason, (the stones of London streets would rise to witness it, if all the citizens were silent.) And with these judges had such councillors, as could advise him unto worse, which will less want of witness. For should the many auditors be silent, the press, (as God would have it,) hath given it us in print, where one of them (and his conscience-keeper, too,) speaks out. What shall we do with these men? saith he; Aeger intemperans crudelem facit medicum, et immedicabile vulmis ense recidendum. Who these men are that should be brought to such Scicilian vespers, the former page sets forth – those which conceit Utopias, and have their day-dreams of the return of I know not what golden age, with the old line. What usage, when such a privy councillor had power, could he expect, who then had published this narrative? This much so plainly shows the devil himself dislikt their doings, (so much more bad were they than he would have them be,) severer sure than was the devil to their Commissioners at Woodstock; for he warned them, with dreadful noises, to drive them from their work. This councillor, without more ado, would have all who retained conceits of allegiance to their soveraign, to be absolutely cut off by the usurper's sword. A sad sentence for a loyal party, to a lawful King. But Heaven is always just; the party is repriv'd, and do acknowledge the hand of God in it, as is rightly apply'd, and as justly sensible of their deliverance in that the foundation which the councillor saith was already so well laid, is now turned up, and what he calls day-dreams are come to passe. That old line which (as with him) there seemed, aliquid divini, to the contrary is now restored. And that rock which, as he saith, the prelates and all their adherents, nay, and their master and supporter, too, with all his posterity, have split themselves upon, is nowhere to be heard. And that posterity are safely arrived in their ports, and masters of that mighty navy, their enemies so much encreased to keep them out with. The eldest sits upon the throne, his place by birthright and descent, "Pacatumque regit Patriis virtutibus orbem;" upon which throne long may he sit, and reign in peace. That by his just government, the enemies of ours, the true Protestant Church, of that glorious martyr, our late sovereign, and of his royal posterity, may be either absolutely converted, or utterly confounded.

If any shall now ask thee why this narrative was not sooner published, as neerer to the times wherein the things were acted, he hath the reason for it in the former lines; which will the more clearly appear unto his apprehension, if he shall perpend how much cruelty is requisite to the maintenance of rebellion; and how great care is necessary in the supporters, to obviate and divert the smallest things that tend to the unblinding of the people; so that it needs will follow, that they must have accounted this amongst the great obstructions to their sales of his majestie's lands, the devil not joining with them in the security; and greater to the pulling down the royal pallaces, when their chapmen should conceit the devil would haunt them in their houses, for building with so ill got materials; as no doubt but that he hath, so numerous and confident are the relations made of the same, though scarce any so totally remarkeable as this, (if it be not that others have been more concealed,) in regard of the strange circumstances as long continuances, but especially the number of persons together, to whom all things were so visibly both seen and done, so that surely it exceeds any other; for the devils thus manifesting themselves, it appears evidently that there are such things as devils, to persecute the wicked in this world as in the next.

Now, if to these were added the diverse reall phantasms seen at Whitehall in Cromwell's times, which caused him to keep such mighty guards in and about his bedchamber, and yet so oft to change his lodgings; if those things done at St. James', where the devil so joal'd the centinels against the sides of the queen's chappell doors, that some of them fell sick upon it; and others, not, taking warning by it, kild one outright, whom they buried in the place; and all other such dreadful things, those that inhabited the royal houses have been affrighted with.

And if to these were likewise added, a relation of all those regicides and their abettors the devil hath entered into, as he did the Gadarenes' swine, with so many more of them who hath fallen mad, and dyed in hideous forms of such distractions, that which hath been of this within these 12 last years in England, (should all of this nature, our chronicles do tell, with all the superstitious monks have writ, be put together,) would make the greater volume, and of more strange occurrents.

And now as to the penman of this narrative, know that he was a divine, and at the time of those things acted, which are here related, the minister and schoolmaster of Woodstock; a person learned and discreet, not byassed with factious humours, his name Widows, who each day put in writing what he heard from their mouthes, (and such things as they told to have befallen them the night before,) therein keeping to their own words; and, never thinking that what he had writ should happen to be made publick, gave it no better dress to set it forth. And because to do it now shall not be construed to change the story, the reader hath it here accordingly exposed.

The 16th day of October, in the year of our Lord 1649, the Commissioners for surveying and valuing his majestie's mannor-house, parks, woods, deer, demesnes, and all things thereunto belonging, by name Captain Crook, Captain Hart, Captain Cockaine, Captain Carelesse, and Captain Roe, their messenger, with Mr. Browne, their secretary, and two or three servants, went from Woodstock town, (where they had lain some nights before,) and took up their lodgings in his majestie's house after this manner: The bed-chamber and withdrawing-room they both lodged in and made their kitchen; the presence-chamber their room for dispatch of their business with all commers; of the council-hall their brew-house, as of the dining-room, their wood-house, where they laid in the clefts of that antient standard in the High-Park, for many ages beyond memory known by the name of the King's Oak, which they had chosen out, and caused to be dug up by the roots.

October 17. About the middle of the night, these new guests were first awaked by a knocking at the presence-chamber door, which they also conceived did open, and something to enter, which came through the room, and also walkt about that room with a heavy step during half an hour, then crept under the bed where Captain Hart and Captain Carelesse lay, where it did seem (as it were) to bite and gnaw the mat and bed-coards, as if it would tear and rend the feather beds; which having done a while, then would heave a while, and rest; then heave them up again in the bed more high than it did before, sometime on the one side, sometime on the other, as if it had tried which Captain was heaviest. Thus having heaved some half an hour, from thence it walkt out and went under the servants' bed, and did the like to them; hence it walkt into a withdrawing room, and there did the same to all who lodged there. Thus having welcomed them for more than two hours' space, it walkt out as it came in, and shut the outer door again, but with the clap of some mightie force. These guests were in a sweat all this while, but out of it falling into a sleep again, it became morning first before they spake their minds; then would they have it to be a dog, yet they described it more to the likeness of a great bear; so fell to the examining under the beds, where, finding only the mats scracht, but the bed-coards whole, and the quarter of beef which lay on the floor untoucht, they entertained other thoughts.

October 18. They were all awaked as the night before, and now conceived that they heard all the great clefts of the King's Oak brought into the presence-chamber, and there thumpt down, and after roul about the room; they could hear their chairs and stools tost from one side of the room unto the other, and then (as it were) altogether josled. Thus having done an hour together, it walkt into the withdrawing-room, where lodged the two captains, the secretary, and two servants; here stopt the thing a while, as if it did take breath, but raised a hideous one, then walkt into the bed-chamber, where lay those as before, and under the bed it went, where it did heave and heave again, that now they in bed were put to catch hold upon bed-posts, and sometimes one of the other, to prevent their being tumbled out upon the ground; then coming out as from under the bed, and taking hold upon the bed-posts, it would shake the whole bed, almost as if a cradle rocked. Thus having done here for half an hour, it went into the withdrawing-room, where first it came and stood at the bed's feet, and heaving up the bed's feet, flopt them down again a while, until at last it heaved the feet so high that those in bed thought to have been set upon their heads; and having thus for two hours entertained them, went out as in the night before, but with a great noise.

October 19. This night they awaked not until the midst of the night; they perceived the room, to shake with something that walkt about the bedchamber, which having done so a while, it walkt into a withdrawing-room, where it took up a brasse warming-pan, and returning with it into the bed-chamber, therein made so loud a noise, in these captains' own words, it was as loud and scurvy as a ring of five untuned bells rung backward; but the captains, not to seem afraid, next day made mirth of what had past, and jested at the devil in the pan.

October 20. These captains and their company, still lodging as before, were wakened in this night with some things flying about the rooms, and out of one room into the other, as thrown with some great force. Captain Hart, being in a slumber, was taken by the shoulder and shaked until he did sit up in his bed, thinking that it had been one of his fellows, when suddenly he was taken on the pate with a trencher, that it made him shrink down into the bed-clothes, and all of them, in both rooms, kept their heads at least within their sheets, so fiercely did three dozen of trenchers fly about the rooms; yet Captain Hart ventured again to peep out to see what was the matter, and what it was that threw, but then the trenchers came so fast and neer about his ears, that he was fain quickly to couch again. In the morning they found all their trenchers, pots, and spits, upon and about their beds, and all such things as were of common use scattered about the rooms. This night there were also, in several parts of the room and outer rooms, such noises of beating at doors, and on the walls, as if that several smiths had been at work; and yet our captains shrunk not from their work, but went on in that, and lodged as they had done before.

October 21. About midnight they heard great knocking at every door; after a while the doors flew open, and into the withdrawing-room entered something as of a mighty proportion, the figure of it they knew not how to describe. This walkt awhile about the room shaking the floor at every step, then came it up close to the bed-side, where lay Captains Crook and Carelesse; and after a little pause, as it were, the bed-curtains, both at sides and feet, were drawn up and down slowly, then faster again for a quarter of an hour, then from end to end as fast as imagination can fancie the running of the rings, then shaked it the beds, as if the joints thereof had crackt; then walkt the thing into the bed-chamber, and so plaied with those beds there; then took up eight peuter dishes, and bouled them about the room and over the servants in the truckle-beds; then sometimes were the dishes taken up and thrown crosse the high beds and against the walls, and so much battered; but there were more dishes wherein was meat in the same room, that were not at all removed. During this, in the presence-chamber there was stranger noise of weightie things thrown down, and, as they supposed, the clefts of the King's Oak did roul about the room, yet at the wonted hour went away, and left them to take rest, such as they could.

October 22. Hath mist of being set down, the officers imployed in their work farther off, came not that day to Woodstock.

October 23. Those that lodged in the withdrawing-room, in the midst of the night were awakened with the cracking of fire, as if it had been with thorns and sparks of fire burning, whereupon they supposed that the bed-chamber had taken fire, and listning to it farther, they heard their fellows in bed sadly groan, which gave them to suppose they might be suffocated; wherefore they called upon their servants to make all possible hast to help them. When the two servants were come in, they found all asleep, and so brought back word, but that there were no bedclothes upon them; wherefore they were sent back to cover them, and to stir up and mend the fire. When the servants had covered them and were come to the chimney, in the corners they found their wearing apparrel, boots, and stockings, but they had no sooner toucht the embers, when the firebrands flew about their ears so fast, that away ran they into the other room for the shelter of their cover-lids; then after them walkt something that stampt about the room as if it had been exceeding angry, and likewise threw about the trenchers, platters, and all such things in the room – after two hours went out, yet stampt again over their heads.

October 24. They lodged all abroad.

October 25. This afternoon was come unto them Mr. Richard Crook the lawyer, brother to Captain Crook, and now deputy-steward of the manner, unto Captain Parsons and Major Butler, who had put out Mr. Hyans, his majestie's officer. To entertain this new guest the Commissioners caused a very great fire to be made, of neer the chimneyfull of wood of the King's Oak, and he was lodged in the withdrawing-room with his brother, and his servant in the same room. About the midst of the night a wonderful knocking was heard, and into the room something did rush, which coming to the chimney-side, dasht out the fire as with the stamp of some prodigious foot, then threw down such weighty stuffe, what ere it was, (they took it to be the residue of the clefts and roots of the King's Oak,) close by the bed-side, that the house and bed shook with it. Captain Cockaine and his fellow arose, and took their swords to go unto the Crooks. The noise ceased at their rising, so that they came to the door and called. The two brothers, though fully awaked, and heard them call, were so amazed, that they made no answer until Captain Cockaine had recovered the boldness to call very loud, and came unto the bed-side; then faintly first, after some more assurance, they came to understand one another, and comforted the lawyer. Whilst this was thus, no noise was heard, which made them think the time was past of that night's trouble, so that, after some little conference, they applied themselves to take some rest. When Captain Cockaine was come to his own bed, which he had left open, he found it closely covered, which he much wondered at; but turning the clothes down, and opening it to get in, he found the lower sheet strewed over with trenchers. Their whole three dozen of trenchers were orderly disposed between the sheets, which he and his fellow endeavoring to cast out, such noise arose about the room, that they were glad to get into bed with some of the trenchers. The noise lasted, a full half hour after this. This entertainment so ill did like the lawyer, and being not so well studied in the point as to resolve this the devil's law case, that he next day resolved to be gone; but having not dispatcht all that he came for, profit and perswasions prevailed with him to stay the other hearing, so that he lodged as he did the night before.