Stephan Langton
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HDBEHT W WDDDHUFF LIBRARY STEPHAN LANGTON. o o a, H z u ^-^:;v. en « ¥ -(ft G/'r-' U '.-*<-*'^f>-/ii{* STEPHAN LANGTON OR, THE DATS OF KING JOHN M. F- TUPPER, D.C.L., F.R.S., AUTHOR OF "PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY," "THREE HUNDRED SONNETS,' "CROCK OF GOLD," " OITHARA," "PROTESTANT BALLADS,' ETC., ETC. NEW EDITION, FRANK LASHAM, 61, HIGH STREET, GUILDFORD. OUILDFORD : ORINTED BY FRANK LA3HAM, HIGH STI;EET PREFACE. MY objects in writing " Stephan Langton " were, first to add a Dcw interest to Albury and its neighbourhood, by representing truly and historically our aspects in the rei"n of King John ; next, to bring to modem memory the grand character of a great and good Archbishop who long antedated Luther in his opposition to Popery, and who stood up for English freedom, ctilminating in Magna Charta, many centuries before these onr latter days ; thirdly, to clear my brain of numeroua fancies and picturea, aa only the writing of another book could do that. Ita aeed is truly recorded in the first chapter, as to the two stone coffins still in the chancel of St. Martha's. I began the book on November 26th, 1857, and finished it in exactly eight weeks, on January 2l8t, 1858, reading for the work included; in two months more it waa printed by Hurat and Blackett. I in tended it for one fail volume, but the publishers preferred to issue it in two scant ones ; it has since been reproduced as one railway book by Ward and Lock. Mr. Drummond let me have the run of his famoua historical library at Albury for purposes of reference, etc., beyond what I had in my own ; and I consulted and partially read, for accurate pictures of John's time in England, the histories of Tyrrell, Holinshed, Hume, Poole, Markland ; Thomson's " Magna Charta," James's " Philip Augustus," Milman's "Latin Christi anity," Hallam's "Middle Agea," Maimbourg'a "LivesofthePopes," Banke't "Life of Innocent the Third," Maitland on "The Dark VllI PKEhACE. Agea," Ritson's "Life of Robin Hood;" Salmon's. Bray's, aul Bvaylej's " Surrey:" Tupper's and Duncan's " Guernsey ;" beside." the British, and National, and other Encyclopaedias and Dic tionaries, as required. It was a work of hard and quick and fervid labour, not an idKng piece of mere brain-spinning; and it may be depended upon for archteological accuracy in every detail. More than thirty localities in our beautiful county of Surrey are word-painted in the book ; of other parts of England, twelve; of France and Italy, twelve. There are more than twenty historical characters honestly (as I think) depicted ; and some fifteen ideal ones fairly enough invented as accessories. I preferred Stephan to the commoner Stephen,—for etymological and archaeological reasons; it ia clearly nearer to the Greek, and is so spelt in ancient records. The book has had good success, some ten thousand being circulated in England, and (with of course the usual differences from the literary organs of rival publishers) it has been on the whole very favourably received by the critical press. As in the case of all my other works, America has reproduced it largely, and numerous kindly letters to the Author have from time to time been his reward. There may be some interest to a reader in the mention that the above accurate details of small facta concerning the composition of my " Stephan Langton" are extracted from one of my literary Manuscript Archive Books, now numbering twenty volumes (folio or large quarto), and full of all the newspaper cuttings and magazine reviews, notices and allusions which I could readily obtain from time to time as they appeared. It is curious, and in structive to jnvenile authorship, to observe in this large collection how strangely diverse in numerous instances are the verdicts of onr self-atyled judges of literature about the very same passages, condemned by some and applauded by others of them with a marveHous inconsistency. According to partizanship in politics PUKFACB. ' •ftnd religion, an author seems to be systematically praised or blamed, not for his own qualities, but according to the .accidents of the critical review which affects to judge him ; and as the present writer has frequently for the merits or demerits of the same work been posted highest and lowest and intermediately, he naturally agrees with a discerning public that such conflicting dicta canno* after all be of any abiding consequence. The former English Editions having been long out or print, and the work being still frequently asked for, I have entrusted it once more as thus to Mr. Frank Lasham, my local publisher in Guildford, assured that it will be brought out with all due care and excellence, and hoping for another good success. MARTIN F. TUPPEB. ALBURV HOUSB. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Time: Place: Bele Aliz . - _ 1 CHAPTER II. May Day and the Lovers: the Prince and tL,. Jhurl 6 CHAPTER III. Devon and Lincoln antecedents - 12 CHAPTER IV. A Short Cut through the Marshes 19 CHAPTER V. The Good Old Times . - 21 CHAPTER V,I. Old Tanglej Mano; - - 2fi CHAPTER VII. The Fu» . - 27 CHAPTER Vlli. The Sii\ged Moth > - _ g{) CHAPTER IX. Newark Priory • - ., i. XI1 C0KTENT8. CHAPTER X. tkua, Daii') Margery's discovery « - 36 CHAPTER XI. Vinitors at Tything . 89 CHAPTES yil. St. Martha's ...... 42 CHAPTER XIII. Our Nunnery, and the Monks of Old • • .45 CHAPTER XIV Ilie New Brother of Nevpai A. » • .49 CHAPTER XV. The Kun of St. Catherine's • .62 CHAPTER XVJ. Consecration » • 65 CHAPTER XVII. Tything Lodge . 68 CHAPTER XVIII. Hal and his Family . - 61 CHAPTER XIX. The Sleepers in the Silent Pool • . .66 CHAPTER XX. Lying in Stat* - • -69 CHAPTER XXI. The Prince's Feather at Gilford . 73 CHAPTER XXII. Aa to our Authorities • < • 80 OONTEWTS. Xlll CHAPTEK XXIIL Fitz-Ooth and Matilda .... 84 CHAPTER XXIV. The Forest King and Queen . » 88 CHAPTER XXV. A telegram of English history . .95 CHAPTER XXVL Calais .*>•.•. 93 CHAPTSIR XXVII. Alice tho Nun . - ... 100 CHAPTER XXVIIL Tlie Pilgrimage to Gomershal • . 104 CHAPTER XXIX. The Letters and a Lock of Hair • . • . 108 CHAPTER XXX. Maid Marian • - . <. Ill CHAPTER XXXI. Stephan'e valot ..... 116 CHAPTER XXXII. Lcai-ning, Love, and Patriotism - . 117 CHAPTER XXXIIL The Old Esquire hears a Sermon ... 119 CHAPTER XXXIV. A Father's Blessing ... 123 CHAPTER XXXV. The Relio - , , . 1^6 . V CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXXVI. Old Paris and the Confessor of St. Etienne's . • 129 CHAPTER XXXVII. A Court-day at the Louvre - • . 135 CHAPTER XXXVIU. The Cunning of Philip Augustus . .139 CHAPTER XXXIY Angelique, and News of a Brother ... 141 CHAPTER XL. Hal's Embassies - • 144 CHAPTER XLL Angelique's Adventure by ttie way - . 148 CHAPTER XLII. The Murderer and his Victim . 157 CHAPTER XLIII. The Churl arraigns the King . - . 161 CHAPTER XLIV. An Acolyte and his Sister .... 166 (..aAPTER XLV. Religion and its Persecutors - - - - 168 CHAPTER XLVL AD orthodox Sister and an orthodox Sermon - 171 CHAPTER XLVII. The Auto-da-fe . 174 CHAPTER XLVIII. About Angelique's ajid Simon's Antecedente 180 OONTFNT9. XV CHAPTER XLIX. rxaj Bae»f.«: Dispilse: Hal's Martyrs . 187 CHAPTER L. How to deal with a DUenuna, and how to please a Pope 190 CHAPTER LI. Beygste Cavern - 194 CHAPTER LII. A Miracle; and ita exposition ... 198 CHAPTER Lin. A new Primate ..... 202 CHAPTER LIV. John's Fmger-BingB; and the Interdict • 205 CHAPTER LV. A Brotherly Meeting : and Angelique's position 208 CHAPTER LVL The Scourge: and Simon at Winchester , . £1J CHAPTER LVII. Simon and Angelique pay certain Visits • 215 CHi .'PER LVIII. Kxcommanication and Deposition . 220 CHAPTER LIX. Ai-morica . t, . 224 CHAPTER LX A call at the Alhambra . 228 CHAPTEB LXI. A Shipwreck . • 331 XVI OOSTENTS. CHAPTER LXIx. PAOl Pandulph and his Homager • . 234 CHAPTER LXIII. An Interview long looked for ... 238 CHAPTER LXIV. A Gallop to Ronne-mead . 243 CHAPTER LXV. Magna Charta ... 246 CHAPTER LXVL Lewis the Dauphir . 251 CHAPTER LXVIL John's end . 254 CHAPTER LXVIII All achieved . ... 258 CHAPTER LXIX. A Good Man's Death ... 2D0 CHAPTER LXX. And Burial . 262 CHAPTER LXXL Repeated ..... 864 STEPHAN LANGTON. CHAPTER I. TIME : PLACE : BELE ALIZ. IF I lead you back in thought some seven centuries, and attempt to quicken your interest for scenes and persons so far away removed from us, you shall not therefore find your guide an antiquarian idler: for Providence was the Great King then as now; and the men and women of those days were of like passions and affections with our Uving throbbing selves; and there is wisdom to be culled from their experiences, and amusement to be gauied from their adventures; if not also, and in chief, sympathy due from us to them, and justly to be accorded them in homage for their sorrows. Ay, and even more than simply so; for the acorns just then sown have since grown up to be the gnarled and strong-limbed oaks of our present English liberties; and the fruitful vines and fig trees under which we now sit happily at peace were sprouting in those early times as tender plants out of a dry ground. I will concentrate my pictured fancies in a framework of real scenery round characters of strict historic fame; and, further than their ornamental details, and such other circumstantial fillings-in of outline as needs must be thus invented, I will set before your patience rather reahty than romance, drawing both landscapes and persons from the truth. This beautiful neighbourhood of South Surrey (a right dear home from infancy) is full not alone of picturesque features in the present, laut of unrecorded interest in the past; is rich especially (as you shall prove anon) in all the stirring incidents of Stephan Langton's earlier life; while yet that future statesman, archprelate, and chief 2 STEPHAN LANGTON; champion of common liberty against our tyrant King was the humble monk of St.