66 gear anciently worn, under the name of a nightrail," enveloping her head like a hood, or nun's veil, and from thence spreading wider like a cape over her shoulders. His lordship, much distressed at his intrusion, made an apology; to which the old lady answered only by a formal inclination of her head. On returning to his friend, Lord Dormer mentioned the mistake he had committed in entering the old lady's chamber. Lord Montagu looked greatly surprised, declaring he knew of no such person being in the house; and requested Lord Dormer to go with him immediately, and point out the chamber. Accordingly they went together; and on entering the room, where, but a few moments before he had seen the old lady, what was Lord Dormer's surprise to find the curtains of the bed undrawn, and not the slightest vestige of any person having occupied it, or the chamber. Some, who heard his lordship relate the fact, treated it as an optical illusion, while others placed it to the account of his lordship's superstitious belief as a Catholic. But Lord Dormer was neither a visionary nor a bigot; his sound judgment and simple piety alike forbidding the vagaries of fancy, or the dreams of superstition, from hoodwinking his mind. Neither did I ever witness the least shade of superstition in Lady Shrewsbury but on one occasion, when her affection for her élève, young Talbot, led her to fear an old tradition in the Shrewsbury family. Speaking one day to me of young Mr. Talbot, she expressed her doubts of his ever succeeding to the earldom; "that is," said her ladyship, "if his father should come to the title.” And then she told me the story of a bishop, who, being wrongfully condemned to death, (and to which a Shrewsbury was in some way instrumental,) knelt down at the scaffold, and lifting up his hands, prayed to God, that as a sign of his innocence of the crime brought against him, the title of Shrewsbury might never again descend from father to son. "And it never has," said she; "so that if John's father lives to be earl, I am sure he will never come to the title himself." That her ladyship really felt strongly impressed with the truth of this strange tradition, is self-evident, from her fears; but how far it merits belief can be easily proved, by the genealogy of the Shrewsbury family. Although my intention in giving these rude sketches was to bear record not of myself, but of persons and places which have come under my observation, yet there is a natural sympathy which prompts me, and I would hope without being amenable to the charge of egotism, to make some mention of the home of my childhood-a spot, from its total seclusion, better known to the local antiquarian than to any other. The Alderton House, or as it was originally spelt, Aldrington, in North Wilts, formerly belonged to the ancient family of the Gores. old part of the mansion was, by judges, considered to be one of the most curious specimens of the antique dwellings of our early ancestors extant; but I shall not attempt to describe it, although I have by me a rough sketch, drawn by one of the olden worthies, in the title-page to a large manuscript book, written by one of the Gore family in 1666, and from which I shall make a few extracts. * See Lodge's Peerage. The more modern part of Alderton House was spacious and noble in its appearance, having a long range of galleries and apartments, with an entrance hall, which would not have disgraced one of our baronial castles, and which opened with folding-doors into a second hall and staircase, the exact counterpart of that at Hampton Court. In my young days the old apartments were never used, excepting the "Oak hall," which had been converted into a sort of inner hall or vestibule, and the library and one chamber, called the tapestry with fearful eyes by the young people looked upon room, which was as the reported abode of a certain nocturnal visitor, 'ycleped a ghost, The dark gobelins which and it is very certain that Mrs. Radcliff herself could not have chosen a place better suited to a tale of romance. covered the sides of the room with figures large as life, that appeared ready to start from the canvas, and which, to my childish fancy, really seemed to move; the high old-fashioned bed, with its dark green hangings, and the melancholy visage of one of the Gores, whose portrait hung over the high mantel, and of whom it was told, that his hand when dying was guided to sign a false will;-all conspired to throw a superstitious gloom over the chamber, while its proximity to an apartment, called "the dead room," from the circumstance of its having been for many centuries appropriated solely to the reception of the bodies of the deceased members of the family previously to interment, added not a little to the fears of the timid. The mansion stood delightfully sheltered by tall woods to the back, while about a stone's throw from the shrubbery in front, the little picturesque church, anciently a chapel, and built in the Catholic times by the Gore family for their own domestic use, formed an interesting feature in the landscape, particularly on the Sabbath-day, when the villagers might be seen in their neat holiday trim hastening along at the sound of the little tinkling bell; the party coloured ribbons of the maidens, and the red cloaks and large flowered gowns of the matrons, making a pleasant contrast to the less gay colour of nature. village of Alderton belonged to the family, and I have heard my father say that, down even to a late period, it was a beautiful sight to see the "master of Aldrington" and the villagers living in harmony together like attached members of one large family. The Gores held considerable estates in several counties, and in the archives of their native county, Wilts, are many records bearing honourable mention of them as "zealous defenders of their king and country, and active promoters both of the duties of religion and hospitality." The whole Mary Gore, the last of that name who possessed Alderton, had nearly been wronged out of her birthright, for at the death of her father a will was produced, signed with his own hand, leaving the estate to his steward. Such an act of injustice astonished every one, and the indignation of the tenants knew no bounds. The old butler, however, had long entertained strong suspicions of the steward, and those suspicions led him to doubt the authenticity of the will. cordingly he narrowly watched and finally detected the artful villain; for hiding himself near the place where the false steward and his accomplice met to consult, he overheard the whole plot, and where the real will was deposited, and going at nightfall to the place, found the important document, and setting off immediately for London, reached it before the steward, who also left Alderton, taking with him the forged will. The two wills furnished, as may be supposed, employment for the lawyers; but the Father of the fatherless went along with the orphan, and she was put in possession of the estate to the great joy of all; and on the news reaching Alderton, the villagers rang the church bells until they literally pulled them down, and to this day they have never been replaced. The said Mary Gore, who was very beautiful, married into the family of Sir Charles Hedges,† secretary of state to Queen Anne, from which family Alderton afterwards passed, by marriage, to the Montagus of Lackham, and recently, by purchase, to the present proprietor, Joseph Nield, Esq., the fortunate heir to the immense wealth of the late Rundle, jeweller. I shall now wind up this little sketch with an extract which I think will be alike interesting to the moralist and the antiquarian. Mr. Gore's preface to the genealogical history of the Gores of Aldrington, abounds with all that pithy humour and aptness of expression which so much distinguish the old writers from the moderns, whose chief merit lies in the happy flow of language in which they dress up the ideas of others. In lamenting the degeneracy of his own times, Mr. Gore seems to have contemplated the still greater falling off in religion and morality to which we have now arrived. Though quaint phrases and equally quaint metaphors give an air of homeliness to his style, still there is more of sterling sense and sound philosophy in one page than in a whole library of the dandy compositions of the day, while those who foolishly give way to family pride may learn a useful lesson from his work. Alas! those ancestral relics, which he so laboriously collected and carefully arranged, of what avail are they now, but to tell of an extinct family who once possessed the land, and dwelt in that old mansion of which not one stone is left upon another! The following is copied verbatim from the family book. "PREFACE "To a Genealogical History of the Ancient Family of the Gores, of Aldrington, Wilts. "Courteous reader. The occasion of thy present trouble arose from the serious consideration of what in late ages hath befallen many gentlemen of ancient and renowned families, who, through the careless and riotous living of some of their progenitors, were not only deprived of divers lands and ample possessions, long enjoyed by their ancestors, but also of all their evidences and testimonials of them, from whom they descended longá serie, having nothing left them more than a beare name to speak them ancient. The like infelicity may be too justly feared will befall many now in future times, for in this age of ours, some men are arrived at such a height of wickedness that with them nothing is accounted good but what all pious and sober The forged will had the real signature of Mr. Gore, his hand having been really guided (by the steward) when he was dying, to sign it. + Her portrait is still in the Montagu family. She is drawn somewhat fancifully, with a fawn at her side, and her naked foot peeping from under the drapery. persons will judge notoriously bad. Nothing studied but modes and vices of the times. All kinds of good literature being unknown— quite out of fashion, and made the object of men's laughter and scorn, and not (as in past ages) of their admiration and respect. As for antiquity of stock, it is generally looked upon with a careless eye, he being esteemed by many the best gentleman that is thus qualified; viz. first, he that wears the gaudiest cloaths, as if he resolved to make his body a lure for the devil, and with his bravery would make a bait should tempt the tempter to fall in love with him. Secondly, he that wears the longest periwig, borrowed, perhaps, from the scalp of some deceased ruffian, with a feather in his hat which a silly bird was, but a while ago, weary of carrying in her tail. Thirdly, he that can take off the most cups, as if he meant to carry liquor enough with him in his poor body to quench the flames of hell. And he is accounted the most learned (though he can scarce read his primer or write his own name) that can bring out the greatest variety of oaths of his own coining, or at the best, has out of Don Quixote or some romance more in fashion, furnished himself with a few high-flying, empty compliments, and an idle tale or two to make up his discourse at the next ordinary. This man, I say, by the votes of his simple companions, is cryed up for the only man of his time; far above him that can trace his descent from a long train of noble progenitors, and adds no small lustre thereunto by his own pious, grave, and manly deportment and learning. As for the books, rolls, manuscripts, and other evidences of true nobility and worth, carefully preserved by their forefathers, many gentlemen in our days convert them either to light their tobacco, or to some other as bad, if not worse, use. As for the lands and estates descended to them, it is not thought by our gallants an act of wisdom to endeavour their improvement, lest they should incur the name of good husbands, which they almost as perfectly hate as to be good indeed. Nor will many of them be content to keep what was descended unto them whole and entire, but adjudging Naboth, a tenacious ill-bred fellow, for being unwilling to part with the inheritance of his fathers to importunate Ahab. They do not scruple to adventure whole lordships of their ancient inheritance upon one cast of the dice, or race of horse, match of cockfighting, suit of apparel, jewel, or the like vanity: or else will bestow them (ofttimes) nobly, as they phrase it, upon some swaggerer or boon companion that hath sate with them, day after day, in some blind and nasty ale-house or gaming-house, by which means we may really fear the speedy ruin and destruction of many ancient notable families, and the total subversion of all the relics of venerable antiquity amongst us. The consideration of which sad premises did exceedingly incite me to spare neither cost nor pains in the search after the testimonials or proofs of the several descents of my ancestors, (the subject of this book,) that I might erect, as it were, a monumental pillar to preserve their memory for future generations, as also to lay a strong foundation for posterity to build upon. "Concerning the method of this book, it is thus: first, I have singled out every person or head of the family, (for the time being,) his arms, together with the time and place of his birth, baptizing, marriage, issue, lands, offices or employments, last will and testament, death, burial, inventory, probate of his will, tomb and epitaph. Secondly, I have added thereunto several testimonials or proofs of all the said premises, diligently and faithfully extracted from old records, ledger books, printed books, manuscripts, charters, parish registers, court rolls, residences, visitations of counties, tombs, and arms, that so the genealogy might be complete. "I know that some will be very ready to throw dirt upon me for this enterprise-those being usually most free in censuring other men's works, which are least able to produce any of their own. 6 "But as the poet sayeth, Many carps are expected when curious eyes go a fishing;' yet, I know no reason why I should regard their censure, as their applause would not much tickle me, so neither their rash sentance discourage me. Sure I am I have done nothing but what the like hath had its probatum est in former ages; yea, in the sacred story, as will easily appear to him that consults the following texts, which from sundry others I have culled out for his better satisfaction. Viz. Numbers i. 12-18; ii. 2, 3, 4; xxvi. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 1 Chron. iv. 3; Ezra, ii. 2, &c.; Nehemiah, vii. 5-64,; Genesis, v. 1; Proverbs, xvii. 6 "It is, and ever shall be, my hearty prayer, that God, who is rich in mercy, will grant that neither the sins of my forefathers, mine own, or those of my posterity, may cause him to withdraw his wonted loving-kindness from us, or to suffer our name, which merely through his good providence hath been continued to this day, to be rooted out of the earth till the earth shall be no more. "Pardon, gentle reader, this my prolixity, peruse this treatise seriously, and censure modestly, and then I shall wish thee farewell. "Aldrington. S. G. "This 23rd day of January, 1666." Admiral Sir John Gore, who married the daughter of Sir George Montagu, is descended from a collateral branch of this family. (To be continued.) |