Boscobel; or, the royal oak: A tale of the year 1651Ainsworth, William Harrison
History
Boscobel; or, the royal oak: A tale of the year 1651
Ainsworth, William Harrison
Great Britain -- History -- Commonwealth and Protectorate, 1649-1660 -- Fiction
Mary Rushout was enchanted. Never had she beheld any one so graceful,
so majestic as the king. How royally he bestrode his steed! How
beauteous were his long black locks!--Urso must let his own hair grow
long. And then how his majesty's diamonds sparkled! She could not help
calling out "Long live the king!" Charles noticed her, and told her,
with a smile, "She was the prettiest girl he had seen that day, and
deserved a better lover." Was not this enough to turn her head? Was it
not enough to madden the irritable and jealous Urso? The by-standers,
who were staunch Royalists, laughed at him, and this exasperated Urso
beyond all endurance. He broke out against the king, called him the
chief of the malignants, and the favourer of heresy and profaneness,
and would have gone on in the same strain if he had not been soundly
buffeted on all sides.
Mary Rushout and her grand-dame screamed, and their cries attracted the
attention of an aide-de-camp, who was waiting his majesty's return. It
was Major Careless. Seeing a pretty girl in distress he pushed forward
his steed, and quickly extricated her and the old dame, while Urso took
advantage of his interference to escape.
A Cavalier so gallant as Careless we may be sure did not retire after
such an introduction, and he found Mary Rushout very willing to flirt
with him. He soon learned all about her and about Urso Gives, and that
they both dwelt in the Trinity, and continued chatting with her till
Charles came forth from the Guildhall.
The royal cortége was once more put in motion, and proceeded to the
large open place near the Foregate, in the midst of which stood the
antique sculptured cross previously mentioned. The place was now filled
with people, but the assemblage was no farther disturbed than was
necessary to allow the troops to form a square round it.
The mayor and the sheriff having made their way to the cross, trumpets
were sounded, and, amid the silence that ensued, the mayor, in a
sonorous voice, proclaimed Charles King of England, Scotland, France,
and Ireland. Tremendous acclamations followed, and guns were fired from
the top of the Foregate.
Even then the assemblage did not move, nor did the troops quit their
position.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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