England, Picturesque and Descriptive: A Reminiscence of Foreign TravelCook, Joel
History
England, Picturesque and Descriptive: A Reminiscence of Foreign Travel
Cook, Joel
England -- Description and travel
In Newark, about three hundred years ago, there was a tavern called the
"Talbot Arms," named in honor of the Earl of Shrewsbury, whose countess
was Mary, daughter of the famous Bess of Hardwicke by her second
husband, Sir William Cavendish. Between the Talbots and the neighboring
family of Stanhopes at Shelford there was a feud, which resulted in the
Stanhopes defacing the tavern-sign. This was not taken notice of by the
Earl of Shrewsbury, but the quarrel was assumed by the imperious
countess and her brother, Sir Charles Cavendish. They despatched a
messenger to Sir Thomas Stanhope, accusing him and his son of the
insult, and declaring him a "reprobate and his son John a rascal." Then
a few days later they sent a formal defiance: the Stanhopes avoided a
duel as long as possible until they began to be posted as cowards, and
then, having gone to London, whither Cavendish followed them, a duel was
arranged with the younger Stanhope at Lambeth Bridge. They met after
several delays, when it was found that Stanhope had his doublet so
thickly quilted as to be almost impenetrable to a sword-thrust. Then
there was a new dispute, and it was proposed they should fight in their
shirts, but this Stanhope declined, pleading a cold. Cavendish offered
to lend him a waistcoat, but this too was declined; then Cavendish
waived all objections to the doublet and proposed to fight anyhow, but
the seconds interposed, and the duel was put off. Stanhope was then
again posted as a coward, and he and his adherents were hustled in the
streets of London. A few days later Stanhope and his party were attacked
in Fleet Street by the Talbots, and one of the former faction mortally
wounded. The feud went on six years, when one day, Cavendish, riding
near his home in Nottinghamshire with three attendants, was attacked by
Stanhope and twenty horsemen. He fought bravely, and was badly wounded,
but killed four and wounded two others of his opponents, when,
reinforcements appearing, the Stanhope party fled, leaving six horses
and nearly all their hats and weapons behind them. But all feuds have an
end, and this one ultimately exhausted itself, the families within a
century being united in marriage.
[Illustration: MARKET-SQUARE.]
[Illustration: NEWARK CHURCH, LOOKING FROM THE NORTH.]
HULL AND BEVERLEY.
[Illustration: THE HUMBER AT HULL.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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