Great Britain -- History -- 17th century -- Fiction
Seven years went by before John Enderby saw his son again or set foot in
Enderby House. Escaping to Holland on a night when everything was taken
from him save his honour and his daughter, he had lived there with
Mistress Felicity, taking service in the army of the country.
Outlaw as he was, his estates given over to his son who now carried a
knighthood bestowed by King Charles, he was still a loyal subject to
the dynasty which had dishonoured him. When the King was beheaded at
Whitehall he mourned and lamented the miserable crime with the best of
his countrymen.
It was about this time that he journeyed into France, and there he
stayed with his daughter two years. Mistress Falkingham, her aunt, was
with her, and watched over her as carefully as when she was a child in
Enderby House.
About this time, Cromwell, urged by solicitous friends of the outlaw,
sent word to him to return to England, that he might employ him
in foreign service, if he did not care to serve in England itself.
Cromwell’s message was full of comforting reflections upon his
sufferings and upon the injustice that had been done to him by the late
King. For his daughter’s sake, who had never been entirely happy out of
England, Enderby returned, and was received with marked consideration by
Cromwell at Whitehall.
“Your son, sir,” said Cromwell, “hath been a follower of the man of sin.
He was of those notorious people who cried out against the work of God’s
servants when Charles paid the penalty of his treason at Whitehall. Of
late I have received news that he is of those children of Belial who are
intriguing to bring back the second Charles. Two days ago he was bidden
to leave Enderby House. If he be found among those who join the Scotch
army to fight for the Pretender, he shall bear the penalty of his
offence.”
“He has been ill advised, your Highness,” said Enderby.
“He shall be advised better,” was the stern reply. “We will have peace
in England, and we will, by the help of the Lord’s strong arm, rid this
realm of these recalcitrant spirits. For you, sir, you shall return to
your estate at Enderby, and we will use you abroad as opportunity shall
occur. Your son has taken to himself the title which the man of sin
conferred upon you, to your undoing.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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