Ballads; Great Britain -- History; Scotland -- History
Two years later, this Earl was actually sold to Elizabeth and beheaded
at York. Thus ended this small rebellion, called in history the Rising
of the North, but which is known locally in Cumberland as Dacre’s Raid.
There is a little stream which rushes down a deep and beautiful glade to
join the river Gelt above Geltbridge; this stream is known as
"Hellbeck," and villagers tell us that the reason for this name is that
it was stained with blood for two whole days after some battle that took
place there. This battle is probably the one spoken of here.
A wicket gate by Geltbridge leads us to the path through Gelt woods.
The noble gorge is deeply cleft through the grand red sandstone rocks.
Below roars and dashes the impetuous river; the path winds, sometimes
high, sometimes low, through wonderful weeds, carpeted with beautiful
mosses, gemmed with delightful flowers. On one of the rocks is an
inscription carved by a Roman soldier, over fifteen hundred years ago.
Follow the river, up, up, till the little Hellbeck is seen trickling
down from the east; cross the little bridge and follow the streamlet on
its opposite bank, along a path so little trod as to be scarcely
visible; wander among ferns along one of the loneliest glens in the
whole of Britain, passing the great railway bridge (_under_ if the
stream be low or _over_ if it be high) till you join the main road
again. There is no spot more beautiful or more peaceful. Yet this is
the Hellbeck where men fought and hacked, and slashed and slew, among
these woods, up and down these steep hillsides. These old trees, when
young, have felt warm blood at their roots; and all because of a young,
wild wilful queen, who fascinated men’s hearts then, and the memory of
whom fascinates them still.
*Chapter XXXIII*
*The Raid of the Reidswire*
"To deal with proud men is but pain,
For either must ye fight or flee,
Or else no answer make again,
But play the beast, and let them be."
Reidswire, the name of a place about ten miles from Jedburgh, means the
Red Swire. Swire is an old northern term for the descent of a hill, and
the epithet red may refer to the colour of the heath.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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