He was ever at his side in the brilliant charges
made by this gallant prince, and at last fell in his arms at the
battle of Naseby. Colonel Beverley had married into the family of the
Villiers, and the issue of his marriage was two sons and two
daughters; but his zeal and sense of duty had induced him, at the
commencement of the war, to leave his wife and family at Arnwood, and
he was fated never to meet them again. The news of his death had such
an effect upon Mrs. Beverley, already worn with anxiety on her
husband's account, that a few months afterward she followed him to an
early tomb, leaving the four children under the charge of an elderly
relative, till such time as the family of the Villiers could protect
them; but, as will appear by our history, this was not at that period
possible. The life of a king and many other lives were in jeopardy,
and the orphans remained at Arnwood, still under the care of their
elderly relation, at the time that our history commences.
The New Forest, my readers are perhaps aware, was first inclosed by
William the Conqueror as a royal forest for his own amusement--for in
those days most crowned heads were passionately fond of the chase; and
they may also recollect that his successor, William Rufus, met his
death in this forest by the glancing of an arrow shot by Sir Walter
Tyrrell.
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25