The Betrothed

  "He leaned upon his pilgrim's staff, and to the mill he drew—
  So altered was his goodly form that none their master knew.
  The baron to the miller said, 'Good friend, for charity,
  Tell a poor pilgrim, in your land, what tidings may there be?'

  "The miller answered him again—'He knew of little news,
  Save that the lady of the land did a new bridegroom choose;
  Her husband died in distant land, such is the constant word,
  His death sits heavy on our souls, he was a worthy lord.

  "'Of him I held the little mill, which wins me living free—
  God rest the baron in his grave, he aye was kind to me!
  And when St. Martin's tide comes round, and millers take their toll,
  The priest that prays for Moringer shall have both cope and stole.'"

The baron proceeds to the Castle gate, which is bolted to prevent intrusion, while the inside of the mansion rung with preparations for the marriage of the lady. The pilgrim prayed the porter for entrance, conjuring him by his own sufferings, and for the sake of the late Moringer; by the orders of his lady, the warder gave him admittance.

  "Then up the hall paced Moringer, his step was sad and slow;
  It sat full heavy on his heart, none seemed their lord to know.
  He sat him on a lowly bench, oppressed with wo and wrong;
  Short while he sat, but ne'er to him seemed little space so long.

  "Now spent was day, and feasting o'er, and come was evening hour,
  The time was nigh when new made brides retire to nuptial bower,
  'Our Castle's wont,' a bride's man said, 'hath been both firm and long—
  No guest to harbour in our halls till he shall chant a song.'"

When thus called upon, the disguised baron sung the following melancholy ditty:—

  "'Chill flows the lay of frozen age,' 'twas thus the pilgrim sung,
  'Nor golden mead, nor garment gay, unlocks his heavy tongue.
  Once did I sit, thou bridegroom gay, at board as rich as thine,
  And by my side as fair a bride, with all her charms, was mine.

  "'But time traced furrows on my face, and I grew silver hair'd,
  For locks of brown, and cheeks of youth, she left this brow and beard;
  Once rich, but now a palmer poor, I tread life's latest stage,
  And mingle with your bridal mirth the lay of frozen age.'"

The lady, moved at the doleful recollections which the palmer's song recalled, sent to him a cup of wine. The palmer, having exhausted the goblet, returned it, and having first dropped in the cup his nuptial ring, requested the lady to pledge her venerable guest.

  "The ring hath caught the lady's eye, she views it close and near,
  Then might you hear her shriek aloud, 'The Moringer is here!'
  Then might you see her start from seat, while tears in torrents fell,
  But if she wept for joy or wo, the ladies best can tell.

  "Full loud she utter'd thanks to Heaven, and every saintly power,
  That had restored the Moringer before the midnight hour;
  And loud she utter'd vow on vow, that never was there bride,
  That had like her preserved her troth, or been so sorely tried.

  "'Yes, here I claim the praise,' she said, 'to constant matrons due,
  Who keep the troth, that they have plight, so stedfastly and true;
  For count the term howe'er you will, so that you count aright,
  Seven twelvemonths and a day are out when bells toll twelve to-night.'

   "It was Marstetten then rose up, his falchion there he drew,
   He kneeled before The Moringer, and down his weapon threw;
   'My oath and knightly faith are broke,' these were the words he said;
   'Then take, my liege, thy vassal's sword, and take thy vassal's head.

   "The noble Moringer, he smiled, and then aloud did say,
   'He gathers wisdom that hath roamed seven twelvemonths and a day,
   My daughter now hath fifteen years, fame speaks her sweet and fair;
   I give her for the bride you lose, and name her for my heir.

   "'The young bridegroom hath youthful bride, the old bridegroom the old,
   Whose faith were kept till term and tide so punctually were told.
   But blessings on the warder kind that oped my castle gate,
   For had I come at morrow tide, I came a day too late.'"

There is also, in the rich field of German romance, another edition of this story, which has been converted by M. Tieck (whose labours of that kind have been so remarkable) into the subject of one of his romantic dramas. It is, however, unnecessary to detail it, as the present author adopted his idea of the tale chiefly from the edition preserved in the mansion of Haighhall, of old the mansion-house of the family of Braidshaigh, now possessed by their descendants on the female side, the Earls of Balcarras. The story greatly resembles that of the Noble Moringer, only there is no miracle of St. Thomas to shock the belief of good Protestants. I am permitted, by my noble friends, the lord and lady of Haighhall, to print the following extract from the family genealogy.

   Sir William Bradshaghe 2d

   Sone to Sr John was a great traveller and a Souldyer and married

   To

   Mabell daughter and Sole heire of Hugh Noris de Haghe and Blackrode and had issue

   EN. 8. E 2.

   of this Mabel is a story by tradition of undouted verity that in Sr William Bradshage's absence (being 10 yeares away in the wares) she married a welsh kt. Sr William retorninge from the wars came in a Palmers habit amongst the Poore to haghe. Who when she saw & congetringe that that he favoured her former husband wept, for which the kt chasticed her at wich Sr William went and made him selfe Knawne to his Tennants in wch space the kt fled, but neare to Newton Parke Sr William overtooke him and slue him. The said Dame Mabell was enjoyned by her confessor to doe Pennances by going onest every week barefout and bare legg'd to a Crosse ner Wigan from the haghe wilest she lived & is called Mabb to this day; & ther monument Lyes in wigan Church as you see ther Portrd.

   An: Dom: 1315.

There were many vestiges around Haighhall, both of the Catholic penances of the Lady Mabel, and the history of this unfortunate transaction in particular; the whole history was within the memory of man portrayed upon a glass window in the hall, where unfortunately it has not been preserved. Mab's Cross is still extant. An old ruinous building is said to have been the place where the Lady Mabel was condemned to render penance, by walking hither from Haighhall barefooted and barelegged for the performance of her devotions. This relic, to which an anecdote so curious is annexed, is now unfortunately ruinous. Time and whitewash, says Mr. Roby, have altogether defaced the effigies of the knight and lady on the tomb. The particulars are preserved in Mr. Roby's Traditions of Lancashire,[1] to which the reader is referred for further particulars. It does not appear that Sir William Braidshaigh was irreparably offended against the too hasty Lady Mabel, although he certainly showed himself of a more fiery mould than the Scottish and German barons who were heroes of the former tales. The tradition, which the author knew very early in life, was told to him by the late Lady Balcarras. He was so much struck with it, that being at that time profuse of legendary lore, he inserted it in the shape of a note to Waverley, the first of his romantic offences. Had he then known, as he now does, the value of such a story, it is likely that, as directed in the inimitable receipt for making an epic poem, preserved in the Guardian, he would have kept it for some future opportunity.

1

A very elegant work, 2 vols. 1829. By J. Roby, M.R.S.L.