BODRIGAN'S CURSE.

AN OLDEN TALE. BY THE AUTHOR OF

SHIPWRECK," &c.

(Continued from page 255.)

CHAP. III. HARRY TUDOR.

"THE

BUT, before we proceed further, we must go back a little, and see what Trevanion and Edgecumbe have been doing all this while.

SIR Hugh Trevanion was sitting in his library one afternoon-the same on which the news of Buckingham's revolt was brought to Bodrigan-looking upon and admiring the scene which lay before him. The sun was setting in the far west, and gilding all the trees and flowers with his last rays; and the lawn was spotted over, as it were, by groups of sheep. And it was this that Sir Hugh was admiring; and while he gazed, his attention was attracted by a man, riding up the avenue at full speed, and bearing a leathern bag, which was suspended by a strap to his neck. Trevanion, wondering at so unusual an event, sprang to his feet, and threw open the lattice. He put his head out of the window, and, as soon as the man saw him, he pulled a red ribbon out of his pocket and waved it in the air, exclaiming :-"The House of York is fallen!”—Trevanion was delighted, he closed the window and rushed at once to the portal, reaching it as soon as the messenger.

"RICHARD is fallen!" exclaimed the man again, as Sir Hugh opened the gates-" Richard of York is fallen!"

"COME in!" cried Trevanion, "come into the hall, and tell me what you know." "I do not know much," exclaimed the messenger, "but I have a letter here for you—a letter in this bag. So the man took out the letter, and delivered it to Trevanion, who read as follows :

"DEAR Sir Hugh,-The murderer of the Princes of the Blood Royal-the usurper Richard, is fallen. Buckingham,

who raised him to the throne has turned traitor, and is now in Wales with a large army, on his way to London. He is sure of success. But though the fellow is a scoundrel-yet

I shall join him; still,, if he be victorious, I will never own him as my king. It is my wish to reinstate the house of Lancaster upon the throne, in the person of Harry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, whose title is through his descent from the great John of Gaunt. Return an answer by the bearer of this, and charge him to use all speed. Will you join us? Yours ever

SIR HUGH was puzzled; he knew not what to do; he saw too the necessity of an immediate decision, because it was evident that things were approaching a crisis, and that a few days would bring the matter to a successful or a fatal issue. The writer of the letter was a valuable friend to him, but he detested Buckingham as much as he did King Richard. So he was in a state of great perplexity. He read and re-read the letter: the messenger reminded him that delay was perilous. He took pen and paper, and seating himself before the hall

table he wrote :

"DEAR. -Your letter and the present state of public affairs perplex me not a little; but an immediate decision, I perceive, is absolutely necessary. I am of opinion, then, that Buckingham is a dangerous man, I dislike him not a little, and would rather for things to go on as they are than that he should obtain the lead. The people are actually tired of Richard and sick of his tyranny; I am convinced that ere long Harry Tudor will assert his claim, if he does the people will join him in crowds, and all will be well. If he does not, I had much rather that things go on as they are. I dissuade you by all means from joining Buckingham, I myself never will.

Yours ever faithfully,

HUGH TREVANION."

HAVING thus written, he sealed it, and delivered it to the messenger, without hinting to him of its contents, and the man rode off, at the same furious pace, with which he had

come.

THE NEXT morning he went to his friend Edgecumbe, and told him. Sir Richard applauded his resolution, and said that he should have done the same if he had been applied to, and that he hoped Buckingham would be worsted. Just as Trevanion was on the point of leaving, a messenger arrived to inform Sir Richard Edgecumbe of Buckingham's conspiracy and of the dispersion of his army, in consequence of the overflowing of the River Severn. Trevanion was delighted, and Edgecumbe not the less so. exclaimed-" now there is fair room for Harry Tudor!" "I HAVE fifteen troopers," exclaimed Sir Richard, "whom I can arm and mount myself who will shed their blood any day for the Duke of Richmond!"

"Now,"
"the former

"AND I have ten bold fellows, who will do the same," answered Trevanion, "aye, and we will go together, if Harry Tudor comes, and lead our five and twenty troopers to fight in his defence."

"How I should enjoy," answered Edgecumbe, "to see that sorry crook-backed fellow cast out!"

"THINK!" said Trevanion, "only think of the horrid crimes he has committed—think of young Prince Edward of Lancaster, whom the bloody villain assassinated at Tewkesbury: then there was the Duke of Clarence, and Jane Shore, and Lord Hastings, and six or eight of his adherents; and Henry VI.—that saintly Prince, whom all revere: then too there were his nephews, whom Tyrell, by Richard's order, smothered in the Tower, and buried beneath the stairs!" "And Queen Annie, his wife," continued Edgecumbe, "who broke her heart on account of the King's ill usage; but worst of all that he should dare to slay the princes who were intrusted to his care, and take the throne himself. No! I will side ever with Harry Tudor against this knave, this

ruffian usurper; this reckless violater of the laws of GOD, and of man!"

"AYE, well," exclaimed Trevanion, "I think it will not be long that he will sway the sceptre of this kingdom, for Sir William Hanly has written to me and he says that it is not unlikely that the Duke of Richmond will make an attempt to regain the throne of his ancestors, and, now that Buckingham is executed, I expect the news at once."

"FARE thee well!" answered Edgecumbe, "may it be so! whatever happens, I shall always stand fast in my allegiance to HARRY TUDOR."

CHAP. IV. THE TWO Friends.

THE next day another letter from Sir William arrived, informing Trevanion that Buckingham's attempt was a failure, and expressing himself glad of it. A few days after this was brought, Sir Hugh received another letter from the same person; it was as follows:

"DEAR Sir Hugh, I have very good news for you, and great hopes that the crook-backed Richard will meet with the deserts of his foul deeds. Harry Tudor has landed at Milford Haven, where he has been most favorably received. Most of the celebrated country gentry have espoused his cause are joining his ranks in person, bringing with them some eight or twelve of their tenants armed as troopers, a piece. Richard is assembling an army, and not an insignificant one; but I anticipate that the troops of Richmond will be of a very superior description. I hope you will come up at once, and bring as many troopers as you can; Edgecumbe will come I know. On whose side is Bodrigan. Pray answer speedily, and, if possible, come yourself. You will find me at Warwick till the day after to-morrow. In great haste, yours ever

TREVANION, having read the letter, hasted at once with it

to his friend Edgecumbe. Sir Richard was delighted; he assembled his troopers, and, accompanied by Trevanion andhis men, set out that night for Warwick. The night was stormy and tempestuous, and the road dreary. They met with no obstacle, however, till they reached a village a few miles south of Exeter, where they saw a large band of horsemen passing on, whom they quickly perceived to be on the side of the King. So they all lay down in the ditch beneath the hedge till the men had passed by, and then they resumed their march.

"A NARROW escape that," said Sir Richard to Trevanion, they were some fifty men, who could it have been that was at their head?" So he called one of his troopers and sent him on, directing him to join the body of men who had passed, to pretend that he had come over to their side, and, when he had obtained all the information in his power as to their number, their destination, and their leader, to slip away quietly and bring back the news; promising him that, if he succeeded, he would give him a suitable reward. The man who was Sir Richard's porter, and very trustworthy, was exceedingly proud of his commission, and starting of with great agility soon left the troop behind. After having waited long in anxious expectation of the return of the messenger, Sir Richard and the company had at length the satisfaction of seeing him turn the corner of the road which was before them, and coming down towards them at full speed. "What is the news?" eagerly enquired Sir Richard." "They are a body of five and fifty men," exclaimed the messenger, “going to join the Kings troops at Leicester, and headed by Sir Henry Bodrigan." "Bodrigan!" exclaimed Trevanion and Edgecumbe at once-"I had a suspicion that he would go to aid Richard, knowing well that he dubbed him knight, and did him several little favors. Richard is sure to lose the day, and then if Bodrigan be found on the side of the King he will lose his goods-if not his life—and all his lands.”