CHAPTER XXV.

See how the pangs of death do make him grin-
Disturb him not; let him pass peaceably.

Peace to his soul, if God's good pleasure be.

2d Part of Hen. VI.

THE perception of Lieutenant Sidebotham was indeed true; for Snell and Cary fort, at the head of their troopers, soon arrived at the bridge over the brook, which was fortunately drawn back. Between the commanders rode the witch, strapped behind a soldier; and so soon as they attained the brink of the stream, she cried out, "the Cavaliers are i' the paddock."

"Surround the house," cried Snell," and some of ye pass the stream, and turn the bridge."

Sidebotham applied his mouth to a bugle-horn, which was slung round his shoulder, and blew a call, which was instantly answered.

"What signal is that?" cried Snell to the grey

woman.

"I dinna know," she answered.

"Beware, beware, woman!" returned he; "your life hangs on a thread. Pass the stream there."

Several of the troopers spurred their horses into the water, and endeavoured to gain the opposite side, but they found the water deep, and the bank precipitous. Sydenham, Sidebotham, and the dalesman, too, opposed their passage; and whilst they were engaged in this difficulty, the Cavaliers galloped from behind the wood. Sidebotham spurred his horse by main force of heel and rowel, over the brook, and joining his comrades, with the cry "Sydenham for ever,' they charged the Round-heads. Snell now concluded

he had been sold by the witch, and, with one blow of his broad sword, clove her head from her body, at the same time wounding the trooper behind whom she rode.

"Die, damned traitress!” cried he, as he gave the blow. "To hell with your cursed soul. Comrades, form."

In the mean time, Armstrong, who was still on foot, turned the bridge, and Sydenham dashed over, followed by Ford. The Borderer pulled the wounded trooper from his saddle, and took his place. Snell, when he had re-formed his men, who were broken by the first shock of the Cavaliers, cried to Caryfort, "Murray, look you to the troop; I must hunt nobler game."

He left the head of the squadron to seek Sydenham. The fight was on the very brink of the stream, and many men and horses were already stricken into the water, which now reflected a crimson hue. Sidebotham was wounded, but he did not abate a jot of his exertions; whilst Armstrong sought Snell, as he sought Sydenham. The Cavalier was soon found by his inveterate foe, where death and slaughter raged in their direst terrors. Snell found denham "with

purple faulchion painted to the hilt in blood of those that bad encountered him." As they came together, a violent rush of the whole body of combatants carried them to the little bridge, which Snell (to avoid being plunged in the stream) passed, and Sydenham, leaping his horse over a heap of slain, followed his example.

Without a word, these leaders made a turn round the paddock, and then clapping spurs to their horses, fiercely joined battle; never was match more equal, nor single combat maintained with more desperate intrepidity. At each cut made by either, the horse of his opposite reeled under the stroke; and at length, by a dreadful blow, Snell clove the head of Sydenham's charger; which fell with its rider to the earth. The villain endeavoured to improve his advantage,

and end the combat, by spurring his horse over the prostrate cavalier; but Sydenham, marking his intention, received the charger on his sword-point, which entered to the heart, and the animal fell dead to the ground. Snell avoided the saddle as the horse went down, and they now came to equal points on foot. Sydenham, whose rage was roused by the dishonour ́able attempt of his foe, gave him no time to breathe; but assaulted him with all his force, and all his skill; and a short time proved the Round-head to be no match for the Cavalier at the sword. Without method or caution, Snell rained his blows upon his rival as thick and fast as hail-drops; but Sydenham parried them with ease; and, when his opponent was weary, returned them with more dreadful application. The blood ran in streams from Snell's armour, and he staggered under the cuts and thrusts of the Cavalier. "Yield!" cried Sydenham: "take mercy."

"Never!" returned he; " my hour is come; but if you fall with me, I care not for hell itself.”

Sydenham now endeavoured to disarm him, but without effect: he was at length constrained, in selfdefence, to pass his sword through the traitor's body, who instantly fell.

In the mean time, the Cavaliers had nearly annihilated their enemies, with whose bodies and horses the stream was choked up. The Round-heads fought, as they had ever been used to fight under Snell, as gallantly as men could; and not more than half a dozen, of whom Lord Caryfort was one, escaped from the field of battle. These were followed by Sidebotham and his troop, who took the way to the Castle Town. Armstrong and Ford staid with the Colonel, and, with their assistance, he bore the dying Snell into the house. On opening the door, they found the pastor, Lady Sydenham, Mrs. Ford, and the servants, upon their knees, engaged in prayer; but no sooner did Lady Sydenham behold her husband, than she sprang from her postulatory posture, and threw her arms round his neck. The preacher

returned thanks to God for his protection, and they

arose.

Armstrong and Ford laid their expiring burthen upon a long settle, and with some difficulty took off his armour, which was glued together with the gore which had run from his body. He had swooned with loss of blood, but partially revived upon Mrs. Ford administering to him some warm brandy. He opened his eyes, and apparently was conscious of his situation; for he ground his teeth in anguish, and one deep convulsive sob sprung from his breast.

Mrs. Ford held the cup to him again; but he shook his head, and in a low murmur, said, "It is over."'

The pastor advanced to the side of the settle, and conjured him to make his peace with God before he left this world, by a thorough, if short repentance; but with a passionate wafting of his hand, he cut him short, and exclaimed, as loudly as he could, "Away, away, ye persecute me; there is" he could not finish the sentence, but looked round the room until his eye rested on Sydenham: it fixed steadily upon him, and the Cavalier walked to his side. The face of the dying man assumed a character in which all other feelings were overwhelmed by despair; and the sweat poured down his forehead as if he had been in full health and much toiled.

"What wad ye just say, Colonel Snell?" said the Borderer, softly, for he was melted at this awful

scene.

Snell raised his head, and regarded the querist with a look of fearful anguish; he grasped Armstrong's hand, and endeavoured, with his assistance, to raise himself upon his elbow; but his strength failed him, and he again sank upon the settle. He lay quiet for a short time, as if to compose himself, and then said, in a voice quivering with agitation, "I have been a foul traitor to a noble master."

"Forget it," cried Sydenham ; " I forgive ye, both for my father and myself; were he here, he would act as I do."

He sprang upright, for a moment, with a countenance beaming satisfaction; but the exertion cut the feeble thread, which bound him to existence: his brow gathered, his forehead wrinkled, his teeth met, and he fell backwards without a sigh.

"He's gane," said Armstrong.

"God rest his soul," cried the pastor. "Amen, amen!" repeated all present.

About day-break many of the Cavaliers returned, at a sorry speed, from the pursuit, in which they had nearly crippled their horses. They had entered the Castle Town, and taken several prisoners; thence they had gone on to Chapel-en-le-Frith; but the force there stationed (though equal to themselves in number) having heard of the conflict from those who escaped, fled in a panic, leaving behind them the baggage and valuables of Snell and Lord Cary fort. Some of the Cavalier party still continued the chase towards Stockport; but upon arriving at the bridge of Waily, they found it broken down, and were therefore obliged to turn about. The first business of the morning was to inter the dead, which the soldiers speedily did, by digging a large pit, into which they cast the bodies of men and horses pêle mêle: they found the trunk of the witch lying on the bank of the stream, but her head could no where be discovered.* On the pile of bodies they placed Snell and the grey woman side by side, after which, without ceremony, they covered thewhole with earth and sods.

There are, worthy readers, many other pages in tbis manuscript; but they are so greatly defaced by the damp, which hath, like a hungry antiquary, devoured these morceaux of the olden time, that there is no possibility, even assisted by the skill of Davy himself, to restore and decypher the whole of the se

*It is said that this caput mortuum conveyed itself, nobody knows how, to a house near Chapel en-le-Frith, where the grey woman was born: for although she had lived almost her whole life near Banner Cross, yet her parents were servants to the proprietors of that house, in which the skull is still preserved. L. G.