The Project Gutenberg EBook of Frida, or, The Lover's Leap, A Legend Of
The West Country, by R. D. Blackmore

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Title: Frida, or, The Lover's Leap, A Legend Of The West Country
From "Slain By The Doones" By R. D. Blackmore

Author: R. D. Blackmore

Release Date: August 14, 2007 [EBook #22316]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FRIDA ***

Produced by David Widger

FRIDA; OR, THE LOVER'S LEAP, A LEGEND OF THE WEST COUNTRY.

By R. D. Blackmore

From "SLAIN BY THE DOONES" by R. D. Blackmore
Copyright: Dodd, Mead And Company, 1895

CHAPTER I.

On the very day when Charles I. was crowned with due
rejoicings--Candlemasday, in the year of our Lord 1626--a loyalty, quite
as deep and perhaps even more lasting, was having its beer at Ley
Manor in the north of Devon. A loyalty not to the king, for the old
West-country folk knew little and cared less about the house that came
over the Border; but to a lord who had won their hearts by dwelling
among them, and dealing kindly, and paying his way every Saturday night.
When this has been done for three generations general and genial respect
may almost be relied upon.

The present Baron de Wichehalse was fourth in descent from that Hugh de
Wichehalse, the head of an old and wealthy race, who had sacrificed his
comfort to his resolve to have a will of his own in matters of religion.
That Hugh de Wichehalse, having an eye to this, as well as the other
world, contrived to sell his large estates before they were confiscated,
and to escape with all the money, from very sharp measures then
enforced, by order of King Philip II., in the unhappy Low Countries.
Landing in England, with all his effects and a score of trusty
followers, he bought a fine property, settled, and died, and left a
good name behind him. And that good name had been well kept up, and the
property had increased and thriven, so that the present lord was loved
and admired by all the neighbourhood.

In one thing, however, he had been unlucky, at least in his own opinion.
Ten years of married life had not found issue in parental life. All
his beautiful rocks and hills, lovely stream