ues at festival times; in
summer they travelled about the country.

This sir William was succeeded in his estates by sir John Holles his
grandson, who was one of the band of gentlemen pensioners to Elizabeth,
and in the reign of James I. purchased the title of earl of Clare. His
grandfather had engaged his hand to a kinswoman of the earl of
Shrewsbury; but the young man declining to complete this contract, and
taking to wife a daughter of sir Thomas Stanhope, the consequence was a
long and inveterate feud between the houses of Holles and of Talbot,
which was productive of several remarkable incidents. Its first effect
was a duel between Orme, a servant of Holles, and Pudsey, master of
horse to the earl of Shrewsbury, in which the latter was slain. The earl
prosecuted Orme, and sought to take away his life; but sir John Holles
in the first instance caused him to be conveyed away to Ireland, and
afterwards obtained his pardon of the queen. For his conduct in this
business he was himself challenged by Gervase Markham, champion and
gallant to the countess of Shrewsbury; but he refused the duel, because
the unreasonable demand of Markham, that it should take place in a park
belonging to the earl his enemy, gave him just ground to apprehend that
some treachery was meditated. Anxious however to wipe away the
aspersions which his adversary had taken occasion to cast upon his
courage, he sought a rencounter which might wear the appearance of
accident; and soon after, having met Markham on the road, they
immediately dismounted and attacked each other with their rapiers;
Markham fell, severely wounded, and the earl of Shrewsbury lost no time
in raising his servants and tenantry to the number of one hundred and
twenty in order to apprehend Holles in case Markham's hurt should prove
mortal. On the other side lord Sheffield, the kinsman of Holles, joined
him with sixty men. "I hear, cousin," said he on his arrival, "that my
lord of Shrewsbury is prepared to trouble you; but take my word, before
he carry you it shall cost many a broken pate;" and he and his company
remained at Haughton till the wounded man was out of danger. Markham had
vowed never to eat supper or take the sacrament till he was revenged,
and in consequence found himself obliged to abstain from both to the day
of his death[111]. What appears the most extraordinary part of the
story is, that we do not find the queen and council interfering to put a
stop to this private