A Lollard and a Wickliffite

"Verily, daughter," answered the priest, "what you say seems truth; and

yet, nearly viewed, too much of the comfort you describe will be found

delusive. It is true, there was a period in the Christian world when

good men, maintaining themselves by the work of their hands, assembled

together, not that they might live easily or sleep softly, but that

they might strengthen each other in the Christian faith, and qualify

themselves to be teachers of the Word to the people. Doubtless there are

still such to be found in the holy edifices on which we now look. But it

is to be feared that the love of many has waxed cold. Our churchmen have

become wealthy, as well by the gifts of pious persons as by the bribes

which wicked men have given in their ignorance, imagining that they can

purchase that pardon by endowments to the church which Heaven has only

offered to sincere penitents. And thus, as the church waxeth rich, her

doctrines have unhappily become dim and obscure, as a light is less

seen if placed in a lamp of chased gold than beheld through a screen

of glass. God knows, if I see these things and mark them, it is from no

wish of singularity or desire to make myself a teacher in Israel; but

because the fire burns in my bosom, and will not permit me to be

silent. I obey the rules of my order, and withdraw not myself from

its austerities. Be they essential to our salvation, or be they mere

formalities, adopted to supply the want of real penitence and sincere

devotion, I have promised, nay, vowed, to observe them; and they shall

be respected by me the more, that otherwise I might be charged with

regarding my bodily ease, when Heaven is my witness how lightly I value

what I may be called on to act or suffer, if the purity of the church

could be restored, or the discipline of the priesthood replaced in its

primitive simplicity."

"But, my father," said Catharine, "even for these opinions men term

you a Lollard and a Wickliffite, and say it is your desire to destroy

churches and cloisters, and restore the religion of heathenesse."

The text above is from Walter Scott’s “The Fair Maid of Perth”.  Catherine Glover’s favorite priest has much to be concerned about, if he is considered a Lollard and a Wickliffite.  On May 4^th, 1415, John Wycliffe was condemned by the Council of Constance as a heretic.  Wycliffe is remembered partly for his focus on introducing the Bible in the vernacular. 

Battle of Tewkesbury

"It is the signal of parting," said the exiled Queen, collecting herself. " Do not fear, noble Oxford, I am not often thus; but how seldom do I see those friends, whose faces and voices can disturb the composure of my despair! Let me tie this relic about thy neck, good youth, and fear not its evil influence, though you receive it from an ill-omened hand. It was my husband's, blessed by many a prayer, and sanctified by many a holy tear; even my unhappy hands cannot pollute it. I should have bound it on my Edward's bosom on the dreadful morning of Tewkesbury fight; but he armed early — went to the field without seeing me, and all my purpose was vain.

She passed a golden chain round Arthur's neck as she spoke, which contained a small gold crucifix of rich but barbarous manufacture. It had belonged, said tradition, to Edward the Confessor. The knock at the door of the chapel was repeated.

"We must not tarry," said Margaret; "let us part here — you for Dijon — I to Aix, my abode of unrest in Provence. Farewell — we may meet in a better hour — yet how can I hope it? Thus I said on the morning before the fight of St. Albans — thus on the dark dawning of Towton — thus on the yet more bloody field of Tewkesbury — and what was the event? Yet hope is a plant which cannot be rooted out of a noble breast, till the last heart-string crack as it is pulled away."

The Battle of Tewkesbury was a Yorkist victory over the Lancastrians; part of the Wars of the Roses, as Sir Walter Scott termed it.  This battle took place on May 4, 1471.  The Wars of the Roses are part of the background for Scott's "Anne of Gieirstein" (text above).

The Storming of Seringapatam

May 4, 1799 witnessed the Battle of Seringapatam, in Srirangapatna, India.  Srirangapatna fortress was located on an island in the Cauvery River.  This battle between the British East India Company and the Kingdom of Mysore led to the death of Sultan Tipu, and victory for the East India Company.  British troops participated in the fray, led by Major General David Baird, who had once been imprisoned by Tipu (for 44 months) after the Battle of Polilur (1780).

Walter Scott includes reference to Seringapatam in his story "The Surgeon's Daughter":

"...From the result of his anxious enquiries, Hartley had reason to hope, that though Seringapatam was seventy-five miles more to the eastward than Bangalore, yet, by using diligence, he might have time to throw himself at the feet of Hyder, and beseech his interposition, before the meeting betwixt Tippoo and the Begum should decide the fate of Menie Gray. On the other hand, he trembled as the Peon told him that the Begum's Bukshee, or General, who had travelled to Madras with her in disguise, had now assumed the dress and character belonging to his rank, and it was expected he was to be honoured by the Mahomedan Prince with some high office of dignity. With still deeper anxiety, he learned that a palanquin, watched with sedulous care by the slaves of Oriental jealousy, contained, it was whispered, a Feringi, or Frankish woman, beautiful as a Houri, who had been brought from England by the Begum, as a present to Tippoo. The deed of villany was therefore in full train to be accomplished; it remained to see whether by diligence on Hartley's side, its course could be interrupted.


When this eager vindicator of betrayed innocence arrived in the capital of Hyder, it may be believed that he consumed no time in viewing the temple of the celebrated Vishnoo, or in surveying the splendid Gardens called Loll-bang, which were the monument of Hyder's magnificence, and now hold his mortal remains. On the contrary, he was no sooner arrived in the city, than he hastened to the principal Mosque, having no doubt that he was there most likely to learn some tidings of Barak el Hadgi. He approached accordingly the sacred spot, and as to enter it would have cost a Feringi his life, he employed the agency of a devout Mussulman to obtain information concerning the person whom he sought. He was not long in learning that the Fakir Barak was within the Mosque, as he had anticipated, busied with his holy office of reading passages from the Koran, and its most approved commentators. To interrupt him in his devout task was impossible, and it was only by a high bribe that he could prevail on the same Moslem whom he had before employed, to slip into the sleeve of the holy man's robe a paper containing his name, and that of the Khan in which the Vakeel had taken up his residence. The agent brought back for answer, that the Fakir, immersed, as was to be expected, in the holy service which he was in the act of discharging, had paid no visible attention to the symbol of intimation which the Feringi Sahib [European gentleman] had sent to him. Distracted with the loss of time, of which each moment was precious, Hartley next endeavoured to prevail on the Mussulman to interrupt the Fakir's devotions with a verbal message; but the man was indignant at the very proposal.


"Dog of a Christian!" he said, "what art thou and thy whole generation, that Barak el Hadgi should lose a divine thought for the sake of an infidel like thee?" ..."