^Estemont 319 



terriers, after tearing their fleeces with the furze and brambles 

 with which the sweUing slopes are embossed. In a hollow, 

 at rare intervals, stands here and there a farmhouse under 

 its sycamore canopy ; and far away, between the slopes of 

 the down below, the soil is cut up into fields, with woods 

 hanging above. At the mouth of the vale, between it and 

 the coast, stands Sgremont, a little town which looks very 

 pretty from the uplands; — and cheerful too, in spite of 

 its Roman name, ('the mount of Sorrow.') It is distinguished 

 by romantic traditions. It was at the gateway of Egremont 

 Castle that the horn was hung, in crusading days, which was 

 twice blown by the gallant Eustace de Lacy. As the Cum- 

 brians tell. Sir Eustace and his brother Hubert rode forth 

 together to the Holy Wars ; and Sir Eustace blew the horn, 

 saying to his brother, * If I fall in Palestine, do thou return 

 and blow this horn, and take possession; that Egremont 

 may not be without a Lacy for its Lord.' In Palestine am- 

 bition of this Lordship so took possession of Hubert, that 

 he hired ruffians to drown his brother in the Jordan : and 

 the ruffians assured him that the deed was done. He 

 returned home, and stole into the castle by night, — not 

 daring to sound the horn. But he soon plucked up spirit, 

 and drowned his remorse in revels. In the midst of a 

 banquet one day, the horn was heard sounding such a blast 

 that the echoes came back from the fells, after starting the 

 red deer from his covert, and the wild boar from his drink- 

 ing at the tarn. Hubert knew that none but Eustace could 

 or would sound the horn ; and he fled by a postern while 

 his brother Eustace entered by the gate. Long after, the 

 wretched Hubert came to ask forgiveness from his brother ; 

 and having obtained it, retired to a convent, where he prac- 

 tised penance till he died. The ruins of the castle stand 

 on an eminence to the west of the town. 



