176 



THE BAJ-H ROAD 



deposition to the facts made by the midwife, Mrs. 

 Barnes of ShefFord, taken down on her deathbed by a 

 Mr. Bridges of Great Sheflford, a magistrate, who was 

 also a cousin of Darell, and would not, it may well be 

 supposed, be inclined to spread any baseless gossip to 

 the hurt of a family with which he was connected. 

 This deposition tells the story as already narrated. It 

 does not identify Darell or Littlecote, nor does it even 



.-■„,^' 



IJTTLECOTE. 



hint the identity of any person or place. But the 

 sinister discovery, some twenty years ago, at Long- 

 leat, of an original letter from Sir H. Kuyvett, of 

 CharltoD, to Sir John Thynne, of Lougleat, dated 

 January 2, 157^ (about the time of the midwife's con- 

 fession), brings us to the original rumours pointiog to 

 Darell's being the man and Littlecote the place. 



There was then residing at Longleat a Mr. Bonham, 

 whose sister was well known to be living with Darell 

 as his mistress, and this letter requests that " Mr. 

 Bonham will inquire of his sister touching her usage 



