THE SQUIRE AND HIS YOLUNTEERS. 167 



as with, tlie sound' of church bells; both, were heard 

 together on Sundays, the days generally selected for 

 drill, for heavy taxes were laid on, and people had 

 to work hard to pay them, which they did wilHngly. 

 The Squire had the women on his side, and he 

 worked upon the men through the women. There 

 was open house at Willey, and no baron of olden 

 time dealt out hospitality more willingly or more 

 liberally. The Squire was here, there, and every- 

 where, visiting neighbouring squires, giving or 

 receiving information, stirring up the gentry, and 

 frightening country people out of their wits. Boney 

 became more terrible than hogy, both to children 

 and grown-up persons ; and the more vague the 

 notion of invasion to Shropshire inlanders, the more 

 horrible the evils to be dreaded. The clergy 

 preached about Bonaparte out of the E^evelations ; 

 conjurers and " wise-men,'' greater authorities even 

 then than the clergy, saw a connection between 

 Bonaparte and the strange lights which every oiie 

 had seen in the heavens ! The popular notion was 

 that ''Boney" was an undefined, horrible monster, 

 who had a sheep dressed every morning for 

 breakfast, who required an ox for his dinner, and 

 had six little English children cooked — when he 



