152 THE FORESTS OF ENGLAIjfD. 



"Pre-eminently barbarous among this lawless com- 

 , munity were the wild townsmen of Rothbury, in the 

 Forest of Rothbury. Of their manners we have a sample 

 in the following anecdotes : — * 



" ' One Sunday, when Mr Gilpin was preaching in the 

 church of Rothbury, two parties of armed men met acci- 

 dentally in the aisle ; and being at feud, they instantly pre- 

 pared to decide their differences on the spot, aad dese- 

 crate the house of God by making it the theatre of a 

 bloody contest. Mr Gilpin rushed from the pulpit, and 

 fearlessly interposed his own person between the infuri- 

 ated combatants, who were advancing upon each other 

 sword in hand, and by a burst of holy eloquence arrested 

 the conflict, and obtained a promise from the leaders on 

 both sides, that they would not only respect his presence 

 and the church, but also would sit out the sermon. The 

 preacher then remounted the pulpit, and such was the 

 fervour of his impassioned address that, although he failed 

 to heal the feud entirely, he received an assurance — and 

 it was faithfully kept — that while he remained in Roth- 

 bury not a blow should be stricken, nor an angry word be 

 exchanged. 



" On a subsequent visit, through the neglect of a ser- 

 vant, bis horses were stolen ; and when the robbery was 

 bruited about, the greatest indignation was expressed by 

 his wild and lawless congregation. The thief, who 

 neither knew nor cared, like a true borderer, to whom the 

 horses belonged, accidentally heard they were the pro- 

 perty of Mr Gilpin. Instantly he led them safely back, 

 restored them with an humble request to be forgiven, 

 which he accompanied by a declaration that he believed 

 the devil would have seized him on the spot had he know- 

 ingly dared to intermeddle with aught that belonged to so 

 good a man. 



" Bishop Grindal has ^Iso shewn the state in which the 



. * Bemard Oilpin, nephew o! Tunstal, Bishop o{ Durham, was in the habit of periodi- 

 Ically visiting them for their spiritual welfare. 



