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Stanley Abbey. A Refugee at. 



There can be no doubt to whom it refers. The adventures of 

 Fulke Fitzwarine the younger, a powerful Shropshire Baron, temp. 

 King John, are preserved in the once very popular "Romance of the 

 Fitzwarines" originally written in Anglo Norman verse, and subse- 

 quently transformed into an English prose version. Fulke Fitzwarine 

 the younger was one of King John's most persevering opponents. 

 The enmity between them is said to have taken its origin from a 

 boyish quarrel. While they were little more than children in 

 King Henry II. 's household, Prince John and Fulke were one day 

 playing at chess, and the former, angry at his playfellow's superior 

 skill, struck him violently on the head with the chess board. Fulke 

 returned the blow with so much force that the prince was thrown 

 with his head against the wall, and fell senseless on the floor. 

 When restored to his senses he immediately ran to his father to 

 make his complaint. But Henry who knew his son's character, 

 not only told him that he had deserved what he had got, but sent 

 for the tutor and desired that the Prince might be again beaten, 

 " finely and well," for complaining. 



John never forgot that Fulke Fitzwarine had been the cause of 

 this disgrace. Immediately after coming to the throne, he deprived 

 him of his large estates and gave them to another Baron. Then 

 began the adventures that form the "Romance" above mentioned. 

 Fitzwarine raised his friends and supporters : was joined by other 

 sufferers from the King's injustice, and carried on for a considerable 

 time, a petty but very troublesome rebellion. The account of his 

 wanderings, and narrow escapes, disguises and gallant deeds, some- 

 times resembling those of the popular Robin Hood, is very amusing. 

 The reader will find them given in Mr. T. Wright's History of 

 Ludlow, p. 63, from which we extract the following passage rela- 

 ting to Fitzwarine's sojourning in Wiltshire. 



"Fulke and his company went to the Forest of Bradene" 

 (Stanley Abbey was not far from the skirts of the forest,) where 

 they remained some time unobserved. One day there came ten 

 merchants who brought from foreign lands rich cloths and other 

 valuable merchandise, which they had bought for the King and 

 Queen of England, with money furnished from the royal treasury. 



