Subject  | Path | | | | | • | UVA-LIB-Text | [X] | | • | University of Virginia Library, Modern English collection | [X] |
| | 1 | Author: | Herbert
Henry William
1807-1858 | Add | | | Title: | The brothers  | | | | Published: | 2006 | | | | Subjects: | University of Virginia Library, Modern English collection | UVA-LIB-Text | | | | Description: | Hastily springing to my feet, I had already
donned my clothes, and was buckling on my Milan
corslet, when old Martin entered my chamber,
fully equipped as a supernumerary subaltern of
my regiment. It was one of those customs of the
day, which has, since the time of which I write,
fallen completely into disuse, that every corps,
independent of its regular stands of national
and regimental colours, was distinguished by a
smaller standard, bearing the coat-armorial of its
commanding officer. This usage—which had
probably originated during the civil wars, wherein
each regiment was, for the most part, raised by its
colonel from among his own territorial and feudatory
dependants—I was particular to maintain in
my own instance the more scrupulously, as being
a stranger in a foreign land, and of course conscious
that, unless asserted by myself, my personal
dignity would not be much regarded by others.
It was partly with a view to this, as well as to
secure to myself a bold and trusty follower in the
field, that I had solicited for the foster-brother of
my father an appointment which certainly would
appear more suitable for a far younger man. But
no one, who had seen Martin Lydford on that
morning, would have deemed it possible that nearly
two-thirds of a century had passed over the head
of the erect and powerful veteran, who unfolded,
with a smile of daring exultation, the tattered and
time-honoured banner of my ancient house. He
wore a heavy antique helmet, with breast and back-pieces
of bright steel; immense jack-boots, and
high buff gauntlets reaching nearly to his elbows.
A long broadsword of English manufacture—
which, by-the-way, had done good service in its
time on many a stricken field—with a poniard of
formidable dimensions, completed his personal
equipment. But in addition to these he carried,
slung transversely across his shoulders, my petronel,
a choice piece of Spanish workmanship,
with an exceedingly small bore, and an indented,
or, as it is now termed, a rifled[1]
[1]The rifle, though a weapon of great rarity, was in use at
this period; as is evident from the piece with which the regent
Murray was shot, nearly a century earlier than the date of this
narrative. It is preserved in the gallery of the Duke of Hamilton,
and has a brass barrel slightly but distinctly rifled.
barrel. It was
not the fashion for officers to carry so cumbersome
a weapon, but I was, at the same time, unwilling
to lose a friend that had in several instances
served my turn, and perhaps saved my
life. The old man's eyes were full of tears as he
unfurled the colours, which had not floated for
many a day in action; but a sunny smile played on
his lips. “Harry”—it ran thus—“once more, my own,
own Harry! | | | Similar Items: | Find |
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