CRETE-HALL, KENT. son of Reginald, who came over into England with Eleanor the queen of Henry II. The barony continued without intermission in the Courtenay family till the reign of Edward IV. when it was forfeited, together with the earldom of Devon. The honour and estates were restored to the Courtenay family by Henry VII. who afterwards advanced it to a marquisate. They were again forfeited by the Marquis of Exeter; but the earldom and estates were again restored. After the death of the last Earl of Devon, in 1566, the estates were divided among the co-heiresses, married to Arundel of Tolvern, Trethurfe, Mohun, and Trelawney. Sir Francis Vyvyan, one of the representatives of Trethurfe, possessed an eighth so lately as 1743; another eighth was for nearly a century in the family of Northmore; it afterwards passed to the Luxmoores, and from Luxmoore to Holland. Onefourth was for some time in the fa 251 mily of the Coxes. The Mohuns, who possessed one-fourth by inheritance, acquired another fourth and the site of the castle. These two fourths came by purchase to the Pitts, who possessed them for many years. Lord Clive became the proprietor of them and another fourth, by purchase; and this estate was successively in the possession of his present Majesty, when Prince of Wales, and of Henry Holland, Esq. of whom it was bought by Albany Saville, Esq. the present proprietor. The Barons of Oakhampton were hereditary sheriffs of Devon and keepers of the castle of Exeter till the reign of Edward III.: they held eight manors in demesne, in which they had the power of life and death. At Brightly was an abbey founded by Richard de Rivers, Earl of Devon: on its site are still the ruins of a chapel, now the property of Albany Saville, Esq.. CRETE-HALL, KENT, THE RESIDENCE OF JEREMIAH ROSHER, ESQ. years ago, by the present proprietor, Jeremiah Rosher, Esq.; and, as its name imports, is built entirely of chalk cut from the excavations south of the building, which retains its native whiteness, and has much the appearance of stone. There is nothing remarkable in the interior, but the several apartments are very spacious and agreeable, combining all the comforts of a country residence. This villa is pleasantly situated on the banks of the Thames, about a mile from Northfleet, in the county of Kent; the north front commanding a fine view of the river, where the various vessels may be seen passing and repassing at all times in the day. The annexed engraving represents the south front, which offers a model for the house of a private gentleman, and is nearly the same as the north; admirable in its classic. The excavations extend above a correctness of proportion, and afford-mile on the banks of the river, and ing a beautiful illustration of the simplex munditiis; and it is rendered more picturesque by the surrounding scenery. It was erected, about seven are highly romantic, being planted with shrubs and trees of various kinds, where, in the spring, the nightingales, thrushes, and black 252 birds sing the praises of these re- || its dock-yard, and many other inter treats in full chorus. This delightful spot is also remarkable for the great variety of wild flowers which grow spontaneously upon it. The views from the tops of these cliffs are extremely fine: Gravesend may be seen to the east ; to the north, the county of Essex, Tilbury-Fort, and Laindon-Hill; to the south-west, Northfleet church and village, also esting objects. The river has a most beautiful appearance from this place, taking a serpentine course towards London; and to the south, the rich and fertile county of Kent may be seen to great advantage. In fact, the views from this place are most charming, and cannot fail to afford much gratification to all who may visit these romantic retreats. THE PRISONERS IN THE CAUCASUS. A Few months after Ivan's feigned apostacy, he perceived a great alteration in the behaviour of the inhabitants, and the tokens of their displeasure were too manifest to be mistaken. He strove, to no purpose, to discover the cause, when some young men, with whom he had formed a more intimate acquaintance, proposed to him to accompany them in an expedition which they were about to undertake. Their plan was to cross the Terek, for the purpose of plundering the merchants whowere known to be travelling that way to Mosdok. Ivan assented to their proposal without hesitation. He had long been desirous of procuring arins, and was promised a share of the booty. He conceived that when those who suspected him of an intention to desert saw him return to his master, they would cease to mistrust him. The major, however, strongly opposed this design, and the denshik seemed to think no more about it, when, one morning, Kascambo saw the mat on which Ivan slept rolled up against the wall. He had set out in the night. His companions were to cross the Terek the following night, and to attack the merchants, of whose route they had been apprised by their spies. The confidence of the Tchetchenges ought to have awakened some suspicion in Ivan's mind: it was not natural that men so crafty and so mistrustful should associate with themselves a Russian, their prisoner, in an expedition against his countrymen. He was actually informed, in the sequel, that they had made the proposal with no other intention than to murder him by the way. Being, however, necessitated to preserve appearances with him as a new convert, they resolved to keep a strict eye upon him during the march, and not to dispatch him till the moment of attack, to induce a belief that he had fallen in the conflict. Some few only of his companions were in the secret. Circumstances frustrated this arrangement; for just at the moment when their band had formed an ambuscade to waylay the merchants, they were themselves surprised by a regiment of Cossacks, who charged them so vigorously, that they had great difficulty to recross the river. The imminence of the danger caused them to forget their plot against Ivan, who followed them in their retreat. As their troop, in the utmost confusion, was fording the Terek, the current of which is extremely rapid, the horse of a young Tchetchenge fell in the middle of the river, and was immediately carried away by the stream. Ivan, who was behind him, rode to his assistance, at the risk of his own life, and seizing the young man, when on the point of sinking, dragged him to the bank. The Cossacks, recognising him by his uniform and foraging cap, for the day was beginning to dawn, took aim at him, crying, "A deserter! down with the deserter!" His clothes were perforated with balls. At length, after fighting desperately and expending all his cartridges, he returned to the village, with the glory of having saved the life of one of his comrades, and rendered good service to the whole troop. If his behaviour on this occasion did not gain him the general confidence, it secured him at least a friend. The young man whose life he had saved adopted him for his koniak (a sacred title which the mountaineers of the Caucasus never violate), and swore to defend him against every foe. This new connection, however, was not sufficient to screen him from the hatred of the principal inhabitants. The courage which he had just shewn, and his attachment to his master, strengthened the apprehensions which he had excited. They could no longer consider him as a mere buffoon, incapable of any thing but antics; and when they reflected on the failure of the enterprise in which he had borne a part, they were astonished that Russian troops should have been just at that moment at a point so far distant from their usual residence, and suspected that he might have found means to apprise the enemyof their intentions. Though this conjecture was really unfounded, he was watched more closely than ever. Old Ibrahim too, fearful of some plot for the escape of the prisoners, prevented them from holding any long conversation together; and the faithful denshik was threatened, nay, sometimes beaten, when he attempted to converse with his master. In this situation the two prisoners devised an expedient for interchanging their ideas without awakening the suspicion of their gaoler. As they were in the habit of singing Russian songs together, the major took his guitar, when he had something important to communicate to Ivan in Ibrahim's presence, and sung what he had to say in a sort of recitative, which his attendant answered in the same manner, while his master accompanied him on the guitar. This arrangement was nothing new; the stratagem excited no suspicion; and the prisoners moreover had the precaution to resort to it but very rarely. More than three months had elapsed since the unfortunate expedition adverted to above, when Ivan thought that he could perceive an extraordinary bustle in the village. Some mules laden with powder had just arrived from the plain. The men furbished their arms and made cartridges. He soon learned that they were preparing for a great expedition. The whole nation was to unite for the purpose of attacking a neighbouring tribe, which had put itself under the protection of Russia, and allowed a fort to be built in its territory. Their intention was no other than to exterminate the whole tribe, || saw that the expedition would be unas well as the Russian battalion successful, and that he should not which covered the erection of the fort. A few days afterwards, Ivan, on leaving the hut in the morning, found the whole village deserted. All the mules capable of bearing arms had marched away in the night. In the walk which he took through the village to make inquiries, he received fresh proofs of the ill-will that was borne him. The old men abstained from all conversation with him; and a little boy told him plumply, that his father designed to take his life. As he was returning quite pensive to his master, he saw on the roof of a house a young female, who raised her veil, and, with a look of the greatest alarm, motioned to him with her hand to begone, at the same time pointing towards Russia. It was the sister of the young man whom he had saved in crossing the Terek. fail to be sacrificed to their rage, He had no other alternative than either to abandon his master, or to set immediately about his liberation, The faithful Ivan would rather have suffered a thousand deaths than have pursued the former course. Kascambo, who began to lose all hopes, had for some time past given way to deep despondency, and observed an habitual silence. Ivan, more calm and in better spirits than usual, displayed unwonted alacrity in the preparation of breakfast, and while thus engaged, kept singing Russian songs, introducing now and then words of encouragement to his master. "The time is come," he said, or rather sang, subjoining to each phrase the unmeaning burden of a Russian popular song-Hai lulee, hai lulee; "the time is come to terminate our misery or perish. To-morrow, hai lulee, we shall be on the way to a city, a delightful city, hai lulee, which I will not name. Courage, master! be not disheartened, hai lulee! Great is the God of the Russians." On reaching the house, he found the old gaoler engaged in examining the fetters of the major. A third person was seated in the room: it was a man who had been prevented by an intermittent fever from accompanying his countrymen, and who had been sent to Ibrahim as an additional guard upon the prisoners till the return of the expedition. Ivanly saying, "Hold thy tongue and do was soon aware of this precaution, what thou wilt." Towards evening but took care not to manifest sur- the invalid, who had been well treated prise. The absence of the men fur- that he might stay the more willingnished him with a favourable oppor-ly, and who, besides making a hearty tunity for the execution of his plans; dinner, had gratified himself all the but the increased vigilance of their rest of the day with eating chislik*, gaoler, and, above all, the presence was seized with so violent a paroxysm of the invalid, rendered their success of fever, that he could stay no longer, extremely doubtful. On the other but was obliged to go home. He hand, he was convinced that if he * Mutton cut in small pieces, stuck awaited the return of the people, his on a stick and roasted, or rather toasted death would be inevitable: he fore-at the fire. Kascambo, indifferent alike to life and death, and ignorant of the plan. of his denshik, concluded with mere |