It was about nine o'clock, on a cold and bitter morning, when he came in
sight of the court-gate. Then surrounded with trees, the mansion itself
was not visible but within a short distance. This house, now ancient and
decayed, then existed in all its pomp and magnificence, having only been
erected, as tradition informs us, some fifty years before, by Sir Andrew
Barton, a famous pirate or free rover, who was knighted by James III. of
Scotland for his great bravery. In the third year of Henry the Eighth,
with two stout vessels called the _Lion_ and The _Jenny Perwin_, he
considerably interrupted the navigation on the English coasts. His
pretence was letters of reprisals granted him against the Portuguese by
James III. Under colour of this grant, he took ships of all nations,
alleging that they had Portuguese goods on board. Complaint being made
to the Privy Council of England, the Earl of Surrey said, "The narrow
seas should not be infested while he had estate enough to furnish a
ship, or a son capable of commanding it." Upon this, two ships were
immediately fitted out, and commanded by Sir Thomas and Sir Edward
Howard, sons to the Earl of Surrey, at their own expense, when, having
been some days at sea, they were separated by a storm, which gave Sir
Thomas Howard an opportunity of coming up with Sir Andrew Barton in the
_Lion_, whom he immediately engaged.
Pages:
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355