Historic%20Yorkshire

60
THE SHEPHERD LORD.
the safety of her children. Grief gave way to solicitous
consideration, and she soon decided to take up her abode
at Londesborough,whereher father was yet living; and,
as soon as an opportune moment arrived, she fled from
her pleasant home at Skipton, disguised as a farmer's
wife, and at length arrived safely amongst the scenes of
her childhood's days. Her children were three in number,
Henry, Richard, and Elizabeth;the eldest,Henry,whom
we know as the ShepherdLord, being about sevenyears
old. The illustrious and unhappy party had not long
arrived at Londesborough when it was ascertained that
Clifford's children were being eagerly sought for, and
plans were at once devised for keepingthemin secrecy.
Theyounger son was entrusted to a reliable retainer, and
they were sent together to the port (now swept away) of
Ravenspurne, and thence escaped to Flanders. The
little daughter had less reason to fear the resentment of
Edward,and she accordingly was allowed to remain with
her mother. Henry, it was arranged, should be given
into the care of a shepherd on the Londesborough
estate, husband of the woman who had nursed the
Lady Clifford in her early childhood. This was done,
and he continued to be brought up as though he were
actually the son of the Shepherd. He lived thus for
some years, whenin 1466 Lady Clifford, by the death of
her father,becamepossessed of theLondesboroughestate,
and about the same time it was reported that the King
was intent upon discovering the hiding place of the
children. On this account the LadyClifford caused the
Shepherdand his youthful charge to be sent to a remote
part of Westmoreland, where discovery would be rendered
almost impossible by the seclusion of the place.
Here, in the most solitarypart of that desolatecounty, the
young Shepherd developed into manhood, carrying on
the humble occupation of sheep-tending, allunconscious
of his noble descent. Here he lived a peasant's life in
every respect, eating the same coarse food, wearing the
same clothes, and partaking in the same rural festivals