"An insolent race, these statesmen and Dale shepherds," he added; "if one of them owns ten acres, he thinks himself as good as if he owns a thousand." "All well-born men, Julius, all of them; are they not, Charlotte?
Eh?
What ?" "So well born," answered Charlotte warmly, "that King James the First set up a claim to all these small estates, on the plea that their owners had never served a feudal lord, and were, therefore, tenants of the crown.

But the large statesmen went with the small ones.

They led them in a body to a heath between Kendal and Stavely, and there over two thousand men swore, 'that as they had their lands by the sword, they would keep them by the same.' So you see, Julius, they were gentlemen before the feudal system existed; they never put a finger under its authority, and they have long survived its fall." "Well, for all that, they make poor servants." "There's men that want Indian ryots or negro slaves to do their turn.

I want free men at Sandal-Side as long as I am squire of that name." "They missed you sorely in the fields, father.

It was not shearing-time, nor hay-time, nor harvest-time to any one in Sandal this year.