[MID TEST] The Black Arrow: A tale of the two roses

 

Book title : The Black Arrow: A tale of the two roses

Author : Robert Louis Stevenson

Publisher : Charles Scribner's Sons

Genre (Type of book) : Historical, Adventure, Romance

 

                                        

                Summary  book  The Black Arrow: A tale of the two roses

 

The story begins with the Tunstall Moat House alarm bell, rung to summon recruits for its absent lord Sir

Daniel Brackley, to join the Battle of Risingham; at which the outlaw "fellowship" known as "the Black

Arrow" begins to strike with its "four black arrows" for the "four black hearts" of Brackley and three of

his retainers: Nicholas Appleyard, Bennet Hatch, and Sir Oliver Oates, the parson. The rhyme posted in

explanation of this attack, makes the protagonist Richard ('Dick') Shelton, ward of Sir Daniel, curious

about the death of his father Sir Harry Shelton. Having been dispatched to Kettley, where Sir Daniel was

quartered, and sent to Tunstall Moat House by return dispatch, he falls in with a fugitive, Joanna Sedley,

disguised as a boy with the alias of John Matcham: an heiress kidnapped by Sir Daniel to obtain

guardianship over her and to retain his control over Richard by marrying her to him. As they travel

through Tunstall Forest, Joanna tries to persuade Dick to turn against Sir Daniel in sympathy with the

Black Arrow outlaws, whose camp they discover near the ruins of Grimstone manor. The next day they

are met in the forest by Sir Daniel himself, disguised as a leper and returning to the Moat House after his

side was defeated at Risingham. Dick and Joanna then follow Sir Daniel to the Moat House. Here Dick

confirms that Sir Daniel is the murderer of his father, and escapes injured from the Moat House. He is

rescued by the outlaws of the Black Arrow. The second half of the novel, books 3–5, tells how Dick

rescues Joanna from Sir Daniel with the help of both the Black Arrow fellowship and the Yorkist army led

by Richard Crookback, Duke of Gloucester, the future Richard III of England. The action centre is Shoreby

on the North Sea coast, where the Lancastrian forces are entrenched. While shadowing Sir Daniel, Dick

and the outlaws encounter another group of spies interested in Joanna: her lawful guardian, Lord

Foxham, and his retainers. Dick and his outlaws defeat Foxham in a night skirmish. Foxham in

accordance with knightly honor agrees to yield himself to Dick at St. Bride's Cross outside Shoreby the

next day. They become fast friends, and Foxham promises Joanna to Dick in marriage after a

contemplated seaside rescue. This enterprise fails, leaving Foxham wounded and unable to personally

help Dick. He writes Dick a letter of recommendation to the Yorkist leader, Duke Richard Crookback. In

book 4, "The Disguise," Dick and his outlaw companion, Lawless, disguise themselves as friars to get into

Sir Daniel's Shoreby mansion to visit Joanna. They discover that the next morning Sir Daniel will give

Joanna in marriage to his fellow Lancastrian magnate, Lord Shoreby, and word is sent to Ellis Duckworth,

the outlaw chief. Complications arise as Lawless gets drunk and Lord Shoreby's spy, Rutter, noses

around Sir Daniel's mansion, discovering telltale evidence of Dick and Lawless's intrusion. Dick kills

Rutter, and security in the mansion is heightened when his body is discovered. Dick and Lawless end up

 

in the custody of Sir Oliver, who tells Dick that he is free to leave provided the wedding of Lord Shoreby

and Joanna takes place as planned. When Black Arrow archers disrupt the wedding, killing the

bridegroom, Dick and Lawless are turned over to Sir Daniel. Dick claims sanctuary from Sir Daniel in the

abbey church, but, in the end, yields himself and Lawless to a more impartial judge, the Lancastrian

magnate, Earl Risingham. Dick gains freedom for himself and Lawless when he produces evidence to Earl Risingham that Sir Daniel is a double-dealing traitor.

Crookback makes his appearance in book 5. As Dick is leaving Shoreby he sees Crookback holding his

own against seven or eight Lancastrian assailants, and assists his victory. Dick's accurate knowledge of

the Lancastrian forces in Shoreby aid Crookback in winning the battle that he wages later that day. Dick

is also successful as one of Crookback's commanders. Crookback knights Dick on the field of battle and,

following their victory, gives him fifty horsemen to pursue Sir Daniel, who has escaped Shoreby with

Joanna. Dick succeeds in rescuing Joanna, but loses his men in the process. He and Joanna make their

way to Holywood where they are married. In this way Dick fulfills his initial pledge to Joanna to convey

her safely to Holywood.

In the early morning of his wedding day Dick encounters a fugitive Sir Daniel trying to enter the

Holywood seaport to escape to France or Burgundy. Because it is his wedding day, Dick does not want to

soil his hands with Sir Daniel's blood, so he simply bars his way by challenging him either to hand-to-

hand combat or alerting a Yorkist perimeter patrol. Sir Daniel retreats but is shot with the final black

arrow by Ellis Duckworth who had been following him. Thereafter, Sir Richard and Lady Shelton live in

Tunstall Moat House untroubled by the rest of the Wars of the Roses. Lawless is pensioned and settled

in Tunstall hamlet, where he does a volte face by returning to the Franciscan order and taking the name,

Brother Honestus.