They were well
satisfied to have a young knight as their lord; for the feus had been
held by a minor, who had died two years before; and had not been at the
castle since he was taken away, as a child, to be brought up at the
town of Alnwick, where he had remained under the eye of the Percys. It
had long been understood, however, that the feu would not be granted to
him; for he was weakly from his birth, and wholly unfitted for the
charge of a castle, so near the Scottish border.
According to feudal usage, each tenant expected that he would be called
upon to pay a heavy sum, under the name of a relief, as was customary
in the case of a new lord taking possession; and they were greatly
relieved when Oswald told them that, as he already possessed armour and
horses, he would quit them for a fourth part of the usual amount;
although he should, of course, require their services to enable him to
repair such dilapidations as the castle had suffered, during the long
term that it had stood empty.
For the next three months, he stayed in Stoubes. Roger had been sent
off at once, with two men-at-arms, to bring the horses and armour that
had been left at Welshpool; bearing a letter to the governor from
Oswald, thanking him much for having taken care of them, and saying
briefly that he had been left on the field for dead, after the fight
near Llanidloes; but had recovered, and been well treated by Glendower,
who had put him to ransom.
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