The History behind Lord Greville's
Captive
By the Sword Divided...
The English
Civil War tore the country apart between 1642 and 1645 when the Parliament
and King Charles I were in conflict. Brother was opposed to
brother, men who had been friends for years found themselves fighting
against one another. In Lord Greville's Captive, Simon and his brother
Henry are fighting for the parliament cause whilst their father the Earl of
Harrington, supports the King. I have tried to show in the book the grief
that making such decisions between family loyalty and principle caused.
This moving letter from Sir William Waller to his friend Sir Ralph Hopton,
both landowners in the West Country near Bath, illustrates the anguish of
men who had been comrades and close friends and were now in opposition:
"To my noble friend Sir Ralph Hopton at Wells
Sir
The experience I have of your worth and the happinesse I have enjoyed in
your friendship are woundinge considerations when I look upon this present
distance between us. Certainely my affection to you is so unchangeable that
hostility itself cannot violate my friendship... but I must be true to the
cause wherein I serve.
That great God, which is the
searcher of my heart, knows with what a sad sense I go about this service,
and with what a perfect hatred I detest this war without an enemie. The God
of peace in his good time send us peace. In the meantime... we are upon this
stage and must act those parts that are assigned to us in this tragedy. Let
us do it with honour and without personal animosity. Whatever the outcome is
I shall never willingly relinquish the title of
Your most
affectionate friend
William Waller."
