earnestly for mercy. The monk bade him fear nothing, but enter the
cavern, and see what no mortal eye ever yet beheld. On passing the gates
he found himself in a spacious cavern, on each side of which were horses,
resembling his own, in size and colour. Near these lay soldiers accoutred
in ancient armour, and in the chasms of the rock were arms, and piles of
gold and silver. From one of these the enchanter took the price of the
horse in ancient coin, and on the farmer asking the meaning of these
subterranean armies, exclaimed, "These are caverned warriors preserved
by the good genius of England, until that eventful day, when distracted
by intestine broils, England shall be thrice won and lost between sunrise
and sunset. Then we awakening from our sleep, shall rise to turn the fate
of Britain. This shall be when George, the son of George, shall reign.
When the Forests of Delamere shall wave their arms over the slaughtered
sons of Albion. Then shall the eagle drink the blood of princes from the
headless _cross_ (query corse.) Now haste thee home, for it is not
in thy time these things shall be. A Cestrian shall speak it, and be
believed." The farmer left the cavern, the iron gates closed, and though
often sought for, the place has never again been found.

The latter part of the monk's prophecy has been fulfilled. Nixon, the
well-known Cheshire seer foretold the same events in nearly the same
words; but the belief in his dreams of futurity, has been much
diminished by the decease of our late monarch. Recourse has been had, as
in other works of greater moment, to various readings, and the probable
mistakes of early transcribers, and many emendations have been proposed
to supply the place of the name of George, but _adhuc sub judice lis
est_. The Cestrian rustics of the neighbouring villages, still
believe that at midnight the neighing of horses is audible under
Alderley Edge.