Black Arrow, The
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
The, a tale of the War of the Roses, a story of adventure by Robert Louis Stevenson, published in 1888. The tale is one of Stevenson's best. Sir Daniel Brackley, who shifts from one civil faction to another, as he may fancy is for his interest, compassed the death of his brother and held the guardianship of his young nephew Dick, that he might enjoy the lad's estate. The plot is one of greenwood, crossbow, and maiden-rescued-at-the-altar, quite in Robin Hood style. John Amend-All plays the part of Robin Hood. He and his men have a liking for young Dick, and an especial aversion for Sir Daniel and his followers. The retainers of Sir Daniel muster at the lichgate to march under his banner. They find a note pinned to the church door from which the tenor of the tale may be inferred: I had four blak arrows under my belt, Four for the greefs that I have felt, Four for the nomber of ill menne That have oppressid me now and then. One is gone; one is wele sped; Old Apulyaird is ded. One is for Maister Bennet Hatch, That burned Grimstone, walls and thatch. One for Sir Oliver Oates, That cut Sir Harry Shelton's throat. Sir Daniel, ye shull have the fourt; We shall think it fair sport. Ye shull each have your own part, A blak arrow in each blak heart. Get ye to your knees for to pray: Ye are ded theeves, by yea and nay! Jon Amend-All of the Green Wood And his jolly fellaweship. Item, we have mo arrowes and goode hempen cord for otheres of your following. See Stevenson ; Robert Louis
What Has Changed in the Last Century
The novel Aiton's described in 1910 is unchanged word for word, but the judgement that it is "one of Stevenson's best" has not survived. Stevenson himself called the book "tushery" while writing it, and modern criticism places it well below Treasure Island and Kidnapped, though it stayed in print and reached the screen in 1948 with Louis Hayward and again as a Disney television film in 1985. One detail Aiton's leaves out has aged interestingly: the young Richard Crookback who appears in the later chapters is Richard III, whose reputation has been fought over ever since his skeleton was dug from a Leicester car park in 2012. Readers may also note that the tale first ran in 1883 in the magazine Young Folks under the pen name Captain George North, seriali]sed years before the 1888 book edition cited here.
Written for this edition, 2026.