Owlet, the Robber Prince; or, The Unknown Highwayman

# Owlet, the Robber Prince; Or, The Unknown Highwayman

This serialized tale by Septimus R. Urban is set during King George III's coronation in 1761. Chapter I depicts the Westminster Abbey ceremony and subsequent banquet, where Sir Henry Dymocke, the hereditary champion, performs the traditional ritual of throwing down his gauntlet to challenge any who dispute the king's right to rule. A young girl dramatically seizes the glove and cries "Long live Harold the Second!" before disappearing into the crowd with this symbolic prize.

Chapter II shifts to Newgate Prison, providing an extended, atmospheric description of the fortress-like structure and a stone cell containing a fair-haired young woman imprisoned there—identified as the tale's heroine. The narrative dwells on the despair of imprisonment, the cell's sparse furnishings, and the prisoner's anguish. The serialized adventure blends historical coronation pageantry with mystery and melodrama centered on this imprisoned heroine.