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diff --git a/44963-8.txt b/44963-0.txt index dfd5c6a..54817fa 100644 --- a/44963-8.txt +++ b/44963-0.txt @@ -1,36 +1,4 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of For Faith and Freedom, by Walter Besant - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: For Faith and Freedom - -Author: Walter Besant - -Illustrator: A. Forestier - F. Waddy - -Release Date: February 19, 2014 [EBook #44963] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FOR FAITH AND FREEDOM *** - - - - -Produced by sp1nd and the Online Distributed Proofreading -Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from -images generously made available by The Internet Archive) - - - - +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 44963 *** Transcriber's note: @@ -117,7 +85,7 @@ CONTENTS VI. BENJAMIN, LORD CHANCELLOR 32 - VII. MEDICINÆ DOCTOR 40 + VII. MEDICINÆ DOCTOR 40 VIII. A ROYAL PROGRESS 47 @@ -603,7 +571,7 @@ say, for the Church, he would take as little heed of anything as his ox or his ass; his village would become his country; his squire would become his king; the nearest village would become the camp of an enemy; and he would fall into the condition of the Ancient Briton -when Julius Cæsar found every tribe fighting against every other. +when Julius Cæsar found every tribe fighting against every other. I talk as a fool. For sometimes there falls upon the torpid soul of the rustic a spark which causes a mighty flame to blaze up and @@ -2082,7 +2050,7 @@ possess a man. CHAPTER VII. -MEDICINÆ DOCTOR. +MEDICINÆ DOCTOR. Humphrey did not, like Benjamin, brag of the things he would do when @@ -2119,7 +2087,7 @@ creature. They will not laugh at me when I alleviate their pains.' He laughed, but not with merriment; for, indeed, a cripple or a hunchback cannot laugh mirthfully over his own misfortune. 'Some men speak scornfully of the profession,' he went on. 'The great French -playwright, Monsieur Molière, doth make the physicians the butt and +playwright, Monsieur Molière, doth make the physicians the butt and laughing-stock of all Paris. Yet consider. It is medicine which prolongs our days and relieves our pains. Before the science was studied, the wretch who caught a fever in the marshy forest lay down @@ -3821,7 +3789,7 @@ to speak of yourself!' that I had not the least thought of what he was going to say, my mind being wholly occupied with the idea of Robin. -'I am a physician, as you doubtless know. I am Medicinæ Doctor of +'I am a physician, as you doubtless know. I am Medicinæ Doctor of Oxford, of Padua, Montpellier, and Leyden. I know all--I may fairly say, and without boasting--that may be learned by one of my age from schools of medicine and from books on the science and practice of @@ -6344,7 +6312,7 @@ extravagances for me? But poets cannot mean what they say-- The marbled Saint, so cold and pure, Minds naught of earthly ways; Nor can man's gauds entice or lure - That fixéd heavenly gaze. + That fixéd heavenly gaze. So Celia, though thou Queen and Empress art, To heaven, to heaven alone, belongs thy heart. @@ -14142,7 +14110,7 @@ boasted skill of the physician, one must confess, availeth little against a disease which hath once laid hold upon a man. 'Tis better for him so to order the lives of his patients while they are well as to prevent disease, just as those who dwell beside an unruly river -(as I have seen upon the great river Rhone) build up a high levée, +(as I have seen upon the great river Rhone) build up a high levée, or bank, over which it cannot pass. In the sick-house the floor was of earth, without boards; there was @@ -15309,7 +15277,7 @@ Man's Land; inhabitants have they none; navigators, for the most part, know them not; English, French, and Spanish ships come never to these islands. My purpose, therefore, is to put in at Great Margaritos or Tortuga for rest and fresh water, and so presently -make the Dutch island of Curaçao.' +make the Dutch island of Curaçao.' 'And after that?' @@ -15706,7 +15674,7 @@ desert island of Tortuga, where we shall find water for certain--and that, I have been told, the best spring-water that flows; turtles we may also find, and fish we may catch; and when we have recovered our strength, with a few days' rest ashore, we will once more put -to sea and make for the island of Curaçao and the protection of the +to sea and make for the island of Curaçao and the protection of the Dutchmen.' It needs not to tell much more about the voyage, in which we were @@ -15751,7 +15719,7 @@ of the freshest and brightest I ever saw. Here Robin mended apace, and began to walk about with no more help from his nurses. We were minded, as I have said, to sail as far as the island of -Curaçao, but an accident prevented this. +Curaçao, but an accident prevented this. One day, when we had been ashore for ten days or thereabouts, we were terrified by the sight of a small vessel rigged in the fashion @@ -15778,7 +15746,7 @@ long and earnest, and apparently friendly. Presently Barnaby returned to us. 'There offers,' he said, 'a chance which is perhaps better than to -make for Curaçao, where, after all, we might get scurvy treatment. +make for Curaçao, where, after all, we might get scurvy treatment. These men, in a word, are privateers; or, since we are at war with none, they are pirates. They fitted out a brigantine, or bilander (I know not which), and designed to sail round Cape Horn to attack @@ -17048,360 +17016,4 @@ of the book. End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of For Faith and Freedom, by Walter Besant -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FOR FAITH AND FREEDOM *** - -***** This file should be named 44963-8.txt or 44963-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/4/9/6/44963/ - -Produced by sp1nd and the Online Distributed Proofreading -Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from -images generously made available by The Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: For Faith and Freedom - -Author: Walter Besant - -Illustrator: A. Forestier - F. Waddy - -Release Date: February 19, 2014 [EBook #44963] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FOR FAITH AND FREEDOM *** - - - - -Produced by sp1nd and the Online Distributed Proofreading -Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from -images generously made available by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - -</pre> - - +<div>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 44963 ***</div> <hr class="chap" /> @@ -274,7 +233,7 @@ of 'The Illustrated London News'</i><br /> <tr><td align="right">IV.</td><td align="left">SIR CHRISTOPHER</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_23">23</a></td></tr> <tr><td align="right">V.</td><td align="left">THE RUNAWAY</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_27">27</a></td></tr> <tr><td align="right">VI.</td><td align="left">BENJAMIN, LORD CHANCELLOR</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_32">32</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="right">VII.</td><td align="left">MEDICINÆ DOCTOR</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_40">40</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">VII.</td><td align="left">MEDICINÆ DOCTOR</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_40">40</a></td></tr> <tr><td align="right">VIII.</td><td align="left">A ROYAL PROGRESS</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_47">47</a></td></tr> <tr><td align="right">IX.</td><td align="left">WITH THE ELDERS</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_54">54</a></td></tr> <tr><td align="right">X.</td><td align="left">LE ROY EST MORT</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_60">60</a></td></tr> @@ -710,7 +669,7 @@ Church, he would take as little heed of anything as his ox or his ass; his village would become his country; his squire would become his king; the nearest village would become the camp of an enemy; and he would fall into the condition of the Ancient Briton -when Julius Cæsar found every tribe fighting against every other.</p> +when Julius Cæsar found every tribe fighting against every other.</p> <p>I talk as a fool. For sometimes there falls upon the torpid soul of the rustic a spark which causes a mighty flame to blaze up and @@ -2316,7 +2275,7 @@ when once it hath seized and doth thoroughly possess a man.</p> <p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span></p> <h2>CHAPTER VII.</h2> -<h3>MEDICINÆ DOCTOR.</h3> +<h3>MEDICINÆ DOCTOR.</h3> <div class="figcenter bord" style="width: 202px;"> <img src="images/i_052.jpg" width="202" height="300" alt="Humphrey" /> @@ -2370,7 +2329,7 @@ their pains.'</p> me.' He laughed, but not with merriment; for, indeed, a cripple or a hunchback cannot laugh mirthfully over his own misfortune. 'Some men speak scornfully of the profession,' he went on. 'The -great French playwright, Monsieur Molière, doth make the physicians +great French playwright, Monsieur Molière, doth make the physicians the butt and laughing-stock of all Paris. Yet consider. It is medicine which prolongs our days and relieves our pains. Before the science was studied, the wretch who caught a fever in the @@ -4235,7 +4194,7 @@ thus to speak of yourself!'</p> I declare that I had not the least thought of what he was going to say, my mind being wholly occupied with the idea of Robin.</p> -<p>'I am a physician, as you doubtless know. I am Medicinæ +<p>'I am a physician, as you doubtless know. I am Medicinæ Doctor of Oxford, of Padua, Montpellier, and Leyden. I know all—I may fairly say, and without boasting—that may be learned by one of my age from schools of medicine and from books on the @@ -6977,7 +6936,7 @@ poets cannot mean what they say—</p> <span class="i0">The marbled Saint, so cold and pure,</span> <span class="i2">Minds naught of earthly ways;</span> <span class="i0">Nor can man's gauds entice or lure</span> -<span class="i2">That fixéd heavenly gaze.</span> +<span class="i2">That fixéd heavenly gaze.</span> <span class="i4">So Celia, though thou Queen and Empress art,</span> <span class="i4">To heaven, to heaven alone, belongs thy heart.</span> </div></div> @@ -15440,7 +15399,7 @@ little against a disease which hath once laid hold upon a man. 'Tis better for him so to order the lives of his patients while they are well as to prevent disease, just as those who dwell beside an unruly river (as I have seen upon the great river Rhone) build up a high -levée, or bank, over which it cannot pass.</p> +levée, or bank, over which it cannot pass.</p> <p>In the sick-house the floor was of earth, without boards; there was no other furniture but two or three wooden beds, on each a @@ -16699,7 +16658,7 @@ They are No Man's Land; inhabitants have they none; navigators, for the most part, know them not; English, French, and Spanish ships come never to these islands. My purpose, therefore, is to put in at Great Margaritos or Tortuga for rest and fresh water, and so -presently make the Dutch island of Curaçao.'</p> +presently make the Dutch island of Curaçao.'</p> <p>'And after that?'</p> @@ -17134,7 +17093,7 @@ find water for certain—and that, I have been told, the best spring-water that flows; turtles we may also find, and fish we may catch; and when we have recovered our strength, with a few days' rest ashore, we will once more put to sea and make for the island of -Curaçao and the protection of the Dutchmen.'</p> +Curaçao and the protection of the Dutchmen.'</p> <p>It needs not to tell much more about the voyage, in which we were favoured by Heaven with everything that we could desire—a @@ -17182,7 +17141,7 @@ mended apace, and began to walk about with no more help from his nurses.</p> <p>We were minded, as I have said, to sail as far as the island of -Curaçao, but an accident prevented this.</p> +Curaçao, but an accident prevented this.</p> <p>One day, when we had been ashore for ten days or thereabouts, we were terrified by the sight of a small vessel rigged in the fashion @@ -17209,7 +17168,7 @@ was long and earnest, and apparently friendly. Presently Barnaby returned to us.</p> <p>'There offers,' he said, 'a chance which is perhaps better than -to make for Curaçao, where, after all, we might get scurvy treatment. +to make for Curaçao, where, after all, we might get scurvy treatment. These men, in a word, are privateers; or, since we are at war with none, they are pirates. They fitted out a brigantine, or bilander (I know not which), and designed to sail round Cape Horn @@ -18564,380 +18523,6 @@ and <span class="smcap">Walter Pollock</span>. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: For Faith and Freedom - -Author: Walter Besant - -Illustrator: A. Forestier - F. Waddy - -Release Date: February 19, 2014 [EBook #44963] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FOR FAITH AND FREEDOM *** - - - - -Produced by sp1nd and the Online Distributed Proofreading -Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from -images generously made available by The Internet Archive) - - - - - -Transcriber's note: - -Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). - -Small capital text has been replaced with all capitals. - - * * * * * - - - - -[Illustration: coverpage] - - - - -[Illustration: titlepage] - - - - - For Faith and Freedom - - - - - PRINTED BY - - SPOTTISWOODE AND CO. LTD., NEW-STREET SQUARE - - LONDON - -[Illustration: '_Every morning Sir Christopher sat in his Justice's -chair, under the helmets and coats of armour._'] - - - - - For Faith and Freedom - - BY - - WALTER BESANT - - AUTHOR OF 'DOROTHY FORSTER' 'CHILDREN OF GIBEON' - 'ALL SORTS AND CONDITIONS OF MEN' ETC. - - [Illustration: publisher's mark] - - A NEW EDITION - - WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY A. FORESTIER AND F. WADDY - - LONDON - - CHATTO & WINDUS - - 1903 - - - - - _The Illustrations to this Story are reproduced by kind permission - of the Proprietors of 'The Illustrated London News'_ - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER PAGE - - I. FAREWELL SUNDAY 1 - - II. IN THE VILLAGE 13 - - III. THE BOYS 18 - - IV. SIR CHRISTOPHER 23 - - V. THE RUNAWAY 27 - - VI. BENJAMIN, LORD CHANCELLOR 32 - - VII. MEDICINAE DOCTOR 40 - - VIII. A ROYAL PROGRESS 47 - - IX. WITH THE ELDERS 54 - - X. LE ROY EST MORT 60 - - XI. BEFORE THE STORM 66 - - XII. HUMPHREY 72 - - XIII. ONE DAY 78 - - XIV. THE VISION OF THE BASKET 85 - - XV. A NIGHT AND MORNING 91 - - XVI. ON THE MARCH 104 - - XVII. TAUNTON 112 - - XVIII. THE MAIDS OF TAUNTON 117 - - XIX. KING MONMOUTH AND HIS CAMP 121 - - XX. BENJAMIN'S WARNING 130 - - XXI. WE WAIT FOR THE END 134 - - XXII. THE DAY AFTER THE FIGHT 142 - - XXIII. IN HIDING 149 - - XXIV. THE CAMP IN THE COMB 154 - - XXV. ILMINSTER CLINK 167 - - XXVI. SIR CHRISTOPHER 174 - - XXVII. BEFORE THE ASSIZE 180 - - XXVIII. BENJAMIN 186 - - XXIX. ON WHAT CONDITIONS? 192 - - XXX. A SLIGHT THING AT THE BEST 198 - - XXXI. THE VISION OF CONSOLATION 208 - - XXXII. THE MAN OF SAMARIA 214 - - XXXIII. ON BOARD THE 'JOLLY THATCHER' 221 - - XXXIV. THE GOOD SAMARITAN 228 - - XXXV. THE WHITE SLAVE 235 - - XXXVI. THE FIRST DAY OF SERVITUDE 242 - - XXXVII. BY THE WATERS OF BABYLON 248 - - XXXVIII. HUMPHREY'S NARRATIVE 255 - - XXXIX. FOR TEN YEARS 261 - - XL. WITH THE HOE 269 - - XLI. ON CONDITIONS 274 - - XLII. ALICE 283 - - XLIII. BARNABY HEARS THE NEWS 286 - - XLIV. A SCARE 291 - - XLV. BARNABY THE AVENGER 295 - - XLVI. A PERILOUS VOYAGE 299 - - XLVII. TORTUGA 310 - - XLVIII. THE ISLAND OF PROVIDENCE 313 - - XLIX. HOME 317 - - L. THE GREAT LORD CHANCELLOR 321 - - LI. THE CONFESSION 325 - - CHAPTER THE LAST 332 - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - - 'Every morning Sir Christopher sat in his Justice's - chair, under the helmets and coats of armour' _Frontispiece_ - - 'He was seized with a mighty wrath, and, catching his son - sharply by the ear, led him out of the throng' _To face p._ 30 - - 'Fair White Rose of Somerset, let me be assured by a kiss - from your sweet lips' " " 52 - - 'We played together, he on the violoncello, I upon the - spinnet' " " 56 - - 'And Robin was come home again, and I was lying in his - arms, and he was kissing me' " " 68 - - 'Her schoolgirls were engaged in working and embroidering - flags for the Duke's army' " " 110 - - '"Boys," I said, "beware; if you go up higher you will certainly - meet wild men"' " " 164 - - 'I was standing at the wicket waiting for my basket to be - taken in' " " 182 - - 'As I passed through the crowd, one caught me by the - arm' " " 212 - - 'When I came to my senses the Captain gave me a glass of - cordial' " " 228 - - 'This I did, and so stood before them all - bareheaded' " " 236 - - 'Barnaby holding the pistol to the poor wretch's head, so - that he should not bellow and call for - assistance' " " 313 - - - - -FOR FAITH AND FREEDOM - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -FAREWELL SUNDAY. - - -The morning of Sunday, August 23, in the year of grace 1662, should -have been black and gloomy with the artillery of rolling thunder, -dreadful flashes of lightning, and driving hail and wind to strip -the orchards and lay low the corn. For on that day was done a thing -which filled the whole country with grief, and bore bitter fruit -in after years, of revenge and rebellion. And, because it was the -day before that formerly named after Bartholomew, the disciple, -it hath been called the Black Bartholomew of England, thus being -likened unto that famous day (approved by the Pope) when the French -Protestants were treacherously massacred by their King. It should -rather be called 'Farewell Sunday' or 'Exile Sunday,' for on that -day two thousand godly ministers preached their last sermon in the -churches where they had laboured worthily and with good fruit, some -during the time of the Protector, and some even longer, because -among them were a few who possessed their benefices even from the -time of the late King Charles the First. And, since on that day two -thousand ministers left their churches and their houses, and laid -down their worldly wealth for conscience' sake, there were also, -perhaps, as many wives who went with them, and, I dare say, three -or four times as many innocent and helpless babes. And, further (it -is said that the time was fixed by design and deliberate malice of -our enemies), the ministers were called upon to make their choice -only a week or two before the day of the collection of their tithes. -In other words, they were sent forth to the world at the season -when their purses were at the leanest; indeed, with most country -clergymen, their purses shortly before the collection of tithes have -become well-nigh empty. It was also unjust that their successors -should be permitted to collect the tithes due to those who were -ejected. - -It is fitting to begin this history with the Black Bartholomew, -because all the troubles and adventures which afterwards befell us -were surely caused by that accursed day. One know not certainly, -what other rubs might have been ordained for us by a wise Providence -(always with the merciful design of keeping before our eyes -the vanity of worldly things, the instability of fortune, the -uncertainty of life, and the wisdom of looking for a hereafter -which shall be lasting, stable, and satisfying to the soul). Still, -it must be confessed, such trials as were appointed unto us were, -in severity and continuance, far beyond those appointed to the -ordinary sort, so that I cannot but feel at times uplifted (I hope -not sinfully) at having been called upon to endure so much. Let me -not, however, be proud. Had it not been for this day, for certain, -our boys would not have been tempted to strike a blow--vain and -useless as it proved--for the Protestant religion and for liberty -of conscience: while perhaps I should now be forbidden to relate -our sufferings, were it not for the glorious Revolution which has -restored toleration, secured the Protestant ascendancy, and driven -into banishment a Prince, concerning whom all honest men pray that -he and his son (if he have, indeed, a son of his own) may never -again have authority over this realm. - -This Sunday, I say, should have wept tears of rain over the havoc -which it witnessed; yet it was fine and clear, the sun riding in -splendour, and a warm summer air blowing among the orchards and over -the hills and around the village of Bradford Orcas, in the shire of -Somerset. The wheat (for the season was late) stood gold-coloured -in the fields, ready at last for the reaper; the light breeze bent -down the ears so that they showed like waves over which the passing -clouds make light and shade; the apples in the orchards were red -and yellow, and nearly ripe for the press; in the gardens of the -Manor House, hard by the church, the sunflowers and the hollyhocks -were at their tallest and their best; the yellow roses on the -wall were still in clusters; the sweet-peas hung with tangles of -vine and flower upon their stalks; the bachelors' buttons, the -sweet mignonette, the nasturtium, the gillyflowers and stocks, the -sweet-williams and the pansies, offered their late summer blossoms -to the hot sun among the lavender, thyme, parsley, sage, feverfew, -and vervain of my Lady's garden. Oh! I know how it all looked, -though I was then as yet unborn. How many times have I stood in the -churchyard and watched the same scene at the same sweet season! On a -week-day one hears the thumping and the groaning of the mill below -the church; there are the voices of the men at work--the yo-hoing -of the boys who drive; and the lumbering of the carts. You can even -hear the spinning-wheels at work in the cottages. On Sunday morning -everything is still, save for the warbling of the winged tribe in -the wood, the cooing of the doves in the cote, the clucking of the -hens, the grunting of the pigs, and the droning of the bees. These -things disturb not the meditations of one who is accustomed to them. - -At eight o'clock in the morning, the Sexton, an ancient man and -rheumatic, hobbled slowly through the village, key in hand, and -opened the church-door. Then he went into the tower and rang the -first bell. I suppose this bell is designed to hurry housewives with -their morning work, and to admonish the men that they incline their -hearts to a spiritual disposition. This done, the Sexton set open -the doors of the pews, swept out the Squire's and the Rector's in -the chancel, dusted the cushions of the pulpit (the reading-desk -at this time was not used), opened the clasps of the great Bible, -and swept down the aisle: as he had done Sunday after Sunday for -fifty years. When he had thus made the church ready for the day's -service, he went into the vestry, which had only been used since the -establishment of the Commonwealth for the registers of birth, death, -and marriage. - -At one side of the vestry stood an ancient, black oak coffer, the -sides curiously graven, and a great rusty key in the lock. The -Sexton turned the key with difficulty, threw open the lid and looked -in. - -'Ay,' he said, chuckling, 'the old surplice and the old Book of -Common Prayer. Ye have had a long rest; 'tis time for both to come -out again. When the surplice is out, the book will stay no longer -locked up. These two go in and out together. I mind me, now'----Here -he sat down, and his thoughts wandered for a space; perhaps he -saw himself once more a boy running in the fields, or a young man -courting a maid. Presently he returned to the task before him, and -drew forth an old and yellow roll which he shook out. It was the -surplice which had once been white. 'Here you be,' he said. 'Put you -away for a matter of twelve year and more and you bide your time; -you know you will come back again; you are not in any hurry. Even -the Sexton dies; but you die not, you bide your time. Everything -comes again. The old woman shall give you a taste o' the suds and -the hot iron. Thus we go up and thus we go down.' He put back the -surplice and took out the great Book of Common Prayer--musty and -damp after twelve years' imprisonment. 'Fie!' he said, 'thy leather -is parting from the boards, and thy leaves they do stick together. -Shalt have a pot of paste, and then lie in the sun before thou goest -back to the desk. Whether 'tis Mass or Common Prayer, whether 'tis -Independent or Presbyterian, folk mun still die and be buried--ay, -and married and born--whatever they do say. Parson goes and Preacher -comes; Preacher goes and Parson comes; but Sexton stays'----He -chuckled again, put back the surplice and the book, and locked the -coffer. - -Then he slowly went down the church and came out of the porch, -blinking in the sun, and shading his old eyes. He sat down upon the -flat stones of the old cross, and presently nodded his head and -dropped off asleep. - -This was a strange indifference in the man. A great and truly -notable thing was to be accomplished that day. But he cared nothing. -Two thousand godly and learned men were to go forth into poverty -for liberty of conscience--this man's own minister was one of them. -He cared nothing. The King was sowing the seed from which should -spring a rod to drive forth his successor from the kingdom. In the -village the common sort were not moved. Nothing concerns the village -folk but the weather and the market prices. As for the good Sexton, -he was very old: he had seen the Church of England displaced by the -Presbyterians and the Presbyterians by the Independents, and now -these were again to be supplanted by the Church of England. He had -been Sexton through all these changes. He heeded them not; why, his -father, Sexton before him, could remember when the Mass was said -in the church, and the Virgin was worshipped, and the folk were -driven like sheep to confession. All the time the people went on -being born, and marrying, and dying. Creed doth not, truly, affect -these things, nor the Sexton's work. Therefore, this old gaffer, -having made sure that the surplice was in the place where it had -lain undisturbed for a dozen years, and remembering that it must be -washed and ironed for the following Sunday, sat down to bask in the -sun, his mind at rest, and dropped off into a gentle sleep. - -At ten o'clock the bell-ringers came tramping up the stone steps -from the road, and the Sexton woke up. At ten they used to begin -their chimes, but at the hour they ring for five minutes only, -ending with the clash of all five bells together. At a quarter-past -ten they chime again, for the service, which begins at half-past ten. - -At the sound of these chimes the whole village begins to move -slowly towards the church. First come the children, the bigger ones -leading those who are little by the hand; the boys come next, but -unwillingly, because the Sexton is diligent with his cane, and some -of those who now go up the steps to the church will come down with -smarting backs, the reward of those who play or laugh during the -service. Then come the young men, who stand about the churchyard and -whisper to each other. After them follow the elders and the married -men, with the women and the girls. Five minutes before the half hour -the ringers change the chime for a single bell. Then those who are -outside gather in the porch and wait for the Quality. - -When the single bell began, there came forth from the Rectory the -Rector himself, Mr. Comfort Eykin, Doctor of Divinity, who was this -day to deliver his soul and lay down his charge. He wore the black -gown and Geneva bands, for the use of which he contended. At this -time he was a young man of thirty--tall and thin. He stooped in the -shoulders because he was continually reading; his face was grave -and austere; his nose thin and aquiline; his eyes bright--never was -any man with brighter eyes than my father; his hair, which he wore -long, was brown and curly; his forehead high, rather than broad; his -lips were firm. In these days, as my mother hath told me, and as I -well believe, he was a man of singular comeliness, concerning which -he cared nothing. Always from childhood upwards he had been grave -in conversation and seriously inclined in mind. If I think of my -father as a boy (no one ever seems to think that his father was once -a boy), I am fain to compare him with Humphrey, save for certain -bodily defects, my father having been like a Priest of the Altar for -bodily perfection. That is to say, I am sure that, like Humphrey, -he had no need of rod or ferule to make him learn his lessons, and, -like that dear and fond friend of my childhood, he would willingly -sit in a corner and read a book while the other boys played and went -a-hunting or a-nesting. And very early in life he was smitten with -the conviction of sin, and blessed with such an inward assurance of -salvation as made him afterwards steadfast in all afflictions. - -He was not a native of this country, having been born in New -England. He came over, being then eighteen years of age, to study -at Oxford, that university being purged of malignants (as they -were then called), and, at the time, entirely in the hands of the -godly. He was entered of Balliol College, of which Society he became -a Fellow, and was greatly esteemed for his learning, wherein he -excelled most of the scholars of his time. He knew and could read -Hebrew, Chaldee, and the ancient Syriac, as well as Latin and Greek. -Of modern languages he had acquired Arabic, by the help of which -he read the book which is called the Koran of the False Prophet -Mohammed: French and Italian he also knew and could read easily. As -for his opinions, he was an Independent, and that not meekly or with -hesitation, but with such zeal and vehemence that he considered all -who differed from him as his private enemies--nay, the very enemies -of God. For this reason, and because his personal habits were too -austere for those who attained not to his spiritual height, he was -more feared than loved. Yet his party looked upon him as one of -their greatest and stoutest champions. - -He left Oxford at the age of five or six and twenty, and accepted -the living of Bradford Orcas, offered him by Sir Christopher Challis -of that place. Here he had preached for six years, looking forward -to nothing else than to remain there, advancing in grace and wisdom, -until the end of his days. So much was ordered, indeed, for him; -but not quite as he had designed. Let no man say that he knoweth -the future, or that he can shape out his destiny. You shall hear -presently how Benjamin arrogantly resolved that his future should be -what he chose; and what came of that impious resolution. - -My father's face was always austere; this morning it was more -serious and sterner than customary, because the day was to him -the most important in his life, and he was about to pass from a -condition of plenty (the Rectory of Bradford Orcas is not rich but -it affords a sufficiency) to one of penury. Those who knew him, -however, had no doubt of the course he was about to take. Even -the rustics knew that their minister would never consent to wear -a surplice or to read the Book of Common Prayer, or to keep holy -days--you have seen how the Sexton opened the box and took out the -surplice; yet my father had said nothing to him concerning his -intentions. - -In his hand he carried his Bible--his own copy, I have it still, -the margins covered with notes in his writing--bound in black -leather, worn by constant handling, with brass clasps. Upon his head -he had a plain black silk cap, which he wore constantly in his study -and at meals to keep off draughts. Indeed, I loved to see him with -the silk cap rather than with his tall steeple hat, with neither -ribbon nor ornament of any kind, in which he rode when he afterwards -went about the country to break the law in exhorting and praying -with his friends. - -Beside him walked my mother, holding in her hand her boy, my brother -Barnaby, then three years of age. As for me, I was not yet born. -She had been weeping; her eyes were red and swollen with tears; but -when she entered the church she wept no more, bravely listening to -the words which condemned to poverty and hardship herself and her -children, if any more should be born to her. Alas, poor soul! What -had she done that this affliction should befall her? What had her -innocent boy done? For upon her--not upon her husband--would fall -the heavy burden of poverty, and on her children the loss. Yet never -by a single word of complaint did she make her husband sorry that he -had obeyed the voice of conscience, even when there was nothing left -in the house, not so much as the widow's cruse of oil. Alas, poor -mother, once so free from care! what sorrow and anxiety wert thou -destined to endure for the tender conscience of thy husband! - -At the same time--namely, at the ringing of the single bell--there -came forth from the Manor House hard by the church, his Honour, Sir -Christopher, with his family. The worthy knight was then about fifty -years of age, tall and handsome still--in his later years there was -something of a heavenly sweetness in his face, created, I doubt -not, by a long life of pious thoughts and worthy deeds. His hair -was streaked with grey, but not yet white; he wore a beard of the -kind called stiletto, which was even then an ancient fashion, and -he was dressed more soberly than is common with gentlemen of his -rank, having no feather in his hat, but a simple ribbon round it, -and though his ruffles were of lace and the kerchief round his neck -was lace, the colour of his coat was plain brown. He leaned upon a -gold-headed cane on account of an old wound (it was inflicted by a -Cavalier's musket-ball when he was a Captain in the army of Lord -Essex). The wound left him somewhat lame, yet not so lame but that -he could very well walk about his fields and could ride his horse, -and even hunt with the otter-hounds. By his side walked Madam, his -wife. After him came his son, Humphrey, newly married, and with -Humphrey his wife; and last came his son-in-law, the Reverend Philip -Boscorel, M.A., late Fellow of All Souls' College, Oxford, also -newly married, with his wife, Sir Christopher's daughter, Patience. -Mr. Boscorel, like my father, was at that time thirty years of age. -Like him, too, his face was comely and his features fine; yet they -lacked the fire and the earnestness which marked my father. And in -his silken cassock, his small white bands, his lace ruffles, and -his dainty walk, it seemed as if Mr. Boscorel thought himself above -the common run of mankind and of superior clay. 'Tis sometimes the -way with scholars and those who survey the world from the eminence -of a library. - -Sir Christopher's face was full of concern, because he loved the -young man who was this day to throw away his livelihood; and -although he was ready himself to worship after the manner prescribed -by law, his opinions were rather Independent than Episcopalian. As -for Mr. Boscorel, who was about to succeed to the ejected minister, -his face wore no look of triumph, which would have been ungenerous. -He was observed, indeed, after he had silently gone through the -Service of the day with the help of the Common Prayer-book, to -listen diligently unto the preacher. - -The people, I have already said, knew already what was about to -happen. Perhaps some of them (but I think not) possessed a copy -of the old Prayer-book. This, they knew, was to be restored, with -the surplice, and the observance of Holy days, Feasts, and Fasts, -and the kneeling at the administration of the Holy Communion. Our -people are craftsmen as much as they are rustics; every week the -master-clothiers' men drive their packhorses into the village laden -with wool, and return with yarn; they are not, therefore, so brutish -and sluggish as most country folk; yet they made no outward show -of caring whether Prelacy or Independency was to have the sway. -Perhaps the abstruse doctrines which my father loved to discuss were -too high for them; perhaps his austerity was too strict for them, -so that he was not beloved by them. Perhaps, even, they would have -cared little if they had heard that Bishop Bonner himself was coming -back. Religion, to country folk, means, mostly, the going to church -on Sunday morning. That done, man's service of Prayer and Praise to -his Creator is also done. If the form be changed the church remains, -and the churchyard; one shepherd followeth another, but the flock -is always the same. Revolutions overthrow kings, and send great -heads to the block; but the village heedeth not unless civil war -pass that way. To country folk, what difference? The sky and the -fields are unchanged. Under Queen Mary they are Papists; under Queen -Elizabeth they are Protestants. They have the Prayer-book under King -James and King Charles; under Oliver they have had the Presbyterian -and Independent; now they have the Book of Common Prayer and the -surplice again. Yet they remain the same people, and tell the same -stories, and, so far as I know, believe the same things--viz., that -Christ Jesus saves the soul of every man who truly believes in Him. -Why, if it were not for his immortal soul--concerning which he takes -but little thought--the rustic might be likened unto the patient -beast whom he harnesseth to his plough and to his muck-cart. He -changeth no more; he works as hard; he is as long-enduring; his eyes -and his thoughts are as much bound by the hedge, the lane, and the -field; he thinks and invents and advances no more. Were it not, I -say, for the Church, he would take as little heed of anything as -his ox or his ass; his village would become his country; his squire -would become his king; the nearest village would become the camp of -an enemy; and he would fall into the condition of the Ancient Briton -when Julius Caesar found every tribe fighting against every other. - -I talk as a fool. For sometimes there falls upon the torpid soul -of the rustic a spark which causes a mighty flame to blaze up and -burn fiercely within him. I have read how a simple monk, called -Peter the Hermit, drew thousands of poor, illiterate, credulous -persons from their homes, and led them, a mob armed with scythes -and pikes, across Europe to the deserts of Asia Minor, where they -miserably perished. I have read also of Jack Cade, and how he drew -the multitudes after him, crying aloud for justice or death. And I -myself have seen these sluggish spirits suddenly fired with a spirit -which nothing could subdue. The sleeping soul I have seen suddenly -starting into life; strength and swiftness have I seen suddenly put -into sluggish limbs; light and fire have I seen gleaming suddenly -in dull and heavy eyes. Oh! it was a miracle: but I have seen it. -And having seen it, I cannot despise these lads of the plough, these -honest boys of Somerset, nor can I endure to hear them laughed at or -contemned. - - * * * * * - -Bradford Orcas, in the Hundred of Horethorne, Somerset, is a village -so far from the great towns, that one would think a minister might -have gone on praying and preaching after his own fashion without -ever being discovered. But the arm of the Law is long. - -The nearest town is Sherborne, in Dorsetshire, to which there is -a bridle-path across the fields; it is the market-town for the -villages round it. Bradford Orcas is an obscure little village, -with no history and no antiquities. It stands in the south-eastern -corner of the county, close to the western declivity of the Corton -Hills, which here sweep round so as to form a valley, in which the -village is built along the banks of a stream. The houses are for -the most part of stone, with thatched roofs, as is the custom in -our country; the slopes of the hills are covered with trees, and -round the village stand goodly orchards, the cider from which cannot -be surpassed. As for the land, but little of it is arable; the -greater part is a sandy loam or stone brash. The church, which in -the superstitious days was dedicated to St. Nicolas, is built upon a -hillock, a rising ground in the west of the village. This building -of churches upon hillocks is a common custom in our parts, and -seemeth laudable, because a church should stand where it can be seen -by all the people, and by its presence remind them of Death and of -the Judgment. The practice doth obtain, for example, at Sherborne, -where there is a very noble church, and at Huish Episcopi, and at -many other places in our county. Our church is fair and commodious, -not too large for the congregation, having in the west a stone -tower embattled, and consisting of a nave and chancel with a very -fine roof of carved woodwork. There is an ancient yew-tree in the -churchyard, from which in old times bows were cut; some of the bows -yet hang in the great hall of the Manor House. Among the graves is -an ancient stone cross, put up no man knows when, standing in a -six-sided slab of stone, but the top was broken off at the time of -the Reformation; two or three tombs are in the churchyard, and the -rest is covered with mounds, beneath which lie the bones and dust of -former generations. - -Close to the churchyard, and at the north-east corner, is the Manor -House, as large as the church itself, but not so ancient. It was -built in the reign of Henry VII. A broad arched gateway leads into -a court, wherein is the entrance to the house. Over the gateway is -a kind of tower, but not detached from the house. In the wall of -the tower is a panel, lozenge-shaped, in which are carved the arms -of the Challis family. The house is stately, with many gables, and -in each are casement windows set in richly-carved stone tracery. -As for the rooms within the house, I will speak of them hereafter. -At present I have the churchyard in my mind. There is no place -upon the earth which more I love. To stand in the long grass among -the graves; to gaze upon the wooded hills beyond, the orchards, -the meadows, the old house, the venerable church, the yew-tree: to -listen to the murmur of the stream below and the singing of the lark -above; to feel the fresh breeze upon my cheek--oh! I do this daily. -It makes me feel young once more; it brings back the days when I -stood here with the boys, and when Sir Christopher would lean over -the wall and discourse with us gravely and sweetly upon the love of -God and the fleeting joys of earth (which yet, he said, we should -accept and be happy withal in thankfulness), and the happiness -unspeakable that awaiteth the Lord's Saints. Or, if my thoughts -continue in the past, the graveyard brings back the presence and the -voice of Mr. Boscorel. - -'In such a spot as this,' he would say, speaking softly and slowly, -'the pastorals of Virgil or Theocritus might have been written. Here -would the shepherds hold their contests. Certainly they could find -no place, even in sunny Sicily or at Mantua itself, where (save for -three months in the year) the air is more delightful. Here they -need not to avoid the burning heat of a sun which gently warms, but -never burns; here they would find the shade of the grove pleasant in -the soft summer season. Innocent lambs instead of kids (which are -tasteless) play in our meadows; the cider which we drink is, I take -it, more pleasing to the palate than was their wine flavoured with -turpentine. And our viols, violins, and spinets are instruments more -delightful than the oaten pipe, or the cithara itself.' Then would -he wave his hand, and quote some poet in praise of a country life-- - - There is no man but may make his paradise, - And it is nothing but his love and dotage - Upon the world's foul joys that keeps him out on't. - For he that lives retired in mind and spirit - Is still in Paradise. - -'But, child,' he would add, with a sigh, 'one may not always wish to -be in Paradise. The world's joys lie elsewhere. Only, when youth is -gone--then Paradise is best.' - -The service began, after the manner of the Independents, with a -long prayer, during which the people sat. Mr. Boscorel, as I have -said, went through his own service in silence, the Book of Common -Prayer in his hand. After the prayer, the minister read a portion -of Scripture, which he expounded at length and with great learning. -Then the congregation sang that Psalm which begins-- - - Triumphing songs with glorious tongues - Let's offer unto Him. - -This done, the Rector ascended the pulpit for the last time, gave -out his text, turned his hour-glass, and began his sermon. - -He took for his text those verses in St. Paul's second epistle to -the Corinthians, vi., 3-10, in which the Apostle speaks of his own -ministry as if he was actually predicting the tribulation which -was to fall upon these faithful preachers of a later time--'In -much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in -stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in -fastings,'--could not the very words be applied to my father? - -He read the text three times, so that everybody might fully -understand the subject upon which he was to preach--namely, the -faithfulness required of a minister of the gospel. I need not set -down the arguments he used or the reasons he gave for his resolution -not to conform with the Act of Uniformity. The rustics sat patiently -listening, with no outward sign of assent or of sympathy. But their -conduct afterwards proved abundantly to which side their minds -inclined. - -It behoves us all to listen with respect when scholars and wise -men inquire into the reasons of things. Yet the preachings and -expositions which such as my father bestowed upon their flocks did -certainly awaken men's minds to consider by themselves the things -which many think too high for them. It is a habit which may lead to -the foundation of false and pernicious sects. And it certainly is -not good that men should preach the doctrines of the Anabaptists, -the Fifth Monarchy men, or the Quakers. Yet it is better that some -should be deceived than that all should be slaves. I have been -assured by one--I mean Humphrey--who hath travelled, that in those -countries where the priest taketh upon himself the religion of -the people, so that they think to be saved by attending mass, by -fasting, confession, penance, and so forth, not only does religion -itself become formal, mechanical, and inanimate, but in the very -daily concerns and business of life men grow slothful and lack -spirit. Their religion, which is the very heat of the body, the -sustaining and vital force of all man's actions, is cold and dead. -Therefore, all the virtues are cold also, and with them the courage -and the spirit of the people. Thus it is that Italy hath fallen -aside into so many small and divided kingdoms. And for this reason, -Spain, in the opinion of those who know her best, is now falling -rapidly into decay. - -I am well assured, by those who can remember, that the intelligence -of the village folk greatly increased during the period when they -were encouraged to search the Scriptures for themselves. Many taught -themselves to read, others had their children taught, in order that -they might read or hear, daily, portions of the Scriptures. It is -now thirty years since Authority resumed the rule; the village -folk have again become, to outward seeming, sheep who obey without -questioning. Yet it is observed that when they are within reach of -a town--that is to say, of a meeting-house--they willingly flock to -the service in the afternoon and evening. - -It was with the following brave words that my father concluded his -discourse:-- - -'Seeing, therefore, my brethren, how clear is the Word of God on -these points; and considering that we must always obey God rather -than man; and observing that here we plainly see the finger of God -pointing to disobedience and its consequences, I am constrained to -disobey. The consequence will be to me that I shall stand in this -place no more: to you, that you will have a stranger in your church. -I pray that he may be a godly person, able to divide the Word, -learned and acceptable. - -'As for me, I must go forth, perhaps from among you altogether. -If persecutions arise, it may behove me and mine to seek again -that land beyond the seas whither my fathers fled for the sake of -religious liberty. Whatever happens, I must fain preach the gospel. -It is laid upon me to preach. If I am silent, it will be as if Death -itself had fallen upon me. My brethren, there have been times--and -those times may return--when the Elect have had to meet, secretly, -on the sides of barren hills, and in the heart of the forest, to -pray together and to hear the Word. I say that these times may -return. If they do, you will find me willing, I hope and pray, -to brave for you the worst that our enemies can devise. Perhaps, -however, this tyranny may pass over. Already the Lord hath achieved -one great deliverance for this ancient Realm. Perhaps another may be -in His secret purposes when we have been chastened, as, for our many -sins, we richly deserve. Whether in affliction or in prosperity, let -us always say, "The Lord's name be praised!" - -'Now, therefore, for the sand is running low and I may not weary the -young and the impatient, let me conclude. Farewell, sweet Sabbaths! -Farewell, the sweet expounding of the Word! Farewell, sweet pulpit! -Farewell, sweet faces of the souls which I have yearned to present -pure and washed clean before the Throne! My brethren, I go about, -henceforth, as a dog which is muzzled; another man will fill this -pulpit; our simple form of worship is gone; the Prayer-book and -the surplice have come back again. Pray God we see not Confession, -Penance, the Mass, the Inquisition, the enslavement of conscience, -the stake, and the martyr's axe!' - -Then he paused and bowed his head, and everybody thought that he had -finished. - -He had not. He raised it again, and threw out his arms and shouted -aloud, while his eyes glowed like fire: - -'_No!_ I will not be silent. I WILL NOT. I am sent into the world -to preach the gospel. I have no other business. I must proclaim the -Word as I hope for everlasting life. Brethren, we shall meet again. -In the woods and on the hills we shall find a Temple; there are -houses where two or three may be gathered together, the Lord Himself -being in their midst. Never doubt that I am ready, in season and out -of season, whatever be the law, to preach the gospel of the Lord!' - -He ended, and straightway descended the pulpit stair, and stalked -out of the church, the people looking after him with awe and wonder. -But Mr. Boscorel smiled and wagged his head, with a kind of pity. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -IN THE VILLAGE. - - -Thus did my father, by his own act and deed, strip himself of all -his worldly wealth. Yet, having nothing, he ceased not to put his -trust in the Lord, and continued to sit among his books, never -asking whence came the food provided for him. I think, indeed, so -wrapt was he in thought, that he knew not. As for procuring the -daily food, my mother it was who found out the way. - -Those who live in other parts of this kingdom do not know what -a busy and populous county is that of Somerset. Apart from the -shipping and the great trade with Ireland, Spain, and the West -Indies carried on from the Port of Bristol, we have our great -manufactures of cloth, in which we are surpassed by no country in -the world. The town of Taunton alone can boast of eleven hundred -looms always at work making Sagathies and Des Roys; there are -many looms at Bristol, where they make for the most part Druggets -and Cantaloons; and there are great numbers at that rich and -populous town of Frome Selwood, where they manufacture the Spanish -Medleys. Besides the cloth-workers, we have, in addition, our -knitted-stocking trade, which is carried on mostly at Glastonbury -and Shepton Mallet. Not only does this flourishing trade make the -masters rich and prosperous (it is not uncommon to find a master -with his twenty--ay, and his forty--thousand pounds), but it fills -all the country with work, so that the towns are frequent, populous, -and full of everything that men can want; and the very villages are -not like those which may be seen in other parts, poor and squalid, -but well-built and comfortable. - -Every cottage has its spinning-wheel. The mother, when she is not -doing the work of the house, sits at the wheel; the girls, when they -have nothing else to do, are made to knit stockings. Every week -the master-clothier sends round his men among the villages, their -packhorses laden with wool; every week they return, their packs -laden with yarn, ready for the loom. - -There is no part of England where the people are more prosperous -and more contented. Nowhere are there more towns, and all thriving; -nowhere are the villages better built; nor can one find anywhere -else more beautiful churches. Because the people make good wages -they are independent in their manners; they have learned things -supposed to be above the station of the humble; most of them in the -towns, and many in the villages, are able to read. This enables them -to search the Scriptures, and examine into doctrine by the light -of their own reason, guided by grace. And to me, the daughter of a -Nonconforming preacher, it does not seem wonderful that so many of -them should have become stiff and sturdy Nonconformists. This was -seen in the year 1685, and, again, three years later, when a greater -than Monmouth landed on the western shores. - -My mother, then, seeing no hope that her husband would earn, by any -work of his own, the daily bread of the household, bravely followed -the example of the women in the village. That is to say, she set -up her spinning-wheel, and spent all the time that she could spare -spinning the wool into yarn; while she taught her little boy first -and afterwards her daughter--as soon as I was old enough to manage -the needles--to knit stockings. What trade, indeed, could her -husband follow save one--and that, by law, prohibited? He could not -dig; he could not make anything; he knew not how to buy or sell; he -could only study, write, and preach. Therefore, while he sat among -his books in one room, she sat over her wheel in the other, working -for the master-clothiers of Frome Selwood. It still makes my heart -to swell with pity and with love when I think upon my mother, thus -spending herself and being spent, working all day, huckstering with -the rough pack-horsemen more accustomed to exchange rude jests with -the rustics than to talk with gentlewomen. And this she continued -to do year after year, cheerful and contented, so that her husband -should never feel the pinch of poverty. Love makes us willing slaves. - -My father, happily, was not a man whose mind was troubled about -food. He paid no heed at all to what he ate, provided that it was -sufficient for his needs; he would sup his broth of pork and turnips -and bread, after thanks rendered, as if it were the finest dish in -the world; and a piece of cold bacon with a hot cabbage would be a -feast for him. The cider which he drank was brewed by my mother from -her own apples; to him it was as good as if it had been Sherris or -Rhenish. I say that he did not even know how his food was provided -for him; his mind was at all times occupied with subjects so lofty -that he knew not what was done under his very eyes. The hand of God, -he said, doth still support His faithful. Doubtless we cannot look -back upon those years without owning that we were so supported. But -my mother was the Instrument; nay, my father sometimes even compared -himself with satisfaction unto the Prophet Elijah, whom the ravens -fed beside the brook Cherith, bringing him flesh and bread in the -morning and flesh and bread in the evening. I suppose my father -thought that his bacon and beans came to him in the same manner. - -Yet we should sometimes have fared but poorly had it not been for -the charity of our friends. Many a fat capon, green goose, side -of bacon, and young grunter came to us from the Manor House, with -tobacco, which my father loved, and wine to comfort his soul; yea, -and clothes for us all, else had we gone barefoot and in rags. In -this way was many an ejected Elijah at that time nourished and -supported. Fresh meat we should never have tasted, any more than -the humblest around us, had it not been for our good friends at the -Manor House. Those who live in towns cannot understand how frugal -and yet sufficient may be the fare of those who live in the country -and have gardens and orchards. Cider was our drink, which we made -ourselves; we had some sweet apple-trees, which gave us a stock of -russets and pippins for winter use; we had bees (but we sold most of -our honey at Sherborne market); our garden grew sallets and onions, -beans and the like; skim milk we could have from the Manor House for -the fetching; for breakfast we had bread and milk, for dinner bread -and soft cheese, with a lettuce or an apple; and bread or bread and -butter for supper. For my father there was always kept a piece of -bacon or fat pork. - -Our house was one of the cottages in the village: it is a stone -house (often I sit down to look at it, and to remember those days -of humility) with a thick thatch. It had two rooms below and two -garrets above. One room was made into a study or library for my -father, where also he slept upon a pallet. The other was kitchen, -spinning room, parlour, all in one. The door opened upon the garden, -and the floor was of stone, so that it was cold. But when Barnaby -began to find the use of his hands he procured some boards, which he -laid upon the stones, and so we had a wooden floor; and in winter -across the door we hung a blanket or rug to keep off the wind. - -The walls were whitewashed, and over all my mother had written -texts of Scripture with charcoal, so that godly admonition was ever -present to our eyes and minds. She also embroidered short texts -upon our garments, and I have still the cradle in which I was laid, -carved (but I do not know by whose hand) with a verse from the Word -of God. My father used himself, and would have us employ, the words -of the Bible even for the smaller occasions of daily use; nor would -he allow that anything was lawful unless it was sanctioned by the -Bible, holding that in the Word was everything necessary or lawful. -Did Barnaby go shooting with Sir Christopher and bring home a -rabbit?--Lo! David bade the children of Israel teach the use of the -bow. Did my mother instruct and amuse me with riddles?--She had the -warrant of Scripture for it in the example of Samson. Did she sing -Psalms and spiritual songs to while away the time and make her work -less irksome and please her little daughter?--In the congregation -of Nehemiah there were two hundred forty-and-five singing men and -singing women. - -My father read and expounded the Bible to us twice a day--morning -and evening. Besides the Bible we had few books which we could -read. As for my mother, poor soul, she had no time to read. And as -for me, when I grew older I borrowed books from the Manor House or -Mr. Boscorel. And there were 'Old Mr. Dod's Sayings' and 'Plain -Directions by Joseph Large' always on the shelf beside the Bible. - -Now, while my father worked in his study and my brother Barnaby -either sat over his lesson-book, his hands rammed into his hair, as -if determined to lose nothing, not the least scrap of his portion -(yet knowing full well that on the morrow there would be not a -word left in his poor unlucky noddle, and once more the whip), my -mother would sit at her wheel earning the daily bread. And, when I -was little, she would tell me, speaking very softly, so as not to -disturb the wrestling of her husband with a knotty argument, all -the things which you have heard--how my father chose rather poverty -than to worship at the altar of Baal; and how two thousand pious -ministers, like-minded with himself, left their pulpits and went -out into the cold for conscience' sake. So that I was easily led -to think that there were no Christian martyrs and confessors more -excellent and praiseworthy than these ejected ministers (which still -I believe). Then would she tell me further of how they fared, and -how the common people do still reverence them. There was the history -of John Norman, of Bridgwater; Joseph Chadwick, of Wrenford; Felix -Howe, of West Torrington; George Minton, and many others. She also -instructed me very early in the history of the Protestant uprising -over the best half of Europe, and showed me how, against fearful -odds, and after burnings and tortures unspeakable, the good people -of Germany, the Netherlands, and Great Britain won their freedom -from the Pope, so that my heart glowed within me to think of the -great goodness and mercy which caused me to be born in a Protestant -country. And she instructed me, later, in the wickedness of King -Charles, whom they now call a martyr, and in the plots of that -King, and Laud his Archbishop, and how King and Archbishop were -both overthrown and perished when the people arose and would bear -no more. In fine, my mother made me, from the beginning, a Puritan. -As I remember my mother always, she was pale of cheek and thin, her -voice was gentle; yet with her very gentleness she would make the -blood to run quick in the veins, and the heart to beat. - -How have I seen the boys spring to their feet when she has talked -with them of the great civil war and the Revolution! But always soft -and gentle; her blue eyes never flashing; no wrath in her heart; -but the truth, which often causeth righteous anger, always upon her -tongue. - -One day, I remember, when I was a little girl playing in the garden, -Mr. Boscorel walked down the village in his great silken gown, which -seemed always new, his lace ruffs, and his white bands, looking -like a Bishop at least, and walking delicately, holding up his gown -to keep it from the dust and mud. When he spoke it was in a soft -voice and a mincing speech, not like our plain Somersetshire way. -He stopped at our gate, and looked down the garden. It was a summer -day, the doors and windows of the cottage were open; at our window -sat my father bending over his books, in his rusty gown and black -cap, thin and lank; at the door sat my mother at her wheel. - -'Child,' said the Rector, 'take heed thou never forget in thine age -the thing which thou seest daily in thy childhood.' - -I knew not what he meant. - -'Read and mark,' he said; 'yea, little Alice, learn by heart what -the Wise Man hath said of the good woman: "She layeth her hands -to the spindle ... she maketh fine linen and selleth it ... she -eateth not the bread of idleness.... Let her works praise her in the -gates."' - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -THE BOYS. - - -The family of Challis, of Bradford Orcas, is well known; here there -has always been a Challis from time immemorial. They are said to -have been on the land before the time of the Conqueror. But because -they have never been a great family, like the Mohuns of Dunster, -but only modest gentle-folk with some four or five hundred pounds -a year, they have not suffered, like those great houses, from the -civil wars, which, when they raged in the land, brought in their -train so many attainders, sequestrations, beheadings, imprisonments, -and fines. Whether the Barons fought, or whether Cavaliers and -Roundheads, the Challises remained at Bradford Orcas. - -Since the land is theirs and the village, it is reasonable that -they should have done everything that has been done for the place. -One of them built the church, but I know not when; another built -the tower; another gave the peal of bells. He who reigned here in -the time of Henry VII., built the Manor House; another built the -mill; the monuments in the church are all put up to the memory of -Challises dead and gone; there is one, a very stately tomb, which -figures, to the life, Sir William Challis (who died in the time -of Queen Elizabeth), carved in marble, and coloured, kneeling at -a desk; opposite to him is his second wife, Grace, also kneeling. -Behind the husband are three boys, on their knees, and behind the -wife are three girls. Apart from this group is the effigy of Filipa, -Sir Christopher's first wife, with four daughters kneeling behind -her. I was always sorry for Filipa, thus separated and cut off from -the society of her husband. There are brasses on the floor with -figures of other Challises, and tablets in the wall, and the Challis -coat-of-arms is everywhere, cut in lozenges, and painted in wood, -and shining in the east window. It seemed to me, in my young days, -that it was the grandest thing in the world to be a Challis. - -In this family there was a laudable practice with the younger sons, -that they stayed not at home, as is too often their custom, leading -indolent lives without ambition or fortune, but they sallied forth -and sought fortune in trade, or in the Law, or in the Church, or -in foreign service--wherever fortune is to be honourably won--so -that, though I daresay some have proved dead and dry branches, -others have put forth flowers and fruit abundantly, forming new -and vigorous trees sprung from the ancient root. Thus, some have -become judges: and some bishops: and some great merchants: some -have crossed the ocean and are now settled in the Plantations: some -have attained rank and estates in the service of the Low Countries. -Thus, Sir Christopher's brother Humphrey went to London and became a -Levant merchant and adventurer, rising to great honour and becoming -alderman. I doubt not that he would have been made Lord Mayor but -for his untimely death. And as for his wealth, which was rumoured to -be so great--but you shall hear of this in due time. - -That goodly following of his household which you have seen enter -the church on Farewell Sunday, was shortly afterwards broken into -by death. There fell upon the village (I think it was in the year -1665) the scourge of a putrid fever, of which there died, besides -numbers of the village folk, Madam herself--the honoured wife of -Sir Christopher--Humphrey his son, and Madam Patience Boscorel, his -daughter. There were left to Sir Christopher, therefore, only his -daughter-in-law and his grandsons Robin and Benjamin. And in that -year his household was increased by the arrival of his grand-nephew -Humphrey. This child was the grandson of Sir Christopher's brother, -the Turkey or Levant merchant of whom I have spoken. He was rich -and prosperous: his ships sailed out every year laden with I know -not what, and returned with figs, dates, spices, gums, silks, -and all kinds of precious commodities from Eastern parts. It is, -I have been told, a profitable trade, but subject to terrible -dangers from Moorish pirates, who must be bravely fought and beaten -off, otherwise ship and cargo will be taken, and captain and crew -driven into slavery. Mr. Challis dwelt in Thames-street, close to -Tower-hill. It is said that he lived here in great splendour, as -befits a rich merchant who is also an Alderman. - -Now, in the year 1665, as is very well known, a great plague broke -out in the city. There were living in the house in Thames-street the -Alderman, his wife, his son, his son's wife, a daughter, and his -grandson, little Humphrey. On the first outbreak of the pestilence -they took counsel together and resolved that the child should be -first sent away to be out of danger, and that they would follow if -the plague spread. - -This was done, and a sober man, one of their porters or -warehousemen, carried the child with his nurse all the way from -London to Bradford Orcas. Alas! Before the boy reached his -great-uncle, the house in Thames-street was attacked by the plague, -and everyone therein perished. Thus was poor little Humphrey -deprived of his parents. I know not who were his guardians or -trustees, or what steps, if any, were taken to inquire into the -Alderman's estate; but when, next year, the Great Fire of London -destroyed the house in Thames-street, with so many others, all -the estate, whatever it had been, vanished, and could no more be -traced. There must have been large moneys owing. It is certain that -he had ventures in ships. It has been supposed that he owned many -houses in the City, but they were destroyed and their very sites -forgotten, and no deeds or papers, or any proof of ownership, were -left. Moreover, there was nobody charged with inquiring into this -orphan's affairs. Therefore, in the general confusion, nothing at -all was saved out of what had been a goodly property, and the child -Humphrey was left without a guinea in the world. Thus unstable is -Fortune. - -I know not whether Humphrey received a fall in his infancy, or -whether he was born with his deformity, but the poor lad grew up -with a crooked figure, one shoulder being higher than the other, and -his legs short, so that he looked as if his arms were too long for -him. We, who saw him thus every day, paid no heed, nor did he suffer -from any of those cruel gibes and taunts which are often passed upon -lads thus afflicted. As he was by nature or misfortune debarred from -the rough sports which pleased his cousins, the boy gave himself up -to reading and study, and to music. His manner of speech was soft -and gentle; his voice was always sweet, and afterwards became strong -as well, so that I have never heard a better singer. His face--ah! -my brother Humphrey, what a lovely face was thine! All goodness, -surely, was stamped upon that face. Never, never, did an unworthy -thought defile that candid soul, or a bad action cast a cloud upon -that brow! - -As for Robin, Sir Christopher's grandson, I think he was always -what he is still, namely, one of a joyous heart and a cheerful -countenance. As a boy, he laughed continually, would sing more -willingly than read, would play rather than work, loved to course -and shoot and ride better than to learn Latin grammar, and would -readily off coat and fight with any who invited him. Yet not a fool -or a clown, but always a gentleman in manners, and one who read -such things as behove a country gentleman, and scrupulous as to the -point of honour. Such as he is still such he was always. And of a -comely presence, with a rosy cheek and bright eyes, and the strength -of a young David, as well as his ruddy and goodly countenance. -The name of David, I am told, means 'darling.' Therefore ought my -Robin to have been named David. There were two other boys--Barnaby, -my brother, who was six years older than myself, and, therefore, -always to me a great boy; and Benjamin, the son of the Rev. Mr. -Boscorel--the Rector. Barnaby grew up so broad and strong that -at twelve he would have passed easily for seventeen; his square -shoulders, deep chest, and big limbs made him like a bull for -strength. Yet he was shorter than most, and looked shorter than -he was by reason of his great breadth. He was always exercising -his strength; he would toss the hay with the haymakers, and carry -the corn for the reapers, and thresh with the flail, and guide -the plough. He loved to climb great trees, and fell to them with -an axe. Everybody in the village admired his wonderful strength. -Unfortunately, he loved not books, and could never learn anything, -so that when, by dint of great application and many repetitions, he -had learned a little piece of a Latin verb, he straightway forgot it -in the night, and so, next day, there was another flogging. But that -he heeded little. He was five years older than Robin, and taught -him all his woodcraft--where to find pheasants' eggs, how to catch -squirrels, how to trap weasels and stoats, how to hunt the otter, -how to make a goldfinch whistle and a raven talk--never was there -such a master of that wisdom which doth not advance a man in the -world. - -Now, before Barnaby's birth, his mother, after the manner of Hannah, -gave him solemnly unto the Lord all the days of his life, and, after -his birth, her husband, after the manner of Elkanah, said: 'Do -what seemeth thee good; only the Lord establish his word.' He was, -therefore, to become a minister, like his father before him. Alas! -poor Barnaby could not even learn the Latin verbs, and his heart, -it was found, as he grew older, was wholly set upon the things of -this world. Wherefore, my mother prayed for him daily while she sat -at her work, that his heart might be turned, and that he might get -understanding. - -As for the fourth of the boys, Benjamin Boscorel, he was about two -years younger than Barnaby, a boy who, for want of a mother, and -because his father was careless of him, grew up rough and coarse in -manners and in speech, and boastful of his powers. To hear Ben talk -you would think that all the boys of his school (the grammar school -of Sherborne) were heroes; that the Latin taught was of a quality -superior to that which Robin and Humphrey learnt of my father; and -that when he himself went out into the world, the superiority of his -parts would be immediately perceived and acknowledged. - -Those who watch boys at play together--girls more early learn to -govern themselves and to conceal their thoughts, if not their -tempers--may, after a manner, predict the future character of every -one. There is the man who wants all for himself, and still wants -more, and will take all and yield nothing, save on compulsion, and -cares not a straw about his neighbour--such was Benjamin, as a boy. -There is the man who gives all generously--such was Robin. There is, -again, the man whose mind is raised above the petty cares of the -multitude, and dwells apart, occupied with great thoughts--such was -Humphrey. Lastly, there is the man who can act but cannot think; -who is born to be led; who is full of courage and of strength, and -leaves all to his commander, captain, or master--such was Barnaby. - -As I think of these lads it seems as if the kind of man into which -each would grow must have been stamped upon their foreheads. Perhaps -to the elders this prognostic was easy to read. - -They suffered me to play with them or to watch them at play. When -the boys went off to the woods I went with them. I watched them -set their traps--I ran when they ran. And then, as now, I loved -Robin and Humphrey. But I could not endure--no; not even the touch -of him--Benjamin, with the loud laugh and the braggart voice, who -laughed at me because I was a girl and could not fight. The time -came when he did not laugh at me because I was a girl. And oh! to -think--only to think--of the time that came after that! - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -SIR CHRISTOPHER. - - -At the mere remembrance of Sir Christopher, I am fain to lay down -my pen and to weep, as for one whose goodness was unsurpassed, and -whose end was undeserved. Good works, I know, are rags, and men -cannot deserve the mercy of God by any merits of their own; but a -good man--a man whose heart is full of justice, mercy, virtue, and -truth--is so rare a creature, that when there is found such a one, -his salvation seems assured. Is it not wonderful that there are -among us so many good Christians, but so few good men? I am, indeed, -in private duty bound to acknowledge Sir Christopher's goodness -to me and to mine. He was, as I have said, the mainstay of our -household. Had we depended wholly on my mother's work, we should -sometimes have fared miserably indeed. Nay, he did more. Though a -Justice of the Peace, he invited my father every Sunday evening to -the Manor House for spiritual conversation, not only for his own -profit, but knowing that to expound was to my father the breath -of his nostrils, so that if he could not expound he must die. In -person, Sir Christopher was tall; after the fashion (which I love) -of the days when he was a young man he wore his own hair, which, -being now white and long, became his venerable face much better -than any wig--white, black, or brown. He was generally dressed, as -became his station of simple country gentleman, in a plush coat with -silver buttons, and for the most part he wore boots, being of an -active habit and always walking about his fields or in his gardens -among his flowers and his fruit-trees. He was so good a sportsman -that with his rod, his gun, and his hawk he provided his table with -everything except beef, mutton, and pork. In religion he inclined -to Independency, being above all things an upholder of private -judgment; in politics, he denied the Divine right, and openly said -that a Challis might be a King as well as a Stuart; he abhorred -the Pope and all his works; and though he was now for a Monarchy, -he would have the King's own power limited by the Parliament. In -his manners he was grave and dignified; not austere, but one who -loved a cheerful companion. He rode once a week, on market day, to -Sherborne, where he dined with his brother Justices, hearing and -discussing the news, though news comes but slowly from London to -these parts--it was fourteen days after the landing of the King -in the year 1660 that the bells of Sherborne Minster rang for that -event. Sometimes a copy of the _London Gazette_ came down by the -Exeter coach, or some of the company had lately passed a night where -the coach stopped, and conversed with travellers from London and -heard the news. For the rest of the week, his Honour was at home. -For the most part he sat in the hall. In the middle stands the great -oak table where all the household sit at meals together. There was -little difference between the dishes served above and those below -the salt, save that those above had each a glass of strong ale or -of wine after dinner and supper. One side of the hall was hung with -arras worked with representations of herbs, beasts and birds. On the -other side was the great chimney, where in the winter a noble fire -was kept up all day long. On either side of it hung fox skins, otter -skins, pole-cat skins, with fishing-rods, stags' heads, horns and -other trophies of the chase. At the end was a screen covered with -old coats of mail, helmets, bucklers, lances, pikes, pistols, guns -with match-locks, and a trophy of swords arranged in form of a star. -Below the cornice hung a row of leathern jerkins, black and dusty, -which had formerly been worn in place of armour by the common sort. -In the oriel window was a sloping desk, having on one side the Bible -and on the other Foxe's 'Book of Martyrs.' Below was a shelf with -other books, such as Vincent Wing's Almanack, King Charles's 'Golden -Rules,' 'Glanville on Apparitions,' the 'Complete Justice,' and the -'Book of Farriery.' There was also in the hall a great side-board, -covered with Turkey work, pewter, brass, and fine linen. In the -cupboard below was his Honour's plate, reported to be worth a great -deal of money. - -Sir Christopher sat in a high chair, curiously carved, with arms -and a triangular seat. It had belonged to the family for many -generations. Within reach of the chair was the tobacco-jar, his -pipe, and his favourite book--namely, 'The Gentleman's Academie: -or the Book of St. Albans, being a Work on Hunting, Hawking, and -Armorie,' by Dame Juliana Berners, who wrote it two hundred and -fifty years ago. Sir Christopher loved especially to read aloud -that chapter in which it is proved that the distinction between -gentleman and churl began soon after the Creation, when Cain proved -himself a churl, and Seth was created Gentleman and Esquire or -Armiger by Adam, his father. This distinction was renewed after the -Flood by Noah himself, a gentleman by lineal descent from Seth. In -the case of his sons, Ham was the churl, and the other two were the -gentlemen. I have sometimes thought that, according to this author, -all of us who are descended from Shem or Japhet should be gentlemen, -in which case there would be no churl in Great Britain at all. But -certainly there are many; so that, to my poor thinking, Dame Juliana -Berners must be wrong. - -There is, in addition to the great hall, the best parlour. But -as this was never wanted, the door of it was never opened except -at cleaning time. Then, to be sure, one saw a room furnished -very grand, with chairs in Turkey work, and hung round with -family portraits. The men were clad in armour, as if they had all -been soldiers or commanders; the women were mostly dressed as -shepherdesses, with crooks in their hands and flowing robes. In the -garden was a long bowling green, where in summer Sir Christopher -took great pleasure in that ancient game: below the garden was a -broad fishpond, made by damming the stream: above and below the pond -there were trout, and in the pond were carp and jack. A part of the -garden was laid out for flowers, a part for the still-room, and a -part for fruit. I have never seen anywhere a better ordered garden -for the still-room. Everything grew therein that the housewife -wants: sweet cicely, rosemary, burnet, sweet basil, chives, dill, -clary, angelica, lipwort, tarragon, thyme and mint; there were, as -Lord Bacon, in his 'Essay on Gardens,' would have, 'whole alleys of -them to have the pleasure when you walk or tread.' There were thick -hedges to keep off the east wind in spring, so that one would enjoy -the sun when that cold wind was blowing. But in Somerset that wind -hath not the bitterness that it possesses along the eastern shores -of the land. - -Every morning Sir Christopher sat in his Justice's chair under the -helmets and the coats of armour. Sometimes gipsies would be brought -before him, charged with stealing poultry or poisoning pigs; or a -rogue and vagabond would stray into the parish; these gentry were -very speedily whipped out of it. As for our own people, there is -nowhere a more quiet and orderly village; quarrels there are with -the clothiers' men, who will still try to beat down the value of the -women's work, and bickerings sometimes between the women themselves. -Sir Christopher was judge for all. Truly he was a patriarch like -unto Abraham, and a father to his people. Never was sick man -suffered to want for medicines and succour; never was aged man -suffered to lack food and fire; did any youth show leanings towards -sloth, profligacy, or drunkenness, he was straightway admonished, -and that right soundly, so that his back and shoulders would remind -him for many days of his sin. By evildoers Sir Christopher was -feared as much as he was beloved by all good men and true. This also -is proper to one in high station and authority. - -In the evening he amused himself in playing backgammon with the -boys, or chess with his son-in-law, Mr. Boscorel: but the latter -with less pleasure, because he was generally defeated in the game. -He greatly delighted in the conversation and society of that learned -and ingenious gentleman, though on matters of religion and of -politics his son-in-law belonged to the opposite way of thinking. - -I do not know why Mr. Boscorel took upon himself holy orders. God -forbid that I should speak ill of any in authority, and especially -of one who was kind and charitable to all, and refused to become -a persecutor of those who desired freedom of conscience and of -speech. But if the chief duty of a minister of the Gospel is to -preach, then was Mr. Boscorel little better than a dog who cannot -bark. He did not preach; that is to say, he could not, like my -father, mount the pulpit, Bible in hand, and teach, admonish, -argue, and convince without a written word. He read every Sunday -morning a brief discourse, which might, perhaps, have instructed -Oxford scholars, but would not be understood by the common -people. As for arguments on religion, spiritual conversation, or -personal experience of grace, he would never suffer such talk in -his presence, because it argued private judgment and caused, he -said, the growth of spiritual pride. And of those hot Gospellers -whose zeal brings them to prison and the pillory, he spoke with -contempt. His conversation, I must acknowledge, was full of delight -and instruction, if the things which one learned of him were not -vanities. He had travelled in Italy and in France, and he loved -to talk of poetry, architecture, statuary, medals and coins, -antiquities and so forth--things harmless and, perhaps, laudable -in themselves, but for a preacher of the Gospel who ought to think -of nothing but his sacred calling they are surely superfluities. -Or he would talk of the manners and customs of strange countries, -and especially of the Pope. This person, whom I have been taught -to look upon as from the very nature of his pretensions the most -wicked of living men, Mr. Boscorel regarded with as much toleration -as he bestowed upon an Independent. Then he would tell us of London -and the manners of the great; of the King, whom he had seen, and -the Court, seeming to wink at things which one ought to hold in -abhorrence. He even told us of the playhouse, which, according to -my father, is the most subtle engine ever invented by the Devil for -the destruction of souls. Yet Mr. Boscorel sighed to think that he -could no longer visit that place of amusement. He loved also music, -and played movingly upon the violoncello; and he could make pictures -with pen, pencil, or brush. I have some of his paintings still, -especially a picture which he drew of Humphrey playing the fiddle, -his great eyes looking upwards as if the music was drawing his soul -to Heaven. I know not why he painted a halo about his face. Mr. -Boscorel also loved poetry, and quoted Shakspeare and Ben Jonson -more readily than the Word of God. - -In person he was of a goodly countenance, having clear-cut features: -a straight nose, rather long; soft eyes, and a gentle voice. He -was dainty in his apparel, loving fine clean linen and laced -neckerchiefs, but was not a gross feeder; he drank but little -wine, but would discourse upon fine wines, such as the Tokay of -Hungary, Commandery wine from Cyprus, and the like, and he seemed -better pleased to watch the colour of the wine in the glass, and to -breathe its perfume, than to drink it. Above all things he hated -coarse speech and rude manners. He spoke of men as if he stood on an -eminence watching them, and always with pity, as if he belonged to a -nobler creation. How could such a man have such a son? - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -THE RUNAWAY. - - -Everybody hath heard, and old people still remember, how one -Act after the other was passed for the suppression of the -Nonconformists, whom the Church of England tried to extirpate, but -could not. Had these laws been truly carried into effect, there -would have been great suffering among the Dissenters; but, in order -to enforce them, every man's hand would have been turned against his -neighbour, and this--thank God!--is not possible in Somerset. For -example, the Act of Uniformity provided not only for the ejectment -of the Nonconforming ministers (which was duly carried out), but -also enacted that none of them should take scholars without the -license of the Bishop. Yet many of the ejected ministers maintained -themselves in this way openly, without the Bishop's license. They -were not molested, though they might be threatened by some hot -Episcopalian; nor were the Bishops anxious to set the country afire -by attempting to enforce this law. One must not take from an honest -neighbour, whatever an unjust law may command, his only way of -living. - -Again, the Act passed two years later punished all persons with fine -and imprisonment who attended conventicles. Yet the conventicles -continued to be held over the whole country, because it was -impossible for the Justices to fine and imprison men with whom they -sat at dinner every market-day, with whom they took their punch and -tobacco, and whom they knew to be honest and God-fearing folk. -Again, how could they fine and imprison their own flesh and blood? -Why, in every family there were some who loved the meeting-house -better than the steeple-house. Laws have little power when they are -against the conscience of the people. - -Thirdly, there was an Act prohibiting ministers from residing within -five miles of the village or town where they had preached. This was -a most cruel and barbarous Act, because it sent the poor ministers -away from the help of their friends. Yet how was it regarded? My -father, for his part, continued to live at Bradford Orcas without -let or hindrance, and so, no doubt, did many more. - -Again, another Act was passed giving authority to Justices of the -Peace to break open doors and to take in custody persons found -assembling for worship. I have heard of disturbances at Taunton, -where the Magistrates carried things with a high hand; but I think -the people who met to worship after their own fashion were little -disturbed. Among the Churchmen were some, no doubt, who remembered -the snubs and rubs they had themselves experienced, and the memory -may have made them revengeful. All the persecution, it is certain, -was not on the side of the Church. There was, for instance, the -case of Dr. Walter Raleigh, Dean of Wells, who was clapped into -a noisome prison where the plague had broken out. He did not die -of that disease, but was done to death in the jail, barbarously, -by one David Barrett, shoemaker, who was never punished for the -murder, but was afterwards made Constable of the City. There was -also the case of the Rev. Dr. Piers, whom I have myself seen, for -he lived to a good old age. He was a Prebendary of Wells, and being -driven forth, was compelled to turn farmer, and to work with his own -hands--digging, hoeing, ploughing, reaping, and threshing--when he -should have been in his study. Every week this reverend and learned -Doctor of Divinity was to be seen at Ilminster Market, standing -beside the pillars with his cart, among the farmers and their wives, -selling his apples, cheese, and cabbages. - -I say that no doubt many remembered these things. Yet the affection -of the people went forth to the Nonconformists and the ejected -ministers, as was afterwards but too well proved. I have been -speaking of things which happened before my recollection. It was in -the year 1665, four years after the Ejection, that I was born. My -father would have named me Grace Abounding, but my mother called -me Alice, after her own name. I was thus six years younger than my -brother Barnaby, and two years younger than Robin and Humphrey. - -The first thing that I can recollect is a kind of picture, -preserved, so to speak, in my head. At the open door is a woman -spinning at the wheel. She is a woman with a pale, grave face; she -works diligently, and for the most part in silence; if she speaks, -it is to encourage or to admonish a little girl who plays in the -garden outside. Her lips move as she works, because she communes -with her thoughts all day long. From time to time she turns her -head and looks with anxiety into the other room, where sits her -husband at his table. - -Before him stand three boys. They are Barnaby, Robin, and Humphrey. -They are learning Latin. The room is piled with books on shelves and -books on the floor. In the corner is a pallet, which is the master's -bed by night. I hear the voices of the boys who repeat their -lessons, and the admonishing of their master. I can see through -the open door the boys themselves. One, a stout and broad lad, is -my brother Barnaby: he hangs his head and forgets his lesson, and -causes his father to punish him every day. He receives admonition -with patience; yet profiteth nothing. The next is Humphrey; he is -already a lad of grave and modest carriage, who loves his book and -learns diligently. The third is Robin, whose parts are good, were -his application equal to his intelligence. He is impatient, and -longs for the time when he may close his book and go to play again. - -Poor Barnaby! at the sight of a Latin Grammar he would feel sick. He -would willingly have taken a flogging every day--to be sure, that -generally happened to him--in order to escape his lessons and be off -to the fields and woods. - -It was the sight of his rueful face--yet never sad except at -lessons--which made my mother sigh when she saw him dull but patient -over his book. Had he stayed at home I know not what could have been -done with him, seeing that to become a preacher of the Gospel was -beyond even the power of prayer (the Lord having clearly expressed -His will in this matter). He would have had to clap on a leathern -apron, and become a wheelwright or blacksmith; nothing better than -an honest trade was possible for him. - -But (whether happily or not) a strange whim seized the boy when -he was fourteen years of age. He would go to sea. How he came to -think of the sea I know not; he had never seen the sea; there were -no sailors in the village; there was no talk of the sea. Perhaps -Humphrey, who read many books, told him of the great doings of -our sailors on the Spanish Main and elsewhere. Perhaps some of -the clothiers' men, who are a roving and unsettled crew, had been -sailors--some, I know, had been soldiers under Oliver. However, this -matters not, Barnaby must needs become a sailor. - -When first he broke this resolution, which he did secretly, to my -mother, she began to weep and lament, because everybody knows how -dreadful is the life of a sailor, and how full of dangers. She -begged him to put the thought out of his head, and to apply himself -again to his books. - -'Mother,' he said, 'it is no use. What comes in at one ear goes out -at the other. Nothing sticks: I shall never be a scholar.' - -'Then, my son, learn an honest trade.' - -'What? Become the village cobbler--or the blacksmith? Go hat in hand -to his Honour, when my father should have been a Bishop, and my -mother is a gentlewoman? That will I not. I will go and be a sailor. -All sailors are gentlemen. I shall rise and become first mate, and -then second captain, and lastly, captain in command. Who knows? I -may go and fight the Spaniard, if I am lucky.' - -'Oh, my son, canst thou not stay at home and go to church, and -consider the condition of thine immortal soul? Of sailors it is well -known that their language is made up of profane oaths, and that they -are all profligates and drunkards. Consider, my son'--my mother -laid her hand upon his arm--'what were Heaven to me, if I have not -my dear children with me as well as my husband? How could I praise -the Lord if I were thinking of my son who was not with me, but--ah! -Heaven forbid the thought!' - -Barnaby made no reply. What could he say in answer to my mother's -tears? Yet I think she must have understood very well that her son, -having got this resolution into his head, would never give it up. - -'Oh!' she said, 'when thou wast a little baby in my arms, -Barnaby--who art now so big and strong'--she looked at him with the -wonder and admiration that women feel when their sons grow big and -stout--'I prayed that God would accept thee as an offering for His -service. Thou art vowed unto the Lord, my son, as much as Samuel. Do -you think he complained of his lessons? What would have happened, -think you, to Samuel if he had taken off his ephod and declared -that he would serve no longer at the altar, but must take spear and -shield, and go to fight the Amalekite?' - -Said Barnaby, in reply, speaking from an unregenerate heart, -'Mother, had I been Samuel, to wear an ephod and to learn the Latin -syntax every day, I should have done that. Ay! I would have done it, -even if I knew that at the first skirmish an arrow would pierce my -heart.' - -It was after a great flogging, on account of the passive voice or -some wrestling with the syntax, that Barnaby plucked up courage to -tell his father what he wished to do. - -'With my consent,' said my father, sternly, 'thou shalt never -become a sailor. As soon would I send thee to become a buffoon in a -playhouse. Never dare to speak of it again.' - -Barnaby hung his head and said nothing. - -Then my mother, who knew his obstinate disposition, took him to Sir -Christopher, who chid him roundly, telling him that there was work -for him on land, else he would have been born beside the coast, -where the lads take naturally to the sea: that being, as he was, -only an ignorant boy, and landborn, he could not know the dangers -which he would encounter: that some ships are cast away on desert -islands, where the survivors remain in misery until they die, and -some on lands where savages devour them, and some are dragged down -by calamaries and other dreadful monsters, and some are burned at -sea, their crews having to choose miserably between burning and -drowning, and some are taken by the enemy, and the sailors clapped -into dungeons and tortured by the Accursed Inquisition. - -[Illustration: '_He was seized with a mighty wrath, and, catching -his son sharply by the ear, led him out of the throng._'] - -Many more things did Sir Christopher set forth, showing the -miserable life and the wretched end of the sailor. But Barnaby never -changed countenance, and though my mother bade him note this and -mark that, and take heed unto his Honour's words, his face showed -no melting. 'Twas always an obstinate lad; nay it was his obstinacy -alone which kept him from his learning. Otherwise he might perhaps -have become as great a scholar as Humphrey. - -'Sir,' he said, when Sir Christopher had no other word to say, 'with -submission, I would still choose to be a sailor, if I could.' - -In the end he obtained his wish. That is to say, since no one would -help him towards it, he helped himself. And this, I think, is the -only way in which men do ever get what they want. - -It happened one evening that there passed through the village a -man with a pipe and tabor, on which he played so movingly that all -the people turned out to listen. For my own part I was with my -mother, yet I ran to the garden-gate and leaned my head over, drawn -by the sound of the music. Presently the boys and girls began to -take hands together and to dance. I dare not say that to dance is -sinful, because David danced. But it was so regarded by my father, -so that when he passed by them, on his way home from taking the air, -and actually saw his own son Barnaby in the middle of the dancers, -footing it merrily with them all, joyfully leading one girl up and -the other down at _John come and kiss me now_, he was seized with a -mighty wrath, and, catching his son sharply by the ear, led him out -of the throng and so home. For that evening Barnaby went supperless -to bed, with the promise of such a flogging in the morning as would -cause him to remember for the rest of his life the sinfulness of -dancing. Never had I seen my father so angry. I trembled before -his wrathful eyes. But Barnaby faced him with steady looks, making -answer none, yet not showing the least repentance or fear. I thought -it was because a flogging had no terrors for him. The event proved -that I was wrong; that was not the reason: he had resolved to run -away, and when we awoke in the morning he was gone. He had crept -down-stairs in the night; he had taken half a loaf of bread and a -great cantle of soft cheese, and had gone away. He had not gone for -fear of the rod: he had run away with design to go to sea. Perhaps -he had gone to Bristol; perhaps to Plymouth; perhaps to Lyme. My -mother wept, and my father sighed; and for ten years more we neither -saw nor heard anything of Barnaby, not even whether he was dead or -living. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -BENJAMIN, LORD CHANCELLOR. - - -Summer follows winter and winter summer, in due course, turning -children into young men and maidens, changing school into work, -and play into love, and love into marriage, and so onwards to the -churchyard, where we all presently lie, hopeful of Heaven's mercy, -whether Mr. Boscorel did stand beside our open grave in his white -surplice, or my father in his black gown. - -Barnaby was gone; the other three grew tall, and would still be -talking of the lives before them. Girls do never look forward to -the future with the eagerness and joy of boys. To the dullest boy -it seems a fine thing to be master of his own actions, even if that -liberty lead to whipping-post, pillory, or gallows. To boys of -ambition and imagination the gifts of Fortune show like the splendid -visions of a prophet. They think that earthly fame will satisfy the -soul. Perhaps women see these glories and their true worth with -clearer eye as not desiring them. And truly it seems a small thing, -after a life spent in arduous toil, and with one foot already in the -grave, to obtain fortune, rank, or title. - -Benjamin and Humphrey were lads of ambition. To both, but in fields -which lay far apart, the best life seemed to be that which is spent -among men on the ant-hill where all are driving or being driven, -loading each other with burdens intolerable, or with wealth or with -honours, and then dying and being forgotten in a moment--which we -call London. In the kindly country one stands apart and sees the -vanity of human wishes. Teat the ambition of Humphrey, it must be -confessed, was noble, because it was not for his own advancement, -but for the good of mankind. - -'I shall stay at home,' said Robin. 'You two may go if you please. -Perhaps you will like the noise of London, where a man cannot hear -himself speak, they say, for the roaring of the crowd, the ringing -of the bells, and the rumbling of the carts. As for me, what is good -enough for my grandfather will be surely good enough for me.' - -It should, indeed, be good enough for anybody to spend his days -after the manner of Sir Christopher, administering justice for the -villagers, with the weekly ordinary at Sherborne for company, the -green fields and his garden for pleasure and for exercise, and the -welfare of his soul for prayer. Robin, besides, loved to go forth -with hawk and gun; to snare the wild creatures; to hunt the otter -and the fox; to bait the badger, and trap the stoat and weasel; to -course the hares. But cities and crowds, even if they should be -shouting in his honour, did never draw him, even after he had seen -them. Nor was he ever tempted to believe any manner of life more -full of delight and more consistent with the end of man's creation -than the rural life, the air of the fields, the following of the -plough for the men, and the spinning-wheel for the women. - -'I shall be a lawyer,' said Benjamin, puffing out his cheeks and -squaring his shoulders. 'Very well, then, I say I shall be a great -lawyer. What? None of your pettifogging tribe for me: I shall step -to the front, and stay there. What? Someone must have the prizes and -the promotion. There are always places falling vacant and honours to -be given away: they shall be given to me. Why not to me as well as -another?' - -'Well,' said Robin, 'you are strong enough to take them, -willy-nilly.' - -'I am strong enough,' he replied, with conviction. 'First, I shall -be called to the Outer Bar, where I shall plead in stuff--I saw -them at Exeter last 'Sizes. Next, I shall be summoned to become -King's Counsel, when I shall flaunt it in silk. Who but I?' Then he -seemed to grow actually three inches taller, so great is the power -of imagination. He was already six feet in height, his shoulders -broad, and his face red and fiery, so that now he looked very big -and tall. 'Then my Inn will make me a Bencher, and I shall sit at -the high table in term-time. And the attorneys shall run after me -and fight with each other for my services in Court, so that in every -great case I shall be heard thundering before the jury, and making -the witnesses perjure themselves with terror--for which they will be -afterwards flogged. I shall belong to the King's party--none of your -canting Whigs for me. When the high treason cases come on, I shall -be the counsel for the Crown. That is the high road to advancement.' - -'This is very well, so far,' said Robin, laughing. 'Ben is too -modest, however. He does not get on fast enough.' - -'All in good time,' Ben replied. 'I mean to get on as fast as -anybody. But I shall follow the beaten road. First, favour with -attorneys and those who have suits in the Courts; then the ear of -the Judge. I know not how one gets the ear of the Judge'--he looked -despondent for a moment, then he held up his head again--'but I -shall find out. Others have found out--why not I? What? I am no -fool, am I?' - -'Certainly not, Ben. But as yet we stick at King's Counsel.' - -'After the ear of the Judge, the favour of the Crown. What do I -care who is King? It is the King who hath preferment and place -and honours in his gift. Where these are given away, there shall -I be found. Next am I made Serjeant-at-Law. Then I am saluted as -'Brother' by the Judges on the Bench, while all the others burst -with envy. After that I shall myself be called to the Bench. I -am already "my Lord"--why do you laugh, Robin?--and a Knight: Sir -Benjamin Boscorel--Sir Benjamin.' Here he puffed out his cheeks -again, and swung his shoulders like a very great person indeed. - -'Proceed, Sir Benjamin,' said Humphrey, gravely, while Robin laughed. - -'When I am a Judge, I promise you I will rate the barristers and -storm at the witnesses and admonish the Jury until there shall be -no other question in their minds but to find out first what is my -will in the case, and then to govern themselves accordingly. I will -be myself Judge and jury and all. Oh! I have seen the Judge at last -Exeter 'Sizes. He made all to shake in their shoes. I shall not stop -there. Chief Baron I shall be, perhaps--but on that point I have not -yet made up my mind--and then Lord Chancellor.' He paused to take -breath, and looked around him, grandeur and authority upon his brow. -'Lord Chancellor,' he repeated, 'on the Woolsack!' - -'You will then,' said Robin, 'be raised to the peerage--first Lord -Boscorel; or perhaps, if your Lordship will so honour this poor -village, Lord Bradford Orcas'---- - -'Earl of Sherborne I have chosen for title,' said Benjamin. 'And -while I am climbing up the ladder, where wilt thou be, Humphrey? -Grovelling in the mud with the poor devils who cannot rise?' - -'Nay, I shall have a small ladder of my own, Ben. I find great -comfort in the thought that when your Lordship is roaring and -bawling with the gout--your noble toe being like a ball of fire, and -your illustrious foot swathed in flannel--I shall be called upon to -drive away the pain, and you will honour me with the title not only -of humble cousin, but also of rescuer and preserver. Will it not be -honour enough to cure the Right Honourable the Earl of Sherborne -(first of the name), the Lord Chancellor, of his gout, and to -restore him to the duties of his great office, so that once more he -shall be the dread of evildoers and of all who have to appear before -him? As yet, my Lord, your extremities, I perceive, are free from -that disease--the result, too often, of that excess in wine which -besets the great.' - -Here Robin laughed again, and so did Benjamin. Nobody could use -finer language than Humphrey, if he pleased. - -'A fine ambition!' said Ben. 'To wear a black velvet coat and a -great wig; to carry a gold-headed cane; all day long to listen while -the patient tells of his gripes and pains; to mix boluses, and to -compound nauseous draughts!' - -'Well,' Humphrey laughed, 'if you are Lord Chancellor, Ben, you -will, I hope, give us good laws, and so make the nation happy -and prosperous. While you are doing this, I will be keeping you -in health for the good of the country. I say that this is a fine -ambition.' - -'And Robin, here, will sit in the great chair, and have the rogues -haled before him, and order the Head-borough to bring out his -cat-o'-nine-tails. In the winter evenings, he will play backgammon, -and in the summer, bowls. Then a posset, and to bed. And never any -change from year to year. A fine life, truly!' - -'Truly, I think it is a very fine life,' said Robin; 'while you make -the laws, I will take care that they are obeyed. What better service -is there than to cause good laws to be obeyed? Make good laws, -my Lord Chancellor, and be thankful that you will have faithful, -law-abiding men to carry them out.' - -Thus they talked. Presently the time came when the lads must leave -the village and go forth to prepare for such course as should be -allotted to them, whether it led to greatness or to obscurity. - -Benjamin went first, being sixteen years of age and a great fellow, -as I have said, broad-shouldered and lusty, with a red face, a -strong voice, and a loud laugh. In no respect did he resemble his -father, who was delicate in manner and in speech. He was to be -entered at Gray's Inn, where, under some counsel learned in the law, -he was to read until such time as he should be called. - -He came to bid me farewell, which at first, until he frightened me -with the things he said, I took kindly of him. - -'Child,' he said, 'I am going to London, and, I suppose, I shall -not come back to this village for a long time. Nay, were it not for -thee, I should not wish to come back at all.' - -'Why for me, Ben?' - -'Because'--here his red face became redder, and he stammered a -little, but not much, for he was ever a lad of confidence--'because, -child, thou art not yet turned twelve, which is young to be hearing -of such a thing. Yet a body may as well make things safe. And as -for Humphrey or Robin interfering, I will break their heads with my -cudgel if they do. Remember that, then.' He shook his finger at me, -threatening. - -'In what business should they interfere?' I asked. - -'Kiss me, Alice'--here he tried to lay his arm round my neck, but I -ran away. 'Oh! if thou art skittish, I care not: all in good time. -Very well, then; let us make things safe. Alice, when I come back -thou wilt be seventeen or eighteen, which is an age when girls -should marry'---- - -'I have nothing to do with marrying, Ben.' - -'Not yet. If I mistake not, child, thou wilt then be as beautiful as -a rose in June.' - -'I want no foolish talk, Ben. Let me go.' - -'Then I shall be twenty-one years of age, practising in the courts. -I shall go the Western Circuit, in order to see thee often--partly -to keep an eye upon thee and partly to warn off other men. Because, -child, it is my purpose to marry thee myself. Think upon that, now.' - -At this I laughed. - -'Laugh if you please, my dear; I shall marry thee as soon as the -way is open to the Bench and the Woolsack. What? I can see a long -way ahead. I will tell thee what I see. There is a monstrous great -crowd of people in the street staring at a glass coach. "Who is -the lovely lady?" they ask. "The lovely lady"--that is you, Alice; -none other--"with the diamonds at her neck and the gold chain, in -the glass coach?" says one who knows her liveries: "'tis the lady -of the great Lord Chancellor, the Earl of Sherborne." And the women -fall green with envy of her happiness and great good fortune and her -splendour. Courage, child: I go to prepare the way. Oh! thou knowest -not the grand things that I shall pour into thy lap when I am a -judge.' - -This was the first time that any man spoke to me of love. But -Benjamin was always masterful, and had no respect for such a nice -point as the wooing of a maiden--which, methinks, should be gentle -and respectful, not as if a woman was like a savage to be tempted -by a string of beads, or so foolish as to desire with her husband -such gauds as diamonds, or gold chains, or a glass coach. Nor doth -a woman like to be treated as if she was to be carried off by force -like the Sabine women of old. - -The Rector rode to London with his son. It is a long journey, over -rough ways; but it pleased him once more to see that great city, -where there are pictures and statues and books to gladden the hearts -of such as love these things. And on the way home he sojourned for a -few days at his old college of All Souls, where were still left one -or two of his old friends. Then he rode back to his village. 'There -are but two places in this country,' he said, 'or perhaps three, at -most, where a gentleman and a scholar, or one who loveth the fine -arts, would choose to live. These are London and Oxford, and perhaps -the Sister University upon the Granta. Well, I have once more been -privileged to witness the humours of the Court and the town: I have -once more been permitted to sniff the air of a great library. Let -us be thankful.' He showed his thankfulness with a sigh which was -almost a groan. - -It was three years before we saw Benjamin again. Then he returned, -but not for long. Like his father, he loved London better than -the country, but for other reasons. Certainly, he cared nothing -for those arts which so much delighted the Rector, and the air of -a coffee-house pleased him more than the perfume of books in a -library. When he left us he was a rustic; when he came back he was -already what they call a fopling: that is to say, when he went to -pay his respects to Sir Christopher, his grandfather, he wore a very -fine cravat of Flanders lace, with silken hose, and lace and ribbons -at his wrist. He was also scented with bergamot, and wore a peruke, -which, while he talked, he combed and curled, to keep the curls of -this monstrous head-dress in place. Gentlemen must, I suppose, wear -this invention, and one of the learned professions must show the -extent of the learning by the splendours of his full-bottomed wig. -Yet I think that a young man looks most comely while he wears his -own hair. He had cocked his hat, on which were bows of riband, and -he wore a sword. He spoke also in a mincing London manner, having -now forsworn the honest broad speech of Somerset; and (but not in -the presence of his elders) he used strange oaths and ejaculations. - -'Behold him!' said his father, by no means displeased at his son's -foppery, because he ever loved the city fashions, and thought that -a young man did well to dress and to comport himself after the way -of the world. 'Behold him! Thus he sits in the coffee-house; thus -he shows himself in the pit. Youth is the time for finery and for -folly. Alas! would that we could bring back that time! What saith -John Dryden--glorious John--of Sir Fopling?-- - - '"His various modes from various fathers follow: - One taught the toss, and one the new French wallow; - His sword-knot this, his cravat that, designed, - And this the yard-long snake he twirls behind. - From one the sacred periwig he gained, - Which wind ne'er blew, nor touch of hat profaned." - -'Well, Ben,' said Sir Christopher, 'if the mode can help thee to the -Bench why not follow the mode?' - -'It will not hinder, Sir,' Ben replied. 'A man who hath his fortune -to make does well to be seen everywhere, and to be dressed like -other men of his time.' - -One must do Benjamin the justice to acknowledge that though, like -the young gentlemen his friends and companions, his dress was -foppish, and his talk was of the pleasures of the town, he suffered -nothing to stand in the way of his advancement. He was resolved upon -being a great lawyer, and, therefore, if he spent the evening in -drinking, singing, and making merry, he was reading in chambers or -else attending the Courts all the day, and neglected nothing that -would make him master of his profession. And, though of learning -he had little, his natural parts were so good, and his resolution -was so strong, that I doubt not he would have achieved his ambition -had it not been for the circumstances which afterwards cut short -his career. His course of life, by his own boastful confession, was -profligate; his friends were drinkers and revellers; his favourite -haunt was the tavern, where they all drank punch and sang ungodly -songs, and smoked tobacco; and of religion he seemed to have no care -whatever. - -I was afraid that he would return to the nauseous subject which he -had opened three years before. Therefore I continued with my mother, -and would give him no chance to speak with me. But he found me, and -caught me returning home one evening. - -'Alice,' he said, 'I feared that I might have to go away without a -word alone with thee.' - -'I want no words alone, Benjamin. Let me pass!' For he stood before -me in the way. - -'Not so fast, pretty!'--he caught me by the wrist, and, being a -young man so strong and determined, he held me as by a vice. 'Not -so fast, Mistress Alice. First, my dear, let me tell thee that my -purpose still holds--nay'--here he swore a most dreadful, impious -oath--'I am more resolved than ever. There is not a woman, even in -London, that is to be compared with thee, child. What? Compared -with thee? Why, they are like the twinkling stars compared with the -glorious Queen of Night. What did I say?--that at nineteen thou -wouldst be a miracle of beauty? Nay, that time hath come already! I -love thee, child! I love thee, I say, ten times as much as ever I -loved thee before!' - -He gasped, and then breathed hard; but still he held me fast. - -'Idle compliments cost a man nothing, Benjamin. Say what you meant -to say and let me go. If you hold me any longer I will cry out and -bring your father to learn the reason.' - -'Well,' he said, 'I will not keep thee. I have said what I wanted to -say. My time hath not yet arrived. I am shortly to be called, and -shall then begin to practise. When I come back here again, 'twill -be with a ring in one hand, and in the other the prospect of the -Woolsack. Think upon that while I am gone. "Your Ladyship" is finer -than plain "Madam," and the Court is more delightful than a village -green among the pigs and ducks. Think upon it well: thou art a lucky -girl; a plain village girl to be promoted to a coronet! However, I -have no fears for thee; thou wilt adorn the highest fortune. Thou -wilt be worthy of the great place whither I shall lead thee. What? -Is Sir George Jeffreys a better man than I? Is he of better family? -Had he better interest? Is he a bolder man? Not so. Yet was Sir -George a Common Serjeant at twenty-three, and Recorder at thirty; -Chief Justice of Chester at thirty-two. What he hath done I can do. -Moreover, Sir George hath done me the honour to admit me to his -company, and will advance me. This he hath promised, both in his -cups and when he is sober. Think it over, child: a ring in one hand -and a title in the other.' - -So Benjamin went away again. I was afraid when I thought of him and -his promise, because I knew him of old; and his eyes were as full of -determination as when he would fight a lad of his own age and go on -fighting till the other had had enough. Yet he could not marry me -against my will. His own father would protect me, to say nothing of -mine. - -I should have told him then--as I had told him before--that I -would never marry him. Then, perhaps, he would have been shaken -in his purpose. The very thought of marrying him filled me with -terror unspeakable. I was afraid of him not only because he was so -masterful--nay, women like a man to be strong of will--but because -he had no religion in him and lived like an Atheist, if such a -wretch there be; at all events, with unconcern about his soul; and -because his life was profligate, his tastes were gross, and he was -a drinker of much wine. Even at the Manor House I had seen him at -supper drinking until his cheeks were puffed out and his voice grew -thick. What kind of happiness would there be for a wife whose -husband has to be carried home by his varlets, too heavy with drink -to stand or to speak? - -Alas! there is one thing which girls, happily, do never apprehend. -They cannot understand how it is possible for a man to become so -possessed with the idea of their charms (which they hold themselves -as of small account, knowing how fleeting they are, and of what -small value) that he will go through fire and water for that woman; -yea, and break all the commandments, heedless of his immortal soul, -rather than suffer another man to take her--and that, even though he -knows that the poor creature loves him not, or loves another man. If -maidens knew this, I think that they would go in fear and trembling -lest they should be coveted by some wild beast in human shape, and -prove the death of the gallant gentleman whom they would choose for -their lover. Or they would make for themselves convents and hide in -them, so great would be their fear. But it is idle to speak of this, -because, say what one will, girls can never understand the power and -the vehemence of love, when once it hath seized and doth thoroughly -possess a man. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -MEDICINAE DOCTOR. - - -Humphrey did not, like Benjamin, brag of the things he would do when -he should go forth to the world. Nevertheless, he thought much about -his future, and frequently he discoursed with me about the life that -he fain would lead. A young man, I think, wants someone with whom -he may speak freely concerning the thoughts which fill his soul. We -who belong to the sex which receives but does not create or invent, -which profits by man's good work, and suffers from the evil which he -too often does, have no such thoughts and ambitions. - -'I cannot,' he would say, 'take upon me holy orders, as Mr. Boscorel -would have me, promising, in my cousin Robin's name, this living -after his death, because, though I am in truth a mere pauper and -dependent, there are in me none of those prickings of the spirit -which I could interpret into a Divine call for the ministry; next, -because I cannot in conscience swear to obey the Thirty-nine -Articles while I still hold that the Nonconformist way of worship -is more consonant with the Word of God. And, again, I am of opinion -that the Law of Moses, which forbade any but a well-formed man from -serving at the altar, hath in it something eternal. It denotes that -as no cripple may serve at the earthly altar, so in heaven, of which -the altar is an emblem, all those who dwell therein shall be perfect -in body as in soul. What, then, is such a one as myself, who hath -some learning and no fortune, to do? Sir Christopher, my benefactor, -will maintain me at Oxford until I have taken a degree. This is more -than I could have expected. Therefore, I am resolved to take a -degree in medicine. It is the only profession fit for a mis-shapen -creature. They will not laugh at me when I alleviate their pains.' - -'Could anyone laugh at you, Humphrey?' - -'Pray heaven, I frighten not the ladies at the first aspect of me.' -He laughed, but not with merriment; for, indeed, a cripple or a -hunchback cannot laugh mirthfully over his own misfortune. 'Some men -speak scornfully of the profession,' he went on. 'The great French -playwright, Monsieur Moliere, doth make the physicians the butt and -laughing-stock of all Paris. Yet consider. It is medicine which -prolongs our days and relieves our pains. Before the science was -studied, the wretch who caught a fever in the marshy forest lay down -and died; an ague lasted all one's life; a sore throat putrefied -and killed; a rheumatism threw a man upon the bed, from which he -would never rise. The physician is man's chief friend. If our -Sovereigns studied the welfare of humanity as deeply as the art of -war, they would maintain, at vast expense, great colleges of learned -men continually engaged in discovering the secrets of nature--the -causes and the remedies of disease. What better use can a man make -of his life than to discover one--only one--secret which will drive -away part of the agony of disease? The Jews, more merciful than the -Romans, stupefied their criminals after they were crucified; they -died, indeed, but their sufferings were less. So the physician, -though in the end all men must die, may help them to die without -pain. Nay, I have even thought that we might devise means of causing -the patient by some potent drug to fall into so deep a sleep that -even the surgeon's knife shall not cause him to awaken.' - -He, therefore, before he entered at Oxford, read with my father -many learned books of the ancients on the science and practice of -medicine, and studied botany with the help of such books as he could -procure. - -Some men have but one side to them--that is to say, the only active -part of them is engaged in but one study; the rest is given up to -rest or indolence. Thus Benjamin studied law diligently, but nothing -else. Humphrey, for his part, read his Galen and his Celsus, but -he neglected not the cultivation of those arts and accomplishments -in which Mr. Boscorel was as ready a teacher as he was a ready -scholar. He thus learned the history of painting, and sculpture, -and architecture, and that of coins and medals, so that at eighteen -Humphrey might already have set up as a virtuoso. - -Nor was this all. Still, by the help of the Rector, he learned the -use of the pencil and the brush, and could both draw prettily, or -paint in water colours, whether the cottages or the church, the -cows in the fields, or the woods and hills. I have many pictures -of his painting which he gave me from time to time. And he could -play sweetly, whether on the spinnet, or the violin, or the guitar, -spending many hours every week with Mr. Boscorel playing duettos -together; and willingly he would sing, having a rich and full -voice, very delightful to hear. When I grew a great girl, and had -advanced far enough, I was permitted to play with them. There was no -end to the music which Mr. Boscorel possessed. First, he had a great -store of English ditties such as country people love--as, 'Sing all -a green willow,' 'Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,' or 'Once I loved -a maiden fair.' There was nothing rough or rude in these songs, -though I am informed that much wickedness is taught by the ribald -songs that are sung in playhouses and coffee-rooms. And when we were -not playing or singing, Mr. Boscorel would read us poetry--portions -from Shakspeare or Ben Jonson, or out of Milton's 'Paradise Lost'; -or from Herrick, who is surely the sweetest poet that ever lived, -'yet marred,' said Mr. Boscorel, 'by his coarseness and corruption.' -Now, one day, after we had been thus reading--one winter afternoon, -when the sun lay upon the meadows--Humphrey walked home with me, -and on the way confessed, with many blushes, that he, too, had been -writing verses. And with that he lugged a paper out of his pocket. - -'They are for thine own eyes only,' he said. 'Truly, my dear, thou -hast the finest eyes in the world. They are for no other eyes than -thine,' he repeated. 'Not for Robin, mind, lest he laugh: poetry -hath in it something sacred, so that even the writer of bad verses -cannot bear to have them laughed at. When thou art a year or two -older thou wilt understand that they were written for thy heart as -well as for thine eyes. Yet, if thou like the verses, they may be -seen by Mr. Boscorel, but in private; and if he laugh at them do not -tell me. Yet, again, one would like to know what he said; wherefore, -tell me, though his words be like a knife in my side.' - -Thus he wavered between wishing to show them to his master in art, -and fearing. - -In the end, when I showed them to Mr. Boscorel, he said that, for a -beginner, they were very well--very well, indeed; that the rhymes -were correct, and the metre true; that years and practice would -give greater firmness, and that the crafty interlacing of thought -and passion, which was the characteristic of Italian verse, could -only be learned by much reading of the Italian poets. More he said, -speaking upon the slight subject of rhyme and poetry with as much -seriousness and earnestness as if he were weighing and comparing -texts of Scripture. - -Then he gave me back the verses with a sigh. - -'Child,' he said, 'to none of us is given what most we desire. -For my part, I longed in his infancy that my son should grow up -even as Humphrey, as quick to learn; with as true a taste; with as -correct an ear; with a hand as skilful. But----you see, I complain -not, though Benjamin loves the noisy tavern better than the quiet -coffee-house where the wits resort. To him such things as verses, -art, and music are foolishness. I say that I complain not; but I -would to Heaven that Humphrey were my own, and that his shoulders -were straight, poor lad! Thy father hath made him a Puritan: he -is such as John Milton in his youth--and as beautiful in face as -that stout Republican. I doubt not that we shall have from the hand -of Humphrey, if he live and prosper, something fine, the nature -of which, whether it is to be in painting, or in music, or in -poetry, I know not. Take the verses, and take care that thou lose -them not; and, child--remember--the poet is allowed to say what he -pleases about a woman's eyes. Be not deceived into thinking----But -no--no--there is no fear. Good-night, thou sweet and innocent saint.' - -I knew not then what he meant; but these are the verses, and I truly -think that they are very moving and religious. For if woman be truly -the most beautiful work of the Creator (which all men aver), then it -behoves her all the more still to point upwards. I read them with -a pleasure and surprise that filled my whole soul, and inflamed my -heart with pious joy:-- - - Around, above, and everywhere - The earth hath many a lovely thing; - The zephyrs soft, the flowers fair, - The babbling brook, the bubbling spring. - - The grey of dawn, the azure sky, - The sunset glow, the evening gloom; - The warbling thrush, the skylark high, - The blossoming hedge, the garden's bloom. - - The sun in state, the moon in pride, - The twinkling stars in order laid; - The winds that ever race and ride, - The shadows flying o'er the glade. - - Oh! many a lovely thing hath earth, - To charm the eye and witch the soul; - Yet one there is of passing worth-- - For that one thing I give the whole. - - The crowning work, the last thing made, - Creation's masterpiece to be-- - Bend o'er yon stream, and, there displayed, - This wondrous thing reflected see. - - Behold a face for heaven designed; - See how those eyes thy soul betray-- - Love--secret love--there sits enshrined, - And upwards still doth point the way. - -When Humphrey went away, he did not, like Benjamin, come blustering -and declaring that he would marry me, and that he would break the -skull of any other man who dared make love to me--not at all; -Humphrey, with tears in his eyes, told me that he was sorry I could -not go to Oxford as well; that he was going to lose the sweetest -companion in the world; and that he should always love me; and -then he kissed me on the forehead, and so departed. Why should -he not always love me? I knew very well that he loved me, and -that I loved him. Although he was so young, being only seventeen -when he was entered at Exeter College, I suppose there never was -a young gentleman went to the University of Oxford with so many -accomplishments, and so much learning. By my father's testimony -he read Greek as if it were his mother tongue, and he wrote and -conversed easily in Latin: and you have heard what arts and -accomplishments he added to this solid learning. He was elected to a -scholarship at his college, that of Exeter, and, after he took his -degree as Bachelor of Medicine, he was made a Fellow of All Souls, -where Mr. Boscorel himself had also been a Fellow. This election was -not only a great distinction for him, but it gave him what a learned -young man especially desires--the means of living and of pursuing -his studies. - -While he was at Oxford he wrote letters to Sir Christopher, to Mr. -Boscorel, and to my father (to whom also he sent such new books and -pamphlets as he thought would interest him). To me he sent sometimes -drawings and sometimes books, but never verses. - -Now (to make an end of Humphrey for the present), when he had -obtained his fellowship, he asked for and obtained leave of absence -and permission to study medicine in those great schools which far -surpass, they say, our English schools of medicine. These are that -of Montpellier; the yet more famous school of Padua, in Italy; and -that of Leyden, whither many Englishmen have resorted for study, -notably Mr. Evelyn, whose book called 'Sylva' was in the Rector's -library. - -He carried on during the whole of this time a correspondence with -Mr. Boscorel on the paintings, statues, and architecture to be seen -wherever his travels carried him. These letters Mr. Boscorel read -aloud, with a map spread before him, discoursing on the history of -the place and the chief things to be seen there, before he began to -read. Surely there never was a man so much taken up with the fine -arts, especially as they were practised by the ancients. - -There remains the last of the boys--Robin, Sir Christopher's -grandson and heir. I should like this book to be all about -Robin--yet one must needs speak of the others. I declare, that -from the beginning, there never was a boy more happy, more jolly; -never anyone more willing to be always making someone happy. He -loved the open air, the wild creatures, the trees, the birds, -everything that lives beneath the sky; yet not--like my poor brother -Barnaby--a hater of books. He read all the books which told about -creatures, or hunting, or country life; and all voyages and travels. -A fresh-coloured, wholesome lad, not so grave as Humphrey, nor so -rustic as Barnaby, who always seemed to carry with him the scent of -woods and fields. He was to Sir Christopher, what Benjamin was to -Jacob. Even my father loved him though he was so poor a scholar. - -Those who stay at home have homely wits; that is well known: -therefore Robin must follow Humphrey to Oxford. He went thither -the year after his cousin. I never learned that he obtained a -scholarship, or that he was considered one of the younger pillars -of that learned and ancient University; or, indeed, that he took a -degree at all. - -After he left Oxford he must go to London, there to study Justice's -Law and fit himself for the duties he would have to fulfil. Also his -grandfather would have him acquire some knowledge of the Court and -the City, and the ways of the great and the rich. This, too, he did; -though he never learned to prefer those ways to the simple customs -and habits of his Somerset village. - -He, too, like the other two, bade me a tender farewell. - -'Poor Alice!' he said, taking both my hands in his, 'what wilt thou -do when I am gone?' - -Indeed, since Humphrey went away, we had been daily companions; and -at the thought of being thus left alone the tears were running down -my cheeks. - -'Why, Sweetheart,' he said, 'to think that I should ever make thee -cry--I who desire nothing but to make thee always laugh and be -happy! What wilt thou do? Go often to my mother. She loves thee as -if thou wert her own daughter. Go and talk to her concerning me. It -pleaseth the poor soul to be still talking of her son. And forget -not my grandfather; play backgammon with him; fill his pipe for him; -sing to the spinnet for him; talk to him about Humphrey and me. And -forget not Mr. Boscorel, my uncle. The poor man looks as melancholy -since Humphrey went away as a turtle robbed of her nest. I saw him -yesterday opening one of his drawers full of medals, and he sighed -over them fit to break his heart. He sighed for Humphrey, not for -Ben. Well, child, what more? Take Lance'--'twas his dog--'for a -run every day; make George Sparrow keep an eye upon the stream for -otters; and--there are a thousand things, but I will write them -down. Have patience with the dear old man when he will be still -talking about me.' - -'Patience, Robin,' I said. 'Why, we all love to talk about thee.' - -'Do you all love to talk about me? Dost thou, too, Alice? Oh, my -dear, my dear!' Here he took me in his arms and kissed me on the -lips. 'Dost thou also love to talk about me? Why, my dear, I shall -think of nothing but of thee. Because--oh, my dear!--I love thee -with all my heart.' - -Well, I was still so foolish that I understood nothing more than -that we all loved him, and he loved us all. - -'Alice, I will write letters to thee. I will put them in the packet -for my mother. Thus thou wilt understand that I am always thinking -of thee.' - -He was as good as his word. But the letters were so full of the -things he was doing and seeing, that it was quite clear that his -mind had plenty of room for more than one object. To be sure, I -should have been foolish, indeed, had I desired that his letters -should tell me that he was always thinking about me, when he should -have been attending to his business. - -After a year in London, his grandfather thought that he should -travel. Therefore, he went abroad and joined Humphrey at -Montpellier, and with him rode northwards to Leyden, where he -sojourned while his cousin attended the lectures of that famous -school. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -A ROYAL PROGRESS. - - -When all the boys were gone the time was quiet, indeed, for those -who were left behind. My mother's wheel went spinning still, but I -think that some kindness on the part of Mr. Boscorel as well as Sir -Christopher caused her weekly tale of yarn to be of less importance. -And as for me, not only would she never suffer me to sit at the -spinning-wheel, but there was so much request of me (to replace the -boys) that I was nearly all the day either with Sir Christopher, or -with Madam, or with Mr. Boscorel. - -Up to the year 1680, or thereabouts, I paid no more attention to -political matters than any young woman with no knowledge may be -supposed to give. Yet, of course, I was on the side of liberty, both -civil and religious. How should that be otherwise, my father being -such as he was, muzzled for all these years, the work of his life -prevented and destroyed? - -It was in that year, however, that I became a most zealous partisan -and lover of the Protestant cause in the way that I am about to -relate. - -Everybody knows that there is no part of Great Britain (not even -Scotland) where the Protestant religion hath supporters more stout -and staunch than Somerset and Devonshire. I hope I shall not be -accused of disloyalty to Queen Anne, under whom we now flourish and -are happy, when I say that in the West of England we had grown--I -know not how--to regard the late misguided Duke of Monmouth as -the champion of the Protestant faith. When, therefore, the Duke -came into the West of England in the year 1680, five years before -his rebellion, he was everywhere received with acclamations and -by crowds who gathered round him to witness their loyalty to the -Protestant faith. They came also to gaze upon the gallant commander -who had defeated both the French and the Dutch, and was said (but -erroneously) to be as wise as he was brave, and as religious as he -was beautiful to look upon. As for his wisdom, those who knew him -best have since assured the world that he had little or none, his -judgment being always swayed and determined for him by crafty and -subtle persons seeking their own interests. And as for his religion, -whatever may have been his profession, good works were wanting--as -is now very well known. But at that time, and among our people, the -wicked ways of Courts were only half understood. And there can be no -doubt that, whether he was wise or religious, the show of affection -with which the Duke was received upon this journey, turned his head -and caused him to think that these people would rally round him if -he called upon them. And I suppose that there is nothing which more -delights a Prince than to believe that his friends are ready even to -lay down their lives in his behalf. - -At that time the country was greatly agitated by anxiety concerning -the succession. Those who were nearest the throne knew that King -Charles was secretly a Papist. We in the country had not learned -that dismal circumstance; yet we knew the religion of the Duke of -York. Thousands there were, like Sir Christopher himself, who now -lamented the return of the King, considering the disgraces which -had fallen upon the country. But what was done could not be undone. -They, therefore, asked themselves if the nation would suffer an -avowed Papist to ascend a Protestant throne. If not, what should -be done? And here, as everybody knows, was opinion divided. For -some declared that the Duke of Monmouth, had he his rights, was the -lawful heir; and others maintained, on the King's own words, that -he was never married to Mistress Lucy Waters. Therefore, they would -have the Duke of York's daughter, a Protestant princess, married -to William of Orange, proclaimed Queen. The Monmouth party were -strong, however, and it was even said--Mr. Henry Clark, minister -of Crewkerne, wrote a pamphlet to prove it--that a poor woman, -Elizabeth Parcet by name, touched the Duke (he being ignorant of the -thing) for King's Evil, and was straightway healed. Sir Christopher -laughed at the story, saying that the King himself, whether he was -descended from a Scottish Stuart or from King Solomon himself, -could no more cure that dreadful disease than the seventh son of a -seventh son (as some foolish people believe), or the rubbing of the -part affected by the hand of a man that had been hanged (as others -do foolishly believe), which is the reason why on the gibbets the -hanging corpses are always handless. - -It was noised abroad, beforehand, that the Duke was going to ride -through the West Country in order to visit his friends. The progress -(it was more like a Royal progress than the journey of a private -nobleman) began with his visit to Mr. Thomas Thynne, of Longleat -House. It is said that his chief reason for going to that house was -to connect himself with the obligation of the tenant of Longleat -to give the King and his suite a night's lodging when they visited -that part of the country. Mr. Thynne, who entertained the Duke on -this occasion, was the same who was afterwards murdered in London by -Count Konigsmark. They called him 'Tom of Ten Thousand.' The poet -Dryden hath written of this progress, in that poem wherein, under -the fabled name of Absalom, he figures the Duke:-- - - He now begins his progress to ordain, - With chariots, horsemen, and a numerous train. - Fame runs before him as the morning star, - And shouts of joy salute him from afar. - Each house receives him as a guardian god, - And consecrates the place of his abode. - -It was for his hospitable treatment of the Duke that Mr. Thynne was -immediately afterwards deprived of the command of the Wiltshire -Militia. - -'Son-in-law,' said Sir Christopher, 'I would ride out to meet -the Duke in respect to his Protestant professions. As for any -pretensions he may have to the succession, I know nothing of them.' - -'I will ride with you, Sir,' said the Rector, 'to meet the son of -the King. And as for any Protestant professions, I know nothing of -them. His Grace still remains, I believe, within the pale of the -Church as by law established. Let us all ride out together.' - -Seeing that my father also rode with them, it is certain that -there were many and diverse reasons why so many thousands gathered -together to welcome the Duke. Madam, Robin's mother, out of her kind -heart, invited me to accompany her, and gave me a white frock to -wear and blue ribbons to put into it. - -We made, with our servants, a large party. We were also joined by -many of the tenants, with their sons and wives, so that when we came -to Ilchester, Sir Christopher was riding at the head of a great -company of sixty or more, and very fine they looked, all provided -with blue favours in honour of the Duke. - -From Bradford Orcas to Ilchester is but six miles as the crow flies, -but the ways (which are narrow and foul in winter) do so wind -and turn about that they add two miles at least to the distance. -Fortunately, the season was summer--namely, August--when the sun is -hottest and the earth is dry, so that no one was bogged on the way. - -We started betimes--namely, at six in the morning--because we knew -not for certain at what time the Duke would arrive at Ilchester. -When we came forth from the Manor House the farmers were already -waiting for us, and so, after greetings from his Honour, they fell -in and followed. We first took the narrow and rough lane which -leads to the high road; but, when we reached it, we found it full -of people riding, like ourselves, or trudging, staff in hand, all -in the same direction. They were going to gaze upon the Protestant -Duke, who, if he had his way, would restore freedom of conscience, -and abolish the Acts against the Nonconformists. We rode through -Marston Magna, but only the old people and the little children were -left there; in the fields the ripe corn stood waiting to be cut; in -the farmyards the beasts were standing idle; all the hinds were gone -to Ilchester to see the Duke. And I began to fear lest when we got -to Ilchester we should be too late. At Marston we left the main road -and entered upon a road (call it a track rather than a road) across -the country, which is here flat and open. In winter it is miry and -boggy, but it was now dry and hard. This path brought us again to -the main road in two miles, or thereabouts, and here we were but a -mile or so from Ilchester. Now, such a glorious sight as awaited us -here I never expected to see. Once again, after five years, I was -to see a welcome still more splendid; but nothing can ever efface -from my memory that day. For first, the roads, as I have said, were -thronged with rustics, and next, when we rode into the town we -found it filled with gentlemen most richly dressed, and ladies so -beautiful, and with such splendid attire that it dazzled my eyes to -look upon them. It was a grand thing to see the gentlemen take off -their hats and cry, 'Huzza for brave Sir Christopher!' Everybody -knew his opinions, and on what side he had fought in the Civil War. -The old man bent his head, and I think that he was pleased with this -mark of honour. - -The town which, though ancient, is now decayed and hath but few -good houses in it, was made glorious with bright-coloured cloths, -carpets, flags, and ribbons. There were bands of music; the bells -of the church were ringing; the main street was like a fair with -booths and stalls, and in the market-place there were benches set up -with white canvas covering, where sat ladies in their fine dresses, -some of them with naked necks, unseemly to behold. Yet it was pretty -to see the long curls lying on their white shoulders. Some of them -sat with half-closed eyes, which, I have since learned, is the -fashion at Court. Mostly, they wore satin petticoats, and demi-gowns -also of satin, furnished with a long train. Our place was beside -the old Cross with its gilt ball and vane. The people who filled -the streets came from Sherborne, from Bruton, from Shepton, from -Glastonbury, from Langport, and from Somerton, and from all the -villages round. It was computed that there were twenty thousand of -them. Two thousand at least rode out to meet the Duke, and followed -after him when he rode through the town. And, oh! the shouting as he -drew near, the clashing of the bells, the beating of the drums, the -blowing of the horns, the firing of the guns, as if the more noise -they made the greater would be the Duke. - -Since that day I have not wondered at the power which a Prince hath -of drawing men after him, even to the death. Never was heir to the -Crown received with such joy and welcome as was this young man, who -had no title to the Crown and was base born. Yet, because he was a -brave young man, and comely above all other young men, gracious of -speech, and ready with a laugh and a joke, and because he was the -son of the King, and the reputed champion of the Protestant faith, -the people could not shout too loud for him. - -The Duke was at this time in the prime of manhood, being thirty-five -years of age. 'At that age,' Mr. Boscorel used to say, 'one would -desire to remain if the body of clay were immortal. For then the -volatile humours of youth have been dissipated. The time of follies -has passed; love is regarded with the sober eyes of experience; -knowledge has been acquired; skill of eye and hand has been gained, -if one is so happy as to be a follower of art and music; wisdom hath -been reached, if wisdom is ever to be attained. But wisdom,' he -would add, 'is a quality generally lacking at every period of life.' - -'When last I saw the Duke,' he told us while we waited, 'was fifteen -years ago, in St. James's Park. He was walking with the King, his -father, who had his arm about his son's shoulders, and regarded him -fondly. At that time he was, indeed, a very David for beauty. I -suppose that he hath not kept that singular loveliness which made -him the darling of the Court. That, indeed, were not a thing to -be desired or expected. He is now the hero of Maestricht, and the -Chancellor of Cambridge University.' - -And then all hats were pulled off, and the ladies waved their -handkerchiefs, and the men shouted, and you would have thought the -bells would have pulled the old tower down with the vehemence of -their ringing; for the Duke was riding into the town. - -He was no longer a beautiful boy, but a man at whose aspect every -heart was softened. His enemies, in his presence, could not blame -him; his friends, at sight of him, could not praise him, of such -singular beauty was he possessed. Softness, gentleness, kindness, -and goodwill reigned in his large soft eyes: graciousness sat upon -his lips, and all his face seemed to smile as he rode slowly between -the lane formed by the crowd on either hand. - -What said the Poet Dryden in that same poem of his from which I have -already quoted?-- - - Early in foreign fields he won renown - With Kings and States allied to Israel's crown; - In peace the thoughts of war he could remove, - And seemed as he were only born for love. - - Whate'er he did was done with so much ease, - In him alone 'twas natural to please; - His motions all accompanied with grace, - And Paradise was opened in his face. - -Now I have to tell of what happened to me--the most insignificant -person in the whole crowd. It chanced that as the Duke came near the -spot beside the Cross where we were standing, the press in front -obliged him to stop. He looked about him while he waited, smiling -still and bowing to the people. Presently his eyes fell upon me, and -he whispered a gentleman who rode beside him, yet a little in the -rear. This gentleman laughed and dismounted. What was my confusion -when he advanced towards me and spoke to me! - -'Madam,' he said, calling me 'Madam!' 'His Grace would say one word -to you, with permission of your friends.' - -'Go with this gentleman, child,' said Sir Christopher, laughing. -Everybody laughs--I know not why--when a girl is led out to be -kissed. - -'Fair White Rose of Somerset,' said his Grace--twas the most -musical voice in the world, and the softest. 'Fair White Rose'--he -repeated the words--'let me be assured of the welcome of Ilchester -by a kiss from your sweet lips, which I will return in token of my -gratitude.' - -All the people who heard these words shouted as if they would burst -themselves asunder. And the gentleman who had led me forth lifted me -so that my foot rested on the Duke's boot, while his Grace laid his -arm tenderly round my waist, and kissed me twice. - -'Sweet child,' he said, 'what is thy name?' - -'By your Grace's leave,' I said, the words being very strange, 'my -name is Alice. I am the daughter of Dr. Comfort Eykin, an ejected -minister. I have come with Sir Christopher Challis, who stands -yonder.' - -'Sir Christopher!' said the Duke, as if surprised. 'Let me shake -hands with Sir Christopher. I take it kindly, Sir Christopher, that -you have so far honoured me.' So he gave the old man, who stepped -forward bareheaded, his hand, still holding me by the waist. 'I pray -that we may meet again, Sir Christopher, and that before long.' Then -he drew a gold ring, set with an emerald, from his forefinger, and -placed it upon mine, 'God grant it bring thee luck, sweet child,' he -said, and kissed me again, and then suffered me to be lifted down. -And you may be sure that it was with red cheeks that I took my place -among my friends. Yet Sir Christopher was pleased at the notice -taken of him by the Duke, and my father was not displeased at the -part I had been made to play. - -When the Duke had ridden through the town, many of the people -followed after, as far as White Lackington, which is close to -Ilminster. So many were they that they took down a great piece -of the park paling to admit them all; and there, under a Spanish -chestnut-tree, the Duke drank to the health of all the people. - -At Ilminster, whither he rode a few days later; at Chard, a Ford -Abbey, at Colyton, and at Exeter--wherever he went he was received -with the same shouts and acclamations. It is no wonder therefore, -that he should believe, a few years later, that those people would -follow him when he drew the sword for the Protestant religion. - -One thing is certain--that in the West of England, from the progress -of Monmouth to the Rebellion, there was uneasiness, with an anxious -looking forward to troubled times. The people of Taunton kept as -a day of holiday and thanksgiving the anniversary of the raising -of Charles's siege. When the Mayor, in 1683, tried to stop the -celebration, they nearly stoned him to death. After this, Sir George -Jeffreys, afterwards Lord Jeffreys, who took the spring circuit in -1684, was called upon to report on the loyalty of the West Country. -He reported that the gentry were loyal and well disposed. But he -knew not the mind of the weavers and spinners of the country. - -[Illustration: '_Fair White Rose of Somerset, let me be assured by a -kiss from your sweet lips._'] - -It was this progress; the sight of the Duke's sweet face; his -flattery of me, and his soft words, and the ring he gave me, -which made me from that moment such a partisan of his cause as -only a woman can be. Women cannot fight, but they can encourage -those who do; and they can not only ardently desire, but they can -despise and contemn those who think otherwise. I cannot say that -it was I who persuaded our boys five years later to join the Duke; -but I can truly say that I did and said all that a woman can; that -I rejoiced when they did so; and that I should never have forgiven -Robin had he joined the forces of the Papist King. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -WITH THE ELDERS. - - -So we went home again, all well pleased, and I holding the Duke's -ring tight, I promise you. It was a most beautiful ring when I came -to look at it; a great emerald was in the midst of it, with little -pearls and emeralds set alternately around it. Never was such a -grand gift to so humble a person. I tied it to a black ribbon, and -put it in the box which held my clothes. But sometimes I could not -forbear the pleasure of wearing it round my neck secretly; not for -the joy of possessing the ring, so much as for remembering the -lovely face and the gracious words of the giver. - -At that time I was in my sixteenth year, but well-grown for my age. -Like my father, I was above the common stature and taller than most. -We continued for more than four years longer to live without the -company of the boys, which caused me to be much in the society of my -elders, and as much at the Manor House and the Rectory as at home. -At the former place, Sir Christopher loved to have me with him all -day long, if my mother would suffer it; when he walked abroad, I -must walk with him; when he walked in his garden I must be at his -side. When he awoke after his afternoon sleep, he liked to see me -sitting ready to talk to him. I must play to him and sing to him; -or I must bring out the backgammon board; or I must read the last -letters from Robin and Humphrey. Life is dull for an old man whose -friends are mostly dead, unless he have the company of the young. -So David, in his old age, took to himself a young wife. I have -sometimes thought that he would have done better to have comforted -his heart with the play and prattle of his grandchildren--of whom, -I suppose, there must have been many families. - -Now, as I was so much with his Honour, I had much talk with him upon -things on which wise and ancient men do not often converse with -girls, and I was often present when he discoursed with my father or -with his son-in-law, the Rector, on high and serious matters. It -was a time of great anxiety and uncertainty. There were great Pope -burnings in the country; and when some were put in pillory for riot -at these bonfires not a hand was lifted against them. They had one -at Sherborne on November 17, the anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's -Coronation day, instead of November 5, Guy Faux Day. Boys went about -the streets asking for halfpence and singing-- - - Up with the ladder, - And down with the rope; - Give us a penny - To burn the old Pope. - -There were riots in Taunton, where the High Church party burned the -pulpit of a meeting-house; people went about openly saying that the -Roundheads would soon come back again. From Robin we heard of the -Popish plot, and the flight of the Duke of York, and afterwards of -Monmouth's disgrace and exile. At all the market towns where men -gathered together they talked of these things, and many whispered -together: a thing which Sir Christopher loved not, because it spoke -of conspiracies and secret plots, whereas he was all for bold -declaration of conscience. - -In short, it was an anxious time, and everybody understood that -serious things would happen should the King die. There were not -wanting, besides, omens of coming ills--if you accept such things -as omens or warnings. To Taunton (afterwards the town most affected -by the Rebellion) a plain warning was vouchsafed by the rumbling -and thundering and shaking of the earth itself, so that dishes were -knocked down and cups broken, and plaster shaken off the walls -of houses. And once (this did I myself see with my own eyes) the -sun rose with four other suns for companions--a most terrifying -sight, though Mr. Boscorel, who spoke learnedly on omens, had an -explanation of this miracle, which he said was due to natural causes -alone. And at Ile Brewers there was a monstrous birth of two girls -with but one body from the breast downwards; their names were Aquila -and Priscilla; but I believe they lived but a short time. - -I needs must tell of Mr. Boscorel, because he was a man the like -of whom I have never since beheld. I believe there can be few men -such as he was, who could so readily exchange the world of heat and -argument for the calm and dispassionate air of art and music. Even -religion (if I may venture to say so) seemed of less importance to -him than painting and sculpture. I have said that he taught me to -play upon the spinnet. Now that Humphrey was gone, he desired my -company every day, in order, he pretended, that I might grow perfect -in my performance, but in reality because he was lonely at the -Rectory, and found pleasure in my company. We played together--he -upon the violoncello and I upon the spinnet--such music as he chose. -It was sometimes grave and solemn music, such as Lulli's 'Miserere' -or his 'De Profundis'; sometimes it was some part of a Roman -Catholic Mass: then was my soul uplifted and wafted heavenwards by -the chords, which seemed prayer and praise fit for the angels to -harp before the throne. Sometimes it was music which spoke of human -passions, when I would be, in like manner, carried out of myself. My -master would watch not only my execution, commenting or correcting, -but he would also watch the effect of the music upon my mind. - -'We are ourselves,' he said, 'like unto the instruments upon which -we play. For as one kind of instrument, as the drum, produces but -one note; and another, as the cymbals, but a clashing which is in -itself discordant, but made effective in a band; so others are, like -the most delicate and sensitive violins--those of Cremona--capable -of producing the finest music that the soul of man hath ever -devised. It is by such music, child, that some of us mount unto -heaven. As for me, indeed, I daily feel more and more that music -leadeth the soul upward, and that, as regards the disputations on -the Word of God, the letter indeed killeth, but the spirit which -music helpeth us to feel--the spirit, I say, giveth life.' He -sighed, and drew his bow gently across the first string of his -violoncello. ''Tis a time of angry argument. The Word of God is -thrown from one to the other as a pebble is shot from a sling. It -wearies me. In this room, among these books of music, my soul finds -rest, and the spiritual part of me is lifted heavenwards. Humphrey -and you, my dear, alone can comprehend this saying. Thou hast a mind -like his, to feel and understand what music means. Listen!' Here he -executed a piece of music at which the tears rose to my eyes. 'That -is from the Romish Mass which we are taught ignorantly to despise. -My child, I am, indeed, no Catholic, and I hold that ours is the -purer Church; yet, in losing the Mass, we have lost the great music -with which the Catholics sustain their souls. Some of our anthems, -truly, are good; but what is a single anthem, finished in ten -minutes, compared with a grand Mass which lasts three hours?' - -[Illustration: '_We played together, he on the violoncello, I upon -the spinnet._'] - -Then he had portfolios filled with engravings, which he would bring -forth and contemplate with a kind of rapture, discoursing upon -the engraver's art and its difficulties, so that I should not, as -is the case with ignorant persons, suppose that these things were -produced without much training and skill. He had also boxes full -of coins, medals, and transparent gems carved most delicately with -heathen gods and goddesses, shepherds and swains, after the ancient -fashion, unclothed and unashamed. On these things he would gaze -with admiration which he tried to teach me, but could not succeed, -because I cannot believe that we may without blame look upon -such figures. Nevertheless, they were most beautiful, the hands and -faces and the very hair so delicately and exquisitely carved that -you could hardly believe it possible. And he talked solemnly and -scholarly of these gauds, as if they were things which peculiarly -deserved the attention of wise and learned men. Nay, he would be -even lifted out of himself in considering them. - -'Child,' he said, 'we know not, and we cannot even guess, the -wonders of art that in heaven we shall learn to accomplish'--as -if carving and painting were the occupation of angels!--'or the -miracles of beauty and of dexterity that we shall be able to design -and execute. Here, the hand is clumsy and the brain is dull; we -cannot rise above ourselves; we are blind to the beauty with which -the Lord hath filled the earth for the solace of human creatures. -Nay; we are not even tender with the beauty that we see and love. We -suffer maidens sweet as the dreams of poets to waste their beauty -unpraised and unsung. I am old, child, or I would praise thee in -immortal verse. Much I fear that thou wilt grow old without the -praise of sweet numbers. Well; there is no doubt more lasting beauty -of face and figure hereafter to joy the souls of the elect. And thou -wilt make his happiness for one man on earth. Pray Heaven, sweet -child, that he look also to thine!' - -He would say such things with so grand an air, speaking as if his -words should command respect, and with so kindly an eye and a soft -smile, while he gently stroked the side of his nose, which was -long, that I was always carried away with the authority of it, and -not till after I left him did I begin to perceive that my father -would certainly never allow that the elect should occupy themselves -with the frivolous pursuits of painting and the fine arts, but only -with the playing of their harps and the singing of praises. It was -this consideration which caused him to consent that his daughter -should learn the spinnet. I did not tell him (God forgive me for the -deceit, if there was any!) that we sometimes played music written -for the Mass; nor did I repeat what Mr. Boscorel said concerning art -and the flinging about of the Word of God, because my father was -wholly occupied in controversy, and his principal, if not his only, -weapon was the Word of God. - -Another pleasure which we had was to follow Humphrey in his travels -by the aid of his letters and a 'Mappa Mundi,' or atlas, which the -Rector possessed. Then I remember when we heard that the boys were -about to ride together through France, from Montpellier to Leyden -in Holland, we had on the table the great map of France. There were -many drawings, coats-of-arms, and other pretty things on the map. - -'It is now,' said Mr. Boscorel, finding out the place he wanted, and -keeping his forefinger upon it, 'nearly thirty years since I made -the grand tour, being then governor to the young Lord Silchester, -who afterwards died of the Plague in London. Else had I been now a -Bishop, who am forgotten in this little place. The boys will ride, -I take it, by the same road which we took: first, because it is the -high road and the safest; next, because it is the best provided with -inns and resting places; and, lastly, because it passes through the -best part of his Most Christian Majesty's dominions, and carries -the traveller through his finest and most stately cities. From -Montpellier they will ride--follow my finger, child!--to Nismes. -Before the Revocation it was a great place for those of the Reformed -Religion, and a populous town. Here they will not fail to visit the -Roman temple which still stands. It is not, indeed, such a noble -monument as one may see in Rome; but it is in good preservation, and -a fair example of the later style. They will also visit the great -amphitheatre, which should be cleared of the mean houses which are -now built up within it, and so exposed in all its vastness to the -admiration of the world. After seeing these things they will direct -their way across a desolate piece of country to Avignon, passing -on the way the ancient Roman aqueduct called the Pont de Gard. At -Avignon they will admire the many churches and the walls, and will -not fail to visit the palace of the Popes during the Great Schism. -Thence they will ride northwards, unless they wish first to see -the Roman remains at Arles. Thence will they proceed up the Valley -of the Rhone, through many stately towns, till they come to Lyons, -where, doubtless, they will sojourn for a few days. Next, they will -journey through the rich country of Burgundy, and from the ancient -town of Dijon will reach Paris through the city of Fontainebleau. -On the way they will see many noble houses and castles, with rich -towns and splendid churches. In no country are there more splendid -churches, built in the Gothic style, which we have now forgotten. -Some of them, alas! have been defaced in the wars (so-called of -Religion), where, as happened also to us, the delicate carved work, -the scrolls and flowers and statues were destroyed, and the painted -windows broken. Alas! that men should refuse to suffer Art to become -the minister and handmaid of Religion! Yet in the first and most -glorious temple, in which the glory of the Lord was visibly present, -there were carved and graven lilies, with lions, oxen, chariots, -cherubim, palm-trees and pomegranates.' - -He closed his atlas and sat down. - -'Child,' he said, meditating, 'for a scholar, in his youth, there is -no pleasure comparable with the pleasure of travelling in strange -countries, among the monuments of ancient days. My own son did -never, to my sorrow, desire the pleasant paths of learning, and -did never show any love for the arts, in which I have always taken -so great delight. He desireth rather the companionship of men; he -loveth to drink and sing; and he nourisheth a huge ambition. 'Tis -best that we are not all alike. Humphrey should have been my son. -Forget not, my child, that he hath desired to be remembered to thee -in every letter which he hath written.' - -If the Rector spoke much of Humphrey, Madam made amends by talking -continually of Robin, and of the great things that he would do when -he returned home. Justice of the Peace, that he would certainly -be made; Captain first and afterwards Colonel in the Somerset -Militia, that also should he be; Knight of the Shire, if he were -ambitious--but that I knew he would never be; High Sheriff of the -County, if his slender means permitted--for the estate was not worth -more than five or six hundred pounds a year. Perhaps he would marry -an heiress: it would be greatly to the advantage of the family if an -heiress were to come into it with broad acres of her own; but she -was not a woman who would seek to control her son in the matter of -his affections, and if he chose a girl with no fortune to her back, -if she was a good girl and pious, Madam would never say him nay. And -he would soon return. The boy had been at Oxford and next in London, -learning law, such as Justices require. He was now with Humphrey at -the University of Leyden, doubtless learning more law. - -'My dear,' said Madam, 'we want him home. His grandfather groweth -old, though still, thank God! in the full possession of his -faculties. Yet a young man's presence is needed. I trust and pray -that he will return as he went, innocent, in spite of the many -temptations of the wicked city. And, oh! child--what if he should -have lost his heart to some designing city hussy!' - -He came--as you shall hear immediately--Robin came home. Would to -God that he had waited, if only for a single month! Had he not come -all our afflictions would have been spared us! Had he not come that -good old man, Sir Christopher----but it is vain to imagine what -might have been. We are in the hands of the Lord; nothing that -happens to us is permitted but by Him, and for some wise purpose was -Sir Christopher in his old age--alas! why should I anticipate what I -have to narrate? - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -LE ROY EST MORT. - - -In February of the year 1685, King Charles II. died. - -Sir Christopher himself brought us the news from Sherborne, whither -he had gone, as was his wont, to the weekly ordinary. He clattered -up the lane on his cob, and halted at our gate. - -'Call thy father, child. Give you good day, Madam Eykin. Will your -husband leave his books and come forth for a moment? Tell him I have -news.' - -My father rose and obeyed. His gown was in rags; his feet were clad -in cloth shoon, which I worked for him; his cheek was wasted; but -his eye was keen. He was lean and tall; his hair was as white as Sir -Christopher's, though he was full twenty years younger. - -'Friend and gossip,' said Sir Christopher, 'the King is dead.' - -'Is Charles Stuart dead?' my father replied. 'He cumbered the earth -too long. For five-and-twenty years hath he persecuted the saints. -Also he hath burnt incense after the abomination of the heathen. Let -his lot be as the lot of Ahaz.' - -'Nay; he is buried by this time. His brother the Duke of York hath -been proclaimed King.' - -'James the Papist. It is as though Manasseh should succeed to Ahaz. -And after him Jehoiakim.' - -'Yet the bells will ring and we shall pray for the King; and wise -men, friend Eykin, will do well to keep silence.' - -'There is a time to speak and a time to keep silence. It may be that -the time is at hand when a godly man must stretch forth his hand to -tear down the Scarlet Woman, though she slay him in the attempt.' - -'It may be so, my friend; yet stretch not forth thine hand until -thou art well assured of the Divine Command. The King is dead. Now -will my son-in-law ring out the bells for the new King, and we shall -pray for him, as we prayed for his brother. It is our duty to pray -for all in authority, though to the prayers of a whole nation there -seemeth, so far as human reason can perceive, no answer.' - -'I for one will pray no more for a King who is a Papist. Rather will -I pray daily for his overthrow.' - -'King Charles is said to have received a priest before he died. Yet -it is worse that the King should be an open than a secret Catholic. -Let us be patient, my friend, and await the time.' - -So he rode up the village, and presently the bells were set -a-ringing, and they clashed as joyously, echoing around the Corton -Hills, as if the accession of King James II. was the only thing -wanted to make the nation prosperous, happy, and religious. - -My father stood at the gate after Sir Christopher left him. The wind -was cold, and the twilight was falling, and his cassock was thin, -but he remained there motionless, until my mother went out and drew -him back to the house by the arm. He went into his own room, but he -read no more that day. - -In the evening he came forth and sat with us, and while I sat -sewing, my mother spinning by the light of the fire, he discoursed, -which was unusual with him, upon things and peoples and the best -form of government, which he held to be a Commonwealth, with a -strong man for President. But he was to hold his power from the -people, and was to lay it down frequently, lest he should in his -turn be tempted to become a King. And if he were to fall away from -righteousness, or to live in open sin, or to be a merry-maker, or -to suffer his country to fall from a high place among the nations, -he was to be displaced, and be forced to retire. As for the man -Charles, now dead, he would become, my father said, an example -to all future ages, and a warning of what may happen when the -doctrine of Divine Right is generally accepted and acted upon; -the King himself being not so much blamed by him as the practice -of hereditary rule which caused him to be seated upon the throne, -when his true place, my father said, was among the lacqueys and -varlets of the palace. 'His brother James,' he added, 'hath now -an opportunity such as is given to few--for he may become another -Josiah. But I think he will neglect that opportunity,' he concluded; -'yea, even if Hilkiah, the priest, were to bring him a message from -Huldah, the prophetess; for he doth belong to a family which, by the -Divine displeasure, can never perceive the truth. Let us now read -the Word, and wrestle with the Lord in prayer.' - -Next we heard that loyal addresses were poured in from all -quarters congratulating the King, and promising most submissive -obedience. One would have thought that the people were rejoiced -at the succession of a Roman Catholic; it was said that the King -had promised liberty of conscience unto all; that he claimed that -liberty for himself, and that he went to Mass daily and openly. - -But many there were who foresaw trouble. Unfortunately, one of them -was Sir Christopher, who spoke his mind at all times too fiercely -for his safety. Mr. Boscorel, also, was of opinion that civil war -would speedily ensue. - -'The King's friends,' he said, 'may for a time buy the support of -the Nonconformists, and make a show of religious liberty. Thus may -they govern for a while. But it is not in the nature of the Roman -Catholic priest to countenance religious liberty, or ever to sit -down contented with less than all the pie. They must for ever -scheme and intrigue for more power. Religious liberty? It means to -them the eternal damnation of those who hold themselves free to -think for themselves. They would be less than human if they did -not try to save the souls of the people by docking their freedom. -They must make this country even as Spain or Italy. Is it to be -believed that they will suffer the Church to retain her revenues, -or the universities to remain out of their control? Nay, will they -allow the grammar schools to be in the hands of Protestants? Never! -The next generation will be wholly Catholic, unless the present -generation send King and priests packing.' - -These were treasonable words, but they were uttered in the hall of -the Manor House with no other persons present than Sir Christopher -and the Rector himself. - -'Seeing these things, son-in-law,' said Sir Christopher, 'what -becomes of Right Divine? Where is the duty of Non-Resistance?' - -'The doctrine of Right Divine,' said Mr. Boscorel, rubbing his nose, -'includes the Divine institution of a Monarchy, which, I confess, is -manifestly untenable, because the Lord granted a King to the people -only because they clamoured for one. Also, had the institution been -of Divine foundation, the Jews would never have been allowed to live -under the rule of Judges, Tetrarchs, and Roman Governors.' - -'You have not always spoken so plainly,' said Sir Christopher. - -'Nay; why be always proclaiming to the world your thoughts and -opinions? Besides, even if the doctrine of Non-Resistance were -sound, there may be cases in which just laws may be justly set -aside. I say not that this is one, as yet. But if there were danger -of the ancient superstitions being thrust upon us to the destruction -of our souls, I say not that we should meekly sit down. Nay; if a -starving man take a loaf of bread, there being no other way possible -to save his life, one would not, therefore, hold him a thief. Yet -the law remains.' - -'Shall the blood which hath been poured out for the cause of liberty -prove to be shed in vain?' asked Sir Christopher. - -'Why, Sir,' said the Rector, 'the same question might be asked in -France, where the Protestants fought longer and against greater odds -than we in this country. Yet the blood of those martyrs hath been -shed, so far as man can see, in vain; the Church of Rome is there -the conqueror indeed. It is laid upon the Protestants, even upon us, -who hold that we are a true branch of the ancient Apostolic Church, -to defend ourselves continually against an enemy who is always at -unity, always guided by one man, always knows what he wants, and -is always working to get it. We, on the other hand, do not know -our own minds, and must for ever be quarrelling among ourselves. -Nevertheless, the heart of the country is Protestant; and sooner or -later the case of conscience may arise whether--the law remaining -unchanged--we may not blamelessly break the law.' - -That case of conscience was not yet ripe for consideration. There -needed first many things--including the martyrdom of saints and -innocent men and poor, ignorant rustics--before the country roused -herself once more to seize her liberties. Then as to that poor -doctrine of Divine Right, they all made a mouthful of it, except -only a small and harmless band of Nonjurors. - -At the outset, whatever the opinions of the people--who could have -been made to rise as one man--the gentry remained loyal. Above all -things, they dreaded another civil war. - -'We must fain accept the King's professions,' said the Rector. 'If -we have misgivings, let us disguise them. Let us rather nourish the -hope that they are honestly meant; and let us wait. England will not -become another Spain in a single day. Let us wait. The stake is not -yet set up in Smithfield, and the Inquisition is not yet established -in the country.' - -It was in this temper that the King's accession found Sir -Christopher. Afterwards, he was accused of having harboured designs -against the King from the beginning. That, indeed, was not the case. -He had no thought of entering into any such enterprise. Yet he never -doubted that in the end there would be an uprising against the rule -of the priests. Nor did he doubt that the King would be pushed on by -his advisers to one pretension after another for the advancement of -his own prerogative and the displacement of the Protestant Church. -Nay, he openly predicted that there would be such attempts; and -he maintained--such was his wisdom!--that, in the long run, the -Protestant faith would be established upon a surer foundation than -ever. But as for conspiring or being cognisant of any conspiracy, -that was untrue. Why, he was at this time seventy-five years of -age--a time when such men as Sir Christopher have continually before -their eyes Death and the Judgment. - -As for my father, perhaps I am wrong, but in the daily prayers of -night and morning, and in the grace before meat, he seemed to find -a freer utterance, and to wrestle more vehemently than was his wont -on the subject of the Scarlet Woman, offering himself as a willing -martyr and confessor, if by the shedding of his blood the great day -of her final overthrow might be advanced; yet always humble, not -daring to think of himself as anything but an instrument to do the -will of his Master. In the end, his death truly helped, with others, -to bring a Protestant King to the Throne of these isles. And since -we knew him to be so deep a scholar, always reading and learning, -and in no sense a man of activity, the thing which he presently did -amazed us all. Yet we ought to have known that one who is under the -Divine command to preach the Word of God, and hath been silenced by -man for more than twenty years, so that the strength of his manhood -hath run to waste and is lost--it is a most terrible and grievous -thing for a man to be condemned to idleness!--may become like unto -one of those burning mountains of which we sometimes read in books -of voyages. In him, as in them, the inner fires rage and burn, -growing ever stronger and fiercer, until presently they rend asunder -the sides of the mountain and burst forth, pouring down liquid fire -over the unhappy valleys beneath, with showers of red-hot ashes to -destroy and cover up the smiling homesteads and the fertile meadows. - -It is true that my father chafed continually at the inaction forced -upon him, but his impatience was never so strong as at this time, -namely, after the accession of King James. It drove him from his -books and out into the fields and lanes, where he walked to and fro -waving his long arms, and sometimes crying aloud and shouting in the -woods, as if compelled to cry out in order to quench some raging -fever or heat of his mind. - -About this time, too, I remember, they began to talk of the exiles -in Holland. The Duke of Monmouth was there with the Earl of Argyle, -and with them a company of firebrands eager to get back to England -and their property. - -I am certain now that my father (and perhaps through his -information, Sir Christopher also) was kept acquainted with the -plots and designs that were carried on in the Low Countries. Nay, I -am also certain that his informant was none other than Humphrey, who -was still in Leyden. I have seen a letter from him, written, as I -now understand, in a kind of allegory or parable, in which one thing -was said and another meant. Thus, he pretends to speak of Dutch -gardening:--'The gardeners,' he says, 'take infinite pains that -their secrets shall not be learned or disclosed. I know, however, -that a certain blue tulip much desired by many gardeners in England, -will be taken across the water this year, and I hope that by next -year the precious bulb may be fully planted in English soil. The -preparation of the soil necessary for the favourable reception of -the bulb is well known to you, and you will understand how to mix -your soil and to add manure and so forth. I myself expect to finish -what I have to do in a few weeks, when I shall cross to London, and -so ride westwards, and hope to pay my respects to my revered tutor -in the month of June next. It may be that I shall come with the -tulip, but that is not certain. Many messages have been received -offering large sums of money for the bulb, so that it is hoped that -the Dutch gardeners will let it go. - -'From H. C.' - -The tulip, in a word, was the Duke of Monmouth, and the Dutch -gardeners were the Scotch and English exiles then in Holland, -and the English gardeners were the Duke's friends, and H. C. was -Humphrey Challis. - -I think that Sir Christopher must have known of this correspondence, -because I now remember that my father would sit with him for many -hours looking at a map of England, conversing long and earnestly, -and making notes in a book. These notes he made in the Arabic -character, which no one but himself could read. I therefore suppose -that he was estimating the number of Nonconformists who might be -disposed to aid in such an enterprise as Humphrey's 'gardeners' were -contemplating. - -Robin, who certainly was no conspirator, also wrote a letter from -Leyden about this time saying that something was expected, nobody -knew what; but that the exiles were meeting constantly, as if -something was brewing. - -It was about the first week of June that the news came to us of -Lord Argyle's landing. This was the beginning. After that, as -you will hear, the news came thick and fast; every day something -fresh, and something to quicken the most sluggish pulse. To me, at -least, it seemed as if the breath of God Himself was poured out -upon the country, and that the people were everywhere resolved -to banish the accursed thing from their midst. Alas! I was but a -simple country maid and I was deceived! The accursed thing was to -be driven forth, but not yet. The country party hated the Pope, but -they dreaded civil war; and, indeed, there is hardly any excuse for -that most dreadful scourge except the salvation of the soul and the -safeguarding of liberties. They would gladly welcome a rising, but -it must be general and universal. They had for five-and-twenty years -been taught the wickedness of rebellion, and now there was no way -to secure the Protestant Faith except by rebellion. Unhappily, the -rebellion began before the country gentlemen were ready to begin. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -BEFORE THE STORM. - - -Before the storm breaks there sometimes falls upon the earth a -brief time when the sun shines in splendour from a clear sky, the -air is balmy and delightsome, the birds sing in the coppice, and -the innocent lambs leap in the meadows. Then, suddenly, dark clouds -gather from the north; the wind blows cold; in a minute the sky is -black; the lightnings flash, the thunders roll, the wind roars, the -hail beats down and strips the orchard of its promise, and silences -the birds cowering in the branches, and drives the trembling sheep -to take shelter in the hedges. This was to be my case. You shall -understand how for a single day--it was no more--I was the happiest -girl in all the world. - -I may now without any shame confess that I have always loved Robin -from my earliest childhood. That was no great wonder seeing what -manner of boy he was, and how he was always kind and thoughtful -for me. We were at first only brother and sister together, which -is natural and reasonable when children grow up together; nor can -I tell when or how we ceased to be brother and sister, save that -it may have been when Robin kissed me so tenderly at parting, and -told me that he should always love me. I do not think that brothers -do generally protest love and promise continual affection. Barnaby -certainly never declared his love for me, nor did he ever promise to -love me all his life. Perhaps, had he remained longer, he might have -become as tender as he was good-hearted; but I think that tenderness -towards a sister is not in the nature of a boy. I loved Robin, and -I loved Humphrey, both as if they were brothers; but one of them -ceased to be my brother, while the other, in consequence, remained -my brother always. - -A girl may be ignorant of the world as I was, and of lovers and -their ways as I was, and yet she cannot grow from a child to a woman -without knowing that when a young man, who hath promised to love her -always, speaks of her in every letter, he means more than common -brotherly love. Nor can any woman be indifferent to a man who thus -regards her; nor can she think upon love without the desire of being -herself loved. Truly, I had always before my eyes the spectacle of -that holy love which consecrates every part of life. I mean, in the -case of my mother, whose waking and sleeping thoughts were all for -her husband, who worked continually and cheerfully with her hands -that he might be enabled to study without other work, and gave up -her whole life, without grudging--even reckoning it her happiness -and her privilege--in order to provide food and shelter for him. -It was enough reward for her that he should sometimes lay his hand -lovingly upon her head, or turn his eyes with affection to meet hers. - -It was in the night of June 12, as I lay in bed, not yet asleep, -though it was already past nine o'clock, that I heard the trampling -of hoofs crossing the stream and passing our cottage. Had I known -who were riding those horses there would have been but little sleep -for me that night. But I knew not, and did not suspect, and so, -supposing that it was only one of the farmers belated, I closed my -eyes, and presently slept until the morning. - -About five o clock, or a little before that time, I awoke, the sun -having already arisen, and being now well up above the hills. I -therefore arose softly, leaving my mother asleep still, and, having -dressed quickly, and prayed a little, I crept down the stairs. -In the house there was such a stillness that I could even hear -the regular breathing of my father as he slept upon his pallet -among his books; it was chill and damp (as is the custom in the -early morning) in the room where he lived and worked. Yet, when I -threw open door and shutter and looked outside, the air was full -of warmth and refreshment; as for the birds, they had long since -left their nests, and now were busy looking for their breakfast; -the larks were singing overhead, and the bees already humming and -droning. Who would lie abed when he could get up and enjoy the -beauty of the morning? When I had breathed a while, with pleasure -and satisfaction, the soft air, which was laden with the scent of -flowers and of hay, I went indoors again and swept and dusted the -room. Then I opened the cupboard, and considered the provision for -breakfast. For my father there would be a slice of cold bacon with a -good crust of home-made bread (better bread or sweeter was nowhere -to be had) and a cup of cider, warming to the spirits and good, for -one who is no longer young, against any rawness of the morning air. -For my mother and myself there would be, as soon as our neighbours' -cows were milked, a cup of warm milk and bread soaked in it. 'Tis a -breakfast good for a grown person as well as for a child, and it -costs us nothing but the trouble of going to take it. - -When I had swept the room and laid everything in its place I went -into the garden, hoe in hand, to weed the beds and trim the borders. -The garden was not very big, it is true, but it produced many things -useful for us; notably onions and sallet, besides many herbs good -for the house, for it was a fertile strip of ground and planted in -every part of it. Now, such was the beauty of the morning and the -softness of the air that I presently forgot the work about which I -had come into the garden, and sat down in the shade upon a bench, -suffering my thoughts to wander hither and thither. Much have I -always pitied those poor folk in towns who can never escape from the -noise and clatter of tongues and sit somewhere in the sunshine or -the shade, while the cattle low in the meadows and the summer air -makes the leaves to rustle, and thus alone suffer their thoughts to -wander here and there. Every morning when I arose was this spectacle -of Nature's gladness presented to my eyes, but not every morning -could my spirit (which sometimes crawls, as if fearing the light -of day and the face of the sun) rise to meet and greet it, and to -feel it calling aloud for a hymn of praise and thanksgiving. For, -indeed, this is a beautiful world, if we could always (which we -cannot for the earthliness of our natures) suffer its loveliness to -sink into our hearts. I know not what I thought this morning; but I -remember, while I considered the birds, which neither reap nor sow, -nor take any thought of to-morrow, yet are daily fed by Heaven, that -the words were whispered in mine ear: 'Are ye not much better than -they?' And this, without doubt, prepared my heart for what should -follow. - -While I sat thinking of I know not what, there came footsteps--quick -footsteps--along the road; and I knew those footsteps, and sprang to -my feet, and ran to the garden-gate, crying, 'Robin!--it is Robin!' - -Yes; it was Robin. - -He seized me by both hands, looking in my face curiously and eagerly. - -'Alice!' he said, drawing a deep breath, 'Oh! but what hath happened -to thee?' - -'What should happen, Robin?' - -'Oh! Thou art changed, Alice! I left thee almost a child, and -now--now--I thought to catch thee in my arms--a sweet rustic -nymph--and now--fain must I go upon my knees to a goddess.' - -'Robin!' Who, indeed, would have expected such language from Robin! - -[Illustration: '_And Robin was come home again, and I was lying in -his arms, and he was kissing me._'] - -'Alice,' he said, still gazing upon me with a kind of wonder which -made me blush, 'do you remember when we parted four years ago--the -words we said? As for me, I have never forgotten them. I was to -think of thee always; I was to love thee always. Truly I may say -that there is never a day but thou hast been in my mind. But not -like this'----He continued to look upon me as upon some strange -creature, so that I began to be frightened and turned away. - -'Nay, Alice, forgive me. I am one who is dazzled by the splendour of -the sun. Forgive me; I cannot speak. I thought of a village beauty, -rosy-cheeked, sweet and wholesome as an August quarander, and I -find'---- - -'Robin--not a goddess.' - -'Well, then, a woman tall and stately, and more beautiful than words -can say.' - -'Nay, Robin, you do but flatter. That is not like the old Robin I -remember and'----I should have added 'loved,' but the word stuck. - -'I swear, sweet saint--if I may swear--nay, then I do affirm, that -I do not flatter. Hear me tell a plain tale. I have travelled far -since last I saw thee; I have seen the great ladies of the Court -both of St. James's and of the Louvre; I have seen the famous -beauties of Provence, and the black-eyed witches of Italy; but -nowhere have I seen a woman half so fair.' - -'Robin--you must not! Nay, Robin--you shame me!' - -Then he knelt at my feet and seized my hand and kissed it. Oh, the -foolishness of a man in love! And yet it pleases us. No woman is -worth it. No woman can understand it; nor can she comprehend the -power and might of man's love, nor why he singles out her alone from -all the rest and fills his heart wholly with her, so that all other -women are henceforward as his sisters. It is wonderful; it is most -wonderful. Yet it pleases us. Nay, we cannot choose but thank God -for it with all our heart and with all our soul. - -I would not, if I could, set down all the things which Robin said. -First, because the words of love are sacred; next, because I would -not that other women should know the extravagance of his praise. It -was in broken words, because love can never be eloquent. - -As for me, what could I do, what could I say? For I had loved him -from my very childhood, and now all my heart went out from me and -became his. I was all his. I was his slave to command. That is the -quality of earthly love by which it most closely resembles the -heavenly love, so that just as the godly man is wholly devoted to -the will of the Lord in all things great and small, resigned to His -chastisements, and always anxious to live and die in His service, so -in earthly love one must be wholly devoted to the person whom one -loves. - -And Robin was come home again, and I was lying in his arms, and he -was kissing me and calling me all the sweet and tender things that -he could invent, and laughing and sighing together as if too happy -to be quiet. Oh! sweetest moments of my life! Why did they pass so -quickly? Oh! sacrament of love, which can be taken only once, and -yet changes the whole of life and fills it with memory which is -wholly sweet! In all other earthly things there is something of -bitterness. In this holy joy of pure and sacred love there is no -bitterness--no; not any. It leaves behind nothing of reproach or of -repentance, of shame or of sorrow. It is altogether holy. - -Now, when my boy had somewhat recovered from his first rapture, and -I had assured him very earnestly that I was not, indeed, an angel, -but a most sinful woman, daily offending in my inner thoughts (an -assurance which he received, indeed, with an appearance of disbelief -and scorn), I was able to consider his appearance, which was now -very fine, though always, as I learned when I saw him among other -gentlemen, with some soberness, as became one whose upbringing -inclined him to plainness of dress as well as of speech and manner. -He wore a long wig of brown hair, which might have been his own -but for its length; his hat was laced and cocked, which gave him a -gallant and martial appearance; his neckcloth was long and of fine -lace; beside him in my russet gown I must have looked truly plain -and rustic; but Robin was pleased not to think so, and love is a -great magician to cheat the eyes. - -He was home again; he told me he should travel no more (yet you -shall hear how far he afterwards travelled against his will); his -only desire now was to stay at home and live as his grandfather -had lived, in his native village; he had nothing to pray for but -the continuance of my love--of which, indeed, there was no doubt -possible. - -It was now close upon six o'clock, and I begged him to go away for -the present, and if my father and Sir Christopher should agree, and -if it should seem to his Honour a fit and proper thing that Robin -should marry a girl so penniless as myself, why--then--we might meet -again after breakfast, or after dinner; or, indeed, at any other -time, and so discourse more upon the matter. So he left me, being -very reluctant to go; and I, forgetting my garden and what I had -come forth to do, returned to the house. - -You must understand that all these things passed in the garden, -divided from the lane by a thick hedge, and that passers-by--but -there were none--could not, very well, have seen what was done, -though they might have heard what was said. But if my father had -looked out of his window he could have seen, and if my mother -had come downstairs she also might have seen through the window, -or through the open door. This I thought not upon, nor was there -anything to hide--though one would not willingly suffer anyone, even -one's own mother, to see and listen at such a moment. Yet mother has -since told me that she saw Robin on his knees kissing my hands; but -she withdrew, and would not look again. - -When I stepped within the door she was at work with her wheel, and -looked up with a smile upon her lips, but tears were lying in her -eyes. Had I known what she had seen I should have been ashamed. - -'Daughter,' she said softly, 'thy cheek is burning red. Hast thou, -perchance, been too long in the sun?' - -'No, mother, the sun is not too hot.' - -'Daughter,' she went on, still smiling through her tears, 'thine -eyes are bright and glowing. Hast thou a touch of fever by ill -chance?' - -'No, mother, I have no fever.' - -'Child, thy lips are trembling and thy hands are shaking. My dear, -my dear, what is it? Tell thy mother all.' - -She held out her arms to me, and I threw myself at her feet, and -buried my head in her lap as if I had been again a child. - -'Mother! mother!' I cried, 'Robin hath come home again, and he says -he loves me, and nothing will do but he must marry me.' - -'My dear,' she said, kissing and fondling me, 'Robin hath always -been a good lad, and I doubt not that he hath returned unspotted -from the world; but, nay, do not let us be too sure. For, first, -his Honour must consent, and then Madam; and thy father must be -asked--and he would never, for any worldly honour--no, never--suffer -thee to marry an ungodly man. As for thy lack of fortune, I know -not if that will not also stand in the way; and as for family, thy -father, though he was born in New England, cometh of a good stock, -and I myself am a gentlewoman, and on both sides we bear an ancient -coat-of-arms. And as for thyself, my dear, thou art--I thank God -for it!--of a sweet temper and an obedient disposition. From the -earliest thou hast never given thy mother any uneasiness, and I -think thy heart hath been mercifully disposed towards goodness -from thy childhood upwards. It is a special grace in this our long -poverty and oppression; and it consoles me partly for the loss of my -son Barnaby.' Here she was silent for a space, and her eyes filled -and brimmed over. 'Daughter,' she said earnestly, 'thou art comely -in the eyes of men; that have I known for long. It is partly for -thy sweet looks that Sir Christopher loves thee; Mr. Boscorel plays -music with thee partly because his eyes love to behold the beauty -of woman. Nay, I mean no reproach, because it is the nature of men -to love all things beautiful, whether it be the plumage of a bird -or the shape of a woman's head. Yes; thou art beautiful, my dear. -Beauty passes, but love remains. Thy husband will perchance never -cease to think thee lovely if he still proves daily thy goodness and -the loveliness of thy heart. My dear, thou hast long comforted thy -mother; now shalt thou go, with the blessing of the Lord, to be the -solace and the joy of thy husband.' - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -HUMPHREY. - - -Presently my father came in, the Bible in his hand. By his -countenance it was plain that he had been already engaged in -meditation, and that his mind was charged as with a message. - -Alas! to think of the many great discourses that he pronounced -(being as a dog who must be muzzled should he leave the farm-yard) -to us women alone. If they were written down the world would lift -up its hands with wonder, and ask if a prophet indeed had been -vouchsafed to this unhappy country. The Roman Church will have -that the time of Saints did not end with the last of the Apostles; -that may be, and yet a Saint has no more power after death than -remains in his written words and in the memory of his life. Shall we -not, however, grant that there may still be Prophets, who see and -apprehend the meaning of words and of things more fully than others -even as spiritually minded as themselves? Now, I say, considering -what was immediately to befall us, the passage which my father read -and expounded that morning was in a manner truly prophetic. It was -the vision of the Basket of Summer Fruit which was vouchsafed to the -Prophet Amos. He read to us that terrible chapter--everybody knows -it, though it hath but fourteen verses. - -'I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into -lamentation.... I will send a famine in the land; not a famine of -bread nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.' - -He then applied the chapter to these times, saying that the -Scriptures and the prophecies apply not only to the Israel of the -time when Amos or any other prophet lived, but to the people of God -in all ages, yet so that sometimes one prophet seems to deliver -the message that befits the time and sometimes another. All these -things prophesied by Amos had come to pass in this country of Great -Britain; so that there was, and had now been for twenty-five years, -a grievous famine and a sore thirst for the words of the Lord. He -continued to explain and to enlarge upon this topic for nearly an -hour, when he concluded with a fervent prayer that the famine would -pass away and the sealed springs be open again for the children of -grace to drink and be refreshed. - -This done, he took his breakfast in silence, as was his wont, -loving not to be disturbed by any earthly matters when his mind -was full of his morning discourse. When he had eaten the bread and -meat and taken the cup of cider, he arose and went back to his own -room, and shut the door. We should have no more speech of him until -dinner-time. - -'I will speak with him, my dear,' said my mother. 'But not yet. Let -us wait till we hear from Sir Christopher.' - -'I would that my father had read us a passage of encouragement and -promise on this morning of all mornings,' I said. - -My mother turned over the leaves of the Bible. 'I will read you a -verse of encouragement,' she said. 'It is the word of God as much as -the Book of the Prophet Amos.' So she found and read for my comfort -words which had a new meaning to me:-- - -'My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, -and come away. For, lo! the winter is past, the rain is over and -gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of -birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land. The -fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender -grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.' - -And again, these that follow:-- - -'Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for -love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals -thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. Many -waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it. If a man -would give all the substance of his house for love it would utterly -be contemned.' - -In these gracious, nay, these enraptured words, doth the Bible speak -of love; and though I am not so ignorant as not to know that it is -the love of the Church for Christ, yet I am persuaded by my own -spiritual experience--whatever Doctors of Divinity may argue--that -the earthly love of husband and wife may be spoken of in these very -words as being the type of that other and higher love. And in this -matter I know that my mother would also confirm my judgment. - -It might have been between nine and ten that Humphrey came. Surely -he was changed more than Robin: for the great white periwig which he -wore (being now a physician) falling upon his shoulders did partly -hide the deformity of his wry shape, and the black velvet coat did -also become him mightily. As for his face, that was not changed at -all. It had been grave and serious in youth; it was now more grave -and more serious in manhood. He stood in the doorway, not seeing -me--I was making a pudding for dinner, with my sleeves rolled up and -my arms white with flour. - -'Mistress Eykin,' he said, 'are old friends passed out of mind?' - -'Why,' my mother left her wheel and gave him her hand, ''tis -Humphrey! I knew that we should see thee this morning, Humphrey. Is -thy health good, my son, and is all well with thee?' - -'All is well, madam, and my health is good. How is my master--thy -husband?' - -'He is always well, and--but thou knowest what manner of life he -leads. Of late he hath been much disquieted; he is restless--his -mind runs much upon the prophecies of war and pestilence. It is the -news from London and the return of the Mass which keeps him uneasy. -Go in and see him, Humphrey. He will willingly suffer thee to -disturb him, though we must not go near him in his hours of study.' - -'Presently; but where is my old playfellow--where is Alice?' - -'She is behind you, Humphrey.' - -He turned, and his pale face flushed when he saw me. - -'Alice?' he cried. 'Is this truly Alice? Nay, she is changed indeed! -I knew not--I could not expect--nay, how could one expect'---- - -'There is no change,' said my mother, sharply. 'Alice was a child, -and is now a woman; that is all.' - -'Humphrey expects,' I said, 'that we should all stop still while -Time went on. You were to become a Bachelor of Medicine, sir, and a -Fellow of All Souls' College, and to travel in Italy and France, and -to come back in a velvet coat, and a long sword, and a periwig over -your shoulders; and I was to be a little girl still.' - -Humphrey shook his head. - -'It is not only that,' he said; 'though I confess that one did -not make due allowance for the flight of Time. It is that the -sweet-faced child has become'---- - -'No, Humphrey,' I said, 'I want no compliments. Go now, sir, and -speak with my father. Afterwards you shall tell me all that you have -been doing.' - -He obeyed, and opened my father's door. - -'Humphrey!' My father sprang to his feet. 'Welcome, my pupil! Thou -bringest good news? Nay; I have received thy letters: I read the -good news in thy face--I see it in thine eyes. Welcome home!' - -'Sir, I have, indeed, great news,' said Humphrey. - -Then the door was closed. - -He stayed there for half an hour and more; and we heard from within -earnest talk--my father's voice sometimes uplifted, loud and angry, -but Humphrey's always low, as if he did not wish us to overhear -them. So, not to seem unto each other as if we were listening, -mother and I talked of other things, such as the lightness of the -pudding, and the quantity of suet which should be put into it, and -the time it should boil in the pot, and other things, as women can -whose hearts are full, yet they must needs be talking. - -'Father hath much to say to Humphrey,' I said, after a time; 'he -doth not use to like such interruption.' - -'Humphrey's conversation is no interruption, my dear. They think the -same thoughts and talk the same language. Your father may teach -and admonish us, but he can only converse with a scholar such as -himself. It is not the least evil of our oppression that he hath -been cut off from the society of learned men, in which he used to -take so much delight. If Humphrey remains here a little while you -shall see your father lose the eager and anxious look which hath of -late possessed him. He will talk to Humphrey, and will clear his -mind. Then he will be contented again for a while, or, at least, -resigned.' - -Presently Humphrey came forth. His face was grave and serious. My -father came out of the room after him. - -'Let us talk more,' he said; 'let us resume our talk. Join me on -the hillside, where none can hear us. It is, indeed, the Vision of -the Basket of Summer Fruit that we read this morning.' His face -was working with some inward excitement, and his eyes were full -of a strange light as of a glad conqueror, or of one--forbid the -thought!--who was taking a dire revenge. He strode down the garden -and out into the lanes. - -'Thus,' said my mother, 'will he walk out, and sometimes remain in -the woods, walking, preaching to the winds, and swinging his arms -the whole day long. Art thou a physician, and canst thou heal him, -Humphrey?' - -'If the cause be removed, the disease will be cured. Perhaps before -long the cause will be removed.' - -'The cause--oh! the cause--what is the cause but the tyranny of -the Law? He who was ordered by Heaven itself to preach hath been, -perforce, silent for five-and-twenty years. His very life hath been -taken from him. And you talk of removing the cause!' - -'Madam, if the Law suffer him once more to preach freely, would that -satisfy him--and you?' - -My mother shook her head. 'The Law,' she said, 'now we have a Papist -on the throne is far more likely to lead my husband to the stake -than to set him free.' - -'That shall we shortly see,' said Humphrey. - -My mother bent her head over her wheel as one who wishes to talk no -more upon the subject. She loved not to speak concerning her husband -to any except to me. - - * * * * * - -I went out into the garden with Humphrey. I was foolish. I laughed -at nothing. I talked nonsense. Oh! I was so happy that if a pipe -and tabor had been heard in the village I should have danced to the -music, like poor Barnaby the night before he ran away. I regarded -not the grave and serious face of my companion. - -'You are merry, Alice,' said Humphrey. - -'It is because you are come back again--you and Robin. Oh! the time -has been long and dull--and now you have come back we shall all be -happy again. Yes; my father will cease to fret and rage; he will -talk Latin and Greek with you; Sir Christopher will be happy only -in looking upon you; Madam will have her son home again; and Mr. -Boscorel will bring out all the old music for you. Humphrey, it is a -happy day that brings you home again.' - -'It may be a happy day also for me,' he said; 'but there is much to -be done. When the business we have in hand is accomplished'---- - -'What business, Humphrey?' For he spoke so gravely that it startled -me. - -''Tis business of which thy father knows, child. Nay; let us not -talk of it. I think and hope that it is as good as accomplished now -before it is well taken in hand. It is not of that business that I -would speak. Alice, thou art so beautiful and so tall'---- - -'Nay, Humphrey. I must not be flattered.' - -'And I so crooked.' - -'Humphrey, I will not hear this talk. You, so great a scholar, thus -to speak of yourself!' - -'Let me speak of myself, my dear. Hear me for a moment.' I declare -that I had not the least thought of what he was going to say, my -mind being wholly occupied with the idea of Robin. - -'I am a physician, as you doubtless know. I am Medicinae Doctor of -Oxford, of Padua, Montpellier, and Leyden. I know all--I may fairly -say, and without boasting--that may be learned by one of my age from -schools of medicine and from books on the science and practice of -healing. I believe, in short, that I am as good a physician as can -be found within these seas. I am minded, as soon as tranquillity is -restored, to set up as a physician in London, where I have already -many friends, and am assured of some support. I think, humbly -speaking, that reasonable success awaits me. Alice--you know that -I have loved you all my life--will you marry me, crooked as I am? -Oh! you cannot but know that I have loved you all my life. Oh! -child,' he stretched forth his hands, and in his eyes there was a -world of longing and of sadness which moved my heart. 'My dear, the -crooked in body have no friends among men; they cannot join in their -rough sports, nor drink with them, nor fight with them. They have -no chance of happiness but in love, my dear. My dear, give me that -chance. I love thee! Oh! my dear, give me that chance?' - -Never had I seen Humphrey so moved before. I felt guilty and ashamed -in the presence of this passion of which I was the most unworthy -cause. - -'Oh! Humphrey, stop--for Heaven's sake stop!--because I am but this -very morning promised to Robin, who loves me, too--and I love Robin, -Humphrey.' He sank back, pale and disordered, and I thought that he -would swoon, but he recovered. 'Humphrey, never doubt that I love -you, too. But oh! I love Robin, and Robin loves me.' - -'Yes, dear--yes, child--yes, Alice,' he said in broken accents. 'I -understand. Everything is for Robin--everything for Robin. Why, I -might have guessed it! For Robin, the straight and comely figure; -for Robin, the strength; for Robin, the inheritance; for Robin, -happy love. For me, a crooked body; for me, a feeble frame; for me, -the loss of fortune; for me, contempt and poverty; for me, the loss -of love--all for Robin--all for Robin!' - -'Humphrey, surely thou wouldst not envy or be jealous of Robin!' -Never had I seen him thus moved, or heard him thus speak. - -He made no answer for a while. Then he said, slowly and painfully:-- - -'Alice, I am ashamed. Why should not Robin have all? Who am I that I -should have anything? Forgive me, child. I have lived in a paradise -which fools create for themselves. I have suffered myself to dream -that what I ardently desired was possible and even probable. Forgive -me. Let me be as before--your brother. Will you forgive me, dear?' - -'Oh, Humphrey! there is nothing for me to forgive.' - -'Nay, there is much for me to repent of. Forget it then, if there is -nothing to forgive.' - -'I have forgotten it already, Humphrey.' - -'So'--he turned upon me his grave, sweet face (to think of it makes -me yearn with tenderness and pity)--'so, farewell, fond dream! Do -not think, my dear, that I envy Robin. 'Twas a sweet dream! Yet, -I pray that Heaven in wrath may forget me if ever I suffer this -passion of envy to hurt my cousin Robin or thyself!' - -So saying, he burst from me with distraction in his face. Poor -Humphrey! Alas! when I look back and consider this day, there is a -doubt which haunts me. Always had I loved Robin: that is most true. -But I had always loved Humphrey: that is most true. What if it had -been Humphrey instead of Robin who had arisen in the early morning -to find his sweetheart in the garden when the dew was yet upon the -grass? - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -ONE DAY. - - -In times of great sorrow the godly person ought to look forward to -the never-ending joy and happiness that will follow this short life. -Yet we still look backwards to the happy time that is past and can -never come again. And then, how happy does it seem to have been in -comparison with present affliction! - -It pleased Heaven after many trials to restore my earthly -happiness--at least, in its principal part, which is earthly love. -Some losses--grievous and lamentable--there were which could not be -restored. Yet for a long time I had no other comfort (apart from -that hope which I trust was never suffered to leave me) than the -recollection of one single day in its course, too short, from dewy -morn till dusky eve. I began that day with the sweetest joy that a -girl can ever experience--namely, the return of her lover and the -happiness of learning that he loves her more than ever, with the -knowledge that her heart hath gone forth from her and is wholly his. -To such a girl the woods and fields become the very garden of Eden; -the breath of the wind is as the voice of the Lord blessing another -Eve; the very showers are the tears of gladness and gratitude; the -birds sing hymns of praise; the leaves of the trees whisper words -of love; the brook prattles of kisses; the flowers offer incense; -the royal course of the sun in splendour, the glories of the sunrise -and sunset, the twinkling stars of night, the shadows of the flying -clouds, the pageant of the summer day--these are all prepared for -that one happy girl and for her happy lover! Oh, Divine Gift of -Love! which thus gives the whole world with its fruits in season to -each pair in turn! Nay, doth it not create them anew? What was Adam -without Eve? And Eve was created for no other purpose than to be a -companion to the man. - -I say, then, that the day when Robin took me in his arms and kissed -me--not as he had done when we parted and I was still a child, but -with the fervent kiss of a lover--was the happiest day in all my -life. I say that I have never forgotten that day, but, by recalling -any point of it, I remember all: how he held my hand and how he -made me confess that I loved him; how we kissed and parted, to meet -again. As for poor Humphrey, I hardly gave him so much as a thought -of pity. Then, how we wandered along the brook hand in hand! - -'Never to part again, my dear,' said the fond lover. 'Here will -we live, and here we will die. Let Benjamin become, if he please, -Lord Chancellor, and Humphrey a great physician: they will have to -live among men in towns, where every other man is a rogue. We shall -live in this sweet country place, where the people may be rude but -they are not knaves. Why, in that great city of London, where the -merchants congregate upon the Exchange and look so full of dignity -and wisdom, each man is thinking all the time that, if he fail to -overreach his neighbour, that neighbour will overreach him. Who -would live such a life when he can pass it in the fields with such a -companion as my Alice?' - -The pleasures of London had only increased his thirst for the -country life. Surely, never was seen a swain more truly rustic in -all his thoughts! The fine ladies at the playhouse, with their -painted faces, made him, he told me, think of one who wore a russet -frock in Somersetshire, and did not paint her sweet face--this was -the way he talked. The plays they acted could never even be read, -much less witnessed, by that dear girl--so full of wickedness they -were. At the assemblies the ladies were jealous of each other, and -put on scornful looks when one seemed preferred; at the taverns -the men drank and bellowed songs and quarrelled; in the streets -they fought and took the wall and swaggered; there was nothing but -fighting among the baser sort, with horrid imprecations; at the -coffee-houses the politicians argued and quarrelled. Nay, in the -very churches the sermons were political arguments, and while the -clergyman read his discourse the gallants ogled the ladies. All this -and more he told me. - -To hear my boy, one would think there was nothing in London but what -was wicked and odious. No doubt it is a wicked place; where many men -live together, those who are wicked easily find each other out, and -are encouraged in their wickedness. Yet there must be many honest -and God-fearing persons, otherwise the Judgment of Heaven would -again fall upon that city as it did in the time of the Plague and in -the Great Fire. - -'My pretty Puritan,' said Robin, 'I am now come away from that -place, and I hope never to see it again. Oh! native hills, I salute -you! Oh! woods and meadows, I have returned, to wander again in -your delightful shade.' Then, which was unusual in my boy, and would -have better become Mr. Boscorel or Humphrey, he began to repeat -verses. I knew not that he had ever learned any:-- - - As I range these spacious fields, - Feast on all that Nature yields; - Everything inspires delight, - Charms my smell, my taste, my sight; - Every rural sound I hear - Soothes my soul and tunes my ear. - -I do not know where Robin found these verses, but as he repeated -them, waving his arm around, I thought that Humphrey himself never -made sweeter lines. - -He then told me how Humphrey would certainly become the most learned -physician of the time, and that he was already master of a polite -and dignified manner which would procure him the patronage of -the great and the confidence of all. It was pleasant to hear him -praise his cousin without jealousy or envy. To be sure, he knew not -then--though afterwards I told him--that Humphrey was his rival. -Even had he known this, such was the candour of my Robin and the -integrity of his soul that he would have praised him even more -loudly. - -One must not repeat more of the kind and lovely things that the dear -boy said while we strolled together by the brook-side. - -While thus abroad we walked--'twas in the forenoon, after Humphrey's -visit--Sir Christopher, his grandfather, dressed in his best coat -and his gold-laced hat, which he commonly kept for church, and -accompanied by Madam, walked from the Manor House through the -village till they came to our cottage. Then, with great ceremony, -they entered, Sir Christopher bowing low and Madam dropping a deep -courtesy to my mother, who sat humbly at her wheel. - -'Madam,' said Sir Christopher, 'we would, with your permission, say -a few words with the learned Dr. Eykin and yourself.' - -My father, who had now returned and was in his room, came forth when -he was called. His face had recovered something of its serenity, but -his eyes were still troubled. Madam sat down, but Sir Christopher -and my father stood. - -'Sir,' said his Honour, 'I will proceed straight to the point. My -grandson desires to marry your daughter Alice. Robin is a good -lad--not a scholar if you will--for his religion, the root of the -matter is in him; for the goodness of his heart I will answer; for -his habit of life, he hath, so far as we can learn, acquired no vile -vices of the city--he doth neither drink nor gamble, nor waste his -health and strength in riotous living; and for his means they are my -own. All that I have will be his. 'Tis no great estate, but 'twill -serve him as it hath served me. Sir, the boy's mother and I have -come to ask your daughter in marriage. We know her worth, and we -are right well satisfied that our boy hath made so good and wise a -choice.' - -'They were marrying and giving in marriage when the Flood came; they -will be marrying and giving in marriage in the Great Day of the -Lord,' said my father. - -'Yes, gossip; but that is no reason why they should not now be -marrying and giving in marriage.' - -'You ask my consent?' said my father. 'This surprises me. The child -is too young: she is not yet of marriageable age'---- - -'Husband, she is nigh upon her twentieth birthday!' - -'I thought she had been but twelve or thereabouts! My consent? -Why, Sir Christopher, in the eyes of the world this is great -condescension on your part to take a penniless girl. I looked, I -suppose, to the marriage of my daughter some time--perhaps to a -farmer--yet--yet, we are told that a virtuous woman hath a price far -above rubies; and that it is she who buildeth up the house, and we -are nowhere told that she must bring her husband a purse of gold. -Sir Christopher, it would be the blackest ingratitude in us to deny -you, even if this thing were (which I say not) against the mind of -our daughter.' - -'It is not--it is not,' said my mother. - -'Wherefore, seeing that the young man is a good man as youths go, -though in the matter of the Latin syntax he hath yet much to learn; -and that his heart is disposed towards religion, I am right glad -that he should take our girl to wife.' - -'Bravely said!' cried Sir Christopher. 'Hands upon it, man! And we -will have a merry wedding. But to-day I bid you both to come and -feast with us. We will have holiday and rejoicing.' - -'Yes,' said my father, 'we will feast; though to-morrow comes the -Deluge.' I know now what he meant, but at that time we knew not, and -it seemed to his Honour a poor way of rejoicing at the return of the -boys and the betrothal of his daughter thus to be foretelling woes. -'The Vision of the Plumb-line is before mine eyes,' my father went -on. 'Is the land able to bear all this? We talk of feasting and of -marriages. Yet a few days, or perhaps already----But we will rejoice -together, my old friend and benefactor, we will rejoice together.' -With these strange words he turned and went back to his room, and -after some tears with my mother, Madam went home and Sir Christopher -with her. But in honour to the day he kept on his best coat. - -Robin suffered me to go home, but only that I might put on my best -frock (I had but two) and make my hair straight, which had been -blown into curls, as was the way with my hair. And then, learning -from my mother with the utmost satisfaction what had passed, he led -me by the hand, as if I were already his bride, and so to the Manor -House, where first Sir Christopher saluted me with great kindness, -calling me his dear granddaughter, and saying that next to Robin's -safe return he asked for nothing more than to see me Robin's wife. -And Madam kissed me, with tears in her eyes, and said that she could -desire nothing better for her son, and that she was sure I should do -my best endeavours to make the boy happy. Then Humphrey, as quietly -as if he had not also asked me to be his wife, kissed my hand, and -wished me joy; and Mr. Boscorel also kissed me, and declared that -Robin ought to be the happiest dog on earth. And so we sat down to -our feast. - -The conversation at dinner was graver than the occasion demanded. -For though our travellers continually answered questions about the -foreign lands and peoples they had seen, yet the subject returned -always to the condition of the country, and to what would happen. - -After dinner we sat in the garden, and the gentlemen began to talk -of Right Divine and of Non-Resistance, and here it seemed to me -as if Mr. Boscorel was looking on as from an eminence apart. For -when he had once stated the texts and arguments upon which the -High Church party do mostly rely, he retired and made no further -objections, listening in silence while my father held forth upon -the duty of rising against wicked princes. At last, however, being -challenged to reply by Humphrey, Mr. Boscorel thus made answer: - -'The doctrine that subjects may or may not rebel against their -Sovereign is one which I regard with interest so long as it remains -a question of logic and argument only. Unfortunately, the times are -such that we may be called upon to make a practical application of -it: in which case there may follow once more civil war, with hard -knocks on both sides, and much loss of things temporal. Wherefore -to my learned brother's arguments, which I admit to be plausible, I -will, for the present, offer no reply, except to pray Heaven that -the occasion may not arise of converting a disputed doctrine into a -rule of conduct.' - -Alas! even while he spoke the messenger was speeding swiftly towards -us who was to call upon all present to take a side. - -The question is now, I hope, decided for ever: but many men had -first to die. It was not decided then, but three years later, when -King William cut the knot, and, with the applause of the nation, -pulled down his father-in-law, and mounted the throne himself with -his gracious consort. We are agreed, at last, that kings, like -judges, generals, and all great officers of State, are to hold their -offices in good behaviour. If they enter into machinations against -the liberty of the people and desert the national religion, they -must descend, and let others take their place. But before that right -could be established for the country, streams of blood must first -flow. - -While they talked, we--I mean Madam, my mother, and myself--sat -and listened. But my mind was full of another subject, and I heard -but little of what was said, noting chiefly the fiery ardour of my -father and the careless grace of Mr. Boscorel. - -Presently my father, who was never easy in the company of Mr. -Boscorel--(so oil and water will not agree to fill a cup in -friendship)--and, besides, being anxious to rejoin the society of -his books, arose and went away, and with him my mother--he, in -his ragged cassock, who was a learned scholar; she in her plain -home-spun, who was a gentlewoman by birth. Often had I thought of -our poverty with bitterness. But now it was with a softened heart -that I saw them walk side by side across the lawns. For now I -understood plainly--and for the first time--how love can strengthen -and console. My mother was poor, but she was not therefore unhappy. - -Mr. Boscorel also rose and went away with Humphrey. They went to -talk of things more interesting to the Rector than the doctrine of -Non-Resistance: of painting, namely, and statuary and medals. And -when we presently walked from the Rectory gardens we heard a most -gladsome scraping of fiddlestrings within, which showed that the -worthy man was making the most of Humphrey's return. - -When Sir Christopher had taken his pipe of tobacco he fell asleep. -Robin and I walked in the garden and renewed our vows. Needs must -that I should tell him all that I had done or thought since he went -away. As if the simple thoughts of a country maid should be of -interest to a man! Yet he seemed pleased to question and to listen, -and presently broke into a rapture, swearing that he was in love -with an angel. Young lovers, it is feared, may fall into grievous -sin by permitting themselves these extravagances of speech and -thought; yet it is hard to keep them sober, and besides (because -every sin in man meeteth with its correspondent in woman), if the -lover be extravagant, the maiden takes pleasure in his extravagance. -To call a mortal, full of imperfections, an angel, is little short -of blasphemy. Yet I heard it with, I confess, a secret pleasure. We -know ourselves and the truth concerning ourselves; we do not deceive -ourselves as to our imperfections; yet we are pleased that our -lovers should so speak and think of us as if we were angels indeed. - -Robin told me, presently ceasing his extravagances for a while, that -he was certain something violent was on foot. To be sure, everybody -expected so much. He said, moreover, that he believed Humphrey had -certain knowledge of what was going to happen; that before they -left the Low Countries Humphrey had been present at a meeting of -the exiles in Rotterdam, where it was well known that Lord Argyle's -expedition was resolved upon; that he had been much engaged in -London after their return, and had paid many visits, the nature of -which he kept secret; and that on the road there was not a town and -scarcely a village where Humphrey had not someone to visit. - -'My dear,' he said, 'Humphrey is slight as to stature and strength, -but he carries a stout heart. There is no man more bitter against -the King than he, and none more able if his counsels were listened -to. Monmouth, I am certain, purposes to head an expedition into -England like that of Lord Argyle in Scotland. The history of England -hath many instances of such successful attempts. King Stephen, King -Henry IV., King Henry VII., are all examples. If Monmouth lands, -Humphrey will join him, I am sure. And I, my dear'----he paused. - -'And you too, Robin? Oh! must you too go forth to fight? And yet, if -the Duke doth head a rising all the world would follow. Oh! to drive -away the Papist King and restore our liberty!' - -'My dear, I will do what my grandfather approves. If it be my duty -to go, he will send me forth.' - -I had almost forgotten to say that Madam took me to her own chamber, -where she opened a box and pulled out a gold chain, very fine. This -she hung about my neck, and bade me sit down, and gave me some sound -advice, reminding me that woman was the weaker vessel, and should -look to her husband not only to love and cherish her, but also to -prevent her from falling into certain grievous sins, as of temper, -deceitfulness, vanity, and the like, to which the weaker nature is -ever prone. Many other things she said, being a good and virtuous -woman, but I pass them over. - -After supper we went again into the garden, the weather being warm -and fine. The sun went down, but the sky was full of light, though -it was past nine o'clock and time for me to go home and to bed. Yet -we lingered. The birds had gone to sleep; there was no whisper of -the wind; the village was in silence. And Robin was whispering in -my ear. I remember--I remember the very tones of his voice, which -was low and sweet. I remember the words he said: 'Sweet love! Sweet -love! How could I live so long without thee!' I remember my swelling -heart and my glowing cheeks. Oh! Robin--Robin! Oh! poor heart! poor -maid! The memory of this one day was nearly all thou hadst to feed -upon for so long--so long a time! - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -THE VISION OF THE BASKET. - - -Suddenly we heard footsteps, as of those who are running, and my -father's voice speaking loud. - -'Sing, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with -all the heart!'---- - -'Now, in the name of Heaven,' cried Sir Christopher, 'what meaneth -this?' - -'The Arm of the Lord! The Deliverance of Israel!' - -He burst upon us, dragging a man with him by the arm. In the -twilight I could only see, at first, that it was a broad, thick-set -man. But my father's slender form looked taller as he waved his arms -and cried aloud. Had he been clad in a sheepskin, he would have -resembled one of those ancient Prophets whose words were always in -his mouth. - -'Good friend,' said Sir Christopher, 'what meaneth these cries? Whom -have we here?' - -Then the man with my father stepped forward and took off his hat. -Why, I knew him at once; though it was ten years since I had seen -him last! 'Twas my brother Barnaby--none other--come home again. -He was now a great strong man--a stouter have I never seen, though -he was somewhat under the middle height, broad in the shoulders, -and thick of chest. Beside him Robin, though reasonable in -breadth, showed like a slender sapling. But he had still the same -good-natured face, though now much broader. It needed no more than -the first look to know my brother Barnaby again. - -'Barnaby,' I cried, 'Barnaby, hast thou forgotten me?' I caught one -of his great hands--never, surely, were there bigger hands than -Barnaby's! 'Hast thou forgotten me?' - -'Why,' he said slowly--'twas ever a boy slow of speech and of -understanding--'belike,'tis Sister.' He kissed my forehead. 'It -is Sister,' he said, as if he were tasting a cup of ale and was -pronouncing on its quality. 'How dost thou, Sister? Bravely, I hope. -Thou art grown, Sister. I have seen my mother, and--and--she does -bravely, too; though I left her crying. 'Tis their way, the happier -they be.' - -'Barnaby?' said Sir Christopher, 'is it thou, scapegrace? Where hast -thou----But first tell us what has happened. Briefly, man.' - -'In two words, Sir: the Duke of Monmouth landed the day before -yesterday at Lyme Regis with my Lord Grey and a company of a -hundred--of whom I was one.' - -The Duke had landed! Then what Robin expected had come to pass! And -my brother Barnaby was with the insurgents! My heart beat fast. - -'The Duke of Monmouth hath landed!' Sir Christopher repeated, and -sat down again, as one who knows not what may be the meaning of the -news. - -'Ay, Sir, the Duke hath landed. We left Holland on the 24th of May, -and we made the coast at Lyme at daybreak on Thursday the 11th. -'Tis now, I take it, Saturday. The Duke had with him on board ship -Lord Grey, Mr. Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun, Mr. Heywood Dare of -Taunton'---- - -'I know the man,' said Sir Christopher, 'for an impudent, -loud-tongued fellow.' - -'Perhaps he was, Sir,' said Barnaby, gravely. 'Perhaps he was, but -now'---- - -'How "was"?' - -'He was shot on Thursday evening by Mr. Fletcher for offering him -violence with a cane, and is now dead.' - -''Tis a bad beginning. Go on, Barnaby.' - -'The Duke had also Mr. Ferguson, Colonel Venner, Mr. Chamberlain, -and others whom I cannot remember. First we set Mr. Dare and -Mr. Chamberlain ashore at Seatown, whence they were to carry -intelligence of the rising to the Duke's friends. The Duke landed -at seven o'clock with his company, in seven boats. First, he fell -on his knees and prayed aloud. Then he drew his sword, and we all -marched after to the market-place, where he raised his flag and -caused the Declaration to be read. Here it is, your Honour.' He -lugged out a copy of the Declaration, which Sir Christopher put -aside, saying that he would read it in the morning. - -'Then we tossed our hats and shouted "A Monmouth! A Monmouth!" Sixty -stout young fellows 'listed on the spot. Then we divided our forces, -and began to land the cannon--four pretty pieces as you could wish -to see--and the arms, of which I doubt if we have enough, and the -powder--two hundred and fifty barrels. The Duke lay on Thursday -night at the George. Next day, before dawn, the country people began -flocking in.' - -'What gentlemen have come in?' - -'I know not, Sir--my duty was most of the day on board. In the -evening I received leave to ride home, and indeed, Sir Christopher, -had orders to carry the Duke's Declaration to yourself. And now we -shall be well rid of the King, the Pope, and the Devil!' - -'Because,' said my father, solemnly--'because with lies ye have made -the hearts of the righteous sad whom I have not made sad.' - -'And what doest thou among this goodly company, friend Barnaby?' - -'I am to be a Captain in one of the regiments,' said Barnaby, -grinning with pride: 'though a sailor, yet can I fight with the -best. My Colonel is Mr. Holmes; and my Major, Mr. Parsons. On board -the frigate I was master and navigated her.' - -'There will be knocks, Barnaby; knocks, I doubt.' - -'By your Honour's leave, I have been where knocks were flying for -ten years, and I will take my share, remembering still the treatment -of my father and the poverty of my mother.' - -'It is rebellion, Barnaby!--rebellion!' - -'Why, Sir, Oliver Cromwell was a rebel. And your Honour fought in -the army of the Earl of Essex--and what was he but a rebel?' - -I wondered to hear my brother speak with so much boldness, who ten -years before had bowed low and pulled his hair in presence of his -Honour. Yet Sir Christopher seemed to take this boldness in good -part. - -'Barnaby,' he said, 'thou art a stout and proper lad, and I doubt -not thy courage--nay, I see it in thy face, which hath resolution -in it and yet is modest; no ruffler or boaster art thou, friend -Barnaby. Yet--yet--if rebellion fail--even rebellion in a just -cause--then those who rise lose their lives in vain, and the cause -is lost, until better times.' This he said as one who speaketh to -himself. I saw him look upon his grandson. 'The King is--a Papist,' -he said, 'that is most true. A Papist should not be suffered to rule -this country. Yet to rise in rebellion! Have a care, lad! What if -the time be not yet ripe? How know we who will join the Duke?' - -'The people are flocking to his standard by thousands,' said -Barnaby. 'When I rode away last night the Duke's secretaries were -writing down their names as fast as they could be entered; they -were landing the arms and already exercising the recruits. And such -a spirit they show, Sir, it would do your heart good only once to -witness!' - -Now, as I looked at Barnaby, I became aware that he was not -only changed in appearance, but that he was also very finely -dressed--namely, in a scarlet coat and a sword with a silken sash, -with laced ruffles, a gold-laced hat, a great wig, white breeches, -and a flowered waistcoat. In the light of day, as I afterwards -discovered, there were stains of wine visible upon the coat, and the -ruffles were torn, and the waistcoat had marks upon it as of tar. -One doth not, to be sure, expect in the sailing master of a frigate -the same neatness as in a gallant of Saint James's. Yet, our runaway -lad must have prospered. - -'What doth the Duke intend?' Sir Christopher asked him. - -'Indeed, Sir, I know not. 'Tis said by some that he will raise the -West Country; and by some that he will march north into Cheshire, -where he hath many friends; and by others that he will march upon -London, and call upon all good Protestants to rise and join him. -We look to have an army of twenty thousand within a week. As for -the King, it is doubted whether he can raise a paltry five thousand -to meet us. Courage, Dad'--he dared to call his father, the Rev. -Comfort Eykin, Doctor of Divinity, 'Dad!'--and he clapped him -lustily upon the shoulder; 'thou shalt mount the pulpit yet, ay, of -Westminster Abbey if it so please you!' - -His father paid no heed to this conversation, being wrapt in his own -thoughts. - -'I know not,' said Sir Christopher, 'what to think. The news is -sudden. And yet--and yet'---- - -'We waste time,' cried my father, stamping his foot. 'Oh! we waste -the time talking. What helps it to talk? Every honest man must now -be up and doing. Why, it is a plain duty laid upon us. The finger of -Heaven is visible, I say, in this. Out of the very sins of Charles -Stuart hath the instrument for the destruction of his race been -forged. A plain duty, I say. As for me, I must preach and exhort. -As for my son, who was dead and yet liveth'--he laid his hand upon -Barnaby's shoulder--'time was when I prayed that he might become a -godly minister of God's Word. Now I perceive clearly that the Lord -hath ways of His own. My son shall fight and I shall preach. Perhaps -he will rise and become another Cromwell!'----Barnaby grinned. - -'Sir,' said my father, turning hotly upon his Honour, 'I perceive -that thou art lukewarm. If the Cause be the Lord's, what matter for -the chances? The issue is in the hands of the Lord. As for me and my -household, we will serve the Lord. Yea, I freely offer myself, and -my son, and my wife, and my daughter--even my tender daughter--to -the Cause of the Lord. Young men and maidens, old men and children, -the Voice of the Lord calleth!' - -Nobody made reply; my father looked before him, as if he saw in the -twilight of the summer night a vision of what was to follow. His -face, as he gazed, changed. His eyes, which were fierce and fiery, -softened. His lips smiled. Then he turned his face and looked upon -each of us in turn--upon his son and upon his wife and upon me, -upon Robin and upon Sir Christopher. 'It is, indeed,' he said, 'the -Will of the Lord. Why, what though the end be violent death to me, -and to all of us ruin and disaster? We do but share the afflictions -foretold in the Vision of the Basket of Summer Fruit. What is death? -What is the loss of earthly things compared with what shall follow -to those who obey the Voice that calls? Children, let us up and be -doing. As for me, I shall have a season of freedom before I die. -For twenty-five years have I been muzzled or compelled to whisper -and mutter in corners and hiding-places. I have been a dumb dog. I, -whose heart was full and overflowing with the sweet and precious -Word of God; I, to whom it is not life but death to sit in silence! -Now I shall deliver my soul before I die. Sirs, the Lord hath given -to every man a weapon or two with which to fight. To me he hath -given an eye and a tongue for discerning and proclaiming the word -of sacred doctrine. I have been muzzled--a dumb dog, I say--though -sometimes I have been forced to climb among the hills and speak to -the bending tree-tops. Now I shall be free again, and I will speak, -and all the ends of the earth shall hear.' - -His eyes gleamed, he panted and gasped, and waved his arms. - -'As for sister, Dad,' said Barnaby, 'she and mother may bide at -home.' - -'No; they shall go with me. I offer my wife, my son, my daughter, -and myself to the Cause of the Lord.' - -'A camp is but a rough place for a woman,' said Barnaby. - -'She is offered; she is dedicated; she shall go with us.' - -I know not what was in his mind, or why he wished that I should go -with him, unless it was a desire to give everything that he had--to -hold back nothing--to the Lord; therefore he would give his children -as well as himself. As for me, my heart glowed to think that I was -even worthy to join in such a Cause. What could a woman do? But that -I should find out. - -'Robin,' I whispered, ''tis Religion calls. If I am to be among the -followers of the Duke, thou wilt not remain behind?' - -'Child,'--it was my mother who whispered to me; I had not seen her -before--'Child, let us obey him. Perhaps it will be better for him -if we are at his side. And there is Barnaby. But we must not be in -their way. We shall find a place to sit aside and wait. Alas! that -my son hath returned to us only to go fighting. We will go with -them, daughter.' - -'We should be better without women,' said Barnaby, grumbling; 'I -would as lief have a woman on shipboard as in a camp. To be sure, -if Dad has set his heart upon it--and then he will not stay long in -camp, where the cursing of the men is already loud enough to scare a -preacher out of his cassock. Dad, I say'----But my father was fallen -again into a kind of rapture, and heard nothing. - -'When doth the Duke begin his march?' he said suddenly. - -'I know not. But we shall find him, never fear.' - -'I must have speech with him at the earliest possible time. Hours -are precious, and we waste them--we waste them.' - -'Well, Sir, it is bedtime. To-morrow we can ride; unless, because it -is the Sabbath, you would choose to wait till Monday. And as to the -women, by your leave, it is madness to bring them to a camp.' - -'Wait till Monday? Art thou mad, Barnaby? Art thou mad? Why, I have -things to tell the Duke. Shall we waste eight precious hours? Up! -let us ride all night. To-morrow is the Sabbath, and I will preach. -Yea--I will preach. My soul longeth--yea, even it fainteth, for the -Courts of the Lord. Quick! quick! let us mount and ride all night!' - -At this moment Humphrey joined us. - -'Lads,' said Sir Christopher, 'you are fresh from Holland. Knew you -aught of this?' - -'Sir,' said Humphrey, 'I confess that I have already told Dr. Eykin -what to expect. I knew that the Duke was coming. Robin did not know, -because I would not drag him into the conspiracy. I knew that the -Duke was coming, and that without delay. I have myself had speech -in Amsterdam with his Grace, who comes to restore the Protestant -religion and to give freedom of worship to all good Protestant -people. His friends have promises of support everywhere. Indeed, -Sir, I think that the expedition is well planned, and is certain of -support. Success is in the hands of the Lord; but we do not expect -that there will be any serious opposition. With submission, Sir, I -am under promise to join the Duke. I came over in advance to warn -his friends, as I rode from London, of his approach. Thousands are -waiting in readiness for him. But, Sir, of all this, I repeat, Robin -knew nothing. I have been for three months in the counsels of those -who desire to drive forth the Popish King, but Robin have I kept in -the dark.' - -'Humphrey,' said Robin, reproachfully, 'am not I, also, a -Protestant?' - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -A NIGHT AND MORNING. - - -When I read of men possessed by some Spirit--that is to say, -compelled to go hither and thither where, but for the Spirit, they -would not go, and to say things which they would not otherwise -have said--I think of our midnight ride to Lyme, and of my father -there, and of the three weeks' madness which followed. It was some -Spirit--whether of good or evil, I cannot say, and I dare not so -much as to question--which seized him. That he hurried away to join -the Duke on the first news of his landing, without counting the cost -or weighing the chances, is easy to be understood. Like Humphrey, -he was led by his knowledge of the great numbers who hated the -Catholic religion to believe that they, like himself, would rise -with one accord. He also remembered the successful rebellion against -the first Charles, and expected nothing less than a repetition of -that success. This, I know, was what the exiles in Holland thought -and believed. The Duke, they said, was the darling of the people; -he was the Protestant champion: who would not press forward when he -should draw the sword? But what other man--what man in his sober -senses would have dragged his wife and daughter with him to the -godless riot of a camp? Perhaps he wanted them to share his triumph, -to listen while he moved the soldiers, as that ancient hermit Peter -moved the people to the Holy Wars? But I know not. He said that I -was to be, like Jephthah's daughter, consecrated to the Cause of the -Lord; and what he meant by that I never understood. - -He was so eager to start upon the journey that he would not wait -a moment. The horses must be saddled; we must mount and away. Mark -that they were Sir Christopher's horses which we borrowed; this also -was noted afterwards for the ruin of that good old man, with other -particulars: as that Monmouth's Declaration was found in the house -(Barnaby brought it); one of Monmouth's Captains, Barnaby Eykin by -name, had ridden from Lyme to Bradford in order to see him; he was a -friend of the preacher Dr. Eykin; he was grandfather to one of the -rebels and grand-uncle to another; with many other things. But these -were enough. - -'Surely, surely, friend,' said Sir Christopher, 'thou wilt not take -wife and daughter? They cannot help the Cause; they have no place in -a camp!' - -'Young men and maidens: one with another. Quick! we waste the time.' - -'And to ride all night? Consider, man--all night long!' - -'What is a night? They will have all eternity for rest.' - -'He hath set his heart upon it,' said my mother. 'Let us go--a -night's weariness will not do much harm. Let us go, Sir Christopher, -without further parley.' - -'Go then, in the Name of God,' said the old man. 'Child, give me a -kiss.' He took me in his arms and kissed me on the forehead. 'Thou -art, then,' he said tenderly, 'devoted to the Protestant Cause. -Why, thou art already promised to a Protestant since this morning: -forget not that promise, child. Humphrey and Barnaby will protect -thee--and'---- - -'Sir,' cried Robin quickly, 'by your leave, I alone have the right -to go with her and to protect her.' - -'Nay, Robin,' I said, 'stay here until Sir Christopher himself bids -thee go. That will perhaps be very soon. Remember thy promise. We -did not know, Robin, an hour ago, that the promise would be claimed -so soon. Robin'--for he murmured--'I charge thee, remain at home -until'---- - -'I promise thee, Sweetheart.' But he hung his head and looked -ashamed. - -Sir Christopher, holding my hand, stepped forth upon the grass and -looked upwards into the clear sky, where in the transparent twilight -we could see a few stars twinkling. - -'This, friend Eykin--this, Humphrey,' he said, gravely, 'is a -solemn night for all. No more fateful night hath ever fallen upon -any of us; no! not that day when I joined Hampden's new regiment -and followed with the army of Lord Essex. Granted that we have a -righteous cause, we know not that our leader hath in him the root of -the matter. To rise against the King is a most weighty matter--fatal -if it fail, a dangerous precedent if it succeed. Civil war is, of -all wars, the most grievous; to fight under a leader who doth not -live after the Laws of God is, methinks, most dangerous. The Duke -hath lit a torch which will spread flames everywhere'---- - -'It is the Voice of the Lord which calleth us!' my father -interrupted. 'To-morrow I shall speak again to God's Elect.' - -'Sir,' said Humphrey, very seriously, 'I pray you think not that -this enterprise hath been rashly entered upon, nor that we depend -upon the judgment of the Duke alone. It is, most unhappily, true -that his life is sinful, and so is that of Lord Grey, who hath -deserted his own lawful wife for her sister. But those who have -pushed on the enterprise consider that the Duke is, at least, a -true Protestant. They have, moreover, received solid assurances of -support from every quarter. You have been kept in the dark from the -beginning at my own earnest request, because, though I knew full -well your opinion, I would not trouble your peace or endanger your -person. Suffer us, then, to depart, and, for yourself, do nothing; -and keep--oh! Sir, I entreat you--keep Robin at home until our -success leaves no room for doubt.' - -'Go, then, go,' said Sir Christopher; 'I have grievous misgivings -that all is not well. But go, and Heaven bless the Cause!' - -Robin kissed me, whispering that he would follow, and that before -many days; and so we mounted and rode forth. In such hot haste did -we depart that we took with us no change of raiment or any provision -for the journey at all, save that Barnaby, who, as I afterwards -found, never forgot the provisions, found time to get together a -small parcel of bread and meat, and a flask of Canary, with which to -refresh our spirits later on. We even rode away without any money. - -My father rode one horse and my mother sat behind him: then I -followed, Barnaby marching manfully beside me, and Humphrey -rode last. The ways are rough, so that those who ride, even by -daylight, go but slowly; and we, riding between high hedges, went -much too slowly for my father, who, if he spoke at all, cried out -impatiently, 'Quicker! Quicker! we lose the time.' - -He sat bending over the horse's head, with rounded shoulders, his -feet sticking out on either side, his long white hair and his ragged -cassock floating in the wind. In his left hand he carried his Bible -as a soldier carries his sword; on his head he wore the black silk -cap in which he daily sat at work. He was praying and meditating; he -was preparing the sermon which he would deliver in the morning. - -Barnaby plodded on beside me: night or day made no difference to -him. He slept when he could, and worked when he must. Sailors keep -their watch day and night without any difference. - -'It was Sir Christopher that I came after,' he told me presently. -'Mr. Dare--who hath since been killed by Mr. Fletcher--told the Duke -that if Sir Christopher Challis would only come into camp, old as -he is, the country gentlemen of his opinions would follow to a man, -so respected is he. Well, he will not. But we have his grandnephew, -Humphrey; and, if I mistake not, we shall have his grandson--if -kisses mean anything. So Robin is thy Sweetheart, Sister: thou art a -lucky girl. And we shall have Dad to preach to us. Well, I know not -what will happen, but some will be knocked o' the head, and if Dad -goes in the way of knocks----But, whatever happens, he will get his -tongue again--and so he will be happy.' - -'As for preaching,' he went on, speaking with due pauses, because -there was no hurry in these dark lanes, and he was never one of -those whose words flow easily, 'if he thinks to preach daily, as -they say was done in Cromwell's time, I doubt if he will find many -to listen, for by the look of the fellows who are crowding into camp -they will love the clinking of the can better than the division of -the text. But if he cause his friends to join he will be welcomed: -and for devoting his wife and daughter to the Cause, that, Sister, -with submission, is rank nonsense, and the sooner you get out of the -camp, if you must go there, the better. Women aboard ship are bad -enough, but in camp they are the very devil.' - -'Barnaby, speak not lightly of the Evil One.' - -'Where shall we bestow you when the fighting comes? Well, it shall -be in some safe place.' - -'Oh, Barnaby! will there be fighting?' - -'Good lack, child! what else will there be?' - -'As the walls of Jericho fell down at the blast of the trumpet, so -the King's armies will be dispersed at the approach of the Lord's -soldiers.' - -'That was a vast long time ago, Sister. There is now no such -trumpet-work employed in war, and no priests on the march; but -plenty of fighting to be done before anything is accomplished. But -have no fear. The country is rising. They are sick at heart already -of a Popish King. I say not that it will be easy work; but it can be -done, and it will be done, before we all sit down again.' - -'And what will happen when it is done?' - -'Truly, I know not. When one King is sent a-packing they must needs -put up another, I suppose. My father shall have the biggest church -in the country to preach in; Humphrey shall be made physician to the -new King--nothing less; you shall marry Robin, and he shall be made -a Duke or a Lord at least; and I shall have command of the biggest -ship in the King's navy, and go to fight the Spaniards, or to trade -for negroes on the Guinea Coast.' - -'But suppose the Duke should be defeated?' - -'Well, Sister, if he is defeated it will go hard with all of us. -Those who are caught will be stabbed with a Bridport dagger, as -they say. Ask not such a question; as well ask a sailor what will -happen to him if his ship is cast away. Some may escape in boats -and some by swimming, and some are drowned, and some are cast upon -savage shores. Every man must take his chance. Never again ask such -a question. Nevertheless, I fear my father will get his neck as far -in the noose as I myself. But remember, Sister Alice, do you and my -mother keep snug. Let others carry on the rebellion, do you keep -snug. For, d'ye see, a man takes his chance, and if there should -happen (as there may) a defeat and the rout of these country lads, -I could e'en scud by myself before the gale and maybe get to a -seaport and so aboard and away while the chase was hot. But for a -woman! Keep snug, I say, therefore.' - -The night, happily, was clear and fine. A slight breeze was blowing -from the north-west, which made one shiver, yet it was not too cold. -I heard the screech-owl once or twice, which caused me to tremble -more than the cold. The road, when we left the highway, which is not -often mended in these parts, became a narrow lane full of holes and -deep ruts, or else a track across open country. But Barnaby knew the -way. - -It was about ten of the clock when we began our journey, and it was -six in the morning when we finished it. I suppose there are few -women who can boast of having taken so long a ride and in the night. -Yet, strange to say, I felt no desire to sleep; nor was I wearied -with the jogging of the horse, but was sustained by something of -the spirit of my father. A wonderful thing it seemed to me that a -simple country maid, such as myself, should help in putting down -the Catholic King; women there have been who have played great -parts in history--Jael, Deborah, Judith, and Esther, for example; -but that I should be called (since then I have discovered that I -was not called), this, indeed, seemed truly wonderful. Then I was -going forth to witness the array of a gallant army about to fight -for freedom and for religion, just as they were arrayed forty years -before, when Sir Christopher was a young man and rode among them. - -My brother, this stout Barnaby, was one of them; my father was one -of them; Humphrey was one of them; and in a little while I was very -sure (because Robin would feel no peace of mind if I was with the -insurgents and he was still at home) my lover would be with them -too. And I pictured to myself a holy and serious camp, filled with -godly, sober soldiers, listening to sermons and reading the Bible, -going forth to battle with hymns upon their lips; and withal so -valiant that at their very first onset the battalions of the King -would be shattered. Alas! anyone may guess the foolish thoughts of -a girl who had no knowledge of the world, nor any experience. Yet -all my life I had been taught that Resistance was at times a sacred -duty, and that the Divine Right of the (so-called) Lord's Anointed -was a vain superstition. So far, therefore, was I better prepared -than most women for the work in hand. - -When we rode through Sherborne all the folk were a-bed and the -streets were empty. From Sherborne our way lay through Yetminster -and Evershott to Beaminster, where we watered and rested the horses, -and took some of Barnaby's provisions. The country through which -we rode was full of memories of the last great war. The castle of -Sherborne was twice besieged; once by Lord Bedford, when the Marquis -of Hertford held it for the King. That siege was raised; but it -was afterwards taken by Fairfax, with its garrison of six hundred -soldiers, and was then destroyed, so that it is now a heap of ruins; -and as for Beaminster, the town hath never recovered from the great -fire when Prince Maurice held it, and it is still half in ruins, -though the ivy hath grown over the blackened walls of the burned -houses. The last great war, of which I had heard so much! And now, -perhaps, we were about to begin another. - -It was two o'clock in the morning when we dismounted at Beaminster. -My mother sat down upon a bench and fell instantly asleep. My father -walked up and down impatiently, as grudging every minute. Barnaby, -for his part, made a leisurely and comfortable meal, eating his -bread and meat--of which I had some--and drinking his Canary with -relish, as if we were on a journey of pleasure and there was plenty -of time for leisurely feeding. Presently he arose with a sigh (the -food and wine being all gone), and said that, the horses being now -rested, we might proceed. So he lifted my mother into her seat and -we went on with the journey, the day now breaking. - -The way, I say, was never tedious to me, for I was sustained by the -novelty and the strangeness of the thing. Although I had a thousand -things to ask Barnaby, it must be confessed that for one who had -travelled so far he had marvellous little to tell. I daresay that -the deck and cabins of a ship are much the same whether she be on -the Spanish Main or in the Bristol Channel, and sailors, even in -port, are never an observant race, except of weather and so forth. -It was strange, however, only to look upon him and to mark how -stout a man he was grown and how strong, and yet how he still spoke -like the old Barnaby, so good-natured and so dull with his book, -who was daily flogged for his Latin grammar, and bore no malice, -but prepared himself to enjoy the present when the flogging was -over, and not to anticipate the certain repetition of the flogging -on the morrow. He spoke in the same slow way, as if speech were a -thing too precious to be poured out quickly; and there was always -sense in what he said (Barnaby was only stupid in the matter of -syntax), though he gave me not such answers as I could have wished. -However, he confessed, little by little, something of his history -and adventures. When he ran away, it was, as we thought, to the -port of Bristol, where he presently found a berth as cabin-boy on -board a West India-man. In this truly enviable post--everybody on -board has a cuff or a kick or a rope's-end for the boy--he continued -for some time. 'But,' said Barnaby, 'you are not to think that the -rope's-end was half so bad as my father's rod; nor the captain's -oath so bad as my father's rebuke; nor the rough work and hard fare -so bad as the Latin syntax.' Being so strong, and a hearty, willing -lad to boot, he was quickly promoted to be an able seaman, when -there were no more rope's-endings for him. Then, having an ambition -above his station, and not liking his rude and ignorant companions -of the fo'k'sle (which is the fore-part of a ship, where the common -sailors sleep and eat), and being so fortunate as to win the good -graces of the supercargo first and of the captain next, he applied -his leisure time (when he had any leisure) to the method of taking -observations, of calculating longitudes and latitudes, his knowledge -of arithmetic having fortunately stuck in his mind longer than that -of Latin. These things, I understand, are of the greatest use to -a sailor and necessary to an officer. Armed with this knowledge, -and the recommendation of his superiors, Barnaby was promoted from -before the mast and became what they call a mate, and so rose by -degrees until he was at last second captain. But by this time he had -made many voyages to the West Indies, to New York and Baltimore, -and to the West Coast of Africa in the service of his owners, and, -I daresay, had procured much wealth for them, though but little for -himself. And, being at Rotterdam upon his owners' business, he was -easily persuaded--being always a stout Protestant, and desirous to -strike a blow in revenge for the ejection of his father--to engage -as sailing Master on board the frigate which brought over the Duke -of Monmouth and his company, and then to join him on his landing. -This was the sum of what he had to tell me. He had seen many strange -people, wonderful things, and monsters of the deep: Indians, whom -the cruelty and avarice of the Spaniards have well-nigh destroyed, -the sugar plantations in the islands, negro slaves, negroes free in -their own country, sharks and calamaries (of which I had read and -heard)--he had seen all these things, and still remained (in his -mind, I mean) as if he had seen nothing. So wonderfully made are -some men that, whatever they see, they are in no way moved. - -I say, then, that Barnaby answered my questions, as we rode along, -briefly, and as if such matters troubled him not. When I asked him, -for example, how the poor miserable slaves liked being captured and -sold and put on board ship crowded together for so long a voyage, -Barnaby replied that he did not know, his business being to buy -them and carry them across the water, and if they rebelled on board -ship to shoot them down or flog them; and when they got to Jamaica -to sell them: where, if they would not work, they would be flogged -until they came to a better mind. If a man was born a negro, what -else, he asked, could he expect? - -There was one question which I greatly desired to ask him, but dared -not. It concerned the welfare of his soul. Presently, however, -Barnaby answered that question, before I put it. - -'Sister,' he said, 'my mother's constant affliction concerning me, -before I ran away, was as to the salvation of my soul. And truly, -that formerly seemed to me so difficult a thing to compass (like -navigation to an unknown port over an unknown sea set everywhere -with hidden rocks and liable to sudden gusts) that I could not -understand how a plain man could ever succeed in it. Wherefore it -comforted me mightily after I got to sea to learn on good authority -that there is another way, which, compared with my father's, is -light and easy. In short, Sister, though he knows it not, there is -one religion for lands-folk and another for sailor-folk. A sailor -(everybody knows) cannot get so much as a sail bent without cursing -and swearing--this, which is desperately wicked ashore, counts -for nothing at all afloat: and so with many other things; and the -long and the short of it is that if a sailor does his duty, fights -his ship like a man, is true to his owners and faithful to his -messmates, it matters not one straw whether he hath daily sworn -great oaths, drunk himself (whenever he went ashore) as helpless as -a log, and kissed a pretty girl whenever his good luck gave him the -chance--which does, indeed, seldom come to most sailors'--he added -this with a deep sigh--'I say, Sister, that for such a sailor, when -his ship goes down with him, or when he gets a grapeshot through his -vitals, or when he dies of fever, as happens often enough in the -hot climates, there is no question as to the safety of his soul, -but he goes straight to heaven. What he is ordered to do when he -gets there,' said Barnaby, 'I cannot say; but it will be something, -I doubt not, that a sailor will like to do. No catechism or Latin -syntax. Wherefore, Sister, you can set my mother's heart--poor -soul!--quite at rest on this important matter. You can tell her that -you have conversed with me, and that I have that very same inward -assurance of which my father speaks so much and at such length. The -very same assurance it is--tell her that. And beg her to ask me no -questions upon the matter.' - -'Well, Barnaby; but art thou sure'---- - -'It is a heavenly comfort,' he replied, before I had time to finish, -'to have such an assurance. For why? A man that hath it doth never -more trouble himself about what shall happen to him after he is -dead. Therefore he goes about his duty with an easy mind; and so, -Sister, no more upon this head, if you love me and desire peace of -mind for my mother.' - -So nothing more was said upon that subject then or afterwards. A -sailor to be exempted by right of his calling from the religion of -the landsman! 'Tis a strange and dangerous doctrine. But, if all -sailors believe it, yet how can it be? This question, I confess, is -too high for me. And as for my mother, I gave her Barnaby's message, -begging her at the same time not to question him further. And she -sighed, but obeyed. - -Presently Barnaby asked me if we had any money. - -I had none, and I knew that my mother could have but little. Of -course, my father never had any. I doubt if he had possessed a -single penny since his ejection. - -'Well,' said Barnaby, 'I thought to give my money to mother. But I -now perceive that if she has it she will give it to Dad; and, if he -has it, he will give it all to the Duke for the Cause--wherefore, -Sister, do you take it and keep it, not for me, but to be expended -as seemeth you best.' He lugged out of his pocket a heavy bag. 'Here -is all the money I have saved in ten years. Nay--I am not as some -sailors, one that cannot keep a penny in purse, but must needs fling -all away. Here are two hundred and fifty gold pieces. Take them, -Alice. Hang the bag round thy neck, and never part with it, day or -night. And say nothing about the money either to mother or to Dad, -for he will assuredly do with it as I have said. A time may come -when thou wilt want it.' - -Two hundred and fifty gold pieces! Was it possible that Barnaby -could be so rich? I took the bag and hung it round my waist--not -my neck--by the string which he had tied above the neck, and, as -it was covered by my mantle, nobody ever suspected that I had this -treasure. In the end, as you shall hear, it seemed to be useful. - -It was now broad daylight, and the sun was up. As we drew near -Bridport there stood a man in the road armed with a halbert. - -'Whither go ye, good people?' he asked. 'What is your business?' - -'Friend,' said Barnaby, flourishing his oaken staff, 'we ride upon -our own business. Stand aside, or thou mayest henceforth have no -more business to do upon this earth!' - -'Ride on then--ride on,' he replied, standing aside with great -meekness. This was one of the guards whom they posted everywhere -upon the roads in order to stop the people who were flocking to the -camp. In this way many were sent back, and many were arrested on -their way to join Monmouth. - -Now, as we drew near to Bridport, the time being about four o'clock, -we heard the firing of guns and a great shouting. - -'They have begun the fighting,' said Barnaby. 'I knew it would not -be long a-coming.' - -It was, in fact, the first engagement, when the Dorsetshire Militia -were driven out of Bridport by the Duke's troops, and there would -have been a signal victory at the very outset but for the cowardice -of Lord Grey, who ran away with the Horse. - -Well, it was a strange and a wonderful thing to think that close at -hand were men killing each other on the Sabbath; yea, and some lying -wounded on the roads; and that civil war had again begun. - -'Let us push on,' said Humphrey, 'out of the way of these troops. -They are but country lads all of them. If they retreat, they will -run; and if they run they will be seized with a panic, and will run -all the way back to Lyme, trampling on everything that is in the -road.' - -This was sound advice, which we followed, taking an upper track -which brought us into the high road a mile or so nearer Charmouth. - -I do not think there can be anywhere a finer road than that which -runs from Charmouth to Lyme. It runneth over high hills, sometimes -above the sea, which rolls far below, and sometimes above a great -level inland plain, the name of which I have forgotten. The highest -of the hills is called Golden Cap; the reason why was plainly shown -this morning when the sky was clear and the sun was shining from -the south-east full upon this tall pico. When we got into this road -we found it full of young fellows, lusty and well-conditioned, all -marching, running, walking, shouting, and singing on their way to -join Monmouth. Some were adorned with flowers, some wore the blue -favour of the Duke, some had cockades in their hats, and some again -were armed with musket or with sword; some carried pikes, some -knives tied on to long poles, some had nothing but thick cudgels, -which they brandished valiantly. At sight of these brave fellows my -father lifted his head and waved his hand, crying 'A Monmouth! a -Monmouth! Follow me, brave lads!' just as if he had been a captain -encouraging his men to charge. - -The church of Lyme standeth high upon the cliff which faces the sea; -it is on the eastern side of the town, and before you get to the -church, on the way from Charmouth, there is a broad field also on -the edge of the cliff. It was this field that was the first camp of -Monmouth's men. There were no tents for the men to lie in, but there -were waggons filled, I suppose, with munitions of war; there were -booths where things were sold, such as hot sausages fried over a -charcoal fire, fried fish, lobsters and periwinkles, cold bacon and -pork, bread, cheese, and such like, and barrels of beer and cider -on wooden trestles. The men were haggling for the food and drink, -and already one or two seemed fuddled. Some were exercising in the -use of arms; some were dancing, and some singing. And no thought or -respect paid at all to the Sabbath. Oh! was this the pious and godly -camp which I had expected? - -'Sister,' said Barnaby, 'this is a godly and religious place to -which the wisdom of Dad hath brought thee. Perhaps he meaneth thee -to lie in the open like the lads.' - -'Where is the Duke?' asked my father, looking wrathfully at these -revellers and Sabbath-breakers. - -'The Duke lies at the George Inn,' said Barnaby. 'I will show the -way.' - -In the blue parlour of the George the Duke was at that time holding -a council. There were different reports as to the Bridport affair. -Already it was said that Lord Grey was unfit to lead the Horse, -having been the first to run away; and some said that the Militia -were driven out of the town in a panic, and some that they made a -stand, and that our men had fled. I know not what was the truth, -and now it matters little, except that the first action of our men -brought them little honour. When the council was finished, the Duke -sent word that he would receive Dr. Challis (that was Humphrey) and -Dr. Comfort Eykin. - -So they were introduced to the presence of his Grace, and first my -father--as Humphrey told me--fell into a kind of ecstasy, praising -God for the landing of the Duke, and foretelling such speedy victory -as would lay the enemies of the country at his feet. He then drew -forth a roll of paper in which he had set down, for the information -of the Duke, the estimated number of the disaffected in every town -of the south and west of England, with the names of such as could be -trusted not only to risk their own bodies and estates in the Cause, -but would stir up and encourage their friends. There were so many on -these lists that the Duke's eyes brightened as he read them. - -'Sir,' he said, 'if these reports can be depended upon, we are -indeed made men. What is your opinion, Dr. Challis?' - -'My opinion, Sir, is that these are the names of friends and -well-wishers; if they see your Grace well supported at the outset -they will flock in; if not, many of them will stand aloof.' - -'Will Sir Christopher join me?' asked the Duke. - -'No, Sir; he is now seventy-five years of age.' - -The Duke turned away. Presently he returned to the lists and asked -many more questions. - -'Sir,' said my father, at length, 'I have given you the names of -all that I know who are well affected to the Protestant Cause; they -are those who have remained faithful to the ejected Ministers. Many -a time have I secretly preached to them. One thing is wanting: the -assurance that your Grace will bestow upon us liberty of conscience -and freedom of worship. Else will not one of them move hand or foot.' - -'Why,' said the Duke, 'for what other purpose am I come? Assure -them, good friend, assure them in my name; make the most solemn -pledge that is in your power and in mine.' - -'In that case, Sir,' said my father, 'I will at once write letters -with my own hand to the brethren everywhere. There are many honest -country lads who will carry the letters by ways where they are not -likely to be arrested and searched. And now, Sir, I pray your leave -to preach to these your soldiers. They are at present drinking, -swearing, and breaking the Sabbath. The campaign which should be -begun with prayer and humiliation for the sins of the country hath -been begun with many deadly sins, with merriment, and with fooling. -Suffer me, then, to preach to them.' - -'Preach, by all means,' said the Duke. 'You shall have the parish -church. I fear, Sir, that my business will not suffer me to have -the edification of your sermon, but I hope that it will tend to the -soberness and earnestness of my men. Forgive them, Sir, for their -lightness of heart. They are for the most part young. Encourage them -by promises rather than by rebuke. And so, Sir, for this occasion, -farewell!' - -In this way my father obtained the wish of his heart, and preached -once more in a church before the people who were the young soldiers -of Monmouth's army. - -I did not hear that sermon, because I was asleep. It was in tones of -thunder that my father preached to them. He spoke of the old war, -and the brave deeds that their fathers had done under Cromwell; -theirs was the victory. Now, as then, the victory should be theirs, -if they carried the spirit of faithfulness into battle. He warned -them of their sins, sparing none; and, in the end, he concluded -with such a denunciation of the King as made all who heard it, and -had been taught to regard the King's Majesty as sacred, open their -mouths and gape upon each other; for then, for the first time, they -truly understood what it was that they were engaged to do. - -While my father waited to see the Duke, Barnaby went about looking -for a lodging. The town is small, and the houses were all filled, -but he presently found a cottage (call it rather a hut) on the -shore beside the Cobb, where, on promise of an extravagant payment, -the fisherman's wife consented to give up her bed to my mother and -myself. Before the bargain was concluded, I had laid myself down -upon it and was sound asleep. - -So I slept the whole day; though outside there was such a trampling -on the beach, such a landing of stores and creaking of chains, as -might have awakened the Seven Sleepers. But me nothing could awaken. - -In the evening I woke up refreshed. My mother was already awake, but -for weariness could not move out of her chair. The good woman of the -cottage, a kindly soul, brought me rough food of some kind with a -drink of water--the army had drunk up all the milk, eaten all the -cheese, the butter, the eggs, and the pork, beef and mutton, in the -place. And then Humphrey came and asked if I would go with him into -the town to see the soldiers. So I went, and glad I was to see the -sight. But Lord! to think that it was the Sabbath evening! For the -main street of Lyme was full of men, swaggering with long swords at -their sides and some with spurs--feathers in their hats, and pistols -stuck in their belts--all were talking loud, as I am told is the -custom in a camp of soldiers. Outside the George there was a barrel -on a stand, and vendors and drawers ran about with cans, fetching -and carrying the liquor for which the men continually called. Then -at the door of the George there appeared the Duke himself with his -following of gentlemen. All rose and huzzaed while the Duke came -down the steps and turned towards the camp outside the town. - -I saw his face very well as he passed. Indeed, I saw him many times -afterwards, but I declare that my heart sank when first I gazed upon -him as he stood upon the steps of the George Inn. For on his face, -plain to read, was the sadness of coming ruin. I say I knew from -that moment what would be his end. Nay, I am no prophetess, nor am -I a witch to know beforehand the counsels of the Almighty; yet the -Lord hath permitted by certain signs the future to become apparent -to those who know how to read them. In the Duke of Monmouth the -signs were a restless and uneasy eye, an air of preoccupation, a -trembling mouth and a hesitating manner. There was in him nothing of -the confidence of one who knows that fortune is about to smile upon -him. This, I say, was my first thought about the Duke, and the first -thought is prophecy. - -There sat beside the benches a secretary, or clerk, who took down -the names of recruits. The Duke stopped and looked on. A young man, -in a sober suit of brown, in appearance different from the country -lads, was giving in his name. - -'Daniel Foe, your Grace,' said the clerk, looking up. 'He is from -London.' - -'From London,' the Duke repeated. 'I have many friends in London. -I expect them shortly. Thou art a worthy lad and deservest -encouragement.' So he passed on his way. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -ON THE MARCH. - - -At daybreak, next morning, the drums began to beat, and the trumpets -began to blow, and, after breakfast, the newly-raised army marched -out in such order as was possible. I have not to write a history of -this rebellion, which hath already been done by able hands; I speak -only of what I saw, and the things with which I was concerned. - -First, then, it is true that the whole country was swiftly put into -a ferment by the Duke's landing; and, had those who planned the -expedition provided a proper supply of arms, the army would have -quickly mustered 20,000 men, all resolute and capable of meeting -any force that the King could have raised. Nay, it would have grown -and swelled as it moved. But there were never enough arms from the -outset. Everything at first promised well for the Duke. But there -were not arms for the half of those who came in. The spirit of the -Devon and Somerset Militia was lukewarm; they ran at Bridport, at -Axminster, and at Chard; nay, some of them even deserted to join -the Duke. There were thousands scattered about the country--those, -namely, who still held to the doctrines of the persecuted ministers, -and those who abhorred the Catholic religion--who wished well and -would have joined--Humphrey knew well-wishers by the thousand whose -names were on the lists in Holland--but how could they join when the -army was so ill-found? And this was the principal reason, I have -been assured, why the country gentlemen, with their following, did -not come in at first--because there were no arms. How can soldiers -fight when they have no arms? How could the Duke have been suffered -to begin with so scanty a preparation of arms? Afterwards, when -Monmouth proclaimed himself King, there were, perhaps, other reasons -why the well-wishers held aloof. Some of them certainly, who were -known to be friends of the Duke (among them our old friend Mr. -Prideaux, of Ford Abbey), were arrested and thrown into prison, -while many thousands who were flocking to the standard were either -turned back upon the road or seized and thrown into prison. - -As for the quality of the troops which formed the army, I know -nothing, except that at Sedgemoor they continued to fight valiantly -after their leaders had fled. They were raw troops--mere country -lads--and their officers were, for the most part, simple tradesmen -who had no knowledge of the art of war. Dare the younger was a -goldsmith; Captain Perrot was a dyer; Captain Hucker, a maker of -serge; and so on with all of them. It was unfortunate that Mr. -Andrew Fletcher, of Saltoun, should have killed Mr. Dare the elder -on the first day, because, as everybody agrees, the former was the -most experienced soldier in the whole army. - -The route proposed by the Duke was known to everybody. He intended -to march through Taunton, Bridgwater, and Bristol to Gloucester, -where he thought he would be joined by a new army raised by his -friends in Cheshire. He also reckoned on receiving adherents -everywhere on the road, and on easily defeating any force that -the King should be able to send against him. How he fared in that -notable scheme is common history. - -Long before the army was ready to march, Humphrey came to advise -with us. First of all, he endeavoured to have speech with my father, -but in vain (henceforth my father seemed to have no thought of his -wife and daughter). Humphrey, therefore, advised us to go home. 'As -for your alleged dedication to the Cause,' he said, 'I think that he -hath already forgotten it, seeing that it means nothing, and that -your presence with us cannot help. Go home, then, Madam, and let -Alice persuade Robin to stay at home in order to take care of you.' - -'Nay,' said my mother; 'that may we not do. I must obey my husband, -who commanded us to follow him. Whither he goeth thither also I will -follow.' - -Finding that she was resolute upon this point, Humphrey told us that -the Duke would certainly march upon Taunton, where more than half of -the town were his friends. He therefore advised that we should ride -to that place--not following the army, but going across the country, -most of which is a very wild and desolate part, where we should be -in no danger except from gipsies and such wild people, robbers and -rogues, truly, but now making the most of the disturbed state of the -country, and running about the roads plundering and thieving. But he -said he would himself provide us with a guide, one who knew the way, -and a good stout fellow, armed with a cudgel, at least. To this my -mother agreed, fearing to anger her husband if she should disturb -him at his work. - -Humphrey had little trouble in finding the guide for us. He was -an honest lad from a place called Holford, in the Quantock Hills, -who, finding that there were no arms for him, was going home again. -Unhappily, when we got to Taunton, he was persuaded--partly by me, -alas!--to remain. He joined Barnaby's company, and was either killed -at Sedgemoor, or was one of those hanged at Weston Zoyland, or -Bridgwater. For he was no more heard of. - -This business settled, we went up to the churchyard in order to see -the march of the army out of camp. And a brave show the gallant -soldiers made. - -First rode Colonel Wade with the vanguard. After them, with a due -interval, rode the greater part of the Horse, already three hundred -strong, under Lord Grey, of Wark. Among them was the company sent -by Mr. Speke, of White Lackington, forty very stout fellows, well -armed, and mounted on cart-horses. The main army was composed of -four regiments. The first was the Blue Regiment, or the Duke's Own, -whose Colonel was the aforesaid Wade. They formed the van, and -were seven hundred strong. The others were the White, commanded by -Colonel Foukes; the Green, by Colonel Holmes; and the Yellow, by -Colonel Fox. All these regiments were fully armed, the men wearing -favours or rosettes in their hats and on their arms of the colour -from which their regiment was named. - -The Duke himself, who rode a great white horse, was surrounded by a -small bodyguard of gentlemen (afterwards they became a company of -forty), richly dressed and well mounted. With him were carried the -colours, embroidered with the words 'Pro Religione et Libertate.' -This was the second time that I had seen the Duke, and again I felt -at sight of his face the foreknowledge of coming woe. On such an -occasion the chief should show a gallant mien and a face of cheerful -hope. The Duke, however, looked gloomy, and hung his head. - -Truly, it seemed to me as if no force could dare so much as to meet -this great and invincible army. And certainly there could nowhere be -gathered together a more stalwart set of soldiers, nearly all young -men, and full of spirit. They shouted and sang as they marched. -Presently there passed us my brother Barnaby, with his company of -the Green Regiment. It was easy to perceive by the handling of his -arms, and by his bearing, that he was accustomed to act with others, -and already he had so begun to instruct his men that they set an -example to the rest both in their orderliness of march and the -carriage of their weapons. - -After the main army they carried the ordnance--four small -cannon--and the ammunition in waggons, with guards and horsemen. -Lastly, there rode those who do not fight, yet belong to the army. -These were the Chaplain to the army, Dr. Hooke, a grave clergyman of -the Church of England; Mr. Ferguson, the Duke's private Chaplain, a -fiery person, of whom many hard things have been said, which here -concern us not; and my father, who thus rode openly with the other -two, in order that the Nonconformists might be encouraged by his -presence, as an equal with the two chaplains. He was clad in a new -cassock, obtained I know not whence. He sat upright in the saddle, -a Bible in his hand, his long white locks lying on his shoulders -like a perruque, but more venerable than any wig. His thin face was -flushed with the joy of coming victory, and his eyes flashed fire. -If all the men had shown such a spirit, the army would have overrun -the whole country. The four surgeons--Dr. Temple, Dr. Gaylard, Dr. -Oliver, and Humphrey--followed, all splendid in black velvet and -great periwigs. Lastly marched the rear-guard; and after the army -there followed such a motley crew as no one can conceive. There were -gipsies, with their black tents and carts, ready to rob and plunder; -there were tinkers who are nothing better than gipsies, and are even -said to speak their language; there were men with casks on wheels -filled with beer or cider; there were carts carrying bread, cakes, -biscuits, and such things as one can buy in a booth or at a fair; -there were women of bold and impudent looks, singing as they walked; -there were, besides, whole troops of country lads, some of them mere -boys, running and strutting along in hopes to receive arms and to -take a place in the regiments. - -Presently they were all gone, and Lyme was quit of them. What became -in the end of all the rabble rout which followed the army I know -not. One thing was certain: the godly disposition, the pious singing -of psalms, and the devout exposition of the Word which I had looked -for in the army were not anywhere apparent. Rather there was evident -a tumultuous joy, as of schoolboys out for a holiday--certainly no -schoolboys could have made more noise or showed greater happiness in -their faces. Among them, however, there were some men of middle age, -whose faces showed a different temper; but these were rare. - -'Lord help them!' said our friendly fisherwoman, who stood with us. -'There will be hard knocks before those fine fellows go home again.' - -'They fight on the Lord's side,' said my mother; 'therefore they may -be killed, but they will not wholly perish.' - -As for the hard knocks, they began without any delay, and on that -very morning. For at Axminster they encountered the Somerset and -Devon Militia, who thought to join their forces, but were speedily -put to flight by the rebels--a victory which greatly encouraged them. - -It hath been maliciously said, I have heard, that we followed the -army--as if we were two sutler women--on foot, I suppose, tramping -in the dust, singing ribald songs like those poor creatures whom we -saw marching out of Lyme. You have heard how we agreed to follow -Humphrey's advice. Well, we left Lyme very early the next morning -(our fisherwoman having now become very friendly and loth to let -us go) and rode out, our guide (poor lad! his death lies heavy on -my soul, yet I meant the best: and, truly, he was on the side of -the Lord) marching beside us armed with a stout bludgeon. We kept -the main road (which was very quiet at this early hour) as far as -Axminster, where we left it; and, after crossing the river by a -ford or wash, we engaged upon a track, or path, which led along the -banks of a little stream for a mile or two--as far as the village of -Chardstock. Here we made no halt; but, leaving it behind, we struck -into a most wild and mountainous country full of old forests and -great bare places. It is called the Forest of Neroche, and is said -to shelter numbers of gipsies and vagabonds, and to have in it some -of those wild people who live in the hills and woods of Somerset, -and do no work except to gather the dry broom and tie it up and sell -it, and so live hard and hungry lives, but know not any master. -These are reported to be a harmless people, but the gipsies are -dangerous because they are ready to rob and even murder. I thought -of Barnaby's bag of gold tied about my waist, and trembled. However, -we met with none of them on our journey, because just then they were -all running after Monmouth's army. There was no path over the hills -by the way we took; but our guide knew the country so well that he -needed none, pointing out all the hills with a kind of pride as if -they belonged to him, and telling us the name of every one; but -these I have long since forgotten. The country, however, I can never -forget, because it is so wild and beautiful. One place I remember. -It is a very strange and wonderful place. The ground here is high, -and at one place it rises to a kind of point or hill, falling away, -on all sides but one, in steep sides, up which a man could climb -with difficulty. Round the hill have been cut deep trenches, no -doubt to fortify and strengthen the place, which is by nature a -fortress. And on the side where the ground is level there are raised -very high earth-works or walls with trenches beyond, most wonderful -to consider. Within this double or triple circle of trenches and -earthen walls there stands a farm-house, solitary among the hills. -Here we found an ancient dame who told us that the place had been -a castle of the Romans: yet it was not like unto the castle at -Sherborne, which Oliver Cromwell slighted after he took the place, -blowing it up with gunpowder: nor was it like the castle at Taunton -which I afterwards saw, for there were no stone walls or towers, -or any appearance of stone work. To be sure, Sherborne Castle was -not built by the Romans. Then this old dame showed us bits of pots -dug up within the walls, and rusty arrow heads and green copper -things, which she said were buckles to fasten their clothes withal. -She gave us a cup of cider while we rested and took here our dinner -of cold bacon and bread which we had brought with us. After dinner -our guide took us to the hill called the Beacon, and showed us the -broad Vale of Taunton, spread out below us like unto a map, with its -farm-houses, fields, orchards, and churches. 'And all for Monmouth,' -he said. Surely there cannot be a richer, more fertile, or more -lovely place in all England than the Vale of Taunton. When we had -rested, and enjoyed this enchanting prospect, we remounted our nags -and descended by a gradual incline into the plain below. Humphrey -had provided us with a letter commendatory. He, who knew the names -of all who were well affected, assured us that the lady to whom -the letter was addressed, Miss Susan Blake by name, was one of the -most forward in the Protestant Cause. She was well known and much -respected, and she kept a school for young gentlewomen, where many -children of the Nonconformist gentry were educated. He instructed us -to proceed directly to her house, and to ask her to procure for us a -decent and safe lodging. He could not have given us a letter to any -better person. - -It was late in the afternoon when we rode into Taunton. The streets -were full of people running about, talking now in groups and now -by twos and threes; now shouting and now whispering; while we rode -along the street, a man ran bawling-- - -'Great news! great news! Monmouth is upon us with twice ten thousand -men!' - -It seems that they had only that day learned of the defeat of the -Militia by the rebels. A company of the Somerset Militia were in the -town, under Colonel Luttrell, in order to keep down the people. - -Taunton is, as everybody knows, a most rich, prosperous, and -populous town. I had never before seen so many houses and so many -people gathered together. Why, if the men of Taunton declared for -the Duke, his cause, one felt sure, was already won. For there -is nowhere, as I could not fail to know, a greater stronghold -of Dissent than this town, except London, and none where the -Nonconformists have more injuries to remember. Only two years before -this their meeting-houses had been broken into, and their pulpits -and pews brought out and burned, and they were forced, against their -conscience, to worship in the parish church. - -We easily found Miss Blake's house, and, giving our horses to the -guide, we presented her with our letter. She was a young woman -somewhat below the common stature, quick of speech, her face and -eyes full of vivacity, and about thirty years of age. But when she -had read the letter, and understood who we were, and whence we came, -she first made a deep reverence to my mother and then she took my -hands and kissed me. - -'Madam,' she said, 'believe me, my poor house will be honoured -indeed by the presence of the wife and the daughter of the godly -Dr. Comfort Eykin. Pray, pray, go no further. I have a room that -is at your disposal. Go thither, Madam, I beg, and rest after your -journey. The wife of Dr. Comfort Eykin. 'Tis indeed an honour.' And -so with the kindest words she led us upstairs, and gave us a room -with a bed in it, and caused water for washing to be brought, and -presently went out with me to buy certain things needful for us (who -were indeed somewhat rustical in our dress), in order that we might -present the appearance of gentlewomen--thanks to Barnaby's heavy -purse, I could get them without troubling my mother's careful mind -about the cost. She then gave us supper, and told us all the news. -The King, she said, was horribly afraid, and it was rumoured that -the priests had all been sent away to France; the Taunton people -were resolved to give the Duke a brave reception; all over the -country, there was no doubt, men would rally by thousands; she was -in a rapture of joy and gratitude. Supper over, she took us to her -school-room, and here--oh! the pretty sight!--her school-girls were -engaged in working and embroidering flags for the Duke's army. - -'I know not,' she said, 'whether his Grace will condescend to -receive them. But it is all we women can do.' Poor wretch! she -afterwards suffered the full penalty for her zeal. - -All that evening we heard the noise of men running about the town, -with the clanking of weapons and the commands of officers; but we -knew not what had happened. - -Lo! in the morning the glad tidings that the Militia had left -the town. Nor was that all: for at daybreak the people began to -assemble, and, there being none to stay them, broke into the great -church of St. Mary's and took possession of the arms that had been -deposited for safety in the tower. They also opened the prison and -set free a worthy Nonconformist divine, named Vincent. All the -morning the mob ran about the streets, shouting, 'A Monmouth! A -Monmouth!' the magistrates and Royalists not daring so much as to -show their faces, and there was nothing talked of but the overthrow -of the King and the triumph of the Protestant religion. Nay, there -were fiery speakers in the market-place and before the west porch -of the church, who mounted on tubs and exhorted the people. Grave -merchants came forth and shook hands with each other; and godly -ministers who had been in hiding walked forth boldly. It was truly a -great day for Taunton. - -The excitement grew greater when Captain Hucker, a well-known -serge-maker of the town, rode in with a troop of Monmouth's Horse. -Captain Hucker had been seized by Colonel Phillips on the charge of -receiving a message from the Duke, but he escaped and joined the -rebels, to his greater loss, as afterwards appeared. However, he -now rode in to tell his fellow townsmen of his own wonderful and -providential escape, and that the Duke would certainly arrive the -next day, and he exhorted them to give him such a welcome as he had -a right to expect at their hands. He also reminded them that they -were the sons of the men who, forty years before, defended Taunton -under Admiral Blake. There was a great shouting and tossing of caps -after Captain Hucker's address, and no one could do too much for the -horsemen with him, so that I fear these brave fellows were soon fain -to lie down and sleep till the fumes of the strong ale should leave -their brains. - -[Illustration: '_Her schoolgirls were engaged in working and -embroidering flags for the Duke's army._'] - -All that day and half the night we sat in Miss Blake's school-room -finishing the flags, in which I was permitted to join. There were -twenty-seven flags in all presented to the army by the Taunton -maids: twelve by Miss Blake, and fifteen by one Mrs. Musgrave, also -a schoolmistress. And now, indeed, seeing that the Militia at -Axminster had fled almost at the mere aspect of one man, and that -those of Taunton had also fled away secretly by night, and catching -the zeal of our kind entertainer, and considering the courage and -spirit of these good people, I began to feel confident again, and my -heart, which had fallen very low at the sight of the Duke's hanging -head and gloomy looks, rose again, and all dangers seemed to vanish. -And so, in a mere fool's paradise, I continued happy indeed, until -the fatal news of Sedgemoor fight awoke us all from our fond dreams. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -TAUNTON. - - -I never weary in thinking of the gaiety and happiness of those four -days at Taunton among the rebels. There was no more doubt in any of -our hearts: we were all confident of victory--and that easy and, -perhaps, bloodless. As was the rejoicing at Taunton, so it would be -in every town of the country. One only had to look out of window -in order to feel assurance of that victory, so jolly, so happy, so -confident looked every face. - -'Why,' said Miss Blake, 'in future ages even we women, who have -only worked the flags, will be envied for our share in the glorious -deliverance. Great writers will speak of us as they speak of the -Roman women.' Then all our eyes sparkled, and the needles flew -faster and the flags grew nearer to completion. - -If history should condescend to remember the poor Maids of Taunton -at all, it will be, at best, with pity for the afflictions which -afterwards fell upon them: none, certainly, will envy them; but -we shall be forgotten. Why should we be remembered? Women, it is -certain, have no business with affairs of State, and especially none -with rebellions and civil wars. Our hearts and passions carry us -away. The leaders in the Cause which we have joined appear to us to -be more than human; we cannot restrain ourselves, we fall down and -worship our leaders, especially in the cause of religion and liberty. - -Now behold! On the very morning after we arrived at Taunton I was -abroad in the streets with Miss Blake, looking at the town, which -hath shops full of the most beautiful and precious things, and -wondering at the great concourse of people (for the looms were -all deserted, and the workmen were in the streets filled with a -martial spirit), when I saw riding into the town no other than Robin -himself. Oh! how my heart leapt up to see him! He was most gallantly -dressed in a purple coat, with a crimson sash over his shoulders -to carry his sword; he had pistols in his holsters, and wore -great riding-boots, and with him rode a company of a dozen young -men, mounted on good strong nags: why, they were men of our own -village, and I knew them, every one. They were armed with muskets -and pikes--I knew where those came from--and when they saw me the -fellows all began to grin, and to square their shoulders so as to -look more martial. But Robin leapt from his horse. - -''Tis Alice!' he cried. 'Dear heart! Thou art then safe, so far? -Madam, your servant.' Here he took off his hat to Miss Blake. 'Lads, -ride on to the White Hart and call for what you want, and take care -of the nags. This is a joyful meeting, Sweetheart.' Here he kissed -me. 'The Duke, they say, draws thousands daily. I thought to find -him in Taunton by this time. Why, we are as good as victorious -already. Humphrey, I take it, is with his Grace. My dear, even had -the Cause of Freedom failed to move me I had been dragged by the -silken ropes of Love. Truly, I could not choose but come. There was -the thought of these brave fellows marching to battle, and I all the -time skulking at home, who had ever been so loud upon their side. -And there was the thought of Humphrey, braving the dangers of the -field, tender though he be, and I, strong and lusty, sitting by -the fire, and sleeping on a feather bed; and always there was the -thought of thee, my dear, among these rude soldiers--like Milton's -lady among the rabble rout, because well I know that even Christian -warriors (so-called) are not lambs; and, again, there was my -grandfather, who could find no rest, but continually walked to and -fro, with looks that at one time said, "Go, my son," and at others, -"Nay, lest thou receive a hurt"; and the white face of my mother, -which said as plain as eyes could speak: "He ought to go, he ought -to go; and yet he may be killed."' - -'Oh, Robin! Pray God there prove to be no more fighting.' - -'Well, my dear, if I am not tedious to Madam here'---- - -'Oh, Sir!' said Miss Blake, 'it is a joy to hear this talk.' She -told me afterwards that it was also a joy to look upon so gallant -a gentleman, and such a pair of lovers. She, poor creature, had no -sweetheart. - -'Then on Monday,' Robin continued, 'the day before yesterday, I -could refrain no longer, but laid the matter before my grandfather. -Sweetheart! there is, I swear, no better man in all the world.' - -'Of that I am well assured, Robin.' - -'First, he said that if anything befell me he should go down in -sorrow to his grave; yet that, as to his own end, an old man so near -the grave should not be concerned about the manner of his end, so -long as he should keep to honour and duty. Next, that in his own -youth he had himself gone forth willingly to fight in the cause of -Liberty, without counting the risk. Thirdly, that if my conscience -did truly urge me to follow the Duke, I ought to obey that voice in -the name of God. And this with tears in his eyes, and yet a lively -and visible satisfaction that, as he himself had chosen, so his -grandson would choose. "Sir," I said, "that voice of conscience -speaks out very loudly and clearly. I cannot stifle it. Therefore, -by your good leave, I will go." Then he bade me take the best horse -in the stable, and gave me a purse of gold, and so I made ready.' - -Miss Blake, at this point, said that she was reminded of David. It -was, I suppose, because Robin was so goodly a lad to look upon; -otherwise, David, though an exile, did never endeavour to pull King -Saul from his throne. - -'Then,' Robin continued, 'I went to my mother. She wept, because war -hath many dangers and chances; but she would not say me "Nay." And -in the evening when the men came home I went into the village and -asked who would go with me. A dozen stout fellows--you know them -all, Sweetheart--stepped forth at once; another dozen would have -come, but their wives prevented them. And so, mounting them on good -cart-horses, I bade farewell and rode away.' - -'Sir,' said Miss Blake, 'you have chosen the better part. You will -be rewarded by so splendid a victory that it will surprise all the -world; and for the rest of your life--yes, and for generations -afterwards--you will be ranked among the deliverers of your country. -It is a great privilege, Sir, to take part in the noblest passage of -English history. Oh!' she clasped her hands, 'I am sorry that I am -not a man, only because I would strike a blow in this sacred Cause. -But we are women, and we can but pray--and make flags. We cannot die -for the Cause.' - -The event proved that women can sometimes die for the Cause, because -she herself, if any woman ever did, died for her Cause. - -Then Robin left us in order to take steps about his men and himself. -Captain Hucker received them in the name of the Duke. They joined -the cavalry, and Robin was told that he should be made a Captain. -This done, he rode out with the rest to meet the Duke. - -Now, when his approach was known, everybody who had a horse rode -forth to meet him, so that there followed him, when he entered the -town, not counting his army, so great a company that they almost -made another army. - -As soon as it was reported that the Duke was within a mile (they had -that day marched sixteen miles, from Ilminster) the church bells -were set a-ringing; children came out with baskets of flowers in -readiness to strew them at his feet as he should pass--there were -roses and lilies and all kinds of summer flowers, so that his horse -had a most delicate carpet to walk upon; the common people crowded -the sides of the streets; the windows were filled with ladies, who -waved their handkerchiefs and called aloud on Heaven to bless the -good Duke, the brave Duke, the sweet and lovely Duke. If there were -any malcontents in the town they kept snug; it would have cost them -dear even to have been seen in the streets that day. The Duke showed -on this occasion a face full of hope and happiness; indeed, if he -had not shown a cheerful countenance on such a day, he would have -been something less, or something greater, than human. I mean that -he would have been either insensible and blockish not to be moved by -such a welcome, or else he would have been a prophet, as foreseeing -what would follow. He rode bareheaded, carrying his hat in his hand; -he was dressed in a shining corslet with a blue silk scarf and a -purple coat; his long brown hair hung in curls upon his shoulders; -his sweet lips were parted with a gracious smile; his beautiful -brown eyes--never had any Prince more lovely eyes--looked pleased -and benignant; truly there was never made any man more comely than -the Duke of Monmouth. The face of his father, and that of his uncle, -King James, were dark and gloomy, but the Duke's face was naturally -bright and cheerful; King Charles's long nose in him was softened -and reduced to the proportions of manly beauty; in short, there -was no feature that in his father was harsh and unpleasing but was -in him sweet and beautiful. If I had thought him comely and like a -King's son when four years before he made his Progress, I thought -him now ten times as gracious and as beautiful. He was thinner in -the face, which gave his appearance the greater dignity; he had -ever the most gracious smile and the most charming eyes; and at -such a moment as this who could believe the things which they said -about his wife and Lady Wentworth? No--they were inventions of his -enemies; they must be base lies--so noble a Presence could not -conceal a guilty heart; he must be as good and virtuous as he was -brave and lovely. Thus we talked, sitting in the window, and thus we -cheered our souls. Even now, to think how great and good he looked -on that day, it is difficult to believe that he was in some matters -so vile. I am not of those who expect one kind of moral conduct from -one man and a different kind from another; there is but one set of -commandments for rich and poor, for prince and peasant. But the pity -of it--oh! the pity of it, with such a prince! - -Never, in short, did one see such a tumult of joy; it is impossible -to speak otherwise: the people had lost their wits with excess of -joy. Nor did they show their welcome in shouting only, for all doors -were thrown wide open, and supplies and necessaries of all kinds -were sent to the soldiers in the camp outside the town, so that the -country lads declared they had never fared more sumptuously. There -now rode after the Duke several Nonconformist ministers, beside my -father. Thus there was the pious Mr. Larke, of Lyme: he was an aged -Baptist preacher, who thought it no shame to his profession to gird -on a sword and to command a troop of Horse; and others there were, -whose names I forget, who had come forth to join the deliverer. - -Lord Grey rode on one side of him, and Colonel Speke on the other; -Dr. Hooke, the Chaplain, and my father rode behind. My heart swelled -with joy to hear how the people, when they had shouted themselves -hoarse, cried out for my father, because his presence showed that -they would have once more that liberty of worship for want of which -they had so long languished. The Duke's own Chaplain, Mr. Ferguson, -had got a naked sword in his hand, and was marching on foot, crying -out, in a most vainglorious manner, 'I am Ferguson, the famous -Ferguson, that Ferguson for whose head so many hundred pounds were -offered. I am that man! I am that man!' He wore a great gown and -a silken cassock, which consorted ill with the sword in his hand, -and in the evening he preached in the great church, while my father -preached in the old meeting-house to a much larger congregation, -and, I venture to think, with a much more edifying discourse. - -The army marched through the town in much the same order as it had -marched out of Lyme, and it seemed not much bigger, but the men -marched more orderly, and there was less laughing and shouting. But -the streets were so thronged that the men could hardly make their -way. - -In the market-place the Duke halted, while his Declaration was read -aloud. One thing I could not approve. They dragged forth three -of the Justices--High Churchmen and standing stoutly for King -James--and forced them to listen, bareheaded, to the Declaration: -a thing which came near afterwards to their destruction. Yet they -looked sour and unwilling, as anyone would have testified. The -Declaration was a long document, and the reading of it took half an -hour at least; but the people cheered all the time. - -After this, they read a Proclamation, warning the soldiers against -taking aught without payment. But Robin laughed, saying that this -was the way with armies, where the General was always on the side -of virtue, yet the soldiers were always yielding to temptation in -the matter of sheep and poultry; that human nature must not be too -much tempted, and that camp rations are sometimes scanty. But it was -a noble Proclamation, and I cannot but believe that the robberies -afterwards complained of were committed by the tattered crew who -followed the camp, rather than by the brave fellows themselves. - -The Duke lay at Captain Hucker's house, over against the Three Cups -Inn. This was a great honour for Mr. Hucker, a plain serge-maker, -and there were many who were envious, thinking that the Duke -should not have gone to the house of so humble a person. It was -also said that for his services Mr. Hucker boasted that he should -expect nothing less than a coronet and the title of Peer, once the -business was safely dispatched. A Peer to be made out of a Master -Serge-maker! But we must charitably refuse to believe all that is -reported, and, indeed (I say it with sorrow of that most unfortunate -lady, Miss Blake), much idle tattle concerning neighbours was -carried on in her house, and I was told that it was the same in -every house of Taunton, so that the women spent all their time in -talking of their neighbours' affairs, and what might be going on in -the houses of their friends. This is a kind of talk which my father -would never permit, as testifying to idle curiosity and leading to -undue importance concerning things which are fleeting and trivial. - -However, the Duke was bestowed in Captain Hucker's best bed--of that -there was no doubt; and the bells rang and bonfires blazed, and the -people sang and shouted in the streets. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -THE MAIDS OF TAUNTON. - - -The next day was made remarkable in our eyes by an event which, -though doubtless of less importance than the enlistment of a dozen -recruits, seemed to us a very great thing indeed--namely, the -presentation to the Duke of the colours embroidered for him by Susan -Blake's school-girls. I was myself permitted to walk with the girls -on this occasion, as if I had been one of them, though a stranger -to the place, and but newly arrived--such was the kindness of Susan -Blake and her respect for the name of the learned and pious Dr. -Comfort Eykin. - -At nine of the clock the girls who were to carry the flags began -to gather in the school-room. There were twenty-seven in all; but -twelve only were the pupils of Miss Blake. The others were the -pupils of Mrs. Musgrave, another school-mistress in the town. I -remember not the names of all the girls, but some of them I can -still write down. One was Katharine Bovet, daughter of Colonel -Bovet: she it was who walked first and named to the Duke those -who followed; there was also Mary Blake, cousin of Susan, who -was afterwards thrown into prison with her cousin, but presently -was pardoned. Miss Hucker, daughter of Captain Hucker, the -Master-Serge-maker who entertained the Duke, was another; there were -three daughters of Captain Herring; two daughters of Mr. Thomas -Baker, one of Monmouth's Privy Councillors; there was Mary Meade, -the girl who carried the famous Golden Flag; and others whom I have -forgotten. When we were assembled, being dressed all in white, -and each maid wearing the Monmouth colours, we took our flags and -sallied forth. In the street there was almost as great a crowd to -look on as the day before, when the Duke rode in; and, certainly, -it was a very pretty sight to see. First marched a man playing on -the crowd very briskly; after him, one who beat a tabor, and one who -played a fife; so that we had music on our march. When the music -stopped, we lifted our voices and sang a Psalm all together; that -done the crowder began again. - -As for the procession, no one surely had ever seen the like of it! -After the music walked six-and-twenty maids, the youngest eight -and the eldest not more than twelve. They marched two by two, -very orderly, all dressed in white with blue favours, and every -girl carrying in her hands a flag of silk embroidered by herself, -assisted by Miss Blake or some other older person, with devices -appropriate to the nature of the enterprise in hand. For one flag -had upon it, truly figured in scarlet silk, an open Bible, because -it was for liberty to read and expound that book that the men were -going forth to fight. Upon another was embroidered a great cross; -upon a third were the arms of the Duke; a fourth bore upon it, to -show the zeal of the people, the arms of the town of Taunton; and -a fifth had both a Bible and a drawn sword; and so forth, every -one with a legend embroidered upon it plain for all to read. The -flags were affixed to stout white staves, and as the maids walked -apart from each other and at a due distance, the flags all flying -in the wind made a pretty sight indeed; so that some of the women -who looked on shed tears. Among the flags was one which I needs must -mention, because, unless the device was communicated by some person -deep in the Duke's counsels, it most strangely jumped with the event -of the following day. Mary Meade, poor child! carried it. We called -it the Golden Flag, because it had a crown worked in gold thread -upon it and the letters 'J. R.' A fringe of lace was sewn round it, -so that it was the richest flag of all. What could the Crown with -the letters 'J. R.' mean, but that James, Duke of Monmouth, would -shortly assume the Crown of these three kingdoms? - -Last of all walked Miss Susan Blake, and I by her side. She bore in -one hand a Bible bound in red leather, stamped with gold, and in the -other a naked sword. - -The Duke came forth to meet us, standing bareheaded before the -porch. There were standing beside and behind him, the Lord Grey, his -two Chaplains, Dr. Hooke and Mr. Ferguson, my father, Mr. Larke, -the Baptist minister of Lyme Regis (he wore a corslet and carried -a sword), and the Colonels of his regiments. His bodyguard were -drawn up across the street, looking brave and splendid in their new -favours. The varlets waited beyond with the horses for the Duke's -party. Who, to look upon the martial array, the bravery of the -Guard, the gallant bearing of all, the confidence in their looks, -and the presence, which should surely bring a blessing, of the -ministers of religion, would think that all this pomp and promise -could be shattered at a single blow? - -As each girl advanced in her turn, she knelt on one knee and offered -her flag, bowing her head (we had practised this ceremony several -times at the school until we were all quite perfect in our parts). -Then the Duke stepped forward and raised her, tenderly kissing her. -Then she stood aside holding her flag still in her hands. - -My turn--because I had no flag--came last but one, Miss Susan Blake -being the last. Now--I hope it was not folly, or a vainglorious -desire to be distinguished by any particular notice of his Grace--I -could not refrain from hanging the ring, which the Duke had given me -at Ilchester five years ago, outside my dress by a blue ribbon. Miss -Blake, to whom I had told the story of the ring, advised me to do -so, partly to show my loyalty to the Duke, and partly because it was -a pretty thing and one which some women would much desire to possess. - -Miss Katharine Bovet informed the Duke that I was the daughter of -the learned preacher, Dr. Comfort Eykin. When I knelt he raised me. -Then, as he was about to salute me, his eyes fell upon the ring, and -he looked first at me and then at the ring. - -'Madam,' he said, 'this ring I ought to know. If I mistake not, -there are the initials of "J. S." upon it.' - -'Sir,' I replied, 'the ring was your own. Your Grace was so good as -to bestow it upon me in your progress through the town of Ilchester -five years ago.' - -'Gad so!' he said, laughing; 'I remember now. 'Twas a sweet and -lovely child whom I kissed--and now thou art a sweet and lovely -maiden. Art thou truly the daughter of Dr. Comfort Eykin?'--he -looked behind him; but my father neither heard nor attended, being -wrapped in thought. ''Tis strange: his daughter! 'Tis indeed -wonderful that such a child should'----Here he stopped. 'Fair Rose -of Somerset I called thee then. Fair Rose of Somerset I call thee -again. Why, if I could place thee at the head of my army all England -would certainly follow, as if Helen of Troy or Queen Venus herself -did lead.' So he kissed me on the cheek with much warmth--more, -indeed, than was necessary to show a gracious and friendly goodwill; -and suffered me to step aside. 'Dr. Eykin's daughter!' he repeated, -with a kind of wonder. 'How could Dr. Eykin have such a daughter!' - -When I told Robin of this gracious salutation, he first turned very -red and then he laughed. Then he said that everybody knew the Duke, -but he must not attempt any Court freedoms in the Protestant camp; -and if he were to try----Then he broke off short, changed colour -again, and then he kissed me, saying that, of course, the Duke meant -nothing but kindliness, but that, for his own part, he desired not -his sweetheart to be kissed by anybody but himself. So I suppose -my boy was jealous. But the folly of being jealous of so great a -Prince, who could not possibly have the least regard for a simple -country maiden, and who had known the great and beautiful Court -ladies! It made me laugh to think that Robin could be so foolish as -to be jealous of the Duke. - -Then it was Miss Susan Blake's turn. She stepped forward very -briskly, and knelt down, and placed the Bible in the Duke's left -hand and the sword in his right. - -'Sir,' she said (speaking the words we had made up and she had -learned), 'it is in the name of the women of Taunton--nay, of the -women of all England--that I give you the Book of the Word of God, -the most precious treasure vouchsafed to man, so that all may learn -that you are come for no other purpose than to maintain the right -of the English people to search the Scriptures for themselves. I -give you also, Sir, a sword with which to defend those rights. In -addition, Sir, the women can only give your Grace the offering of -their continual prayers in behalf of the Cause, and for the safety -and prosperity of your Highness and your army.' - -'Madam,' said the Duke, much moved by this spectacle of devotion, 'I -am come, believe me, for no other purpose than to defend the truths -contained in this book, and to seal my defence with my blood, if -that need be.' - -Then the Duke mounted, and we marched behind him in single file, -each girl led by a soldier, till we came to the camp, when our -flags were taken from us, and we returned home and took off our -white dresses. I confess that I laid mine down with a sigh. White -becomes every maiden, and my only wear till then had been of -russet brown. And all that day we acted over again--in our talk -and in our thoughts--our beautiful procession, and we repeated the -condescending words of the Duke, and admired the graciousness of -his kisses, and praised each other for our admirable behaviour, and -listened, with pleasure unspeakable while Susan Blake prophesied -that we should become immortal by the ceremony of that day. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. - -KING MONMOUTH AND HIS CAMP. - - -Next day, the town being thronged with people, and the young men -pressing in from all quarters to enrol themselves (over four -thousand joined the colours at Taunton alone), another Proclamation -was read--that, namely, by which the Duke claimed the throne. -Many opinions have been given as to this step. For the Duke's -enemies maintain--first, that his mother was never married to King -Charles the Second (indeed, there is no doubt that the King always -denied the marriage); next, that an illegitimate son could never -be permitted to sit upon the ancient throne of this realm; and, -thirdly, that in usurping the Crown the Duke broke faith with his -friends, to whom he had solemnly given his word that he would not -put forward any such pretensions. Nay, some have gone so far as -to allege that he was not the son of Charles at all, but of some -other whom they even name; and they have pointed to his face as -showing no resemblance at all to that swarthy and gloomy-looking -King. On the other hand, the Duke's friends say that there were in -his hands clear proofs of the marriage; that the promise given to -his friends was conditional, and one which could be set aside by -circumstances; that the country gentry, to whom a Republic was most -distasteful, were afraid that he designed to re-establish that form -of government; and, further, that his friends were all fully aware, -from the beginning, of his intentions. - -On these points I know nothing; but, when a thing has been done, -it is idle to spend time in arguing that it was well or ill done. -James, Duke of Monmouth, was now James, King of Great Britain and -Ireland; and if we were all rebels before, who had risen in the -name of religion and liberty, I suppose we were all ten times as -much rebels now, when we had, in addition, set up another King, and -declared King James to be an usurper, and no more than the Duke of -York. Nay, that there might be wanting no single circumstance of -aggravation, it was in this Proclamation declared that the Duke -of York had caused his brother, the late King, to be secretly -poisoned. I know not what foundation exists for this accusation; but -I have been told that it gave offence unto many, and that it was an -ill-advised thing to say. - -The Proclamation was read aloud at the Market Cross by Mr. Tyley, -of Taunton, on the Saturday morning, before a great concourse of -people. It ended with the words, 'We, therefore, the noblemen, -gentlemen, and Commons at present assembled, in the names of -ourselves and of all the loyal and Protestant noblemen, gentlemen, -and Commons of England, in pursuance of our duty and allegiance, -and for the delivering of the Kingdom from Popery, tyranny, and -oppression, do recognise, publish, and proclaim the said high and -mighty Prince James, Duke of Monmouth, as lawful and rightful -Sovereign and King, by the name of James II., by the grace of God, -King of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, Defender of the -Faith. GOD SAVE THE KING!' - -After this the Duke was always saluted as King, prayed for as -King, and styled 'His Majesty.' He also touched some (as only the -King can do) for the king's-evil, and, it is said, wrought many -miracles of healing--a thing which, being noised abroad, should -have strengthened the faith of the people in him. But the malignity -of our enemies caused these cases of healing to be denied, or else -explained as fables and inventions of the Duke's friends. - -Among the accessions of this day was one which I cannot forbear -to mention. It was that of an old soldier who had been one of -Cromwell's captains, Colonel Basset by name. He rode in--being a -man advanced in years, yet still strong and hale--at the head of a -considerable company raised by himself. 'Twas hoped that his example -would be followed by the adhesion of many more of Cromwell's men, -but the event proved otherwise. Perhaps, being old Republicans, they -were deterred by the Proclamation of Monmouth as King. Perhaps they -had grown slothful with age, and were now unwilling to face once -more the dangers and fatigues of a campaign. Another recruit was the -once-famous Colonel Perrot, who had been engaged with Colonel Blood -in the robbery of the Crown Jewels--though the addition of a robber -to our army was not a matter of pride. He came, it was afterwards -said, because he was desperate, his fortunes broken, and with no -other hope than to follow the fortunes of the Duke. - -It became known in the course of the day that the army was to march -on the Sunday. Therefore, everybody on Saturday evening repaired -to the camp: some to bid farewell and Godspeed to their friends, -and others to witness the humours of a camp. I was fortunate in -having Robin for a companion and protector--the place being rough -and the behaviour and language of the men coarse even beyond what -one expects at a country fair. The recruits still kept pouring in -from all parts; but, as I have already said, many were disheartened -when they found that there were no arms, and went home again. They -were not all riotous and disorderly. Some of the men, those, namely, -who were older and more sober-minded, we found gathered together in -groups, earnestly engaged in conversation. - -'They are considering the Proclamation,' said Robin. 'Truly, we did -not expect that our Duke would so soon become King. They say he is -illegitimate. What then? Let him mount the throne by right of arms, -as Oliver Cromwell could have done had he pleased--who asks whether -Oliver was illegitimate or no? The country will not have another -Commonwealth--and it will no longer endure a Catholic King. Let us -have King Monmouth, then: who is there better?' - -In all the camp there was none who spoke with greater cheerfulness -and confidence than Robin. Yet he did not disguise from himself that -there might be warm work. - -'The King's troops,' he said, 'are closing in all round us. That -is certain. Yet, even if they all join we are still more numerous -and in much better heart; of that I am assured. At Wellington, the -Duke of Albemarle commands the Devonshire Militia; Lord Churchill -is at Chard with the Somerset Regiment; Lord Bath is reported to be -marching upon us with the Cornishmen; the Duke of Beaufort hath the -Gloucester Militia at Bristol; Lord Pembroke is at Chippenham with -the Wiltshire Trainbands; Lord Feversham is on the march with the -King's standing army. What then? are these men Protestants or are -they Papists? Answer me that, Sweetheart.' - -Alas! had they been true Protestants there would have been such an -answer as would have driven King James across the water three years -sooner. - -The camp was now like a fair, only much finer and bigger than any -fair I have ever seen. That of Lyme Regis could not be compared with -it. There were booths where they sold gingerbread, cakes, ale, and -cider; Monmouth favours for the recruits to sew upon their hats or -sleeves; shoes and stockings were sold in some, and even chap-books -were displayed. There was a puppet show with Patient Grizzle; and a -stand where a monkey danced. Men and women carried about in baskets -last year's withered apples, with Kentish cobs and walnuts; there -were booths where they fried sausages and roasted pork all day -long; tumblers and clowns were performing in others; painted and -dressed-up girls danced in others; there was a bull-baiting; a man -was making a fiery oration on the Duke's Proclamation: but I saw -no one preaching a sermon. There were here and there companies of -country lads exercising with pike and halbert; and others, more -advanced, with the loading and firing of their muskets. There were -tables at which sat men with cards and dice, gambling: shouting when -they won and cursing when they lost; others, of more thrifty mind, -sat on the ground practising their trade of tailor or cobbler--thus -losing no money, though they did go soldiering; some polished -weapons and sharpened swords, pikes, and scythes; nowhere did we -find any reading the Bible, or singing of hymns, or listening to -sermons. Save for a few groups of sober men of whom I have spoken, -the love of amusement carried all away; and the officers of the -army, who might have turned them back to sober thought, were not -visible. Everywhere noise; everywhere beating of drums, playing of -pipes, singing of songs, bowling and laughing. Among the men there -ran about a number of saucy gipsy girls, their brown faces showing -under red kerchiefs, their black eyes twinkling (truly they are -pretty creatures to look upon when they are young; but they have -no religion, and say of themselves that they have no souls). These -girls talked with each other in their own language, which none out -of their own nation--except the tinker-folk, who are said to be -their cousins--understand. But English they talk very well, and they -are so clever that, it is said, they will talk to a Somersetshire -man in good broad Somerset, and to a man of Norfolk in his own -speech, though he of Norfolk would not understand him of Somerset. - -'They are the vultures,' said Robin, 'who follow for prey. Before -the battle these women cajole the soldiers out of their money, and -after the battle their men rob and even murder the wounded and -plunder the dead.' - -Then one of them ran and stood before us. - -'Let me tell thy fortune, handsome gentleman? Let me tell thine, -fair lady? A sixpence or a groat to cross my palm, Captain, and you -shall know all that is to happen.' - -Robin laughed, but gave her sixpence. - -'Look me in the face, fair lady'--she spoke good, plain English, -this black-eyed wench, though but a moment before she had been -talking broad Somerset to a young recruit--'look me in the face; -yes. All is not smooth. He loves you; but there will be separation -and trouble. One comes between, a big man with a red face; he parts -you. There is a wedding, I see your ladyship plain. Why, you are -crying at it, you cry all the time; but I do not see this gentleman. -Then there is another wedding--yes, another--and I see you at both. -You will be twice married. Yet, be of good heart, fair lady.' - -She turned away and ran after another couple, no doubt with much the -same tale. - -'How should there be a wedding,' I asked, 'if I am there and you not -there, Robin--and I to be crying? And how could I--oh! Robin--how -could I be married twice?' - -'Nay, Sweetheart, she could not tell what wedding it was. She only -uttered the gibberish of her trade; I am sorry that I wasted a -sixpence upon her.' - -'Robin, is it magic that they practise--these gipsies? Do they -traffic with the Devil? We ought not to suffer witches to live -amongst us.' - -'Most are of opinion that they have no other magic than the art -of guessing, which they learn to do very quickly, putting things -together, from their appearance; so that if brother and sister walk -out together they are taken to be lovers, and promised a happy -marriage and many children.' - -That may be so, and perhaps the fortune told by this gipsy was only -guess-work. But I cannot believe it; for the event proved that she -had in reality possessed an exact knowledge of what was about to -happen. - -Some of the gipsy women--but these were the older women, who had -lost their good looks, though not their impudence--were singing -songs, and those, as Robin told me, songs not fit to be sung; and -one old crone, sitting before her tent beside a roaring wood fire -over which hung a great saucepan, sold charms against shot and -steel. The lads bought these greedily, giving sixpence apiece for -them; so that the old witch must have made a sackful of money. They -came and looked on shyly. Then one would say to the other, 'What -thinkest, lad? Is there aught in it?' And the other would say, -'Truly, I know not; but she is a proper witch, and I'll buy one. -We may have to fight. Best make sure of a whole skin.' And so he -bought one, and then all bought. The husbands of the gipsy women -were engaged, meantime, we understood, in robbing the farm-yards in -the neighbourhood, the blame being afterwards laid upon our honest -soldiers. - -Then there was a ballad-monger singing a song about a man and a -broom, and selling it (to those who would buy) printed on a long -slip of paper. The first lines were-- - - There was an old man and he lived in a wood, - And his trade it was making a broom, - -but I heard no more, because Robin hurried me away. Then there were -some who had drunk too much cider or beer, and were now reeling -about with stupid faces and glassy eyes; there were some who were -lying speechless or asleep upon the grass; and some were cooking -supper over fires after the manner of the gipsies. - -'I have seen enough, Robin,' I said. 'Alas for sacred Religion if -these are her defenders!' - -''Tis always so,' said Robin, 'in time of war. We must encourage our -men to keep up their hearts. Should we be constantly reminding them -that to-morrow half of them may be lying dead on the battle-field? -Then they would mope and hang their heads, and would presently -desert.' - -'One need not preach of death, but one should preach of godliness -and of sober joy. Look but at those gipsy wenches and those lads -rolling about drunk. Are these things decent? If they escape the -dangers of war, will it make them happy to look back upon the memory -of this camp? Is it fit preparation to meet their Maker?' - -'In times of peace, sweet Saint, these lads remember easily that -in the midst of life we are in death, and they govern themselves -accordingly. In times of war, every man hopes for his own part to -escape with a whole skin, though his neighbour fall. That is why we -are all so blithe and jolly. Let us now go home--before the night -falls and the mirth becomes riotous and unseemly.' - -We passed a large booth, whence there issued sounds of singing. It -was a roofless inclosure of canvas. Some ale-house man of Taunton -had set it up. Robin drew aside the canvas door. - -'Look in,' he said. 'See the brave defenders of Religion keeping up -their hearts.' - -It was furnished with benches and rough tables: at one end were -casks. The benches were crowded with soldiers, every man with a pot -before him, and the varlets were running backwards and forwards -with cans of ale and cider. Most of the men were smoking pipes of -tobacco, and they were singing a song which seemed to have no end. -One bawled the lines, and when it came to the 'Let the hautboys -play!' and the 'Huzza!' they all roared out together:-- - - Now, now, the Duke's health, - And let the hautboys play, - While the troops on their march shall roar - Huzza! huzza! huzza! - - Now, now, the Duke's health, - And let the hautboys play, - While the drums and the trumpets sound from the shore - Huzza! huzza! huzza! - -They sang this verse several times over. Then another began-- - - Now, now, Lord Grey's health, - And let the hautboys play, - While the troops on their march shall roar - Huzza! huzza! huzza! - - Now, now, Lord Grey's health, - And let the hautboys play, - While the drums and the trumpets sound from the shore - Huzza! huzza! huzza! - -Next a third voice took it up-- - - Now, now, the Colonel's health, - And let the hautboys play, - -and then a fourth and a fifth, and the last verse was bawled as -lustily and with so much joy that one would have thought the mere -singing would have gotten them the victory. Men are so made, I -suppose, that they cannot work together without singing and music -to keep up their hearts. Sailors sing when they weigh anchor; men -who unlade ships sing as they carry out the bales; even Cromwell's -Ironsides could not march in silence, but sang Psalms as they -marched. - -The sun was set and the twilight falling when we left the camp; and -there was no abatement of the roaring and singing, but rather an -increase. - -'They will go on,' said Robin, 'until the drink or their money gives -out; then they will lie down and sleep. You have now seen our camp, -Sweetheart. It is not, truth to say, as decorous as a conventicle, -nor is the talk so godly as in Sir Christopher's hall. For rough -fellows there must be rough play; in a month these lads will be -veterans; the singing will have grown stale to them; the black-eyed -gipsy-women will have no more power to charm away their money; they -will understand the meaning of war; the camp will be sober if it is -not religious.' - -So we walked homewards, I, for my part, saddened to think in what -a spirit of riot these young men, whom I had pictured so full of -godly zeal, were preparing to meet the chance of immediate death and -judgment. - -'Sweet,' said Robin, 'I read thy thoughts in thy troubled eyes. Pray -for us. Some will fight none the worse for knowing that there are -good women who pray for them.' - -We were now back in the town; the streets were still full of people, -and no one seemed to think of bed. Presently we passed the Castle -Inn; the windows were open, and we could see a great company of -gentlemen sitting round a table on which were candles lit and -bowls full of strong drink; nearly every man had his pipe at his -lips and his glass before him, and one of them was singing to the -accompaniment of a guitar. Their faces were red and swollen, as if -they had taken too much. At one end of the table sat Humphrey. What? -could Humphrey, too, be a reveller with the rest? His face, which -was gloomy, and his eyes, which were sad, showed that he was not. - -'The officers have supped together,' said Robin. 'It may be long -before we get such good quarters again. A cup of hipsy and a song in -good fellowship, thou wilt not grudge so much?' - -'Nay,' I said, ''tis all of a piece. Like man, like master. Officers -and men alike--all drinking and singing. Is there not one good man -in all the army?' - -As I spoke one finished a song at which all laughed, except -Humphrey, and drummed the table with their fists and shouted. - -Then one who seemed to be the president of the table turned to -Humphrey. - -'Doctor,' he said, 'thou wilt not drink, thou dost not laugh, and -thou hast not sung. Thou must be tried by court-martial, and the -sentence of the court is a brimming glass of punch or a song.' - -'Then, gentlemen,' said Humphrey, smiling, 'I will give you a song. -But blame me not if you mislike it: I made the song in praise of -the sweetest woman in the world.' He took the guitar and struck -the strings. When he began to sing, my cheeks flamed and my breath -came and went, for I knew the song; he had given it to me four -years agone. Who was the sweetest woman in the world? Oh! he made -this song for me!--he made this song for me, and none but me! But -these rude revellers would not know that--and I never guessed that -the song was for me. How could I think that he would write these -extravagances for me? But poets cannot mean what they say-- - - As rides the moon in azure skies, - The twinkling stars beside; - As when in splendour she doth rise, - Their lesser lights they hide. - So beside Celia, when her face we see, - All unregarded other maidens be. - - As Helen in the town of Troy - Shone fair beyond all thought, - That to behold her was a joy - By death too poorly bought. - So when fair Celia deigns the lawn to grace, - All life, all joy, dwells in her lovely face. - - As the sweet river floweth by - Green banks and alders tall, - It stayeth not for prayer or sigh, - Nor answereth if we call. - So Celia heeds not though Love cry and weep; - She heavenward wendeth while we earthward creep. - - The marbled Saint, so cold and pure, - Minds naught of earthly ways; - Nor can man's gauds entice or lure - That fixed heavenly gaze. - So Celia, though thou Queen and Empress art, - To heaven, to heaven alone, belongs thy heart. - -Now, while Humphrey sang this song, a hush fell upon the revellers; -they had expected nothing but a common drinking-song. After the -bawling and the noise and the ribaldry 'twas like a breath of fresh -air after the closeness of a prison; or like a drink of pure water -to one half-dead with thirst. - -'Robin,' I said, 'there is one good man in the camp.' I say that -while Humphrey sang this song--which, to be sure, was neither a -drinking-song, nor a party song, nor a song of wickedness and -folly--the company looked at each other in silence, and neither -laughed nor offered to interrupt. Nay, there were signs of grace -in some of their faces, which became grave and thoughtful. When -Humphrey finished it he laid down the guitar and rose up with a bow, -saying, 'I have sung my song, gentlemen all--and so, good-night!' -and walked out of the room. - -'Robin,' I said again, 'thank God there is one good man in the camp! -I had forgotten Humphrey.' - -'Yes,' Robin replied; 'Humphrey is a good man, if ever there was -one. But he is glum. Something oppresses him. His eyes are troubled, -and he hangs his head; or, if he laughs at all, it is as if he -would rather cry. Yet all the way home from Holland he was joyful, -save when his head was held over the side of the ship. He sang and -laughed; he spoke of great things about to happen. I have never -known him more happy. And now his face is gloomy, and he sighs when -he thinks no one watcheth him. Perhaps, like thee, Sweet, he cannot -abide the noise and riot of the camp. He would fain see every man -Bible in hand. To-day he spent two hours with the Duke before the -Council, and was with thy father afterwards. 'Tis certain that the -Duke hath great confidence in him. Why is he so gloomy? He bitterly -reproached me for leaving Sir Christopher, as if he alone had a -conscience to obey or honour to remember!' - -Humphrey came forth at this moment and stood for a moment on the -steps. Then he heaved a great sigh and walked away slowly with -hanging head, not seeing us. - -'What is the matter with him?' said Robin. 'Perhaps they flout him -for being a physician. These fellows have no respect for learning or -for anyone who is not a country gentleman. Well, perhaps when we are -on the march he will again pick up his spirits. They are going to -sing again. Shall we go, Child?' - -But the president called a name which made me stop a little longer. - -'Barnaby!' he cried; 'jolly Captain Barnaby! Now that Doctor -Graveairs hath left us we will begin the night. Barnaby, my hero, -thy song. Pill up, gentlemen! The night is young, and to-morrow we -march. Captain Barnaby, tip us a sea-song. Silence, gentlemen, for -the Captain's song.' - -It was my brother that they called upon--no other. He got up from -his place at the summons and rose to his feet. Heavens! what a broad -man he seemed compared with those who sat beside him! His face was -red and his cheeks swollen because of the strong drink he had taken. -In his hand he held a full glass of it. Robin called it hipsy--and -it is a mixture of wine, brandy, and water with lemon juice and -sugar--very heady and strong. - -Said not Barnaby that there was one religion for a landsman and -another for a sailor? I thought of that as he stood looking round -him. If it were so, it would be truly a happy circumstance for most -sailors; but I know not on what assurance this belief can be argued. -Then Barnaby waved his hand. - -'Yoho! my lads!' he shouted. 'The ship's in port and the crew has -gone ashore!' - -Then he began to sing in a deep voice which made the glasses ring-- - - Shut the door--lock the door-- - Out of window fling the key. - Hasten; bring me more, bring me more: - Fill it up. Fill it up for me. - The daylight which you think, - The daylight which you think, - The daylight which you think, - 'Tis but the candle's flicker: - The morning star will never wink, - The morning star will never wink, - Till there cometh stint of liquor. - For 'tis tipple, tipple, tipple all around the world, my lads, - And the sun in drink is nightly lapped and curled, my lads, - And to-night let us drink, and to-morrow we'll to sea; - For 'tis tipple, tipple, tipple--yes, 'tis tipple, tipple, tipple-- - Makes the world and us to jee. - -'Take me home, Robin,' I said, 'I have seen and heard enough. Alas! -we have need of all the prayers that we can utter from the depths of -our heart, and more!' - - - - -CHAPTER XX. - -BENJAMIN'S WARNING. - - -Since I have so much to tell, before long, of Benjamin's evil -conduct, it must in justice be recorded of him that at this juncture -he endeavoured, knowing more of the world than we of Somerset, to -warn and dissuade his cousins from taking part in any attempt which -should be made in the West. And this he did by means of a letter -written to his father. I know not how far the letter might have -succeeded, but, unfortunately, it arrived two or three days too -late--when our boys had already joined the insurgents. - -'Honoured Sir,' he wrote, 'I write this epistle, being much -concerned in spirit lest my grandfather, whose opinions are well -known, not only in his own county, but also at the Court, should -be drawn into, or become cognisant of, some attempt to raise the -West Country against their lawful King. It will not be news to you -that the Earl of Argyle hath landed in Scotland, where he will meet -with such a reception which will doubtless cause him to repent -of his rashness. It is also currently reported, and everywhere -believed, that the Duke of Monmouth intends immediately to embark -and cross the sea, with the design of raising the country in -rebellion. The Dissenters, who have been going about with sour looks -for five-and-twenty years, venture now to smile and look pleased -in anticipation of another civil war. This may follow, but its -termination, I think, will not be what they expect. - -'I have also heard that my cousin Humphrey, Dr. Eykin's favourite -pupil, who hath never concealed his opinions, hath lately returned -from Holland (where the exiles are gathered), and passed through -London accompanied by Robin. I have further learned that while -in London he visited (but alone, without Robin's knowledge) many -of those who are known to be friends of the Duke and red-hot -Protestants. Wherefore, I greatly fear that he hath been in -correspondence with the exiles, and is cognisant of their designs, -and may even be their messenger to announce the intentions of his -Protestant champion. Certain I am that should any chance occur of -striking a blow for freedom of worship, my cousin, though he is weak -and of slender frame, will join the attempt. He will also endeavour -to draw after him everyone in his power. Therefore, my dear father, -use all your influence to withstand him, and, if he must for his own -part plunge into ruin, persuade my grandfather and my cousin Robin -to stay quiet at home. - -'I hear it on the best authority that the temper of the country, -and especially in your part of it, hath been carefully studied by -the Government, and is perfectly well known. Those who would risk -life and lands for the Duke of Monmouth are few indeed. He may, -perhaps, draw a rabble after him, but no more. The fat tradesmen, -who most long for the conventicle, will not fight, though they may -pray for him. The country gentlemen may be Protestants, but they -are mostly for Church and King. It is quite true that his Majesty -is a Roman Catholic, nor hath he ever concealed or denied his -religion, being one who scorns deception. It is also true that his -profession of faith is a stumbling-block to many who find it hard to -reconcile their teaching of Non-Resistance and Divine Right with the -introduction of the Mass and the Romish Priest. But the country had -not yet forgotten the sour rule of the Independent; and, rather than -suffer him to return, the people will endure a vast deal of Royal -Prerogative. - -'It is absolutely certain--assure my grandfather on this point, -whatever he may learn from Humphrey--that the better sort will never -join Monmouth, whether he comes as another Cromwell to restore -the Commonwealth, or whether he aspires to the Crown and dares to -maintain--a thing which King Charles did always stoutly deny--that -his mother was married. Is it credible that the ancient throne of -these Kingdoms should be usurped by the base-born son of Lucy Waters? - -'I had last night the honour of drinking a bottle of wine with that -great lawyer, Sir George Jeffreys. The conversation turned upon this -subject. We were assured by the Judge that the affections of the -people are wholly with the King; that the liberty of worship which -he demands for himself he will also willingly extend to the country, -so that the last pretence of reason for disaffection shall be -removed. Why should the people run after Monmouth, when, if he were -successful, he could give no more than the King is ready to give? -I was also privately warned by Sir George that my grandfather's -name is unfavourably noted, and his actions and speeches will be -watched. Therefore, Sir, I humbly beg that you will represent to him -and to my cousins, and to Dr. Eykin himself, first the hopelessness -of any such enterprise and the certainty of defeat; and next the -punishment which will fall upon the rebels and upon those who lend -them any countenance. Men of such a temper as Dr. Comfort Eykin -will, doubtless, go to the scaffold willingly with their mouths full -of the texts which they apply to themselves on all occasions. For -such I have no pity, yet for the sake of his wife and daughter I -would willingly, if I could, save him from the fate which will be -his if Monmouth lands in the West. And as for my grandfather, 'tis -terrible to think of his white hairs blown by the breeze while the -hangman adjusts the knot; and I should shudder to see the blackened -limbs of Robin stuck upon poles for all the world to see. - -'It is my present intention, if my affairs permit, to follow -my fortunes on the Western Circuit in the autumn, when I shall -endeavour to ride from Taunton or Exeter to Bradford Orcas. My -practice grows apace. Daily I am heard in the Courts. The Judges -already know me and listen to me. The juries begin to feel the -weight of my arguments. The attorneys besiege my chambers. For a -junior I am in great demand. It is my prayer that you, Sir, may live -to see your son Chancellor and a Peer of the realm. Less than Lord -Chancellor will not content me. As for marriage, that might hinder -my rise; I shall not marry yet. There is in your parish, Sir, one -who knows my mind upon this matter. I shall be pleased to think that -you will assure her--you know very well whom I mean--that my mind -is unaltered, and that my way is now plain before me. So, I remain, -with dutiful respect, - - your obedient son, B. B.' - -This letter arrived, I say, after the departure of Robin with his -company of village lads. - -When Mr. Boscorel had read it slowly and twice over, so as to lose -no point of the contents, he sat and pondered awhile. Then he arose, -and with troubled face he sought Sir Christopher, to whom he read it -through. Then he waited for Sir Christopher to speak. - -'The boy writes,' said his Honour, after a while, 'according to his -lights. He repeats the things he hears said by his boon companions. -Nay, more, he believes them. Why, it is easy for them to swear -loyalty and to declare in their cups where the affections of the -people are placed.' - -'Sir Christopher, what is done cannot be undone. The boys are -gone--alas!--but you still remain. Take heed for a space what you -say as well as what you do.' - -'How should they know the temper of the country?' Sir Christopher -went on, regardless. 'What doth the foul-mouthed profligate Sir -George Jeffreys know concerning sober and godly people? These are -not noisy Templars; they are not profligates of the Court; they -are not haunters of tavern and pot-house; they are not those who -frequent the play-house. Judge Jeffreys knows none such. They -are lovers of the Word of God; they wish to worship after their -fashion; they hate the Pope and all his works. Let us hear what -these men say upon the matter.' - -'Nay,' said Mr. Boscorel; 'I care not greatly what they say. But -would to God the boys were safe returned.' - -'Benjamin means well,' Sir Christopher went on. 'I take this warning -kindly; he means well. It pleases me that in the midst of the work -and the feasting, which he loves, he thinks upon us. Tell him, -son-in-law, that I thank him for his letter. It shows that he hath -preserved a good heart.' - -'As for his good heart'--Mr. Boscorel stroked his nose with his -forefinger--'so long as Benjamin gets what he wants--which is -Benjamin's mess, and five times the mess of any other--there is no -doubt of his good heart.' - -'Worse things than these,' said Sir Christopher, 'were said of us -when the civil wars began. The King's troops would ride us down; the -country would not join us; those of us who were not shot or cut down -in the field would be afterwards hanged, drawn, and quartered. Yet -we drove the King from his throne.' - -'And then another King came back again. So we go up, and so we -go down. But about this expedition and about these boys my mind -misgives me.' - -'Son-in-law,' Sir Christopher said solemnly, 'I am now old, and the -eyes of my mind are dim, so that I no longer discern the signs of -the times, or follow the current of the stream; moreover, we hear -but little news, so that I cannot even see any of those signs. Yet -to men in old age, before they pass away to the rest provided by the -Lord, there cometh sometimes a vision by which they are enabled to -see clearly when younger men are still groping their way in a kind -of twilight. Monmouth hath landed; my boys are with him; they are -rebels; should the rising fail, their lives are forfeit; and that of -my dear friend Dr. Comfort Eykin's--yea, and my life as well belike, -because I have been a consenting party. Ruin and death will in that -event fall upon all of us. Whether it will so happen I know not, nor -do I weigh the chance of that event against the voice of conscience, -duty, and honour. My boys have obeyed that voice; they have gone -forth to conquer or to die. My vision doth not tell me what will -happen to them. But it shows me the priest flying from the country, -the King flying from the throne, and that fair angel, whom we call -Freedom of Conscience, returning to bless the land. To know that the -laws of God will triumph--ought not that to reconcile a man, already -seventy-five years of age, to death, even a death upon the gallows? -What matter for this earthly body so that it be spent until the end -in the service of the Lord?' - - - - -CHAPTER XXI. - -WE WAIT FOR THE END. - - -I have said that my father from the beginning unto the end of this -business was as one beside himself, being in an ecstasy or rapture -of mind insomuch that he heeded nothing. The letters he sent out to -his friends, the Nonconformists, either brought no answer or else -they heaped loads of trouble, being intercepted and read, upon those -to whom they were addressed. But he was not moved. The defection -of his friends and of the gentry caused him no uneasiness. Nay, he -even closed his eyes and ears to the drinking, the profane oaths, -and the riotous living in the camp. Others there were, like-minded -with himself, who saw the hand of the Lord in this enterprise, and -thought that it would succeed by a miracle. The desertions of the -men, which afterwards followed, and the defection of those who -should have joined--these things were but the weeding of the host, -which should be still further weeded--as in a well-known chapter -in the Book of Judges--until none but the righteous should be left -behind. These things he preached daily, and with mighty fervour, to -all who would listen; but these were few in number. - -As regards his wife and daughter he took no thought for them at all, -being wholly enwrapped in his work; he did not so much as ask if we -had money--to be sure, for five-and-twenty years he had never asked -that question--or if we were safely bestowed; or if we were well. -Never have I seen any man so careless of all earthly affections when -he considered the work of the Lord. But when the time came for the -army to march, what were we to do? Where should we be bestowed? - -'As to following the army,' said Robin, 'that is absurd. We know -not whither we may march or what the course of events may order. -You cannot go home without an armed escort, for the country is up; -the clubmen are out everywhere to protect their cattle and horses, -a rough and rude folk they would be to meet; and the gipsies are -robbing and plundering. Can you stay here until we come back, or -until the country hath settled down again?' - -Miss Blake generously promised that we should stay with her as long -as we chose, adding many kind things about myself, out of friendship -and a good heart; and so it was resolved that we should remain -in Taunton, where no harm could befall us, while my father still -accompanied the army to exhort the soldiers. - -'I will take care of him,' said Barnaby. 'He shall not preach of a -morning till he hath taken breakfast, nor shall he go to bed until -he hath had his supper. So long as the provisions last out he shall -have his ration. After that I cannot say. Maybe we shall all go on -short commons, as hath happened to me already; and, truth to tell, -I love it not. All these things belong to the voyage, and are part -of our luck. Farewell, therefore, mother. Heart up!--all will go -well! Kiss me, Sis; we shall all come back again. Never fear. King -Monmouth shall be crowned in Westminster. Dad shall be Archbishop -of Canterbury, and I shall be Captain of a King's ship. All our -fortunes shall be made, and you, Sis, shall have a great estate, and -shall marry whom you please--Robin or another. As for the gentry who -have not come forward, hang 'em, we'll divide their estates between -us and so change places, and they will be so astonished at not being -shot for cowardice that they will rejoice and be glad to clean our -boots. Thus shall we all be happy.' - -So they marched away, Monmouth being now at the head of an army -seven thousand strong, and all in such spirits that you would have -thought nothing could withstand them. And when I consider, and -remember how that army marched away, with the cheers of the men and -the laughter and jokes of the young recruits, the tears run down my -cheeks for thinking how their joy was turned to mourning, and life -was exchanged for death. The last I saw of Robin was that he was -turning in his saddle to wave his hand, his face full of confidence -and joy. The only gloomy face in the whole army that morning was -the face of Humphrey. Afterwards I learned that almost from the -beginning he foresaw certain disaster. In the first place, none -of those on whom the exiles of Holland had relied came into camp. -These were the backbone of the Protestant party--the sturdy blood -that had been freely shed against Charles I. This was a bitter -disappointment. Next, he saw in the army nothing but a rabble of -country lads, with such officers as Captain Hucker, the Serge-maker, -instead of the country gentlemen, with their troops, as had been -expected; and from the beginning he distrusted the leaders--even the -Duke himself. So he hung his head and laughed not with the rest. But -his doubts he kept locked up in his own heart. Robin knew none of -them. - -It was a pretty sight to see the Taunton maids walking out for a -mile and more with their lovers who had joined Monmouth. They walked -hand-in-hand with the men; they wore the Monmouth favours; they had -no more doubt or fear of the event than their sweethearts. Those -who visit Taunton now may see these women (now grown old) creeping -about the streets lonely and sorrowful, mindful still of that Sunday -morning when they saw their lovers for the last time. - -When I consider the history of this expedition I am amazed that it -did not succeed. It was, surely, by a special judgment of God that -the victory was withheld from Monmouth and reserved for William. I -say not (presumptuously) that the judgment was pronounced against -the Duke on account of his sinful life, but I think it was the -will of Heaven that the country should endure for three years the -presence of a Prince who was continually seeking to advance the -Catholic religion. The people were not yet ripe, perhaps, for that -universal disgust which caused them without bloodshed (in this -island at least) to pull down King James from his throne. When, I -say, I consider the temper and the courage of that great army which -left Taunton, greater than any which the King could bring against -it; when I consider the multitudes who flocked to the standard at -Bridgwater, I am lost in wonder at the event. - -From Sunday, the 21st, when the army marched out of Taunton, till -the news came of their rout on Sedgemoor, we heard nothing certain -about them. On Tuesday the Duke of Albemarle, hearing that the army -had gone, occupied Taunton with the Militia, and there were some -who expected severities on account of the welcome given to the Duke -and the recruits whom he obtained here. But there were no acts of -revenge that I heard of--and, indeed, he did not stay long in the -town. As for us, we remained under the shelter of Miss Blake's roof, -and daily expected news of some great and signal victory. But none -came, save one letter. Every day we looked for this news, and every -day we planned and laid down the victorious march for our army. - -'They will first occupy Bristol,' said Miss Blake. 'That is certain, -because there are many stout Protestants in Bristol, and the place -is important. Once master of that great city, our King will get -possession of ships, and so will have a fleet. There are, no doubt, -plenty of arms in the town, with which he will be able to equip an -army ten times greater than that which he now has. Then with--say, -thirty thousand men--he will march on London. The Militia will, of -course, lay down their arms or desert at the approach of this great -and resolute army. The King's regiments will prove, I expect, to be -Protestants, every man. Oxford will open her gates, London will send -out her train-bands to welcome the Deliverer, and so our King will -enter in triumph and be crowned at Westminster Abbey, one King James -succeeding another. Then there shall be restored to this distracted -country'--being a schoolmistress, Miss Blake could use language -worthy of the dignity of history--'the blessings of religious -freedom; and the pure Word of God, stripped of superstitious -additions made by man, shall be preached through the length and -breadth of the land.' - -'What shall be done,' I asked, 'with the Bishops?' - -'They shall be suffered to remain,' she said, speaking with a voice -of authority, 'for those congregations which desire a prelacy, -but stripped of their titles and of their vast revenues. We will -not persecute, but we will never suffer one Church to lord it over -another. Oh! when will the news come? Where is the army now?' - -The letter of which I have spoken was from Robin. - -'Sweetheart,' he said, 'all goes well so far. At Bridgwater we have -received a welcome only second to that of Taunton. The Mayor and -Aldermen proclaimed our King at the High Cross, and the people have -sent to the camp great store of provisions and arms of all kinds. -We are now six regiments of foot with a thousand cavalry, besides -the King's own body-guard. We have many good friends at Bridgwater, -especially one, Mr. Roger Hoar, who is a rich merchant of the place, -and is very zealous in the Cause. Your father preached on Sunday -evening from the text (Deuteronomy vii. 5), "Ye shall destroy their -altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and -burn their graven images with fire." It was a most moving discourse, -which fired the hearts of all who heard it. - -'They say that our chief is downhearted because the nobility and -gentry have not come in. They only wait for the first victory, -after which they will come in by hundreds. But some of our men look -forward to depriving them of their estates, and dividing them among -themselves; and already the Colonels and Majors are beginning to -reckon up the great rewards which await them. As for me, there is -but one reward for which I pray--namely, to return unto Bradford -Orcas and to the arms of my sweet saint. Lord Churchill is reported -to be at Chard; there has been a brush in the Forest of Neroche -between the scouts, and it is said that all the roads are guarded -so that recruits shall be arrested or at least driven back. Perhaps -this is the reason why the gentry sit down. Barnaby says that so -far there have been provisions enough and to spare; and he hopes -the present plenty may continue. No ship's crew can fight, he says, -on half rations. Our march will be on Bristol. I hope and believe -that when we have gotten that great town our end is sure. Humphrey -continueth glum.' - -Many women there were who passed that time in prayer, continually -offering up supplications on behalf of husband, brother, lover or -son. But at Taunton the Vicar, one Walter Harte, a zealous High -Churchman, came forth from hiding, and, with the magistrates, said -prayers daily for King James II. - -To tell what follows is to renew a time of agony unspeakable. Yet -must it be told. Farewell, happy days of hope and confidence! -Farewell, the sweet exchange of dreams! Farewell to our lovely hero, -the gracious Duke! All the troubles that man's mind can conceive -were permitted to be rained upon our heads--defeat, wounds, death, -prison--nay, for me such a thing as no one could have expected or -even feared--such a fate as never entered the mind of man to invent. - -When the Duke marched out of Bridgwater, across Sedgemoor to -Glastonbury, the weather, which had been hot and fine, became cold -and rainy, which made the men uncomfortable. At Glastonbury they -camped in the ruins of the old abbey. Thence they went to Shepton -Mallet, the spirits of the men still being high. From Shepton Mallet -they marched to a place called Pensford, only five miles from -Bristol. Here they heard that the bridge over the Avon at Keynsham -was broken down. This being presently repaired, the army marched -across. They were then within easy reach of Bristol. - -And now began the disasters of the enterprise. Up to this time -everything had prospered. Had the Duke boldly attacked Bristol--I -speak not of my own wisdom, having none in such matters, but from -others' wisdom--he would have encountered no more than twenty -companies or thereabouts of Militia, and a regiment of two hundred -and fifty horse. Moreover, Bristol was full of Dissenters, who -wanted nothing but encouragement to join the Protestant champion. -Not only the Duke's friends, but also his enemies, agree in -declaring that it wanted nothing but courage to take that great, -rich, and populous city, where he would have found everything -that he wanted--men and money, arms and ammunition. I cannot but -think that for his sins, or for the sins of the nation, a judicial -blindness was caused to fall upon the Duke, so that he chose, of -two ways open to him, that which led to his destruction. In short, -he turned away from Bristol, and drew up his forces against Bath. -When he summoned that city to surrender, they shot his herald, and -scoffed at him. Then, instead of taking the town, the Duke retired -to Philip's Norton, where, 'tis said, he expected some great -reinforcements. But none came; and he now grew greatly dejected, -showing his dejection in his face, which could conceal nothing. Yet -he fought an action with his half-brother, the Duke of Grafton, in -which he was victorious, a thing which ought to have helped him. -In this action Lieutenant Blake, Miss Blake's cousin, was killed. -From Philip's Norton the army marched to Frome, and here such was -the general despondency that two thousand men--a third of the whole -army--deserted in the night and returned to their own homes. I -think, also, it was at Frome that they learned the news of Lord -Argyle's discomfiture. - -Then a council was held, at which it was proposed that the army -should be disbanded and ordered to return, seeing that the King had -proclaimed a pardon to all who would peacefully lay down their arms -and return home; and that the Duke, with Lord Grey, and those who -would be certainly exempted from that pardon, should make the best -of their way out of the country. - -Alas! here was a way open to the safety of all those poor men; but -again was the Duke permitted to choose the other way--that, namely, -which led to the destruction of his army and himself. Yet they say -that he himself recommended the safer course. He must have known -that he wanted arms and ammunition; that his men were deserting; -and that no more recruits came in. Colonel Venner, one of his -principal men, was at this juncture sent away to Holland in order -to get assistance in arms and money. And the King's proclamation of -pardon was carefully kept from the knowledge of the soldiers. - -On July the 4th the army returned to Bridgwater, and now Dr. Hooke, -chaplain to the army, and some of the officers were sent away -secretly in order to raise an insurrection in London and elsewhere; -the only hope being that risings in various parts would call away -some of the King's forces from the West. Some of the Taunton men in -the army rode from Bridgwater to see their friends. But we women -(who, for the most part, remained at home) learned no news save -that as yet there had been no signal victory: we did not hear of -the large desertions nor of the Duke's despondency. Therefore, we -continued in our fool's paradise and looked every day for some great -and crowning mercy. Those who are on the side of the Lord are always -expecting some special interference; whereas, they ought to be -satisfied with being on the right side, whether victory or defeat be -intended for them. In this enterprise I doubt not that those godly -men (there were, I dare say, some godly men) who fell in battle, or -were afterwards executed, received their reward, and that a far, far -greater reward than their conduct deserved--for who can measure the -short agony of death beside the everlasting life of glory and joy -unspeakable? - -The last day of this fatal expedition was Sunday, the fifth day -of July: so that it took no more than three weeks in all between -its first beginning and its failure. Only three weeks! But how -much longer was it before the punishment and the expiation were -concluded? Nay, are they even yet concluded when thousands of -innocent women and children still go in poverty and mourning for the -loss of those who should have worked for them? - -In the morning my father preached to the soldiers on the text -(Joshua xxii. 22), 'The Lord God of gods, the Lord God of gods, He -knoweth, and Israel he shall know; if it be in rebellion, or if in -transgression against the Lord, save us not this day.' - -And now the time was come when the last battle was to be fought. - -The Earl of Feversham, who had been at Somerton, marched this day -across Sedgemoor and encamped at Weston Zoyland, which is but five -or six miles from Bridgwater. - -Now it chanced that one William Sparke, of Chedzoy, hearing of this -advance, climbed the church tower, and, by aid of a spying-glass, -such as sailors use at sea, he discerned clearly the approach of -the army and its halt at Weston. Being a well-wisher to the Duke, -he sent one of his men, Richard Godfrey by name, with orders to spy -into and learn the position and numbers of the Earl's army, and -to carry his information straightway to Bridgwater. This duty the -fellow promised, and most faithfully performed. - -The Duke had already learned the approach of Lord Feversham, -and, being now wellnigh desperate with his continued losses, and -seeing his army gradually wasting away, with no fresh recruits, -he had resolved upon not waiting to be attacked, but on a retreat -northwards, hoping to get across the bridge at Keynsham, and so -march into Shropshire and Cheshire, where still he hoped to raise -another army. But (says he who hath helped me with this brief -account of the expedition) the retreat, which would have been -harassed by Lord Feversham's horse, would have turned into flight; -the men would have deserted in all directions; and when the remains -of the army arrived at Keynsham Bridge they would certainly have -found it occupied by the Duke of Beaufort. - -The carriages were already loaded in readiness for this march; it -was to begin at nightfall; when the arrival of the man Godfrey, and -the news that he brought, caused the Duke to change everything. For -he now perceived that such a chance was offered him as had never -before occurred since his landing: viz., a night surprise, and, if -he were fortunate, the rout of the King's best troops. - -It is said that had the Duke shown the same boldness in the matter -of Bristol that he showed in this night attack, he would have gained -that city first and his own cause next. Nor did it appear at all a -desperate attempt. For, though Lord Feversham had 2,500 men with -him, horse and foot, with sixteen field-pieces, the Duke had nearly -3,000 foot (counting those armed with pikes and scythes) and 600 -horse with four field-pieces, and though the King's troops included -many companies of Grenadiers, with a battalion of that famous -regiment the Coldstream Guards, and some hundred horse of the King's -regiment and dragoons, the Duke had with him at least 2,000 men well -armed and resolute, as the event showed. Besides this, he had the -advantage of the surprise and confusion of a night attack. And in -addition, the camp was not entrenched, the troopers had all gone to -bed, the foot-soldiers were drinking cider, and the officers were -reported to be all drunk. - -Therefore, it was resolved that the intended flight into Shropshire -should be abandoned, and that the whole matter should be brought to -an issue that very night. - -Had the attack succeeded, all might yet have gone well with the -Duke. His enemies boasted that his raw country lads would be routed -at the first charge of regular soldiers; if he proved the contrary, -those who had deserted him would have returned; those who held aloof -would join. It was not the Cause which found men lukewarm; it was -the doubt--and nothing but the doubt--whether the Duke's enterprise -would be supported. And I never heard that any found aught but -commendation of the boldness and spirit which brought us to the -battle of Sedgemoor. - -All that day we spent in quiet meditation, in prayer, in the reading -of the Bible, and in godly discourses, and herein I must commend -the modesty as well as the piety of Miss Susan Blake, in that she -invited my mother, as her elder and the wife of an eminent minister, -to conduct the religious exercises, though as the hostess she might -have demanded that privilege. We stirred not abroad at all that day. -The meeting-houses, which had been opened when the Duke marched in, -were now closed again. - -In the evening, while we sat together discoursing upon the special -mercies vouchsafed to the people of the Lord, a strange thing -happened. Nay, I do not say that news may not have reached Taunton -already of the Duke's intentions, and of the position of the King's -forces. But this seems incredible, since it was not known--except to -the council by whom it was decided--till late in the afternoon, and -it was not to be thought that these would hurry to spread the news -abroad, and so ruin the whole affair. The window being open, then, -we could hear the voices of those who talked in the street below. -Now, there passed two men, and they were talking as they went. Said -one--and these were the words we heard-- - -'I tell thee that the Duke will have no more to do than to lock the -stable doors, and so seize the troopers in their beds.' - -We all started and listened. The voice below repeated-- - -'I say, Sir, and I have it first hand, that he hath but to lock the -stable doors and so seize all the troopers in their beds.' - -Then they passed on their way. - -Said my mother: 'My husband hath told me that not only may the -conscience be awakened by a word which seemeth chance, but the -future may be revealed by words which were perhaps meant in another -sense. What we have heard this evening may be a foretelling of -victory. My children, let us pray, and so to bed.' - - - - -CHAPTER XXII. - -THE DAY AFTER THE FIGHT. - - -It was five o'clock when I awoke next morning. Though the hour was -so early, I heard a great trampling and running about the streets, -and, looking out of window, I saw a concourse of the townspeople -gathered together, listening to one who spoke to them. But in the -middle of his speech they broke away from him and ran to another -speaker, and so distractedly, and with such gestures, that they -were clearly much moved by some news, the nature of which I could -not guess. For in some faces there was visible the outward show of -triumph and joy, and on others there lay plainly visible the look -of amazement or stupefaction; and in the street I saw some women -weeping and crying. What had happened? Oh! what had happened? Then, -while I was still dressing, there burst into the room Susan Blake, -herself but half dressed, her hair flying all abroad, the comb in -her hand. - -'Rejoice!' she cried. 'Oh! rejoice, and give thanks unto the Lord! -What did we hear last night? That the Duke had but to shut the -stable doors and seize the troopers in their beds. Look out of -window. See the people running and listening eagerly. Oh! 'tis the -crowning mercy that we have looked for: the Lord hath blown and His -enemies are scattered. Remember the strange words we heard last -night. What said the unknown man?--nay, he said it twice: "The Duke -had but to lock the stable doors." Nay, and yesterday I saw, and -last night I heard, the screech-owl thrice--which was meant for the -ruin of our enemies. Oh! Alice, Alice, this is a joyful day!' - -'But look,' I said, 'they have a downcast look; they run about as if -distracted, and some are wringing their hands----' - -''Tis with excess of joy,' she replied, looking out of the window -with me, though her hair was flying in the wind. 'They are so -surprised and so rejoiced that they cannot speak or move.' - -'But there are women weeping and wailing; why do they weep?' - -'It is for those who are killed. Needs must in every great victory -that some are killed--poor brave fellows!--and some are wounded. -Nay, my dear, thou hast three at least at the camp, who are dear to -thee; and God knows I have many. Let us pray that we do not have to -weep like those poor women.' - -She was so earnest in her looks and words, and I myself so willing -to believe, that I doubted no longer. - -'Listen! oh! listen!' she cried; 'never, never before have bells -rung a music so joyful to my heart.' - -For now the bells of the great tower of St. Mary's began to ring. -Clash, clash, clash, all together, as if they were cracking their -throats with joy, and at the sound of the bells those men in the -street, who seemed to me stupefied as by a heavy blow, put up their -hands to their ears and fled as if they could not bear the noise, -and the women who wept wrung their hands, and shrieked aloud in -anguish, as if the joy of the chimes mocked the sorrow of their -hearts. - -'Poor creatures!' said Susan. 'From my heart I pity them. But the -victory is ours, and now it only remains to offer up our humble -prayers and praises to the Throne of all mercy.' - -So we knelt and thanked God. - -'O Lord! we thank and bless Thee! O Lord! we thank and bless Thee!' -cried Susan, the tears of joy and gratitude running down her cheeks. - -Outside, the noise of hurrying feet and voices increased, and more -women shrieked, and still the joy-bells clashed and clanged. - -'O Lord! we thank Thee! O Lord! we bless Thee!' Susan repeated on -her knees, her voice broken with her joy and triumph. 'Twas all that -she could say. - -I declare that at that moment I had no more doubt of the victory -than I had of the sunshine. There could be no doubt. The joy-bells -were ringing: how should we know that the Rev. Mr. Harte, the Vicar, -caused them to be rung, and not our friends? There could be no -manner of doubt. The people running to and fro in the street had -heard the news, and were rushing to tell each other and to hear -more--the women who wept were mothers or wives of the slain. Again, -we had encouraged each other with assurances of our success, so -that we were already fully prepared to believe that it had come. -Had we not seen a splendid army, seven thousand strong, march out -of Taunton town, led by the bravest man and most accomplished -soldier in the English nation? Was not the army on the Lord's side? -Were we not in a Protestant country? Were not the very regiments of -the King Protestants? Why go on? And yet--oh! sad to think!--even -while we knelt and prayed, the army was scattered like a cloud of -summer gnats by a shower and a breeze, and hundreds lay dead upon -the field, and a thousand men were prisoners; and many were already -hanging in gemmaces upon the gibbets, where they remained till King -William's coming suffered them to be taken down; and the rest were -flying in every direction hoping to escape. - -'O Lord! we thank Thee! O Lord! we bless Thee!' - -While thus we prayed we heard the door below burst open, and a -trampling of a man's boots; and Susan, hastily rolling up her hair, -ran downstairs, followed by mother and myself. - -There stood Barnaby. Thank God! one of our lads was safe out of the -fight. His face and hands were black with powder; his red coat, -which had been so fine, was now smirched with mud and stained with -I know not what--marks of weather, of dust, and of gunpowder; the -right-hand side was torn away; he had no hat upon his head, and a -bloody clout was tied about his forehead. - -'Barnaby!' I cried. - -'Captain Barnaby!' cried Susan, clasping her hands. - -'My son!' cried mother. 'Oh! thou art wounded! Quick, Alice, -child--a basin of water, quick!' - -'Nay--'tis but a scratch,' he said; 'and there is no time for -nursing.' - -'When--where--how?' we all cried together, 'was the victory won? Is -the enemy cut to pieces? Is the war finished?' - -'Victory?' he repeated, in his slow way--'what victory? Give me a -drink of cider, and if there is a morsel of victual in the house----' - -I hurried to bring him both cold meat and bread and a cup full of -cider. He began to eat and drink. - -'Why,' he said, talking between his mouthfuls, 'if the worst comes -'tis better to face it with a----Your health, Madam': he finished -the cider. 'Another cup, Sister, if you love me: I have neither -eaten nor drunk since yesterday at seven o'clock, or thereabouts.' -He said no more until he had cleared the dish of the gammon and -left nothing but the bone. This he dropped into his pocket. 'When -the provisions are out,' he said wisely, 'there is good gnawing in -the shankbone of a ham.' Then he drank up the rest of the cider and -looked around. 'Victory? Did someone speak of victory?' - -'Yes--where was it? Tell us quick!' - -'Well, there was in some sort a victory. But the King had it.' - -'What mean you, Barnaby? The King had it?--what King?' - -'Not King Monmouth. That King is riding away to find some port and -get some ship, I take it, which will carry him back to Holland.' - -'Barnaby, what is it? Oh! what is it? Tell us all.' - -'All there is to tell, Sister, is that our army is clean cut to -pieces, and that those who are not killed or prisoners are making -off with what speed they may. As for me, I should have thrown away -my coat and picked up some old duds and got off to Bristol and so -aboard ship and away, but for Dad.' - -'Barnaby,' cried my mother, 'what hath happened to him? Where is he?' - -'I said, mother,' he replied very slowly, and looking in her face -strangely, 'that I would look after him, didn't I? Well, when we -marched out of Bridgwater at nightfall nothing would serve but he -must go too. I think he compared himself with Moses who stood afar -off and held up his arms. Never was there any man more eager to get -at the enemy than Dad. If he had not been a minister, what a soldier -he would have made!' - -'Go on--quick, Barnaby.' - -'I can go, Sister, no quicker than I can. That is quite sure.' - -'Where is he, my son?' asked my mother. - -Barnaby jerked his thumb over his left shoulder. - -'He is over there, and he is safe enough for the present. Well, -after the battle was over, and it was no use going on any longer, -Monmouth and Lord Grey having already run away----' - -'Run away? Run away?' - -'Run away, Sister. Aboard ship the Captain stands by the crew to -the last, and, if they strike, he is prisoner with them. Ashore, -the General runs away and leaves his men to find out when they will -give over fighting. We fought until there was no more ammunition, -and then we ran with the rest. Now, I had not gone far before I saw -lying on the moor at my very feet the poor old Dad.' - -'Oh!' - -'He was quite pale, and I thought he was dead. So I was about to -leave him when he opened his eyes. "What cheer, Dad?" He said -nothing; so I felt his pulse and found him breathing. "But what -cheer, Dad?" I asked him again. "Get up if thou canst, and come with -me." He looked as if he understood me not, and he shut his eyes -again. Now, when you run away, the best thing is to run as fast and -to run as far as you can. Yet I could not run with Dad lying in the -road half dead. So while I tried to think what to do, because the -murdering Dragoons were cutting us down in all directions, there -came galloping past a pony harnessed to a kind of go-cart, where, I -suppose, there had been a barrel or two of cider for the soldiers. -The creature was mad with the noise of the guns, and I had much ado -to catch him and hold the reins while I lifted Dad into the cart. -When I had done that, I ran by the side of the horse and drove him -off the road across the moor, which was rough going, but for dear -life one must endure much, to North Marton, where I struck the road -to Taunton, and brought him safe, so far.' - -'Take me to him, Barnaby,' said my mother. 'Take me to him.' - -'Why, mother,' he said kindly, 'I know not if 'tis wise. For, look -you--if they catch us, me they will hang or shoot, though Dad they -may let go, for he is sped already--and for a tender heart like -thine 'twould be a piteous sight to see thy son hanging from a -branch with a tight rope round his neck and thy husband dead on a -hand-cart.' - -'Barnaby, take me to him!--take me to him!' - -'Oh! Is it true? Is it true? Oh! Captain Barnaby, is it really true? -Then, why are the bells a-ringing?' - -Clash! Clash! Clash! The bells rang out louder and louder. One would -have thought the whole town was rejoicing. Yet there were a thousand -lads in the army belonging to Taunton town alone, and I know not how -many ever came home again. - -'They are ringing,' said Barnaby, 'because King Monmouth's army -is scattered and the rebellion is all over. Well: we have had our -chance and we are undone. Now must we sing small again. Madam,' he -said earnestly, addressing Susan, 'if I remember right, they were -your hands that carried the naked sword and the Bible?' - -'Sir, they were my hands. I am proud of that day.' - -'And they were your scholars who worked the flags and gave them to -the Duke that day when you walked in a procession?' - -'They were my scholars,' she said proudly. - -'Then, Madam, seeing that we have, if all reports be true, a damned -unforgiving kind of King, my advice to you is to follow my example -and run. Hoist all sail, Madam, and fly to some port--any port. -Fly false colours. When hanging, flogging, branding, and the like -amusements set in, I think they will remember the Maids of Taunton. -That is my advice, Madam.' - -'Sir,' said Susan bravely, though her cheek grew pale when he spoke -of floggings and brandings, 'I thank you. Whither should I fly? -Needs must I stay here and bear whatever affliction the Lord may lay -upon me. And, since our Protestant hero is defeated, methinks it -matters little what becomes of any of us.' - -'Why,' Barnaby shook his head, 'King Monmouth is defeated, that is -most true; but we who survive have got ourselves to look after. -Sister, get a basket and put into it provisions.' - -'What will you have, Barnaby?' - -'Everything that you can find. Cold bacon for choice, and bread, and -a bottle of drink if you have any, and--all you can lay hands upon. -With your good leave, Madam.' - -'Oh! Sir, take all--take all. I would to God that everything I have -in the world could be used for the succour of these my friends!' And -with that she began to weep and to cry. - -I filled a great basket with all that there was in the house, and he -took it upon his arm. And then we went away with many tears and fond -farewells from this kind soul who had done so much for the Cause, -and was now about to pay so heavy a penalty for her zeal. - -Outside in the street the people recognised Barnaby for one of -Monmouth's Captains, and pressed round him and asked him a thousand -questions, but he answered shortly. - -'We were drubbed, I tell you. King Monmouth hath run away. We have -all run away. How should I know how many are killed? Every man who -doth not wish to be hanged had best run away and hide. The game is -up--friend, we are sped. What more can I say? How do I know, in the -Devil's name, whose fault it was? How can I tell, Madam, if your son -is safe? If he is safe, make him creep into a hiding-place'--and so -on to a hundred who crowded after him and questioned him as to the -nature and meaning of the defeat. Seeing that no more news could be -got from him, the people left off following us, and we got out of -the town on the east side, where the road leads to Ilminster; but it -is a bad road and little frequented. - -Here Barnaby looked about him carefully to make sure that no one was -observing us, and then, finding that no one was within sight, he -turned to the right down a grassy lane between hedges. - -''Tis this way that I brought him,' he said. 'Poor old Dad! he can -now move neither hand nor foot; and his legs will no more be any use -to him. Yet he seemed in no pain, though the jolting of the cart -must have shaken him more than a bit.' - -The lane led into a field, and that field into another and a smaller -one, with a plantation of larches on two sides and a brook shaded -with alders on a third side. In one corner was a linney, with a -thatched roof supported on wooden pillars in front and closed in at -back and sides. It was such a meadow as is used for the pasture of -cattle and the keeping of a bull. - -At the entrance of this meadow Barnaby stopped and looked about him -with approbation. - -'Here,' he said slowly, 'is a hiding-place fit for King Monmouth -himself. A road unfrequented; the rustics all gone off to the -wars--though now, I doubt not, having had their bellyfull of -fighting. I suppose there were once cattle in the meadow, but they -are either driven away by the clubmen for safety, or they have been -stolen by the gipsies. No troopers will this day come prying along -this road, or if they do search the wood, which is unlikely, they -will not look in the linney; here can we be snug until we make up -our minds what course is best.' - -'Barnaby,' I said, 'take us to my father without more speech.' - -'I have laid him,' he went on, 'upon the bare ground in the linney; -but it is soft and dry lying, and the air is warm, though last night -it rained and was cold. He looks happy, mother, and I doubt if he -hath any feeling left in his limbs. Once I saw a man shot in the -backbone and never move afterwards, but he lived for a bit. Here he -is.' - -Alas! lying motionless on his back, his head bare, his white hair -lying over his face, his eyes closed, his cheek white, and no sign -of life in him except that his breast gently heaved, was my father. -Then certain words which he had uttered came back to my memory. -'What matters the end,' were the words he said, 'if I have freedom -of speech for a single day?' - -He had enjoyed that freedom for three weeks. - -My mother threw herself on her knees beside him and raised his head. - -'Ah! my heart,' she cried, 'my dear heart, my husband, have they -killed thee? Speak, my dear--speak if thou canst! Art thou in pain? -Can we do aught to relieve thee? Oh! is this the end of all?' - -But my father made no reply. He opened his eyes, but they did not -move: he looked straight before him, but he saw nothing. - -And this, until the end, was the burden of all. He spoke no word to -show that he knew anyone, or that he was in pain, or that he desired -anything. He neither ate nor drank, yet for many weeks longer he -continued to live. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII. - -IN HIDING. - - -Thus we began our miserable flight. Thus, in silence, we sat in the -shade of the linney all the morning. Outside, the blackbird warbled -in the wood and the lark sang in the sky. But we sat in silence, -not daring so much as to ask each other if those things were real -or if we were dreaming a dreadful dream. Still and motionless lay -my father's body, as if the body of a dead man. He felt no pain--of -that I am assured; it makes me sick even to think that he might have -suffered pain from his wound; he had no sense at all of what was -going on. Yet once or twice, during the long trance or paralysis -into which he had fallen, he opened his lips as if to speak. And he -breathed gently--so that he was not dead. Barnaby, for his part, -threw himself upon his face, and, laying his head upon his arm, -fell asleep instantly. The place was very quiet; at the end of the -meadow was a brook, and there was a wood upon the other side; we -could hear the prattling of the water over the pebbles; outside the -linney, a great elm-tree stretched out its branches; presently I saw -a squirrel sitting upon one and peering curiously at us, not at all -afraid, so still and motionless we were. I remember that I envied -the squirrel. He took no thought even for his daily bread. He went -not forth to fight. And the hedge-sparrows, no more afraid than -if the linney was empty, hopped into the place and began picking -about among the straw. And so the hours slowly passed away, and by -degrees I began to understand a little better what had happened to -us, for at the first shock one could not perceive the extent of the -disaster, and we were as in a dream when we followed Barnaby out of -the town. The great and splendid army was destroyed; that gallant -hero, the Duke, was in flight; those of the soldiers who were not -killed or taken prisoners were running hither and thither trying to -escape; my father was wounded, stricken to death, as it seemed, and -deprived of power to move, to feel, or to think. While I considered -this, I remembered again how he had turned his eyes from gazing into -the sky, and asked me what it mattered even if the end would be -death to him and ruin unto all of us. And I do firmly believe that -at that moment he had an actual vision of the end, and really saw -before his eyes the very things that were to come to pass, and that -he knew all along what the end would be. Yet he had delivered his -soul--why, then he had obtained his prayer--and by daily exhortation -had doubtless done much to keep up the spirit of those in the army -who were sober and godly men. Did he also, like Sir Christopher, -have another vision which should console and encourage him? Did he -see the time to follow when a greater than the Duke should come and -bring with him the deliverance of the country? There are certain -gracious words with which that vision closes (the last which he -did expound to us), the vision, I mean, of the Basket of Summer -Fruit. Did those words ring in his mind and comfort him even in the -prospect of his own end? Then my thoughts, which were swift and yet -beyond my control, left him and considered the case of Barnaby. He -had been a Captain in the Green Regiment; he would be hanged, for -certain, if he were caught. My sweetheart, my Robin, had also been a -Captain in the Duke's army. All the Duke's officers would be hanged -if they were caught. But perhaps Robin was already dead--dead on -the battlefield--his face white, his hands stiff, blood upon him -somewhere, and a cruel wound upon his dear body! Oh, Robin! Yet I -shed no tears. Humphrey, who had been one of the Duke's chyrurgeons, -he would also be surely hanged if he were caught. Why--since all -would be hanged--why not hang mother and me as well, and so an end! - -About noon Barnaby began to stir; then he grunted and went to sleep -again: presently he moved once more, then he rolled over on his -broad back and went to sleep again. It was not until the sun was -quite low that he awoke, sitting up suddenly, and looking about him -with quick suspicion, as one who hath been sleeping in the country -of an enemy, or where wild beasts are found. - -Then he sprang to his feet and shook himself like a dog. - -'Sister,' he said, 'thou shouldst have awakened me earlier. I have -slept all the day. Well, we are safe, so far.' Here he looked -cautiously out of the linney towards the wood and the road. 'So -far, I say, we are safe. I take it we had best not wait until -to-morrow, but budge to-night. For not only will the troopers scour -the country, but they will offer rewards; and the gipsies--ay, and -even the country-folk--will hasten to give information out of their -greedy hearts. We must budge this very night.' - -'Whither shall we go, Barnaby?' - -He went on as if he had not heard my question. - -'We shall certainly be safe here for to-night; but for to-morrow I -doubt. Best not run the chance. For to-day their hands are full: -they will be hanging the prisoners. Some they will hang first and -try afterwards, some they will try first and hang afterwards. What -odds if they are to be hanged in the end? The cider orchards never -had such fruit as they will show this autumn, if the King prove -revengeful--as, to judge by his sour face, he will be.' - -Here he cursed the King, his sour face, his works and ways, his -past, his present, and his future, in round language, which I hope -his wounded father did not hear. - -'We must lie snug for a month or two somewhere, until the unlucky -Monmouth men will be suffered to return home in peace. Ay! 'twill be -a month and more, I take it, before the country will be left quiet. -A month and more--and Dad not able to crawl!' - -'Where shall we lie snug, Barnaby?' - -'That, Sister, is what I am trying to find out. How to lie snug with -a couple of women and a wounded man who cannot move? 'Twas madness -of the poor old Dad to bring thee to the camp, Child. For now we -cannot--any of us--part company, and if we stay together 'twill -maybe bring our necks to the halter.' - -'Leave us, Barnaby,' I said. 'Oh! leave us to do what we can for the -poor sufferer, and save thyself.' - -'Ta, ta, ta, Sister--knowest not what thou sayest. Let me consider. -There may be some way of safety. As for provisions, now: we have the -basket full--enough for two days say--what the plague did Dad, the -poor old man, want with women when fighting was on hand? When the -fighting is done, I grant you, women, with the tobacco and punch, -are much in place. Those are pretty songs, now, that I used to sing -about women and drink.' - -'Barnaby, is this a time to be talking of such things as drink and -singing?' - -'All times are good. Nevertheless, all company is not fitting. -Wherefore, Sis, I say no more.' - -'Barnaby, knowest thou aught of Robin? Or of Humphrey?' - -'I know nothing. They may be dead; they may be wounded and -prisoners; much I fear, knowing the spirit of the lads, that both -are killed. Nay, I saw Humphrey before the fight, and he spoke to -me----' - -'What did Humphrey say?' - -'I asked why he hung his head and looked so glum, seeing that we -were at last going forth to meet the King's army. This I said -because I knew Humphrey to be a lad of mettle, though his arm is -thin and his body is crooked. "I go heavy, Barnaby," he said, -speaking low lest others should hear, "because I see plainly that, -unless some signal success come to us, this our business will end -badly." Then he began to talk about the thousands who were to have -been raised all over the country; how he himself had brought to -the Duke promises of support gathered all the way from London to -Bradford Orcas, and how his friends in Holland even promised both -men and arms; but none of these promises had been kept; how Dad -had brought promises of support from all the Nonconformists of the -West, but hardly any, save at Taunton, had come forward; and how -the army was melting away, and no more recruits coming in. And then -he said that he had been the means of bringing so many to the Duke -that if they died their deaths would lie upon his conscience. And -he spoke lovingly of Robin and of thee, Sister. And so we parted, -and I saw him no more. As for what he said, I minded it not a straw. -Many a croaker turns out in the long run to be brave in the fight. -Doubtless he is dead; and Robin, too. Both are dead. I take it, -Sis, thou hast lost thy sweetheart. Cry a little, my dear,' he added -kindly; ''twill ease the pain at thy heart. 'Tis natural for a woman -to cry.' - -'I cannot cry, Barnaby: I wish I could. The tears rise to my eyes, -but my throat is dry.' - -'Try a prayer or two, Sister. 'Twas wont to comfort the heart of my -mother when she was in trouble.' - -'A prayer? Brother, I have done nothing but pray since this -unfortunate rebellion began. A prayer? Oh, I cannot pray! If I were -to pray now it would be as if my words were echoed back from a wall -of solid rock. We were praying all yesterday; we made the Sabbath -into a day of prayer without ceasing; and this morning, when you -opened the door, we were praising and thanking God for the mercy of -the great victory bestowed upon us. And at that time the poor brave -men----' - -'They were brave enough to the end,' said Barnaby. - -'The poor brave men lying cold and dead upon the field (among them, -maybe, Robin!), and the prisoners huddled together somewhere, and -men hanging already upon the gibbets. We were praising God--and my -father lying on the ground stricken to death, and thou a fugitive, -and all of us ruined! Prayer? How could I pray from such a pit of -woe?' - -'Child'--my mother lifted her pale face--'in the darkest hour pray -without ceasing. Even if there happen a darker hour than this, in -everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your -requests be made known--with thanksgiving, my daughter.' - -Alas! I could not obey the apostolic order. 'Twas too much for me. -So we fell into silence. When the sun had quite gone down Barnaby -went forth cautiously. Presently he came back. - -'There is no one on the road,' he said. 'We may now go on our way. -The air of Taunton is dangerous to us. It breeds swift and fatal -diseases. I have now resolved what to do. I will lift my father upon -the cart again and put in the pony. Four or five miles sou'-west or -thereabouts is Black Down, which is a No-Man's-Land. Thither will -we go and hide in the combs, where no one ever comes, except the -gipsies.' - -'How shall we live Barnaby?' - -'That,' he said, 'we shall find out when we come to look about us. -There is provision for two days. The nights are warm. We shall -find cover or make it with branches. There is water in the brooks -and dry wood to burn. There we may, perhaps, be safe. When the -country is quiet, we will make our way across the hills to Bradford -Orcas, where no one will molest you, and I can go off to Bristol -or Lyme, or wherever there are ships to be found. When sailors are -shipwrecked, they do not begin by asking what they shall do on dry -land: they ask only to feel the stones beneath their feet. We must -think of nothing now but of a place of safety.' - -'Barnaby, are the open hills a proper place for a wounded man?' - -'Why, Child, for a choice between the hills and what else may happen -if we stay here, give me the hills, even for a wounded man. But, -indeed'--he whispered, so that my mother should not hear him--'he -will die. Death is written on his face. I know not how long he will -live. But he must die. Never did any man recover from such evil -plight.' - -He harnessed the pony to the cart, which was little more than a -couple of planks laid side by side, and laid father upon them, just -as he had brought him from Taunton. My mother made a kind of pillow -for him, with grass tied up in her kerchief, and so we hoped that he -would not feel the jogging of the cart. - -'The stream,' said Barnaby, 'comes down from the hills. Let us -follow its course upwards.' - -It was a broad stream with a shallow bed, for the most part flat and -pebbly, and on either side of the stream lay a strip of soft turf, -broad enough for the cart to run upon. So that, as long as that -lasted, we had very easy going, my mother and I walking one on each -side, so as to steady the pillow and keep the poor head upon it from -pain. But whether we went easy, or whether we went rough, that head -made no sign of feeling aught, and lay, just as in the linney, as if -dead. - -I cannot tell how long we went on beside that stream. 'Twas in a -wild, uncultivated country; the ground ascended; the stream became -narrower and swifter; presently the friendly strip of turf failed -altogether, and then we had trouble to keep the cart from upsetting. -I went to the pony's head, and Barnaby, going behind the cart, -lifted it over the rough places, and sometimes carried his end of -it. The night was chilly; my feet were wet with splashing in the -brook, and I was growing faint with hunger, when Barnaby called a -halt. - -'We are now,' he said, 'at the head of the stream. In half an hour, -or thereabouts, it will be break of day. Let us rest. Mother, you -must eat something. Come, sister, 'tis late for supper, and full -early for breakfast. Take some meat and bread and half a cup of -cider.' - -It is all I remember of that night. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV. - -THE CAMP IN THE COMB. - - -Our camping-place, when I awoke in the morning, I found to be near -the head of a most beautiful comb or valley among the Black Down -Hills. I knew it not at the time, but it was not far from that -old Roman stronghold which we had passed on our way to Taunton, -called Castle Ratch. The hills on the Somerset side are of a gentle -or gradual slope, and the valley was not deep, but yet, where we -lay, so grown over with trees as to afford a complete shelter and -hiding-place, while at our feet the brook took its rise in a green -quagmire and began to make its way downwards among ferns and bushes, -and through a wild, uncultivated country, beyond which the farms -and fields began. The birds were singing, the sun was already high, -and the air was warm, though there was a fresh breeze blowing. The -warmth and sweetness filled my soul when I awoke, and I sat up with -joy, until suddenly I remembered why we were here, and who were -here with me. Then my heart sank like a lump of lead in water. I -looked around. My father lay just as he had been lying all the day -before, motionless, white of cheek, and as one dead, save for the -slight motion of his chest and the twitching of his nostril. As I -looked at him in the clear morning light, it was borne in upon me -very strongly that he was indeed dead, inasmuch as his soul seemed -to have fled. He saw nothing, he felt nothing. If the flies crawled -over his eyelids he made no sign of disturbance; yet he breathed, -and from time to time he murmured--but as one that dreameth. Beside -him lay my mother sleeping, worn out by the fatigues of the night. -Barnaby had spread his coat to cover her so that she should not take -cold, and he had piled a little heap of dead leaves to make her a -pillow. He was lying at her feet, head on arm, sleeping heavily. -What should be done, I wondered, when next he woke? - -First I went down the comb a little way till the stream was deep -enough, and there I bathed my feet, which were swollen and bruised -by the long walk up the comb. Though it was in the midst of so -much misery there was a pleasure of dabbling my feet in the cool -water and afterwards of walking about barefoot in the grass. I -disturbed an adder which was sleeping on a flat stone in the sun, -and it lifted its venomous head and hissed, but did not spring upon -me. Then I washed my face and hands and made my hair as smooth as -without a comb it was possible. When I had done this I remembered -that perhaps my father might be thirsty or at least able to drink, -though he seemed no more to feel hunger or thirst. So I filled -the tin pannikin--it was Barnaby's--with water and tried to pour -a little into his mouth. He seemed to swallow it, and I gave him -a little more until he would swallow no more. Observe that he -took no other nourishment than a little water, wine, or milk, or -a few drops of broth until the end. So I covered his face with a -handkerchief to keep off the flies, and left him. Then I looked into -the basket. All that there was in it would not be more than enough -for Barnaby's breakfast, unless his appetite should fail him by -reason of fear; though, in truth, he had no fear being captured, or -of anything else. There was in it a piece of bacon, a large loaf of -bread, a lump of cheese, a bottle of cider; nothing more. When these -provisions were gone, what next? Could we venture into the nearest -village and buy food, or to the first farm-house? Then we might fall -straight into the jaws of the enemy, who were probably running over -the whole country in search of the fugitives. Could we buy without -money? Could we beg without arousing suspicions? If the people were -well-inclined to the Protestant cause we might trust them. But how -could we tell that? So in my mind I turned over everything except -the one thing which might have proved our salvation, and that you -shall hear directly. Also, which was a very strange thing, I quite -forgot that I had upon me, tied by a string round my waist and well -concealed, Barnaby's bag of gold--two hundred and fifty pieces. -Thus there was money enough and to spare. I discovered, next, that -our pony had run away in the night. The cart was there, but no pony -to drag it. Well, it was not much; but it seemed an additional -burden to bear. I ventured a little way up the valley, following a -sheep-track which mounted higher and higher. I saw no sign anywhere -of man's presence; that, I take it, is marked in woods by circles of -burnt cinders, by trees felled, by bundles of broom or fern tied up, -or by shepherds' huts. Here there was nothing at all; you would have -said that the place had never been visited by man. Presently I came -to a place where the woods ceased, the last of the trees being much -stunted and blown over from the west; and then the top of the hill -began, not a sharp pico or point, but a great open plain, flat, or -swelling out here and there with many of the little hillocks which -people say are ancient tombs. And no trees at all, but only bare -turf, so that one could see a great way off. But there was no sign -of man anywhere: no smoke in the comb at my feet; no shepherd on -the hill. At this juncture of our fortunes any stranger might be an -enemy; therefore I returned, but so far well pleased. - -Barnaby was now awake, and was inspecting the basket of provisions. - -'Sister,' he said, 'we must go upon half rations for breakfast; but -I hope, unless my skill fails, to bring you something better for -supper. The bread you shall have, and mother. The bacon may keep -till to-morrow. The cider you had better keep against such times -as you feel worn out and want a cordial, though a glass of Nantz -were better, if Nantz grew in the woods.' He looked around as if to -see whether a miracle would not provide him with a flask of strong -drink, but, seeing none, shook his head. - -'As for me,' he went on, 'I am a sailor, and I understand how to -forage. Therefore, yesterday, foreseeing that the provisions might -give out, I dropped the shank of the ham into my pocket. Now you -shall see.' - -He produced this delicate morsel, and, sitting down, began to gnaw -and to bite into the bone with his strong teeth, exactly like a dog. -This he continued, with every sign of satisfaction, for a quarter of -an hour or so, when he desisted, and replaced the bone in his pocket. - -'We throw away the bones,' he said. 'The dogs gnaw them and devour -them. Think you that it is for their amusement? Not so; but for the -juices and the nourishment that are in and around the bone; for the -marrow and for the meat that still will stick in odd corners.' He -went down to the stream with the pannikin and drank a cup or two of -water to finish what they called a horse's meal--namely, the food -first and the water afterwards. - -'And now,' he added, 'I have breakfasted. It is true that I am still -hungry, but I have eaten enough to carry me on for a while. Many a -poor lad cast away on a desert shore would find a shank of a ham a -meal fit for a king; aye, and a meal or two after that. I shall make -a dinner presently off this bone; and I shall still keep it against -a time when there may be no provision left.' - -Then he looked about him, shading his eyes with his hand. 'Let us -consider,' he said. 'The troopers, I take it, are riding along the -roads. Whether they will ride over these hills, I know not; but I -think they will not, because their horses cannot well get up these -combs. Certainly, if they do, it will not be by the way we came. We -are here, therefore, hidden away snug. Why should we budge? Nowhere -is there a more deserted part of the country than Black Down, on -whose side we are. And I do not think, further, that we should -find anywhere a safer place to hide ourselves in than this comb, -where, I dare to say, no one comes, unless it be the gipsies or the -broom-squires, all the year round. And now they are all laden with -the spoil of the army--for, after a battle, this gentry swoop down -upon the field like the great birds which I have seen abroad upon -the carcases of drowned beasts, and plunder the dead. Next they must -go into town in order to sell their booty; then they will be fain to -drink about till all is spent; so they will leave us undisturbed. -Therefore, we will stay here, Sister. First, I will go and try the -old tricks by which I did often in the old time improve the fare -at home. Next, I will devise some way of making a more comfortable -resting-place. Thank the Lord for fine weather, so far.' - -He was gone a couple of hours. During that time my mother awoke. Her -mind was broken by the suddenness of this trouble, and she cared -no more to speak, sitting still by the side of her husband, and -watching for any change in him. But I persuaded her to take a little -bread and a cup of cider. - -When Barnaby came back, he brought with him a blackbird, a thrush, -and two wood-pigeons. He had not forgotten the tricks of his -boyhood, when he would often bring home a rabbit, a hare, or a -basket of trout. So that my chief terror, that we might be forced -to abandon our hiding-place through sheer hunger, was removed. But -Barnaby was full of all kinds of devices. - -He then set to work with his great knife, cutting down a quantity of -green branches, which he laid out side by side, with their leaves -on, and then bound them together, cleverly interlacing the smaller -shoots and branches with each other, so that he made a long kind of -hurdle, about six feet high. This, which by reason of the leaves -was almost impervious to the wind, he disposed round the trunks of -three young trees growing near each other. Thus he made a small -three-cornered inclosure. Again, he cut other and thicker branches, -and laid them over and across this hurdle, and cut turf which he -placed upon the branches, so that here was now a hut with a roof and -walls complete. Said I not that Barnaby was full of devices? - -'There,' he said, when all was ready, 'is a house for you. It will -have to rain hard and long before the water begins to drop through -the branches which make the roof and the slabs of turf. Well, 'tis a -shelter. Not so comfortable as the old cottage, perhaps, but nearly -as commodious. If it is not a palace, it will serve us to keep off -the sun by day and the dew by night.' - -Next he gathered a great quantity of dry fern, dead leaves, and -heather, and these he disposed within the hut, so that they made a -thick and warm carpet or covering. Nay, at night they even formed -a covering for the feet and prevented one from feeling cold. When -all was done, he lifted my father gently and laid him with great -tenderness upon this carpet within the rude shelter. - -'This shall be a warmer night for thee than the last, Dad,' he said. -'There shall be no jolting of thy poor bones. What, mother? We can -live here till the cold weather comes. The wind will perhaps blow -a bit through the leaves to-night, but not much, and to-morrow I -will see to that. Be easy in your mind about the provisions'--Alas! -my poor mother was thinking of anything in the world except the -provisions--'There are rabbits and birds in plenty; we can catch -them and eat them; bread we must do without when what we have is -gone, and as for strong drink and tobacco'--he sighed heavily--'they -will come again when better times are served out.' - -In these labours I helped as much as I was able, and particularly -in twisting the branches together. And thus the whole day passed, -not tediously, and without any alarms, the labour being cheered by -the hopefulness of Barnaby's honest face. No one, to look at that -face, could believe that he was flying for his life, and would be -hanged if he was caught. After sunset we lit a fire, but a small one -only, and well hidden by the woods, so that its light might not be -seen from below. Then Barnaby dexterously plucked and trussed the -birds and roasted them in the embers, so that had my heart been at -rest I should have had a most delicious supper. And I confess that -I did begin to pluck up a little courage, and to hope that we might -yet escape, and that Robin might be living. After supper my mother -prayed, and I could join with more of resignation and something of -faith. Alas! in times of trial how easily doth the Christian fall -from faith! The day before, prayer seemed to me a mockery; it was as -if all prayer were addressed to a deaf God, or to one who will not -hear; for our prayers had all been for safety and victory, and we -were suddenly answered with disaster and defeat. - -After supper, Barnaby sat beside the embers and began to talk in a -low voice. - -''Twill be a sorrowful barley-mow song this year,' he said; 'a dozen -brave lads from Bradford alone will be dead.' - -'Not all dead, Barnaby! Oh! not all!' - -'I know not. Some are prisoners, some are dead, some are running -away.' Then he began to sing in a low voice, - - 'Here's a health to the barley-mow-- - -I remember, Sister, when I would run a mile to hear that song, -though my father flogged me for it in the morning. 'Tis the best -song ever written.' He went on singing in a kind of whisper-- - - 'We'll drink it out of the nipperkin, boys-- - -Robin--poor Robin! he is dead!--was a famous hand at singing it; but -Humphrey found the words too rustical. Humphrey--who is now dead, -too!--was ever for fine words, like Mr. Boscorel. - - 'We'll drink it out of the jolly brown bowl-- - -'I think I see him now--poor Robin! Well; he is no more. He used to -laugh in all our faces while he sang it:-- - - 'We'll drink it out o' the river, my boys. - Here's a health to the barley-mow! - The river, the well, the pipe, the hogshead, the half- - Hogshead, the anker, the half-anker, the gallon, the - Pottle, the quart, the pint, the half-pint, the quarter- - Pint, the nipperkin, the jolly brown bowl, my boys, - Here's a health to the barley-mow!' - -He trolled out the song in a melodious whisper. Oh! Barnaby, how -didst thou love good companionship with singing and drinking! - -''Twill be lonely for thee, Sister, at Bradford when thou dost -return; Sir Christopher, I take it, will not long hold up his head, -and Madam will pine away for the loss of Robin, and mother looks as -if she would follow after, so white and wan is she. If she would -speak or complain or cry it would comfort her, poor soul! 'Twas a -sad day for her when she married the poor old Dad. Poverty and hard -work, and now a cruel end--poor mother!' - -'Barnaby, you tear my heart!' - -'Nay, Child, 'tis better to talk than to keep silence. Better have -your heart torn than be choked with your pain. Thou art like unto a -man who hath a wounded leg, and if he doth not consent to have it -cut off, though the anguish be sharp, he will presently bleed to -death. Say to thyself therefore, plain and clear, "Robin is dead; I -have lost my sweetheart."' - -'No--no--Barnaby--I cannot say those cruel words! Oh! I cannot say -them; I cannot feel that Robin is truly dead!' - -'Put the case that he is living. Then he is either a prisoner or -he is in hiding. If a prisoner, he is as good as dead; because the -Duke's officers and the gentlemen who joined him, they will never -forgive--that is quite certain. If I were a prisoner I should feel -my neck already tightened. If he is not a prisoner, where is he to -hide?--whither betake himself? I can get sailors' duds and go abroad -before the mast; and ten to one nobody will find me out, because, -d'ye see, I can talk the sailors' language, and I know their manners -and customs. But Robin--what is Robin to do, if he is alive? And -this, I say, is doubtful. Best say to thyself, "I have lost my -sweetheart." So wilt thou all the sooner recover thy cheerfulness.' - -'Barnaby, you know not what you say! Alas! if my Robin is dead--if -my boy is truly dead--then I ask for nothing more than swift -death--speedy death--to join him and be with him!' - -'If he escape he will make for Bradford Orcas and hide in the Corton -woods. That is quite certain. They always make for home. I would -that we were in that friendly place, so that you could go live in -the cottage and bring provisions, with tobacco and drink, to us -unsuspected and unseen. When we have rested here a while we will -push across the hills and try to get there by night; but it is -a weary way to drag that wounded man. However'--he broke off and -said earnestly--'make up thy mind, Child, to the worst. 'Tis as if -a shipwrecked man should hope that enough of the ship would float -to carry him home withal. Make up thy mind. We are all ruined and -lost--all--all--all. Thy father is dying--thy lover is dead--thou -art thyself in great danger by reason of that affair at Taunton. -Everything being gone, turn round therefore and make thyself as -comfortable as possible. What will happen we know not. Therefore -count every day of safety for gain, and every meal for a respite.' - -He was silent for a while, leaving me to think over what he had -said. Here, indeed, was a philosopher. Things being all lost, and -our affairs in a desperate condition, we were to turn round and -make ourselves as comfortable as we could! This, I suppose, is what -sailors are wont to do; certainly they are a folk more exposed to -misfortune than others, and therefore, perhaps, more ready to make -the best of whatever happens. - -'Barnaby,' I said presently, 'how can I turn round and make myself -comfortable?' - -'The evening is still,' he said, without replying. 'See, there is a -bat, and there another. If it were not for the trouble in there'--he -pointed to the hut--'I should be easy in my mind and contented. I -could willingly live here a twelvemonth. Why, compared with the lot -of the poor devils who must now be in prison, what is ours? They -get the foul and stinking clink, with bad food, in the midst of -wounded men whose hurts are putrefying, with jail fever, and with -the whipping-post or the gallows to come. We breathe sweet air, we -find sufficient food--to-morrow, if I know any of the signs, thou -shalt taste a roasted hedgehog, dish fit for a king! I found at -the bottom of the comb a pot left by some gipsies: thou shalt have -boiled sorrel and mushrooms to thy supper. If we stay here long -enough there will be nuts and blackberries and whortleberries. Pity, -a thousand pities, there is not a drop of drink! I dream of punch -and hipsy. Think upon what remains, even if thou canst not bear to -think of what is lost. Hast ever seen a tall ship founder in the -waves? They close over her as she sinks, and, in an instant, it is -as if that tall ship with all her crew had never been in existence -at all. The army of Monmouth is scattered and ruined. Well; it is, -with us, amidst these woods, just as if there had been no army. It -has been a dream perhaps. Who can tell? Sometimes all the past seems -to have been a dream. It is all a dream--past and future. There is -no past and there is no future; all is a dream. But the present we -have. Let us be content therewith.' - -He spoke slowly and with measured accents as one enchanted. -Sometimes Barnaby was but a rough and rude sailor. At other times, -as these, he betrayed signs of his early education and spoke as one -who thought. - -'It is ten years and more since last I breathed the air of the -hills. I knew not that I loved so much the woods and valleys and the -streams. Some day, if I survive this adventure, I will build me a -hut and live here alone in the woods. Why, if I were alone I should -have an easy heart. If I were driven out of one place I could find -another. I am in no hurry to get down among men and towns. Let us -all stay here and be happy. But there is Dad--who lives not, yet is -not dead. Sister, be thankful for thy safety in the woods, and think -not too much upon the dead.' - -We lived in this manner, the weather being for the most part -fine and warm, but with showers now and then, for a fortnight or -thereabouts, no one coming up the comb and there being still no sign -of man's presence in the hills. Our daily fare consisted of the -wild birds snared by Barnaby, such creatures as rabbits, hedgehogs, -and the like, which he caught by ingenious ways, and trout from the -brook which he caught with a twisted pin or by tickling them with -his hand. There were also mushrooms and edible leaves, such as the -nettle, wild sorrel, and the like of which he knew. These we boiled -and ate. He also plucked the half-ripe blackberries and boiled them -to make a sour drink, and one which, like the cider loved by our -people, would grip his throat because he could not endure plain -cold water. And he made out of the bones of the birds a kind of -thin broth for my father, of which he daily swallowed a teaspoonful -or so. So that we fared well, if not sumptuously. The bread, to be -sure, which Barnaby left for mother and me, was coming to the last -crust, and I know not how we should have got more without venturing -into the nearest village. - -Now, as I talked every night with my brother, I found out what a -brave and simple soul it was--always cheerful and hopeful, talking -always as if we were the most fortunate people in the world, instead -of the most miserable, and yet by keeping the truth before me, -preventing me from getting into another Fool's Paradise as to our -safety and Robin's escape, such as that into which I had fallen -after the army marched out of Taunton. I understand now, that he -was always thinking how to smooth and soften things for us, so that -we might not go distracted with anxiety and grief; finding work for -me, talking about other things--in short, the most thoughtful and -affectionate brother in all the world. As for my mother, he could -do nothing to move her. She still sat beside her wounded husband, -watching all day long for any sign of consciousness or change. - -Seeing that Barnaby was so good and gentle a creature, I could not -understand how it was that in the old days he used to get a flogging -most days for some offence or other, so that I had grown up to -believe him a very wicked boy indeed. I put this question to him one -night. - -He put it aside for a while, replying in his own fashion. - -'I remember Dad,' he said, 'before thou canst, Sister. He was always -thin and tall, and he always stooped as he walked. But his hair, -which now is white, was brown, and fell in curls which he could not -straighten. He was always mighty grave; no one, I am sure, ever saw -him laugh; I have never seen him so much as smile, except sometimes -when he dandled thee upon his knee, and thou wouldst amuse him with -innocent prattle. All his life he hath spent in finding out the way -to Heaven. He did find the way--I suppose he hath truly discovered -it--and a mighty thorny and difficult way it is, so that I know not -how any can succeed in reaching port by such navigation. The devil -of it is that he believes there is no other way; and he seemed never -so happy as when he had found another trap or pitfall to catch the -unwary, and send them straight to hell. - -'For my part,' Barnaby went on slowly, 'I could never love such -a life. Let others, if they will, find out rough and craggy ways -that lead to heaven. For my part, I am content to jog along the -plain and smooth high road with the rest of mankind, though it -brings us in the end to a lower place, inhabited by the baser sort. -Well, I dare say I shall find mates there, and we will certainly -make ourselves as comfortable as the place allows. Let my father, -therefore, find out what awaits him in the other world; let me take -what comes in this. Some of it is sweet and some is bitter; some -of it makes us laugh and sing and dance; and some makes us curse -and swear and bellow out, as when one is lashed to the hatches -and the cat falls on his naked back. Sometimes, Sister, I think -the naked negroes of the Guiney Coast the happiest people in the -world. Do they trouble their heads about the way to heaven? Not -they. What comes they take, and they ask no more. Has it made Dad -the happier to find out how few are those who will sit beside him -when he hath his harp and crown? Not so. He would have been happier -if he had been a jolly ploughboy whistling to his team, or a jolly -sailor singing over his pannikin of drink of a Saturday night. He -tried to make me follow in his footsteps; he flogged me daily in -the hope of making me take, like himself, to the trade of proving -out of the Holy Bible that most people are surely damned. The more -he flogged, the less I yearned after that trade; till at last I -resolved that, come what would, I would never thump a pulpit like -him in conventicle or church. Then, if you will believe me, Sister, -I grew tired of flogging, which, when it comes every day, wearies a -boy at fourteen or fifteen more than you would think. Now, one day, -while I was dancing to the pipe and tabor with some of the village -girls, as bad luck would have it, Dad came by. "Child of Satan!" -he roared, seizing me by the ear, which I verily thought he would -have pulled off. Then to the girls, "Your laughter shall be turned -into mourning," and so lugged me home and sent me supperless to bed, -with the promise of such a flogging in the morning as should make -all previous floggings seem mere fleabites or joyous ticklings in -comparison. This decided me. So in the dead of night I crept softly -down the stairs, cut myself a great hunch of bread and cheese, and -ran away and went to sea.' - -'Barnaby, was it well done--to run away?' - -'Well, Sister, 'tis done; and if it was ill done, 'tis by this time, -no doubt, forgotten. Now, remember, I blame not my father. Before -all things he would save my soul alive. That was why he flogged -me. He knew but one way, and along that way he would drive me. So -he flogged me the harder. I blame him not. Yet had I remained he -would doubtless be flogging me still. Now, remember again, that ever -since I understood anything I have always been enraged to think upon -the monstrous oppression which silenced him and brought us all to -poverty, and made my mother, a gentlewoman born, work her fingers to -the bone, and caused me to choose between being a beggarly scholar, -driven to teach brats and endure flouts and poverty, or to put on an -apron and learn a trade. Wherefore when I found that Monmouth was -going to hoist his flag, I came with him in order to strike a blow, -and I hoped a good blow, too, at the oppressors.' - -'You have struck that blow, Barnaby, and where are we?' - -He laughed. - -'We are in hiding. Some of the King's troopers did I make to bite -the dust. They may hang me for it, if they will. They will not bring -those troopers back to life. Well----Sister, I am sleepy. Good -night!' - -We might have continued this kind of life I know not how much -longer. Certainly, till the cold nights came. The weather continued -fine and warm; the hut kept off dews at night; we lay warm among -the heather and the ferns; Barnaby found a sufficiency of food; my -father grew no worse, to outward seeming; and we seemed in safety. - -Then an ill chance and my own foolishness marred all. - -One day, in the afternoon, Barnaby being away looking after his -snares and gins, I heard, lower down the comb, voices as of -boys talking. This affrighted me terribly. The voices seemed to -be drawing nearer. Now if the children came up as high as our -encampment, they could not fail to see the signs of habitation. -There was the hut among the trees and the iron pot standing among -the grey embers of last night's fire. The cart stood on one side. -We could not possibly remain hidden. If they should come up so far -and find us, they would certainly carry the report of us down to the -village. - -I considered, therefore, what to do, and then ran quickly down the -comb, keeping among the trees so as not to be seen. - -After a little I discovered, a little way off, a couple of boys -about nine years of age. They were common village boys, rosy -faced and wholesome: they carried a basket, and they were slowly -making their way up the stream, stopping now to throw a stone at a -squirrel, and now to dam the running water, and now to find a nut or -filbert ripe enough to be eaten. By the basket which they carried -I knew that they were come in search of whortleberries, for which -purpose they would have to get quite to the end of the comb and the -top of the hill. - -Therefore, I stepped out of the wood and asked them whence they came -and whither they were going. - -They told me in plain Somersetshire (the language which I love, -and would willingly have written this book in it, but for the -unfortunate people who cannot understand it) that they were sent by -their parents to get whortleberries, and that they came from the -little village of Corfe, two miles down the valley. This was all -they had to say, and they stared at me as shyly as if they had never -before encountered a stranger. I clearly perceive now that I ought -to have engaged them in conversation and drawn them gently down the -valley in the direction of their village until we reached the first -appearance of a road, when I could have bidden them farewell or sent -them up the hill by another comb. But I was so anxious that they -should not come up any higher that I committed a great mistake, and -warned them against going on. - -'Boys,' I said, 'beware! If you go higher up the comb you will -certainly meet wild men, who always rob and beat boys;' here they -trembled, though they had not a penny in the world. 'Ay, boys! and -sometimes have been known to murder them. Turn back--turn back--and -come no farther.' - -The boys were very much frightened, partly at the apparition of a -stranger where they expected to find no one, and partly at the news -of wild and murderous men in a place where they had never met with -anyone at all, unless it might have been a gipsy camp. After gazing -at me stupidly for a little while they turned and ran away, as fast -as their legs could carry them, down the comb. - -I watched them running, and when they were out of sight I went back -again, still disquieted, because they might return. - -When I told Barnaby in the evening, he, too, was uneasy. For, he -said, the boys would spread abroad the report that there were people -in the valley. What people could there be but fugitives? - -'Sister,' he said, 'to-morrow morning must we change our quarters. -On the other side of the hills looking south, or to the east -in Neroche Forest, we may make another camp, and be still more -secluded. For to-night I think we are in safety.' - -What happened was exactly as Barnaby thought. For the lads ran home -and told everybody that up in the comb there were wild men who -robbed and murdered people: that a lady had come out of the wood -and warned them to go no farther, lest they should be robbed and -murdered. They were certain it was a lady, and not a country-woman; -nor was it a witch; nor a fairy or elf, of whom there are many on -Black Down. No; it was a lady. - -This strange circumstance set the villagers a-talking; they talked -about it at the inn, whither they nightly repaired. - -[Illustration: '_"Boys," I said, "beware; if you go up higher you -will certainly meet wild men."_'] - -In ordinary times they might have talked about it to their heart's -content, and no harm done; but in these times talk was dangerous. -In every little village there are one or two whose wits are sharper -than the rest, and, therefore, they do instigate whatever mischief -is done in that village. At Corfe, the cobbler it was who did -the mischief. For he sat thinking while the others talked, and he -presently began to understand that there was more in this than his -fellows imagined. He knew the hills; there were no wild men upon -them who would rob and murder two simple village boys. Gipsies there -were, and broom-squires sometimes, and hedge-tearers: but murderers -of boys--none. And who was this gentlewoman? Then he guessed the -whole truth: there were people lying hidden in the comb; if people -hidden, they were Monmouth's rebels. A reward would be given for -their capture. Fired with this thought he grasped his cudgel and -walked off to the village of Orchard Portman, where, as he had -heard, there was lying a company of Grenadiers sent out to scour -the country. He laid his information, and received the promise of -reward. He got that reward, in short; but nothing prospered with -him afterwards. His neighbours, who were all for Monmouth, learned -what he had done, and shunned him. He grew moody; he fell into -poverty, who had been a thriving tradesman; and he died in a ditch. -The judgments of the Lord are sometimes swift and sometimes slow, -yet they are always sure. Who can forget the dreadful end of Tom -Boilman, as he was called, the only wretch who could be found to -cut up the limbs of the hanged men and dip them in the cauldrons of -pitch? For he was struck dead by lightning--an awful instance of the -wrath of God! - -Early next morning, about five of the clock, I sat before the hut -in the shade. Barnaby was up and had gone to look at his snares. -Suddenly I heard steps below, and the sound as of weapons clashing -against each other. Then a man came into sight--a fellow he was with -a leathern apron, who stood gazing about him. There was no time for -me to hide, because he immediately saw me and shouted to them behind -to come on quickly. Then a dozen soldiers, all armed, ran out of the -wood and made for the hut. - -'Gentlemen,' I cried, running to meet them, 'whom seek you?' - -'Who are you?' asked one, who seemed to be a Sergeant over them. -'Why are you in hiding?' - -Then a thought struck me. I know not if I was wise or foolish. - -'Sir,' I replied, 'my father, it is true, was with the Duke of -Monmouth. But he was wounded, and now lies dead in this hut. You -will suffer us to bury our dead in peace.' - -'Dead is he? That will we soon see.' - -So saying, he entered the hut and looked at the prostrate form. He -lifted one hand and let it drop. It fell like the hand of one who -is recently dead. He bent over the body and laid his hand upon the -forehead. It was cold as death. The lips were pale as wax, and the -cheeks were white. He opened an eye: there was no expression of -light in it. - -'Humph!' he said; 'he seems dead. How did he come here?' - -'My mother and I drove him here for safety in yonder cart. The pony -hath run away.' - -'That may be so; that may be so. He is dressed in a cassock: what is -his name?' - -'He was Dr. Comfort Eykin, an ejected minister and preacher in the -Duke's army.' - -'A prize, if he had been alive!' Then a sudden suspicion seized him. -He had in his hand a drawn sword. He pointed it at the breast of the -dead man. 'If he be truly dead,' he said, 'another wound will do him -no harm. Wherefore'--he made as if he would drive the sword through -my father's breast, and my mother shrieked and threw herself across -the body. - -'So!' he said, with a horrid grin, 'I find that he is not dead, but -only wounded. My lads, here is one of Monmouth's preachers; but he -is sore wounded.' - -'Oh!' I cried, 'for the love of God suffer him to die in peace!' - -'Ay, ay, he shall die in peace, I promise you so much. Meanwhile, -Madam, we will take better care of him in Ilminster Jail than you -can do here. The air is raw upon these hills.' The fellow had a glib -tongue and a mocking manner. 'You have none of the comforts which a -wounded man requires. They are all to be found in Ilminster prison, -whither we shall carry him. There will he have nothing to think -about, with everything found for him. Madam, your father will be -well bestowed with us.' - -At that moment I heard the footsteps of Barnaby crunching among the -brushwood. - -'Fly! Barnaby, fly!' I shrieked. 'The enemy is upon us!' - -He did not fly. He came running. He rushed upon the soldiers, and -hurled this man one way and that man another, swinging his long arms -like a pair of cudgels. Had he had a cudgel I believe he would have -sent them all flying. But he had nothing except his arms and his -fists; and in a minute or two the soldiers had surrounded him, each -with a bayonet pointed, and such a look in every man's eye as meant -murder had Barnaby moved. - -'Surrender!' said the Sergeant. - -Barnaby looked around leisurely. - -'Well,' he said, 'I suppose I must. As for my name, it is Barnaby -Eykin; and, for my rank, I was Captain in the Green Regiment of the -Duke's valiant army.' - -'Stop!' said the Sergeant, drawing a paper from his pocket. -'"Captain Eykin,"' he began to read, '"has been a sailor. Rolls in -his walk; height, about five foot five; very broad in the shoulders; -long in the arms; of great strength."' - -'That is so,' said Barnaby, complacently. - -'"Legs short and figure stumpy."' - -'What?' cried Barnaby, 'stumpy?' - -'"Legs short and figure stumpy,"' repeated the Sergeant reading. - -'That is so set down is it? Then,' said Barnaby, looking down at his -limbs, ''twas a pity that, with such legs as these, I did not deny -my name. Call these short, brother?' - - - - -CHAPTER XXV. - -ILMINSTER CLINK. - - -How can I tell--oh! how can I sit down to tell in cold blood the -story of all that followed? Some parts of it for very pity I must -pass over. All that has been told or written of the Bloody Assize -is most true, and yet not half that happened can be told. There are -things, I mean, which the historian cannot, for the sake of pity, -decency, and consideration for living people, relate, even if he -hath seen them. You who read the printed page may learn how in one -place so many were hanged; in another place so many; how some were -hung in gemmaces, so that at every cross-road there was a frightful -gibbet with a dead man on it; how some died of small-pox in the -crowded prisons, and some of fever; and how Judge Jeffreys rode from -town to town, followed by gangs of miserable prisoners driven after -him to stand their trial in towns where they would be known; how the -wretched sufferers were drawn and quartered, and their limbs seethed -in pitch, and stuck up over the whole country; how the women and -boys of tender years were flogged through market-towns--you, I say, -who read these things on the cold page presently (even if you be a -stickler for the Right Divine and hold rebellion as a mortal sin) -feel your blood to boil with righteous wrath. The hand of the Lord -was afterwards heavy upon those who ordered these things; nay, at -the very time (this is a most remarkable Judgment, and one little -known) when this inhuman Judge was thundering at his victims--so -that some went mad and even dropped down dead with fear--he was -himself, as Humphrey hath assured me, suffering the most horrible -pain from a dire disease; so that the terrors of his voice and of -his fiery eyes were partly due to the agony of his disease, and -he was enduring all through that Assize, in his own body, pangs -greater than any that he ordered! As for his miserable end, and the -fate that overtook his master, that we know; and candid souls cannot -but confess that here were truly Judgments of God, visible for all -to see and acknowledge. But no pen can truly depict what the eye saw -and the ear heard during that terrible time. And, think you, if it -was a terrible and a wretched time for those who had no relations -among the rebels, and only looked on and saw these bloody executions -and heard the lamentations of the poor women who lost their lovers -or their husbands, what must it have been for me, and those like -me, whose friends and all whom they loved--yea, all, all!--were -overwhelmed in one common ruin, and expected nothing but death? - -Our own misery I cannot truly set forth. Sometimes the memory of it -comes back to me, and it is as if long afterwards one should feel -again the sharpness of the surgeon's knife. Oh! since I must write -down what happened, let me be brief. And you who read it, if you -find the words cold where you would have looked for fire; if you -find no tears where there should have been weeping and wailing, -remember that in the mere writing have been shed again (but these -you cannot see) the tears which belonged to that time, and in the -writing have been renewed (but these you cannot hear) the sobbings -and wailings and terrors of that dreadful autumn. - -The soldiers belonged to a company of Grenadiers of Trelawny's -Regiment, stationed at Ilminster, whither they carried the -prisoners. First they handcuffed Barnaby, but, on his giving his -parole not to escape, they let him go free; and he proved useful in -the handling of the cart on which my unhappy father lay. And, though -the soldiers' talk was ribald, their jests unseemly, and their -cursing and swearing seemed verily to invite the wrath of God, yet -they proved honest fellows in the main. They offered no rudeness to -us, nor did they object to our going with the prisoners; nay, they -even gave us bread and meat and cider from their own provisions when -they halted for dinner at noon. Barnaby walked sometimes with the -soldiers, and sometimes with us; with them he talked freely, and as -if he were their comrade and not their prisoner: with us he put in a -word of encouragement or consolation, such as 'Mother, we shall find -a way out of this coil yet;' or 'Sister, we shall cheat Tom Hangman. -Look not so gloomy upon it;' or, again, he reminded us that many a -shipwrecked sailor gets safe ashore, and that where there are so -many they cannot hang all. 'Would the King,' he asked, 'hang up the -whole county of Somerset?' But he had already told me too much. In -his heart I knew he had small hope of escape; yet he preserved his -cheerfulness, and walked towards his prison (to outward seeming) as -insensible of fear, and with as unconcerned a countenance as if he -were going to a banquet or a wedding. This cheerfulness of his was -due to a happy confidence in the ordering of things rather than -to insensibility. A sailor sees men die in many ways, yet himself -remains alive. This gives him something of the disposition of the -Oriental, who accepts his fate with outward unconcern, whatever it -may be. Perhaps (I know not) there may have been in his mind that -religious Assurance of which he had told me. Did Barnaby at this -period, when death was very near unto him, really believe that there -was one religion for landsmen and another for sailors--one way to -heaven for ministers, another for seamen? Indeed, I cannot tell; -yet how otherwise account for his courage and cheerfulness at all -times--even in the very presence of death? - -'Brother,' he asked the Sergeant, 'we have been lying hid for a -fortnight, and have heard no news. Tell me, how go the hangings?' - -'Why, Captain,' the fellow replied with a grin, 'in this respect -there is little for the rebels to complain of. They ought to be -satisfied, so far, with the attentions paid to them. Lord Feversham -hanged twenty odd to begin with. Captain Adlan and three others are -trussed up in chains for their greater honour; and, in order to put -the rest in good heart, one of them ran a race with a horse, being -promised his life if he should win. When he had beaten the horse, -his Lordship, who was ever a merry man, ordered him to be hanged -just to laugh at him. And hanged he was.' - -'Ay,' said Barnaby, 'thus do the Indians in America torture their -prisoners first and kill them afterwards.' - -'There are two hundred prisoners laying in Weston Zoyland church,' -the Sergeant went on; 'they would have been hanged, too, but the -Bishop interfered. Now they are waiting to be tried. Lord! what -signifies trial, except to give them longer rope?' - -'Ay, ay; and how go things in Bridgwater and Taunton?' - -'From Weston to Bridgwater there is a line of gibbets already; in -Taunton, twenty, I believe, have swung--twenty, at least. The drums -beat, the fifes played, and the trumpets sounded, and Colonel Kirke -drank to the health of every man (such was his condescension!) -before he was turned off. 'Twould have done your heart good, -Captain, only to see the brave show.' - -'Ay, ay,' said Barnaby, unmoved; 'very like, very like. Perhaps I -shall have the opportunity of playing first part in another brave -show if all goes well. Hath the Duke escaped?' - -'We heard yesterday that he is taken somewhere near the New Forest. -So that he will before long lay his lovely head upon the block. -Captain, your friends have brought their pigs to a pretty market.' - -'They have, Brother; they have,' replied Barnaby, still with unmoved -countenance. 'Yet many a man hath recovered from worse straits than -these.' - -I listened with sinking heart. Much I longed to ask if the Sergeant -knew aught of Robin; but I refrained, lest merely to name him might -put the soldiers on the look-out for him, should he, happily, be in -hiding. - -Next the Sergeant told us (which terrified me greatly) that there -was no part of the country where they were not scouring for -fugitives; that they were greatly assisted by the clergy, who, he -said, were red-hot for King James; that the men were found hiding, -as we had hidden, in linneys, in hedges, in barns, in woods; that -they were captured by treachery--by information laid, and even, most -cruel thing of all, by watching and following the men's sweethearts -who were found taking food to them. He said also that, at the -present rate, they would have to enlarge their prisons to admit ten -times their number, for they were haling into them not only the men -who had followed Monmouth, but also those who had helped him with -money, arms, or men. The Sergeant was a brutal fellow, yet there -was about him something of good nature, and even of compassion for -the men he had captured. But he seemed to take delight in speaking -of the sufferings of the unfortunate prisoners. The soldiers, he -told us, were greatly enraged towards the rebels--not, I suppose, -on account of their rebellion, because three years later they -themselves showed how skin-deep was their loyalty, but because the -rustics, whom they thought contemptible, had surprised and nearly -beaten them. And this roused in them the spirit of revenge. - -'Captain,' said the Sergeant, ''tis pity that so lusty a gentleman -as thou shouldst die. Hast thou no friends at Court? No? Nor any who -would speak for thee? 'Tis pity. Yet a man can die but once. With -such a thick neck as thine, bespeak, if so much grace be accorded -thee, a long rope and a high gallows. Else, when it comes to the -quartering'--he stopped and shook his head--'but there--I wish you -well out of it, Captain.' - -In the evening, just before sunset, we arrived at Ilminster, after a -sad and weary march of ten miles, at least; but we could not leave -the prisoners until we knew how and where they were bestowed; and -during all this time my mother, who commonly walked not abroad from -one Sabbath to the next, was possessed with such a spirit that she -seemed to feel no weariness. When we rode all night in order to join -the Duke she complained not; when we rode painfully across the hills -to Taunton she murmured not; nor when we carried our wounded man -up the rough and steep comb; no, nor on this day, when she walked -beside her husband's head, careful lest the motion of the cart -should cause him pain. But he felt nothing, poor soul! He would feel -nothing any more. - -Ilminster is a goodly town, rich and prosperous with its spinners -and weavers. This evening, however, there was no one in the streets -except the troopers, who swaggered up and down or sat drinking at -the tavern door. There is a broad open place before the market, -which stands upon great stone pillars. Outside the market is -the Clink, whither the soldiers were taking their prisoners. -The troopers paid not the least heed to our mournful little -procession--a wounded man; a prisoner in scarlet and lace, but the -cloth tattered and stained and the lace torn. They were only two -more men on their way to death. What doth a soldier care for the -sight of a man about to die? - -'Mother,' said Barnaby when we drew near the prison gates, 'come not -within. I will do all that I can for him. Go now and find a decent -lodging, and, Sister, hark ye, the lads in our army were rough, but -they were as lambs compared with these swaggering troopers. Keep -snug, therefore, and venture not far abroad.' - -I whispered in his ear that I had his bag of money safe, so that -he could have whatever he wanted if that could be bought. Then the -prison gates were closed, and we stood without. - -It would have been hard indeed if the wife and daughter of Dr. -Comfort Eykin could not find a lodging among godly people, of whom -there are always many in every town of Somerset. We presently -obtained a room in the house of one Martha Prior, widow of the -learned and pious Joshua Prior, whilom preacher and ejected -minister. Her case was as hard as our own. This poor woman had two -sons only, and both had gone to join the Duke; one already risen to -be a Master Serge-maker and one a Draper of the town. Of her sons -she could hear no news at all: whether they were alive or dead. -If they were already dead, or if they should be hanged, she would -have no means of support, and so must starve or eat the bread of -charity. (I learned afterwards that she never did hear anything of -them, so that it is certain that they must have been killed on the -battle-field or cut down by the dragoons in trying to escape. But -the poor soul survived not long their loss.) - -The church of Ilminster stands upon a rising ground; on the north -of the church is the grammar school, and on the other three sides -are houses of the better sort, of which Mrs. Prior had one. The -place, which surrounds the churchyard, and hath no inn or ale-house -in it, is quiet and retired. The soldiers came not thither, except -once or twice, with orders to search the houses (and with a private -resolution to drink everything that they might lay their hands -upon), so that, for two poor women in our miserable circumstances, -we could not have a more quiet lodging. - -Despite our troubles, I slept so well that night that it was -past seven in the morning when I awoke. The needs of the body do -sometimes overcome the cares of the spirit. For a whole fortnight -had we been making our beds on the heather, and, therefore, without -taking off our clothes; and that day we had walked ten miles, at -least, with the soldiers, so that I slept without moving or waking -all the night. In the morning, I dressed quickly and hurried to the -jail, not knowing whether I might be admitted or should be allowed -speech of Barnaby. Outside the gate, however, I found a crowd of -people going into the prison and coming out of it. Some of them, -women like ourselves, were weeping--they were those whose brothers -or lovers, husbands or sons, were in those gloomy walls. Others -there were who brought, for such of the prisoners as had money to -buy them, eggs, butter, white bread, chickens, fruit, and all kinds -of provisions; some brought wine, cider, and ale; some, tobacco. The -warders who stood at the gates made no opposition to those who would -enter. I pressed in with a beating heart, prepared for a scene of -the most dreadful repentance and gloomy forebodings. What I saw was -quite otherwise. - -The gates of the prison opened upon a courtyard, not very big, where -the people were selling their wares, and some of the prisoners were -walking about, and some were chaffering with the women who had the -baskets. On the right-hand side of the yard was the Clink itself; on -the left hand were houses for the warders or officers of the prison. -In general, a single warder, constable, or head-borough is enough -for a town such as Ilminster, to keep the peace of the prison, which -is for the most part empty, save when they enforce some new Act -against Nonconformists and fill it with them or with Quakers. Now, -however, so great was the press that, instead of two, there were -a dozen guards, and, while a stout cudgel had always been weapon -enough, now every man went armed with pike and cutlass to keep order -and prevent escapes. Six of them occupied the gate-house; other six -were within, in a sort of guard-house, where they slept on the left -hand of the court. - -The ground floor of the Clink we found to be a large room, at -least forty feet each side in bigness. On one side of it was a -great fireplace, where, though it was the month of July, there was -burning a great fire of Welsh coal, partly for cooking purposes, -because all that the prisoners ate was cooked at this fire; and -partly because a great fire kept continually burning sweetens the -air, and wards off jail fever. On another side was a long table and -several benches. Thick wooden pillars supported the joists of the -rooms above; the windows were heavily barred, but the shutters had -been taken down, and there was no glass in them. In spite of fire -and open windows, the place was stifling, and smelt most horrible. -Never have I breathed so foul an air. There lived in this room about -eighty prisoners (later on the numbers were doubled); some were -smoking tobacco and drinking cider or ale; some were frying pieces -of meat or smoked herrings over the fire; and the tobacco, the ale, -the wine, the cooking, and the people themselves--nearly all country -lads, unwashed, who had slept since Sedgemoor, at least, in the same -clothes without once changing--made so foul an air that jail fever, -putrid throats, and small-pox (all of which afterwards broke out) -should have been expected sooner. - -They were all talking, laughing, and even singing, so that, in -addition to the noisome stench of the place, there was such a din as -one may hear at Sherborne Fair of an evening. I expected, as I have -said, a gloomy silence with the rattling of chains, the groans of -those who looked for death, and, perhaps, a godly repentance visible -upon every countenance. Yet they were all laughing, except a few who -sat retired and who were wounded. I say that they were all laughing. -They had nothing to expect but death, or at the best to be horribly -flogged, to be transported, to be fined, branded, and ruined. Yet -they laughed! What means this hardness and indifference in men? -Could they not think of the women they had left at home? I warrant -that none of them were laughing. - -Among them--a pipe of tobacco in his lips and a mug of strong ale -before him on the table, his hat flung backwards--sat Barnaby, his -face showing, apparently, complete satisfaction with his lot. - -When he saw us at the door, he rose and came to meet us. - -'Welcome,' he said. 'This is one of the places where King Monmouth's -men are to receive the honour due to them. Courage, gentle hearts. -Be not cast down. Everywhere the prisons are full, and more are -brought in every day. Our very numbers are our safety. They cannot -hang us all. And hark!' here he whispered, 'Sister, we now know -that Colonel Kirke hath been selling pardons at ten pounds, twenty -pounds, and thirty pounds apiece. Wherefore we are well assured that -somehow or other we shall be able to buy our release. There are -plenty besides Colonel Kirke who will sell a prisoner his freedom.' - -'Where is your father?' asked my mother. - -'He is bestowed above, where it is quieter, except for the groaning -of the wounded. Go up-stairs, and you will find him. And there is -a surprise for you, besides. You will find with him one you little -expect to see.' - -'Oh! Barnaby, is there new misery for me? Is Robin a prisoner?' - -'Robin is not here, Sis; and as for misery, why, that is as you take -it. To be sure the man above is in prison, but no harm will happen -to him. Why should it? He did not go out with Monmouth's men. But go -up-stairs--go up-stairs, and see for yourselves.' - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI. - -SIR CHRISTOPHER. - - -I know not whom I expected to find in consequence of Barnaby's -words, as we went up the dark and dirty stairs which led to the -upper room. Robin was not a prisoner. Why--then--but I knew not what -I thought, all being strange and dreadful. - -At the top of the stairs we found ourselves in a room of the same -size as the lower chamber, but not so high, and darker, being a -gloomy place indeed, insomuch that it was not for some minutes that -one could plainly discern things. It was lighted by a low, long -window, set very close with thick bars, the shutters thrown open -so that all the light and air possible to be admitted might come -in. It had a great fireplace, but there was no fire burning, and -the air of the room struck raw, though outside it was a warm and -sunny day. The roof was supported, as in the room below, by means of -thick square pillars, studded with great nails set close together, -for what purpose I know not. Every part of the woodwork in the room -was in the same way stuck full of nails. On the floor lay half a -score mattresses, the property of those who could afford to pay the -warders an exorbitant fee for the luxury. At Ilminster, as I am -told, at Newgate, the chief prison of the country, the same custom -obtains of exacting heavy fees from the poor wretches clapped into -ward. It is, I suppose, no sin to rob the criminal, the debtor, the -traitor, or the rebel. For those who had nothing to pay there were -only a few bundles of straw, and on these were lying half a dozen -wretches, whose white faces and glazed eyes showed that they would -indeed cheat Tom the Hangman, though not in the way that Barnaby -hoped. These were wounded either in the Sedgemoor fight or in their -attempt to escape. - -My father lay on a pallet bed. His face showed not the least change; -his eyes were closed, and you would have thought him dead; and -beside him, also on a pallet, sat, to my astonishment, none other -than Sir Christopher himself. - -He rose and came to meet us, smiling sadly. - -'Madam,' he said, taking my mother's hand, 'we meet in a doleful -place, and we are, indeed, in wretched plight. I cannot bid you -welcome; I cannot say that I am glad to see you. There is nothing -that I can say of comfort or of hope, except, which you know -already, that we are always in the hands of the Lord.' - -'Sir Christopher,' said my mother, 'it was kind and neighbourly in -you to come. But you were always his best friend. Look at his poor -white face!' she only thought upon her husband. 'You would think -him dead! More than a fortnight he hath lain thus--motionless. I -think he feels no pain. Husband, if thou canst hear me, make some -sign--if it be but to open one eye! No!' she cried. 'Day after day -have I thus entreated him and he makes no answer! He neither sees -nor hears! Yet he doth not die; wherefore I think that he may yet -recover speech and sit up again, and presently, perhaps, walk about, -and address himself again unto his studies.' - -She waited not for any answer, but knelt down beside him and poured -some drops of milk into the mouth of the sick man. Sir Christopher -looked at her mournfully and shook his head. - -Then he turned to me, and kissed me without saying a word. - -'Oh! Sir,' I cried, 'how could you know that my father would be -brought unto this place? With what goodness of heart have you come -to our help!' - -'Nay, child,' he replied gravely, 'I came because I had no choice -but to come. Like your father and your brother, Alice, I am a -prisoner.' - -'You, Sir? You a prisoner? Why, you were not with the Duke.' - -'That is most true. And yet a prisoner. Why, after the news of -Sedgemoor fight I looked for nothing else. They tried to arrest -Mr. Speke, but he has fled; they have locked up Mr. Prideaux, of -Ford Abbey; Mr. Trenchard has retired across the seas. Why should -they pass me over? Nay, there were abundant proofs of my zeal for -the Duke. My grandson and my grandnephew had joined the rebels. -Your father and brother rode over to Lyme on my horses; with my -grandson rode off a dozen lads of the village. What more could -they want? Moreover, I am an old soldier of Lord Essex's army; -and, to finish, they found in the window-seat a copy of Monmouth's -Declaration--which, indeed, I had forgotten, or I might have -destroyed it.' - -'Alas! alas!' I cried, wringing my hands. 'Your Honour, too, a -prisoner!' - -Since the Sergeant spoke to Barnaby about the interest of friends, -I had been thinking that Sir Christopher, whose power and interest, -I fondly thought, must be equal to those of any Lord in the land, -would interpose to save us all. And he was now a prisoner himself, -involved in the common ruin! One who stands upon a bridge and sees -with terror the last support carried away by the raging flood feels -such despair as fell upon my soul. - -'Oh, Sir!' I cried again. 'It is Line upon Line--Woe upon Woe!' - -He took my hand in his, and held it tenderly. - -'My child,' he said, 'to an old man of seventy-five what doth it -matter whether he die in his bed or whether he die upon a scaffold? -Through the pains of death, as through a gate, we enter upon our -rest.' - -'It is dreadful!' I cried again. 'I cannot endure it!' - -'The shame and ignominy of this death,' he said, 'I shall, I trust, -regard lightly. We have struck a blow for Freedom and for Faith. -Well; we have been suffered to fail. The time hath not yet come. -Yet, in the end, others shall carry on the Cause, and Religion shall -prevail. Shall we murmur who have been God's instruments?' - -'Alas! alas!' I cried again. - -'To me, sweet child, it is not terrible to contemplate my end. But -it is sad to think of thee, and of thy grave and bitter loss. Hast -thou heard news of Robin and of Humphrey?' - -'Oh, Sir!--are they also in prison--are they here?' - -'No; but I have news of them. I have a letter brought to me but -yesterday. Read it, my child, read it.' - -He pulled the letter out of his pocket and gave it to me. Then I -read aloud, and thus it ran:-- - - 'Honoured Sir and Grandfather, - -'I am writing this letter from the prison of Exeter, where, with -Humphrey and about two hundred or more of our poor fellows, I am -laid by the heels, and shall so continue until we shall all be tried. - -'It is rumoured that Lord Jeffreys will come down to try us, and we -are assured by report that the King shows himself revengeful, and -is determined that there shall be no mercy shown. After Sedgemoor -fight they hanged, as you will have heard, many of the prisoners -at Weston Zoyland, at Bridgwater, and at Taunton, without trial. -If the King continue in this disposition it is very certain that, -though the common sort may be forgiven, the gentlemen and those who -were officers in the rebel army will certainly not escape. Therefore -I have no hope but to conclude my life upon the gallows--a thing -which, I confess, I had never looked to do. But I hope to meet my -fate with courage and resignation. - -'Humphrey is with me, and it is some comfort (though I know not -why) that we shall stand or fall together; for if I was a Captain -in the army he was a Chyrurgeon. That he was also a secret agent of -the exiles, and that he stirred up the Duke's friends on his way -from London to Sherborne, that they know not, or it would certainly -go hard with him. What do I say? Since they will hang him, things -cannot very well go harder. - -'When the fight was over, and the Duke and Lord Grey fled, there was -nothing left but to escape as best we might. I hope that some of the -Bradford lads will make their way home in safety: they stood their -ground and fought valiantly. Nay, if we had been able to arm all who -volunteered and would have enlisted, and if our men had all shown -such a spirit as your valiant lads of Bradford Orcas, then, I say, -the enemy must have been cut to pieces. - -'When we had no choice left but to run, I took the road to -Bridgwater, intending to ride back to that place, where, perhaps, -our forces might be rallied. But this proved hopeless. There I -found, however, Humphrey, and we resolved that the safest plan would -be to ride by way of Taunton and Exeter, leaving behind us the -great body of the King's army, and so escape to London if possible, -where we should certainly find hiding-places in plenty, until the -pursuit should be at an end. Our plan was to travel along byways -and bridle-paths, and that by night only, hiding by day in barns, -linneys, and the like. We had money for the charges of our journey. -Humphrey would travel as a physician returning to London from the -West as soon as we had gotten out of the insurgents' country; I was -to be his servant. Thus we arranged the matter in our minds, and -already I thought that we were safe, and in hiding somewhere in -London, or across the seas in the Low Countries again. - -'Well, to make short my story, we got no further than Exeter, where -we were betrayed by a rascal countryman who recognised us, caused -us to be arrested, and swore to us. Thereupon we were clapped into -jail, where we now lie. - -'Hon'd Sir: Humphrey, I am sorry to write, is much cast down, not -because he dreads death, which he doth not, any more than to lie -upon his bed; but because he hath, he says, drawn so many to their -ruin. He numbers me among those--though, indeed, it was none of his -doing, but by my own free will, that I entered upon this business, -which, contrary to reasonable expectation, hath turned out so ill. -Wherefore, dear Sir, since there is no one in the world whose -opinion and counsel Humphrey so greatly considers as your own, I -pray you, of your goodness, send him some words of consolation and -cheer.' - -'That will I, right readily,' said Sir Christopher. 'At least the -poor lad cannot accuse himself of dragging me into the Clink.' - -'I hear,' continued Robin's letter, 'that my mother hath gone with -Mr. Boscorel to London, to learn if aught can be done for us. If -she do not return before we are finished, bid her think kindly of -Humphrey and not to lay these things to his charge. As for my dear -girl, my Alice, I hear nothing of her. Miss Blake, who led the Maids -when they gave the flags to the Duke, is, I hear, clapped into -prison. Alice is not spoken of. I am greatly perturbed in spirit -concerning her, and I would gladly, if that might be compassed, -have speech with her before I die. I fear she will grieve and weep; -but not more than I myself at leaving her, poor maid! I hear, also, -nothing concerning her father, who was red-hot for the Cause, and -therefore, I fear, will not be passed over or forgotten. Nor do I -hear aught of Barnaby, who, I hope, hath escaped on shipboard, as -he said that he should do if things went ajar. Where are they all? -The roads are covered with rough men, and it is not fit for such -as Alice and her mother to be travelling. I hope that they have -returned in safety to Bradford Orcas, and that my old master, Dr. -Eykin, hath forgotten his zeal for the Protestant Duke, and is -already seated again among his books. If that is so, tell Alice, -Honoured Sir, that there is no hour of the day or night but I think -of her continually; that the chief pang of my approaching fate is -the thought that I shall leave her in sorrow, and that I cannot say -or do anything to stay her sorrow. Comfort her I cannot, save with -words which will come better from the saintly lips of her father. I -again pray thee to assure her of my faithful love. Tell her that the -recollection of her sweet face and steadfast eyes fills me with so -great a longing that I would fain die at once so as to bring nearer -the moment when we shall be able to sit together in heaven. My life -hath been glorified, if I may say so in humility, by her presence in -my heart, which drove away all common and unclean things. Of such -strength is earthly love. Nay, I could not, I now perceive, be happy -even with the joys of heaven if she were not by my side. Where is -she, my heart, my love? Pray God, she is in safety. - -'And now, Sir, I have no more to say: The prison is a hot and -reeking place; at night it is hard to bear the foulness and the -stench of it. Humphrey says that we may shortly expect some jail -fever or small-pox to break out among us, in which case the work of -the Judges may be lightened. The good people of this ancient city -are in no way afraid of the King's vindictiveness, but send in of -their bounty quantity of provisions--fruit, eggs, fresh meat, salted -meat, ale, and cider--every day for the poor prisoners, which shows -which way their opinions do lean, even although the clergy are -against us. Honoured Sir, I am sure and certain that the miscarriage -of our enterprise was caused by the conduct of those who had us in -hand. In a year or two there shall be seen (but not by us) another -uprising; under another leader with another end. - -'So no more. I send to thee, dear and Honoured Sir, my bounden duty -and my grateful thanks for all that I owe to your tender care and -affection. Pray my mother, for me, to mourn no more for me than is -becoming to one of her piety and virtue. - -'Alas! it is thinking upon her, and upon my poor lost Alice, that -my heart is wellnigh torn in pieces. But (tell Humphrey) through no -fault--no--through no fault of his. - -'From thy dutiful and obedient grandson,-- - - 'R. C.' - -I read this all through. Then I folded up the letter and returned it -to Sir Christopher. As he took it the tears came into his dear and -venerable eyes and rolled down his cheeks. - -'My dear--my dear,' he said, 'it is hard to bear. Everyone who is -dear to thee will go; there is an end of all; unless some way, of -which we know nothing, be opened unto us.' - -'Why,' I said, 'if we were all dead and buried, and our souls -together in heaven'---- - -'Patience, my dear,' said the old man. - -'Oh! must they all die--all? My heart will burst! Oh! Sir, will not -one suffice for all? Will they not take me and hang me, and let the -rest go free?' - -'Child,' he took my hand between his own, 'God knows that if -one life would suffice for all, it should be mine. Nay, I would -willingly die ten times over to save thy Robin for thee. He is not -dead yet, however. Nor is he sentenced. There are so many involved -that we may hope for a large measure of mercy. Nay, more. His mother -hath gone to London, as he says in his letter, with my son-in-law, -Philip Boscorel, to see if aught can be done, even to the selling of -my whole estate, to procure the enlargement of the boys. I know not -if anything can be done, but be assured Philip Boscorel will leave -no stone unturned.' - -'Oh! can money buy a pardon? I have two hundred gold pieces. They -are Barnaby's'---- - -'Then, my dear, they must be used to buy pardon for Barnaby and thy -father--though I doubt whether any pardon need be bought for one who -is brought so low.' - -Beside the bed my mother sat crouched, watching his white face as -she had done all day long in our hiding-place. I think she heeded -nothing that went on around her, being wrapped in her hopes and -prayers for the wounded man. - -Then Sir Christopher kissed me gently on the forehead. - -'They say the King is unforgiving, my dear. Expect not, therefore, -anything. Say to thyself, every morning, that all must die. To know -the worst brings with it something of consolation. Robin must die; -Humphrey must die; your brother Barnaby must die; your father--but -he is wellnigh dead already--and I myself, all must die upon the -scaffold if we escape this noisome jail. In thinking of this, -remember who will be left. My dear, if thou art as a widow and yet -a maiden, I charge thee solemnly that thou forget thine own private -griefs and minister to those who will have none but thee to help -them. Live not for thyself, but to console and solace those who, -like thyself bereaved, will need thy tender cares.' - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII. - -BEFORE THE ASSIZE. - - -Then we sat down and waited. 'Twas all that we could do. Day after -day we went to the prison, where my mother sat by my father, whose -condition never changed in the least, being always that of one who -slept, or, if his eyes were open, was unconscious, and though he -might utter a few rambling words, had no command of his mind or of -his speech. Wherefore we hoped that he suffered nothing. ''Twas a -musket ball had struck,' the surgeon said, 'in his backbone between -the shoulders, whereby his powers of motion and of thought were -suspended.' I know not whether anyone attempted to remove the ball, -or whether it was lodged there at all, because I am ignorant of -such matters; and to me, whether he had been struck in the back or -no, it was to my mind sure and certain that the Lord had granted my -father's earnest prayer that he should again be permitted to deliver -openly the message that was upon his soul; nay, had given him three -weeks of continual and faithful preaching, the fruits of which, -could we perceive them, should be abundant. That prayer granted, the -Lord, I thought, was calling him to rest. Therefore, I looked for no -improvement. - -One other letter came from Robin, inclosing one for me, with which -(because I could not leave my mother at such a time) I was forced -to stay my soul, as the lover in the Canticle stayeth his soul -with apples. I have that letter still; it hath been with me always; -it lay hanging from my neck in the little leathern bag in which I -carried the Duke's ring; I read it again and again until I knew it -by heart; yet still I read it again, because even to look at my -lover's writing had in it something of comfort even when things were -at their worst, and Egyptian darkness lay upon my soul. But this -letter I cannot endure to copy out or suffer others to read it, -because it was written for mine own eye in such a time of trouble. -'Oh! my love!' he said. 'Oh, my tender heart!' and then a hundred -prayers for my happiness, and tears for my tears, and hopes for the -future (which would be not the earthly life but the future reserved -by merciful Heaven for those who have been called and chosen). As -for the sharp and painful passage by which we must travel from this -world to the next, Robin bade me take no thought of that at all, but -to think of him either as my lover walking with me as of old beside -the stream at home, or as a spirit waiting for me to join him in the -heavenly choir. And so ending with as many farewells (the letter -being written when he expected the Judges to arrive and the Assize -to begin) as showed his tender love for me. No--I cannot write down -this letter for the eyes of all to read. There are things which must -be kept hidden in our own hearts; and, without doubt, every woman -to whom good fortune hath given a lover such as Robin, with a heart -as fond and a pen as ready (though he could never, like Humphrey, -write sweet verses), hath received an epistle or two like unto mine -for its love and tenderness, but (I hope) without the sadness of -impending death. - -It was four weeks after we were brought to Ilminster that the news -came to us of the coming trials. There were five Judges--but the -world knows but of one, namely, George Lord Jeffreys, Chief Justice -of England--and now, indeed, we began to understand the true misery -of our situation. For everyone knew the character of the Judge, who, -though a young man still, was already the terror alike of prisoners, -witnesses, and juries. It promised to be a black and bloody Assize -indeed, since this man was to be the Judge. - -The aspect of the prison by this time was changed. The songs and -merriment, the horseplay and loud laughter by which the men had at -first endeavoured to keep up their hearts were gone. The country -lads pined and languished in confinement; their cheeks grew pale -and their eyes heavy. Then, the prison was so crowded that there -was barely room for all to lie at night, and the yard was too small -for all to walk therein by day. In the morning, though they opened -all the shutters, the air was so foul that in going into it from -the open one felt sick and giddy, and was sometimes fain to run out -and drink cold water. Oh! the terrible place for an old man such -as Sir Christopher! Yet he endured without murmuring the foulness -and the hardness, comforting the sick, still reproving blasphemies, -and setting an example of cheerfulness. The wounded men all died, I -believe; which, as the event proved, was lucky for them. It would -have saved the rest much suffering if they had all died as well. -And to think that this was only one of many prisons thus crowded -with poor captives! At Wells, Philip's Norton, Shepton Mallet, Bath, -Bridgwater, Taunton, Ilchester, Somerton, Langport, Bristol and -Exeter, there was a like assemblage of poor wretches thus awaiting -their trials. - -I said that there was now little singing. There was, however, -drinking enough, and more than enough. They drank to drown their -sorrows, and to forget the horrid place in which they lay and the -future which awaited them. When they were drunk they would bellow -some of their old songs; but the brawling of a drunkard will not -communicate to his companions the same joy as the music of a merry -heart. - -While we were expecting to hear that the Judge had arrived at -Salisbury, the fever broke out in the prison of Ilminster. At Wells -they were afflicted with the small-pox, but at Ilminster it was jail -fever which fell upon the poor prisoners. Everybody hath heard of -this terrible disorder, which is communicated by those who have it -to those who go among them--namely, to the warders and turnkeys, -and even to the judges and the juries. On the first day after it -broke out--which was with an extraordinary virulence--four poor men -died and were buried the next morning. After this, no day passed -but there were funerals at the churchyard, and the mounds of their -graves--the graves of these poor countrymen who thought to fight -the battles of the Lord--stood side by side in a long row, growing -continually longer. We--that is, good Mrs. Prior and myself--sat at -the window and watched the funerals, praying for the safety of those -we loved. - -So great was the fear of infection in the town that no one was -henceforth allowed within the prison, nor were the warders allowed -to come out of it. This was a sad order for me, because my mother -chose to remain within the prison, finding a garret at the house of -the Chief Constable, and I could no longer visit that good old man, -Sir Christopher, whose only pleasure left had been to converse with -me daily, and, as I now understand, by the refreshment the society -of youth brings to age, to lighten the tedium of his imprisonment. - -Henceforth, therefore, I went to the prison door every morning and -sent in my basket of provisions, but was not suffered to enter; and -though I could have speech with my mother or with Barnaby, they were -on one side the bars and I on the other. - -[Illustration: '_I was standing at the wicket waiting for my basket -to be taken in._'] - -It was at this time that I made the acquaintance of Mr. George -Penne. This creature--a villain, as I afterwards discovered, of -the deepest dye--was to external appearance a grave and sober -merchant. He was dressed in brown cloth and laced shirt, and carried -a gold-headed stick in his hand. He came to Ilminster about the -end of August or the beginning of September, and began to inquire -particularly into the names and the circumstances of the prisoners, -pretending (such was his craftiness) a great tenderness for their -welfare. He did the same thing, we heard afterwards, wherever the -Monmouth prisoners were confined. At Ilminster, the fever being in -the jail, he did not venture within, but stood outside and asked of -any who seemed to know, who were the prisoners within, and what were -their circumstances. - -He accosted me one morning when I was standing at the wicket waiting -for my basket to be taken in. - -'Madam,' he said, 'you are doubtless a friend of some poor prisoner. -Your father or your brother may unhappily be lying within?' - -Now I was grown somewhat cautious by this time. Wherefore, fearing -some kind of snare or trap, I replied gravely, that such, indeed, -might be the case. - -'Then, Madam,' he said, speaking in a soft voice and looking full -of compassion, 'if that be so, suffer me, I pray you, to wish him a -happy deliverance; and this, indeed, from the bottom of my heart.' - -'Sir,' I said, moved by the earnestness of his manner, 'I know not -who you may be, but I thank you. Such a wish, I hope, will not -procure you the reward of a prison. Sir, I wish you a good day.' - -So he bowed and left me, and passed on. - -But next day I found him in the same place. And his eyes were more -filled with compassion than before and his voice was softer. - -'I cannot sleep, Madam,' he said, 'for thinking of these poor -prisoners; I hear that among them is none other than Sir Christopher -Challis, a gentleman of great esteem and well stricken in years. -And there is also the pious and learned--but most unfortunate--Dr. -Comfort Eykin, who rode with the army and preached daily, and is -now, I hear, grievously wounded and bedridden.' - -'Sir,' I said, 'Dr. Comfort Eykin is my father. It is most true that -he is a prisoner, and that he is wounded.' - -He heaved a deep sigh and wiped a tear from his eyes. - -'It is now certain,' he said, 'that Lord Jeffreys will come down to -conduct the trials. Nay, it is reported that he has already arrived -at Salisbury, breathing fire and revenge, and that he hath with him -four other Judges and a troop of horse. What they will do with so -many prisoners I know not. I fear that it will go hard with all; -but, as happens in such cases, those who have money, and know how to -spend it, may speedily get their liberty.' - -'How are they to spend it?' - -'Why, Madam, it is not indeed to be looked for that you should -know. But when the time comes for the trial, should I, as will -very likely happen, be in the way, send for me, and whatever the -sentence I warrant we shall find a way to 'scape it--even if it be a -sentence of death. Send for me--my name is George Penne, and I am a -well-known merchant of Bristol.' - -It was then that Barnaby came to the other side of the wicket. We -could talk, but could not touch each other. - -'All is well, Sis,' he said: 'Dad is neither better nor worse, and -Sir Christopher is hearty, though the prison is like the 'tween -decks of a ship with Yellow Jack aboard--just as sweet and pleasant -for the air and just as merry for the crew.' - -'Barnaby,' I said, 'the Judges are now at Salisbury.' - -'Ay, ay; I thought they would have been there before. We shall be -tried, they tell me, at Wells, which it is thought will be taken -after other towns. So there is still a tidy length of rope. Sis, -this continual smoking of tobacco to keep off infection doth keep a -body dry. Cider will serve, but let it be a runlet, at least.' - -'He called you "Sister," Madam,' said Mr. Penne curiously. 'Have you -brother as well as father in this place?' - -'Alas! Sir, I have not only my father, my mother, and my brother -in this place, but my father-in-law (as I hoped soon to call him); -and in Exeter Jail is my lover and his cousin. Oh! Sir, if you mean -honestly'---- - -'Madam'--he laid his hand upon his breast--'I assure you I am all -honesty. I have no other thought, I swear to you, than to save, if -possible, the lives of these poor men.' - -He walked with me to my lodging, and I there told him not only -concerning our own people, but also all that I knew of the prisoners -in this jail--they were for the most part poor and humble men. -He made notes in a book, which caused me some misgivings; but he -assured me again and again that all he desired was to save their -lives. And I now understand that he spoke the truth indeed, but not -the whole truth. - -'Your brother, for instance,' he said. 'Oh! Madam, 'twere a thousand -pities that so brave a young man, so stout withal, should be -hanged, drawn, and quartered. And your lover at Exeter, doubtless -a tall and proper youth; and the other whom you have named, Dr. -Humphrey Challis, and your grandfather (as I hope he will be) Sir -Christopher; and your own father--why, Madam,' he grew quite warm -upon it, 'if you will but furnish some honest merchant--I say not -myself, because I know not yet if you would trust me--but some -honest merchant with the necessary moneys, I will engage that they -shall all be saved from hanging. To be sure, these are all captains -and officers, and to get their absolute pardon will be a great -matter--perhaps above your means. Yet, Sir Christopher hath a good -estate, I am told.' - -This George Penne was, it is true, a Bristol merchant, engaged in -the West India trade; that is to say, he bought sugar and tobacco, -and had shares in ships which sailed to and from Bristol and -the West Indies, and sometimes made voyages to the Guinea Coast -for negroes. But, in common with many Bristol merchants, he had -another trade, and a very profitable trade it is, namely, what is -called kidnapping: that is, buying or otherwise securing criminals -who have been pardoned or reprieved on condition of going to -the Plantations. They sell these wretches for a term of years to -the planters, and make a great profit by the transaction. And, -foreseeing that there would presently be a rare abundance of such -prisoners, the honest Mr. George Penne was going from prison to -prison finding out what persons of substance there were who would -willingly pay for their sentence to be thus mitigated. In the event, -though things were not ordered exactly as he could have wished, this -worthy man (his true worth you shall presently hear) made a pretty -penny, as the saying is, out of the prisoners. What he made out of -us, and by what lies, you shall learn; but, by ill-fortune for him, -he gat not the fingering of the great sums which he hoped of us. - -And now the news--from Winchester first, and from Dorchester -afterwards--filled the hearts of all with a dismay which it is -beyond all power of words to tell. For if an ancient lady of good -repute (though the widow of a regicide), such a woman as Lady Lisle, -seventy years of age, could be condemned to be burned--and was, in -fact, beheaded--for no greater offence than harbouring two rebels, -herself ignorant of who they were or whence they came, what could -any hope who had actually borne arms? And, again, at Dorchester, -thirty who pleaded not guilty were found guilty and condemned to be -hanged, and nearly three hundred who pleaded guilty were sentenced -to be hanged at the same time. It was not an idle threat intended to -terrify the rest, because thirteen of the number were executed on -the following Monday, and eighty afterwards. Among those who were -first hanged were many whom we knew. The aged and pious Mr. Sampson -Larke, the Baptist Minister of Lyme, for instance, was one; Colonel -Holmes (whom the King had actually pardoned) was another; and young -Mr. Hewling--whose case was like that of Robin. This terrible news -caused great despondency and choking in the prison, where also the -fever daily carried off one or two. - -Oh! my poor heart fell, and I almost lost the power of prayer, when -I heard that from Dorchester the Judge was riding in great state, -driving his prisoners before him to Exeter, where there were two -hundred waiting their trial. And among them Robin--Alas! alas!--my -Robin. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII. - -BENJAMIN. - - -It was the evening of September the Sixteenth, about nine of the -clock. I was sitting alone in my lodging. Downstairs I heard the -voice of the poor widow, Mrs. Prior, who had received us. She was -praying aloud with some godly friends for the safety of her sons. -These young men, as I have said, were never more heard of, and were -therefore already, doubtless, past praying for. I, who ought to -have been praying with them, held Robin's last letter in my hands. -I knew it by heart; but I must still be reading it again and again; -thinking it was his voice which was indeed speaking to me, trying to -feel his presence near me, to hear his breath, to see his very eyes. -In the night, waking or sleeping, I still would hear him calling -to me aloud. 'My heart! my life! my love!' he would cry. I heard -him, I say, quite plainly. By special mercy and grace this power -was accorded to me; because I have no doubt that in his mind, while -lying in his noisome prison, he did turn his thoughts, yea, and -the yearnings of his fond heart, to the maid he loved. But now the -merciless Judge who had sentenced three hundred men to one common -doom--three hundred men!--was such a sentence ever known?--had left -Dorchester, and was already, perhaps, at Exeter. Oh!--perhaps Robin -had by this time stood his trial: what place was left for prayer? -For if the poor, ignorant clowns were condemned to death, how much -more the gentlemen, the officers of Monmouth's army! Perhaps he was -already executed--my lover, my boy, my Robin!--taken out and hanged, -and now a cold and senseless corpse! Then the wailings and prayers -of the poor woman below, added to the distraction of these thoughts, -made me feel as if I was indeed losing my senses. At this time, it -was blow upon blow--line upon line. The sky was black--the heavens -were deaf. Is there--can there be--a more miserable thing than to -feel that the very heavens are deaf? The mercy of the Lord--His -kindly hearkening to our cries and prayers--these we believe as -we look for the light of day and the warmth of the sun. Nay, this -belief is the very breath of our life; so that there is none but -the most hardened and abandoned sinner who doth not still feel -that he hath in the Lord a Father as well as a Judge. To lose that -belief--'twere better to be a lump of senseless clay. The greatest -misery of the lost soul, even greater than his continual torment of -fire, and his never-ending thirst, and the gnawing of remorse, must -be to feel that the heavens are deaf to his prayers--deaf for ever -and for ever! - -At this time, my prayers were all for safety. 'Safety, good Lord! -give them safety! Save them from the executioner? Give them safety?' -Thus, as Barnaby said, the shipwrecked mariner clinging to the -mast asks not for a green, pleasant, and fertile shore, but for -land--only for land. I sat there, musing sadly, the Bible on the -table and a lighted candle. I read not in the Bible, but listened -to the wailing of the poor soul below, and looked at the churchyard -without, the moonlight falling upon the fresh mounds which covered -the graves of the poor dead prisoners. Suddenly I heard a voice--a -loud and harsh voice--and footsteps. I knew both footsteps and -voice, and I sprang to my feet trembling, because I was certain that -some new disaster had befallen us. - -Then the steps mounted the stairs; the door was opened, and -Benjamin--none other than Benjamin--appeared. What did he here? He -was so big, with so red a face, that his presence seemed to fill -the room. And with him--what did this mean?--came Madam herself, -who I thought to have been at Exeter. Alas! her eyes were red with -weeping; her cheeks were thin and wasted with sorrow; her lips were -trembling. - -'Alice!' she cried, holding out her hands. 'Child, these terrible -things are done, and yet we live! Alas! we live! Are our hearts made -of stone that we still live? As for me, I cannot die, though I lose -all--all--all!' - -'Dear Madam, what hath happened? More misery! More disaster! Oh! -tell me! tell me!' - -'Oh! my dear, they have been tried--they have been tried, and -they are condemned to die--both Robin--my son Robin--and with him -Humphrey, who dragged him into the business and alone ought to -suffer for both. But there is now no justice in the land. No--no -more justice can be had. Else Humphrey should have suffered for all.' - -There was something strange in her eyes--she did not look like a -mother robbed of her children; she gazed upon me as if there was -something else upon her mind. As if the condemnation of her son was -not enough. - -'Robin will be hanged,' she went on. 'He hath been the only comfort -of my life since my husband was taken from me, when he was left an -infant in my arms. Robin will be hanged like any common gipsy caught -stealing a sheep. He will be hanged, and drawn and quartered, and -those goodly limbs of his will be stuck upon poles for all to see!' - -Truly I looked for nothing less. Barnaby bade me look for nothing -less than this; but at the news I fell into a swoon. So one who -knoweth beforehand that he is to feel the surgeon's knife, and -thinks to endure the agony without a cry, is fain to shriek and -scream when the moment comes. - -When I recovered I was sitting at the open window, Madam applying a -wet cloth to my forehead. - -'Have no fear,' Benjamin was saying. 'She will do what you command -her, so only that he may go free.' - -'Is there no way but that?' she asked. - -'None!' And then he swore a great oath. - -My eyes being opened and my sense returned, I perceived that Mrs. -Prior was also in the room. And I wondered (in such moments the mind -finds relief in trifles) that Benjamin's face should have grown so -red and his cheeks so fat. - -'Thou hast been in a swoon, my dear,' said Madam. 'But 'tis past.' -'Why is Benjamin here?' I asked. - -He looked at Madam, who cast down her eyes, I knew not why. - -'Benjamin is now our only friend,' she replied without looking up. -'It is out of his kindness--yes--his kindness of heart that he hath -come.' - -'I do not understand. If Robin is to die what kindness can he show?' - -'Tell her, Benjamin,' said Madam, 'tell her of the trials at Exeter.' - -'His Lordship came to Exeter,' Benjamin began, 'on the evening of -September the Thirteenth, escorted by many country gentlemen and -a troop of horse. I had the honour of riding with him. The trials -began the day before yesterday, the Fourteenth.' - -'Pray, good Sir,' asked the poor woman who had lost her sons, 'did -you observe my boys among the prisoners?' - -'How the devil should I know your boys?' he replied, turning upon -her roughly, so that she asked no more questions. 'If they were -rebels they deserve hanging'--here she shrieked aloud, and fled -the room. 'The trials began with two fellows who pleaded "Not -guilty," but were quickly proved to have been in arms, and were -condemned to death, one of them being sent out to instant execution. -The rest who were brought up that day--among whom were Robin and -Humphrey--pleaded "Guilty," being partly terrified and partly -persuaded that it was their only chance of escape. So they, too, -were condemned--two hundred and forty in all--every man Jack of -them, to be hanged, drawn, and quartered, and their limbs to be -afterwards stuck on poles for the greater terror of evildoers'--he -said these words with such a fire in his eyes, and in such a -dreadful threatening voice, as made me tremble. 'Then they were all -taken back to jail, where they will lie until the day of execution, -and the Lord have mercy upon their souls!' - -The terrible Judge Jeffreys himself could not look more terrible -than Benjamin when he uttered the prayer with which a sentence to -death is concluded. - -'Benjamin, were you in the court to see and hear the condemnation of -your own cousins?' - -'I was. I sat in the body of the court, in the place reserved for -Counsel.' - -'Could you say nothing that would help them?' - -'Nothing. Not a word from anyone could help them. Consider--one of -them was an officer, and one a surgeon in the army. The ignorant -rustics whom they led may some of them escape, but the officers can -look for no mercy.' - -'Madam,' I cried, 'I must see Robin before he dies; though, God -knows, there are those here who want my services daily. Yet I must -see Robin. He will not die easy unless he can see me and kiss me -once.' - -Madam made no reply. - -'For a week,' said Benjamin, 'they are safe. I do not think they -will be executed for a week at least. But it is not wise to reckon -on a reprieve even for an hour: the Judge may at any time order -their execution.' - -'I will go to-morrow.' - -'That will be seen,' said Benjamin. - -'My dear,' said Madam, 'my nephew Benjamin is a friend of the Judge, -Lord Jeffreys.' - -'Say rather a follower and admirer of that great, learned, and -religious man. One who is yet but a member of the Outer Bar must not -assume the style and title of friend to a man whose next step must -be the Woolsack.' - -'Heavens! He called the inhuman wretch who had sentenced an innocent -old woman of seventy to be burned alive, and five hundred persons to -be hanged, and one knows not how many to be inhumanly flogged--great -and religious!' - -'If interest can save any,' Madam said softly, 'Benjamin can command -that interest, and he is on the side of mercy, especially where his -cousins are concerned.' - -I now observed that Madam, who had not formerly been wont to regard -her nephew with much affection, behaved towards him with the -greatest respect and submission. - -'Madam,' he replied, 'you know the goodness of my heart. What man -can do shall be done by me, not only for Robin, but for the others -who are involved with him in common ruin. But there are conditions -with which I have taken pains to acquaint you.' - -Madam sighed heavily, and looked as if she would speak, but -refrained; and I saw the tears rolling down her cheeks. - -'What conditions, Benjamin?' I asked him. 'Conditions for trying to -save your own cousins and your own grandfather! Conditions? Why, -you should be moving heaven and earth for them instead of making -conditions.' - -'It needs not so much exertion,' he replied with an unbecoming grin. -'First, Alice, I must own, Child, that the two years or thereabouts -since I saw thee last have added greatly to thy charms; at which I -rejoice.' - -'Oh! what have my charms to do with the business?' - -'Much; as thou wilt presently discover. But let me remind you -both that there threaten--nay, there are actually overhanging ---disasters, the like of which never happen save in time of civil -war and of rebellion. My grandfather is in prison, and will be tried -on a charge of sending men and horses to join Monmouth. Nay, the -Duke's Proclamation was found in his house; he will be certainly -condemned and his estates confiscated. So there will be an end of as -old a family as lives in Somerset. Then there is thy father, Child, -who was Preacher to the army, and did make mischief in stirring up -the fanatical zeal of many. Think you that he can escape? Then there -is thy brother Barnaby, who was such a fool as to meddle in what -concerned him not, and now will hang therefor. What can we expect? -Are men to go unpunished who thus rebel against the Lord's anointed? -Is treason--rank treason--the setting up of a Pretender Prince (who -is now lying headless in his coffin) as the rightful heir, to be -forgiven? We must not look for it. Alas! Madam, had I been with you -instead of that conceited, fanatical, crookback Humphrey, whom I did -ever detest, none of these things should have happened.' - -'Humphrey,' I said, 'has more worth in one finger than you in all -your great body, Benjamin.' - -'My dear, my dear, do not anger Benjamin. Oh, do not anger our only -friend!' - -'She may say what she pleases. My time will come. Listen then. They -must all be hanged unless I can succeed in getting them pardoned.' - -'Nay--but--forgive my rudeness, Benjamin; they are your own -cousins--it is your own grandfather. What need of conditions? Oh! -what does this mean? Are you a man of flesh and blood?' - -'My conditions, Child'--why did he laugh?--'will assure you that -such is truly the nature of my composition.' - -'If money is wanted'--I thought of my bag of gold and of Mr. Penne's -hints--'how much will suffice?' - -'I know not. If it comes to buying them off, more thousands than -could be raised on the Bradford Orcas estates. Put money out of -mind.' - -'Then, Benjamin, save them if thou canst.' - -'His Lordship knows that I have near relations concerned in the -Rebellion. Yet, he assured me if his own brothers were among the -prisoners he would hang them all.' - -'Nay, then, Benjamin; I say no more. Tell me what are these -conditions, and, if we can grant or contrive them, we will comply.' -I had no thought of what was meant by his conditions, nor did I even -guess until the morning, when Madam told me. 'Oh! Madam, is there -anything in the world--anything that we would not do to save them?' - -Madam looked at me with so much pity in her eyes that I wondered. It -was pity for me and not for her son that I read in that look. Why -did she pity me? - -I understood not. - -'My dear,' she said, 'there are times when women are called upon -to make sacrifices which they never thought to make, which seem -impossible to be even asked----' - -'Oh! there are no sacrifices which we would not gladly make. What -can Benjamin require that we should not gladly do for him? Nay, he -is Robin's cousin, and your nephew, and Sir Christopher's grandson. -He will, if need be, join us in making these sacrifices.' - -'I will,' said Benjamin--again, why did he laugh?--'I will join you -in making one sacrifice at least, with a willing heart.' - -'I will tell her to-morrow,' said Madam. 'No, I cannot tell her -to-night. Let us first rest. Go, Sir; leave us to our sorrow. It may -be that we may yet think the sacrifice too great even for the lives -and the safety of those we love. Go, Sir, for to-night, and return -to-morrow.' - - * * * * * - -'Surely, Child,' said Madam presently, when he was gone, and we were -alone, 'we are the most unhappy women in the world.' - -'Nay,' I replied. 'There have been other women before us who have -been ruined and widowed by civil wars and rebellions. If it be any -comfort to think that others have suffered like ourselves, then we -may comfort ourselves. But the thought brings no consolation to me.' - -'Hagar,' said Madam, 'was a miserable woman because she was cast out -by the man she loved, even the father of her son; but she saved her -son. Rachel was unhappy until the Lord gave her a son. Jephthah's -daughter was unhappy--my dear, there is no case except hers which -may be compared with ours--and Jephthah's daughter was happy in one -circumstance: that she was permitted to die. Ah! happy girl, she -died! That was all her sacrifice--to die for the sake of her father! -But what is ours?' - -So she spoke in riddles or dark sayings, of which I understood -nothing. Nevertheless, before lying down, I did solemnly and, in her -presence and hearing, aloud, upon my knees, offer unto Almighty God -myself--my very life--if so that Robin could be saved. And then, -with lighter heart than I had known for long, I lay down and slept. - - * * * * * - -At midnight, or thereabouts, Madam woke me up. - -'Child,' she said, 'I cannot sleep. Tell me truly: is there nothing -that thou wouldest refuse for Robin's sake?' - -'Nothing, verily! Ah, Madam, can you doubt it?' - -'Even if it were a sacrifice of which he would not approve?' - -'Believe me, Madam, there is nothing that I would not do for Robin's -safety.' - -'Child, if we were living in the days of persecution wouldest thou -hear the Mass and adopt the Catholic religion to save thy lover's -life?' - -'Oh, Madam, the Lord will never try us above our strength!' - -'Sleep, my child, sleep; and pray that, as thy temptation, so may be -thy strength!' - - - - -CHAPTER XXIX. - -ON WHAT CONDITIONS? - - -In the morning I awoke with a lighter heart than I had known for a -long time. Benjamin was going to release our prisoners! I should go -to meet Robin at the gate of his prison. All would be well, except -that my father would never recover. We should return to the village -and everything would go on as before. Oh! poor fond wretch! how was -I deluded! and, oh! miserable day that ended with such shame and -sadness, yet began with so much hope. - -Madam was already dressed. She was sitting at the window looking -into the churchyard. She had been crying. Alas! how many women in -Somersetshire were then weeping all day long! - -'Madam,' I said, 'we now have hope. We must not weep and lament -any more. Oh! to have at last a little hope--when we have lived so -long in despair--it makes one breathe again. Benjamin will save our -prisoners for us. Oh! after all, it is Benjamin who will help us. We -did not use to love Benjamin, because he was rude and masterful and -wanted everything for himself and would never give up anything. Yet, -you see, he had, after all, a good heart.' Madam groaned. 'And he -cannot forget, though he followeth not his grandfather's opinions, -that he is his Honour's grandson--the son of his only daughter--and -your nephew, and first cousin to Robin, and second cousin once -removed to Humphrey and Barnaby; playfellows of old. Why, these are -ties which bind him as if with ropes! He needs must bestir himself -to save their lives. And since he says that he can save them, of -course he must have bestirred himself to some purpose. Weep no -more, dear Madam; your son will be restored to us! We shall be happy -again--thanks to Benjamin!' - -'Child,' she replied, 'my heart is broken! It is broken, I say! Oh, -to be lying dead and at peace in yonder churchyard! Never before did -I think that it must be a happy thing to be dead and at rest, and to -feel nothing and to know nothing!' - -'But, Madam, the dead are not in their graves. There lie only the -bodies. Their souls are above.' - -'Then they still think and remember. Oh! can a time ever come when -things can be forgotten? Will the dead ever cease to reproach -themselves?' - -She wrung her hands in an ecstasy of grief, though I knew not what -should move her so. Indeed, she was commonly a woman of sober and -contained disposition, entirely governed both in her temper and her -words. What was in her mind that she should accuse herself? Then, -while I was dressing, she went on talking, being still full of this -strong passion. - -'I shall have my boy back again,' she said. 'Yes; he will come -back to me. And what will he say to me when I tell him all? Yet I -_must_ have him back. Oh! to think of the hangman tying the rope -about his neck'--she shuddered and trembled--'and afterwards the -cruel knife'--she clasped her hands and could not say the words--'I -see the comely limbs of my boy. Oh! the thought tears my heart--it -tears me through and through. I cannot think of anything else day -or night. And yet in the prison he is so patient and so cheerful. I -marvel that men can be so patient with this dreadful death before -them.' She broke out again into another passion of sobbing and -crying. Then she became calmer, and tried to speak of things less -dreadful. - -'When first I visited my boy in prison,' she said, 'Humphrey came -humbly to ask my pardon. Poor lad! I have had hard thoughts of him. -It is certain that he was in the plot from the beginning. Yet had he -not gone so far, should we have sat down when the rising began? But -he doth still accuse himself of rashness and calls himself the cause -of all our misfortunes. He fell upon his knees, in the sight of all, -to ask forgiveness, saying that it was he and none other who had -brought ruin upon us all. Then Robin begged me to raise him up and -comfort him, which I did, putting aside my hard thoughts and telling -him that, being such stubborn Protestants, our lads could not choose -but join the Duke, whether he advised it or whether he did not. Nay, -I told him that Robin would have dragged him willy nilly. And so I -kissed him, and Robin took him by the hand and solemnly assured him -that his grandfather had no such thought in his mind.' - -'Nay,' I said, 'my father and Barnaby would certainly have joined -the Duke, Humphrey or not. Never were any men more eager for -rebellion.' - -'I have been to London,' she went on. ''Tis a long journey and I -effected nothing; for the mind of the King, I was assured, is harder -than the nether millstone. My brother-in-law, Philip Boscorel, went -with me, and I left him there. But I have no hope that he will be -able to help us, his old friends being much scattered and many of -them dead, and some hostile to the Court and in ill-favour. So I -returned, seeing that, if I could not save my son I could be with -him until he died. The day before yesterday he was tried--if you -call that a trial when hundreds together plead guilty and are all -alike sentenced to death.' - -'Have you seen him since the trial?' - -'I went to the prison as soon as they were brought back from Court. -Some of the people--for they were all condemned to death--every -one--were crying and lamenting. And there were many women among -them--their wives or their mothers--and these were shrieking and -wringing their hands; so that it was a terrible spectacle. But some -of the men called for drink, and began to carouse, so that they -might drown the thought of impending death. My dear, I never thought -to look upon a scene so full of horror. As for our own boys, Robin -was patient and even cheerful; and Humphrey, leading us to the most -quiet spot in that dreadful place, exhorted us to lose no time in -weeping or vain laments, but to cheer and console our hearts with -the thought that death--even violent death--is but a brief pang -and life is but a short passage, and that heaven awaits us beyond. -Humphrey should have been a godly minister, such is the natural -piety and goodness of his heart. So he spoke of the happy meeting in -that place of blessedness where earthly love would be purged of its -grossness, and our souls shall be so glorified that we shall each -admire the beauty and the excellence of the other. Then Robin talked -of thee, my dear, and sent thee a loving message bidding thee grieve -for him, but not without hope--and that a sure and certain hope--of -meeting again. There are other things he bade me tell thee; but now -I cannot!--oh, I must not!' - -'Nay, Madam; but if they are words that he wished me to hear'---- - -'Why, they were of his constant love--and--no, I cannot tell them!' - -'Well,' I said, 'fret not thy poor heart with thinking any more of -the prison; for Benjamin will surely save him, and then we shall -love Benjamin all our lives.' - -'He will, perhaps, save him. And yet'----she turned her head--'Oh, -how can I tell _her_--we shall shed many more tears. How can I tell -_her_? How can I tell _her_?' - -So she broke off again, but presently recovered and went on talking. -In time of great trouble the mind wanders backwards and forwards, -and though one talks still, it is disjointedly. So she went back to -the prison. - -'The boys have been well, though the prison is full and the air -is foul. Yet there hath been as yet no fever, for which they are -thankful. They had no money, the soldiers who took them prisoners -having robbed them of their money, and indeed stripped them as -well to their shirts, telling them that shirts were good enough to -be hanged in. Yet the people of Exeter have treated the prisoners -with great humanity, bringing them daily food and drink, so that -there has been nothing lacking. The time, however, doth hang upon -hands in a place where there is nothing to do all day but to think -of the past and to dread the future. One poor prisoner I was told -had gone distracted with the terror of this thought. Child, every -day that I visited my son, while he talked with me, always cheerful -and smiling, my mind turned continually to the scaffold and the -gibbet.' Then she returned to the old subject from which she could -in no way escape. 'I saw the hangman, I saw my son hanging to the -shameful tree--oh! my son! my son!--till I could bear it no longer, -and would hurry away from the prison and walk about the town over -the fields--yea, all night long--to escape the dreadful thought. -Oh! to be blessed with such a son and to have him torn from my arms -for such a death! If he had been killed upon the field of battle -'twould have been easier to bear. But now he dies daily--he dies -a thousand deaths in my mind. My child!'--she turned again to the -churchyard--'the rooks are cawing in their nests; the sparrows and -the robins hop among the graves; the dead hear nothing; all their -troubles are over, all their sins are forgiven.' - -I comforted her as well as I could. Indeed, I understood not at all -what she meant, thinking that perhaps all her trouble had caused -her to be in that frame of mind when a woman doth not know whether -to laugh or to cry. And then, taking my basket, I sallied forth to -provide the day's provisions for my prisoners. - -'Barnaby,' I said, when he came to the wicket, 'I have good news for -thee.' - -'What good news? That I am to be flogged once a year in every -market-town in Somersetshire, as will happen to young Tutchin?' - -'No, no--not that kind of news, but freedom, Brother, hope for -freedom.' - -He laughed. 'Who is to give us freedom?' - -'Benjamin hath found a way for the enlargement of all.' - -'Ben Boscorel? What! will he stir finger for the sake of anybody? -Then, Sis, if I remember Ben aright, there will be something for -himself. But if it is upon Ben that we are to rely we are truly well -sped. On Ben, quotha!' - -'My Brother, he told me so himself.' - -''Ware hawks, Sister. If Ben is a tone end of the rope and the -hangman at the other, I think I know who will be stronger. Well, -Child, believe Ben if thou wilt. Thy father looks strange this -morning. He opened his eyes and seemed to know me. I wonder if there -is a change. 'Tis wonderful how he lasts. There are six men sickened -since yesterday of the fever. Three of them brought in last week -are already dead. As for the singing that we used to hear, it is all -over, and if the men get drunk they are dumb drunk. Sir Christopher -looks but poorly this morning. I hope he will not take the fever. He -staggered when he arose, which is a bad sign.' - -'Tell mother, Barnaby, what Benjamin hath undertaken to do.' - -'Nay, that shall I not, because, look you, I believe it not. There -is some trick or lie at the bottom, unless Ben hath repented and -changed his disposition, which used to be two parts wolf, one part -bear, and the rest fox. If there were anything left it was serpent. -Well, Sister, I am no grumbler, but I expect this job to be over in -a fortnight or so, when they say the Wells Assizes will be held. -Then we shall all be swinging, and I only hope that we may carry -with us into the Court such a breath of jail fever as shall lay the -Judge himself upon his back and end his days. In the next world he -will meet the men whom he has sentenced, and it will fare worse for -him in their hands than with fifty thousand devils.' - -So he took a drink of the beer, and departed within the prison. And -for many months I saw him no more. - -On my way home I met Benjamin. - -'Hath Madam told you yet of my conditions?' he asked eagerly. - -'Not yet; she will doubtless tell me presently. Oh! what matter for -the conditions? It can only be something good for us, contrived by -your kind heart, Ben. I have told Barnaby, who will not believe in -our good fortune.' - -'It is, indeed, something very good for you, Alice, as you will -find. Come with me and walk in the meadows beyond the reach of this -doleful place, where the air reeks with jail fever, and all day long -they are reading the Funeral Service.' - -So he led me out upon the sloping sides of a hill, where we walked a -while upon the grass very pleasantly, my mind being now at rest. - -'You have heard of nothing,' he said, 'of late, but of the Rebellion -and its consequences. Let us talk about London.' - -So he discoursed concerning his own profession and his prospects, -which, he said, were better than those of any other young lawyer, -in his own opinion. 'For my practice,' he said, 'I already have one -which gives me an income far beyond my wants, which are simple. Give -me plain fare, and for the evening a bottle or two of good wine, -with tobacco, and friends who love a cheerful glass. I ask no more. -My course lies clear before me: I shall become a King's Counsel, I -shall be made a Judge; presently, I shall become Lord Chancellor. -What did I tell thee, Child, long ago? Well, that time has now -arrived.' - -Still I was so foolish, being so happy, that I could not understand -what he meant. - -'I am sure, Benjamin,' I said, 'that we at home shall ever rejoice -and be proud of your success. Nobody will be more happy to hear of -it than Robin and I.' - -Here he turned very red and muttered something. - -'You find your happiness in courts and clubs and London,' I went on; -'as for Robin and myself, we shall find ours in the peaceful place -which we have always decided to have.' - -'What the Devil!' he cried, 'she will not tell you the conditions? -She came with me for no other purpose. I have borne with her company -all the way from Exeter for this only. Go back to her, and ask what -it is! Go back, I say, and make her tell! What! am I to take all -this trouble for nothing?' - -His face became purple with sudden rage; his eyes grew swiftly -fierce, and he roared and bawled at me. Why, what had I said? - -'Benjamin,' I cried, 'what is the matter? How have I angered you?' - -'Go back!' he roared again. 'Tell her that if I presently come and -find thee still in ignorance 'twill be the worse for all! Tell her -that _I_ say it. 'Twill else be worse for all!' - - - - -CHAPTER XXX. - -A SLIGHT THING AT THE BEST. - - -So I left Benjamin much frightened, and marvelling, both at his -violent passion, and at the message which he sent to Madam. - -She was waiting for me at the lodging. - -'Madam,' I said, 'I have seen Benjamin. He is very angry. He bade me -go home and ask you concerning his conditions. We must not anger our -best friend, dear Madam.' - -She rose from her chair and began to walk about, wringing her hands -as if torn by some violent emotion. - -'Oh! my child,' she cried; 'Alice, come to my arms--if it is for the -last time--my daughter. More than ever mine, though I must never -call thee daughter.' - -She held me in her arms, kissing me tenderly. 'My dear, we agreed -that no sacrifice could be too great for the safety of our boy. Yes, -we agreed to that. Let us kiss each other before we do a thing after -which we can never kiss each other again. No, never again.' - -'Why not again, Madam?' - -'Oh,' she pushed me from her, 'it is now eight of the clock, he will -be here at ten! I promised I would tell thee before he came! And all -is in readiness.' - -'For what, Madam?' - -Why, even then I guessed not her meaning, though I might have done -so; but I never thought that so great a wickedness was possible! - -'No sacrifice should be too great for us!' she cried, clasping her -head with her hands and looking wildly about. 'None too great! Not -even the sacrifice of my own son's love--no; not that! Why, let -us think of the sacrifices men make for their country, for their -religion. Abraham was ready to offer his son, Isaac; Jephthah -sacrificed his daughter; King Mesha slew his eldest son for a burnt -offering. Thousands of men die every year in battle for their -country. What have we to offer? If we give ourselves, it is but a -slight thing that we offer at the best.' - -'Surely, Madam,' I cried, 'you know that we would willingly die for -the sake of Robin?' - -'Yes, Child; to die--to die were nothing. It is to live--we must -live--for Robin.' - -'I understand not, Madam.' - -'Listen then--for the time presses, and if he arrives and finds that -I have not broken the thing to thee, he will perhaps ride back to -Exeter in a rage. When I left my son after the trial, being very -wretched and without hope, I found Benjamin waiting for me at the -prison gates. He walked with me to my lodging, and on the way he -talked of what was in my mind. First, he said, that for the better -sort there was little hope, seeing that the King was revengeful and -the Judge most wrathful, and in a mood which allowed of no mercy. -Therefore, it would be best to dismiss all hopes of pardon or of -safety either to these two or to the prisoners of Ilminster. Now, -when he had said this a great many times, we being now arrived at -my lodging, he told me that there was in my case a way out of the -trouble--and one way only: that if we consented to follow that way, -which, he said, would do no manner of harm to either of us or to our -prisoners, he would undertake and faithfully engage to secure the -safety of all our prisoners. I prayed him to point out this way, -and, after much entreaty, he consented.' - -'What is the way?' I asked, having not the least suspicion. And yet -the look in her eyes should have told me what was coming. - -'Is it true, Child, that long ago you were betrothed to Benjamin?' - -'No, Madam, that is most untrue.' - -'He says that when you were quite a little child he informed you of -his intention to marry you, and none but you.' - -'Why, that is true, indeed.' And now I began to understand the way -that was proposed; and my heart sank within me. 'That is true. But -to tell a child such a thing is not a betrothal.' - -'He says that only three or four years ago he renewed that -assurance.' - -'So he did, but I gave him no manner of encouragement.' - -'He says that he promised to return and marry you when he had -arrived at some practice, and that he engaged to become Lord -Chancellor and make you a Peeress of the Realm.' - -'All that he said, and more. Yet did I never give him the least -encouragement, but quite the contrary, for always have I feared and -disliked Benjamin. Never at any time was it possible for me to think -of him in that way. That he knows, and cannot pretend otherwise. -Madam, doth Benjamin wish evil to Robin because I am betrothed to -him?' - -'He also says, in his rude way--Benjamin was always a rude and -coarse boy--that he had warned you, long ago, that if anyone else -came in his way he would break the head of that man.' - -'Yes: I remember, now, that he threatened some violence.' - -'My dear'--Madam took my hand--'his time of revenge is come. He says -that he has the life of the man whom you love in his own hands; and -he will, he swears, break his head for him, and so keep the promise -made to you by tying the rope round his neck. My dear, Benjamin has -always been stubborn and obstinate from his birth. Stubborn and -obstinate was he as a boy; stubborn and obstinate is he now. He -cares for nobody in the world except himself; he has no heart; he -has no tenderness; he has no scruples; if he wants a thing, he will -trample on all the world to get it, and break all the laws of God. I -know what manner of life he leads. He is the friend and companion of -the dreadful Judge who goeth about like a raging lion. Every night -do they drink together until they are speechless and cannot stand. -Their delight it is to drink, and smoke tobacco, with unseemly jests -and ribald songs which would disgrace the playhouse or the country -fair. Oh! 'tis the life of a hog that he delights in! Yet, for all -that, he is, like his noble friend, full of ambition. Nothing will -do but he must rise in the world. Therefore, he works hard at his -profession--and'---- - -'Madam--the condition!--what is the condition? For Heaven's sake -tell me quickly! Is it--is it!--oh! no--no--no! Anything but that!' - -'My child--my daughter'--she laid her hand upon my head. 'It is that -condition--that, and none other. Oh! my dear, it is laid upon thee -to save us!--it is to be thy work alone--and by such a sacrifice as, -I think, no woman ever yet had to make! Nay, perhaps it is better -not to make it, after all. Let all die together, and let us live -out our allotted lives in sorrow. I thought of it all night, and it -seemed better so--better even that thou wert lying in thy grave. -His condition! Oh! he must be a devil thus to barter for the lives -of his grandfather and his cousins--no human being, surely, would -do such a thing: the condition, my dear, is that thou must marry -him--now: this very morning--and this once done, he will at once -take such steps--I know not what they may be, but I take it that his -friend the Judge will grant him the favour--such steps, I say, as -will release unto us all our prisoners.' - -At first I made no answer. - -'If not,' she added after a while, 'they shall all be surely hanged.' - -I remained silent. It is not easy at such a moment to collect one's -thoughts and understand what things mean. I asked her presently if -there was no other way. - -'None,' she said: 'there was no other way.' - -'What shall I do? What shall I do?' I asked. 'God, it seems, hath -granted my daily prayer; but how? Oh! what shall I do?' - -'Think of what thou hast in thy power.' - -'But to marry him--to marry Benjamin--oh! to marry him! How should I -live? How should I look the world in the face?' - -'My dear, there are many other unhappy wives. There are other -husbands brutal and selfish; there are other men as wicked as my -nephew. Thou wilt swear in church to love, honour, and obey him. Thy -love is already hate; thy honour is contempt; thy obedience will -be the obedience of a slave. Yet death cometh at length, even to a -slave and to the harsh task-master.' - -'Oh! Madam, miserable indeed is the lot of those whose only friend -is death.' - -She was silent, leaving me to think of this terrible condition. - -'What would Robin say? What would Humphrey say? Nay, what would his -Honour himself say?' - -'Why, Child,' she replied, with a kind of laugh, 'it needs not a -wizard to tell what they would say. For one and all, they would -rather go to the gallows than buy their lives at such a price. Thy -brother Barnaby would mount the ladder with a cheerful heart rather -than sell his sister to buy his life. That we know already. Nay, we -know more. For Robin will never forgive his mother who suffered thee -to do such a thing. So shall I lose what I value more than life--the -love of my only son. Yet would I buy his life at such a price. My -dear, if you lose your lover I lose my son. Yet, we will save him -whether he will or no.' She took my hands and pressed them in her -own. 'My dear, it will be worse for me than for you. You will have a -husband, it is true, whom you will loathe; yet you will not see him, -perhaps, for half the day at least; and, perhaps, he will leave thee -to thyself for the other half. But for me, I shall have to endure -the loss of my son's affections all my life, because I am very sure -and certain that he can never forgive me. Think, my dear! Shall they -all die?--all!--think of father and brother, and of your mother!--or -will you willingly endure a life of misery with this man for husband -in order that they may live?' - -'Oh, Madam,' I said, 'as for the misery--any other kind of misery -I would willingly endure; but it is marriage--marriage! Yet who am -I that I should choose my sacrifice? Oh, if good works were of any -avail, then would the way to heaven be opened wide for me by such -an act and such a life! Oh, what will Robin say of me? What will he -think of me? Will he curse me and loathe me for being able to do -this thing? Should I do it? Is it right? Doth God command it? Yet to -save their dear lives--only to set them free--to send that good old -man back to his home--to suffer my father to die in peace!--I must -do it--I must do it! Yet Robin could never forgive me. Oh! he told -me that betrothal was a sacrament. I have sworn to be his. Yet, to -save his life, I cannot hesitate. If it is wrong, I pray that Robin -will forgive me. Tell him--oh, tell him that it is I who am to die -instead of him. Perhaps the Lord will suffer me to die quickly. Tell -him that I loved him, and only him; that I would rather have died; -that for his life alone I would not have done this thing, because he -would not have suffered it. But it is for all--it is for all! Oh! he -must forgive me! Some day you will send me a message of forgiveness -from him. But I must go away and live in London, far from all of -you; never to see him or any one of you again--not even my own -mother. It is too shameful a thing to do. And you will tell his -Honour, who hath always loved me and would willingly have called me -his granddaughter. It was not that I loved not Robin--God knoweth -that; but for all--for him and Robin and all--to save his grey hairs -from the gallows, and to send him back to his home. Oh! tell him -that'---- - -'My dear--my dear,' she replied, but could say no more. - -Then for a while we sat in silence, with beating hearts. - -'I am to purchase the lives of five honest men,' I said presently, -'by my own dishonour. I know very well that it is by my dishonour -and my sin that their lives are to be bought. It doth not save me -from dishonour that I am first to stand in the church and be married -according to the Prayer Book. Nay, does it not make the sin greater -and the dishonour more certain that I shall first swear what I -cannot ever perform--to love and honour that man?' - -'Yes, girl--yes!' said Madam. 'But the sin is mine more than yours. -Oh! let me bear the sin upon myself.' - -'You cannot, it is my sin and my dishonour; nay, it is a most -dreadful wicked thing that I am to do. It is all the sins in one: -I do not honour my parents in thus dishonouring myself; I kill -myself--the woman that my Robin loved; I steal the outward form -which belonged to Robin and give it to another; I live in a kind of -adultery. It is truly a terrible sin in the sight of Heaven. Yet I -will do it!--I must do it! I love him so that I cannot let him die; -rather let me be overwhelmed with shame and reproach if only he can -live!' - -'Said I not, my dear, that we two could never kiss each other again? -When two men have conspired together to commit a crime they consort -no more together, it is said, but go apart and loathe each other. So -it is now with us.' - - * * * * * - -So I promised to do this thing. The temptation was beyond my -strength. Yet had I possessed more faith I should have refused. -And then great, indeed, would have been my reward. Alas! how was I -punished for my want of faith! Well, it was to save my lover. Love -makes us strong for evil as well as strong for good. - -And all the time, to think that we never inquired or proved his -promises! To think that we never thought of doubting or of asking -how he, a young barrister, should be able to save the lives of four -active rebels, and one who had been zealous in the cause! That two -women should have been so simple is now astonishing. - -When the clock struck ten I saw Benjamin walking across the -churchyard. It was part of the brutal nature of the man that he -should walk upon the graves, even those newly-made and not covered -up with turf. He swung his great burly form, and looked up at the -window with a grin which made Madam tremble and shrink back. But -for me, I was not moved by the sight of him, for now I was strong -in resolution. Suppose one who hath made up her mind to go to the -stake for her religion, as would doubtless have happened unto many -had King James been allowed to continue in his course, do you think -that such a woman would begin to tremble at the sight of her -executioner? Not so. She would arise and go forth to meet him, with -pale face, perhaps (because the agony is sharp), but with a steady -eye. Benjamin opened the door, and stood looking from one to the -other. - -'Well,' he said to Madam, roughly, 'you have by this time told her -the condition?' - -'I have told her--alas! I have told her, and already I repent me -that I have told her.' - -'Doth she consent?' - -'She does. It shall be as you desire.' - -'Ha!' Benjamin drew a long breath. 'Said I not, Sweetheart'--he -turned to me--'that I would break the head of any who came between -us? What? Have I not broken the head of my cousin when I take away -his girl? Very well, then. And that to good purpose. Very well, -then. It remains to carry out the condition.' - -'The condition,' I said, 'I understand to be this. If I become your -wife, Benjamin, you knowing full well that I love another man and am -already promised to him'---- - -'Ta--ta--ta!' he said. 'That you are promised to another man matters -not one straw. That you love another man I care nothing. What! I -promise, Sweetheart, that I will soon make thee forget that other -man. And as for loving any other man after marrying me, that, d'ye -see, my pretty, will be impossible. Oh! thou shalt be the fondest -wife in the Three Kingdoms.' - -'Nay: if such a thing cannot move your heart, I say no more. If I -marry you, then all our prisoners will be enlarged?' - -'I swear'--he used a great round oath, very horrid from the lips of -a Christian man--'I swear that, if you marry me, the three--Robin, -Humphrey, and Barnaby--shall all save their lives. And as for Sir -Christopher and thy father, they also shall be enlarged. Can I say -aught in addition?' - -I suspected no deceit. I understood, and so did Madam, that this -promise meant the full and free forgiveness of all. Yet there -was something of mockery in his eyes, which should have made us -suspicious. But I, for one, was young and ignorant, and Madam was -country-bred and truthful. - -'Benjamin,' I cried, falling on my knees before him, 'think what -it is you ask! Think what a wicked thing you would have me do!--to -break my vows, who am promised to your cousin! And would you leave -your grandfather to perish all for a whim about a silly girl? -Benjamin, you are playing with us. You cannot--you could not sell -the lives--the very lives of your grandfather and your cousins for -such a price as this! The play has gone far enough, Benjamin. Tell -us that it is over, and that you never meant to be taken seriously, -and we will forgive you the anguish you have caused us.' - -'Get up,' he said, 'get up, I say, and stop this folly.' He then -began to curse and to swear. 'Playing, is it? You shall quickly -discover that it is no play, but serious enough to please you all, -Puritans though you be. Playing! Get up, I say, and have done.' - -'Then,' I said, 'there is not in the whole world a more inhuman -monster than yourself.' - -'Oh! my dear--my dear, do not anger him!' cried Madam. - -'All is fair in love, my pretty,' said Benjamin with a grin. 'Before -marriage call me what you please--inhuman monster--anything that you -please. After marriage my wife will have to sing a different tune.' - -'Oh! Benjamin, treat her kindly,' Madam cried. - -'I mean not otherwise. Kindness is my nature, I am too kind for -my own interests. Obedience I expect, and good temper and a civil -tongue, with such respect as is due to one who intends to be Lord -Chancellor. Come, Child, no more hard words. Thou shalt be the -happiest woman, I say, in the world. What? Monmouth's rebellion was -only contrived to make thy happiness. Instead of a dull country -house thou shalt have a house in London; instead of the meadows, -thou shalt have the parks; instead of skylarks, the singers at the -playhouse; in due course thou shalt be My Lady'---- - -'Oh! stop--stop; I must marry you since you make me, but the partner -in your ambitions will I never be.' - -'My dear,' Madam whispered, 'speak him fair. Be humble to him. -Remember he holds in his hands the lives of all.' - -'Yes,' Benjamin overheard her. 'The lives of all. The man who dares -to take my girl from me--mine--deserves to die. Yet so clement, -so forgiving, so generous am I, that I am ready to pardon him. He -shall actually save his life. If, therefore, it is true that (before -marriage) you love that man and are promised to him, come to church -with me, out of your great love to him, in order to save his life; -but if you love him not, then you can love me, and, therefore, can -come to please yourself, willy nilly. What! am I to be thwarted in -such a trifle? Willy nilly, I say, I will marry thee. Come--we waste -the time.' - -He seized my wrist as if he would have dragged me towards the door. - -'Benjamin,' cried Madam, 'be merciful! she is but a girl, and -she loves my poor boy--be merciful! Oh! it is not yet too late.' -She snatched me from his grasp and stood between us, her arms -outstretched. 'It is not too late; they may die and we will go in -sorrow, but not in shame. They may die. Go! murderer of thy kith -and kin! Go, send thy grandfather to die upon the scaffold; but, at -least, leave us in peace.' - -'No, Madam,' I said. 'With your permission, if there be no other -way, I will save their lives.' - -'Well, then,' Benjamin said sulkily, 'there must be an end of this -talk and no further delay; else, by the Lord! I know not what may -happen. Will Tom Boilman delay to prepare his cauldron of hot pitch? -If we wait much longer, Robin's arms and legs will be seething in -that broth! Doth the Judge delay with his warrant? Already he signs -it--already they are putting up the gibbet on which he will hang! -Come, I say.' - - * * * * * - -Benjamin was sure of his prey, I suppose, because we found the -clergyman waiting for us in the church, ready with surplice and -book. The clerk was standing beside him, also with his book, open at -the Service for Marriage. While they read the Service Madam threw -herself prostrate on the Communion steps, her head in her hands, as -one who suffers the last extremities of remorse and despair for sin -too grievous to be ever forgiven. Let us hope that sometimes we may -judge ourselves more harshly than Heaven itself doth judge us. - -The clerk gave me away, and was the only witness of the marriage -besides that poor distracted mother. - -'Twas a strange wedding. There had been no banns put up; the bride -was pale and trembling; the bridegroom was gloomy; the only other -person present wept upon her knees while the parson read through -his ordered prayer and psalm and exhortation; there was no sign of -rejoicing. - -'So,' said Benjamin, when all was over, 'now thou art my wife. They -shall not be hanged therefor. Come, wife, we will this day ride -to Exeter, where thou shalt thyself bear the joyful news of thy -marriage and their safety to my cousins. They will own that I am a -loving and a careful cousin.' - -He led me, thus talking, out of church. Now, as we left the -churchyard, there passed through the gates--oh, baleful omen!--four -men carrying between them a bier. Upon it was the body of another -poor prisoner, dead of jail fever. I think that even the hard heart -of Benjamin--now my husband!--oh! merciful Heavens! he was my -husband!--quailed, and was touched with fear at meeting this most -sure and certain sign of coming woe, for he muttered something in -his teeth, and cursed the bearers aloud for not choosing another -time. - -My husband, then--I must needs call him my husband--told me, -brutally, that I must ride with him to Exeter, where I should myself -bear the joyful news of their safety to his cousins. I did not take -that journey, nor did I bear the news, nor did I ever after that -moment set eyes upon him again, nor did I ever speak to him again. -His wife I remained, I suppose, because I was joined to him in -church. But I never saw him after that morning. And the reason why -you shall now hear. - -At the door of our lodging, which was, you know, hard by the church, -stood Mr. Boscorel himself. - -'What means this?' he asked, with looks troubled and confused. 'What -doth it mean, Benjamin? What hath happened, in the name of God?' - -'Sir,' said Benjamin, 'you know my character. You will acknowledge -that I am not one of those who are easily turned from their -purpose. Truly, the occasion is not favourable for a wedding, but -yet I present to you my newly-married wife.' - -'_Thy_ wife! Child, _he_ thy husband? Why, thou art betrothed -to Robin! Hath the world gone crazy? Do I hear aright? Is -this--this--this--a time to be marrying? Hast thou not heard? Hast -thou not heard, I say?' - -'Brother-in-law,' said Madam, 'it is to save the lives of all that -this is done.' - -'"To save the lives of all?"' Mr. Boscorel repeated. 'Why--why--hath -not Benjamin, then, told what hath happened, and what hath been -done?' - -'No, Sir, I have not,' said his son. 'I had other fish to fry.' - -'Not told them? Is it possible?' - -'Benjamin hath promised to save all their lives if this child would -marry him. To save their lives hath Alice consented, and I with her. -He will save them through his great friendship with Judge Jeffreys.' - -'Benjamin to save their lives? Sirrah'--he turned to his son with -great wrath in his face--'what villainy is this? Thou hast promised -to save their lives? What villainy, I say, is this? Sister-in-law, -did he not tell you what hath been done?' - -'He has told us nothing. Oh! is there new misery?' - -'Child'--Mr. Boscorel spoke with the tears running down his -cheeks--'thou art betrayed--alas! most cruelly and foully betrayed. -My son--would to God that I had died before I should say so--is a -villain! For, first, the lives of these young men are already saved, -and he hath known it for a week and more. Learn, then, that with the -help of certain friends I have used such interests at Court that for -these three I have received the promise of safety. Yet they will not -be pardoned. They are given, among other prisoners, to the courtiers -and the ladies-in-waiting. One Mr. Jerome Nipho hath received and -entered on his list the names of Robin and Humphrey Challis and -Barnaby Eykin; they will be sold by him, and transported to Jamaica -or elsewhere for a term of years.' - -'They were already saved!' cried Madam. 'He knew, then, when they -were tried and sentenced, that their lives were already spared. Oh, -child! poor child! Oh, Alice! Oh, my daughter! what misery have we -brought upon thee!' - -Benjamin said nothing. On his face lay a scowl of obstinacy. As for -me, I was clinging to Madam's arm. This man was my husband--and -Robin was already saved--and by lies and villainy he had cheated us! - -'They were already saved,' Mr. Boscorel continued. 'Benjamin -knew it--I sent him a letter that he might tell his cousins. My -son--alas!--I say again, my only son--my only son--my son is a -villain!' - -'No one shall take my girl,' said Benjamin sullenly. 'What? All is -fair in love.' - -'He has not told you, either, what hath happened in the prison? Thou -hadst speech, I hear, with Barnaby, early this morning, Child. The -other prisoners'--he lowered his voice and folded his hands, as in -prayer--'they have since been enlarged.' - -'How?' Madam asked. 'Is Sir Christopher free?' - -'He hath received his freedom--from One who never fails to set poor -prisoners free. My father-in-law fell dead in the courtyard at nine -o'clock this morning--weep not for him. But, Child, there is much -more; about that same time thy father breathed his last. He, too, -is dead; he, too, hath his freedom, Benjamin knew of this as well, -Alice, my child'--the kindly tears of compassion rolled down his -face. 'I have loved thee always, my dear; and it is my son who hath -wrought this wickedness--my own son--my only son'----he shook his -cane in Benjamin's face. 'Oh, villain!' he cried; 'oh, villain!' - -Benjamin made no reply; but his face was black and his eyes -obstinate. - -'There is yet more--oh! there is more. Alas! my child, there is -more. Thou hast lost thy mother as well. For at the sight of her -husband's death, his poor, patient wife could no longer bear the -trouble, but she, too, fell dead--of a broken heart; yea, she fell -dead upon his dead body--the Lord showed her this great and crowning -mercy--so that they all died together. This, too, Benjamin knew. Oh! -villain! villain!' - -Benjamin heard unmoved, except that his scowl grew blacker. - -'Go,' his father continued, 'I load thee not, my son, with a -father's curse. Thy wickedness is so great that thy punishment will -be exemplary. The judgments of God descend upon the most hardened. -Get thee gone out of my sight. Let me never more behold thee until -thou hast felt the intolerable pangs of remorse. Get thee hence I -say! begone!' - -'I go not,' said Benjamin, 'without my loving wife. I budge not, I -say, without my tender and loving wife. Come, my dear.' - -He advanced with outstretched hands, but I broke away and fled -shrieking. As I ran, Mr. Boscorel stood before his son and barred -the way, raising his right hand. - -'Back, boy! Back!' he said, solemnly. 'Back, I say! Before thou -reachest thy most unhappy wife, first shalt thou pass over thy -father's body!' - - - - -CHAPTER XXXI. - -THE VISION OF CONSOLATION. - - -I ran so fast, being then young and strong, that Benjamin, I am -sure, could not have overtaken me had he tried, because he was -already gross of body and short of breath in consequence of his -tippling. I have since heard that he did not follow me, nor did he -dare to push aside his father. But he laughed and said, 'Let her -run; let her run. I warrant I shall find her and bring her back;' -thinking, I suppose, that I had run from him as a girl in play runs -from her companions. I ran also so long, fear lending me strength, -that the sun was getting even into the afternoon before I ventured -to stop. I looked round from time to time, but saw no one following -me. I do not remember by what road, track, or path I went: pasture -fields and plantations I remember; twice I crossed a stream on -stepping-stones; once I saw before me a village with a church tower; -but this I avoided for fear of the people. When I ventured to stop, -I was in a truly wild and desolate country--our county of Somerset -hath in it many such wild places, given over to forests, fern, and -heather. Presently I remembered the place, though one forest is -much like another, and I knew that I had been in this part before, -on that day when we rode from Lyme to Taunton, and again on the day -when we walked prisoners with the soldiers to Ilminster. I was on -the Black Down Hills again. - -When, therefore, I understood where I was, I began to recover a -little from the first horror which had driven me to fly like one -possessed of an evil spirit; and, seeing that no one was in pursuit, -I began to collect my senses and to ask myself whither I was -going, and what I should do. I was then near that ancient inclosure -called Castle Ratch, from whose walls one looks down upon the broad -vale of Taunton Dean. In the distance, I thought I could discern -the great tower of St. Mary's Church: but perhaps that was only -my imagination. I sat down, therefore, upon the turf under these -ancient walls, and set myself to consider my condition, which was -indeed forlorn. - -First, I had no friends or protectors left in the whole world, -because after what I had done I could never look upon Robin or even -Humphrey again; nor could I importune Madam, because she would not -anger her son (I represented him in my mind as most unforgiving); -nor could I seek the help of Mr. Boscorel, because that might help -his son to find me out, and everybody knows that a husband may -command the obedience of his wife. And Sir Christopher was dead, and -my father was dead, and my mother was dead, and I could not even -weep beside their coffins or follow their bodies to the grave. A -woman without friends in this world is like unto a traveller in a -sandy desert without a bottle of water. - -Yet was I so far better than some of these poor friendless -creatures, because I had, concealed upon me, a bag containing -all the money which Barnaby had given me--two hundred and fifty -gold pieces--save a little which we had expended at Taunton and -Ilminster. This is a great sum, and by its help I could, I thought -with satisfaction, live for a long time, perhaps all my life, if I -could find some safe retreat among godly people. - -No friends? Why, there was Susan Blake of Taunton--she who walked -with the Maids when they gave Monmouth the Bible, the sword, and -the flags. I resolved that I would go to her and tell her all that -had happened. Out of her kindness she would take me in and help -me to find some safe hiding-place and perhaps some honest way of -living, so as to save his money against Barnaby's return from the -Plantations. - -Then I thought I would find out the valley where we had lived for -a fortnight, and rest for one night in the hut, and in the early -morning before daybreak walk down the comb and so into Taunton while -as yet the town was still sleeping. And this I did. It was very easy -to find the head of the comb and the source of the stream, where we -had made our encampment. Close by, beneath the trees, was Barnaby's -hut: no one had been there to disturb or destroy it; but the leaves -upon the boughs which formed its sides were now dead. Within it the -fern and the heath which had formed my bed were still dry. Outside, -the pot hung over the black embers of our last fire; and, to my -great joy, in the basket which had contained our provisions I found -a large crust of bread. It was, to be sure, dry and hard; but I -dipped it in the running water of the stream and made my supper with -it. For dessert I had blackberries, which were by this time ripe, -and are nowhere bigger or sweeter than on Black Down. There were -also filberts and nuts, now ripe, of which I gathered a quantity, so -that I had breakfast provided for me, as well as supper. - -When I had done this, I was so tired and my head was so giddy with -the terror of the day, that I lay down upon the fern in the hut and -there fell fast asleep and so continued until far into the night. - -Now, in my sleep a strange thing happened unto me. For my own part, -I account it nothing less than a Vision granted unto me by mercy -and special grace of Heaven. Those who read of it may call it what -they please. It was in this wise. There appeared before my sleeping -eyes (but they seemed wide open), as it were, a broad and open -champaign; presently there came running across the plain in great -terror, shrieking and holding her hands aloft, a girl, whose face at -first I could not see. She ran in this haste and terrible anguish -of fear because there followed after her a troop of dogs, barking -and yelping. Behind the dogs rode on horseback one whose face I saw -not any more than that of the girl. He cursed and swore (I knew the -voice, but could not tell, being in a dream, to whom it belonged), -and cracked a horrid whip and encouraged the dogs, lashing the -laggards. In his eyes (though his face was in some kind of shadow) -there was such a look as I remembered in Benjamin's when he put the -ring upon my finger--a look of resolute and hungry wickedness, which -made me tremble and shake. - -Now, as I looked, the dogs still gained upon her who ran, and yelped -as if in a few moments they would spring upon her and tear her flesh -from her bones. Then suddenly, between her who ran and those who -pursued, there arose an awful form. He was clad in white, and in his -hand he bore a sword, and he turned upon that hunter a face filled -with wrath. Lightnings shot from his eyes and a cloud of thunder -lay upon his brow. At the sight of that face the dogs stopped in -their running, cowered, and fell dead. And at the dreadful aspect of -that face the hunter's horse fell headlong, and his rider, falling -also with a shriek of terror, broke his neck, and so lay prostrate -and dead. Then this dreadful minister of God's wrath turned from -him to the flying figure, and lo! his face was now transformed; his -eyes became soft and full of love; he smiled graciously; a crown of -glory was upon his head; white robes flowed downward to his feet; -his fiery sword was a palm branch: he was the Angel of Consolation. -'Have no more fear,' he said, 'though the waves of the sea rise -up against thee and the winds threaten to drown thee in the deep. -Among the ungodly and the violent thou shalt be safe; in all times -of peril the Lord will uphold thee; earthly joy shall be thine. Be -steadfast unto the end.' - -And then I looked again, those blessed words ringing in my ears; and -behold! I saw then, which I had not seen before, that the flying -figure was none other than myself; that he who cruelly hunted after -with the dogs and the whip was none other than my husband; and -that the Angel of Wrath, who became the Angel of Consolation, was -none other than my father himself! But he was glorified! Oh! the -face was his face--that, anyone could see; but it was changed into -something--I know not what--so far brighter and sweeter than the -earthly face, that I marvelled! Then the Vision disappeared, and I -awoke. - -So bright and clear had it been that I seemed to see it still, -though I was sitting up with my eyes open, and it was night. Then it -slowly vanished. Henceforth, however, I was assured of two things: -first, that no harm would happen unto me, but that I should be -protected from the malice of my enemies, whatever they might design -(indeed, I had but one enemy--to wit, the man who had that morning -sworn to love and cherish me); and next, that I had seen with mortal -eyes what, indeed, hath been vouchsafed to few, the actual spiritual -body--the glorified body, like to the earthly, but changed--with -which the souls of the Elect are clothed. - -So I arose now without the least fear. It was night; but in the East -there showed the first grey of the dawn, and the birds were already -beginning to twitter as if they were dreaming of the day. The wind -was fresh, and I was lightly clad, but the splendour of the Vision -made me forget the cold. Oh! I had received a voice from heaven! How -could I henceforth fear anything? Nay, there was no room even for -grief, though those terrible things had fallen upon me, and I was -now alone and friendless, and the world is full of ungodly men. - -It must have been about half-past four in the morning. It grew -light quickly, so that not only the trees became visible, but the -black depths between them changed into glades and underwood, and -I could see my way down the comb beside the stream. Then, without -waiting for the sun to rise (which he presently did in great warmth -and splendour), I started, hoping to get into Taunton before the -people were up and the streets became crowded. But I did not know -the distance, which must have been seven miles at least, because it -was nearly eight o'clock when I reached the town, having followed -the course of the stream through three villages, which I have since -learned must have been those of Pitminster, Trull, and Wilton. - -It was market day, and the streets were full of country people--some -of them farmers with bags of corn in their hands, going to the -corn-market, and some with carts full of fresh fruit and other -things. Their faces were heavy and sad, and they talked in whispers -as if they were afraid. They had, indeed, good cause for fear; for -the prison held over five hundred unfortunate men waiting for their -trial, and the terrible Judge was already on his way with his carts -filled with more prisoners rumbling after him. Already Colonel Kirke -had caused I know not how many to be hanged, and the reports of what -had been done at Dorchester and Exeter sufficiently prepared the -minds of the wretched prisoners at Taunton for what was about to -be done there. Among them was the unfortunate Captain Hucker, the -Serge-Maker, who had looked for a Peerage, and was now to receive a -halter. There was also among them that poor man, Mr. Simon Hamlyn, -who was hanged only for riding into Taunton in order to dissuade -his son from joining Monmouth. This the Mayor of Taunton pointed -out to the bloodthirsty Judge; but in vain. The whole five hundred -prisoners were, in the end, sentenced to death; and one hundred and -forty-five actually suffered, to the great indignation of those who -looked on, even of the King's party. Nay, at one of the executions, -when nineteen were hanged at the same time, and a great fire was -made so that the sufferers might actually see before their death -the fire that was to burn their bowels, the very soldiers wept, -saying that it was so sad a thing they scarce knew how to bear it. -Three years later, the hard heart of the King met with its proper -punishment. - -The soldiers were among the crowd, some leaning against bulkheads, -some drinking at the ale-houses, some haggling for the fruit; some -were also exercising upon Castle Green. They looked good-natured, -and showed in their faces none of the cruelty and rage which -belonged to their officers. But what a doleful change from the time -when Monmouth's soldiers filled the town, and all hearts were full -of joy, and every face shone with happiness! What a change, indeed! - -As I passed among the crowd, one caught me by the arm. It was a -little old woman, her face all wrinkled and puckered. She was -sitting on a stool beside a great basketful of apples and plums, and -a short pipe of tobacco within her lips. - -'Mistress,' she whispered, taking the pipe from her mouth. 'Thou -wert with the Maids the day of the Flags: I remember thy pretty -face. What dost thou here abroad among the people? The air of -Taunton town is unwholesome! There may be others who will remember -thee as well as I. Take an old woman's advice, and get thee gone. -How fares it with thy father, the worthy Dr. Eykin?' - -'Alas!' I said, 'he died in Ilminster Jail.' - -''Tis pity. But he was old and pious: he hath gone to glory. Whither -will those poor lads in the Clink go when they are hanged? Get thee -gone, get thee gone! The air is already foul with dead men's bodies: -they tell strange stories of what hath been done by women for the -safety of their brothers. Get thee gone, pretty maid, lest something -worse than prison happen to thee. And Judge Jeffreys is coming -hither like the Devil, having much wrath.' - -I could not tell her that nothing would happen to me, because I was -protected by a Heavenly Guard. - -'I was in the town forty years agone,' the old woman went on, 'when -Blake defended it, and we were well-nigh starved. But never have I -seen such things as have been done here since the Duke was routed. -Get thee gone!--haste away, as from the mouth of Hell!--get thee -gone, poor child!' - -[Illustration: '_As I passed through the crowd, one caught me by the -arm._'] - -So I left her, and went on my way, hanging my head, in hopes that -no one else would recognise me. Fortunately, no one did, though I -saw many faces which I had seen in the town before. They were then -tossing their caps and shouting for Monmouth, but were now gloomily -whispering, as if every man feared that his own turn would come -next. Over the great gateway of the Castle was stuck up a high row -of heads, arms, and legs of rebels blackened with pitch--a horrid -sight. Unto this end had come those brave fellows who went forth -to dethrone the King. No one noticed or accosted me, and I arrived -safely at Susan's house. The door seemed shut, but when I pushed -I found that it was open--the lock having been broken from its -fastening. Barnaby did that, I remembered. I went in shutting it, -after me. No doubt Susan was with her children in the schoolroom. -Strange that she should not repair her lock, and that at a time when -the town was full of soldiers, who always carry with them their -riotous and lawless followers. 'Twas unlike her orderly housekeeping. - -There was no one in the back parlour, where Susan commonly took her -meals and conducted the morning and evening prayers. The dishes were -on the table, as if of last night's supper or yesterday's dinner. -This was, also, unlike a tidy housewife. I opened the door of the -front parlour. Though it was already past the hour for school, there -were no children in the room; the lesson-books and copying-books -and slates lay about the floor. What did this untidy litter mean? -Then I went up-stairs and into the bedrooms, of which there were -three--namely, two on the floor above, and one a garret. No one was -in them, and the beds had not been made. There remained only the -kitchen. No one was there. The house was quite empty; I observed -also that the garden, which was wont to be kept with the greatest -neatness, now looked neglected; the ripe plums were dropping from -the branches trained upon the wall; the apples lay upon the grass; -the flower-beds were cumbered with weeds; grass grew in the walks; -the lawn, which had been so neat and trim, was covered with long -grass. - -What had happened? Where was Susan? Then I seemed to hear her voice -above thanking God for the victory, as she had done when Barnaby -burst in upon us; and methought I heard her singing a hymn with the -children, as she had done while we all sat embroidering the Flags. -Oh! the pretty Flags! And oh! the pretty sight of the innocents in -white and blue carrying those Flags! The house was filled with the -sounds of bygone happiness. Had I stayed another moment I am certain -that I should have seen the ghosts of those who filled the rooms in -the happy days when the army was in the town. But I did not stay. -Not knowing what to do or whither to fly, I ran quickly out of the -house, thinking only to get away from the mournful silence of the -empty and deserted rooms. Then, as I stepped into the street, I met, -face to face, none other than Mr. George Penne, the kind-hearted -gentleman who had compassionated the prisoners at Ilminster. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXII. - -THE MAN OF SAMARIA. - - -''Tis no other than the Fair Maid of Ilminster!' said Mr. Penne, -with surprise. 'Madam, with submission, is it safe--is it -prudent--for one who walked with the Maids of Taunton on a certain -memorable day, to venture openly into the streets of this city at -such a time? Judge Jeffreys doth approach to hold his Court. Thy -friends are in prison or in hiding. The Maids are scattered all.' - -'I sought shelter,' I said, 'at the house of Susan Blake, the -schoolmistress.' - -'How? You have not heard, then? Miss Susan Blake is dead.' - -'She is dead?' - -'She died in Dorchester Jail, whither she was sent, being specially -exempted from any pardon. 'Twas fever carried her off. She is dead! -Alas! the waste of good lives! She might have bought her freedom -after a while, and then--but--well, 'tis useless to lament these -mishaps.' - -'Alas! alas!' I cried, wringing my hands. 'Then am I in evil plight -indeed! All, all are dead!--all my friends are dead!' - -'Madam,' he replied very kindly, 'not all your friends, if I may say -so. I have, I assure you, a most compassionate heart. I bleed for -the sufferings of others; I cannot rest until I have brought relief. -This is my way. Oh! I take not credit to myself therefor. It is that -I am so constituted; I am not proud or uplifted on this account. -Only tell me your case, entrust your safety to me. You may do so -safely if you reflect for one moment, because--see--one word from -me and you would be taken to prison by yon worthy clergyman, who is -none other than the Rev. Mr. Walter Harte, the Vicar of Taunton. -No one is more active against the rebels, and he would rejoice in -committing thee on the charge of having been among the Maids. A word -from me would, I say, cause you to be hauled to jail; but, observe, -I do not speak that word--God forbid that I should speak that word!' - -'Oh, Sir!' I said, 'this goodness overwhelms me.' - -'Then, Madam, for greater privacy, let us go back into the house and -converse there.' - -So we went back into the empty house and sat in the back parlour. - -'As for the nature of your trouble, Madam,' he began, 'I hope you -have no dear brothers or cousins among those poor fellows in Taunton -Jail.' - -'No, Sir; my only brother is at Ilminster, and my cousins are far -away in New England.' - -'That is well. One who, like myself, is of a compassionate -disposition, cannot but bewail the grievous waste in jail fever, -smallpox, scarlet fever, or putrid throat (to say nothing of the -hangings), which now daily happens in the prison. What doth it avail -to hang and quarter a man, when he might be usefully set to work -upon his Majesty's Plantations? It is a most sinful and foolish -waste, I say'--he spoke with great sincerity and warmth--'and a -robbing of the pockets of honest merchants.' - -'Indeed, Sir,' I said, 'your words prove the goodness of your heart.' - -'Let my deeds rather than my words prove that. How fare the -prisoners with whom you are most concerned?' - -'Alas! Sir Christopher is dead! and my father hath also died of his -wound.' - -'So?--indeed? More waste! They are dead. More waste! But one was -old: had Sir Christopher been sent to the Plantations, his value -would have been but small, though, indeed, a ransom--but he is dead; -and your father, being wounded--but they are dead, and so no more -need be said. There are, however, others, if I remember aright?' - -'There is my brother in Ilminster Prison, and----' - -'Yes; the two young gentlemen--Challis is their name--in Exeter. I -have seen them and conversed with them. Strong young men, especially -one of them. 'Tis sad, indeed, to think that they may be cut off in -the very bloom of their age when they would command so high a price -in Jamaica or Barbadoes. I ventured to beg before their trial that -they would immediately begin to use whatever interest they might be -able to command in order to get their sentence (which was certain) -commuted. Many will be suffered to go abroad--why not these young -gentlemen? But they have no interest, they assured me; and therefore -I fear that they will die. 'Tis most sad. They cannot hang all--that -is quite true; but then these young gentlemen were officers in the -army, and therefore an example will be made of them if they have no -interest at Court.' - -'Well, Sir,' I told him, pleased to find him of such a kindly and -thoughtful disposition, 'you will be glad to hear that they are -already pardoned, and have been presented by the King to a gentleman -at Court.' - -'Aha! Sayest thou so?' His eyes glittered, and he rubbed his hands. -'This is, indeed, joyful news. One of them, Mr. Robin Challis, is a -goodly lad, like to whom there are few sent out to the Plantations. -He will certainly fetch a good price. The other, Mr. Humphrey, who -is somewhat crooked, will go for less. Who hath obtained the gift of -these young gentlemen?' - -'It is a person named Mr. Nipho.' - -'Mr. Jerome Nipho. I know him well. He is a good Catholic--I mean a -Papist--and is much about the Court. He is lucky in having had many -prisoners given to him. And now, Madam, I hope you will command my -services.' - -'In what way, Sir?' - -'In this way. I am, as I have told you'--here he wagged his head -and winked both his eyes, and laughed pleasantly--'one of those -foolish busybodies who love to be still doing good to their -fellow-creatures. To do good is my whole delight. Unfortunately, -the opportunities are rare of conferring exemplary benefit upon my -fellow-men. But here the way seems clear.' - -He rubbed his hands and laughed again, repeating that the way was -clear before him, so that I believed myself fortunate in falling in -with so virtuous a person. - -'Oh, Sir,' I cried, 'would that the whole world would so live and so -act!' - -'Truly, if it did, we should have the prisons cleared. There should -be no more throwing away of good lives in hanging; no more waste -of stout fellows and lusty wenches by fever and small-pox. All -should go to the Plantations--all. Now, Madam, to our business, -which is the advantage of these young gentlemen. Know, therefore, -that Mr. Jerome Nipho, with all those who have received presents of -prisoners, straightway sells them to persons who engage to transport -them across the seas to his Majesty's Plantations in Jamaica, -Virginia, or elsewhere. There they are bound to work for a certain -term of years. Call it not work, however,' he added quickly; 'say -rather that they are invited every day to exercise themselves in -the cotton and the sugar fields. The climate is delightful; the -sky is seldom clouded; there are never any frosts or snows; it is -always summer; the fruits are delicious; they have a kind of spirit -distilled from the sugar canes which is said to be finer and more -wholesome than the best Nantz; the food is palatable and plentiful, -though plain. The masters or employers (call them rather friends) -are gentlemen of the highest humanity, and the society is composed -of sober merchants, wealthy planters, and gentlemen, like your -brother, who have had the misfortune to differ in opinions from the -Government.' - -'Why, Sir,' I said, 'I have always understood that the transported -prisoners are treated with the greatest inhumanity: forced to work -in heat such as we never experience, driven with the lash, and -half-starved, so that none ever come back.' - -He shook his head gently. 'See now,' he said, 'how prejudices -arise. Who could have thought that the Plantations should be thus -regarded? 'Tis true that there are estates cultivated by convicts -of another kind--I mean robbers, highwaymen, petty thieves, and -the like. Bristol doth every year send away a shipload at least of -such. Nay, 'tis reported that rather than hang murderers and the -like the Bristol merchants buy them of the magistrates; but this -is out of the kindness of their hearts. Madam,' he thrust his hand -into his bosom and looked me in the face, 'I myself am sometimes -engaged in that trade. I myself buy these unhappy prisoners and send -them to estates where I know they will be treated with the greatest -kindness. Do I look like a dishonest man, Madam? As for my name it -is George Penne, and I am known to every man of credit in Bristol. -Do I talk like one who would make money out of his neighbours' -sufferings? Nay, if that is so, let us part at once and say no more. -Madam, your humble servant--no harm is done: your humble servant, -madam.' He put his hat under his arm, and made as if he would go; -but I begged him to remain, and to advise me further in the matter. - -Then I asked him if transported persons ever came home again. - -'Surely,' he replied, 'some of them come home laden with gold. Some, -possessed of places both of honour and of profit, who return to -visit their friends, and then go back to the new country. It is a -very Eldorado, or land of gold, to those who are willing to work; -and for those who have money and choose to buy exemption from work, -it is only an agreeable residence in cheerful society for a certain -term of years. Have you, by chance, Madam, any friends who can -influence Mr. Jerome Nipho?' - -'No, Sir, I have none.' - -'Then will I myself communicate with that gentleman. Understand, -Madam, that I shall have to pay him so much a head for every -prisoner; that I shall be engaged to place every man on board ship; -that the prisoners will then be taken across the seas and again -sold. But in the case of those who have money, a ransom can be -procured, by means of which they will not have to work.' - -So far he had spoken in the belief that I was at Taunton on my -brother's business, or that of my friends. I told him, therefore, -that certain events had occurred which would prevent me from -seeing the prisoners at Exeter. And because I could not forbear -from weeping while I spoke, he very earnestly begged me to inform -him fully in every particular as to my history, adding that his -benevolence was not confined to the unhappy case of prisoners, but -that it was ready to be extended in any other direction that happy -chance might offer. - -Therefore, being, as you have seen, so friendless and so ignorant, -and so fearful of falling into my husband's hands, and at the same -time so grateful to this good man for his kindly offers (indeed, -I took him for an instrument provided by Heaven for the safety -promised in my vision of the night), that I told him everything -exactly, concealing nothing. Nay, I even told him of the bag of -gold which I had tied round my waist--a thing which I had hitherto -concealed, because the money was not mine, but Barnaby's. But I told -it to Mr. Penne. - -While I related my history he interrupted me by frequent -ejaculations, showing his abhorrence of the wickedness with which -Benjamin compassed his design, and when I finished, he held up his -hands in amazement. - -'Good God!' he cried; 'that such a wretch should live! That he -should be allowed still to cumber the earth! What punishment were -fitting for this devil in the shape of a man? Madam, your case is, -indeed, one that would move the heart of Nero himself. What is to be -done?' - -'Nay, that I know not. For if I go back to our village he will find -me there; and if I find out some hiding-place he will seek me out -and find me; I shall never know rest or peace again. For of one -thing am I resolved--I will die--yea, I will indeed die--before I -will become his wife more than I am at present.' - -'I cannot but commend that resolution, Madam. But, to be plain with -you, there is no place in the world more unsafe for you than Taunton -at this time. Therefore, if you please, I will ride with you to -Bristol without delay.' - -'Sir, I cannot ask this sacrifice of your business.' - -'My business lies at Bristol. I can do no more here until Judge -Jeffreys hath got through his hangings, of which, I fear, there -may be many, and so more sinful waste of good convicts. Let us, -therefore, hasten away as quickly as may be; as for what shall be -done afterwards, that we will consider on the way.' - -Did ever a woman in misfortune meet with so good a man? The -Samaritan himself was not of better heart. - -Well, to be brief, half an hour afterwards we mounted and rode to -Bristol, by way of Bridgwater (this town was even more melancholy -than Taunton), taking three days; the weather being now wet and -rainy, so that the ways were bad. Now, as we rode along--Mr. -Penne and I--side by side, and his servant behind, armed with -a blunderbuss, our conversation was grave, turning chiefly on -the imprudence of the people in following Monmouth, when they -should have waited for the gentry to lead the way. I found my -companion (whom I held to be my benefactor) sober in manners and in -conversation; no drunkard; no user of profane oaths; and towards me, -a woman whom he had (so to say) in his own power, he behaved always -with the greatest ceremony and politeness. So that I hoped to have -found in this good man a true protector. - -When we reached Bristol he told me that, for my better safety, he -would lodge me apart from his own house; and so took me to a house -in Broad Street, near St. John's Gate, where there was a most -respectable old lady of grave aspect, though red in the cheeks. - -'I have brought you, Madam,' he said, 'to the house of a lady whose -virtue and piety are well known.' - -'Sir,' said the old lady, 'this house is well known for the piety of -those who use it. And everybody knows that you are all goodness.' - -'No,' said Mr. Penne; 'no man is good. We can but try our best. In -this house, however, Madam, you will be safe. I beg and implore you -not at present to stir abroad, for reasons which you very well know. -This good woman has three or four daughters in the house, who are -sometimes, I believe, merry----' - -'Sir,' said the old lady, 'children will be foolish.' - -'True, true,' he replied laughing. 'Take care, then, that they -molest not Madam.' - -'No, Sir; they shall not.' - -'Then, Madam, for the moment I leave you. Rest and be easy in your -mind. I have, I think, contrived a plan which will answer your case -perfectly.' - -In the evening he returned and sent me word, very ceremoniously, -that he desired the favour of a conversation with me. As if there -could be anything in the world that I desired more! - -'Madam,' he said, 'I have considered carefully your case, and I can -find but one advice to give.' - -'What is it, Sir?' - -'We might,' he went on, 'find a lodging for you in some quiet Welsh -town across the Channel. At Chepstow, for instance, or at Newport, -you might find a home for a while. But, the country being greatly -inflamed with dissensions, there would everywhere be the danger of -some fanatical busybody inquiring into your history--whence you -came, why you left your friends--and so forth. And, again, in every -town there are women (saving your presence, Madam), whose tongues -tittle-tattle all day long. Short work they make of a stranger. So -that I see not much safety in a small town. Then, again, you might -find a farm-house where they would receive you; but your case is -not that you wish to be hidden for a time, as one implicated in -the Monmouth business. Not so; you desire to be hidden all your -life, or for the whole life of the man who, if he finds you, may -compel you to live with him, and to live for--how long? Sixty years, -perhaps, in a dull and dirty farm-house, among rude boors, would be -intolerable to a person of your manners and accomplishments.' - -'Then, Sir, in the name of Heaven'--for I began to be wearied with -this lengthy setting up of plans only to pull them down again--'what -shall I do?' - -'You might go to London. At first I thought that London offered -the best hope of safe retreat. There are parts of London where -the gentlemen of the robe are never seen, and where you might be -safe. Thus, about the eastern parts of the city there are never -any lawyers at all. There you might be safe. But yet--it would be -a perpetual risk. Your face, Madam, if I may say so, is one which -will not be quickly forgotten when it hath once been seen--you would -be persecuted by would-be lovers; you would go in continual terror, -knowing that one you fear was living only a mile away from you. -You would have to make up some story, to maintain which would be -troublesome; and presently the time would come when you would have -no more money. What, then, would you do?' - -'Pray, Sir, if you can, tell me what you think I should do, since -there are so many things that I cannot do.' - -'Madam, I am going to submit to you a plan which seems to me at once -the safest and the best. You have, you tell me, cousins in the town -of Boston, which is in New England.' - -'Yes, I have heard my father speak of his cousins.' - -'I have myself visited that place, and have heard mention of certain -Eykins as gentlemen of substance and reputation. I propose, Madam, -that you should go to these cousins, and seek a home among them.' - -'Leave England? You would have me leave this country and go across -the ocean to America?' - -'That is my advice. Nay, Madam'--he assumed a most serious -manner--'do not reject this advice suddenly; sleep upon it. You are -not going among strangers, but among your own people, by whom the -name of your pious and learned father is doubtless held in great -honour. You are going from a life (at best) of danger and continual -care to a place where you will be certainly free from persecution. -Madam, sleep upon it.' - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIII. - -ON BOARD THE JOLLY THATCHER. - - -I lay awake all night thinking of this plan. The more I thought -upon it, the more I was pleased with it. To fly from the country -was to escape the pursuit of my husband, who would never give over -looking for me because he was so obstinate and masterful. I should -also escape the reproaches of my lover, Robin, and break myself -altogether from a passion which was now (through my own rashness) -become sinful. I might also break myself from the loathing and -hatred which I now felt towards my wicked husband, and might even, -in time and after much prayer, arrive at forgiving him. At that -time--yea, and for long afterwards--I did often surprise myself in -such a fit of passion as, I verily believe, would have made me a -murderess had opportunity or the Evil One sent that man my way. Yea, -not once or twice, but many times have I thus become a murderess -in thought and wish and intention--I confess this sin with shame, -though I have long since repented of it. To have been so near unto -it--nay, to have already committed it in my imagination, covers me -with shame. And now when I sometimes (my Lord, the master of my -affections, doth allow it) visit the Prison of Ilchester and find -therein some poor wretch who hath yielded to temptation and sudden -wrath (which is the possession by the Devil), and so hath committed -what I only imagined, my heart goes forth to that poor creature, and -I cannot rest until I have prayed with her and softened her heart, -and left her to go contrite to the shameful tree. Nay, since, as -you shall hear, I have been made to pass part of my life among the -most wicked and profligate of my sex, I am filled with the thought -that the best of us are not much better than the worst, and that the -worst of us are in some things as good as the best; so that there is -no room for pride and self-sufficiency, but much for humiliation and -distrust of one's own heart. - -Well, if I would consent to fly from the country; across the seas, -I should find kith and kin who would shelter me. There should I -learn to think about other things--poor wretch, as if I could ever -forget the village--and Robin! Oh! that I should have to try--even -to try--to forget Robin! I was to learn that though the skies be -changed the heart remains the same. - -How I fled--and whither--you shall now hear. - -Mr. George Penne came to see me next morning, sleek and smiling and -courteous. - -'Madam,' he said, 'may I know your decision, if you have yet arrived -at one?' - -'Sir, it is already made. I have slept upon it; I have prayed upon -it; I will go.' - -'That is well. It is also most opportune, because a ship sails this -very day. It is most opportune I say--even Providential. She will -drop down the Channel with the coming tide. You will want a few -things for the voyage.' - -'It will be winter when we arrive, and the winters in that country -are cold; I must buy some thicker clothing. Will there be any -gentlewoman on board?' - -'Surely'--he smiled--'surely. There will be, I am told, more than -one gentlewoman on board that ship. There will be, in fact, a large -and a cheerful company. Of that you may be assured. Well, since that -is settled, a great load of care is removed, because I have heard -that your husband rode into Taunton with Judge Jeffreys; that he -learned from someone--I know not from whom--of your presence in the -town, and of your departure with me.' - -'It must have been the market-woman.' - -'Doubtless the market-woman'--I have often asked myself whether this -was a falsehood or not--'and he is even now speeding towards Bristol -hoping to find you. Pray Heaven that he hath not learned with whom -you fled!' - -'Oh!' I cried. 'Let us go on board the ship at once! Let us hasten!' - -'Nay; there is no hurry for a few hours. But stay withindoors. -Everything that is wanted for the voyage shall be put on board for -you. As for your meals, you will eat with'--here he paused for a -moment--'with the rest of the company under the care of the Captain. -For your berth, it will be as comfortable as can be provided. Next, -as to the money. You have, I understand, two hundred pounds and -more?' - -I took the bag from my waist and rolled out the contents. There were -in all two hundred and forty-five pounds and a few shillings. The -rest had been expended at Ilminster. - -He counted it carefully, and then replaced the money in the bag. - -'The Eykins of Boston, in New England,' he said, 'are people of -great credit and substance. There will be no necessity for you to -take with you this money should you wish it to be expended to the -advantage of your brother and your friends.' - -'Take it all, kind Sir. Take it all, if so be it will help them in -their need.' - -'Nay, that will not do, either,' he replied, smiling, his hand still -upon the bag. 'For, first, the Captain of your ship must be paid -for his passage; next, you must not go among strangers (though your -own kith and kin) with no money at all in purse. Therefore, I will -set aside (by your good leave) fifty pounds for your private purse. -So: fifty pounds. A letter to my correspondent at Boston, which I -will write, will cause him to pay you this money on your landing. -This is a safer method than to carry the money in a bag or purse, -which may be stolen. But if the letter be lost, another can be -written. We merchants, indeed, commonly send three such letters of -advice in case of shipwreck and loss of the bags. This done, and the -expenses of the voyage provided, there remains a large sum, which, -judiciously spent, will, I think, insure for your friends from the -outset the treatment reserved for prisoners of distinction who can -afford to pay--namely, on their arrival they will be bought (as it -is termed) by worthy merchants, who (having been previously paid by -me) will suffer them to live where they please, without exacting of -them the least service or work. Their relatives at home will forward -them the means of subsistence, and so their exile will be softened -for them. If you consent thereto, Madam, I will engage that they -shall be so received, with the help of this money.' - -If I consented, indeed! With what joy did I give my consent to such -laying out of my poor Barnaby's money! Everything now seemed turning -to the best, thanks to my new and benevolent friend. - -At his desire, therefore, I wrote a letter to Barnaby recommending -him to trust himself, and to advise Robin and Humphrey to trust -themselves, entirely to the good offices of this excellent man. I -informed him that I was about to cross the seas to our cousins in -New England, in order to escape the clutches of the villain who had -betrayed me. And then I told him how his money had been bestowed, -and bade him seek me when he should be released from the Plantations -(wherever they might send him) at the town of Boston among his -cousins. The letter Mr. Penne faithfully promised to deliver. (Nota -bene--the letter was never given to Barnaby.) - -At the same time he wrote a letter for me to give to his -correspondent at Boston, telling me that on reading that letter his -friend would instantly pay me the sum of fifty pounds. - -Thus was the business concluded, and I could not find words, I told -him, to express the gratitude which I felt for so much goodness -towards one who was a stranger to him. I begged him to suffer me -to repay at least the charges to which he had been put at the inns -and the stabling since he took me into his own care and protection. -But he would take nothing. 'Money,' he said, 'as payment for such -services as he had been enabled to render would be abhorrent to his -nature. Should good deeds be bought? Was it seemly that a merchant -of credit should sell an act of common Christian charity?' - -'What!' he asked, 'are we to see a poor creature in danger of being -imprisoned if she is recognised--and of being carried off against -her will by a husband whom she loathes, if he finds her--are we -to see such a woman and not be instantly fired by every generous -emotion of compassion and indignation to help that woman at the mere -cost of a few days' service and a few guineas spent?' - -I was greatly moved--even to tears--at these words, and at all this -generosity, and I told him that I could not sufficiently thank him -for all he had done, and that he should have my prayers always. - -'I hope I may, Madam,' he said, smiling strangely. 'When the ship -hath sailed you will remember, perhaps, the fate of Susan Blake, -and, whatever may be your present discomfort on board a rolling -ship, say to yourself that this is better than to die in a noisome -prison. You will also understand that you have fallen into the hands -of a respectable merchant, who is much more lenient than Judge -Jeffreys, and will not consent to the wasting of good commercial -stuff in jails and on gibbets.' - -'Nay, Sir,' I said, 'what doth all this mean?' - -'Nothing, Madam; nothing. I was only anxious that you should say to -yourself, "Thus and thus have I been saved from a jail."' Such was -Mr. Penne's humanity! - -'Understand it! Oh! dear Sir, I repeat that my words are not strong -enough to express my gratitude.' - -'Now, Madam, no doubt your gratitude runs high. Whether -to-morrow----' - -'Can I ever forget? To-morrow? To-morrow? Surely, Sir----' - -'Well, Madam, we will wait until to-morrow. Meantime, lie snug and -still all day, and in the afternoon I will come for you. Two hundred -and forty-five pounds--'tis not a great sum, but a good day's -work--a good day's work, added to the satisfaction of helping a most -unfortunate young gentlewoman--most unfortunate.' - -What did the good man mean by still talking of the morrow? - -At half-past twelve the good woman of the house brought me a plate -of meat and some bread. - -'So,' she said--her face was red, and I think she had been -drinking--'he hath determined to put you on board with the rest, I -hear.' - -'Hush! If you have heard, say nothing.' - -'He thinks he can buy my silence. Come, Madam; though, indeed, some -would rather take their chance with Judge Jeffreys--they say he is a -man who can be moved by the face of a woman--than with--well, as for -my silence, there----It is usual, Madam, to compliment the landlady, -and though, I confess, you are not of the kind which do commonly -frequent this house, yet one may expect'---- - -'Alas! my good woman, I have nothing. Mr. Penne has taken all my -money.' - -'What! you had money? And you gave it to Mr. Penne? You gave it to -him? Nay, indeed--why, in the place where thou art going'---- - -She was silent, for suddenly we heard Mr. Penne's step outside; and -he opened the door. - -'Come,' he said roughly; 'the Captain says that he will weigh anchor -in an hour: the tide serves--come.' - -I hastened to put on my hat and mantle. - -'Farewell,' I said, taking the old woman's hand. 'I have nothing -to give thee but my prayers. Mr. Penne, who is all goodness, will -reward thee for thy kindness to me.' - -'He all goodness?' asked the old woman. 'He? Why, if there is upon -the face of the whole earth'---- - -'Come, Child!' Mr. Penne seized my hand and dragged me away. - -'The woman,' he said, 'hath been drinking. It is a bad habit she -hath contracted of late. I must see into it, and speak seriously to -her: but a good nature at heart. Come, we must hasten. You will be -under the special care of the Captain. I have provided a box full of -warm clothing and other comforts. I think there is nothing omitted -that may be of use. Come.' - -He hurried me along the narrow streets until we came to a quay, -where there were a great number of ships, such as I had never before -seen. On one of them the sailors were running about clearing away -things, coiling ropes, tossing sacks and casks aboard, with such a -'Yo-hoing!' and noise as I never in my life heard before. - -''Tis our ship,' said Mr. Penne. Then he led me along a narrow -bridge, formed by a single plank, to the deck of the ship. There -stood a gentleman of a very fierce and resolute aspect, armed with -a sword, hanging from a scarlet sash, and a pair of pistols in his -belt. 'Captain,' said Mr. Penne, 'are all aboard?' - -'Ay; we have all our cargo. And a pretty crew they are! Is this the -last of them? Send her for'ard.' - -'Madam,' said Mr. Penne, 'suffer me to lead you to a place where, -until the ship sails and the officers have time to take you to your -cabin, you can rest and be out of the way. It is a rough assemblage, -but at sailing one has no choice.' - -Gathered in the forepart of what they call the waist there was a -company of about a hundred people. Some were young, some old; some -were men, some women; some seemed mere children. All alike showed in -their faces the extreme of misery, apprehension, and dismay. - -'Who are these?' I asked. - -'They will tell you themselves presently. Madam, farewell.' With -that Mr. Penne left me standing among this crowd of wretches, -and, without waiting for my last words of gratitude, hurried away -immediately. - -I saw him running across the plank to the quay. Then the boatswain -blew a shrill whistle; the plank was shoved over; some ropes were -cast loose, and the ship began slowly to move down the river with -the tide, now beginning to run out, and a wind from the north-east. - -I looked about me. What were all these people? Why were they going -to New England? Then, as the deck was now clearer, and the sailors, -I suppose, at their stations, I ventured to walk towards the -afterpart of the ship with the intention to ask the Captain for my -cabin. As I did so, a man stood before me armed with a great cane, -which he brandished, threatening, with a horrid oath, to lay it -across my back if I ventured any further aft. - -'Prisoners, for'ard!' he cried. 'Back you go, or--by the Lord'---- - -'Prisoner?' I said. 'I am no prisoner. I am a passenger.' - -'Passenger? Why, as for that, you are all passengers.' - -'All? Who are these, then?' - -He informed me with plainness of speech who and what they -were--convicts taken from the prisons, branded in the hand, and -sentenced to transportation. - -'But I am a passenger,' I repeated. 'Mr. Penne hath paid for my -passage to New England. He hath paid the Captain'---- - -'The ship is bound for Barbadoes, not New England. 'Tis my duty not -to stir from this spot; but here's the Mate--tell him.' - -This was a young man, armed, like the Captain, with pistols and -sword. - -'Sir,' I said, 'I am a passenger brought on board by Mr. Penne, by -whom my passage hath been paid to New England.' - -'By Mr. George Penne, you say?' - -'The same. He hath engaged a cabin for me, and hath purchased -clothes--and'---- - -'Is it possible,' said the Mate, 'that you do not know where you -are, and whither you are going?' - -'I am going, under the special care of the Captain, to the city of -Boston, in New England, to my cousin, Mr. Eykin, a gentleman of -credit and substance of that town.' - -He gazed at me with wonder. - -'I will speak to the Captain,' he said, and left me standing there. - -Presently he returned. 'Come with me,' he said. - -'You are Alice Eykin?' said the Captain, who had with him a paper -from which he read. - -'That is my name.' - -'On a certain day in July, your father being a preacher in the army -of the Duke of Monmouth, you walked with a procession of girls -bearing flags which you presented to that rebel?' - -'It is true, Sir.' - -'You have been given by the King to some great Lord or other, I -know not whom, and by him sold to the man Penne, who hath put you -on board this ship, the "Jolly Thatcher," Port of London, to be -conveyed, with a hundred prisoners, all rogues and thieves, to the -Island of Barbadoes, where you will presently be sold as a servant -for ten years; after which period, if you choose, you will be at -liberty to return to England.' - -Then, indeed, the Captain before me seemed to reel about, and I fell -fainting at his feet. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIV. - -THE GOOD SAMARITAN. - - -This was indeed the truth: I had parted with my money on the word -of a villain; I put myself into his power by telling him the whole -of my sad story; and, on the promise of sending me by ship to my -cousins in New England, he had entered my name as a rebel sold to -himself (afterwards I learned that he made it appear as if I was one -of the hundred given to Mr. Jerome Nipho, all of whom he afterwards -bought and sent to the Plantations), and he had then shipped me on -board a vessel on the point of sailing with as vile a company of -rogues, vagabonds, thieves, and drabs as were ever raked together -out of the streets and the prisons. - -When I came to my senses the Captain gave me a glass of cordial, and -made me sit down on a gun-carriage while he asked me many questions. -I answered him all truthfully, concealing only the reason of my -flight and of my visit to Taunton, where, I told him truly, I hoped -to see my unhappy friend Miss Susan Blake, of whose imprisonment and -death I knew nothing. - -'Madam,' said the Captain, stroking his chin, 'your case is indeed -a hard one. Yet your name is entered on my list, and I must deliver -your body at St. Michael's Port, Barbadoes, or account for its -absence. This must I do: I have no other choice. As for your being -sold to Mr. George Penne by Mr. Jerome Nipho, this may very well be -without your knowing even that you had been given to that gentleman -by the King. They say that the Maids of Taunton have all been given -away, mostly to the Queen's Maids of Honour, and must either be -redeemed at a great price or be sold as you have been. On the other -hand, there may be villainy, and in this case it might be dangerous -for you to move in the matter lest you be apprehended and sent to -jail as a rebel, and so a worse fate happen unto you.' - -[Illustration: '_When I came to my senses the captain gave me a -glass of cordial._'] - -He then went on to tell me that this pretended merchant, this -Mr. George Penne, was the most notorious kidnapper in the whole -of Bristol; that he was always raking the prisons of rogues and -sending them abroad for sale on the Plantations; that at this time -he was looking to make a great profit, because there were so many -prisoners that all could not be hanged, but most must be either -flogged and sent about their business, or else sold to him and his -like for servitude. 'As for any money paid for your passage,' he -went on, 'I assure you, Madam, upon my honour, that nothing at all -has been paid by him; nor has he provided you with any change of -clothes or provisions of any kind for the voyage; nor hath he asked -or bargained for any better treatment of you on board than is given -to the rogues below; and that, Madam,' he added, 'is food of the -coarsest, and planks, for sleep, of the hardest. The letter which -you have shown me is a mere trick. I do not think there is any such -person in Boston. It is true, however, that there is a family of -your name in Boston, and that they are substantial merchants. I make -no doubt that as he hath treated you, so he will treat your friends; -and that all the money which he has taken from you will remain in -his own pocket.' - -'Then,' I cried, 'what am I to do? Where look for help?' - -''Tis the damnedest villain!' cried the Captain, swearing after -the profane way of sailors. 'When next I put in at the Port of -Bristol, if the Monmouth scare be over, I will take care that all -the world shall know what he hath done. But, indeed, he will not -care. The respectable merchants have nothing to say with him--he is -now an open Catholic, who was formerly concealed in that religion. -Therefore, he thinks his fortune is at the flood. But what is to be -done, Madam?' - -'Indeed, Sir, I know not.' - -He considered a while. His face was rough and coloured like a ripe -plum with the wind and the sun; but he looked honest, and he did -not, like Mr. Penne, pretend to shed tears over my misfortunes. - -'Those who join rebellions,' he said, but not unkindly, 'generally -find themselves out in their reckoning in the end. What the deuce -have gentlewomen to do with the pulling down of Kings! I warrant, -now, you thought you were doing a grand thing, and so you must needs -go walking with those pretty fools, the Maids of Taunton! Well; 'tis -past praying for. George Penne is such a villain that keelhauling is -too good for him. Flogged through the fleet at Spithead he should -be. Madam, I am not one who favours rebels; yet you cannot sleep and -mess with the scum down yonder. 'Twould be worse than inhuman--their -talk and their manners would kill you. There is a cabin aft which -you can have. The furniture is mean, but it will be your own while -you are aboard. You shall mess at my table if you will so honour me. -You shall have the liberty of the quarter-deck. I will also find for -you, if I can, among the women aboard, one somewhat less villainous -than the rest, who shall be your grumeta, as the Spaniards say--your -servant, that is--to keep your cabin clean and do your bidding. When -we make Barbadoes there is no help for it, but you must go ashore -with the rest and take your chance.' - -This was truly generous of the Captain, and I thanked him with all -my heart. He proved as good as his word, for though he was a hard -man, who duly maintained discipline, flogging his prisoners with -rigour, he treated me during the whole voyage with kindness and -pity, never forgetting daily to curse the name of George Penne and -drink to his confusion. - -The voyage lasted six weeks. At first we had rough weather with -heavy seas and rolling waves. Happily, I was not made sick by -the motion of the ship, and could always stand upon the deck and -look at the waves (a spectacle, to my mind, the grandest in the -whole world). But, I fear, there was much suffering among the -poor wretches--my fellow-prisoners. They were huddled and crowded -together below the deck; they were all sea-sick; there was no doctor -to relieve their sufferings, nor were there any medicines for -those who were ill. Fever presently broke out among them, so that -we buried nine in the first fortnight of our voyage. After this, -the weather growing warm and the sea moderating, the sick mended -rapidly, and soon all were well again. - -I used to stand upon the quarter-deck and look at them gathered -in the waist below. Never had I seen such a company. They came, -I heard, principally from London, which is the rendezvous or -headquarters of all the rogues in the country. They were all in -rags--had any one among them possessed a decent coat it would have -been snatched from his back the very first day; they were dirty -from the beginning; many of them had cuts and wounds on their heads -gotten in their fights and quarrels, and these were bound about -with old clouts; their faces were not fresh-coloured and rosy, -like the faces of our honest country lads, but pale and sometimes -covered with red blotches, caused by their evil lives and their hard -drinking; on their foreheads was clearly set the seal of Satan. -Never did I behold wickedness so manifestly stamped upon the human -countenance. They were like monkeys for their knavish and thievish -tricks. They stole everything that they could lay hands upon: pieces -of rope, the sailors' knives when they could get them, even the -marlinspikes if they were left about. When they were caught and -flogged they would make the ship terrible with their shrieks, being -cowards as prodigious as they were thieves. They lay about all day -ragged and dirty on deck, in the place assigned to them, stupidly -sleeping or else silent and dumpish, except for some of the young -fellows who gambled with cards--I know not for what stakes--and -quarrelled over the game and fought. It was an amusement among the -sailors to make these lads fight on the forecastle, promising a -pannikin of rum to the victor. For this miserable prize they would -fight with the greatest fury and desperation, even biting one -another in their rage, while the sailors clapped their hands and -encouraged them. Pity it is that the common sort do still delight -themselves with sport so brutal. On shore these fellows would be -rejoicing in cock-fights and bull-baitings: on board they baited the -prisoners. - -There were among the prisoners twenty or thirty women, the sweepings -of the Bristol streets. They, too, would fight as readily as the -men, until the Captain forbade it under penalty of a flogging. These -women were to the full as wicked as the men; nay, their language -was worse, insomuch that the very sailors would stand aghast to hear -the blasphemies they uttered, and would even remonstrate with them, -saying, 'Nan,' or 'Poll'--they were all Polls and Nans--''tis enough -to cause the ship to be struck with lightning! Give over, now! Wilt -sink the ship's company with your foul tongue?' But the promise of a -flogging kept them from fighting. Men, I think, will brave anything -for a moment's gratification; but not even the most hardened woman -will willingly risk the pain of the whip. - -The Captain told me that of these convicts, of whom every year whole -shiploads are taken to Virginia, to Jamaica, and to Barbadoes, not -one in a hundred ever returns. 'For,' he said, 'the work exacted -from them is so severe, with so much exposure to a burning sun, and -the fare is so hard, that they fall into fevers and calentures. -And, besides the dangers from the heat and the bad food, there is a -drink called rum, or arrack, which is distilled from the juice of -the sugar-cane, and another drink called "mobbie," distilled from -potatoes, which inflames their blood, and causes many to die before -their time. Moreover, the laws are harsh, and there is too much -flogging and branding and hanging. So that some fall into despair -and, in that condition of mind, die under the first illness which -seizes on them.' - -'Captain,' I said, 'you forget that I am also to become one of these -poor wretches.' - -The Captain swore lustily that, on his return, he would seek out -the villain Penne and break his neck for him. Then he assured me -that the difference between myself and the common herd would be -immediately recognised; that a rebel is not a thief, and must not -be so treated; and that I had nothing to fear--nay, that he himself -would say what he could in my favour. But he entreated me with the -utmost vehemence to send home an account of where I was, and what -I was enduring, to such of my friends as might have either money -to relieve me from servitude or interest to procure a pardon. -Alas! I had no friends. Mr. Boscorel, I knew full well, would move -heaven and earth to help me. But he could not do that without his -son finding out where I was; and this thought so moved me that -I implored the Captain to tell no one who I was, or what was my -history; and, for greater persuasion, I revealed to him those parts -of my history which I had hitherto concealed, namely, my marriage -and the reason of that rash step and my flight. - -'Madam,' he said, 'I would that I had the power of revenging these -foul wrongs. For them, I swear, I would kidnap both Mr. George Penne -and Mr. Benjamin Boscorel; and, look you, I would make them mess -with the scum and the sweepings whom we carry for'ard; and I would -sell them to the most inhuman of the planters, by whom they would -be daily beaten and cuffed and flogged; or, better still, would -cause them to be sold at Havana to the Spaniards, where they would -be employed, as are the English prisoners commonly by that cruel -people, namely, in fetching water under negro overseers. I leave you -to imagine how long they would live, and what terrible treatment -they would receive.' - -So it was certain that I was going to a place where I must look -for very little mercy, unless I could buy it; and where the white -servant was regarded as worth so many years of work; not so much -as a negro, because he doth sooner sink under the hardships of his -lot, while the negro continues frolick and lusty, and marries and -has children, even though he has to toil all day in the sun, and is -flogged continually to make him work with the greater heart. - -Among the women on board was a young woman, not more than eighteen -or thereabout, who was called Deb. She had no other name. Her -birthplace she knew not; but she had run about the country with -some tinkers, whose language she said is called 'Shelta' by those -people. This she could still talk. They sold her in Bristol; after -which her history is one which, I learn, is common in towns. When -the Captain bade her come to the cabin, and ordered her to obey me -in whatsoever I commanded, she looked stupidly at him, shrinking -from him if he moved, as if she was accustomed (which was indeed the -case) to be beaten at every word. I made her first clean herself -and wash her clothes. This done, she slept in my cabin, and, as -the Captain promised, became my servant. At first she was not only -afraid of ill-treatment, but she would wilfully lie; she purloined -things and hid them; she told me so many tales of her past life, all -of them different, that I could believe none. Yet when she presently -found out that I was not going to beat her, and that the Captain did -never offer to cuff or kick her (which the poor wretch expected), -she left off telling falsehoods and became as handy, obliging, and -useful a creature as one could desire. She was a great, strapping -girl, black-eyed and with black hair, as strong as any man, and a -good-looking creature as well, to those who like great women. - -This Deb, when, I say, she ceased to be afraid of me, began to tell -me her true history, which was, I suppose, only remarkable because -she seemed not to know that it was shameful and wicked. She lived, -as the people among whom she had been brought up lived, without the -least sense or knowledge of God; indeed, no heathen savage could -be more without religion than the tinkers and gipsies on the road. -They have no knowledge at all; they are born; they live; they die; -they are buried in a hedgeside, and are forgotten. It was surprising -to me to find that any woman could grow up in a Christian country -so ignorant and so uncared for. In the end, as you shall hear, she -showed every mark of penitence and fell into a godly and pious life. - -My Captain continued in the same kindness towards me throughout the -voyage--suffering me to mess at his table, where the provisions were -plain but wholesome, and encouraging me to talk to him, seeming to -take pleasure in my simple conversation. In the mornings when, with -a fair wind and full sail, the ship ploughed through the water, -while the sun was hot overhead, he would make me a seat with a -pillow in the shade, and would then entreat me to tell him about -the rebellion and our flight to Black Down. Or he would encourage -me in serious talk (though his own conversation with his sailors -was over-much garnished with profane oaths), listening with grave -face. And sometimes he would ask me questions about the village -of Bradford Orcas, my mother and her wheel, Sir Christopher and -the Rector, showing a wonderful interest in everything that I told -him. It was strange to see how this man, hard as he was with the -prisoners (whom it was necessary to terrify, otherwise they might -mutiny), could be so gentle towards me, a stranger, and a costly one -too, because he was at the expense of maintaining me for the whole -voyage, and the whole time being of good manners, never rude or -rough, or offering the least freedom or familiarity--a thing which a -woman in my defenceless position naturally fears. He could not have -shown more respect unto a Queen. The Lord will surely reward him -therefor. - -One evening at sunset, when we had been at sea six weeks, he came -to me as I was sitting on the quarter-deck and pointed to what -seemed a cloud in the west. 'Tis the island of Barbadoes,' he said. -'To-morrow, if this wind keeps fair, we shall make the Port of St. -Michael's, which some call the Bridge, and then, Madam, alas!'--he -fetched a deep sigh--'I must put you ashore and part with the -sweetest companion that ever sailed across the ocean.' - -He said no more, but left me as if he had other things to say but -stifled them. Presently the sun went down and darkness fell upon the -waters; the wind also fell and the sea was smooth, so that there was -a great silence. 'To-morrow,' I thought, 'we shall reach the port, -and I shall be landed with these wretches and sent, perhaps, to toil -in the fields.' But yet my soul was upheld by the vision which had -been granted to me upon the Black Down Hills, and I feared nothing. -This I can say without boasting, because I had such weighty reasons -for the faith that was in me. - -The Captain presently came back to me. - -'Madam,' he said, 'suffer me to open my mind to you.' - -'Sir,' I told him, 'there is nothing which I could refuse you, -saving my honour.' - -'I must confess,' he said, 'I have been torn in twain for love of -you, Madam, ever since you did me the honour to mess at my table. -Nay, hear me out. And I have been minded a thousand times to assure -you first that your marriage is no marriage, and that you have not -indeed any husband at all; next, that since you can never go back to -your old sweetheart, 'tis better to find another who would protect -and cherish you; and thirdly, that I am ready--ay! and longing--now -to become your husband and protector, and to love you with all my -heart and soul.' - -'Sir,' I said, 'I thank you for telling me this, which indeed I did -not suspect. But I am (alas! as you know) already married--even -though my marriage be no true one--and can never forget the love -which I still must bear to my old sweetheart. Wherefore, I may not -listen to any talk of love.' - -'If,' he replied, 'you were a woman after the common pattern you -would right gladly cast aside the chains of this marriage ceremony. -But, Madam, you are a saint. Therefore, I refrained.' He sighed. -'I confess that I have been dragged as by chains to lay myself at -your feet. Well; that must not be.' He sighed again. 'Yet I would -save you, Madam, from the dangers of this place. The merchants and -planters do, for the most part, though gentlemen of good birth, lead -debauched and ungodly lives, and I fear that, though they may spare -you the hardships of the field, they may offer you other and worse -indignities.' - -I answered in the words of David: 'The Lord hath delivered me out of -the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear: He will deliver -me out of the hand of the Philistines.' - -'Nay; but there is a way; you need not land at all. It is but a -scratch of the pen, and I will enter your name among those who died -upon the voyage. There will be no more inquiry, any more than after -the other names, and then I can carry you back with me to the Port -of London, whither I am bound after taking in my cargo.' - -For a space I was sorely tempted. Then I reflected. It would be, I -remembered, by consenting to the Captain's treachery towards his -employers, nothing less, that I could escape this lot. - -'No, Sir,' I said, 'I thank you from my heart for all your kindness -and for your forbearance; but we may not consent together unto this -sin. Again, I thank you, but I must suffer what is laid upon me.' - -He knelt at my feet and kissed my hands, saying nothing more, -and presently I went to my cabin, and so ended my first voyage -across the great Atlantic Ocean. In the morning when I awoke, we -were beating off Carlisle Bay, and I felt like unto one of those -Christian martyrs, of whom I have read, whom they were about to lead -forth and cast unto the lions. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXV. - -THE WHITE SLAVE. - - -When we dropped anchor in the port or road of Carlisle Bay we were -boarded by a number of gentlemen, who welcomed the Captain, asked -him the news, and drank with him. I meantime kept in my cabin, -knowing that I must shortly come forth; and presently I heard the -boatswain's pipe, and the order to all the prisoners to come on -deck. Then one knocked softly at my door. It was the Captain. - -'Madam,' he said, with a troubled voice, 'it is not too late. Suffer -me, I pray you, to enter your name as one of those who died on the -voyage. It is no great deception: the villain Penne will alone be -hurt by it; and I swear to take you home, and to place you until -better times with honest and Godfearing people in London.' - -'Oh! Sir!' I replied, 'tempt me not, I pray you. Let me go forth and -take my place among the rest.' - -He entreated me again, but, finding that he could not prevail, he -suffered me to come out. Yet, such was his kindness to the last that -he would not place me with the rest, but caused his men to give me a -chair on the quarter-deck. Then I saw that we were all to be sold. -The prisoners were drawn up standing in lines one behind the other, -the men on one side and the women on the other. The hardships of the -voyage had brought them so low that, what with their rags and dirt, -and their dull scowls and savage faces, and their thin, pale cheeks, -they presented a forbidding appearance indeed. - -Three or four gentlemen (they were, I found, planters of the -island) were examining them, ordering them to lift up their arms, -stretch out their legs, open their mouths, and, in short, treating -them like so many cattle: at which the women laughed with ribald -words, but the men looked as if they would willingly, if they dared, -take revenge. - -'Faugh!' cried one of the planters. 'Here is a goodly collection -indeed! The island is like to become the dust-heap of Great Britain, -where all the rubbish may be shot. Captain, how long before these -bags of bones will drop to pieces? Well, sweet ladies and fair -gentlemen'--he made a mock bow to the prisoners--'you are welcome. -After the voyage, a little exercise will do you good. You will find -the air of the fields wholesome; and the gentlewomen, I assure you, -will discover that the drivers and overseers will willingly oblige -any who want to dance with a skipping-rope.' - -There were now twenty or thirty gentlemen, all of them merchants and -planters, on board, and a man stepped forward with a book and pencil -in hand, who was, I perceived, the salesman. - -'Gentlemen,' he said, 'this parcel of servants' (he called them a -parcel, as if they were a bale of dry goods) 'is consigned to my -care by Mr. George Penne, of Bristol, their owner. They are partly -from that city and partly from London, though shipped at the port of -Bristol. A tedious voyage, following after a long imprisonment in -Newgate and Bridewell, hath, it is true, somewhat reduced them. But -there are among them, as you will find on examination, many lusty -fellows and stout wenches, and I doubt not that what you buy to-day -will hereafter prove good bargains. They are to be sold without -reserve, and to the highest bidder. Robert Bull'--he read the first -name on the list--'Robert Bull, shoplifter. Stand forth, Robert -Bull.' - -There arose from the deck where he had been lying a poor wretch who -looked as if he could hardly stand, wasted with fever and privation, -his eyes hollow (yet they looked full of wicked cunning). The -planters shook their heads. - -'Come, gentlemen,' said the salesman, 'we must not judge by -appearances. He is at present, no doubt, weak, but not so weak as he -looks. I warrant a smart cut or two of the whip would show another -man. Who bids for Robert Bull?' - -He was sold after a little parley for the sum of five pounds. Then -the speaker called another, naming his offence as a qualification. -No pillory could be more shameful. Yet the men looked dogged and the -women laughed. - -The sale lasted for three or four hours, the prisoners being knocked -down, as they say, for various sums, the greatest price being given -for those women who were young and strong. The reason, I have been -told, is that the women make better servants, endure the heat more -patiently, do not commonly drink the strong spirit which destroys -the men, and, though they are not so strong, do more work. - -[Illustration: '_This I did, and so stood before them all -bareheaded._'] - -Last of all, the man called my name. 'Alice Eykin, Rebel. Stand -forth, Alice Eykin, Rebel.' - -'Do not go down among them,' said the Captain. 'Let them see at once -that yours is no common case. Stand here.' - -He led me to the top of the ladder or steps which they call the -companion--leading from the waist to the quarter-deck. - -'Madam,' he said, 'it will be best to throw back your hood.' - -This I did, and so stood before them all bareheaded. - -Oh! ye who are women of gentle nurture, think of such a thing as -this: to stand exposed to the curious gaze of rough and ribald men; -to be bought and sold like a horse or an ox at the fair! At first -my eyes swam and I saw nothing, and should have fallen but that the -Captain placed his hand upon my arm, and so I was steadied. Then -my sight cleared, and I could look down upon the faces of the men -below. There was no place whither I could fly and hide. It would be -more shameful still (because it might make them laugh) to burst into -tears. Why, I thought, why had I not accepted the Captain's offer -and suffered my name to be entered as one of those who had died on -the voyage and been buried in the sea? - -Down in the waist the gentlemen gazed and gasped, in astonishment. -It was no new thing for the planters to buy political prisoners. -Oliver Cromwell sent over a shipload of Irishmen first, and another -shipload of those engaged in the rising of Penruddock and Grove -(among them were gentlemen, divines, and officers, of whom a few yet -survived on the island). But as yet no gentlewoman at all had been -sent out for political reasons. Wherefore, I suppose, they looked -so amazed, and gazed first at me and then at one another and then -gasped for breath. - -'Alice Eykin, gentlemen,' said the salesman, who had a tongue -which, as they say, ran upon wheels, 'is a young gentlewoman, the -daughter, I am informed, of the Rev. Comfort Eykin, Doctor of -Divinity, deceased, formerly Rector of Bradford Orcas, in the county -of Somerset, and sometime Fellow of his college at Oxford, a very -learned Divine. She hath had the misfortune to have taken part in -the Monmouth Rebellion, and was one of those Maids of Taunton who -gave the Duke his flags, as you have heard by the latest advices. -Therefore, she is sent abroad for a term of ten years. Gentlemen, -there can be no doubt that her relations will not endure that this -young lady--as beautiful as she is unfortunate, and as tender as -she is beautiful--should be exposed to the same hard treatment as -the rogues and thieves whom you have just had put up for sale. -They will, I am privately assured'--I heard this statement with -amazement--'gladly purchase her freedom, after which, unless she is -permitted to return, the society of our Colony will rejoice in the -residence among them of one so lovely and so accomplished. Meantime, -she must be sold like the rest.' - -'Did Monmouth make war with women for his followers?' asked a -gentleman of graver aspect than most. 'I, for one, will have no part -or share in such traffic. Are English gentlewomen, because their -friends are rebels, to be sent into the fields with the negroes?' - -'Your wife would be jealous,' said another, and then they all -laughed. - -I understood not until afterwards that the buying and selling of -such a person as I appeared to be is a kind of gambling. That is to -say, the buyer hopes to get his profit, not by any work that his -servant should do, but by the ransom that his friends at home should -offer. And so they began to bid, with jokes rude and unseemly, and -much laughter, while I stood before them still bareheaded. - -'Ten pounds,' one began; 'Twelve,' cried another; 'Fifteen,' said -a third; and so on, the price continually rising, and the salesman -with honeyed tongue continually declaring that my friends (as he -very well knew) would consent to give any ransom--any--so only that -I was set free from servitude: until, for sixty pounds, no one -offering a higher price, I was sold to one whose appearance I liked -the least of any. He was a gross, fat man, with puffed cheeks and -short neck, who had bought already about twenty of the servants. - -'Be easy,' he said, to one who asked him how he looked to get his -money back. 'It is not for twice sixty pounds that I will consent to -let her go. What is twice sixty pounds for a lovely piece like this?' - -Then the Captain, who had stood beside me, saying nothing, -interfered. - -'Madam,' he said, 'you can put up your hood again. And harkee, -Sir,' he spoke to the planter, 'remember that this is a pious -and virtuous gentlewoman, and'--here he swore a round oath--'if -I hear when I make this port again that you have offered her the -least freedom--you shall answer to me for it. Gentlemen all,' he -went on, 'I verily believe that you will shortly have the greatest -windfall that hath ever happened to you, compared with which the -Salisbury Rising was but a flea-bite. For the trials of the Monmouth -rebels were already begun when I left the port of Bristol, and, -though the Judges are sentencing all alike to death, they cannot -hang them all--therefore his Majesty's Plantations, and Barbadoes -in particular, will not only have whole cargoes of stout and -able-bodied servants, compared with whom these poor rogues are like -so many worthless weeds; but there will also be many gentlemen, and -perhaps gentlewomen--like Madam here--whose freedom will be bought -of you. So that I earnestly advise and entreat you not to treat them -cruelly, but with gentleness and forbearance, whereby you will be -the gainers in the end, and will make their friends the readier to -find the price of ransom. Moreover, you must remember that though -gentlemen may be flogged at whipping-posts, and beat over the head -with canes, as is your habit with servants both black and white, -when the time of their deliverance arrives they will be no longer -slaves but gentlemen again, and able once more to stand upon the -point of honour and to run you through the body, as you will richly -deserve, for your barbarity. And in the same way any gentlewomen -who may be sent here have brothers and cousins who will be ready to -perform the same act of kindness on their behalf. Remember that very -carefully, gentlemen, if you please.' - -The Captain spoke to all the gentlemen present, but in the last -words he addressed himself particularly unto my new master. It was -a warning likely to be very serviceable, the planters being one and -all notoriously addicted to beating and whipping their servants. -And I have no doubt that these words did a great deal towards -assuring for the unfortunate gentlemen who presently arrived such -consideration and good treatment as they would not otherwise have -received. - -The island of Barbadoes, as many people know, is one of the Caribby -Islands. It is, as to size, a small place, not more than twenty -miles in length by fifteen in breadth, but in population it is a -very considerable place indeed, for it is said to have as many -people in it as the City of Bristol. It is completely settled, and -of the former inhabitants not one is left. They were the people -called Indians or Caribs, and how they perished I know not. The -island had four ports, of which the principal is that of St. Michael -or the Bridge, or Bridgetown, in Carlisle Bay. The heat by day is -very great, and there is no winter, but summer all the year round. -There is, however, a cool breeze from the sea which moderates the -heat. A great number of vessels call here every year (there is said -to be one every day, but this I cannot believe). They bring to the -island all kinds of European manufactures, and take away with them -cargoes of Muscovada sugar, cotton, ginger, and logwood. The island -hath its shores covered with plantations, being (the people say) -already more thickly cultivated than any part of England, with fewer -waste places, commons, and the like. The fruits which grow here are -plentiful and delicious--such as the pineapple, the pappau, the -guava, the bonannow, and the like--but they are not for the servants -and the slaves. The fertility of the country is truly astonishing; -and the air, though full of moisture, whereby knives and tools of -all kinds quickly rust and spoil, is considered more healthy than -that of any other West Indian island. But, for the poor creatures -who have to toil in the hot sun, the air is full of fatigue and -thirst; it is laden with fevers, calentures, and sunstrokes. Death -is always in their midst; and after death, whatever awaits them -cannot, I think, be much worse than their condition on the island. - -After the sale was finished, the Captain bade me farewell, with -tears in his eyes, and we were taken into boats and conveyed ashore, -I, for my part, sitting beside my purchaser, who addressed no word -at all to me. I was, however, pleased to find that among the people -whom he had bought was the girl Deb, who had been my maid (if a -woman who is a convict may have a maid who is a sister-convict). -When we landed, we walked from the quay or landing-place to a -great building like a barn, which is called a barracoon, in which -are lodged the negro slaves and servants before they go to their -masters. But at this time it was empty. Hither came presently a -certain important person in a great wig and a black coat, followed -by two negro beadles, each carrying a long cane or stick. After -commanding silence, this officer read to us in a loud voice those -laws of the colony which concern servants, and especially those who, -like ourselves, are transported for various offences. I forget what -these laws were; but they seemed to be of a cruel and vindictive -nature, and all ended with flogging and extension of the term of -service. I remember, for instance--because the thought of escape -from a place in the middle of the ocean seemed to me mad--that, by -the law, if any one should be caught endeavouring to run away, he -should be first flogged and then made to serve three years after -his term was expired; and that no ship was allowed to trade with -the island, or to put in for water, unless the captain had given -security with two inhabitants of the island in the sum of 2,000_l_. -sterling not to carry off any servant without the owner's consent. - -When these laws had been read, the officer proceeded, further, to -inform us that those who were thus sent out were sent to work as a -punishment; that the work would be hard, not light; and that those -who shirked their work, or were negligent in their work, would be -reminded of their duties in the manner common to Plantations; that -if they tried to run away they would most certainly be caught, -because the island was but small; and that when they were caught, -not only would their term of years be increased, but that they -would most certainly receive a dreadful number of lashes. He added, -further, that as nothing would be gained by malingering, sulking, -or laziness, so, on the other hand, our lot might be lightened by -cheerfulness, honesty, and zeal. A more surly, ill-conditioned -crew I think he must have never before harangued. They listened, -and on most faces I read the determination to do no more work than -was forced from them. This is, I have learned, how the plantation -servants do commonly begin; but the most stubborn spirit is not -proof against the lash and starvation. Therefore, before many days -they are as active and as zealous as can be desired, and the white -men, even in the fields, will do double the work that can be got out -of the black. - -Then this officer went away followed by his beadles, who cast eyes -of regret upon us, as if longing to stay and exercise their wands -of office upon the prisoners' backs. This done, we were ordered to -march out. My master's horse was waiting for him, led by a negro; -and two of his overseers, also mounted and carrying whips in their -hands, waited his commands. He spoke with them a few minutes, and -then rode away. - -They brought a long cart with a kind of tilt to it, drawn by two -asses (here they call them assinegoes), and invited me courteously -to get into it. It was loaded with cases and boxes, and a negro -walked beside the beasts. Then we set out upon our march. First -walked the twenty servants--men and women--newly bought by the -master; after them, or at their side, rode the overseers, roughly -calling on the laggards to quicken their pace, and cracking their -whips horribly. Then came the cart in which I sat. The sun was high -in the heavens, for it was not more than three of the clock; the -road was white and covered with dust; and the distance was about six -or seven miles, and we went slowly, so that it was already nigh unto -sunset when we arrived at the master's estate. - -Thus was I, a gentlewoman born, sold in the Island of Barbadoes for -a slave. Sixty pounds the price I fetched. Oh! even now, when it is -all passed long since, I remember still with shame how I stood upon -the quarter-deck, my hood thrown back, while all those men gazed -upon me, and passed their ribald jests, and cried out the money they -would give for me! - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVI. - -THE FIRST DAY OF SERVITUDE. - - -Thus began my captivity. Thus I began to sit beside the waters of -Babylon, more wretched than the daughters of Zion, because they wept -together, while I wept alone. I looked for no release or escape -until the Lord should mercifully please to call me away by opening -the Gate of Death. For even if I were released--if by living out -the ten years of servitude I could claim my freedom, of what use -would it be to me? Whither could I fly? where hide myself? Yet you -shall hear, if you will read, how a way, terrible at first and full -of peril, was unexpectedly opened, and in what strange manner was -wrought my deliverance. - -We arrived at our new master's estate--which was, as I have said, -about seven miles from the port--towards sundown. We were marched -(rather, driven) to a kind of village, consisting of a double row -of huts or cottages, forming a broad street, in the middle of which -there were planted a large number of the fruit-trees named here -bonannows (they are a kind of plantain). The green fruit was hanging -in clusters, as yet unripe; but the leaves, which are also the -branches, being for the most part blown into long shreds, or rags, -by the wind, had an untidy appearance. The cottages looked more like -pigsties for size and shape; they were built of sticks, withs, and -plantain-leaves both for sides and for roof. Chimneys had they none, -nor windows; some of them had no door, but an opening only. Thus are -housed the servants and slaves of a plantation. The furniture within -is such as the occupants contrive. Sometimes there is a hammock or a -pallet with grass mats and rugs; there are some simple platters and -basins. In each hut there are two, three, or four occupants. - -Here let me in brief make an end of describing the buildings on -this estate, which were, I suppose, like those of every other. If -you were to draw a great square, in which to lay down or figure the -buildings, you would have in one corner the street or village of -the people; next to the village lies the great pond which serves -for drinking-water as well as for washing. The negroes are fond -of swimming and bathing in it, and they say that the water is not -fouled thereby, which I cannot understand. In the opposite corner -you must place the Ingenio, or house where the sugar-canes are -brought to be crushed and ground, and the sugar is made. There -are all kinds of machines, with great wheels, small wheels, cogs, -gutters for running the juice, and contrivances which I cannot -remember. Some of the Ingenios are worked by a windmill, others by -horses and assinegoes. There is in every one a still where they make -that fiery spirit which they call "kill-devil." Near the Ingenio -are the stables, where there are horses, oxen, assinegoes, and the -curious beast spoken of in Holy Writ called the camel. It hath been -brought here from Africa, and is much used for carrying the sugar. -The open space around the Ingenio is generally covered and strewed -with trash, which is the crushed stalk of the cane. It always gives -forth a sour smell (as if fermenting), which I cannot think to be -wholesome. In the fourth corner is the planter's house. Considering -that these people sometimes grow so rich that they come home and buy -great estates, it is wonderful that they should consent to live in -houses so mean and paltry. They are of wood, with roofs so low that -one can hardly stand upright in them; and the people are so afraid -of the cool wind which blows from the east that they have neither -doors nor windows on that side; but will have them all towards the -west, whence cometh the chief heat of the sun--namely, the afternoon -heat. Their furniture is rude, and they have neither tapestry, nor -wainscoted walls, nor any kind of ornament. Yet they live always -in the greatest luxury, eating and drinking of the best. Some of -the houses--my master's among them--have an open verandah (as they -call it: in Somersetshire we should call it a linney) running round -three sides of the house, with coarse canvas curtains which can be -let down so as to keep out the sun, or drawn up to admit the air. -But their way of living--though they eat and drink of the best--is -rude, even compared with that of our farmers at home; and a thriving -tradesman, say, of Taunton, would scorn to live in such a house -as contenteth a wealthy planter of Barbadoes. Behind the house is -always a spacious garden, in which grow all kinds of fruits and -vegetables, and all round the buildings on every side stretched the -broad fields of sugar-canes, which, when they are in their flower or -blossom of grey and silver, wave in the wind more beautifully than -even a field of barley in England. - -On the approach of our party and hearing the voices of the -overseers, a gentlewoman (so, at least, she seemed) came out of the -house and stood upon the verandah, shading her eyes and looking at -the gang of wretches. She was dressed splendidly in a silken gown -and flowered petticoat, as if she was a very great lady, indeed; -over her head lay a kerchief of rich black lace; round her neck was -a gold chain; when she slowly descended the steps of the verandah -and walked towards us I observed that she was of a darker skin than -it is customary to find at home; it was, indeed, somewhat like the -skin of the gipsy people; her features were straight and regular; -her hair was quite black; her eyes were also black, and large, -shaped like almonds. On her wrists were heavy gold bracelets, and -her fingers were loaded with rings. She seemed about thirty years -of age. She was a woman of tall and fine presence, and she stood -and moved as if she was a queen. She presently came forth from the -verandah and walked across the yard towards us. - -'Let me look at them--your new batch,' she said, speaking languidly, -and with an accent somewhat foreign. 'How many are there? Where do -they come from? Who is this one, for instance?' She took the girl -named Deb by the chin, and looked at her as if she were some animal -to be sold in the market. 'A stout wench, truly. What was she over -there?' - -The overseer read the name and the crimes of the prisoner. Madam -(this was the only name by which I knew her) pushed her away -disdainfully. - -'Well,' she said, 'she will find companions enough here. I hope she -will work without the whip. Hark ye, girl,' she added with, I think, -kindly intent, 'it goes still to my heart when I hear that the women -have been trounced; but the work must be done. Remember that! And -who are those--and those?' She pointed with contempt to the poor -creatures covered with dirt and dust, and in the ragged, miserable -clothes they had worn all the voyage. 'Street sweepings; rogues and -thieves all. Let them know,' she said grandly, 'what awaits those -who skulk and those who thieve. And whom have we here?'--she turned -to me--'Is this some fine city madam fresh from Bridewell?' - -'This prisoner,' said the overseer, 'is described as a rebel in the -late Monmouth rising.' - -'A rebel? Truly?' she asked with curiosity. 'Were Monmouth's -soldiers women? We heard by the last ship something of this. Madam, -I know not why you must needs become a rebel; but this, look you, is -no place for gentlewomen to sit down and fold their arms.' - -'Madam,' I replied, 'I look for nothing less than to work, being now -a convict (though I was never tried) and condemned--I know not by -whom--to transportation in his Majesty's Plantations.' - -'Let me look at your hands,' she said sharply. 'Why, of what use -are these little fingers? They have never done any work. And your -face--prithee, turn back your hood.' I obeyed, and her eyes suddenly -softened. Indeed, I looked not for this sign of compassion, and my -own tears began to flow. ''Tis a shame!' she cried. ''Tis a burning -shame to send so young a woman--and a gentlewoman, and one with such -a face--to the Plantations! Have they no bowels? Child, who put thee -aboard the ship?' - -'I was brought on board by one Mr. Penne, who deceived me, promising -that I should be taken to New England, where I have cousins.' - -'We will speak of this presently. Meantime--since we must by the law -find you some work to do--can you sew?' - -'Yes, Madam, I can perform any kind of needlework, from plain sewing -to embroidery.' - -'What mean they,' she cried again, 'by sending a helpless girl alone -with such a crew? The very Spaniards of whom they talk so much would -blush for such barbarity. Well, they would send her to a convent -where the good Nuns would treat her kindly. Madam, or Miss, thou art -bought, and the master may not, by law, release you. But there is a -way of which we will talk presently. Meanwhile, thou canst sit in -the sewing-room, where we may find thee work.' - -I thanked her. She would have said more; but there came forth -from the house, with staggering step, the man who had bought us. -He had now put off his wig and his scarlet coat, and wore a white -dressing-gown and a linen nightcap. He had in his hand a whip, which -he cracked as he walked. - -'Child,' said Madam, quickly, 'pull down your hood. Hide your face. -He hath been drinking, and at such times he is dangerous. Let him -never set eyes upon thee save when he is sober.' - -He came rolling and staggering, and yet not so drunk but he could -speak, though his voice was thick. - -'Oho!' he cried. 'Here are the new servants. Stand up, every man and -woman. Stand up, I say!' Here he cracked his whip, and they obeyed, -trembling. But Madam placed herself in front of me. 'Let me look -at ye.' He walked along the line, calling the unhappy creatures -vile and foul names. O shame! thus to mock their misery! 'What!' he -cried. 'You think you have come to a country where there is nothing -to do but lie on your backs and eat turtle and drink mobbie? What! -You shall find out your mistake.' Here he cracked his whip again. -'You shall work all day in the field, not because you like it, but -because you must. For your food, it shall be loblollie, and for -your drink, water from the pond. What, I say! Those who skulk shall -learn that the Newgate "cat" is tender compared with her brother of -Barbadoes. Tremble, therefore, ye devils all; tremble!' - -They trembled visibly. All were now subdued. Those of them who -swaggered--the dare-devil reckless blades--when first we sailed, -were now transformed into cowardly, trembling wretches, all -half-starved, and some reduced with fevers, with no more spirit left -than enabled them still to curse and swear. The feeblest of mortals, -the lowest of human wretches, has still left so much strength and -will that he can sink his immortal soul lower still--a terrible -power, truly! - -Then Madam drew me aside gently, and led me to a place like a barn, -where many women, white and black, sat sewing, and a great quantity -of little black babies and naked children played about under their -charge. The white women were sad and silent; the blacks, I saw with -surprise, were all chattering and laughing. The negro is happy, if -he have enough to eat and drink, whether he be slave or free. Madam -sat down upon a bench, and caused me to sit beside her. - -'Tell me,' she said, kindly, 'what this means. When did women begin -to rebel? If men are such fools as to go forth and fight, let them; -but for women'---- - -'Indeed,' I told her, 'I did not fight.' - -Then nothing would do but I must tell her all, from the -beginning--my name, my family, and my history. But I told her -nothing about my marriage. - -'So,' she said, 'you have lost father, mother, brothers, lover, -and friends by this pretty business. And all because they will not -suffer the King to worship in his own way. Well, 'tis hard for you. -To be plain, it may be harder than you think, or I can help. You -have been bought for sixty pounds, and that not for any profit that -your work will bring to the estate, because such as you are but a -loss and a burden; but only in the hope that your friends will pay a -great sum for ransom.' - -'Madam, I have indeed no friends left who can do this for me.' - -'If so, it is indeed unfortunate. For presently the master will look -for letters on your behalf, and if none come I know not what he -may threaten, or what he may do. But think--try to find some one. -Consider, your lot here must be hard at best; whereas, if you are -released, you can live where you please; you may even marry whom -you please, because beautiful young gentlewomen like yourself are -scarce indeed in Barbadoes. 'Tis Christian charity to set you free. -Remember, Child, that money will do here what I suppose it will do -anywhere--all are slaves to money. You have six months before you in -which to write to your friends and to receive an answer. If in that -time nothing comes, I tell thee again, Child, that I know not what -will happen. As for the life in the fields, it would kill thee in a -week.' - -'Perhaps, if the Lord so wills,' I replied helplessly, 'that may -be best. Friends have I none now, nor any whom I could ask for -help--save the Lord alone. I will ask for work in the fields.' - -'Perhaps he may forget thee,' she said--meaning the master. 'But no; -a man who hath once seen thy face will never forget thee. My dear, -he told me when he came home that he had bought a woman whose beauty -would set the island in flames. Pray heaven he come not near thee -when he is in liquor. Hide that face, Child. Hide that face. Let -him never see thee. Oh! there are dangers worse than labour in the -fields--worse than whip of overseer!' She sprang to her feet, and -clasped her hands. 'You talk of the Lord's will! What hath the Lord -to do with this place? Here is nothing but debauchery and drinking, -cruelty and greed. Why have they sent here a woman who prays?' - -Then she sat down again and took my hand. - -'Tender maid,' she said, 'thy face is exactly such as the face of a -certain saint--'tis in a picture which hangs in the chapel of the -convent where the good nuns brought me up long ago, before I came to -this place--long ago. Yes, I forget the name of the saint; thou hast -her face. She stood, in the picture, surrounded by soldiers who had -red hair, and looked like devils--English devils, the nuns said. -Her eyes were raised to heaven, and she prayed. But what was done -unto her I know not, because there was no other picture. Now she -sits upon a throne in the presence of the Mother of God.' - -The tears stood in her great black eyes--I take it that she was -thinking of the days when she was young. - -'Well, we must keep thee out of his way. While he is sober he -listens to reason, and thinks continually upon his estate and his -gains. When he is drunk no one can hold him, and reason is lost on -him.' - -She presently brought me a manchet of white bread and a glass of -Madeira wine, and then told me that she would give me the best -cottage that the estate possessed, and, for my better protection, -another woman to share it with me. I thanked her again, and asked -that I might have the girl called Deb, which she readily granted. - -And so my first day of servitude ended in thus happily finding a -protector. As for the cottage, it was a poor thing; but it had -a door, and a window with a shutter. The furniture was a pallet -with two thick rugs, and nothing more. My condition was desperate, -indeed; but yet, had I considered, I had been, so far, most -mercifully protected. I was shipped as a convict (it is true) by -a treacherous villain; but on the ship I found a compassionate -captain, who saved me from the company among whom I must otherwise -have dwelt. I was sold to a drunken and greedy planter; but I found -a compassionate woman who promised to do what she could; and I had -for my companion the woman who had become a most faithful maid to -me upon the voyage, and who still continued in her fidelity and her -love. Greater mercies yet--and also greater troubles--were in store, -as you shall see. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVII. - -BY THE WATERS OF BABYLON. - - -Thus delivered from the slavery of the fields, I began to work, an -unprofitable servant, among those who made and mended the garments -of the servants and negroes. On an estate so large as this there is -always plenty to be done by the sempstresses and needlewomen. Thus, -to every woman is given by the year four smocks, two petticoats, and -four coifs, besides shoes, which are brought from England by the -ships. Those who wait in the house have, in addition, six smocks and -three waistcoats. To the men are given six shirts; and to every man -and woman a rug or gown of thick stuff to cast about them when they -come home hot, so that they may not catch cold--a thing which throws -many into a fever. All these things have to be made and mended on -the estate. - -As for the children, the little blacks, they run about without -clothing, their black skin sufficing. The women who are engaged -upon the work of sewing are commonly those of the white servants, -who are not strong enough for the weeding and hoeing in the fields, -or are old and past hard work. Yet the stuff of which the smocks -and shirts are made is so coarse that it tore the skin from my -fingers, which, when Madam saw, she brought me fine work--namely, -for herself. She was also so good as to provide me with a change of -clothes, of which I stood sadly in need, and excused my wearing the -dress of the other women. I hope that I am not fond of fine apparel, -more than becomes a modest woman, but I confess that the thought -of wearing this livery of servitude, this coarse and common dress -of smock, petticoat, and coif, all of rough and thick stuff, like -canvas, with a pair of shoes and no stockings, filled my very soul -with dismay. None of the many acts of kindness shown me by Madam was -more gratefully received than her present of clothes--not coarse -and rough to the skin, nor ugly and common, befitting prisoners and -criminals, but soft and pleasant to wear, and fit for the heat of -the climate. 'Twas no great hardship, certainly, to rise early and -to sit all day with needle and thread in a great room well-aired. -The company, to be sure, was not what one would have chosen; nor -was the language of the poor creatures who sat with me--prison and -Bridewell birds, or negro slaves--such as my poor mother would have -desired her daughter to hear. The food was coarse; but I was often -at the house (when the master was away), and there Madam would -constantly give me something from her own table, a dish of chocolata -(rightly called the Indian nectar) made so thick and strong that -a spoon stands upright in it, or a glass of Madeira, if my cheeks -looked paler than ordinary. In this country, the great heat of the -air seems to suck out and devour the heat of the body, so that those -of European birth, if they are not nourished on generous diet, -presently fall into a decline or wasting away, as is continually -seen in the case of white servants, both men and women, who die -early, and seldom last more than five or six years. - -Briefly, Madam seemed to take great pleasure in my conversation, -and would either seek me in the work-room, or would have me to -the house, asking questions as to my former life. For herself, I -learned that she was born in Cuba, and had been brought up by nuns -in a convent; but how or why she came to this place, I knew not, -nor did I ask. Other gentlewomen of the island I never saw, and I -think there were none who visited her. Nor did she show kindness to -the women servants (except to myself), treating them all, as is the -fashion in that country, as if they were so many black negroes, not -condescending to more than a word or a command; and if this were -disobeyed, they knew very well what to expect from her. But to me -she continued throughout to be kind and gracious, thinking always -how she could lighten my lot. - -In this employment, therefore, I continued with such contentment as -may be imagined, which was rather a forced resignation to the will -of the Lord than a cheerful heart. But I confess that I looked upon -the lot of the other women with horror, and was thankful indeed -that I was spared the miseries of those who go forth to the fields. -They begin at six in the morning, and work until eleven, when they -come home to dinner: at one o'clock they go out again and return at -sunset, which, in this country, is nearly always about half-past -six. But let no one think that work in the fields at Barbadoes may -be compared with work in the fields at home; for in England there -are cloudy skies and cold wintry days in plenty, but in Barbadoes, -save when the rain falls in prodigious quantities, the skies have -no clouds, but are clear blue all the year round: the sun burns -with a heat intolerable, so that the eyes are well-nigh blinded, -the head aches, the limbs fail, and, but for fear of the lash, the -wretched toiler would lie down in the nearest shade. And a terrible -thirst (all this was told me by the girl Deb) seizes the throat, -all day long, which nothing can assuage but rest. For the least -skulking the whip is laid on; and if there be a word of impatience -or murmuring, it is called stark mutiny, for which the miserable -convict, man or woman, is tied up and flogged with a barbarity which -would be incredible to any were it not for the memory of certain -floggings in our own country. Besides the lash, they have also the -pillory and the stocks, and the overseers carry in addition to their -whip a heavy cane, with which they constantly belabour the slaves, -both white and black. I say 'slaves' because the white servants are -nothing less, save that the negroes are far better off, and receive -infinitely better treatment than the poor white creatures. Indeed, -the negro being the absolute property of his master, both he and his -children, to ill-treat him is like the wanton destruction of cattle -on a farm; whereas there is no reason in making the convicts last -out more than the ten years of their servitude, or even so long, -because many of them are such poor creatures when they arrive, and -so reduced by the miseries of the voyage, and so exhausted by the -hard labour to which they are put, that they bring no profit to the -master, but quickly fall ill and die like rotten sheep. Like rotten -sheep, I say, they die, without a word of Christian exhortation; and -like brute creatures, who have no world to come, are they buried in -the ground! Again, the food served out to these poor people is not -such as should be given to white people in a hot climate. There is -nothing but water to drink, and that drawn from ponds, because in -Barbadoes there are few springs or rivers. It is true that the old -hands, who have learned how to manage, contrive to make plantain -wine, and get, by hook or by crook, mobbie (which is a strong -drink made from potatoes), or kill-devil, which is the new spirit -distilled from sugar. Then for solid food, the servants are allowed -five pounds of salt beef for each person every week, and this so -hard and stringy that no boiling will make it soft enough for the -teeth. Sometimes, instead of the beef, they have as much salt fish, -for the most part stinking; with this a portion of ground Indian -corn, which is made into a kind of porridge, and called loblollie. -This is the staple of the food, and there are no rustics at home who -do not live better and have more nourishing food. - -I do not deny that the convicts are for the most part a horrid crew, -who deserve to suffer if any men ever did; but it was sad to see how -the faces of the people were pinched with hunger and wasted with -the daily fatigues, and how their hollow eyes were full of despair. -Whatever their sins may have been, they were at least made in God's -own image: no criminal, however wicked, should have been used with -such barbarity as was wreaked upon the people of this estate. The -overseers were chosen (being themselves also convicts) for their -hardness of heart. Nay, did they show the least kindness towards the -poor creatures whom they drove, they would themselves be forced -to lay down the whip of office and to join the gang of those who -toiled. And over them was the master, jealous to exact the last -ounce of strength from the creatures whom he had bought. Did the -good people of Bristol who buy the sugar and molasses and tobacco of -the Indies know or understand the tears of despair and the sweat of -agony which are forced with every pound of sugar, they would abhor -the trade which makes them rich. - -The companion of my sleeping-hut, the girl Deb, was a great, -strapping wench, who bid fair to outlast her ten years of servitude, -even under the treatment to which, with the rest, she was daily -subjected. And partly because she was strong and active, partly -because she had a certain kind of beauty (the kind which belongs to -the rustic, and is accompanied by good-humour and laughter), she -would perhaps have done well, as some of the women do, and ended by -marrying an overseer, but for events which presently happened. Yet, -strong as she was, there was no evening when she did not return worn -out with fatigue, her cheeks burning, her limbs weary, yet happy -because she had one more day escaped the lash, and had the night -before her in which to rest. If it is worth noting, the women were -from the outset the most willing workers, and the most eager to -satisfy their taskmasters; the men, on the other hand, went sullen -and downcast, thinking only how to escape the overseer's whip, and -going through the work with angry and revengeful eyes. I think that -some great mutiny might have happened upon this estate--some wild -revenge--so desperate were these poor creatures and so horrible were -the scourgings they endured, and the shrieks and curses which they -uttered. Let me not speak of these things. - -There are other things which make residence in Barbadoes, even to -the wealthy, full of annoyances and irritations. The place is filled -with cockroaches, great spiders, horrid scorpions, centipedes, and -lizards. There are ants which swarm everywhere, and there are clouds -of flies, and at night there are moskeetos and merrywings, which by -their bites have been known to drive new-comers into fever, or else -into a kind of madness. - -In the evenings after supper there reigned a melancholy silence in -the village, the people for the most part taking rest with weary -limbs. Sometimes there would be a quarrel, with horrid oaths and -curses and perhaps some fighting; but these occasions were rare. - -From the house there came often the noise of singing, drinking, and -loud talking when other planters would ride over for a drinking -bout. There was also sometimes to be heard the music of the theorbo, -upon which Madam played very sweetly, singing Spanish songs; so -that it seemed a pity for music so sweet to be thrown away upon -this selfish crew. It made me think of Humphrey, and of the sweet -and holy thoughts which he would put into rhymes, and then fit the -rhymes with music which seemed to breathe those very thoughts. Alas! -In the village of Bradford Orcas there would be now silence and -desolation! The good old Squire dead, my father dead, the young -men sent to the Plantations, no one left at all but the Rector and -Madam his sister-in-law, and I, alas! a slave. Perchance at that -moment the Rector might be slowly drawing his bow across the strings -of his violoncello thinking of those who formerly played with him; -or perhaps he would be sorrowfully taking out his cases and gazing -for a little consolation upon the figures of his goddesses and his -nymphs. Only to think of the place, and of those who once lived -there, tore my poor heart to pieces. - -One evening, when there was a great noise and talking at the house, -while we were sitting upon our beds with no other light than that of -the moon, Madam herself came to the cottage. - -'Child,' she said, 'nothing will do but that the gentlemen must see -thy beauty. Nay, no harm shall happen while I am there: so much -they know. But he hath so bragged about thy beauty and the great -price he will demand for ransom that the rest are mad to see thee. -I swear that not the least rudeness shall be offered thee. They are -drinking, it is true; but they are not yet drunk. Come!' - -So I arose and followed her. First, she took me to her own room, -where she took off my hood and threw over me a long white lace -mantilla, which covered my head and fell over my shoulders and below -the waist. - -She sighed as she looked at me. - -'Poor innocent!' she said. 'If money could buy that face, there is -not a man in the room but would give all he hath and count it gain. -Canst thou play or sing?' - -I told her that I had some knowledge of the theorbo. Therefore she -brought me hers, and bade me sing to the gentlemen and then retire -quickly. So I followed her into the living or keeping room, where a -dozen gentlemen were sitting round the table. A bowl of punch was -on the table, and every man had his glass before him, and a pipe of -tobacco in his hand. Some of their faces were flushed with wine. - -'Gentlemen,' said Madam, 'our prisoner hath consented to sing -one song to you, after which she will ask permission to bid you -good-night.' - -So they all clapped their hands and rapped the table, and I, being -indeed terrified, but knowing very well that to show fear would be -the worst thing I could do, touched the strings and began my song. I -sang the song which Humphrey made, and which he sang to the officers -at Taunton when the Duke was there. - -When I finished, I gave back the theorbo to Madam, curtsied to the -gentlemen, and quickly stepped back to Madam's room, while they all -bellowed and applauded and roared for me to come back again. But -I put on my hood and slipped out to the cottage, where I lay down -beside Deb, and quickly fell asleep. (It is a great happiness, in -these hot latitudes, that, when a new-comer hath once got over the -trouble of the merrywings, he falleth asleep the moment he lies -down, and so sleeps through the whole night.) - -But in the morning Madam came to see me while I was sewing. - -'Well, Child,' she said, laughing, 'thou hast gotten a lover who -swears that he will soon have thee out of this hell.' - -'A lover!' I cried. 'Nay!--that may God forbid!' - -''Tis true. Young Mr. Anstiss it is. While thou wast singing -he gazed on thy pretty face and listened as one enchanted. I -wonder--but no!--thou hast no eyes for such things. And when -thou wast gone he offered the master four times the sum he paid -for thee--yea, four times--or six times--saying that he meant -honourably, and that if any man dared to whisper anything to the -contrary he would cut his throat.' - -'Alas! Madam. I must never marry--either this Mr. Anstiss or any -other.' - -'Tut--tut. This is foolish maid's nonsense. Granted you have lost -your old lover, there are plenty more. Suppose he hath lost his old -sweetheart, there are plenty more--as I doubt not he hath already -proved. Mr. Anstiss is a very pretty young gentleman; but the master -would not listen, saying that he waited for the lady's friends.' - -And so passed six weeks, or thereabouts, for the only count of -time I kept was from Sunday to Sunday. On that day we rested; the -negroes, who are no better than heathens, danced. The white servants -lay about in the shade, and drank what they could; in one cottage -only on that godless estate were prayers offered. - -And then happened that great event which, in the end, proved to be -a change in my whole life, and brought happiness out of misery, and -joy out of suffering, though at first it seemed only a dreadful -addition to my trouble. Thus is the course of things ordered for us, -and thus the greatest blessings follow upon the most threatening -juncture. What this was I will tell in a few words. - -It was about the third week in September when I embarked, and about -the third week in November when the ship made her port. Therefore, -I take it that it was one day about the beginning of the year 1686, -when Madam came to the work-room and told me that a ship had arrived -carrying a cargo of two hundred rebels and more, sent out to work -upon the Plantations, like myself, for the term of ten years. She -also told me that the master was gone to the Bridge in order to -buy some of them. Not, she said, that he wanted more hands; but he -expected that there would be among them persons of quality, who -would be glad to buy their freedom. He still, she told me, looked -to make a great profit out of myself, and was thinking to sell me, -unless my friends in England speedily sent proposals for my ransom, -to the young planter who was in love with me. This did not displease -me. I have not thought it necessary to tell how Mr. Anstiss came -often to the estate, and continually devised schemes for looking -at me, going to the Ingenio, whence he could see those who sat in -the work-room, and even sending me letters, vowing the greatest -extravagance of passion--I say I was not displeased, because there -was in this young gentleman's face a certain goodness of disposition -clearly marked; so that even if I became his property I thought I -might persuade him to relinquish thoughts of love, even if I had to -trust myself entirely to his honour and tell him all. But, as you -shall hear, this project of the master's was brought to naught. - -As for the rebels, I was curious to see them. Some I might -recognise; to some I might perhaps be of a little use at the outset -in guarding them against dangers. I did not fear, or think it -likely, that there would be any among them whom I might know or who -might know me. Yet the thing which I least suspected, and the least -feared--a thing which one would have thought so unlikely as to make -the event a miracle--nay, call it rather the merciful ordering of -all--that thing, I say, actually happened. - -The newly-bought servants arrived at about five in the evening. - -I looked out of the work-room to see them. Why, I seemed to know -their faces--all their faces! They were our brave West Country lads, -whom I had last seen marching gallantly out of Taunton town to -victory and glory (as they believed). Now--pale with the miseries -of the voyage, thin with bad food and disease, hollow-cheeked and -hollow-eyed, in rags and dirt, barefooted, covered with dust, grimy -for want of washing, their beards grown all over their faces--with -hanging heads, stood these poor fellows. There were thirty of -them; some had thrown themselves on the ground, as if in the last -extremity of fatigue; some stood with the patience that one sees in -brute beasts who are waiting to be killed; and in a group together -stood three--oh! merciful Heaven! was this misery also added to my -cup!--they were Robin, Barnaby, and Humphrey! Robin's face, heavy -and pale, betrayed the sorrow of his soul. He stood as one who -neither careth for nor regardeth anything. My heart fell like lead -to witness the despair which was visible in his attitude, in his -eyes, in his brow. But Barnaby showed still a cheerful countenance -and looked about him, as if he was arriving a welcome guest instead -of a slave. - -'Do you know any of them, Child?' Madam asked. - -'Oh! Madam,' I cried; 'they are my friends--they are my friends. Oh! -help them--help them!' - -'How can I help them?' she replied coldly. 'They are rebels, and -they are justly punished. Let them write home for money if they have -friends, and so they can be ransomed. To make them write the more -movingly, the master hath resolved to send them all to work in the -fields. "The harder they work," he says, "the more they will desire -to be free again."' - -In the fields! Oh! Robin--my poor Robin! - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVIII. - -HUMPHREY'S NARRATIVE. - - -With these words--'Oh! Robin! Robin!'--the history, as set down in -my Mistress's handwriting, suddenly comes to an end. The words are -fitting, because her whole heart was full of Robin, and though at -this time it seemed to the poor creature a sin still to nourish -affection for her old sweetheart, I am sure--nay, I have it on her -own confession--that there was never an hour in the waking day when -Robin was not in her mind, though between herself and her former -lover stood the dreadful figure of her husband. I suppose that, -although she began this work with the design to complete it, she had -not the courage, even when years had passed away and much earthly -happiness had been her reward, to write down the passages which -follow. Wherefore (and for another reason--namely, a confession -which must be made by myself before I die) I have taken upon myself -to finish that part of Alice Eykin's history which relates to the -Monmouth rising and its unhappy consequences. You have read how -(thanks to my inexperience and ignorance of conspiracies, and belief -in men's promises) we were reduced to the lowest point of disgrace -and poverty. Alice did not tell, because till afterwards she did -not know, that on Sir Christopher's death his estate was declared -confiscated, and presently bestowed upon Benjamin by favour of Lord -Jeffreys; so that he whose ambition it was to become Lord Chancellor -was already (which he had not expected) the Lord of the Manor of -Bradford Orcas. But of this hereafter. - -I have called her my Mistress. Truly, all my life she hath been -to me more than was ever Laura to Petrarch, or even Beatrice to -the great Florentine. The ancients represented every virtue by a -Goddess, a Grace, or a Nymph. Nay, the Arts were also feminine (yet -subject to the informing influence of the other sex, as the Muses -had Apollo for their director and chief). To my mind every generous -sentiment, every worthy thought, all things that are gracious, all -things that lift my soul above the common herd, belong not to me, -but to my Mistress. In my youth it was she who encouraged me to the -practice of those arts by which the soul is borne heavenwards--I -mean the arts of poetry and of music: it was she who listened -patiently when I would still be prating of myself, and encouraged -the ambitions which had already seized my soul. So that if I turned -a set of verses smoothly, it was to Alice that I gave them, and -for her that I wrote them. When we played heavenly music together, -the thoughts inspired by the strain were like the Italian painter's -vision of the angels which attend the Virgin--I mean that, sweet -and holy as the angels are, they fall far short of the holiness -and sweetness of her whom they honour. So, whatever my thoughts or -my ambitions, amidst them all I saw continually the face of Alice, -always filled with candour and with sweetness. That quality which -enables a woman to think always about others, and never about -herself, was given to Alice in large and plenteous measure. If she -talked with me, her soul was all mine. If she was waiting on Madam, -or upon Sir Christopher, or upon the Rector, or on her own mother, -she knew their inmost thoughts and divined all their wants. Nay, -long afterwards, in the daily exercise of work and study, at the -University of Oxford, in the foreign schools of Montpellier, Padua, -and Leyden, it was Alice who, though far away, encouraged me. I -could no longer hear her voice; but her steadfast eyes remained in -my mind like twin stars that dwell in heaven. This is a wondrous -power given to a few women, that they should become as it were -angels sent from heaven, lent to the earth a while, in order to fill -men's minds with worthy thoughts, and to lead them in the heavenly -way. The Romish Church holds that the age of miracles hath never -passed; which I do also believe, but not in the sense taught by that -Church. Saints there are among us still, who daily work miracles, -turning earthly clay into the jasper and the precious marble of -heaven! - -Again, the great poet Milton hath represented his virtuous lady -unharmed among the rabble rout of Comus, protected by her virtue -alone. Pity that he hath not also shown a young man led by that -sweet lady, encouraged, warned, and guarded along that narrow way, -beset with quag and pitfall, along which he must walk who would -willingly climb to higher place! And all this apart from earthly -love, as in the case of those two Italian poets. - -More, I confess, I would have had, and presumptuously longed for -it--nay, even prayed for it with such yearnings and longings as -seemed to tear my very heart asunder. But this was denied to me. - -In September, 1685, ten weeks after the fight of Sedgemoor, we, -being by that time well tired of Exeter Prison, were tried by Lord -Jeffreys. It was no true trial, for we were all advised to plead -guilty, upon which the Judge bellowed and roared at us, abusing us -in such language as I never thought to hear from the bench, and -finally sentenced us all to death. (A great deal has been said -of this roaring of the Judge, but I am willing to excuse it in -great measure, on the ground of the disease from which he was then -suffering. I myself, who had heard that he was thus afflicted, saw -the drops of agony upon his forehead, and knew that if he was not -bawling at us he must have been roaring on his own account.) So -we were marched back to prison and began to prepare for the last -ceremony, which is, I think, needlessly horrible and barbarous. To -cut a man open while he is still living is a thing not practised -even by the savage Turk. At this gloomy time my cousin Robin set -a noble example of fortitude, which greatly encouraged the rest -of us. Nor would he ever suffer me to reproach myself (as I was -continually tempted to do) with having been the cause of the ruin -which had fallen upon the whole of our unfortunate house. Nay, he -went further, and insisted, and would have it, that had I remained -in Holland he himself would have joined the Duke, and that I was -in no way to blame as an inciter to this unfortunate act. We knew -by this time that Sir Christopher had been arrested and conveyed -to Ilminster Jail, and that with him were Dr. Eykin, grievously -wounded, and Barnaby; and that Alice, with her mother, was also at -Ilminster. Mr. Boscorel, for his part, was gone to London in order -to exert whatever interest he might possess on behalf of all. With -him went Madam, Robin's mother; but she returned before the trial, -much dejected, so that we were not encouraged to hope for anything -from that quarter. Madam began to build some hopes at this time from -Benjamin, because he, who had accompanied the Judges from London, -was the boon companion every night of Lord Jeffreys himself. But it -is one thing to be permitted to drink and sing with a great man at -night, and another thing to procure of him the pardon of rebels (and -those not the common sort, but leaders and captains). That Benjamin -would attempt to save us, I did not doubt; because in common -decency and humanity he must needs try to save his grandfather and -his cousins. But that he would effect anything--that, indeed, I -doubted. Whether he did make an attempt, I know not. He came not -to the prison, nor did he make any sign that he knew we were among -the prisoners. What he contrived, the plot which he laid, and the -villainy with which he carried it out, you have already read. Well, -I shall have much more to say about Benjamin. For the moment, let -him pass. - -I say, then, that we were lying in Exeter Jail, expecting to be -called out for execution at any hour. We were sitting in the -courtyard on the stone bench with gloomy hearts. - -'Robin--Humphrey--lads both!' cried a voice we knew. It was the -Rector, Mr. Boscorel himself, who called us. 'Courage, lads!' he -cried (yet looked himself as mournful as man can look). 'I bring you -good news--I have this day ridden from Ilminster (there is other -news not so good)--good news, I say: for you shall live, and not -die! I have so far succeeded that the lives are spared of Robin -Challis, Captain in the Rebel Cavalry; Barnaby Eykin, Captain of the -Green Regiment; and Humphrey Challis, Chyrurgeon to the Duke. Yet -must you go to the Plantations--poor lads!--there to stay for ten -long years. Well, we will hope to get your pardon and freedom long -before that time is over. Yet you must, perforce, sail across the -seas.' - -'Lad,' cried Robin, catching my hand, 'cease to tear thy heart with -reproaches! See! none of us will die, after all.' - -'On the scaffold, none,' said Mr. Boscorel. 'On the scaffold, none,' -he repeated. - -'And what saith my grandfather, Sir?' Robin asked. 'He is also -enlarged, I hope, at least. And how is the learned Dr. Eykin? and -Alice--my Alice--where is she?' - -'Young men,' said the Rector, 'prepare for tidings of the -worst--yes; of the very worst. Cruel news I bring to you, boys; and -for myself'--he hung his head--'cruel news, shameful news?' - -Alas! you know already what he had to tell us. Worse than the death -of that good old man, Sir Christopher; worse than the death of the -unfortunate Dr. Eykin and his much-tried wife; there was the news of -Alice's marriage and of her flight, and at hearing this we looked at -each other in dismay, and Robin sprang to his feet and cried aloud -for vengeance upon the villain who had done this thing. - -'It is my own son,' said Mr. Boscorel; 'yet spare him not! He -deserves all that you can call him, and more. Shameful news I had -to tell you. Where the poor child hath found a retreat or how she -fares, I know not. Robin, ask me not to curse my own son--what -is done will bring its punishment in due time. Doubt it not. But -of punishment we need not speak. If there were any way--any way -possible--out of it! But there is none. It is a fatal blow. Death -itself alone can release her. Consider, Humphrey, consider; you are -not so distracted as your cousin. Consider, I say, that unhappy girl -is Benjamin's lawful wife. If he can find her, he may compel her to -live with him. She is his lawful wife, I say. It is a case in which -there is no remedy; it is a wickedness for which there is no help, -until one of the twain shall die.' - -There was indeed no help or remedy possible. I will not tell of the -madness which fell upon Robin at this news, nor of the distracted -things he said, nor how he wept for Alice at one moment and the -next cursed the author of this wickedness. There was no remedy. Yet -Mr. Boscorel solemnly promised to seek out the poor innocent girl, -forced to break her vows for the one reason which could excuse -her--namely, to save the lives of all she loved. - -'They were saved already,' Mr. Boscorel added. 'He knew that they -were saved. He had seen me; he had the news that I brought from -London; he knew it; and he lied unto her! There is no single -particular in which his wickedness can be excused or defended. -Yet, I say, curses are of no avail. The Hand of God is heavy upon -all sinners, and will presently fall upon my unhappy son--I pray -that before that Hand shall fall his heart may be touched with -repentance.' - -But Robin fell into a melancholy from which it was impossible to -arouse him. He who, while death upon the scaffold seemed certain, -was cheerful and brave, now, when his life was spared, sat heavy and -gloomy, speaking to no one; or, if he spoke, then in words of rage -and impatience. - -Mr. Boscorel remained at Exeter, visiting us daily until the -time came when we were removed. He brought with him one day a -smooth-tongued gentleman in sober attire, who was, he told us, a -West Indian merchant of Bristol, named George Penne. (You have read, -and know already, how great a villain was this man.) - -'This gentleman,' said Mr. Boscorel, 'is able and willing, for -certain considerations, to assist you in your exile. You have been -given (among many others) by the King to one Mr. Jerome Nipho, who -hath sold all his convicts to this gentleman. In his turn, he is -under bonds to ship you for the Plantations, where you will be sold -again to the planters.' - -'Sirs,' Mr. Penne looked from one to the other of us with -compassionate eyes, 'I have heard your melancholy case, and it will -be to my great happiness if I may be able in any way to soften the -rigours of your exile. Be it known to you that I have correspondents -in Jamaica, Barbadoes, and Virginia, and that for certain sums -of money these--my friends--will readily undertake to make your -servitude one merely in name. In other words, as I have already -informed his Reverence, I have bought you in the hope of being -useful to you (I wish I could thus buy all unhappy prisoners), and -I can, on paying my friends what they demand, secure to you freedom -from labour, subject only to the condition of remaining abroad until -your term is expired, or your friends at home have procured your -pardon.' - -'As for the price, Humphrey,' said Mr. Boscorel, 'that shall be my -care. It is nearly certain that Sir Christopher's estates will be -confiscated, seeing that he died in prison under the charge of high -treason, though he was never tried. Therefore we must not look to -his lands for any help. What this gentleman proposes is, however, -so great a thing that we must not hesitate to accept his offer -gratefully.' - -'I must have,' said Mr. Penne, 'seventy pounds for each prisoner. I -hear that there is a third young gentleman of your party now in the -same trouble at Ilminster; I shall therefore ask for two hundred -guineas--two hundred guineas in all. It is not a large sum in order -to secure freedom. Those who cannot obtain this relief have to work -in the fields or in the mills under the hot sun of the Spanish Main; -they are subject to the whip of the overseer; they have wretched -food; they are worse treated than the negroes, because the latter -are slaves for life and the former for ten years only. By paying two -hundred guineas only you will all be enabled to live at your ease. -Meanwhile, your friends at home will be constantly endeavouring -to procure your pardon. I myself, though but a simple merchant of -Bristol City, can boast some influence, which I will most readily -exert to the utmost in your behalf'---- - -'Say no more, Sir,' said Mr. Boscorel, interrupting him; 'the -bargain is concluded. These young gentlemen shall not be subjected -to any servitude; I will pay you two hundred guineas.' - -'I would, Sir'--Mr. Penne laid his hand, which was large, white, -and soft, the hand of a liar and a traitor, upon his treacherous -heart--'I would to Heaven, Sir,' he said, 'that I could undertake -this service for less. If my correspondents were men of tender -hearts, the business should cost you nothing at all. But they are -men of business; they say that they live not abroad for pleasure, -but for profit; they cannot forego any advantage that may offer. As -for me, this job brings me no profit. Upon my honour, gentlemen, -profit from such a source I should despise: every guinea that you -give me will be placed to the credit of my correspondents, who will, -I am assured, turn a pretty penny by the ransom of the prisoners. -But that we cannot help. And as for me--I say it boldly in the -presence of this learned and pious clergyman--I am richly rewarded -with the satisfaction of doing a generous thing. That is enough, I -hope, for any honest man.' - -The fellow looked so benevolent, and smiled with so much compassion, -that it was impossible to doubt his word. Besides, Mr. Boscorel -had learned many things during the journey to London; among -others that it would be possible to buy immunity from labour for -the convicts. Therefore, he hesitated not, but gave him what he -demanded, taking in return a paper, which was to be shown to Mr. -Penne's correspondents, in which he acknowledged the receipt of the -money, and demanded in return a release from actual servitude. This -paper I put carefully in my pocket, with my note-book and my case of -instruments. - -It was, so far as my memory serves me, about six weeks after our -pardon was received when we heard that we were to be marched to -Bristol, there to be shipped for some port or other across the -ocean. At Taunton we were joined by a hundred poor fellows as -fortunate as ourselves; and at Bridgwater by twenty more, whose -lives had been bought by Colonel Kirke. Fortunate we esteemed -ourselves; for everywhere the roads were lined with legs, heads, -trunks, and arms, boiled and blackened in pitch, stuck up for the -terror of the country. Well; you shall judge how fortunate we were. - -When we reached Bristol, we found Mr. Penne upon the Quay, with -some other merchants. He changed colour when he saw us; but quickly -ran to meet us, and whispered that we were on no account to betray -his goodness in the matter of ransom, otherwise it might be the -undoing of us all, and perhaps cause his own imprisonment. He also -told me that the ship was bound for Barbadoes, and we should have -to mess with the other prisoners on the voyage, but that it would -all be made up to us when we arrived. He further added that he had -requested his correspondents to entertain us until money should -arrive from England, and to become our bankers for all that we -should want. And with that he clasped my hand tenderly, and with a -'God be wi' ye!' he left us, and we saw him no more. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIX. - -FOR TEN YEARS. - - -It was a numerous company gathered together on the deck of the ship. -By their dress they were country lads; by their pale cheeks they -were prison birds like ourselves; by their dismal faces they were, -also, like ourselves, rebels condemned to the Plantations. Alas! -how many of these poor fellows have returned to their homes, and -how many lie in the graves of Jamaica, Virginia, and Barbadoes? As -for preparations for a voyage, not one of us could make any, either -of clothes or of provisions. There was not among the whole company -so much as a change of clothes; nay, there was not even a razor, -and our faces were already bristling horribly with the beards which -before long made us look like so many Heyducs. - -Among them I presently discerned, to my great surprise and joy, -none other than Barnaby. His coat of scarlet was now so ragged and -stained that neither colour nor original shape could be discerned, -his ruffles and cravat of lace were gone, and the scarlet sash -which had formerly carried his hanger was gone also. In a word, he -was in rags and covered with the dust of the road. Yet his jolly -countenance showed a satisfaction which contrasted greatly with the -dejection of his companions. He sniffed the scent of tar and ropes -with a joy which was visible to all, and he contemplated the ship -and her rigging with the air of one who is at home. - -Then he saw us and shouted to us while he made his way roughly -through the rest. - -'What cheer, ho! Humphrey, brave lad of boluses?'--never did any -man grasp the hand of friend with greater vigour. 'This is better, -I say, than the accursed prison, where one got never a breath of -fresh air. Here one begins to smell salt water and tarred rope, -which is a downright wholesome smell. Already I feel hearty again. I -would willingly drink a tankard or two of black beer. What, Robin, -what? We are not going to be hanged, after all. Lift up thy head, -therefore: is this a time for looking glum? We shall live to hang -Judge Jeffreys yet!--what? Thy looks are but poorly, lad. Is it the -prison or is it thy disappointment? That villain, Benjamin! Hark -ye, Robin'--some men's faces look black when they threaten, but -Barnaby's grew broader, as if the contemplation of revenge made him -the happier--'Hark ye, this is my business. No one shall interfere -with me in this. Benjamin is my affair. No one but I myself must -kill Benjamin: not you, Humphrey, because he is your cousin; not -you, Robin, because you must not kill Alice's husband even to get -back your own sweetheart.' Barnaby spoke wisdom here; in spite of -Robin's vows he could not get Alice for himself by killing her -husband, unworthy though he was. 'Benjamin,' he went on, 'may call -her wife, but if he seek to make her his wife, if I know Sis aright, -he will meet his match. As for her safety, I am certain that she is -safe. For why? Wherever there are folks of her religious kidney, -there will she find friends. Cheer up, Robin! Soon or late I will -kill this fine husband of hers.' - -But Robin shook his head. - -Barnaby then asked if I knew whither we were bound. I told him -Barbadoes, according to the information given me by Mr. Penne. - -'Why,' said Barnaby, rubbing his hands, 'this is brave news, indeed. -There is no place I would sooner choose. 'Tis a small island, to -begin with: give me a small island, so that the sea runneth all -round about and is everywhere within easy reach. Where there is the -sea there are boats; where there are boats there are the means of -escape. Cheer up, my lads! I know the Spanish Main right well. Give -me a tight boat, I care not how small, and a keg of water, and I -will sail her anywhere. Ha! we are bound to Barbadoes, are we? This -is truly brave news!' - -I asked him next what kind of place it was. - -'It is a hot place,' he replied. 'A man is always thirsty, and there -is plenty to drink except water, which is said to be scarce. But the -merchants and the planters want none. They have wine of the best, -of Spain and of France and of Madeira. Cider and strong ale they -import from England. And drinks they make in the country--perino and -mobbie--I remember--grippo and plantain wine and kill-devil. 'Tis a -rare country for drink, and many there be who die of too much. Hold -up thy head, Robin; we will drink damnation to Benjamin yet. But -'tis I who shall kill him. Courage, I say. What? Our turn will come!' - -I told him, then, what had been done with Mr. George Penne--namely, -the ransom bought by the Rector for us all, and the letter which I -carried to Mr. Penne's correspondent. - -'Why,' he said, with some discontent, 'we shall not be long upon -the island after all, and perhaps the money might have been -better bestowed. But 'twas kindly done of the Rector. As for the -banishment, I value it not a farthing. One place is as good as -another; and, for my own part, I love the West Indies. We shall have -our choice among them all, because, where there are boats and the -open sea, a man can go whithersoever pleaseth him best. The voyage -out'--he glanced round him--'will, I fear, be choking work--the -rations will be short, there will be neither drink nor tobacco, and -at nights we shall lie close. A more melancholy company I never saw. -Patience, my lads; our turn will come.' - -Well, 'twas a special mercy that we had with us one man, at least, -who preserved his cheerfulness, for the rest of the company were as -melancholy as King James himself could have desired. Indeed, to look -back upon the voyage is to recall the most miserable time that can -be imagined. First of all, as I have said, we were wholly unprepared -for a voyage, having nothing at all with us. Then we had bad weather -at the outset, which not only made our people ill, but caused the -biscuit to be mostly spoiled, so that before the end of the voyage -a few peas with the sweepings of the biscuit-room, and sometimes a -little tough beef, was all our diet, and for drink nothing, not so -much as a pannikin of beer, but water, and that turbid, and not too -much of it. - -As for me, I kept my health chiefly by the method common among -physicians--namely, by watching the symptoms of others. But mostly -was I concerned with the condition of Robin. For the poor lad, -taking so much to heart the dreadful villainy which had been -practised upon Alice, never once held up his head, and would talk -and think of nothing else but of that poor maid. - -'Where is she?' he asked a hundred times. 'Where hath she found a -shelter and a hiding-place? How shall she escape the villain, who -will now do what he pleases since we are out of his way? And no help -for her--not any until she die, or until he dies! And we cannot even -send her a letter to console her poor heart! Humphrey, it drives -me mad to think that every day carries us further from her. If I -could but be with her to protect her against her husband! Humphrey, -Barnaby said well: I could not get her back to me over the dead body -of her husband. But to protect her--to stand between her and the man -she hath sworn to obey!' - -There is no more dangerous condition of the mind than that which -we call despair. It is, I take it, a disease, and that of the most -dangerous kind. I have observed many men in that condition. With -some, the devil enters into them, finding all the doors open and -unguarded; nay, he even receives a warm welcome. With others it is -as if the body itself was left without its armour--a cheerful and -hopeful mind being certainly an armour against disease, capable of -warding off many of those invisible arrows which are always flying -about the air and striking us down with fevers, agues, calentures, -and other pains and grievous diseases. - -I marvel that more of the men on board were not sick; for, to -begin with, the water soon became thick and swarmed with wriggling -creatures difficult to avoid in drinking; and then, though during -the day we were allowed to be on deck (where the air was fresh even -if the sun was hot), at night we were terribly crowded below, and -lay too close for health or for comfort. However, we finally made -Carlisle Bay and the port of St. Michael's or the Bridge. And I must -say this for Barnaby, that he maintained throughout the whole voyage -his cheerfulness, and that he never ceased to make his plans for -escape, drawing on a paper, which he procured, a rough chart of the -Spanish Main, with as many islands as he could remember. Of these -there are hundreds, some desolate and safe for fugitives, some with -neither water nor green trees, and some with springs and woods, wild -fruit, land turtles on the shore, fish in the sea, and everything -that man can desire. - -We made the land, after I know not how many weeks, one day in the -forenoon. - -'Barbadoes,' said Barnaby, pointing to a little cloud far away on -the horizon. 'Well; of this job I am wellnigh sick. To-morrow, if -the wind holds, we shall have sailed round the island and shall beat -up for Carlisle Bay. Well, it is lucky for us that we have this -letter of Mr. Penne's. We will go--I know the place well--to the -sign of the Rock and Turtle, kept by old Mother Rosemary, if she -lives still, or, if she be dead, by one of her daughters--she had -fifty daughters, at least, all buxom mulatto girls. There we will -put off these filthy rags, have a wash in a tub of fresh water, -get shaved, and then with smooth chins and clean shirts we will -sit down to a dinner such as the old woman knows how to make, a -potato-pudding and Scots collops with Rhenish wine, and afterwards -a cool cup of beverage, which is nothing in the world but squeezed -limes, with sugar and water, fit for such a womanly stomach as -yours, Doctor. With this, and a pipe of tobacco, and perhaps a song -and (when your Worship hath gone to bed) a dance from one of the -girls--I say, my lad, with this I shall be ready to forget Sedgemoor -and to forgive Judge Jeffreys. When we are tired of Barbadoes, we -will take boat and sail away. I know one island, at least, where -they care nothing for King James. Thither will we go, my lad.' - -Well; what we found at our port, and how we fared, was not quite as -Barnaby expected and hoped, as you shall hear. But I must admire -the cunning of the man Penne, who not only took from Alice--poor -child!--all her brother's money, amounting to two hundred and fifty -pounds or thereabouts (which you have read), on the pretext of -bestowing it for the advantage of all, but also received two hundred -guineas from Mr. Boscorel on the same pretence. This made in all -four hundred and fifty pounds. And not one penny--not a single -penny--of this great sum did the man spend upon the purpose for -which it was given him. - -You have heard how the merchants and planters came aboard the ships -which put in with servants and slaves, and how these are put up -for sale one at a time. As was the sale described by Alice, just -such was ours: though, I take it, our lads were not so miserable a -company as were those on board her ship. Pale of cheek they looked, -and dejected, and some were sick with various disorders, caused by -the confinement of the prison or the sufferings of the voyage. They -put us up one after the other and we were sold. I forget what I -myself fetched, and, indeed, it matters not, save that many jests -were passed at our expense, and that when one was put up--as Robin, -for instance--who had been a Captain in the rebel army, the salesman -was eloquent in praise of his rich and illustrious family, who would -never endure that this unfortunate man should continue in servitude. -But Barnaby put his tongue in his cheek and laughed. - -When the sale was concluded, we were bundled into boats and taken -ashore to the barracoon, of which you have heard from Alice. Here -the same officer who read to her party the laws concerning servants -and their duties, and the punishments which await transgressors, -read them also to ourselves. - -'Faith,' Barnaby whispered, 'there will be a great scoring of backs -before many days are done, unless their bark is worse than their -bite.' - -This business despatched, I thought it was time to present my -letter. Therefore I stepped forward, and informed the officer, who, -by reason of his gown and wig and the beadles who were with him, I -judged to be some lawyer, that, with my cousin and another, I held a -letter which should hold us free from servitude. - -'Ay, ay,' he said. 'Where is that letter?' - -So I gave it to him. 'Twas addressed to one Jonathan Polwhele, and -enjoined him to receive the three prisoners, named Humphrey Challis, -Robin Challis, and Barnaby Eykin, to pay for them such sums as would -reasonably be required to redeem them from servitude, and to advance -them such moneys as they would want at the outset for maintenance, -the whole to be accounted for in Mr. Jonathan Polwhele's next -despatches to his obedient, much obliged servant, G. P. - -'Sir,' said the officer, when he had read the letter through, 'this -epistle is addressed to one Jonathan Polwhele. There is no merchant -or planter of that name on the whole island.' - -He gave me back the letter. 'If this,' he said, 'is all you have to -show, there is no reason why you and your friends should not march -with the rest.' - -Truly, we had nothing else to show. Not only was there no one named -Polwhele on the island, but there never had been any one of that -name. Therefore it was plain that we had been tricked, and that the -man George Penne was a villain. Alas! poor Barnaby. Where now were -his cool cups and his pipe of tobacco? Then the officer beckoned to -a gentleman--a sober and grave person--standing near, and spoke to -him. - -'Gentlemen,' said the merchant, 'permit me to read this letter. So, -it is in the handwriting of Mr. George Penne, which I know well. -There is here some strange mistake. The letter is addressed to Mr. -Jonathan Polwhele; but there is no one of that name in the place. -I am myself Mr. Penne's correspondent in this island. My name, -gentlemen, is Sefton, not Polwhele.' - -'Sir,' I said, 'do you know Mr. Penne?' - -'I have never seen him. He consigns to my care once or twice a year -a cargo of transported servants, being rogues and thieves, sent -here, instead of to the gallows. He ships them to my care, I say, -as he hath shipped the company arrived this morning; and I sell -them for him, taking for my share a percentage, as agreed upon, and -remitting to him the balance in sugar and tobacco.' - -'Is there no letter from him?' - -'There is a letter in which he advises me of so many rebels -consigned to me in order to be sold. Some among them, he says, were -captains and officers in Monmouth's army, and some are of good -family, among whom he especially names Robin and Humphrey Challis. -But there is not a word about ransom.' - -'Sir,' I said, knowing nothing as yet of Alice and her money, 'two -hundred guineas have been paid to Mr. Penne by the Rev. Philip -Boscorel, Rector of Bradford Orcas, in the county of Somerset, for -our ransom.' - -'Nothing is said of this,' he replied gravely. 'Plainly, gentlemen, -without despatches from Mr. Penne I cannot act for you. You have -a letter; it is written by that gentleman; it is addressed to Mr. -Polwhele; it says nothing about Barbadoes, and would serve for -Jamaica or Virginia. So great a sum as two hundred guineas cannot -have been forgotten. I exhort you, therefore, to patience until -other letters arrive. Why, two hundred guineas would have gone far -to redeem you all three, and to maintain you for a great while. -Gentlemen, I am grieved for you, because there is for the present no -help for it, but that you must go with the planter who hath bought -you, and obey his orders. I will, however, send to Mr. Penne an -account of this charge, and I would advise that you lose no time in -writing to your friends at home.' - -'Heart up, lad!' cried Barnaby, for I turned faint upon this -terrible discovery, and would have fallen, but he held me up. -'Patience; our turn will come.' - -'Write that letter,' said the merchant again. 'Write that letter -quickly, so that it may go with the next vessel. Otherwise the work -is hard and the heat is great.' So he turned and left us. - -'Courage, man!' said Barnaby. 'To every dog his day. If now for -five minutes only I could have my thumb on Mr. Penne's windpipe -and my fingers round his neck! And I thought to spend the evening -joyfully at Mother Rosemary's! Courage, lad! I have seen already,' -he whispered, 'a dozen boats in the bay, any one of which will serve -our turn.' - -But Robin paid no heed, whatever happened. He stood up when his -name was called, and was sold without showing any emotion. When we -found that we had been tricked he seemed as if he neither heard nor -regarded. - -When all was ready we were marched, twenty in number, along a white -and dusty road to our estate. By great good fortune--rather by -Providence--we were all bought by the same master. He was, it is -true, a bad man; but to be bought all together was a happiness which -we could not expect. He bought us all because he understood that we -belonged to the same family (and that one of position), in the hope -of receiving substantial ransom. This man rode with us, accompanied -by two overseers (these were themselves under the same sentence) -who cracked their whips continually, and cursed us if we lagged. -Their bark was worse, we afterwards found, than their bite, for it -was only in the master's presence that they behaved thus brutishly, -and in order to curry favour with him and to prevent being reduced -again to the rank of those who served in the field. There was no -doubt, from the very outset, that we were afflicted with a master -whose like, I would hope, is not to be found upon the island of -Barbadoes. Briefly, he was one whose appearance, voice, and manner -all alike proclaimed him openly to all the world as a drunkard, a -profligate, and a blasphemer. A drunkard he was of that kind who are -seldom wholly drunk and yet are never sober; who begin the day with -a glass and go on taking more glasses all day long, with small ale -for breakfast, strong ale and Madeira for dinner, a tankard in the -afternoon, and for supper more strong ale and Madeira, and before -bed another tankard. As for compassion, or tenderness, or any of the -virtues which a man who holds other men in slavery ought to possess, -he had none of them. - -Let me speak of him with no more bitterness than is necessary. -We have, I think, all forgiven him, and he hath long since gone -to a place where he can do no more harm to any, but awaiteth -judgment--perhaps in the sure and certain hope of which the funeral -service speaks--but this is open to doubt. - -When we were arrived at the estate, the master dismounted, gave his -horse to a negro, and ordered us to be drawn up in line. - -He then made a short speech. He said that he had bought us, rebels -and villains as we were, and that he meant to get his money's worth -out of us or he would cut us all to pieces. Other things he told -us, which I pass over because they were but repetitions of this -assurance. He then proceeded to examine us in detail. When he came -to me he cursed and swore because he said he had been made to pay -for a sound, proper man, and had got a crookback for his bargain. I -told him that, with submission, he might find the crookback, who -was a physician, a more profitable bargain than many a stronger man. - -'What?' he roared. 'Thou art a physician, eh? Wouldst slink out of -the field-work and sit idle among bottles and boluses? John'--he -turned to one of the overseers--'pay particular attention, I command -thee, to this learned physician. If he so much as turn round in his -work, make his shoulders smart.' - -'Ay, ay, Sir,' said the overseer. - -'And what art thou, sirrah?' He turned next to Barnaby. 'Another -learned physician, no doubt--or a Divine, a Bishop likely, or a Dean -at the least?' - -'As for what I was,' said Barnaby, 'that is neither here nor there. -For what I am, I suppose I am your servant for ten years, or until -our pardons are sent us.' - -'Thou art an impudent dog, I dare swear,' returned the master. 'I -remember now. Thou wast a Captain in the rebel army, once a sailor. -Well, take care, lest thou taste the cat.' - -'Gentlemen who are made to taste the cat,' said Barnaby, 'are apt to -remember the taste of it when their time is up.' - -'What?' he cried. 'You dare to threaten? Take that--and that!' and -so began to belabour him about the head. I trembled lest Barnaby -should return the blows. But he did not. He only held up his arm to -protect his head, and presently, when the master desisted, he shook -himself like a dog. - -'I promise you I shall remember the taste of that wood,' he said -quietly. - -The master looked as if he would renew the cudgelling, but thought -better of it. - -Then, without more violence, we were assigned our quarters. A -cottage or hut was given to us. We were served with a hammock, and a -rug each; a pannikin, basin, spoon and platter for each; a Monmouth -cap; two shirts, common and coarse; two pairs of canvas breeches, -and a pair of shoes for each--so that we looked for all the world -like the fellows who live by loading and unloading the ships in the -port of Bristol. Yet the change after the long voyage was grateful. -They served us next with some of the stuff they call loblollie, and -then the night fell and we lay down in our hammocks, which were -certainly softer than the planks of the ship, and then fell fast -asleep in spite of the humming and the biting of the merrywings, and -so slept till the break of day. - - - - -CHAPTER XL. - -WITH THE HOE. - - -Before it was daylight we were aroused by the discordant clang of a -bell: work was about to begin. - -In these latitudes there is little twilight; the day begins, as -it ends, with a kind of suddenness. I arose, being thus summoned, -and looked out. Long rays of light were shooting up the sky from -the East, and, though the stars were still visible, the day was -fast breaking. In a few moments it became already so light that -I could see across the yard--or what the Italians would call -the piazza--with its ragged bonannow-leaves, the figures of our -fellow-slaves moving about the huts, and hear their voices. Alas! -sad and melancholy are the voices of those who work upon his -Majesty's Plantations. Two old negresses went about among the -new-comers, carrying a bucketful of their yellow mess, which they -distributed among us, and giving us to understand that this bowl of -yellow porridge, or loblollie, made out of Indian corn, was all we -should have before dinner. They also gave us to understand in their -broken English, which is far worse than the jargon talked by some of -our country people, that we should have to prepare our own meals for -the future, and that they would show us how to make this delectable -mess. - -'Eat it,' said Barnaby; 'a pig is better fed at home. Eat it, Robin, -lest thou faint in the sun. Perhaps there will be something better -for dinner. Heigho! only to think of Mother Rosemary's, where I -thought to lie last night! Patience, lads!' - -One would not seem to dwell too long on the simple fare of convicts: -therefore I will say, once for all, that our rations consisted of -nothing at all but the Indian meal and of salt beef or salt fish. -The old hands and the negro slaves know how to improve their fare in -many ways, and humane masters will give their servants quantities -of the fruits such as grow here in great abundance--as plantains, -lemons, limes, bonannows, guavas, and the like. And many of the -black slaves have small gardens behind their huts, where they grow -onions, yams, potatoes, and other things which they cultivate on -Sundays. They are all great thieves also, stealing, whenever they -can, poultry, eggs, and fruit, so that they grow fat and sleek, -while the white servants daily grow more meagre, and fall into -diseases by reason of the poorness of their food. Then, as to -drink, there are many kinds of drink (apart from the wines of -Spain, Portugal, Canary, Madeira, and France) made in the country -itself, such as mobbie, which is a fermented liquor of potatoes; -and perino, from the liquor of chewed cassavy root; punch, which is -water and sugar left to work for ten days; rum, which is distilled -in every Ingenio, and is a spirit as strong as brandy, and said to -be more wholesome. Those who have been long in the island, even the -servants, though without a penny, know how and where to get these -drinks; and, since there is no consoler, to the common sort, so good -as strong drink, those who are able to drink every day of these -things become somewhat reconciled to their lot. - -'Come out, ye dogs of rebels and traitors!' It was the loud and -harsh voice of the master himself, who thus disturbed us at our -breakfast. 'Twas his custom thus to rise early, and to witness the -beginning of the day's work. And 'twas his kindly nature which -impelled him thus to welcome and encourage his newly-bought slaves. -'Come out, I say! Ye shall now show of what stuff ye are made. -Instead of pulling down your lawful King, ye shall pull up your -lawful master and make him rich. If ye never did a day's work in -your lives, ye shall now learn the how by the must. Come forth, I -say, ye lazy, guzzling skulkers!' - -'Ay, ay,' said Barnaby, leisurely scraping his bowl, 'we are like, -indeed, to be overfed here.' He rolled sailor fashion out of the hut. - -'Barnaby,' I said, 'for God's sake, say nothing to anger the master! -There is no help but in patience and in hope.' - -So we, too, went forth. The master, red-faced as he was, looked as -if he had been drinking already. - -'So,' he cried, 'here is the learned physician. Your health, -Doctor. And here is the gallant Captain, who was once a sailor. -The air of the fields, Captain, will remind you, perchance, of the -quarter-deck. This young gentleman looks so gallant and gay that I -warrant he will ply the hoe with a light and frolick heart. Your -healths, gentlemen. Hark ye, now. You are come of a good stock, -I hear. Therefore have I bought you at a great price, looking to -get my money back and more. Some planters would suffer you to lie -at your ease cockered up with bonavist and Madeira till the money -comes. As for me, I shall now show you what you will continue to do, -unless the money comes. Therefore you will at once, I doubt not, -ask for paper and pen and presently write. Sixty pounds a-piece, -gentlemen--not one penny less--will purchase your freedom. Till -then, the fields. And no difference between white and black; but one -whip for both.' - -We made no reply, but took the hoes which were given out to us and -marched with the rest of the melancholy troop. - -There were as many blacks as whites. We were divided into gangs; -with every gang a driver armed with a whip; and over all the -overseers, who, by their severity, showed their zeal for the -master. The condition of slavery hath in it something devilish, both -for those who are slaves and those who are masters. The former it -drives into despair, and fills with cunning, dishonesty, treachery, -and revenge. Why, the black slaves have been known to rise in -rebellion, and while they had the power have inflicted tortures -unheard-of upon their masters. The latter it makes cruel and -unfeeling; it tempts them continually to sins of all kinds; it puts -into their power the lives, the bodies--nay, the very souls--of the -poor folk whom they buy. I do maintain, and conceal not my opinion, -that no man ought, in a Christian country, to be a slave except -for a term of years, and then for punishment. I have been myself a -slave, and I know the misery and the injustice of the condition. -But it is idle to hope that the planters will abandon this means of -cultivating their estates, and it is certain that in hot countries -no man will work except by compulsion. - -The whip carried by the driver is a dreadful instrument, long, -thick, and strongly plaited, with a short handle. It is coiled and -slung round the shoulders when it is not being used to terrify or to -punish, and I know well that its loud crack produces upon the mind a -sensation of fear and of horror such as the thunder of artillery or -the sight of the enemy charging could never cause even to a coward. -The fellows are also extremely dexterous in the use of it; they can -inflict a punishment not worse than the flogging of a schoolboy; or, -with no greater outward show of strength, they will cut and gash the -flesh like a Russian executioner with the cruel instrument which -they call the knout. - -For slight offences, such as laziness or carelessness in the field, -the former is administered; but for serious offences, the latter. -One sad execution (I cannot call it less) I myself witnessed. What -the poor wretch had done I know not, but I can never forget his -piercing shrieks as the whip cut into the bleeding flesh. This is -not punishment: it is savage and revengeful cruelty. Yet the master -and the overseers looked on with callous eyes. - -They marched us to a field about half a mile from our village or -camp, and there, drawing us up in line, set us to work. Our task -was, with the hoe, to dig out square holes, each of the same depth -and size, in which the sugar canes are planted, a small piece of -old cane being laid in each. These holes are cut with regularity -and exactness, in long lines and equally distant from each other. -It is the driver's business to keep all at work at the same rate of -progress, so that no one should lag behind, no one should stop to -rest or breathe, no one should do less than his neighbours. The poor -wretches, with bent bodies streaming with their exertions, speedily -become afflicted with a burning thirst; their legs tremble; their -backs grow stiff and ache; their whole bodies become full of pain; -and yet they may not rest nor stand upright to breathe a while, nor -stop to drink, until the driver calls a halt. From time to time the -negroes--men and women alike--were dragged out of the ranks and laid -on the ground three or four at a time, to receive lashes for not -making the holes deep enough or fast enough. At home one can daily -see the poor creatures flogged in Bridewell; every day there are -rogues tied to the cart-wheel and flogged wellnigh to death; but -a ploughman is not flogged for the badness of his furrow, nor is -a cobbler flogged because he maketh his shoon ill. And our men do -not shriek and scream so wildly as the negroes, who are an ignorant -people and have never learned the least self-restraint. It was -horrid also to see how their bodies were scarred with the marks of -old floggings, and branded with letters to show by whom they had -been bought. As for our poor fellows, who had been brave recruits -in Monmouth's army, they trembled at the sight and worked all the -harder; yet some of them with the tears in their eyes, to think that -they should be brought to such a dismal fate and to herd with these -poor, ignorant, black people. - -'Twas the design of the master to set us to the very hardest work -from the beginning, so that we should be the more anxious to get -remission of our pains. For it must not be supposed that all -the work on the estate was so hard and irksome as that with the -hoe--which is generally kept for the strongest and hardest of the -negroes, men and women. There are many other employments: some are -put to weed the canes, some to fell wood, some to cleave it, some -to attend the Ingenio, the boiling-house, the still-house, the -curing-house; some to cut the maize, some to gather provisions, of -bonavist, maize, yams, potatoes, cassavy, and the like. Some to -the smith's forge; some to attend to the oxen and sheep; some to -the camels and assinegoes, and the like: so that, had the master -pleased, he might have set us to work better fitted to English -gentlemen. Well, his greediness and cruelty were defeated, as you -shall presently see. As for the domestic economy of the estate, -there were on it five hundred acres of land, of which two hundred -were planted with sugar, eighty for pasture, one hundred and -twenty for wood, thirty for tobacco, five for ginger, and as many -for cotton-wool, and seventy for provisions--viz. corn, potatoes, -plantains, cassavy, and bonavist--with a few for fruit. There were -ninety-six negroes, two or three Indian women with their children, -and twenty-eight Christian servants, of whom we were three. - -At eleven o'clock we were marched back to dinner. At one we went out -again, the sun being at this time of the day very fierce, though -January is the coldest month in the year. We worked till six o'clock -in the evening, when we returned. - -'This,' said Robin, with a groan, 'is what we have now to do every -day for ten years.' - -'Heart up, lads!' said Barnaby; 'our time will come. Give me time to -turn round, as a body may say. Why, the harbour is full of boats. -Let me get to the port and look round a bit. If we had any money -now--but that is past praying for. Courage and patience! Doctor, -you hoe too fast: no one looks for zeal. Follow the example of the -black fellows, who think all day long how they shall get off with -as little work as possible. As for their lash, I doubt whether they -dare to lay it about us, though they may talk. Because you see, -even if we do not escape, we shall some time or other, through the -Rector's efforts, get a pardon, and then we are gentlemen again; -and when that moment arrives I will make this master of ours fight, -willy-nilly, and I will kill him, d'ye see, before I go home to kill -Benjamin.' - -He then went on to discourse (either with the hope of raising our -spirits or because it cheered his mind just to set them forth) upon -his plans for the means of escape. - -'A boat,' he said, 'I can seize. There are many which would serve -our purpose. But a boat without victuals would be of little use. -One would not be accused of stealing, yet we may have to break into -the store and take therefrom some beef or biscuit. But where to -store our victuals? We may have a voyage of three or four hundred -knots before us. That is nothing for a tight little boat when the -hurricane season is over. We have no compass either--I must lay -hands upon a compass. The first Saturday night I will make for the -port and cast about. Lift up your head, Robin. Why, man, all bad -times pass if only one hath patience.' - -It was this very working in the fields, by which the master -thought to drive us into despair, which caused in the long run our -deliverance, and that in the most unexpected manner. - - - - -CHAPTER XLI. - -ON CONDITIONS. - - -This servitude endured for a week, during which we were driven forth -daily with the negroes to the hardest and most intolerable toil, the -master's intention being so to disgust us with the life as to make -us write the most urgent letters to our friends at home; since, as -we told him two hundred guineas had been already paid on our account -(though none of the money was used for the purpose), he supposed -that another two hundred could easily be raised. Wherefore, while -those of the new servants who were common country lads were placed -in the Ingenio, or the curing-house, where the work is sheltered -from the scorching sun, we were made to endure every hardship that -the place permitted. In the event, however, the man's greed was -disappointed and his cruelty made of none avail. - -In fact, the thing I had foreseen quickly came to pass. When a man -lies in a lethargy of despair, his body, no longer fortified by a -cheerful mind, presently falls into any disease which is lurking -in the air. Diseases of all kinds may be likened unto wild beasts: -invisible, always on the prowl, seeking whom they may devour. The -young fall victims to some, the weak to others; the drunkards and -gluttons to others; the old to others; and the lethargic, again, to -others. It was not surprising to me, therefore, when Robin, coming -home one evening, fell to shivering and shaking, chattering with his -teeth, and showing every external sign of cold, though the evening -was still warm, and the sun had that day been more than commonly -hot. Also, he turned away from his food, and would eat nothing. -Therefore, as there was nothing we could give him, we covered him -with our rugs; and he presently fell asleep. But in the morning, -when we awoke, behold! Robin was in a high fever: his hands and -head burning hot, his cheek flushed red, his eyes rolling, and his -brain wandering. I went forth and called the overseer to come and -look at him. At first he cursed and swore, saying that the man was -malingering (that is to say, pretending to be sick, in order to -avoid work); that, if he was a negro instead of a gentleman, a few -cuts with his lash should shortly bring him to his senses; that, for -his part, he liked not this mixing of gentlemen with negroes; and -that, finally, I must go and bring forth my sick man or take it upon -myself to face the master, who would probably drive him afield with -the stick. - -'Sir,' I said, 'what the master may do I know not. Murder may be -done by any who are wicked enough. For my part, I am a physician, -and I tell you that to make this man go forth to work will be -murder. But indeed he is light-headed, and with a thousand lashes -you could not make him understand or obey.' - -Well, he grumbled, but he followed me into the hut. - -'The man hath had a sunstroke,' he said. 'I wonder that any of you -have escaped. Well, we can carry him to the sick-house, where he -will die. When a new hand is taken this way he always dies.' - -'Perhaps he will not die,' I said, 'if he is properly treated. If -he is given nothing but this diet of loblollie and salt beef, and -nothing to drink but the foul water of the pond, and no other doctor -than an ignorant old negress, he will surely die.' - -'Good Lord, man!' said the fellow. 'What do you expect in this -country? It is the master's loss, not mine. Carry him between you to -the sick-house.' - -So we carried Robin to the sick-house. - -At home we should account it a barn, being a great place with a -thatched roof, the windows open, without shutter or lattice, the -door breaking away from its hinges. Within there was a black lying -on a pallet, groaning most piteously. The poor wretch, for something -that he had done, I know not what, had his flesh cut to pieces with -the whip. With him was an old negress mumbling and mouthing. - -We laid Robin on another pallet, and covered him with a rug. - -'Now, man,' said the overseer, 'leave him there, and come forth to -your work.' - -'Nay,' I said, 'he must not be left. I am a physician, and I must -stay beside him.' - -'If he were your son I would not suffer you to stay with him.' - -'Man!' I cried. 'Hast thou no pity?' - -'Pity!' The fellow grinned. 'Pity! quotha. Pity! Is this a place -for pity? Why, if I showed any pity I should be working beside you -in the fields. It is because I have no pity that I am overseer. -Look here'--he showed me his left hand, which had been branded -with a red-hot iron. 'This was done in Newgate seven years ago and -more. Three years more I have to serve. That done, I may begin -to show some pity. Not before. Pity is scarce among the drivers -of Barbadoes. As well ask the beadle for pity when he flogs a -'prentice.' - -'Let me go to the master, then.' - -'Best not; best not. Let this man die and keep yourself alive. The -morning is the worst time for him, because last night's drink is -still in his head. Likely as not you will but make the sick man's -case and your own worse. Leave him in the sick-house, and go back to -him in the evening.' - -The man spoke with some compassion in his eyes. Just then, however, -a negro boy came running from the house and spoke to the overseer. - -'Why,' he said, 'nothing could be more pat. You can speak to the -master, if you please. He is in pain, and Madam sends for Dr. -Humphrey Challis. Go, Doctor. If you cure him, you will be a lucky -man. If you cannot cure him, the Lord have mercy upon you! Whereas, -if you suffer him to die,' he added with a grin and a whisper, -'every man on the estate will fall down and worship you. Let him -die! Let him die!' - -I followed the boy, who took me to that part of the house which -fronts the west and north. It was a mean house of wood, low and -small, considering how wealthy a man was the master of it; on three -sides, however, there was built out a kind of _loggia_, as the -Italians call it, of wood instead of marble, forming a cloister or -open chamber, outside the house. They call it a verandah, and part -of it they hang with mats made of grass, so as to keep it shaded -in the afternoon and evening, when the sun is in the west. The boy -brought me to this place, pointed to a chair where the master sat, -and then ran away as quickly as he could. - -It was easy to understand why he ran away, because the master at -this moment sprang out of his chair and began to stamp up and down -the verandah, roaring and cursing. He was clad in a white linen -dressing-gown and linen nightcap. On a small table beside him stood -a bottle of beer, newly opened, and a silver tankard. - -When he saw me he began to swear at me for my delay in coming, -though I had not lost a moment. - -'Sir,' I said, 'if you will cease railing and blaspheming I will -examine into your malady. Otherwise I will do nothing for you.' - -'What?' he cried. 'You dare to make conditions with me, you dog, -you!' - -'Fair words,' I said. 'Fair words. I am your servant to work on -your plantation as you may command. I am not your physician; and I -promise you, Sir, upon the honour of a gentleman, and without using -the sacred name which is so often on your lips, that if you continue -to rail at me I will suffer you to die rather than stir a little -finger in your help.' - -'Suffer the physician to examine the place,' said a woman's voice. -'What good is it to curse and to swear?' - -The voice came from a hammock swinging at the end of the verandah. -It was made, I observed, of a land of coarse grass loosely woven. - -The man sat down and sulkily bade me find a remedy for the pain -which he was enduring. So I consented and examined his upper jaw, -where I soon found out the cause of his pain in a good-sized tumour -formed over the fangs of a grinder. Such a thing causes agony even -to a person of cool blood, but to a man whose veins are inflamed -with strong drink the pain of it is maddening. - -'You have got a tumour,' I told him. 'It has been forming for some -days. It has now nearly, or quite, reached its head. It began about -the time when you were cursing and insulting certain unfortunate -gentlemen, who are for a time under your power. Take it, therefore, -as a Divine judgment upon you for your cruelty and insolence.' - -He glared at me, but said nothing, the hope of relief causing him to -receive this admonition with patience, if not in good part. Besides, -my finger was still upon the spot, and if I so much as pressed -gently I could cause him agony unspeakable. Truly, the power of the -physician is great. - -'The pain,' I told him, 'is already grown almost intolerable. But -it will be much greater in a few hours unless something is done. It -is now like unto a little ball of red-hot fire in your jaw; in an -hour or two it will seem as if the whole of your face was a burning -fiery furnace; your cheek will swell out until your left eye is -closed; your tortures, which now make you bawl, will then make you -scream; you now walk about and stamp; you will then lie down on your -back and kick. No negro slave ever suffered half so much under your -accursed lash as you will suffer under this tumour--unless something -is done.' - -'Doctor,' it was again the woman's voice from the hammock, 'you have -frightened him enough.' - -'Strong drink,' I went on, pointing to the tankard, 'will only make -you worse. It inflames your blood and adds fuel to the raging fire. -Unless something is done the pain will be followed by delirium; that -by fever, and the fever by death. Sir, are you prepared for death?' - -He turned horribly pale and gasped. - -'Do something for me!' he said. 'Do something for me, and that -without more words!' - -'Nay; but I will first make a bargain with you. There is in the -sick-house a gentleman, my cousin--Robin Challis by name--one of the -newly-arrived rebels, and your servant. He is lying sick unto death -of a sunstroke and fever caused by your hellish cruelty in sending -him out to work on the fields with the negroes instead of putting -him to light labour in the Ingenio or elsewhere. I say, his sickness -is caused by your barbarity. Wherefore I will do nothing for you at -all--do you hear? Nothing! nothing!--unless I am set free to do all -I can for him. Yea; and I must have such cordials and generous diet -as the place can afford, otherwise I will not stir a finger to help -you. Otherwise--endure the torments of the damned; rave in madness -and in fever. Die and go to your own place. I will not help you. So; -that is my last word.' - -Upon this I really thought the man had gone stark, staring mad. For, -at the impudence of a mere servant (though a gentleman of far better -family than his own) daring to make conditions with him, he became -purple in the cheeks, and, seizing his great stick which lay on the -table, he began belabouring me with all his might about the head and -shoulders. But I caught up a chair and used it for a shield, while -he capered about, striking wildly and swearing most horribly. - -At this moment the lady who was in the hammock stepped out of it -and walked towards us slowly, like a Queen. She was without any -doubt the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She was dressed in -a kind of dressing-gown of flowered silk, which covered her from -head to foot; her head was adorned with the most lovely glossy -black ringlets; a heavy gold chain lay round her neck, and a chain -of gold with pearls was twined in her hair, so that it looked like -a coronet; her fingers were covered with rings, and gold bracelets -hung upon her bare white arms. Her figure was tall and full; her -face inclined to the Spanish, being full and yet regular, with large -black eyes. Though I was fighting with a madman, I could not resist -the wish that I could paint her, and I plainly perceived that she -was one of that race which is called Quadroon, being most likely the -daughter of a mulatto woman and a white father. This was evident by -the character of her skin, which had in it what the Italians call -the _morbidezza_, and by a certain dark hue under the eyes. - -'Why,' she said, speaking to the master as if he had been a petulant -school-boy, 'you only make yourself worse by all this fury. Sit -down, and lay aside your stick. And you. Sir'--she addressed herself -to me--'you may be a great physician, and at home a gentleman; but -here you are a servant, and therefore bound to help your master in -all you can without first making conditions.' - -'I know too well,' I replied, 'he bought me as his servant, but not -as his physician. I will not heal him without my fee; and my fee is -that my sick cousin be attended to with humanity.' - -'Take him away!' cried the master, beside himself with rage. 'Clap -him in the stocks! Let him sit there all day long in the sun! He -shall have nothing to eat or to drink! In the evening he shall be -flogged! If it was the Duke of Monmouth himself, he should be tied -up and flogged! Where the devil are the servants?' - -A great hulking negro came running. - -'You have now,' I told him quietly, 'permitted yourself to be -inflamed with violent rage. The pain will therefore more rapidly -increase. When it becomes intolerable, you will be glad to send for -me.' - -The negro dragged me away (but I made no resistance), and led me -to the courtyard, where stood the stocks and a whipping-post. He -pointed to the latter with a horrid grin, and then laid me fast in -the former. Fortunately, he left me my hat, otherwise the hot sun -would have made an end of me. I was, however, quite easy in my mind. -I knew that this poor wretch, who already suffered so horribly, -would before long feel in that jaw of his, as it were, a ball of -fire. He would drink, in order to deaden the pain; but the wine -would only make the agony more horrible. Then he would be forced to -send for me. - -This, in fact, was exactly what he did. - -I sat in those abominable stocks for no more than an hour. Then -Madam herself came to me, followed by the negro fellow who had -locked my heels in those two holes. - -'He is now much worse,' she said. 'He is now in pain that cannot be -endured. Canst thou truly relieve his suffering?' - -'Certainly I can. But on conditions. My cousin will die if he is -neglected. Suffer me to minister to his needs. Give him what I want -for him and I will cure your'--I did not know whether I might say -'your husband,' so I changed the words into--'my master. After that -I will cheerfully endure again his accursed cruelty of the fields.' - -She bade the negro unlock the bar. - -'Come,' she said. 'Let us hear no more about any bargains. I will -see to it that you are able to attend to your cousin. Nay, there -is an unfortunate young gentlewoman here, a rebel, and a servant -like yourself--for the last week she doth nothing but weep for the -misfortunes of her friends--meaning you and your company. I will ask -her to nurse the sick man. She will desire nothing better, being a -most tender-hearted woman. And as for you, it will be easy for you -to look after your cousin and your master at the same time.' - -'Then, Madam,' I replied, 'take me to him, and I will speedily do -all I can to relieve him.' - -I found my patient in a condition of mind and body most dangerous. I -wondered that he had not already fallen into a fit, so great was his -wrath and so dreadful his pain. He rolled his eyes; his cheeks were -purple; he clenched his fists; he would have gnashed his teeth but -for the pain in his jaws. - -'Make yourself easy,' said Madam. 'This learned physician will cause -your pain to cease. I have talked with him and put him into a better -mind.' - -The master shook his head as much as to say that a better mind would -hardly be arrived at without the assistance of the whipping-post; -but the emergency of the case prevented that indulgence. Briefly, -therefore, I took out my lancet and pierced the place, which -instantly relieved the pain. Then I placed him in bed, bled him -copiously, and forbade his taking anything stronger than small-beer. -Freedom from pain and exhaustion presently caused him to fall into -a deep and tranquil sleep. After all this was done I was anxious to -see Robin. - -'Madam,' I said, 'I have now done all I can. He will awake at -noon, I dare say. Give him a little broth, but not much. There is -danger of fever. You had better call me again when he awakes. Warn -him solemnly that rage, revenge, cursing, and beating must be all -postponed until such time as he is stronger. I go to visit my cousin -in the sick-house, where I await your commands.' - -'Sir,' she said courteously, 'I cannot sufficiently thank your skill -and zeal. You will find the nurse of whom I spoke in the sick-house -with your cousin. She took with her some cordial, and will tell -me what else you order for your patient. I hope your cousin may -recover. But, indeed'----she stopped and sighed. - -'You would say, Madam, that it would be better for him and for us -all to die. Perhaps so. But we must not choose to die, but rather -strive to live, as more in accordance with the Word of God.' - -'The white servants have been hitherto the common rogues and thieves -and sweepings of your English streets,' she said. 'Sturdy rogues -are they all, who fear naught but the lash, and have nothing of -tenderness left but tender skins. They rob and steal; they will not -work, save by compulsion; they are far worse than the negroes for -laziness and drunkenness. I know not why they are sent out, or why -the planters buy them, when the blacks do so much better serve their -turn, and they can without reproach beat and flog the negroes, while -to flog and beat the whites is by some accounted cruel.' - -'All this, Madam, is doubtless true: but my friends are not the -sweepings of the street.' - -'No, but you are treated as if you were. It is a new thing having -gentlemen among the servants, and the planters are not yet -accustomed to them. They are a masterful and a wilful folk, the -planters of Barbadoes; from childhood upwards they have their own -way, and brook not opposition. You have seen into what a madness -of wrath you threw the master by your opposition. Believe me, Sir, -the place is not wholesome for you and for your friends. The master -looks to get a profit, not from your labour, but by your ransom. -Sir'--she looked me very earnestly in the face--'if you have friends -at home--if you have any friends at all--entreat them--command -them--immediately to send money for your ransom. It will not cost -them much. If you do not get the money you will most assuredly die, -with the life that you will have to live. All the white servants -die except the very strongest and lustiest. Whether they work in -the fields, or in the garden, or in the Ingenio, or in the stables, -they die. They cannot endure the hot sun and the hard fare. They -presently catch fever, or a calenture, or a cramp, and so they die. -This young gentlewoman who is now with your cousin will presently -fall into melancholy and die. There is no help for her, or for -you--believe me, Sir--there is no hope but to get your freedom.' She -broke off here, and never at any other time spoke to me again upon -this subject. - -In three weeks' time, indeed, we were to regain our freedom, but not -in the way Madam imagined. - -Before I go on to tell of the wonderful surprise which awaited me, -I must say that there was, after this day, no more any question -about the field-work for me. In this island, then, there was a great -scarcity of physicians; nay, there were none properly qualified to -call themselves physicians, though a few quacks; the sick servants -on the estates were attended by the negresses, some of whom have, I -confess, a wonderful knowledge of herbs--in which respect they may -be likened to our countrywomen, who, for fevers, agues, toothache, -and the like, are as good as any physicians in the world. It was, -therefore, speedily rumoured abroad that there was a physician upon -my master's estate, whereupon there was immediately a great demand -for his services; and henceforth I went daily, with the master's -consent, to visit the sick people on the neighbouring estates--nay, -I was even called upon by his Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor -himself, Mr. Steed, for a complaint from which he suffered. And -I not only gave advice and medicines, but I also received a fee -just as if I had been practising in London. But the fees went to -my master, who took them all, and offered me no better diet than -before. That, however, mattered little, because wherever I went I -asked for, and always received, food of a more generous kind, and -a glass or two of wine, so that I fared well and kept my health -during the short time that we remained upon the island. I had also -to thank Madam for many a glass of Madeira, dish of cocoa, plate of -fruit, and other things, not only for my patient Robin, but also for -myself, and for another, of whom I have now to speak. - -When, therefore, the master was at length free from pain and in a -comfortable sleep, I left him, with Madam's permission, and sought -the sick-house in a most melancholy mood, because I believed that -Robin would surely die, whatever I should do. And I confess that, -having had but little experience of sunstroke and the kind of -fever which followeth upon it, and having no books to consult and -no medicine at hand, I knew not what I could do for him. And the -boasted skill of the physician, one must confess, availeth little -against a disease which hath once laid hold upon a man. 'Tis better -for him so to order the lives of his patients while they are well as -to prevent disease, just as those who dwell beside an unruly river -(as I have seen upon the great river Rhone) build up a high levee, -or bank, over which it cannot pass. - -In the sick-house the floor was of earth, without boards; there was -no other furniture but two or three wooden beds, on each a coarse -mattress with a rug; and all was horribly filthy, unwashed, and -foul. Beside the pallet where Robin lay there knelt, praying, a -woman with her head in her hands. Heavens! there was, then, in this -dark and heathenish place one woman who still remembered her Maker! - -Robin was awake. His restless eyes rolled about; his hands clutched -uneasily at his blanket; and he was talking. Alas! the poor brain, -disordered and wandering, carried him back to the old village. He -was at home again in imagination, though we were so far away. Yea; -he had crossed the broad Atlantic, and was in fair Somerset, among -the orchards and the hills. And, only to hear him talk, the tears -rolled down my cheeks. - -'Alice,' he said. Alas! he thought that he was again with the sweet -companion of his youth. 'Alice; the nuts are ripe in the woods. We -will to-morrow take a basket and go gather them. Benjamin shall not -come to spoil sport. Besides, he would want to eat them all himself. -Humphrey shall come, and you, and I. That will be enough.' - -Then his thoughts changed again. 'Oh! my dear,' he said--in a moment -he had passed over ten years, and was now with his mistress, a child -no longer. 'My dear, thou hast so sweet a face. Nowhere in the whole -world is there so sweet a face. I have always loved thy face; not a -day but it has been in my mind--always my love, my sweetheart, my -soul, my life. My dear, we will never leave the country; we want no -grandeur of rank, and state, and town; we will always continue here. -Old age shall find us lovers still. Death cannot part us, oh! my -dear, save for a little while--and then sweet Heaven will unite us -again to love each other for ever, and for ever'---- - -'Oh! Robin! Robin! Robin!' - -I knew that voice. Oh! Heavens! was I dreaming? Was I, too, -wandering? Were we all back in Somerset? - -For the voice was none other than the voice of Alice herself! - - - - -CHAPTER XLII. - -ALICE. - - -'Alice!' I cried. - -She rose from her knees and turned to meet me. Her face was pale; -her eyes were heavy and they were full of tears. - -'Alice!' - -'I saw you when you came here, a week ago,' she said. 'Oh! Humphrey, -I saw you, and I was ashamed to let you know that I was here.' - -'Ashamed? My dear, ashamed? But how--why--what dost thou here?' - -'How could I meet Robin's eyes after what I had done?' - -'It was done for him, and for his mother, and for all of us. Poor -child, there is no reason to be ashamed.' - -'And now I meet him, and he is in a fever, and his mind wanders; he -knows me not.' - -'He is sorely stricken, Alice; I know not how the disease may end; -mind and body are sick alike. For the mind I can do nothing; for the -body I can do but little: yet with cleanliness and good food we may -help him to mend. But tell me, Child, in the name of Heaven, how -camest thou in this place?' - -But before anything she would attend to the sick man. And presently -she brought half-a-dozen negresses, who cleaned and swept the place, -and sheets were fetched and a linen shirt, in which we dressed our -patient, with such other things as we could devise for his comfort. -Then I bathed his head with cold water, continually changing his -bandages so as to keep him cool; and I took some blood from him, but -not much, because he was greatly reduced by bad food and hard work. - -When he was a little easier we talked. But, Heavens! to think of -the villainy which had worked its will upon this poor child! As if -it was not enough that she should be forced to fly from a man who -had so strangely betrayed her, and as if it was not enough that -she should be robbed of all her money--but she must also be put on -board, falsely and treacherously, as one, like ourselves, sentenced -to ten years' servitude on the Plantations! For, indeed, I knew and -was quite certain that none of the Maids of Taunton were thus sent -abroad. It was notorious, before we were sent away, that, with the -exception of Susan Blake, who died of jail-fever at Dorchester, all -the Maids were given to the Queen's ladies, and by them suffered to -go free on the payment by their parents of thirty or forty pounds -apiece. And as for Alice, she was a stranger in the place, and it -was not known that she had joined that unfortunate procession. So -that, if ever a man was kidnapper and villain, that man was George -Penne. - -It behoves a physician to keep his mind under all circumstances -calm and composed. He must not suffer himself to be carried away by -passion, by rage, hatred, or even anxiety. Yet, I confess that my -mind was clean distracted by the discovery that Alice herself was -with us, a prisoner like ourselves; I was, I say, distracted, nor -could I tell what to think of this event and its consequences. For, -to begin with, the poor child was near those who would protect her. -But what kind of protection could be given by such helpless slaves? -Then was she beyond her husband's reach; he would not, it was quite -certain, get possession of her at this vast distance. So far she was -safe. But then the master, who looked to make a profit by her, as he -looked to make a profit by us--through the ransom of her friends! -She had no friends to ransom her. There was but one, the Rector, and -he was her husband's father. The time would come when the avarice -of the master would make him do or threaten something barbarous -towards her. Then she had found favour with Madam, this beautiful -mulatto woman, whom Alice innocently supposed to be the master's -wife. And there was the young planter, who wished to buy her with -the honourable intention of marrying her. In short, I knew not what -to think or to say, because at one moment it seemed as if it was the -most Providential thing in the world that Alice should have been -brought here, and the next moment it seemed as if her presence only -magnified our evils. - -'Nay,' she said, when I opened my mind to her, 'seeing that the -world is so large, what but a special ruling of Providence could -have brought us all to this same island, out of the whole multitude -of isles--and then again to this same estate out of so many? -Humphrey, your faith was wont to be stronger. I believe--nay, I am -quite sure--that it was for the strengthening and help of all alike -that this hath been ordained. First, it enables me to nurse my poor -Robin--mine, alas! no longer! Yet must I still love him as long as I -have a heart to beat.' - -'Love him always, Child,' I said. 'This is no sin to love the -companion of thy childhood, thy sweetheart, from whom thou wast torn -by the most wicked treachery'--but could say no more, because the -contemplation of that sweet face, now so mournful, yet so patient, -made my voice to choke and my eyes to fill with tears. Said I not -that a physician must still keep his mind free from all emotion? - -All that day I conversed with her. We agreed that for the present -she should neither acknowledge nor conceal the truth from Madam, -upon whose good-will we now placed all our hopes. That is to say, -if Madam questioned her she was to acknowledge that we were her -former friends; but, if Madam neither suspected anything nor asked -her anything, she should keep the matter to herself. She told me -during this day all that had happened unto her since I saw her last, -when we marched out of Taunton. Among other things I heard of the -woman called Deb, who was now working in the canefields (she was one -of a company whose duty it was to weed the canes). In the evening -this woman, when the people returned, came to the sick-house. -She was a great strapping woman, stronger than most men. She was -dressed, like all the women on the estate, in a smock and petticoat, -with a thick coif to keep off the sun, and a pair of strong shoes. - -She came to help her mistress, as she fondly called Alice. She -wanted to sit up and watch the sick man, so that her mistress might -go to sleep. But Alice refused. Then this faithful creature rolled -herself up in her rug and laid herself at the door, so that no one -should go in or out without stepping over her. And so she fell -asleep. - -Then we began our night watch, and talked in whispers, sitting by -the bedside of the fevered man. Presently I forgot the wretchedness -of our condition, the place where we were, our hopeless, helpless -lot, our anxieties and our fears, in the joy and happiness of once -more conversing with my mistress. She spoke to me after the manner -of the old days, but with more seriousness, about the marvellous -workings of the Lord among His people; and presently we began to -talk of the music which we loved to play, and how the sweet concord -and harmony of the notes lift up the soul; and of pictures and -painting, and Mr. Boscorel's drawings and my own poor attempts, and -my studies in the schools, and so forth, as if my life was, indeed, -but just beginning, and, instead of the Monmouth cap, and the canvas -breeches, and common shirt, I was once more arrayed in velvet, with -a physician's wig and a gold-headed cane. - -Lastly she prayed, entreating merciful Heaven to bestow health of -mind and enlargement of body to the sick man upon the bed, and her -brother, and her dear friend (meaning myself), and to all poor -sufferers for religion; and she asked that, as it had been permitted -that she should be taken from her earthly lover by treachery, so it -might now be granted to her to lay down her life for his, so that he -might go free and she die in his place. - -Through the open window I saw the four stars which make the -constellation they call the 'Crucero,' being like a cross fixed in -the heavens. The night was still, and there was no sound save the -shrill noise of the cigala, which is here as shrill as in Padua. -Slave and master, bondman and free, were all asleep save in this -house, where Robin rolled his heavy head, and murmured without -ceasing, and Alice communed with her God. Surely, surely, I thought, -here was no room for doubt! This my mistress had been brought here -by the hand of God Himself, to be as an angel or messenger of His -own, for our help and succour--haply for our spiritual help alone, -seeing that no longer was there any help from man. - - - - -CHAPTER XLIII. - -BARNABY HEARS THE NEWS. - - -The master, my patient, got up from his bed in a few days, somewhat -pale and weak after his copious blood-letting and the drastic -medicines with which I purged the grossness of his habit and -expelled the noxious humours caused by his many intemperances. These -had greatly injured what we call--because we know not what nor what -else to call it--the pure volatile spirit, and, so to speak, turned -sour the _humor radicalis_--the sweet oil and balsamical virtues -of the body. I gave him such counsel as was fitting for his case, -admonishing him urgently to abstain from strong liquors, except -in their moderate use; to drink only after his meals; to keep his -head cool and sober, and above all things to repress and govern his -raging temper, which would otherwise most certainly catch him by -the throat like some fierce and invisible devil and throw him into -a fit, and so kill him. I told him also what might be meant by the -Wise Man (who certainly thought of all the bearings which his words -could have) when he said that one who is slow to wrath is of great -understanding--namely, that many men do throw away their lives by -falling into excessive fits of rage. But I found that the words of -Holy Scripture had little authority over him, for he lived without -prayer or praise, trampled on the laws of God, and gave no heed at -all to the flight of time and the coming of the next world. - -For a day or two he followed my injunctions, taking a tankard of -small ale to his breakfast, the same quantity with his dinner, a -pint of Madeira for his supper, and a sober glass or two before -going to bed. But when he grew well, his brother planters came -round him again, the drinking was renewed, and in the morning I -would find him again with parched throat, tongue dry, and shaking -hand, ready to belabour, to curse, and to rail at everybody. If -one wanted an example for the young how strong drink biteth like -a serpent and stingeth like an adder, here was a case the sight -of which might have caused all young men to forswear drunkenness. -Alas! there are plenty of such examples to be seen in every part of -England; yet the younger men still continue to drink, and that, I -think, worse than their fathers. This man, however, who was not yet -five-and-thirty, in the very prime of strong and healthy manhood, -had his finger-joints swollen and stony from taking much wine; he -commonly ate but little meat, craving continually for more drink, -and his understanding, which was by nature, I doubt not, clear and -strong, was now brutish and stupid. Thinking over this man, and of -the power, even unto death, which he possessed over his servants and -slaves, the words came into my mind: 'It is not for Kings, O Lemuel, -it is not for Kings to drink wine; nor for Princes strong drink.' - -Nay, more (and this I say, knowing that many godly men will not -agree with me): I am fully persuaded that there is no man in the -whole world so good and so strong in virtue and religion that he -should be suffered to become the master or despot over any other -man, even over a company of poor and ignorant blacks, or a gang of -transported thieves. When I think of those unhappy people, driven -forth in the morning, heavy-eyed and downcast, to the hard day's -work; and when I remember how they crept home at night, after being -driven, cursed, and beaten all day long; and when I think upon their -drivers, overseers, and masters, and of their hard and callous -hearts, I am moved to cry aloud (if any would hear me) that to be a -slave is wretched indeed; but that to own and to drive slaves should -be a thing most dangerous for any who would continue members of -Christ's Church. - -When I told Barnaby the surprising news that his sister was not only -safe, but a servant like ourselves upon the same estate, I looked -that he would rejoice. On the contrary, he fell into a strange mood, -swearing at this ill stroke as he called it. He said that he never -had the least doubt as to her safety, seeing there were so many -in the West Country who knew and respected her father, and would -willingly shelter her. Then he dwelt upon certain evils--of which, I -confess, I had thought little--which might befall her. And, lastly, -he set forth with great plainness the increased dangers in escaping -when one has to carry a woman or a wounded man--a thing, he pointed -out, which had caused his own capture after Sedgemoor. - -Then he opened up to me the whole business of our escape. - -'Last Saturday night,' he said, 'while you were sleeping, I made -my way to the port, and, having a shilling or so left, I sought -out a tavern. There is one hard by the Bridge, a house-of-call for -sailors, where I had the good fortune to find a fellow who can do -for us all we want--if his money hold out, which I doubt. He is a -carver by trade, and a convict, like ourselves; but is permitted -by his master to work at his trade in the town. He hath been, it -is true, branded in the hand; but, Lord! what signifies that? He -was once a thief--well--he is now an honest lad again, who asks for -nothing but to get home again. John Nuthall is his name.' - -'Go on, Barnaby. We are already in such good company that another -rogue or two matters little.' - -'This man came here secretly last night, while you were in the -sick-house. He is very hot upon getting away. And because I am -a sailor and can navigate a craft (which he cannot do) he will -take with him not only myself, but also all my party. Now listen, -Humphrey. He hath bought a boat of a Guinea man in the harbour; and -because, to prevent the escape of servants, every boat is licensed -and her owner has to give security to the Governor's officers, he -hath taken this boat secretly up a little creek of which he knows, -and hath there sunk her three feet deep. The masts, the sails, the -oars, and the other gear he hath also safely bestowed in a secret -place. But we cannot sail without water, provisions, nor without -a compass at least. If our party is to consist of Sister, Robin, -you, John Nuthall, and myself--five in all--we shall have to load -the boat with provisions, and I must have a compass. I looked for a -boatful with ourselves and John Nuthall. Now we have Sis as well; -and the boat is but small. Where shall we get provisions? and where -shall we lay our hands upon the money to buy what we want?' - -He could talk of nothing else, because his mind was full of his -plan. Yet it seemed to me a most desperate enterprise, thus to -launch a small boat upon the wide ocean, and in this cockle-shell to -brave the waves which are often fatal to the tallest ships. - -'Tut, man,' said Barnaby. 'We are not now in the season of the -tornadoes, and there is no other danger upon these seas. I would -as lief be in an open boat as in a brigantine. Sharks may follow -us, but they will not attack a boat; calamaries they talk of, big -enough to lay their arms round the boat and so to drag it under; -but such monsters have I never seen, any more than I have seen the -great whale of Norway or the monstrous birds of the Southern Seas. -There is only one danger, Humphrey, my lad.' Here he laid his hand -upon mine and became mighty serious. 'If we are taken we shall be -flogged--all of us. Thirty-nine lashes they will lay on, and they -will brand us. For myself, I value not their thirty-nine lashes a -brass farthing, nor their branding with a hot iron, which can but -make a man jump for a day or two. To me this risk against the chance -of escape matters nothing. Why, when I was cabin-boy I got daily -more than thirty-nine lashes--kicks, cuffs, and rope's-endings. Nay, -I remember, when we sat over the Latin syntax together my daily -ration must have been thirty-nine, more or less, and Dad's arm was -stronger than you would judge, to look at him. If they catch me, let -them lay on their thirty-nine and be damned to them! But you and -Robin, I doubt, think otherwise.' - -'I would not willingly be flogged, Barnaby, if there were any way of -escape--even by death.' - -'So I thought! So I thought!' - -'And as for Robin, if he recovers--which I doubt--he too, if I know -him, would rather be killed than be flogged.' - -'That comes of Oxford!' said Barnaby. 'And then there is Sis. -Humphrey, my lad, it goes to my heart to think of that poor girl, -stripped to be lashed like a black slave or a Bristol drab.' - -'Barnaby, she must never run that dreadful risk.' - -'Then she must remain behind, and here she runs that risk every day. -What prevents yon drunken sot--the taste of that cudgel still sticks -in my gizzard!--I say, what prevents him from tying her up to-day, -or to-morrow, or every day?' - -'Barnaby, I say that she must never run that risk, for if we are -caught----' I stopped. - -'Before we are caught, you would say, Humphrey. We are of the same -mind there. But who is to kill her? Not Robin, for he loves her; not -you, because you have too great a kindness for her. Not I, because I -am her brother. What should I say to my mother when I meet her after -we are dead, and she asks me who killed Alice?' - -'Barnaby, if she is to die, let us all die together.' - -'Ay,' he replied, 'though I have, I confess, no great stomach for -dying; yet, since we have got her with us, it must be done. 'Tis -easy to let the water into the boat, and so, in three minutes, with -no suspicion at all, and my mother never to know anything about it, -she would have said her last prayers, and we should be all sinking -together with never a gasp left.' - -I took him after this talk to the sick-house, where Alice was -beginning her second night of nursing. Barnaby saluted his sister as -briefly as if her presence was the thing he most expected. - -The room was lit by a horn lanthorn containing a great candle, which -gave enough light to see Robin on the bed and Alice standing beside -him. The woman called Deb was sitting on the floor, wrapped in her -rug. - -'Sis,' said Barnaby, 'I have heard from Humphrey how thou wast -cozened out of thy money and enticed on board ship. Well, this world -is full of villains, and I doubt whether I shall live to kill them -all. One I must kill and one I must cudgel. Patience, therefore, and -no more upon this head. Well, Sis, dost love to be a servant?' - -'Surely not, Barnaby.' - -'Wouldst like to get thy freedom again?' - -'I know not the meaning of thy words, brother. Madam says that those -who have interest at home may procure pardons for their friends in -the Plantations. Also that those whose friends have money may buy -their freedom from servitude. I am sure that Mr. Boscorel would -willingly do this for Robin and for Humphrey; but for myself--how -can I ask him? How can I ever let him know where I am and in what -condition?' - -'Ay, ay, but I meant not that way, child; wilt thou trust thyself to -us?' - -She looked at Robin. 'I cannot leave him,' she said. - -'No, no; we shall wait until he is dead--or, perhaps, better.' But -he only added this to please his sister. 'When he is better, Sis, -thou wilt not be afraid to trust thyself with us?' - -'I am not afraid of any danger, even of death, with you, if that is -the danger in your mind, Barnaby.' - -'Good! Then we understand each other. There are other dangers for a -young and handsome woman--and, maybe, worse dangers. Hast any money -at all, by chance?' - -'Nay; the man Penne took all my money.' - -Barnaby, for five or six minutes without stopping, spoke upon this -topic after the manner of a sailor. 'My turn will come,' he added. -'No money, child? 'Tis a great pity. Had we a few gold pieces, now! -Some women have rings and chains. But of course----' - -'Nay, brother; chains I never had, and as for rings, there were but -two that ever I had--one from Robin, the day that I was plighted to -him; and one from the man who made me marry him, and put it on in -the church. The former did I break and throw away when I agreed--for -your dear lives--Barnaby, oh! for the lives of all'---- - -'I know, I know,' said Barnaby. 'Patience--patience. Oh! I shall get -such a chance some day!' - -'The other I threw away when I fled from my husband at the church -door.' - -'Ay, ay! If we only had a little money! 'Tis pity that we should -fail for want of a little money.' - -'Why,' said Alice, 'I had quite forgotten. I have something that may -bring money.' She pulled from her neck a black ribbon on which was -a little leathern bag. 'Tis the ring the Duke gave me at Ilchester -long ago. I have never parted with it. "God grant," he said, when -he gave it to me, "that it may bring thee good luck!" Will the ring -help, Barnaby?' - -I took it first from her hand. - -'Why,' I said, 'it is a sweet and costly ring. Jewels I know and -have studied. If I mistake not, these emeralds must be worth a great -sum. But how shall we dispose of so valuable a ring in this place, -and without causing suspicion?' - -'Give it to me.' Barnaby took it, looked at it, and laid it, bag -and all, in his pocket. 'There are at the port merchants of all -kinds, who will buy a ship's cargo of sugar one minute and the next -will sell you a red herring. They will also advance money upon a -ring. As for suspicion, there are hundreds of convicts and servants -here. 'Tis but to call the ring the property of such an one, and no -questions will be asked. My friend John Nuthall, the carver, shall -do this for us. And now, Sis, I think that our business is as good -as done. Have no fear; we shall get away. First get Robin well, and -then'----Here Barnaby gazed upon her face with affection and with -pity. 'But, sister, understand rightly: 'tis no child's play of hide -and seek. 'Tis life or death!--life or death! If we fly, we must -never come back again! Understand that well.' - -'Since we are in the Lord's hands, brother, why should we fear? -Take me with you; let me die, if you must die; and if you live I am -content to live with you, so that my husband never find me out.' - - - - -CHAPTER XLIV. - -A SCARE. - - -There is between the condition of the mind and that of the body an -interdependence which cannot but be recognised by every physician. -So greatly has this connection affected some of the modern -physicians, as to cause doubts in their minds whether there be any -life at all hereafter, or if, when the pulse ceases to beat, the -whole man should become a dead and senseless lump of clay. In this, -they confuse the immortal soul with the perishable instruments of -brain and body, through which in life it manifests its being and -betrays its true nature, whether of good or ill. - -Thus, the condition in which Robin now lay clearly corresponded, as -I now understand, with the state of his mind induced by the news -that Alice, to save his life, had been betrayed into marrying his -cousin. For at the hearing of that dreadful news he was seized with -such a transport of rage (not against that poor innocent victim, -but against his cousin) as threatened to throw him into madness; -and on recovering from this access, he presently fell into a kind -of despair, in which he languished during the whole voyage. So also -in a corresponding manner, after a fever, the violence of which -was like to have torn him to pieces, he fell into a lethargy, in -which, though his fever left him, he continued to wander in his -mind, and grew, as I could not fail to mark, daily weaker in his -body, refusing to eat, though Alice brought him dainty broth of -chicken, delicate panadas of bread and butter, fruit boiled with -sugar, and other things fit to tempt a sick man's appetite, provided -by the goodness of Madam. This lady was in religion a Romanist; by -birth she was a Spanish Quadroon. To escape the slavery to which -the colour of her grandmother doomed her, she escaped from Cuba and -found her way to Jamaica, where she met with our master. And whether -she was lawfully married unto him I will not, after her kindness to -Alice and her faithfulness to myself as regards Robin, so much as -ask. - -Robin, therefore, though the fever left him, did not mend. On the -contrary, as I have said, he grew daily weaker; so that I marvelled -at his lasting so long, and looked to see him die, as so many die, -in the early morning, when there is a sharpness or eagerness in the -air, and the body is exhausted by long sleep. Yet he died not. - -And now you shall hear how, through the Duke of Monmouth's ring, we -escaped from our servitude. 'God grant,' said the Duke, 'that it -bring thee good luck!' This was a light and unconsidered prayer, -forgotten as soon as uttered, meant only to please the ear of a -child. And yet, in a manner most marvellous to consider, it proved -the salvation of us all. What better luck could that ring cause than -that we should escape from the land of Egypt--the House of Bondage? - -'I have disposed of the ring,' Barnaby told me a few days later. -'That is to say, John Nuthall has secretly pledged it with a -merchant for twenty guineas. He said that the ring belongs to a -convict; but many of them have brought such precious things with -them in order to buy their freedom. He owns that the stones are -fine, and very willingly gave the money on their security.' - -'Then nothing remains,' I said, 'but to get away.' - -'John Nuthall has bought provisions and all we want, little by -little, so as to excite no suspicion. They are secretly and safely -bestowed, and half the money still remains in his hands. How goes -Robin?' - -'He draws daily nearer to his grave. We cannot depart until either -he mends or dies. 'Tis another disaster, Barnaby.' - -'Ay; but of disaster we must not think. Robin will die. Yet our own -case may be as bad if it comes to scuttling the ship. Cheer up, -lads; many men die, but the world goes on. Poor Robin! Every man for -himself and the Lord for us all. Sis will cry; but even if Robin -recovers he cannot marry her: a consideration which ought to comfort -her. And for him--since nothing else will serve him--it is best that -he should die. Better make an end at once than go all his life with -hanging head for the sake of a woman, as if there are not plenty -women in the world to serve his turn.' - -'I know not what ails him that he does not get better. The air is -too hot for him; he hath lost his appetite. Barnaby,' I cried, -moved to a sudden passion of pity such as would often seize me at -that time, 'saw one ever ruin more complete than ours? Had we been -fighting for Spain and the accursed Inquisition we could not have -been more heavily punished. And we were fighting on the Lord's side!' - -'We were--Dad was with us too. And see how he was served! The -Lord, it seems, doth not provide His servants with arms, or with -ammunition, or with commanders. Otherwise, the Duke this day would -be in St. James's Palace wearing his father's crown, and you would -be a Court physician with a great wig and a velvet coat, instead of -a Monmouth cap and a canvas shirt. And I should be an admiral. But -what doth it profit to ask why and wherefore? Let us first get clear -of the wreck. Well; I wish we were to take Robin with us. 'Twill be -a poor business going back to Bradford Orcas without him.' - -We waited, therefore, day after day, for Robin either to get better -or to die, and still he lingered, seemingly in a waste or decline, -but such as I had never before seen; and I know not what would have -happened to him, whether he would have lived or died, but then there -happened a thing which caused us to wait no longer. It was this. - -The master having, according to his daily custom, gone the round -of his estate--that is to say, having seen his servants all -at work under their drivers; some planting with the hoe, some -weeding, some cutting the maize, some gathering yams, potatoes, -cassavy, or bonavist for provisions, some attending the ingenio -or the still-house--did unluckily take into his head to visit the -sick-house. What was more unfortunate, this desire came upon him -after he had taken a morning dram, and that of the stiffest: not, -indeed, enough to make him drunk, but enough to make him obstinate -and wilful. When I saw him standing at the open door, I perceived -by the glassiness of his eyes and the unsteadiness of his shoulders -that he had already begun the day's debauch. He was now in a most -dangerous condition of mind. Later in the day, when he was more -advanced in drink, he might be violent, but he would be much less -dangerous, because he would afterwards forget what he had said or -done in his cups. - -'So, Sir Doctor,' he said, 'I have truly a profitable pair of -servants!--one who pretends to cure everybody, and so escapes work; -and your cousin, who pretends to be sick, and so will do none! A -mighty bargain I made, truly, when I bought you both!' - -'With submission, sir,' I said, 'I have within the last week earned -for your honour ten guineas' worth of fees.' - -'Well, that is as it may be. How do I know what hath gone into your -own pocket? Where is this malingering fellow? Make him sit up! Sit -up, I say, ye skulking dog; sit up!' - -'Sir,' I said, still speaking with the greatest humility, 'nobody -but the Lord can make this man sit up.' And, indeed, Robin did not -comprehend one word that was said. - -'I gave fifty pounds for him only a month ago. Am I to lose all -that money, I ask? Fifty pounds! because I was told that he was a -gentleman and would be ransomed by his family. Hark ye, Doctor, you -must either cure this man for me--or else, by the Lord! you shall -have his ransom added to your own. If he dies, I will double your -price! Mark that!' - -I said nothing, hoping that he would depart. As for Alice, she had -turned her back upon him at his first appearance (as Madam had -ordered her to do), so that he might not notice her. - -Unfortunately he did not depart, but came into the room, looking -about him. Certainly he was not one who would suffer his servants to -be negligent, even in the smallest things. - -'Here is fine work!' he said. 'Sheets of the best--a pillow; what -hath a servant to do with such luxuries?' - -'My cousin is a gentleman,' I told him, 'and accustomed to lie in -linen. The rug which is enough for him in health must have a sheet -to it as well, now that he is sick.' - -'Humph! And whom have we here! Who art thou, madam, I wish to know?' - -Alice turned. - -'I am your honour's servant,' she said. 'I am employed in this -sick-house when I am not in the sewing-room.' - -'A servant? Oh! madam, I humbly crave your pardon. I took you for -some fine lady. I am honoured by having such a servant. All the rest -of my women servants go in plain smock and petticoat. But,' here -he smiled, 'to so lovely a girl as Alice Eykin--fair Alice, sweet -Alice--we must give the bravest and daintiest. To thee, my dear, -nothing can be denied. Those dainty cheeks, those white hands, were -never made to adorn a common coif. Mistress Alice, we must be better -acquainted. This is no fit place for you. Not the sick-house, but -the best room in my house shall be at thy service.' - -'Sir, I ask for nothing but to sit retired, and to render such -service as is in my power.' - -'To sit retired? Why, that cannot be longer suffered. 'Twould be -a sin to keep hidden any longer this treasure--this marvel, I -say, of beauty and grace. My servant! Nay; 'tis I--'tis the whole -island--who are thy servants. Thou to render service! 'Tis for me, -madam, to render service to thy beauty.' He took off his hat and -flourished it, making a leg. - -'Then, sir,' said Alice, 'suffer me, I pray, to go about my -business, which is with this sick man, and not to hear compliments.' - -He caught her hand and would have kissed it, but she drew it back. - -'Nay, coy damsel,' he said; 'I swear I will not go without a kiss -from thy lips! Kiss me, my dear.' - -She started back, and I rushed between them. At that moment Madam -herself appeared. - -'What do you here?' she cried, catching his arm. 'What has this girl -to do with you? Come away! Come away, and leave her in peace!' - -'Go back to the house, woman!' he roared, breaking from her and -flourishing his stick, so that I thought he was actually going to -cudgel her. 'Go back, or it will be the worse for you. What? Am I -master here or you? Go back, I say.' - -Then a strange thing happened. She made no reply, but she turned -upon him eyes so full of authority that she looked like a queen. He -shifted his feet, made as if he would speak, and finally obeyed, and -went out of the place to his own house with the greatest meekness, -soberness, and quietness. - -Presently Madam came back. - -'I blame thee not, child,' she said. 'It is with him as I have -told thee. When he begins to drink the Devil enters into him. Dost -think he came here to see the sick man? No, but for thy fair eyes, -inflamed with love as well as with drink. At such times no one can -rule him but myself, and even I may fail. Keep snug, therefore. -Perhaps he may forget thee again. But, indeed, I know not.' - -She sighed, and left us. - - - - -CHAPTER XLV. - -BARNABY THE AVENGER. - - -The man did not come back. During the whole day I remained with -Alice in fear. But he molested us not. - -When the sun set, and the field hands returned, I was in two minds -whether to tell Barnaby what had happened, or not. But when I -saw his honest face, streaked with the dust of the day's work, -and watched him eating his lump of salt beef and basin of yellow -porridge with as much satisfaction as if it had been a banquet -of all the dainties, I could not bear, without greater cause, to -disturb his mind. - -'To-night,' he told me, when there was no more beef and the porridge -was all eaten, 'there is a great feast at the Bridge. I would -we had some of their Sherris and Madeira. The Governor of Nevis -landed yesterday, and is entertained to-day by our Governor. All -the militia are feasting, officers and men; nobody will be on the -look-out anywhere; and it is a dark night, with no moon. What a -chance for us, could we make our escape to-night! There may never -again happen such a chance for us! How goes Robin?' - -And so after a little more talk we lay down in our hammocks, and I, -for one, fell instantly asleep, having no fear at all for Alice; -first, because the Master would be now at the Bridge, feasting and -too drunk for anything but to sleep; and next, because she had with -her the woman Deb, as stout and lusty as any man. - -The Master was not at the Bridge with the rest of the planters and -gentlemen. Perhaps the drink which he took in the morning caused -him to forget the great banquet. However that may be, he was, most -unluckily for himself, drinking at home and alone, yet dressed in -his best coat and wig, and with his sword, all of which he had put -on for the Governor's banquet. - -After a while the Devil entered into him, finding easy admission, -so to speak, all doors thrown wide open, and even a welcome in -that deboshed and profligate soul. About eight o'clock, therefore, -prompted by the Evil One, the Master rose and stealthily crept out -of the house. - -It was a dark night, but he needed no light to guide his footsteps. -He crossed the court and made straight for the sick-house. - -He pushed the door open and stood for a little, looking within. By -the light of the horn lanthorn he saw the girl whose image was in -his mind. The sight might have caused him to return, repentant and -ashamed. For she was on her knees, praying aloud beside the bedside -of the sick man. - -As he stood in the door the woman named Deb, who lay upon the floor -asleep, woke up and raised her head. But he saw her not. Then she -sat up, watching him with suspicion. But his eyes were fixed on the -figure of Alice. Then she sprang to her feet, for now she knew that -mischief was meant, and she stood in readiness, prepared with her -great strong arms to defend her mistress. But he thought nobody was -in the house but Alice and the sick man. He saw nothing but the girl -at the bedside. - -I say that I was sleeping. I was awakened at the sound of a -shriek--I knew the voice--I sprang from the hammock. - -'God of mercy!' I cried, 'it is Alice! Barnaby, awake!--awake, I -say! It is the cry of Alice!' - -Then I rushed to the sick-house. - -There I saw Alice--shrieking and crying for help. And before her -the Master struggling and wrestling with the woman Deb. She had her -arms round his neck and made as if she was trying to throttle him. -Nay, I think that she would have throttled him, so strong she was -and possessed of such a spirit, and by the light of the lanthorn -gleaming upon the blade I saw that his sword had either fallen from -his hand or from the scabbard, and now lay upon the floor. - -'Stand back,' cried Barnaby, pushing me aside. 'Leave go of him, -woman. Let me deal with him.' - -The thing was done in a moment. Merciful Heavens! To think that thus -suddenly should the soul of man be called to its account! I had -seen the poor fellows shot down and cut to pieces on Sedgemoor; but -then they knew that they were going forth to fight, and so might be -killed. There was time before the battle for a prayer. But this man -had no time--and he was more than half drunk as well. - -He lay at our feet, lifeless, Barnaby standing over him with a -broken sword in his hand. - -For a while no one spoke or moved. But the woman called Deb gasped -and panted and even laughed, as one who is well pleased because she -hath had her revenge. - -Then Madam herself, clad in a long white night-dress and with bare -feet, suddenly pushed us aside and fell upon her knees beside the -wounded man. - -She lifted his head. The face was pale and the eyes closed. She laid -it gently down and looked round. - -'You have killed him,' she said, speaking not in a rage or passion, -but quietly. 'You have killed him. To-morrow you will hang! you will -all hang!' - -We said nothing. - -'Doctor,' she turned to me, 'tell me if he is dead or living.' - -She snatched the lanthorn and held it while I made such examination -as was possible. I opened his waistcoat and laid back his shirt. -The sword had run straight through him and broken off short, perhaps -by contact with his ribs. The broken point remained in the wound and -the flesh had closed around it, so that, save for a drop of blood or -two oozing out, there was no flow. - -It needs no great knowledge to understand that when a man hath six -inches of steel in his body which cannot be pulled out, and when he -is bleeding inwardly, he must die. - -Still, as physicians use, I did not tell her so. - -'Madam,' I said, 'he is not dead; he is living. While there is life, -there is hope.' - -'Oh!' she cried; 'why did he buy you when he could have had the -common sort? You will hang--you will hang, every one!' - -'That shall we presently discover,' said Barnaby. 'Humphrey, we have -now no choice left--what did I tell thee about the chances of the -night? We must go this night. As for this villain, let him bleed to -death.' - -'Go!' said Madam. 'Whither, unhappy men, will you go? There is no -place in the island where you can hide but with bloodhounds they -will have you out. You can go nowhere in this island but you will be -found and hanged, unless you are shot like rats in a hole.' - -'Come, Humphrey,' said Barnaby, 'we will carry Robin. This poor -woman must go too; she will else be hanged for trying to throttle -him. Well, she can lend a hand to carry Robin. Madam, by your -leave we will not hang, nor will we be shot. In the--in the--the -cave--cave that I know of, your bloodhounds will never find us.' - -'Madam,' I said, 'it is true that we shall attempt to escape. For -what hath happened I am truly sorry; yet we may not suffer such a -thing as was this night attempted without resistance, else should we -be worse than the ignorant blacks. The Master will perhaps live, and -not die. Listen, and take heed therefore.' - -'Doctor,' she said, 'do not leave me. Stay with me, or he will die. -Doctor, stay with me, and I will save your life. I will swear that -you came at my call. Stay with me--I will save Alice as well. I will -save you both. You shall be neither flogged nor hanged. I swear it. -I will say that I called you for help when it was too late. Only -this man and this woman shall hang. Who are they? A rogue and----' - -Barnaby laughed aloud. - -'Doctor,' she said, 'if you stay he will perhaps recover and forgive -you all.' - -Barnaby laughed again. - -'Madam,' I told her, 'better death upon the gallows than any further -term of life with such a man.' - -'Oh!' she cried; 'he will die where he is lying!' - -'That may be, I know not.' I gave her certain directions, bidding -her, above all, watch the man, and cause him to lie perfectly quiet -and not to speak a word, even in a whisper, and to give him a few -drops of cordial from time to time. - -'Come,' said Barnaby, 'we lose time, which is precious. Madam, if -your husband recover--and for my part I care nothing whether he -recover or whether he die--but if he should recover, tell him from -me, Captain Barnaby Eykin, that I shall very likely return to this -island, and that I shall then, the Lord helping, kill him in fair -duello, to wipe out the lash of the cudgel which he was good enough -once to lay about my head. If he dies of this trifling thrust with -his own sword he must lay that to the account of my sister. Enough,' -said Barnaby, 'we will now make our way to the woods and the cave.' - -This said, Barnaby went to the head of Robin's bed and ordered Deb -to take the foot, and so between them they carried him forth with -them, while Alice followed and I went last. - -We heard, long afterwards, through one Mr. Anstiss--the same young -gentleman who loved Alice and would have married her--what had -happened when we were gone. An hour or thereabouts afterwards, Madam -woke up one of the overseers, telling him what had happened, and -bidding him be ready at daybreak, with the bloodhounds, horses, and -loaded guns, to follow in pursuit and bring us back. - -There would be, they thought, no difficulty at all in catching us, -because we were encumbered by a sick man and two women. - -There was, however, more difficulty than they expected. For the -footsteps led the bloodhounds to the seashore; and here the trace -was lost, nor could it ever be afterwards recovered. And though -the hue and cry was out over all the island, and the woods and -the ravines and caves where runaway negroes hide were searched, -we were never found. Therefore, since no boat at all was missing -(the Guineaman had sailed away), it was certain that we could not -have escaped by sea. It was fortunate, indeed, that Barnaby dropped -no hint about the sea; otherwise there would have been despatched -some of the boats of the port in search of us, and in that case the -scuttling of the ship might have been necessary. For, had we been -caught, we should certainly have been hanged for murder, after being -flogged for attempted escape. For the Master died. He lay speechless -until the day broke. Then he became conscious, and presently -breathed his last in great anguish of body and terror of mind. What -hath since become of Madam, and of that miserable family of servants -and slaves, I know not. Certain it is that they could not find a -more barbarous or a more savage master in place of him whom Barnaby -slew if they were to search the whole of the Spanish Main and the -islands upon it. - - - - -CHAPTER XLVI. - -A PERILOUS VOYAGE. - - -In this way, unexpected and tragical, arrived our chance of escape. -We walked to Carlisle Bay by way of the sea-shore, so that we might -be met by none, and in order that the bloodhounds (if they should -use them) in the morning might be thrown off the track. On the march -that stout and lusty wench who carried one end of the bed neither -called for a halt nor complained of the burden she carried all the -way. It was nigh unto midnight when we arrived at the creek in which -the boat lay sunk. This was within a stone's throw of John Nuthall's -cottage, where were bestowed the mast, sails, oars, and gear, with -such provisions as he had gotten together for the voyage. The man -was sleeping when Barnaby called him, but he quickly got up, and -in less than an hour we had the boat hauled out of the water, the -provisions hastily thrown in, the mast stepped, our sick man and the -women placed in the bows, the stern and middle of the boat being -encumbered with our provisions, we had pushed down the muddy and -stinking creek, we had hoisted sail, and we were stealing silently -out of Carlisle Bay under a light breeze. Three or four ships were -lying in the bay; but either there was no watch kept aboard, or -(which is more probable) it was no one's business to hail a small -sail-boat going out, probably for fishing at dawn. Besides, the -night was so dark that we may very well have escaped notice. However -that might be, in a quarter of an hour we were well out at sea, -beyond the reach of the guns of Carlisle Bay, no longer visible -to the ships in port, and without any fear of being seen until -daybreak. The wind, which sometimes drops altogether in the night, -still continued favourable, though very light. - -'My lads,' said Barnaby presently, drawing a long breath, 'I verily -believe that we have given them the slip this time. In the morning -they may go forth, if they please, with their bloodhounds to hunt -for us. Let them hunt. If any inquiry is made for us at the Bridge, -no boat will be missing, and so no suspicion will be awakened. They -will then, I suppose, search for us among the caves and ravines of -which I have heard, where there are hiding-places in plenty, but -no water to drink, so that the poor devils who run away and seek a -refuge there are speedily forced to come out for water, and so are -caught or shot down. Well, they will hunt a long time before they -find us. This boat makes a little water, but I think not much. If -she proves watertight, and the breeze holds, by daylight we should -be well to the south of the island. Courage, therefore! All will be -well yet! How goes Robin?' - -He was lying as easily as we could manage for him--one rug over him -and another under him. Alice sat on one side of him, and the woman -they called Deb on the other. Then, because the boat sometimes -shipped a little water when she dipped in the waves, Barnaby rigged -a tarpaulin round the bows to prevent this; and (but this was not -till next day) over the tarpaulin he made, out of a rug and a spare -spar, a low tilt which, unless the weather grew bad, should shelter -those three by night from dew and spray, and by day from the sun -overhead and the glare and heat of the water. - -'Deb,' he said softly, 'art afraid?' - -'No, sir--not while my mistress is here.' (Meaning Alice.) - -'If we are taken, we shall all be flogged well nigh unto death, and -very likely hanged as well.' - -'I am not afraid, sir.' - -'We may spring a leak,' said Barnaby, 'and so go all to the bottom -and be devoured. Art not afraid to die?' - -'No, sir--not if I may hold my mistress by the hand, so that she may -take me whither she goeth herself.' - -'Good,' said Barnaby. 'As for me, I expect I shall have to go alone -or with John Nuthall here. Well, there will be a goodly company of -us. Go to sleep, my girl! In the morning we will serve around the -first ration, with perhaps, if all be well, a dram of cordial.' - -In the dim light of the stars I watched all night the three figures -in the bow. Robin lay white and motionless; Alice sat, covered with -her hood, bending over him; and Deb, from whose head her coif had -fallen, lay, head on arm, sound asleep. She had no fear, any more -than a common soldier has when he goes into action, because he -trusts his captain. - -Thus began our voyage: in an open boat twenty feet long, with a -company of three sound men, two women, and a sick man. For arms, in -case we needed them, we had none at all. If any ship crossed our -track and should call upon us to surrender we could not deny that we -were escaped convicts, because the dress of all but one proclaimed -the fact. Who, in such a climate, would choose to wear a coarse -shirt and canvas breeches, with a Monmouth cap, except it was a -servant or a slave who had no choice, but must take what is given -him? - -But we should not surrender, come what might. If we could neither -fight nor fly, we could sink. Said Barnaby, in the dead of night, -whispering in my ear, 'Lad, 'tis agreed between us, we will have -that clear; sooner than be taken, we will scuttle the ship, and so -sink all together. If 'tis accounted murder, the blame shall lie -between us.' - -A little before daybreak the breeze freshened, and the waves began -to rise; but not so high as to threaten the boat, which proved, -indeed, a most gallant little craft, dancing over the waters as -if she enjoyed being driven by the breeze. Some boats, as sailors -will tell you (being always apt to compare these craft with living -creatures), come thus, frolic and sprightly, from their makers' -hands; while others, built of the same material and on the same -lines, are, on the contrary, and always remain, heavy and lumpish; -just as some children are lively and gay, while others, born of the -same parents, are dull and morose. - -Then the sun rose, seeming to leap out of the water, a most glorious -ball of fire, which instantly warmed the cool air and began to -burn and scorch our hands and faces. In these hot latitudes one -understands what the ancients meant when they spoke of the dreadful -Sun-God, who both gives and destroys life, and is so beneficial -and yet so terrible. We, who live in a cold country, are sometimes -greatly comforted by the sun, but are never burned; we feel his -warmth, but understand not his power. - -Then Barnaby began to gaze curiously all round the horizon. We had -no glass or telescope; but his eyes were to him as good as any -telescope is to most men. - -'Thank the Lord!' he said, drawing breath (it was rare for Barnaby -thus openly to give praise), 'there is no sail in sight. To be sure, -we have the day before us. But yet'--here he began to talk as some -men use when they desire to place before their own minds clearly -the position of affairs. 'Very well, then--Barbadoes laying thirty -miles and more nor'-east by north--vessels bound for the island -from Bristol commonly sailing round the north--very well, then--we -are out of their track. Yet--then again--some are driven south by -stress of weather. Ay, there is our danger. Yet again, if one should -see us, would she bear down upon us? I greatly doubt it. The wind -will continue--that is pretty sure. If they were to discover that -we had gone by boat, would they sail after us? Why, what boat could -they send? And whither would they steer? And what boat have they -that can sail faster than this little craft? Yet we are pretty low -down in the water. Humphrey, lad'--he turned upon me his broad and -sunburnt face, full of cheerfulness--'we are not within many hours -of scuttling yet. A tight boat, a fair wind, a smooth sea--let us -hope for the best! How goes Robin?' - -There was no change in Robin, either for better or for worse. - -'Sis,' said Barnaby; 'art sleeping still, Sis? Wake up, and let -us eat and drink, and be jolly! What! Alice, I say! Why--we have -escaped! We are far away at sea! Let us laugh and sing. If there -were room in this cockle, I would dance also!' - -She lifted her head, and threw back her hood. Ah! what a mournful -face was there! - -'Oh, brother!' she said, 'canst thou laugh and sing? Hast thou -forgotten last night?' - -'Why, no,' he replied. 'One must not forget last night, because it -was the night of our escape. All else, I own, I can forget. Let it -not stick in thy gizzard, my dear, that the man frightened thee. -Rejoice rather that he thus afforded me a chance of giving him a -taste of his own cold iron.' - -'Nay, brother,' she said, shaking her head; then she looked round -her. 'We are a long way from the land,' she said. 'When will they -send out a ship to bring us back?' - -'Why, d'ye see,' Barnaby replied, 'give us twelve hours more, and -they may send out all their fleet, if they have one, and sail the -wide world round for us, and yet not capture us. And now let us -overhaul the provisions, and examine the ship's stores.' Alice -pulled her hood down again, and said no more. The woman they called -Deb was now wide awake, and staring about her with the greatest -satisfaction. - -'Come, John Nuthall,' Barnaby went on, 'we are hungry and thirsty. -Where is the list I made for thee? Thou art our purser, our -supercargo, our cook, and our steward; thou art also bo's'n and -carpenter, and half the crew. Where is my list, I say? Give it me, -and we will examine our stores. Look up, Sis; never cry over what -is done and over. What? A villain hath received a lesson, and thou -hangest thy head therefor? Look up, I say. There is now hope for -all; thou shalt merrily dance at my wedding yet.' - -Then he read the list, and examined each parcel or box with great -care. - -'A hundred and a half of bread, a soft cheese, plantains, a keg of -water (nine gallons), six bottles of Canary (not one broken), a -compass, a half-hour glass, a spare rug ('tis over Robin's legs), -flint and steel, a bit of tarpaulin, a hatchet and hammer, a saw, -some nails, a spar or two, a coil of rope and yarn, a lump of -tobacco (we can chew it, though I would rather put it into a pipe), -candles--faugh! they are run together in a lump; they will serve to -caulk something presently.' - -We had, in fact, no light during our voyage, but the tallow proved -useful when--I think it was the next day--the boat started a leak. - -This was all our store. 'Twas not much for six people, but Barnaby -hoped that the voyage would be short. If he should be disappointed, -who would not put up with short rations for a day or two for the -sake of freedom? - -'And now,' he said, when everything was stowed according to his -mind, 'we will have breakfast. Our provisions are no great things; -but, after the accursed loblollie, a bit of bread and cheese will be -a feast.' - -A feast indeed it was, and our captain gratified us further by -opening a flask of Canary, which raised all our hearts. Strange -that men should be able to recover their spirits, which should be -independent of the creature comforts, by a dram of wine. As for -Barnaby, I thought he would have kissed the bottle. - -'It is now three months and more,' he said, 'that we have had -nothing save a sup of kill-devil fresh from the still, and now we -are mercifully permitted to taste again a glass of Canary. 'Tis too -much!' he sighed, drinking his ration. 'Well, we have but a few -bottles, and the voyage may be longer than we hope; therefore we -must go upon short allowance. But fear not, Sis; there shall always -be enough for Robin, poor lad.' - -He then proceeded to tell us what he intended, and whither he would -steer. - -'We have no chart,' he said. 'What then? I can draw one as good as -they are made to steer by in these seas.' He could not draw one, -because he had no paper or pencil; but he carved one with the point -of his knife on the seat, and marked out our course upon it day -by day. 'See,' he said, 'here is Barbadoes. Our course all night -hath been sou'-west. She now makes five knots an hour. It is now -eight, I take it; and we must therefore be about forty miles from -Barbadoes. To-morrow morning we should make the Grenadilloes, which -are a hundred and fifty miles from Carlisle Bay. Hark ye! There may -be a Bristol vessel sailing from Great Grenada to Barbadoes, or -the other way. That would be the devil. But such ships are rare, -and there is no trade between the two islands. Well, we shall give -Grenada as wide a berth as may be.' Here he considered a little. -'Therefore, 'twill be our wiser plan to bear more to the south. Once -south of Grenada, I take it, there will be no more danger. Off the -main of South America the sea is covered with islands. They are No -Man's Land; inhabitants have they none; navigators, for the most -part, know them not; English, French, and Spanish ships come never -to these islands. My purpose, therefore, is to put in at Great -Margaritos or Tortuga for rest and fresh water, and so presently -make the Dutch island of Curacao.' - -'And after that?' - -'Then, my lad, we shall take ship to some country where a sailor -may get a berth and a physician may find patients. It must be to -Holland first; but, never fear, we shall get back to England some -time; and perhaps fight another battle with a different tale to tell -afterwards.' - -As the day advanced, the coast of Barbadoes continually receded, -until, before sunset, the island lay like a purple cloud low down in -the horizon. The north-east breeze blew steadily, but the sun caused -a most dreadful heat in the air, and our eyes smarted from the glare -of the water and the spray that was blown upon us. It was at this -time that Barnaby constructed the tilt of which I have spoken. The -sea lay spread out round us in a broad circle, of which we were the -centre, and the cloudless blue sky lay over us like unto a roof laid -there for us alone. It is only in a ship one doth feel thus alone, -in the centre of creation; even as if there were nothing but the sea -around, the sky above, and our boat in the centre. Thus must the -Patriarch Noah have felt when his ark floated upon the vast face -of the water, and even the tops of the high hills were hidden and -covered over. All day Barnaby scanned the horizon anxiously; but -there came into sight no sail or ship whatever. To us, who sometimes -see the vessels lying in a crowded port, and hear how they bring -argosies from every land, it seems as if every part of the ocean -must be covered with sails driving before the wind from whatever -quarter it may blow. But he who considers the 'Mappa Mundi' will -presently discover that there are vast expanses of sea where never -a sail is seen, unless it be the fugitive sail of the pirate or the -bark canoe of the native. We were now nearing such a lonely sea or -part of the ocean. Barnaby knew, what these planters did not, how to -steer across the unknown water to a port of safety beyond. - -At midday our captain served out another drink of water, and to -Robin I gave a sop of bread in Canary, which he seemed to suck up -and to swallow with readiness. - -In such a voyage, where there is nothing to do but to keep the ship -on her course and to watch the horizon for a strange sail, one -speedily falls into silence, and sits many hours without speech; -sometimes falling asleep, lulled by the ripple of the water as the -boat flies through it. - -I have said nothing about the man John Nuthall. He was a plain, -honest-looking man, and we found him throughout all this business -faithful, brave, and patient, obedient to Barnaby, and of an even -temper and contented with his share. That he had formerly been a -thief in his native country cannot be denied, but I hope that we -shall not refuse to any man the right of repentance. - -Barnaby divided the crew--namely, himself, John Nuthall, and -me--into three watches of eight hours each, of which each man kept -two at a stretch. Thus, beginning the day at noon, which was the -only time we knew for certain, Barnaby would himself (but this was -after the first two days) lie down and sleep till sunset or a little -later. Then John Nuthall lay down and took his turn of sleep till -Barnaby thought it was two o'clock in the morning, when he woke him -and I took his place. But for the first day or two Barnaby slept not -at all, and the whole of the voyage he slept as a good watch-dog -sleeps--namely, with one eye open. - -At sunset he gave out another pannikin of cold water to each of us, -a ration of bread and cheese, and a dram of wine. Then he commanded -John Nuthall to lie down and sleep, while I took the tiller and he -himself held the ropes. Then the night fell once more upon us. - -Presently, while we sat there in silence, Alice rose up from her -seat and came aft and sat down beside me. - -'Humphrey,' she whispered, 'think you that he is truly dead?' She -was speaking, not of Robin, but of the Master. - -'I know not, my dear.' - -'I can think of nothing but of that man's sudden end, and of what -may happen to us. Say something to comfort me, Humphrey! You always -had some good word to say, like manna for refreshment. My soul is -low in the dust--I cannot even pray.' - -'Why, my dear?' What could I say? ''Tis true that the man was struck -down, and that suddenly. And yet----' - -'To think that my brother--that Barnaby--should have killed him!' - -'Why,' said Barnaby, 'if some one had to kill him, why not I as well -as another? What odds who killed him?' - -'Oh!' she said, 'that a man should be called away at such a moment, -when his brain was reeling with wine and wicked thoughts!' - -'He was not dead,' I told her (though I knew very well what would -be the end), 'when we came away. Many a man recovers who hath had -a sword-thrust through the body. He may now be on the mend--who -can tell?' Yet I knew, I say, very well how it must have ended. -'Consider, my dear: he tempted the wrath of God, if any man ever -did. If he is destroyed, on his own head be it--not on ours. If he -recover, he will have had a lesson which will serve him for the -rest of his life. If he doth not recover, he may have time left -him for something of repentance and of prayer. Why, Alice, if we -get safely to our port we ought to consider the punishment of this -sinner (which was in self-defence, as one may truly say) the very -means granted by Providence for our own escape. How else should we -have got away? How else should we have resolved to venture all, even -to carrying Robin with us?' All this, I repeat, I said to encourage -her, because, if I know aught of wounds, a man bleeding inwardly -of a sword-thrust through his vitals would have short time for the -collecting of his thoughts or the repentance of his sins, being as -truly cut off in the midst of them as if he had been struck down by -a thunderbolt. A man may groan and writhe under the dreadful torture -of such a wound, but there is little room for meditation or for -repentance. - -Then I asked her if she was in fear as to the event of the voyage. - -'I fear nothing,' she told me, 'but to be captured and taken back -to the place whence we came, there to be put in prison and flogged. -That is my only fear. Humphrey, we have suffered so much that this -last shame would be too great for me to bear. Oh! to be tied up -before all the men, and flogged like the black women--'twould kill -me, Humphrey!' - -'Alice,' I said very earnestly, 'art thou, indeed, brave enough to -endure death itself rather than this last barbarity?' - -'Oh! Death!--death!' she cried, clasping her hands. 'What is death -to me, who have lost everything?' - -'Nay, but consider, my dear. To die at sea--it means to sink down -under the cold water out of the light of day; to be choked for want -of air; perhaps to be devoured quick by sharks; to lie at the bottom -of the water, the seaweed growing over your bones; to be rolled -about by the troubled waves----' - -'Humphrey, these are old wives' tales. Why, if it had been lawful -I would have killed myself long ago. But I must not lose heaven as -well as earth. A brief pang it is to die, and then to be happy for -ever. What do I care whether the seaweed covers my bones, or the -cold clay? Oh, Humphrey, Humphrey, why should I care any longer to -live?' - -'My dear,' I said, 'if we escape in safety there may yet be -happiness in store. No man knoweth the future.' She shook her head. -'Happiness,' I told her, 'doth not commonly come to man in the way -which he most desires and prays. For, if he doth obtain the thing -for which he hath so ardently prayed, he presently finds that the -thing bringeth not the joy he so much expected. Or it comes too -late, as is the case often with honours and wealth, when one foot -is already in the grave. I mean, my dear, that we must not despair -because the thing which most we desired is taken from us. Perhaps -we ought not to desire anything at all, except what the Lord shall -provide. But that is a hard saying, and if men desired nothing it -is certain they would no longer work.' I talked thus at length to -divert her mind from her troubles. 'To thee, poor child,' I said, -'have been given afflictions many and great--the loss of godly -parents, a husband whom thou must avoid, and the deprivation of -earthly love. Yet, since thou art so brave, Alice, I will tell -thee--I thought not to tell thee anything of this----' - -'What, Humphrey? What?' - -'Briefly, Alice, thou shalt not be taken alive.' - -'How--unless you kill me?' - -'We are agreed, my dear--Barnaby and I--that if we cannot escape -any boats which may pursue us the boat shall be sunk, and so we -shall all drown together. Indeed, Alice, I confess that I am not -myself so much in love with life as to return to that captivity and -intolerable oppression from which we have gotten away. Therefore, be -assured, we will all drown rather than go back.' - -'Oh!' she sighed, but with relief, 'now shall I fear nothing. I -have not lost everything, since I have thee still--and Barnaby. -Alas! my head has been so full of what Madam said--that we should -be certainly caught, and all of us flogged. To be flogged! -Who would not rather die?'--she shivered and trembled. 'To be -flogged!--Humphrey, I could not bear the shame!' She trembled and -shivered as she repeated this confession of fear. - -'Fear not, my dear,' I said; 'there are those on the boat who love -thee too well to suffer that extreme of barbarity. Put that fear out -of thy mind. Think only that we may have to die, but that we shall -not be taken. To die, indeed, is very likely our fate: for we have -but a quarter of an inch of frail wood between us and the seas. If -a storm should arise, we fill with water and go down; if the wind -should drop we should be becalmed, and so perish miserably of hunger -and thirst; if Barnaby steer not aright----' - -'Humphrey,' said Barnaby, 'fill not her innocent head with rubbish. -'Tis not the time of tornadoes, and there will be no storm. The wind -at this season never drops, therefore we shall not lie becalmed. And -as for my steering aright, why, with a compass--am I a lubber?' - -'Brother,' she said, 'if I am not to be flogged, the rest concerns -me little. Let us say no more about it. I am now easy in my mind. -Robin sleeps, Humphrey. He hath slept since the sun went down, and -this afternoon he looked as if he knew me. Also, he took the bread -sopped in Canary eagerly, as if he relished it.' - -'These seas,' said Barnaby, 'are full of sharks.' - -I knew not what he meant, because we were speaking of Robin. - -'Sharks have got their senses, as well as humans,' he went on. - -Still I understood him not. - -'When a man on board a ship is going to die, the sharks find it out, -and they follow that ship until he does die and is flung overboard. -Then they devour his body and go away, unless there is more to -follow. I have looked for sharks, and there are none following the -boat; wherefore, though I am not a doctor, I am sure that Robin will -not die.' - -'I know not at all,' I said, 'how that may be. There are many things -believed by sailors which are superstitions--fond beliefs nourished -by the continual presence of perils. On the other hand, the senses -of man are notoriously as far below those of creatures as his -intellect is above them (yet a skilful man may read the premonition -of death in a sick man's face). Therefore I know not but a shark may -have a sense, like unto the eye of a hawk or the scent of a hound, -with which to sniff the approach of death afar off. Let us comfort -ourselves, Alice, with Barnaby's assurance.' - -''Tis a well proved and tried thing,' said Barnaby; 'and sailors, -let me tell thee, Master Doctor, have no superstitions or idle -beliefs.' - -'Well, that may be. As to Robin's disease, I can pronounce nothing -upon it. Nay, had I the whole library of Padua to consult, I could -learn nothing that would help me. First, the mind falls into a -languishing and spiritless condition. That causeth the body to lie -open to attacks of any disease which may be threatening. Then, the -body, being ill at ease, works upon the mind, and causes it to -wander beyond control. So that the soul, which is bound up with body -and mind, cannot show herself or manifest her will. It is the will -which shows the presence of the soul: the will which governs body -and mind alike. But if I know aught of disease, if a change comes -upon Robin it will either swiftly cure or swiftly kill.' - -'Humphrey,' she whispered, 'if he recover, how shall I meet his -face? How shall I reply when he asks me concerning my faith?' - -'My dear, he knows all. 'Twas that knowledge, the pity of it, -and the madness of it, believe me, which threw him into so low a -condition.' - -'I have looked daily for reproaches in thy kind eyes, Humphrey. I -have found none, truly. But from Robin--oh! I dare not think of -meeting those eyes of his.' - -'Reproach thee will he never, Alice. Sorrow and love, I doubt not, -will lie in his eyes all his life. What thou hast done was for him -and for thy father and thy brother and for all of us. But, oh! the -pity--and the villainy! Fear not to meet the poor lad's eyes, Alice.' - -'I long to see the light of reason in those dear eyes--and yet I -fear. Humphrey, I am married; but against my will. I am a wife, and -yet no wife; I am resolved that, come what may, I will never, never -go to my husband. And I love my Robin still--oh!' she sobbed, 'I -love my Robin still!' - -'If we die,' I told her, 'you shall go down with your arm round his -neck, and so you shall die together.' - -Then we sat silent a while. - -'My dear,' I said, 'lie down and take some sleep.' - -'I cannot sleep, Humphrey, for the peace of mind which hath fallen -me upon. If Robin now come to his senses again I shall not fear him. -And the night, it is so peaceful--so cool and so peaceful;' the -wind had dropped, till there was barely enough to fill the sail, -and only enough way on the boat to make a soft murmur of the water -along her sides. 'The sea is so smooth; the sky is so bright and so -full of stars. Can there be, anywhere, a peace like this? Alas! if -we could sail still upon a silent and peaceful ocean! But we must -land somewhere. There will be men, and where there are men there -is wickedness, with drink and wrath and evil passions--such as we -have left behind us. Humphrey--oh! my brother Humphrey!--it would be -sweet if the boat would sink beneath us now, and so, with Robin's -hand in mine, we could all go together to the happy land, where -there is neither marrying nor giving in marriage.' - -From beneath the tilt there came a voice--I verily believe it was -an answer sent straight from heaven to comfort this poor faithful -soul. 'Alice'--it was the voice of Robin, in his right mind at last. -'Alice,' he said, 'we will continue to love each other, yet without -sin.' - -'Oh, Robin! Robin!' she moved quickly to his side and fell upon her -knees. 'Robin, thou wilt recover?' - -'Stay!' I interposed. 'Robin will first have a cup of cordial.' - -'I have been sleeping,' he said; 'I know not what hath happened. -We are in a boat, it seems, and on the open sea. Unless I am still -dreaming, we are slaves to a planter in Barbadoes! And this is -Alice--who was in England! And I know not what it means.' - -'You have been ill, Robin,' I told him. 'You have been nigh unto -death. Many things have happened of which we will speak, but -not now. Alice is at your side, and Barnaby is navigating the -boat. Drink this cup of wine--so--sleep now; and in the morning, -if it please Heaven, you shall be so strong that you shall hear -everything. Ask no more questions, but sleep. Give him your hand, -Alice.' - -She obeyed me, sitting at his side and taking his hand in hers, and -so continued for the rest of the night, Robin sleeping peacefully. - -In a word, he was restored. The fresh sea-breeze brought him back to -life and reason; and, though he was still weak, he was now as sound -in his mind as any man could desire to be. And in the morning we -told him all that had been done, whereat he marvelled. - -Alice might love him still. That was most true, yet between them -stood her husband. Why, there was another man in the boat who also -loved a girl he could never wed. His passion, I swear, was full of -constancy, tenderness, and patience. Would Robin be as patient? - -When the day broke again we were still sailing over a lonely sea, -with never a sail in sight, and never a sign of land. - -And now Robin was sitting up, his face pale, and his hands thin. But -the light of reason was in his eyes, and on his lips such a smile of -tenderness as we were wont to see there in the days of old. - -'Said I not,' cried Barnaby, 'that he would recover? Trust the -sharks for common-sense. And again an open sea, with never a sail in -sight. Praise the Lord, therefore!' - -But Alice, when the sun rose above the waves, threw back her hood -and burst forth into singing:-- - - O Lord, how glorious is Thy grace, - And wondrous large Thy love! - At such a dreadful time and place, - To such as faithful prove. - -The tears came into my eyes only to see the change that had fallen -upon her gracious, smiling countenance. It was not, truly, the sweet -and happy face that we remembered before her troubles fell upon her, -but that face graver with the knowledge of evil and of pain. And now -it was like unto such a face as one may see in many an altar-piece -in Italy, glorified with gratitude and love. - -Then the woman called Deb fell to weeping and blubbering for very -joy that her mistress looked happy again. 'Twas a faithful, loving -creature. - -'Humphrey,' said Alice, 'forgive me that I murmured. Things that -are done cannot be undone. Robin is restored to us. With three such -brothers, who should not be content to live? I hope, now, that we -shall get safely to our port; but if we die, we shall die contented -in each other's arms. Going through the Vale of Misery,' she added -softly, 'we will use it as a well.' - - - - -CHAPTER XLVII. - -TORTUGA. - - -'I take it,' said Barnaby, on the third morning--the weather -continuing fine and the sea clear of ships--'that we are now clear -out of the track of any British vessels. We may fall into the hands -of the Spaniard; but he is mild and merciful of late compared with -his temper a hundred years ago. 'Tis true we have given him many -lessons in humanity. We should now before nightfall make the islands -of Testigos; but I think they are only rocks and sandy flats, such -as they call Keys, where we need not land, seeing that we should get -nothing by so doing, except to go out of the way, and so make the -rations shorter. Robin'--'twas at breakfast, when he served out a -dram of wine to every one--'I drink to thy better health, lad. Thou -hast cheated the Devil. Nay, Sis, look not so angry!--I meant, thou -wilt not go to heaven this bout. Up heart, then, and get strong! We -will find thee another sweetheart, who shall make thee lift up thine -head again. What? Is there but one woman in the world? - -'I was saying then,' he went on, 'that we shall presently make the -islands of Testigos. There followeth thereafter, to one who steereth -west, a swarm of little islands. 'Twas here that the pirates used -to lie in the good old days, snug and retired, with their girls and -their drink. Ay, and plenty of both! A happy time they had!' Barnaby -wagged his head and sighed. 'South of this archipelago (which I -will some day visit, in order to search for treasure) there lieth -the great and mountainous island of Margaritos. This great island -we shall do well to keep upon our south, and so bear away to the -desert island of Tortuga, where we shall find water for certain--and -that, I have been told, the best spring-water that flows; turtles -we may also find, and fish we may catch; and when we have recovered -our strength, with a few days' rest ashore, we will once more put -to sea and make for the island of Curacao and the protection of the -Dutchmen.' - -It needs not to tell much more about the voyage, in which we were -favoured by Heaven with everything that we could desire--a steady -breeze from the best quarter, a sea never too rough, provisions in -sufficiency, the absence of any ships, and, above all, the recovery -of Robin. - -I say, then, that we sighted (and presently passed) the group -of islets called the Testigos; that we coasted along the great -island of Margaritos, where we landed not, because Barnaby feared -that certain smoke which we saw might betoken the presence of the -Spaniard, whom, in spite of his new character for mildness, he was -anxious to avoid. 'Tis strange thus to sail along the shore of a -great island whereon are no inhabitants, or, if any, a few sailors -put in for water, for turtle, and for cocoanuts; to see afar off the -forests climbing round the mountain sides, the waterfalls leaping -over the precipices, and to think of the happy life one might lead -in such a place, far from men and their ways. I confess (since my -Mistress will never see this page) that my thoughts for a whole day, -while we sailed along the shores of Margaritos, turned upon those -pirates of whom Barnaby spoke. They lived here at ease, and in great -happiness. 'Tis of such a life that a man sometimes dreams. But -if he were suffered so to lie in sloth, farewell Heaven! Farewell -future hopes! Farewell our old talk of lifting the soul above the -flesh! Let us henceforth live the lives of those who are content -(since they can have no more) with a few years of love and wine and -revelry! It is in climates like that of the West Indies that such a -temptation seizes on men the most strongly: for here everything is -made for man's enjoyment; here is no cold, no frost, no snow or ice; -here eternal summer reigns, and the world seems made for the senses -and for nothing else. Of these confessions enough. 'Twas impossible -that in such a luxurious dream the image of Alice could have any -part. - -We landed, therefore, on the desert island of Tortuga, where we -remained for several days, hauling up our boat and covering her with -branches to keep off the sun. Here we lived luxuriously upon turtle, -fresh fish, the remains of our bread, and what was left of our -Canary; setting up huts in which we could sleep, and finding water -of the freshest and brightest I ever saw. Here Robin mended apace, -and began to walk about with no more help from his nurses. - -We were minded, as I have said, to sail as far as the island of -Curacao, but an accident prevented this. - -One day, when we had been ashore for ten days or thereabouts, we -were terrified by the sight of a small vessel rigged in the fashion -of a ketch--that is, with a small mizzen--beating about outside the -bay which is the only port of Tortuga. - -'She will put in here,' said Barnaby. 'That is most certain. Now, -from the cut of her she is of New England build, and from the -handling of her she is under-manned; and I think that we have -nothing to fear from her, unless she is bound for Barbadoes, or for -Grenada, or Jamaica.' - -Presently the vessel came to anchor, and a small boat was lowered, -into which three men descended. They were unarmed. - -'She is certainly from New England,' said Barnaby. 'Well, they -are not from Barbadoes in quest of us, otherwise they would not -send ashore three unarmed men to capture four desperate men. That -is certain. And as we cannot hide our boat, though we might hide -ourselves, I will e'en go forth and parley with these strangers.' - -This he did, we watching from a safe place. The conversation was -long and earnest, and apparently friendly. Presently Barnaby -returned to us. - -'There offers,' he said, 'a chance which is perhaps better than to -make for Curacao, where, after all, we might get scurvy treatment. -These men, in a word, are privateers; or, since we are at war with -none, they are pirates. They fitted out a brigantine, or bilander -(I know not which), and designed to sail round Cape Horn to attack -the Spaniard on the South Seas. On the way they took a prize, which -you now see in the bay. Ten men were sent aboard to navigate her as -a tender to their ship. But they fell into bad weather off Brazil, -and their ship went down with all hands. Now they are bound for -Providence, only seven hands left, and they will take us aboard -and carry us to that island for our services. Truly, I think we -should go. They have provisions in plenty, with Madeira wine; and -Providence is too far for the arm of King James to reach. What say -ye all? Alice, what sayest thou?' - -'Truly, brother, I say nothing.' - -'Then we will agree, and go with them.' - -We went on board, taking with us a good supply of turtle, clear -water, and cocoanuts (being all that the isle afforded). Honest -fellows we found our pirates to be. They belonged to the island of -Providence, in the Bahamas, which has long been the rendezvous of -English privateers. Ten years before this the Spaniards plucked up -courage to attack and destroy the settlement, when those who escaped -destruction found shelter in some of the adjacent islands, or on the -mainland of Virginia. Now some of them have come back again, and -this settlement, or colony, is re-established. - -Thither, therefore, we sailed. It seemed as if we were become a mere -shuttlecock of fortune, beaten and driven hither and thither upon -the face of the earth. - - - - -CHAPTER XLVIII. - -THE ISLAND OF PROVIDENCE. - - -It was some time in the month of March, A.D. 1686, that we landed in -Providence. The settlement--from which the Spaniards had now nothing -to fear--then consisted (it is now, I learn, much larger) of no more -than one hundred and fifty people in all, the men being all sailors, -and ready to carry on again the old trade of privateer or pirate, as -you please to call it, when they should be strong enough to buy or -hire a ship and to equip her. - -We stayed on the island for two years and a quarter, or thereabouts. -It is one of an archipelago, for the most part, I believe, desert. -The settlement was, as I have said, but a small one, living in -scattered houses; there were plenty of these to spare (which had -belonged to the former settlement), if one only took the trouble -to clear away the creeping plants and cut down the trees which -had grown up round them since the Spaniards came and destroyed -the colony. Such a house, built of wood, with a shingle roof, we -found convenient for us; and after we had cleared the ground round -it and repaired it, we lived in it. Some of the people helped us -to a porker or two and some chickens. They also gave us some salt -beef and maize to start with. That we had little money (only what -was left over from the sale of Alice's ring) made no difference -to us here, because no one had any at all, and at this time there -was neither buying nor selling on the island--a happy condition -of things which will not, I take it, last long. So great is the -fertility of the ground here, and such is the abundance which -prevails, that we very shortly found ourselves provided with all -that we wanted to make life pleasant. Work there was for us, but -easy and pleasant work--such as weeding our patches of vegetables -and fruit in the early mornings; or going to fish; or planting -maize; or attending to our pigs, poultry, and turkeys; and for the -rest of the time, sitting in the shade conversing. It is none too -hot in this place, though one would not in the summer walk abroad -at noon; nor is it ever too cold. All the fruits which flourish -under the tropics grow here, with those also which belong to the -temperate zone. Here are splendid forests, where you can cut the -mahogany-tree, and build your house, if you please, of that lovely -wood. Here we ourselves grew, for our own use, maize, tobacco, -coffee, cocoa, plantains, pines, potatoes, and many other fruits and -vegetables. - -Barnaby soon grew tired of this quiet life, and went on board a -schooner bound for New England, promising that we should hear from -him. After two years we did receive a letter from him, as you -shall immediately learn. When he was gone we carried on a quiet -and peaceful life. Books, paper, and pen there were none upon this -island. Nor were there any clothes, so that the raggedness of our -attire (we were dressed in the sailors' clothes our friends the -privateers gave us) became incredible. I made some kind of guitar on -which we played, and in the evening we would have very good playing -and singing together of such pieces and songs as we could remember. -I made verses, too, for amusement, and Alice learned them. We found -our brother-settlers a rough but honest folk, to whom we taught many -arts: how to procure sea-salt, how to make wine from pineapples, -how to cure the tobacco-leaf--things which greatly added to their -comfort; and, seeing that there was no church on the island, we -every Sabbath held a meeting for prayer and exhortation. - -Seeing, then, that we had all that man could desire, with perfect -freedom from anxiety, our liberty, a delightful climate, plenty to -eat and drink--ay, and of the very best--and that at home there was -nothing for us but prison again, and to be sent back to the place -whence we had escaped, we ought, every one will acknowledge, to have -felt the greatest contentment and gratitude for this sure and quiet -refuge. We did not. The only contented members of our household were -John Nuthall and the woman Deb, who cheerfully cultivated the garden -and fed the poultry and the pigs (for we had now everything around -us that is wanted to make life pleasant). Yet we were not contented. -I could read the signs of impatience in the face whose changes I had -studied for so long. Other women would have shown their discontent -in ill-temper and a shrewish tongue; Alice showed hers in silence, -sitting apart, and communing with herself. I daresay I also showed -my discontent; for I confess that I now began to long vehemently -for books. Consider, it was more than two years since I had seen a -book! There were no books at all on the island of Providence--not -one book, except a Bible or two, and, perhaps, a Book of Common -Prayer. I longed, therefore, for the smell of leather bindings, the -sight of books on shelves, and the holy company of the wise and the -ingenious. No one, again, could look upon Robin without perceiving -that he was afflicted with a constant yearning for that which he -could not have. What that was I understood very well, although he -never opened his mind unto me. - -Now I confess that at this time I was grievously tormented -with the thought that, Alice's marriage having been no true -marriage--because, first, she was betrayed and deceived; and, next, -she had left her husband at the very church porch--there was no -reason in the world why she should not disregard that ceremony -altogether, and contract a marriage after her own heart. I turned -this over in my mind a long while; and, indeed, I am still of the -opinion that there would have been nothing sinful in such an act. -But the law of the country would not so regard it. That is quite -true. If, therefore, I had advised these unhappy lovers in such -a sense they would have been compelled to live for the rest of -their lives on this island, and their offspring would have been -illegitimate. So that, though the letter of the law caused a most -cruel in justice--_summum jus summa injuria_--it was better that it -should be obeyed. In the end, it was a most happy circumstance that -it was so obeyed. - -I have presently to relate the means by which this injustice was -removed. As for my own share in it, I shall neither exaggerate nor -shall I extenuate it. I shall not defend it. I will simply set it -down, and leave judgment to a higher Court than the opinion of those -who read these pages. I must, however, acknowledge that, partly in -Barbadoes and partly in Providence, I learned from the negresses, -who possess many secrets and have a wonderful knowledge of plants -and their powers, the simple remedies with which they treat fevers, -agues, rheumatisms, and other common disorders. I say simple, -because they will, with a single cup of liquor boiled with certain -leaves, or with a pinch of some potent powder gotten from a plant, -effect a speedier cure than our longest prescriptions, even though -they contain more than fifty different ingredients. Had I possessed -this knowledge, for example, while we lay in Exeter Jail, not one -prisoner (except the old and feeble) should have died of the fever. -This said, you will understand presently what it was I did. - -It was, then, about the month of March, in the year 1688, that a -ship, laden with wine, and bound from New York to Jamaica, put in -at the port of Providence. Her captain carried a letter for me, -and this was the first news of the world that came to us since our -flight. - -The letter was from Barnaby. It was short, because Barnaby had never -practised the art of letter-writing; but it was pertinent. First, -he told us that he had made the acquaintance at Boston (I mean the -little town Boston of New England) of his cousins, whom he found to -be substantial merchants (so that here, at least, the man George -Penne lied not), and zealous upholders of the Independent way of -thinking; that these cousins had given him a hearty welcome for -the sake of his father; that he had learned from them, first, that -the Monmouth business was long since concluded, and, so great was -the public indignation against the cruelties of the Bloody Assize, -that no one would again be molested on that account, not even those -who had been sent abroad should they venture to return. He also -said--but this we understood not--that it was thought things would -before long improve. - -'And now,' he concluded, 'my cousins, finding that I am well skilled -and have already navigated a ship with credit, have made me captain -of their own vessel, the _Pilgrim_, which sails every year to -Bristol and back again. She will be despatched in the month of -August or September. Come, therefore, by the first ship which will -set you ashore either at New York or at Boston, and I will give you -all a passage home. Afterwards, if you find not a welcome there, you -may come back with me. Here a physician may find practice, Robin may -find a farm, and sister will be safe from B. B.' - -At this proposal we pricked up our ears, as you may very well -believe. Finally we resolved to agree to it, promising each other -to protect Alice from her husband, and to go back to Boston with -Barnaby if we found no reason to stay in England. But the woman -Deb, though she wept at leaving her mistress, would not go back to -the place where her past wickedness might be remembered, and John -Nuthall was also unwilling, for the same reason, to return; and, -as this honest couple had now a kindness for each other, I advised -them to marry and remain where they were. There was on the island -no minister of religion, nor any magistrate or form of government -whatever (yet all were honest); therefore I ventured to hear -their vows of fidelity, and prayed with them while I joined their -hands--a form of marriage, to my mind, as binding and as sacred -as any wanting the assistance of a priest. So we handed over to -them all our property (which was already as much theirs as ours), -and left them in that sunny and delightful place. If the man was a -repentant thief, the woman was a repentant magdalen, and so they -were well matched. I hope and believe that, being well resolved -for the future, they will lead a godly and virtuous life, and will -be blessed with children who will never learn the reason why their -parents left their native country. - -There is little trade at Providence, but many vessels touch at the -port, because it lies between the English possessions in America -and those in the West Indies. They put in for water, for fruit, and -sometimes, if they are short-handed, for men, most of them in the -place being sailors. Therefore we had not to wait long before a -vessel put in, bound from Jamaica to New York. We bargained with the -captain for a passage, agreeing that he should find us provisions -and wine, and that we would pay him (by means of Barnaby) on our -reaching Boston (which is but a short distance from New York). -Strange to say, though we had been discontented with our lot, when -we sailed away Alice fell to weeping. We had murmured, and our -murmuring was heard. We should now be permitted to live out what -was left to us of life in England, and we should die and be buried -among our own folk. Yet there are times when I remember the sweet -and tranquil life we led in the island of Providence, its soft and -sunny air, the cool sea-breeze, the shade of its orange groves, and -the fruits which grew in such abundance to our hands. - - - - -CHAPTER XLIX. - -HOME. - - -In one thing alone the villain Penne spoke the truth. The Eykin -family of Boston (I say again of New England) was one of the most -considerable in the place--great sticklers for freedom and for -religion (but, indeed, it is a most God-fearing town, and severe -towards transgressors). They received us with so much kindness that -nothing could surpass it; we were treated as Christian martyrs at -the least, and towards Alice, of whose cruel lot they had heard from -Barnaby, they showed (but that no one could help) an affection quite -uncommon. They generously furnished us all with apparel becoming our -station, and with money for our daily occasions; they approved of -our going with Barnaby; but, in the event of our finding no welcome -or means of a livelihood at home, and if Alice should be molested by -her husband, they engaged us to return to New England. Here, they -said, Robin might become a farmer, if he had no inclination for -trade; they would joyfully receive Alice to live with them; and I -myself would certainly find practice as a physician; while Barnaby -should continue to command their ship. When I considered the many -conveniences which exist in Boston (it is already, though young, -better provided with everything than Barbadoes), the excellence of -the climate, the books which are there, the printing press which -hath already been established, the learned ministers, the college, -the schools, and the freedom of religion, I should have been nothing -loth to remain there. But I was constrained first to go home. I -found also, which astonished me, so great a love of liberty that -the people speak slightingly of the English at home who tamely -suffer the disabilities of the Nonconformists and the prerogative -of the Crown; and they ask why, when the country had succeeded in -establishing a Commonwealth, they could not keep it? It certainly -cannot be denied, as they argue, that Israel acted against the -declared will of the Lord in seeking a king. - -So we left them. But in how changed a condition did we now cross -the ocean! Instead of huddling in a noisome and stinking dungeon, -unclean for want of water, ill fed, and with no change of raiment, -we had now comfortable cabins, clothes such as become a gentleman, -and food of the best. And Barnaby, who had then sat humbly in -the waist, where the prisoners were confined, now walked the -quarterdeck--a laced kerchief round his neck, lace ruffles at his -wrist, a scarlet coat on his back, a sword at his side, and gold -lace in his hat: the captain of the ship. - -The winds were contrary, and it was not until the last days of -October that we arrived at Bristol. Here we lay for a few days, -while Barnaby transacted his business, resolving to remain in -retirement, for fear of accidents, until our captain should be ready -to ride with us to Bradford Orcas. - -The first news we learned was joyful indeed. It was that the Prince -of Orange himself was about to invade England, with intent to drive -his father-in-law from the throne. (He had indeed already sailed, -but his fleet was driven back by a storm.) It was also stated -that he had with him a great army of Dutch and English, and such -preparations of arms and ammunition as (it was hoped) would make -such a failure as that of our unhappy Duke impossible. - -We also confirmed Barnaby's information that Monmouth's men could -now go about without fear or molestation. - -As to the position of affairs at Bradford Orcas, we could learn -nothing. - -There was one point on which I was curious--namely, as to what -Barnaby would do in the matter of the villain Penne. On the one hand -it was certain that Barnaby would not forget this man, nor was he -likely to sit down with his arms folded after he had been robbed of -so great a sum. - -Therefore, I was not surprised when, the evening before we rode out -of Bristol, he brought a big bag of blue stuff in his hands and -poured out the contents--a vast shower of gold pieces--into the lap -of his astonished sister. - -'Alice,' he said, 'I bring you back your money. You will find it all -here, and Mr. Boscorel's money to boot. He hath disgorged.' - -With that he sat down and laughed, but as one who hath a joke in -secret and would tell us no more. - -For a day or two after this he would (on the road to Bradford Orcas) -begin to laugh at intervals, rolling about in his saddle, shaking -his sides, choking with laughter; insomuch that I presently lost -patience with him, and, as a physician, ordered him instantly to -make full confidence, or I would not answer for it but he would have -a fit. - -Then he told us what he had done. - -Towards five in the afternoon, when the autumn day is ended, he -repaired to the man Penne's counting-house (a place easily found on -inquiry), having with him one of those fellows who bawl at fairs, -selling medicines and charms, drawing teeth, letting blood, and so -forth. At the sight of a sea captain, many of whom came to this -place, the worthy merchant's servant, without suspicion, opened the -door of the private office, or chamber, where Mr. Penne transacted -his affairs. Barnaby found him dozing by the fire, his wig on the -table, a silk handkerchief over his head, and the candles already -lighted. - -He awoke, however, on the opening of the door. - -'Friend,' said Barnaby, 'I am Captain Barnaby Eykin, commanding the -ship _Pilgrim_, from Boston--at your service. I am also brother to -the young woman Alice Eykin, whom you robbed ('twas my money) of two -hundred and fifty pounds, and afterwards kidnapped.' - -[Illustration: '_Barnaby holding the pistol to the poor wretch's -head, so that he should not bellow and call for assistance._'] - -Mr. Penne looked about him, and would have cried out for assistance; -but Barnaby clapped a pistol to his forehead. Then he sank in his -chair and gasped. - -'Stir not,' said his enemy, 'I am also one of the three rebels for -whose ransom the Reverend Philip Boscorel, Rector of Bradford Orcas, -paid the sum of two hundred and ten pounds--which you have also -stolen.' - -'Sir,' said Mr. Penne, 'upon my honour those moneys were sent to -Barbadoes. Upon my honour, sir.' - -'You will therefore,' said Barnaby, taking no heed of this -assurance, 'pay over to me the sum of four hundred and sixty pounds, -with interest at five per cent. for three years, which I have -calculated; the whole amount is five hundred and twenty-nine pounds. -Begin by paying this.' Well, to make a long story short, though the -man protested that he had not so much in the world, yet he presently -opened his strong box and counted out the money, all in gold. This -done, he hoped to be let off. - -'There now remains,' said Barnaby, 'the punishment--and I forgot -sister's ring: I ought to have added fifty pounds for that. But -time presses. Perhaps I shall come back. I did intend to kill thee, -brother, for thy great villany. However----' - -He then beckoned the man with him, who lugged out of his pocket -an instrument which made Mr. Penne shake and quake with terror. -Barnaby then informed his victim that, as he had been the means of -inflicting grievous bodily suffering upon four undeserving people, -it was meet and right that he himself should experience something -which, by its present agony, should make him compassionate for the -future, and by its permanence of injury should prevent his ever -forgetting that compassion for the rest of his life. - -He therefore, he told him, intended to draw from his head four of -his stoutest and strongest grinders. - -This, in a word, he did; the man with him dragging them out with the -pincers; Barnaby holding the pistol to the poor wretch's head, so -that he should not bellow and call for assistance. - -His laughter was caused by the remembrance of the twisting of the -man's features in this agony, and by his moanings and groanings. The -grinders he had brought away with him in his pocket, and showed them -in triumph. - -It was late in the afternoon when we rode into Bradford Orcas. The -November sun, now setting, lay upon the woods, yellow and red with -the autumn leaves not yet fallen. As we neared the village the sun -went down, and a mist began to rise. All the doors were closed, and -no one looked forth to greet us; the old cottage where Alice was -born and where she lived so long was empty still; the door was open, -the shutter hung upon one hinge; the honey hives were overturned, -the thatch was broken; the garden was neglected. - -'Why, Sis,' said Barnaby, 'thy mother is not there; nor Dad,--is -he?--poor old Dad!' - -We rode up the village till we came to the church, and the Manor -House beside it. Alas! the house itself was closed, which had -formerly stood open to all. There was no smoke from its chimneys, -and the grass grew in the courtyard. We dismounted and opened the -door, which was not locked. We went into the house: all was cold, -and empty, and deserted. The twilight falling outside made the -rooms dark. Beside the fireplace stood Sir Christopher's great -chair, empty! his tankard was on the table and his tobacco-pipe, -and--strange!--there lay, forgotten, the unhappy Duke's Proclamation. - -Then a truly wonderful thing happened. Barnaby says that I must have -dreamed it, for he saw nothing. Suddenly Sir Christopher himself -appeared sitting in the chair; on his knees lay the Bible open. -Beside him stood, with upraised forefinger, as if commenting on some -knotty point, the Rev. Dr. Comfort Eykin. I declare that I saw them -plainly, as plainly as I now behold the paper on which I write. They -were but as shadows in the dark shadows of the empty room, and they -appeared but for a moment, and then vanished, and I saw them no more. - -'Come to the Rectory,' said Robin; 'it chokes us to be here.' - -'Listen,' said Alice, outside the house. - -From the Rectory there came the sound of a violoncello. Then was the -good Rector himself there, comforting his soul. - -We opened the garden-gate and walked softly across the lawn and -looked in at the window ('twas made after the foreign fashion, to -open upon the lawn). Beside the fire sat Madam, her hands clasped, -thin, pale, and prematurely aged. Thus had she sat for three long -years, still waiting for news of her son. - -The Rector laid down his bow, crossed the room and sat down to the -spinnet (on which he played prettily, but not with such command as -he possessed over the other instrument). He played--I caught Alice's -hand--an air of my own making to which I had set certain words, also -of my own. - -Then, while he played, we began to sing outside the window, Alice -singing treble, or first, I the second part, and Robin the bass, as -I had taught him in Providence Island the words of that little song. -We sang it _piano_, or softly, at first, and then _crescendo_, or -louder:-- - - As rides the moon in azure skies - The twinkling stars beside; - As when in splendour she doth rise, - Their lesser lights they hide. - So beside Celia, when her face we see, - All unregarded other maidens be. - -When we began, softly as I said, the Rector looked round him, -playing still and listening. He thought the voices were in his own -brain--echoes or memories of the past. Madam heard them too, and -sat up listening as one who listens in a dream. When we sang louder -Madam sprang to her feet, and held out her arms--but the Rector -played the verse quite through. Then he opened the window for us. - -'My son! my son!' cried Madam. - - - - -CHAPTER L. - -THE GREAT LORD CHANCELLOR. - - -But the Prince of Orange had already landed. - -We learned this news next day, and you may be sure that we were in -the saddle again and riding to Exeter, there to join his standard. - -This we did with the full consent of Madam and of Alice. Much as we -had suffered already, they would not deter us, because this thing -would have been approved by Sir Christopher and Dr. Eykin. Therefore -we went. As all the world knows, this expedition was successful. Yet -was not Barnaby made an Admiral, nor was I made a Court physician; -we got, in fact, no reward at all, except that for Barnaby was -procured a full pardon on account of the homicide of his late master. - -My second campaign, as everybody knows, was bloodless. To begin -with, we had an army, not of raw country lads armed indifferently -and untrained, but of veteran troops, fifteen thousand strong, all -well equipped, and with the best General in Europe at their head. -At first, indeed, such was the dread in men's minds caused by Lord -Jeffreys' cruelties, few came in; yet this was presently made up -by what followed, when, without any fighting at all, the King's -regiments melted away, his priests fled, and his friends deserted -him. This was a very different business from that other, when we -followed one whom I now know to have been a mere tawdry pretender, -no better fitted to be a King than a vagabond actor at a fair is fit -to be a Lord. Alas! what blood was wasted in that mad attempt!--of -which I was myself one of the most eager promoters. I was then -young, and I believed all that I was told by the conspirators in -Holland; I took their list of well-wishers for insurgents already -armed and waiting only for a signal; I thought that the roll of -noble names set down for sturdy Protestants was that of men already -pledged to the Cause; I believed that the whole nation would rise at -the first opportunity to turn out the priests; I even believed in -the legitimacy of the Duke, and that against the express statement -of his father (if King Charles was in reality his father); and I -believed what they told me of his princely virtues, his knowledge -of the art of war, and his heroic valour. I say that I believed all -these things and that I became a willing and zealous tool in their -hands. As for what those who planned the expedition believed, I -know not; nor will any one now ever learn what promises were made -to the Duke, what were broken, and why he was, from the outset, -save for a few days at Taunton, so dejected and disappointed. As -for me, I shall always believe that the unhappy man--unwise and -soft-hearted--was betrayed by those whom he trusted. - -It is now an old tale, though King Monmouth will not speedily be -forgotten in the West Country, nor will the memory of the Bloody -Assize. The brave lads who followed him are dead and buried; some -in unhonoured graves hard by the place where they were hanged, some -under the burning sun of the West Indies. The Duke himself hath long -since paid the penalty of his rash attempt. All is over and ended, -except the memory of it. - -It is now common history, known to everybody, how the Prince of -Orange lingered in the West Country, his army inactive, as if he -knew (doubtless he was well informed upon this particular) that -the longer he remained idle the more likely was the King's Cause -to fall to pieces. There are some who think that if King James -had risked an action he could not but have gained, whatsoever -its event--I mean that, the blood of his soldiers once roused, -they would have remained steadfast to him, and would have fought -for him. But this he dared not to risk; wherefore the Prince did -nothing, while the King's regiments fell to pieces and his friends -deserted him. It was in December when the Prince came to Windsor, -and I with him, once more Chyrurgeon in a rebel army. While there -I rode to London--partly with the intention of judging for myself -as to the temper of the people; partly because, after so long an -absence, I wished once more to visit a place where there are books -and pictures; and partly because there were certain notes and -herbs which I desired to communicate to the College of Physicians -in Warwick Lane. It happened to be the very day when the King's -first flight--that, namely, when he was taken in the Isle of -Sheppey--became known. The streets in the City of London I found -crowded with people hurrying to and fro, running in bands and -companies, shouting and crying, as if in the presence of some great -and imminent danger. It was reported and currently believed that -the disbanded Irish soldiers had begun to massacre the Protestants. -There was no truth at all in the report; but yet the bells were -ringing from all the towers, the crowds were exhorting each other to -tear down and destroy the Romish chapels, to hunt for and to hang -the priests, and especially Jesuits (I know not whether they found -any), and to shout for the Prince of Orange. I stood aside to let -the crowds (thus religiously disposed) run past, but there seemed no -end to them. Presently, however (this was in front of the new Royal -Exchange), there drew near another kind of crowd. There marched six -or eight sturdy fellows bearing stout cudgels and haling along a -prisoner. Round them there ran, shrieking, hooting, and cursing, -a mob of a hundred men and more; they continually made attacks -upon the guard, fighting them with sticks and fists; but they were -always thrust back. I thought at first that they had caught some -poor, wretched priest whom they desired to murder. But it proved -to be a prize worth many priests. As they drew nearer, I discerned -the prisoner. He was dressed in the garb of a common sailor, with -short petticoats (which they call slops), and a jacket; his cap had -been torn off, leaving the bare skull, which showed that he was no -sailor, because common sailors do not wear wigs; blood was flowing -down his cheek from a fresh wound; his eyes rolled hither and -thither in an extremity of terror; I could not hear what he said for -the shouting of those around him, but his lips moved, and I think he -was praying his guards to close in and protect him. Never, surely, -was seen a more terror-stricken creature. - -I knew his face. Once seen (I had seen it once) it could never be -forgotten. The red and bloated cheeks, which even his fear could -not make pale; the eyes, more terrible than have been given to any -other human creature: these I could not forget--in dreams I see them -still. I saw that face at Exeter, when the cruel Judge exulted over -our misery and rejoiced over the sentence which he pronounced. Yea, -he laughed when he told us how we should swing, but not till we were -dead, and then the knife--delivering his sentence so that no single -point of its horror should be lost to us. Yes; it was the face -of Judge Jeffreys--none other--this abject wretch was that great -Judge. Why, when we went back to our prison there were some who cast -themselves upon the ground, and, for terror of what was to come, -fell into mere _dementia_. And now I saw him thus humbled, thus -disgraced, thus threatened, thus in the last extremity and agony of -terror. - -They had discovered him, thus disguised and in hiding, at a tavern -in Wapping, and were dragging him to the presence of the Lord Mayor. -It is a long distance from Wapping to Guildhall, and they went but -slowly, because they were beset and surrounded by these wolves who -howled to have his blood. And all the way he shrieked and trembled -for fear! - -Sure and certain is the vengeance of the Lord! - -This Haman, this unjust Judge, was thus suffering, at the hands -of the savage mob, pangs far worse than those endured by the poor -rustics whom he had delivered to the executioner. I say worse, -because I have not only read, but have myself proved, that the rich -and the learned--those, that is, who live luxuriously and those who -have power to imagine and to feel beforehand--do suffer far more in -disease than the common, ignorant folk. The scholar dies of terror -before ever he feels the surgeon's knife, while the rustic bares his -limb, insensible and callous, however deep the cut or keen the pain. -I make no doubt, therefore, that the great Lord Chancellor, while -they haled him all the way from Wapping to Guildhall, suffered as -much as fifty ploughboys flogged at the cart-tail. - -Many thousands there were who desired revenge upon him--I know not -what revenge would satisfy the implacable; because revenge can do no -more than kill the body, but his worst enemy should be satisfied -with this, his dreadful fate. Even Barnaby, who was sad because he -could get no revenge on his own account (he wanted a bloody battle, -with the rout of the King's armies and the pursuit of a flying -enemy, such as had happened at Sedgemoor), was satisfied with the -justice which was done to that miserable man. It is wonderful that -he was not killed amidst so many threatening cudgels; but his guards -prevented that, not from any love they bore him; but quite the -contrary (more unforgiving faces one never saw); for they intended -to hand him over to the Lord Mayor, and that he should be tried for -all his cruelties and treacheries, and, perhaps, experience himself -that punishment of hanging and disembowelling which he had inflicted -on so many ignorant and misled men. - -How he was committed to the Tower, where he shortly died in the -greatest torture of body as well as mind, everybody knows. - - - - -CHAPTER LI. - -THE CONFESSION. - - -Now am I come to the last event of this history, and I have to -write down the confession of my own share in that event. For the -others--for Alice and for Robin--the thing must be considered as the -crown and completion of all the mercies. For me--what is it? But you -shall hear. When the secrets of all hearts are laid open, then will -Alice hear it also: what she will then say, or what think, I know -not. It was done for her sake--for her happiness have I laid this -guilt upon my soul. Nay, when the voice of conscience doth exhort me -to repent, and to confess my sin, then there still ariseth within my -soul, as it were, the strain of a joyful hymn, a song of gratitude -that I was enabled to return her to freedom and the arms of the man -she loved. If any learned Doctor of Divinity, or any versed in that -science which the Romanists love (they call it casuistry), should -happen to read this chapter of confession, I pray that they consider -my case, even though it will then be useless as far as I myself am -concerned, seeing that I shall be gone before a Judge who will, I -hope (even though my earthly affections do not suffer me to separate -my sin from the consequences which followed), be more merciful than -I have deserved. - -While, then, I stood watching this signal example of God's wrath, -I was plucked gently by the sleeve, and, turning, saw one whose -countenance I knew not. He was dressed as a lawyer, but his gown was -ragged, and his bands yellow; he looked sunk in poverty; and his -face was inflamed with those signs which proclaim aloud the habit of -immoderate drinking. - -'Sir,' he said, 'if I mistake not, you are Dr. Humphrey Challis?' - -'The same, Sir; at your service,' I replied with some misgivings. -And yet, being one of the Prince's following, there needed none. - -'I have seen you, Sir, in the chambers of your cousin, Mr. Benjamin -Boscorel, my brother learned in the law. We drank together, though -(I remember) you still passed the bottle. It is now four or five -years ago. I wonder not that you have forgotten me. We change -quickly, we who are the jolly companions of the bottle; we drink our -noses red, and we paint our cheeks purple; nay, we drink ourselves -out of our last guinea, and out of our very apparel. What then, Sir? -a short life and a merry. Sir, yonder is a sorry sight. The first -Law Officer of the Crown thus to be haled along the streets by a -howling mob. Ought such a thing to be suffered? 'Tis a sad and sorry -sight, I say!' - -'Sir,' I replied hotly, 'ought such villains as Judge Jeffreys to be -suffered to live?' - -He considered a little, as one who is astonished and desires to -collect his thoughts. Perhaps he had already taken more than a -morning draught. - -'I remember now,' he said. 'My memory is not so good as it was. We -drink that away as well. Yes, I remember--I crave your forgiveness, -Doctor. You were yourself engaged with Monmouth. Your cousin told me -as much. Naturally you love not this good Judge, who yet did nothing -but what the King, his master, ordered him to do. I, Sir, have often -had the honour of sitting over a bottle with his Lordship. When his -infirmities allowed (though not yet old, he is grievously afflicted) -he had no equal for a song or a jest, and would drink so long as any -were left to keep him company. Ha! they have knocked him down--now -they will kill him. No; he is again upon his feet; those who protect -him close in. So--they have passed out of our sight. Doctor, shall -we crack a flask together? I have no money, unhappily; but I will -with pleasure drink at your expense.' - -I remembered the man's face now, but not his name. 'Twas one of -Ben's boon companions. Well; if hard drinking brings men so speedily -to rags and poverty, even though it be a merry life (which I doubt), -give me moderation. - -'Pray, Sir,' I said coldly, 'to have me excused. I am no drinker.' - -'Then, Doctor, you will perhaps lend me, until we meet again, a -single guinea?' - -I foolishly complied with this request. - -'Doctor, I thank you,' he said. 'Will you now come and drink with -me at my expense? Sir, I say plainly, you do not well to refuse -a friendly glass. I could tell you many things, if you would but -drink with me, concerning my Lord Jeffreys. There are things which -would make you laugh. Come, Doctor; I love not to drink alone. Your -cousin, now, was always ready to drink with any man, until he fell -ill'-- - -'How? is my cousin ill?' - -'Assuredly; he is sick unto death. Yesterday I went to visit him, -thinking to drink a glass with him, and perhaps to borrow a guinea -or two, but found him in bed and raving. If you will drink with -me, Doctor, I can tell you many curious things about your cousin. -And now I remember, you were sent to the Plantations; your cousin -told me so. You have returned before your time. Well, the King -hath run away; you are, doubtless, safe. Your cousin hath gotten -his grandfather's estate. Lord Jeffreys, who loved him mightily, -procured that grant for him. When your cousin wakes at night he -swears that he sees his grandfather by his bedside looking at him -reproachfully, so that he drinks the harder; 'tis a merry life. He -hath also married a wife, and she ran away from him at the church -door, and he now cannot hear of her or find her anywhere, so that he -curses her and drinks the harder. Oh! 'tis always the jolliest dog. -They say that he is not the lawyer that he was, and that his clients -are leaving him. All mine have left me long since. Come and drink -with me, Doctor.' - -I broke away from the poor toper who had drunk up his wits as well -as his money, and hurried to my cousin's chambers, into which I had -not thought to enter save as one who brings reproaches--a useless -burden. - -Benjamin was lying in bed: an old crone sat by the fire, nodding. -Beside her was a bottle, and she was, I found, half drunk. Her I -quickly sent about her business. No one else had been attending him. -Yet he was laid low, as I presently discovered, with that kind of -fever which is bred in the villainous air of our prisons--the same -fever which had carried off his grandfather. - -Perhaps, if there were no foul and stinking wards, jails, and -clinks, this kind of fever would be banished altogether, and be -no more seen. So, if we could discover the origin and cause of -all diseases, we might once more restore man to his primitive -condition, which I take to have been one free from any kind of -disease or infirmity, designed at first by his Creator so to live -for ever, and, after the Fall, enabled (when medicine shall be so -far advanced) to die of old age after such prolongation of life and -strength as yet we cannot even understand. - -'Cousin,' I said, 'I am sorry to find thee lying in this condition.' - -'Ay,' he replied, in a voice weak and low, not like his old -blustering tones. 'Curse me and upbraid me, if thou wilt. How art -thou come hither? Is it the ghost of Humphrey? Art thou dead like my -grandfather? Are we on the Plantations of Barbadoes?' - -'Indeed, I am no ghost, Benjamin. As for curses, I have none; and as -for reproaches, I leave them to thy conscience.' - -'Humphrey, I am sore afflicted. I am now so low that I cannot even -sit upright in my bed. But thou art a doctor--thou wilt bring me -back to health. I am already better only for seeing thee here.' - -I declare that as yet I had no thought, no thought at all, of what -I was to do. I was but a physician in presence of a sick man, and -therefore bound to help him if I could. - -I asked him first certain questions, as physicians use, concerning -his disorder and its symptoms. I learned that, after attending at -the Court, he was attacked by fits of shivering and of great heat, -being hot and cold alternately, and that in order to expel the fever -he had sat drinking the whole evening--a most dangerous thing to do. -Next, that in the morning he had been unable to rise from his bed, -and, being thirsty, had drunk more wine--a thing enough of itself -to kill a man in such a fever. Then he lost his head, and could -tell me no more what had happened until he saw me standing by his -bedside. In short, he had been in delirium, and was now in a lucid -interval, out of which he would presently fall a-wandering again, -and, perhaps, raving, and so another lucid interval, after which he -would die, unless something could be done for him. - -I liked not his appearance nor the account which he gave me, nor did -I like his pulse, nor the strange look in his eyes--death doth often -show his coming by such a prophetic terror of the eyes. - -'Humphrey,' he said pitifully. 'It was no fault of mine that thou -wast sent to the Plantations.' - -'That I know full well, Cousin,' I answered him. 'Be easy on that -score.' - -'And as for Alice,' he went on. 'All is fair in love.' - -I made no reply, because at this point a great temptation assailed -my soul. - -You have heard how I learned many secrets of the women while I was -abroad. Now, while we were in Providence Island I found a woman -of the breed they call half caste--that is, half Indian and half -Portuguese--living in what she called wedlock with an English -sailor, who did impart to me a great secret of her own people. I -obtained from her not only the knowledge of a most potent drug -(known already to the Jesuits), but also a goodly quantity of the -drug itself. This, with certain other discoveries and observations -of my own, I was about to communicate to the College in Warwick Lane. - -As for this drug, I verily believe it is the most potent medicine -ever yet discovered. It is now some years since it was first brought -over to Europe by the Jesuits, and is therefore called _Pulvis -Jesuiticus_, and sometimes Peruvian Bark. When administered at such -a stage of the fever as had now been reached by my unhappy cousin, -it seldom fails to vivify the spirits, and so to act upon the nerves -as to restore the sinking, and to call back to life a man almost -moribund. - -Remembering this, I lugged the packet out of my pocket and laid it -on the table. - -'Be of good cheer, Cousin,' I said; 'I have a drug which is strong -enough, with the help of God, to make a dying man sit up again. -Courage, then!' - - * * * * * - -When I had said these words my temptation fell upon me. It came in -the guise of a voice which whispered in my ear. - -'Should this man die,' it said, 'there will be freedom for Alice. -She can then marry the man she loves. She will be restored to -happiness. While he lives, she must still continue in misery, being -cut off from love. Let him die therefore.' - - * * * * * - -'Humphrey,' said Ben; 'in this matter of Alice: if she will come -to me, I will make her happy. But I know not where she is hidden. -Things go ill with me since that unlucky day. I would to God I -had not done it! Nothing hath gone well since; and I drink daily -to hide her face. Yet at night she haunts me--with her father, -who threatens, and her mother, who weeps, and my grandfather, who -reproaches. Humphrey--tell me--what is it, man? What mean thy looks?' - -For while he spoke that other voice was in my ears also. - -'Should he die, Alice will be happy again. Should he live, she will -continue in misery.' At these words (which were but my own thoughts, -yet involuntary), I felt so great a pity, such an overwhelming love -for Alice, that my spirit was wholly carried away. To restore her -freedom! Oh! what price was too great for such a gift? Nay--I was -seized with the thought that to give her so great a thing, even my -own destruction would be a light price to pay. Never, until that -moment, had I known how fondly and truly I loved her. Why, if it -were to be done over again--but this matters not. I have to make my -confession. - -'Humphrey, speak!' I suppose that my trouble showed itself in my -face. - -'Thou art married to Alice,' I said slowly. 'That cannot be denied. -So long as thou livest, Benjamin, so long will she be robbed of -everything that she desires, so long will she be unhappy. Now, if -thou shouldst die'---- - -'Die? I cannot die; I must live.' He tried to raise himself, but he -was too weak. 'Cousin, save my life.' - -'If thou shouldst die, Benjamin,' I went on, regardless of his -words, 'she will be set free. It is only by thy death that she can -be set free. Say then to thyself: "I have done this poor woman -so great an injury that nothing but my death can atone for it. -Willingly, therefore, will I lay down my life, hoping thus to atone -for this abominable wickedness."' - -'Humphrey, do not mock me. Give me--give me--give me speedily the -drug of which you spoke. I die--I die!--Oh!--give me of thy drug.' - -Then I took the packet containing the _Pulvis Jesuiticus_ and threw -it upon the fire, where in a moment it was a little heap of ashes. - -'Now, Benjamin,' I said, 'I cannot help thee. Thou must surely die.' - -He shrieked, he wept, he implored me to do something--something to -keep him alive. He began to curse and to swear. - -'No one can now save thee, Benjamin,' I told him. 'Not all the -College of Physicians; not all the medicines in England. Thou must -die. Listen and heed: in a short time, unless thy present weakness -causeth thee to expire, there will fall upon thee another fit of -fever and delirium, after which another interval of reason: perhaps -another--but yet thou must surely die. Prepare thy soul, therefore. -Is there any message for Alice that thou wouldst send to her, being -now at the point of death?' - -His only answer was to curse and weep alternately. - -Then I knelt beside his bed, and prayed aloud for him. But -incessantly he cried for help, wearing himself out with prayers and -curses. - -'Benjamin,' I said, when I had thus prayed a while, but -ineffectually, 'I shall take to Alice, instead of these curses, -which avail nothing, a prayer for pardon, in order to touch her -heart and cause her to think of thee with forgiveness, as of one -who repented at the end. This I shall do for her sake. I shall also -tell thy father that thy death was repentant, and shall take to him -also a prayer for forgiveness as from thee. This will lighten his -sorrow, and cause him to remember thee with the greater love. And -to Robin, too, so that he may cease to call thee villain, I will -carry, not these ravings, but a humble prayer (as from thyself) for -forgiveness.' - - * * * * * - -This is my confession: _I, who might have saved my cousin, suffered -him to die_. - - * * * * * - -The sick man, when he found that prayers or curses would not avail, -fell to moaning, rolling his head from side to side. When he was -thus quiet I prayed again for him, exhorting him to lift up his soul -to his Judge, and assuring him of our full forgiveness. But, indeed, -I know not if he heard or understood. It was then about four of the -clock, and growing dark. I lit a candle, and examined him again. I -think that he was now unconscious. He seemed as if he slept. I sat -down and watched. - -I think that at midnight, or thereabouts, I must have fallen asleep. - -When I awoke the candle was out, and the fire was out. The room was -in perfect darkness. I laid my hand upon my cousin's forehead. He -was cold and dead. - -Then I heard the voice of the watchman in the street: 'Past two -o'clock, and a frosty morning!' - -The voice I had heard before whispered again in my ear. - -'Alice is free--Alice is free! Thou--thou--thou alone hast set her -free! Thou hast killed her husband!' - -I threw myself upon my knees and spent the rest of that long night -in seeking for repentance; but then, as now, the lamentation of a -sinner is also mingled with the joy of thinking that Alice was free -at last, and by none other hand than mine. - -This I repeat is my confession: I might have saved my cousin, and I -suffered him to die. Wherefore I have left the profession in which -it was my ambition to distinguish myself, and am no longer anything -but a poor and obscure person, living on the charity of my friends -in a remote village. - - * * * * * - -Two days afterwards I was sitting at the table, looking through the -dead man's papers, when I heard a footstep on the stair. - -It was Barnaby, who broke noisily into the room. - -'Where is Benjamin?' he cried. 'Where is that villain?' - -'What do you want with him?' - -'I want to kill him. I am come to kill him.' - -'Look upon the bed, Barnaby.' I laid back the sheet and showed him -the pale face of the dead man. - -'The hand of the Lord--or that of another--hath already killed him. -Art thou now content?' - - - - -CHAPTER THE LAST. - - -In the decline of years, when the sixtieth birthday is near at hand -and one looks not to live much longer, and the future hath no fresh -joy to bring with it (but only infirmities of age and pain), it -is profitable and pleasant to look back upon the past, to observe -the guidance of the Unseen Hand, to repent one's sins, and to live -over again those seasons, whether of sorrow or of joy, which we now -perceive to have been Providentially ordered. - -This have I done, both in reading the history of our lives as -related by my Mistress, and in writing this latter part. To the -former have I added nothing, nor have I subtracted anything -therefrom, because I would not suffer the sweet and candid soul of -her whom I have always loved to be tarnished by any words of mine, -breaking in upon her own, as jarring notes in some lovely harmony. -It is strictly laid upon me to deliver her words just as she hath -written them down. - -Now, after the death of Benjamin, I took it upon myself, being his -cousin, in the absence of his father, to examine the papers which he -had left. Among them I found abundance of songs, chiefly in praise -of wine and women, with tavern bills. Also, there were notes of -legal cases, very voluminous, and I found notes of payment made to -various persons engaged in inquiring after his wife, in those towns -of the West Country where her father's name would procure friends -for her. But there was no will; Benjamin had died (never looking -for so early an end) without making any will. Therefore the estate -of Bradford Orcas, with the old house, became the property of the -Rector, Benjamin's father. And he, being moved to make reparation -for his son's sin, and out of the great love which he bore to Alice, -conveyed the whole to Robin on the day of his marriage. Thus the -confiscated estate returned to the ancient family who had always -held it, and promise to hold it still, so long as the good old stock -shall last. - - * * * * * - -It is thirty years ago and more. King William III. is dead; Queen -Anne is dead; King George (who cannot, they say, speak English, but -is a stout Protestant) sits upon our throne; the Nonconformists are -free, save that they cannot enter the Universities, and are subject -to other disabilities, which will, doubtless, be removed in the -course of years. But English people, I think, love power beyond all -earthly things; and so long as the Church is in a majority the -Churchmen will exercise their power and will not part with it. To -us of Bradford Orcas it matters little. We worship at the parish -church. Every Sunday I contemplate, as I did fifty years ago, the -monument of Filipa kneeling apart, and of her husband and his second -wife kneeling together. There is a new tablet in the chancel put up -to the memory of Sir Christopher, and another to that of Dr. Comfort -Eykin. Their bodies lie somewhere among the mounds on the north side -of Ilminster Church. - -Forty years ago, as you have seen, there stood three boys in the -garden of the Manor House discoursing on their future. One wished -never to go anywhere, but to remain always a country gentleman, -like his grandfather; one would be a great lawyer, a Judge, even -the Lord Chancellor; the third would be a great Physician. Lo! -the end of all! The first, but after divers miseries, perils, and -wanderings, hath attained to his desire; the second lies buried -in the churchyard of St. Andrew's, Holborn, forgotten long since -by his companions (who, indeed, are now with him in the pit), and -remembered only among his own kin for the great wickedness which -he wrought before the Lord. And, as for the third and last, no -illustrious physician is he; but one who lives obscure (but content) -in a remote village (in the very cottage where his Mistress was -born), with books and music, and the society of the sweetest woman -who ever graced this earth for his solace. She was always gracious: -she was gracious in her childhood; gracious as a maiden; more -gracious still is she in these latter days when her hair is grey, -and her daughters stand about her, tall and comely. - -Now, had I administered that powder--that sovereign remedy, the -_Pulvis Jesuiticus_--what would have been her lot? - - * * * * * - -'Humphrey,' said Robin, 'a penny for thy thoughts.' - -'Robin, I was thinking--it is not a new thing, but twenty years old -and more--that Cousin Benjamin never did anything in his life so -useful as to die.' - -'Ay, poor Benjamin! That he had at the end the grace to ask our -forgiveness and to repent hath in it something of a miracle. -We have long forgiven him. But consider, Cousin. We were saved -from the fight; we were saved from the sea; we were saved from -slavery; we were enabled to strike the last blow for the Protestant -religion--what were all these blessings worth if Benjamin still -lived? To think, Humphrey, that Alice would never have been my wife -and never a mother; and all these children would have remained -unborn! I say that, though we may not desire the death of a sinner, -we were not human if we rejoiced not at the death of our poor -cousin.' - -Yes; that is the thought which will not suffer me to repent. A -single pinch of the _Pulvis Jesuiticus_, and he might have been -living unto this very day: then would Alice have lost the crowning -blessing of a woman's life. - -Yet--I was, it is true, a physician--whose duty it is to save life, -always to save life, even the life of the wretched criminal who is -afterwards to die upon the gallows. - -Yet, again, if he had been saved! As I write these lines I see -my Mistress walking down the village street. She looks over my -garden-gate; she lifts the latchet and enters, smiling gravely and -tenderly. A sober happiness sits upon her brow. The terror of her -first marriage has long been forgotten. - - * * * * * - -Why, as I watch her tranquil life, busy with her household and -her children, full of the piety which asks not (as her father was -wont to ask) how and where the mercy of Heaven is limited, and if, -indeed, it will embrace all she loves; as I mark the tender love -of husband and of children, which lies around her like a garment -and prevents all her doings, there comes back to me continually -a bed-room in which a man lies dying. Again in memory, again -in _intention_, I throw upon the fire that handful of _Pulvis -Jesuiticus_ which should have driven away his fever and restored him -to health again. A great and strong man he was, who might have lived -till eighty years: where then would have been that love? where those -children? where that tranquil heart and that contented mind? '_I -WILL NOT SAVE HIS LIFE._' I say again in my mind: '_I WILL NOT SAVE -HIM; HE SHALL DIE._' - - * * * * * - -'Humphrey,' my Mistress says, 'leave thy books awhile and walk with -me: the winter sun is warm upon the hills. Come, it is the day when -Benjamin died--repentant--what better could we wish? What greater -blessing could have been bestowed upon him and upon us than a true -repentance and to die? Oh! dear Brother, dear Humphrey, let us -walk and talk of these blessings which have been showered upon my -undeserving head. - - PRINTED BY - SPOTTISWOODE AND CO. 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