the complete poetical works-第72节

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　　Thus；　as　a　pilgrim　devout；　who　toward　Jerusalem　journeys；

Taking　three　steps　in　advance；　and　one　reluctantly　backward；

Urged　by　importunate　zeal；　and　withheld　by　pangs　of　contrition；

Slowly　but　steadily　onward；　receding　yet　ever　advancing；

Journeyed　this　Puritan　youth　to　the　Holy　Land　of　his　longings；

Urged　by　the　fervor　of　love；　and　withheld　by　remorseful

misgivings。







VII



THE　MARCH　OF　MILES　STANDISH



Meanwhile　the　stalwart　Miles　Standish　was　marching　steadily

northward；

Winding　through　forest　and　swamp；　and　along　the　trend　of　the

sea…shore；

All　day　long；　with　hardly　a　halt；　the　fire　of　his　anger

Burning　and　crackling　within；　and　the　sulphurous　odor　of　powder

Seeming　more　sweet　to　his　nostrils　than　all　the　scents　of　the

forest。

Silent　and　moody　he　went；　and　much　he　revolved　his　discomfort；

He　who　was　used　to　success；　and　to　easy　victories　always；

Thus　to　be　flouted；　rejected；　and　laughed　to　scorn　by　a　maiden；

Thus　to　be　mocked　and　betrayed　by　the　friend　whom　most　he　had

trusted！

Ah！　't　was　too　much　to　be　borne；　and　he　fretted　and　chafed　in　his

armor！



　　〃I　alone　am　to　blame；〃　he　muttered；　〃for　mine　was　the　folly。

What　has　a　rough　old　soldier；　grown　grim　and　gray　in　the　harness；

Used　to　the　camp　and　its　ways；　to　do　with　the　wooing　of　maidens？

'T　was　but　a　dream；let　it　pass；let　it　vanish　like　so　many

others！

What　I　thought　was　a　flower；　is　only　a　weed；　and　is　worthless；

Out　of　my　heart　will　I　pluck　it；　and　throw　it　away；　and

henceforward

Be　but　a　fighter　of　battles；　a　lover　and　wooer　of　dangers！〃

Thus　he　revolved　in　his　mind　his　sorry　defeat　and　discomfort；

While　he　was　marching　by　day　or　lying　at　night　in　the　forest；

Looking　up　at　the　trees；　and　the　constellations　beyond　them。



　　After　a　three　days'　march　he　came　to　an　Indian　encampment

Pitched　on　the　edge　of　a　meadow；　between　the　sea　and　the　forest；

Women　at　work　by　the　tents；　and　the　warriors；　horrid　with

war…paint；

Seated　about　a　fire；　and　smoking　and　talking　together；

Who；　when　they　saw　from　afar　the　sudden　approach　of　the　white

men；

Saw　the　flash　of　the　sun　on　breastplate　and　sabre　and　musket；

Straightway　leaped　to　their　feet；　and　two；　from　among　them

advancing；

Came　to　parley　with　Standish；　and　offer　him　furs　as　a　present；

Friendship　was　in　their　looks；　but　in　their　hearts　there　was

hatred。

Braves　of　the　tribe　were　these；　and　brothers　gigantic　in　stature；

Huge　as　Goliath　of　Gath；　or　the　terrible　Og；　king　of　Bashan；

One　was　Pecksuot　named；　and　the　other　was　called　Wattawamat。

Round　their　necks　were　suspended　their　knives　in　scabbards　of

wampum；

Two…edged；　trenchant　knives；　with　points　as　sharp　as　a　needle。

Other　arms　had　they　none；　for　they　were　cunning　and　crafty。

〃Welcome；　English！〃　they　said；these　words　they　had　learned　from

the　traders

Touching　at　times　on　the　coast；　to　barter　and　chaffer　for

peltries。

Then　in　their　native　tongue　they　began　to　parley　with　Standish；

Through　his　guide　and　interpreter　Hobomok；　friend　of　the　white

man；

Begging　for　blankets　and　knives；　but　mostly　for　muskets　and

powder；

Kept　by　the　white　man；　they　said；　concealed；　with　the　plague；　in

his　cellars；

Ready　to　be　let　loose；　and　destroy　his　brother　the　red　man！

But　when　Standish　refused；　and　said　he　would　give　them　the　Bible；



Suddenly　changing　their　tone；　they　began　to　boast　and　to　bluster。

Then　Wattawamat　advanced　with　a　stride　in　front　of　the　other；

And；　with　a　lofty　demeanor；　thus　vauntingly　spake　to　the　Captain：

〃Now　Wattawamat　can　see；　by　the　fiery　eyes　of　the　Captain；

Angry　is　he　in　his　heart；　but　the　heart　of　the　brave　Wattawamat

Is　not　afraid　at　the　sight。　　He　was　not　born　of　a　woman；

But　on　a　mountain；　at　night；　from　an　oak…tree　riven　by　lightning；

Forth　he　sprang　at　a　bound；　with　all　his　weapons　about　him；

Shouting；　'Who　is　there　here　to　fight　with　the　brave

Wattawamat？'〃

Then　he　unsheathed　his　knife；　and；　whetting　the　blade　on　his　left

hand；

Held　it　aloft　and　displayed　a　woman's　face　on　the　handle；

Saying；　with　bitter　expression　and　look　of　sinister　meaning：

〃I　have　another　at　home；　with　the　face　of　a　man　on　the　handle；

By　and　by　they　shall　marry；　and　there　will　be　plenty　of

children！〃



　　Then　stood　Pecksuot　forth；　self…vaunting；　insulting　Miles

Standish：

While　with　his　fingers　he　petted　the　knife　that　hung　at　his

bosom；

Drawing　it　half　from　its　sheath；　and　plunging　it　back；　as　he

muttered；

〃By　and　by　it　shall　see；　it　shall　eat；　ah；　ha！　but　shall　speak

not！

This　is　the　mighty　Captain　the　white　men　have　sent　to　destroy　us！

He　is　a　little　man；　let　him　go　and　work　with　the　women！〃



　　Meanwhile　Standish　had　noted　the　faces　and　figures　of　Indians

Peeping　and　creeping　about　from　bush　to　tree　in　the　forest；

Feigning　to　look　for　game；　with　arrows　set　on　their　bow…strings；

Drawing　about　him　still　closer　and　closer　the　net　of　their

ambush。

But　undaunted　he　stood；　and　dissembled　and　treated　them　smoothly；

So　the　old　chronicles　say；　that　were　writ　in　the　days　of　the

fathers。

But　when　he　heard　their　defiance；　the　boast；　the　taunt；　and　the

insult；

All　the　hot　blood　of　his　race；　of　Sir　Hugh　and　of　Thurston　de

Standish；

Boiled　and　beat　in　his　heart；　and　swelled　in　the　veins　of　his

temples。

Headlong　he　leaped　on　the　boaster；　and；　snatching　his　knife　from

its　scabbard；

Plunged　it　into　his　heart；　and；　reeling　backward；　the　savage

Fell　with　his　face　to　the　sky；　and　a　fiendlike　fierceness　upon

it。

Straight　there　arose　from　the　forest　the　awful　sound　of　the

war…whoop；

And；　like　a　flurry　of　snow　on　the　whistling　wind　of　December；

Swift　and　sudden　and　keen　came　a　flight　of　feathery　arrows；

Then　came　a　cloud　of　smoke；　and　out　of　the　cloud　came　the

lightning；

Out　of　the　lightning　thunder；　and　death　unseen　ran　before　it。

Frightened　the　savages　fled　for　shelter　in　swamp　and　in　thicket；

Hotly　pursued　and　beset；　but　their　sachem；　the　brave　Wattawamat；

Fled　not；　he　was　dead。　　Unswerving　and　swift　had　a　bullet

Passed　through　his　brain；　and　he　fell　with　both　hands　clutching

the　greensward；

Seeming　in　death　to　hold　back　from　his　foe　the　land　of　his

fathers。



　　There　on　the　flowers　of　the　meadow　the　warriors　lay；　and　above

them；

Silent；　with　folded　arms；　stood　Hobomok；　friend　of　the　white　man。

Smiling　at　length　he　exclaimed　to　the　stalwart　Captain　of

Plymouth：

〃Pecksuot　bragged　very　loud；　of　his　courage；　his　strength；　and

his　stature；

Mocked　the　great　Captain；　and　called　him　a　little　man；　but　I　see

now

Big　enough　have　you　been　to　lay　him　speechless　before　you！〃



　　Thus　the　first　battle　was　fought　and　won　by　the　stalwart　Miles

Standish。

When　the　tidings　thereof　were　brought　to　the　village　of　Plymouth；

And　as　a　trophy　of　war　the　head　of　the　brave　Wattawamat

Scowled　from　the　roof　of　the　fort；　which　at　once　was　a　church　and

a　fortress；

All　who　beheld　it　rejoiced；　and　praised　the　Lord；　and　took

courage。

Only　Priscilla　averted　her　face　from　this　spectre　of　terror；

Thanking　God　in　her　heart　that　she　had　not　married　Miles

Standish；

Shrinking；　fearing　almost；　lest；　coming　home　from　his　battles；

He　should　lay　claim　to　her　hand；　as　the　prize　and　reward　of　his

valor。







VIII



THE　SPINNING…WHEEL



Month　after　month　passed　away；　and　in　Autumn　the　ships　of　the

merchants

Came　with　kindred　and　friends；　with　cattle　and　corn　for　the

Pilgrims。

All　in　the　village　was　peace；　the　men　were　intent　on　their

labors；

Busy　with　hewing　and　building；　with　garden…plot　and　with

merestead；

Busy　with　breaking　the　glebe；　and　mowing　the　grass　in　the

meadows；

Searching　the　sea　for　its　fish；　and　hunting　the　deer　in　the

forest。

All　in　the　village　was　peace；　but　at　times　the　rumor　of　warfare

Filled　the　air　with　alarm；　and　the　apprehension　of　danger。

Bravely　the　stalwart　Miles　Standish　was　scouring　the　land　with

his　forces；

Waxing　valiant　in　fight　and　defeating　the　alien　armies；

Till　his　name　had　become　a　sound　of　fear　to　the　nations。

Anger　was　still　in　his　heart；　but　at　times　the　remorse　and

contrition

Which　in　all　noble　natures　succeed　the　passionate　outbreak；

Came　like　a　rising　tide；　that　encounters　the　rush　of　a　river；

Staying　its　current　awhile；　but　making　it　bitter　and　brackish。



　　Meanwhile　Alden　at　home　had　built　him　a　new　habitation；

Solid；　substantial；　of　timber　rough…hewn　from　the　firs　of　the

forest。

Wooden…barred　was　the　door；　and　the　roof　was　covered　with　rushes；

Latticed　the　windows　were；　and　the　window…panes　were　of　paper；

Oiled　to　admit　the　light；　while　wind　and　rain　were　excluded。

There　too　he　dug　a　well；　and　around　it　planted　an　orchard：

Still　may　be　seen　to　this　day　some　trace　of　the　well　and　the

orchard。

Close　to　the　house　was　the　stall；　where；　safe　and　secure　from

annoyance；

Raghorn；　the　snow…white　steer；　that　had　fallen　to　Alden's

allotment

In　the　division　of　cattle；　might　ruminate　in　the　night…time

Over　the　pastures　he　cr