westward ho-第24节

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〃Shall　I　not；　eh？　who　says　that？　　Mr。　Frank；　I　appeal　to　you；　now；　only　hear。〃

〃We　are　in　the　judgment…seat；〃　said　Frank；　settling　to　the　pasty。　〃Proceed；　appellant。〃

〃Well；　I　was　telling　Amyas；　that　Tom　Coffin；　of　Portledge；　I　will　stand　him　no　longer。〃

〃Let　him　be；　then；〃　said　Amyas；　〃he　could　stand　very　well　by　himself；　when　I　saw　him　last。〃

〃Plague　on　you；　hold　your　tongue。　　Has　he　any　right　to　look　at　me　as　he　does；　whenever　I　pass　him？〃

〃That　depends　on　how　he　looks；　a　cat　may　look　at　a　king；　provided　she　don't　take　him　for　a　mouse。〃

〃Oh；　I　know　how　he　looks；　and　what　he　means　too；　and　he　shall　stop；　or　I　will　stop　him。　　And　the　other　day；　when　I　spoke　of　Rose　Salterne〃〃Ah！〃　groaned　Frank；　〃Ate's　apple　again！〃〃（never　mind　what　I　said）　he　burst　out　laughing　in　my　face；　and　is　not　that　a　fair　quarrel？　　And　what　is　more；　I　know　that　he　wrote　a　sonnet；　and　sent　it　to　her　to　Stow　by　a　market　woman。　　What　right　has　he　to　write　sonnets　when　I　can't？　　It's　not　fair　play；　Mr。　Frank；　or　I　am　a　Jew；　and　a　Spaniard；　and　a　Papist；　it's　not！〃　　And　Will　smote　the　table　till　the　plates　danced　again。

〃My　dear　knight　of　the　burning　pestle；　I　have　a　plan；　a　device；　a　disentanglement；　according　to　most　approved　rules　of　chivalry。　　Let　us　fix　a　day；　and　summon　by　tuck　of　drum　all　young　gentlemen　under　the　age　of　thirty；　dwelling　within　fifteen　miles　of　the　habitation　of　that　peerless　Oriana。〃

〃And　all　'prentice…boys　too；〃　cried　Amyas；　out　of　the　pasty。

〃And　all　'prentice…boys。　　The　bold　lads　shall　fight　first；　with　good　quarterstaves；　in　Bideford　Market；　till　all　heads　are　broken；　and　the　head　which　is　not　broken；　let　the　back　belonging　to　it　pay　the　penalty　of　the　noble　member's　cowardice。　　After　which　grand　tournament；　to　which　that　of　Tottenham　shall　be　but　a　flea…bite　and　a　batrachomyomachy〃

〃Confound　you；　and　your　long　words；　sir；〃　said　poor　Will；　〃I　know　you　are　flouting　me。〃

〃Pazienza；　Signor　Cavaliere；　that　which　is　to　come　is　no　flouting；　but　bloody　and　warlike　earnest。　　For　afterwards　all　the　young　gentlemen　shall　adjourn　into　a　convenient　field；　sand；　or　bog　which　last　will　be　better；　as　no　man　will　be　able　to　run　away；　if　he　be　up　to　his　knees　in　soft　peat：　and　there　stripping　to　our　shirts；　with　rapiers　of　equal　length　and　keenest　temper；　each　shall　slay　his　man；　catch　who　catch　can；　and　the　conquerors　fight　again；　like　a　most　valiant　main　of　gamecocks　as　we　are；　till　all　be　dead；　and　out　of　their　woes；　after　which　the　survivor；　bewailing　before　heaven　and　earth　the　cruelty　of　our　Fair　Oriana；　and　the　slaughter　which　her　basiliscine　eyes　have　caused；　shall　fall　gracefully　upon　his　sword；　and　so　end　the　woes　of　this　our　lovelorn　generation。　Placetne　Domini？　as　they　used　to　ask　in　the　Senate　at　Oxford。〃

〃Really；〃　said　Cary；　〃this　is　too　bad。〃

〃So　is；　pardon　me；　your　fighting　Mr。　Coffin　with　anything　longer　than　a　bodkin。〃

〃Bodkins　are　too　short　for　such　fierce　Bobadils；〃　said　Amyas；　〃they　would　close　in　so　near；　that　we　should　have　them　falling　to　fisticuffs　after　the　first　bout。〃

〃Then　let　them　fight　with　squirts　across　the　market…place；　for　by　heaven　and　the　queen's　laws；　they　shall　fight　with　nothing　else。〃

〃My　dear　Mr。　Cary；〃　went　on　Frank；　suddenly　changing　his　bantering　tone　to　one　of　the　most　winning　sweetness；　〃do　not　fancy　that　I　cannot　feel　for　you；　or　that　I；　as　well　as　you；　have　not　known　the　stings　of　love　and　the　bitterer　stings　of　jealousy。　　But　oh；　Mr。　Cary；　does　it　not　seem　to　you　an　awful　thing　to　waste　selfishly　upon　your　own　quarrel　that　divine　wrath　which；　as　Plato　says；　is　the　very　root　of　all　virtues；　and　which　has　been　given　you；　like　all　else　which　you　have；　that　you　may　spend　it　in　the　service　of　her　whom　all　bad　souls　fear；　and　all　virtuous　souls　adore；our　peerless　queen？　　Who　dares；　while　she　rules　England；　call　his　sword　or　his　courage　his　own；　or　any　one's　but　hers？　　Are　there　no　Spaniards　to　conquer；　no　wild　Irish　to　deliver　from　their　oppressors；　that　two　gentlemen　of　Devon　can　find　no　better　place　to　flesh　their　blades　than　in　each　other's　valiant　and　honorable　hearts？〃

〃By　heaven！〃　cried　Amyas；　〃Frank　speaks　like　a　book；　and　for　me；　I　do　think　that　Christian　gentlemen　may　leave　love　quarrels　to　bulls　and　rams。〃

〃And　that　the　heir　of　Clovelly；〃　said　Frank；　smiling；　〃may　find　more　noble　examples　to　copy　than　the　stags　in　his　own　deer…park。〃

〃Well；〃　said　Will；　penitently；　〃you　are　a　great　scholar；　Mr。　Frank；　and　you　speak　like　one；　but　gentlemen　must　fight　sometimes；　or　where　would　be　their　honor？〃

〃I　speak；〃　said　Frank；　a　little　proudly；　〃not　merely　as　a　scholar；　but　as　a　gentleman；　and　one　who　has　fought　ere　now；　and　to　whom　it　has　happened；　Mr。　Cary；　to　kill　his　man　（on　whose　soul　may　God　have　mercy）；　but　it　is　my　pride　to　remember　that　I　have　never　yet　fought　in　my　own　quarrel；　and　my　trust　in　God　that　I　never　shall。　　For　as　there　is　nothing　more　noble　and　blessed　than　to　fight　in　behalf　of　those　whom　we　love；　so　to　fight　in　our　own　private　behalf　is　a　thing　not　to　be　allowed　to　a　Christian　man；　unless　refusal　imports　utter　loss　of　life　or　honor；　and　even　then；　it　may　be　（though　I　would　not　lay　a　burden　on　any　man's　conscience）；　it　is　better　not　to　resist　evil；　but　to　overcome　it　with　good。〃

〃And　I　can　tell　you；　Will；〃　said　Amyas；　〃I　am　not　troubled　with　fear　of　ghosts；　but　when　I　cut　off　the　Frenchman's　head；　I　said　to　myself；　'If　that　braggart　had　been　slandering　me　instead　of　her　gracious　majesty；　I　should　expect　to　see　that　head　lying　on　my　pillow　every　time　I　went　to　bed　at　night。'〃

〃God　forbid！〃　said　Will；　with　a　shudder。　　〃But　what　shall　I　do？　for　to　the　market　tomorrow　I　will　go；　if　it　were　choke…full　of　Coffins；　and　a　ghost　in　each　coffin　of　the　lot。〃

〃Leave　the　matter　to　me；〃　said　Amyas。　　〃I　have　my　device；　as　well　as　scholar　Frank　here；　and　if　there　be；　as　I　suppose　there　must　be；　a　quarrel　in　the　market　to…morrow；　see　if　I　do　not〃

〃Well；　you　are　two　good　fellows；〃　said　Will。　　〃Let　us　have　another　tankard　in。〃

〃And　drink　the　health　of　Mr。　Coffin；　and　all　gallant　lads　of　the　North；〃　said　Frank；　〃and　now　to　my　business。　　I　have　to　take　this　runaway　youth　here　home　to　his　mother；　and　if　he　will　not　go　quietly；　I　have　orders　to　carry　him　across　my　saddle。〃

〃I　hope　your　nag　has　a　strong　back；　then；〃　said　Amyas；　〃but　I　must　go　on　and　see　Sir　Richard；　Frank。　　It　is　all　very　well　to　jest　as　we　have　been　doing；　but　my　mind　is　made　up。〃

〃Stop；〃　said　Cary。　　〃You　must　stay　here　tonight；　first；　for　good　fellowship's　sake；　and　next；　because　I　want　the　advice　of　our　Phoenix　here；　our　oracle；　our　paragon。　　There；　Mr。　Frank；　can　you　construe　that　for　me？　　Speak　low；　though；　gentlemen　both；　there　comes　my　father；　you　had　better　give　me　the　letter　again。　　Well；　father；　whence　this　morning？〃

〃Eh；　company　here？　　Young　men；　you　are　always　welcome；　and　such　as　you。　　Would　there　were　more　of　your　sort　in　these　dirty　times！　　How　is　your　good　mother；　Frank；　eh？　　Where　have　I　been；　Will？　　Round　the　house…farm；　to　look　at　the　beeves。　　That　sheeted　heifer　of　Prowse's　is　all　wrong；　her　coat　stares　like　a　hedgepig's。　　Tell　Jewell　to　go　up　and　bring　her　in　before　night。　　And　then　up　the　forty　acres；　sprang　two　coveys；　and　picked　a　leash　out　of　them。　The　Irish　hawk　flies　as　wild　as　any　haggard　still；　and　will　never　make　a　bird。　　I　had　to　hand　her　to　Tom；　and　take　the　little　peregrine。　　Give　me　a　Clovelly　hawk　against　the　world；　after　all；　andheigh　ho；　I　am　very　hungry！　　Half…past　twelve；　and　dinner　not　served？　　What；　Master　Amyas；　spoiling　your　appetite　with　strong　ale？　　Better　have　tried　sack；　lad；　have　some　now　with　me。〃

And　the　worthy　old　gentleman；　having　finished　his　oration；　settled　himself　on　a　great　bench　inside　the　chimney；　and　put　his　hawk　on　a　perch　over　his　head；　while　his　cockers　coiled　themselves　up　close　to　the　warm　peat…ashes；　and　his　son　set　to　work　to　pull　off　his　father's　boots；　amid　sundry　warnings　to　take　care　of　his　corns。

〃Come；　Master　Amyas；　a　pint　of　white　wine　and　sugar；　and　a　bit　of　a　shoeing…horn　to　it　ere　we　dine。　　Some　pickled　prawns；　now；　or　a　rasher　off　the　coals；　to　whet　you？〃

〃Thank　you；〃　quoth　Amyas；　〃but　I　have　drunk　a　mort　of　outlandish　liquors；　better　and　worse；　in　the　last　three　years；　and　yet　never　found　aught　to　come　up　to　good　ale；　which　needs　neither　shoeing…　horn　before　nor　after；　but　takes　care　of　itself；　and　of　all　honest　stomachs　too；　I　think。〃

〃You　speak　like　a　book；　boy；〃　said　old　Cary；　〃and　after　all；　what　a　plague　comes　of　these　newfangled　hot　wines；　and　aqua　vitaes；　which　have　come　in　since　the　wars；　but　maddening　of　the　brains；　and　fever　of　the　blood？〃

〃I　fear　we　have　not　seen　the　end　of　that　yet；〃　said　Frank。　　〃My　friends　write　me　from　the　Netherlands　that　our　men　are　falling　into　a　swinish　trick　of　swilling　like　the　Hollanders。　　Heaven　grant　that　they　may　not　bring　home　the　fashion　with　them。〃

〃A　man　must　drink；　they　say；　or　die　of　the　ague；　in　those　vile　swamps；〃　said　Amyas。　　〃When　they　get　home　here；　they　will　not　need　it。〃

〃Heaven　grant　it；〃　said　Frank；　〃I　should　be　sorry　to　see　Devonshire　a　drunken　county；　and　there　are　many　of　our　men　out　there　with　Mr。　Champernoun。〃

〃Ah；〃　said　Cary；　〃there；　as　in　Ireland；　we　are　proving　her　majesty's　saying　true；　that　Devonshire