westward ho-第3节

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and　so


　　　　　〃Westward　ho！　with　a　rumbelow；　　　　　　　　　And　hurra　for　the　Spanish　Main；　O！〃


After　which　oration　Mr。　Oxenham　swaggered　into　the　tavern；　followed　by　his　new　men；　and　the　boy　took　his　way　homewards；　nursing　his　precious　horn；　trembling　between　hope　and　fear；　and　blushing　with　maidenly　shame；　and　a　half…sense　of　wrong…doing　at　having　revealed　suddenly　to　a　stranger　the　darling　wish　which　he　had　hidden　from　his　father　and　mother　ever　since　he　was　ten　years　old。

Now　this　young　gentleman；　Amyas　Leigh；　though　come　of　as　good　blood　as　any　in　Devon；　and　having　lived　all　his　life　in　what　we　should　even　now　call　the　very　best　society；　and　being　（on　account　of　the　valor；　courtesy；　and　truly　noble　qualities　which　he　showed　forth　in　his　most　eventful　life）　chosen　by　me　as　the　hero　and　centre　of　this　story；　was　not；　saving　for　his　good　looks；　by　any　means　what　would　be　called　now…a…days　an　〃interesting〃　youth；　still　less　a　〃highly　educated〃　one；　for；　with　the　exception　of　a　little　Latin；　which　had　been　driven　into　him　by　repeated　blows；　as　if　it　had　been　a　nail；　he　knew　no　books　whatsoever；　save　his　Bible；　his　Prayer…book；　the　old　〃Mort　d'Arthur〃　of　Caxton's　edition；　which　lay　in　the　great　bay　window　in　the　hall；　and　the　translation　of　〃Las　Casas'　History　of　the　West　Indies；〃　which　lay　beside　it；　lately　done　into　English　under　the　title　of　〃The　Cruelties　of　the　Spaniards。〃　　He　devoutly　believed　in　fairies；　whom　he　called　pixies；　and　held　that　they　changed　babies；　and　made　the　mushroom　rings　on　the　downs　to　dance　in。　　When　he　had　warts　or　burns；　he　went　to　the　white　witch　at　Northam　to　charm　them　away；　he　thought　that　the　sun　moved　round　the　earth；　and　that　the　moon　had　some　kindred　with　a　Cheshire　cheese。　He　held　that　the　swallows　slept　all　the　winter　at　the　bottom　of　the　horse…pond；　talked；　like　Raleigh；　Grenville；　and　other　low　persons；　with　a　broad　Devonshire　accent；　and　was　in　many　other　respects　so　very　ignorant　a　youth；　that　any　pert　monitor　in　a　national　school　might　have　had　a　hearty　laugh　at　him。　　Nevertheless；　this　ignorant　young　savage；　vacant　of　the　glorious　gains　of　the　nineteenth　century；　children's　literature　and　science　made　easy；　and；　worst　of　all；　of　those　improved　views　of　English　history　now　current　among　our　railway　essayists；　which　consist　in　believing　all　persons；　male　and　female；　before　the　year　1688；　and　nearly　all　after　it；　to　have　been　either　hypocrites　or　fools；　had　learnt　certain　things　which　he　would　hardly　have　been　taught　just　now　in　any　school　in　England；　for　his　training　had　been　that　of　the　old　Persians；　〃to　speak　the　truth　and　to　draw　the　bow；〃　both　of　which　savage　virtues　he　had　acquired　to　perfection；　as　well　as　the　equally　savage　ones　of　enduring　pain　cheerfully；　and　of　believing　it　to　be　the　finest　thing　in　the　world　to　be　a　gentleman；　by　which　word　he　had　been　taught　to　understand　the　careful　habit　of　causing　needless　pain　to　no　human　being；　poor　or　rich；　and　of　taking　pride　in　giving　up　his　own　pleasure　for　the　sake　of　those　who　were　weaker　than　himself。　Moreover；　having　been　entrusted　for　the　last　year　with　the　breaking　of　a　colt；　and　the　care　of　a　cast　of　young　hawks　which　his　father　had　received　from　Lundy　Isle；　he　had　been　profiting　much；　by　the　means　of　those　coarse　and　frivolous　amusements；　in　perseverance；　thoughtfulness；　and　the　habit　of　keeping　his　temper；　and　though　he　had　never　had　a　single　〃object　lesson；〃　or　been　taught　to　〃use　his　intellectual　powers；〃　he　knew　the　names　and　ways　of　every　bird；　and　fish；　and　fly；　and　could　read；　as　cunningly　as　the　oldest　sailor；　the　meaning　of　every　drift　of　cloud　which　crossed　the　heavens。　Lastly；　he　had　been　for　some　time　past；　on　account　of　his　extraordinary　size　and　strength；　undisputed　cock　of　the　school；　and　the　most　terrible　fighter　among　all　Bideford　boys；　in　which　brutal　habit　he　took　much　delight；　and　contrived；　strange　as　it　may　seem；　to　extract　from　it　good；　not　only　for　himself　but　for　others；　doing　justice　among　his　school…fellows　with　a　heavy　hand；　and　succoring　the　oppressed　and　afflicted；　so　that　he　was　the　terror　of　all　the　sailor…lads；　and　the　pride　and　stay　of　all　the　town's　boys　and　girls；　and　hardly　considered　that　he　had　done　his　duty　in　his　calling　if　he　went　home　without　beating　a　big　lad　for　bullying　a　little　one。　　For　the　rest；　he　never　thought　about　thinking；　or　felt　about　feeling；　and　had　no　ambition　whatsoever　beyond　pleasing　his　father　and　mother；　getting　by　honest　means　the　maximum　of　〃red　quarrenders〃　and　mazard　cherries；　and　going　to　sea　when　he　was　big　enough。　　Neither　was　he　what　would　be　now…a…days　called　by　many　a　pious　child；　for　though　he　said　his　Creed　and　Lord's　Prayer　night　and　morning；　and　went　to　the　service　at　the　church　every　forenoon；　and　read　the　day's　Psalms　with　his　mother　every　evening；　and　had　learnt　from　her　and　from　his　father　（as　he　proved　well　in　after　life）　that　it　was　infinitely　noble　to　do　right　and　infinitely　base　to　do　wrong；　yet　（the　age　of　children's　religious　books　not　having　yet　dawned　on　the　world）　he　knew　nothing　more　of　theology；　or　of　his　own　soul；　than　is　contained　in　the　Church　Catechism。　　It　is　a　question；　however；　on　the　whole；　whether；　though　grossly　ignorant　（according　to　our　modern　notions）　in　science　and　religion；　he　was　altogether　untrained　in　manhood；　virtue；　and　godliness；　and　whether　the　barbaric　narrowness　of　his　information　was　not　somewhat　counterbalanced　both　in　him　and　in　the　rest　of　his　generation　by　the　depth；　and　breadth；　and　healthiness　of　his　education。

So　let　us　watch　him　up　the　hill　as　he　goes　hugging　his　horn；　to　tell　all　that　has　passed　to　his　mother；　from　whom　he　had　never　hidden　anything　in　his　life；　save　only　that　sea…fever；　and　that　only　because　he　foreknew　that　it　would　give　her　pain；　and　because；　moreover；　being　a　prudent　and　sensible　lad；　he　knew　that　he　was　not　yet　old　enough　to　go；　and　that；　as　he　expressed　it　to　her　that　afternoon；　〃there　was　no　use　hollaing　till　he　was　out　of　the　wood。〃

So　he　goes　up　between　the　rich　lane…banks；　heavy　with　drooping　ferns　and　honeysuckle；　out　upon　the　windy　down　toward　the　old　Court；　nestled　amid　its　ring　of　wind…clipt　oaks；　through　the　gray　gateway　into　the　homeclose；　and　then　he　pauses　a　moment　to　look　around；　first　at　the　wide　bay　to　the　westward；　with　its　southern　wall　of　purple　cliffs；　then　at　the　dim　Isle　of　Lundy　far　away　at　sea；　then　at　the　cliffs　and　downs　of　Morte　and　Braunton；　right　in　front　of　him；　then　at　the　vast　yellow　sheet　of　rolling　sand…hill；　and　green　alluvial　plain　dotted　with　red　cattle；　at　his　feet；　through　which　the　silver　estuary　winds　onward　toward　the　sea。　Beneath　him；　on　his　right；　the　Torridge；　like　a　land…locked　lake；　sleeps　broad　and　bright　between　the　old　park　of　Tapeley　and　the　charmed　rock　of　the　Hubbastone；　where；　seven　hundred　years　ago；　the　Norse　rovers　landed　to　lay　siege　to　Kenwith　Castle；　a　mile　away　on　his　left　hand；　and　not　three　fields　away；　are　the　old　stones　of　〃The　Bloody　Corner；〃　where　the　retreating　Danes；　cut　off　from　their　ships；　made　their　last　fruitless　stand　against　the　Saxon　sheriff　and　the　valiant　men　of　Devon。　　Within　that　charmed　rock；　so　Torridge　boatmen　tell；　sleeps　now　the　old　Norse　Viking　in　his　leaden　coffin；　with　all　his　fairy　treasure　and　his　crown　of　gold；　and　as　the　boy　looks　at　the　spot；　he　fancies；　and　almost　hopes；　that　the　day　may　come　when　he　shall　have　to　do　his　duty　against　the　invader　as　boldly　as　the　men　of　Devon　did　then。　　And　past　him；　far　below；　upon　the　soft　southeastern　breeze；　the　stately　ships　go　sliding　out　to　sea。　　When　shall　he　sail　in　them；　and　see　the　wonders　of　the　deep？　　And　as　he　stands　there　with　beating　heart　and　kindling　eye；　the　cool　breeze　whistling　through　his　long　fair　curls；　he　is　a　symbol；　though　he　knows　it　not；　of　brave　young　England　longing　to　wing　its　way　out　of　its　island　prison；　to　discover　and　to　traffic；　to　colonize　and　to　civilize；　until　no　wind　can　sweep　the　earth　which　does　not　bear　the　echoes　of　an　English　voice。　　Patience；　young　Amyas！　　Thou　too　shalt　forth；　and　westward　ho；　beyond　thy　wildest　dreams；　and　see　brave　sights；　and　do　brave　deeds；　which　no　man　has　since　the　foundation　of　the　world。　　Thou　too　shalt　face　invaders　stronger　and　more　cruel　far　than　Dane　or　Norman；　and　bear　thy　part　in　that　great　Titan　strife　before　the　renown　of　which　the　name　of　Salamis　shall　fade　away！

Mr。　Oxenham　came　that　evening　to　supper　as　he　had　promised：　but　as　people　supped　in　those　days　in　much　the　same　manner　as　they　do　now；　we　may　drop　the　thread　of　the　story　for　a　few　hours；　and　take　it　up　again　after　supper　is　over。

〃Come　now；　Dick　Grenville；　do　thou　talk　the　good　man　round；　and　I'll　warrant　myself　to　talk　round　the　good　wife。〃

The　personage　whom　Oxenham　addressed　thus　familiarly　answered　by　a　somewhat　sarcastic　smile；　and；　〃Mr。　Oxenham　gives　Dick　Grenville〃　（with　just　enough　emphasis　on　the　〃Mr。〃　and　the　〃Dick；〃　to　hint　that　a　liberty　had　been　taken　with　him）　〃overmuch　credit　with　the　men。　　Mr。　Oxenham's　credit　with　fair　ladies；　none　can　doubt。　Friend　Leigh；　is　Heard's　great　ship　home　yet　from　the　Straits？〃

The　speaker；　known　well　in　those　days　as　Sir　Richard　Grenville；　Granville；　Greenvil；　Greenfield；　with　two　or　three　other　variations；　was　one　of　those　truly　heroical　personages　whom　Pro