westward ho-第55节

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before　among　the　merchant　princes　of　Genoa　and　Venice。

At　the　end　of　supper；　Salterne　asked　Grenville　to　do　his　humble　roof　the　honor；　etc。　etc。；　of　supping　with　him　the　next　evening；　and　then　turning　to　the　Don；　said　quite　frankly；　that　he　knew　how　great　a　condescension　it　would　be　on　the　part　of　a　nobleman　of　Spain　to　sit　at　the　board　of　a　simple　merchant：　but　that　if　the　Spaniard　deigned　to　do　him　such　a　favor；　he　would　find　that　the　cheer　was　fit　enough　for　any　rank；　whatsoever　the　company　might　be；　which　invitation　Don　Guzman；　being　on　the　whole　glad　enough　of　anything　to　amuse　him；　graciously　condescended　to　accept；　and　gained　thereby　an　excellent　supper；　and；　if　he　had　chosen　to　drink　it；　much　good　wine。

Now　Mr。　Salterne　was；　of　course；　as　a　wise　merchant；　as　ready　as　any　man　for　an　adventure　to　foreign　parts；　as　was　afterwards　proved　by　his　great　exertions　in　the　settlement　of　Virginia；　and　he　was；　therefore；　equally　ready　to　rack　the　brains　of　any　guest　whom　he　suspected　of　knowing　anything　concerning　strange　lands；　and　so　he　thought　no　shame；　first　to　try　to　loose　his　guest's　tongue　by　much　good　sack；　and　next；　to　ask　him　prudent　and　well…concocted　questions　concerning　the　Spanish　Main；　Peru；　the　Moluccas；　China；　the　Indies；　and　all　parts。

The　first　of　which　schemes　failed；　for　the　Spaniard　was　as　abstemious　as　any　monk；　and　drank　little　but　water；　the　second　succeeded　not　over　well；　for　the　Spaniard　was　as　cunning　as　any　fox；　and　answered　little　but　wind。

In　the　midst　of　which　tongue…fence　in　came　the　Rose　of　Torridge；　looking　as　beautiful　as　usual；　and　hearing　what　they　were　upon；　added；　artlessly　enough；　her　questions　to　her　father's：　to　her　Don　Guzman　could　not　but　answer；　and　without　revealing　any　very　important　commercial　secrets；　gave　his　host　and　his　host's　daughter　a　very　amusing　evening。

Now　little　Eros；　though　spirits　like　Frank　Leigh's　may　choose　to　call　him　（as；　perhaps；　he　really　is　to　them）　the　eldest　of　the　gods；　and　the　son　of　Jove　and　Venus；　yet　is　reported　by　other　equally　good　authorities；　as　Burton　has　set　forth　in　his　〃Anatomy　of　Melancholy；〃　to　be　after　all　only　the　child　of　idleness　and　fulness　of　bread。　　To　which　scandalous　calumny　the　thoughts　of　Don　Guzman's　heart　gave　at　least　a　certain　color；　for　he　being　idle　（as　captives　needs　must　be）；　and　also　full　of　bread　（for　Sir　Richard　kept　a　very　good　table）；　had　already　looked　round　for　mere　amusement's　sake　after　some　one　with　whom　to　fall　in　love。　　Lady　Grenville；　as　nearest；　was；　I　blush　to　say；　thought　of　first；　but　the　Spaniard　was　a　man　of　honor；　and　Sir　Richard　his　host；　so　he　put　away　from　his　mind　（with　a　self…denial　on　which　he　plumed　himself　much）　the　pleasure　of　a　chase　equally　exciting　to　his　pride　and　his　love　of　danger。　　As　for　the　sinfulness　of　the　said　chase；　he　of　course　thought　no　more　of　that　than　other　Southern　Europeans　did　then；　or　than　（I　blush　again　to　have　to　say　it）　the　English　did　afterwards　in　the　days　of　the　Stuarts。　　Nevertheless；　he　had　put　Lady　Grenville　out　of　his　mind；　and　so　left　room　to　take　Rose　Salterne　into　it；　not　with　any　distinct　purpose　of　wronging　her：　but；　as　I　said　before；　half　to　amuse　himself；　and　half；　too；　because　he　could　not　help　it。　　For　there　was　an　innocent　freshness　about　the　Rose　of　Torridge；　fond　as　she　was　of　being　admired；　which　was　new　to　him　and　most　attractive。　　〃The　train　of　the　peacock；〃　as　he　said　to　himself；　〃and　yet　the　heart　of　the　dove；〃　made　so　charming　a　combination；　that　if　he　could　have　persuaded　her　to　love　no　one　but　him；　perhaps　he　might　become　fool　enough　to　love　no　one　but　her。　　And　at　that　thought　he　was　seized　with　a　very　panic　of　prudence；　and　resolved　to　keep　out　of　her　way；　and　yet　the　days　ran　slowly；　and　Lady　Grenville　when　at　home　was　stupid　enough　to　talk　and　think　about　nothing　but　her　husband；　and　when　she　went　to　Stow；　and　left　the　Don　alone　in　one　corner　of　the　great　house　at　Bideford；　what　could　he　do　but　lounge　down　to　the　butt…gardens　to　show　off　his　fine　black　cloak　and　fine　black　feather；　see　the　shooting；　have　a　game　or　two　of　rackets　with　the　youngsters；　a　game　or　two　of　bowls　with　the　elders；　and　get　himself　invited　home　to　supper　by　Mr。　Salterne？

And　there；　of　course；　he　had　it　all　his　own　way；　and　ruled　the　roast　（which　he　was　fond　enough　of　doing）　right　royally；　not　only　on　account　of　his　rank；　but　because　he　had　something　to　say　worth　hearing；　as　a　travelled　man。　　For　those　times　were　the　day…dawn　of　English　commerce；　and　not　a　merchant　in　Bideford；　or　in　all　England；　but　had　his　imagination　all　on　fire　with　projects　of　discoveries；　companies；　privileges；　patents；　and　settlements；　with　gallant　rivalry　of　the　brave　adventures　of　Sir　Edward　Osborne　and　his　new　London　Company　of　Turkey　Merchants；　with　the　privileges　just　granted　by　the　Sultan　Murad　Khan　to　the　English；　with　the　worthy　Levant　voyages　of　Roger　Bodenham　in　the　great　bark　Aucher；　and　of　John　Fox；　and　Lawrence　Aldersey；　and　John　Rule；　and　with　hopes　from　the　vast　door　for　Mediterranean　trade；　which　the　crushing　of　the　Venetian　power　at　Famagusta　in　Cyprus；　and　the　alliance　made　between　Elizabeth　and　the　Grand　Turk；　had　just　thrown　open。　　So　not　a　word　could　fall　from　the　Spaniard　about　the　Mediterranean　but　took　root　at　once　in　right　fertile　soil。　Besides；　Master　Edmund　Hogan　had　been　on　a　successful　embassy　to　the　Emperor　of　Morocco；　John　Hawkins　and　George　Fenner　had　been　to　Guinea　（and　with　the　latter　Mr。　Walter　Wren；　a　Bideford　man）；　and　had　traded　there　for　musk　and　civet；　gold　and　grain；　and　African　news　was　becoming　almost　as　valuable　as　West　Indian。　　Moreover；　but　two　months　before　had　gone　from　London　Captain　Hare　in　the　bark　Minion；　for　Brazil；　and　a　company　of　adventurers　with　him；　with　Sheffield　hardware；　and　〃Devonshire　and　Northern　kersies；〃　hollands　and　〃Manchester　cottons；〃　for　there　was　a　great　opening　for　English　goods　by　the　help　of　one　John　Whithall；　who　had　married　a　Spanish　heiress；　and　had　an　ingenio　and　slaves　in　Santos。　　（Don't　smile；　reader；　or　despise　the　day　of　small　things；　and　those　who　sowed　the　seed　whereof　you　reap　the　mighty　harvest。）　　In　the　meanwhile；　Drake　had　proved　not　merely　the　possibility　of　plundering　the　American　coasts；　but　of　establishing　an　East　Indian　trade；　Frobisher　and　Davis；　worthy　forefathers　of　our　Parrys　and　Franklins；　had　begun　to　bore　their　way　upward　through　the　Northern　ice；　in　search　of　a　passage　to　China　which　should　avoid　the　dangers　of　the　Spanish　seas；　and　Anthony　Jenkinson；　not　the　least　of　English　travellers；　had；　in　six…and…twenty　years　of　travel　in　behalf　of　the　Muscovite　Company；　penetrated　into　not　merely　Russia　and　the　Levant；　but　Persia　and　Armenia；　Bokhara；　Tartary；　Siberia；　and　those　waste　Arctic　shores　where；　thirty　years　before；　the　brave　Sir　Hugh　Willoughby；


　　　　　　　　　　〃In　Arzina　caught；　　　　　　Perished　with　all　his　crew。〃


Everywhere　English　commerce；　under　the　genial　sunshine　of　Elizabeth's　wise　rule；　was　spreading　and　taking　root；　and　as　Don　Guzman　talked　with　his　new　friends；　he　soon　saw　（for　he　was　shrewd　enough）　that　they　belonged　to　a　race　which　must　be　exterminated　if　Spain　intended　to　become　（as　she　did　intend）　the　mistress　of　the　world；　and　that　it　was　not　enough　for　Spain　to　have　seized　in　the　Pope's　name　the　whole　new　world；　and　claimed　the　exclusive　right　to　sail　the　seas　of　America；　not　enough　to　have　crushed　the　Hollanders；　not　enough　to　have　degraded　the　Venetians　into　her　bankers；　and　the　Genoese　into　her　mercenaries；　not　enough　to　have　incorporated　into　herself；　with　the　kingdom　of　Portugal；　the　whole　East　Indian　trade　of　Portugal；　while　these　fierce　islanders　remained　to　assert；　with　cunning　policy　and　texts　of　Scripture；　and；　if　they　failed；　with　sharp　shot　and　cold　steel；　free　seas　and　free　trade　for　all　the　nations　upon　earth。　　He　saw　it；　and　his　countrymen　saw　it　too：　and　therefore　the　Spanish　Armada　came：　but　of　that　hereafter。　　And　Don　Guzman　knew　also；　by　hard　experience；　that　these　same　islanders；　who　sat　in　Salterne's　parlor；　talking　broad　Devon　through　their　noses；　were　no　mere　counters　of　money　and　hucksters　of　goods：　but　men　who；　though　they　thoroughly　hated　fighting；　and　loved　making　money　instead；　could　fight；　upon　occasion；　after　a　very　dogged　and　terrible　fashion；　as　well　as　the　bluest　blood　in　Spain；　and　who　sent　out　their　merchant　ships　armed　up　to　the　teeth；　and　filled　with　men　who　had　been　trained　from　childhood　to　use　those　arms；　and　had　orders　to　use　them　without　mercy　if　either　Spaniard；　Portugal；　or　other　created　being　dared　to　stop　their　money…making。　　And　one　evening　he　waxed　quite　mad；　when；　after　having　civilly　enough　hinted　that　if　Englishmen　came　where　they　had　no　right　to　come；　they　might　find　themselves　sent　back　again；　he　was　answered　by　a　volley　of

〃We'll　see　that；　sir。〃

〃Depends　on　who　says　'No　right。'〃

〃You　found　might　right；〃　said　another；　〃when　you　claimed　the　Indian　seas；　we　may　find　right　might　when　we　try　them。〃

〃Try　them；　then；　gentlemen；　by　all　means；　if　it　shall　so　please　your　worships；　and　find　the　sacred　flag　of　Spain　as　invincible　as　ever　was　the　Roman　eagle。〃

〃We　have；　sir。　　Did　you　ever　hear　of　Francis　Drake？〃

〃Or　of　George　Fenner　and　the　Portugals　at　the　Azores；　one　against　seven？〃

〃Or　of　John　Hawkins；　at　S