westward ho-第78节

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en's　battles　nearer　home。〃

〃In　the　Indies？　　I　should　make　but　a　poor　hand　of　Drake's　trade。〃　And　so　the　conversation　dropped；　but　Cary　did　not　forget　the　hint。

〃So；　lad；　to　make　an　end　of　a　long　story；〃　said　he　to　Amyas；　〃if　you　are　minded　to　take　the　old　man's　offer；　so　am　I：　and　Westward…　ho　with　you；　come　foul　come　fair。〃

〃It　will　be　but　a　wild…goose　chase；　Will。〃

〃If　she　is　with　him；　we　shall　find　her　at　La　Guayra。　　If　she　is　not；　and　the　villain　has　cast　her　off　down　the　wind；　that　will　be　only　an　additional　reason　for　making　an　example　of　him。〃

〃And　if　neither　of　them　are　there；　Will；　the　Plate…fleets　will　be；　so　it　will　be　our　own　shame　if　we　come　home　empty…handed。　　But　will　your　father　let　you　run　such　a　risk？〃

〃My　father！〃　said　Cary；　laughing。　　〃He　has　just　now　so　good　hope　of　a　long　string　of　little　Carys　to　fill　my　place；　that　he　will　be　in　no　lack　of　an　heir；　come　what　will。〃

〃Little　Carys？〃

〃I　tell　you　truth。　　I　think　he　must　have　had　a　sly　sup　of　that　fountain　of　perpetual　youth；　which　our　friend　Don　Guzman's　grandfather　went　to　seek　in　Florida；　for　some　twelvemonth　since；　he　must　needs　marry　a　tenant's　buxom　daughter；　and　Mistress　Abishag　Jewell　has　brought　him　one　fat　baby　already。　　So　I　shall　go；　back　to　Ireland；　or　with　you：　but　somewhere。　　I　can't　abide　the　thing's　squalling；　any　more　than　I　can　seeing　Mistress　Abishag　sitting　in　my　poor　dear　mother's　place；　and　informing　me　every　other　day　that　she　is　come　of　an　illustrious　house；　because　she　is　（or　is　not）　third　cousin　seven　times　removed　to　my　father's　old　friend；　Bishop　Jewell　of　glorious　memory。　　I　had　three…parts　of　a　quarrel　with　the　dear　old　man　the　other　day；　for　after　one　of　her　peacock…bouts；　I　couldn't　for　the　life　of　me　help　saying；　that　as　the　Bishop　had　written　an　Apology　for　the　people　of　England；　my　father　had　better　conjure　up　his　ghost　to　write　an　apology　for　him；　and　head　it；　'Why　green　heads　should　grow　on　gray　shoulders。'〃

〃You　impudent　villain！　　And　what　did　he　say？〃

Laughed　till　he　cried　again；　and　told　me　if　I　did　not　like　it　I　might　leave　it；　which　is　just　what　I　intend　to　do。　　Only　mind；　if　we　go；　we　must　needs　take　Jack　Brimblecombe　with　us；　or　he　will　surely　heave　himself　over　Harty　Point；　and　his　ghost　will　haunt　us　to　our　dying　day。〃

〃Jack　shall　go。　　None　deserves　it　better。〃

After　which　there　was　a　long　consultation　on　practical　matters；　and　it　was　concluded　that　Amyas　should　go　up　to　London　and　sound　Frank　and　his　mother　before　any　further　steps　were　taken。　　The　other　brethren　of　the　Rose　were　scattered　far　and　wide；　each　at　his　post；　and　St。　Leger　had　returned　to　his　uncle；　so　that　it　would　be　unfair　to　them；　as　well　as　a　considerable　delay；　to　demand　of　them　any　fulfilment　of　their　vow。　　And；　as　Amyas　sagely　remarked；　〃Too　many　cooks　spoil　the　broth；　and　half…a…dozen　gentlemen　aboard　one　ship　are　as　bad　as　two　kings　of　Brentford。〃

With　which　maxim　he　departed　next　morning　for　London；　leaving　Yeo　with　Cary。



CHAPTER　XVI

THE　MOST　CHIVALROUS　ADVENTURE　OF　THE　GOOD　SHIP　ROSE


〃He　is　brass　within；　and　steel　without；　With　beams　on　his　topcastle　strong；　And　eighteen　pieces　of　ordinance　He　carries　on　either　side　along。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Sir　Andrew　Barton。


Let　us　take　boat；　as　Amyas　did；　at　Whitehall…stairs；　and　slip　down　ahead　of　him　under　old　London　Bridge；　and　so　to　Deptford　Creek；　where　remains；　as　it　were　embalmed；　the　famous　ship　Pelican；　in　which　Drake　had　sailed　round　the　world。　　There　she　stands；　drawn　up　high　and　dry　upon　the　sedgy　bank　of　Thames；　like　an　old　warrior　resting　after　his　toil。　　Nailed　upon　her　mainmast　are　epigrams　and　verses　in　honor　of　her　and　of　her　captain；　three　of　which；　by　the　Winchester　scholar；　Camden　gives　in　his　History；　and　Elizabeth's　self　consecrated　her　solemnly；　and　having　banqueted　on　board；　there　and　then　honored　Drake　with　the　dignity　of　knighthood。　　〃At　which　time　a　bridge　of　planks；　by　which　they　came　on　board；　broke　under　the　press　of　people；　and　fell　down　with　a　hundred　men　upon　it；　who；　notwithstanding；　had　none　of　them　any　harm。　　So　as　that　ship　may　seem　to　have　been　built　under　a　lucky　planet。〃

There　she　has　remained　since　as　a　show；　and　moreover　as　a　sort　of　dining…hall　for　jovial　parties　from　the　city；　one　of　which　would　seem　to　be　on　board　this　afternoon；　to　judge　from　the　flags　which　bedizen　the　masts；　the　sounds　of　revelry　and　savory　steams　which　issue　from　those　windows　which　once　were　portholes；　and　the　rushing　to　and　fro　along　the　river　brink；　and　across　that　lucky　bridge；　of　white…aproned　waiters　from　the　neighboring　Pelican　Inn。　　A　great　feast　is　evidently　toward；　for　with　those　white…aproned　waiters　are　gay　serving　men；　wearing　on　their　shoulders　the　city…badge。　　The　lord　mayor　is　giving　a　dinner　to　certain　gentlemen　of　the　Leicester　house　party；　who　are　interested　in　foreign　discoveries；　and　what　place　so　fit　for　such　a　feast　as　the　Pelican　itself？

Look　at　the　men　all　round；　a　nobler　company　you　will　seldom　see。　Especially　too；　if　you　be　Americans；　look　at　their　faces；　and　reverence　them；　for　to　them　and　to　their　wisdom　you　owe　the　existence　of　your　mighty　fatherland。

At　the　head　of　the　table　sits　the　lord　mayor；　whom　all　readers　will　recognize　at　once；　for　he　is　none　other　than　that　famous　Sir　Edward　Osborne；　clothworker；　and　ancestor　of　the　dukes　of　Leeds；　whose　romance　now…a…days　is　in　every　one's　hands。　　He　is　aged；　but　not　changed；　since　he　leaped　from　the　window　upon　London　Bridge　into　the　roaring　tide　below；　to　rescue　the　infant　who　is　now　his　wife。　The　chivalry　and　promptitude　of　the　'prentice　boy　have　grown　and　hardened　into　the　thoughtful　daring　of　the　wealthy　merchant　adventurer。　　There　he　sits；　a　right　kingly　man；　with　my　lord　Earl　of　Cumberland　on　his　right　hand；　and　Walter　Raleigh　on　his　left；　the　three　talk　together　in　a　low　voice　on　the　chance　of　there　being　vast　and　rich　countries　still　undiscovered　between　Florida　and　the　River　of　Canada。　　Raleigh's　half…scientific　declamation　and　his　often　quotations　of　Doctor　Dee　the　conjuror；　have　less　effect　on　Osborne　than　on　Cumberland　（who　tried　many　an　adventure　to　foreign　parts；　and　failed　in　all　of　them；　apparently　for　the　simple　reason　that；　instead　of　going　himself；　he　sent　other　people）；　and　Raleigh　is　fain　to　call　to　his　help　the　quiet　student　who　sits　on　his　left　hand；　Richard　Hakluyt；　of　Oxford。　　But　he　is　deep　in　talk　with　a　reverend　elder；　whose　long　white　beard　flows　almost　to　his　waist；　and　whose　face　is　furrowed　by　a　thousand　storms；　Anthony　Jenkinson　by　name；　the　great　Asiatic　traveller；　who　is　discoursing　to　the　Christ…church　virtuoso　of　reindeer　sledges　and　Siberian　steppes；　and　of　the　fossil　ivory；　plain　proof　of　Noah's　flood；　which　the　Tungoos　dig　from　the　ice…cliffs　of　the　Arctic　sea。　　Next　to　him　is　Christopher　Carlile；　Walsingham's　son…in…law　（as　Sidney　also　is　now）；　a　valiant　captain；　afterwards　general　of　the　soldiery　in　Drake's　triumphant　West　Indian　raid　of　1585；　with　whom　a　certain　Bishop　of　Carthagena　will　hereafter　drink　good　wine。　　He　is　now　busy　talking　with　Alderman　Hart　the　grocer；　Sheriff　Spencer　the　clothworker；　and　Charles　Leigh　（Amyas's　merchant…cousin）；　and　with　Aldworth　the　mayor　of　Bristol；　and　William　Salterne；　alderman　thereof；　and　cousin　of　our　friend　at　Bideford。　　For　Carlile；　and　Secretary　Walsingham　also；　have　been　helping　them　heart　and　soul　for　the　last　two　years　to　collect　money　for　Humphrey　and　Adrian　Gilbert's　great　adventures　to　the　North…West；　on　one　of　which　Carlile　was　indeed　to　have　sailed　himself；　but　did　not　go　after　all；　I　never　could　discover　for　what　reason。

On　the　opposite　side　of　the　table　is　a　group；　scarcely　less　interesting。　　Martin　Frobisher　and　John　Davis；　the　pioneers　of　the　North…West　passage；　are　talking　with　Alderman　Sanderson；　the　great　geographer　and　〃setter　forth　of　globes；〃　with　Mr。　Towerson；　Sir　Gilbert　Peckham；　our　old　acquaintance　Captain　John　Winter；　and　last；　but　not　least；　with　Philip　Sidney　himself；　who；　with　his　accustomed　courtesy；　has　given　up　his　rightful　place　toward　the　head　of　the　table　that　he　may　have　a　knot　of　virtuosi　all　to　himself；　and　has　brought　with　him；　of　course；　his　two　especial　intimates；　Mr。　Edward　Dyer　and　Mr。　Francis　Leigh。　　They　too　are　talking　of　the　North…West　passage：　and　Sidney　is　lamenting　that　he　is　tied　to　diplomacy　and　courts；　and　expressing　his　envy　of　old　Martin　Frobisher　in　all　sorts　of　pretty　compliments；　to　which　the　other　replies　that；

〃It's　all　very　fine　to　talk　of　here；　a　sailing　on　dry　land　with　a　good　glass　of　wine　before　you；　but　you'd　find　it　another　guess　sort　of　business；　knocking　about　among　the　icebergs　with　your　beard　frozen　fast　to　your　ruff；　Sir　Philip；　specially　if　you　were　a　bit　squeamish　about　the　stomach。〃

〃That　were　a　slight　matter　to　endure；　my　dear　sir；　if　by　it　I　could　win　the　honor　which　her　majesty　bestowed　on　you；　when　her　own　ivory　hand　waved　a　farewell　'kerchief　to　your　ship　from　the　windows　of　Greenwich　Palace。〃

〃Well；　sir；　folks　say　you　have　no　reason　to　complain　of　lack　of　favors；　as　you　have　no　reason　to　deserve　lack；　and　if　you　can　get　them　by　staying　ashore；　don't　you　go　to　sea　to　look　for　more；　say　I。　　Eh；　Master　Towerson？〃

Towerson's　gray　beard；　which　has　stood　many　a　foreign　voyage；　both