westward ho-第81节

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Frank　smiled。

〃Have　you　never　read　of　that　knighthood　which　is　eternal　in　the　heavens；　and　of　those　true　cavaliers　whom　John　saw　in　Patmos；　riding　on　white　horses；　clothed　in　fine　linen；　white　and　clean；　knights…errant　in　the　everlasting　war　against　the　False　Prophet　and　the　Beast？　　Let　me　but　become　worthy　of　their　ranks　hereafter；　what　matter　whether　I　be　called　Sir　Frank　on　earth？〃

〃My　son；〃　said　Mrs。　Leigh；　〃remember　that　they　follow　One　whose　vesture　is　dipped；　not　in　the　blood　of　His　enemies；　but　in　His　own。〃

〃I　have　remembered　it　for　many　a　day；　and　remembered；　too；　that　the　garments　of　the　knights　may　need　the　same　tokens　as　their　captain's。〃

〃Oh；　Frank！　Frank！　is　not　His　precious　blood　enough　to　cleanse　all　sin；　without　the　sacrifice　of　our　own？〃

〃We　may　need　no　more　than　His　blood；　mother；　and　yet　He　may　need　ours；〃　said　Frank。

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How　that　conversation　ended　I　know　not；　nor　whether　Spenser　fulfilled　his　purpose　of　introducing　the　two　brothers　and　their　mother　into　his　〃Faerie　Queene。〃　　If　so；　the　manuscripts　must　have　been　lost　among　those　which　perished　（along　with　Spenser's　baby）　in　the　sack　of　Kilcolman　by　the　Irish　in　1598。　　But　we　need　hardly　regret　the　loss　of　them；　for　the　temper　of　the　Leighs　and　their　mother　is　the　same　which　inspires　every　canto　of　that　noblest　of　poems；　and　which　inspired；　too；　hundreds　in　those　noble　days；　when　the　chivalry　of　the　Middle　Ages　was　wedded　to　the　free　thought　and　enterprise　of　the　new。

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So　mother　and　sons　returned　to　Bideford；　and　set　to　work。　　Frank　mortgaged　a　farm；　Will　Cary　did　the　same　（having　some　land　of　his　own　from　his　mother）。　　Old　Salterne　grumbled　at　any　man　save　himself　spending　a　penny　on　the　voyage；　and　forced　on　the　adventurers　a　good　ship　of　two　hundred　tons　burden；　and　five　hundred　pounds　toward　fitting　her　out；　Mrs。　Leigh　worked　day　and　night　at　clothes　and　comforts　of　every　kind；　Amyas　had　nothing　to　give　but　his　time　and　his　brains：　but；　as　Salterne　said；　the　rest　would　have　been　of　little　use　without　them；　and　day　after　day　he　and　the　old　merchant　were　on　board　the　ship；　superintending　with　their　own　eyes　the　fitting　of　every　rope　and　nail。　　Cary　went　about　beating　up　recruits；　and　made；　with　his　jests　and　his　frankness；　the　best　of　crimps：　while　John　Brimblecombe；　beside　himself　with　joy；　toddled　about　after　him　from　tavern　to　tavern；　and　quay　to　quay；　exalted　for　the　time　being　（as　Cary　told　him）　into　a　second　Peter　the　Hermit；　and　so　fiercely　did　he　preach　a　crusade　against　the　Spaniards；　through　Bideford　and　Appledore；　Clovelly　and　Ilfracombe；　that　Amyas　might　have　had　a　hundred　and　fifty　loose　fellows　in　the　first　fortnight。　　But　he　knew　better：　still　smarting　from　the　effects　of　a　similar　haste　in　the　Newfoundland　adventure；　he　had　determined　to　take　none　but　picked　men；　and　by　dint　of　labor　he　obtained　them。

Only　one　scapegrace　did　he　take　into　his　crew；　named　Parracombe；　and　by　that　scapegrace　hangs　a　tale。　　He　was　an　old　schoolfellow　of　his　at　Bideford；　and　son　of　a　merchant　in　that　townone　of　those　unlucky　members　who　are　〃nobody's　enemy　but　their　own〃a　handsome；　idle；　clever　fellow；　who　used　his　scholarship；　of　which　he　had　picked　up　some　smattering；　chiefly　to　justify　his　own　escapades；　and　to　string　songs　together。　　Having　drunk　all　that　he　was　worth　at　home；　he　had　in　a　penitent　fit　forsworn　liquor；　and　tormented　Amyas　into　taking　him　to　sea；　where　he　afterwards　made　as　good　a　sailor　as　any　one　else；　but　sorely　scandalized　John　Brimblecombe　by　all　manner　of　heretical　arguments；　half　Anacreontic；　half　smacking　of　the　rather　loose　doctrines　of　that　〃Family　of　Love〃　which　tormented　the　orthodoxy　and　morality　of　more　than　one　Bishop　of　Exeter。　　Poor　Will　Parracombe！　he　was　born　a　few　centuries　too　early。　　Had　he　but　lived　now；　he　might　have　published　a　volume　or　two　of　poetry；　and　then　settled　down　on　the　staff　of　a　newspaper。　Had　he　even　lived　thirty　years　later　than　he　did；　he　might　have　written　frantic　tragedies　or　filthy　comedies　for　the　edification　of　James's　profligate　metropolis；　and　roistered　it　in　taverns　with　Marlowe；　to　die　as　Marlowe　did；　by　a　footman's　sword　in　a　drunken　brawl。　　But　in　those　stern　days　such　weak　and　hysterical　spirits　had　no　fair　vent　for　their　〃humors；〃　save　in　being　reconciled　to　the　Church　of　Rome；　and　plotting　with　Jesuits　to　assassinate　the　queen；　as　Parry　and　Somerville；　and　many　other　madmen；　did。

So；　at　least；　some　Jesuit　or　other　seems　to　have　thought；　shortly　after　Amyas　had　agreed　to　give　the　spendthrift　a　berth　on　board。　For　one　day　Amyas；　going　down　to　Appledore　about　his　business；　was　called　into　the　little　Mariners'　Rest　inn；　to　extract　therefrom　poor　Will　Parracombe；　who　（in　spite　of　his　vow）　was　drunk　and　outrageous；　and　had　vowed　the　death　of　the　landlady　and　all　her　kin。　　So　Amyas　fetched　him　out　by　the　collar；　and　walked　him　home　thereby　to　Bideford；　during　which　walk　Will　told　him　a　long　and　confused　story；　how　an　Egyptian　rogue　had　met　him　that　morning　on　the　sands　by　Boathythe；　offered　to　tell　his　fortune；　and　prophesied　to　him　great　wealth　and　honor；　but　not　from　the　Queen　of　England；　had　coaxed　him　to　the　Mariners'　Rest；　and　gambled　with　him　for　liquor；　at　which　it　seemed　Will　always　won；　and　of　course　drank　his　winnings　on　the　spot；　whereon　the　Egyptian　began　asking　him　all　sorts　of　questions　about　the　projected　voyage　of　the　Rosea　good　many　of　which；　Will　confessed；　he　had　answered　before　he　saw　the　fellow's　drift；　after　which　the　Egyptian　had　offered　him　a　vast　sum　of　money　to　do　some　desperate　villainy；　but　whether　it　was　to　murder　Amyas　or　the　queen；　whether　to　bore　a　hole　in　the　bottom　of　the　good　ship　Rose　or　to　set　the　Torridge　on　fire　by　art…magic；　he　was　too　drunk　to　recollect　exactly。　　Whereon　Amyas　treated　three…　quarters　of　the　story　as　a　tipsy　dream；　and　contented　himself　by　getting　a　warrant　against　the　landlady　for　harboring　〃Egyptians；〃　which　was　then　a　heavy　offencea　gipsy　disguise　being　a　favorite　one　with　Jesuits　and　their　emissaries。　　She　of　course　denied　that　any　gipsy　had　been　there；　and　though　there　were　some　who　thought　they　had　seen　such　a　man　come　in；　none　had　seen　him　go　out　again。　On　which　Amyas　took　occasion　to　ask；　what　had　become　of　the　suspicious　Popish　ostler　whom　he　had　seen　at　the　Mariners'　Rest　three　years　before；　and　discovered；　to　his　surprise；　that　the　said　ostler　had　vanished　from　the　very　day　of　Don　Guzman's　departure　from　Bideford。　　There　was　evidently　a　mystery　somewhere：　but　nothing　could　be　proved；　the　landlady　was　dismissed　with　a　reprimand；　and　Amyas　soon　forgot　the　whole　matter；　after　rating　Parracombe　soundly。　　After　all；　he　could　not　have　told　the　gipsy　（if　one　existed）　anything　important；　for　the　special　destination　of　the　voyage　（as　was　the　custom　in　those　times；　for　fear　of　Jesuits　playing　into　the　hands　of　Spain）　had　been　carefully　kept　secret　among　the　adventurers　themselves；　and；　except　Yeo　and　Drew；　none　of　the　men　had　any　suspicion　that　La　Guayra　was　to　be　their　aim。

And　Salvation　Yeo？

Salvation　was　almost　wild　for　a　few　days；　at　the　sudden　prospect　of　going　in　search　of　his　little　maid；　and　of　fighting　Spaniards　once　more　before　he　died。　　I　will　not　quote　the　texts　out　of　Isaiah　and　the　Psalms　with　which　his　mouth　was　filled　from　morning　to　night；　for　fear　of　seeming　irreverent　in　the　eyes　of　a　generation　which　does　not　believe；　as　Yeo　believed；　that　fighting　the　Spaniards　was　as　really　fighting　in　God's　battle　against　evil　as　were　the　wars　of　Joshua　or　David。　　But　the　old　man　had　his　practical　hint　too；　and　entreated　to　be　sent　back　to　Plymouth　to　look　for　men。

〃There's　many　a　man　of　the　old　Pelican；　sir；　and　of　Captain　Hawkins's　Minion　that　knows　the　Indies　as　well　as　I；　and　longs　to　be　back　again。　　There's　Drew；　sir；　that　we　left　behind　（and　no　better　sailing…master　for　us　in　the　West…country；　and　has　accounts　against　the　Spaniards；　too；　for　it　was　his　brother；　the　Barnstaple　man；　that　was　factor　aboard　of　poor　Mr。　Andrew　Barker；　and　got　clapt　into　the　Inquisition　at　the　Canaries）；　you　promised　him；　sir；　that　night　he　stood　by　you　on　board　the　Raleigh：　and　if　you'll　be　as　good　as　your　word；　he'll　be　as　good　as　his；　and　bring　a　score　more　brave　fellows　with　him。〃

So　off　went　Yeo　to　Plymouth；　and　returned　with　Drew　and　a　score　of　old　never…strikes。　　One　look　at　their　visages；　as　Yeo　proudly　ushered　them　into　the　Ship　Tavern；　showed　Amyas　that　they　were　of　the　metal　which　he　wanted；　and　that；　with　the　four　North…Devon　men　who　had　gone　round　the　world　with　him　in　the　Pelican　（who　all　joined　in　the　first　week）；　he　had　a　reserve…force　on　which　he　could　depend　in　utter　need；　and　that　utter　need　might　come　he　knew　as　well　as　any。

Nor　was　this　all　which　Yeo　had　brought；　for　he　had　with　him　a　letter　from　Sir　Francis　Drake；　full　of　regrets　that　he　had　not　seen　〃his　dear　lad〃　as　he　went　through　Plymouth。　　〃But　indeed　I　was　up　to　Dartmoor；　surveying　with　cross…staff　and　chain；　over　my　knees　in　bog　for　a　three　weeks　or　more。　　For　I　have　a　project　to　bring　down　a　leat　of　fair　water　from　the　hill…tops　right　into　Plymouth　town；　cutting　off　the　heads　of　Tavy；　Meavy；　Wallcomb；　and　West　Dart；　and　thereby　purging　Ply