westward ho-第85节

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he　wished　the　crew　to　listen　much　to　his　discourses。　　Frank；　hearing　this；　bade　Amyas　leave　the　offender　to　him；　and　so　began　upon　him　with

〃Come　hither；　thou　recreant　Jack；　thou　lily…livered　Jack；　thou　hysterical　Jack。　　Tell　me　now；　thou　hast　read　Plato's　Dialogues；　and　Aristotle's　Logic？〃

To　which　Jack　very　meekly　answered；　〃Yes。〃

〃Then　I　will　deal　with　thee　after　the　manner　of　those　ancient　sages；　and　ask　whether　the　greater　must　not　contain　the　less？〃

Jack。　　Yes；　sure。

Frank。　　And　that　which　is　more　than　a　part；　contain　that　part；　more　than　which　it　is？

Jack。　　Yes；　sure。

Frank。　　Then　tell　me；　is　not　a　priest　more　than　a　layman？

Jack　（who　was　always　very　loud　about　the　dignity　of　the　priesthood；　as　many　of　his　cloth　are；　who　have　no　other　dignity　whereon　to　stand）　answered　very　boldly；　〃Of　course。〃

Frank。　　Then　a　priest　containeth　a　man；　and　is　a　man；　and　something　overviz；　his　priesthood？

Jack　（who　saw　whither　this　would　lead）。　　I　suppose　so。

Frank。　　Then；　if　a　priest　show　himself　no　man；　he　shows　himself　all　the　more　no　priest？

〃I'll　tell　you　what；　Master　Frank；〃　says　Jack；　〃you　may　be　right　by　logic；　but　sharks　aren't　logic；　nor　don't　understand　it　neither。〃

Frank。　　Nay　but；　my　recalcitrant　Jack；　my　stiff…necked　Jack；　is　it　the　part　of　a　man　to　howl　like　a　pig　in　a　gate；　because　he　thinks　that　is　there　which　is　not　there？

Jack　had　not　a　word　to　say。

Frank。　　And　still　more；　when　if　that　had　been　there；　it　had　been　the　duty　of　a　brave　man　to　have　kept　his　mouth　shut；　if　only　to　keep　salt　water　out；　and　not　add　the　evil　of　choking　to　that　of　being　eaten？

〃Ah！〃　says　Jack；　〃that's　all　very　fine；　but　you　know　as　well　as　I　that　it　was　not　the　Spaniards　I　was　afraid　of。　　They　were　Heaven's　handiwork；　and　I　knew　how　to　deal　with　them；　but　as　for　those　fiends'　spawn　of　sharks；　when　I　saw　that　fellow　take　the　fish　alongside；　it　upset　me　clean；　and　there's　an　end　of　it！〃

Frank。　　Oh；　Jack；　Jack；　behold　how　one　sin　begets　another！　　Just　now　thou　wert　but　a　coward；　and　now　thou　art　a　Manichee。　　For　thou　hast　imputed　to　an　evil　creator　that　which　was　formed　only　for　a　good　end；　namely；　sharks；　which　were　made　on　purpose　to　devour　useless　carcasses　like　thine。　　Moreover；　as　a　brother　of　the　Rose；　thou　wert　bound　by　the　vow　of　thy　brotherhood　to　have　leaped　joyfully　down　that　shark's　mouth。

Jack。　　Ay；　very　likely；　if　Mistress　Rose　had　been　in　his　stomach；　but　I　wanted　to　fight　Spaniards　just　then；　not　to　be　shark…bitten。

Frank。　　Jack；　thy　answer　savors　of　self…will。　　If　it　is　ordained　that　thou　shouldst　advance　the　ends　of　the　Brotherhood　by　being　shark…bitten；　or　flea…bitten；　or　bitten　by　sharpers；　to　the　detriment　of　thy　carnal　wealth；　or；　shortly；　to　suffer　any　shame　or　torment　whatsoever；　even　to　strappado　and　scarpines；　thou　art　bound　to　obey　thy　destiny；　and　not；　after　that　vain　Roman　conceit；　to　choose　the　manner　of　thine　own　death；　which　is　indeed　only　another　sort　of　self…murder。　　We　therefore　consider　thee　as　a　cause　of　scandal；　and　a　rotten　and　creaking　branch；　to　be　excised　by　the　spiritual　arm；　and　do　hereby　excise　thee；　and　cut　thee　off。

Jack。　　Nay　faith；　that's　a　little　too　much；　Master　Frank。　　How　long　have　you　been　Bishop　of　Exeter？

Frank。　　Jack；　thy　wit　being　blinded；　and　full　of　gross　vapors；　by　reason　of　the　perturbations　of　fear　（which；　like　anger；　is　a　short　madness；　and　raises　in　the　phantasy　vain　spectres；videlicet；　of　sharks　and　Spaniards）；　mistakes　our　lucidity。　　For　thy　Manicheeism；　let　his　lordship　of　Exeter　deal　with　it。　　For　thy　abominable　howling　and　caterwauling；　offensive　in　a　chained　cur；　but　scandalous　in　a　preacher　and　a　brother　of　the　Rose；　we　do　hereby　deprive　thee　of　thine　office　of　chaplain　to　the　Brotherhood；　and　warn　thee；　that　unless　within　seven　days　thou　do　some　deed　equal　to　the　Seven　Champions；　or　Ruggiero　and　Orlando's　self；　thou　shalt　be　deprived　of　sword　and　dagger；　and　allowed　henceforth　to　carry　no　more　iron　about　thee　than　will　serve　to　mend　thy　pen。

〃And　now；　Jack；〃　said　Amyas；　〃I　will　give　thee　a　piece　of　news。　　No　wonder　that　young　men；　as　the　parsons　complain　so　loudly；　will　not　listen　to　the　Gospel；　while　it　is　preached　to　them　by　men　on　whom　they　cannot　but　look　down；　a　set　of　softhanded　fellows　who　cannot　dig；　and　are　ashamed　to　beg；　and；　as　my　brother　has　it；　must　needs　be　parsons　before　they　are　men。

Frank。　　Ay；　and　even　though　we　may　excuse　that　in　Popish　priests　and　friars；　who　are　vowed　not　to　be　men；　and　get　their　bread　shamefully　and　rascally　by　telling　sinners　who　owe　a　hundred　measures　to　sit　down　quickly　and　take　their　bill　and　write　fifty：　yet　for　a　priest　of　the　Church　of　England　（whose　business　is　not　merely　to　smuggle　sinful　souls　up　the　backstairs　into　heaven；　but　to　make　men　good　Christians　by　making　them　good　men；　good　gentlemen；　and　good　Englishmen）　to　show　the　white　feather　in　the　hour　of　need；　is　to　unpreach　in　one　minute　all　that　he　had　been　preaching　his　life　long。

〃I　tell　thee；〃　says　Amyas；　〃if　I　had　not　taken　thee　for　another　guess　sort　of　man；　I　had　never　let　thee　have　the　care　of　a　hundred　brave　lads'　immortal　souls〃

And　so　on；　both　of　them　boarding　him　at　once　with　their　heavy　shot；　larboard　and　starboard；　till　he　fairly　clapped　his　hands　to　his　ears　and　ran　for　it；　leaving　poor　Frank　laughing　so　heartily；　that　Amyas　was　after　all　glad　the　thing　had　happened；　for　the　sake　of　the　smile　which　it　put　into　his　sad　and　steadfast　countenance。

The　next　day　was　Sunday；　on　which；　after　divine　service　（which　they　could　hardly　persuade　Jack　to　read；　so　shamefaced　was　he；　and　as　for　preaching　after　it；　he　would　not　hear　of　such　a　thing）；　Amyas　read　aloud；　according　to　custom；　the　articles　of　their　agreement；　and　then　seeing　abreast　of　them　a　sloping　beach　with　a　shoot　of　clear　water　running　into　the　sea；　agreed　that　they　should　land　there；　wash　the　clothes；　and　again　water　the　ship；　for　they　had　found　water　somewhat　scarce　at　Barbados。　　On　this　party　Jack　Brimblecombe　must　needs　go；　taking　with　him　his　sword　and　a　great　arquebuse；　for　he　had　dreamed　last　night　（he　said）　that　he　was　set　upon　by　Spaniards；　and　was　sure　that　the　dream　would　come　true；　and　moreover；　that　he　did　not　very　much　care　if　they　did；　or　if　he　ever　got　back　alive；　〃for　it　was　better　to　die　than　be　made　an　ape；　and　a　scarecrow；　and　laughed　at　by　the　men；　and　badgered　with　Ramus　his　logic；　and　Plato　his　dialectical　devilries；　to　confess　himself　a　Manichee；　and；　for　aught　he　knew；　a　turbaned　Turk；　or　Hebrew　Jew；〃　and　so　flung　into　the　boat　like　a　man　desperate。

So　they　went　ashore；　after　Amyas　had　given　strict　commands　against　letting　off　firearms；　for　fear　of　alarming　the　Spaniards。　　There　they　washed　their　clothes；　and　stretched　their　legs　with　great　joy；　admiring　the　beauty　of　the　place；　and　then　began　to　shoot　the　seine　which　they　had　brought　on　shore　with　them。　　〃In　which；〃　says　the　chronicler；　〃we　caught　many　strange　fishes；　and　beside　them；　a　sea…　cow　full　seven　feet　long；　with　limpets　and　barnacles　on　her　back；　as　if　she　had　been　a　stick　of　drift…timber。　　This　is　a　fond　and　foolish　beast：　and　yet　pious　withal；　for　finding　a　corpse；　she　watches　over　it　day　and　night　until　it　decay　or　be　buried。　　The　Indians　call　her　manati；　who　carries　her　young　under　her　arm；　and　gives　it　suck　like　a　woman；　and　being　wounded；　she　lamenteth　aloud　with　a　human　voice；　and　is　said　at　certain　seasons　to　sing　very　melodiously；　which　melody；　perhaps；　having　been　heard　in　those　seas；　is　that　which　Mr。　Frank　reported　to　be　the　choirs　of　the　Sirens　and　Tritons。　　The　which　I　do　not　avouch　for　truth；　neither　rashly　deny；　having　seen　myself　such　fertility　of　Nature's　wonders　that　I　hold　him　who　denieth　aught　merely　for　its　strangeness　to　be　a　ribald　and　an　ignoramus。　　Also　one　of　our　men　brought　in　two　great　black　fowls　which　he　had　shot　with　a　crossbow；　bodied　and　headed　like　a　capon；　but　bigger　than　any　eagle；　which　the　Spaniards　call　curassos；　which；　with　that　sea…cow；　afterwards　made　us　good　cheer；　both　roast　and　sodden；　for　the　cow　was　very　dainty　meat；　as　good　as　a　four…months'　calf；　and　tender　and　fat　withal。〃

After　that　they　set　to　work　filling　the　casks　and　barricos；　having　laid　the　boat　up　to　the　outflow　of　the　rivulet。　　And　lucky　for　them　it　was；　as　it　fell　out；　that　they　were　all　close　together　at　that　work；　and　not　abroad　skylarking　as　they　had　been　half…an…hour　before。

Now　John　Brimblecombe　had　gone　apart　as　soon　as　they　landed；　with　a　shamefaced　and　doleful　countenance；　and　sitting　down　under　a　great　tree；　plucked　a　Bible　from　his　bosom；　and　read　steadfastly；　girded　with　his　great　sword；　and　his　arquebuse　lying　by　him。　　This　too　was　well　for　him；　and　for　the　rest；　for　they　had　not　yet　finished　their　watering；　when　there　was　a　cry　that　the　enemy　was　on　them；　and　out　of　the　wood；　not　twenty　yards　from　the　good　parson；　came　full　fifty　shot；　with　a　multitude　of　negroes　behind　them；　and　an　officer　in　front　on　horseback；　with　a　great　plume　of　feathers　in　his　hat；　and　his　sword　drawn　in　his　hand。

〃Stand；　for　your　lives！〃　shouted　Amyas：　and　only　just　in　time；　for　there　was　ten　good　minutes　lost　in　running　up　and　down　before　he　could　get　his　men　into　some　order　of　battle。　　But　when　Jack　beheld　the　Spaniards；　as　if　he　had　expected　their