The Knight Of The Golden Melice, John Turvill Adams [the reading list TXT] 📗

Your Understanding; Your Freedom Of Speech, Therefore,

Because In Favor Of Mercy, Shall Not Prejudice, Though It Might Injure

You Were It To Reach The Ears Of Some Of Whom We Wot. But Know, Sir

Christopher, That Your Zeal Makes You Unjust, And That You Have

Defamed A God Fearing Commonwealth, And One In Covenant With God. Not

Without His Guidance Did We Trust Ourselves To A Waging Sea, Calmed

For Our Sake By His Breath; And Not Without His Inspiration Are We

Building Up A State, After His Own Divine Model, Which Shall Be The

Admiration Of The World. The Kings Of The Earth May Rise Up, And The

Heathen Rage, And The People Imagine A Vain Thing; But Know, Sir

Christopher, That The Gates Of Hell Shall Not Prevail Against Us."

  

 

As The Usually Calm Winthrop Concluded His Prophecy, He Smote The

Table With His Hand, As If To Give Emphasis To His Words.

 

  

"My Wise, And Prudent, And Most Valued Friend," Said Sir Christopher,

Rising And Approaching The Governor, "Pardon Me, If With Sacrilegious,

Though Unwitting Hand, I Have Touched The Sacred Ark Of Your Faith.

But I Were Meaner Than A Stock Or A Stone; I Were Duller Than An

Insensible Clod; I Were Worse Than An Idolatrous Heathen Or A Beast,

If I Were Unwilling To Encounter Any Danger, Even To The Hazard Of

Losing Your Friendship, For The Sake Of A Man, Who, At The Risk Of His

Own Life, Saved Mine."

 

  

"I Heard Not Of Your Debt Before," Said Winthrop.

 

  

"It Was In Moldavia, On The Bloody Field Of Choczim, Where The Poles

Defeated The Turks. I Was Then But A Stripling, And The Impetuosity Of

Youth, Or The Fiery Temper Of My Horse, Had Borne Me In Advance Of My

Friends, When I Was Surrounded By The Infidels And Hard Bested, And My

Life Beyond Peradventure Had Paid The Penalty Of My Rashness, And My

Bones Been Left Cleaned By The Wolf's Teeth To Whiten On The Sand, But

For This Valiant Soldier. Disregarding Danger, He Leaped Among The

Foe, And So Lustily Plied His Blows, That Together We Bore The Turbans

Down, Until His Bridle-Hand Was Struck. Then Was It Time To Fall Back,

For Verily We Had Need Of Both Hands, With The One To Guide Out

Horses, And With The Other To Defend Our Heads. I Seized His Rein, And

With Our Flashing Swords, Side By Side, We Fought Our Way Through The

Throng. Judge, Then, If I Were Not An Ingrate To Forget The Service."

 

  

"It Is A Pity, For The Sake Of The Prisoner," Said Winthrop, "That

Either Standish Or Endicott Is Not In My Place: A Tale Of Daring Were

Sure To Win Their Ears, And Upon Its Recital, The Cause Were As Good

As Gained; But Much As I Admire The Valor Of The Soldier And Respect

Your Feelings, I, Who Was Bred A Lawyer, And Not A Warrior, See Not

Therein A Motive To Grant Your Request."

  

 

"If Friendship For Me, And Personal Merit In The Man, Avail Not To

Move You, At Least Listen To The Voice Of Humanity. You Intend Not

Surely To Murder Him." 

 

 

"What?" Exclaimed Winthrop. "Speak Plainer, Sir Christopher."

  

 

"I Say, Honored Sir, That The Treatment Of This Joy, For An Offence

Which Can Rank As A Crime Only By Reason Of Some Peculiarity In Your

Situation, Justifying Extraordinary Severity, Is Unworthy Of You As

The Vicegerent Of His Majesty In This Colony.

 

  

"Methinks," Said Winthrop, Coldly And Formally, "You Have Already, In

Other Phrase, Said The Same Thing." 

 

 

"But I Aver Now That This Hapless, And, But For Me, Unfriended Man,

(Alas That My Influence In His Behalf Is Less Than Nought,) Is Likely

To Escape The Greater Part Of His Sentence, By Perishing On Your

Hands, If Not Soon Released From Confinement."

 

  

"Is He Ill?"

 

  

"Ill Unto Death. I Fear. Surely You Cannot Be Acquainted With The

Cruelties Practised Upon Him. I Have Not Beholden Them With Mine Own

Eyes; But My Knowledge Is This--As Soon As I Heard Of Philip's

Misfortune, In Whom, Why I Feel An Interest You Now Know, I Hastened

To His Prison, And There, With Some Difficulty Learned, That Not Only

Is He Manacled, And His Ancles Chained, But Also Is Confined By A Band

Of Iron Around His Body, To A Post Erected In The Centre Of His

Dungeon, So As To Be Unable To Lie Down, Under A Pretext Of The

Desperation Of The Man And The Weakness Of His Dungeon."

 

 

 "Believe Me, Sir Christopher, I Knew Not This; But The Thing Shall Be

Looked Into, And If There Be No Error In Your Information, I Will

Venture To Brave The Resentment Of My Colleagues And The Rest, And

Release This Joy For The Present, Taking Such Order In Other Respects

That The Remaining Sentence Of The Court Shall Not Remain A Nullity."

 

  

"I Pray You, Excellent Sir, Of Your Bounty, To Be Speedy In The

Inquiry Into This Matter," Urged The Knight, "Being Well Assured That

You Will Find My Information Verified."

 

  

"Rest Satisfied With My Peremptory Promise," Replied Winthrop. "And

Now, Sir Christopher, That This Business Which You Have So Much At

Heart Is In A Fair Train To Arrive At A Result To Content You, Tell Me

Something Of Your Doings At The Mount Of Promise, As It Is Your

Pleasure To Call Your Retirement. How Fares It With Your Kinswoman,

The Lady Geraldine? Time, I Trust, Doth Blunt The Edge Of Her

Melancholy."

 

  

"Alas, No! She Still Continues To Grieve With An Unreasonable Grief.

Time Brings No Balm." 

 

 

"It Should Not Be So. The Sooner We Become Reconciled To The

Afflictive Dispensations Of Providence (Under Which I Understand She

Suffers,) The Better For Both Soul's And Body's Health."

 

  

"There Are Some Natures, Whereupon, When An Impression Is Once Made,

It Is Not Readily Effaced, And The Lady Geraldine's Is Such. Yet Do I

Not Despair Of Her Restoration To Tranquillity."

 

  

"I Must Request Godly Mr. Eliot To Visit Her. There Is No Soother So

Effectual As The Soft Voice Of The Gospel. But For Yourself, Sir

Christopher, Tire You Not Of The Monotony Of Your Forest Life?" 

 

 

"So Far Therefrom, I Love It Hourly More. My Early Days Were Wild And

Stormy, Of Some Particulars Whereof I Have Possessed You; And Although

I Have Not Reached My Meridian, Yet Am I Satiated With Vanity. I Am

Like A Ship, Whose Tempest-Beaten Sides Rest Sweetly In A Haven. As

Contentedly She Hears The Winds Howling Without, So I Listen From Afar

To The Uproar Of The World, And Pleased, Contrast My Calm Therewith."

  

 

"Man Was Not Made For Inaction," Said Winthrop.

 

  

"I Shun No Honorable Labor. Instruct Me How To Be Useful To The Little

State Which Enjoys The Happiness To Call You Father And Ruler, And No

Toil Or Danger But Shall Be Welcome."

  

 

"You Know There Is But One Difficulty That Stands In Your Way To

Occupy The Position Due To Both Your Rank And Merit."

 

  

A Shadow Passed Over The Face Of The Knight.

  

 

"We Will Not Speak Thereof," He Said. "When I Offered To Join The

Congregation, Who Would Have Thought That So Trifling A Difference

Could Close Your Bosoms Against Me?"

 

  

"Call Not The Difference Slight, Nor Our Bosoms Closed," Answered

Winthrop; "But I Trust That Further Reflection, Your Spirit Being

Lighted By Beams Of Grace, Will Convince You That In Our Exposition We

Erred Not."

 

  

At This Moment A Slight Rustling Was Heard At The Other End Of The

Apartment, And The Knight Turning, Beheld A Man Having The Appearance

Of A Servant Advancing.

  

 

"How Now, Sirrah," Cried Winthrop, "What Means This Intrusion?"

  

 

"I Thought I Heard The Governor Call," Said The Man.

 

 

"I Called Not," Said Winthrop; "But Being Here, Bring Refreshments.

His Presence Opportunely Reminds Me," He Added, Turning To The Knight,

"Of My Breach Of Hospitality, Occasioned By My Interest In The

Conversation." 

 

 

In A Short Time The Servant Returned Bearing A Silver Salver, On Which

Were Placed Wine And A Venison Pasty, (For The Robuster Appetites Of

Our Ancestors Would Have Scorned More Delicate Viands,) Which He

Placed On A Sideboard.

  

 

Before The Knight Addressed Himself To The Pasty, Which He Soon Did,

With An Appetite Sharpened By His Morning Ride, He Filled Two Goblets

With Wine, And Presenting One To His Host, Begged To Pledge Him In A

Health To The Prosperity Of The Infant Commonwealth.

  

 

"The Building Up Of Our Zion Lies Nearest My Heart, And Unceasingly Do

My Prayers Ascend On Her Behalf," Answered Winthrop; "But--Think Me

Not Discourteous--I May Not, Without Sin, Comply With Your Request In

The Drinking Of Healths."

  

 

"How!" Exclaimed The Knight, "Is There Any Forbidding Thereof In Holy

Scripture?"

 

  

"Nay, I Find No Interdiction Therein, But Manifold Cause In The Reason

Of The Thing Itself For The Suppressing Of A Vain Custom. Thus Do I

Argue: Every Empty And Ineffectual Representation Of Serious Things Is

A Way Of Vanity. But This Custom Is Such; For It Is Intended To Hold

Forth Love And Wishes Of Health, Which Are Serious Things, By

Drinking, Which Neither In The Nature Nor Use It Is Able To Effect,

For It Is Looked At As A Mere Compliment, And Is Not Taken As An

Argument Of Love, Which Ought To Be Unfeigned. Or The Same Proposition

May Be Proved Diversely, As Thus: To Employ The Custom, Out Of Its

Natural Use, Without Warrant Of Authority, Necessity Or Conveniency,

Is A Way Of Vanity. But This Custom Doth. Or, Again; Such A Resolution

As Frees A Man From Frequent And Needless Temptations, To Dissemble

Love, _Et Cetera_, (Quatenus It Doth So,) Is A Wholesome Resolution.

But This Resolution Doth. _Ergo_, Sir Christopher, Pray Have Me (With

Protestation Of No Discourtesy) Excused."

  

 

"Although Your Scruples Appear Strange, Yet Will I Respect Them, My

Honored Host, As It Becomes Me To, Any Opinion Entertained By You,"

Replied The Knight; "But If The Tongue Be Tied, The Spirit, At Least,

Is Free To Indulge In Wishes For Your Welfare." 

 

 

So Saying, He Raised The Goblet To His Lips, And Drained It Of Its

Contents. Nor Did The Governor, Though Refusing To Join In The Idle

Custom Of Drinking Healths, Which, By His Influence, Had Been Pretty

Generally Banished From The Tables Of The Principal Inhabitants,

Decline A Draught, Therein Bearing In Mind The Advice Of Paul To

Timothy, And Considering It An Allowable Solace And Strengthener To

Enable Him The Better To Bear The Cares Of State. Upon The Conclusion

Of The Interview, The Knight Courteously Took Leave, After Thanking

The Governor For His Promise In Behalf Of The Imprisoned Soldier, And,

Mounting His Horse, Returned The Way He Came.

  

 

When He Was Gone, Winthrop Fell Into A Fit Of Musing.

  

 

"What Am I To Think Of This Man?" (Such Was The Tenor Of His

Reflections.) "Is He What He Appears? Doth The Garniture Of His Spirit

Conform To The Polished And Attractive Surface? Is He, As Sometimes

From His Language Might Be Surmised, One Who, Though Young In Years,

Is Old In Experience, And Hath Already Discovered How Unsatisfactory

Are The Vanities Of The World? There Be Such Men In These Strange

Days. And Yet, How Wonderfully Hath He Preserved His Cheerfulness, And

Though Chastened, Is Not Cast Down! That He Hath Been A Cavalier, I

Plainly See, And He Doth Admit; That He Is Fit At Present To Be One Of

Us, I Doubt; That He Will Be, I Hope. The Jealous Dudley, The

Suspicious Endicott, And The Subtle Spikeman, Are Disposed To Regard

Him As One Who, Under The Mask Of An Angel Of Light, Doth Conceal

Dangerous Designs; As A Plotter Of Mischief; Some Cunning Tool Of Our

Enemies, Who Have Sent Him Hither To Creep Into Our Confidence, That

He May The Better Detect Our Weakness And Confound Our Plans. I Cannot

Harbor These Latter Notions. There Is That About The Knight Which

Gives The Lie To Suspicion. Who Can Look Upon His Noble Countenance

And Listen To The Tones Of His Sincere Voice, And Not Be Satisfied Of

His Truth? Did He Not, On His Arrival, Communicate To Me His Views,

Which, However Romantic, Are Consistent Both With The Training Of His

Previous Life And The Change Which Hath Been Effected In His Feelings?

And Doubtful Myself, Lest The Gracious Impression He Made Upon Me

Might Pervert My Judgment, Did I Not Set A Watch Upon His Motions, And

Find Them All To Harmonize With His Frank And Gallant Bearing? I See

No Cause To Alter My Conduct Or Withdraw My Confidence. Yet Will I Be

Guarded In Our Intercourse. If I Err, It Shall Be On The Side Of

Prudence; But This Matter Whereunto He Hath Called My Attention, Shall

Forthwith Be Searched. It Were Shame If The Cruelty Whereof He

Complains Has Been Practised. Ah Me, The Eye Of The Ruler Cannot Be

Everywhere! There Be Those Who Already Term Our Justice Tyranny, And

Who Would Be Glad To Be Furnished With Another Occasion