westward ho-第6节

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m　one　high…born　matron　and　another；　till　the　churchwardens　and　sidesmen；　who　never　had　before　so　goodly　a　company　to　arrange；　have　bustled　themselves　hot；　and　red；　and　frantic；　and　end　by　imploring　abjectly　the　help　of　the　great　Sir　Richard　himself　to　tell　them　who　everybody　is；　and　which　is　the　elder　branch；　and　which　is　the　younger；　and　who　carries　eight　quarterings　in　their　arms；　and　who　only　four；　and　so　prevent　their　setting　at　deadly　feud　half　the　fine　ladies　of　North　Devon；　for　the　old　men　are　all　safe　packed　away　in　the　corporation　pews；　and　the　young　ones　care　only　to　get　a　place　whence　they　may　eye　the　ladies。　　And　at　last　there　is　a　silence；　and　a　looking　toward　the　door；　and　then　distant　music；　flutes　and　hautboys；　drums　and　trumpets；　which　come　braying；　and　screaming；　and　thundering　merrily　up　to　the　very　church　doors；　and　then　cease；　and　the　churchwardens　and　sidesmen　bustle　down　to　the　entrance；　rods　in　hand；　and　there　is　a　general　whisper　and　rustle；　not　without　glad　tears　and　blessings　from　many　a　woman；　and　from　some　men　also；　as　the　wonder　of　the　day　enters；　and　the　rector　begins；　not　the　morning　service；　but　the　good　old　thanksgiving　after　a　victory　at　sea。

And　what　is　it　which　has　thus　sent　old　Bideford　wild　with　that　〃goodly　joy　and　pious　mirth；〃　of　which　we　now　only　retain　traditions　in　our　translation　of　the　Psalms？　　Why　are　all　eyes　fixed；　with　greedy　admiration；　on　those　four　weather…beaten　mariners；　decked　out　with　knots　and　ribbons　by　loving　hands；　and　yet　more　on　that　gigantic　figure　who　walks　before　them；　a　beardless　boy；　and　yet　with　the　frame　and　stature　of　a　Hercules；　towering；　like　Saul　of　old；　a　head　and　shoulders　above　all　the　congregation；　with　his　golden　locks　flowing　down　over　his　shoulders？　　And　why；　as　the　five　go　instinctively　up　to　the　altar；　and　there　fall　on　their　knees　before　the　rails；　are　all　eyes　turned　to　the　pew　where　Mrs。　Leigh　of　Burrough　has　hid　her　face　between　her　hands；　and　her　hood　rustles　and　shakes　to　her　joyful　sobs？　　Because　there　was　fellow…　feeling　of　old　in　merry　England；　in　county　and　in　town；　and　these　are　Devon　men；　and　men　of　Bideford；　whose　names　are　Amyas　Leigh　of　Burrough；　John　Staveley；　Michael　Heard；　and　Jonas　Marshall　of　Bideford；　and　Thomas　Braund　of　Clovelly：　and　they；　the　first　of　all　English　mariners；　have　sailed　round　the　world　with　Francis　Drake；　and　are　come　hither　to　give　God　thanks。

It　is　a　long　story。　　To　explain　how　it　happened　we　must　go　back　for　a　page　or　two；　almost　to　the　point　from　whence　we　started　in　the　last　chapter。

For　somewhat　more　than　a　twelvemonth　after　Mr。　Oxenham's　departure；　young　Amyas　had　gone　on　quietly　enough；　according　to　promise；　with　the　exception　of　certain　occasional　outbursts　of　fierceness　common　to　all　young　male　animals；　and　especially　to　boys　of　any　strength　of　character。　　His　scholarship；　indeed；　progressed　no　better　than　before；　but　his　home　education　went　on　healthily　enough；　and　he　was　fast　becoming；　young　as　he　was；　a　right　good　archer；　and　rider；　and　swordsman　（after　the　old　school　of　buckler　practice）；　when　his　father；　having　gone　down　on　business　to　the　Exeter　Assizes；　caught　（as　was　too　common　in　those　days）　the　gaol…fever　from　the　prisoners；　sickened　in　the　very　court；　and　died　within　a　week。

And　now　Mrs。　Leigh　was　left　to　God　and　her　own　soul；　with　this　young　lion…cub　in　leash；　to　tame　and　train　for　this　life　and　the　life　to　come。　　She　had　loved　her　husband　fervently　and　holily。　　He　had　been　often　peevish；　often　melancholy；　for　he　was　a　disappointed　man；　with　an　estate　impoverished　by　his　father's　folly；　and　his　own　youthful　ambition；　which　had　led　him　up　to　Court；　and　made　him　waste　his　heart　and　his　purse　in　following　a　vain　shadow。　　He　was　one　of　those　men；　moreover；　who　possess　almost　every　gift　except　the　gift　of　the　power　to　use　them；　and　though　a　scholar；　a　courtier；　and　a　soldier；　he　had　found　himself；　when　he　was　past　forty；　without　settled　employment　or　aim　in　life；　by　reason　of　a　certain　shyness；　pride；　or　delicate　honor　（call　it　which　you　will）；　which　had　always　kept　him　from　playing　a　winning　game　in　that　very　world　after　whose　prizes　he　hankered　to　the　last；　and　on　which　he　revenged　himself　by　continual　grumbling。　　At　last；　by　his　good　luck；　he　met　with　a　fair　young　Miss　Foljambe；　of　Derbyshire；　then　about　Queen　Elizabeth's　Court；　who　was　as　tired　as　he　of　the　sins　of　the　world；　though　she　had　seen　less　of　them；　and　the　two　contrived　to　please　each　other　so　well；　that　though　the　queen　grumbled　a　little；　as　usual；　at　the　lady　for　marrying；　and　at　the　gentleman　for　adoring　any　one　but　her　royal　self；　they　got　leave　to　vanish　from　the　little　Babylon　at　Whitehall；　and　settle　in　peace　at　Burrough。　　In　her　he　found　a　treasure；　and　he　knew　what　he　had　found。

Mrs。　Leigh　was；　and　had　been　from　her　youth；　one　of　those　noble　old　English　churchwomen；　without　superstition；　and　without　severity；　who　are　among　the　fairest　features　of　that　heroic　time。　　There　was　a　certain　melancholy　about　her；　nevertheless；　for　the　recollections　of　her　childhood　carried　her　back　to　times　when　it　was　an　awful　thing　to　be　a　Protestant。　　She　could　remember　among　them；　five…and…　twenty　years　ago；　the　burning　of　poor　blind　Joan　Waste　at　Derby；　and　of　Mistress　Joyce　Lewis；　too；　like　herself；　a　lady　born；　and　sometimes　even　now；　in　her　nightly　dreams；　rang　in　her　ears　her　mother's　bitter　cries　to　God；　either　to　spare　her　that　fiery　torment；　or　to　give　her　strength　to　bear　it；　as　she　whom　she　loved　had　borne　it　before　her。　　For　her　mother；　who　was　of　a　good　family　in　Yorkshire；　had　been　one　of　Queen　Catherine's　bedchamber　women；　and　the　bosom　friend　and　disciple　of　Anne　Askew。　　And　she　had　sat　in　Smithfield；　with　blood　curdled　by　horror；　to　see　the　hapless　Court　beauty；　a　month　before　the　paragon　of　Henry's　Court；　carried　in　a　chair　（so　crippled　was　she　by　the　rack）　to　her　fiery　doom　at　the　stake；　beside　her　fellow…courtier；　Mr。　Lascelles；　while　the　very　heavens　seemed　to　the　shuddering　mob　around　to　speak　their　wrath　and　grief　in　solemn　thunder　peals；　and　heavy　drops　which　hissed　upon　the　crackling　pile。

Therefore　a　sadness　hung　upon　her　all　her　life；　and　deepened　in　the　days　of　Queen　Mary；　when；　as　a　notorious　Protestant　and　heretic；　she　had　had　to　hide　for　her　life　among　the　hills　and　caverns　of　the　Peak；　and　was　only　saved；　by　the　love　which　her　husband's　tenants　bore　her；　and　by　his　bold　declaration　that；　good　Catholic　as　he　was；　he　would　run　through　the　body　any　constable；　justice；　or　priest；　yea；　bishop　or　cardinal；　who　dared　to　serve　the　queen's　warrant　upon　his　wife。

So　she　escaped：　but；　as　I　said；　a　sadness　hung　upon　her　all　her　life；　and　the　skirt　of　that　dark　mantle　fell　upon　the　young　girl　who　had　been　the　partner　of　her　wanderings　and　hidings　among　the　lonely　hills；　and　who；　after　she　was　married；　gave　herself　utterly　up　to　God。

And　yet　in　giving　herself　to　God；　Mrs。　Leigh　gave　herself　to　her　husband；　her　children；　and　the　poor　of　Northam　Town；　and　was　none　the　less　welcome　to　the　Grenvilles；　and　Fortescues；　and　Chichesters；　and　all　the　gentle　families　round；　who　honored　her　husband's　talents；　and　enjoyed　his　wit。　　She　accustomed　herself　to　austerities；　which　often　called　forth　the　kindly　rebukes　of　her　husband；　and　yet　she　did　so　without　one　superstitious　thought　of　appeasing　the　fancied　wrath　of　God；　or　of　giving　Him　pleasure　（base　thought）　by　any　pain　of　hers；　for　her　spirit　had　been　trained　in　the　freest　and　loftiest　doctrines　of　Luther's　school；　and　that　little　mystic　〃Alt…Deutsch　Theologie〃　（to　which　the　great　Reformer　said　that　he　owed　more　than　to　any　book；　save　the　Bible；　and　St。　Augustine）　was　her　counsellor　and　comforter　by　day　and　night。

And　now；　at　little　past　forty；　she　was　left　a　widow：　lovely　still　in　face　and　figure；　and　still　more　lovely　from　the　divine　calm　which　brooded；　like　the　dove　of　peace　and　the　Holy　Spirit　of　God　（which　indeed　it　was）；　over　every　look；　and　word；　and　gesture；　a　sweetness　which　had　been　ripened　by　storm；　as　well　as　by　sunshine；　which　this　world　had　not　given；　and　could　not　take　away。　　No　wonder　that　Sir　Richard　and　Lady　Grenville　loved　her；　no　wonder　that　her　children　worshipped　her；　no　wonder　that　the　young　Amyas；　when　the　first　burst　of　grief　was　over；　and　he　knew　again　where　he　stood；　felt　that　a　new　life　had　begun　for　him；　that　his　mother　was　no　more　to　think　and　act　for　him　only；　but　that　he　must　think　and　act　for　his　mother。　　And　so　it　was；　that　on　the　very　day　after　his　father's　funeral；　when　school…hours　were　over；　instead　of　coming　straight　home；　he　walked　boldly　into　Sir　Richard　Grenville's　house；　and　asked　to　see　his　godfather。

〃You　must　be　my　father　now；　sir；〃　said　he；　firmly。

And　Sir　Richard　looked　at　the　boy's　broad　strong　face；　and　swore　a　great　and　holy　oath；　like　Glasgerion's；　〃by　oak；　and　ash；　and　thorn；〃　that　he　would　be　a　father　to　him；　and　a　brother　to　his　mother；　for　Christ's　sake。　　And　Lady　Grenville　took　the　boy　by　the　hand；　and　walked　home　with　him　to　Burrough；　and　there　the　two　fair　women　fell　on　each　other's　necks；　and　wept　together；　the　one　for　the　loss　which　had　been；　the　other；　as　by　a　prophetic　instinct；　for　the　like　loss　which　was　to　come　to　her　also。　　For　the　sweet　St。　Leger　knew　well　that　her　husband's　fiery　spirit　wou