westward ho-第60节

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ome　hither；　but　I　must　out；　and　try　my　fortune。　　I　am　over　ears　in　debt　already；　and　sick　of　courts　and　courtiers。　　Humphrey　must　go　next　spring　and　take　possession　of　his　kingdom　beyond　seas；　or　his　patent　expires；　and　with　him　I　go；　and　you　too；　my　circumnavigating　giant。〃

And　then　Raleigh　expounded　to　Amyas　the　details　of　the　great　Newfoundland　scheme；　which　whoso　will　may　read　in　the　pages　of　Hakluyt。

Sir　Humphrey　Gilbert；　Raleigh's　half…brother；　held　a　patent　for　〃planting〃　the　lands　of　Newfoundland　and　〃Meta　Incognita〃　（Labrador）。　　He　had　attempted　a　voyage　thither　with　Raleigh　in　1578；　whereof　I　never　could　find　any　news；　save　that　he　came　back　again；　after　a　heavy　brush　with　some　Spanish　ships　（in　which　his　best　captain；　Mr。　Morgan；　was　killed）；　having　done　nothing；　and　much　impaired　his　own　estate：　but　now　he　had　collected　a　large　sum；　Sir　Gilbert　Peckham　of　London；　Mr。　Hayes　of　South　Devon；　and　various　other　gentlemen；　of　whom　more　hereafter；　had　adventured　their　money；　and　a　considerable　colony　was　to　be　sent　out　the　next　year；　with　miners；　assayers；　and；　what　was　more；　Parmenius　Budaeus；　Frank's　old　friend；　who　had　come　to　England　full　of　thirst　to　see　the　wonders　of　the　New　World；　and　over　and　above　this；　as　Raleigh　told　Amyas　in　strictest　secrecy；　Adrian　Gilbert；　Humphrey's　brother；　was　turning　every　stone　at　Court　for　a　patent　of　discovery　in　the　North…West；　and　this　Newfoundland　colony；　though　it　was　to　produce　gold；　silver；　merchandise；　and　what　not；　was　but　a　basis　of　operations；　a　halfway　house　from　whence　to　work　out　the　North…West　passage　to　the　Indiesthat　golden　dream；　as　fatal　to　English　valor　as　the　Guiana　one　to　Spanishand　yet　hardly；　hardly　to　be　regretted；　when　we　remember　the　seamanship；　the　science；　the　chivalry；　the　heroism；　unequalled　in　the　history　of　the　English　nation；　which　it　has　called　forth　among　those　our　later　Arctic　voyagers；　who　have　combined　the　knight…errantry　of　the　middle　age　with　the　practical　prudence　of　the　modern；　and　dared　for　duty　more　than　Cortez　or　Pizarro　dared　for　gold。

Amyas；　simple　fellow；　took　all　in　greedily；　he　knew　enough　of　the　dangers　of　the　Magellan　passage　to　appreciate　the　boundless　value　of　a　road　to　the　East　Indies　which　would　（as　all　supposed　then）　save　half　the　distance；　and　be　as　it　were　a　private　possession　of　the　English；　safe　from　Spanish　interference；　and　he　listened　reverently　to　Sir　Humphrey's　quaint　proofs；　half　true；　half　fantastic；　of　such　a　passage；　which　Raleigh　detailed　to　himof　the　Primum　Mobile；　and　its　diurnal　motion　from　east　to　west；　in　obedience　to　which　the　sea…current　flowed　westward　ever　round　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope；　and　being　unable　to　pass　through　the　narrow　strait　between　South　America　and　the　Antarctic　Continent；　rushed　up　the　American　shore；　as　the　Gulf　Stream；　and　poured　northwestward　between　Greenland　and　Labrador　towards　Cathay　and　India；　of　that　most　crafty　argument　of　Sir　Humphrey'show　Aristotle　in　his　book　〃De　Mundo；〃　and　Simon　Gryneus　in　his　annotations　thereon；　declare　that　the　world　（the　Old　World）　is　an　island；　compassed　by　that　which　Homer　calls　the　river　Oceanus；　ergo；　the　New　World　is　an　island　also；　and　there　is　a　North…West　passage；　of　the　three　brothers　（names　unknown）　who　had　actually　made　the　voyage；　and　named　what　was　afterwards　called　Davis's　Strait　after　themselves；　of　the　Indians　who　were　cast　ashore　in　Germany　in　the　reign　of　Frederic　Barbarossa　who；　as　Sir　Humphrey　had　learnedly　proved　per　modum　tollendi；　could　have　come　only　by　the　North…West；　and　above　all；　of　Salvaterra；　the　Spaniard；　who　in　1568　had　told　Sir　Henry　Sidney　（Philip's　father）；　there　in　Ireland；　how　he　had　spoken　with　a　Mexican　friar　named　Urdaneta；　who　had　himself　come　from　Mar　del　Zur　（the　Pacific）　into　Germany　by　that　very　North…West　passage；　at　which　last　Amyas　shook　his　head；　and　said　that　friars　were　liars；　and　seeing　believing；　〃but　if　you　must　needs　have　an　adventure；　you　insatiable　soul　you；　why　not　try　for　the　golden　city　of　Manoa？〃

〃Manoa？〃　asked　Raleigh；　who　had　heard；　as　most　had；　dim　rumors　of　the　place。　　〃What　do　you　know　of　it？〃

Whereon　Amyas　told　him　all　that　he　had　gathered　from　the　Spaniard；　and　Raleigh；　in　his　turn；　believed　every　word。

〃Humph！〃　said　he　after　a　long　silence。　　〃To　find　that　golden　emperor；　offer　him　help　and　friendship　from　the　queen　of　England；　defend　him　against　the　Spaniards；　if　we　became　strong　enough；　conquer　back　all　Peru　from　the　Popish　tyrants；　and　reinstate　him　on　the　throne　of　the　Incas；　with　ourselves　for　his　body…guard；　as　the　Norman　Varangians　were　to　the　effeminate　emperors　of　ByzantHey；　Amyas？　　You　would　make　a　gallant　chieftain　of　Varangs。　　We'll　do　it；　lad！〃

〃We'll　try；〃　said　Amyas；　〃but　we　must　be　quick；　for　there's　one　Berreo　sworn　to　carry　out　the　quest　to　the　death；　and　if　the　Spaniards　once　get　thither；　their　plan　of　works　will　be　much　more　like　Pizarro's　than　like　yours；　and　by　the　time　we　come；　there　will　be　neither　gold　nor　city　left。〃

〃Nor　Indians　either；　I'll　warrant　the　butchers；　but；　lad；　I　am　promised　to　Humphrey；　I　have　a　bark　fitting　out　already；　and　all　I　have；　and　more；　adventured　in　her；　so　Manoa　must　wait。〃

〃It　will　wait　well　enough；　if　the　Spaniards　prosper　no　better　on　the　Amazon　than　they　have　done；　but　must　I　come　with　you？　　To　tell　the　truth；　I　am　quite　shore…sick；　and　to　sea　I　must　go。　　What　will　my　mother　say？〃

〃I'll　manage　thy　mother；〃　said　Raleigh；　and　so　he　did；　for；　to　cut　a　long　story　short；　he　went　back　the　month　after；　and　he　not　only　took　home　letters　from　Amyas　to　his　mother；　but　so　impressed　on　that　good　lady　the　enormous　profits　and　honors　to　be　derived　from　Meta　Incognita；　and　（which　was　most　true）　the　advantage　to　any　young　man　of　sailing　with　such　a　general　as　Humphrey　Gilbert；　most　pious　and　most　learned　of　seamen　and　of　cavaliers；　beloved　and　honored　above　all　his　compeers　by　Queen　Elizabeth；　that　she　consented　to　Amyas's　adventuring　in　the　voyage　some　two　hundred　pounds　which　had　come　to　him　as　his　share　of　prize…money；　after　the　ever　memorable　circumnavigation。　　For　Mrs。　Leigh；　be　it　understood；　was　no　longer　at　Burrough　Court。　　By　Frank's　persuasion；　she　had　let　the　old　place；　moved　up　to　London　with　her　eldest　son；　and　taken　for　herself　a　lodging　somewhere　by　Palace　Stairs；　which　looked　out　upon　the　silver　Thames　（for　Thames　was　silver　then）；　with　its　busy　ferries　and　gliding　boats；　across　to　the　pleasant　fields　of　Lambeth；　and　the　Archbishop's　palace；　and　the　wooded　Surrey　hills；　and　there　she　spent　her　peaceful　days；　close　to　her　Frank　and　to　the　Court。　　Elizabeth　would　have　had　her　re…enter　it；　offering　her　a　small　place　in　the　household：　but　she　declined；　saying　that　she　was　too　old　and　heart…weary　for　aught　but　prayer。　So　by　prayer　she　lived；　under　the　sheltering　shadow　of　the　tall　minster　where　she　went　morn　and　even　to　worship；　and　to　entreat　for　the　two　in　whom　her　heart　was　bound　up；　and　Frank　slipped　in　every　day　if　but　for　five　minutes；　and　brought　with　him　Spenser；　or　Raleigh；　or　Dyer；　or　Budaeus　or　sometimes　Sidney's　self：　and　there　was　talk　of　high　and　holy　things；　of　which　none　could　speak　better　than　could　she；　and　each　guest　went　from　that　hallowed　room　a　humbler　and　yet　a　loftier　man。　　So　slipped　on　the　peaceful　months；　and　few　and　far　between　came　Irish　letters；　for　Ireland　was　then　farther　from　Westminster　than　is　the　Black　Sea　now；　but　those　were　days　in　which　wives　and　mothers　had　learned　（as　they　have　learned　once　more；　sweet　souls！）　to　walk　by　faith　and　not　by　sight　for　those　they　love：　and　Mrs。　Leigh　was　content　（though　when　was　she　not　content？）　to　hear　that　Amyas　was　winning　a　good　report　as　a　brave　and　prudent　officer；　sober；　just；　and　faithful；　beloved　and　obeyed　alike　by　English　soldiers　and　Irish　kernes。

Those　two　years；　and　the　one　which　followed；　were　the　happiest　which　she　had　known　since　her　husband's　death。　　But　the　cloud　was　fast　coming　up　the　horizon；　though　she　saw　it　not。　　A　little　longer；　and　the　sun　would　be　hid　for　many　a　wintry　day。

Amyas　went　to　Plymouth　（with　Yeo；　of　course；　at　his　heels）；　and　there　beheld；　for　the　first　time；　the　majestic　countenance　of　the　philosopher　of　Compton　castle。　　He　lodged　with　Drake；　and　found　him　not　over…sanguine　as　to　the　success　of　the　voyage。

〃For　learning　and　manners；　Amyas；　there's　not　his　equal；　and　the　queen　may　well　love　him；　and　Devon　be　proud　of　him：　but　book…　learning　is　not　business：　book…learning　didn't　get　me　round　the　world；　book…learning　didn't　make　Captain　Hawkins；　nor　his　father　neither；　the　best　ship…builders　from　Hull　to　Cadiz；　and　book…　learning；　I　very　much　fear；　won't　plant　Newfoundland。〃

However；　the　die　was　cast；　and　the　little　fleet　of　five　sail　assembled　in　Cawsand　Bay。　　Amyas　was　to　go　as　a　gentleman　adventurer　on　board　of　Raleigh's　bark；　Raleigh　himself；　however；　at　the　eleventh　hour；　had　been　forbidden　by　the　queen　to　leave　England。　　Ere　they　left；　Sir　Humphrey　Gilbert's　picture　was　painted　by　some　Plymouth　artist；　to　be　sent　up　to　Elizabeth　in　answer　to　a　letter　and　a　gift　sent　by　Raleigh；　which；　as　a　specimen　of　the　men　and　of　the　time；　I　here　transcribe*


〃BROTHERI　have　sent　you　a　token　from　her　Majesty；　an　anchor　guided　by　a　lady；　as　you　see。　　And　further；　her　Highness　willed　me　to　send　you　word；　that　sh