westward ho-第7节

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hich　was　to　come　to　her　also。　　For　the　sweet　St。　Leger　knew　well　that　her　husband's　fiery　spirit　would　never　leave　his　body　on　a　peaceful　bed；　but　that　death　（as　he　prayed　almost　nightly　that　it　might）　would　find　him　sword　in　hand；　upon　the　field　of　duty　and　of　fame。　　And　there　those　two　vowed　everlasting　sisterhood；　and　kept　their　vow；　and　after　that　all　things　went　on　at　Burrough　as　before；　and　Amyas　rode；　and　shot；　and　boxed；　and　wandered　on　the　quay　at　Sir　Richard's　side；　for　Mrs。　Leigh　was　too　wise　a　woman　to　alter　one　tittle　of　the　training　which　her　husband　had　thought　best　for　his　younger　boy。　　It　was　enough　that　her　elder　son　had　of　his　own　accord　taken　to　that　form　of　life　in　which　she　in　her　secret　heart　would　fain　have　moulded　both　her　children。　　For　Frank；　God's　wedding　gift　to　that　pure　love　of　hers；　had　won　himself　honor　at　home　and　abroad；　first　at　the　school　at　Bideford；　then　at　Exeter　College；　where　he　had　become　a　friend　of　Sir　Philip　Sidney's；　and　many　another　young　man　of　rank　and　promise；　and　next；　in　the　summer　of　1572；　on　his　way　to　the　University　of　Heidelberg；　he　had　gone　to　Paris；　with　（luckily　for　him）　letters　of　recommendation　to　Walsingham；　at　the　English　Embassy：　by　which　letters　he　not　only　fell　in　a　second　time　with　Philip　Sidney；　but　saved　his　own　life　（as　Sidney　did　his）　in　the　Massacre　of　St。　Bartholomew's　Day。　　At　Heidelberg　he　had　stayed　two　years；　winning　fresh　honor　from　all　who　knew　him；　and　resisting　all　Sidney's　entreaties　to　follow　him　into　Italy。　　For；　scorning　to　be　a　burden　to　his　parents；　he　had　become　at　Heidelberg　tutor　to　two　young　German　princes；　whom；　after　living　with　them　at　their　father's　house　for　a　year　or　more；　he　at　last；　to　his　own　great　delight；　took　with　him　down　to　Padua；　〃to　perfect　them；〃　as　he　wrote　home；　〃according　to　his　insufficiency；　in　all　princely　studies。〃　　Sidney　was　now　returned　to　England；　but　Frank　found　friends　enough　without　him；　such　letters　of　recommendation　and　diplomas　did　he　carry　from　I　know　not　how　many　princes；　magnificos；　and　learned　doctors；　who　had　fallen　in　love　with　the　learning；　modesty；　and　virtue　of　the　fair　young　Englishman。　　And　ere　Frank　returned　to　Germany　he　had　satiated　his　soul　with　all　the　wonders　of　that　wondrous　land。　　He　had　talked　over　the　art　of　sonneteering　with　Tasso；　the　art　of　history　with　Sarpi；　he　had　listened；　between　awe　and　incredulity；　to　the　daring　theories　of　Galileo；　he　had　taken　his　pupils　to　Venice；　that　their　portraits　might　be　painted　by　Paul　Veronese；　he　had　seen　the　palaces　of　Palladio；　and　the　merchant　princes　on　the　Rialto；　and　the　argosies　of　Ragusa；　and　all　the　wonders　of　that　meeting…point　of　east　and　west；　he　had　watched　Tintoretto's　mighty　hand　〃hurling　tempestuous　glories　o'er　the　scene；〃　and　even；　by　dint　of　private　intercession　in　high　places；　had　been　admitted　to　that　sacred　room　where；　with　long　silver　beard　and　undimmed　eye；　amid　a　pantheon　of　his　own　creations；　the　ancient　Titian；　patriarch　of　art；　still　lingered　upon　earth；　and　told　old　tales　of　the　Bellinis；　and　Raffaelle；　and　Michael　Angelo；　and　the　building　of　St。　Peter's；　and　the　fire　at　Venice；　and　the　sack　of　Rome；　and　of　kings　and　warriors；　statesmen　and　poets；　long　since　gone　to　their　account；　and　showed　the　sacred　brush　which　Francis　the　First　had　stooped　to　pick　up　for　him。　　And　（license　forbidden　to　Sidney　by　his　friend　Languet）　he　had　been　to　Rome；　and　seen　（much　to　the　scandal　of　good　Protestants　at　home）　that　〃right　good　fellow；〃　as　Sidney　calls　him；　who　had　not　yet　eaten　himself　to　death；　the　Pope　for　the　time　being。　　And　he　had　seen　the　frescos　of　the　Vatican；　and　heard　Palestrina　preside　as　chapel…master　over　the　performance　of　his　own　music　beneath　the　dome　of　St。　Peter's；　and　fallen　half　in　love　with　those　luscious　strains；　till　he　was　awakened　from　his　dream　by　the　recollection　that　beneath　that　same　dome　had　gone　up　thanksgivings　to　the　God　of　heaven　for　those　blood…stained　streets；　and　shrieking　women；　and　heaps　of　insulted　corpses；　which　he　had　beheld　in　Paris　on　the　night　of　St。　Bartholomew。　　At　last；　a　few　months　before　his　father　died；　he　had　taken　back　his　pupils　to　their　home　in　Germany；　from　whence　he　was　dismissed；　as　he　wrote；　with　rich　gifts；　and　then　Mrs。　Leigh's　heart　beat　high；　at　the　thought　that　the　wanderer　would　return：　but；　alas！　within　a　month　after　his　father's　death；　came　a　long　letter　from　Frank；　describing　the　Alps；　and　the　valleys　of　the　Waldenses　（with　whose　Barbes　he　had　had　much　talk　about　the　late　horrible　persecutions）；　and　setting　forth　how　at　Padua　he　had　made　the　acquaintance　of　that　illustrious　scholar　and　light　of　the　age；　Stephanus　Parmenius　（commonly　called　from　his　native　place；　Budaeus）；　who　had　visited　Geneva　with　him；　and　heard　the　disputations　of　their　most　learned　doctors；　which　both　he　and　Budaeus　disliked　for　their　hard　judgments　both　of　God　and　man；　as　much　as　they　admired　them　for　their　subtlety；　being　themselves；　as　became　Italian　students；　Platonists　of　the　school　of　Ficinus　and　Picus　Mirandolensis。　　So　wrote　Master　Frank；　in　a　long　sententious　letter；　full　of　Latin　quotations：　but　the　letter　never　reached　the　eyes　of　him　for　whose　delight　it　had　been　penned：　and　the　widow　had　to　weep　over　it　alone；　and　to　weep　more　bitterly　than　ever　at　the　conclusion；　in　which；　with　many　excuses；　Frank　said　that　he　had；　at　the　special　entreaty　of　the　said　Budaeus；　set　out　with　him　down　the　Danube　stream　to　Buda；　that　he　might；　before　finishing　his　travels；　make　experience　of　that　learning　for　which　the　Hungarians　were　famous　throughout　Europe。　　And　after　that；　though　he　wrote　again　and　again　to　the　father　whom　he　fancied　living；　no　letter　in　return　reached　him　from　home　for　nearly　two　years；　till；　fearing　some　mishap；　he　hurried　back　to　England；　to　find　his　mother　a　widow；　and　his　brother　Amyas　gone　to　the　South　Seas　with　Captain　Drake　of　Plymouth。　　And　yet；　even　then；　after　years　of　absence；　he　was　not　allowed　to　remain　at　home。　　For　Sir　Richard；　to　whom　idleness　was　a　thing　horrible　and　unrighteous；　would　have　him　up　and　doing　again　before　six　months　were　over；　and　sent　him　off　to　Court　to　Lord　Hunsdon。

There；　being　as　delicately　beautiful　as　his　brother　was　huge　and　strong；　he　had　speedily；　by　Carew's　interest　and　that　of　Sidney　and　his　Uncle　Leicester；　found　entrance　into　some　office　in　the　queen's　household；　and　he　was　now　basking　in　the　full　sunshine　of　Court　favor；　and　fair　ladies'　eyes；　and　all　the　chivalries　and　euphuisms　of　Gloriana's　fairyland；　and　the　fast　friendship　of　that　bright　meteor　Sidney；　who　had　returned　with　honor　in　1577；　from　the　delicate　mission　on　behalf　of　the　German　and　Belgian　Protestants；　on　which　he　had　been　sent　to　the　Court　of　Vienna；　under　color　of　condoling　with　the　new　Emperor　Rodolph　on　his　father's　death。　Frank　found　him　when　he　himself　came　to　Court　in　1579　as　lovely　and　loving　as　ever；　and；　at　the　early　age　of　twenty…five；　acknowledged　as　one　of　the　most　remarkable　men　of　Europe；　the　patron　of　all　men　of　letters；　the　counsellor　of　warriors　and　statesmen；　and　the　confidant　and　advocate　of　William　of　Orange；　Languet；　Plessis　du　Mornay；　and　all　the　Protestant　leaders　on　the　Continent；　and　found；　moreover；　that　the　son　of　the　poor　Devon　squire　was　as　welcome　as　ever　to　the　friendship　of　nature's　and　fortune's　most　favored；　yet　most　unspoilt；　minion。

Poor　Mrs。　Leigh；　as　one　who　had　long　since　learned　to　have　no　self；　and　to　live　not　only　for　her　children　but　in　them；　submitted　without　a　murmur；　and　only　said；　smiling；　to　her　stern　friend〃You　took　away　my　mastiff…pup；　and　now　you　must　needs　have　my　fair　greyhound　also。〃

〃Would　you　have　your　fair　greyhound；　dear　lady；　grow　up　a　tall　and　true　Cotswold　dog；　that　can　pull　down　a　stag　of　ten；　or　one　of　those　smooth…skinned　poppets　which　the　Florence　ladies　lead　about　with　a　ring　of　bells　round　its　neck；　and　a　flannel　farthingale　over　its　loins？〃

Mrs。　Leigh　submitted；　and　was　rewarded　after　a　few　months　by　a　letter；　sent　through　Sir　Richard；　from　none　other　than　Gloriana　herself；　in　which　she　thanked　her　for　〃the　loan　of　that　most　delicate　and　flawless　crystal；　the　soul　of　her　excellent　son；〃　with　more　praises　of　him　than　I　have　room　to　insert；　and　finished　by　exalting　the　poor　mother　above　the　famed　Cornelia；　〃for　those　sons；　whom　she　called　her　jewels；　she　only　showed；　yet　kept　them　to　herself：　but　you；　madam；　having　two　as　precious；　I　doubt　not；　as　were　ever　that　Roman　dame's；　have；　beyond　her　courage；　lent　them　both　to　your　country　and　to　your　queen；　who　therein　holds　herself　indebted　to　you　for　that　which；　if　God　give　her　grace；　she　will　repay　as　becomes　both　her　and　you。〃　　Which　epistle　the　sweet　mother　bedewed　with　holy　tears；　and　laid　by　in　the　cedar…box　which　held　her　household　gods；　by　the　side　of　Frank's　innumerable　diplomas　and　letters　of　recommendation；　the　Latin　whereof　she　was　always　spelling　over　（although　she　understood　not　a　word　of　it）；　in　hopes　of　finding；　here　and　there；　that　precious　excellentissimus　Noster　Franciscus　Leighius　Anglus；　which　was　all　in　all　to　the　mother's　heart。

But　why　did　Amyas　go　to　the　South　Seas？　　Amyas　went　to　the　South　Seas　for　two　causes；　each　of　which　has；　before　now；　sent　many　a　lad　to　far　worse　places：　first；　because　of　an　old　schoolmaster；　secondly；　bec