westward ho-第70节

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〃Ay；　yes；　'tis　too；　too　heavy；　till　you've　been　on　shore　a　while。　Try　the　aqua　vitae；　my　Captain　John　has　it　right　good；　and　a　bit　too　fond　of　it　too；　poor　dear　soul；　between　whiles；　Heaven　forgive　him！〃

So　she　poured　some　strong　brandy　and　water　down　Amyas's　throat；　in　spite　of　his　refusals；　and　sent　him　to　bed；　but　not　to　sleep；　and　after　a　night　of　tossing；　he　started　for　Bideford；　having　obtained　the　means　for　so　doing　from　Mrs。　Hawkins。



CHAPTER　XIV

HOW　SALVATION　YEO　SLEW　THE　KING　OF　THE　GUBBINGS


〃Ignorance　and　evil；　even　in　full　flight；　deal　terrible　backhanded　strokes　at　their　pursuers。〃HELPS。


Now　I　am　sorry　to　say；　for　the　honor　of　my　country；　that　it　was　by　no　means　a　safe　thing　in　those　days　to　travel　from　Plymouth　to　the　north　of　Devon；　because；　to　get　to　your　journey's　end；　unless　you　were　minded　to　make　a　circuit　of　many　miles；　you　must　needs　pass　through　the　territory　of　a　foreign　and　hostile　potentate；　who　had　many　times　ravaged　the　dominions；　and　defeated　the　forces　of　her　Majesty　Queen　Elizabeth；　and　was　named　（behind　his　back　at　least）　the　King　of　the　Gubbings。　　〃So　now　I　dare　call　them；〃　says　Fuller；　〃secured　by　distance；　which　one　of　more　valor　durst　not　do　to　their　face；　for　fear　their　fury　fall　upon　him。　　Yet　hitherto　have　I　met　with　none　who　could　render　a　reason　of　their　name。　　We　call　the　shavings　of　fish　（which　are　little　worth）　gubbings；　and　sure　it　is　that　they　are　sensible　that　the　word　importeth　shame　and　disgrace。

〃As　for　the　suggestion　of　my　worthy　and　learned　friend；　Mr。　Joseph　Maynard；　that　such　as　did　inhabitare　montes　gibberosos；　were　called　Gubbings；　such　will　smile　at　the　ingenuity　who　dissent　from　the　truth　of　the　etymology。

〃I　have　read　of　an　England　beyond　Wales；　but　the　Gubbings　land　is　a　Scythia　within　England；　and　they　pure　heathens　therein。　　It　lieth　nigh　Brent。　　For　in　the　edge　of　Dartmoor　it　is　reported　that；　some　two　hundred　years　since；　two　bad　women；　being　with　child；　fled　thither　to　hide　themselves；　to　whom　certain　lewd　fellows　resorted；　and　this　was　their　first　original。　　They　are　a　peculiar　of　their　own　making；　exempt　from　bishop；　archdeacon；　and　all　authority；　either　ecclesiastical　or　civil。　　They　live　in　cots　（rather　holes　than　houses）　like　swine；　having　all　in　common；　multiplied　without　marriage　into　many　hundreds。　　Their　language　is　the　dross　of　the　dregs　of　the　vulgar　Devonian；　and　the　more　learned　a　man　is；　the　worse　he　can　understand　them。　　During　our　civil　wars　no　soldiers　were　quartered　upon　them；　for　fear　of　being　quartered　amongst　them。　Their　wealth　consisteth　in　other　men's　goods；　they　live　by　stealing　the　sheep　on　the　moors；　and　vain　is　it　for　any　to　search　their　houses；　being　a　work　beneath　the　pains　of　any　sheriff；　and　above　the　power　of　any　constable。　　Such　is　their　fleetness；　they　will　outrun　many　horses；　vivaciousness；　they　outlive　most　men；　living　in　an　ignorance　of　luxury；　the　extinguisher　of　life。　　They　hold　together　like　bees；　offend　one；　and　all　will　revenge　his　quarrel。

〃But　now　I　am　informed　that　they　begin　to　be　civilized；　and　tender　their　children　to　baptism；　and　return　to　be　men；　yea；　Christians　again。　　I　hope　no　CIVIL　people　amongst　us　will　turn　barbarians；　now　these　barbarians　begin　to　be　civilized。〃*


*　Fuller；　p。　398。


With　which　quip　against　the　Anabaptists　of　his　day；　Fuller　ends　his　story；　and　I　leave　him　to　set　forth　how　Amyas；　in　fear　of　these　same　Scythians　and　heathens；　rode　out　of　Plymouth　on　a　right　good　horse；　in　his　full　suit　of　armor；　carrying　lance　and　sword；　and　over　and　above　two　great　dags；　or　horse…pistols；　and　behind　him　Salvation　Yeo；　and　five　or　six　north　Devon　men　（who　had　served　with　him　in　Ireland；　and　were　returning　on　furlough）；　clad　in　head…　pieces　and　quilted　jerkins；　each　man　with　his　pike　and　sword；　and　Yeo　with　arquebuse　and　match；　while　two　sumpter　ponies　carried　the　baggage　of　this　formidable　troop。

They　pushed　on　as　fast　as　they　could；　through　Tavistock；　to　reach　before　nightfall　Lydford；　where　they　meant　to　sleep；　but　what　with　buying　the　horses；　and　other　delays；　they　had　not　been　able　to　start　before　noon；　and　night　fell　just　as　they　reached　the　frontiers　of　the　enemy's　country。　　A　dreary　place　enough　it　was；　by　the　wild　glare　of　sunset。　　A　high　tableland　of　heath；　banked　on　the　right　by　the　crags　and　hills　of　Dartmoor；　and　sloping　away　to　the　south　and　west　toward　the　foot　of　the　great　cone　of　Brent…Tor；　which　towered　up　like　an　extinct　volcano　（as　some　say　that　it　really　is）；　crowned　with　the　tiny　church；　the　votive　offering　of　some　Plymouth　merchant　of　old　times；　who　vowed　in　sore　distress　to　build　a　church　to　the　Blessed　Virgin　on　the　first　point　of　English　land　which　he　should　see。　　Far　away；　down　those　waste　slopes；　they　could　see　the　tiny　threads　of　blue　smoke　rising　from　the　dens　of　the　Gubbings；　and　more　than　once　they　called　a　halt；　to　examine　whether　distant　furze…bushes　and　ponies　might　not　be　the　patrols　of　an　advancing　army。　　It　is　all　very　well　to　laugh　at　it　now；　in　the　nineteenth　century；　but　it　was　no　laughing　matter　then；　as　they　found　before　they　had　gone　two　miles　farther。

On　the　middle　of　the　down　stood　a　wayside　inn；　a　desolate　and　villainous…looking　lump　of　lichen…spotted　granite；　with　windows　paper…patched；　and　rotting　thatch　kept　down　by　stones　and　straw…　banks；　and　at　the　back　a　rambling　court…ledge　of　barns　and　walls；　around　which　pigs　and　barefoot　children　grunted　in　loving　communion　of　dirt。　　At　the　door；　rapt　apparently　in　the　contemplation　of　the　mountain　peaks　which　glowed　rich　orange　in　the　last　lingering　sun…　rays；　but　really　watching　which　way　the　sheep　on　the　moor　were　taking；　stood　the　innkeeper；　a　brawny；　sodden…visaged；　blear…eyed　six　feet　of　brutishness；　holding　up　his　hose　with　one　hand；　for　want　of　points；　and　clawing　with　the　other　his　elf…locks；　on　which　a　fair　sprinkling　of　feathers　might　denote：　first；　that　he　was　just　out　of　bed；　having　been　out　sheep…stealing　all　the　night　before；　and　secondly；　that　by　natural　genius　he　had　anticipated　the　opinion　of　that　great　apostle　of　sluttishness；　Fridericus　Dedekind；　and　his　faithful　disciple　Dekker；　which　last　speaks　thus　to　all　gulls　and　grobians：　〃Consider　that　as　those　trees　of　cobweb　lawn；　woven　by　spinners　in　the　fresh　May　mornings；　do　dress　the　curled　heads　of　the　mountains；　and　adorn　the　swelling　bosoms　of　the　valleys；　or　as　those　snowy　fleeces；　which　the　naked　briar　steals　from　the　innocent　sheep　to　make　himself　a　warm　winter　livery；　are；　to　either　of　them　both；　an　excellent　ornament；　so　make　thou　account；　that　to　have　feathers　sticking　here　and　there　on　thy　head　will　embellish　thee；　and　set　thy　crown　out　rarely。　　None　dare　upbraid　thee；　that　like　a　beggar　thou　hast　lain　on　straw；　or　like　a　travelling　pedlar　upon　musty　flocks；　for　those　feathers　will　rise　up　as　witnesses　to　choke　him　that　says　so；　and　to　prove　thy　bed　to　have　been　of　the　softest　down。〃　　Even　so　did　those　feathers　bear　witness　that　the　possessor　of　Rogues'　Harbor　Inn；　on　Brent…Tor　Down；　whatever　else　he　lacked；　lacked　not　geese　enough　to　keep　him　in　soft　lying。

Presently　he　spies　Amyas　and　his　party　coming　slowly　over　the　hill；　pricks　up　his　ears；　and　counts　them；　sees　Amyas's　armor；　shakes　his　head　and　grunts；　and　then；　being　a　man　of　few　words；　utters　a　sleepy　howl

〃Mirooi！Fushing　pooale！〃

A　strapping　lasswhose　only　covering　（for　country　women　at　work　in　those　days　dispensed　with　the　ornament　of　a　gown）　is　a　green　bodice　and　red　petticoat；　neither　of　them　over　amplebrings　out　his　fishing…rod　and　basket；　and　the　man；　having　tied　up　his　hose　with　some　ends　of　string；　examines　the　footlink。

〃Don　vlies'　gone！〃

〃May　be；〃　says　Mary；　〃shouldn't　hay'　left　mun　out　to　coort。　　May　be　old　hen's　ate　mun　off。　　I　see　her　chocking　about　a　while　agone。〃

The　host　receives　this　intelligence　with　an　oath；　and　replies　by　a　violent　blow　at　Mary's　head；　which　she；　accustomed　to　such　slight　matters；　dodges；　and　then　returns　the　blow　with　good　effect　on　the　shock　head。

Whereon　mine　host；　equally　accustomed　to　such　slight　matters；　quietly　shambles　off；　howling　as　he　departs

〃Tell　Patrico！〃

Mary　runs　in；　combs　her　hair；　slips　a　pair　of　stockings　and　her　best　gown　over　her　dirt；　and　awaits　the　coming　guests；　who　make　a　few　long　faces　at　the　〃mucksy　sort　of　a　place；〃　but　prefer　to　spend　the　night　there　than　to　bivouac　close　to　the　enemy's　camp。

So　the　old　hen　who　has　swallowed　the　dun　fly　is　killed；　plucked；　and　roasted；　and　certain　〃black　Dartmoor　mutton〃　is　put　on　the　gridiron；　and　being　compelled　to　confess　the　truth　by　that　fiery　torment；　proclaims　itself　to　all　noses　as　red…deer　venison。　　In　the　meanwhile　Amyas　has　put　his　horse　and　the　ponies　into　a　shed；　to　which　he　can　find　neither　lock　nor　key；　and　therefore　returns　grumbling；　not　without　fear　for　his　steed's　safety。　　The　baggage　is　heaped　in　a　corner　of　the　room；　and　Amyas　stretches　his　legs　before　a　turf　fire；　while　Yeo；　who　has　his　notions　about　the　place；　posts　himself　at　the　door；　and　the　men　are　seized　with　a　desire　to　superintend　the　cooking；　probably　to　be　attributed　to　the　fact　that　Mary　is　cook。

Presently　Yeo　comes　in　again。

〃There's　a　gentleman　just　coming　up；　sir；　all　alone。〃

〃Ask　him　to　make　one　of　our　party；　then；　with　my　compl