westward ho-第50部分

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　rackets　with　the　youngsters；　a　game　or　two　of　bowls　with　the　elders；　and　get　himself　invited　home　to　supper　by　Mr。　Salterne？

And　there；　of　course；　he　had　it　all　his　own　way；　and　ruled　the　roast　（which　he　was　fond　enough　of　doing）　right　royally；　not　only　on　account　of　his　rank；　but　because　he　had　something　to　say　worth　hearing；　as　a　travelled　man。　　For　those　times　were　the　day…dawn　of　English　commerce；　and　not　a　merchant　in　Bideford；　or　in　all　England；　but　had　his　imagination　all　on　fire　with　projects　of　discoveries；　companies；　privileges；　patents；　and　settlements；　with　gallant　rivalry　of　the　brave　adventures　of　Sir　Edward　Osborne　and　his　new　London　Company　of　Turkey　Merchants；　with　the　privileges　just　granted　by　the　Sultan　Murad　Khan　to　the　English；　with　the　worthy　Levant　voyages　of　Roger　Bodenham　in　the　great　bark　Aucher；　and　of　John　Fox；　and　Lawrence　Aldersey；　and　John　Rule；　and　with　hopes　from　the　vast　door　for　Mediterranean　trade；　which　the　crushing　of　the　Venetian　power　at　Famagusta　in　Cyprus；　and　the　alliance　made　between　Elizabeth　and　the　Grand　Turk；　had　just　thrown　open。　　So　not　a　word　could　fall　from　the　Spaniard　about　the　Mediterranean　but　took　root　at　once　in　right　fertile　soil。　Besides；　Master　Edmund　Hogan　had　been　on　a　successful　embassy　to　the　Emperor　of　Morocco；　John　Hawkins　and　George　Fenner　had　been　to　Guinea　（and　with　the　latter　Mr。　Walter　Wren；　a　Bideford　man）；　and　had　traded　there　for　musk　and　civet；　gold　and　grain；　and　African　news　was　becoming　almost　as　valuable　as　West　Indian。　　Moreover；　but　two　months　before　had　gone　from　London　Captain　Hare　in　the　bark　Minion；　for　Brazil；　and　a　company　of　adventurers　with　him；　with　Sheffield　hardware；　and　〃Devonshire　and　Northern　kersies；〃　hollands　and　〃Manchester　cottons；〃　for　there　was　a　great　opening　for　English　goods　by　the　help　of　one　John　Whithall；　who　had　married　a　Spanish　heiress；　and　had　an　ingenio　and　slaves　in　Santos。　　（Don't　smile；　reader；　or　despise　the　day　of　small　things；　and　those　who　sowed　the　seed　whereof　you　reap　the　mighty　harvest。）　　In　the　meanwhile；　Drake　had　proved　not　merely　the　possibility　of　plundering　the　American　coasts；　but　of　establishing　an　East　Indian　trade；　Frobisher　and　Davis；　worthy　forefathers　of　our　Parrys　and　Franklins；　had　begun　to　bore　their　way　upward　through　the　Northern　ice；　in　search　of　a　passage　to　China　which　should　avoid　the　dangers　of　the　Spanish　seas；　and　Anthony　Jenkinson；　not　the　least　of　English　travellers；　had；　in　six…and…twenty　years　of　travel　in　behalf　of　the　Muscovite　Company；　penetrated　into　not　merely　Russia　and　the　Levant；　but　Persia　and　Armenia；　Bokhara；　Tartary；　Siberia；　and　those　waste　Arctic　shores　where；　thirty　years　before；　the　brave　Sir　Hugh　Willoughby；


　　　　　　　　　　〃In　Arzina　caught；　　　　　　Perished　with　all　his　crew。〃


Everywhere　English　commerce；　under　the　genial　sunshine　of　Elizabeth's　wise　rule；　was　spreading　and　taking　root；　and　as　Don　Guzman　talked　with　his　new　friends；　he　soon　saw　（for　he　was　shrewd　enough）　that　they　belonged　to　a　race　which　must　be　exterminated　if　Spain　intended　to　become　（as　she　did　intend）　the　mistress　of　the　world；　and　that　it　was　not　enough　for　Spain　to　have　seized　in　the　Pope's　name　the　whole　new　world；　and　claimed　the　exclusive　right　to　sail　the　seas　of　America；　not　enough　to　have　crushed　the　Hollanders；　not　enough　to　have　degraded　the　Venetians　into　her　bankers；　and　the　Genoese　into　her　mercenaries；　not　enough　to　have　incorporated　into　herself；　with　the　kingdom　of　Portugal；　the　whole　East　Indian　trade　of　Portugal；　while　these　fierce　islanders　remained　to　assert；　with　cunning　policy　and　texts　of　Scripture；　and；　if　they　failed；　with　sharp　shot　and　cold　steel；　free　seas　and　free　trade　for　all　the　nations　upon　earth。　　He　saw　it；　and　his　countrymen　saw　it　too：　and　therefore　the　Spanish　Armada　came：　but　of　that　hereafter。　　And　Don　Guzman　knew　also；　by　hard　experience；　that　these　same　islanders；　who　sat　in　Salterne's　parlor；　talking　broad　Devon　through　their　noses；　were　no　mere　counters　of　money　and　hucksters　of　goods：　but　men　who；　though　they　thoroughly　hated　fighting；　and　loved　making　money　instead；　could　fight；　upon　occasion；　after　a　very　dogged　and　terrible　fashion；　as　well　as　the　bluest　blood　in　Spain；　and　who　sent　out　their　merchant　ships　armed　up　to　the　teeth；　and　filled　with　men　who　had　been　trained　from　childhood　to　use　those　arms；　and　had　orders　to　use　them　without　mercy　if　either　Spaniard；　Portugal；　or　other　created　being　dared　to　stop　their　money…making。　　And　one　evening　he　waxed　quite　mad；　when；　after　having　civilly　enough　hinted　that　if　Englishmen　came　where　they　had　no　right　to　come；　they　might　find　themselves　sent　back　again；　he　was　answered　by　a　volley　of

〃We'll　see　that；　sir。〃

〃Depends　on　who　says　'No　right。'〃

〃You　found　might　right；〃　said　another；　〃when　you　claimed　the　Indian　seas；　we　may　find　right　might　when　we　try　them。〃

〃Try　them；　then；　gentlemen；　by　all　means；　if　it　shall　so　please　your　worships；　and　find　the　sacred　flag　of　Spain　as　invincible　as　ever　was　the　Roman　eagle。〃

〃We　have；　sir。　　Did　you　ever　hear　of　Francis　Drake？〃

〃Or　of　George　Fenner　and　the　Portugals　at　the　Azores；　one　against　seven？〃

〃Or　of　John　Hawkins；　at　St。　Juan　d'Ulloa？〃

〃You　are　insolent　burghers；〃　said　Don　Guzman；　and　rose　to　go。

〃Sir；〃　said　old　Salterne；　〃as　you　say；　we　are　burghers　and　plain　men；　and　some　of　us　have　forgotten　ourselves　a　little；　perhaps；　we　must　beg　you　to　forgive　our　want　of　manners；　and　to　put　it　down　to　the　strength　of　my　wine；　for　insolent　we　never　meant　to　be；　especially　to　a　noble　gentleman　and　a　foreigner。〃

But　the　Don　would　not　be　pacified；　and　walked　out；　calling　himself　an　ass　and　a　blinkard　for　having　demeaned　himself　to　such　a　company；　forgetting　that　he　had　brought　it　on　himself。

Salterne　（prompted　by　the　great　devil　Mammon）　came　up　to　him　next　day；　and　begged　pardon　again；　promising；　moreover；　that　none　of　those　who　had　been　so　rude　should　be　henceforth　asked　to　meet　him；　if　he　would　deign　to　honor　his　house　once　more。　　And　the　Don　actually　was　appeased；　and　went　there　the　very　next　evening；　sneering　at　himself　the　whole　time　for　going。

〃Fool　that　I　am！　that　girl　has　bewitched　me；　I　believe。　　Go　I　must；　and　eat　my　share　of　dirt；　for　her　sake。〃

So　he　went；　and；　cunningly　enough；　hinted　to　old　Salterne　that　he　had　taken　such　a　fancy　to　him；　and　felt　so　bound　by　his　courtesy　and　hospitality；　that　he　might　not　object　to　tell　him　things　which　he　would　not　mention　to　every　one；　for　that　the　Spaniards　were　not　jealous　of　single　traders；　but　of　any　general　attempt　to　deprive　them　of　their　hard…earned　wealth：　that；　however；　in　the　meanwhile；　there　were　plenty　of　opportunities　for　one　man　here　and　there　to　enrich　himself；　etc。

Old　Salterne；　shrewd　as　he　was；　had　his　weak　point；　and　the　Spaniard　had　touched　it；　and　delighted　at　this　opportunity　of　learning　the　mysteries　of　the　Spanish　monopoly；　he　often　actually　set　Rose　on　to　draw　out　the　Don；　without　a　fear　（so　blind　does　money　make　men）　lest　she　might　be　herself　drawn　in。　　For；　first；　he　held　it　as　impossible　that　she　would　think　of　marrying　a　Popish　Spaniard　as　of　marrying　the　man　in　the　moon；　and；　next；　as　impossible　that　he　would　think　of　marrying　a　burgher's　daughter　as　of　marrying　a　negress；　and　trusted　that　the　religion　of　the　one；　and　the　family　pride　of　the　other；　would　keep　them　as　separate　as　beings　of　two　different　species。　　And　as　for　love　without　marriage；　if　such　a　possibility　ever　crossed　him；　the　thought　was　rendered　absurd；　on　Rose's　part　by　her　virtue；　on　which　the　old　roan　（and　rightly）　would　have　staked　every　farthing　he　had　on　earth；　and　on　the　Don's　part；　by　a　certain　human　fondness　for　the　continuity　of　the　carotid　artery　and　the　parts　adjoining；　for　which　（and　that　not　altogether　justly；　seeing　that　Don　Guzman　cared　as　little　for　his　own　life　as　he　did　for　his　neighbor's）　Mr。　Salterne　gave　him　credit。　　And　so　it　came　to　pass；　that　for　weeks　and　months　the　merchant's　house　was　the　Don's　favorite　haunt；　and　he　saw　the　Rose　of　Torridge　daily；　and　the　Rose　of　Torridge　heard　him。

And　as　for　her；　poor　child；　she　had　never　seen　such　a　man。　　He　had；　or　seemed　to　have；　all　the　high…bred　grace　of　Frank；　and　yet　he　was　cast　in　a　manlier　mould；　he　had　just　enough　of　his　nation's　proud　self…assertion　to　make　a　woman　bow　before　him　as　before　a　superior；　and　yet　tact　enough　to　let　it　very　seldom　degenerate　into　that　boastfulness　of　which　the　Spaniards　were　then　so　often　and　so　justly　accused。　　He　had　marvels　to　tell　by　flood　and　field　as　many　and　more　than　Amyas；　and　he　told　them　with　a　grace　and　an　eloquence　of　which　modest；　simple；　old　Amyas　possessed　nothing。　　Besides；　he　was　on　the　spot；　and　the　Leighs　were　not；　nor　indeed　were　any　of　her　old　lovers；　and　what　could　she　do　but　amuse　herself　with　the　only　person　who　came　to　hand？

So　thought；　in　time；　more　ladies　than　she；　for　the　country；　the　north　of　it　at　least；　was　all　but　bare　just　then　of　young　gallants；　what　with　the　Netherland　wars　and　the　Irish　wars；　and　the　Spaniard　became　soon　welcome　at　every　house　for　many　a　mile　round；　and　made　use　of　his　welcome　so　freely；　and　received　so　much　unwonted　attention　from　fair　young　dames；　that　his　head　might　have　been　a　little　turned；　and　Rose　Salterne　have　thereby　escaped；　had　not　Sir　Richard　delicately　given　him　to　understand　that　in　spite　of　the　free　and　easy　manners　of　English　ladies；　brothers　were　just　as　jealous；　and　ladies'　honors　at　least　as　inexpugnable；　as　in　the　land　of　demureness　and　duennas。　　Don　Guzman　took　the　hint　well　enough；　and　kept　on　good　terms　with　the　country　gentlemen　as　with　their　daughters；　and　to　tell　the　truth；　the　cunning　soldier　of　fortune　found　his　account　in　being　intimate　with　all　the　ladies　he　could；　in　order　to　prevent　old　Salterne　from　fancying　that　he　had　any　peculiar　predilection　for　Mistress　Rose。

Nevertheless；　Mr。　Salterne's　parlor　being　nearest　to　him；　still　remained　his　most　common　haunt；　where；　while　he　discoursed　for　hours　about


　　　　　〃Antres　vast　and　deserts　idle；　　　　　　　And　of　the　cannibals　that　each　other　eat；　　　　　　　Of　Anthropophagi；　and　men　whose　heads　　　　　　　Do　grow　beneath　their　shoulders；〃


to　the　boundless　satisfaction　of　poor　Rose's　fancy；　he　took　care　to　season　his　discourse　with　scraps　of　mercantile　info