westward ho-第67章

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e　knew　that　they　would　reach　the　earl　probably　before　he　did。　　The　game　was　up；　all　was　lost。　　So　he　retraced　his　steps；　as　a　desperate　resource；　to　the　last　place　where　he　would　be　looked　for；　and　after　a　month　of　disguising；　hiding；　and　other　expedients；　found　himself　again　in　his　native　county　of　Devon；　while　Fitz…Eustace　Viscount　Baltinglas　had　taken　ship　for　Spain；　having　got　little　by　his　famous　argument　to　Ormond　in　behalf　of　his　joining　the　Church　of　Rome；　〃Had　not　thine　ancestor；　blessed　Thomas　of　Canterbury；　died　for　the　Church　of　Rome；　thou　hadst　never　been　Earl　of　Ormond。〃　　The　premises　were　certainly　sounder　than　those　of　his　party　were　wont　to　be；　for　it　was　to　expiate　the　murder　of　that　turbulent　hero　that　the　Ormond　lands　had　been　granted　by　Henry　II。：　but　as　for　the　conclusion　therefrom；　it　was　much　on　a　par　with　the　rest。

And　now　let　us　return　to　Raleigh　and　Amyas；　as　they　jog　along　their　weary　road。　　They　have　many　things　to　talk　of；　for　it　is　but　three　days　since　they　met。

Amyas；　as　you　see；　is　coming　fast　into　Raleigh's　old　opinion　of　Ireland。　　Raleigh；　under　the　inspiration　of　a　possible　grant　of　Desmond's　lands；　looks　on　bogs　and　rocks　transfigured　by　his　own　hopes　and　fancy；　as　if　by　the　glory　of　a　rainbow。　　He　looked　at　all　things　so；　noble　fellow；　even　thirty　years　after；　when　old；　worn　out；　and　ruined；　well　for　him　had　it　been　otherwise；　and　his　heart　had　grown　old　with　his　head！　　Amyas；　who　knows　nothing　about　Desmond's　lands；　is　puzzled　at　the　change。

〃Why；　what　is　this；　Raleigh？　　You　are　like　children　sitting　in　the　market…place；　and　nothing　pleases　you。　　You　wanted　to　get　to　Court；　and　you　have　got　there；　and　are　lord　and　master；　I　hear；　or　something　very　like　it；　alreadyand　as　soon　as　fortune　stuffs　your　mouth　full　of　sweet…meats；　do　you　turn　informer　on　her？〃

Raleigh　laughed　insignificantly；　but　was　silent。

〃And　how　is　your　friend　Mr。　Secretary　Spenser；　who　was　with　us　at　Smerwick？〃

〃Spenser？　　He　has　thriven　even　as　I　have；　and　he　has　found；　as　I　have；　that　in　making　one　friend　at　Court　you　make　ten　foes；　but　'Oderint　dum　metuant'　is　no　more　my　motto　than　his；　Leigh。　　I　want　to　be　greatgreat　I　am　already；　they　say；　if　princes'　favor　can　swell　the　frog　into　an　ox；　but　I　want　to　be　liked；　lovedI　want　to　see　people　smile　when　I　enter。〃

〃So　they　do；　I'll　warrant；〃　said　Amyas。

〃So　do　hyenas；〃　said　Raleigh；　〃grin　because　they　are　hungry；　and　I　may　throw　them　a　bone；　I'll　throw　you　one　now；　old　lad；　or　rather　a　good　sirloin　of　beef；　for　the　sake　of　your　smile。　　That's　honest；　at　least；　I'll　warrant；　whosoever's　else　is　not。　　Have　you　heard　of　my　brother　Humphrey's　new　project？〃

〃How　should　I　hear　anything　in　this　waste　howling　wilderness？〃

〃Kiss　hands　to　the　wilderness；　then；　and　come　with　me　to　Newfoundland！〃

〃You　to　Newfoundland？〃

〃Yes。　　I　to　Newfoundland；　unless　my　little　matter　here　is　settled　at　once。　　Gloriana　don't　know　it；　and　sha'n't　till　I'm　off。　　She'd　send　me　to　the　Tower；　I　think；　if　she　caught　me　playing　truant。　　I　could　hardly　get　leave　to　come　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