《westward ho》

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westward ho- 第76部分


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scowling eyes。

〃Jack;〃 said Amyas; who sat next to him; 〃look how that big fellow eyes thee: he has surely taken a fancy to that plump hide of thine; and thinks thou wouldst eat as tender as any sucking porker。〃

Jack turned very pale; but said nothing。

Now; as it befell; just then that very big fellow; seeing a parrot… fish come out of a cleft of the coral; made at him from below; as did two or three more; the poor fish finding no other escape; leaped clean into the air; and almost aboard the boat; while just where he had come out of the water; three or four great brown shagreened noses clashed together within two yards of Jack as he sat; each showing its horrible rows of saw teeth; and then sank sulkily down again; to watch for a fresh bait。  At which Jack said very softly; 〃In manus tuas; Domine!〃 and turning his eyes in board; had no lust to look at sharks any more。

So having got through the reef; in they ran with a fair breeze; the caravel not being now a musket…shot off。  Cary laid her aboard before the Spaniards had time to get to their ordnance; and standing up in the stern…sheets; shouted to them to yield。  The captain asked boldly enough; in whose name?  〃In the name of common sense; ye dogs;〃 cries Will; 〃do you not see that you are but fifty strong to our twenty?〃  Whereon up the side he scrambled; and the captain fired a pistol at him。  Cary knocked him over; unwilling to shed needless blood; on which all the crew yielded; some falling on their knees; some leaping overboard; and the prize was taken。

In the meanwhile; Amyas had pulled round under her stern; and boarded the boat which was second from her; for the nearest was fast alongside; and so a sure prize。  The Spaniards in her yielded without a blow; crying 〃Misericordia;〃 and the negroes; leaping overboard; swam ashore like sea…dogs。  Meanwhile; the third boat; which was not an oar's length off; turned to pull away。  Whereby befell a notable adventure: for John Brimblecombe; casting about in a valiant mind how he should distinguish himself that day; must needs catch up a boat…hook; and claw on to her stern; shouting; 〃Stay; ye Papists!  Stay; Spanish dogs!〃by which; as was to be expected; they being ten to his one; he was forthwith pulled overboard; and fell all along on his nose in the sea; leaving the hook fast in her stern。

Where; I know not how; being seized with some panic fear (his lively imagination filling all the sea with those sharks which he had just seen); he fell a…roaring like any town…bull; and in his confusion never thought to turn and get aboard again; but struck out lustily after the Spanish boat; whether in hope of catching hold of the boat…hook which trailed behind her; or from a very madness of valor; no man could divine; but on he swam; his cassock afloat behind him; looking for all the world like a great black monk…fish; and howling and puffing; with his mouth full of salt water; 〃Stay; ye Spanish dogs!  Help; all good fellows!  See you not that I am a dead man?  They are nuzzling already at my toes! He hath hold of my leg!  My right thigh is bitten clean off!  Oh that I were preaching in Hartland pulpit!  Stay; Spanish dogs! Yield; Papist cowards; least I make mincemeat of you; and take me aboard!  Yield; I say; or my blood be on your heads!  I am no Jonah; if he swallow me; he will never cast me up again! it is better to fall into the hands of man; than into the hands of devils with three rows of teeth apiece。  In manus tuas。  Orate pro anima!〃

And so forth; in more frantic case than ever was Panurge in that his ever…memorable seasickness; till the English; expecting him every minute to be snapped up by sharks; or brained by the Spaniard's oars; let fly a volley into the fugitives; on which they all leaped overboard like their fellows; whereon Jack scrambled into the boat; and drawing sword with one hand; while he wiped the water out of his eyes with the other; began to lay about him like a very lion; cutting the empty air; and crying; 〃Yield; idolaters! Yield; Spanish dogs!〃  However; coming to himself after a while; and seeing that there was no one on whom to flesh his maiden steel; he sits down panting in the sternsheets; and begins stripping off his hose。  On which Amyas; thinking surely that the good fellow had gone mad with some stroke of the sun; or by having fallen into the sea after being overheated with his rowing; bade pull alongside; and asked him in heaven's name what he was doing with his nether tackle。  On which Jack; amid such laughter as may be conceived; vowed and swore that his right thigh was bitten clean through; and to the bone; yea; and that he felt his hose full of blood; and so would have swooned away for imaginary loss of blood (so strong was the delusion on him) had not his friends; after much arguing on their part; and anger on his; persuaded him that he was whole and sound。

After which they set to work to overhaul their maiden prize; which they found full of hides and salt…pork; and yet not of that alone; for in the captain's cabin; and also in the sternsheets of the boat which Brimblecombe had so valorously boarded; were certain frails of leaves packed neatly enough; which being opened were full of goodly pearls; though somewhat brown (for the Spaniards used to damage the color in their haste and greediness; opening the shells by fire; instead of leaving them to decay gradually after the Arabian fashion); with which prize; though they could not guess its value very exactly; they went off content enough; after some malicious fellow had set the ship on fire; which; being laden with hides; was no nosegay as it burnt。

Amyas was very angry at this wanton damage; in which his model; Drake; had never indulged; but Cary had his jest ready。  〃Ah!〃 said he; 〃'Lutheran devils' we are; you know; so we are bound to vanish; like other fiends; with an evil savor。〃

As soon; however; as Amyas was on board again; he rounded his friend Mr。 Brimblecombe in the ear; and told him he had better play the man a little more; roaring less before he was hurt; and keeping his breath to help his strokes; if he wished the crew to listen much to his discourses。  Frank; hearing this; bade Amyas leave the offender to him; and so began upon him with

〃Come hither; thou recreant Jack; thou lily…livered Jack; thou hysterical Jack。  Tell me now; thou hast read Plato's Dialogues; and Aristotle's Logic?〃

To which Jack very meekly answered; 〃Yes。〃

〃Then I will deal with thee after the manner of those ancient sages; and ask whether the greater must not contain the less?〃

Jack。  Yes; sure。

Frank。  And that which is more than a part; contain that part; more than which it is?

Jack。  Yes; sure。

Frank。  Then tell me; is not a priest more than a layman?

Jack (who was always very loud about the dignity of the priesthood; as many of his cloth are; who have no other dignity whereon to stand) answered very boldly; 〃Of course。〃

Frank。  Then a priest containeth a man; and is a man; and something overviz; his priesthood?

Jack (who saw whither this would lead)。  I suppose so。

Frank。  Then; if a priest show himself no man; he shows himself all the more no priest?

〃I'll tell you what; Master Frank;〃 says Jack; 〃you may be right by logic; but sharks aren't logic; nor don't understand it neither。〃

Frank。  Nay but; my recalcitrant Jack; my stiff…necked Jack; is it the part of a man to howl like a pig in a gate; because he thinks that is there which is not there?

Jack had not a word to say。

Frank。  And still more; when if that had been there; it had been the duty of a brave man to have kept his mouth shut; if only to keep salt water out; and not add the evil of choking to that of being eaten?

〃Ah!〃 says Jack; 〃that's all very fine; but you know as well as I that it was not the Spaniards I was afraid of。  They were Heaven's handiwork; and I knew how to deal with them; but as for those fiends' spawn of sharks; when I saw that fellow take the fish alongside; it upset me clean; and there's an end of it!〃

Frank。  Oh; Jack; Jack; behold how one sin begets another!  Just now thou wert but a coward; and now thou art a Manichee。  For thou hast imputed to an evil creator that which was formed only for a good end; namely; sharks; which were made on purpose to devour useless carcasses like thine。  Moreover; as a brother of the Rose; thou wert bound by the vow of thy brotherhood to have leaped joyfully down that shark's mouth。

Jack。  Ay; very likely; if Mistress Rose had been in his stomach; but I wanted to fight Spaniards just then; not to be shark…bitten。

Frank。  Jack; thy answer savors of self…will。  If it is ordained that thou shouldst advance the ends of the Brotherhood by being shark…bitten; or flea…bitten; or bitten by sharpers; to the detriment of thy carnal wealth; or; shortly; to suffer any shame or torment whatsoever; even to strappado and scarpines; thou art bound to obey thy destiny; and not; after that vain Roman conceit; to choose the manner of thine own death; which is indeed only another sort of self…murder。  We therefore consider thee as a cause of scandal; and a rotten and creaking branch; to be excised by the spiritual arm; and do hereby excise thee; and cut thee off。

Jack。  Nay faith; that's a little too much; Master Frank。  How long have you been Bishop of Exeter?

Frank。  Jack; thy wit being blinded; and full of gross vapors; by reason of the perturbations of fear (which; like anger; is a short madness; and raises in the phantasy vain spectres;videlicet; of sharks and Spaniards); mistakes our lucidity。  For thy Manicheeism; let his lordship of Exeter deal with it。  For thy abominable howling and caterwauling; offensive in a chained cur; but scandalous in a preacher and a brother of the Rose; we do hereby deprive thee of thine office of chaplain to the Brotherhood; and warn thee; that unless within seven days thou do some deed equal to the Seven Champions; or Ruggiero and Orlando's self; thou shalt be deprived of sword and dagger; and allowed henceforth to carry no more iron about thee than will serve to mend thy pen。

〃And now; Jack;〃 said Amyas; 〃I will give thee a piece of news。  No wonder that young men; as the parsons complain so loudly; will not listen to the Gospel; while it 
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