登陆注册
19471600000097

第97章

There Eustace stood, looking down on all that was left of the most sacred personage of Ireland; the man who, as he once had hoped, was to regenerate his native land, and bring the proud island of the West once more beneath that gentle yoke, in which united Christendom labored for the commonweal of the universal Church.

There he was, and with him all Eustace's dreams, in the very heart of that country which he had vowed, and believed as he vowed, was ready to rise in arms as one man, even to the baby at the breast (so he had said), in vengeance against the Saxon heretic, and sweep the hated name of Englishman into the deepest abysses of the surge which walled her coasts; with Spain and the Pope to back him, and the wealth of the Jesuits at his command; in the midst of faithful Catholics, valiant soldiers, noblemen who had pledged themselves to die for the cause, serfs who worshipped him as a demigod--starved to death in a bog! It was a pretty plain verdict on the reasonableness of his expectations; but not to Eustace Leigh.

It was a failure, of course; but it was an accident; indeed, to have been expected, in a wicked world whose prince and master, as all knew, was the devil himself; indeed, proof of the righteousness of the cause--for when had the true faith been other than persecuted and trampled under foot? If one came to think of it with eyes purified from the tears of carnal impatience, what was it but a glorious martyrdom?

"Blest Saunders!" murmured Eustace Leigh; "let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end he like this! Ora pro me, most excellent martyr, while I dig thy grave upon this lonely moor, to wait there for thy translation to one of those stately shrines, which, cemented by the blood of such as thee, shall hereafter rise restored toward heaven, to make this land once more 'The Isle of Saints.'"The corpse was buried; a few prayers said hastily; and Eustace Leigh was away again, not now to find Baltinglas; for it was more than his life was worth.The girl had told him of the English soldiers who had passed, and he 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, already--and 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 Ihave, 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 great--great I am already, they say, if princes' favor can swell the frog into an ox; but I want to be liked, loved--I 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 Imay 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.Icould 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.

同类推荐
  • 存神固气论

    存神固气论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 张卿子伤寒论

    张卿子伤寒论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 无准师范禅师语录

    无准师范禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 禅林类聚

    禅林类聚

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 华严经行愿品疏钞

    华严经行愿品疏钞

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 独家:逆天记

    独家:逆天记

    正为何?邪为何?天为何?地为何?即天地不公,那我只好逆天而行!有如花美男相游,有勾心历练在手,天下我有!情节轻松,没有情爱中的勾心,只有弱肉强食,强者生存!
  • 心道薄世

    心道薄世

    一个天才的心灵旅途,酸甜苦辣,人生百味,淡泊以明智!激情,热血,情感缠绵,懵懂,幼稚,痴傻,心灵旅途!最简单的道理,用千万年的时间去学习……
  • 邪帝家的小悍妻:逆天小魔后

    邪帝家的小悍妻:逆天小魔后

    她是天界第一美人,一丝魂魄变成了平凡的她。魔帝?是打她在墙上扣都扣不下来的人?不要。狐王?不是吧?他也来凑热闹,还说自己是她认识的第一个男人?搞错了吧,没有睡醒吧?还有那个害羞的阎王也喜欢她?阎王也?要不要抱大腿?听错了吧?太子要娶她当太子妃?要还是不要?帅哥,我来了,你是我的,我的还是我的,带上钱财带上美色嫁吧。
  • 黑色调音师

    黑色调音师

    黑色,它也许代表着恐惧,也许暗示着秘密,也或许是人占有欲的一种象征。然而所不为人知的是,它也是某些都市异类的一个形容词。每个人身来就有一副看不见的“面具”,它如寄生物一般伴随着人的成长而变化。年岁越大,面具所遮蔽的就越多。“外表是一本正经的商人,其实内在是个猥琐的中年痴汉”类似这种例子的人,在这个世界上有很多吧。那么,包装着音乐家皮囊的杀手,你见过吗?他又带着怎样的“面具”呢?答案全都在他本人的笔记之中……
  • 山寨魔兽之增强萨满

    山寨魔兽之增强萨满

    山寨版的虚拟网游——XOX(囧)。主角在无奈中随机到了巨魔萨满,并且被忽悠成了增强萨满这个被称为废材职业的职业……但是,增强萨满真的废材吗?
  • 血铭

    血铭

    公元2195年地球的能源在人类的预计的时间之前就开始枯竭,能源开始枯竭的同时各国开始变得动荡起来。小国之间开始战争互相吞并,直到战争的最后就连一些大国也不能独善其身投入到战争里。而在战争中催生出一个叫做‘堕天使’的组织。公元2200年‘堕天使’对地球发起一起全球性的核袭击。在袭击之后地球迅速被核尘埃覆盖,环境发生剧烈的变化。大量生物在极度痛苦中挣扎着死亡,地球在此时变成了一个疯狂的炼狱。人类也进入到最黑暗最艰苦的时代。但是越是在艰苦的环境里人类的能力才凸显出来,人们创造出各种设备在地下的保护所里自给自足。建立新的领导体系。就在人们以为生活会慢慢变好的时候,实际上这只是个噩梦的开始。
  • 正名

    正名

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 网游之高达乱舞

    网游之高达乱舞

    游走于刀尖之上眼中尽是对生命的漠视大仇得报的冷血杀手进入了他最爱的高达题材的虚拟网游,从此,冷血杀手变成了中二青年,哦类哇刚大木。。。。。
  • 超甜蜜糖果系恋人

    超甜蜜糖果系恋人

    提问:世界上最傻的恋情是什么?回答:是暗恋。再提问:比暗恋更傻的恋情是什么?再回答:互相暗恋而且双方为青梅竹马。叶朵朵最近有点郁闷,她家小安安不爱她了。“安安啊,我生日快到了,你给我买这个裙子怎么样?”“不要,你太胖了,穿不进去。”叶朵朵看了看自己的肉肉,泪了。呜呜,她家安安要被狐狸精勾走了!安颜煕最近也有些郁闷,他家朵朵不爱他了。“朵朵,我们两个去吃冰淇淋吧!”“不,你太瘦了,不要吃零食。”安颜煕看了看自己的肌肉,泪了。呜呜,他家朵朵要被小白脸勾走了!当青梅竹马遇上智商负数,当两小无猜遇上相互斗法,蠢萌蠢萌的他们,可以走简约路线吗?
  • 呆萌小姐PK邪魅冷少

    呆萌小姐PK邪魅冷少

    拥有“挂科女王”称号的莘夏,提起“梦想”这两个字时,她会一本正经地告诉你,她最大的梦想是吃遍天下美食,没有人知道,她只是为了要尝出一种属于爸爸的味道。为了进入风韵学院学习烹饪,她可是铆足了劲儿准备,却在入校考试时,与学校董事长儿子洛奇一战成仇,自此,两人之间令人爆笑的较劲拉开帷幕……