Micah Clarke

at his door, I found that it was fastened, which surprised me the more as I knew that there was neither key nor bolt upon the inside. On my pressing against it, ho

a den of thieves, angered me, and I gave a butt with my shoulder whi

head by way of night bonnet, and his hard-visaged, clean-shaven face, looking out through this, together with his bony figure, gave him some resemblance to

ustom of this part of the country to carry your visitor’s r

door when you are sleeping under the roof-tree of an honest ma

rd, a strong and a fierce man when the blood of youth ran in his veins; but you, I should judge, are in no way behind him. Know, then, that the bearer of papers of import, documenta preciosa sed periculosa, is bound to leave nought to chance, but to guard in

ry and are ready fo

which your father has lent me. It may be that I have been used t

m. As he had withdrawn his head, however, entirely beneath the bedclothes, there was nothing more to be said, so I descended to the lower room,

The workmen had not yet come to their work, so we strolled out into the sweet mornin

of use at a pinch, but, alas! I am not the same swordsman who led the left troop of the finest horse regiment that ever followed a kettledrum. The Lord hath given, and the Lord

Go wh

en are soft. When Abraham offered up his eldest born, I trow that he said little

ou speak of him as an

e righteous dispersed, he did not lay aside his zeal with his buff-coat. He took to business as a maltster a

ul assassination

sed doing in broad daylight, thirty of them against fifty of the Royal Guard, when Charles and James passed on their way to Newmarket. If the roy

I was satisfied, for an attack upon the lives of unarmed and unsuspecting me

ted messages from England, especially from the western counties and from London, assured them that if they would but attempt an invasion they might rely upon help both in men and in money. They were, however, at fault for some time for want of a

ate son,’

rd or no, he holds the sound principles of the true Church, and he is beloved by the people

of the yard, for the workmen had begun to ar

Scotland in a blaze. Between them they hope to bring the persecutor of the faithful on his knees. But I hear the voice of the man Saxon, and I must not let him say that I have treated him in a churl

yself to read it. This yellow sheet which I now hold in my hand is the very one which was brought by Deci

rael, and that the wicked king and those who uphold him shall be smitten and entirely cast down, until their place in the l

d. For amongst our own folk there arc my Lord Grey of Wark, Wade, Dare of Taunton, Ayloffe, Holmes, Hollis, Goodenough, and others whom thou shalt know. Of the Scots there are the Duke of Argyle, who has suffered sorely for the Covenan

been determined that Argyle — M’Callum More, as the breechless savages of Inverary call him — shall command a separate expedition landing upon the western coast of Scotland. There he hopes to raise five thousand Campbells, and to be joined by all the Covenanters and Western Whigs, men who would make troops of the old breed

nd the weather favourable. If thou canst come, mine old comrade, I know well that thou wilt need no bidding of mine to bring thee to our banner. Should perchance a peaceful life and waning strength forbid thy attendance, I trust that thou wilt wrestle for us in prayer, even as the holy prophet of old; and perchance, since I hear that thou hast prospered according to the things of this world, thou mayst be able to fit out a pikeman or two, or to send a gift towards the military chest, which will be none to

go to Monmouth’s camp, see that thou take him with thee, for I hear that he hath had good exper

se. Let her read Timothy chapter

indoors to my breakfast. My father looked at me, as I entered, with questioning

e it, no one was injured, not even Hosea, but the incident made me think more highly of our new acquaintance. As he started off down the village street, his long stringy figure and strange gnarled visage, with my father’s silver-braided hat cocked over his eye, attracted rather more attention than I cared to see, considering the importance of the missives which he bore, and the certainty of their discovery should he be arrested as a masterless man. Fortunately, however, the curiosity of the country folk did but lead them to cluster round their doors and windows, staring open-eyed, while he, pleased at the attention which he e

spilling of human blood. James might be a perjurer and a villain, but he was, as far as I could see, the rightful king of England, and no tales of secret marriages or black boxes could alter the fact that his rival was apparently an illegitimate son, and as such ineligible to the throne. Who could say what evil act upon the part of a monarch justified his people in setting him asid

trailing behind me, Baker Mitford’s children tugging at my skirts, and the millwright’s two little maidens one on either hand. Then, when I had persuaded these young rompers to leave me, out came Dame Fullarton the widow, with a sad tale about how her grindstone had fallen out of its

aid he proudly, as he poured it into the flagon. ‘Why, bless you, master Mic

ood frame to contain it,’ quoth Reub

orning wi’ Johnny Ferneley o’ the Bank side, and they will have it that there’s a man in Fare

rize mastiff, showing my teeth to the whole country

lage life with its small successes to such as you? You are as much out of your place as a vintage wine at a harvest supper. The whole of broad England

, Micah,’ said Reuben, laughing. ‘You might chance to

I am in sober earnest when I say that you are indeed wasting the years of your youth, when life is sparkli

ed, Micah, my father is right, for all that he h

ered, and with a nod to the ki

a plank as I passed. Lookin

ok for you,

answered, for he had lent me John Milton’

s it would weigh down many a library. You shall have it when I have finished it, tomorrow mayhap or the day after. A good man is M

en among the exiles, a

away from it. The day is coming, I fear, when every man will have to choose betwixt his beliefs and his freedo

cted, ‘they would place Monmouth upon the t

and to show that they have a leader of repute. Were James driven from the throne, the Commons of England in Parliament ass

ou will tell me what you do really think, would it be well

isease is allowed to spread, it may be that even the tyrant’s removal would not prevent his evil seed from sprouting. I hold, therefore, that should the exiles make such an attempt, it is the duty of every man who values liberty of conscience to rally round them. And you, my son, the pride of the village, w

k once more, while I, with a few words of gratitude, went on my way pondering over what he had said to

t a few yards from my ear. ‘Would ye come across my haw

, ‘I did not see you.

dge. ‘Odd’s niggars, man! friends are not so plentiful, d’ye see, that ye need pass ’em by witho

he veteran appeared to be nettled; ‘

d a blue suit of broadcloth trimmed with eight rows of buttons, and breeches of the same material with great bunches of ribbon at the knee. His vest was of lighter blue picked out with anchors in silver, an

amba! the old ship is water-tight yet. What would ye say, now, were

w!’ I

, man, and as tight a little craft as

day,’ said I; ‘I did not even know that you w

ine! You have got out of your channel, and are in

hen?’ I

t. It’s but the heaving of a hand grenade, and they strike their colours. This is a craft of another guess build, and unless I steer wi’ care she may put one in between wind and water before I so much as know that I am engaged. What think ye, heh? Should I lay myself boldly a

perience is less than yours. I should say though that you had

f the blacksmith. Let us work back and have a drop of the right Nants bef

est leave it al

ight. Throw off your moorings, then

ot concerne

t me with a face full of reproach. ‘I thought better of you, Micah. Would you

you have m

ork across the bows so as to rake her. Should I range, up on the larboard quarter, do you lie, on the

his heart upon my accompanying him, which I was equally determined not to do. At last by much reasoning I made him

it be the custom for single ships to engage, I’ll stand to it alone. You shall come with

There seemed to be no choice, however, as old Solomon was in dead earnest, b

aid I, ‘I don’t cr

all the way. She’s on the look-out, for I hailed her yesternight, and let her

ed to be learned in sea terms to make out the old man’s meaning

, ‘I have forgot t

d in amazement, ‘what cou

is one’s consort to know what is going forward when the flagship carries no artil

ut I shall judge that all is well. If

was a powder-boy in the old ship Lion, the day that we engaged the Spiritus Sanctus of two tier o’ guns — the first time that ever I hear

y-clad cottage behind which was the village smithy. ‘What, Solomon! an E

r Dutchman; so here goes for her!’ So saying he made his way into the cottage, leaving me st

f shrill laughter ending in a small squeak, which meant, I suppose, that he was coming to close quarters. Then there was silence for a little while, and at last I saw a white kerchief waving from the window,

with the insurgents, should the occasion arise. If I refused, I should have the shame of seeing my aged father setting off for the wars, whilst I lingered at home. And why should I refuse? Had it not lo

returned home, ‘I am re

ay He watch over your young life, and keep your he

n was taken, and I found myself committed to o