by Daniel Defoe
as he walked along, andpulling me to a full stop, made me a very low bow: "I most heartilythank God, and you, Sir," says he, "for giving me so evident a call toso blessed a work; and if you think yourself discharged from it, anddesire me to undertake it, I will most readily do it, and think it ahappy reward for all of the hazards and difficulties of such a brokendisappointed voyage as I have met with, that I have dropped at last intoso glorious a work."
I discovered a kind of rapture in his face while he spoke this to me;his eyes sparkled like fire, his face bowed, and his colour came andwent as if he had been falling into fits; in a word, he was tired withthe agony of being embarked in such a work. I paused a considerablewhile before I could tell what to say to him, for I was really surprisedto find a man of such sincerity and zeal, and carried out in his zealbeyond the ordinary rate of men, not of his profession only, but even ofany profession whatsoever. But after I had considered it awhile, I askedhim seriously if he was in earnest, and that he would venture on thesingle consideration of an attempt on those poor people, to be locked upin an unplanted island for perhaps his life, and at last might not knowwhether he should be able to do them any good or not?
He turned short upon me, and asked me what I called a venture? "Pray,Sir," said he, "what do you think I consented to go in your ship to theEast Indies for?"--"Nay," said I, "that I know not, unless it was topreach to the Indians."--"Doubtless it was," said he; "and do you thinkif I can convert these seven-and-thirty men to the faith of Christ, itis not worth my time, though I should never be fetched off the islandagain? Nay, is it not infinitely of more worth to save so many soulsthan my life is, or the life of twenty more of the same profession? Yes,Sir," says he, "I would give Christ and the Blessed Virgin thanks all mydays, if I could be made the least happy instrument of saving the soulsof these poor men though I was never to set my foot off this island, orsee my native country any more. But since you will honour me," says he,"with putting me into this work, (for which I will pray for you all thedays of my life) I have one humble petition to you," said he"besides."--"What is that?" said I. "Why," says he, "it is, that youwill leave your man Friday with me, to be my interpreter to them, and toassist me for without some help I cannot speak to them, or they to me."
I was sensibly troubled at his requesting Friday, because I could notthink of parting with him, and that for many reasons. He had been thecompanion of my travels; he was not only faithful to me, but sincerelyaffectionate to the last degree; and I had resolved to do somethingconsiderable for him if he out-lived me, as it was probable he would.Then I knew that as I had bred Friday up to be a Protestant, it wouldquite confound him to bring him to embrace another profession; and hewould never, while his eyes were open, believe that his old master was aheretic, and would be damned; and this might in the end ruin the poorfellow's principles, and so turn him back again to his first idolatry.
However, a sudden thought relieved me in this strait, and it was this: Itold him I could not say that I was willing to part with Friday on anyaccount whatever; though a work that to him was of more value than hislife, ought to me to be of much more value than the keeping or partingwith a servant. But on the other hand, I was persuaded, that Fridaywould by no means consent to part with me; and then to force him to itwithout his consent would be manifest injustice, because I had promisedI would never put him away, and he had promised and engaged to me thathe would never leave me unless I put him away.
He seemed very much concerned at it; for he had no rational access tothese poor people, seeing he did not understand one word of theirlanguage, nor they one word of his. To remove this difficulty, I toldhim Friday's father had learnt Spanish, which I found he alsounderstood, and he should serve him for an interpreter; so he was muchbetter satisfied, and nothing could persuade him but he would stay toendeavour to convert them; but Providence gave another and very happyturn to all this.
I come back now to the first part of his objections. When we came to theEnglishmen I sent for them all together; and after some accounts giventhem of what I had done for them, viz. what necessary things I hadprovided for them, and how they were distributed, which they weresensible of, and very thankful for; I began to talk to them of thescandalous life they led, and gave them a full account of the notice theclergyman had already taken of it; and arguing how unchristian andirreligious a life it was, I first asked them if they were married menor bachelors? They soon explained their condition to me, and shewed methat two of them were widowers, and the other three were single men orbachelors. I asked them with what conscience they could take thesewomen, and lie with them as they had done, call them their wives, andhave so many children by them, and not be married lawfully to them?
They all gave me the answer that I expected, viz. that there was nobodyto marry them; that they agreed before the governor to keep them astheir wives; and to keep them and own them as their wives; and theythought, as things stood with them, they were as legally married as ifthey had been married by a parson, and with all the formalities inthe world.
I told them that no doubt they were married in the sight of God, andwere bound in conscience to keep them as their wives; but that the lawsof men being otherwise, they might pretend they were not married, and sodesert the poor women and children hereafter; and that their wives,being poor, desolate women, friendless and moneyless, would have no wayto help themselves: I therefore told them, that unless I was assured oftheir honest intent, I could do nothing for them; but would take carethat what I did should be for the women and children without them; andthat unless they would give some assurances that they would marry thewomen, I could not think it was convenient they should continue togetheras man and wife; for that it was both scandalous to men and offensive toGod, who they could not think would bless them if they went on thus.
All this passed as I expected; and they told me, especially Will Atkins,who seemed now to speak for the rest, that they loved their wives aswell as if they had been born in their own native country, and would notleave them upon any account whatever; and they did verily believe theirwives were as virtuous and as modest, and did to the utmost of theirskill as much for them and for their children as any women couldpossibly do, and they would not part with them on any account: and WillAtkins for his own particular added, if any man would take him away, andoffer to carry him home to England, and to make him captain of the bestman of war in the navy, he would not go with him if he might not carryhis wife and children with him; and if there was a clergyman in theship, he would be married to her now with all his heart.
This was just as I would have it. The priest was not with me at thatmoment, but was not far off. So to try him farther, I told him I had aclergyman with me, and if he was sincere I would have him married thenext morning, and bade him consider of it, and talk with the rest. Hesaid, as for himself, he need not consider of it at all, for he was veryready to do it, and was glad I had a minister with me; and he believedthey would be all willing also. I then told him that my friend theminister was a Frenchman, and could not speak English, but that I wouldact the clerk between them. He never so much as asked me whether he wasa Papist or Protestant, which was indeed what I was afraid of. But I saythey never inquired about it. So we parted; I went back to my clergyman,and Will Atkins went in to talk with his companions. I desired theFrench gentleman not to say any thing to them till the business wasthorough ripe, and I told him what answer the men had given me.
Before I went from their quarter they all came to me, and told me, theyhad been considering what I had said; that they were very glad to hear Ihad a clergyman in my company; and they were very willing to give me thesatisfaction I desired, and to be formally married as soon as I pleased;for they were far from desiring to part from their wives; and that theymeant nothing but what was very honest when they chose them. So Iappointed them to meet me the next morning, and that in the mean timethey should let their wives know the meaning of the marriage law; andthat it was not only to prevent any scandal, but also to oblige themthat they should not forsake t
hem, whatever might happen.
The women were easily made sensible of the meaning of the thing, andwere very well satisfied with it, as indeed they had reason to be; sothey failed not to attend all together at my apartment next morning,where I brought out my clergyman: and though he had not on a minister'sgown, after the manner of England, or the habit of a priest, after themanner of France; yet having a black vest, something like a cassock,with a sash round it, he did not look very unlike a minister; and as forhis language I was interpreter.
But the seriousness of his behaviour to them, and the scruple he made ofmarrying the women because they were not baptized, and professedChristians, gave them an exceeding reverence for his person; and therewas no need after that to inquire whether he was a clergyman or no.
Indeed I was afraid his scruple would have been