Micah Clarke

by Arthur Conan Doyle

  Chapter XXVI. Of the Strife in the Council

  King Monmouth's council was assembled at the time of my coming, and myentrance caused the utmost surprise and joy, as they had just heard newsof my sore danger. Even the royal presence could not prevent severalmembers, among whom were the old Mayor and the two soldiers of fortune,from springing to their feet and shaking me warmly by the hand. Monmouthhimself said a few gracious words, and requested that I should be seatedat the board with the others.

  'You have earned the right to be of our council,' said he; 'and lestthere should be a jealousy amongst other captains that you should comeamong us, I do hereby confer upon you the special title of Scout-master,which, though it entail few if any duties in the present state of ourforce, will yet give you precedence over your fellows. We had heard thatyour greeting from Beaufort was of the roughest, and that you were insore straits in his dungeons. But you have happily come yourself on thevery heels of him who bore the tidings. Tell us then from the beginninghow things have fared with you.'

  I should have wished to have limited my story to Beaufort and hismessage, but as the council seemed to be intent upon hearing a fullaccount of my journey, I told in as short and simple speech as Icould the various passages which had befallen me--the ambuscado ofthe smugglers, the cave, the capture of the gauger, the journey in thelugger, the acquaintance with Farmer Brown, my being cast into prison,with the manner of my release and the message wherewith I had beencommissioned. To all of this the council hearkened with the uttermostattention, while a muttered oath ever and anon from a courtier or agroan and prayer from a Puritan showed how keenly they followed thevarious phases of my fortunes. Above all, they gave the greatest heedto Beaufort's words, and stopped me more than once when I appeared to bepassing over any saying or event before they had due time to weighit. When I at last finished they all sat speechless, looking into eachother's faces and waiting for an expression of opinion.

  'On my word,' said Monmouth at last, 'this is a young Ulysses, thoughhis Odyssey doth but take three days in the acting. Scudery might not beso dull were she to take a hint from these smugglers' caves and slidingpanels. How say you, Grey?'

  'He hath indeed had his share of adventure,' the nobleman answered, 'andhath also performed his mission like a fearless and zealous messenger.You say that Beaufort gave you nought in writing?'

  'Not a word, my lord,' I replied.

  'And his private message was that he wished us well, and would join usif we were in his country?'

  'That was the effect, my lord.'

  'Yet in his council, as I understand, he did utter bitter things againstus, putting affronts upon the King, and making light of his just claimsupon the fealty of his nobility?'

  'He did,' I answered.

  'He would fain stand upon both sides of the hedge at once,' said KingMonmouth. 'Such a man is very like to find himself on neither side, butin the very heart of the briars. It may be as well, however, that weshould move his way, so as to give him the chance of declaring himself.'

  'In any case, as your Majesty remembers,' said Saxon, 'we had determinedto march Bristolwards and attempt the town.'

  'The works are being strengthened,' said I, 'and there are five thousandof the Gloucestershire train-bands assembled within. I saw the labourersat work upon the ramparts as I passed.'

  'If we gain Beaufort we shall gain the town,' quoth Sir StephenTimewell. 'There are already a strong body of godly and honest folktherein, who would rejoice to see a Protestant army within their gates.Should we have to beleaguer it we may count upon some help from within.'

  'Hegel und blitzen!' exclaimed the German soldier, with an impatiencewhich even the presence of the King could not keep in bounds; 'how canwe talk of sieges and leaguers when we have not a breaching-piece in thearmy?'

  'The Lard will find us the breaching-pieces,' cried Ferguson, in hisstrange, nasal voice. 'Did the Lard no breach the too'ers o' Jerichowithoot the aid o' gunpooder? Did the Lard no raise up the man RobertFerguson and presairve him through five-and-thairty indictments andtwa-and-twenty proclamations o' the godless? What is there He canna do?Hosannah! Hosannah!'

  'The Doctor is right,' said a square-faced, leather-skinned EnglishIndependent. 'We talk too much o' carnal means and worldly chances,without leaning upon that heavenly goodwill which should be to us as astaff on stony and broken paths. Yes, gentlemen,' he continued, raisinghis voice and glancing across the table at some of the courtiers, 'yemay sneer at words of piety, but I say that it is you and those like youwho will bring down God's anger upon this army.'

  'And I say so too,' cried another sectary fiercely.

  'And I,' 'And I,' shouted several, with Saxon, I think, among them.

  'Is it your wish, your Majesty, that we should be insulted at your verycouncil board?' cried one of the courtiers, springing to his feet witha flushed face. 'How long are we to be subject to this insolence becausewe have the religion of a gentleman, and prefer to practise it in theprivacy of our hearts rather than at the street corners with thesepharisees?'

  'Speak not against God's saints,' cried a Puritan, in a loud sternvoice. 'There is a voice within me which tells me that it were better tostrike thee dead--yea, even in the presence of the King--than to allowthee to revile those who have been born again.'

  Several had sprung to their feet on either side. Hands were laid uponsword-hilts, and glances as stern and as deadly as rapier thrusts wereflashing backwards and forwards; but the more neutral and reasonablemembers of the council succeeded in restoring peace, and in persuadingthe angry disputants to resume their seats.

  'How now, gentlemen?' cried the King, his face dark with anger, whensilence was at last restored. 'Is this the extent of my authority thatye should babble and brawl as though my council-chamber were a FleetStreet pot-house? Is this your respect for my person? I tell ye that Iwould forfeit my just claims for ever, and return to Holland, or devotemy sword to the cause of Christianity against the Turk, rather thansubmit to such indignity. If any man he proved to have stirred up strifeamongst the soldiers or commonalty on the score of religion I shallknow how to deal with him. Let each preach to his own, but let him notinterfere with the flock of his neighbour. As to you, Mr. Bramwell,and you, Mr. Joyce, and you also, Sir Henry Nuttall, we shall hold yeexcused from attending these meetings until ye have further notice fromus. Ye may now separate, each to your quarters, and to-morrow morningwe shall, with the blessing of God, start for the north to see what luckmay await our enterprise in those parts.'

  The King bowed as a sign that the formal meeting was over, and takingLord Grey aside, he conversed with him anxiously in a recess. Thecourtiers, who numbered in their party several English and foreigngentlemen, who had come over together with some Devonshire and Somersetcountry squires, swaggered out of the room in a body, with much clinkingof spurs and clanking of swords. The Puritans drew gravely together andfollowed after them, walking not with demure and downcast looks, as wastheir common use, but with grim faces and knitted brows, as the Jews ofold may have appeared when, 'To your tents, O Israel!' was still ringingin their ears.

  Indeed, religious dissension and sectarian heat were in the very air.Outside, on the Castle Green, the voices of preachers rose up like thedrone of insects. Every waggon or barrel or chance provision case hadbeen converted into a pulpit, each with its own orator and little knotof eager hearkeners. Here was a russet-coated Taunton volunteer injackboots and bandolier, holding forth on the justification by works.Further on a grenadier of the militia, with blazing red coat and whitecross-belt, was deep in the mystery of the Trinity. In one or twoplaces, where the rude pulpits were too near to each other, the sermonshad changed into a hot discussion between the two preachers, in whichthe audience took part by hums or groans, each applauding the championwhose creed was most in accordance with his own. Through this wildscene, made more striking by the ruddy flickering glare of thecamp-fires, I picked my way with a weight at my heart, for I felt howvain it must be to hope for success where
such division reigned, Saxonlooked on, however, with glistening eyes, and rubbed his hands withsatisfaction.

  'The leaven is working,' quoth he. 'Something will come of all thisferment.'

  'I see not what can come of it save disorder and weakness,' I answered.

  'Good soldiers will come of it, lad,' said he. 'They are all sharpeningthemselves, each after his own fashion, on the whetstone of religion.This arguing breedeth fanatics, and fanatics are the stuff out of whichconquerors are fashioned. Have you not heard how Old Noll's army dividedinto Presbyterians, Independents, Ranters, Anabaptists, Fifth Monarchymen, Brownists, and a score of other sects, out of whose strife rose thefinest regiments that ever formed line upon a field of battle?

  "Such as do build their faith upon The holy text of sword and gun."

  You know old Samuel's couplet. I tell you, I would rather see them thusemployed than at their drill, for all their wrangling and jangling.'

  'But how of this split in the council?' I asked.

  'Ah, that is indeed a graver matter. All creeds may be welded together,but the Puritan and the scoffer are like oil and water. Yet the Puritanis the oil, for he will be ever atop. These courtiers do but stand forthemselves, while the others are backed up by the pith and marrow of thearmy. It is well that we are afoot to-morrow. The King's troops are, Ihear, pouring across Salisbury Plain, but their ordnance and stores aredelaying them, for they know well that they must bring all they need,since they can expect little from the goodwill of the country folk. Ah,friend Buyse, wie geht es?'

  'Ganz gut,' said the big German, looming up before us through thedarkness. 'But, sapperment, what a cawing and croaking, like a rookeryat sunset! You English are a strange people--yes, donnerwetter, a verystrange people! There are no two of you who think alike upon any subjectunder Himmel! The Cavalier will have his gay coat and his loose word.The Puritan will cut your throat rather than give up his sad-coloureddress and his Bible. "King James!" cry some, "King Monmouth!" say thepeasants. "King Jesus!" says the Fifth Monarchy man. "No King at all!"cry Master Wade and a few others who are for a Commonwealth. Since Iset foot on the Helderenbergh at Amsterdam, my head hath been in a whirlwith trying to understand what it is that ye desire, for before I havegot to the end of one man's tale, and begin to see a little through thefinsterniss, another will come with another story, and I am in as evil acase as ever. But, my young Hercules, I am right glad to see you backin safety. I am half in fear to give you my hand now, after your recenttreatment of it. I trust that you are none the worse for the danger thatyou have gone through.'

  'Mine eyelids are in truth a little heavy,' I answered. 'Save for anhour or two aboard the lugger, and about as long on a prison couch, Ihave not closed eye since I left the camp.'

  'We shall fall in at the second bugle call, about eight of the clock,'said Saxon. 'We shall leave you, therefore, that you may restoreyourself after your fatigues. 'With a parting nod the two old soldiersstrode off together down the crowded Fore Street, while I made the bestof my way back to the Mayor's hospitable dwelling, where I had to repeatmy story all over again to the assembled household before I was at lastsuffered to seek my room.