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第5章 认主-改邪归正

　　Thus they dismissed them the society, and turned them out to shiftfor themselves. They went away sullen and refractory, as neithercontent to go away nor to stay: but, as there was no remedy, theywent, pretending to go and choose a place where they would settlethemselves; and some provisions were given them, but no weapons.About four or five days after, they came again for some victuals,and gave the governor an account where they had pitched theirtents, and marked themselves out a habitation and plantation; andit was a very convenient place indeed, on the remotest part of theisland, NE., much about the place where I providentially landed inmy first voyage, when I was driven out to sea in my foolish attemptto sail round the island.

suchconfusion; nor had we had any conversation with the ship's companyfor twelve days, they having told us that they had not a mouthfulof anything to eat in the ship; and this they told us afterwards -they thought we had been dead. It was this dreadful condition wewere in when you were sent to save our lives; and how you found us,sir, you know as well as I, and better too."

　　It was the beginning of June when I left this remote place. Wewere now reduced to a very small caravan, having only thirty-twohorses and camels in all, which passed for mine, though my newguest was proprietor of eleven of them. It was natural also that Ishould take more servants with me than I had before; and the younglord passed for my steward; what great man I passed for myself Iknow not, neither did it concern me to inquire. We had here theworst and the largest desert to pass over that we met with in ourwhole journey; I call it the worst, because the way was very deepin some places, and very uneven in others; the best we had to sayfor it was, that we thought we had no troops of Tartars or robbersto fear, as they never came on this side of the river Oby, or atleast very seldom; but we found it otherwise.

of Christianity, ifnot into the particular faith we all embrace, and that even whileyou stay here." Upon this I said, "I shall not only give youleave, but give you a thousand thanks for it."

　　W.A. - God has spoken to some good men in former days, even fromheaven, by plain words; and God has inspired good men by HisSpirit; and they have written all His laws down in a book.

　　And now I speak of marrying, it brings me naturally to saysomething of the French ecclesiastic that I had brought with me outof the ship's crew whom I took up at sea. It is true this man wasa Roman, and perhaps it may give offence to some hereafter if Ileave anything extraordinary upon record of a man whom, before Ibegin, I must (to set him out in just colours) represent in termsvery much to his disadvantage, in the account of Protestants; as,first, that he was a Papist; secondly, a Popish priest; andthirdly, a French Popish priest. But justice demands of me to givehim a due character; and I must say, he was a grave, sober, pious,and most religious person; exact in his life, extensive in hischarity, and exemplary in almost everything he did. What then canany one say against being very sensible of the value of such a man,notwithstanding his profession? though it may be my opinionperhaps, as well as the opinion of others who shall read this, thathe was mistaken.

　　The Spaniards said they had, indeed, at first disarmed and excludedWill Atkins and his two countrymen for their ill conduct, as theyhad let me know, and they appealed to me for the necessity theywere under to do so; but that Will Atkins had behaved himself sobravely in the great fight they had with the savages, and onseveral occasions since, and had showed himself so faithful to, andconcerned for, the general interest of them all, that they hadforgotten all that was past, and thought he merited as much to betrusted with arms and supplied with necessaries as any of them;that they had testified their satisfaction in him by committing thecommand to him next to the governor himself; and as they had entireconfidence in him and all his countrymen, so they acknowledged theyhad merited that confidence by all the methods that honest mencould merit to be valued and trusted; and they most heartilyembraced the occasion of giving me this assurance, that they wouldnever have any interest separate from one another.

　　Before I went from their quarter they all came to me and told methey had been considering what I had said; that they were glad tohear I had a clergyman in my company, and they were very willing togive me the satisfaction I desired, and to be formally married assoon as I pleased; for they were far from desiring to part withtheir wives, and that they meant nothing but what was very honestwhen they chose them. So I appointed them to meet me the nextmorning; and, in the meantime, they should let their wives know themeaning of the marriage law; and that it was not only to preventany scandal, but also to oblige them that they should not forsakethem, whatever might happen.

hey might come and go; if they disturbed nobody,nobody would disturb them: and no doubt but they were oftenashore, and went away again; for I never heard that the planterswere ever attacked or disturbed any more.