"Thank God," said Sir Richard, "that you have yourself taken from my heart that which was my great anxiety for you, from the day that your good father, who sleeps in peace, committed you to my hands.
For all best things, Amyas, become, when misused, the very worst;and the love of woman, because it is able to lift man's soul to the heavens, is also able to drag him down to hell.But you have learnt better, Amyas; and know, with our old German forefathers, that, as Tacitus saith, Sera juvenum Venus, ideoque inexhausta pubertas.And not only that, Amyas; but trust me, that silly fashion of the French and Italians, to be hanging ever at some woman's apron string, so that no boy shall count himself a man unless he can vagghezziare le donne, whether maids or wives, alas!
matters little; that fashion, I say, is little less hurtful to the soul than open sin; for by it are bred vanity and expense, envy and heart-burning, yea, hatred and murder often; and even if that be escaped, yet the rich treasure of a manly worship, which should be kept for one alone, is squandered and parted upon many, and the bride at last comes in for nothing but the very last leavings and caput mortuum of her bridegroom's heart, and becomes a mere ornament for his table, and a means whereby he may obtain a progeny.May God, who has saved me from that death in life, save you also!" And as he spoke, he looked down toward his wife upon the terrace below; and she, as if guessing instinctively that he was talking of her, looked up with so sweet a smile, that Sir Richard's stern face melted into a very glory of spiritual sunshine.
Amyas looked at them both and sighed; and then turning the conversation suddenly--"And I may go to Ireland to-morrow?"
"You shall sail in the 'Mary' for Milford Haven, with these letters to Winter.If the wind serves, you may bid the master drop down the river tonight, and be off; for we must lose no time.""Winter?" said Amyas."He is no friend of mine, since he left Drake and us so cowardly at the Straits of Magellan.""Duty must not wait for private quarrels, even though they be just ones, lad: but he will not be your general.When you come to the marshal, or the Lord Deputy, give either of them this letter, and they will set you work,--and hard work too, I warrant.
"I want nothing better."
"Right, lad; the best reward for having wrought well already, is to have more to do; and he that has been faithful over a few things, must find his account in being made ruler over many things.That is the true and heroical rest, which only is worthy of gentlemen and sons of God.As for those who, either in this world or the world to come, look for idleness, and hope that God shall feed them with pleasant things, as it were with a spoon, Amyas, I count them cowards and base, even though they call themselves saints and elect.""I wish you could persuade my poor cousin of that.""He has yet to learn what losing his life to save it means, Amyas.
Bad men have taught him (and I fear these Anabaptists and Puritans at home teach little else), that it is the one great business of every one to save his own soul after he dies; every one for himself; and that that, and not divine self-sacrifice, is the one thing needful, and the better part which Mary chose.""I think men are inclined enough already to be selfish, without being taught that.""Right, lad.For me, if I could hang up such a teacher on high as an enemy of mankind, and a corrupter of youth, I would do it gladly.Is there not cowardice and self-seeking enough about the hearts of us fallen sons of Adam, that these false prophets, with their baits of heaven, and their terrors of hell, must exalt our dirtiest vices into heavenly virtues and the means of bliss?
Farewell to chivalry and to desperate valor, farewell to patriotism and loyalty, farewell to England and to the manhood of England, if once it shall become the fashion of our preachers to bid every man, as the Jesuits do, take care first of what they call the safety of his soul.Every man will be afraid to die at his post, because he will be afraid that he is not fit to die.Amyas, do thou do thy duty like a man, to thy country, thy queen, and thy God; and count thy life a worthless thing, as did the holy men of old.Do thy work, lad; and leave thy soul to the care of Him who is just and merciful in this, that He rewards every man according to his work.
Is there respect of persons with God? Now come in, and take the letters, and to horse.And if I hear of thee dead there at Smerwick fort, with all thy wounds in front, I shall weep for thy mother, lad; but I shall have never a sigh for thee."If any one shall be startled at hearing a fine gentleman and a warrior like Sir Richard quote Scripture, and think Scripture also, they must be referred to the writings of the time; which they may read not without profit to themselves, if they discover therefrom how it was possible then for men of the world to be thoroughly ingrained with the Gospel, and yet to be free from any taint of superstitious fear, or false devoutness.The religion of those days was such as no soldier need have been ashamed of confessing.
At least, Sir Richard died as he lived, without a shudder, and without a whine; and these were his last words, fifteen years after that, as he lay shot through and through, a captive among Popish Spaniards, priests, crucifixes, confession, extreme unction, and all other means and appliances for delivering men out of the hands of a God of love:--"Here die I, Richard Grenville, with a joyful and quiet mind; for that I have ended my life as a true soldier ought, fighting for his country, queen, religion, and honor: my soul willingly departing from this body, leaving behind the lasting fame of having behaved as every valiant soldier is in his duty bound to do."Those were the last words of Richard Grenville.The pulpits of those days had taught them to him.
But to return.That day's events were not over yet.For, when they went down into the house, the first person whom they met was the old steward, in search of his master.