登陆注册
5150400000231

第231章

Old Martin begins dipping his finger into it, and rubbing it on his toothless gums, smiling and nodding thanks to his young master;while the little maid at his knee, unrebuked, takes her share also.

"There, Admiral Leigh; both ends meet--gramfers and babies! You and I shall be like to that one day, young Samson!""We shall have slain a good many Philistines first, I hope.""Amen! so be it; but look to mun! so fine a sailor as ever drank liquor; and now greedy after a hit of sweet trade! 'tis piteous like; but I bring mun a hit whenever I come, and he looks for it.

He's one of my own flesh like, is old Martin.He sailed with my father Captain Will, when they was both two little cracks aboard of a trawler; and my father went up, and here I am--he didn't, and there he is.We'm up now, we Hawkinses.We may be down again some day.""Never, I trust," said Amyas.

"'Tain't no use trusting, young man: you go and do.I do hear too much of that there from my lad.Let they ministers preach till they'm black in the face, works is the trade!" with a nudge in Amyas's ribs."Faith can't save, nor charity nether.There, you tell with him, while I go play bowls with Drake.He'll tell you a sight of stories.You ask him about good King Hal, now, just--"And off waddled the Port Admiral.

"You have seen good King Henry, then, father?" said Amyas, interested.

The old man's eyes lighted at once, and he stopped mumbling his sugar.

"Seed mun? Iss, I reckon.I was with Captain Will when he went to meet the Frenchman there to Calais--at the Field, the Field--""The Field of the Cloth of Gold, gramfer," suggested the dame.

"That's it.Seed mun? Iss, fegs.Oh, he was a king! The face o'

mun like a rising sun, and the back o' mun so broad as that there"(and he held out his palsied arms), "and the voice of mun! Oh, to hear mun swear if he was merry, oh, 'tas royal!--Seed mun? Iss, fegs! And I've seed mun do what few has; I've seed mun christle like any child.""What--cry?" said Amyas."I shouldn't have thought there was much cry in him.""You think what you like--"

"Gramfer, gramfer, don't you be rude, now--"Let him go on," said Amyas.

"I seed mun christle; and, oh dear, how he did put hands on mun's face; and 'Oh, my gentlemen,' says he, 'my gentlemen! Oh, my gallant men!' Them was his very words.""But when?"

"Why, Captain Will had just come to the Hard--that's to Portsmouth--to speak with mun, and the barge Royal lay again the Hard--so; and our boot alongside--so; and the king he standth as it might be there, above my head, on the quay edge, and she come in near abreast of us, looking most royal to behold, poor dear! and went to cast about.And Captain Will, saith he, 'Them lower ports is cruel near the water;' for she had not more than a sixteen inches to spare in the nether overloop, as I heard after.And saith he, 'That won't do for going to windward in a say, Martin.' And as the words came out of mun's mouth, your worship, there was a bit of a flaw from the westward, sharp like, and overboard goeth my cap, and hitth against the wall, and as I stooped to pick it up, I heard a cry, and it was all over!""He is telling of the Mary Rose, sir."

"I guessed so."

"All over: and the cry of mun, and the screech of mun! Oh, sir, up to the very heavens! And the king he screeched right out like any maid, 'Oh my gentlemen, oh my gallant men!' and as she lay on her beam-ends, sir, and just a-settling, the very last souls I seen was that man's father, and that man's.I knowed mun by their armor."And he pointed to Sir George Carew and Sir Richard Grenville.

"Iss! Iss! Drowned like rattens.Drowned like rattens!""Now; you mustn't trouble his worship any more.""Trouble? Let him tell till midnight, I shall be well pleased,"said Amyas, sitting down on the bench by him."Drawer! ale--and a parcel of tobacco."And Amyas settled himself to listen, while the old man purred to himself--"Iss.They likes to hear old Martin.All the captains look upon old Martin.""Hillo, Amyas!" said Cary, "who's your friend? Here's a man been telling me wonders about the River Plate.We should go thither for luck there next time.""River Plate?" said old Martin."It's I knows about the River Plate; none so well.Who'd ever been there, nor heard of it nether, before Captain Will and me went, and I lived among the savages a whole year; and audacious civil I found 'em if they 'd had but shirts to their backs; and so was the prince o' mun, that Captain Will brought home to King Henry; leastwise he died on the voyage; but the wild folk took it cruel well, for you see, we was always as civil with them as Christians, and if we hadn't been, Ishould not have been here now."

"What year was that?"

"In the fifteen thirty: but I was there afore, and learnt the speech o' mun; and that's why Captain Will left me to a hostage, when he tuked their prince.""Before that?" said Cary; "why, the country was hardly known before that."The old man's eyes flashed up in triumph.

"Knowed? Iss, and you may well say that! Look ye here! Look to mun!" and he waved his hand round--"There's captains! and I'm the father of 'em all now, now poor Captain Will's in gloory; I, Martin Cockrem!...Iss, I've seen a change.I mind when Tavistock Abbey was so full o' friars, and goolden idols, and sich noxious trade, as ever was a wheat-rick of rats.I mind the fight off Brest in the French wars--Oh, that was a fight, surely!--when the Regent and the French Carack were burnt side by side, being fast grappled, you see, because of Sir Thomas Knivet; and Captain Will gave him warning as he ran a-past us, saying, says he--""But," said Amyas, seeing that the old man was wandering away, "what do you mind about America?""America? I should think so! But I was a-going to tell you of the Regent--and seven hundred Englishmen burnt and drowned in her, and nine hundred French in the Brest ship, besides what we picked up.

Oh dear! But about America."

同类推荐
  • 瘟疫门

    瘟疫门

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 王氏兰谱

    王氏兰谱

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 阴证略例

    阴证略例

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 律宗问答

    律宗问答

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说明度五十校计经

    佛说明度五十校计经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 盛宠之医女风华

    盛宠之医女风华

    《锦史》记载:太祖圣穆皇后程氏懿德懿容,少而婉顺,长而贤明,贵而不恃,谦而益光,扶帝于危厄,助帝于繁难,十载琴瑟相随,弗离朝夕,更兼巾帼,武安邦国,文定天下,毋让须眉……程锦素手挑页,眉头一扬,然,以鼻嗤之。野史记载:太祖皇后程氏女,药王谷之后,身无懿范,更无女德,实则妲己之属,褒姒之流,帝之红颜劫难,手染江山,剑指天下,制乱,三国争之而杀戮起;引战,王侯欲之而太平裂……实不适母仪天下。程锦怒:一派胡言,我21世纪卓尔不群惊才艳艳的女法医女博士,药王谷传人,将门之后,我娘名满天下,我爹威名昭昭,有钱有权、有容有貌、有德有才,能安邦国,可定天下,创繁荣,复盛世……唉,古人诚不知我也……旁边某人抽掉炸毛女人手中再版民间小书,随意丢入秋波湖水之中,声音温柔如醉人秋酿,似是为发怒的小猫安抚顺毛,“卿卿莫气,回头我将那写书之人全砍了,将这些废纸全禁了!”程锦一则白眼瞪过去,“……下辈子换个皇后再做暴君!”“……”【其实这是一个自称惊才艳艳女博士兼女法医与一个真正智冠天下美绝人寰的禁欲闷骚男人在彼此征服中相爱并且征战天下的故事】————【那些情深如许】————在遇到她以前,我不怕死,不惧远行,也不曾忧虑悠长岁月,如今却从未如此真切地思虑起将来。==========江山如此多娇,引无数英雄竞折腰。——江山如此多娇,而我只为你折腰。==========便纵相思化骨,生死两茫,天地相易,此心不变,除非黄沙白骨,我守她安乐无忧。
  • The White People

    The White People

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 平斋词

    平斋词

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 风起时说我爱你

    风起时说我爱你

    从见她第一眼,他就想娶她回家,从见他第一眼,她就觉得他恶心到家。她都不明白这男人怎么老追着她跑,这样也就算了,他竟然把她丢进监狱,一边喝茶一边丢钻戒给她。“嫁给我,你就能从这出去。”“……”她瞠目结舌到家。她说要嫁就嫁他们公司总裁那样的!他问她:“你们公司总裁什么样的?”“英俊潇洒多金专情!”他云淡风轻:“你那么迫切想嫁给他?”她为了让她明白她有多不喜欢他,“对!要么不嫁要嫁就嫁他!”他拿出名片说:“如你所愿,什么时候去登记。”“……”什么情况啊!恶心到家的男人怎么成她家总裁了啊!
  • 狐歌

    狐歌

    古有九天仙女下凡尘,今有妖族美女降人间。情场上波澜起伏,商场中纵横跌宕,战场上风起云涌。道高一尺,魔高一丈,卿本佳人,奈何为妖……奇谋巧计,商踪谍影,修真斗法,都市绝恋,尽在狐歌……
  • 拿什么理由原谅自己

    拿什么理由原谅自己

    港商汤家驹回到大陆自己那面临窘境的公司,想重整旗鼓大干一场。远离家室的他在做生意的同时,周旋在两个女人中间取舍轻重。公司的部门经理们在为他鞍前马后效劳却一个个感到心力交瘁,陆续准备辞职而去。此时,汤老板才感到聚拢人气是多么的重要。同时,他也悟到了小老板做事、大老板做人的这个朴素道理。阿丽直到最后时刻才进入候机区,汤家驹看着她急忙忙朝登机口走去,然后背影就在登机口里面消失了。汤家驹转过身来,一边朝休息厅走去,一边掏出手机,按下手机拨号键时,那个女人引起了他的注意。他在一个空位坐下,那女人随后也在通道对面一个空位坐下。
  • 误惹霸道狼君

    误惹霸道狼君

    一块烧饼,引狼入室,从此他便缠上了她,苏清煜说:“常晚,一块烧饼怎么能饱,一生一世我怎么能够!”她的乖乖,她怎么忘了,狼再乖巧,终究是狼。苏清煜说:“我不仅要你今生今世,还要你永生永世!”是偏执的疯子守着正直的傻子,还是正直的傻子救了偏执的疯子?
  • 嘉陵江记

    嘉陵江记

    嘉陵江几乎是至今可以认定有两个源头、而以草书方式一泻千里的唯一江河。站在重庆朝天门的码头看去,一脉浩荡从左向右,把最后、最为抒情的一笔作为她最优美的收势,插入长江的腹中。这是一幅人文的漫长书卷,一次精神的长途跋涉,经陕、甘、川、渝三省一市,一路惊涛拍岸,一路风花雪月,而这最后的落笔,却是我生命的记忆,是我的永远。我的第一声啼哭就是嘉陵江的涛声。在嘉陵江汇入长江之前一公里处,江水平静、舒缓,偶尔几处急流险滩,也不曾改变她终年修成的婉约和神秘。岸边有一个厂的名字很响亮,它叫长安,一个厂居然可以与唐朝的皇都同名。
  • 校友是CEO

    校友是CEO

    创业机会多起来时随便一个什么名片上都可以印着某某CEO,你,也是校友?不,我是隔壁屌丝大学校友,马上在这名校演讲,太紧张了怎么办,急,在线等。
  • 黄河手记

    黄河手记

    请不要怀疑这是事实,这些就是发生在我们身边真实的故事。那里面有平凡人的不平凡经历,普通人的不普通之处,我们为之震撼,我们无法移去目光,并且要让更多的人关注这样的人生!这段话写在《榕树下》对《关注》栏目的注释里。正是因为这样一段话,才使我下决心将这些纪实的文字和图片交给《榕树下》。是的,你不要怀疑它的真实性。生活在城市,生活在优越或者说生活在因繁华而困惑中的我们,不会想到,在黄河边,有那样一群人,有那样一群孩子,他们挣扎在生存与饥饱中,他们奋斗在求知与无望中。是的,当我在无意中把目光投向他们时,就再也无法移去。