66 ceive sentence of life or death. He desired to speak with some few of us: whereupon six of us only stayed, and the rest avoided the room. He said, "I am by "office governor of this House of Strangers, and by "vocation I am a Christian priest; and therefore am "come to you, to offer you my service, both as strangers, and chiefly as Christians. Some things I may "tell you, which I think you will not be unwilling 66 to hear. The state hath given you licence to stay "on land for the space of six weeks: and let it not "trouble you if your occasions ask farther time, for the "law in this point is not precise; and I do not doubt "but myself shall be able to obtain for you such far"ther time as may be convenient. Ye shall also under"stand, that the Strangers house is at this time rich, "and much aforehand; for it hath laid up revenue "these thirty-seven years; for so long it is since any "stranger arrived in this part: and therefore take ye "no care; the state will defray you all the time you stay; neither shall you stay one day the less for "that. As for any merchandise you have brought, shall be well used, and have your return "either in merchandise, or in gold and silver: "for to us it is all one. And if you have any other 66 66 66 request to make, hide it not. For ye shall find, we "will not make your countenance to fall by the an"swer ye shall receive. Only this I must tell you, "that none of you must go above a karan," that is "with them a mile and an half, "from the walls of "the city without special leave." We answered, after we had looked awhile one upon another, admiring this gracious and parent-like usage; "that we could "not tell what to say: for we wanted words to express our thanks; and his noble free offers left us "nothing to ask. It seemed to us, that we had be"fore us a picture of our salvation in heaven: for "we that were awhile since in the jaws of death, "were now brought into a place where we found nothing but consolations. For the commandment "laid upon us, we would not fail to obey it, though it was impossible but our hearts should be inflamed 66 66 66 "to tread farther upon this happy and holy ground. We added; "that our tongues should first cleave to "the roofs of our mouths, ere we should forget either "his reverend person, or this whole nation in our prayers." We also most humbly besought him to accept of us as his true servants, by as just a right as ever men on earth were bounden, laying and presenting both our persons and all we had at his feet. He said; "he was a priest, and looked for a priest's re"ward; which was our brotherly love, and the good "of our souls and bodies." So he went from us, not without tears of tenderness in his eyes; and left us also confused with joy and kindness, saying amongst ourselves, "that we were come into a land of angels, " which did appear to us daily, and prevent us with "comforts which we thought not of, much less ex"pected." The next day, about ten of the clock, the governor came to us again, and after salutations said familiarly, that he was come to visit us; and called for a chair, and sat him down and we being some ten of us, the rest were of the meaner sort, or else gone abroad, sat down with him. And when we were set, he began thus: "We of this island of Bensalem," for so they call it in their language," have this; that by means "of our solitary situation, and of the laws of secrecy "which we have for our travellers, and our rare ad"mission of strangers; we know well most part of "the habitable world, and are ourselves unknown. "Therefore because he that knoweth least is fittest "to ask questions, it is more reason for the enter"tainment of the time, that ye ask me questions, "than that I ask you." We answered; We answered; "That we 66 66 humbly thanked him that he would give us leave so to do: and that we conceived by the taste we "had already, that there was no wordly thing on "earth more worthy to be known than the state of "that happy land. But above all," we said, "since "that we were met from the several ends of the world, and hoped assuredly that we should meet one day in the kingdom of heaven, for that we were 66 66 66 "both parts Christians, we desired to know, in respect that land was so remote, and so divided by "vast and unknown seas, from the land where our "Saviour walked on earth, who was the apostle of "that nation, and how it was converted to the "faith?" It appeared in his face that he took great contentment in this our question: he said, "Ye knit my heart to you, by asking this question in the first place; for it sheweth that you first seek the king"dom of heaven; and I shall gladly and briefly "satisfy your demand. 66 66 66 66 66 66 66 66 "About twenty years after the ascension of our "Saviour, it came to pass, that there was seen by "the people of Renfusa, a city upon the eastern "coast of our island, within night, the night was cloudy and calm, as it might be some mile into the sea, a great pillar of light; not sharp, but in form "of a column or cylinder rising from the sea, a great way up towards heaven: and on the top of it was seen a large cross of light, more bright and resplen"dent than the body of the pillar. Upon which so strange a spectacle, the people of the city gathered apace together upon the sands to wonder; and so "after put themselves into a number of small boats, "to go nearer to this marvellous sight. But when "the boats were come within about sixty yards of "the pillar, they found themselves all bound, and "could go no farther, yet so as they might move to go about, but might not approach nearer: so as the "boats stood all as in a theatre, beholding this light as an heavenly sign. It so fell out, that there was "in one of the boats one of the wise men of the so"ciety of Solomon's house, which house or college, "my good brethren, is the very eye of this kingdom; "who having awhile attentively and devoutly viewed "and contemplated this pillar and cross, fell down upon his face; and then raised himself upon his "knees, and lifting up his hands to heaven, made "his prayers in this manner : 66 66 66 66 "Lord God of heaven and earth; thou hast vouchsafed of thy grace, to those of our order, to know 66 66 66 66 thy works of creation, and the secrets of them; "and to discern, as far as appertaineth to the gene"rations of men, between divine miracles, works of "nature, works of art, and impostures and illusions of all sorts. I do here acknowledge and testify before this people, that the thing which we now see before our eyes, is thy finger, and a true miracle; and forasmuch as we learn in our books, that thou never workest miracles, but to a divine and excellent end, for the laws of nature are thine "own laws, and thou exceedest them not but upon great cause, we most humbly beseech thee to prosper this great sign, and to give us the interpreta"tion and use of it in mercy; which thou dost in "some part secretly promise by sending it unto us. 66 66 66 66 66 "When he had made his prayer, he presently "found the boat he was in moveable and unbound; "whereas all the rest remained still fast; and taking "that for an assurance of leave to approach, he caused "the boat to be softly and with silence rowed to"wards the pillar. But ere he came near it, the pillar and cross of light brake up, and cast itself abroad, as it were into a firmament of many stars; "which also vanished soon after, and there was nothing left to be seen but a small ark or chest of "cedar, dry, and not wet at all with water, though "it swam. And in the fore-end of it which was to"wards him, grew a small green branch of palm; "and when the wise man had taken it with all re"verence into his boat, it opened of itself, and there "were found in it a book and a letter; both written "in fine parchment, and wrapped in sindons of linen. "The book contained all the canonical books of the "Old and New Testament, according as you have 66 them, for we know well what the Churches with "you receive, and the Apocalypse itself: and some "other books of the New Testament, which were "not at that time written, were nevertheless in the "book: and for the letter it was in these words: 66 "I Bartholomew, a servant of the Highest, and Apostle of Jesus Christ, was warned by an angel that appeared to me in a vision of glory, that I 66 "blood lawfully nor unlawfully within forty days past; you may have licence to come on land." We said, "we were all ready to take that oath." Whereupon one of those that were with him, being, as it seemed, a notary, made an entry of this act. Which done, another of the attendants of the great person, which was with him in the same boat, after his lord had spoken a little to him, said aloud; "My lord "would have you know, that it is not of pride or "greatness, that he cometh not aboard your ship; "but for that in your answer you declare, that you "have many sick amongst you, he was warned by "the conservator of health of the city, that he should "keep a distance." We bowed ourselves towards him and answered, "we were his humble servants; "and accounted for great honour, and singular huma"nity towards us, that which was already done; but hoped well, that the nature of the sickness of our 66 men was not infectious." So he returned; and a while after came the notary to us aboard our ship; holding in his hand a fruit of that country, like an orange, but of colour between orange-tawny and scarlet, which cast a most excellent odour. He used it, as it seemeth, for a preservative against infection. He gave us our oath; "By the name of Jesus and "his merits:" and after told us, that the next day by six of the clock in the morning we should be sent to, and brought to the Strangers house, so he called it, where we should be accommodated of things, both for our whole, and for our sick. So he left us; and when we offered him some pistolets, he smiling, said, "he must not be twice paid for one labour:" meaning, as I take it, that he had salary sufficient of the state for his service. For, as I after learned, they call an officer that taketh rewards, Twice-paid. 66 The next morning early, there came to us the same officer that came to us at first with his cane, and told us," he came to conduct us to the Strangers house; " and that he had prevented the hour, because we might have the whole day before us for our busiFor" said he, "if you will follow my advice, 66 ❝ness. |