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第3章 两拳

urs they were entirely outof our sight, and we never heard any more of them, nor whether theywent to Sibeilka or no. So we passed away safely on to Jarawena,where there was a Russian garrison, and there we rested five days.

　　I knew this must be the young woman who was his mother's servant,for there was no other Christian woman on the island: so I beganto persuade him not to do anything of that kind rashly, or becausebe found himself in this solitary circumstance. I represented tohim that he had some considerable substance in the world, and goodfriends, as I understood by himself, and the maid also; that themaid was not only poor, and a servant, but was unequal to him, shebeing six or seven and twenty years old, and he not above seventeenor eighteen; that he might very probably, with my assistance, makea remove from this wilderness, and come into his own country again;and that then it would be a thousand to one but he would repent hischoice, and the dislike of that circumstance might bedisadvantageous to both. I was going to say more, but heinterrupted me, smiling, and told me, with a great deal of modesty,that I mistook in my guesses - that he had nothing of that kind inhis thoughts; and he was very glad to hear that I had a

　　Accordingly I called her in, and placing myself as interpreterbetween my religious priest and the woman, I entreated him to beginwith her; but sure such a sermon was never preached by a Popishpriest in these latter ages of the world; and as I told him, Ithought he had all the zeal, all the knowledge, all the sincerityof a Christian, without the error of a Roman Catholic; and that Itook him to be such a clergyman as the Roman bishops were beforethe Church of Rome assumed spiritual sovereignty over theconsciences of men. In a word, he brought the poor woman toembrace the knowledge of Christ, and of redemption by Him, not withwonder and astonishment only, as she did the first notions of aGod, but with joy and faith; with an affection, and a surprisingdegree of understanding, scarce to be imagined, much less to beexpressed; and, at her own request, she was baptized.

　　W.A. - Ay, sir, with such force as is not to be resisted.

　　Here they found all in silence, as profoundly secure as sleep couldmake them: and first, they called another council, to considerwhat they had to do; and presently resolved to divide themselvesinto three bodies, and so set three houses on fire in three partsof the town; and as the men came out, to seize them and bind them(if any resisted, they need not be asked what to do then), and soto search the rest of the houses for plunder: but they resolved tomarch silently first through the town, and see what dimensions itwas of, and if they might venture upon it or no.

　　I could hold no longer: I took him in my arms and embraced himeagerly. "How far," said I to him, "have I been from understandingthe most essential part of a Christian, viz. to love the interestof the Christian Church, and the good of other men's souls! Iscarce have known what belongs to the being a Christian." - "Oh,sir! do not say so," replied he; "this thing is not your fault." -"No," said I; "but why did I never lay it to heart as well as you?"- "It is not too late yet," said he; "be not too forward to condemnyourself." - "But what can be done now?" said I: "you see I amgoing away." - "Will you give me leave to talk with these poor menabout it?" - "Yes, with all my heart," said I: "and oblige them togive heed to what you say too." - "As to that," said he, "we mustleave them to the mercy of Christ; but it is your business toassist them, encourage them, and instruct them; and if you give meleave, and God His blessing, I do not doubt but the poor ignorantsouls shall be brought home to the great circle

　　IT was talking one night with a certain prince, one of the banishedministers of state belonging to the Czar, that the discourse of myparticular case began. He had been telling me abundance of finethings of the greatness, the magnificence, the dominions, and theabsolute power of the Emperor of the Russians: I interrupted him,and told him I was a greater and more powerful prince than ever theCzar was, though my dominion were not so large, or my people somany. The Russian grandee looked a little surprised, and, fixinghis eyes steadily upon me, began to wonder what I meant. I saidhis wonder would cease when I had explained myself, and told himthe story at large of my living in the island; and then how Imanaged both myself and the people that were under me, just as Ihave since minuted it down. They were exceedingly taken with thestory, and especially the prince, who told me, with a sigh, thatthe true greatness of life was to be masters of ourselves; that hewould not have exchanged such a state of life as mi

hours, and it wasgreat odds but we had all been destroyed.

　　They were going on in this little thriving position when the threeunnatural rogues, their own countrymen too, in mere humour, and toinsult them, came and bullied them, and told them the island wastheirs: that the governor, meaning me, had given them thepossession of it, and nobody else had any right to it; and thatthey should build no houses upon their ground unless they would payrent for them. The two men, thinking they were jesting at first,asked them to come in and sit down, and see what fine houses theywere that they had built, and to tell them what rent they demanded;and one of them merrily said if they were the ground-landlords, hehoped if they built tenements upon their land, and madeimprovements, they would, according to the custom of landlords,grant a long lease: and desired they would get a scrivener to drawthe writings. One of the three, cursing and raging, told them theyshould see they were not in jest; and going to a little place at adistance, where the honest men had made a fire to dress t