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THE ADMIRABLE LADY BIDDY FANE:
HER SURPRISING CURIOUS ADVENTURES IN STRANGE PARTS & HAPPY DELIVERANCE
FROM _PIRATES_, _BATTLE_, _CAPTIVITY_, & OTHER TERRORS; TOGETHER WITH
DIVERS _ROMANTIC & MOVING ACCIDENTS_ AS SET FORTH BY BENET PENGILLY (HER
COMPANION IN MISFORTUNE & JOY), & NOW FIRST DONE INTO PRINT
BY FRANK BARRETT.
NEW YORK:
THE F. M. LUPTON PUBLISHING COMPANY.
CONTENTS.
I. I am Taken Out of the Pillory and Narrowly Escape going to the
Whipping-Post
II. I am taken again by Jack Geddes and Others, and Rescued by Rodrigues
III. By a Cunning Stratagem I am got out of Jack Geddes' Hands, and
Brought Aboard the "Sure Hawk"
IV. I come to the Canaries in Better Plight than Started
V. To my Mortal Peril I Overhear a Horrid Scheme of Rodrigues and Ned
Parsons
VI. I am nearly Undone by my Shadow--Ned Parsons and Rodrigues, their
Argument, with the Compact that Followed
VII. The Perplexity of being neither Thorough-faced Rogue, Arrant Fool,
nor Honest Man
VIII. We are Overcome, and with Barbarous Treatment Set Ashore and Left
There
IX. We find Ourselves on a Desert Island, and Little Comfort besides
X. I Quit the Island and my Friend
XI. I am Excellently Served by my Famous Invention, and come to England
not much the Worse for it
XII. Lady Biddy gives me a Word of Comfort
XIII. The Crossed Heart
XIV. We are Dogged by a Black Ship, to the great Discomfort of our
Companies
XV. We fall into sore Disasters of Raging Tempest and Bloody Battle
XVI. The Battle ended to our Complete Discomfiture
XVII. I am Shot out of one Ship and Crawl into Another, with what
Advantage may yet be seen
XVIII. Greatly put to it to Know what to do, I do Nothing
XIX. The Rainy Season comes to an End, but by my Delay we are Balked of
Returning into the Baraquan
XX. We try Another Means of Escape, whereby we are as Nearly Undone as
may be
XXI. I Fall into a Dismal Sickness, and Recover thereof
XXII. I am Put to Great Torment by my Passion
XXIII. We Enter into a Cavern the like of which no Man has ever yet Told
of
XXIV. How (amongst other Matters), in seeking to Kill a Snapping Boar,
we Fall upon an Old Friend
XXV. We come at length to the Mouth of the Oronoque, but with Dismal
Forebodings
XXVI. Touching those Accidents that had Happened to Sir Bartlemy as he
lay at the Mouth of the Oronoque
XXVII. Lady Biddy Breaks her Troth, and we hear Falmouth Bells again
THE ADMIRABLE LADY BIDDY FANE.
CHAPTER I.
I AM TAKEN OUT OF THE PILLORY AND NARROWLY ESCAPE GOING TO THE
WHIPPING-POST.
As 'tis the present mode to embellish a history with a portrait of the
writer, it will not be amiss if I here at the outset give you some hints
by which you may see, as in a frontispiece, the image of that Benet
Pengilly who is about to tell you many marvelous things.
What kind of man I am you may better judge when you come to the last
page of this history; my business now is to present my image as I was;
to which end I would have you picture a man close upon thirty years of
age, clad in a jerkin and breeches of leather, six foot and some odd
inches in height, gaunt and lean as a famished wolf, fierce visaged,
with an unkempt beard of hair, and a shock ragged as a bush, and both as
black as any ink; a deep-sunk, bloodshot eye, and a swarthy skin, all
besmirched with broken egg, filth and blood. This pretty portraiture you
shall frame in the town pillory, which stood over against the church of
St. Mary, in the city of Truro, with this very true description writ
under the headpiece:
"BENET PENGILLY, A STURDY ROGUE."
And now to begin my story, I must tell you that I had stood in this
pillory from sunrise, a sport for all the cowards in the town. I say
cowards, for surely those who have courage are never cruel to the
helpless, and these--the strongest of whom would have fled before me had
I been free--had baited me as curs bait a tethered bull, without any
kind of mercy, jeering at me, and making me a mark for any beastliness
that came to hand, ay, and sharp stones to boot, as the blood from my
lips and cheek testified.
There were never less than a couple of score of this rabble about me,
hallooing and whooping; for as fast as one left me to go about his
business, another took his place. But amongst the constantly changing
crowd was one who, seated upon the stone bench where the town porters
are wont to rest their loads awhile, never took his eyes off me, nor
budged from his place from the time he came hither, which was about ten
o'clock, till now, when the sun was past the meridian. He watched me as
a surgeon marks the bearing of his subject under the knife; nay, rather
'twas as a fiend might watch the torment of the damned, for a hellish
smile crept over his face as some insult more cruel than the rest
provoked me to a state of desperation.
This man I had seen before. His name was Rodrigues. 'Twas he who, in the
month of March, came into Plymouth, his ship all decked out with
ribbons, his crew arrayed in lace and cambric, and every mother's son as
drunk as a beggar; 'twas he who had set tubs of sherries on the Hoe,
staved in the heads, and in sheer wantonness and drunken folly cast the
wine right and left with his joined palms; to say nothing of divers
other senseless tricks whereby in something less than two months he had
squandered treasure to the value of nigh upon L7000 and left not enough,
when his ship was seized, to pay the King's dues. He still wore the
remnants and wreck of his former finery--silk stockings, satin trunks,
velvet doublet, and a hat with a feather in it; but, lord! so broken,
stained, and bedrabbled through his mad frolics that plain homespun had
looked rich beside it.
I have heard that this Rodrigues was of gipsy origin, and indeed he
looked fierce and brutal enough for that or anything else. He had a
short, curling beard. His hair grew low down on his brows, and fell
behind his ears in long, wiry ringlets. His eyes were small, but
remarkably piercing, and the aspect of his face was very eager and
cruel; but that which made his looks most terrible was his teeth, which
were pointed sharp, like a wolf's, so that when he displayed them he
looked more like a beast of prey than a natural man. This peculiarity,
however, was not due to his birth, but was rather brought about, as I
learned, through living many years a captive among cannibal savages,
whose practice it is to file their teeth after this fashion. In addition
to this disfigurement his ears were slit, and he had a long white scar
quartered down his tawny cheek; in short, he was as ill-looking and
horrid a scoundrel as ever I did see.
'Twas, as I say, high noon, and matters stood thus, when, of a sudden,
the clamor of my persecutors was stilled as by enchantment, and the
sound of horse with the jingling of harness struck on my ear; and,
casting my eye in that direction, I perceived a company of ladies and
gentlemen with their servants, all very richly mounted, drawing hither.
I took not much heed of them to discern who they were, being callous
sick with the pain and insult I had suffered so many hours, until they
drew near within a stone's cast to see what sport was forward, when
Rodrigues jumping down from his stone bench, and making them a mighty
respectful obeisance of his battered hat with its broken feather, my
curiosity was pricked, and I once more looked that way. Then my heart
sank lower than ever, and I would have been thankful had my face been
beat out of all recognition; for foremost among the company was Lady
Biddy Fane, and 'twas clear by the anger in her face that she recognized
me. Yet, the next moment was I glad, and my heart was lifted up with a
savage exultation; for now, thinks I, she will see to what degradation
and ruin hath she brought a man of promise by her cruelty.
I do not think there ever was in the whole world a young woman so
beautiful as Lady Biddy Fane; nor is there like to be again. Had I not
thought so, should I have abandoned myself to despair because of her
cruelty? Nay, nor should I have had this history to tell. And yet may
there be women as straight and fairly proportioned as she, though none
more so; and others with a skin of that rare pale clearness; and others,
again, with eyes as large and dark and spirited, with sweet lips lined
with snowy teeth, with a perfect nose (shapely as any Greek's) and wavy,
nut-brown hair; still, I say, you shall not find another one woman in
whom are combined the graces of so many together, with a spirit so
lofty, noble, fearless, and faithful as hers. I might discourse of her
beauty for many pages, and yet fail, for want of words, to do her
justice; but to make an end of this matter briefly, I say, again, she
was incomparable.
On her right hand was my uncle, Sir Bartlemy Pengilly, Knight, the same
who adventured with Sir Walter Raleigh in the quest for gold upon the
Oronoque; and a hale, lusty old man he was, very personable, with
shining white hair curled closely over his head, and a well-clipped
beard; on her left hand was Sir Harry Smidmore, a young man of good
parts, as I must acknowledge, albeit I hated him exceedingly, by reason
of his standing in better grace with Lady Biddy Fane than any other of
her suitors, and they were as numerous as butterflies over a fair garden
on a summer's day. Besides these three were many friends of theirs of
very good condition; but they enter not into this history, so enough is
said of them.
Now, the rabble, thinking this company was drawn up for amusement,
presently began to make sport of me; and one caught up a dead cat, which
had served before, and flung it at me, and another a cabbage stump,
which had likewise served; and a third, finding nothing handier than a
broken pantile, was about to cast that, when Sir Harry Smidmore, with
the flat of his sword, fetched him a clap on the arm that made him think
better of it. Then Lady Biddy, with scorn and disgust on her
countenance, turned away, and the whole company followed her thence,
whispering together, and all very grave; for it was known that I was Sir
Bartlemy's nephew, and a kinsman of Lady Biddy's, and that I had
disgraced them before their friends.
After them went Rodrigues also, at a brisk pace to keep up with the
horse. They had not been gone long when there came two of the sheriff's
men with a cord to loose me, whereupon, seeing that I was about to be
taken from the pillory, the whole rout that were in the square took to
their heels as though a tiger were about to be let loose on them; for I
was a man of terror for many miles about, and was known as "Ben of the
Woods."
The sheriff's men first freed my hands from the boards, and, making fast
my arms about me with their cord, they unlocked the headpiece, and then,
having given me a draught from a pitcher, for I reeled like one in
liquor being taken down, they led me up the High Street to the Dolphin
Inn, and so into the great room there, where at a table sat the justice
who had condemned me to the pillory, with Sir Bartlemy Pengilly, Sir
Harry Smidmore, and some others; and against the wall in the shadow I
spied Rodrigues.
Being brought to the end of the table facing this company, the justice
made me a discourse, and the gist of his matter was that, out of respect
for Sir Bartlemy, he had taken me from the pillory before my time, and
would absolve me from further punishment if I would give my word to be
of better conduct henceforth and agree to the proposal Sir Bartlemy was
about to make.
Then Sir Bartlemy, pushing aside the bottle that stood before him,
leaned forward and addressed me thus:
"Ben," says he, "I am heartily ashamed of you, and with the greater
reason because you are not ashamed of yourself. Look at me, rogue! Do
you see that my eyes are full of tears? 'Tis for shame that you are my
nephew that I weep, and not for pity, for I do assure you, sir" (turning
to the justice), "I loved this fellow, and not so long since neither; a
brave-looking and comely man he was but a year ago; of good parts and
great promise, whom I had been proud to call my son; and a brave man he
should be by reason that his father endured manfully much hardship in
adventuring under Sir Francis Drake, and died beside Sir Richard
Grenville fighting those fifteen great galleons of the Spaniard. But
what a base, desperate rascal are you" (turning again to me in anger)
"to abandon yourself to despair, to yield up everything without a
struggle and at the first shot of adversity, bringing dishonor upon your
family thus! Had you but yourself to think of, vagabond? Had your father
thought only of his own comfort, would he willingly have endured
hardship and privation, or sought to face the Spanish guns? 'Twas the
honor and glory of his queen he thought of before all; and had you truly
loved your cousin, you would have set up her happiness before your own,
and done naught to make her blush for so base a subject."
"Ay, surely!" cries the justice, frowning upon me.
"Yet must we not be too hard on the fellow, neither," says Sir Bartlemy,
turning again to him; "for 'tis not as if he had forsaken a life of pain
for one of pleasure, but quite the contrary; for he was light-hearted
and gay before this cruel stroke; and now what creature on the face of
this smiling world is more deplorable? And, truly, for a man to abandon
himself to a life of such desolation and misery as he passes in the
woods, his mind must be unstrung, and all its music turned to discord;
and there is naught, I hear, like disappointment in love to unsettle the
reason, though nothing of the sort has ever troubled mine; for if one
lass frowned I'd quickly find another who'd smile; and I warrant," says
he, merrily, with a sly dig at the stout old justice--"I warrant you
have often done the same, Master Anthony."
"Let us go to the point, Sir Bartlemy--to the point," said the justice,
severely.
"That will I with no more ado. Look you, rascal," says my uncle,
thumping the table and bending his brows on me, "you have done little
that I should love you, and much to undo the love I bore you; yet will I
make an effort to save you from disgrace for your father's sake--and
something for your own--for, God knows, you are a wretch as much to be
pitied as hated; so here to the point. I am bent upon getting that
treasure which lies, as we know full well, beyond the Oronoque, in order
that it fall not into the hands of the Spaniard. 'Tis too late for me to
make this venture under my own command, though I fain would; but a
worthy commander have I found, and under him you shall take service as
his lieutenant and second in command, and share the profits of this
enterprise in due proportion."
"Wait!" cries the justice; "here surely is a mistake! You cannot intend
to place this fellow taken from the pillory next in position to your
commander!"
"He is my brother's son," replies Sir Bartlemy, "and I have faith that
he will bear himself well when this present distemper of mind shall be
blown off by the wholesome sea gales; for the rest, this matter concerns
the crew of the ship and the commander. If they are willing, should I
object?"
"But are they willing?" asks the justice. "There is the point."
"Here is the ablest man of the crew--one who has sailed with Drake, gone
through many perilous adventures, and been himself a master. Hear what
he says. Speak up, Rodrigues."
Rodrigues came out of the shadow, and, pointing his finger at me, says
he: "That man is worth any ten men of our crew, and such a man a crew
needs for master. We want no puppets, but men who can fight and suffer
with stiff lips." Then he dropped back into the shadow again.
I was grateful to this man. Hope--that so long had lain dead within
me--sprang up to life, and an eager desire for wild adventure seized
upon me. And at that moment the door at the end of the room over against
the head of the table opened, and Lady Biddy Fane came into the room;
then my imagination, already kindled, blazed up with a mad conception of
winning untold gold, glory, and honor--all to lay at her feet, with the
possibility that she might accept them and me.
But, lord! there was little in her aspect to encourage such a hope, as
she stood there erect and scornful, her pretty brows bent in angry scorn
as she looked on me, tapping her silk skirt impatiently with her
riding-whip. But this did not daunt my spirit, for I knew how sweet
those brows were when they unbent, and that her dainty hand was more apt
to caress than to strike.
While my heart was aflame with this sudden return of passion, the
justice spoke:
"What says the commander? There the point is, I take it."
"Speak up, Sir Harry," says Sir Bartlemy.
"I will have him for my lieutenant as willingly as I would make him my
friend," says Sir Harry Smidmore.
Hearing this my heart being filled with feeling rebelled against my
reason, for I knew not until that moment who was to be the commander of
this expedition.
"Now, Ben," says Sir Bartlemy, "you have the chance to redeem the
past--ay, more than that--to make us love you as we never loved you yet.
Will you accept the offer freely made by us?"
"What!" says I to myself, "win gold and honors for Smidmore to lay at
her feet? Never!" And so I laughed with a brutal scorn and shook my
head.
"An obstinate, contumacious rascal," cries Sir Bartlemy, with one of
those sea oaths which he was more free to utter than I have been to set
down here; "yet," says he, softening in a moment, "must we bear with him
by reason of his misfortunes to the utmost limits. I have failed; plead
thou for him, dear girl" (turning to Lady Biddy), "or he must go back
again to the pillory."
"Ay, with all my heart," says Lady Biddy, advancing; "and, as you love
me, sir," bending slightly to the justice, "I do beg you to favor my
pleading. Send him not back to the pillory, for sure when that, together
with my uncle's gentle, kind persuasion, fails to win him to a decent
behavior, 'tis evident that a sharper remedy is needed for his disorder.
Prythee, then, dear sir, send him to the whipping-post; there to be
soundly whipped."
"Why, so I will," cries the justice cheerfully, clapping his fist on the
table; "for I've heard no better suggestion this bout. To the
whipping-post he shall go."
"Not alive," I muttered; and then straining with all my might I burst
the cords that bound me, and turned to the door; whereupon the sheriff's
men threw themselves before me. But one I took by the throat and the
other by the shoulder, and swinging them together I flung them against
the wall with such force that the oak panels cracked again, and they
sank to the ground like things of clay. Then I strode out of the room
and thence into the pure air, and no one had the stomach to stay me.