"Came there a certain lord, neat, trimly dressed,
Fresh as a bridegroom."
_Henry IV._
In truth a young man, well mounted on a powerful bay, was seen
approaching from the forest, that lay towards Jamestown. Virginia's
cheek flushed with pleasure as she thought how soon all her fears would
vanish away in the presence of her lover--and she laughed confusedly, as
her father said,
"Aye, come dry your tears, you little rogue--those eyes are not as
bright as Hansford would like to see. Tears are very pretty in poetry
and fancy, but when associated with swelled eyes and red noses, they
lose something of their sentiment."
As the horseman came nearer, however, Virginia found to her great
disappointment, that the form was not that of Hansford, and with a deep
sigh she went into the house. The stranger, who now drew up to the door,
proved to be a young man of about thirty years of age, tall and
well-proportioned, his figure displaying at once symmetrical beauty and
athletic strength. He was dressed after the fashion of the day, in a
handsome velvet doublet, trussed with gay-colored points at the waist to
the breeches, which reaching only to the knee, left the finely turned
leg well displayed in the closely-fitting white silk stockings. Around
his wrists and neck were revealed graceful ruffles of the finest
cambric. The heavy boots, which were usually worn by cavaliers, were in
this case supplied by shoes fastened with roses of ribands. A handsome
sword, with ornamented hilt, and richly chased scabbard, was secured
gracefully by his side in its fringed hanger. The felt hat, whose wide
brim was looped up and secured by a gold button in front, completed the
costume of the young stranger. The abominable fashion of periwigs, which
maintained its reign over the realm of fashion for nearly a century, was
just beginning to be introduced into the old country, and had not yet
been received as orthodox in the colony. The rich chestnut hair of the
stranger fell in abundance over his fine shoulders, and was parted
carefully in the middle to display to its full advantage his broad
intellectual forehead. But in compliance with custom, his hair was
dressed with the fashionable love-locks, plaited and adorned with
ribands, and falling foppishly over either ear.
But dress, at last, like "rank, is but the guinea's stamp, the man's the
gowd for a' that," and in outward appearance at least, the stranger was
of no alloyed metal. There was in his air that easy repose and
self-possession which is always perceptible in those whose life has been
passed in association with the refined and cultivated. But still there
was something about his whole manner, which seemed to betray the fact,
that this habitual self-possession, this frank and easy carriage was the
result of a studied and constant control over his actions, rather than
those of a free and ingenuous heart.
This idea, however, did not strike the simple minded Virginia, as with
natural, if not laudable curiosity, she surveyed the handsome young
stranger through the window of the hall. The kind greeting of the
hospitable old colonel having been given, the stranger dismounted, and
the fine bay that he rode was committed to the protecting care of a
grinning young African in attendance, who with his feet dangling from
the stirrups trotted him off towards the stable.
"I presume," said the stranger, as they walked towards the house, "that
from the directions I have received, I have the honor of seeing Colonel
Temple. It is to the kindness of Sir William Berkeley that I owe the
pleasure I enjoy in forming your acquaintance, sir," and he handed a
letter from his excellency, which the reader may take the liberty of
reading with us, over Colonel Temple's shoulder.
"Bight trusty old friend," ran the quaint and formal, yet familiar
note. "The bearer of these, Mr. Alfred Bernard, a youth of good and
right rare merit, but lately from England, and whom by the especial
confidence reposed in him from our noble kinsman Lord Berkeley, we
have made our private secretary, hath desired acquaintance with
some of the established gentlemen in the colony, the better for his
own improvement, to have their good society. And in all good faith,
there is none, to whom I can more readily commend him, than Colonel
Henry Temple, with the more perfect confidence in his desire to
oblige him, who is always as of yore, his right good friend,
"WILLIAM BERKELEY, Kn't.
"_From our Palace at Jamestown, June 20, A. D. 1676._"
"It required not this high commendation, my dear sir," said old Temple,
pressing his guest cordially by the hand, "to bid you welcome to my poor
roof. But I now feel that to be a special honour, which would otherwise
be but the natural duty of hospitality. Come, right welcome to Windsor
Hall."
With these words they entered the house, where Alfred Bernard was
presented to the ladies, and paid his devoirs with such knightly grace,
that Virginia admired, and Mrs. Temple heartily approved, a manner and
bearing, which, she whispered to her daughter, was worthy of the old
cavalier days before the revolution. Supper was soon announced--not the
awkward purgatorial meal, perilously poised in cups, and eaten with
greasy fingers--so dire a foe to comfort and silk dresses--but the
substantial supper of the olden time. It is far from our intention to
enter into minute details, yet we cannot refrain from adverting to the
fact that the good old cavalier grace was said by the Colonel, with as
much solemnity as his cheerful face would wear--that grace which gave
such umbrage to the Puritans with their sour visages and long prayers,
and which consisted of those three expressive words, "God bless us."
"I have always thought," said the Colonel, apologetically, "that this
was enough--for where's the use of praying over our meals, until they
get so cold and cheerless, that there is less to be thankful for."
"Especially," said Bernard, chiming in at once with the old man's
prejudices, "when this brief language contains all that is
necessary--for even Omnipotence can but bless us--and we may easily
leave the mode to Him."
"Well said, young man, and now come and partake of our homely fare,
seasoned with a hearty welcome," said the Colonel, cordially.
Nor loth was Alfred Bernard to do full justice to the ample store before
him. A ride of more than thirty miles had whetted an appetite naturally
good, and the youth of "right rare merit," did not impress his kind host
very strongly with his conversational powers during his hearty meal.
The repast being over, the little party retired to a room, which the old
planter was pleased to call his study, but which savored far more of the
presence of the sportive Diana, than of the reflecting muses. Over the
door, as you entered the room, were fastened the large antlers of some
noble deer, who had once bounded freely and gracefully through his
native forest. Those broad branches are now, by a sad fatality, doomed
to support the well oiled fowling-piece that laid their wearer low.
Fishing tackle, shot-pouches, fox brushes, and other similar evidences
and trophies of sport, testified to the Colonel's former delight in
angling and the chase; but now alas! owing to the growing infirmities of
age, though he still cherished his pack, and encouraged the sport, he
could only start the youngsters in the neighborhood, and give them God
speed! as with horses, hounds, and horns they merrily scampered away in
the fresh, early morning. But with his love for these active, manly
sports, Colonel Temple was devoted to reading such works as ran with his
prejudices, and savored of the most rigid loyalty. His books, indeed,
were few, for in that day it was no easy matter to procure books at all,
especially for the colonists, who cut off from the great fountain of
literature which was then just reviving from the severe drought of
puritanism, were but sparingly supplied with the means of information.
But a few months later than the time of which we write, Sir William
Berkeley boasted that education was at a low ebb in Virginia, and
thanked his God that so far there were neither free schools nor printing
presses in the colony--the first instilling and the last disseminating
rebellious sentiments among the people. Yet under all these
disadvantages, Colonel Temple was well versed in the literature of the
last two reigns, and with some of the more popular works of the present.
Shakspeare was his constant companion, and the spring to which he often
resorted to draw supplies of wisdom. But Milton was held in especial
abhorrence--for the prose writings of the eloquent old republican
condemned unheard the sublime strains of his divine poem.