We met on
the river with Colonel Martin, a man of great gallantry, wit, and
goodness, and whom I have celebrated in a character of my new
comedy, by his own name, in memory of so brave a man. He was wise
and eloquent, and, from the fineness of his parts, bore a great sway
over the hearts of all the colony. He was a friend to Caesar, and
resented this false dealing with him very much. We carried him back to
Parham, thinking to have made an accommodation; when he came, the
first news we heard was that the Governor was dead of a wound
Imoinda had given him; but it was not so well. But it seems, he
would have the pleasure of beholding the revenge he took on Caesar;
and before the cruel ceremony was finished, he dropped down; and
then they perceived the wound he had on his shoulder was by a
venomed arrow, which, as I said, his Indian mistress healed, by
sucking the wound.
We were no sooner arrived but we went up to the plantation to see
Caesar; whom we found in a very miserable and unexpressable condition;
and I have a thousand times admired how he lived in so much tormenting
pain. We said all things to him that trouble, pity, and good-nature
could suggest, protesting our innocency of the fact, and our
abhorrence of such cruelties; making a thousand professions and
services to him, and begging as many pardons for the offenders, till
we said so much that he believed we had no hand in his ill
treatment: but told us, he could never pardon Byam; as for Trefry,
he confessed he saw his grief and sorrow for his suffering, which he
could not hinder, but was like to have been beaten down by the very
slaves, for speaking in his defense: but for Byam, who was their
leader, their head- and should, by his justice and honor, have been
and example to 'em- for him he wished to live to take a dire revenge
of him; and said, "It had been well for him if he had sacrificed me
instead of giving me the contemptible whip.
Pages:
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96