" He refused to talk
much; but begging us to give him our hands, he took them, and
protested never to lift up his to do us any harm. He had a great
respect for Colonel Martin, and always took his counsel like that of a
parent; and assured him he would obey him in anything but his
revenge on Byam. "Therefore," said he, "for his own safety, let him
speedily dispatch me; for if I could dispatch myself, I would not,
till that justice were done to my injured person, and the contempt
of a soldier. No, I would not kill myself, even after a whipping,
but will be content to live with that infamy, and be pointed at by
every grinning slave, till I have completed my revenge; and then you
shall see that Oroonoko scorns to live with the indignity that was put
on Caesar." All we could do could get no more words from him; and we
took care to have him put immediately into a healing bath, to rid
him of his pepper, and ordered a chirurgeon to anoint him with healing
balm, which he suffered, and in some time he began to be able to
walk and eat. We failed not to visit him every day, and to that end
had him brought to an apartment at Parham.
The Governor had no sooner recovered, and had heard of the menaces
of Caesar, but he called his council, who (not to disgrace them, or
burlesque the government there) consisted of such notorious villains
as Newgate never transported; and, possibly, originally were such
who understood neither the laws of God or man, and had no sort of
principles to make them worthy the name of men; but at the very
council-table would contradict and fight with one another, and swear
so bloodily that 'twas terrible to hear and see 'em.
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