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Henry VIII. found himself the possessor of a collection of books at Windsor, comprising 109 volumes in bindings of velvet and leather, with silver and jewelled clasps; of another at Westminster, consisting of Latin primers, some richly ornamented, of a few Greek authors, Latin classics, and English chronicles, "bokes written in tholde Saxon tongue."
"Let him come into the cabin, then," said Captain Sullendine, in order to settle the question. "Now, Bokes, take this apple-jack, and show the other six to the deck-house. Give 'em one or two drinks all round. It'll do 'em good." Bokes obeyed the order, after the master had lighted another lantern for his use, and he went over the bales of cotton to the seamen.
"Do you see them men on the cotton, Bokes?" he asked, pointing with one of them at the six Belleviters, who stood where they had taken their stations after hoisting up the quarter-boat. "I see sunthin over thar," replied the seaman, who seemed to be hardly awake yet. "Them's the new crew I shipped to-night six on 'em, or seven with the second mate," added the captain.
It proved to be Bokes, who had slept off a part of the effects of the debauch; but Sopsy had probably consumed a large portion of the contents of his bottle. "Does you uns happen to have any more apple-jack?" asked the fellow. "Somehow I lost nigh all o' mine, and I'm sufferin', dyin' for a drink." "French, take him to the deck-house, and fasten him in," said Christy in a low tone.
"I shall not do that, but I will compromise the matter by sending you to Mobile Point, as I have no further use for you," replied the commander. "You are a non-combatant, and not a prisoner of war." French was ordered to leave Captain Sullendine, Bokes, and Sopsy at the shore where the whaleboat had made a landing, as soon as it was dark.
For alle the mynstrelle that comen before hym, of what nacyoun that thei ben of, thei ben withholden with him, as of his houshold, and entred in his bokes, as for his owne men. And aftre that, where that evere thei gon, ever more thei cleymen for mynstralle of the grete Chane: and undre that tytle, alle kynges and lordes, cherisschen hem the more with ziftes and alle thing.
Did Shakespeare ever refuse his best thoughts to us, or Montaigne decline to be companionable? Did you ever find Molière dull? or Lamb prosy? or Scott unentertaining?" "You remind me," said I, laughing, "of the student in Chaucer, who desired for his only pleasure and society, " -at his bedde's head A'twenty bokes clothed in black and red, Of Aristotle and his philosophy!"
"Now you can proceed, French," said the captain. "When I left you, all was quiet on board of the West Wind," added Christy, beginning to make a slight explanation for the benefit of the commander. "Captain Sullendine was very drunk, asleep in his berth, with the door of his stateroom securely fastened upon him. Bokes the seaman and Sopsy the cook were in the same condition. Go on, French."
In the Middle Ages, this was thought to be the very essence and meaning of tragedy, as we may see from Chaucer's lines: "Tragedie is to seyn a certeyn storie, As oldë bokës maken us memorie, Of him that stood in gret prosperitee, And is y-fallen out of heigh degree Into miserie, and endeth wrecchedly."
"I let him out then, and his first move was to get at his whiskey; but the door was locked. He begged like a child for a drink; but I did not give him a drop. Sopsy and Bokes, who were tied up forward, did the same; but they did not get any. Captain Sullendine ate his breakfast, and I told him his vessel was a prize to the United States steamer Bellevite.
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