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At that moment Sainte-Helene and Maricourt appeared and presently, in the waning light, they all went down towards the convent of the Ursulines, and made their way round the rock, past the three gates to the palace of the Intendant, and so on to the St. Charles River. Next morning word was brought that Phips was coming steadily up, and would probably arrive that day.
Tempting offers were made him of employment in the royal service; but he had an ardent love for his own country, and thither he presently returned. Phips was a rude sailor, bluff, prompt, and choleric.
"Captain Phips," he said angrily, "you know who this man is?" "He is the guide to our treasure-house, Mr. Gering." "His name is Bucklaw a mutineer condemned to death, the villain who tried to kidnap Mistress Leveret." It was Bucklaw that replied. "Right right you are, Mr. Gering. I'm Bucklaw, mutineer, or what else you please. But that's ancient ancient. I'm sinner no more.
This dreadful sickness caused the governor, and Sir Francis Wheeler, who was commander of the British forces, to give up all thoughts of attacking Canada. "Soon after this," said Grandfather, "Sir William Phips quarrelled with the captain of an English frigate, and also with the Collector of Boston. Being a man of violent temper, he gave each of them a sound beating with his cane."
We mean you no harm; we want not the ship out of your hands." "Then," cried Phips, "in the name of all the devils, what want you?" "Here's as we think: there's nothing to be got out of this hunt, but there's treasure on the high seas all the same. Here's our offer: keep command of your ship and run up the black flag!" Phips's arm shot out and dropped the man to the ground.
The new governor, unfit as he was for his office, understood the needs of the eastern frontier, where he had spent his youth; and he brought a royal order to rebuild the ruined fort at Pemaquid. The king gave the order, but neither men, money, nor munitions to execute it; and Massachusetts bore all the burden. Phips went to Pemaquid, laid out the work, and left a hundred men to finish it.
I may add that I have also heard that the young man in question is now in Boston doing all he can in aid of the snake-witch Dulcibel Burton; and representing all of us to Lady Mary Phips and other influential persons, as being untruthful and malicious accusers of innocent people."
The dissatisfaction that pervaded the public mind, about the time of the last executions at Salem, which Phips describes, was so serious, that both the Mathers were called in to allay it. The father also, at the request of the Ministers, wrote a book, entitled, Cases of Conscience, concerning Evil Spirits, personating men, Witchcrafts, &c., the general drift of which is against spectral evidence.
At the very next election, in May, 1693, ten of the Councillors were left out; and Elisha Cooke, their great opponent, was chosen to that body, although negatived by Phips, in the exercise of his prerogative, under the Charter. Increase Mather came over in the same ship with the Governor, the Nonsuch, frigate.
"At the death of Sir William Phips," proceeded Grandfather, "our chair was bequeathed to Mr. Ezekiel Cheever, a famous school-master in Boston. This old gentleman came from London in 1637, and had been teaching school ever since; so that there were now aged men, grandfathers like myself, to whom Master Cheever had taught their alphabet.
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