The Black Box: A Tale of Monmouth's RebellionCooke, W. Bourne
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The Black Box: A Tale of Monmouth's Rebellion
Cooke, W. Bourne
Monmouth's Rebellion, 1685 -- Juvenile fiction; Monmouth, James Scott, Duke of, 1649-1685 -- Juvenile fiction
"Next, next! Remember that there is something for you all. Here a
little--there a little--everywhere a little, and much for those as are
right valiant. The Duke is not one to forget, I tell you. No, no, the
sowers shall indeed reap heavily! What now, there, you who hold back,
muttering? Hath Satan put a craven fear within your hearts? If so,
take courage from my case. Look on me! I’m that man, that Ferguson,
for whose unworthy life five hundred pounds were offered. Yea, I am he
who years ago was driven forth from England, as a thing accurst, by
those whose wickedness rose up to heaven like foul black smoke. I say
again, I am that man, that Ferguson, who was accounted carrion for the
evil-doers, a thing to be cast out and trodden underfoot like Jezebel of
old. Yet here am I this day among you, called forth to be the scourge
of them who would have slain me. What then! will you, whose road to
victory is as broad and easy as the king’s highway--will you, I say,
hold back like frightened sheep when such a work is calling? Nay, nay,
methinks I read a better tale than that upon your faces! Again, I say
the Lord of Hosts is on our side, and your enemies shall crumple up
before you like a scroll of parchment. Hark to the shouts of them who
press behind you in the street! ’A Monmouth! True religion! Liberty!
Down with the Scarlet Woman!’ Ah, friends, what sweet, melodious,
heavenly music! It sounds like Miriam’s song of victory in mine ears!
Come on, come boldly on, and let there be no Didymus among us!"
I will not weary you with more of the amazing wretch’s sayings; but for
me, who watched and listened, and knew him for the foul, cold-blooded
murderer he was, his every word and movement were alive with grim
suggestiveness. In very truth he held me spellbound as a thing scarce
human. It seemed as though the Evil One himself sat there taking toll
for Hades.
Nor was it less astonishing to note the swaying power he exercised upon
a crowd of stalwart, sinewy fellows, who, had they known him rightly,
might have torn him limb from limb. His strength in this respect made
Monmouth and the rest of them appear like grinning images, whose fate
this wicked, frowsy villain juggled with like dice. And as I watched
him the desire to put a bullet through his wicked head grew stronger
every moment. His ugly, working mouth was what I would have aimed for,
and more than once my fingers crept towards a pistol-stock; but, verily,
the crowd which was for ever moving straight in front of me would have
made shooting something of a risky business even had the power of
self-restraint been lacking; and so I stood there with my back against
the wall and feasted greedily on Ferguson’s each word and movement.
When he had filled a sheet ’twas handed to a messenger, who took it to
the town hall, followed by the men whose names it bore, who there
received their arms and so passed on to drill.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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