I was sensibly touched at his requesting Friday, because I could not
think of parting with him, and that for many reasons: he had been the
companion of my travels; he was not only faithful to me, but sincerely
affectionate to the last degree; and I had resolved to do something
considerable for him if he out-lived me, as it was probable he would.
Then I knew that, as I had bred Friday up to be a Protestant, it would
quite confound him to bring him to embrace another religion; and he would
never, while his eyes were open, believe that his old master was a
heretic, and would be damned; and this might in the end ruin the poor
fellow's principles, and so turn him back again to his first idolatry.
However, a sudden thought relieved me in this strait, and it was this: I
told him I could not say that I was willing to part with Friday on any
account whatever, though a work that to him was of more value than his
life ought to be of much more value than the keeping or parting with a
servant. On the other hand, I was persuaded that Friday would by no
means agree to part with me; and I could not force him to it without his
consent, without manifest injustice; because I had promised I would never
send him away, and he had promised and engaged that he would never leave
me, unless I sent him away.
He seemed very much concerned at it, for he had no rational access to
these poor people, seeing he did not understand one word of their
language, nor they one of his. To remove this difficulty, I told him
Friday's father had learned Spanish, which I found he also understood,
and he should serve him as an interpreter. So he was much better
satisfied, and nothing could persuade him but he would stay and endeavour
to convert them; but Providence gave another very happy turn to all this.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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