After having spoken this, whatever his greatest Officers and Men of the
best Rank could do, they could not raise him from the Carpet, or
persuade him to Action, and Resolutions of Life; but commanding all to
retire, he shut himself into his Pavilion all that Day, while the Enemy
was ready to engage: and wondring at the Delay, the whole Body of the
chief of the Army then address’d themselves to him, and to whom they had
much ado to get Admittance. They fell on their Faces at the Foot of his
Carpet, where they lay, and besought him with earnest Prayers and Tears
to lead them forth to Battle, and not let the Enemy take Advantages of
them; and implored him to have Regard to his Glory, and to the World,
that depended on his Courage and Conduct. But he made no other Reply to
all their Supplications than this, That he had now no more Business for
Glory; and for the World, it was a Trifle not worth his Care: _Go_,
(continued he, sighing) _and divide it amongst you, and reap with Joy
what you so vainly prize, and leave me to my more welcome Destiny._
They then demanded what they should do, and whom he would constitute in
his Room, that the Confusion of ambitious Youth and Power might not ruin
their Order, and make them a Prey to the Enemy. He reply’d, he would not
give himself that Trouble--but wished ’em to chuse the bravest Man
amongst ’em, let his Quality or Birth be what it would: ‘For, Oh my
Friends! (says he) it is not Titles make Men Brave or Good; or Birth
that bestows Courage and Generosity, or makes the Owner Happy. Believe
this, when you behold _Oroonoko_ the most wretched, and abandoned by
Fortune, of all the Creation of the Gods.’ So turning himself about, he
would make no more Reply to all they could urge or implore.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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