The Loyalists, Vol. 1-3

by Mrs. West

  CHAP. X.

  The noble mind stands a siege against adversity, while the little spirit capitulates at once.

  Murphy's Tacitus.

  On the morning after he had wisely sent away his precious charge, Dr.Beaumont was visited by Dame Humphreys, who was now grown sincerelypenitent for all the insolent demeanour of herself and family, anddesirous to make what reparation was in her power. A revolution had alsotaken place in her husband's mind. He had espoused the parliamentarycause, in the hope of being his own master, and of paying no more taxes;but he now found that the power assumed by the commissioners, to whomthe Parliament had committed the execution of the ordinance, respectingthe array of the different counties, was far more insupportable (asbeing the tyranny of many) than the feudal rights and aristocraticsuperiority heretofore exercised by the noble family of Stanley. Thosenew men, exercising the powers granted them by the conservators ofpublic freedom, had, on his refusing voluntary contribution, seized hisbest cart-horse, three of his fat bullocks, and the silver-tankard hewon at a wrestling-match, for which (after entering them at half theiroriginal value) they gave him a memorandum, certifying that he was apublic creditor, "to be repaid at such a time, and in such a manner asParliament should agree." Besides this, the tax-gatherers, a race ofbeings whom he abominated, took their circular range to collect theweekly assessment, which Humphreys found would amount to nearly fivetimes the original sum required by the King to defray the expences ofgovernment, though the insupportable burden of his demands was urged asthe greatest public grievance. The obstinate temper of Humphreys wouldnot indeed permit him to make so frank a confession of his errors as hiswife did, but he charged her to say, that, when turned out of his ownhouse, Dr. Beaumont should be welcome to the use of his, as long as theKing and the taxing-men left him one to live in.

  Dame Humphreys had another motive for her visit. Like all the villagers,she was passionately fond of Eustace: she had seen a recruiting partyenter the town, and heard them inquire for the young man whom theJustice meant to impress. In her eagerness to defend him, she excited amob of women to scold and insult the party, while she flew to therectory to give him notice to escape. But for the precautions takenduring the night, her kindness would have been ineffectual; for thesoldiers speedily dispersed their feeble assailants, and drew themselvesup in order before the rectory. The lieutenant who commanded them,required to speak with Dr. Beaumont; and, in a tone of authorisedinsolence, bade him give up the son of the delinquent, whom heharboured.

  The Doctor had spent the night in devotion, and came from his oratoryclad in that celestial panoply which is proof against the terrors ofmilitary array. Calm as a Christian hero who felt himself called tosustain the character of a soldier of truth, he answered, "The youth youinquire for is my nephew, left in my care by his father, and I shouldcertainly protect him with my life if he were now in my house, but hehas left it."

  "On what errand? which road?" Dr. Beaumont was silent. It was proposedby some of the party to break into the house.

  "That will be unnecessary," returned the lieutenant. "Their Honours, thesequestrators, will speedily be here. Draw up round the house, and seethat none escape. Our duty further extends to taking away all thehorses, arms, and ammunition, of which I now require an account."

  Dr. Beaumont pointed to his old gelding. "He has served me well," saidhe, "and if you take him from me, I trust you will use him kindly. Armsand ammunition I have none. I lived in this parish as a parent among hischildren, obeying the laws of my country, and fearing no violence."

  At this instant the sequestrators arrived, headed by Morgan. He lamentedthat the painful duty had fallen upon him, but assured the Doctor thathe had delayed it as long as his own safety would permit, and that allpossible gentleness should be used. They then shewed their authority,and required admission. The door was immediately opened, and theyproceeded from room to room, accompanied by Dr. Beaumont, who, withunruffled fortitude, saw them take an inventory of his property, even tothe most minute article, his wearing apparel being exempted as a mark ofespecial mercy[1]. Morgan, who at every turn expected to discoverConstantia fainting with terror, or shrieking for mercy, wasdisappointed at only encountering the steady heroism of her father, andthe iron rigidity and proud contempt of her aunt, whose regret at seeingthe hoarded treasures of her industry, and the idols of her cleanlynotability, exposed to the hands and eyes of the profane vulgar, wassubdued by her detestation of the meanness and baseness of those fromwhom her revered brother suffered this indignity and spoliation.

  "And where," said Morgan, "are the pretty maids? Hid in some corner, Idoubt not. Poor lambs! they are innocent, and have no cause to fearanything. I am sure they shall be welcome to an asylum in my house; andyou too, Madam Mellicent, if you would condescend----"

  "They are gone, Morgan," said she, suddenly restored to the use of herspeech by the supreme pleasure of reproving a villain; "they are gonewith Eustace to the Marquis of Newcastle, out of thy power or that ofthy wicked masters, and their unjust ordinances."

  Morgan (as in his altercation with Eustace) perceived that the more hepersonally interfered, the greater hazard he ran of exposure. Hetherefore slightly lamented that such harmless children should apprehendany danger from him, and withdrew, while the sequestrators proceeded tosell the goods by public auction. Not a bidder stepped forward. Theparishioners were dissolved in tears, and every article exposed to saleexcited some associated recollections of the goodness of the owner orhis family; they saw the chairs on which they had sat while he mildlypointed out their best interests; the tables at which they had beenliberally, though plainly, regaled; the beds which had afforded reposeto the traveller; the vessels which had fed the hungry and refreshed theweary; the wheels which produced clothing for the naked; the chemicalapparatus which had provided medicine for the sick, and consolation forthe afflicted. No bidders appearing to purchase the articles in detail,the whole was put up in one lot. Dame Humphreys presented herself as apurchaser; no one opposed her; and she was declared to be the possessorof the Doctor's property.

  The sequestrators then demanded an account of all rents and sums due tothe late Rector, and having noted them down for the observation ofparliament, they informed Dr. Beaumont that, as a new and godly ministrywas to be substituted for an old and unprofitable one, they now expelledhim from the cure of souls and all temporalities thereto belonging, andinstituted and inducted Joab Davies into his rectory. His conduct had,they said, been so refractory as would justify arresting and sending himprisoner to London, where multitudes of proud high-priests were nowconfined, either on board hulks in the river, or in the palaces, as theywere disloyally named, of the deposed anti-christian bishops; but somerciful were their tempers, that they would allow him to depart andshift for himself, only remembering that he was a marked character, andon his next offence must expect some severe punishment.

  Dr. Beaumont answered, that the testimony of a clear conscience hadenabled many to take joyfully the spoiling of their goods; and hedoubted not he should experience similar consolation. He then required apass for himself and his sister. The sequestrators granted one, and lefthim.

  Their place was immediately supplied by Davies, to whom they had givenpossession, and who said he was moved by bowels of mercy to comfort abacksliding brother in his tribulation, and to exhort him to considerhis ways, and examine wherein he had offended the Lord, who, by avisible and affecting providence, had thus mightily punished him.

  Dr. Beaumont, meantime, was endeavouring to collect his thoughts for aparting address to his parishioners. He remembered that impertinentcomforters constituted one of the trials of Job; and he entreated Heavento enable him also to sustain meekly this further conflict. "MasterDavies," said he, "I learned from the book in which I studied myministerial duties, that afflictions are not only judgments andcorrections to offenders, but awakening conflicts and purifying trialsto those whom the Father of the universe loves, and consider
s as hisdear children. Far be it from me to justify myself in the sight of Himwho sees impurity in the heavens, and imperfection in the best deeds ofhis most exalted creatures; but it is a manifest consolation to me, inthis day of my calamity, that my conscience does not reproach me withany wilful violation of my holy function, and therefore, though mypastoral staff is taken from me, and my flock given to one who hasleaped into the fold, I see in all this, rather the hand of Providencesmiting a guilty nation for its provocations, than a judgment pointedpeculiarly at me, further than as a sinner who adds to the generalburden of transgressions. The powers to whom you pay obedience I neverdid acknowledge to be my lawful rulers. On the contrary, I have everstrove against them in defence of those who, I think, were unjustlydeprived of their hereditary right. When a strong arm forces me out ofmy heritage, resistance would only endanger my life. I yield, therefore,possession to you, not willingly, nor from respect to your claim as ajust one, but by constraint and with a solemn protest against the hardmeasure I have met with. By taking on yourself the office of which I amunjustly deprived, you have, in my judgment, committed a great sin. Usethe power you are allowed to exercise with such temperance as maymitigate the awful inquisition which will one day be made into the meansby which you acquired it. While you act as a pastor to this parish,remember you are not a shepherd to your own party and a wolf to mine.Deny not the blessed sacraments instituted by our common Saviour, tothose whose only crime it is to reject the ordinances and covenantswhich a faction in one branch of the legislature attempt to impose,notwithstanding the protests they have made against what they call humaninstitutions, though sanctioned by all the legal authorities in thekingdom. Endeavour to allay the ferment of men's minds instead of makingthe pulpit a seditious tribune, and the Bible a trumpet calling aloud tobattle. Remember, the latter is a rule of conduct to Christians in allages and all conditions of the world, and that its prophecies are not ofprivate interpretation, nor its texts designed to be bandied about asthe watch-words of party, to inflame disagreement into enmity, or tosmite down our opponents with the spiritual staff of misappliedscripture. A docile mind alone is wanting to such an understanding ofthe sacred volume as will make us wise unto salvation; but many are thegifts which a Christian teacher requires, and diligent should be hislabour before he attempts to guide others, especially when controversypushes morality from the pulpit, and the auditory are made judges ofmetaphysical theology, not hearers of the commandments."

  Davies, who was at first silenced by his astonishment at perceiving Dr.Beaumont's native dignity and superiority in no wise abated bymisfortunes, soon recalled his natural allies, ignorance and insolence,to interrupt these admonitions, plainly telling him, that since he didnot know his offences, he would inform him that he had too muchneglected the duty of preaching, giving but one sermon on the Sabbath,and starving his flock by the formalities of written prayers and verbalcatechisms. He had also in his sermons confined himself to legalpreaching, not sufficiently attending to the inner man, and sometimesnot telling how we were to be saved. Moreover, he had spoken toofavourably of the Papists, contenting himself with calling them erringbrethren, whereas he ought, as a good Protestant, to have delivered allthe bloody race to Tophet, whose children they were. He further heldgross errors, such as that salvation was offered to all mankind, that itwas possible for the elect to sin, and that we were not mere machinesacted on by grace, but possessed the liberty of free-will, by which wemight resist or co-operate with the Spirit.

  "My Brethren and Friends," said Dr. Beaumont, turning to hisparishioners, who listened in ignorant astonishment to these charges,"Dear charge, from whom violence now separates me, but to whom I willhope to be again restored--as ye value your immortal souls, imprint onyour minds this solemn truth, 'Not the hearers but the doers of the lawshall be justified.' Ye will now probably have your attention fixed onneedless, difficult, and unedifying questions, which our limitedfaculties cannot in this life clearly understand; but remember that indiscussing them ye are exposed to those great offences, spiritual pride,and a desire of being wise above what is written. Ye will have many andlong sermons, but it is well said, 'prayer is the end of preaching,' Anexcellent form was established in this kingdom, which made devotionuniform; but now, alas! by using extemporary prayers, even inworshipping God ye must be listeners to your minister, not petitionersfor spiritual graces. Avoid consigning those generations who are passedaway, to perdition, by supposing these new lights alone can shew you theway to be saved. Ask not if they who differ from you must be accursed.To scrutinize the spiritual estate of others will neither promote yourholiness nor your security. Think not the further you go from the churchof Rome, the nearer ye approach to God; nor confound the superstitiousobservances, which she mis-named good works, with the deeds ofrighteousness that Scripture requires you to perform, not as bestowing aright to eternal life, but as your part of the covenant of grace towhich you have been admitted. Be not misled by the quoted opinions ofearly reformers. They depreciated not acts of piety, integrity, andsocial kindness, but 'masses, dirges, obsequies, rising at midnight,going barefoot, jubilees, invocation of saints, praying to images, vowsof celibacy, pardons, indulgences, founding of abbeys'[2], and othersupererogatory performances, by which Popery in effect invalidated thetrue atonement, and pretended that sinners might merit heaven. Againstthese vain devices of men our glorious martyrs lifted up their voices;these were the good works they decried; but when ye misapply their justanathemas, to condemn the fruits of faith acting by love, ye belie theirmemory, and tear asunder those strong pillars of belief and practicewhich support the Christian doctrine. Lamentable are the effects whichschism produces. At the very beginning of our divisions the pious Jewelldoubted how to address those who preferred contending for trifles topeace. He could not, he said, 'call them brethren, for then they wouldagree as brethren; nor Christians, for then they would love asChristians.' And now, when the miseries he saw at a distance haveoverwhelmed us, how shall our woes be healed? Even by promoting, as faras in us lies, that mild and candid spirit, which, when it becomesuniversal, will terminate our sorrows. Let us conduct our disputes withthe temper of pious Hooker; and when we say to our adversaries, 'you errin your opinions,' add also, 'but be of good comfort, you have to dowith a merciful God, who will make the best of that little which youhold well, and not with a captious sophister, who gathers the worst outof every thing in which you are mistaken.' It is this captious sophistrywhich fans disagreement till it blazes into dissension, which changesthe simplicity of gospel-truth into wordy declamation; and, in zeal forthe phylacteries of religion, rends its substance, which is peace. Thusis Christendom convulsed with tempests which obscure the Sun ofRighteousness, and prevent its beams from warming the cold regions ofheathen darkness.

  "My Friends, ye are called to times of trial, and your brother Man isthe agent whom Providence uses to correct you. Remember that he is onlythe agent. In the abode of condemned spirits the Almighty permits anuncontrolled mis-rule of diabolical passions, and total misery is theresult. In the celestial regions, the will of the Creator is understoodand obeyed; and there dwells eternal peace. In this mixed state the besterr, from frailty and ignorance; but the wrath of the wicked isover-ruled by Divine mercy, and made to produce the good it labours toprevent. Let us, in the words of the Church, pray that earth may moreresemble heaven; and let us also remember that our prayers are precepts,teaching us to promote in our lives what we request in oursupplications."

  Dr. Beaumont here knelt down, and, with devout energy, repeated severalcollects from the Liturgy, commending the oppressed church to the mercyof its Divine Founder, and imploring peace and resignation for itssuffering members. The wind gently waved his silvered locks, the settingsun cast a beam on his pale countenance, his eyes were occasionallymoistened with tears, and his faultering voice discovered how much theman endured; but when he rose to give his parting blessing, the patientand dignified confessor, suffering in a glorious cause, triumphed overthe weakness of human sensibili
ty. Each individual seemed to feel thatthe benediction applied to his own wants, and proved its efficacy byimparting the composure of him who bestowed it.

  They now crowded round their departing pastor, earnestly entreating himto shelter with them that night; but Dame Humphreys pleaded a priorengagement. "Think not," said she, as she conducted the Doctor and Mrs.Mellicent to her house, "that I have bought Your Reverence's goods, witha view of turning them to my own profit. They shall all be carefullystored, and not a trencher touched till you come back again. I only wishyou safe with the King; for I am sure if he had such honest men alwayswith him, things would never have been brought to this pass. I hope youwill tell His Majesty to choose only good men for his ministers, and tohear nothing but truth, and not to suffer landlords to oppress poorfarmers, and to have no worldly-minded bishops and clergy, but to makeevery body charitable and do their duty like you and Madam Mellicent."

  The good dame's harangue was interrupted by discovering that, during herabsence from home, her maid Susan had neglected her dairy to indulge ina flirtation with the plough-boy, and had been detected in the fact ofconveying to him a stolen can of ale. The difficulty of conducting asmall household according to the unerring rule of right, diverted DameHumphreys from proceeding in her plan of reforming state-abuses; and hercomplaints of the tricks and evasions of servants, furnished Dr.Beaumont with a good opportunity of hinting how impossible it was forKings to find ability and integrity in all the agents they werecompelled to employ.

  Early the ensuing morning, Dr. Beaumont and his sister prepared todepart. The former, with his staff in his hand and Bible under his arm,looked like another Hooker setting out on his painful pilgrimage; butthe care of Dame Humphreys had secured for him his own calash, andstored it with the most portable and valuable of his goods. The farmerhimself fastened to it the sure-footed old horse, which had been foryears the faithful companion of their journeys. "They gave him to meyesterday," said Humphreys, "instead of my cart-horse, which they tookaway. But Jowler was worth twice as much; yet that's neither here northere. Your Reverence has a right to old Dobbin, and nobody else shallhave him. And as to your rents, as you never was a bad landlord in themain, I'll try if I can't now and then send you a trifle; for I don'tsee that these new people have any right to what they take."

  "Hush, hush," said Dame Humphreys, "His Reverence yesterday bade usbehave well, and do our duty to every body."

  "So I will," returned Humphreys; "but I hate your new laws, and yourtaxing men, and your arrays and assessments, which take your horses outof your team, and your money out of your pocket, and nobody knows whatfor. I believe Master Davies is no better than a worldling, for hetalked yesterday about raising my rent, and if that's his humour, I'llbe even with him; for I'll go and hear Priggins directly."

  "Priggins," said one of the by-standers, "is a fine man, with a goodvoice, and tolerable action; but he is nothing to the serjeant-major ofSir William Brureton's rangers, who preached at the drum-head at Bolton,and made the whole town declare against Lord Derby."

  "Tell me of no serjeants-majors nor Prigginses," said Dame Humphreys,"we shall never edify under any body as we did under the good oldDoctor."

  This conversation passed among the villagers, after the Beaumonts, withdejected but submissive hearts, had taken their silent departure fromRibblesdale.

  [1] Many of these circumstances are copied from Bishop Hall's "Hard Measure." He greatly leaned to the Puritans in doctrine; and, in discipline was a noted opposer of Archbishop Laud.

  [2] This list is taken out of a much more numerous one cited by Lord Cobham.