their countrymen, in a mere bullying humour, insulted
them by saying, ’the governor (meaning you)
had given them a possession of the island, and d-mn
’em they should build no houses upon their ground,
without paying rent.’ The two honest men
(for so let me now distinguish them) thought their
three countrymen only jested, and one of them invited
them in, to see their fine habitations; while the other
facetiously told them ’that since they built
tenements with great improvements, they should, according
to the custom of lords, give them a longer lease;’
at the same time desiring them to fetch a scriviner
to draw the writings. One of these wretches swearing
he should pay for the jest, snatches up a fire
brand, and clapping it to the outside of their hut,
very fairly set it on fire, which would soon have consumed
it, had not the honest man thrust him away, and trod
it with his feet. Hereupon the fellow returns
with his pole, with which he would have ended his
days, had not the poor man avoided the blow when fetching
his musket, he knocked down the villain that began
the quarrel. The other two coming to assist their
fellow, obliged the honest man to take his musket also,
and both of them presenting their pieces bid the villains
stand off; and if they did not lay down their arms,
death should decide the dispute one way or other.
This brought them to a parley, in which they agreed
to take their wounded man and begone; but they were
in the wrong that they did not disarm them when they
had the power, and then make their complaint to me
and my Spaniards for justice, which might have prevented
their farther designs against them. And indeed
so many trespass did they afterwards commit, by treading
down their corn, shooting their young kids and goats,
and plaguing them night and day, that they resolved
to come to my castle, challenge all the three, and
decide their right by one plain battle, while the
Spaniards stood by to see fair play. One day
it happened, that two of my Spaniards (one of whom
understood English) being in the woods, were met by
one of the honest men, who complained how barbarous
their countrymen had been in destroying their corn,
killing their milk-goat and three kids, which deprived
them of their subsistence; and that if we did not
grant them relief, they must be inevitably starved,
and so they parted; but when my Spaniards came home
at night, and supper being on the table, one of them
began to reprehend the Englishmen, but in a very mannerly
way; which they resenting, replied, What business
had their countrymen in that place without leave,
when it was none of their ground? Why, said
my Spaniard, calmly, Inglise, they must not starve:
but they replied, Let them starve and be damn’d,
they should neither plant nor build, and damn them,
they should be their servants, and work for them,
for the island was their’s, and they would burn
all the huts they should find in the island. By
this rule, said my Spaniard, smiling, We shall