“You cannot,” said his host, “have forgotten Serjeant-Major Lydcott of this Army; and how with a slender company he landed on your island six years ago.  It was about the end of August, 1643, I remember well, for Sir Philip had been dead bare three days and indeed was not yet buried:  and the castles of Jersey still held out for the Cartwrights.  I said then that, had Lydcott but taken three hundred of our sober, God fearing soldiers, he would have established himself as master of the island on behalf of the Commonwealth.  George Cartwright had never come over from S. Maloes; the pirates of S. Aubin would have been confounded and brought to nought; Sir Peter Osborne had never held Castle Cornet in Guernsey (to the shame and sorrow of the well-affected in that island), had they but been backed and aided from Jersey.  Even as things were, and with no more help but what he got from you—­I say it not to offend you—­how much did not Lydcott do?  Three days after his landing he called together the States and opened before them his commission from the Earl of Warwick, Warden of the Isles and Lord High Admiral of England.  You were present and presiding, as you must needs remember, together with all but three Jurats, all the Constables save one, and nearly half the Rectors.  Without a dissentient voice you administered the oath of Lieutenant-Governor to Lydcott, yourself standing forth as Bailiff and sworn the first.  What hindered you then from holding fast?  Nothing but want of a backbone of strength.  The militia, whom you now hold malignant, swore allegiance to a man, save and except one Colonel who was broke then and there.  You may say George Cartwright drove you out; but what did he do that could justify your flight?  I must be plain with you:  with all outward and visible signs of power you gave way before three open boats and a mouldy ruin.”

“We gave way,” said Lempriere with an indignant flush, “because we were forsook by them on whom we leaned.”

“I know it,” pursued Prynne, “I say it not to blame you, but to blame the lukewarm weakness of those who held authority there on the part of the Commonwealth:  for had Lydcott been ever so able and willing he lacked support from hence.  We had our hands full of graver business.  Only I neither desire nor expect such things should be done a second time.  There be those now in power that will take better order.  The future of your islands, the ties that bind them to us, were not known six years ago; and our friends—­as I have already said—­had other matters, more pressing, to attend to.  But now is not then.  Now, that a violent policy that I cannot altogether undertake to defend hath shorn the strength of tyranny, and that fair deceiver the late King—­whom none could safely trust or utterly despise—­is by that blow taken out of our path, we are free to set matters straight around us.  It is therefore not to be endured that your small wasps’ nest yonder should continue to infest our ambient ocean with her petty and poisonous alarms.  This is the word I have to give thee—­friendly meant, though thou mayest have been hitherto no friend to me.  Jersey will be brought under the power of the Commonwealth, and you will be among the instruments of its reduction.  I seek a word from you in return for mine.”