Alice Bridge of Norwich — page 18: what you’re looking at

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nee ar eS SE —S Ae OS a sO“ SY arty ae Ty aU ite ment Alice detected all their stolen luggage ‘safely stowed in the boat, and pointing it out to her mother, exclaimed, ‘‘It was George, after all, who did it! He has outwitted them all! Why did we doubt him?” George himself was not far off, and, over- hearing these words, reached his hand, whis- pering, ‘‘ Alice, you nearly betrayed me, But ‘we have no time to talk now. Heaven grant ~we are not now too late at the river mouth,” ‘They could presently hear the watch knocking ‘at the house they had just quitted; then there was a shout, and hurrying to the river-side. It was getting dark, but they could see their pur-. suers running along the bank. , Now the run- ners had to make a long round. The river mouth at Gorleston was very near; but the watch cut off a corner, and were at the pier. head, speaking to the keeper to close the sluice- gates, The gates began toturnslowly. ‘‘ Ouly a yard or two. more to pull through!—Just room to pass, and avoid being crushed. Through |— safe through! Pull on! See, there is the ves- sel all ready!—her white sails glisten in the gloaming. Nearer, nearer! See the Fleming’s tall figure on the deck!—Hurrah! Give way, men! Hoist up the ladies! All safe,—thank God! Let the boat stay for me.” George, thus speaking, climbed on board to |, receive the warm and wondering thanks of those whom he had so cleverly rescued. Black Joe and his disappointed fellows sulk- ily returned on the Norwich road, with muttered oaths and displeasure. Quoth Black Joe, “They would not face the peril themselves, the scoundrels!—they were after. that dashing gal. Tm not sorry they have lost her. Who was yonder Tough Jack, I wonder? Don’t let him cross my path ina hurry! And if these varlets crow too loud over us, boys, we're strong enough to floor’em. We shall never see the shine of their money, I trow. ‘Traps often catch them as sets ’em ’—eh!” As they were thus conversing, and nearing the old city, ina lonely part of the road they espied the very persons they denounced, Green and Wren, who, eager for the success of their plot, had mounted and ridden a mile or two to meet the party. As they came near, they be- came wild with vexation, and Wren shouted, “ How now, you rascals,—no prisoners! What have you done? Black Joe replied firmly, ‘‘ There was a res- cue,—we did all we could.” “Well, they are still in Yarmouth!” roared Wren. ‘‘ We must get more force and pursue.” “Nay, sirs,—they are all on board ship bound for Holland.” “ Dastards!” cried Wren, in high excitement, “ fools! knaves!—you shall all be flogged in the market!” Black Joe was enraged by the wanton threat. “Flogged!” he retorted; ‘‘ boys, will you stand that? If there’s any flogging, let it be done here. Seize their reins and dismount the vil- lains. Now,” said he, standing before the pris- oners, ‘‘’tis you should be ashamed!—’twas the girl you were hot after, you wretches! You deserve to be stabbed. You shall be flogged!” “ Hands off there!” cried Wren; ‘‘ mind how you touch the Bishop’s son, fellows!” «7 am a clergyman,—don’t touch me!” cried Green in unmanly terror. ‘“ So much the worse,” was the laughing, an- gry answer. ‘‘Oall for the Bishop to see how we treat his people!’ Without more words, the two men were half-stripped, and then lash- ed till they roared again. When Black Joe was content with his revenge, he ordered them to be well cooled and ducked in the river. The band then withdrew, leading their vic- tims’ horses away, and left them to comfort each other as they best might on their wretched. walk home. ‘They'll keep it dark for their own sakes,” said Black Joe. After a long and rough voyage, the Flem- ing’s vessel brought up at the handsome quay called the Boompjees,—so called from being built on piles (booms), lined with noble trees, and backed by fine mansions, which gives the first imposing impression of mercantile Rotter- dam. They had not much opportunity for ad- miration of the city, for some gens .d’armes, headed by a villainous-looking Englishman, ap- peared on board, and declared that they were all arrested as criminals flying from an English prison. In vain did they plead and explain ;— they were taken into custody. To be led away by soldicrs through the streets of a foreign land, under suspicion of crime, was indeed a misera- ble reception. The worthy magistrate, how- ever, welcomed Van Diense, who was well known as a merchant in Rotterdam, and was most polite to the whole party. He called for the, information from the English Consulate, After some delay, the English accuser stated that he was informed that these persons were charged with grave crimes against the ecclesi- astical laws of England. “Do you charge the ladies, Mijnheer?” asked the magistrate. ‘*No,” replied the Consul’s officer. ‘What is the charge against the reverend gentleman? The ladies are honorably dis- charged.” ‘‘He is under his Bishop’s sentence of ex- communication.” “Wat wenscht ge? crime?” «‘No,—not precisely,” ssid the reluctant of- ficers).= ** Well, we here do not understand Bishops’ law—so he, may gofree! You will givemea cer- tificate that he was wrongfully arrested, and enters this city without the least blame. Dat is mijo raad (that is my sentence).” ‘‘Oertainly, your worship.” - After thanking‘the gracious magistrate, and receiving his ‘‘ van harte gegroet ” (hearty salu- tation), they withdrew; but they did not fail to contrast this first specimen of legal justice in Holland with the brow- beating, prejudice, and leaning to ecclesiastical authorities under which they knew they would have suffered in any En- glish court. After sleep and refreshment in the abode pro- vided for them by the Fleming’s care, they awoke to a lovely Sabbath, and found the Flem- ing ready to share their early breakfast, * He told his friends they would find the Dutch tongue more like English than any other in Eu- rope. ‘‘ How?” said Alice. ‘'Give me a les- son. What are sun and moon?” ‘‘ De zon en de maan,”-he answered. ‘‘And gold and sil- ver?” she asked. ‘‘Are goud and zilver.” “Wonderfully like!—tell me more.” Then he told her brood for bread, vleesch for meat, wijn for wine; geef mp and breng mi, for give and bring me; doter, melk, and suiker, for but- ter, milk, and sugar; tafe’ and glas, for table and glass; dock and huis, for book and house; hoed, singularly, for hat, while head is hoofd,; broeders en zusters, for brothers and sisters; waarde eriend, for dear friend; vader, moeder, zoon, en dochter, like enough; eten and drinken, for eating and drinking; cen, twee, die, vier, vijf, zes,.zeven, acht, negen, wen, for the numer- als; zomer and winter, for the seasons; morgen and avond, for morning and evening; ‘‘and,” the teacher ended, ‘‘ for the rest use the English with a broad continental accent, and you will soon be understood in all common things.” “ Delightful!” said Alice; ‘‘I am sure I shall soon unlock these strange sounds with the keys you have given me; but I shall never be other than an Englishwoman, after all.” “Tf ever you are in doubt,” added the Flem- ing, ‘‘say ‘Hoe noemt ge dat? (How call:you that?) and the people will politely inform ou.” a Where can we worship to-day?” cried Alice, “There are in this place only Popvish mass. houses, I suppose.” “‘ What if I punish you,” replied their friend, ‘by taking you to a little piece of England in this very city, and asking you to beg your father to give a sermon to us all in Rotterdam this morning?” ‘Is it possible!” replied Alice; and turning to her father, ‘‘ Father, you will? I thought you could never preach here. What a nice place Holland must be!” ‘‘ But,” said the Rector, with a sense of what was due to his Anglican position, ‘‘ how can we worship where there is no liturgy and no Epis- copal ordination?” ‘‘Pardon me,” said the Fléming, ‘‘I should have thought you had had enough of bishops for the present. There is no Episcopal worship ex- cept the Roman Catholic in this city.” “But will Presbyterians receive us, and al- low me to preach?” ‘With delight, Iam sure, as you are a Cal: vininist; were you an Arminian, even they are not vet so charitable.” « But what sort of service can it be?” “Much what Paul or John would have held. We have to go to primitive customs, and to read the New Testament afresh, in order to get Is he guilty of any civil back to Christ’s own regulations,” was the Fleming's reply. “But what is their order?” said the Rector. The Fleming only answered, ‘‘Come and see.” So they went together up a grand street, ‘and turned into the Haringvleet, which had a haven or broad canal in the middle filled with vessels, and was lined on either side with well-grown trees. Here they paused at a large building, which was then, and still is, the English Pres- byterian church. Entering its porch, they be- held a large and lofty hall, well lighted, with dark oak paneling, pulpit, and raised stalls, and a small congregation quietly awaiting the beginning of worship. A grave divine was seated at the teachers’ end, to whom the Flem- ing introduced the English clergyman as the Rev. Hugh Peters, founder of this Church, who entreated his reverend brother to aid in the service. After a short pause, the elder offered prayer, during which the strangers. began to feel at home in addressing together the same God, par- ticularly as special thanks and intercession were spontaneously made for them, as exiles driven forth by persecution for Christ’s sake,— a personal sympathy which the freedom of their worship allowed. Afterthe psalm, Peters read a passage from the Bible, and explained it tersely and practically. The Rector took his text from Matthew xviii. 20: ‘‘ Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there . am I in the midst of them;” and as he thanked the congregation for their prayers, craved their good-will for the exiles as future residents in the town, and then freely exulted in the com- fortable promise of the Lord’s presence, even under the most solitary and unfavorable cir- cumstances, all seemed to realize the fulfillment : of his text and the Lord’s presence. On leaving he cordially saluted Peters and his colleague, who invited him to benefit them with his valuable instructions as often as possi- ble. He was introdueed to several English ref- ugees like himself, who all welcomed and thanked him heartily. These were the people whose reasons for very reluctantly leaving their native land are thus described in the old Nor- wich manuscripts of that date kept by the church over which Bridge was pastor, which say,‘ ‘The urging of Popish ceremonies, and divers innovated injunctions in the worship and service of God; the suspending and silencing of divers godly ministers, and the persecuting of godly men and women by Bishop Wren and his instruments in Norwich, Yarmouth, and other places, caused divers of the godly people to pass over into Holland to enjoy freedom from ship.” The Rector.in returning home expressed his agreeable surprise to the Fleming at the beauty, freedom, and order of the worship they had just enjoyed. .The Fleming said he never had heard a sermon from him in England so hearty and irresistible. ‘‘There you always seemed, though so good a preacher, in light and invisi- ble fetters.” Bridge observed, ‘‘I find I have a good deal to learn here. I must inquire how these eccle- siastical changes have come about and are sup- ported.” ““Oh, it was like heaven this morning!” ex- claimed Alice. ‘‘ After all our frights, to have a welcome from such good people, and to have a service so warm and interesting! I really begin to like Holland very much. I expected to be wretched, and to lose all Christian com- forts;—and I think I never loved Him so much as this morning!” ‘“Yes, and L also have been refreshed great- ly,” said her mother; ‘but I thought of dear old 8t. George’s, and the Sherwoods, and Hopes, and Ridgeleys, and others in their pews,—and that dreadful Dr. Green petrifying them! Verily the lines are fallen to us in pleasant places.” Rotterdam interested the exiles the more they saw of it. Its manifest prosperity and com- mercial bustle,—its noble river or arm of the sea, called the Maas, and the Rotte, a smaller branch, with its havens or canals, were all ob- jects of admiration. Thus they settled down in anew home. Two things tried their health,— the peat fires, and the constant pervading smell of peat smoke in the close air of the rooms;— and the impure water, the supply of which was drawn from the havens, which received the sewage of the place as well as of the vessels in the port. Bridge soon had the offer of support as pas- tor of the church he had first preached in, though it was some time before his scruples superstitious human inventions in God’s wor-’ ALICE BRIDGE OF NORWICH. 35 gave way. During that time he often worked as clerk-in Van Diense’semploy. His wife and daughter took as pupils the children of some of the refugees, and of others; sothat they wanted for nothing. Other English refugees pursued their ordinary vocations, or obtained service in the docks. Labor was the law of the republic, and usually it was well paid. They missed the country walks and breezy hills of old Norwich, for after crossing the cénglen, or water-belt, or dyke surrounding all Dutch towns, there were roads with endless poplar rows, and wide canals or lakes,—and all flat as a table. Now and then letters arrived from England. They heard of grievous complaints against the new Rector. ' Alice kept up a correspondence with Edward from Oxford, by which she found he was growing more and more devoted to the Church policy of Laud, and to the Royal cause. He related the fate which had befaflen poor Dr. Osbaldeston (or Old Baldy), some of whose let- ters, freely satirizing Archbishop Laud, had fallen into that primate’s hands. Osbaldeston was sentenced to stand in the pillory, opposite his own school, with: his ears atte it; but he wisely fled this cruel sentence, leaving 4 note to say that ‘‘should his Grace want him, he had gone beyond Canterbury.” Edward seemed to think all this persecution justifiable, and he ear- nestly entreated tle exiles not to fall away from their adhesion to the English Church by reason of their trials. : At last a letter came from George with the happy news that he was crossing the ocean in order to go to the continental armies for prac- tice in soldiering. In cypher ‘taught by the Fleming) he said a whole emigration was to come with him. This gave the exiles no small joy, with some anxiety how to provide for ail these in comfort. The Fleming at once arranged for his vessel to proceed, and await their arriv- al. The Fleming was interested in promoting all the arrangements, the more so that the Lady Gabrielle, who had taken his advice and es- caped to Brussels, now gay¢ some hints of com- ing to Rotterdam to see his friends, if he would fetch her. Now, as George must go to Brus- sels on his way, he hoped to take him there, and return with Gabrielle and his sister. And what wlzhe not grow out of that? Oh, Love's dream- and! CHAPTER XXIII. ALICE DISLIKES A SOLDIBR’S LIFE. “ Jetz bei der Latnpe mildem Schein Gehst du wohl in dein Kammerlein Und schicks’t dien Nachgebet zum Herrn Auch fur den Liebsten in der Fern. Doch wenn du traurig bist und weinst Mich von Gefahr umringen meinst Sei ruhig ich bin in Gottes Hut Er liebt ein treu Soldatenblut.” Havr, Tum Rev. Hugh Peters soon called on Brid ge. After the first explanation, Peters said, ‘‘ You are sent of the Lord, and must take up this needful work.” “ How?” exclaimed Bridge. ‘‘Iam a devoted son of the English Church, though under this temporary separation.” : “So was I also; bat we are sent here tolearn the way of God mote perfectly. I see now that | in England,” continued Peters, ‘‘ we were in the shadow of death, and our national Church isa mere branch of the great apostacy. If we re- turn, it must be to purge it thoroughly.” “ But, dear sir, 1 cannot follow your strong censures.” ; ° “Ah, you only see mez as trees walking;— the veil is on your heart. You have the spell and glamour of the old habits about you,—so had I; and it cost me much sorrow and pain to cast them off. Going through the fire can hardly be worse than the crushing of reason and pride and traditional habit, and the coming out into bare novelties and despised Puritanisms. It was a mortification of the whole soul—a cutting off of the right hand; but how necessary and right, I feel more and more every day.” “T confess that I have much to learn and un- learn,” said. Bridge; ‘‘and I am anxious to ex- amine Church principles afresh, and will gladly enjoy your longer experience.” This led to long conversations and Script- ure readings between the. divines, in which Bridge, like many others, severed from former prepossessions, and brought closely in contact with Apostolic institutions in the New Testa- ment, ceased to regard Episcopacy as the only true Church form, and to admit the advantage of Scriptural simplicity in modes of worship. Gradually he was prepared for exercising the Gospel ministry—at least while his banishment lasted—in the methods open to him at the time, and to feel called of God to accept the pastorate over this pure and free Church. He was intro- duced by Peters and the Fleming to many Dutch leadet#s and dominés (as the clergy are called there), with whom he could converse in Latin before he acquired their own tongue. He made journeys also to the pleasant capital, the Hague, where he found English settlers; as also to Amsterdam, where was a large church under Clyfton; and to Leyden, where was the church over which Robinson had been pastor, and from which the first New England settlers went forth under Johnson and Smyth. Thus by degrees he attained a considerable position, and was drawn into fcHowship with English clergy who had ‘more or less broken: with their old ideas of Church constitution, and adopted from the Bible the new ones which were destined to re- vive religion in England and America, The return of the Fleming’s vessel, long ex- pected, at-last occurred. The quay was lined by a number of friends, who extended a warm welcome to-the large shipful of pilgrims. Among the first to land were Will Barnard and his active wife, who, revived from the sickly effects of the voyage by seeing her old nursling- Alice, could, only gasp out, ‘‘Oh my!— couldn’t bear Norwich after you was gone;— and that odious-serpent in the pulpit too!” Ann next drew; forth a slim figure hidden behind her, with her face in her hands, who | proved to be pretty Fanny. She, hearing of | the migration, quitted her aunt to re-enter the Fleming’s service. Alice gave her a warm re- ception, and Ann said, ‘‘ There, take your hands down,—all are friends here. Will, you need not be comforting .her;—you men ruined her with your silly flatteries. But she’s come to her senses: ail will come right some day. Others will be arriving here, now we have come to Holland.” Greatly to the comfort of Bridge and the other refugees, the Rev. Thomas Allen, his at- tached friend and fellow-sufferer, with his live- ly and sensible young people, John, Jane, and Harriet, acecmpanied the rest. Alice and the girls embraced warmly. ‘Can you'exist here?” said lively Harriet. ‘‘T expected to find you all turned into her- rings.” Jane observed, ‘‘ We have been learning some Dutch words from the sailors, They did not compliment us, for they called us three—drie,” Then came the Ridgeleys,—the, father com- posed as usual, but the two young ladies ex- cited, and the mother convulsively saying, ‘Oh, my dear minister! do I see you again? Tell nie, have we really got across that dread- ful sea at last?” The eldest daughter added comically, ‘‘ That Dr. Green, with his ugly looks, fairly drove us away. Tis whispered he has one wife too many.” Now appeared the neat and stylish Dame Norris, smiling blandly. ‘‘ Ah, you look less altered than I supposed. Do you