登陆注册
15325500000030

第30章 THE VOLUNTEERING(2)

On the Sunday, Mr Pittle, at my instigation, preached a sermon, showing forth the necessity of arming ourselves in the defence of all that was dear to us.It was a discourse of great method and sound argument, but not altogether so quickened with pith and bir as might have been wished for; but it paved the way to the reading out of the summons for the inhabitants to meet the magistrates in the church on the Thursday following, for the purpose, as it was worded by the town-clerk, to take into consideration the best means of saving the king and kingdom in the then monstrous crisis of public affairs.

The discourse, with the summons, and a rumour and whispering that had in the mean time taken place, caused the desired effect; in so much, that, on the Thursday, there was a great congregation of the male portion of the people.At the which, old Mr Dravel--a genteel man he was, well read in matters of history, though somewhat over-portioned with a conceit of himself--got up on the table, in one of the table-seats forenent the poopit, and made a speech suitable to the occasion; in the which he set forth what manful things had been done of old by the Greeks and the Romans for their country, and, waxing warm with his subject, he cried out with a loud voice, towards the end of the discourse, giving at the same time a stamp with his foot, "Come, then, as men and as citizens; the cry is for your altars and your God.""Gude save's, Mr Dravel, are ye gane by yoursel?" cried Willy Coggle from the front of the loft, a daft body that was ayefar ben on all public occasions--"to think that our God's a Pagan image in need of sick feckless help as the like o' thine?" The which outcry of Willy raised a most extraordinary laugh at the fine paternoster, about the ashes of our ancestors, that Mr Dravel had been so vehemently rehearsing; and I was greatly afraid that the solemnity of the day would be turned into a ridicule.However, Mr Pipe, who was upon the whole a man no without both sense and capacity, rose and said, that our business was to strengthen the hands of government, by coming forward as volunteers; and therefore, without thinking it necessary, among the people of this blessed land, to urge any arguments in furtherance of that object, he would propose that a volunteer corps should be raised; and he begged leave of me, who, as provost, was in the chair, to read a few words that he had hastily thrown together on the subject, as the outlines of a pact of agreement among those who might be inclined to join with him.I should here, however, mention, that the said few words of a pact was the costive product overnight of no small endeavour between me and Mr Dinton as well as him.

When he had thus made his motion, Mr Dinton, as we had concerted, got up and seconded the same, pointing out the liberal spirit in which the agreement was drawn, as every person signing it was eligible to be an officer of any rank, and every man had a vote in the preferment of the officers.All which was mightily applauded;and upon this I rose, and said, "It was a pleasant thing for me to have to report to his majesty's government the loyalty of the inhabitants of our town, and the unanimity of the volunteering spirit among them--and to testify," said I, "to all the world, how much we are sensible of the blessings of the true liberty we enjoy, I would suggest that the matter of the volunteering be left entirely to Mr Pipe and Mr Dinton, with a few other respectable gentlemen, as a committee, to carry the same into effect;" and with that I looked, as it were, round the church, and then said, "There's Mr Oranger, a better couldna be joined with them." He was a most creditable man, and a grocer, that we had waled out for a captain; so I desired, having got a nod of assent from him, that Mr Oranger's name might be added to their's, as one of the committee.In like manner I did by all the rest whom we had previously chosen.Thus, in a manner, predisposing the public towards them for officers.

In the course of the week, by the endeavours of the committee, a sufficient number of names was got to the paper, and the election of the officers came on on the Tuesday following; at which, though there was a sort of a contest, and nothing could be a fairer election, yet the very persons that we had chosen were elected, though some of them had but a narrow chance.Mr Pipe was made the commandant, by a superiority of only two votes over Mr Dinton.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 魅世邪瞳

    魅世邪瞳

    她,二十一世纪人人畏之的怪盗隐月,因为她最亲近的哥哥背叛,重伤致死。在醒来时,却发现她现在已经穿越到一个不熟悉的异世界,身份已发生了翻天覆地的变化,是涅槃,还是沉沦,又或者是隐忍?她身边不缺,可却唯独爱上那个她最不可以爱上的男人。他说:“倘若我要你嫁我,天下为聘可好?”她笑道:“天下是什么?有你那么好吗?”……伪白莲想抢她男人,“也不看看你那姿色,要想让他多看你一眼,先去整整容吧!”波折坎坷的征战之旅,还好一路有你……
  • 写给我的初恋

    写给我的初恋

    写给我的初恋。其实,原本可以像以前那样子,写成公开日志,然后转为私密日志,最后删除。慢慢选择忘记。可是,也许写在这里,会有需要的人看到,哪怕有一点用呢。虽然对我不是的。
  • 浮生未尽,唯雪未央

    浮生未尽,唯雪未央

    她是只不知天高地厚的顽劣银狐,带着百年执念飘荡人间。他是无情无欲的万年石神,朝夕之间,失了心念。月——是血红色的,凛冽中,为何怀抱如此温暖?你的眼中,为何有我苍白的脸,千年后,你在哪?谁又在我身边?天上地下皆如是,只羡鸳鸯不羡仙...尽了浮生,尽了夜央?寒冰地狱...苍茫大地浮生未尽,唯雪未央...
  • 狱道剑神

    狱道剑神

    内心的世界,寂灭的眼睛!我能够受到的只有杀戮与绝望!杯酒泯尘嚣,一剑意恩仇,呵呵,我到底是谁?为寻她,此剑注定自残一生!
  • 天堂蒜薹之歌

    天堂蒜薹之歌

    19年前,现实生活中发生的一件极具爆炸性的事件——数千农民因为切身利益受到了严重的侵害,自发地聚集起来,酿成了震惊全国的“蒜薹事件”。促使我放下正在创作着的家族小说,用了35天的时间,写出了这部义愤填膺的长篇小说。其实也没有想到要替农民说话,因为我本身就是农民。现实生活中发生的蒜薹事件,只不过是一根导火索,引爆了我心中郁积日久的激情。我并没有像人们传说的那样,秘密地去那个发生了蒜薹事件的县里调查采访……尊敬的书友,本书选载最精华部分供您阅读。
  • 我和我的洋弟子们

    我和我的洋弟子们

    本书记述了南开大学汉语言文化学院何杰教授在长期的对外汉教工作中,和她的洋学生之间发生的许多生动有趣的小故事。
  • 暹罗猫

    暹罗猫

    从不打烊的街边图书馆,从未露面的馆长和奇怪的管家,午夜在此阅读书籍的人,却发生了一桩桩古怪离奇的故事......
  • 花臂小和尚

    花臂小和尚

    一代帝王陨落,一个和尚降生。是天意还是巧合?千秋霸业,江山美人,小僧又该如何抉择?弥陀佛,还是静修吧,佛祖教导我们,红颜祸水,推倒你时,小僧会闭上眼睛……
  • 血衣牧师

    血衣牧师

    当金牌雇佣兵和顶级医生在网游里相遇变身成嗜血的牧师和神秘的刺客一段奇特的冒险由比展开墨衣在被一个骚包医生英雄救美后,又震惊的发现他还在自己的学校代课!竟然还是一个古武高手?!还是游戏里的熟人!对此她只能表示,缘分真是一个奇妙的东西...
  • 非正常中国人研究中心

    非正常中国人研究中心

    置身人海之中,你了解身边的人吗?他,拥有透视妹子衣服的能力;他,拥有操纵妹子行动的能力;他,拥有变身妹子的能力!还有。。。如果利用能力为非作歹,我就要把你们一网打尽!