CHAPTER FIVE.
Lord of himself, that heritage of woe. BYRON.
Our novel may, to a certain degree, be compared to one of the pantomimeswhich rival theatres annually bring forth for the amusement of theholiday children. We open with dark and solemn scenes, introducingoccasionally a bright image which appears with the greater lustre fromthe contrast around it; and thus we proceed, until Harlequin is fairlyprovided with his wand, and despatched to seek his adventures by landand by sea. To complete the parallel, the whole should wind up with ablaze of light and beauty, till our dazzled eyes are relieved, and theillusion disappears, at the fall of the green curtain, which, like the"FINIS" at the end of the third volume, tells us that all is over.
We must, however, be allowed to recapitulate a little in this chapter,previously to launching our hero upon the uncertain and boisterous seaof human life. It will be necessary, for the correct development of thepiece, that the attention of the reader should be called to the historyof the grandfather of our hero.
Admiral De Courcy was the lineal descendant of an ancient and wealthyfamily, of high aristocratic connection. He had the misfortune, at anearly age, to lose his father, to be an only child, and to have a veryweak and doting mother. Add to all these, that he was the heir to alarge entailed property, and the reader will acknowledge that even thebest disposed child stood a fair chance of being spoiled.
But young De Courcy was not a well-disposed child; he was of a violent,headstrong, and selfish disposition, and was not easily to be checked bythe firmest hand. He advanced to man's estate, the cruel tyrant of afond and foolish mother, and the dislike of all around him. Hisrestless disposition, backed by the persuasions of his mother to thecontrary, induced him to enter into the naval service. At the time weare now describing, the name of the boy often appeared on the books of aman-of-war when the boy himself was at school or at home with hisfriends; if there were any regulations to the contrary, they were easilysurmounted by interest. The consequence was that,--without anyknowledge of his profession, without having commenced his career bylearning to obey before he was permitted to command,--at the early ageof eighteen years, young De Courcy was appointed captain of a finefrigate; and, as the power of a captain of a man-of-war was at that timealmost without limit, and his conduct without scrutiny, he had but toofavourable an opportunity of indulging his tyrannical propensities. Hiscaprice and violence were unbounded, his cruelty odious, and his shipwas designated by the sobriquet of _The Hell Afloat_.
There are, however, limits to the longest tether; and as no officerwould remain in the ship, and the desertion of the men became soextensive, that a fine frigate lay useless and unmanned, the governmentat last perceived the absolute necessity of depriving of command one whocould not command himself. The ship was paid off, and even the interestof Captain De Courcy, powerful as it was, could not obtain furtheremployment for him. Having for some time been in possession of hislarge property, Captain De Courcy retired to the hall of his ancestors,with feelings of anger against the government, which his vindictivetemper prompted him to indulge by the annoyance of all around him; and,instead of diffusing joy and comfort by the expenditure of his wealth,he rendered himself odious by avarice,--a vice the more contemptible, asit was unexpected at so early an age.
But, much as he was an object of abhorrence, he was more an object ofpity. With a handsome exterior, and with fascinating manners, of highbirth and connections, with a splendid fortune,--in short, with everysupposed advantage that the world could give,--he was, through theinjudicious conduct of a fond mother, whose heart he had broken, themost miserable of beings. He was without society, for he was shunned bythe resident gentlemen in the neighbourhood. Even match-making mothers,with hearts indurated by interest, and with a string of tall daughtersto provide for, thought the sacrifice too great, and shuddered at analliance with Captain De Courcy. Avoided by the tenants of his largeestates, whose misfortunes met with no compassion, and whose inabilityto answer the demands of the rent-day were followed up with immediatedistress and seizure,--abhorred by his own household, who, if theirservices were not required, vanished at his approach, or, if summoned,entered the door of his room trembling,--he was an isolated and unhappybeing, a torment to himself and to others. Wise, indeed, was Solomon,when he wrote, that "he who spared the rod spoiled the child."
The monotony of a life whose sole negative enjoyment consisted in thepersecution of others, induced Captain De Courcy to make occasionalexcursions to the different watering-places; and whether that, to acertain degree, he was schooled by banishment from society at home, orthat he had no opportunity of displaying his diabolical temper, hisprepossessing appearance and well-known riches made him a greatfavourite in these marts for beauty. An amiable girl was unfortunateenough to fix his attention; and a hasty proposal was as hastilyaccepted by her friends, and quietly acquiesced in by herself. Shemarried, and was miserable, until released from her heedless engagementby death.
There are those who excuse a violent temper in a man, and consider it noobstacle to happiness in the marriage life. Alas, may they neverdiscover the fatal error in their own union! Even with the best-heartedand most fondly attached, with those who will lavish every endearment,acknowledge their fault, and make every subsequent effort to compensatefor the irritation of the moment, violence of temper must prove the baneof marriage bliss. Bitter and insulting expressions have escaped,unheeded at the time, and forgotten by the offending party; but,although forgiven, never to be forgotten by the other. Like barbedarrows, they have entered into the heart of her whom he had promisedbefore God to love and to cherish, and remain there they must, for theycannot be extracted. Affection may pour balm into the wounds and soothethem for a time, and, while love fans them with his soft wings, the heatand pain may be unperceived; but passion again asserts his empire, andupon his rude attack these ministering angels are forced from theiroffice of charity, and woman--kind, devoted woman--looks inwardly withdespair upon her wounded and festering heart.
Hurried as she was to an early tomb, the unfortunate wife of Captain DeCourcy had still time to present him with two fine boys, whose infantineendearments soothed his violence; and, as long as they showed no spiritof resistance, they were alternately fondled and frightened. Butchildren are not blind, and the scenes which continually occurredbetween their parents, the tears of their mother, and the remarks madein their presence by the domestics,--soon taught them to view theirfather with dread. Captain De Courcy perceived that he was shunned byhis children, the only beings whom he had endeavoured (as far as histemper would permit) to attach to him. They were dismissed to school ata very early age, and were soon treated by their father in the sameharsh manner as all those who had the misfortune to be under his banefulprotection. They returned home at holiday time with regret, and therecommencement of their scholastic duties was a source of delight. Themother died, and all at home was desolate. The violence of their fatherseemed to increase from indulgence; and the youths, who were verginginto manhood, proved that no small portion of the parent's fierydisposition had been transmitted to them, and showed a spirit ofresistance which ended in their ruin.
William, the eldest of the boys, was, as it were, by birthright, thefirst to fall a victim to his father's temper. Struck senseless andbleeding to the ground for some trifling indiscretion, as he layconfined to his bed for many subsequent days, he formed the resolutionof seeking his own fortune rather than submit to hourly degradation. Atthe period at which this occurred, many years previously to the one ofwhich we are now writing, the East India Company had but a short timereceived its charter, and its directors were not the proud rulers whichthey have since become. It never was calculated that a company,originally consisting of a few enterprising merchants, could ever haveestablished themselves (even by the most successful of mischievous arts)the controllers of an immense empire, independent of, and anomalous to,the constitution of England; or that privileges, granted to stimulatethe enterprise of
individuals, would have been the ground of a monopoly,which, like an enormous incubus, should oppress the nation from thethrone to the cottage. They gladly accepted the offers of alladventurers; and at that period there was as much eagerness on theirpart to secure the services of individuals, as there is now on the partof applicants to be enrolled on the books of the Company.
William, without acquainting his father, entered into an engagement withthe Company, signed it, and was shipped off, with many others, who, lessfortunate, had been nefariously kidnapped for the same destination. Hearrived in India, rose to the rank of captain, and fell in one of theactions that were fought at this time. The letter which William left onthe table, directed to his father, informing him of the step he had beeninduced to take, was torn to atoms, and stamped upon with rage; and thebitter malediction of the parent was launched with dreadful vehemenceupon the truant son, in the presence of the one who remained.
And yet there was one man, before whom this haughty and vindictivespirit quailed, and who had the power to soften, although not wholly tocurb, his impetuosity, one who dared to tell him the truth, expose tohim the folly and wickedness of his conduct, and meet the angry flash ofhis eye with composure,--one whose character and office secured him frominsult, and who was neither to be frightened nor diverted from hispurpose of doing good. It was the vicar of the parish, who, much as hedisliked the admiral (for Captain De Courcy had latterly obtained therank by seniority on the list), continued his visits to the hall, thathe might appeal for the unfortunate. The admiral would willingly haveshaken him off, but his attempts were in vain. The vicar was firm athis post, and often successfully pleaded the cause of his parishioners,who were most of them tenants of the admiral. He was unassisted in hisparochial duties by the curate, a worthy, but infirm and elderly man,fast sinking into his grave, and whom, out of Christian charity, hewould not remove from his situation, as it would have deprived him ofthe means of support.
Edward, the younger brother, naturally sought that happiness abroadwhich was denied him at home. The house of the curate was one of hismost favourite resorts, for the old man had a beautiful and onlydaughter,--poor Ellen, whose fate we have just recorded. It issufficient for the present narrative to state that these two youngpeople loved and plighted their troth; that for two years they met withjoy and parted with regret, until the approaching dissolution of the oldcurate opened their eyes to the dangerous position in which they wereplaced. He died; and Edward, who beheld her whom he loved thrownunprotected and penniless on the world, mustered up the courage ofdesperation to state to his father the wishes of his heart.
A peremptory order to leave the house, or abandon Ellen, was theimmediate result; and the indignant young man quitted the roof, andpersuaded the unhappy and fond girl to unite herself to him byindissoluble ties, in a neighbouring parish, before the vicar hadpossession of the facts, or the opportunity to dissuade him from soimprudent a step. He immediately proceeded to the hall, with a fainthope of appeasing the irritated parent; but his endeavours werefruitless, and the admiral poured forth his anathema against his onlychild.
Edward now took his wife to a village some miles distant, where, bytheir mutual exertions, they contrived for some time to live upon theirearnings; but the birth of their first child, the hero of this tale, andthe expenses attending her sickness, forced him at last (when allappeals to his father proved in vain) to accept the high bounty that wasoffered for men to enter into his Majesty's service, which he did underthe assumed name of Edward Peters.