APPENDIX E
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NARRATIVE OF BERNARDINO DE ESCOBAN, KNIGHT OF THE CROSS OF THE HOLY SEEAND GRANDEE OF SPAIN
When my kinsman who was known as the "Spanish Cardinal" heard of myarrival in Rome in obedience to his secret summons, he sent one to mewho took me to see him at the Vatican. I went at once and found thatthough the carriage of his great office had somewhat aged my kinsmanit had not changed the sweet bearing which he had ever had towards me.He entered at once on the matter regarding which he had summoned me,leaving to later those matters of home and family which were close to usboth, and prefacing his speech with an assurance--unnecessary I enforcedon him--that he would not have urged me to so great a voyage, and at atime when the concerns of home and of His Catholic Majesty so needed mein my own place, had there not been strictest need of my presence atRome. This he then explained, ever anticipating my ignorance, so lucidlyand with sweet observance of my needs, that I could not wonder at hisgreat advancement.
Entering at once on the enterprise of the King as to the restoration ofEngland to the fold of the True Church he made clear to me that the onegreat wish of His Holinesse was to aid in all ways the achievement ofthe same. To such end he was willing to devote a vast treasure, thewhich he had accumulated for the purpose through many years. "But" saidmy kinsman, and with so much smiling as might become his grave office"the King hath here at the Court of Rome one to represent him, who,though doubtless a zealous and faithful servant of his Royal Master,hath not those qualities of discretion and discernment, of thesubjugation of self and the discipline of his own ideas, which go tomake up the perfection of the Ambassador. He hath already many times andin many ways, to many persons and in many Countries, said of HisHolinesse such things as, even if true--and they are not so--were, inthe high discretion of his office as Ambassador, better unspoken. This,moreover, in an Embassy wherein he wishes to acquire much which themundane world holds to be of great worth. The Count de Olivares hathspoken freely and without reserve of the Holy Father's reticence inhanding over vast sums of money to His Catholic Majesty as due toparsimony, to avarice, to meanness of spirit, and to other low qualitieswhich, though common enough in men, are soil to the name of God'sVicegerent on Earth! Nay" he went on, seeing that my horror was such asto verge on doubt, "trust me in this, for of the verity of these thingsI am assured. Rome hath many eyes, and the hearing of her ears iswidecast. The Pope and his Cardinals are well served throughout theworld. Little indeed happens in Christendom--aye and beyond it--which isnot echoed in secret in the Vatican. I know that not only has Count deOlivares spoken of his beliefs regarding the Holy Father to his mundanefriends, but he has not hesitated in his formal despatches to say thesame to his Royal Master. It hath grieved His Holinesse much that anycould so misunderstand him, and it hath grieved him more that HisCatholic Majesty should receive such calumnies without demur. Whereforehe would take some other means than the hand of the King of Spain toaccomplish his own secret ends. He knoweth well the high purpose of HisCatholic Majesty, your Royal Master, in the restoration of Englandto the True Faith; but yet his mind is much disturbed by his recentpronouncements regarding the Bishoprics. The See of Rome is the ArchEpiscopate of the Earth, and to its Bishop belongs by God's veryordinance the ruling of all the bishoprics of the Church. "Upon thisRock shall I build my Church." Now His Holinesse hath already promiseda million crowns towards the great emprise of the Armada; and he hathpromised it so that it be handed over to the King when his emprise,which is after all for the enlargement of his own kingdom, hath begun tobear fruit. But Count de Olivares is not content with this promise--thepromise remember of God's Vicegerent--and he is ever clamorous, not onlyfor the immediate payment of this promised sum, but for other sums. Hisnew request is for another million crowns. And even in the very presenceof His Holinesse, he so bears himself as if the non-compliance with hisdemand were a wrong to him and to his Master. From all which HisHolinesse, consulting in privacy with me who am also his friend--such isthe greatness with which he honoureth me--hath determined that, whereashe will of course keep to the last letter his promise of help, and willeven exceed largely the same, he will dispose in other ways of the greattreasure which he had already set aside for this English affair. When hehonoured me by asking my advice as to whom should be entrusted with thishigh endeavour, and had shown that of necessity it should be someSpaniard so that hereafter it might not be said that the emprise of theArmada had not his full sanction and support, I ventured to suggest thatin you first of all men this high trust should be reposed. For yourself,I said that I had known you from childhood, and had found you withouta flaw; and that you came from a race that had gone clothed in honoursince the time of the Moors."
Much other of like kind, my children, did my kinsman tell me that he hadsaid to His Holinesse; which so satisfied him that he had commanded himto send for me so that he could have the assurance of his own seeingwhat manner of man I was. My kinsman then went on to tell me how he hadtold His Holinesse of what I had already taken in hand regarding theGreat Armada. How I had promised the King a galleon fully equipped andmanned with seamen and soldiers from our old Castile; and how HisMajesty was so pleased, since my offer had been the first he hadreceived, that he had sworn that my vessel should carry the flag of thesquadron of the galleons of Castile. He told him also that the galleonwas to be called the _San Cristobal_ from my patron saint; and also thatso her figurehead should bear the image of the Christ into Englishwaters the first of all things that came from my Province. Which idea sowrought upon the mind of His Holinesse that he said: "Good man! GoodSpaniard! Good Christian! I shall provide the figurehead for the _SanCristobal_ myself. When Don de Escoban comes here I shall arrange itwith him."
When my kinsman had so informed me as to many things he left me a while,saying that he would ask the Pope to arrange for an audience with me.Shortly he returned with haste, saying that the Holy Father wished me tocome to him at once. I went in exaltation mingled with fear; and all myunworthiness of such high honour rose before me. But when I came to HisHolinesse and knelt before him he blessed me and raised me up himself.And when he bade me, I raised my eyes and looked at him in the face.Whereat he turned to the Spanish Cardinal and said: "You have spokenunder the mark, my brother. Here is a man indeed in whom I can trust tothe full."
And so, my children, he made me sit by him, and for a long time--it wasmore than two hours by the clock--he talked with me about his wish. And,oh my children, I would that you and others could hear the wise words ofthat great and good man. He was so worldly-wise, in addition to hisSaintly wisdom, that nothing seemed to lack in his reasoning; nothingwas too small to be outside his understanding and considerations of themotives and arts of men. He told me with exceeding frankness of hisviews of the situation. All the while, my kinsman smiled and noddedapproval now and again; and it filled me with pride that one of my ownblood should stand so close to the counsels of His Holinesse. He toldme that though war was a sad necessity, which he as himself an earthlymonarch was compelled to understand and accept, yet he preferredinfinitely the ways of peace; and moreover believed in them. In his ownwise words, "the logic of the cannon, though more loud, speaks not soforcibly as the logic of the living day between sunrise and sunset."When later he added to this conviction that, "the chink of the money-bagspeaks more loudly than either," I ventured an impulsive word ofprotest. Whereupon he stopped and looking at me sharply asked if I knewhow to bribe. To which I replied that as yet I had given none, nor takennone. Then smilingly he laid his hand in friendlinesse on my shoulderand said: "My friend, Saint Escoban, these be two things, not one; andthough to take a bribe is to be unforgiven, yet to give one at highcommand is but a duty, like the soldier's duty to kill which is notmurder, which it would be without such behest." Then raising his handto silence my protest he said: "I know what you would say: 'Woe to thatman by whom the scandal cometh,' but such argument, my friend, is myprovince; and its responsibility is mine. Ere you proceed on yourmission you shall
have indemnity for the carriage of all my commands.You go into an enemy's country; a country which is the professed andmalignant enemy of Holy Church, and where faith and honour are not.God's work is to be done in many ways. It is sufficient that He hasallowed instruments that are unworthy and unholy; and as unworthy andunholy we must use them to His ends. You, Don de Escoban, shall have nopain in such matters, and no shame. My commands shall cover you!"Then, when I had bowed my recognition of his will, he resumed hisinstructions. He said that in England in high places were many men whowere open to sell their knowledge or their power, and that when oncethey had accepted payment it were needful for their own credit andeven for their safety, that they should further the end which they hadundertaken. "These English," he said, "are pagans; and it was said ofthis our Holy City in pagan times '_Omnia Romae venalia sunt!_'"Whereupon there was borne upon me a recollection of years before when Iwas in the suite of the Ambassador at Paris, how a boy in the BritishEmbassy who was shewing me a cipher of encloased writing which hehad just perfected had written in it with uncouth lettering as anillustration "_Omnia Britaniae venalia sunt_." And further did rememberhow we had enlarged and perfected the cipher when we resided together atTours. His Holinesse told me that in great seasons it were needful toscatter favours with a lavish hand, and that no season was or could beso great as that which foreran the restoring to the fold a great andactive nation who was already beginning to rule the seas. "To whichend," he said, "I am placing with you a vastness of treasure such asno nation hath ever seen. The gifts of the Faithful have begun itand enlarged it; and the fruits of many victories have enhanced it.Regarding it, there is only one promise which I will exact from you,and that I shall exact in the most solemn way of which the Church hasknowledge; that this vast treasure be applied to onely that purpose towhich it is ordained--the advancement of the True Faith. It will addalso, of course, to the honour and glory of the Kingdom of Spain, sothat for all time the world may know that the comfort of the Roman Seeis on the emprise of the Great Armada! In proof of which should, for thesins of men, the great emprise fail, you or those who may succeed you inthe Trust are, if I myself be not then living, to hand the Treasure tothe custody of whatever monarch may then sit upon the throne of Spainfor his good guardianship, in trust with me."
So he proceeded to detail; and gave full instructions as to the amountof the treasure. How it was to be placed in my hands, and when; and alldetails of its using when the Armada should have made landing on Englishshores. And how I should use it myself, in case I were not told to handit over to some other. If I were to yield up the treasure, the mandateshould be enforced by letter, together with the showing of a ring, whichhe took from the purse where he kept the Fisherman's ring wherewith hesigns all briefs, and allowed me to examine it so that I might recognizeit if shown to me hereafter. All of which things of using are not nowof importance to you, my children, for the time of their usefulness haspassed by; but only to show that the treasure is to be guarded, andfinally given to the custody of the King of Spain.
Then His Holiness spoke to me of my own vessel. He promised me that asuitable figurehead, one wrought for his own galley by the greatBenvenuto Cellini, and blessed by Himself, should be duly sent on to me.He promised also that the Quittance to me and mine, which he had namedshould be completed and lodged in the secret archives of the Papacy.Then once more he blessed me, and on parting gave me a relic of SanCristobal, whose possession, together with the honour done me, made mefeel as I left the Vatican as though I walked upon air.
On my return to Spain I visited the ship yard at San Lucar, wherealready the building of the _San Cristobal_ was in progress. I arrangedin private with the master builder that there should be constructed inthe centre of the galleon a secret chamber, well encased round with teakwood from the Indies, and with enforcement of steel plates; and witha lock to the iron door, such as Pedro the Venetian hath alreadyconstructed for the treasure chest of the King. By my suggestion,and his wisdom in the doing of the matter, the secret chamber was soarranged in disposition, and so masked in with garniture of seemingunimportance, that none, unless of the informed, might tell itspresence, or indeed of its very existence. It was placed as though in awell of teak wood and steel, hemmed in on all sides; without entrancewhatever from the lower parts, and only approachable from the top whichlay under my own cabin, down deep in the centre of the galleon. Men insingle and detachments, were brought from other ship yards for the doingof this work, and all so disposed in Port that none might have greaterknowledge than of that item which he completed at the time. Save onlythose few of the guilds whose faith had long been made manifest by theirrectitude of life and their discretion of silence.
Into this secret receptacle (to continue this narrative out of its duesequence) when the final outfitting of the Invincible Armada came topass, was placed, under my own supervision, in the night time and insecret, all the vast treasure which had before then been sent to mesecretly by agents of His Holinesse. Full tally and reckoning made Iwith my own hand, nominating the coined money by its value in crowns anddoubloons, and the gold and silver in bullion by their weight. I madea list in separate also of the endless array of precious stones, boththose enriched in carvings and inriching the jewells of gold and silverwrought by the cunning of the great artizans. I made list also of thegems unplanted, which were of innumerable number and of various bigness.These latter I specified by kind and number, singling out some of raresize and quality for description. The whole table of the list I signedand sent by his messengers to the Pope, specifying thereon that I hadthem in trust for His Holinesse to dispose of them as he might direct;or to yield over to whomsoever he might depute to receive them wheneverand wherever they might be in the guardianship of me or mine, the orderof His Holinesse being verified by the exhibition by the new trustee ofthe Eagle Ring.
Before the _San Cristobal_ had left San Lucar, there arrived from Rome,in a package of great bulk--brought by a ship accredited by the Pope, sothat corsairs other than Turks and pagans might respect the flag, and soabstain from plunder--the figurehead of the galleon which His Holinessehad promised to supply. With it came a sealed missive cautioning me thatI should open the package in privacy, and deal with its contents onlyby means of those in whom I had full trust, since it was even in itssubstance most precious. In addition to which it had been speciallywrought by Benvenuto Cellini, the Master goldsmith whose work wascontended for by the Kings of the earth. It was the wish of HisHolinesse himself that on the conversion of England being completed,either through peace or war, this figurehead of the _San Cristobal_should be set over the High Altar of the Cathedral at Westminster, whereit would serve for all time of an emblem of the love of the Pope for thewellbeing of the souls of his English children.
I opened the case with only present a chosen few; and truly we werewonderstruck with the beauty and richness of the jewell, for it was noneother, which was discloased to us. The great figure of San Cristobal wassilver gilded to look like gold, and of such thickness that the hollowwithin rang sweetly at a touch as though a bell sounded there. But theFigure of the child Christ which he bore upon his shoulder was of noneother than solid gold. When we who were present saw it, we sank to ourknees in gratitude for so great a tribute of Holinesse, and also thebeauty of the tribute to the Divine Excellence. Truly the kindness ofthe Pope and the zeal of his artist were without bound; for with thefigurehead came a jewell made in the form of a brooch carven in goldwhich represented it _in petto_. It was known to all the Squadron thatthe Pope himself had sent the figurehead of the _San Cristobal_; and asour vessel moved along the line of galleons and ships, and hulks, andpataches, and galleys of the Armada, the heads of all were uncovered andthe knees of all were bent. We had not any christening of the galleon,for the blessing of the Holy Father was already on the figurehead of theship and encompassed it round about.
None knew on board the _San Cristobal_ of the existence of the treasure,save only the Captain of the galleons and ships, and hulks, andpataches,
and galleys of the Squadron of Castile, to both of whom Ientrusted the secret of the treasure (though not the giver nor thenature of the Trust nor the amount thereof), lest ill should befall me,and in ignorance the whole through some disaster be lost. And let mehere say to their honour that my confidence was kept faithfully to thelast; though it may be that had they known the magnitude of the treasureit might have been otherwise, men being but as flax before the fire ofcupidity.
For myself after I embarked, I went on the journey with mixed feelings;for my body unaccustomed to the sea warred mightily with my soul thathad full trust in the enterprise. The many days of storm and trial afterwe had left Lisbon, until we had found a refuge in Corunna did seem asthough the comings of eternity had been made final. For the turmoilof the winds and the waves was indeed excessive, and even those mostskilled in the ways and the wonders of the deep asseverated that neverhad been known weather so unpropitious to the going forth of ships.Truly this time, though less than three weeks in all, did seem of adurance inconceivable to one on land.
Whilst we lay in the harbour of Corunna, which was for more than fourweary weeks, we effected some necessary repairs. The _San Cristobal_ hadbeen taking water at the prow, and we should find the cause and remedyit. Possibly it was that the bow was left unfinished at San Lucar forthe better fixing of the figurehead, and that some small flaw thus begunmet enlargement from the straining of the timbers in the prolongedstorm. To the end of this repairing the work was given to some of theship-men on board, Swedes and other Northerns, the same being expertcalkers on account of their much experience of their repair of shipsinjured in their troublous seas. Among them was one whom I mistrustedmuch, as did all on board, so that he should not have been retained saveonly that he was a nimble and fearless mariner who be the seas never sogreat would take his place in the furlment of sails or in other perilouslabour of the sea. He was a Russian Finn and like all these heathenpeople had strange powers of evill, or was by all accredited with thesame. For be it known that these Finns can, by some subtile and diabolicmeans, suck or otherwise derive the strength from timbers; so that manya tall ship has through this agency gone down to the deep unknown. ThisFinn, Olgaref by name, was a notable calker and with some others wasslung over the bow to calk the gaping seams. I made it to myself anecessity to be present, for I regarded ever the cupidity of mantogether with the inestimable value of the Pope's gift. Right sure wasI that no Spaniard or no Christian would lay a sacrilegious hand onthe Sacred Figure of Our Lord or of the good Saint who bore Him; andhitherto the esteem of all had been so great that none would dare somuch. But with a pagan such considerations avail not, and I fearedlest even his suspicions might be aroused. Well indeed were my fearsjustified. For as I leaned over the prow, I saw him touch the metal ofthe Christ and of the Saint as though some of the same diabolic instinctwhich had taught him to deal infamously with the timbers of ships hadguided him to the discernment of the metals also. Then as I looked, he,all unknowing of my observation, tapped softly with his calking-malleton both the metals which in turn gave out sounds which no one couldmistake. He seemed satisfied with his quest, and resumed his work uponthe oakum with renewed zeal. Thenceforth during our stay in Corunna I soarranged matters that ever both day and night there was a sentinel onthe prow of the _San Cristobal_. When the day came when, praise be toGod, 8,000 soldiers and sailors confessed to the friars of the fleeton an island in the harbour in which the Archbishop of Santiago hadarranged altars--for we had no Bishop on the Armada--I feared lestOlgaref should make, through some inadvertence of those left behind,some attempt upon the precious gift. He was too wary, however, andbehaved with such discretion that for the time my suspicion wasdisarmed.
On the 22nd. July, after a Council of War in the Royal Galleon in whichthe chief Admirals of the Fleet took part, our squadron, which had beenwaiting outside the harbour of Corunna with the squadron of Andalusia,the Guipuzcoan Squadron and the squadron of Ojeda, set sail on our greatemprise.
Truly it did seem as though the powers of the seas and the winds wasleagued against us; for after but three days of fair weather we met withcalms and fogs and a very hurricane which was as none other of the sameever known in the month of Leo. The waves mounted to the very heavens,and some of them broke over the ships of the fleet doing thereby a vastof damage which could not be repaired whilst at sea. In this storm thewhole of the stern gallery of our galleon was carried away, and it wasonly by the protection of the Most High that the breach so made was notthe means of ultimately whelming us in the sea. With the coming of theday we found that forty of the ships of the Armada were missing. On thisday it was that that great and bold mariner the Admiral Don Pedro deValdes by his great daring and the hazard of his life saved my own life,when I had been swept overboard by a mighty sea. In gratitude for whichI sent him that which I held most dear of my possessions, the jewell ofthe San Cristobal given me by the Pope.
Thenceforth for a whole week were we hourly harassed by the enemy,who, keeping aloof from us, yet managed by their superior artillery toinflict upon us incalculable damage; so that our carpenters and divershad to work endlessly to stop the shot holes above water and below itwith tow and leaden plates.
On the last day of July two disasters befell, in both of which ourgalleon afterwards had a part. The first, was to the ship _San Salvador_of Admiral Miguel de Aquendo's squadron, through the diabolic device ofa German gunmaster, who in revenge for punishment inflicted on him byCaptain Preig, threw, after firing his gun, his lighted linstock into abarrel of powder, to the effect of blowing up the two afterdecks and thepoop castle, and killing over two hundred men. As on this ship was Juande Huerta the Paymaster General with a great part of the treasure of theKing, it was necessary that she should if possible be saved from theenemy who were rushing in upon her. The Duke, therefore firing a signalgun to the fleet to follow, stood by her to the dismay of the English,thus baulked of so rich a prey. In the strategy of getting the woundedship back to her place in the formation came the second disaster; forthe foremast of the flagship of Don Pedro de Valdes _Nuestra Senora delRosario_ gave way at the hatches, falling on the mainsail boom. Therising sea forbade the giving her a hawser; the Duke ordered CaptainOjeda to stand by her with our pataches together with Don Pedro's ownvice flagship the _San Francisco_ and our own _San Cristobal_. A galleonalso was to try to fix a hawser for towing; but the night shut down onus, and the wiser counsel of the Admiral-in-Chief advised by DiegoFlores forbade so many ships to remain absent from the going on of theArmada lest they too should be cut off. So we said farewell to thatgallant mariner Don Pedro de Valdes.
That same evening the wind began to blow and the sea to rise so that theinjured ship of Admiral Oquendo was in danger of sinking; wherefore theHigh Admiral, on such word being brought to him, gave orders that weshould keep close to her and take in our care the mariners and soldierson board her and also the King's treasure chest; for it was said thatHis Catholic Majesty had on the Armada half a million crowns in bullionand coined money. It was dark as pitch when we saw the signal made whenthe flagship shortened sail--two lanterns at the poop and one halfwayup the rigging, put out for the guidance of the fleet. Fearsome theirlights looked shining over the dark heaving waters which now and againso broke with the oncoming waves that the tracks of light seemed inplaces to rise and fall about as though they could never be reunited.But our Mariners answered to the call, and the boats soon rocked by oursides and with a flash of our blades in the lamplight--for the battlelanterns were lit to aid them--one by one they were swept into the dark.It was long before they came back, for the wild sea made their ventureimpossible. But before noon of the next day they again made essay; andin several voyages brought back many men and great store of heavy boxes,which latter were forthwith lodged in the powder room which was guardedby night and day. This made greater anxiety for Senor de las Alas, inthat his seamen and mariners, and worse still the foreigners, knew thatthere was such a store of wealth aboard.
Thenceforth we bore our part i
n the running fight which ensued betweenour Armada and the Squadrons of Drake and the Lord Admiral Howard; andalso that of John Hawkins which assailed us with such insistence that wefain thought the Devil himself must have some hand in his work. At lastcame a time when by God's grace the flagship of the enemy was almostwithin our grasp, for she lay amongst us disabled. But many oar-boats ofher consorts flocked to her, and towed her to safety in the calm whichforbade us to follow. In this action a dire disaster had almost befallenus, and Christendom too, for a shot struck us athwart the bow and soloosened the girding of our precious figurehead that almost it hadfallen into the sea. San Cristobal watched over his own, however; andpresently we had with ropes haled it aboard and held it firmly withcables so that it was immediately safe. It was covered up with tow andsacking and so hidden under pretence of safety that none might discoverthe secret of its intrinsic preciosity. Ere this was completed we wereagain called to action, as for our fleetness we were required to chasewith the _San Juan_ of Portugal, the flagship of the enemy which wasflying from our attack. For the English ships, though not so large, wereswift as our own and more easy of handling; and by their prerogative ofnimble steerage could so thwart our purposes that ere we could recoveron following their tacking, they were well away with full-bellied sail.By this, however, we were saved much pain of concern, for when offCalais roads the Armada lay at anchor we, coming amongst the latermost,were placed on the skirts of the fleet. Thus when the English on thenight of Sunday August 7th. sent their fire ships floating with wind andtide down on the Armada, so that in panic most of the great vessels hadto slip their anchors or even to cut their cables, we could weigh withdue deliberance and set sail northerly according to our orders from theDuke.
When by Newcastle we saw the English ships drop off in their pursuit weknew thereby that their finding was at an end and their magazines empty.Whereupon, setting our course ever northwards, so that rounding Scotlandand Ireland we might seek Spain once more, we began our task of countingour scars, and thence to the work of the leech. Truly we were inpitiable plight, for the long continued storm and strain had opened ourseams and we took water abominably. In that we were of the most swiftof the vessels of the fleet, our galleon and the _Trinidad_ of our ownsquadron outsailed the rest, and bearing away to the eastward, thoughnot too much so, and thence north, found ourselves on the 11th day ofAugust, off the coast of Aberdeyne. The sea had now fallen so far thatthough the waves were more than we had reckoned upon at the first yetthey were but mild in comparison with what had been. Here in a sandybay close under Buquhan Ness we cast anchor and began to overhaul.
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Both our ships had been very seriously damaged, and repairs were indeednecessary which required careening, had such been possible. But it couldnot be in a latitude where, even in the summer, the seas rose so fastand broke so wildly. Our consort the _Trinidad_, though in sad plight,was not so bad as we were; and it was greatly to be feared that ifoccasion was not to be had for making good the ravages of the storm andthe enemy she might meet with disaster. But such amending might not beat this time. The weather was threatening; and moreover the enemy wouldsoon be following hard behind us. From one of our foreign seamen, aScotchman who in secret visited Aberdeyne, we learned that QueenElizabeth was sending out a swift patache to scour the whole northerncoast for any traces of the Armada. Though we were two galleons, we yetfeared such a meeting; for our stores were exhausted and our powder hadrun low. Of ball we had none, for such fighting as these doggedEnglishmen are prone to. Moreover it is the way of these islanders to sohold together that when one is touched all others run to aid; wherebywere but one gun of ours fired, even off that desolate coast, in but alittle while would be an army on the shore and a squadron of ships uponthe sea. It began therefore sorely to exercise my conscience as to how Ishould best protect the treasure entrusted to me. Were it to fall intothe hands of our enemies it were the worst that could happen; andmatters had already so disastrously arranged themselves that it was tobe feared we should not hold ourselves in safety. Therefore, takingmuch counsel with Heaven, whose treasure indeed it was that I wasguarding, I began to look about for some secret place of storage, tothe which I might resort in case danger should threaten before we couldget safely away from the shore. The Artificers said that two days, orperhaps three, would be required to complete our restorations; and onthe first of these I took a small boat, and with two trusty mariners ofmy own surroundings I set out to explore the land close to us, whichwas of a veritable desolation. The shallow bay, in whose mouth we wereanchored in a sufficiency of water at all tides, was lined with greatsandhills from end to end save at the extremities, where rocks ofexceeding durability manifested themselves even at high tide, but whichshewed with ferocity at low water. We essayed at first the northernside, but presently abandoned the quest, for though there were many deepindentures, wherein the sea ran at times with exceeding violence, thesimple contours of the rocks and of the land above gave little promiseof a secret place of storage.
But the south side was different. There had been in times long past muchupheaval of various kinds, and now were many little bays, all iron-boundand full of danger, lying between outflanking rocks of a steepnessunsurpassable. Seaweed was on many great rocks rising from the seawhereon multitudinous wild fowl sat screaming; between them rosenumberless points often invisible, save when the surges fell fromthem in their course, and amongst which the tide set with a wonderfulcurrent, most perilous. Here, after we had many times escapedoverturning, being borne by the side of sunken rocks, I at last madediscovery of such a place as we required. Elsewhere I have recorded foryour guidance its bearings and all such details as may be needful forthe fullfillment of your duty. The cave was a great one on the southside of the bay, with many windings and blind offsets; and as best metmy wishes in accordance with my task, the entrance was not easy to bediscovered, being small and of a rare quality for concealment. Here Imade preparation for the landing of the treasure, in so far as that Itook note of all things and made perfect my designs. I had left themariners in the boat, enjoining them to remain in her in case of need,so that none of them, much though I trusted them, knew of the discoveredcave. When we had returned to the galleon night had fallen.
Forthwith, after secret consultation with our admiral, I visited thecaptain of the _Trinidad_ and obtained his permission to use on thatsame night one of his boats with a crew for some special privateservice. For I had thought that it were better that none of our owncrew, who might have had suspicion of what wealth we carried, shouldhave a part in our undertaking. This my own kinsman Admiral de las Alashad advised. When night came, he had so disposed matters on the _SanCristobal_ that whilst our debarkation was being made, not even thesentries on deck or in the passage ways could see aught--they being sentbelow. The Captain himself onely remained on deck.
We made several voyages between the ship and the shore, piling aftereach our weighty packets on the pebble beach. None were left to guardthem, there being no one to molest. Last of all we took the greatfigurehead of silver and gold, which Benvenuto had wrought and which thePope had blessed, and placed it on the shore beside the rest. Then theboat went back to the _Trinidad_. Climbing on the rock overhead, I saw alantern flashed on her deck, as signal to assure me that the boat hadreturned.
Presently a boat of our own vessel drew near, as had been arranged,manned by three trusty men of my own; and in silence we brought thetreasure into the cave. In the doing so we were mightily alarmed by ashot from a harquebuss from one of the ships in the bay. Eagerly weclimbed the rocks and looked around as well as we could in the darkness.But all was still; what so had been, was completed. In the darkness, andwhilst the tide was low, we placed the treasure in a far branch of thecave, placing most of it in the shallow water. The sides of the rockwere sheer in this far chamber, save onely at the end where was agreat shelf of rock. On this we placed the image of San Cristobal, notthinking it well that the Sacred Figure should lie prone. In t
his farcave the waters rose still and silent, for the force of the waves wasbroken by the rocks without. It was risen so high in places as to causeus disquietude as we made our way out. My chosen mariners made, beforewe left the shore, solemn oath on the Holy Relic of San Cristobal whichthe Pope had given to me that they would never reveal aught of thedoings of the night.
Before dawn, which cometh early in these latitudes, we were back onboard ship; and sought our various quarters silently that none who knewof our absence might guess whence we came.
Morning brought only more trouble to me. I was told that in the nightthe harquebussier on sentry had seen a man swim from the ship and hadfired at him. He could not tell in the darkness if his aim had beentrue. I said nothing of my suspicion; but later on discovered that theRussian Finn, Olgaref, had disappeared. I knew then that this man,having suspicions, had watched us; and that if he was still alive heperhaps knew of the entrance of the cave.
All day I took much counsel with myself as to how I should act; and atthe last my mind was made up. I had a sacred duty in protecting thetreasure. I should seek Olgaref if he had reached the shore and shouldif need be kill him; and by this and other means, secure the secret ofthe entrance of the cave. Thus, you will see, oh! my children, the heavynature of the Pope's Trust, and what stern duty it may entail on all ofus who guard it.
Secretly during the day I made preparation for my enterprise. I placedon board the small boat which we had used, some barrels of gunpowder,wherein I had very much difficulty for our store of armament had run lowindeed and only the Admiral's knowledge of the greatness of my Trust andthe measure of my need inclined him to part with even so much. I rowedmyself ashore in the afternoon, and harquebuss in hand made search ofall the many promontories and their secret recesses for the Finn. Forsome hours I searched, examining every cranny in the rock; but no signcould I find of Olgaref. At last I gave up my search and came to thecave to complete the work which I had determined upon. Lighting mylantern I waded into the shallow water which lay in the entrance andstretched inland under the great overhanging rock flanked by two greatmasses of stone that towered up on either hand. Patiently I waded on,for the tide was low, through the curvings of the cave; the black stoneon one hand and the red on the other giving back the flare of thelantern. Turning to the right I waded on, knowing that I would seebefore me the golden figure of San Cristobal. But suddenly I came to anend and for a moment stood appalled. The Figure no longer stood erectas placed on the wide shelf of rock, but lay prone resting on somethingwhich raised one end of it. Lifting high the lantern, I saw that thismass was none other than the dead body of Olgaref.
The wretched man had after all escaped from the galleon and in secretfollowed us to the cave. He had climbed upon the shelf and in anendeavour to steal the precious figure had pulled it over on himself;and the weight of the gold which formed the Christ had in falling killedhim. He had evidently not known of the other treasure, and had followedonly this of which he had knowledge. As I was about to shut the entranceto the cave until such time as I could come with safety to open it, Idid not disturb the body, but left it underneath the Holy Image which hehad dared to touch with sacrilegious hand.
At the Judgment Day, should the treasure not be recovered, he will findit hard to rise from that encumbrance that his evil deed had broughtupon him.
With sad heart I came away; and then, for that I had to guard the Pope'streasure, I fixed the barrels of gunpowder in place to best wreak theeffect I wished. After piling them with rocks as mighty as I could lift,I laid a slow match which I lighted; then I stood afar off to wait andwatch.
Presently the end came. With a sound as of many cannon, though muffledin its coming, the charge was fired, and with a great puff of whitesmoke which rose high in air together with stones and earth and theupheaval of a great mass of rock which seemed to shake the far off placeon which I rested, the whole front of the cave blew up. Then the whitecloud sank lower and floated away over the grass; and for a few minutesonly a dark thin vapour hung over the spot. When this had gone too Icame close and saw that the great stone pinnacles had been overthrown,and that so many great rocks had fallen around that the entrance to thecave was no more, there being no sign of it. Even the channel of waterwhich led up to it was so overwhelmed with great stones that no trace ofit remained.
Then I breathed more freely, for the Pope's treasure was for thepresent safe, and enclosed in the great cave in the bowels of the earth,where I or mine though with much labour could find it again, in goodseason.
In the dark I came back to the _San Cristobal_ where my kinsman theadmiral told me that already rumours were afloat that I had gone to hidesome treasure. Whereupon we conferred together, and late that night, butmaking such noise that many of the soldiers and mariners could hear whatwas being done and give news in secret of our movements, we madepretense of making a great shipment into the _Trinidad_ so that thesuspicions of all were thereupon allayed.
In the morning the Armada--all that was left of it--hove in sight; andjoining it we began a dreary voyage, amid storms and tempests and trialsand the loss of many of our great ships on the inhospitable coast ofIreland, which lasted many days till we found ourselves back again inSpain.
Thence, in due season, anxious to see that the Pope's treasure had notbeen discovered, I made my way in secret again to Aberdeyne where thereovertook me, from the rigours of this northern climate and from manyhardships undergone, the sickness whereof I am weary.
Where and how the place of hiding will be found I have told in thesecret writing deposited in the place prepared for it, the chart beingexact. I have written all these matters, because it is well that you mysonne, and ye all my children who may have to look forward so much andso long to the fullfillment of the Trust, may know how to look back aswell.
These letters and papers, should I fail to return from that wildheadland, shall be placed in your hands by one whose kindness I havereason to trust, and who has sworn to deliver them safely on yourapplication. Vale.
BERNARDINO DE ESCOBAN.
_BOOKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR_
DRACULA THE WATTER'S MOU THE SNAKES' PASS UNDER THE SUNSET THE SHOULDER OF SHASTA MISS BETTY
Transcriber's note
Text in italics was surrounded with _underscores_, a word in Greek wassurrounded with +signs+, and text in small capitals was changed to allcapitals. Letters with two dots below were transcribed as [a:] or [t:],and a y with a small e on top was transcribed as ye.
The numbers on page xi originally had spaces between them. They wereremoved to keep the page within the limitations of width.
Some punctuation errors were silently corrected, but a lot of seeminglymissing commas were not added. (In sentences like: "There is so much totell" I said "that I hardly know where to begin.")
Oddities like the repeating of parts of a sentence ("at all at all" onpage 314), and possibly misspelled foreign words ("clientele" withoutaccent) were not corrected.
Errors in the chapter numbers were corrected.
Inconsistently spelled or hyphenated words were usually not corrected,the few exceptions are mentioned in the following list.
These corrections are made, on page
ix "510" was changed to "310" (THE DUTY OF A WIFE 310) 29 "fulfilment" changed to "fulfillment" (realisation or fulfillment of the old prophecy) 36 "felt" changed to "fell" (I fell in a sort of spiritual trance.) 49 "jugment" changed to "judgment" (that you should sit in judgment on me.) 54 "MacNeil" changed to "MacNiel" (the greedy eyes of Gormala MacNiel.) 86 "as" changed to "is" (This is why I thanked God then) 165 paragraph break added between "if you don't dislike telling me." and "So she went on:" 247 "Marjorie" changed to "Marjory" (Deftly Marjory stretched sections of her gossamer thread) 310 "night" changed to "nights" (If she knew of the last two nights) 332 "embarassment" changed to "embarrassment" (With manifest embarrassment he went on) 350 "subleties" changed to "subtleties" (better than the subtleties which) 47
3 "33" changed to "23" (--23--b a b b a) 477 "Ambasador" changed to "Ambassador" (his office as Ambassador) 485 "galleons leons" changed to "galleons" (Captain of the galleons and ships).
Otherwise the original was preserved.
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