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第5章 一个人的表演！

　　W.A. - Ay, ay, there began our dialogue. I asked her if she wouldbe married to me our way. She asked me what way that was; I toldher marriage was appointed by God; and here we had a strange talktogether, indeed, as ever man and wife had, I believe.

　　Having resolved upon this, they next considered whether they shouldfire at the first two, or wait for the three, and so take themiddle party, by which the two and the five that followed would beseparated; at length they resolved to let the first two pass by,unless they should spy them the tree, and come to attack them. Thefirst two savages confirmed them also in this resolution, byturning a little from them towards another part of the wood; butthe three, and the five after them, came forward directly to thetree, as if they had known the Englishmen were there. Seeing themcome so straight towards them, they resolved to take them in a lineas they came: and as they resolved to fire but one at a time,perhaps the first shot might hit them all three; for which purposethe man who was to fire put three or four small bullets into hispiece; and having a fair loophole, as it were, from a broken holein the tree, he took a sure aim, without being seen, waiting tillthey were within about thirty yards of the tree, so th

wrote tohim, and all the goods he had belonging to the deceased widow;which, I suppose, was not done, for I could never learn that theship came to Bristol, but was, as is most probable, lost at sea,being in so disabled a condition, and so far from any land, that Iam of opinion the first storm she met with afterwards she mightfounder, for she was leaky, and had damage in her hold when we metwith her.

　　This affectionate behaviour of my wife's brought me a little out ofthe vapours, and I began to consider what I was doing; I correctedmy wandering fancy, and began to argue with myself sedately whatbusiness I had after threescore years, and after such a life oftedious sufferings and disasters, and closed in so happy and easy amanner; I, say, what business had I to rush into new hazards, andput myself upon adventures fit only for youth and poverty to runinto?

The threewicked ones had pitched farthest off, and the two honest onesnearer, but both on the north shore of the island, so that theycontinued separated as before; and thus my island was peopled inthree places, and, as I might say, three towns were begun to bebuilt.

　　"Why, then, sir," said he, "be pleased to give me leave to lay downa few propositions, as the foundation of what I have to say, thatwe may not differ in the general principles, though we may be ofsome differing opinions in the practice of particulars. First,sir, though we differ in some of the doctrinal articles of religion(and it is very unhappy it is so, especially in the case before us,as I shall show afterwards), yet there are some general principlesin which we both agree - that there is a God; and that this Godhaving given us some stated general rules for our service andobedience, we ought not willingly and knowingly to offend Him,either by neglecting to do what He has commanded, or by doing whatHe has expressly forbidden. And let our different religions bewhat they will, this general principle is readily owned by us all,that the blessing of God does not ordinarily follow presumptuoussinning against His command; and every good Christian will beaffectionately concerned to prevent any that are under hi

　　[Here he embraced her with great affection, but with inexpressiblegrief that he had not a Bible.]

　　[The poor fellow was in such an agony at her desiring him to makeher know God, and her wishing to know Him, that he said he felldown on his knees before her, and prayed to God to enlighten hermind with the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, and to pardon hissins, and accept of his being the unworthy instrument ofinstructing her in the principles of religion: after which he satdown by her again, and their dialogue went on. This was the timewhen we saw him kneel down and hold up his hands.]

e found; we inquiredmuch about them, and at length were told that they were all gonetogether by land to Agra, the great city of the Mogul's residence,to proceed from thence to Surat, and then go by sea to the Gulf ofPersia.