"May it please ye," interrupted Gracious Meanwell, "his Highness has
just issued express orders that this man be carefully tended, and kept
within."
The Colonel cast a look full of displeasure at the messenger, and
without trusting himself to utter another word, strode from the hall.
"You see where we would send Jews," observed one of the lads.
"Even where they would rather be."
"How, where?"
"Far from ye."
"And deem ye it not an honour to be admitted within these walls?"
"Ay, sir, such honour as a poor merlin would feel at being caged with
honourable and right honourable eagles. But would ye unravel me, kind
young gentlemen, if Colonel Jones is often seen without his Patients?"
"Oh! you mean the preacher, do ye? Why, yes, frequently now-a-days."
"Ah! what a blessing that must be!"
"As how? master Jew."
"Because others can have their soles mended."
The jest upon the miserable fanatic Patients, who had been a
stocking-footer in London, was not lost upon the lads, though they dared
not countenance it by a very boisterous laugh: they resolved, however,
to become more intimately acquainted with the facetious Jew.
"You ought not to laugh so loud, Morrison," said the elder page. "You
know you are a sort of nephew to his Highness, now that your uncle,
Doctor Wilkins, is married to the Lady French, his Highness's sister."
"And here is my uncle," returned the other. "He said he had permission
to call for me. Ah! he is never angry at a little jest, so long as it
is innocent. I heard a gentleman say last night that 'he was by nature
witty, by industry learned, by grace godly.' What think ye of that for a
character?"
As the subject of this panegyric drew near, Robin thought he had never
seen a more sweet or gracious countenance: he looked "peace on earth and
good will towards men." His entire expression was that of pure
benevolence; and though the eye was something wild and dreamy, yet it
was gentle withal, and of marvellous intelligence. He seemed like one,
and such he truly was, to whom the future as well as the present would
be deeply indebted. The use he made of his alliance with the Cromwell
family must ever be regarded as most noble; instead of aggrandising
himself and his friends, he rendered it only subservient to the great
wish of his heart--the promotion of learning, which, it cannot be
denied, was at that time in danger of being overthrown by bigotry and
fanaticism: for this reason it was that he opportunely interposed to
shelter Oxford from the moroseness of Owen and Godwin. Well might his
eye look dreamy. How could that of the author of a "Discovery of a New
World" look otherwise? He openly maintained that, not only was the moon
habitable, but that it was possible for a man to go there. His reply to
the Duchess of Newcastle, herself a visionary, when she jested a little
at his theory, although sufficiently known, is still worthy of
repetition.