第 22 节
作者:疯狂热线      更新:2021-12-07 09:33      字数:9321
  Jamestown; willy…nilly; the old Governor was forced to promise reforms。 The
  Long Assembly should be dissolved and a new Assembly; more conformable to
  the wishes of the people; should come into being ready to consider all
  their troubles。 So writs went out; and there presently followed a hot and
  turbulent election; in which that 〃restricted franchise〃 of the Long
  Assembly was often defied and in part set aside。 Men without property
  presented themselves; gave their voices; and were counted。 Bacon; who had
  by now achieved an immense popularity; was chosen burgess for Henricus County。
  In the June weather Bacon sailed down to Jamestown; with a number of those
  who had backed him in that assumption of power to raise troops and go
  against the Indians。 When he came to Jamestown it was to find the high
  sheriff waiting for him by the Governor's orders。 He was put under arrest。
  Hot discussion followed。 But the people were for the moment in the
  ascendent; and Bacon should not be sacrificed。 A compromise was reached。
  Bacon was technically guilty of 〃unlawful; mutinous and rebellious
  practises。〃 If; on his knees before Governor; Council; and Burgesses; he
  would acknowledge as much and promise henceforth to be his Majesty's
  obedient servant; he and those implicated with him should be pardoned。 He
  himself might be readmitted to the Council; and all in Virginia should be
  as it had been。 He should even have the commission he had acted without to
  go and fight against the Indians。
  Bacon thereupon made his submission upon his knees; promising that
  henceforth he would 〃demean himself dutifully; faithfully; and peaceably。〃
  Formally forgiven; he was restored to his place in the Virginia Council。 An
  eyewitness reports that presently he saw 〃Mr。 Bacon on his quondam seat
  with the Governor and Council; which seemed a marvellous indulgence to one
  whom he had so lately proscribed as a rebel。〃 The Assembly of 1676 was of a
  different temper and opinion from that of the Long Assembly。 It was an
  insurgent body; composed to a large degree of mere freemen and small
  planters; with a few of the richer; more influential sort who nevertheless
  queried that old divine right of rule。 Berkeley thought that he had good
  reason to doubt this Assembly's intentions; once it gave itself rein。 He
  directs it therefore to confine its attention to Indian troubles。 It did;
  indeed; legislate on Indian affairs by passing an elaborate act for the
  prosecution of the war。 An army of a thousand white men was to be raised。
  Bacon was to be commander…in…chief。 All manner of precautions were to be
  taken。 But this matter disposed of; the Assembly thereupon turned to 〃the
  redressing several grievances the country was then labouring under; and
  motions were made for inspecting the public revenues; the collectors'
  accounts;〃 and so forth。 The Governor thundered; friends of the old order
  obstructed; but the Assembly went on its way; reforming here and reforming
  there。 It even went so far as to repeal the preceding Assembly's
  legislation regarding the franchise。 All white males who are freemen were
  now privileged to vote; 〃together with the freeholders and housekeepers。〃
  A certain member wanted some detail of procedure retained because it was
  customary。 〃Tis true it has been customary;〃 answered another; 〃but if we
  have any bad customs amongst us; we are come here to mend 'em!〃
  〃Whereupon;〃 says the contemporary narrator; 〃the house was set in a
  laughter。〃 But after so considerable an amount of mending there threatened
  a standstill。 What was to come next? Could men go furtheras they had gone
  further in England not so many years ago? Reform had come to an apparent
  impasse。 While it thus hesitated; the old party gained in life。
  Bacon; now petitioning for his promised commission against the Indians;
  seems to have reached the conclusion that the Governor might promise but
  meant not to perform; and not only so; but that in Jamestown his very life
  was in danger。 He had 〃intimation that the Governor's generosity in
  pardoning him and restoring him to his place in the Council were no other
  than previous wheedles to amuse him。〃
  In Jamestown lived one whom a chronicler paints for us as 〃thoughtful Mr。
  Lawrence。〃 This gentleman was an Oxford scholar; noted for 〃wit; learning;
  and sobriety 。 。 。 nicely honest; affable; and without blemish in his
  conversation and dealings。〃 Thus friends declared; though foes said of him
  quite other things。 At any rate; having emigrated to Virginia and married
  there; he had presently acquired; because of a lawsuit over land in which
  he held himself to be unjustly and shabbily treated through influences of
  the Governor; an inveterate prejudice against that ruler。 He calls him in
  short 〃an old; treacherous villain。〃 Lawrence and his wife; not being rich;
  kept a tavern at Jamestown; and there Bacon lodged; probably having been
  thrown with Lawrence before this。 Persons are found who hold that Lawrence
  was the brain; Bacon the arm; of the discontent in Virginia。 There was also
  Mr。 William Drummond; who will be met with in the account of Carolina。 He
  was a 〃sober Scotch gentleman of good repute〃but no more than Lawrence on
  good terms with the Governor of Virginia。
  On a morning in June; when the Assembly met; it was observed that Nathaniel
  Bacon was not in his place in the Councilnor was he to be found in the
  building; nor even in Jamestown itself; though Berkeley had Lawrence's inn
  searched for him。 He had left the town…gone up the river in his sloop to
  his plantation at Curles Neck 〃to visit his wife; who; as she informed him;
  was indisposed。〃 In truth it appears that Bacon had gone for the purpose of
  gathering together some six hundred up…river men。 Or perhaps they
  themselves had come together and; needing a leader; had turned naturally to
  the man who was under the frown of an unpopular Governor and all the
  Governor's supporters in Virginia。 At any rate Bacon was presently seen at
  the head of no inconsiderable army for a colony of less than fifty thousand
  souls。 Those with him were only up…river men; but he must have known that
  he could gather besides from every part of the country。 Given some initial
  success; he might even set all Virginia ablaze。 Down the river he marched;
  he and his six hundred; and in the summer heat entered Jamestown and drew
  up before the Capitol。 The space in front of this building was packed with
  the Jamestown folk and with the six hundred。 Bacon; a guard behind him;
  advanced to the central door; to find William Berkeley standing there
  shaking with rage。 The old royalist has courage。 He tears open his silken
  vest and fine shirt and faces the young man who; though trained in the law
  of the realm; is now filling that law with a hundred wounds。 He raises a
  passionate voice。 〃Here! Shoot me! 'Fore God; a fair marka fair mark!
  Shoot!〃
  Bacon will not shoot him; but will have that promised commission to go
  against the Indians。 Those behind him lift and shake their guns。 〃We will
  have it! We will have it!〃 Governor and Council retire to consider the
  demand。 If Berkeley is passionate and at times violent; so is Bacon in his
  own way; for an eye…witness has to say that 〃he displayed outrageous
  postures of his head; arms; body and legs; often tossing his hand from his
  sword to his hat;〃 and that outside the door he had cried: 〃Damn my blood!
  I'll kill Governor; Council; Assembly and all; and then I'll sheathe my
  sword in my own heart's blood!〃 He is no dour; determined; unwordy
  revolutionist like the Scotch Drummond; nor still and subtle like 〃the
  thoughtful Mr。 Lawrence。〃 He is young and hot; a man of oratory and outward
  acts。 Yet is he a patriot and intelligent upon broad public needs。 When
  presently he makes a speech to the excited Assembly; it has for
  subject…matter 〃preserving our lives from the Indians; inspecting the
  public revenues; the exorbitant taxes; and redressing the grievances and
  calamities of that deplorable country。〃 It has quite the ring of young
  men's speeches in British colonies a century later!
  The Governor and his party gave in perforce。 Bacon got his commission and
  an Act of Indemnity for all chance political offenses。 General and
  Commander…in…chief against the Indiansso was he styled。 Moreover; the
  Burgesses; with an alarmed thought toward England; drew up an explanatory
  memorial for Charles II's perusal。 This paper journeyed forth upon the
  first ship to sail; but it had for traveling companion a letter secretly
  sent from the Governor to the King。 The two communications were painted in
  opposite colors。 〃I have;〃 says Berkeley; 〃for above thirty years governed
  the most flourishing country the sun ever shone over; but am now
  encompassed with rebellion like waters。〃
  CHAPTER XIII。 REBELLION AND CHANGE
  Bacon with an increased army now rode out once more against the Indians。 He
  made a rendezvous on the upper Yorkthe old Pamunkeyand to this center
  he gathered horsemen until there may have been with him not far from a
  thousand mounted men。 From here he sent detachments against the red men's
  villages in all the upper troubled country; and afar into the sunset woods
  where the pioneer's cabin had not yet been builded。