Procustes fitted all his guests unto his Iron bedd.
And, if these speede no better, with whome they are freinds, that neither finde Law nor Conscience to helpe them, I doe not wonder to see mine Host of Ma-re-Mount speede so ill, that has bin proclaimed an enemy so many yeares in New Canaan to their Church and State.
Chap. XXIX.
How mine Host was put into a whales belly.
The Seperatists, (after they had burned Ma-re-Mount they could not get any shipp to undertake the carriage of mine Host from thence, either by faire meanes or fowle,) they were inforced, (contrary to their expectation,) to be troubled with his company:[560] and by that meanes had time to consider more of the man, then they had done of the matter: wherein at length it was discovered that they, (by meanes of their credulity of the intelligence given them in England of the matter, and the false Carecter of the man,) had runne themselves headlonge into an error, and had done that on a sodaine which they repented at leasure, but could not tell which way to help it [{181}] as it stood now. They could debate upon it and especially upon two difficult points, whereof one must be concluded upon: If they sent mine Host away by banishment, hee is in possibility to survive, to their disgrace for the injury done: if they suffer him to stay, and put him in statu quo prius, all the vulgar people will conclude they have bin too rashe in burning a howse that was usefull, and count them men unadvised.
So that it seemes, (by theire discourse about the matter,) they stood betwixt Hawke and Bussard: and could not tell which hand to incline unto. They had founded him secretly: hee was content with it, goe which way it would. Nay Shackles[561] himselfe, (who was imployed in the burning of the howse, and therefore feared to be caught in England,) and others were so forward in putting mine Host in statu quo prius, after they had found their error, (which was so apparent that Luceus eies would have served to have found it out in lesse time,) that they would contribute 40. shillings a peece towards it; and affirmed, that every man according to his ability that had a hand in this black designe should be taxed to a Contribution in like nature: it would be done exactly.
Now, (whiles this was in agitation, and was well urged by some of those partys to have bin the upshot,) unexpected, (in the depth of winter, when all shipps were gone out of the land,) in comes Mr. Wethercock, a proper Mariner; and, they said, he could observe the winde: blow it high, blow it low, hee was resolved to lye at Hull[562] rather than incounter such a storme as mine Host had met with: and this was a man for their turne.
[{182}] Hee would doe any office for the brethren, if they (who hee knew had a strong purse, and his conscience waited on the strings of it, if all the zeale hee had) would beare him out in it: which they professed they would. Hee undertakes to ridd them of mine Host by one meanes or another. They gave him the best meanes they could, according to the present condition of the worke, and letters of credence to the favoures of that Sect in England; with which, (his busines there being done, and his shipp cleared,) hee hoyst the Sayles and put to Sea: since which time mine Host has not troubled the brethren, but onely at the Counsell table: where now Sub iudice lis est.