CHAPTER XV.

A CONFLICT WITH THE GREAT PIRATE, AND HOW TO
RESIST TEMPTATION.

Now it happened that as they were all busy, getting in their water and provisions, there was a fellow named Pride, who came under the disguise of one of the King's Stevedores, and took hold along with the crew, to help them in their labors. He seemed to be an active, zealous workman, ready for anything, whether to carry coals, hew wood, or draw water. He had tried before to get in with the crew, in his own proper character, but could not succeed, and now resorted to this stratagem, for he was a secret spy and soldier in the service of Beelzebub, the Prince of the Devils. So he made himself very humble and very busy, and just as the ship was getting in her last supplies, and was all ready for sailing, he came on board with a wheelbarrow of packages for the ship's use, and instead of returning,

slunk unperceived away to a dark place in the forecastle, to hide himself till the ship should be under weigh, and then stand his chance for holding on in the voyage, though there was no name under which he was down in the Ship's manifest.

Well, for some time he kept quiet, but at length managed to get the key of one of their sea-chests, where he found a whole suit of seamen's clothes, even to a tarpaulin, and having rigged himself in this toggery, he made his appearance in the first dirty weather they encountered after leaving the harbor, and pulled at the ropes, and reefed sails, with the rest of them. They were too busy to take much note of the man, or even to see at first that he was a stranger, though Contrition and Sincere looked hard at him, and made up their minds to speak about him to Peter and John. But as the weather began to be rough and uncomfortable, they had much to occupy them; and what had never been known before, there began to be a spirit of discontent at the squalls and wet weather they were encountering; for the fellow Pride had a way of whispering and muttering, so peculiar that it was like ventriloquism, and what he said seemed to come from the heart and belly of the person to whom he said it, so that there began to be heart-burnings and hard thoughts, where before there had been nothing but sweet peace, content and patience.

Now all this was not for nothing, as the event proved. One night, while all the rest of the crew were sleeping, and the watch were looking astern, across the sea, this fellow, Pride, contrived to hoist a lantern signal with a blue light, which he had conveyed on board for that very purpose, and by which he was to communicate with his Master, whom he knew to be on the watch in those regions. For the devil is a great and cunning Pirate, who watches for ships richly laden; and the seas about the Island and Harbor of the Communion of Saints are a favorite cruising-ground for his privateers. So the fellow, Pride, who knew his Master to be somewhere thereabouts, kept up the signal as long as he dared, and then managed to haul it down again without discovery. The night was very dark, but the light could be seen so much the farther for the darkness.

The very next day there hove in sight a black, doubtful-looking craft, bearing down upon them, and as she neared, and got close enough for hailing, up went the black flag of Beelzebub, and the Master stood upon the quarter deck, and in a voice that roared through his trumpet like thunder, called upon the Captain of the King's ship in the name of his Infernal Majesty, to surrender at discretion, for that he was Master of those seas.

Then Peter stood forth and answered for his King,

that this was the King's own ship, even Immanuel's, and owed no allegiance to any but him, nor would ever surrender to his enemies; furthermore, that this was the King's own highway, and the course of the ship just what was laid down for her in the King's chart, and that none had any right or authority over them, either to stop the way, or turn them out of it.

Then the Master of Beelzebub's ship answered that by the King's own laws all their pretended rights were forfeited to Beelzebub, for they had sold themselves to him, and must come to him for wages, nor would he relinquish his hold upon them for service, but if they fled away, would recapture them wherever he could find them, for that they were his slaves and his property, and as such he claimed them, and called on all in the ship to help in the execution of the laws whereby they should be delivered up.

Then Peter answered that it was indeed true, and with shame and sorrow of heart he spoke it, that formerly, under great delusion and guilt, they had been in the service of Beelzebub, serving divers lusts and pleasures, but that God, having delivered them from the power of darkness, and translated them into the Kingdom of his dear Son,1 had delivered them wholly from the power of Satan, and made them, by adoption, Sons of God, and meet to be partakers of

1 Col. i. 13.

the inheritance of the saints in light; that of their own accord they chose the service of God's dear Son, and should have done it sooner, had not the god of this world blinded their minds and made them perverse and unbelieving; but by the Lord's help they never more would serve the devil, nor any of his laws or works.

At this Beelzebub fell into great wrath, and raved and swore with such passion, that he could hardly speak English. But at length he roared out that by the King's own laws they were under his jurisdiction, for that it was one of those laws that they should render unto Cæsar the things that were Cæsar's,* which they had not done, for that the god of this world, in alliance with Cæsar, had made laws which they had contemned and disobeyed, and if they continued to do this, there could be no civil government, and that the first rule of all was to obey the powers that be, for that they were ordained of God."

Then Peter answered that as to that matter, the god of this world had trampled on the word and authority of God, and had made God's laws of none effect through his traditions, which he, the devil, was trying to enforce as law, and to get men's consciences under his authority; but that they were

2 Col. i. 12.

5 Rom. xiii. 1.

3 2 Cor. iv. 4.
6 Matt. xv. 6.

4 Matt. xxii. 21.