CHAPTER XX. THE HARBOR OF WORLDLY CONFORMITY-AND WHAT WHEN they ran into the Harbor and dropped anchor, which they did without any mishap, they were surprised at the gay and brilliant look of every thing about them. The very vessels at the decks looked all as new as if they had been just launched, and had never seen the open ocean; and to say the truth, of a long time most of them had not, but had remained idle till the dry rot had got into all their timbers. By dint of a curious paint of great strength and color, all symptoms of rottenness were concealed, and the hulks held together; and the inhabitants of the place had an agreement among themselves to sustain each other in this cheat, all things among them being in like manner gilded and superficial. As for the King's own ship, it may well be sup posed that by this time she looked black and weatherbeaten. There, was, indeed a curious contrast between her weary, way-worn look, and old-fashioned rig, and the showy vessels in the harbor. The truth was, there was another extensive port on the other side of the Island, with commercial relations running to all parts of the globe, and a double railroad direct from that to this city, so that this harbor, being on the side towards the Celestial Country, was of late years almost disused, except for State occasions, and it was a thing extremely rare to have an arrival in that direction. The men of the Harbor proposed to Peter and John to have their own ship newly coppered and painted, but they refused, saying that they had no time for any changes which were not needful, and that they were only anxious to be forwarded on their voyage. When they went on shore, they left the Ship in charge of Contrition and Sincere, with orders to be employed as speedily as possible in laying in what supplies were necessary. When their gig touched the landing, it was proposed to them at once that they should be rigged out in a new dress, and meet the Mayor of the City, who would be glad to do honor to the King's Flag; but they felt bewildered by the strange, suspicious appearance of things around them, and were not willing to spend the time requi site for this ceremony, besides that they found it was to be attended with a feast, involving an expense of money as well as time, in which they would not feel justified. They determined to remain no longer than they could help, for the place seemed not at all like the last Harbor belonging to the King, in which they had rested. But it came to pass, as they went up and down the streets, that their spirit was stirred within them as they beheld the manners of the people, and especially some great enormities in the sale of two notable articles in the commerce of the place, Rum and Opium. They were so roused, that they could not help speaking boldly against these things, and in a short time they had a great crowd collected together to hear them. They said they were astonished at the sale of these things in any place that had been under the King's dominion. They affirmed that the traffic would bring upon them utter misery; that though it might seem profitable for a time, yet it was really neither more nor less than the slow murder of men's souls and bodies. They said it was clean contrary to the laws of the King, and that the people might almost as well set up for a liberty to deal in hell-fire, as a freedom to pursue such sinful and ruinous practices. There was evidently a great awakening of con science under these speeches, for their hearts were full and earnest, and the multitude could not resist the wisdom and spirit with which they spake.1 Nevertheless, some of the principal dealers, being exceedingly enraged at having their profitable business interfered with, took unto themselves certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and having got a marshal with them (for the law of the place favored them), they made an address to the people, among whom were many workmen of like occupation with themselves, to whom they said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth, and furthermore the whole riches of our Island are greatly increased by it and dependent upon it, so that the words of these new-comers are not only seditious and treasonable, as being to the reproach of the law of the land, which is supreme, but also greatly to our detriment, and contrary to every man's own personal interests. Thus they worked upon the passions of the people, till the whole town was filled with confusion; and while the baser fellows threw dirt into the air, and some cried one thing, and some another, they seized upon Peter and John, and put them in Bocardo (which was the name of their prison) as disturbers of the peace, and also as guilty of treason for speaking against the laws of the Island. 1 Acts vi. 10. 2 Acts xvii. 5. 3 Acts xix. 25. The next day they had them before the high Court of the place, with a jury summoned, and deputies to implead against them; and there stood up to convict them a great man in those parts, whose opinion was wonderfully regarded on all matters touching commerce and the laws of the realm. The great merchants of the town of Worldly Conformity, and also of the grand port on the other side of the Island, made up a large sum for this man, that he might plead their cause valiantly, and put his whole heart in it; and indeed it seemed to delight him, for he went at it with great speech, alacrity, and energy. He said that the doctrines of these men were disorganizing and treasonable, that they were opposing a law of the land, which law was supreme, and being once passed, must and should be obeyed, and being for the high interest and union of both sides of the Island, it should not be spoken against, nor was such a thing to be once thought of as that it should ever be altered or repealed. He said that the law was perfectly constitutional, and that under it the people of every city were bound to protect the dealers in Rum and Opium from all infringement upon and injury against their business. He said that this was law, the law of the land, and that those who went against it under pretence of what they called the King's law, were miserable fanatics. He then in |