Peter Stuyvesant

“ Chapter IV Now did the soft breezes of the south steal sweetly over the face of nature, tempering the panting heats of summer into genial and prolific warmth, when that miracle of hardihood and chivalric virtue, the dauntless Peter Stuyvesant, spread his canvas to the wind, and departed from the fair island of Manna-hata. The galley in which he embarked was sumptuously adorned with pendants and streamers of gorgeous dyes, which fluttered gayly in the wind, or drooped their ends into the bosom of the stream. ”

“ And such, too, after all the toils and perils he had braved, after all the gallant actions he had achieved, such too had nearly been the fate of the chivalric Peter Stuyvesant, but that I fortunately stepped in and engraved his name on the indellible tablet of history, just as the caitiff Time was silently brushing it away for ever!
The more I reflect, the more I am astonished at the important character of the historian. He is the sovereign censor, to decide upon the renown or infamy of his fellow-men. ”

“ The name of Peter Stuyvesant is known to every English-speaking school boy the world over; but the doughty old governor’s satellite, “lesser but greater” remains relatively unknown to the public at large. ”

“ One aimed a blow full at his heart; but the protecting power which watches over the great and the good turned aside the hostile blade, and directed it to a side pocket, where reposed an enormous iron tobacco-box, endowed, like the shield of Achilles, with supernatural powers, doubtless from bearing the portrait of the blessed St. Nicholas. Peter Stuyvesant turned like an angry bear upon the foe, and seizing him as he fled, by an immeasurable queue, "Ah, whoreson caterpillar," roared he, "here's what shall make worms' meat of thee!" ”

“ If, among the variety of readers who may peruse this book, there should haply be found any of those souls of true nobility, which glow with celestial fire at the history of the generous and the brave, they will doubtless be anxious to know the fate of the gallant Peter Stuyvesant. To gratify one such sterling heart of gold, I would go more lengths than to instruct the cold-blooded curiosity of a whole fraternity of philosophers. ”

“ Peter Stuyvesant was not a man to submit quietly to such intrusions; his first impulse was to march at once to the frontier, and kick these squatting Yankees out of the country; but, bethinking himself in time that he was now a governor and legislator, the policy of the statesman for once cooled the fire of the old soldier, and he determined to try his hand at negotiation. ”

“ Peter Stuyvesant is a favorite character in our history because he was a manly and straightforward man, faithful to his employers, fearless in doing and saying what he thought was right, and endowed with a full share of obstinate, homely, kindly human nature. ”

“ I'll make him drive about these losels vile, as did the renowned Launcelot of the Lake a herd of recreant Cornish knights; and if he does fall, let me never draw my pen to fight another battle in behalf of a brave man, if I don't make these lubberly Swedes pay for it.
No sooner had Peter Stuyvesant arrived before Forth Christina, than he proceeded without delay to entrench himself, and immediately on running his first parallel, dispatched Antony Van Corlear to summon the fortress to surrender. ”

“ Thus awe subsides into confidence, confidence inspires familiarity, and familiarity produces contempt. Such was the case, say they, with William the Testy. By making himself too easy of access, he enabled every scrub-politician to measure wits with him, and to find out the true dimensions not only of his person, but of his mind; and thus it was that, by being familiarly scanned, he was discovered to be a very little man. Peter Stuyvesant, on the contrary, say they, by conducting himself with dignity and loftiness, was looked up to with great reverence. ”

“ No sooner did Peter Stuyvesant get wind of the storm that was brewing in the east, than he set to work to prepare for it. He was not one of those economical rulers who postpone the expense of fortifying until the enemy is at the door. There is nothing, he would say, that keeps off enemies and crows more than the smell of gunpowder. ”

“ But come what may, I here pledge my veracity that in all warlike conflicts and doubtful perplexities he will every acquit himself like a gallant, noble-minded, obstinate old cavalier. Forward, then, to the charge! Shine out, propitious stars, on the renowned city of the Manhattoes; and the blessing of St. Nicholas go with thee, honest Peter Stuyvesant.
CHAPTER VI.
Great nations resemble great men in this particular, that their greatness is seldom known until they get in trouble ”

“ He was graduated at Columbia in 1847, and in 1848-'9 studied art in Paris. The subject of his first painting, “Peter Stuyvesant” (1850) , was taken from Irving's “Knickerbocker's History of New York,” and was engraved by the American art union. He went abroad again in 1851-'2, and visited Dusseldorf and other art centres. Besides drawings in outline, pencil, and India ink, he produced a series of etchings illustrating Hood's “Bridge of Sighs” (1849) ”

“ R., the intelligence distinctly claimed to be from Col. John Gurwood, who had died nearly fifty years before. In my own cases, [Pg 175] in that written with the co-operation of my friend’s school-girl daughter, the intelligence claimed to be that of Peter Stuyvesant, while in those written with Miss V., various names were given, none of which was recognized as belonging to a person of whom we had ever had any knowledge, and all bore abundant evidence of being fictitious. ”

“ Being, as the people saw him, a creature of flesh, blood, clothes, wood, and silver, he was a most picturesque personage, on which fiction and caricature have delighted to dwell. His long career, of seventeen years in the public activities of the Dutch Manhattan village and eighteen years as a private gentleman in the social life of the English city, has left an enduring impression on the metropolis. Minuit, van Twiller, and Kieft are to-day but as profiles in silhouette, while Stuyvesant’s features are clear and his portrait is familiar. Indeed, he seems to be a living person among us. ”

“ The house had the look of an old private mansion turned into a hotel. The door was closed, and there was no smiling porter to fling it open as the cab drew up at the pavement. Terry pushed an electric bell; and somehow, as she touched it, the memory of her call at Friars' Moat swept suddenly over her, making her feel faint, almost sick. She had rung at the door then, and asked for Lady Hereward, who at that moment was lying dead in the View Tower. The footman had said "her ladyship was out, lunching at Riding Wood." Now, she would ask for Sir Ian. ”

“ And then even those soft and shapely hands could develop cat-like claws, and the soothing voices take on an acid and scathing intonation, and the eyes, so ready to moisten with pity and sympathy at the sight of suffering, could shoot spiteful little fires at the objects of such divine displeasure, and poor Stuyvesant's petulant words, wrung from him in a moment of exasperation and never intended to reach the fair band of sisters of the Cross, were piled high with additions, impolitic, impolite, discourteous, impudent, intolerable, yes, even profane and blasphemous. ”

“ Every one knew the distinguished officer's age—forty-one; and Lady Hereward was said to be some months older than Sir Ian, who was her distant cousin as well as her husband; but she did not look a day over thirty; and if she were not a beauty, she was interesting and unusual. "Like a proud sort of Madonna," the old man described her to himself as he went toward the rose-garden, to tell Mrs. Forestier that her luncheon guests had arrived, a little earlier than expected.
There was a portrait—one among many on the oak-panelled walls—which for some reason fascinated Sir Ian Hereward ”

“ Stay!" answered Sir Ian. "Shall we go into the house?"
There was agony in his eyes and voice, but Teresina Ricardo would not seem to hear. She had known that the first meeting would be difficult, though she had not expected him to show such remorse as this. She had thought often that perhaps he felt none. With her heart beating so hard that she was half afraid he might hear it, she talked about the beauty of the old house, and of the whole place and the country round. She had walked from Maud's, she said. ”

“ Life is sensational. You ought to know that now! I didn't think you would stoop to such a thing. I liked and admired you very much, then; and Ian adored you for what he called your immense goodness to him, in spite of adverse circumstances and opposition from the one nearest you. But I did think Lady Hereward might do something. Even that she might have left instructions when she went to Paris, with one of the servants, to watch if I had letters. She detested Ian. ”

“ Henry herself afterward asked Beechnut if he thought it would be safe for Stuyvesant to go alone.
“Just as safe,” said Beechnut, “as it would be for him to go under my charge. There is always danger of accidents, in traveling,” he added, “but there is no more danger for Stuyvesant alone than if he were in company.” ”

“ At last I whispered to Ian, and asked what he thought of the shots. He answered that he was afraid they could mean only one thing, but he would go down and look. I said if he went I would go too. He must not go alone, because, if any one else had heard the shots, and came to see, it might be thought that he—had had something to do with the thing. That idea came to me even then, because everybody talked about the way Lady Hereward felt toward Ian, and how it was through her he gave up his place. ”

“ We [Pg 101] can not possibly get along, without quarrels. The only thing that we can do is to get them in as good shape as possible.”
“Have you got a pencil and paper in your shop?” continued Beechnut.
“Yes,” said Phonny.
“Bring them out to me.”
Phonny brought out a pencil and a small piece of paper, and held them up to Beechnut in the wagon.
“Now boys,” said Beechnut, “are you willing to submit this case to Mr. Wallace, for his decision?”
“Yes,” said Phonny.
“I am too,” said Stuyvesant. ”

“ Through my fault he will be taken back to England, and tried for murdering Lady Hereward—since you are so cruel and so cowardly."
"Judge not," said Sir Ian.
"What does it matter to you whether I judge or not?"
There are others of more importance than you, in this," he admitted, his eyes far away.
"If only you were not a coward!" she continued to taunt him, hoping to goad the man, perhaps, to the course she longed to see him take. "Of all things, I never thought you a coward, in old days."
"You, at least, are no coward," he said. ”

“ This was true; for Stuyvesant’s instinctive good sense and sagacity had taught him that when traveling with a multitude of other people, who were almost all perfectly familiar with the usages of the road, a stranger would always find sufficient means of guidance in his observation of those about him. It gave Stuyvesant pleasure to think that he had found out the way to travel himself, and he was very glad to have the wisdom of the method which he had adopted, confirmed by Beechnut’s testimony. ”

“ If a man as sunburnt as Sir Ian could turn pale, he was pale. Perhaps his abruptness pained her. At all events she moved as if to go. "I'd just left Maud's card and mine for—Milly" (she brought the name out with a slight effort) , "when I saw you. I wouldn't have come, as Maud had a headache, but she was sure Mrs. Forestier would have told Milly that she meant to bring me over to-day ”

“ As soon as she dared, Miss Ricardo rose.
"I'm afraid I must go," she said. "Maud will be wanting me. Milly has been detained, evidently; and if she is doing something for somebody, there's no telling when she may be back. You must say to her that I waited as long as I could; and give her Maud's love. Of course, we both hope that she'll soon come to White Fields."
This time Sir Ian did not urge Miss Ricardo to stay. ”

“ Now after all these years, evidently, it had seemed to Major Smedley that his time had come at last to scratch in good earnest. Nothing on earth would delight such a creature more than a chance to throw suspicion on Sir Ian Hereward through Miss Ricardo.
But Miss Ricardo determined that he should not succeed. She would not let Ian be hurt through her. No matter what she might have to say, she would not hurt Ian.
The calmness that blew like a cooling breeze upon the heat of her excitement was strange to Terry, but she was thankful for it. ”

“ An idea came to her that she might call at Deodar Lodge, and see if Ernest was there, or had been there, but she dared not, lest some one should catch her coming out of the forest.
She walked a very long distance, she did not know exactly how far, but at last had the courage to show herself in the village of Defford, and go to the railway-station.
The people she passed paid no particular attention to her, and she grew braver. She took a ticket to London, and went to Westbourne Grove, because she had had lodgings there before ”

“ Stuyvesant,” declared he, “my nephew is as honest a man as walks this city’s streets. If you will accord me a few minutes private conversation, I think I can convince you so.”
“I should be very glad,” replied Mr. Stuyvesant, glancing towards the extension-room where he had left his daughter. “I have always liked the young man.” Then with a quick look in the other’s face, “You are not well, Mr. Sylvester?”
“Thank you, I am not ill; let us say what we have to, at once, if you please.” And with just a glance at Paula, he followed the now somewhat agitated director from the room. ”