Roger North

“ When the parliament was dissolved in December he did not seek re-election, and from this time he lived in retirement at Kirtling, except that in 1669 he was summoned to take his seat in the House of Lords, two years after his father's death. He was a man of studious habits and of many accomplishments, an enthusiastic musician, and fond of art; but he is chiefly to be remembered as the father of that remarkable brotherhood, of whom Roger, the youngest, has given so delightful an account in the well-known ‘Lives of the Norths.’ North died at Kirtling, and was buried there on 27 June 1677. ”

“ Roger North was born at Tostock, in Suffolk, in 1653—the youngest of his brothers. Never was man more of a younger brother than he. This book of his might be called ‘The Autobiography of a Younger Brother.’ [Pg 124] The elder brother was, of course, Francis, afterwards Lord Guilford, a well-hated man, both in his own day and after it, but who at all events looked well after Roger, who was some sixteen years his junior. ”

“ Roger North describes him as ‘a person that had raised himself by his wits, and, bating some hardness in his character, which might be ascribed to his disease, the gout, he was a man of a polite merry genius.’ He believed the best form of government was ‘a republic, or, which was the same thing, a king always in check.’ He married Mary (d. 21 Sept. 1702) , daughter of Francis Thorne, by whom he had seven daughters and a son, Francis. ”

“ North expressed a strong desire to spend the remainder of his ‘life and fortunes’ on the plantation in Guiana; but whether he ever again, for any cause, put to sea does not appear. In July 1636 Sir John North wrote that he wished his brother Roger could be captain of one of the king's ships, and in November 1637 sent him a message from court that the king desired the formation of a new company, but ‘there is a way to be thought upon first.’
During this time of suspense Roger was much at Kirtling, the home of Dudley, third baron North, and the constant resort of his brothers. ”

“ But he gave offence by some interference with the domestic arrangements, and the old lord cut him out of his will, and professedly cast him off altogether, but had still a lurking affection for him, ‘and was—teeth outwards—kind to him,’ as Roger puts it. To his son Dudley, North finally gave up the control of his estates, receiving only an annual payment. ‘I have made myself his pensioner,’ wrote the old man, ‘and I wish no worldly happiness more than his prosperity.’ He was, however, long an active justice of the peace ”

“ Lawrence, and the great lakes which receive the cold blasts of the mountainous region which constitutes the Arctic highlands, and from which the rivers running to the northward into Hudson's Bay, and to the southward into the great lakes and the St. Lawrence, take their rise. The icy breath of the distant north and northwest sweeps down such rivers as the Ottawa, the St. Maurice, and the Saguenay, to be gathered into one vast channel, extending throughout Canada's whole extent. And, clear the forest as we may, Canada will always be the same cold, healthy country that it now is. ”

“ There was to be an equality in tonnage, an equality in the number of guns, an equality in the weight of metal, an equality in the thickness of a ship's sides, and above all an equality in men, so far as such equality could be ascertained. Equality in sailing power was of great importance, but where it was wanting, the superior sailor, if superior in metal and men had an advantage which nothing but a calm or a lucky hit aloft could destroy. The crews of every ship on the North American Station were to be exercised in gunnery. ”

“ They come in great shoals; and they keep rooting the mud like hogs, and leave their trace in the form of large round holes.
They are very cunning; and when surrounded with a net, the whole shoal frequently escape by leaping over it; for if one takes the lead, the others are sure to follow. ”

“ But considering that a gentleman is supposed to intend this business, not only as a care, but an entertainment, he will not suffer his own servants and horses to be without a share of it; and then I cannot imagine which way he can expend above sixty pounds, supposing labourers work for twelve pence per day, which I cannot say they will do in all countries. ”

“ When your fishing is in order to remove far, whether the waters are great or small, it must be done in winter, between the first of October, and the last of March; and the colder the weather is, the better. One great caution is, not to handle, or any way to batter or bruise them; for it is a great truth, and common sense speaks it, that fish battered and bruised, will not thrive upon transplanting, so well as others ”

“ Many use to break holes to relieve the fish, and, as they think, give them fresh air; some have put dung bound up together into the holes, as if the warmth of that keeping the hole open would preserve the fish; but these ways, and all others that I have heard of, except taking out the fish, are mere vanities. I have cut many holes, and large ones, and employed men to take out the ice, and keep them open, but to no advantage. ”

“ For it is the nature of fish in cold weather to lie as close and deep as they can; so that nothing but the pangs of death shall make them move. If no holes are broke, they will rise and stick to the ice, and be frozen to it; if there be holes, they will move about them, as if they came up for fresh air.
When the frost hath continued long, and hard, that you begin to suspect your fish, you may make a trial by cutting holes in several places, some in the middle, and some by the sides of the waters that are obnoxious ”

“ The quality of breeding is scarce to be found out by any certain symptom; for some very promising ponds do not prove useful that way. The best indication I know of a breeding pond, is, when there is good store of rush and grazing about it, and gravelly shoals, such as horse-ponds usually have. ”

“ Generally speaking, the fresher air and cleaner soil your water hath, the better fish thrive. Wood of any sort near the water is bad, not only from its hindering the wind and sun from purifying the water, but from the leaves falling in, and rotten wood; both which are pernicious to fish. But osiers and willows may be allowed of, without much inconvenience. Oak boards, or timber laid in water, as sometimes is done to season, will in all probability destroy all your fish ”

“ When you have projected your work, for which the latter end of June, or the beginning of May, is the best time, take the assistance of your neighbours, and provide yourself with six tumbrels, four good horses, and two stout labourers, besides the driver to each pair of tumbrels. ”

“ Thus you proceed till the bank is finished, which will rise faster as you come nearer the top, and so will somewhat alter the employment of the tumbrels and men, which you must conform in proportion accordingly. And observing these [41] directions, you may make two ponds in one month (supposing the weather propitious) , which shall be three, four, or five acres apiece, as the ground gives, and not expend in money above eighty pounds, although you pay for every hour’s work of man and horse. ”

“ Young people love angling extremely; then there is a boat, which gives pleasure enough in summer, frequent fishing with nets, the very making of nets, seeing the waters, much discourse of them, and the fish, especially upon your great sweeps, and the strange surprizes that will happen in numbers and bigness, with many other incident entertainments, are the result of waters, and direct the minds of a numerous family to terminate in something not inconvenient, and, it may be, divert them from worse. ”

“ But he will! I gave Will’s widow—poor Flora—all that my own mother left, when Will died; that’ll take care of her and of Sylvia; Tom’ll see that they stay here at Wastewater if they want to. And Flora’ll care for poor Lily’s child. Your father fixed you pretty well—I’ve left you the Boston houses to remember your stepfather by. You’ve been like my own son to me, David. I’ve had a long run for my money,” Roger said somewhat sadly that same evening, looking up at his own portrait over the mantel, when the men were alone in the sitting room. “But a better man would have made a better job of it! ”

“ And Nat shook the ashes out of his pipe and relapsed into silence.
“It is a sad story; something I had heard of it before coming here,” said Howe. “But cheer up, father. God’s ways are not man’s ways: it is hard for us to understand His dealings with us,—better not try; better in simple faith believe that what ‘He doeth is well done.’ I have heard Roger’s exploits spoken of as something marvellous. His knowledge of Indian warfare is so perfect that it is almost impossible for them to waylay him. It is averred that he could conduct an army through the forest on the darkest night. ”

“ She is growing up a hoyden; you ought to give her more civilizing influences than she enjoys hereabouts; you ought to engage a governess, or send her to school. It is well enough now; but, my poor fellow, what will you do when she is twenty?"
You may imagine, from Hubert's sketch, that Nora's was a happy life. She had few companions, but during the long summer days, in woods and fields and orchards, Roger initiated her into all those rural mysteries which are so dear to childhood and so fondly remembered in later years. She grew more hardy and lively, more inquisitive, more active. ”

“ North's health began to break down soon after he became master of Trinity, and for the last four years of his life his condition became more and more deplorable. Mind and body gave way together, and after suffering from paralysis and epileptic fits, which obscured and enfeebled his intellect, he succumbed at last to apoplexy at Cambridge in April 1683, and was buried in the college chapel, where a small tablet with his initials, ‘J. N.,’ serves as his only monument. There can be no doubt that North read himself to death, and overtaxed powers which appear to have been of a high order. ”

“ Probably had he continued to lead the life of an ordinary hunter he would never have attained this degree of perfection; and we need such a man now. Surely God has raised him up for our deliverance.”
“Maybe, maybe,” answered Father Nat; “Loïs has said as much, and she is far-sighted.”
“She seems a right noble woman,” said Howe. “Has she taken Roger’s desertion much to heart?”
“You have seen her; does she look like a love-sick girl?” said Father Nat, almost indignantly. “Nay, nay; our Loïs is a brave, God-fearing maiden. ”

“ Roger felt as if he were now establishing himself in society in behalf of that larger personality into which his narrow singleness was destined to expand. He was paving the way for Nora. It seemed to him that she might find it an easy way to tread. He compared her attentively with every young girl he met; many were prettier, some possessed in larger degree the air of "brightness"; but none revealed that deep-shrined natural force, lurking in the shadow of modesty like a statue in a recess, which you hardly know whether to denominate humility or pride. ”

“ Some people think me a clergyman, Nora," he said, lowering his voice with a hint of mock humility. "But do you know you are formidable, with your fierce friendships and your jealous suspicions? If you doubt of me, well and good. Let me walk like an Homeric god in a cloud; without my cloud, I should be sadly ungodlike. Indeed, for that matter, I doubt of myself. But I don't really undervalue Roger. I love him, I admire him, I envy him. I would give the world to be able to exchange my restless imagination for his silent, sturdy usefulness. ”

“ Don't go back to Roger in a hurry! You are not the immaculate young person you were but two short days ago. Who am I, what am I, to the people whose opinion you care for? A very low fellow, my dear; and yet, in the eyes of the world, you have certainly taken up with me. If you are not prepared to do more, you should have done less. Nora, Nora," he went on, breaking into a vein none the less revolting for being more ardent, "I confess I don't understand you! But the more you puzzle me the more you fascinate me; and the less you like me the more I love you. ”

“ He was up in arms for the Old World, wondering sorely and secretly what the New might do with her in the times to come, and foreseeing an ever-increasing deluge of unlovely things—ideals, principles, manners—flowing from this western civilization, under which his own gods were already half buried, and would soon be hidden beyond recovery. And in this despondency which possessed him, in spite of the attentions of Embassies, and luncheons at the White House, he had heard that Roger was in New York, and could not resist the temptation to send for him. ”

“ Something there was that Sir Roger would never consent to, but which she never ceased to insist on, and I often wondered how she could go on, to press a man of his dangerous temper, as she did, and at times she would do so to the very verge of a provocation. Do you know, sir,” said he, after a short silence,—“if I was to be on my oath to-morrow, I 'd not say that he was not seeking his death when he met it? I never saw a man so sick of life,—he was only puzzled how to lay it down without dishonor.” ”