Étienne Bonnot de Bayle

“ Old Time is still a-flying.
“You and I have never been rosebud gatherers, Christie Bayle. It will give us the better opportunity for watching those who are. Bayle, old friend, we must look out: there must be no handsome, plausible scoundrel to come and cull that fragrant little bloom—we must not have another sweet young life wrecked—like hers.” He made a backward motion with his head towards the house they had left.
“Heaven forbid!” cried Bayle anxiously; and his countenance was full of wonder and dismay.
“You must look out, sir, look out,” said Sir Gordon, thumping his cane. ”

“ I am going to have the truth, my friend: priesthood and deception must not go hand in hand. Now then, did Hallam have any money?”
“If he had it would have been handed over to Dixons’ Bank,” said Bayle sharply. “I should have seen it done.”
“Hah! I thought so. Then look here, sir, you have been investing your money for the benefit of that poor woman and her child.”
No answer.
“Christie Bayle: do you love that woman still?”
“Sir Gordon! No; I will not be angry. Yes; as a man might love a dear sister smitten by affliction; and her child as if she were my own.” ”

“ I don’t!” muttered Sir Gordon. “Then look at Mrs Hallam.”
Bayle drew in his breath with a low hiss.
“It is horrible, man—it is horrible!” cried Sir Gordon excitedly. “Bayle, you know how I loved that woman twenty years ago? Well, it was impossible; it would have been May and December even then, for I’m a very old man, Bayle—older than you think. I was an old fool, perhaps, but it was my nature. I loved her very dearly. It was not to be; but the old love isn’t dead. ”

“ The bushes hindered the view, but at last Bayle came in full sight of Eaton and the two men just as a stone was hurled, hitting one of them in the chest, so that he went down as if shot. His companion turned to fly, but a furious shout from Eaton stopped him, and he faced the enemy again as the young officer reached over the fallen guard, took his musket, with its fixed bayonet, and stood his ground, to protect the poor fellow who was down.
It was only a matter of moments, and before Bayle could get up the convicts had made a rush, yelling furiously. ”

“ Bayle remained silent for a time, and then said slowly: “I believe that Millicent Hallam, even if she discovered his guilt, and could at last believe in it, would suffer in secret, and bear with him in the hope that he would repent.”
“And never leave him?”
“Never,” aid Bayle firmly, “unless under some terrible provocation, one so great that no woman could bear; and from that provocation, and the deathblow it would be to her, I pray heaven she may be spared.”
“Amen!” said Sir Gordon softly.
“Bayle,” he added, after a pause, “I am getting old and irritable; I feel every change. ”

“ There was a yell of fury from the crowd in front, and a dozen hands seized the clerk.
Sir Gordon darted forward, this time without pistols, and hands and sticks were raised, when in a voice of thunder Christie Bayle roared:
“Stop!”
There was instant silence, for he had leaped upon the bank counter.
“Stand back!” he said, “and act like Christian men, and not like wild beasts. Dixons’ Bank is sound. Look here!”
“It’s failed! it’s failed!” cried a dozen voices.
“It has not failed,” shouted Bayle. “Look here: I have been to London.” ”

“ Bayle smiled sadly, and laid one hand upon that which rested upon his arm.
“Simply because you are a true man, that is all.” They parted soon afterwards, Sir Gordon to visit a friend in Whitehall, Bayle to speak to an auctioneer about the furniture and effects at the little house, giving orders to sell his own property to supply the funds for the voyage, and then to make a supposed further sale of Consols to realise the capital which Millicent Hallam honestly believed to be her own. ”

“ Let’s get out in the fields, and talk there. More room, and no tattling, inquisitive people about. No Gemps.”
“Very good,” said Bayle, wondering, and very anxious at heart, for he knew the baronet’s proclivities.
They turned off on to one of the footpaths, chatting upon indifferent matters, till all at once Sir Gordon exclaimed:
“’Pon my honour, I don’t think I like you, Bayle.”
“I’m very sorry, Sir Gordon, because I really do like you. I’ve always found you a true gentleman at heart, and—”
“Stuff, sir! ”

“ Sir Gordon shook his head.
“There is nothing then now?”
“Oh, absurd! Why, she is only eighteen!”
“Eighteen!” said Gordon sharply; “and at eighteen girls are only cutting their teeth and wearing pinafores, eh? Go to: blind mole of a parson! Why, millions of them lose their hearts long before that. Come, come, man, wake up! A pretty watchman of that fair sweet tower you are, to have never so much as thought of the enemy, when already he may be making his approach.” Bayle turned to him, looking half-bewildered, but the look passed off. ”

“ We may, mayn’t we, grandpa?”
“I’m sure we may,” said Bayle, laughing, “only I must go.”
“Oh!” cried the child pouting, “don’t go, Mr Bayle! I do like being in the garden with you so very, very much!”
Mrs Hallam turned her sweet, grave face to him.
“Can you give her a few minutes? Julie will be so disappointed.”
“There,” cried Bayle merrily, “you see, doctor, what a little tyrant she grows! She makes every one her slave!”
“I don’t!” said the child, pouting. “Mamma always says a run in the garden does me so much good, and it will do Mr Bayle good too. Thibs says he works too hard.” ”

“ Bayle paid no heed to his manner, but stood as if thinking. “Well, are you going to stop? Have a cigar?”
“I will stay and watch with you if you are tired, and relieve you for an hour or two,” said Bayle, at last.
“I’m not tired. You can stop if you like. You won’t find me very good company.” Bayle walked to the couch again, and stood looking down at the handsome dimly-seen face for a few minutes, while, with an impatient gesture, Crellock walked back into the verandah. At the end of a few minutes Bayle joined him. “You are going to stay then?” said Crellock. ”

“ It’s only dreadful when some one is killed, and, thank heaven! I don’t think one of the men has met that fate.”
“I wish I could feel the same about the convicts,” said Bayle softly.
“The convicts? Well, I wish so, too, Mr Bayle; but law and order must be maintained, and they know their lives are forfeit if they attempt to escape.”
Bayle nodded in acquiescence as he glanced at where Julia knelt beside Eaton, crying softly, and fanning his face.
“There, you have nothing to fear, Miss Hallam,” continued the Captain kindly. “Eaton has only had a few hard knocks—soldier’s salary, I call them. ”

“ Get a good West-end lectureship.”
“I prefer the North here.”
“My dear Christie Bayle, you are throwing yourself away. There, I can’t keep it back. Old Doctor Thomson is dead, and if you will come I have sufficient interest with the bishop, providing I bring forward a good man, to get him the living at King’s Castor.”
Christie Bayle shook his head sadly.
“No, Sir Gordon,” he said, with a curious, wistful look coming into his eyes. “That would be too painful—too full of sad memories.”
“Pooh! nonsense, man! You can’t be a curate all your life.” ”

“ Silence, sir! Egad, sir, will you hold your tongue? Talking such nonsense to a confirmed valetudinarian with a soured life, and—pish! I don’t want to talk about myself. I was going to say that I did not like you.”
“You did say so,” replied the curate, smiling.
“Ah! well, it’s the truth. Why do you stop here?”
“To annoy you, perhaps,” said Bayle laughing. “Well, no: I like my people, and I’m vain enough to think I am able to do a little good.”
“You do, Bayle, you do,” said Sir Gordon, taking his arm and leaning upon him in a confidential way. “You’re a good fellow, Bayle ”

“ Bayle, it is a duty. Look here, man; I hold an important trust in connection with that bank. I’m afraid I have not done my duty. It is irksome to me, a wealthy man, and I am so much away yachting. Let me see; you never have had dealings with us.”
“No, Sir Gordon, never.”
“Well, as I was saying, I am so much away. You are always feeling the pulses of the people. Now, as you are a great deal at Hallam’s, tell me as a friend in a peculiar position, what do you think of Hallam?”
“Do you mean as a friend?”
“I mean as a business man, as our manager. What do the people say?” ”

“ Why don’t you try to get hold of the ringleaders, sir, and show them the madness of the attempt?”
“I will,” said Bayle quickly, and they parted; but they were not separated a hundred yards before there was a shout, and Bayle turned to see O’Hara running after him swiftly.
“What is it?” he asked.
“I’m afraid I have spoken too late, sir. I heard a shot out yonder, beyond that house where the new road is being made. A strong gang has been at work there for a fortnight past. Do you hear that?” ”

“ There, I have you on my side?”
“Yes, sir; but you must hold me free with Sir Gordon. Bah! no; I’ll take my chance, sir. Yes: I’ll help you as you wish.”
“I trust you will, Thickens,” said Bayle quietly.
“And you are determined, sir?—your fortune—all you have?”
“I am determined. I shall see you at the bank about ten.”
Volume Two—Chapter Eight. Brought to Book. “He—he—he—he—he! how cunning they do think themselves! What jolly owd orstridges they are!” chuckled old Gemp, as he saw Bayle leave the clerk’s house, and return home to his breakfast. “Dear me! dear me! ”

“ It was heavy running for Bayle, and the young officer was far ahead of him; but he hurried on, O’Hara keeping well up to his side, and together they saw him meet a couple of the retreating guard, who stopped at his command, faced round, and accompanied him, the three plunging down among the bushes and disappearing from the sight of Bayle and his companion.
“The men will be very dangerous,” said O’Hara. “We shall find them armed with picks, spades, and hammers.”
“They will not hurt me,” panted Bayle, “and we may save bloodshed.”
“I don’t think they will hurt me,” said the young Irishman grimly. ”

“ Herlicius was an eminent physician; and Bayle says of him, vol. vi. page 137—“One can hardly imagine why a man, who had so much business, in the practice of physic, and who never had any children, should fear to want bread in his old age, unless he drew horoscopes.”
[Pg 673] This eminent man had doubtless some little misgivings, as to the infallibility of the art, after the failure of his prediction, in relation to the Ottomans. Bayle recites an extract of a letter, from Herlicius to a friend, in which the writer says: “Oh that fortune would look kindly upon me! ”

“ He studied at the academy of Berne from 1690 to 1695, and at Geneva from 1695 to 1699, receiving high testimonials from the professors at both places. He became known to Bayle, who was naturally accessible to the French refugees, and who during the rest of his life corresponded with Desmaizeaux (see Bayle, Letters) . Bayle had a good opinion of him, and gave him an introduction to the third Lord Shaftesbury, with whom in 1699 he came to England. ”

“ And if certain disciples of Bayle, astonished by a reply so bold and so new, asked me when and how God works so great a benefit, of which they have perceived no traces, I will say to them: by time and by means of perfectibility. Time is the instrument of Providence; perfectibility, the plan of its work; Nature, the object of its labour ”

“ Boniface. And indeed the vehicle proved capaciously orthodox.
In relation to what hath been said I shall add a remark of the famous M. Bayle. “It cannot be denied,” says he, “that the christians of Europe are subject to two great vices, drunkenness and lewdness. The first of these reigns in cold countries, the other in hot. Bacchus and Venus share these two climates between them. We find that the reformation having divided this portion of christianity, that part which was subject to Venus continues as it was, but the greatest part of what was subject to Bacchus has renounced popery4.” ”

“ When he was about fourteen, in the hope of changing the bent of his mind, his father sent him to live with his agent at Amsterdam, where he worked under a tutor for four or five years. Here he studied Bayle and Voltaire, and became an ardent disciple of Rousseau. Here also he wrote a long poem against commerce, which he produced as an exposition of his opinions when, on his return to England, his father announced his intention of placing him in a commercial house at Bordeaux. Against such a destiny D’Israeli’s mind strongly revolted ”

“ He gave one bound towards Bonnet, and in the same second the cutlass came down like a stroke of lightning. But Bonnet had been a soldier and had learned how to use his sword; the cutlass was caught on his quick blade and turned aside. At this moment Black Paul sprung at Big Sam and seized him by the sword arm, while another fellow, taking his cue, grabbed him by the shoulder. ”

“ The fight raged desperately all day between the Henry and the Royal James, [124] the Nymph being unable to get off the shoal and come to the help of her companion ship. Bonnet finally surrendered and was taken prisoner to Charlestown. It is this adventure which the poem celebrates.
Bonnet escaped, but was afterwards recaptured by Colonel Rhett on Sullivan's Island. He and about thirty of his crew were hanged about the corner of Meeting and Water Streets. Bonnet, himself, was hanged later than his crew, after a masterpiece of invective by the judge, who painted hell vividly. ”