"New Atlantis" - читать интересную книгу автора (Bacon Francis)

of an excellent azure color, far more glossy than ours; his
under-apparel was green, and so was his hat, being in the form
of a turban, daintily made, and not so huge as the Turkish
turbans; and the locks of his hair came down below the brims
of it. A reverend man was he to behold. He came in a boat,
gilt in some part of it, with four persons more only in that
boat; and was followed by another boat, wherein were some
twenty. When he was come within a flight-shot of our ship,
signs were made to us that we should send forth some to meet
him upon the water, which we presently did in our ship-boat,
sending the principal man amongst us save one, and four of
our number with him. When we were come within six yards
of their boat, they called to us to stay, and not to approach far-
ther, which we did.

And thereupon the man, whom I before described, stood
up, and with a loud voice in Spanish asked, "Are ye Chris-
tians?" We answered, "We were;" fearing the less, because
of the cross we had seen in the subscription. At which answer
the said person lift up his right hand toward heaven, and drew
it softly to his mouth (which is the gesture they use, when
they thank God), and then said: "If ye will swear, all of you,
by the merits of the Saviour, that ye are no pirates; nor have
shed blood, lawfully or unlawfully, within forty days past; you
may have license to come on land." We said, "We were all
ready to take that oath." Whereupon one of those that were
with him, being (as it seemed) a notary, made an entry of this
act. Which done, another of the attendants of the great per-
son, which was with him in the same boat, after his lord had
spoken a little to him, said aloud: "My lord would have you
know that it is not of pride, or greatness, that he cometh not
aboard your ship; but for that in your answer you declare that
you have many sick amongst you, he was warned by the conser-
vator of health of the city that he should keep a distance."
We bowed ourselves toward him and answered: "We were
his humble servants; and accounted for great honor and
singular humanity toward us, that which was already done; but
hoped well that the nature of the sickness of our men was not
infectious."

So he returned; and awhile after came the notary to us
aboard our ship, holding in his hand a fruit of that country,
like an orange, but of color between orange-tawny and scarlet,
which cast a most excellent odor. He used it (as it seemed)
for a preservative against infection. He gave us our oath,
"By the name of Jesus, and His merits," and after told us that
the next day, by six of the clock in the morning, we should be
sent to, and brought to the strangers' house (so he called it),
where we should be accommodated of things, both for our
whole and for our sick. So he left us; and when we offered