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

him some pistolets, he smiling, said, "He must not be twice
paid for one labor:" meaning (as I take it) that he had salary
sufficient of the State for his service. For (as I after learned)
they call an officer that taketh rewards twice paid.

The next morning early there came to us the same officer
that came to us at first, with his cane, and told us he came
to conduct us to the strangers' house; and that he had pre-
vented the hour, because we might have the whole day before
us for our business. "For," said he," if you will follow my
advice, there shall first go with me some few of you, and see
the place, and how it may be made convenient for you; and
then you may send for your sick, and the rest of your num-
ber which ye will bring on land." We thanked him and said,
"That his care which he took of desolate strangers, God would
reward." And so six of us went on land with him; and when
we were on land, he went before us, and turned to us and
said "he was but our servant and our guide." He led us
through three fair streets; and all the way we went there were
gathered some people on both sides, standing in a row; but
in so civil a fashion, as if it had been, not to wonder at us,
but to welcome us; and divers of them, as we passed by them,
put their arms a little abroad, which is their gesture when
they bid any welcome.

The strangers' house is a fair and spacious house, built of
brick, of somewhat a bluer color than our brick; and with
handsome windows, some of glass, some of a kind of cambric
oiled. He brought us first into a fair parlor above stairs, and
then asked us "what number of persons we were? and how
many sick?" We answered, "We were in all (sick and whole)
one-and-fifty persons, whereof our sick were seventeen." He
desired us have patience a little, and to stay till he came back
to us, which was about an hour after; and then he led us to
see the chambers which were provided for us, being in num-
ber nineteen. They having cast it (as it seemeth) that four
of those chambers, which were better than the rest, might re-
ceive four of the principal men of our company; and lodge
them alone by themselves; and the other fifteen chambers
were to lodge us, two and two together. The chambers were
handsome and cheerful chambers, and furnished civilly. Then
he led us to a long gallery, like a dorture, where he showed
us all along the one side (for the other side was but wall and
window) seventeen cells, very neat ones, having partitions of
cedar wood. Which gallery and cells, being in all forty
(many more than we needed), were instituted as an infirmary
for sick persons. And he told us withal, that as any of our
sick waxed well, he might be removed from his cell to a cham-
ber; for which purpose there were set forth ten spare cham-
bers, besides the number we spake of before.