- end_line
- 1364
- extracted_at
- 2026-01-30T20:48:05.590Z
- extracted_by
- structure-extraction-lambda
- start_line
- 1284
- text
- “Were you at Bunker Hill?—that bloody Bunker Hill—eh, eh?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Fought like a devil—like a very devil, I suppose?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Helped flog—helped flog my soldiers?”
“Yes, sir; but very sorry to do it.”
“Eh?—eh?—how’s that?”
“I took it to be my sad duty, sir.”
“Very much mistaken—very much mistaken, indeed. Why do ye sir me?—eh?
I’m your king—your king.”
“Sir,” said Israel firmly, but with deep respect, “I have no king.”
The king darted his eye incensedly for a moment; but without quailing,
Israel, now that all was out, still stood with mute respect before him.
The king, turning suddenly, walked rapidly away from Israel a moment,
but presently returning with a less hasty pace, said, “You are rumored
to be a spy—a spy, or something of that sort—ain’t you? But I know you
are not—no, no. You are a runaway prisoner of war, eh? You have sought
this place to be safe from pursuit, eh? eh? Is it not so?—eh? eh? eh?”
“Sir, it is.”
“Well, ye’re an honest rebel—rebel, yes, rebel. Hark ye, hark. Say
nothing of this talk to any one. And hark again. So long as you remain
here at Kew, I shall see that you are safe—safe.”
“God bless your Majesty!”
“Eh?”
“God bless your noble Majesty?”
“Come—come—come,” smiled the king in delight, “I thought I could
conquer ye—conquer ye.”
“Not the king, but the king’s kindness, your Majesty.”
“Join my army—army.”
Sadly looking down, Israel silently shook his head.
“You won’t? Well, gravel the walk then—gravel away. Very stubborn
race—very stubborn race, indeed—very—very—very.”
And still growling, the magnanimous lion departed. How the monarch came
by his knowledge of so humble an exile, whether through that swift
insight into individual character said to form one of the miraculous
qualities transmitted with a crown, or whether some of the rumors
prevailing outside of the garden had come to his ear, Israel could
never determine. Very probably, though, the latter was the case,
inasmuch as some vague shadowy report of Israel not being an
Englishman, had, a little previous to his interview with the king, been
communicated to several of the inferior gardeners. Without any
impeachment of Israel’s fealty to his country, it must still be
narrated, that from this his familiar audience with George the Third,
he went away with very favorable views of that monarch. Israel now
thought that it could not be the warm heart of the king, but the cold
heads of his lords in council, that persuaded him so tyrannically to
persecute America. Yet hitherto the precise contrary of this had been
Israel’s opinion, agreeably to the popular prejudice throughout New
England.
Thus we see what strange and powerful magic resides in a crown, and how
subtly that cheap and easy magnanimity, which in private belongs to
most kings, may operate on good-natured and unfortunate souls. Indeed,
had it not been for the peculiar disinterested fidelity of our
adventurer’s patriotism, he would have soon sported the red coat; and
perhaps under the immediate patronage of his royal friend, been
advanced in time to no mean rank in the army of Britain. Nor in that
case would we have had to follow him, as at last we shall, through
long, long years of obscure and penurious wandering.
- title
- Chunk 2