respect
your feelings, I, who was bred a lawyer, and not a warrior, see not
therein a motive to grant your request."

"If friendship for me, and personal merit in the man, avail not to
move you, at least listen to the voice of humanity. You intend not
surely to murder him."

"What?" exclaimed Winthrop. "Speak plainer, Sir Christopher."

"I say, honored sir, that the treatment of this Joy, for an offence
which can rank as a crime only by reason of some peculiarity in your
situation, justifying extraordinary severity, is unworthy of you as
the Vicegerent of his Majesty in this colony.

"Methinks," said Winthrop, coldly and formally, "you have already, in
other phrase, said the same thing."

"But I aver now that this hapless, and, but for me, unfriended man,
(alas that my influence in his behalf is less than nought,) is likely
to escape the greater part of his sentence, by perishing on your
hands, if not soon released from confinement."

"Is he ill?"

"Ill unto death. I fear. Surely you cannot be acquainted with the
cruelties practised upon him. I have not beholden them with mine own
eyes; but my knowledge is this--as soon as I heard of Philip's
misfortune, in whom, why I feel an interest you now know, I hastened
to his prison, and there, with some difficulty learned, that not only
is he manacled, and his ancles chained, but also is confined by a band
of iron around his body, to a post erected in the centre of his
dungeon, so as to be unable to lie down, under a pretext of the
desperation of the man and the weakness of his dungeon."

"Believe me, Sir Christopher, I knew not this; but the thing shall be
looked into, and if there be no error in your information, I will
venture to brave the resentment of my colleagues and the rest, and
release this Joy for the present, taking such order in other respects
that the remaining sentence of the Court shall not remain a nullity."

"I pray you, excellent sir, of your bounty, to be speedy in the
inquiry into this matter," urged the knight, "being well assured that
you will find my information verified."

"Rest satisfied with my peremptory promise," replied Winthrop. "And
now, Sir Christopher, that this business which you have so much at
heart is in a fair train to arrive at a result to content you, tell me
something of your doings at the Mount of Promise, as it is your
pleasure to call your retirement. How fares it with your kinswoman,
the lady Geraldine? Time, I trust,