dy
given up a right which I no longer possess. When the _Water Wagtail_
went on the rocks, my reign came to an end. For the future we have no
need to concern ourselves. The man with the most powerful will and the
strongest mind will naturally come to the top--and that's how it
_should_ be. I think that all the troubles of mankind arise from our
interfering with the laws of Nature."

"Agreed, heartily," replied Paul, "only I would prefer to call them the
laws of God. By the way, Master Trench, I have not yet told you that I
have in my possession some of these same laws in a book."

"Have you, indeed?--in a book! That's a rare and not altogether a safe
possession now-a-days."

"You speak the sober truth, Master Trench," returned Paul, putting his
hand into a breast-pocket and drawing forth the packet which contained
the fragment of the Gospel of John. "Persecution because of our beliefs
is waxing hotter and hotter just now in unfortunate England. However,
we run no risk of being roasted alive in Newfoundland for reading God's
blessed Word--see, there it is. A portion of the Gospel of John in
manuscript, copied from the English translation of good Master
Wycliffe."

"A good and true man, I've heard say," responded the skipper, as he
turned over the leaves of the precious document with a species of solemn
wonder, for it was the first time he had either seen or handled a
portion of the Bible. "Pity that such a friend of the people should not
have lived to the age o' that ancient fellow--what's his name--Thoosle,
something or other?"

"Methuselah," said Paul; "you're right there, Master Trench. What might
not a good man like Wycliffe have accomplished if he had been permitted
to live and teach and fight for the truth for nine hundred and
sixty-nine years?"

"You don't mean to say he lived as long as that?" exclaimed the boy,
looking up from his pots and pans.

"Indeed I do."

"Well, well! he must have been little better than a live mummy by the
end of that time!" replied Oliver, resuming his interest in his pots and
pans.

"But how came you to know about all that Master Paul, if this is all the
Scripture you've had?" asked Trench.

"My mother was deeply learned in the Scriptures," answered Paul, "and
she taught me diligently from my boyhood. The way she came to be so
learned is curious. I will tell you how it came about, while we are
doing justice to Oliver's cookery."

"You must know, Master Tren