the mirror of the sea-第22章

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them。　　Each　has　his　genius　of　supreme　rule。　　The　King　of　the　West



never　intrudes　upon　the　recognised　dominion　of　his　kingly　brother。



He　is　a　barbarian；　of　a　northern　type。　　Violent　without　craftiness；



and　furious　without　malice；　one　may　imagine　him　seated　masterfully



with　a　double…edged　sword　on　his　knees　upon　the　painted　and　gilt



clouds　of　the　sunset；　bowing　his　shock　head　of　golden　locks；　a



flaming　beard　over　his　breast；　imposing；　colossal；　mighty…limbed；



with　a　thundering　voice；　distended　cheeks　and　fierce　blue　eyes；



urging　the　speed　of　his　gales。　　The　other；　the　East　king；　the　king



of　blood…red　sunrises；　I　represent　to　myself　as　a　spare　Southerner



with　clear…cut　features；　black…browed　and　dark…eyed；　gray…robed；



upright　in　sunshine；　resting　a　smooth…shaven　cheek　in　the　palm　of



his　hand；　impenetrable；　secret；　full　of　wiles；　fine…drawn；　keen　…



meditating　aggressions。







The　West　Wind　keeps　faith　with　his　brother；　the　King　of　the



Easterly　weather。　　〃What　we　have　divided　we　have　divided；〃　he　seems



to　say　in　his　gruff　voice；　this　ruler　without　guile；　who　hurls　as



if　in　sport　enormous　masses　of　cloud　across　the　sky；　and　flings　the



great　waves　of　the　Atlantic　clear　across　from　the　shores　of　the　New



World　upon　the　hoary　headlands　of　Old　Europe；　which　harbours　more



kings　and　rulers　upon　its　seamed　and　furrowed　body　than　all　the



oceans　of　the　world　together。　　〃What　we　have　divided　we　have



divided；　and　if　no　rest　and　peace　in　this　world　have　fallen　to　my



share；　leave　me　alone。　　Let　me　play　at　quoits　with　cyclonic　gales；



flinging　the　discs　of　spinning　cloud　and　whirling　air　from　one　end



of　my　dismal　kingdom　to　the　other：　　over　the　Great　Banks　or　along



the　edges　of　pack…ice　…　this　one　with　true　aim　right　into　the　bight



of　the　Bay　of　Biscay；　that　other　upon　the　fiords　of　Norway；　across



the　North　Sea　where　the　fishermen　of　many　nations　look　watchfully



into　my　angry　eye。　　This　is　the　time　of　kingly　sport。〃







And　the　royal　master　of　high　latitudes　sighs　mightily；　with　the



sinking　sun　upon　his　breast　and　the　double…edged　sword　upon　his



knees；　as　if　wearied　by　the　innumerable　centuries　of　a　strenuous



rule　and　saddened　by　the　unchangeable　aspect　of　the　ocean　under　his



feet　…　by　the　endless　vista　of　future　ages　where　the　work　of　sowing



the　wind　and　reaping　the　whirlwind　shall　go　on　and　on　till　his



realm　of　living　waters　becomes　a　frozen　and　motionless　ocean。　　But



the　other；　crafty　and　unmoved；　nursing　his　shaven　chin　between　the



thumb　and　forefinger　of　his　slim　and　treacherous　hand；　thinks　deep



within　his　heart　full　of　guile：　　〃Aha！　our　brother　of　the　West　has



fallen　into　the　mood　of　kingly　melancholy。　　He　is　tired　of　playing



with　circular　gales；　and　blowing　great　guns；　and　unrolling　thick



streamers　of　fog　in　wanton　sport　at　the　cost　of　his　own　poor；



miserable　subjects。　　Their　fate　is　most　pitiful。　　Let　us　make　a



foray　upon　the　dominions　of　that　noisy　barbarian；　a　great　raid　from



Finisterre　to　Hatteras；　catching　his　fishermen　unawares；　baffling



the　fleets　that　trust　to　his　power；　and　shooting　sly　arrows　into



the　livers　of　men　who　court　his　good　graces。　　He　is；　indeed；　a



worthless　fellow。〃　　And　forthwith；　while　the　West　Wind　meditates



upon　the　vanity　of　his　irresistible　might；　the　thing　is　done；　and



the　Easterly　weather　sets　in　upon　the　North　Atlantic。







The　prevailing　weather　of　the　North　Atlantic　is　typical　of　the　way



in　which　the　West　Wind　rules　his　realm　on　which　the　sun　never　sets。



North　Atlantic　is　the　heart　of　a　great　empire。　　It　is　the　part　of



the　West　Wind's　dominions　most　thickly　populated　with　generations



of　fine　ships　and　hardy　men。　　Heroic　deeds　and　adventurous　exploits



have　been　performed　there；　within　the　very　stronghold　of　his　sway。



The　best　sailors　in　the　world　have　been　born　and　bred　under　the



shadow　of　his　sceptre；　learning　to　manage　their　ships　with　skill



and　audacity　before　the　steps　of　his　stormy　throne。　　Reckless



adventurers；　toiling　fishermen；　admirals　as　wise　and　brave　as　the



world　has　ever　known；　have　waited　upon　the　signs　of　his　westerly



sky。　　Fleets　of　victorious　ships　have　hung　upon　his　breath。　　He　has



tossed　in　his　hand　squadrons　of　war…scarred　three…deckers；　and



shredded　out　in　mere　sport　the　bunting　of　flags　hallowed　in　the



traditions　of　honour　and　glory。　　He　is　a　good　friend　and　a



dangerous　enemy；　without　mercy　to　unseaworthy　ships　and　faint…



hearted　seamen。　　In　his　kingly　way　he　has　taken　but　little　account



of　lives　sacrificed　to　his　impulsive　policy；　he　is　a　king　with　a



double…edged　sword　bared　in　his　right　hand。　　The　East　Wind；　an



interloper　in　the　dominions　of　Westerly　weather；　is　an　impassive…



faced　tyrant　with　a　sharp　poniard　held　behind　his　back　for　a



treacherous　stab。







In　his　forays　into　the　North　Atlantic　the　East　Wind　behaves　like　a



subtle　and　cruel　adventurer　without　a　notion　of　honour　or　fair



play。　　Veiling　his　clear…cut；　lean　face　in　a　thin　layer　of　a　hard；



high　cloud；　I　have　seen　him；　like　a　wizened　robber　sheik　of　the



sea；　hold　up　large　caravans　of　ships　to　the　number　of　three　hundred



or　more　at　the　very　gates　of　the　English　Channel。　　And　the　worst　of



it　was　that　there　was　no　ransom　that　we　could　pay　to　satisfy　his



avidity；　for　whatever　evil　is　wrought　by　the　raiding　East　Wind；　it



is　done　only　to　spite　his　kingly　brother　of　the　West。　　We　gazed



helplessly　at　the　systematic；　cold；　gray…eyed　obstinacy　of　the



Easterly　weather；　while　short　rations　became　the　order　of　the　day；



and　the　pinch　of　hunger　under　the　breast…bone　grew　familiar　to



every　sailor　in　that　held…up　fleet。　　Every　day　added　to　our



numbers。　　In　knots　and　groups　and　straggling　parties　we　flung　to



and　fro　before　the　closed　gate。　　And　meantime　the　outward…bound



ships　passed；　running　through　our　humiliated　ranks　under　all　the



canvas　they　could　show。　　It　is　my　idea　that　the　Easterly　Wind　helps



the　ships　away　from　home　in　the　wicked　hope　that　they　shall　all



come　to　an　untimely　end　and　be　heard　of　no　more。　　For　six　weeks　did



the　robber　sheik　hold　the　trade　route　of　the　earth；　while　our　liege



lord；　the　West　Wind；　slept　profoundly　like　a　tired　Titan；　or　else



remained　lost　in　a　mood　of　idle　sadness　known　only　to　frank



natures。　　All　was　still　to　the　westward；　we　looked　in　vain　towards



his　stronghold：　　the　King　slumbered　on　so　deeply　that　he　let　his



foraging　brother　steal　the　very　mantle　of　gold…lined　purple　clouds



from　his　bowed　shoulders。　　What　had　become　of　the　dazzling　hoard　of



royal　jewels　exhibited　at　every　close　of　day？　　Gone；　disappeared；



extinguished；　carried　off　without　leaving　a　single　gold　band　or　the



flash　of　a　single　sunbeam　in　the　evening　sky！　　Day　after　day



through　a　cold　streak　of　heavens　as　bare　and　poor　as　the　inside　of



a　rifled　safe　a　rayless　and　despoiled　sun　would　slink　shamefacedly；



without　pomp　or　show；　to　hide　in　haste　under　the　waters。　　And　still



the　King　slept　on；　or　mourned　the　vanity　of　his　might　and　his



power；　while　the　thin…lipped　intruder　put　the　impress　of　his　cold



and　implacable　spirit　upon　the　sky　and　sea。　　With　every　daybreak



the　rising　sun　had　to　wade　through　a　crimson　stream；　luminous　and



sinister；　like　the　spilt　blood　of　celestial　bodies　murdered　during



the　night。







In　this　particular　instance　the　mean　interloper　held　the　road　for



some　six　weeks　on　end；　establishing　his　particular　administrative



methods　over　the　best　part　of　the　North　Atlantic。　　It　looked　as　if



the　easterly　weather　had　come　to　stay　for　ever；　or；　at　least；　till



we　had　all　starved　to　death　in　the　held…up　fleet　…　starved　within



sight；　as　it　were；　of　plenty；　within　touch；　almost；　of　the



bountiful　heart　of　the　Empire。　　There　we　were；　dotting　with　our



white　dry　sails　the　hard　blueness　of　the　deep　sea。　　There　we　were；



a　growing　company　of　ships；　each　wit