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Authors: Nathaniel Hawthorne
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concealed.
There is something sad and terrible in the idea of snatching all this
wealth from the devouring ocean, which had possessed it for such a length
of years. It seems as if men had no right to make themselves rich with it.
It ought to have been left with the skeletons of the ancient Spaniards,
who had been drowned when the ship was wrecked, and whose bones were now
scattered among the gold and silver.
But Captain Phips and his crew were troubled with no such thoughts as
these. After a day or two they lighted on another part of the wreck, where
they found a great many bags of silver dollars. But nobody could have
guessed that these were money-bags. By remaining so long in the
salt-water, they had become covered over with a crust which had the
appearance of stone, so that it was necessary to break them in pieces with
hammers and axes. When this was done, a stream of silver dollars gushed
out upon the deck of the vessel.
The whole value of the recovered treasure, plate, bullion, precious
stones, and all, was estimated at more than two millions of dollars. It
was dangerous even to look at such a vast amount of wealth. A sea captain,
who had assisted Phips in the enterprise, utterly lost his reason at the
sight of it. He died two years afterwards, still raving about the
treasures that lie at the bottom of the sea. It would have been better for
this man, if he had left the skeletons of the shipwrecked Spaniards in
quiet possession of their wealth.
Captain Phips and his men continued to fish up plate, bullion, and
dollars, as plentifully as ever, till their provisions grew short. Then,
as they could not feed upon gold and silver any more than old King Midas
could, they found it necessary to go in search of better sustenance. Phips
resolved to return to England. He arrived there in 1687, and was received
with great joy by the Duke of Albemarle and the other English lords, who
had fitted out the vessel. Well they might rejoice; for they took by far
the greater part of the treasure to themselves.
The Captain's share, however, was enough to make him comfortable for the
rest of his days. It also enabled him to fulfil his promise to his wife,
by building a "fair brick house," in the Green Lane of Boston. The Duke of
Albemarle sent Mrs. Phips a magnificent gold cup, worth at least five
thousand dollars. Before Captain Phips left London, King James made him a
knight; so that, instead of the obscure ship-carpenter who had formerly
dwelt among them, the inhabitants of Boston welcomed him on his return, as
the rich and famous Sir William Phips.
Chapter XI
*
"Sir William Phips," continued Grandfather, "was too active and
adventurous a man to sit still in the quiet enjoyment of his good fortune.
In the year 1690, he went on a military expedition against the French
colonies in America, conquered the whole province of Acadie, and returned
to Boston with a great deal of plunder."
"Why, grandfather, he was the greatest man that ever sat in the chair!"
cried Charley.
"Ask Laurence what he thinks," replied Grandfather with a smile. "Well; in
the same year, Sir William took command of an expedition against Quebec,
but did not succeed in capturing the city. In 1692, being then in London,
King William the Third appointed him governor of Massachusetts. And now,
my dear children, having followed Sir William Phips through all his
adventures and hardships, till we find him comfortably seated in
Grandfather's chair, we will here bid him farewell. May he be as happy in
ruling a people, as he was while he tended sheep!"
Charley, whose fancy had been greatly taken by the adventurous disposition
of Sir William Phips, was eager to know how he had acted, and what
happened to him while he held the office of governor. But Grandfather had
made up his mind to tell no more stories for the present.
"Possibly, one of these days, I may go on with the adventures of the
chair," said he. "But its history becomes very obscure just at this point;
and I must
There is something sad and terrible in the idea of snatching all this
wealth from the devouring ocean, which had possessed it for such a length
of years. It seems as if men had no right to make themselves rich with it.
It ought to have been left with the skeletons of the ancient Spaniards,
who had been drowned when the ship was wrecked, and whose bones were now
scattered among the gold and silver.
But Captain Phips and his crew were troubled with no such thoughts as
these. After a day or two they lighted on another part of the wreck, where
they found a great many bags of silver dollars. But nobody could have
guessed that these were money-bags. By remaining so long in the
salt-water, they had become covered over with a crust which had the
appearance of stone, so that it was necessary to break them in pieces with
hammers and axes. When this was done, a stream of silver dollars gushed
out upon the deck of the vessel.
The whole value of the recovered treasure, plate, bullion, precious
stones, and all, was estimated at more than two millions of dollars. It
was dangerous even to look at such a vast amount of wealth. A sea captain,
who had assisted Phips in the enterprise, utterly lost his reason at the
sight of it. He died two years afterwards, still raving about the
treasures that lie at the bottom of the sea. It would have been better for
this man, if he had left the skeletons of the shipwrecked Spaniards in
quiet possession of their wealth.
Captain Phips and his men continued to fish up plate, bullion, and
dollars, as plentifully as ever, till their provisions grew short. Then,
as they could not feed upon gold and silver any more than old King Midas
could, they found it necessary to go in search of better sustenance. Phips
resolved to return to England. He arrived there in 1687, and was received
with great joy by the Duke of Albemarle and the other English lords, who
had fitted out the vessel. Well they might rejoice; for they took by far
the greater part of the treasure to themselves.
The Captain's share, however, was enough to make him comfortable for the
rest of his days. It also enabled him to fulfil his promise to his wife,
by building a "fair brick house," in the Green Lane of Boston. The Duke of
Albemarle sent Mrs. Phips a magnificent gold cup, worth at least five
thousand dollars. Before Captain Phips left London, King James made him a
knight; so that, instead of the obscure ship-carpenter who had formerly
dwelt among them, the inhabitants of Boston welcomed him on his return, as
the rich and famous Sir William Phips.
Chapter XI
*
"Sir William Phips," continued Grandfather, "was too active and
adventurous a man to sit still in the quiet enjoyment of his good fortune.
In the year 1690, he went on a military expedition against the French
colonies in America, conquered the whole province of Acadie, and returned
to Boston with a great deal of plunder."
"Why, grandfather, he was the greatest man that ever sat in the chair!"
cried Charley.
"Ask Laurence what he thinks," replied Grandfather with a smile. "Well; in
the same year, Sir William took command of an expedition against Quebec,
but did not succeed in capturing the city. In 1692, being then in London,
King William the Third appointed him governor of Massachusetts. And now,
my dear children, having followed Sir William Phips through all his
adventures and hardships, till we find him comfortably seated in
Grandfather's chair, we will here bid him farewell. May he be as happy in
ruling a people, as he was while he tended sheep!"
Charley, whose fancy had been greatly taken by the adventurous disposition
of Sir William Phips, was eager to know how he had acted, and what
happened to him while he held the office of governor. But Grandfather had
made up his mind to tell no more stories for the present.
"Possibly, one of these days, I may go on with the adventures of the
chair," said he. "But its history becomes very obscure just at this point;
and I must
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