aused my clothes to be stript
off,' Richard says, 'shirt and all, from my head to my waist downward;
then he took a view of my body to see what wounds and bruises I had,
but he could find none,--no, not so much as a blue spot on my skin.
Then the Commander was angry with them, for not beating me enough.
Then the Captain answered him and said, "I have beat him myself as
much as would kill an ox." The jester said he had hung me a great
while by the arms aloft in the shrouds. The men said they also had
beaten me very sore, but they might as well have beaten the main mast.
Then said the Commander, "I will cause irons to be laid upon him
during the king's pleasure and mine."'

A marvellous story! After all these beatings, not a bruise or a mark
to be seen! Probably it is not possible now to explain how it
happened. Of course we might believe that Richard was telling lies all
the time, and that either the sailors did not beat him or that the
bruises did show. But why invent anything so unlikely? It is easier to
believe that he was trying to tell the truth as far as he could, even
though we cannot understand it. Perhaps his heart was so happy at
being allowed to suffer for what he thought right, that his body
really did not feel the cruel beatings, as it would have done if he
had been doing wrong and had deserved them. Or perhaps there are
wonderful ways, unknown to us until we experience them for ourselves,
in which God will, and can, and does protect His own true servants who
are trying to obey Him. That is the most comforting explanation. If
ever some one much bigger and stronger than we are tries to bully us
into doing wrong, let us remember that God does not save us _from_
pain and suffering always; but He can save us _through_ the very worst
pain, if only we are true to Him.

Anyhow, though Richard's beatings were over for the time, other
troubles began. He was 'put in irons,' heavily loaded with chains, a
punishment usually kept for the worst criminals, such as thieves and
murderers. All the crew were forbidden to bring him food and drink
even though he was beginning to be ill with a fever--the result of all
the sufferings he had undergone. Happily there was one kind, brave man
among the crew, the carpenter's mate. Although Sir Edward Spragg had
said that any one giving food to Richard would have to share his
punishment, this good man was not afraid, and did give the prisoner
both food and drink. All this time, Richar