, a weight too
great, I confess, to bear but what must a poor king do, who has but one
soldier in the world? But to show I made him bear no more than what I
would lay on myself, I stuck the other pistol in my girdle, and the
other three guns upon my shoulders; nay, something more, but that was
like Aesop's burden, a small bottle of rum, which was soon lightened to
our exceeding refreshment. Thus we marched out, under a ponderous load
of armour, like two invincible champions, with a quantity of powder and
bullets to stand our battle, and load again, when the pieces were
discharged. And now my orders being to be obeyed, I charged Friday to
keep close behind me, and not to stir, or shoot, or attempt anything
till I commanded him; and in the interim, not to speak so much as one
word. It was in this order I fetched a compass to the right hand, of
near a mile, as well to get over the creek, as to attain the wood; and
by this, I thought to come within shot of them before I could be
discerned, as I found by my glass, would not be difficult to accomplish.

But how fickle and wavering is the mind of man, even in our greatest
fury and strongest inclinations. For while I was taking this march, my
resolution began to abate, not through fear of their numbers, who were a
parcel of naked unarmed wretches, but those reflections occurred to my
thoughts: _what power was I commissioned with, or what occasion or
necessity had I to go and imbrue my hands in human blood, and murder
people that had neither done nor intended to do me any wrong? They were
innocent in particular as to me: and their barbarous custom was not only
their misfortune but a sign that God had left them in the most immense
stupidity; but yet did not warrant me to be a judge of their actions,
much less an executioner of his righteous judgments? That, on the
contrary, whenever he thought fit, he would take vengeance on them
himself, and punish them in a national way, according to their national
crimes; but this was nothing at all to me, who had no concern with them.
Indeed my man Friday might justify himself, because they were his
declared enemies, of that very same nation that went to sacrifice him
before; and indeed it was lawful for him to attack them, which I could
not say was so with respect to me,_--So warmly did these things press
upon my thoughts all the way I went, that I only resolved to place
myself so as to behold their bloody entertainment, without falling upon