eter Osborne had never held Castle Cornet in
Guernsey (to the shame and sorrow of the well-affected in that island),
had they but been backed and aided from Jersey. Even as things were, and
with no more help but what he got from you--I say it not to offend
you--how much did not Lydcott do? Three days after his landing he called
together the States and opened before them his commission from the Earl
of Warwick, Warden of the Isles and Lord High Admiral of England. You
were present and presiding, as you must needs remember, together with
all but three Jurats, all the Constables save one, and nearly half the
Rectors. Without a dissentient voice you administered the oath of
Lieutenant-Governor to Lydcott, yourself standing forth as Bailiff and
sworn the first. What hindered you then from holding fast? Nothing but
want of a backbone of strength. The militia, whom you now hold
malignant, swore allegiance to a man, save and except one Colonel who
was broke then and there. You may say George Cartwright drove you out;
but what did he do that could justify your flight? I must be plain with
you: with all outward and visible signs of power you gave way before
three open boats and a mouldy ruin."

"We gave way," said Lempriere with an indignant flush, "because we were
forsook by them on whom we leaned."

"I know it," pursued Prynne, "I say it not to blame you, but to blame
the lukewarm weakness of those who held authority there on the part of
the Commonwealth: for had Lydcott been ever so able and willing he
lacked support from hence. We had our hands full of graver business.
Only I neither desire nor expect such things should be done a second
time. There be those now in power that will take better order. The
future of your islands, the ties that bind them to us, were not known
six years ago; and our friends--as I have already said--had other
matters, more pressing, to attend to. But now is not then. Now, that a
violent policy that I cannot altogether undertake to defend hath shorn
the strength of tyranny, and that fair deceiver the late King--whom none
could safely trust or utterly despise--is by that blow taken out of our
path, we are free to set matters straight around us. It is therefore not
to be endured that your small wasps' nest yonder should continue to
infest our ambient ocean with her petty and poisonous alarms. This is
the word I have to give thee--friendly meant, though thou mayest have
been hitherto no friend to me. J