The Washington times., 1913-02-04
CHAPTER XIV.
The Valley of the Shadow.

TT will not be my purpose TO set forth
all my doings in Glasgow. Some Of
il them would as lief forget. While
Bordeaux was a good friend to me,
his fantastic manners and polished
wit gathered around him at the Sign of
the Thristle company which sent me
home to Blind Johnny's many time,
q little merrier than i should have been
For all that, he was help to me ia
these days. He IT was who introduced
which has enabled me to write this his
tory. The further I read into the works
of Christopher MariOwe. Sir Philip sgd
Aey, william Shakespeare, Sir Walter
Raleigh, and Ben Jonson. the more
seemed to understand Bordeaux
Many a saying in these books would
suddenly stir up 2 memory OF some
thing my odd friend had said, until /
was sure that his peculiar manner of
speech was but the outcome on much
reading. l grew to learn, also, that
books were not his only advantage, for
often when he would utter a trite say
ing, and j would ask him from what
book he called it. he would answer:
None, but from the lips of fat Ben.
OF WiIl-or Kit Marlowe, as the case
might be. From this l judged that Bor-
deaux had such personal intimacy with
these great men that he was privileged
10 hear their works ere ever they were
sent to the printer. know now that
such was the case, for in the new books
which 1 have hastened to purchase as
they came from London. i have dis
covered sentences which Bordeaux had
uttered months-aye, even years be-
fore.
In truth, the more | discovered of the
nan the less | knew Of him. Most OF
The time he was a hare-brained fellow,
full of witty sayings and wise orations;
but there were whlles when he would
be the very imp of mischief He would
get Glasgow by the ears with his con-
duct. Sometimes he would turn town
crler and, ringing a bell to attract the
attention of the good people he would
paradc the streets. announcing amazing
disasters or issuing ludicrous proclama-
tions.
I remember one time that he appeared
in the town with CARLOAD OF carrots,
which he distributed free to the house
wives who were less amazed by his
generosity than by the gallant speeches
which accompanied each gift. On such
occasions his garb would be that of a
tinker, and none ever recognized in him
the gentleman who would presently
strut through the streets, sworded,
laced and feathered.
But one thing he did was nigh to the
undoing Of him. The plague had ap-
pesred again in London, and the people
Of Glasgow were in bonny fright over
St. What should Bordeaux do but pro-
claim through the town that by order
OF the King each ard all should cut of
thc.r boards and wear sackcIoth for a
r-e"'-" that the plague might be taken
away.
great at that time was the fear OF
James turning Catholic and so great
the Glasgow antipathy to his Episcopal
tendency that Bordeaux's proclamation,
believed TO be with authority, left the
town in an uproa- OF indignation.
I do not know what the upshot might
have been, for the craftsmen gave or
ders for the apprehension of Bordeaux
But that strange fellow attired himself
as a gentleman. and. suddenly appear
jnE IN a post-chaise-from Edinburgh,
he said-be denounced the proclamation
as a Papist movement and the person
known as Bordeaux as French spy.
Thereafter. for week. Bordeaux, the
scaramouche. was absent. and my
Lord Manock from Edinburgh" parad-
ed the streets with his nose In the air.
THAT may have been his name-althouga
Macmurtrie told me that IL was not the
name by which "tils Lunnon brither O.
tho legal profession" addressed his let
tGrs.
Despite his failiDss, there were times