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Show 340 THE LILY AND THE TOTEM. or only heedful of them so far as to esteem them services and blcssiogs. He knew tho people with whom he had to deal, their fears, their weaknesses, and discontents, the base n:..turc of m:my of their desires, and the utter incapacity of all to realize tho intense enthusiasm which shone within his soul. He could scorn them, but he had to usc them. He despised their imbecility, but felt how necessary it was too temporize with their moods, and make them rather forgetful of their infirmities, than openly to denounce and mock them. His eye wa.s fasWned upon certain of his cl1icfs in especial, whose wea.kuesses were more likely to endanger his objects than those of the rest, since these were associated with a corbin degree of pretension arising from their occupance of place. But there is no one in more complete pos· session of the subtleties of the politician, than the fanatic of intense will. All his powers are concentrat.ed upon the single object, and be values this too highly to endanger it by any rashness. Jle can make allowances for the weaker among the brethren, so long as they have the power to yield service; he only cuts them down ruthlessly, when,like the tree bringing forth no fruit, the question naturally occurs to the politician, " Why cumbcreth it the ground ?" Melendez was prepared to act the politician amidst all his fanaticism. For this rcru!on, though his resolution was inexorably taken, he ;mmmoned his officers to a solemn deli. bcration-a council of war-to determine upon what should be done in the circumstances in which they stood. THE FAT£ OF LA CAROLINE. 341 CHAPTER IV. TilE COU~CIL OF WAR A1' SELOQE. IT was midnight when the assemblage of the Spanish captains took place in tho great council house of the s:wagcs of Sclooo. Already, that night, l1ad the place been couscc .. atcd by tho per· formance of a. solemn mMs in honor of the lloly Spirit. The purposes of the present gathering were, in the opinion of Melendez, not less honorable to tbc Deity. !tude logs strewn about tho building, even as they had been employed by the redwmcn, fur· nished scats for the Spanish officers. They surrounded a great fire of resinous pine, ,vhich now blazed brightly in the centre of the apartment. In this respect the scene h:ul rather the n.ppenrn. ncc of savage rites than of Christian council. In silence, tho nobles of Castile, of Biscay and the Asturias took their places. Their eyes were vacant, and their hearts were depressed. They caught nothing of that exulting blaze which lightened up the features of Melendez. "Oh! yo of little faith!" he exclaimed, rising in their midst, " is it thus that yo give acknowlegment to God for the blcssinrrs ye have received at his hands, and for that care of the Guardi:n Shepherd, to which yo, thus filr, owe your safety? Have ye already lost tho memory of that 'vondrous sign wrought this day for your delivcrance,-whcn your eyes beheld a walt of storm and thunder pass between your captain and his little b..uqucs, and the overwhelming squadron of the heretic ltibault? 'Vas this m:~.nifestation of his guardian providence made for us in vain ? Said it not, plainly as the voice of Heaven might say, that our mission was not cndcd-th:~.t there was other work to be wrought by our |
