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Show 452 THE LILY AND THE TOTEM. Spaniards by Gourgues, aft.er his victory, would have had such 8 beautiful effect upon the consciences of those guilty wretches, is altogether ridiculous. The idea exhibits a gross ignorance of the nature of the Spaniards at the time. Gourgucs knew them thoroughly. A ntore base, faithless, treacherous and murderous character never prcvniled among civilized nations, and never could prevail among any nation of warlike barb:1rians. We do not mean to justify Gorgues i but mn.y say that it is well, perhaps, for humanity, that heroism sometimes puts on tho terrors of the avenger, and visits tho cnonuous crime, which men would otherwise fail to reach, with penalties somewhat corresponding with the degree and character of the offence ! There nrc sometimes cri· minals whom it is a mere tempting of Providence to leave only to the judgments of eternity nnd their own seared, cold, and lvioked hearts. Tho murderer whoso bands you cannot bind, yon must cut off; not bccauso you thirst for his blood, but because ho thirsts for yours! But ours is not tho field for discussion, nnd we may well leave tho question for decision to tho instincts of hu· manity. The vengeance which moves tho nations to clap bands with rejoicing bas, perhaps, o. much higher guaranty and sanction than tho common law of morals can afford. XII. THE CH1i:VAL1:£R AT HOM:£-MONTLUC COUNSELS GOURGU:£8 FROM 1118 COMMENTARIES. HAVING taken his farewell of the Floridians, and embarked with nil his people, it was on board of his vessels, with their wings spread to the breeze, that the Chevalier De Gourgues offered up DOmNIQUE DE GOUROUt::8. 453 solemn acknowledgments to Heaven, for the special sanction which he had found in its favor for the enterprise achieved. I t was with a heart full of gratitude, that he bowed down on tho deck of his little bark, and offered up l1is prayer to tho God of Battles ior the euccor afforded him in his extremity. It wrus with alight benrt thnt be meditated upon tho snnguinnry juetiee done upon the cruel enemies of his people; the honor of his country's fl.ag redeemed by a. poor soldier of fortune, when diegro.eed and deserted by the monarch :..nd the court, who derived all their distinction from its venerable nnd protecting folds. It was with a just and honorable pride that be felt how certainly he bad made the record of his name in tho pages of history, by an notion grateful to the fame of tho soldier, and etill more grtl.tcful to the feare and eympMhies of outraged humanity. Tho acclamations of tho wild Floridian-their praises nnd eongs of victory, however wild and rude-were but a foretaste of those which he had a right to e.x:pcct from the lips of his countrymen in k Bellt Franu! Alas! the hand of power covered the lips of rejoicing ! The despotism of the land ehook a heavy rod over the people, silencing the voice of praise, and chilling the heart of sympathy. But let us not anticipate. The Chevalier De Gourgucs sailed from the mouth of the Tn.oatacorou, on tho third of May, 1568. For seventeen days the voyage wae prosperous, nnd his vessels ran eleven hundred leagues ; and on tho sixth of J nne, thirty-four days after leaving the coast of Florida, he arrived at Rochelle. Tho latter half of his voy- · age had been far different from tho firet. As at his departure from .ll,ranco, he suffered severely from head winds and angry tempests. His provisions were nearly exhausted, and his people began to suffer from famine. His consorts separated from him in |