Sir George and Sir
Edwyn! Zooks! you had better dub them St. George and St. Edwyn
at once, and be done with it. Well, on this occasion Sir George
stands up and says roundly, with a good round oath to boot: 'The
King's commands have always come to us through the Company.
The Company obeys the King; we obey the Company. His
Majesty's demand (with reverence I speak it) is out of all order. Let
the Company, through the treasurer, command us to send Captain
Percy home in irons to answer for this passing strange offense, or
to return, willy nilly, the lady who is now surely his wife, and we
will have no choice but to obey. Until the Company commands us
we will do nothing; nay we can do nothing.' And every one of my
fellow Councilors (for myself, I was busy with my pens) saith, 'My
opinion, Sir George.' The upshot of it all is that the Due Return is
to sail in two days with our humble representation to his Majesty
that though we bow to his lightest word as the leaf bows to the
zephyr, yet we are, in this sole matter, handfast, compelled by his
Majesty's own gracious charter to refer our slightest official doing
to that noble Company which owes its very being to its rigid
adherence to the terms of said charter. Wherefore, if his Majesty
will be graciously pleased to command us as usual through the said
Company - and so on.
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