neck, to all but certain ruin, did say wild words--That it was better
for him to serve the Frenchman than such a master--that perhaps he
might go over to the Frenchman after all--or some folly of the kind,
in that same rash tone which, as we have seen, has got him into
trouble so often already: and so I leave the matter, saying, Beware
of making any man an offender for a word, much less one who is being
hunted to death in his old age, and knows it.

However this may be, the fleet sails; but with no bright auguries.
The mass of the sailors are 'a scum of men'; they are mutinous and
troublesome; and what is worse, have got among them (as, perhaps,
they were intended to have) the notion that Raleigh's being still non
ens in law absolves them from obeying him when they do not choose,
and permits them to say of him behind his back what they list. They
have long delays at Plymouth. Sir Warham's ship cannot get out of
the Thames. Pennington, at the Isle of Wight, 'cannot redeem his
bread from the bakers,' and has to ride back to London to get money
from Lady Raleigh. The poor lady has it not, and gives a note of
hand to Mr. Wood of Portsmouth. Alas for her! She has sunk her 8000
pounds, and, beside that, sold her Wickham estate for 2500 pounds;
and all is on board the fleet. 'A hundred pieces' are all the ready
money the hapless pair had left on earth, and they have parted them
together. Raleigh has fifty-five and she forty-five till God send it
back--if, indeed, He ever send it. The star is sinking low in the
west. Trouble on trouble. Sir John Fane has neither men nor money;
Captain Witney has not provisions enough, and Raleigh has to sell his
plate in Plymouth to help him. Courage! one last struggle to redeem
his good name.

Then storms off Sicily--a pinnace is sunk; faithful Captain King