Chapter XXV
No wither'd witch shall here be seen,
No goblins lead their nightly crew;
The female fays shall haunt the green,
And dress thy grave with pearly dew.
Collins.
It is rare indeed that the philosophy of a dignified Indian is so far
disturbed, as to destroy the appearance of equanimity. When Content and
the family of the Heathcotes appeared on the hill, they found the chiefs
still pacing the orchard, with the outward composure of men unmoved, and
with the gravity that was suited to their rank. Annawon, who had acted as
their conductor, caused the captives to be placed in a row, choosing the
foot of the ruin for their position, and then he patiently awaited the
moment when his superiors might be pleased to renew the examination. In
this habitual silence, there was nothing of the abject air of Asiatic
deference. It proceeded from the habit of self-command, which taught the
Indian to repress all natural emotions. A very similar effect was produced
by the religious abasement of those whom fortune had now thrown into their
power.
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