and bring as much at a time as I could; for they were no more useful to be sails, but as mere canvas only.

But that which comforted me more still was, that at last of all, after I had made five or six such voyages as these, and thought I had nothing more to expect from the ship that was worth my meddling with; I say, after all this, I found a great hogshead of bread, and three large runlets of rum or spirits, and a box of sugar, and a barrel of fine flour; this was surprising to me, because I had given over expecting any more provisions, except what was spoilt by the water. I soon emptied the hogshead of that bread, and wrapped it up parcel by parcel in pieces of the sails, which I cut out; and, in a word, I got all this safe on shore also.

The next day I made another voyage. And now, having plundered the ship of what was portable and fit to hand out, I began with the cables; and cutting the great cable into pieces, such as I could move, I got two cables and a hawser on shore, with all the iron-work I could get; and having cut down the sprit-sail-yard, and the mizzen-yard, and everything I could to make a large raft, I loaded it with all those heavy goods, and came away. But my good luck began now to leave me; for this raft was so unwieldy, and so overladen, that after I was entered the little cove where I had landed the rest of my goods, not being able to guide it so handily as I did the other, it overset, and threw me and all my cargo into the water. As for myself, it was no great harm, for I was near the shore; but as to my cargo, it was great part of it lost, especially the iron, which I expected would have been of great use to me. However, when the tide was out I got most of the pieces of cable ashore, and some of the iron, though with infinite labour; for I was fain to dip for it into the water, a work which fatigued me very much. After this I went every day on board, and brought away what I could get.

G

I

TOBIAS SMOLLETT

THE DOCTORS' MESS

HAD scarce time to wonder, when the master at arms came to the place of my confinement, and bade me follow him to the quarter deck, where I was examined by the first lieutenant, who commanded the ship in the absence of the captain, touching the treatment I had received in the tender from my friend the midshipman, who was present to confront me. I recounted the particulars of his behaviour to me, not only in the tender, but since my being on board the ship, part of which being proved by the evidence of Jack Rattlin and others, who had no great devotion for my oppressor, I was discharged from confinement to make way for him, who was delivered to the master at arms to take his turn in the bilboes. And this was not the only satisfaction I enjoyed, for I was, at the request of the surgeon, exempted from all other duty than that of assisting his master in making and administering medicines to the sick. This good office I owed to the friendship of Mr Thompson, who had represented me in such a favourable light to the surgeon, that he demanded me of the lieutenant to supply the place of his third mate, who was lately dead. When I had obtained this favour, my friend Thompson carried me down to the cockpit, which is the place allotted for the habitation of the surgeon's mates; and, when he had shown me their birth (as he called it), I was filled with astonishment and horror. We descended by divers ladders to a space as dark as a dungeon, which I understood was immersed several feet under water, being immediately above the hold. I had no sooner approached this dismal gulf than my nose was saluted with an intolerable stench of putrified cheese and rancid butter, that issued from an apartment at the foot of the ladder, resembling a chandler's shop, where, by the faint glimmering of a candle, I could perceive a man with a pale, meagre countenance, sitting

behind a kind of desk, having spectacles on his nose, and a pen in his hand. This (I learned of Mr Thompson) was the ship's steward, who sat there to distribute provision to the several messes, and to mark what each received. He therefore presented my name to him, and desired I might be entered in his mess; then, taking a light in his hand, conducted me to the place of his residence, which was a square of about six feet, surrounded with the medicine chest, that of the first mate, his own, and a board, by way of table, fastened to the after powder room; it was also enclosed with canvas nailed round to the beams of the ship, to screen us from the cold, as well as from the view of the midshipman and quartermaster, who lodged within the cable tiers on each side of us. In this gloomy mansion he entertained me with some cold salt pork, which he brought from a sort of locker, fixed above the table; and, calling for the boy of the mess, sent for a can of beer, of which he made excellent flip to crown the banquet.

WH

L. STERNE

THE SENTIMENTAL TRAVELLER

THEN all is ready, and every article is disputed and paid for at the inn, unless you are a little soured by the adventure, there is always a matter to compound at the door, before you can get into your chaise, and that is with the sons and daughters of poverty who surround you. Let no man say, "Let them go to the Devil"; 'tis a cruel journey to send a few miserables; and they have had sufferings enow without it. I always think it better to take a few sous out in my hand; and I would counsel every gentle traveller to do so likewise; he need not be so exact in setting down his motives for giving them; they will be registered elsewhere.

HENRY FIELDING

A NEWGATE SERMON

JONATHAN. All this is very true; but let us take a bottle

of wine to cheer our spirits.

Ordinary. Why wine? Let me tell you, Mr Wild, there is nothing so deceitful as the spirits given us by wine. If you must drink, let us have a bowl of punch; a liquor I the rather prefer, as it is no where spoken against in scripture; and as it is more wholesome for the gravel, a distemper with which I am grievously afflicted.

Jonathan (having called for a bowl). I ask your pardon, Doctor. I should have remembered that punch was your favourite liquor. I think you never taste wine, while there is any punch remaining on the table.

Ordinary. I confess I look on punch to be the more eligible liquor, as well for the reasons I have before mentioned, as likewise for one other cause, viz. it is the properest for a draught. I own I took it a little unkind of you to mention wine, thinking you knew my palate.

Jonathan. You are in the right; and I will take a swingeing cup to your being made a bishop.

Ordinary. And I will wish you a reprieve in as large a draught. Come, don't despair: it is yet time enough to think of dying: you have good friends, who very probably may prevail for you. I have known many a man reprieved, who had less reason to expect it.

Jonathan. But if I should flatter myself with such hopes, and be deceived, what then would become of my soul? Ordinary. Pooh, never mind your soul; leave that to me; I will render a good account of it, I warrant you. I have a sermon in my pocket, which may be of some use to you to hear. I do not value myself on the talent of preaching, since no man ought to value himself for any gift in this world:-but perhaps there are not many such

sermons. But to proceed, since we have nothing else to
do till the punch comes.-My text is the latter part of a
verse only:-

TO THE GREEKS FOOLISHNESS

The occasion of these words was, principally, that philosophy of the Greeks which, at that time, had over-run great part of the Heathen world, had poisoned, and as it were puffed up their minds with pride, so that they disregarded all kinds of doctrine in comparison of their own; and however safe, and however sound the learning of others might be, yet if it any wise contradicted their own laws, customs, and received opinions, away with it, it is not for us: It was to the Greeks Foolishness.

In the former part, therefore, of my discourse on these words, I shall principally confine myself to the laying open and demonstrating the great emptiness and vanity of this philosophy, with which these idle and absurd sophists were so proudly blown up and elevated.

And here I shall do two things: first, I shall expose the matter; and secondly, the manner of this absurd philosophy.

And, first, for the first of these, namely, the matter. Now here we may retort the unmannerly word which our adversaries have audaciously thrown in our faces: for what was all this mighty matter of philosophy, this heap of knowledge which was to bring such large harvests of honour to those who sowed it, and so greatly and nobly to enrich the ground on which it fell? what was it but FOOLISHNESS? an inconsistent heap of nonsense, of absurdities and contradictions, bringing no ornament to the mind in its theory, nor exhibiting any usefulness to the body in its practice. What were all the sermons and the sayings, the fables and the morals of all these wise men, but, to use the word mentioned in my text once more, FOOLISHNESS? What was their great master Plato, or their other great light, Aristotle? Both fools, mere quibblers and sophists, idly and vainly attached to certain ridiculous notions of their own, founded neither on