al
constitutions which are the fruits of his wisdom, contain the seeds of
abuses and decay, that human selfishness will be as certain to
cultivate, as human indulgence is to aid the course of nature, in
hastening the approaches of death. Thus, while on the one hand, there
exists the constant incentive of abuses and hopes to induce us to wish
for modifications of the social structure, on the other there stands the
experience of ages to demonstrate their insufficiency to produce the
happiness we aim at. If the world advances in civilization and humanity,
it is because knowledge will produce its fruits in every soil, and under
every condition of cultivation and improvement.

Both Sir Gervaise Oakes and Admiral Bluewater believed themselves to be
purely governed by principles, in submitting to the bias that each felt
towards the conflicting claims of the houses of Brunswick and Stuart.
Perhaps no two men in England were in fact less influenced by motives
that they ought to feel ashamed to own; and yet, as has been seen, while
they thought so much alike on most other things, on this they were
diametrically opposed to each other. During the many years of arduous
and delicate duties that they had served together, jealousy, distrust,
and discontent had been equally strangers to their bosoms; for each had
ever felt the assurance that his own honour, happiness, and interests
were as much ruling motives with his friend, as they could well be with
himself Their lives had been constant scenes of mutual but unpretending
kindnesses; and this under circumstances that naturally awakened all the
most generous and manly sentiments of their natures. When young men,
their laughing messmates had nick-named them Pylades and Orestes; and
later in life, on account of their cruising so much in company, they
were generally known in the navy as the "twin captains." On several
occasions had they fought enemies' frigates, and captured them; on these
occasions, as a matter of course, the senior of the two became most
known to the nation; but Sir Gervaise had made the most generous efforts
to give his junior a full share of the credit, while Captain Bluewater
never spoke of the affairs without mentioning them as victories of the
commodore. In a word, on all occasions, and under all circumstances, it
appeared to be the aim of these generous-minded and gallant seamen, to
serve each other; nor was this attempted with any effort, or striving
for effect; a