oughness of the English tar--for he
had served under the colors of this nation and his crew had been of the
same--made such an odd variety, such a hotch-potch of character, that I
should have been much diverted with him, had not his voice, which was as
loud as a speaking-trumpet, unfortunately made my head ache. The noise
which he conveyed into the deaf ears of his brother captain, who sat on
one side of him, the soft addresses with which, mixed with awkward bows,
he saluted the ladies on the other, were so agreeably contrasted, that
a man must not only have been void of all taste of humor, and insensible
of mirth, but duller than Cibber is represented in the Dunciad, who
could be unentertained with him a little while; for, I confess, such
entertainments should always be very short, as they are very liable to
pall. But he suffered not this to happen at present; for, having
given us his company a quarter of an hour only, he retired, after many
apologies for the shortness of his visit.

Tuesday.--The wind being less boisterous than it had hitherto been since
our arrival here, several fishing-boats, which the tempestuous weather
yesterday had prevented from working, came on board us with fish. This
was so fresh, so good in kind, and so very cheap, that we supplied
ourselves in great numbers, among which were very large soles at
fourpence a pair, and whitings of almost a preposterous size at
ninepence a score. The only fish which bore any price was a john doree,
as it is called. I bought one of at least four pounds weight for as many
shillings. It resembles a turbot in shape, but exceeds it in firmness
and flavor. The price had the appearance of being considerable when
opposed to the extraordinary cheapness of others of value, but was, in
truth, so very reasonable when estimated by its goodness, that it left
me under no other surprise than how the gentlemen of this country, not
greatly eminent for the delicacy of their taste, had discovered the
preference of the doree to all other fish: but I was informed that Mr.
Quin, whose distinguishing tooth hath been so justly celebrated, had
lately visited Plymouth, and had done those honors to the doree which
are so justly due to it from that sect of modern philosophers who,
with Sir Epicure Mammon, or Sir Epicure Quin, their head, seem more to
delight in a fish-pond than in a garden, as the old Epicureans are said
to have done.

Unfortunately for the fishmongers of London, the dor