terror, he failed not to put into immediate execution.

Our captain was gone to dinner this day with his Swiss brother;
and, though he was a very sober man, was a little elevated with some
champagne, which, as it cost the Swiss little or nothing, he dispensed
at his table more liberally than our hospitable English noblemen put
about those bottles, which the ingenious Peter Taylor teaches a led
captain to avoid by distinguishing by the name of that generous liquor,
which all humble companions are taught to postpone to the flavor of
methuen, or honest port.

While our two captains were thus regaling themselves, and celebrating
their own heroic exploits with all the inspiration which the liquor, at
least, of wit could afford them, the polyonymous officer arrived, and,
being saluted by the name of Honest Tom, was ordered to sit down and
take his glass before he delivered his message; for every sailor is by
turns his captain's mate over a cann, except only that captain bashaw
who presides in a man-of-war, and who upon earth has no other mate,
unless it be another of the same bashaws. Tom had no sooner swallowed
his draught than he hastily began his narrative, and faithfully related
what had happened on board our ship; we say faithfully, though from what
happened it may be suspected that Tom chose to add perhaps only five or
six immaterial circumstances, as is always I believe the case, and may
possibly have been done by me in relating this very story, though it
happened not many hours ago.

No sooner was the captain informed of the interruption which had been
given to his officer, and indeed to his orders, for he thought no time
so convenient as that of his absence for causing any confusion in the
cabin, than he leaped with such haste from his chair that he had like to
have broke his sword, with which he always begirt himself when he walked
out of his ship, and sometimes when he walked about in it; at the same
time, grasping eagerly that other implement called a cockade, which
modern soldiers wear on their helmets with the same view as the ancients
did their crests--to terrify the enemy he muttered something, but so
inarticulately that the word DAMN was only intelligible; he then hastily
took leave of the Swiss captain, who was too well bred to press his stay
on such an occasion, and leaped first from the ship to his boat, and
then from his boat to his own ship, with as much fierceness in his
looks as he had ever expressed