here. 1. Her disregard for herself in daubing her
hands. When I consider a lady in Juvenal who did the same, I am led to
think she was Billy's mistress. But then Billy disregards her; this
makes me think again she was his wife. Yet perhaps not; Billy had got
another mistress. 2. The second observation is upon the name she
assumes, Richard Carr. Commentators are much divided upon this head; why
she chose that name in preference to any other. I must confess they talk
rather silly on this topic; I conjecture the name was given here because
it was a good rhyme to tar; this is no mean or inconsiderable reason, as
the poets will all testify. But let the reader decide this at his
leisure; let us now proceed:--

"An engagement came on the very next morning:
Bold she fit among the rest;
The wind aside did blow her Jacket,
And diskivered her lily-white breast."

Here was a trial for the lady: but she sustained it; she fought boldly,
fought like a man. But mark the sequel; the wind blows aside her jacket;
her lily-white breast is exposed to the lawless gaze of the sailors!
Here was a sight! no doubt it inspired them with double valour and
gained them a victory: for they certainly were victorious, though the
poet judiciously passes over the inferior topic, and hastens to his main
subject.

The captain gains intelligence of her heroism, or in the musical
simplicity of the original, "kims for to know it:" with honest bluntness
he exclaims "Vat vind has blown you to me?" The character of the sea
captain is well supported: he does not say, "how came you here?" but in
the characteristic language of profession, "vat vind has blown you to
me?" The classical reader will be pleased also with the similarity this
expression bears to a passage in the AEneid; it is in the speech of
Andromache to AEneas on a like occasion of surprise:

"Sed tibi qui cursum venti, quae fata dedere?
Aut quisquam ignarum nostris Deus appulit oris?"

It must be confessed, that the Latin is more pompous, perhaps more
elegant; but what it gains in refinement, it loses in simplicity. The
chief thing however to be remarked is, that the same language always
suggests itself on the same occasion. But let us attend to the lady's
answer:

"Kind sir: I be kim for to seek my true-love,
Vhom you press'd and sent to sea."

The pathos of this speech is inimitable. Observe with what art, or
rather with what nature, it is worked up,