oceeded immediately to the Hospital; the magnificent appearance
of which had an evident effect upon Tallyho, as he gazed upon its
exterior, and some of its venerable inhabitants taking their peaceable
walks before it, while others were seated on accommodating benches,
viewing the vessels passing up and down the river.

"Why," said Bob, "this Hospital is more like a Palace."

"It is," replied Tom, "a noble monument of National gratitude to its
defenders, who deserve to be protected and assisted when disabled for
service. Here the lame, the wounded, and the aged, are enabled to spin
out the thread of a useful existence, in comfortable retirement. It
was founded by William and Mary for invalid seamen, and many an
old Commodore and gallant hardy Tar is ~159~~ preserved in this
establishment, after being doused from his pins, to puff old sorrow away
and sing,

"Yet still I am enabled
To bring up in life's rear,
Although I'm quite disabled
And lie in Greenwich tier.
The King, God bless his Majesty,
Who sav'd me from the main,
I'll praise with Love and Loyalty,
But ne'er to sea again."

"You perceive," continued he, "that the costume of the place is a suit
of blue, with proper distinctions of rank and station allotted to each."

"But," inquired Bob, "some of them appear to have their coats turned
inside out; is that according to choice?"--"Not so," replied Tosi,
"that is a mark of disgrace, by way of punishment, for some errors or
improprieties of which they have been guilty; and there are some, in
spite of misfortune, who cannot forget former times, and occasionally
verify the words of the song--

"So in misfortune's school grown tough,
In this same sort of knowledge,
Thinking mayhap I'd had enough,
They sent me here to College.

And here we tell old tales and smoke,
And laugh while we are drinking;
Sailors, you know, will have their joke,
E'en though the ship were sinking.

For I while I get grog to drink
My wife, or friend, or King in,
'Twill be no easy thing, I think,
D---- me to spoil my singing."

And although used to severe discipline on board a ship, they do
sometimes forget what they are subject to here, and "slip the cable upon
an ocean of grog," grow dizzy over the binnacle, unship the rudder, lose
thei