ht, in an
elevated tone of affected transport; "without the help of Heaven, indeed,
we are all vanity, imbecility, weakness, and wretchedness; but if thou
art resolved to embrace the life of an errant, let me not hear thee so
much as whisper a doubt, a wish, a hope, or sentiment with respect to any
other obstacle, which wind or weather, fire or water, sword or famine,
danger or disappointment, may throw in the way of thy career. When the
duty of thy profession calls, thou must singly rush upon innumerable
hosts of armed men. Thou must storm the breach in the mouth of batteries
loaded with death and destruction, while, every step thou movest, thou
art exposed to the horrible explosion of subterranean mines, which, being
sprung, will whirl thee aloft in air, a mangled corse, to feed the fowls
of heaven. Thou must leap into the abyss of dreadful caves and caverns,
replete with poisonous toads and hissing serpents; thou must plunge into
seas of burning sulphur; thou must launch upon the ocean in a crazy bark,
when the foaming billows roll mountains high--when the lightning flashes,
the thunder roars, and the howling tempest blows, as if it would commix
the jarring elements of air and water, earth and fire, and reduce all
nature to the original anarchy of chaos. Thus involved, thou must turn
thy prow full against the fury of the storm, and stem the boisterous
surge to thy destined port, though at the distance of a thousand leagues;
thou must"----

"Avast, avast, brother," exclaimed the impatient Crowe, "you've got into
the high latitudes, d'ye see. If so be as you spank it away at that
rate, adad, I can't continue in tow--we must cast off the rope, or 'ware
timbers. As for your 'osts and breeches, and hurling aloft, d'ye see--
your caves and caverns, whistling tuods and serpents, burning brimstone
and foaming billows, we must take our hap--I value 'em not a rotten
ratline; but as for sailing in the wind's eye, brother, you must give me
leave--no offence, I hope--I pretend to be a thoroughbred seaman, d'ye
see--and I'll be d--ned if you, or e'er an arrant that broke biscuit,
ever sailed in a three-mast vessel within five points of the wind,
allowing for variation and lee-way. No, no, brother, none of your tricks
upon travellers--I an't now to learn my compass." "Tricks!" cried the
knight, starting up, and laying his hand on the pummel of his sword,
"what! suspect my honour?"

Crowe, supposing him to be really incense