s the most honourable and generous
commander in the king's service, without asparagement or acception of
man, woman, or child."

Having uttered this elegant harangue, on which he seemed to plume
himself, Morgan replied, "I do partly guess, and conceive, and
understand your meaning, which I wish could be more explicit; but,
however, I do suppose, I am not to be condemned upon bare hearsay; or,
if I am convicted of speaking disrespectfully of Captain Oakum, I hope
there is no treason in my words." "But there's mutiny, by G--d, and
that's death by the articles of war!" cried Oakum: "In the meantime, let
the witnesses be called." Hereupon Mackshane's servant appeared, and the
boy of our mess, whom they had seduced and tutored for the purpose. The
first declared, that Morgan as he descended the cockpit-ladder one day,
cursed the captain, and called him a savage beast, saying, he ought to
be hunted down as an enemy to mankind. "This," said the clerk, "is a
strong presumption of a design, formed against the captain's life. For
why? It presupposes malice aforethought, and a criminal intention a
priori." "Right," said the captain to this miserable grub, who had
been an attorney's boy, "you shall have law enough: here's Cook and
Littlejohn to it." This evidence was confirmed by the boy, who affirmed,
he heard the first mate say, that the captain had no more bowels than a
bear, and the surgeon had no more brain than an ass. Then the sentinel,
who heard our discourse on the poop was examined, and informed the court
that the Welshman assured me, Captain Oakum and Doctor Mackshane would
toss upon billows of burning brimstone in hell for their barbarity. The
clerk observed, that there was an evident prejudication, which confirmed
the former suspicion of a conspiracy against the life of Captain Oakum;
for, because, how could Morgan so positively pronounce that the captain
and surgeon would d--n'd, unless he had intention to make away with them
before they could have time to repent? This sage explanation had great
weight with our noble commander, who exclaimed, "What have you to say to
this, Taffy? you seem to be taken all a-back, brother, ha!" Morgan
was too much of a gentleman to disown the text, although he absolutely
denied the truth of the comment. Upon which the captain, strutting up
to him with a ferocious countenance, said, "So Mr. son of a bitch, you
confess you honoured me with the names of bear and beast, and pronounced
my da