Manners had withheld him till the laft; which Idea of Manners alfo, fhall oblige us to give the Honourable Captain Charles Bounce, Commander of the ***

a feparate Chapter; this, as it cannot be done otherwife, we here conclude what we have in Hand.

A Scene of Altercation between the Captain and Mrs. Rachael Stiffrump. The Author makes a fhrewder Remark than Machiavel. Mrs. Rachael's pious Difpofition appears in a true Light. The Captain begins and ends his Story in a very short Space, and fhews his Courage, bis Cunning, and another Thing beginning with a C. to the End of the Chapter. Surgeon Macpherson appears like Honour in Falstaff's Opinion, with no great Skill in Surgery.

TH

HE Evening being part in the common way, next Morning the Captain put Mrs. Rachael in mind of her Promife, Or damme, fays he, but I will 'blow you.' < Blow me, fays fhe; pray, Captain, have a little Care of your poor immortal Soul, and don't fwear fo; don't you know that there will be a Day of Reckoning, when you will be brought to an Account for every idle Expreffion?'

• Me

DAMME, fays the Captain, no canting, Madam; did not I catch you with Rochester's bawdy Poems Yesterday in your Hand, thumb'd all over. with that Heathen's Poems in my Hand, fays Mrs. Rachael; I am fure I never faw any fuch pro'fane Book in my Life, and I defy you to prove it; I never read any but the divine Hymns of the Reverend Mr. Watts; I read fuch Books which lead to Damination! I call the Lord to witnefs I never faw them in my Life, and I defy you to prove it.'

AND here the Captain first perceived his Error, in having given up the Prize which he had feized the Day before. It feems Mrs. Rachael, though the loved a lufcious Tale, had yet a greater Love for her Reputation, and had therefore given the Caufe of this Storm

of

of the Captain's, as Jonah was given of Old to the Waves and the Whale's Belly, if Whales delight in eating Poetry as well as Prophets; thus there being no Proof but the Captain's Word against Mrs. Rachael's, the first of which the found that all the Ship's Crew had no great Opinion of, the refted fafely on her Lye cover'd by Hypocrify, yet undiscovered, against the Captain's true Story, who was fufpected of fometimes deviating from the ftrait Line; and this fhews fomething more than Machiavel has advanced in his Prince, that private People as well as Potentates, if they intend to gain Credit and Character amongst Men, must pretend, at leaft, to believe in the Objects of Religion.

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HOWEVER, fays Mrs. Rachael, if you will tell me 'what I am to do for you, Captain, if there be nothing finful in the Affair, I fhall not refuse to serve you, 'where I can.'

THE Captain then told her he wanted her Affiftance in accomplishing his Defign on Mifs Lydia'; ⚫ and without it, fays he, damme, it cannot be done.' LORD, look down upon me,' fays Mrs. Rachael, turning up her Eyes, and lifting up her Hands, can Men be fo wicked: Shall I damn my precious Soul to fatisfy your wicked Will? O Captain! Captain! I wonder the Sea does not fwallow us up!'

WELL, fays the Captain, here is this Diamondring, which coft me two hundred Guineas, I will give you this; and damme, fays he, but I will throw myfelf over-board, or fhoot myfelf thro' the Head, if you do not affist me.'

OH Captain! Captain! let not the Devil take poffeffion of you fo; call upon the Name of the Lord, he will be your Friend in the Day of Temptation.'

WELL, fays the Captain, damme, but I will shoot myfelf; and thus you will be answerable for my Death, and the Sin lie at your Door.

MRS. Rachael then afked him what was to be done; fays fhe, I would not have you kill yourself, all covered with Sin and Wickednefs, and go directly into Hell-fire I think all good Chriftians fhould endeavour to fave a Soul alive for Repentance, therefore ' give

give me the Ring, and if I can fave your poor precious Soul, I fhall do my best Endeavours; the 'Lord forbid I fhould not do my best Endeavours to prevent the eternal Destruction of an immortal Soul, even of my Enemies, much more of my Friends.'

THE Captain then gave her the Ring, and the Converfation being interrupted, Mrs. Rachael agreed to affift in faving the Captain's Soul, by ruining Mifs Lydia Fairchild's.

Now, tho' many People may conceive that a Present of two hundred Guineas in a Diamond-ring, is a fuffi cient Temptation, and thorough Juftification, to ruin an innocent Beauty, yet Mrs. Rachael had another Incentive, which frequently operates very ftrongly in fome Female Bofoms; this was the different Refpe&t and Attention that Mifs Lydia's Beauty, Innocence, Truth, and good Nature, had drawn from the Company, in Preference to the Uglinefs, Affectations, Hypocrify, and ill Nature, in herself, and the Thoughts of her being yet chafte, which Mrs. Rachael was not; this had determined her to exert every Effort in favour of the Captain's Defigns.

THE Afternoon advancing on, the Company was fummoned to attend the Captain's Story, which was begun and ended in the following Manner.

WHEN I was a Boy, fays he, damine, if I believe 'there ever was fuch an unlucky Dog in the World; I ' loft my Maidenhead before I was fixteen, and I'll tell · you how.'

AT which Words, Lieutenant Probit defired the Captain to confider there were Ladies in Company; his Heart, which knew the Captain's Gothic Tafte, trembled for the Infult which this Story might make on the chafte Ears of Mifs Lydia; fo delicate and refined true Passion makes every Heart.

PARSON Pugh faid, I tefire you, Captain, look you, 'that you whill confiter that my Gown whill not per'mit fuch Conferfations, Name o' Cot;' and Mrs. Rachael declared, the would leave the Cabin and the Company.

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AT thefe words, the Captain fwore that he would not utter an indecent Word, and continued, • well then, at fixteen Years old, my Mother, Lady Bounce's Maid, being handfome enough, I had a devilifh

• Mind to.'

HERE Probit trembled like the Needle in a Compafs when 'tis fhaken, pointing ftill to Mifs Lydia ; when the defired the Captain to defift from his Account, for that she had heard Love-ftories enough: At the fame time, a Sailor cried, a Sail;' and as it came nearer, they faw a French Enfign; this ftopt the Converfation effectually.

UPON this, the Captain hoifted the English Enfign, and expected the French would pay them the Compliment of the Flag, as is ufual in Times of Peace Ship was of the fame Size, carrying fixty Guns.

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each

BEING difappointed in this Expectation, the Captain was for continuing his Courfe; when Mac Valor fwore by God he would die, or fupport the Honour of England; Probit faid the fame, forgetting one Minute his lovely Lydia's Affright and Danger.

"BEAR down upon her, fays Mac Valor, my Lads, what fay you for the Honour of old England? which was anfwered chearfully in a Huzza, for the Honour of old England, by the Crew. Parfon Pugh cried, Aye faith, for the Honour of old Englant, including Wales, look you;' and Surgeon Macpherfon acquiefced, not a little pleafed by the Hopes of feeing the Nature of Gun-fhot Wounds, < Now,

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fays he, I fhall begen collacting Hiftories for a Treatife on that Subject, which is much wanted in Scotland.'

THE Honourable Captain Charles Bounce, feeing Things proceed in this Manner, pretended to laugh at the Words, the Honour of old England,' as if there is any Honour in hindering another Ship from carrying an Enfign; fays he, Is not the Sea as much belonging to the French as to us? and have not they an equal right to carry a flag, if they please? No, fays Mac Valor, they have not, nor fhall they whilft I have the • Honour of the King's Commission.?

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• A WISE

A WISE thing indeed, fays the Honourable Captain Bounce, to murder three or four hundred human Ĉrea⚫tures in a Difpute, whether a French Ship fhall carry

a white Enfign, a Piece of white Linen, in the Pre⚫fence of an English! this is Honour! this is a reasonable Thing! If it were a Prize of ten or twenty ⚫thoufand Pounds, fomething might be faid for it: but to kill each other for the Word Honour, and a white Flag, a reasonable Thing truly.'

DAMME, fays Mac Valor, but in my.Opinion, the Honour of a Nation is the only Reason which can be given for a War at all; and he that does not feel and fight for that, will not ferve his Country, upon my Shalvafhion. By Jefus, I love Money as much as another, and more too, and yet I would fee my Children starve alive, before I would refufe to do juf'tice to the Honour of the Nation that gives them Bread. My Lads, ftand by me, and I'll fetch down her Flag, or fall myself.' Which Words the Sailors received with a Huzza of Approbation.

AND here it may not be amifs to fay, the World is generally mistaken in their Opinions of the Understanding of common Men. In all Regiments, the Officers true Characters are soon understood in the Field; the Contempt or Regard is vifible in every common Soldier, according to the true Defert of every one of them; and the Execution of each Regiment in the Day of Battle, is in Proportion to the Opinions which they entertain of their Officers: The fame happens on board Ships of War; and not a Sailor on board the ****** believed, at that the Honourable Captain Bounce was a Coward, and therefore despised him; and that the Lieutenants were Men of Courage, and therefore loved them.

Mac Valor, Probit, and other Officers, being all preparing to attack this French Ship, the Captain tried another Expedient; he took Mac Valor afide, fays he, 'Mac Valor, you know not what a damned Scrape you are going to run into; hark'ye, you'll be broke by I have private Orders from the Duke ' of ***** not to offend the French on any Account; we are in no Condition to go to War;

pfhaw,