sper in the voyage
of life. But I believe you are more of an honest man, than to behave
so much like a pirate. I beg, of all love, you wool take care of your
constitution, and beware of running foul of harlots, who are no better
than so many mermaids, that sit upon rocks in the sea, and hang out a
fair face for the destruction of passengers; thof I must say, for my own
part, I never met with any of those sweet singers, and yet I have gone
to sea for the space of thirty years. But howsomever, steer your course
clear of all such brimstone b--s. Shun going to law, as you would shun
the devil; and look upon all attorneys as devouring sharks, or ravenous
fish of prey. As soon as the breath is out of my body, let minute guns
be fired, till I am safe under ground. I would also be buried in the
red jacket I had on when I boarded and took the Renummy. Let my pistols,
cutlass, and pocket-compass be laid in the coffin along with me. Let
me be carried to the grave by my own men, rigged in the black caps and
white shirts which my barge's crew were wont to wear; and they must keep
a good look out, that none of your pilfering rascallions may come and
heave me up again, for the lucre of what they can get, until the carcase
is belayed by a tombstone. As for the motto, or what you call it, I
leave that to you and Mr. Jolter, who are scholars; but I do desire,
that it may not be engraved in the Greek or Latin lingos, and much less
in the French, which I abominate, but in plain English, that, when the
angel comes to pipe all hands, at the great day, he may know that I am a
British man, and speak to me in my mother tongue. And now I have no more
to say, but God in heaven have mercy upon my soul, and send you all fair
weather, wheresoever you are bound."

So saying, he regarded every individual around him with a look of
complacency, and closing his eye, composed himself to rest, while the
whole audience, Pipes himself not excepted, were melted with sorrow; and
Mrs. Trunnion consented to quit the room, that she might not be exposed
to the unspeakable anguish of seeing him expire.

His last moments, however, were not so near as they imagined. He began
to doze, and enjoyed small intervals of ease, till next day in the
afternoon; during which remissions, he was heard to pour forth many
pious ejaculations, expressing his hope, that, for all the heavy cargo
of his sins, he should be able to surmount the puttock-shrouds of
despair, and get aloft t