nd brought Negroes, poor souls! to slave
in our Plantations. The Mariner that was her commander had but dismal
news to tell me of my friendly Handsell. He, returning to the old
country, had it seems a Mighty Quarrel with his Patron--and my Patron
too, forsooth!--Villain Hopwood. Whether he had reproached him with his
treachery to me or not, I know not; but it is certain that both parted
full of Wrath and High Disdain, and each swearing to be the Ruin of the
other. But Gold had, as it has always in a Mammon-ridden world, the
longest, strongest pull. Devil Hopwood found it easy to get the better
of a poor unlettered tarpaulin, that knew well enough the way into a
Wapping Alehouse, but quite lost himself in threading the mazes of a
great man's Antechamber. 'Tis inconceivable how much dirty work there
was done in my young days between Corinthian columns and over Turkey
carpets, and under ceilings painted by Verrio and Laguerre. Sir Basil, I
believe, went to a great man, and puts a hundred guineas into the hands
of his Gentleman--by the which I mean his Menial Servant, save that he
wore no Livery; but there's many a Base wretch hath his soul in plush,
and the Devil's aigulets on his heart. How much out of the Hundred my
Lord took, and how much his Gentleman kept, it serves not to inquire.
They struck a Bargain, and short was the Time before Ruin came swooping
down on Captain Handsell. He had gone into the Channel trade; and they
must needs have him exchequered for smuggling brandies and lace from St.
Malo's. Quick on this follows a criminal Indictment, from which, as a
Fool, he flies; for he might at least have threatened to say damaging
things of Brute Basil in the dock, and have made terms with him before
trial came on. And then he must needs take command of a miserable lugger
that fetched and carried between Deal and Dunquerque--the old, old,
sorry tinpot business of kegs of strong waters, and worse contraband in
the guise of Jacobite despatches. To think of brave men's lives being
risked in these twopenny errands, and a heart of Oak brought to the
gallows, that clowns may get drunk the cheaper, or traitors--for your
Jacobite conspirators were but handy-dandy Judases, now to King James
and now to King George--exchange their rubbishing ciphers the easier!
It drives me wild to think of these pinchbeck enterprises. If a Man's
tastes lead him towards the Open, the Bold, and the Free, e'en let him
ship himself off to a far clima