much
gospel to _her_."

"I shall have to quarantine this fellow, in the long run, Bluewater! I
do believe if I were to take him to Lambeth Palace, or even to St.
James's, he'd thrust his oar into the archbishop's benedictions, or the
queen's caudle-cup!"

"Well, Sir Gervaise, where would be the great harm, if I did? A man as
knows the use of an oar, may be trusted with one, even in a church, or
an abbey. When your honour comes to hear what the dishes was, as Sir
Wycherly's cook had never heard on, you'll think it as great a cur'osity
as I do myself. If I had just leave to name 'em over, I think as both
you gentlemen would look at it as remarkable."

"What are they, Galleygo?" inquired Bluewater, putting one of his long
legs over an arm of the adjoining chair, in order to indulge himself in
a yarn with his friend's steward, with greater freedom; for he greatly
delighted in Galleygo's peculiarities; seeing just enough of the fellow
to find amusement, without annoyance in them. "I'll answer for Sir
Gervaise, who is always a little diffident about boasting of the
superiority of a ship, over a house."

"Yes, your honour, that he is--that is just one of Sir Jarvy's weak
p'ints, as a body might say. Now, I never goes ashore, without trimming
sharp up, and luffing athwart every person's hawse, I fall in with;
which is as much as to tell 'em, I belongs to a flag-ship, and a racer,
and a craft as hasn't her equal on salt-water; no disparagement to the
bit of bunting at the mizzen-topgallant-mast-head of the Caesar, or to
the ship that carries it. I hopes, as we are so well acquainted, Admiral
Bluewater, no offence will be taken."

"Where none is meant, none ought to be taken, my friend. Now let us hear
your bill-of-fare."

"Well, sir, the very first dish I mentioned to Mrs. Larder, Sir
Wycherly's cook, was lobscous; and, would you believe it, gentlemen, the
poor woman had never heard of it! I began with a light hand, as it might
be, just not to overwhelm her with knowledge, at a blow, as Sir Jarvy
captivated the French frigate with the upper tier of guns, that he might
take her alive, like."

"And the lady knew nothing of a lobscous--neither of its essence, nor
nature?"

"There's no essences as is ever put in a lobscous, besides potaties,
Admiral Bluewater; thof we make 'em in the old Planter"--_nautice_ for
Plantagenet--"in so liquorish a fashion, you might well think they even
had Jamaiky, in 'em. No, potaties is th