, _if every
thing were to end here_? Would it not be blasphemy to say that, upon the
supposition of the thinking principle being _destroyed by death_,
however inferior we may be to the great Cause and Ruler of things, we
have _more of love_ in our nature than He has? The thought is monstrous;
and yet how to get rid of it, except upon the supposition of _another_
and a _better world_, I do not see. As to my departed brother, who leads
our minds at present to these reflections, he walked all his life pure
among many impure. Except a little hastiness of temper, when any thing
was done in a clumsy or bungling manner, or when improperly contradicted
upon occasions of not much importance, he had not one vice of his
profession. I never heard an oath, or even an indelicate expression or
allusion, from him in my life; his modesty was equal to that of the
purest woman. In prudence, in meekness, in self-denial, in fortitude, in
just desires and elegant and refined enjoyments, with an entire
simplicity of manners, life, and habit, he was all that could be wished
for in man; strong in health, and of a noble person, with every hope
about him that could render life dear, thinking of, and living only for,
others,--and we see what has been his end! So good must be better; so
high must be destined to be higher.

* * * * *

I will take this opportunity of saying, that the newspaper accounts of
the loss of the ship are throughout grossly inaccurate. The chief facts
I will state, in a few words, from the deposition at the India House of
one of the surviving officers. She struck at 5 P.M. Guns were fired
immediately, and were continued to be fired. She was gotten off the rock
at half-past seven, but had taken in so much water, in spite of constant
pumping, as to be water-logged. They had, however, hope that she might
still be run upon Weymouth Sands, and with this view continued pumping
and baling till eleven, when she went down. The longboat could not be
hoisted out, as, had that been done, there would have been no
possibility of the ship being run aground. I have mentioned these
things, because the newspaper accounts were such as tended to throw
discredit on my brother's conduct and personal firmness, stating that
the ship had struck an hour and a half before guns were fired, and that,
in the agony of the moment, the boats had been forgotten to be hoisted
out. We knew well this could not be; but, for the sak