The wooden world dissected : in the character of a ship of war, as also, the characters of all the officers, from the captain to the common sailor / by the author of The London-spy.

Ned Ward

Date:: 1779

Credit: The wooden world dissected : in the character of a ship of war, as also, the characters of all the officers, from the captain to the common sailor / by the author of The London-spy. Source: Wellcome Collection.

17/94 (page 9)

$ce] ing large fpy-glafs, which yet one would fancy to be no_good one, becaufe his honour is very often found to fee double through it. The firft thing he peeps at, thro’ his trufty {py- all, is, the chafe’s port-holes ; if fhe is well ftock’d with thefe in hisapprehenfion, he won’t look twice; for friend or enemy, fhe is a feurvy fight at a di- ftance, and it is no wifdom to venture within reach of his own eyes, becaufe ‘L'artars are fwift- Footed. He is a great admirer of a fleet failor, and had rather have a good runner, than a fhip of great force ; for if he can’t take, he car leave, and there is no honour loft, if he but come off with his ba- con; fo that willingly he would fall in with none but merchant fhips; all befides is dry meat, and very unpalatable to a man that has his quick fenfes. If fhe loom to his with, he is as brifk as bottled ale, and flies at her with all the fail he can pack 35. and fain would he have you fancy, that he fhews his much courage by his much crowding; but the boat{wain perhaps will mutter you under the rofe, it is the trick ef a hound to be yare at hares only. The truth is, he generally looks as fierce and eager as a tyger purfuing a deer; but if when he has got a-breaft of his enemy, he finds, that fhe is better flefh’dthan he thought for, the Belle-Air unfortunately then deferts him, and you may fair- ly read his apprehenfions in his very countenance. He has a rare hand at playing away his lieute- nants upon hair-brain’d enterprizes; for he is as. prodigal as the devil of other mens blood, when money is in the way, and always makes ufe of a lieutenant’s paw to draw it out of danger; for though it is mighty common with him to quit the faip, without leave, for a good dinner, yet he makes$