instead　of　being　the　same　man；　he　scarce　remembers　what　he　was　a
  few　hours　before。　　And　this　transformation；　being　once　obtained；
  is　so　easily　preserved　by　the　same　potations；　which　induced　no
  satiety；　that　the　captain　in　vain　sends　or　goes　in　quest　of　his
  crew。　　They　know　him　no　longer；　or；　if　they　do；　they　acknowledge
  not　his　power；　having　indeed　as　entirely　forgotten　themselves　as
  if　they　had　taken　a　large　draught　of　the　river　of　Lethe。
  Nor　is　the　captain　always　sure　of　even　finding　out　the　place　to
  which　Circe　hath　conveyed　them。　　There　are　many　of　those　houses
  in　every　port…town。　　Nay；　there　are　some　where　the　sorceress
  doth　not　trust　only　to　her　drugs；　but　hath　instruments　of　a
  different　kind　to　execute　her　purposes；　by　whose　means　the　tar　is
  effectually　secreted　from　the　knowledge　and　pursuit　of　his
  captain。　　This　would；　indeed；　be　very　fatal；　was　it　not　for　one
  circumstance；　that　the　sailor　is　seldom　provided　with　the　proper
  bait　for　these　harpies。　　However；　the　contrary　sometimes　happens；
  as　these　harpies　will　bite　at　almost　anything；　and　will　snap　at　a
  pair　of　silver　buttons；　or　buckles；　as　surely　as　at　the　specie
  itself。　　Nay；　sometimes　they　are　so　voracious；　that　the　very
  naked　hook　will　go　down；　and　the　jolly　young　sailor　is　sacrificed
  for　his　own　sake。
  In　vain；　at　such　a　season　as　this；　would　the　vows　of　a　pious
  heathen　have　prevailed　over　Neptune；　Aeolus；　or　any　other　marine
  deity。　　In　vain　would　the　prayers　of　a　Christian　captain　be
  attended　with　the　like　success。　　The　wind　may　change　how　it
  pleases　while　all　hands　are　on　shore；　the　anchor　would　remain
  firm　in　the　ground；　and　the　ship　would　continue　in　durance；
  unless；　like　other　forcible　prison…breakers；　it　forcibly　got
  loose　for　no　good　purpose。　　Now；　as　the　favor　of　winds　and
  courts；　and　such　like；　is　always　to　be　laid　hold　on　at　the　very
  first　motion；　for　within　twenty…four　hours　all　may　be　changed
  again；　so；　in　the　former　case；　the　loss　of　a　day　may　be　the　loss
  of　a　voyage：　　for；　though　it　may　appear　to　persons　not　well
  skilled　in　navigation；　who　see　ships　meet　and　sail　by　each　other；
  that　the　wind　blows　sometimes　east　and　west；　north　and　south；
  backwards　and　forwards；　at　the　same　instant；　yet；　certain　it　is
  that　the　land　is　so　contrived；　that　even　the　same　wind　will　not；
  like　the　same　horse；　always　bring　a　man　to　the　end　of　his
  journey；　but；　that　the　gale　which　the　mariner　prayed　heartily　for
  yesterday；　he　may　as　heartily　deprecate　to…morrow；　while　all　use
  and　benefit　which　would　have　arisen　to　him　from　the　westerly　wind
  of　to…morrow　may　be　totally　lost　and　thrown　away　by　neglecting
  the　offer　of　the　easterly　blast　which　blows　to…day。
  Hence　ensues　grief　and　disreputation　to　the　innocent　captain；
  loss　and　disappointment　to　the　worthy　merchant；　and　not　seldom
  great　prejudice　to　the　trade　of　a　nation　whose　manufactures　are
  thus　liable　to　lie　unsold　in　a　foreign　warehouse　the　market　being
  forestalled　by　some　rival　whose　sailors　are　under　a　better
  discipline。　　To　guard　against　these　inconveniences　the　prudent
  captain　takes　every　precaution　in　his　power；　he　makes　the
  strongest　contracts　with　his　crew；　and　thereby　binds　them　so
  firmly；　that　none　but　the　greatest　or　least　of　men　can　break
  through　them　with　impunity；　but　for　one　of　these　two　reasons；
  which　I　will　not　determine；　the　sailor；　like　his　brother　fish　the
  eel；　is　too　slippery　to　be　held；　and　plunges　into　his　element
  with　perfect　impunity。　　To　speak　a　plain　truth；　there　is　no
  trusting　to　any　contract　with　one　whom　the　wise　citizens　of
  London　call　a　bad　man；　for；　with　such　a　one；　though　your　bond　be
  ever　so　strong；　it　will　prove　in　the　end　good　for　nothing。
  What　then　is　to　be　done　in　this　case？　　What；　indeed；　but　to　call
  in　the　assistance　of　that　tremendous　magistrate；　the　justice　of
  peace；　who　can；　and　often　doth；　lay　good　and　bad　men　in　equal
  durance；　and；　though　he　seldom　cares　to　stretch　his　bonds　to　what
  is　great；　never　finds　anything　too　minute　for　their　detention；
  but　will　hold　the　smallest　reptile　alive　so　fast　in　his　noose；
  that　he　can　never　get　out　till　he　is　let　drop　through　it。　　Why；
  therefore；　upon　the　breach　of　those　contracts；　should　not　an
  immediate　application　be　made　to　the　nearest　magistrate　of　this
  order；　who　should　be　empowered　to　convey　the　delinquent　either　to
  ship　or　to　prison；　at　the　election　of　the　captain；　to　be　fettered
  by　the　leg　in　either　place？　　But；　as　the　case　now　stands；　the
  condition　of　this　poor　captain　without　any　commission；　and　of
  this　absolute　commander　without　any　power；　is　much　worse　than　we
  have　hitherto　shown　it　to　be；　for；　notwithstanding　all　the
  aforesaid　contracts　to　sail　in　the　good　ship　the　Elizabeth；　if
  the　sailor　should；　for　better　wages；　find　it　more　his　interest　to
  go　on　board　the　better　ship　the　Mary；　either　before　their　setting
  out　or　on　their　speedy　meeting　in　some　port；　he　may　prefer　the
  latter　without　any　other　danger　than　that　of　〃doing　what　he　ought
  not　to　have　done；〃　contrary　to　a　rule　which　he　is　seldom
  Christian　enough　to　have　much　at　heart；　while　the　captain　is
  generally　too　good　a　Christian　to　punish　a　man　out　of　revenge
  only；　when　he　is　to　be　at　a　considerable　expense　for　so　doing。
  There　are　many　other　deficiencies　in　our　laws　relating　to
  maritime　affairs；　and　which　would　probably　have　been　long　since
  corrected；　had　we　any　seamen　in　the　House　of　Commons。　　Not　that　I
  would　insinuate　that　the　legislature　wants　a　supply　of　many
  gentlemen　in　the　sea…service；　but；　as　these　gentlemen　are　by
  their　attendance　in　the　house　unfortunately　prevented　from　ever
  going　to　sea；　and　there　learning　what　they　might　communicate　to
  their　landed　brethren；　these　latter　remain　as　ignorant　in　that
  branch　of　knowledge　as　they　would　be　if　none　but　courtiers　and
  fox…hunters　had　been　elected　into　parliament；　without　a　single
  fish　among　them。　　The　following　seems　to　me　to　be　an　effect　of
  this　kind；　and　it　strikes　me　the　stronger　as　I　remember　the　case
  to　have　happened；　and　remember　it　to　have　been　dispunishable。　　A
  captain　of　a　trading　vessel；　of　which　he　was　part　owner；　took　in
  a　large　freight　of　oats　at　Liverpool；　consigned　to　the　market　at
  Bearkey：　　this　he　carried　to　a　port　in　Hampshire；　and　there　sold
  it　as　his　own；　and；　freighting　his　vessel　with　wheat　for　the　port
  of　Cadiz；　in　Spain；　dropped　it　at　Oporto　in　his　way；　and　there；
  selling　it　for　his　own　use；　took　in　a　lading　of　wine；　with　which
  he　sailed　again；　and；　having　converted　it　in　the　same　manner；
  together　with　a　large　sum　of　money　with　which　he　was　intrusted；
  for　the　benefit　of　certain　merchants；　sold　the　ship　and　cargo　in
  another　port；　and　then　wisely　sat　down　contented　with　the　fortune
  he　had　made；　and　returned　to　London　to　enjoy　the　remainder　of　his
  days；　with　the　fruits　of　his　former　labors　and　a　good　conscience。
  The　sum　he　brought　home　with　him　consisted　of　near　six　thousand
  pounds；　all　in　specie；　and　most　of　it　in　that　coin　which　Portugal
  distributes　so　liberally　over　Europe。
  He　was　not　yet　old　enough　to　be　past　all　sense　of　pleasure；　nor
  so　puffed　up　with　the　pride　of　his　good　fortune　as　to　overlook
  his　old　acquaintances　the　journeymen　tailors；　from　among　whom　he
  had　been　formerly　pressed　into　the　sea…service；　and；　having　there
  laid　the　foundation　of　his　future　success　by　his　shares　in
  prizes；　had　afterwards　become　captain　of　a　trading　vessel；　in
  which　he　purchased　an　interest；　and　had　soon　begun　to　trade　in
  the　honorable　manner　above　mentioned。　　The　captain　now　took　up
  his　residence　at　an　ale…house　in　Drury…lane；　where；　having　all
  his　money　by　him　in　a　trunk；　he　spent　about　five　pounds　a　day
  among　his　old　friends　the　gentlemen　and　ladies　of　those　parts。
  The　merchant　of　Liverpool；　having　luckily　had　notice　from　a
  friend　during　the　blaze　of　his　fortune；　did；　by　the　assistance　of
  a　justice　of　peace；　without　the　assistance　of　the　law；　recover
  his　whole　loss。　　The　captain；　however；　wisely　chose　to　refund　no
  more；　but；　perceiving　with　what　hasty　strides　Envy　was　pursuing
  his　fortune；　he　took　speedy　means　to　retire　out　of　her　reach；　and
  to　enjoy　the　rest　of　his　wealth　in　an　inglorious　obscurity；　nor
  could　the　same　justice　overtake　him　time　enough　to　assist　a
  second　merchant　as　he　had　done　the　first。
  This　was　a　very　extraordinary　case；　and　the　more　so　as　the
  ingenious　gentleman　had　steered　entirely　clear　of　all　crimes　in
  our　law。　　Now；　how　it　comes　about　that　a　robbery　so　very　easy　to
  be　committed；　and　to　which　there　is　such　immediate　temptation
  always　before　the　eyes　of　these　fellows；　should　receive　the
  encouragement　of　impunity；　is　to　be　accounted　for　only　from　the
  oversight　of　the　legislature；　as　that　oversight　can　only　be；　I
  think；　derived　from　the　reasons　I　have　assigned　for　it。
  But　I　will　dwell　no　longer　on　this　subject。　　If　what　I　have　here
  said　should　seem　of　sufficient　consequence　to　engage　the
  attention　of　any　man　in　power；　and　should　thus　be　the　means　of
  applyi