attention　of　any　man　in　power；　and　should　thus　be　the　means　of
  applying　any　remedy　to　the　most　inveterate　evils；　at　least；　I
  have　obtained　my　whole　desire；　and　shall　have　lain　so　long
  wind…bound　in　the　ports　of　this　kingdom　to　some　purpose。　　I
  would；　indeed；　have　this　workwhich；　if　I　should　live　to　finish
  it；　a　matter　of　no　great　certainty；　if　indeed　of　any　great　hope
  to　me；　will　be　probably　the　last　I　shall　ever　undertaketo
  produce　some　better　end　than　the　mere　diversion　of　the　reader。
  Monday。This　day　our　captain　went　ashore；　to　dine　with　a
  gentleman　who　lives　in　these　parts；　and　who　so　exactly　resembles
  the　character　given　by　Homer　of　Axylus；　that　the　only　difference
  I　can　trace　between　them　is；　the　one；　living　by　the　highway；
  erected　his　hospitality　chiefly　in　favor　of　land…travelers；　and
  the　other；　living　by　the　water…side；　gratified　his　humanity　by
  accommodating　the　wants　of　the　mariner。
  In　the　evening　our　commander　received　a　visit　from　a　brother
  bashaw；　who　lay　wind…bound　in　the　same　harbor。　　This　latter
  captain　was　a　Swiss。　　He　was　then　master　of　a　vessel　bound　to
  Guinea；　and　had　formerly　been　a　privateering；　when　our　own　hero
  was　employed　in　the　same　laudable　service。　　The　honesty　and
  freedom　of　the　Switzer；　his　vivacity；　in　which　he　was　in　no
  respect　inferior　to　his　near　neighbors　the　French；　the　awkward
  and　affected　politeness；　which　was　likewise　of　French　extraction；
  mixed　with　the　brutal　roughness　of　the　English　tarfor　he　had
  served　under　the　colors　of　this　nation　and　his　crew　had　been　of
  the　samemade　such　an　odd　variety；　such　a　hotch…potch　of
  character；　that　I　should　have　been　much　diverted　with　him；　had
  not　his　voice；　which　was　as　loud　as　a　speaking…trumpet；
  unfortunately　made　my　head　ache。　　The　noise　which　he　conveyed
  into　the　deaf　ears　of　his　brother　captain；　who　sat　on　one　side　of
  him；　the　soft　addresses　with　which；　mixed　with　awkward　bows；　he
  saluted　the　ladies　on　the　other；　were　so　agreeably　contrasted；
  that　a　man　must　not　only　have　been　void　of　all　taste　of　humor；
  and　insensible　of　mirth；　but　duller　than　Cibber　is　represented　in
  the　Dunciad；　who　could　be　unentertained　with　him　a　little　while；
  for；　I　confess；　such　entertainments　should　always　be　very　short；
  as　they　are　very　liable　to　pall。　　But　he　suffered　not　this　to
  happen　at　present；　for；　having　given　us　his　company　a　quarter　of
  an　hour　only；　he　retired；　after　many　apologies　for　the　shortness
  of　his　visit。
  Tuesday。The　wind　being　less　boisterous　than　it　had　hitherto
  been　since　our　arrival　here；　several　fishing…boats；　which　the
  tempestuous　weather　yesterday　had　prevented　from　working；　came　on
  board　us　with　fish。　　This　was　so　fresh；　so　good　in　kind；　and　so
  very　cheap；　that　we　supplied　ourselves　in　great　numbers；　among
  which　were　very　large　soles　at　fourpence　a　pair；　and　whitings　of
  almost　a　preposterous　size　at　ninepence　a　score。　　The　only　fish
  which　bore　any　price　was　a　john　doree；　as　it　is　called。　　I　bought
  one　of　at　least　four　pounds　weight　for　as　many　shillings。　　It
  resembles　a　turbot　in　shape；　but　exceeds　it　in　firmness　and
  flavor。　　The　price　had　the　appearance　of　being　considerable　when
  opposed　to　the　extraordinary　cheapness　of　others　of　value；　but
  was；　in　truth；　so　very　reasonable　when　estimated　by　its　goodness；
  that　it　left　me　under　no　other　surprise　than　how　the　gentlemen　of
  this　country；　not　greatly　eminent　for　the　delicacy　of　their
  taste；　had　discovered　the　preference　of　the　doree　to　all　other
  fish：　　but　I　was　informed　that　Mr。　Quin；　whose　distinguishing
  tooth　hath　been　so　justly　celebrated；　had　lately　visited
  Plymouth；　and　had　done　those　honors　to　the　doree　which　are　so
  justly　due　to　it　from　that　sect　of　modern　philosophers　who；　with
  Sir　Epicure　Mammon；　or　Sir　Epicure　Quin；　their　head；　seem　more　to
  delight　in　a　fish…pond　than　in　a　garden；　as　the　old　Epicureans
  are　said　to　have　done。
  Unfortunately　for　the　fishmongers　of　London；　the　doree　resides
  only　in　those　seas；　for；　could　any　of　this　company　but　convey　one
  to　the　temple　of　luxury　under　the　Piazza；　where　Macklin　the
  high…priest　daily　serves　up　his　rich　offerings　to　that　goddess；
  great　would　be　the　reward　of　that　fishmonger；　in　blessings　poured
  down　upon　him　from　the　goddess；　as　great　would　his　merit　be
  towards　the　high…priest；　who　could　never　be　thought　to　overrate
  such　valuable　incense。
  And　here；　having　mentioned　the　extreme　cheapness　of　fish　in　the
  Devonshire　sea；　and　given　some　little　hint　of　the　extreme
  dearness　with　which　this　commodity　is　dispensed　by　those　who　deal
  in　it　in　London；　I　cannot　pass　on　without　throwing　forth　an
  observation　or　two；　with　the　same　view　with　which　I　have
  scattered　my　several　remarks　through　this　voyage；　sufficiently
  satisfied　in　having　finished　my　life；　as　I　have　probably　lost　it；
  in　the　service　of　my　country；　from　the　best　of　motives；　though　it
  should　be　attended　with　the　worst　of　success。　　Means　are　always
  in　our　power；　ends　are　very　seldom　so。
  Of　all　the　animal　foods　with　which　man　is　furnished；　there　are
  none　so　plenty　as　fish。　　A　little　rivulet；　that　glides　almost
  unperceived　through　a　vast　tract　of　rich　land；　will　support　more
  hundreds　with　the　flesh　of　its　inhabitants　than　the　meadow　will
  nourish　individuals。　　But　if　this　be　true　of　rivers；　it　is　much
  truer　of　the　sea…shores；　which　abound　with　such　immense　variety
  of　fish　that　the　curious　fisherman；　after　he　hath　made　his
  draught；　often　culls　only　the　daintiest　part　and　leaves　the　rest
  of　his　prey　to　perish　on　the　shore。　　If　this　be　true　it　would
  appear；　I　think；　that　there　is　nothing　which　might　be　had　in　such
  abundance；　and　consequently　so　cheap；　as　fish；　of　which　Nature
  seems　to　have　provided　such　inexhaustible　stores　with　some
  peculiar　design。　　In　the　production　of　terrestrial　animals　she
  proceeds　with　such　slowness；　that　in　the　larger　kind　a　single
  female　seldom　produces　more　than　one　a…year；　and　this　again
  requires　three；　for；　or　five　years　more　to　bring　it　to
  perfection。　　And　though　the　lesser　quadrupeds；　those　of　the　wild
  kind　particularly；　with　the　birds；　do　multiply　much　faster；　yet
  can　none　of　these　bear　any　proportion　with　the　aquatic　animals；
  of　whom　every　female　matrix　is　furnished　with　an　annual　offspring
  almost　exceeding　the　power　of　numbers；　and　which；　in　many
  instances　at　least；　a　single　year　is　capable　of　bringing　to　some
  degree　of　maturity。
  What　then　ought　in　general　to　be　so　plentiful；　what　so　cheap；　as
  fish？　　What　then　so　properly　the　food　of　the　poor？　　So　in　many
  places　they　are；　and　so　might　they　always　be　in　great　cities；
  which　are　always　situated　near　the　sea；　or　on　the　conflux　of
  large　rivers。　　How　comes　it　then；　to　look　no　farther　abroad　for
  instances；　that　in　our　city　of　London　the　case　is　so　far
  otherwise　that；　except　that　of　sprats；　there　is　not　one　poor
  palate　in　a　hundred　that　knows　the　taste　of　fish？
  It　is　true　indeed　that　this　taste　is　generally　of　such　excellent
  flavor　that　it　exceeds　the　power　of　French　cookery　to　treat　the
  palates　of　the　rich　with　anything　more　exquisitely　delicate；　so
  that　was　fish　the　common　food　of　the　poor　it　might　put　them　too
  much　upon　an　equality　with　their　betters　in　the　great　article　of
  eating；　in　which；　at　present；　in　the　opinion　of　some；　the　great
  difference　in　happiness　between　man　and　man　consists。　　But　this
  argument　I　shall　treat　with　the　utmost　disdain：　　for　if　ortolans
  were　as　big　as　buzzards；　and　at　the　same　time　as　plenty　as
  sparrows；　I　should　hold　it　yet　reasonable　to　indulge　the　poor
  with　the　dainty；　and　that　for　this　cause　especially；　that　the
  rich　would　soon　find　a　sparrow；　if　as　scarce　as　an　ortolan；　to　be
  much　the　greater；　as　it　would　certainly　be　the　rarer；　dainty　of
  the　two。
  Vanity　or　scarcity　will　be　always　the　favorite　of　luxury；　but
  honest　hunger　will　be　satisfied　with　plenty。　　Not　to　search
  deeper　into　the　cause　of　the　evil；　I　should　think　it　abundantly
  sufficient　to　propose　the　remedies　of　it。　　And；　first；　I　humbly
  submit　the　absolute　necessity　of　immediately　hanging　all　the
  fishmongers　within　the　bills　of　mortality；　and；　however　it　might
  have　been　some　time　ago　the　opinion　of　mild　and　temporizing　men
  that　the　evil　complained　of　might　be　removed　by　gentler　methods；
  I　suppose　at　this　day　there　are　none　who　do　not　see　the
  impossibility　of　using　such　with　any　effect。　　Cuncta　prius
  tentanda　might　have　been　formerly　urged　with　some　plausibility；
  but　cuncta　prius　tentata　may　now　be　replied：　　for　surely；　if　a
  few　monopolizing　fishmongers　could　defeat　that　excellent　scheme
  of　the　Westminster　market；　to　the　erecting　which　so　many　justices
  of　peace；　as　well　as　other　wise　and　learned　men；　did　so
  vehemently　apply　themselves；　that　they　might　be　truly　said　not
  only　to　have　laid　the　whole　strength　of　their　heads；　but　of　their
  shoulders　too；　to　the　business；　it　would　be　a　vain　endeavor　for
  any　other　body　of　men　to　attempt　to　remove　so　stubborn　a
  nuisance。
  If　it　should　be　doubt