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.

  • Ward, Edward, 1667-1731
Date:
1779
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

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.

    14/94 (page 6)
    (083), Sometimes 2 humble fupplicant is admitted to the threfhold, ufher’d in by the barber, the mafter of his ceremonies ; and while this poor mendicant addrefles him with fear and trembling, this fon of Boreas (that he might not daunt the creature too much) looks round, and turns his fternpoft direétly upon him. It muft be a great change of weather indeed, awhen he deigns to walk the quarter-deck ; for juch a proftitution of his prefence, he thinks, weakens his authority, and makes his worfhip lefs yeverenced by the fhip’s crew. Here he is eafily diftinguithed from all befides; for his fteps bear proportion with the height of his poft, ftalking along with grave ftate, like the ehoft m the Libertine. Upon his firft popping up, the heutenants theer off to the other fide, as if he was a ghoft indeed ; for “tis impudence for any to approach him with- in the length of a boat-hook. By this fervile obetfance, one would fancy him fome conftellation dropt from the clouds, or that at leaft he was monarch of far more territories, than ever he touched at in all his voyagings. He fulfils to a tittle the never-failing proverb, Set a beggar on horfeback, and he'll ride to Peg Cran= cum’s ; for being once mounted his wooden fteed, there is no ftopping his career, for he makes eve- ry thing fheer before him. Hevis an everlaffing admirer of that old faying, Familiarity breeds contempt ; which he takes in fo extenfive a fenfe, that he allows no diftin¢ction be- twixt an oflicer and a fwabber; exacting infinitely more ceremony from his lieutenant, than he will allow to God Almighty. In fine, locking allar ound, and a: his an Oo