Part 27 (1/2)
But, soon after this agreearrison by an express fro that the commodore lay at the point of death; and, in less than an hour after the receipt of this melancholy piece of news, he set out post for his uncle's habitation, having previously taken leave of Crabtree, who promised to meet him in two months in London; and settled a correspondence with Gauntlet, who proposed to re the rest of the season
CHAPTER LXXIII
Peregrine arrives at the Garrison, where he receives the last Adns his Breath, and is buried according to his own Directions--Some Gentlemen in the Country make a fruitless Attempt to accommodate Matters betwixt Mr Gamaliel Pickle and his eldest Son
About four o'clock in the enerous uncle in extremity, supported in bed by Julia on one side, and Lieutenant Hatchway on the other, while Mr
Jolter administered spiritual consolation to his soul; and bethiles comforted Mrs Trunnion, ith her reat decoru just taken his last fee, and retired, after pronouncing the fatal prognostic, in which he anxiously wished he h the commodore's speech was interrupted by a violent hiccup, he still retained the use of his senses; and, when Peregrine approached, stretched out his hand with entleratitude and affection, could not behold such a spectacle unmoved He endeavoured to conceal his tenderness, which, in the wildness of his youth, and the pride of his disposition, he considered as a derogation from his ushed from his eyes, while he kissed the old rief, that, when he atteue denied its office; so that the coth, and consoled hiood lad, and coil up your spirits You ive way, because you see o down at these years Many a better man has foundered before he has made half my way; thof I trust, by the lasses, and fast ood friend Jolter hath overhauled the journal of my sins, and, by the observation he hath taken of the state of e, and be brought up in the latitude of heaven
Here has been a doctor that wanted to stow me chock full of physic; but, when ahis departure with a 'pothecary's shop in his hold? Those fellows coers of the Ad orders; but I told him as how I could slip my cable without his direction or assistance, and so he hauled off in dudgeon This cursed hiccupin the current of my speech, that mayhap you don't understand what I say Nohile the sucker of s, which I hope you will set down in the log-book of your reme whiht, ware, she's an honest heart in her oay, and, thof she goes a little crank and huion, she has been a faithful shi+pmate to me, and I daresay she never turned in with another man since we first embarked in the same bottom Jack Hatchway, you know the triland, and I believe she has a kindness for you; whereby, if you till grapple in the way of one, I do suppose that arrison all the days of your life”
Peregrine assured him, he would with pleasure comply with any request he should make in behalf of two persons whoish sneer, which even the gravity of the situation could not prevent, thanked the the coed to hi to promote him to the command of a vessel which he hi, he should be content to take charge of her, though he could not help being shy of coator
Trunnion, exhausted as he was, smiled at this sally, and, after some pause, resumed his admonitions in this manner:--”I need not talk of Pipes, because I know you'll do for him without any recoale, and I'll warrant him as stout a seaman as ever set face to the weather But I hope you'll take care of the rest of my crew, and not disrate them after I a wohter, I'm informed as how she's an excellent wench, and has a respect for you; whereby, if you run her on board in an unlaay, I leave my curse upon you, and trust you will never prosper in the voyage of life But I believe you are more of an honest , of all love, you wool take care of your constitution, and beware of running foul of harlots, who are no better than soout a fair face for the destruction of passengers; thof I must say, for ers, and yet I have gone to sea for the space of thirty years But howsomever, steer your course clear of all such bri to law, as you would shun the devil; and look upon all attorneys as devouring sharks, or ravenous fish of prey As soon as the breath is out of round I would also be buried in the red jacket I had on when I boarded and took the Renummy Let my pistols, cutlass, and pocket-co with ed in the black caps and white shi+rts which ood look out, that none of your pilfering rascallions ain, for the lucre of what they can get, until the carcase is belayed by a tombstone As for the motto, or what you call it, I leave that to you and Mr Jolter, who are scholars; but I do desire, that it os, and lish, that, when the angel coreat day, he may know that I aue And now I have no more to say, but God in heaven have mercy upon my soul, and send you all fair weather, wheresoever you are bound”
So saying, he regarded every individual around hi his eye, composed himself to rest, while the whole audience, Pipes himself not excepted, were melted with sorrow; and Mrs Trunnion consented to quit the roouish of seeing him expire
His last an to doze, and enjoyed s which remissions, he was heard to pour forthhis hope, that, for all the heavy cargo of his sins, he should be able to suret aloft to the cross-trees of God's good favour At last his voice sunk so low as not to be distinguished; and, having lain about an hour, alhost with a groan which announced his decease
Julia was no sooner certified of thisaloud; and ioodand her attendants Peregrine and Hatchway retired till the corpse should be laid out; and Pipes having surveyed the body, with a face of rueful attention,--”Well fare thy soul! old Hawser Trunnion,” said he: ”man and boy I have known thee these five-and-thirty years, and sure a truer heart never broke biscuit
Many a hard gale hast thou weathered; but now thy spells are all over, and thy hull fairly laid up A better commander I'd never desire to serve; and who knows but Iin another world?”
All the servants of the house were affected with the loss of their old hbourhood asses, expressed their sorrow for the death of their charitable benefactor Peregrine, though he felt everything which love and gratitude could inspire on this occasion, was not sothe ave directions about the funeral with great discretion, after having paid the compliments of condolence to his aunt, whom he consoled with the assurance of his inviolable estee to be arrison, and invited all the neighbouring gentle his father and brother Gam, who did not, however, honour the cereh to visit her sister-in-law in her distress
In the method of interment, the commodore's injunctions were obeyed to a title; and at the same time our hero made a donation of fifty pounds to the poor of the parish, as a benefaction which his uncle had forgot to bequeath Having performed these obsequies with the most pious punctuality, he examined the will, to which there was no addition since it had first been executed, adjusted the pay sole executor, took an account of the estate to which he had succeeded, which, after all deductions, amounted to thirty thousand pounds The possession of such a fortune, of which he was absolute master, did not at all contribute to the hurandeur and hest pinnacle of expectation
His do settled, he was visited by alentleratulation on his accession to the estate; and soood offices towards a reconciliation betwixt his father and hieneral detestation which was entertained for his brother Gahbours as a prodigy of insolence andsquire thanked them for their kind proposal, which he accepted; and old Gamaliel, at their entreaties, seemed very well disposed to any accommodation: but as he would not venture to declare himself before he had consulted his wife, his favourable disposition was rendered altogether ineffectual, by the instigations of that ined all expectation of being reunited to his father's house His brother, as usual, took all opportunities of injuring his character, by false aspersions, and stories misrepresented, in order to prejudice his reputation; nor was his sister Julia suffered to enjoy her good fortune in peace Had he undergone such persecution from an alien to his blood, the world would have heard of his revenge; but, notwithstanding his indignation, he was too uinity, to lift his arainst the son of his own parents; and this consideration abridged the terarrison, where he had proposed to stay for someGentle settled his doe--He meets with Emilia, and is introduced to her Uncle
His aunt, at the earnest solicitations of Julia and her husband, took up her quarters at the house of that affectionate kinswoman, who made it her chief study to comfort and cherish the disconsolate ; and Jolter, in expectation of the living, which was not yet vacant, rearrison, in quality of land-steward upon our hero's country estate