mitchell-P044_A-2_6

“Now I would give a thousand furlongs of sea" "For one acre of barren ground.”

Those things, which under a mistaken apprehen- tion we are prone to contemn, we frequently desire, when they are beyond our reach. - Thus a youth is often found, who will spurn at that, easy mediorcrity, which the mechanical or aggrecultural art promises, and, which it most assuredly gives, and but will aspire after that, for which he has neither a natural genius [2], nor a adapted [8] constitution. – The production of such a course, is disappointment and vexation, and frequent ejaculations for those opportunities, which have fled away. A striking illustration of this remark, we have in the history of Inscientia. The parents of this [yth] [2] were had a good living, acquered in the persuit of husbandry, at which occupation, he had spent his minority. When he had come to age, it was the whicch wish of his father, that he would establish himself in the same

livelihood. – He promise his assistance, and offered him some land. – But it is all “barren land.” says Inscientia, “I shall have” continued he, “to toil and slave myself all the days of my life for little or nothing; I am resolve to seek my fortune at the sea; this is an easy business; The sailors have only to spread their sails, and the ship goes of itself. This is a lucretive pursuit; high wages is given, and I shall myself soon be the owner of a ship, and then you will see, how much better it is to plough the ocean, than “barren land.” -- This intimation started his parents, and the rest of the familly; they could not support the thought of his following the sea. Hence every expostulation, which both parental affection and kindred love could suggest, were employed to desuade him; but all proved unavailing. He went to a sea port, and soon found a ship bound on a foreign voyage. – After some preliminary regulations, he signed the ship’s paper as one of her crew. ---

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Every preparation being made, the ship being ready, the day of departure arrived. The morning was pleasant; and the sun Phoebus shone with foreboding beams, from her eastern chamber, while from the west EAeolus sent a favourable breeze gladdening the heart of sailors. – Order being given, the anchor was weighed, and the canvass unfurl’d. – The whar- ves stones and surrounding sceneries indicated that the ship was in motion. – Her spreading sails under the direction of a skillful pilot, soon wafted her out of the harbour. - Before the setting sun had gilded western horizon, or the spangled canopy was spreading over the etherial arch, the prospect was “undique caelum, undique pontum”. – All that Inscientia had hithertoo seen, was agreable and pleasing. - The ease, with which the ship was kept in her steady course, by the well-directed helm; her majectic appearance from the full swollen sails; and her easy glide over the blue domaine, all efforded animating delight. - For ten days, all was clear sky, and smooth sea. - Neither EAeolis, nor Neptune presented a

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frown. – But on the eleventh there wa a change. - The sun was concealed by the thick black clouds rapidly flying; the wind blew much harder, than on the preceeding day; and the ship laboured with many a pitch over the agitated ocean. - Inscientia began now to perceive, that it was not always pleasant and smooth sailing, as he had learnt on the preceeding days, that it was not all idleness, while a ship was sailing. Night came on and the watch in which Inscientia was, had leave to go below deck. But they had not retired long, before a sound new to Insc. was heard. After three knocks on the companion way, and as many thumps with the foot, the Chpt. sung out, All hands! A hoi! turn out, to take in sails. –No time was to be lost. - The watch went on deck; And the scene appeared new indeed th to Insc. The wind was blowing with tremendious force; waves, mountain high, were rolling, and dashing against each other with irresistible fury. - The darkness, which equal'd the the fabled Cimmerian, made the white foam of the surround water appear like

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sea of fire. The ship following the agitated swells of the ocean, now rises high towards the heavens, now sinks into watery vallies. – The roar of thunder, and the flashes of lightening, added to the sublimity of the awful scene. - The heart of Insc. had already sunk within him, but it was still more terrefied, when the Capt said, “run up my lad, and furl that main topt galland sail.” - Now [8] Insc. felt, and forcibly repeated those words of Shakespeare’s “Now I would give a thousand furlongs of sea F For one acre of barren land” ------------

E. Mitchell

Dartmouth Coll. Composition No. 2 ------------------ --------- -------- ---------

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