" I was satisfy'd with my chain, and, as on
my death-bed, did now contentedly expect the coming hour.
In the mean time the tempest, acting the decrees of Fate, had rent all
the rigging from the vessel; no mast, no rudder left, not a rope or
plank, but an awkward shapeless body of a ship tost up and down the
flood.
The fisher-men that inhabited the sea-side, expecting a booty, in all
haste put out with their boats; but when they saw those in the vessel
that cou'd defend their own; they chang'd their design of pillaging to
succouring.
After a salute on both sides, unwonted murmurs, lilre that of some
beast, labouring to get out, proceeded from beneath the master's
cabin; upon which, following the sound, we found Eumolpus sitting
alone, and in his hand a large scroll of paper that he was filling,
even to the margent, with verses; we all were amaz'd to see a man
amuse himself with poetry, at a time when he had reason to think each
minute wou'd be his last, and having drawn him, malcing a great noise,
from his hole, we endeavour'd to recover him from his frenzy; but he
was in such a heat to be disturb'd, that "'Sdeath," said he, "let me
make an end of this couplet, it finishes the poem;" on which I took
hold of the mad man, and order'd the still murmuring poet to be hall'd
on shore.
When with some trouble we had got him on shore, we very pensively
enter'd one of the fishermen's huts, and howe're we feasted on our
meats the sea had corrupted, we had no comfortable night of 't.
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