3l8 STUDIES OF NATURE^ 



** rate, violent, impious, commending and blam- 

 " ing, without difcernment, whatever they iee per- 

 " formed." 



** It is not the Sea which has corrupted them," 

 replied Cephas; " they have brought with them 

 the paffions of the land. It is the love of riches, 

 idlenefs, and the defire of giving themfelves up 

 to all manner of irregularities, when on (hore, 

 which determines a great number of men to 

 enter into the fea-fervice, for the purpofe of en- 

 riching themfelves; and, as thev cannot acquire, 

 without a great deal of trouble, the means of 

 gratification on this element, you always fee 

 them reftlefs, fullen, and impatient, becaufe 

 there is nothing fo difcontented as vice, when 

 it finds itfelf in the road of virtue. A fliip is 

 the crucible in which morals are put to the teft. 

 There, the wicked degenerate more and more, 

 and the good become better. Virtue, however, 

 can derive advantage from every fituation. Pro- 

 fiting by their defeats, you may here leain 

 equally to defpife abufe, and idle applaufe ; to 

 aâ: fo as to merit your own approbation, and to 

 have no other witnefs of your aflions but the 

 Gods. He who is defirous of doing good to 

 Mankind, muft inure himfelf betimes to fubmit 

 to unkind treatment from them. It is by the 

 labour of the body, and the injufliee of men, 



** that 



