The Merry Past 



done anything in his power for you ?" "Yes," replied 

 the brave seaman, " that he would ; he would have 

 gone to hell to serve me." " That's a great way to go. 

 Captain Nagle," observed the monarch, with a smile, 

 and, putting spurs to his horse, rode off, vastly en- 

 joying the roughly told tale. 



Naval officers, though ready enough for a joke, 

 were not men to be trifled with, as those who at- 

 tempted anything of the sort soon discovered. A 

 sea captain, on his way home and travelling without 

 a servant, stopped to dine at an inn on the Chester 

 road, and ordered a pair of ducks, which he saw 

 ready at the kitchen fire, up to his table. The cap- 

 tain's desire had been just complied with, when some 

 country bucks came in, hungry as hawks, after a 

 morning's sport, and eagerly enquired what could be 

 had to eat. Like a true Boniface, the landlord 

 enumerated what he had not, in order to apologise 

 for what he had ; among other things he mentioned 

 the ducks, which had been only a minute before served 

 up for the captain's dinner. " Sea captain, indeed ! " 

 gibingly exclaimed one of the chagrined group. 

 '' D — n me ! I'll lay fifty to five the fellow does not 

 know a fox from a ferret. Here, waiter, take my 

 watch up to the son of a sea-cook, present my compli- 

 ments to him, and request him to tell me what 

 o'clock it is." The captain heard the message, took 

 the watch, and, with great civility, returned his 

 respects, with an assurance that as soon as he had 

 dined he would endeavour to satisfy the enquiry. 

 The bucks, who were chuckling at the affront which 



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