Sociable Letters 295 



though the senses know not from what places, or 

 parts, cold comes, or what it causes, yet they know 

 that we have here at this time cold with all its potent 

 strength, as an army of flakes of snow, with ammuni- 

 tion of hail for bullets, and wind for powder; also 

 huge ships of ice, which float in the main sea, and stop 

 up all the narrow rivers; also cold and its army 

 shooting forth the peircing darts, which fly so thick 

 and fast, and are so sharp, as they enter into every 

 pore of the flesh of all animal creatures. Whereby 

 many animals are wounded with numbness, and die 

 insensibly; although mankind bring what strength 

 they can get against cold, as an army of furs, where 

 every hair stands out hke a squadron of pikes, to 

 resist cold's assault; and ammunition of coals serves 

 for bullets, and ashes for powder, with great loggs for 

 cannons, billets for muskets and carbines, brush 

 faggots for pistols, where the bellows as fire-locks, 

 make them fly up in a flame ; also great pieces of 

 beef for ships for men of war, with cabbage for sails, 

 sawsages for tacklings, carrots for guns, and marrow- 

 bones for masts, ballasted with pepper, and pitched 

 or tarred with mustard, the card and needle being 

 brewis and neats' tongues, the steers-men cooks, 

 besides many pinnaces of pork, mutton, and veal, 

 and flying boats, which are turkies, capons, geese, 

 and the like, all which swim in a large sea of wine, 

 beer, and ale. Yet for all this we are beaten into the 

 chimney-comer, and there we sit shaking and tremb- 

 ling like a company of cowards, that dare not stir 

 from their shelter; and many in the sea-fight have 

 been drowned, from whence some have been taken 

 up dead-drunk, then carried and buried in a feather- 

 bed, where, after a long sleep, they may have a resur- 

 rection; but how they will be judged at that time they 



