400 
MOBY DICK; OR 
he gives a few fierce bites and surly dabs with his paw; we escape, 
and hail Virgo, the Virgin ! that’s our first love ; we marry and think to 
be happy for aye, when pop comes Libra, or the Scales — happiness 
weighed and found wanting; and while we are very sad about that, 
Lord! how we suddenly jump, as Scorpio, or the Scorpion, stings us 
in rear ; we are curing the wound, when, whang comes the arrows all 
round; Sagittarius, or the Archer, is amusing himself. As we pluck 
out the shafts, stand aside! here’s the battering-ram, Capricomus, or 
the Goat ; full tilt, he comes rushing, and headlong we are tossed ; when 
Aquarius, or the Water-bearer, pours out his. whole deluge and drowns 
us; and to wind up with Pisces, or the Fishes, we sleep. There’s 
a sermon now, writ in high heaven, and the sun goes through it every 
year, and yet comes out of it all alive and hearty. Jollily he, aloft 
there, wheels through toil and trouble; and so, alow here, does jolly 
Stubb. Oh, jolly’s the word for aye! Adieu, Doubloon! But 
stop; here comes little King-Post; dodge round the try-works, now, 
and let’s hear what he’ll have to say. There ; he’s before it ; he’ll out 
with something presently. So, so; he’s beginning.” 
“I see nothing here, but a round thing made of gold, and whoever 
raises a certain, whale, this round thing belongs to him. So, what’s 
all this staring been about? It is worth sixteen dollars^ that’s true; 
and at two cents the cigar, that’s nine hundred and sixty cigars. I 
won’t smoke dirty pipes like Stubb, but I like cigars, and here’s nine 
hundred and sixty of them ; so here goes Flask aloft to spy ’em out.” 
“Shall I call that wise or foolish, now; if it be really wise it has 
a foolish look to it; yet, if it be really foolish, then has it a sort of 
wiseish look to it. But, avast; here comes our old Manxman — the 
old hearse-driver, he must have been, that is, before he took to the sea. 
He luffs up before the doubloon; halloa, and goes round on the other 
side of the mast; why, there’s a horseshoe nailed on that side; and 
now he’s back again ; what does that mean ? Hark ! he’s muttering — 
voice like an old worn-out coffee-mill. Prick ears, and listen !” 
“If the White Whale be raised, it must be in a month and a day, 
when the sun stands in some one of these signs. I’ve studied signs, 
and know their marks; they were taught me two score years ago, by 
