no man is born to be a flave, unless to him who is able to make him fo.

THIRDLY, This fubjection is absolute, and confifts of a perfect refignation both of body and foul to the disposal of another; after which refignation, during a certain time, his fubject retains no more power over his own will, than an Afiatic flave, or an English wife, by the laws of both countries, and by the cuftoms of one of them. If I fhould mention the inftance of a ftagecoachman, many of my readers would recognize the truth of what I have here obferved; all indeed, that ever have been under the dominion of that tyrant, who, in this free country, is as absolute as a Turkish Bafhaw. In two particulars only his power is defective ; he cannot prefs you into his fervice, and if you enter yourself at one place, on condition of being difcharged at a certain time at another, he is obliged to perform his agreement, if God permit: but, all the intermediate time, you are

absolutely

abfolutely under his government; he carries you how he will, when he will, and whither he will, provided it be not much out of the road; you have nothing to eat, or to drink, but what, and when, and where he pleases. Nay, you cannot fleep, unless he pleafes you fhould; for he will order you fome imes out of bed at midnight, and hurry you away at a moment's warning: indeed, if you can fleep in his vehicle, he cannot prevent it; nay, indeed, to give him his due, this he is ordinarily difpofed to encourage; for the earlier he forces you to rife in the morning, the more time he will give you in the heat of the day, fometimes even fix hours at an alehouse, or at their doors, where he always gives you the fame indulgence which he allows himself; and for this he is generally very moderate in his demands. I have known a whole bundle of paffengers charged no more than half a crown for being fuffered to remain quiet at an alehoufe door, for above a whole hour, D 6

and

and that even in the hottest day in fummer.

BUT as this kind of tyranny, tho' it hath escaped our political writers, hath been, I think, touched by our dramatic, and is more trite among the generality of readers; and as this and all other kinds of fuch fubjection are alike unknown to my friends, I will quit the paffengers by land, and treat of thofe who travel by water: for whatever is faid on this fubject is applicable to both alike, and we may bring them together as closely as they are brought in the liturgy, when they are recom mended to the prayers of all Chriftian congregations; and (which I have often thought very remarkable) where they are joined with other miferable wretches, fuch as, women in labour, people in fickness, infants just born, prifoners and captives.

GOODS and paffengers are conveyed by water in divers vehicles, the prin-.

cipal

cipal of which being a ship, it shall fuffice to mention that alone. Here the tyrant doth not, denive his title, as the ftage-coachman doth, from the vehicle itself, in which he ftows his goods and paffengers, but he is called the captain; a word of fuch various ufe and uncertain fignification, that it feems very difficult to fix any positive idea to it if indeed there be any general meaning which may comprehend all its different, ufes,, that of the head, or chief, of any, body of men, feems to be moft capable of this comprehension ; for whether they be a company of foldiers, a crew of failors, or a gang of rogues, he who is at the head of them, is always filed the captain.

The captain, whofe fortune it was to ftow, us aboard, laid a farther claim to, this appellation than the bare command{ of a vehicle, of conveyance. He had, been the captain of a privateer, which he looked upon as being in the king's fervice; and, in this capacity he had

gained great honour, having diftinguifhed his bravery in fome very warm engagements, for which he had justly received public thanks; and from hence he derived a right of hoifting the military ornament of a cockade over the button of his hat, and of wearing a fword of no ordinary length.

Now, as I faw myself in danger from these unavoidable delays, and as the wind had been long nefted, as it were, in the fouth-weft, where it conftantly blew hurricanes, I began with great reafon to apprehend that our voyage might be long, and that my belly, which began already to be much extended, would require the water to be let out at a time when no affistance was at hand; though, indeed, the captain comforted me with affurances, that he had a pretty young fellow on board, who acted as his furgeon, as I found he likewife did as fteward, cook, butler, failor. In fhort, he had as many offices as Scrub in the play, and went through

them