very sad sign to the sailors, if at any time the fire is but one, a happy one when there are two. Antiquity believed these to be Castor and Pollux.

A. What have they to do with sailors, of which one was a horseman, the other a boxer?

B. So it seemed good to the poets. The master, who sat at the helm, says, Comrade, (for sailors call one another by that name) do you see what company covers your side? I see, answered he, and I wish that it may be lucky. By and by the fiery globe sliding along the ropes, rolls itself, to the master.

A. Was he not killed with fear?

'B. Sailors are used to strange things. There staying a little while, it rolled itself along the edges of the whole ship, after that slipping through the middle of the decks, it vanished away. About noon the storm began to rage more and more. Have you seen the Alps ever?

A. I have seen them.

B. Those mountains are mole-hills, if they be compared to the waves of the sea. As oft as we were lifted up on high, one might have touched the moon with a finger. As oft as we were let down, we seemed to go

directly into hell, the earth gaping.

A. O mad folks! who trust themselves to the sea.

B. The sailors struggling in vain with the tempest, at length the master all pale came to us.

A. That paleness presages some great evil.

B. Friends, said he, I have ceased to be master of my ship; the winds have conquered; it remains that we place our hope in God; and every one prepare himself for extremities.

A. O speech truly Scythian!

B. But first quoth he, the ship is to be unloaded; so necessity commands, a hard weapon; it is better to take care of life, with the loss of goods, than to perish together with our goods. Truth persuaded; very many vessels full of precious wares were thrown into the

sea.

A. This was truly to make loss.

B. A certain Italian was there, who had been ambassador with the king of Scotland; he had a box full of silver vessels, rings, cloth, and silk cloths.

A. Would not he compound with the sea?

B. No, but he desired either to perish with his beloved riches, or to be saved

together with them; therefore he refused.

A. What said the master?

B. You might for us, quoth he, perish alone with your things; but it is not fit that we all should be endangered for the sake of your box, otherwise we will throw you headlong into the sea, together with your box. A. A speech truly sailorlike!

B. So the Italian too made loss; wishing many evil things to those above and below, that he had trusted his life to so barbarous an element: A little after the winds made nothing milder by our presents, broke the ropes, tore away the sails.

A. O calamity! B. There again the sailor comes to us.

A. To make a speech? B. He salutes us. Friends,. says he, the time exhorts that every one commend himself to God, and prepare himself for death. Being asked by some not unskilled in the sailing business, for how many hours he believed he could mentain the ship, he denied that he could promise any thing, but that he could: not above three hours.

A. This speech was even harder than the former.

B. When he had said this, he orders all the ropes to be cut, and the mast to be cut with a saw, close by the case, into which it is put, and to be tumbled together with the sail-yards into the sea.

A. Why this?

B. Because the sail being taken away or torn, it was a burden, not of use; all our hope was in the helm.

A. What in the mean time did the passengers?

B. There you would have seen a miserable face of things. The sailors, singing, God save you, O Queen, implored the Virgin Mother, calling her the star of the sea, the Queen of heaven, lady of the world, harbour of safety, and flattering her with many other titles, which the holy scriptures no where attribute to her.

A. What has she to do with the sea, who never sailed, I believe?

B. Venus formerly took. care of the sailors, because she was believed to be born of the sea; because she has ceased to take care, the virgin mother is substituted to this mother, not a virgin.

A. You banter.

B. Some falling down upon the boards, worshiped the sea, pouring what-: soever oil there was into the

waves, flattering it no otherwise than we use to do an angry prince.

A. What did they say? B. O most merciful sea! O most noble sea! O most rich sea! grow mild: save us. They sung many things of this kind to the deaf sea. A. Ridiculous superstition! what did others?

B. Some did nothing else than vomit, most put up vows. There was there a certain Englishman, who promised golden mountains to the maid of Walsingham, if he touched land alive. Others promised many things to the wood of the cross, which was in such a place, others again to that which was in such a place. The same was done as to the Virgin Mary, who reigns in many places, and they think the vow to no purpose, unless you express the place.

A. Ridiculous! as tho' the saints do not dwell in the heavens.

B. There were who promised that they would be Carthusians. There was one who promised that he would go to James, who dwells at Compostella, bare foot and head with his body only covered with an iron coat of mail, besides this begging his meat.

A. Did nobody mention Christopher?

B. I heard one not without smiling, who, with a clear voice, lest he should not be heard, promised Christopher, who is at Paris on the top of a church, a mountain more truly than a statue, a wax candle, as big as he was himself. When bawling out this as hard as he could, he inculcated it now and then; he that by chance, stood next, known to him, touched him with his elbow, and advised him, have a care what you promise, for though you make an auction of all your goods, you'll not be able to pay. Then he says with a voice now lower, to wit, lest Christopher should hear, Hold your tongue; you fool; do you think I speak from my heart? if once I touch land, I'll not give him a tallow candle.

A. O gross wit! I suspect he was a Dutchman. B. No, but he was a Zealander.

A. I wonder that Paul the apostle come into nobody's mind, who sailed bimself formerly, and, the ship being wrecked, leaped out upon land, for he not being ignorant of evil, has learnt to succour the miserable.

B. There was no mention of Paul.

A. Did they pray in the mean time?