Mr. Midshipman Easy

first lesson as to zeal

trongly advised him to put it off until the very last moment. As this advice happened to coincide with Jack's opinion, our hero was three weeks at Portsmouth before any one knew of his arrival, but at last Captain Wilson received a letter from Mr Easy, by which he found that Jack had left home at the period we have mentioned, and he desired the first lieutenant to make inquiries, as he was a

indignation of a first lieutenant defrauded three we

waiter, "Mr Easy has the front

how me up to t

easure of your name,

r names to midshipmen," replied Mr Sa

d upstairs, followed by Mr Sawb

s to see you, sir,

nd that the punch is a little better than it was yes

out in the best style for eight, a considerable show of plate for even the Fountain Inn, and everything, as well as the apart

owding into it-and with some grounds, as he perceived his own chance of promotion decrease in the same ratio as the numbers increased. He considered that in proportion as midshipmen assumed a cleaner and more gentlemanly appearance, so did they become more useless, and it may therefore be easily im

remarkably polite and gentlemanly in his addre

d may I beg to ask in return, sir, what is the reason y

d who during the answer had taken a seat, crossed his legs, and played with th

y, who a

chair, "my name is Sawbridge, sir, and I am the first l

tenant would strike terror to a culprit midshipman, threw

rd, my ignorance of the service will not allow me to guess, but if I

granted that you do not, by your behaviour; but depend upon it, I'll let you know

ied Jack, coolly. "I shall go on board when it suits my convenience, a

de, immediately entered, and before Mr Sawbridge, who was dumb wi

k, "show this gent

down to the boat, my young bantam; and when once I get you safe on board, I

r," replied Jack; "we are all bor

htened by-and-bye. I shall now go and report your conduct to Captain Wilson; and I tell you plainly, that if you are

, that I consider you a very quarrelsome, impertinent fellow, and recommend him not to allow you to r

ridge, whose astonishment even mastered hi

ck, "I am not mad, bu

next?-well, my joker, all the better for you

going to sea; and if you do remain on board, I hope to argue the point with

cles of war-that is, if you remain on board; but I shall now go to the captain, and

y sorry, as you happen to belong to the same ship, that I cannot, in justice to the gentl

idge, "and damme-but he's mad-downright, stark, staring

ers, shaggy hair, and old blue frock coat and yellow cassimere waistcoat, should venture to address him in such a manner, was quite incomprehensible;-he calls me

made a very faithful report of all that had happened, and concluded his report by dema

tter feelings. As for the court-martial, it will not hold good, for Mr Easy, in the first place, has not yet joined the ship, and in th

plied Sawbridge, "I

arger than a fish-pond, perhaps, in his life; and as for the service, or the nature of it, I believe he is as ignorant of it as a child not a year

not," replied

st have proceeded from sheer ignorance should be

ts of man. Told me that he could only admit of equality between us, and begged to argue the point. Now, sir, if

d there, and Mr Easy has always been upholding the principles of natural equality and of the rights of man, much to the amusement of his guests, and I confess, at the time, of mine also. I recollect telling him that I trusted he would never be able to disseminate his opinions in the service to which I belonged, as we should have an end of all dis

ght his pigs to a worse m

. Allowing them to be in themselves correct, still they are dangerous as sharp instruments are in the hands of a child;-allowing them to be erroneous, they are seized u

ave taken deep root in this young man, a

period, by one from whom they must have been received with all confidence-from a father to a

ng man is independent, would it not be both better for himself, as well as for the service, that he is sent home again? As an officer he will never do any good for himself, and he may do much harm to others. I submit this to you, Capta

ny years, and you must be aware that it is not only long friendship, but an intimate knowledge of your unrewarded merit, which has induced me to request yo

ect and all these hopes were likely to be dashed to the ground by the fact of having no means of fitting yourself out, no credit, no means of paying debts you have contracted, for which you would have been arrested, or anything sufficient to leave for the support of your family during your absence, your agent only consenting to advance one-half of what you require. Now, suppose, in this awkward dilemma, without anyone in this world upon whom you have any legitimate claim, as a last resource you were to apply to one with whom you have b

im," replied Sawbr

from a whim of the moment, the son of that

ther to him," re

doctrines, which would probably, if not eradicated, be attended with consequences fatal to his welfare and happiness, would you therefore,

with the son until, by precept or otherwise, I had set him right again, and thus ha

passed, that this lad you have just come from, is the

own such good-will towards one of our cloth, I shall most cheerfully forgive all that has passed b

cted as much, and am not disa

Wilson, pray wha

e, requesting him to breakfast with me to-morrow morning, and have a little conversation with him. I do not wi

a man with so good a heart should be so weak in the head! Then, sir, I shall

liged me very much by your

the pleasure of his company to breakfast at nine o'clock the ensuing morning. The answer was