Page:The Naval Officer (1829), vol. 2.djvu/60

 "His royal highness shall certainly hear your advice, Mr. Neptune; but whether he will follow it or not is not for me to say. Would you please to drink his royal highness's good health?"

"With all my heart, Sir; I was always loyal to my king, and ready to drink his health, and to fight for him."

The captain presented the god with a bumper of Madeira, and another to the goddess.

"Here's a good health and a long life to our gracious king and all the royal family. The roads are unknown dusty, and we hav'n't wet our lips since we left St. Thomas on the line, this morning. But we have no time to lose, captain," said the sea god: "I see many new faces here, as requires washing and shaving; and if we add bleeding and physic, they will be all the better for it."

The captain nodded assent; and Neptune, striking the deck with the end of his trident, commanded attention, and thus addressed his