Whenonthatshiveringwinter’snight,thePequodthrusthervindictivebowsintothecoldmaliciouswaves,whoshouldIseestandingatherhelmbutBulkington!
Ilookedwithsympatheticaweandfearfulnessupontheman,whoinmid-winterjustlandedfromafouryears’dangerousvoyage,couldsounrestinglypushoffagainforstillanothertempestuousterm.Thelandseemedscorchingtohisfeet.
Wonderfullestthingsareevertheunmentionable;deepmemoriesyieldnoepitaphs;thissix-inchchapteristhestonelessgraveofBulkington.
Theportwouldfaingivesuccor;theportispitiful;intheportissafety,comfort,hearthstone,supper,warmblankets,friends,allthat’skindtoourmortalities.
Butinthatgale,theport,theland,isthatship’sdirestjeopardy;shemustflyallhospitality;onetouchofland,thoughitbutgrazethekeel,wouldmakehershudderthroughandthrough.
Withallhermightshecrowdsallsailoffshore;insodoing,fights‘gainsttheverywindsthatfainwouldblowherhomeward;seeksallthelashedsea’slandlessnessagain;forrefuge’ssakeforlornlyrushingintoperil;heronlyfriendherbitterestfoe!
Knowyenow,Bulkington?Glimpsesdoyeseemtoseeofthatmortallyintolerabletruth;thatalldeep,earnestthinkingisbuttheintrepideffortofthesoultokeeptheopenindependenceofhersea;whilethewildestwindsofheavenandearthconspiretocastheronthetreacherous,slavishshore?
Butasinlandlessnessaloneresideshighesttruth,shoreless,indefiniteasGod-sobetterisittoperishinthathowlinginfinite,thanbeingloriouslydasheduponthelee,evenifthatweresafety!Forworm-like,then,oh!whowouldcravencrawltoland!Terrorsoftheterrible!isallthisagonysovain?Takeheart,takeheart,OBulkington!Beartheegrimly,demigod!
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