English
ThechiefmateofthePequodwasStarbuck,anativeofNantucket,andaQuakerbydescent.
Hewasalong,earnestman,andthoughbornonanicycoast,seemedwelladaptedtoendurehotlatitudes,hisfleshbeinghardastwice-bakedbiscuit.
TransportedtotheIndies,hislivebloodwouldnotspoillikebottledale.
Hemusthavebeenborninsometimeofgeneraldroughtandfamine,orupononeofthosefastdaysforwhichhisstateisfamous.
Onlysomethirtyandsummershadheseen;thosesummershaddriedupallhisphysicalsuperfluousness.
Butthis,histhinness,sotospeak,seemednomorethetokenofwastinganxietiesandcares,thanitseemedtheindicationofanybodilyblight.
Itwasmerelythecondensationoftheman.
Hewasbynomeansill-looking;quitethecontrary.
Hispuretightskinwasanexcellentfit;andcloselywrappedupinit,andembalmedwithinnerhealthandstrength,likearevivifiedEgyptian,thisStarbuckseemedpreparedtoendureforlongagestocome,andtoendurealways,asnow;forbeitPolarsnowortorridsun,likeapatentchronometer,hisinteriorvitalitywaswarrantedtodowellinallclimates.
Lookingintohiseves,youseemedtoseetheretheyetlingeringimagesofthosethousand-foldperilshehadcalmlyconfrontedthroughlife.
Astaid,steadfastman,whoselifeforthemostpartwasatellingpantomimeofaction,andnotatamechapterofsounds.
Yet,forallhishardysobrietyandfortitude,therewerecertainqualitiesinhimwhichattimesaffected,andinsomecasesseemedwellnightooverbalancealltherest.
Uncommonlyconscientiousforaseaman,andenduedwithadeepnaturalreverence,thewildwaterylonelinessofhislifedidthereforestronglyinclinehimtosuperstition;buttothatsortofsuperstition,whichinsomeorganizationseemsrathertospring,somehow,fromintelligencethanfromignorance.
Outwardportentsandinwardpresentimentswerehis.
Andifattimesthesethingsbenttheweldedironofhissoul,muchmoredidhisfar-awaydomesticmemoriesofhisyoungCapewifeandchild,tendtobendhimstillmorefromtheoriginalruggednessofhisnature,andopenhimstillfurthertothoselatentinfluenceswhich,insomehonest-heartedmen,restrainthegushofdare-devildaring,sooftenevincedbyothersinthemoreperilousvicissitudesofthefishery.
“Iwillhavenomaninmyboat,”saidStarbuck,“whoisnotafraidofawhale.”
Bythis,heseemedtomean,notonlythatthemostreliableandusefulcouragewasthatwhicharisesfromthefairestimationoftheencounteredperil,butthatanutterlyfearlessmanisafarmoredangerouscomradethanacoward.
“Aye,aye,”saidStubb,thesecondmate,“Starbuck,there,isascarefulamanasyou’llfindanywhereinthisfishery.”
Butweshallerelongseewhatthatword“careful”preciselymeanswhenusedbyamanlikeStubb,oralmostanyotherwhalehunter.
Starbuckwasnocrusaderafterperils;inhimcouragewasnotasentiment;butathingsimplyusefultohim,andalwaysathanduponallmortallypracticaloccasions.
Besides,hethought,perhaps,thatinthisbusinessofwhaling,couragewasoneofthegreatstapleoutfitsoftheship,likeherbeefandherbread,andnottobefoolishlywasted.
Whereforehehadnofancyforloweringforwhalesaftersun-down;norforpersistinginfightingafishthattoomuchpersistedinfightinghim.
For,thoughtStarbuck,Iamhereinthiscriticaloceantokillwhalesformyliving,andnottobekilledbythemfortheirs;andthathundredsofmenhadbeensokilledStarbuckwellknew.Whatdoomwashisownfather’s?
Where,inthebottomlessdeeps,couldhefindthetornlimbsofhisbrother?
Withmemoriesliketheseinhim,and,moreover,giventoacertainsuperstitiousness,ashasbeensaid;thecourageofthisStarbuck,whichcould,nevertheless,stillflourish,mustindeedhavebeenextreme.
Butitwasnotinreasonablenaturethatamansoorganized,andwithsuchterribleexperiencesandremembrancesashehad;itwasnotinnaturethatthesethingsshouldfailinlatentlyengenderinganelementinhim,which,undersuitablecircumstances,wouldbreakoutfromitsconfinement,andburnallhiscourageup.
Andbraveashemightbe,itwasthatsortofbraverychiefly,visibleinsomeintrepidmen,which,whilegenerallyabidingfirmintheconflictwithseas,orwinds,orwhales,oranyoftheordinaryirrationalhorrorsoftheworld,yetcannotwithstandthosemoreterrific,becausemorespiritualterrors,whichsometimesmenaceyoufromtheconcentratingbrowofanenragedandmightyman.
Butwerethecomingnarrativetorevealinanyinstance,thecompleteabasementofpoorStarbuck’sfortitude,scarcemightIhavethehearttowriteit;butitisathingmostsorrowful,nayshocking,toexposethefallofvalorinthesoul.
Menmayseemdetestableasjointstock-companiesandnations;knaves,fools,andmurdererstheremaybe;menmayhavemeanandmeagrefaces;but,man,intheideal,issonobleandsosparkling,suchagrandandglowingcreature,thatoveranyignominiousblemishinhimallhisfellowsshouldruntothrowtheircostliestrobes.
Thatimmaculatemanlinesswefeelwithinourselves,sofarwithinus,thatitremainsintactthoughalltheoutercharacterseemgone;bleedswithkeenestanguishattheundrapedspectacleofavalor-ruinedman.
Norcanpietyitself,atsuchashamefulsight,completelystifleherupbraidingsagainstthepermittingstars.
ButthisaugustdignityItreatof,isnotthedignityofkingsandrobes,butthataboundingdignitywhichhasnorobedinvestiture.
Thoushaltseeitshininginthearmthatwieldsapickordrivesaspike;thatdemocraticdignitywhich,onallhands,radiateswithoutendfromGod;Himself!ThegreatGodabsolute!
Thecentreandcircumferenceofalldemocracy!Hisomnipresence,ourdivineequality!
If,then,tomeanestmariners,andrenegadesandcastaways,Ishallhereafterascribehighqualities,thoughdark;weavearoundthemtragicgraces;ifeventhemostmournful,perchancethemostabased,amongthemall,shallattimeslifthimselftotheexaltedmounts;ifIshalltouchthatworkman’sarmwithsomeethereallight;ifIshallspreadarainbowoverhisdisastroussetofsun;thenagainstallmortalcriticsbearmeoutinit,thoujustSpiritofEquality,whichhastspreadoneroyalmantleofhumanityoverallmykind!
Bearmeoutinit,thougreatdemocraticGod!
whodidstnotrefusetotheswartconvict,Bunyan,thepale,poeticpearl;Thouwhodidstclothewithdoublyhammeredleavesoffinestgold,thestumpedandpauperedarmofoldCervantes;ThouwhodidstpickupAndrewJacksonfromthepebbles;whodidsthurlhimuponawar-horse;whodidstthunderhimhigherthanathrone!
Thouwho,inallThymighty,earthlymarchings,evercullestThyselectestchampionsfromthekinglycommoners;bearmeoutinit,OGod!
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