upon his neighbour. All the contingencies of life might be fenced
against by this method (as fire is already), as thieves, floods by
land, storms by sea, losses of all sorts, and death itself, in a
manner, by making it up to the survivor.

I shall begin with the seamen; for as their lives are subject to
more hazards than others, they seem to come first in view.



OF SEAMEN.



Sailors are les enfants perdus, "the forlorn hope of the world;"
they are fellows that bid defiance to terror, and maintain a
constant war with the elements; who, by the magic of their art,
trade in the very confines of death, and are always posted within
shot, as I may say, of the grave. It is true, their familiarity
with danger makes them despise it (for which, I hope, nobody will
say they are the wiser); and custom has so hardened them that we
find them the worst of men, though always in view of their last
moment.

I have observed one great error in the custom of England relating to
these sort of people, and which this way of friendly society would
be a remedy for:

If a seaman who enters himself, or is pressed into, the king's
service be by any accident wounded or disabled, to recompense him