for the loss, he receives a pension during life, which the sailors
call "smart-money," and is proportioned to their hurt, as for the
loss of an eye, arm, leg, or finger, and the like: and as it is a
very honourable thing, so it is but reasonable that a poor man who
loses his limbs (which are his estate) in the service of the
Government, and is thereby disabled from his labour to get his
bread, should be provided for, and not suffer to beg or starve for
want of those limbs he lost in the service of his country.

But if you come to the seamen in the merchants' service, not the
least provision is made: which has been the loss of many a good
ship, with many a rich cargo, which would otherwise have been saved.

And the sailors are in the right of it, too. For instance, a
merchant ship coming home from the Indies, perhaps very rich, meets
with a privateer (not so strong but that she might fight him and
perhaps get off); the captain calls up his crew, tells them,
"Gentlemen, you see how it is; I don't question but we may clear
ourselves of this caper, if you will stand by me." One of the crew,
as willing to fight as the rest, and as far from a coward as the
captain, but endowed with a little more wit than his fellows,
replies, "Noble captain, we are all willing to fight, and don't
question but to beat him off; but here is the case: if we are
taken, we shall be set on shore and then sent home, and lose perhaps
our clothes and a little pay; but if we fight and beat the
privateer, perhaps half a score of us may be wounded and lose our
limbs, and then we are undone and our families. If you will sign an
obligation to us that the owners or merchants shall allow a pension
to such as are maimed, that we may not fight for the ship, and go a-
begging ourselves, we will bring off the ship or sink by her side;