What king ever wielded such power, what czar or kaiser had ever such obedience yielded to their decrees?  This man, who on shore is nothing, is here on his deck a very pope; he is infallible.  Canute could not stay the tide, but our sea-king regulates the sun.  Charles the Fifth could not make half a dozen clocks go in unison, but Captain Smith can make it twelve o’clock any time he pleases; nay, more, when the sun has made it twelve o’clock no tongue of bell or sound of clock can proclaim time’s decree until it has been ratified by the fiat of the captain; and even in his misfortunes what gran deur, what absence of excuse or crimination of others in the hour of his disaster!  Who has not heard of that captain who sailed away from Liverpool one day bound for America?  He had been hard worked on shore, and it was said that when he sought the seclusion of his own cabin he was not unmindful of that comfort which we are told the first navigator of the ocean did not disdain to use.  For a little time things went well.  The Isle of Man was passed; but unfortunately, on the second day out, the good ship struck the shore of the north-east coast of Ireland and became a total wreck.  As the weather was extremely fine, and there appeared to be no reason for the disaster, the subject became matter for investigation by the authorities connected with the Board of Trade.  During the inquiry it was deposed that the Calf of Man had been passed at such an hour on such a day, and the circumstance duly reported to the captain, who, it was said, was below.  It was also stated that having received the report of the passage of the Calf of Man the captain had ordered the ship to be kept in a north-west course until further orders.  About six hours later the vessel went ashore on the coast of Ireland.  Such was the evidence of the first officer.  The captain was shortly after called and examined.

“It appears, sir,” said the president of the court, “that the passing of the Calf of Man was duly reported to you by the first officer.  May I ask, sir, what course you ordered to be steered upon receipt of that information?”

“North-west, sir,” answered the captain; “I said, ‘Keep her north-west."’

“North-west,” repeated the president; “a very excellent general course for making the coast of America, but not until you had cleared the channel and were well into the Atlantic.  Why, sir, the whole of Ireland lay between you and America on that course.”

“Can’t help that, sir; can’t help that, sir,” replied the sea-king in a tone of half-contemptuous pity, that the whole of Ireland should have been so very unreasonable as to intrude itself in such a position.

And yet, with all the despotism of the deck, what kindly spirits are these old sea-captains with the freckled hard knuckled hands and the grim storm-seamed faces!  What honest genuine hearts are lying buttoned beneath those rough pea-jackets!  If all despots had been of that kind perhaps we shouldn’t have known quite as much about Parliamentary Institutions as we do.