CHAPTER82TheHonorandGloryofWhalin

therearesomeenterprisesinwhichacarefuldisorderlinessisthetruemethod.

themoreidiveintothismatterofwhaling,andpushmyresearchesuptotheveryspring-headofitsomuchthemoreamiimpressedwithitsgreathonorablenessandantiquity;andespeciallywhenifindsomanygreatdemi-godsandheroes,prophetsofallsorts,whoonewayorotherhavesheddistinctionuponit,iamtransportedwiththereflectionthatimyselfbelong,thoughbutsubordinately,tosoemblazonedafraternity.

thegallantperseus,asonofjupiter,wasthefirstwhaleman;andtotheeternalhonorofourcallingbeitsaid,thatthefirstwhaleattackedbyourbrotherhoodwasnotkilledwithanysordidintent.thoseweretheknightlydaysofourprofession,whenweonlyborearmstoorthedistressed,andnottofillmen'slamp-feeders.everyoneknowsthefinestoryofperseusandandromeda;howthelovelyandromeda,thedaughterofaking,wastiedtoarockontheseacoast,andasleviathanwasintheveryactofcarryingheroff,perseus,theprinceofwhalemen,intrepidlyadvancing,harpoonedthemonster,anddeliveredandmarriedthemaid.itwasanadmirableartisticexploit,rarelyachievedbythebestharpooneersofthepresentday;inasmuchasthisleviathanwasslainattheveryfirstdart.andletnomandoubtthisarkitestory;forintheancientjoppa,nowjaffa,onthesyriancoast,inoneofthepagantemples,therestoodformanyagesthevastskeletonofawhale,whichthecity'slegendsandalltheinhabitantsassertedtobetheidenticalbonesofthemonsterthatperseusslew.whentheromanstookjoppa,thesameskeletonwascarriedtoitalyintriumph.whatseemsmostsingularandestivelyimportantinthisstory,isthis:itwasfromjoppathatjonahsetsail.

akintotheadventureofperseusandandromeda—indeed,bysomesupposedtobeindirectlyderivedfromit—isthatfamousstoryofst.georgeandthedragon;whichdragonimaintaintohavebeenawhale;forinmanyoldchronicleswhalesanddragonsarestrangelyjumbledtogether,andoftenstandforeachother."thouartasalionofthewaters,andasadragonofthesea,"saithezekiel;hereby,plainlymeaningawhale;intruth,someversionsofthebibleusethatworditself.besides,itwouldmuchsubtractfromthegloryoftheexploithadst.georgebutencounteredacrawlingreptileoftheland,insteadofdoingbattlewiththegreatmonsterofthedeep.anymanmaykillasnake,butonlyaperseus,ast.george,acoffin,havetheheartinthemtomarchboldlyuptoawhale.

letnotthemodernpaintingsofthisscenemisleadus;forthoughthecreatureencounteredbythatvaliantwhalemanofoldisvaguelyrepresentedofagriffinlikeshape,andthoughthebattleisdepictedonlandandthesaintonhorseback,yetconsideringthegreatignoranceofthosetimes,whenthetrueformofthewhalewasunknowntoartists;andconsideringthatasinperseus'case,st.george'swhalemighthavecrawledupoutoftheseaonthebeach;andconsideringthattheanimalriddenbyst.georgemighthavebeenonlyalargeseal,orsea-horse;bearingallthisinmind,itwillnotappearaltogetherincompatiblewiththesacredlegendandtheancientestdraughtsofthescene,toholdthisso-calleddragonnootherthanthegreatleviathanhimself.infact,placedbeforethestrictandpiercingtruth,thiswholestorywillfarelikethatfish,flesh,andfowlidolofthephilistines,dagonbyname;whobeingplantedbeforethearkofisrael,hishorse'sheadandboththepalmsofhishandsfellofffromhim,andonlythestumporfishypartofhimremained.thus,then,oneofourownnoblestamp,evenawhaleman,isthetutelaryguardianofengland;andbygoodrights,weharpooneersofnantucketshouldbeenrolledinthemostnobleorderofst.george.andtherefore,letnottheknightsofthathonorablecompany(noneofwhom,iventuretosay,haveeverhadtodowithawhaleliketheirgreatpatron),letthemnevereyeanantucketerwithdisdain,sinceeveninourwoollenfrocksandtarredtrowserswearemuchbetterentitledtost.george'sdecorationthanthey.

whethertoadmitherculesamongusornot,concerningthisilongremaineddubious:forthoughaccordingtothegreekmythologies,thatantiquecrockettandkitcarson—thatbrawnydoerofrejoicinggooddeeds,wasswalloweddownandthrownupbyawhale;still,whetherthatstrictlymakesawhalemanofhim,thatmightbemooted.itnowhereappearsthatheeveractuallyharpoonedhisfish,unless,indeed,fromtheinside.nevertheless,hemaybedeemedasortofinvoluntarywhaleman;atanyratethewhalecaughthim,ifhedidnotthewhale.iclaimhimforoneofourclan.

but,bythebestcontradictoryauthorities,thisgrecianstoryofherculesandthewhaleisconsideredtobederivedfromthestillmoreancienthebrewstoryofjonahandthewhale;andviceversa;certainlytheyareverysimilar.ificlaimthedemi-godthen,whynottheprophet?

nordoheroes,saints,demigods,andprophetsalonecomprisethewholerollofourorder.ourgrandmasterisstilltobenamed;forlikeroyalkingsofoldtimes,wefindtheheadwatersofourfraternityinnothingshortofthegreatgodsthemselves.thatwondrousorientalstoryisnowtoberehearsedfromtheshaster,whichgivesusthedreadvishnoo,oneofthethreepersonsinthegodheadofthehindoos;givesusthisdivinevishnoohimselfforourlord;—vishnoo,who,bythefirstofhistenearthlyincarnations,hasforeversetapartandsanctifiedthewhale.whenbrahma,orthegodofgods,saiththeshaster,resolvedtorecreatetheworldafteroneofitsperiodicaldissolutions,hegavebirthtovishnoo,topresideoverthework;butthevedas,ormysticalbooks,whoseperusalwouldseemtohavebeenindispensabletovishnoobeforebeginningthecreation,andwhichthereforemusthavecontainedsomethingintheshapeofpracticalhintstoyoungarchitects,thesevedaswerelyingatthebottomofthewaters;sovishnoobecameincarnateinawhale,andsoundingdowninhimtotheuttermostdepths,rescuedthesacredvolumes.wasnotthisvishnooawhaleman,then?evenasamanwhoridesahorseiscalledahorseman?

perseus,st.george,hercules,jonah,andvishnoo!there'samember-rollforyou!whatclubbutthewhaleman'scanheadofflikethat?