CHAPTER46Surmises

though,consumedwiththehotfireofhispurpose,ahabinallhisthoughtsandactionseverhadinviewtheultimatecaptureofmobydick;thoughheseemedreadytosacrificeallmortalintereststothatonepassion;neverthelessitmayhavebeenthathewasbynatureandlonghabituationfartooweddedtoafierywhaleman'sways,altogethertoabandonthecollateralprosecutionofthevoyage.oratleastifthiswereotherwise,therewerenotwantingothermotivesmuchmoreinfluentialwithhim.itwouldberefiningtoomuch,perhaps,evenconsideringhismonomania,tohintthathisvindictivenesstowardsthewhitewhalemighthavepossiblyextendeditselfinsomedegreetoallspermwhales,andthatthemoremonstersheslewbysomuchthemorehemultipliedthechancesthateachsubsequentlyencounteredwhalewouldprovetobethehatedonehehunted.butifsuchanhypothesisbeindeedexceptionable,therewerestilladditionalconsiderationswhich,thoughnotsostrictlyaccordingwiththewildnessofhisrulingpassion,yetwerebynomeansincapableofswayinghim.

toaccomplishhisobjectahabmustusetools;andofalltoolsusedintheshadowofthemoon,menaremostapttogetoutoforder.heknew,forexample,thathowevermagnetichisascendencyinsomerespectswasoverstarbuck,yetthatascendencydidnotcoverthecompletespiritualmananymorethanmerecorporealsuperiorityinvolvesintellectualmastership;fortothepurelyspiritual,theintellectualbutstandinasortofcorporealrelation.starbuck'sbodyandstarbuck'scoercedwillwereahab's,solongasahabkepthismagnetatstarbuck'sbrain;stillheknewthatforallthisthechiefmate,inhissoul,abhorredhiscaptain'squest,andcouldhe,wouldjoyfullydisintegratehimselffromit,orevenfrustrateit.itmightbethatalongintervalwouldelapseerethewhitewhalewasseen.duringthatlongintervalstarbuckwouldeverbeapttofallintoopenrelapsesofrebellionagainsthiscaptain'sleadership,unlesssomeordinary,prudential,circumstantialinfluenceswerebroughttobearuponhim.notonlythat,butthesubtleinsanityofahabrespectingmobydickwasnowaysmoresignificantlymanifestedthaninhissuperlativesenseandshrewdnessinforeseeingthat,forthepresent,thehuntshouldinsomewaybestrippedofthatstrangeimaginativeimpiousnesswhichnaturallyinvestedit;thatthefullterrorofthevoyagemustbekeptwithdrawnintotheobscurebackground(forfewmen'scourageisproofagainstprotractedmeditationunrelievedbyaction);thatwhentheystoodtheirlongnightwatches,hisofficersandmenmusthavesomenearerthingstothinkofthanmobydick.forhowevereagerlyandimpetuouslythesavagecrewhadhailedtheannouncementofhisquest;yetallsailorsofallsortsaremoreorlesscapriciousandunreliable—theyliveinthevaryingouterweather,andtheyinhaleitsfickleness—andwhenretainedforanyobjectremoteandblankinthepursuit,howeverpromissoryoflifeandpassionintheend,itisaboveallthingsrequisitethattemporaryinterestsandemploymentsshouldinterveneandholdthemhealthilysuspendedforthefinaldash.

norwasahabunmindfulofanotherthing.intimesofstrongemotionmankinddisdainallbaseconsiderations;butsuchtimesareevanescent.thepermanentconstitutionalconditionofthemanufacturedman,thoughtahab,issordidness.grantingthatthewhitewhalefullyincitestheheartsofthismysavagecrew,andplayingroundtheirsavagenessevenbreedsacertaingenerousknighterrantisminthem,still,whilefortheloveofittheygivechasetomobydick,theymustalsohavefoodfortheirmorecommon,dailyappetites.foreventhehighliftedandchivalriccrusadersofoldtimeswerenotcontenttotraversetwothousandmilesoflandtofightfortheirholysepulchre,withoutcommittingburglaries,pickingpockets,andgainingotherpiousperquisitesbytheway.hadtheybeenstrictlyheldtotheironefinalandromanticobject—thatfinalanromanticobject,toomanywouldhaveturnedfromindisgust.iwillnotstripthesemen,thoughtahab,ofallhopesofcash—aye,cash.theymayscorncashnow;butletsomemonthsgoby,andnoperspectivepromiseofittothem,andthenthissamequiescentcashallatoncemutinyinginthem,thissamecashwouldsooncashierahab.

norwastherewantingstillanotherprecautionarymotivemorerelatedtoahabpersonally.havingimpulsively,itisprobable,andperhapssomewhatprematurelyrevealedtheprimebutprivatepurposeofthepequod'svoyage,ahabwasnowentirelyconsciousthat,insodoing,hehadindirectlylaidhimselfopentotheunanswerablechargeofusurpation;andwithperfectimpunity,bothmoralandlegal,hiscrewifsodisposed,andtothatendcompetent,couldrefuseallfurtherobediencetohim,andevenviolentlywrestfromhimthecommand.fromeventhebarelyhintedimputationofusurpation,andthepossibleconsequencesofsuchasuppressedimpressiongainingground,ahabmustofcoursehavebeenmostanxioustoprotecthimself.thatprotectioncouldonlyconsistinhisownpredominatingbrainandheartandhand,backedbyaheedful,closelycalculatingattentiontoeveryminuteatmosphericinfluencewhichitwaspossibleforhiscrewtobesubjectedto.

forallthesereasonsthen,andothersperhapstooanalytictobeverballydevelopedhere,ahabplainlysawthathemuststillinagooddegreecontinuetruetothenatural,nominalpurposeofthepequod'svoyage;observeallcustomaryusages;andnotonlythat,butforcehimselftoevinceallhiswellknownpassionateinterestinthegeneralpursuitofhisprofession.

beallthisasitmay,hisvoicewasnowoftenheardhailingthethreemast-headsandadmonishingthemtokeepabrightlook-out,andnotomitreportingevenaporpoise.thisvigilancewasnotlongwithoutreward.