CHAPTER7TheChapel

inthissamenewbedfordtherestandsawhaleman'schapel,andfewarethemoodyfishermen,shortlyboundfortheindianoceanorpacific,whofailtomakeasundayvisittothespot.iamsurethatididnot.

returningfrommyfirstmorningstroll,iagainsalliedoutuponthisspecialerrand.theskyhadchangedfromclear,sunnycold,todrivingsleetandmist.wrappingmyselfinmyyjacketoftheclothcalledbearskin,ifoughtmywayagainstthestubbornstorm.entering,ifoundasmallscatteredcongregationofsailors,andsailors'wivesandwidows.amuffledsilencereigned,onlybrokenattimesbytheshrieksofthestorm.eachsilentworshipperseemedpurposelysittingapartfromtheother,asifeachsilentgriefwereinsularandincommunicable.thechaplainhadnotyetarrived;andtherethesesilentislandsofmenandwomensatsteadfastlyeyeingseveralmarbletablets,withblackborders,masonedintothewalloneithersidethepulpit.threeofthemransomethinglikethefollowing,butidonotpretendtoquote:—

sacredtothememoryofjohntalbot,who,attheageofeighteen,waslostoverboard,neartheisleofdesolation,offpatagonia,november1st,1836.thistabletiserectedtohismemorybyhissister.

sacredtothememoryofrobertlong,willisellery,nathancoleman,waltercanny,sethmacy,andsamuelgleig,formingoneoftheboats'crewsoftheshipelizawhoweretowedoutofsightbyawhale,ontheoffshoregroundinthepacific,december31st,1839.thismarbleishereplacedbytheirsurvivingshipmates.

sacredtothememoryofthelatecaptainezekielhardy,whointhebowsofhisboatwaskilledbyaspermwhaleonthecoastofjapan,august3d,1833.thistabletiserectedtohismemorybyhiswidow.

shakingoffthesleetfrommyice-glazedhatandjacket,iseatedmyselfnearthedoor,andturningsidewayswassurprisedtoseequeequegnearme.affectedbythesolemnityofthescene,therewasawonderinggazeofincredulouscuriosityinhiscountenance.thissavagewastheonlypersonpresentwhoseemedtonoticemyentrance;becausehewastheonlyonewhocouldnotread,and,therefore,wasnotreadingthosefrigidinscriptionsonthewall.whetheranyoftherelativesoftheseamenwhosenamesappearedtherewerenowamongthecongregation,iknewnot;butsomanyaretheunrecordedaccidentsinthefishery,andsoplainlydidseveralwomenpresentwearthecountenanceifnotthetrappingsofsomeunceasinggrief,thatifeelsurethatherebeforemewereassembledthose,inwhoseunhealingheartsthesightofthosebleaktabletssympatheticallycausedtheoldwoundstobleedafresh.

oh!yewhosedeadlieburiedbeneaththegreengrass;whostandingamongflowerscansay—here,hereliesmybeloved;yeknownotthedesolationthatbroodsinbosomslikethese.whatbitterblanksinthoseblack-borderedmarbleswhichcovernoashes!whatdespairinthoseimmovableinscriptions!whatdeadlyvoidsandunbiddeninfidelitiesinthelinesthatseemtognawuponallfaith,andrefuseresurrectionstothebeingswhohaveplacelesslyperishedwithoutagrave.aswellmightthosetabletsstandinthecaveofelephantaashere.

inwhatcensusoflivingcreatures,thedeadofmankindareincluded;whyitisthatauniversalproverbsaysofthem,thattheytellnotales,thoughcontainingmoresecretsthanthegoodwinsands;howitisthattohisnamewhoyesterdaydepartedfortheotherworld,weprefixsosignificantandinfidelaword,andyetdonotthusentitlehim,ifhebutembarksfortheremotestindiesofthislivingearth;whythelifeinsurancecompaniespaydeathforfeituresuponimmortals;inwhateternal,unstirringparalysis,anddeadly,hopelesstrance,yetliesantiqueadamwhodiedsixtyroundcenturiesago;howitisthatwestillrefusetobecomfortedforthosewhoweneverthelessmaintainaredwellinginunspeakablebliss;whyallthelivingsostrivetohushallthedead;whereforebuttherumorofaknockinginatombwillterrifyawholecity.allthesethingsarenotwithouttheirmeanings.

butfaith,likeajackal,feedsamongthetombs,andevenfromthesedeaddoubtsshegathershermostvitalhope.

itneedsscarcelytobetold,withwhatfeelings,ontheeveofanantucketvoyage,iregardedthosemarbletablets,andbythemurkylightofthatdarkened,dolefuldayreadthefateofthewhalemenwhohadgonebeforeme.yes,ishmael,thesamefatemaybethine.butsomehowigrewmerryagain.delightfulinducementstoembark,finechanceforpromotion,itseems—aye,astoveboatwillmakemeanimmortalbybrevet.yes,thereisdeathinthisbusinessofwhaling—aspeechlesslyquickchaoticbundlingofamanintoeternity.butwhatthen?methinkswehavehugelymistakenthismatteroflifeanddeath.methinksthatwhattheycallmyshadowhereonearthismytruesubstance.methinksthatinlookingatthingsspiritual,wearetoomuchlikeoystersobservingthesunthroughthewater,andthinkingthatthickwaterthethinnestofair.methinksmybodyisbuttheleesofmybetterbeing.infacttakemybodywhowill,takeitisay,itisnotme.andthereforethreecheersfornantucket;andcomeastoveboatandstovebodywhentheywill,forstavemysoul,jovehimselfcannot.