As the commodore could not bear the fatigue of jolting, they
travelled at an easy pace during the fist stage; so that the old
gentleman had an opportunity of communicating his exhortations to
his godson, with regard to his conduct abroad: he advised him, now
that he was going into foreign parts, to be upon his guard against
the fair weather of the French politesse, which was no more to be
trusted than a whirlpool at sea. He observed that many young men
had gone to Paris with good cargoes of sense, and returned with a
great deal of canvas, and no ballast at all, whereby they became
crank all the days of their lives, and sometimes carried their
keels above water. He desired Mr. Jolter to keep his pupil out of
the clutches of those sharking priests who lie in wait to make converts
of all young strangers, and in a particular manner cautioned the
youth against carnal conversation with the Parisian dames, who, he
understood, were no better than gaudy fire-ships ready primed with
death and destruction.
Peregrine listened with great respect, thanking him for his kind
admonitions, which he faithfully promised to observe.
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