Drink deep or taste not the Pierian spring.
He was invalided and sent home, and got the retirement, but never recovered his reason.
Another of our marine officers (Augustus John Field) was a very strange being. He was on board the Quebec, 32, in the action with the Surveillante, French frigate, in the American war. Both ships were dismasted after very hard fighting, when the Quebec unfortunately caught fire. Her brave captain (Farmer) would not quit, and was blown up in his ship. Out of the number saved Lieutenant Field was one and got a considerable lift in his corps for his bravery. He was a very good fellow in many respects, but drew a long bow and kept it up too much. He had been through all the changing scenes of life, and told incredible stories—that he was descended from the Plantagenet family and could trace his genealogy to Henry the Second. By way of amusement I have seen him rest the calf of one leg on the knee of the other and then drive several pins up to the head in the calf of his leg, saying he would leave them to the mess as a leg-a-cy.
Our ship was full of rats, and one morning he caught four which he had baked in a pie with some pork chops. When it came to table he began greedily to eat, saying, ‘What a treat! I shall dine like an alderman.’ One of our lieutenants (Geo. M. Bligh) got up from the table and threw his dinner up, which made Field say, ‘I shall not offend such delicate stomachs and shall finish my repast in my cabin,’ which he did and we wished the devil would choke him. When he had finished, he said one of the rats was not exactly to his taste as the flesh was black; but whether from a bruise or from disease, he could not say, but should be more particular in future in the post mortem examination. I never was more sick in my life, and am so to this day when I think of it. Our captain of marines (Rea) was a very worthy fellow. He had great antipathy to the West Indies, and was always cursing Venables and Penn for taking possession of Jamaica, and was sorry Oliver Cromwell did not make them a head shorter for their pains. I have often heard him repeat the following lines as a morning and evening hymn
Venables and Penn,
Two bloody-minded men,
In an evil hour
Those seas did explore,
And blundering about
This cursed hole found out;