But his native merits in
time triumphed over adverse fortune, and before he was thirty he
became master and in a good measure owner of a frigate which he
called The Benbow.
It is said, I know not with what truth, that his fortunes date from
an adventure that befell him in the year 1686. In the Benbow
frigate he was attacked by a sallee rover, who boarded him, but was
beaten off with the loss of thirteen men. Benbow (I tell the tale
as I heard it) cut off their heads and threw them into pickle. When
he landed at Cadiz, he brought them on shore in a sack, and on
being challenged by the custom house officers as importing
contraband goods, he threw them on the table with, "Gentlemen, if
you like 'em, they are at your service."
This saying so tickled the humor of the king of Spain that he
recommended Benbow to our King James, and thus led to his promotion
in our Royal Navy. The captain was now somewhat above forty years
old, straight but slight in build, not ill looking, save that his
nose was a trifle over big--a defect not uncommon, I have remarked,
among great commanders.
Well, as I said, we had arrived at Mistress Hind's door, and the
captain was in a great rage at the havoc wrought by Vetch and his
crew. He rapped on the door with the hilt of his sword, and out
pops Mistress Nelly's head from the window above ('twas in a
night-cap), and she screams:
"Out upon you, you vagabones! You've done mischief enough for one
night, drat you, and if ye be not gone inside of half a minute I'll
empty the slops on ye, that I will.
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