Postscript

In behalf of the dignity of whaling, I would fain advance naught but substantiated facts. But after embattling his facts, an advocate who should wholly suppress a not unreasonable surmise, which might tell eloquently upon his cause—such an advocate, would he not be blameworthy?

In defending the dignity of whaling, I would prefer to offer only verified facts. But suppose an advocate has assembled his facts and then leaves out a reasonable guess that could strongly support his case. Would he not be at fault?

It is well known that at the coronation of kings and queens, even modern ones, a certain curious process of seasoning them for their functions is gone through. There is a saltcellar of state, so called, and there may be a castor of state. How they use the salt, precisely—who knows? Certain I am, however, that a king’s head is solemnly oiled at his coronation, even as a head of salad. Can it be, though, that they anoint it with a view of making its interior run well, as they anoint machinery? Much might be ruminated here, concerning the essential dignity of this regal process, because in common life we esteem but meanly and contemptibly a fellow who anoints his hair, and palpably smells of that anointing. In truth, a mature man who uses hair-oil, unless medicinally, that man has probably got a quoggy spot in him somewhere. As a general rule, he can’t amount to much in his totality.

It is well known that kings and queens, even modern ones, undergo a curious seasoning for their duties at their coronations. There is a saltcellar of state, as it is called, and there may be a castor of state. Who knows exactly how they use the salt? But I am certain that a king’s head is solemnly oiled at his coronation, just like a head of salad. Could they anoint his head to make its insides run smoothly, as they oil machinery? Much could be pondered about the essential dignity of this royal process. After all, in ordinary life, we look down with contempt on a man who oils his hair and plainly smells of it. In truth, a grown man who uses hair oil, unless for medical reasons, probably has a quoggy spot somewhere in him. As a general rule, he can’t amount to much on the whole.

But the only thing to be considered here, is this—what kind of oil is used at coronations? Certainly it cannot be olive oil, nor macassar oil, nor castor oil, nor bear’s oil, nor train oil, nor cod-liver oil. What then can it possibly be, but sperm oil in its unmanufactured, unpolluted state, the sweetest of all oils?

But the only question here is: what kind of oil is used at coronations? It certainly cannot be olive oil, macassar oil, castor oil, bear’s oil, train oil, or cod-liver oil. What else could it possibly be but sperm oil in its raw, pure state, the sweetest of all oils?

Think of that, ye loyal Britons! we whalemen supply your kings and queens with coronation stuff!

Think of that, loyal Britons! We whalers supply your kings and queens with coronation materials!