16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
Although the Traskites' views were controversial,
he and the younger men who came
aboard with him were perfectly at home in the
Surprise, which was an ark of dissent, containing
Brownists, Sethians, Arminians, Muggletonians
and several others, generally united in a
seamanlike tolerance when afloat and always
in a determined hatred of tithes when ashore.
Stephen was well acquainted with him as a
shipmate and above all as a patient (two calentures,
a broken clavicle) and he valued his
many qualities; but he knew very well how
such a man, dignified and assured in his own
circle, could suffer when he was removed from
it. Pullings would be kindness itself; so would
Adams; but kindness alone was not necessarily
enough with so vulnerable a man as
Grainger. Martin would certainly mean well,
but he had always been more sensitive to the
feelings of birds than to those of men, and