CHAPTER 25 Postscript
Inbehalfofthedignityofwhaling,Iwouldfainadvancenaughtbutsubstantiatedfacts.Butafterembattlinghisfacts,anadvocatewhoshouldwhollysuppressanotunreasonablesurmise,whichmighttelleloquentlyuponhiscause—suchanadvocate,wouldhenotbeblameworthy?
Itiswellknownthatatthecoronationofkingsandqueens,evenmodernones,acertaincuriousprocessofseasoningthemfortheirfunctionsisgonethrough.Thereisasaltcellarofstate,socalled,andtheremaybeacastorofstate.Howtheyusethesalt,precisely—whoknows?CertainIam,however,thataking'sheadissolemnlyoiledathiscoronation,evenasaheadofsalad.Canitbe,though,thattheyanointitwithaviewofmakingitsinteriorrunwell,astheyanointmachinery?Muchmightberuminatedhere,concerningtheessentialdignityofthisregalprocess,becauseincommonlifeweesteembutmeanlyandcontemptiblyafellowwhoanointshishair,andpalpablysmellsofthatanointing.Intruth,amaturemanwhouseshair-oil,unlessmedicinally,thatmanhasprobablygotaquoggyspotinhimsomewhere.Asageneralrule,hecan'tamounttomuchinhistotality.
Buttheonlythingtobeconsideredhere,isthis—whatkindofoilisusedatcoronations?Certainlyitcannotbeoliveoil,normacassaroil,norcastoroil,norbear'soil,nortrainoil,norcod-liveroil.Whatthencanitpossiblybe,butspermoilinitsunmanufactured,unpollutedstate,thesweetestofalloils?
Thinkofthat,yeloyalBritons!wewhalemensupplyyourkingsandqueenswithcoronationstuff!