CHAPTER 7 The Chapel

InthissameNewBedfordtherestandsaWhaleman'sChapel,andfewarethemoodyfishermen,shortlyboundfortheIndianOceanorPacific,whofailtomakeaSundayvisittothespot.IamsurethatIdidnot.

Returningfrommyfirstmorningstroll,Iagainsalliedoutuponthisspecialerrand.Theskyhadchangedfromclear,sunnycold,todrivingsleetandmist.Wrappingmyselfinmyshaggyjacketoftheclothcalledbearskin,Ifoughtmywayagainstthestubbornstorm.Entering,Ifoundasmallscatteredcongregationofsailors,andsailors'wivesandwidows.Amuffledsilencereigned,onlybrokenattimesbytheshrieksofthestorm.Eachsilentworshipperseemedpurposelysittingapartfromtheother,asifeachsilentgriefwereinsularandincommunicable.Thechaplainhadnotyetarrived;andtherethesesilentislandsofmenandwomensatsteadfastlyeyeingseveralmarbletablets,withblackborders,masonedintothewalloneithersidethepulpit.Threeofthemransomethinglikethefollowing,butIdonotpretendtoquote:—

SACREDTOTHEMEMORYOFJOHNTALBOT,Who,attheageofeighteen,waslostoverboard,NeartheIsleofDesolation,offPatagonia,November1st,1836.THISTABLETIserectedtohisMemoryBYHISSISTER.

SACREDTOTHEMEMORYOFROBERTLONG,WILLISELLERY,NATHANCOLEMAN,WALTERCANNY,SETHMACY,ANDSAMUELGLEIG,Formingoneoftheboats'crewsOFTHESHIPELIZAWhoweretowedoutofsightbyaWhale,OntheOffshoreGroundinthePACIFIC,December31st,1839.THISMARBLEIshereplacedbytheirsurvivingSHIPMATES.

SACREDTOTHEMEMORYOFThelateCAPTAINEZEKIELHARDY,WhointhebowsofhisboatwaskilledbyaSpermWhaleonthecoastofJapan,August3d,1833.THISTABLETIserectedtohisMemoryBYHISWIDOW.

Shakingoffthesleetfrommyice-glazedhatandjacket,Iseatedmyselfnearthedoor,andturningsidewayswassurprisedtoseeQueequegnearme.Affectedbythesolemnityofthescene,therewasawonderinggazeofincredulouscuriosityinhiscountenance.Thissavagewastheonlypersonpresentwhoseemedtonoticemyentrance;becausehewastheonlyonewhocouldnotread,and,therefore,wasnotreadingthosefrigidinscriptionsonthewall.Whetheranyoftherelativesoftheseamenwhosenamesappearedtherewerenowamongthecongregation,Iknewnot;butsomanyaretheunrecordedaccidentsinthefishery,andsoplainlydidseveralwomenpresentwearthecountenanceifnotthetrappingsofsomeunceasinggrief,thatIfeelsurethatherebeforemewereassembledthose,inwhoseunhealingheartsthesightofthosebleaktabletssympatheticallycausedtheoldwoundstobleedafresh.

Oh!yewhosedeadlieburiedbeneaththegreengrass;whostandingamongflowerscansay—here,hereliesmybeloved;yeknownotthedesolationthatbroodsinbosomslikethese.Whatbitterblanksinthoseblack-borderedmarbleswhichcovernoashes!Whatdespairinthoseimmovableinscriptions!WhatdeadlyvoidsandunbiddeninfidelitiesinthelinesthatseemtognawuponallFaith,andrefuseresurrectionstothebeingswhohaveplacelesslyperishedwithoutagrave.AswellmightthosetabletsstandinthecaveofElephantaashere.

Inwhatcensusoflivingcreatures,thedeadofmankindareincluded;whyitisthatauniversalproverbsaysofthem,thattheytellnotales,thoughcontainingmoresecretsthantheGoodwinSands;howitisthattohisnamewhoyesterdaydepartedfortheotherworld,weprefixsosignificantandinfidelaword,andyetdonotthusentitlehim,ifhebutembarksfortheremotestIndiesofthislivingearth;whytheLifeInsuranceCompaniespaydeathforfeituresuponimmortals;inwhateternal,unstirringparalysis,anddeadly,hopelesstrance,yetliesantiqueAdamwhodiedsixtyroundcenturiesago;howitisthatwestillrefusetobecomfortedforthosewhoweneverthelessmaintainaredwellinginunspeakablebliss;whyallthelivingsostrivetohushallthedead;whereforebuttherumorofaknockinginatombwillterrifyawholecity.Allthesethingsarenotwithouttheirmeanings.

ButFaith,likeajackal,feedsamongthetombs,andevenfromthesedeaddoubtsshegathershermostvitalhope.

Itneedsscarcelytobetold,withwhatfeelings,ontheeveofaNantucketvoyage,Iregardedthosemarbletablets,andbythemurkylightofthatdarkened,dolefuldayreadthefateofthewhalemenwhohadgonebeforeme.Yes,Ishmael,thesamefatemaybethine.ButsomehowIgrewmerryagain.Delightfulinducementstoembark,finechanceforpromotion,itseems—aye,astoveboatwillmakemeanimmortalbybrevet.Yes,thereisdeathinthisbusinessofwhaling—aspeechlesslyquickchaoticbundlingofamanintoEternity.Butwhatthen?MethinkswehavehugelymistakenthismatterofLifeandDeath.Methinksthatwhattheycallmyshadowhereonearthismytruesubstance.Methinksthatinlookingatthingsspiritual,wearetoomuchlikeoystersobservingthesunthroughthewater,andthinkingthatthickwaterthethinnestofair.Methinksmybodyisbuttheleesofmybetterbeing.Infacttakemybodywhowill,takeitIsay,itisnotme.AndthereforethreecheersforNantucket;andcomeastoveboatandstovebodywhentheywill,forstavemysoul,Jovehimselfcannot.