Now,  as  tlie  fa\  our  of  winds  and  courts,  and  such
like,  is  always  to  be  laid  hold  on  at  the  very  first
motion,  for  within  twenty-four  hours  all  may  be
changed  again  ;  so,  in  the  former  case,  the  loss  of
a  day  may  be  the  loss  of  a  voyage :  for,  though  it
may  appear  to  persons  not  well  skilled  in  navigation,
who  see  ships  meet  and  sail  by  each  other,  that  the
wind  blows  sometimes  east  and  west,  north  and  south,
backwai-ds  and  forwards,  at  the  same  instant;  yet,
certain  it  is  that  the  land  is  so  contrived,  that  even
the  same  wind  will  not,  like  the  same  horse,  always
bring  a  man  to  the  end  of  his  journey  ;  but,  that  the
gale  which  the  mariner  prayed  heartily  for  yesterday,
he  may  as  heartily  deprecate  to-morrow ;  while  all
use  and  benefit  which  would  have  arisen  to  him
from  the  westerly  wind  of  to-morrow  may  be  totally
lost  and  thrown  away  by  neglecting  the  ofl'er  of  the
easterly  blast  which  blows  to-day.
