Indeed no one can express the joy of these poor creatures on this occasion: fear and grief are easily set forth; sighs and tears, with a few motions of the hands and head, are all the demonstrations of these passions; but an excess of joy, carries in it a thousand extravagancies; especially, I think, among the French, whose temper is allowed to be more volatile, passionate, sprightly, and gay, than that of other nations. Some were weeping, tearing themselves in the greatest agonies of sorrow, and running stark mad about the ship, while the rest were stamping with their feet, wringing their hands, singing, laughing, swooning away, vomiting, fainting, with a few returning hearty thanks to the Almighty; and crossing themselves. I think, if I am not mistaken, our surgeon was obliged to let thirty of them blood. But among the passengers, there were two priests, the one an old, and the other a young man; but what amazed me more was, that the oldest was in the worst plight; for no sooner did he perceive himself freed from danger, but he dropt down as it were without life, and to every one's appearance quite dead; but the surgeon chasing and rubbing his arm, opened a vein, which at first dropped, and then flowing more freely, the old man began to open his eyes; and in a quarter of an hour was well again. But soon remembering this happy change, the joy of which whirled his blood about faster than the vessels could convey it, he became so feverish, as made him more fit for bedlam than any other place. But the surgeon giving him a sleepy dose, he was perfectly composed the next morning.
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The Life and Most Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of — Part 120
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