journal of a voyage to lisbon-第11节

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divine　love　set　over　us　as　a　race　of　beings　of　a　superior　order

to　men；　and　who；　with　great　ease　to　themselves；　might　regulate

our　affairs　and　establish　peace；　modesty；　freedom；　and　justice；

and；　totally　destroying　all　sedition；　might　complete　the

happiness　of　the　human　race。　　So　far；　at　least；　may　even　now　be

said　with　truth；　that　in　all　states　which　are　under　the

government　of　mere　man；　without　any　divine　assistance；　there　is

nothing　but　labor　and　misery　to　be　found。　　From　what　I　have　said；

therefore；　we　may　at　least　learn；　with　our　utmost　endeavors；　to

imitate　the　Saturnian　institution；　borrowing　all　assistance　from

our　immortal　part；　while　we　pay　to　this　the　strictest　obedience；

we　should　form　both　our　private　economy　and　public　policy　from

its　dictates。　　By　this　dispensation　of　our　immortal　minds　we　are

to　establish　a　law　and　to　call　it　by　that　name。　　But　if　any

government　be　in　the　hands　of　a　single　person；　of　the　few；　or　of

the　many；　and　such　governor　or　governors　shall　abandon　himself　or

themselves　to　the　unbridled　pursuit　of　the　wildest　pleasures　or

desires；　unable　to　restrain　any　passion；　but　possessed　with　an

insatiable　bad　disease；　if　such　shall　attempt　to　govern；　and　at

the　same　time　to　trample　on　all　laws；　there　can　be　no　means　of

preservation　left　for　the　wretched　people。〃　Plato　de　Leg。；　lib。

iv。　p。　713；　c。　714；　edit。　Serrani。



It　is　true　that　Plato　is　here　treating　of　the　highest　or

sovereign　power　in　a　state；　but　it　is　as　true　that　his

observations　are　general　and　may　be　applied　to　all　inferior

powers；　and；　indeed；　every　subordinate　degree　is　immediately

derived　from　the　highest；　and；　as　it　is　equally　protected　by　the

same　force　and　sanctified　by　the　same　authority；　is　alike

dangerous　to　the　well…being　of　the　subject。　　Of　all　powers；

perhaps；　there　is　none　so　sanctified　and　protected　as　this　which

is　under　our　present　consideration。　　So　numerous；　indeed；　and

strong；　are　the　sanctions　given　to　it　by　many　acts　of　parliament；

that；　having　once　established　the　laws　of　customs　on　merchandise；

it　seems　to　have　been　the　sole　view　of　the　legislature　to

strengthen　the　hands　and　to　protect　the　persons　of　the　officers

who　became　established　by　those　laws；　many　of　whom　are　so　far

from　bearing　any　resemblance　to　the　Saturnian　institution；　and　to

be　chosen　from　a　degree　of　beings　superior　to　the　rest　of　human

race；　that　they　sometimes　seem　industriously　picked　out　of　the

lowest　and　vilest　orders　of　mankind。　　There　is；　indeed；　nothing；

so　useful　to　man　in　general；　nor　so　beneficial　to　particular

societies　and　individuals；　as　trade。　　This　is　that　alma　mater　at

whose　plentiful　breast　all　mankind　are　nourished。　　It　is　true；

like　other　parents；　she　is　not　always　equally　indulgent　to　all

her　children；　but；　though　she　gives　to　her　favorites　a　vast

proportion　of　redundancy　and　superfluity；　there　are　very　few　whom

she　refuses　to　supply　with　the　conveniences；　and　none　with　the

necessaries；　of　life。



Such　a　benefactress　as　this　must　naturally　be　beloved　by　mankind

in　general；　it　would　be　wonderful；　therefore；　if　her　interest　was

not　considered　by　them；　and　protected　from　the　fraud　and　violence

of　some　of　her　rebellious　offspring；　who；　coveting　more　than

their　share　or　more　than　she　thinks　proper　to　allow　them；　are

daily　employed　in　meditating　mischief　against　her；　and　in

endeavoring　to　steal　from　their　brethren　those　shares　which　this

great　alma　mater　had　allowed　them。



At　length　our　governor　came　on　board；　and　about　six　in　the

evening　we　weighed　anchor；　and　fell　down　to　the　Nore；　whither　our

passage　was　extremely　pleasant；　the　evening　being　very

delightful；　the　moon　just　past　the　full；　and　both　wind　and　tide

favorable　to　us。



Tuesday；　July　2。This　morning　we　again　set　sail；　under　all　the

advantages　we　had　enjoyed　the　evening　before。　　This　day　we　left

the　shore　of　Essex　and　coasted　along　Kent；　passing　by　the

pleasant　island　of　Thanet；　which　is　an　island；　and　that　of

Sheppy；　which　is　not　an　island；　and　about　three　o　'clock；　the

wind　being　now　full　in　our　teeth；　we　came　to　an　anchor　in　the

Downs；　within　two　miles　of　Deal。My　wife；　having　suffered

intolerable　pain　from　her　tooth；　again　renewed　her　resolution　of

having　it　drawn；　and　another　surgeon　was　sent　for　from　Deal；　but

with　no　better　success　than　the　former。　　He　likewise　declined　the

operation；　for　the　same　reason　which　had　been　assigned　by　the

former：　　however；　such　was　her　resolution；　backed　with　pain；　that

he　was　obliged　to　make　the　attempt；　which　concluded　more　in　honor

of　his　judgment　than　of　his　operation；　for；　after　having　put　my

poor　wife　to　inexpressible　torment；　he　was　obliged　to　leave　her

tooth　in　statu　quo；　and　she　had　now　the　comfortable　prospect　of　a

long　fit　of　pain；　which　might　have　lasted　her　whole　voyage；

without　any　possibility　of　relief。　　In　these　pleasing　sensations；

of　which　I　had　my　just　share；　nature；　overcome　with　fatigue；

about　eight　in　the　evening　resigned　her　to　resta　circumstance

which　would　have　given　me　some　happiness；　could　I　have　known　how

to　employ　those　spirits　which　were　raised　by　it；　but；

unfortunately　for　me；　I　was　left　in　a　disposition　of　enjoying　an

agreeable　hour　without　the　assistance　of　a　companion；　which　has

always　appeared　to　me　necessary　to　such　enjoyment；　my　daughter

and　her　companion　were　both　retired　sea…sick　to　bed；　the　other

passengers　were　a　rude　school…boy　of　fourteen　years　old　and　an

illiterate　Portuguese　friar；　who　understood　no　language　but　his

own；　in　which　I　had　not　the　least　smattering。　　The　captain　was

the　only　person　left　in　whose　conversation　I　might　indulge

myself；　but　unluckily；　besides　a　total　ignorance　of　everything　in

the　world　but　a　ship；　he　had　the　misfortune　of　being　so　deaf；

that　to　make　him　hear；　I　will　not　say　understand；　my　words；　I

must　run　the　risk　of　conveying　them　to　the　ears　of　my　wife；　who；

though　in　another　room　（called；　I　think；　the　state…roombeing；

indeed；　a　most　stately　apartment；　capable　of　containing　one　human

body　in　length；　if　not　very　tall；　and　three　bodies　in　breadth）；

lay　asleep　within　a　yard　of　me。　　In　this　situation　necessity　and

choice　were　one　and　the　same　thing；　the　captain　and　I　sat　down

together　to　a　small　bowl　of　punch；　over　which　we　both　soon　fell

fast　asleep；　and　so　concluded　the　evening。



Wednesday；　July　3。This　morning　I　awaked　at　four　o'clock　for　my

distemper　seldom　suffered　me　to　sleep　later。　　I　presently　got　up；

and　had　the　pleasure　of　enjoying　the　sight　of　a　tempestuous　sea

for　four　hours　before　the　captain　was　stirring；　for　he　loved　to

indulge　himself　in　morning　slumbers；　which　were　attended　with　a

wind…music；　much　more　agreeable　to　the　performers　than　to　the

hearers；　especially　such　as　have；　as　I　had；　the　privilege　of

sitting　in　the　orchestra。　　At　eight　o　'clock　the　captain　rose；

and　sent　his　boat　on　shore。　　I　ordered　my　man　likewise　to　go　in

it；　as　my　distemper　was　not　of　that　kind　which　entirely　deprives

us　of　appetite。　　Now；　though　the　captain　had　well　victualled　his

ship　with　all　manner　of　salt　provisions　for　the　voyage；　and　had

added　great　quantities　of　fresh　stores；　particularly　of

vegetables；　at　Gravesend；　such　as　beans　and　peas；　which　had　been

on　board　only　two　days；　and　had　possibly　not　been　gathered　above

two　more；　I　apprehended　I　could　provide　better　for　myself　at　Deal

than　the　ship's　ordinary　seemed　to　promise。　　I　accordingly　sent

for　fresh　provisions　of　all　kinds　from　the　shore；　in　order　to　put

off　the　evil　day　of　starving　as　long　as　possible。　　My　man

returned　with　most　of　the　articles　I　sent　for；　and　I　now　thought

myself　in　a　condition　of　living　a　week　on　my　own　provisions。　　I

therefore　ordered　my　own　dinner；　which　I　wanted　nothing　but　a

cook　to　dress　and　a　proper　fire　to　dress　it　at；　but　those　were

not　to　be　had；　nor　indeed　any　addition　to　my　roast　mutton；　except

the　pleasure　of　the　captain's　company；　with　that　of　the　other

passengers；　for　my　wife　continued　the　whole　day　in　a　state　of

dozing；　and　my　other　females；　whose　sickness　did　not　abate　by　the

rolling　of　the　ship　at　anchor；　seemed　more　inclined　to　empty

their　stomachs　than　to　fill　them。　　Thus　I　passed　the　whole　day

（except　about　an　hour　at　dinner）　by　myself；　and　the　evening

concluded　with　the　captain　as　the　preceding　one　had　done；　one

comfortable　piece　of　news　he　communicated　to　me；　which　was；　that

he　had　no　doubt　of　a　prosperous　wind　in　the　morning；　but　as　he

did　not　divulge　the　reasons　of　this　confidence；　and　as　I　saw　none

myself　besides　the　wind　being　directly　opposite；　my　faith　in　this

prophecy　was　not　strong　enough　to　build　any　great　hopes　upon。



Thursday；　July　4。This　morning；　however；　the　captain　seemed

resolved　to　fulfill　his　own　predictions；　whether　the　wind　would

or　no；　he　accordingly　weighed　anchor；　and；　taking　the　advantage

of　the　tide　when　the　wind　was　not　very　boisterous；　he　hoisted　his

sails；　and；　as　if　his　power　had　been　no　less　absolute　over　Aeolus

than　it　was　ov