journal of a voyage to lisbon-第14节

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is　impossible　to　find　any　objection　in　it；　but；　indeed；　it　was

not　altogether　so　proper　at　this　time；　for　we　had　given　the　most

absolute　orders　to　have　them　ready　at　four；　and　had　been

ourselves；　not　without　much　care　and　difficulty；　most　exactly

punctual　in　keeping　to　the　very　minute　of　our　appointment。　　But

tradesmen；　inn…keepers；　and　servants；　never　care　to　indulge　us　in

matters　contrary　to　our　true　interest；　which　they　always　know

better　than　ourselves；　nor　can　any　bribes　corrupt　them　to　go　out

of　their　way　while　they　are　consulting　our　good　in　our　own　despite。



Our　disappointment　in　the　other　particular；　in　defiance　of　our

humility；　as　it　was　more　extraordinary；　was　more　provoking。　　In

short；　Mrs。　Francis　（for　that　was　the　name　of　the　good　woman　of

the　house）　no　sooner　received　the　news　of　our　intended　arrival

than　she　considered　more　the　gentility　than　the　humanity　of　her

guests；　and　applied　herself　not　to　that　which　kindles　but　to　that

which　extinguishes　fire；　and；　forgetting　to　put　on　her　pot；　fell

to　washing　her　house。



As　the　messenger　who　had　brought　my　venison　was　impatient　to　be

dispatched；　I　ordered　it　to　be　brought　and　laid　on　the　table　in

the　room　where　I　was　seated；　and　the　table　not　being　large

enough；　one　side；　and　that　a　very　bloody　one；　was　laid　on　the

brick　floor。　　I　then　ordered　Mrs。　Francis　to　be　called　in；　in

order　to　give　her　instructions　concerning　it；　in　particular；　what

I　would　have　roasted　and　what　baked；　concluding　that　she　would　be

highly　pleased　with　the　prospect　of　so　much　money　being　spent　in

her　house　as　she　might　have　now　reason　to　expect；　if　the　wind

continued　only　a　few　days　longer　to　blow　from　the　same　points

whence　it　had　blown　for　several　weeks　past。



I　soon　saw　good　cause；　I　must　confess；　to　despise　my　own

sagacity。　　Mrs。　Francis；　having　received　her　orders；　without

making　any　answer；　snatched　the　side　from　the　floor；　which

remained　stained　with　blood；　and；　bidding　a　servant　to　take　up

that　on　the　table；　left　the　room　with　no　pleasant　countenance；

muttering　to　herself　that；　〃had　she　known　the　litter　which　was　to

have　been　made；　she　would　not　have　taken　such　pains　to　wash　her

house　that　morning。　　If　this　was　gentility；　much　good　may　it　do

such　gentlefolks；　for　her　part　she　had　no　notion　of　it。〃　　From

these　murmurs　I　received　two　hints。　　The　one；　that　it　was　not

from　a　mistake　of　our　inclination　that　the　good　woman　had　starved

us；　but　from　wisely　consulting　her　own　dignity；　or　rather　perhaps

her　vanity；　to　which　our　hunger　was　offered　up　as　a　sacrifice。

The　other；　that　I　was　now　sitting　in　a　damp　room；　a　circumstance；

though　it　had　hitherto　escaped　my　notice　from　the　color　of　the

bricks；　which　was　by　no　means　to　be　neglected　in　a　valetudinary　state。



My　wife；　who；　besides　discharging　excellently　well　her　own　and

all　the　tender　offices　becoming　the　female　character；　who；

besides　being　a　faithful　friend；　an　amiable　companion；　and　a

tender　nurse；　could　likewise　supply　the　wants　of　a　decrepit

husband；　and　occasionally　perform　his　part；　had；　before　this；

discovered　the　immoderate　attention　to　neatness　in　Mrs。　Francis；

and　provided　against　its　ill　consequences。　　She　had　found；　though

not　under　the　same　roof；　a　very　snug　apartment　belonging　to　Mr。

Francis；　and　which　had　escaped　the　mop　by　his　wife's　being

satisfied　it　could　not　possibly　be　visited　by　gentle…folks。　　This

was　a　dry；　warm；　oaken…floored　barn；　lined　on　both　sides　with

wheaten　straw；　and　opening　at　one　end　into　a　green　field　and　a

beautiful　prospect。　　Here；　without　hesitation；　she　ordered　the

cloth　to　be　laid；　and　came　hastily　to　snatch　me　from　worse　perils

by　water　than　the　common　dangers　of　the　sea。



Mrs。　Francis；　who　could　not　trust　her　own　ears；　or　could　not

believe　a　footman　in　so　extraordinary　a　phenomenon；　followed　my

wife；　and　asked　her　if　she　had　indeed　ordered　the　cloth　to　be

laid　in　the　barn？　　She　answered　in　the　affirmative；　upon　which

Mrs。　Francis　declared　she　would　not　dispute　her　pleasure；　but　it

was　the　first　time　she　believed　that　quality　had　ever　preferred　a

barn　to　a　house。　　She　showed　at　the　same　time　the　most　pregnant

marks　of　contempt；　and　again　lamented　the　labor　she　had　undergone；

through　her　ignorance　of　the　absurd　taste　of　her　guests。



At　length　we　were　seated　in　one　of　the　most　pleasant　spots　I

believe　in　the　kingdom；　and　were　regaled　with　our　beans　and

bacon；　in　which　there　was　nothing　deficient　but　the　quantity。

This　defect　was　however　so　deplorable　that　we　had　consumed　our

whole　dish　before　we　had　visibly　lessened　our　hunger。　　We　now

waited　with　impatience　the　arrival　of　our　second　course；　which

necessity；　and　not　luxury；　had　dictated。　　This　was　a　joint　of

mutton　which　Mrs。　Francis　had　been　ordered　to　provide；　but　when；

being　tired　with　expectation；　we　ordered　our　servants　TO　SEE　FOR

SOMETHING　ELSE；　we　were　informed　that　there　was　nothing　else；　on

which　Mrs。　Francis；　being　summoned；　declared　there　was　no　such

thing　as　mutton　to　be　had　at　Ryde。　　When　I　expressed　some

astonishment　at　their　having　no　butcher　in　a　village　so　situated；

she　answered　they　had　a　very　good　one；　and　one　that　killed　all

sorts　of　meat　in　season；　beef　two　or　three　times　a　year；　and

mutton　the　whole　year　round；　but　that；　it　being　then　beans　and

peas　time；　he　killed　no　meat；　by　reason　he　was　not　sure　of

selling　it。　　This　she　had　not　thought　worthy　of　communication；

any　more　than　that　there　lived　a　fisherman　at　next　door；　who　was

then　provided　with　plenty　of　soles；　and　whitings；　and　lobsters；

far　superior　to　those　which　adorn　a　city　feast。　　This　discovery

being　made　by　accident；　we　completed　the　best；　the　pleasantest；

and　the　merriest　meal；　with　more　appetite；　more　real　solid

luxury；　and　more　festivity；　than　was　ever　seen　in　an

entertainment　at　White's。



It　may　be　wondered　at；　perhaps；　that　Mrs。　Francis　should　be　so

negligent　of　providing　for　her　guests；　as　she　may　seem　to　be　thus

inattentive　to　her　own　interest；　but　this　was　not　the　case；　for；

having　clapped　a　poll…tax　on　our　heads　at　our　arrival；　and

determined　at　what　price　to　discharge　our　bodies　from　her　house；

the　less　she　suffered　any　other　to　share　in　the　levy　the　clearer

it　came　into　her　own　pocket；　and　that　it　was　better　to　get　twelve

pence　in　a　shilling　than　ten　pence；　which　latter　would　be　the

case　if　she　afforded　us　fish　at　any　rate。



Thus　we　passed　a　most　agreeable　day　owing　to　good　appetites　and

good　humor；　two　hearty　feeders　which　will　devour　with

satisfaction　whatever　food　you　place　before　them；　whereas；

without　these；　the　elegance　of　St。　James's；　the　charde；　the

perigord…pie；　or　the　ortolan；　the　venison；　the　turtle；　or　the

custard；　may　titillate　the　throat；　but　will　never　convey

happiness　to　the　heart　or　cheerfulness　to　the　countenance。



As　the　wind　appeared　still　immovable；　my　wife　proposed　my　lying

on　shore。　　I　presently　agreed；　though　in　defiance　of　an　act　of

parliament；　by　which　persons　wandering　abroad　and　lodging　in

ale…houses　are　decreed　to　be　rogues　and　vagabonds；　and　this　too

after　having　been　very　singularly　officious　in　putting　that　law

in　execution。　　My　wife；　having　reconnoitered　the　house；　reported

that　there　was　one　room　in　which　were　two　beds。　　It　was

concluded；　therefore；　that　she　and　Harriot　should　occupy　one　and

myself　take　possession　of　the　other。　　She　added　likewise　an

ingenious　recommendation　of　this　room　to　one　who　had　so　long　been

in　a　cabin；　which　it　exactly　resembled；　as　it　was　sunk　down　with

age　on　one　side；　and　was　in　the　form　of　a　ship　with　gunwales　too。



For　my　own　part；　I　make　little　doubt　but　this　apartment　was　an

ancient　temple；　built　with　the　materials　of　a　wreck；　and　probably

dedicated　to　Neptune　in　honor　of　THE　BLESSING　sent　by　him　to　the

inhabitants；　such　blessings　having　in　all　ages　been　very　common

to　them。　　The　timber　employed　in　it　confirms　this　opinion；　being

such　as　is　seldom　used　by　ally　but　ship…builders。　　I　do　not　find

indeed　any　mention　of　this　matter　in　Hearn；　but　perhaps　its

antiquity　was　too　modern　to　deserve　his　notice。　　Certain　it　is

that　this　island　of　Wight　was　not　an　early　convert　to

Christianity；　nay；　there　is　some　reason　to　doubt　whether　it　was

ever　entirely　converted。　　But　I　have　only　time　to　touch　slightly

on　things　of　this　kind；　which；　luckily　for　us；　we　have　a　society

whose　peculiar　profession　it　is　to　discuss　and　develop。



Sunday；　July　19。This　morning　early　I　summoned　Mrs。　Francis；　in

order　to　pay　her　the　preceding　day's　account。　　As　I　could

recollect　only　two　or　three　articles　I　thought　there　was　no

necessity　of　pen　and　ink。　　In　a　single　instance　only　we　had

exceeded　what　the　law　allows　gratis　to　a　foot…soldier　on　his

march；　viz。；　vinegar；　salt；　etc。；　and　dressing　his　meat。　　I

found；　however；　I　was　mistaken　in　my　calculation；　for　when　the

good　woman　attended　with　her　bill　it　contained　as　follows：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　L。　　　　　　　s。　　　　　d。