journal of a voyage to lisbon-第18节

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accomplished　by　the　very　offals　which　fall　from　a　table

moderately　plentiful。　　That　they　are　enjoyed　therefore　by　so　few

arises　truly　from　there　being　so　few　who　have　any　such

disposition　to　gratify；　or　who　aim　at　any　such　character。



Wednesday；　July　22。This　morning；　after　having　been　mulcted　as

usual；　we　dispatched　a　servant　with　proper　acknowledgments　of　the

lady's　goodness；　but　confined　our　wants　entirely　to　the

productions　of　her　garden。　　He　soon　returned；　in　company　with　the

gardener；　both　richly　laden　with　almost　every　particular　which　a

garden　at　this　most　fruitful　season　of　the　year　produces。　　While

we　were　regaling　ourselves　with　these；　towards　the　close　of　our

dinner；　we　received　orders　from　our　commander；　who　had　dined　that

day　with　some　inferior　officers　on　board　a　man…of…war；　to　return

instantly　to　the　ship；　for　that　the　wind　was　become　favorable　and

he　should　weigh　that　evening。　　These　orders　were　soon　followed　by

the　captain　himself；　who　was　still　in　the　utmost　hurry；　though

the　occasion　of　it　had　long　since　ceased；　for　the　wind　had；

indeed；　a　little　shifted　that　afternoon；　but　was　before　this　very

quietly　set　down　in　its　old　quarters。



This　last　was　a　lucky　hit　for　me；　for；　as　the　captain；　to　whose

orders　we　resolved　to　pay　no　obedience；　unless　delivered　by

himself；　did　not　return　till　past　six；　so　much　time　seemed

requisite　to　put　up　the　furniture　of　our　bed…chamber　or

dining…room；　for　almost　every　article；　even　to　some　of　the

chairs；　were　either　our　own　or　the　captain's　property；　so　much

more　in　conveying　it　as　well　as　myself；　as　dead　a　luggage　as　any；

to　the　shore；　and　thence　to　the　ship；　that　the　night　threatened

first　to　overtake　us。　　A　terrible　circumstance　to　me；　in　my

decayed　condition；　especially　as　very　heavy　showers　of　rain；

attended　with　a　high　wind；　continued　to　fall　incessantly；　the

being　carried　through　which　two　miles　in　the　dark；　in　a　wet　and

open　boat；　seemed　little　less　than　certain　death。　　However；　as　my

commander　was　absolute；　his　orders　peremptory；　and　my　obedience

necessary；　I　resolved　to　avail　myself　of　a　philosophy　which　hath

been　of　notable　use　to　me　in　the　latter　part　of　my　life；　and

which　is　contained　in　this　hemistich　of　Virgil：



Superanda　omnis　fortuna　ferendo　est。



The　meaning　of　which；　if　Virgil　had　any；　I　think　I　rightly

understood；　and　rightly　applied。　　As　I　was　therefore　to　be

entirely　passive　in　my　motion；　I　resolved　to　abandon　myself　to

the　conduct　of　those　who　were　to　carry　me　into　a　cart　when　it

returned　from　unloading　the　goods。



But　before　this；　the　captain；　perceiving　what　had　happened　in　the

clouds；　and　that　the　wind　remained　as　much　his　enemy　as　ever；

came　upstairs　to　me　with　a　reprieve　till　the　morning。　　This　was；

I　own；　very　agreeable　news；　and　I　little　regretted　the　trouble　of

refurnishing　my　apartment；　by　sending　back　for　the　goods。



Mrs。　Francis　was　not　well　pleased　with　this。



As　she　understood　the　reprieve　to　be　only　till　the　morning；　she

saw　nothing　but　lodging　to　be　possibly　added；　out　of　which　she

was　to　deduct　fire　and　candle；　and　the　remainder；　she　thought；

would　scarce　pay　her　for　her　trouble。　　She　exerted　therefore　all

the　ill…humor　of　which　she　was　mistress；　and　did　all　she　could　to

thwart　and　perplex　everything　during　the　whole　evening。



Thursday；　July　23。Early　in　the　morning　the　captain；　who　had

remained　on　shore　all　night；　came　to　visit　us；　and　to　press　us　to

make　haste　on　board。　　〃I　am　resolved；〃　says　he；　〃not　to　lose　a

moment　now　the　wind　is　coming　about　fair：　　for　my　own　part；　I

never　was　surer　of　a　wind　in　all　my　life。〃　　I　use　his　very　words；

nor　will　I　presume　to　interpret　or　comment　upon　them　farther　than

by　observing　that　they　were　spoke　in　the　utmost　hurry。



We　promised　to　be　ready　as　soon　as　breakfast　was　over；　but　this

was　not　so　soon　as　was　expected；　for；　in　removing　our　goods　the

evening　before；　the　tea…chest　was　unhappily　lost。　　Every　place

was　immediately　searched；　and　many　where　it　was　impossible　for　it

to　be；　for　this　was　a　loss　of　much　greater　consequence　than　it

may　at　first　seem　to　many　of　my　readers。　　Ladies　and

valetudinarians　do　not　easily　dispense　with　the　use　of　this

sovereign　cordial　in　a　single　instance；　but　to　undertake　a　long

voyage；　without　any　probability　of　being　supplied　with　it　the

whole　way；　was　above　the　reach　of　patience。　　And　yet；　dreadful　as

this　calamity　was；　it　seemed　unavoidable。　　The　whole　town　of　Ryde

could　not　supply　a　single　leaf；　for；　as　to　what　Mrs。　Francis　and

the　shop　called　by　that　name；　it　was　not　of　Chinese　growth。　　It

did　not　indeed　in　the　least　resemble　tea；　either　in　smell　or

taste；　or　in　any　particular；　unless　in　being　a　leaf；　for　it　was

in　truth　no　other　than　a　tobacco　of　the　mundungus　species。　　And

as　for　the　hopes　of　relief　in　any　other　port；　they　were　not　to　be

depended　upon；　for　the　captain　had　positively　declared　he　was

sure　of　a　wind；　and　would　let　go　his　anchor　no　more　till　he

arrived　in　the　Tajo。



When　a　good　deal　of　time　had　been　spent；　most　of　it　indeed　wasted

on　this　occasion；　a　thought　occurred　which　every　one　wondered　at

its　not　having　presented　itself　the　first　moment。　　This　was　to

apply　to　the　good　lady；　who　could　not　fail　of　pitying　and

relieving　such　distress。　　A　messenger　was　immediately　despatched

with　an　account　of　our　misfortune；　till　whose　return　we　employed

ourselves　in　preparatives　for　our　departure；　that　we　might　have

nothing　to　do　but　to　swallow　our　breakfast　when　it　arrived。　　The

tea…chest；　though　of　no　less　consequence　to　us　than　the

military…chest　to　a　general；　was　given　up　as　lost；　or　rather　as

stolen；　for　though　I　would　not；　for　the　world；　mention　any

particular　name；　it　is　certain　we　had　suspicions；　and　all；　I　am

afraid；　fell　on　the　same　person。



The　man　returned　from　the　worthy　lady　with　much　expedition；　and

brought　with　him　a　canister　of　tea；　despatched　with　so　true　a

generosity；　as　well　as　politeness；　that　if　our　voyage　had　been　as

long　again　we　should　have　incurred　no　danger　of　being　brought　to

a　short　allowance　in　this　most　important　article。　　At　the　very

same　instant　likewise　arrived　William　the　footman　with　our　own

tea…chest。　　It　had　been；　indeed；　left　in　the　hoy；　when　the　other

goods　were　re…landed；　as　William；　when　he　first　heard　it　was

missing；　had　suspected；　and　whence；　had　not　the　owner　of　the　hoy

been　unluckily　out　of　the　way；　he　had　retrieved　it　soon　enough　to

have　prevented　our　giving　the　lady　an　opportunity　of　displaying

some　part　of　her　goodness。　　To　search　the　hoy　was；　indeed；　too

natural　a　suggestion　to　have　escaped　any　one；　nor　did　it　escape

being　mentioned　by　many　of　us；　but　we　were　dissuaded　from　it　by

my　wife's　maid；　who　perfectly　well　remembered　she　had　left　the

chest　in　the　bed…chamber；　for　that　she　had　never　given　it　out　of

her　hand　in　her　way　to　or　from　the　hoy；　but　William　perhaps　knew

the　maid　better；　and　best　understood　how　far　she　was　to　be

believed；　for　otherwise　he　would　hardly　of　his　own　accord；　after

hearing　her　declaration；　have　hunted　out　the　hoy…man；　with　much

pains　and　difficulty。　　Thus　ended　this　scene；　which　began　with

such　appearance　of　distress；　and　ended　with　becoming　the　subject

of　mirth　and　laughter。　　Nothing　now　remained　but　to　pay　our

taxes；　which　were　indeed　laid　with　inconceivable　severity。

Lodging　was　raised　sixpence；　fire　in　the　same　proportion；　and

even　candles；　which　had　hitherto　escaped；　were　charged　with　a

wantonness　of　imposition；　from　the　beginning；　and　placed　under

the　style　of　oversight。　　We　were　raised　a　whole　pound；　whereas　we

had　only　burned　ten；　in　five　nights；　and　the　pound　consisted　of

twenty…four。



Lastly；　an　attempt　was　made　which　almost　as　far　exceeds　human

credulity　to　believe　as　it　did　human　patience　to　submit　to。　　This

was　to　make　us　pay　as　much　for　existing　an　hour　or　two　as　for

existing　a　whole　day；　and　dressing　dinner　was　introduced　as　an

article；　though　we　left　the　house　before　either　pot　or　spit　had

approached　the　fire。　　Here　I　own　my　patience　failed　me；　and　I

became　an　example　of　the　truth　of　the　observation；　〃That　all

tyranny　and　oppression　may　be　carried　too　far；　and　that　a　yoke

may　be　made　too　intolerable　for　the　neck　of　the　tamest　slave。〃

When　I　remonstrated；　with　some　warmth；　against　this　grievance；

Mrs。　Francis　gave　me　a　look；　and　left　the　room　without　making　any

answer。　　She　returned　in　a　minute；　running　to　me　with　pen；　ink；

and　paper；　in　her　hand；　and　desired　me　to　make　my　own　bill；　〃for

she　hoped；〃　she　said　〃I　did　not　expect　that　her　house　was　to　be

dirtied；　and　her　goods　spoiled　and　consumed　for　nothing。　　The

whole　is　but　thirteen　shillings。　　Can　gentlefolks　lie　a　whole

night　at　a　public…house　for　less？　　If　they　can　I　am　sure　it　is

time　to　give　off　being　a　landlady：　　but　pay　me　what　you　please；　I

would　have　people　know　that　I　value　money　as　little　as　other

folks。　　But　I　was　always　a　fool；　as　I　says　to　my　husband；　and

never　know