journal of a voyage to lisbon-第2节

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not　choose　to　attend　to；　a　note　towards　the　end　of　the　book

attributing　certain　of　the　letters　to　the　author　of　the　preface；

the　attribution　being　accompanied　by　an　agreeably　warm　and

sisterly　denunciation　of　those　who　ascribed　to　Fielding　matter

unworthy　of　him。　　From　these　the　letter　which　I　have　chosen；

describing　a　row　on　the　Thames；　seems　to　me　not　only

characteristic；　but；　like　all　this　miscellaneous　work；

interesting　no　less　for　its　weakness　than　for　its　strength。　　In

hardly　any　other　instance　known　to　me　can　we　trace　so　clearly　the

influence　of　a　suitable　medium　and　form　on　the　genius　of　the

artist。　　There　are　some　writersDryden　is　perhaps　the　greatest

of　themto　whom　form　and　medium　seem　almost　indifferent；　their

all…round　craftsmanship　being　such　that　they　can　turn　any　kind

and　every　style　to　their　purpose。　　There　are　others；　of　whom　I

think　our　present　author　is　the　chief；　who　are　never　really　at

home　but　in　one　kind。　　In　Fielding's　case　that　kind　was　narrative

of　a　peculiar　sort；　half…sentimental；　half…satirical；　and　almost

wholly　sympatheticnarrative　which　has　the　singular　gift　of

portraying　the　liveliest　character　and　yet　of　admitting　the

widest　disgression　　and　soliloquy。



Until　comparatively　late　in　his　too　short　life；　when　he　found

this　special　path　of　his　（and　it　is　impossible　to　say　whether　the

actual　finding　was　in　the　case　of　Jonathan　or　in　the　case　of

Joseph）；　he　did　but　flounder　and　slip。　　When　he　had　found　it；　and

was　content　to　walk　in　it；　he　strode　with　as　sure　and　steady　a

step　as　any　other；　even　the　greatest；　of　those　who　carry　and　hand

on　the　torch　of　literature　through　the　ages。　　But　it　is

impossible　to　derive　full　satisfaction　from　his　feats　in　this

part　of　the　race　without　some　notion　of　his　performances

elsewhere；　and　I　believe　that　such　a　notion　will　be　supplied　to

the　readers　of　his　novels　by　the　following　volumes；　in　a　very

large　number　of　cases；　for　the　first　time。















THE　JOURNAL　OF　A　VOYAGE　TO　LISBON



DEDICATION　TO　THE　PUBLIC



Your　candor　is　desired　on　the　perusal　of　the　following　sheets；　as

they　are　the　product　of　a　genius　that　has　long　been　your　delight

and　entertainment。　　It　must　be　acknowledged　that　a　lamp　almost

burnt　out　does　not　give　so　steady　and　uniform　a　light　as　when　it

blazes　in　its　full　vigor；　but　yet　it　is　well　known　that　by　its

wavering；　as　if　struggling　against　its　own　dissolution；　it

sometimes　darts　a　ray　as　bright　as　ever。　　In　like　manner；　a

strong　and　lively　genius　will；　in　its　last　struggles；　sometimes

mount　aloft；　and　throw　forth　the　most　striking　marks　of　its

original　luster。



Wherever　these　are　to　be　found；　do　you；　the　genuine　patrons　of

extraordinary　capacities；　be　as　liberal　in　your　applauses　of　him

who　is　now　no　more　as　you　were　of　him　whilst　he　was　yet　amongst

you。　　And；　on　the　other　hand；　if　in　this　little　work　there　should

appear　any　traces　of　a　weakened　and　decayed　life；　let　your　own

imaginations　place　before　your　eyes　a　true　picture　in　that　of　a

hand　trembling　in　almost　its　latest　hour；　of　a　body　emaciated

with　pains；　yet　struggling　for　your　entertainment；　and　let　this

affecting　picture　open　each　tender　heart；　and　call　forth　a

melting　tear；　to　blot　out　whatever　failings　may　be　found　in　a

work　begun　in　pain；　and　finished　almost　at　the　same　period　with

life。　　It　was　thought　proper　by　the　friends　of　the　deceased　that

this　little　piece　should　come　into　your　hands　as　it　came　from　the

hands　of　the　author；　it　being　judged　that　you　would　be　better

pleased　to　have　an　opportunity　of　observing　the　faintest　traces

of　a　genius　you　have　long　admired；　than　have　it　patched　by　a

different　hand；　by　which　means　the　marks　of　its　true　author　might

have　been　effaced。　　That　the　success　of　the　last　written；　though

first　published；　volume　of　the　author's　posthumous　pieces　may　be

attended　with　some　convenience　to　those　innocents　he　hath　left

behind；　will　no　doubt　be　a　motive　to　encourage　its　circulation

through　the　kingdom；　which　will　engage　every　future　genius　to

exert　itself　for　your　pleasure。　　The　principles　and　spirit　which

breathe　in　every　line　of　the　small　fragment　begun　in　answer　to

Lord　Bolingbroke　will　unquestionably　be　a　sufficient　apology　for

its　publication；　although　vital　strength　was　wanting　to　finish　a

work　so　happily　begun　and　so　well　designed。　　PREFACE　THERE　would

not；　perhaps；　be　a　more　pleasant　or　profitable　study；　among　those

which　have　their　principal　end　in　amusement；　than　that　of　travels

or　voyages；　if　they　were　wrote　as　they　might　be　and　ought　to　be；

with　a　joint　view　to　the　entertainment　and　information　of

mankind。　　If　the　conversation　of　travelers　be　so　eagerly　sought

after　as　it　is；　we　may　believe　their　books　will　be　still　more

agreeable　company；　as　they　will　in　general　be　more　instructive

and　more　entertaining。　　But　when　I　say　the　conversation　of

travelers　is　usually　so　welcome；　I　must　be　understood　to　mean

that　only　of　such　as　have　had　good　sense　enough　to　apply　their

peregrinations　to　a　proper　use；　so　as　to　acquire　from　them　a　real

and　valuable　knowledge　of　men　and　things；　both　which　are　best

known　by　comparison。　　If　the　customs　and　manners　of　men　were

everywhere　the　same；　there　would　be　no　office　so　dull　as　that　of

a　traveler；　for　the　difference　of　hills；　valleys；　rivers；　in

short；　the　various　views　of　which　we　may　see　the　face　of　the

earth；　would　scarce　afford　him　a　pleasure　worthy　of　his　labor；

and　surely　it　would　give　him　very　little　opportunity　of

communicating　any　kind　of　entertainment　or　improvement　to　others。



To　make　a　traveler　an　agreeable　companion　to　a　man　of　sense；　it

is　necessary；　not　only　that　he　should　have　seen　much；　but　that　he

should　have　overlooked　much　of　what　he　hath　seen。　　Nature　is　not；

any　more　than　a　great　genius；　always　admirable　in　her

productions；　and　therefore　the　traveler；　who　may　be　called　her

commentator；　should　not　expect　to　find　everywhere　subjects　worthy

of　his　notice。　　It　is　certain；　indeed；　that　one　may　be　guilty　of

omission；　as　well　as　of　the　opposite　extreme；　but　a　fault　on　that

side　will　be　more　easily　pardoned；　as　it　is　better　to　be　hungry

than　surfeited；　and　to　miss　your　dessert　at　the　table　of　a　man

whose　gardens　abound　with　the　choicest　fruits；　than　to　have　your

taste　affronted　with　every　sort　of　trash　that　can　be　picked　up　at

the　green…stall　or　the　wheel…barrow。　　If　we　should　carry　on　the

analogy　between　the　traveler　and　the　commentator；　it　is

impossible　to　keep　one's　eye　a　moment　off　from　the　laborious

much…read　doctor　Zachary　Gray；　of　whose　redundant　notes　on

Hudibras　I　shall　only　say　that　it　is；　I　am　confident；　the　single

book　extant　in　which　above　five　hundred　authors　are　quoted；　not

one　of　which　could　be　found　in　the　collection　of　the　late　doctor　Mead。



As　there　are　few　things　which　a　traveler　is　to　record；　there　are

fewer　on　which　he　is　to　offer　his　observations：　　this　is　the

office　of　the　reader；　and　it　is　so　pleasant　a　one；　that　he　seldom

chooses　to　have　it　taken　from　him；　under　the　pretense　of　lending

him　assistance。　　Some　occasions；　indeed；　there　are；　when　proper

observations　are　pertinent；　and　others　when　they　are　necessary；

but　good　sense　alone　must　point　them　out。　　I　shall　lay　down　only

one　general　rule；　which　I　believe　to　be　of　universal　truth

between　relator　and　hearer；　as　it　is　between　author　and　reader；

this　is；　that　the　latter　never　forgive　any　observation　of　the

former　which　doth　not　convey　some　knowledge　that　they　are

sensible　they　could　not　possibly　have　attained　of　themselves。



But　all　his　pains　in　collecting　knowledge；　all　his　judgment　in

selecting；　and　all　his　art　in　communicating　it；　will　not　suffice；

unless　he　can　make　himself；　in　some　degree；　an　agreeable　as　well

as　an　instructive　companion。　　The　highest　instruction　we　can

derive　from　the　tedious　tale　of　a　dull　fellow　scarce　ever　pays　us

for　our　attention。　　There　is　nothing；　I　think；　half　so　valuable

as　knowledge；　and　yet　there　is　nothing　which　men　will　give

themselves　so　little　trouble　to　attain；　unless　it　be；　perhaps；

that　lowest　degree　of　it　which　is　the　object　of　curiosity；　and

which　hath　therefore　that　active　passion　constantly　employed　in

its　service。　　This；　indeed；　it　is　in　the　power　of　every　traveler

to　gratify；　but　it　is　the　leading　principle　in　weak　minds　only。



To　render　his　relation　agreeable　to　the　man　of　sense；　it　is

therefore　necessary　that　the　voyager　should　possess　several

eminent　and　rare　talents；　so　rare　indeed；　that　it　is　almost

wonderful　to　see　them　ever　united　in　the　same　person。　　And　if　all

these　talents　must　concur　in　the　relator；　they　are　certainly　in　a

more　eminent　degree　necessary　to　the　writer；　for　here　the

narration　admits　of　higher　ornaments　of　style；　and　every　fact　and

sentiment　offers　itself　to　the　fullest　and　most　deliberate

examination。　　It　would　appear；　therefore；　I　think；　somewhat

strange　if　such　writers　as　these　should　be　found　extremely

c