journal of a voyage to lisbon-第21节

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different　from　what　they　had　lately　worn；　the　news　that　the　ship

had　almost　lost　its　mizzen；　and　that　we　had　procured　very　fine

clouted　cream　and　fresh　bread　and　butter　from　the　shore；　restored

health　and　spirits　to　our　women；　and　we　all　sat　down　to　a　very

cheerful　breakfast。　　But；　however　pleasant　our　stay　promised　to

be　here；　we　were　all　desirous　it　should　be　short：　　I　resolved

immediately　to　despatch　my　man　into　the　country　to　purchase　a

present　of　cider；　for　my　friends　of　that　which　is　called　Southam；

as　well　as　to　take　with　me　a　hogshead　of　it　to　Lisbon；　for　it　is；

in　my　opinion；　much　more　delicious　than　that　which　is　the　growth

of　Herefordshire。　　I　purchased　three　hogsheads　for　five　pounds

ten　shillings；　all　which　I　should　have　scarce　thought　worth

mentioning；　had　I　not　believed　it　might　be　of　equal　service　to

the　honest　farmer　who　sold　it　me；　and　who　is　by　the　neighboring

gentlemen　reputed　to　deal　in　the　very　best；　and　to　the　reader；

who；　from　ignorance　of　the　means　of　providing　better　for　himself；

swallows　at　a　dearer　rate　the　juice　of　Middlesex　turnip；　instead

of　that　Vinum　Pomonae　which　Mr。　Giles　Leverance　of　Cheeshurst；

near　Dartmouth　in　Devon；　will；　at　the　price　of　forty　shillings

per　hogshead；　send　in　double　casks　to　any　part　of　the　world。　　Had

the　wind　been　very　sudden　in　shifting；　I　had　lost　my　cider　by　an

attempt　of　a　boatman　to　exact；　according　to　custom。　　He　required

five　shillings　for　conveying　my　man　a　mile　and　a　half　to　the

shore；　and　four　more　if　he　stayed　to　bring　him　back。　　This　I

thought　to　be　such　insufferable　impudence　that　I　ordered　him　to

be　immediately　chased　from　the　ship；　without　any　answer。　　Indeed；

there　are　few　inconveniences　that　I　would　not　rather　encounter

than　encourage　the　insolent　demands　of　these　wretches；　at　the

expense　of　my　own　indignation；　of　which　I　own　they　are　not　the

only　objects；　but　rather　those　who　purchase　a　paltry　convenience

by　encouraging　them。　　But　of　this　I　have　already　spoken　very

largely。　　I　shall　conclude；　therefore；　with　the　leave　which　this

fellow　took　of　our　ship；　saying　he　should　know　it　again；　and

would　not　put　off　from　the　shore　to　relieve　it　in　any　distress

whatever。　　It　will；　doubtless；　surprise　many　of　my　readers　to

hear　that；　when　we　lay　at　anchor　within　a　mile　or　two　of　a　town

several　days　together；　and　even　in　the　most　temperate　weather；　we

should　frequently　want　fresh　provisions　and　herbage；　and　other

emoluments　of　the　shore；　as　much　as　if　we　had　been　a　hundred

leagues　from　land。　　And　this　too　while　numbers　of　boats　were　in

our　sight；　whose　owners　get　their　livelihood　by　rowing　people　up

and　down；　and　could　be　at　any　time　summoned　by　a　signal　to　our

assistance；　and　while　the　captain　had　a　little　boat　of　his　own；

with　men　always　ready　to　row　it　at　his　command。



This；　however；　hath　been　partly　accounted　for　already　by　the

imposing　disposition　of　the　people；　who　asked　so　much　more　than

the　proper　price　of　their　labor。　　And　as　to　the　usefulness　of　the

captain's　boat；　it　requires　to　be　a　little　expatiated　upon；　as　it

will　tend　to　lay　open　some　of　the　grievances　which　demand　the

utmost　regard　of　our　legislature；　as　they　affect　the　most

valuable　part　of　the　king's　subjectsthose　by　whom　the　commerce

of　the　nation　is　carried　into　execution。　　Our　captain　then；　who

was　a　very　good　and　experienced　seaman；　having　been　above　thirty

years　the　master　of　a　vessel；　part　of　which　he　had　served；　so　he

phrased　it；　as　commander　of　a　privateer；　and　had　discharged

himself　with　great　courage　and　conduct；　and　with　as　great

success；　discovered　the　utmost　aversion　to　the　sending　his　boat

ashore　whenever　we　lay　wind…bound　in　any　of　our　harbors。　　This

aversion　did　not　arise　from　any　fear　of　wearing　out　his　boat　by

using　it；　but　was；　in　truth；　the　result　of　experience；　that　it

was　easier　to　send　his　men　on　shore　than　to　recall　them。　　They

acknowledged　him　to　be　their　master　while　they　remained　on

shipboard；　but　did　not　allow　his　power　to　extend　to　the　shores；

where　they　had　no　sooner　set　their　foot　than　every　man　became　sui

juris；　and　thought　himself　at　full　liberty　to　return　when　he

pleased。　　Now　it　is　not　any　delight　that　these　fellows　have　in

the　fresh　air　or　verdant　fields　on　the　land。　　Every　one　of　them

would　prefer　his　ship　and　his　hammock　to　all　the　sweets　of　Arabia

the　Happy；　but；　unluckily　for　them；　there　are　in　every　seaport　in

England　certain　houses　whose　chief　livelihood　depends　on

providing　entertainment　for　the　gentlemen　of　the　jacket。　　For

this　purpose　they　are　always　well　furnished　with　those　cordial

liquors　which　do　immediately　inspire　the　heart　with　gladness；

banishing　all　careful　thoughts；　and　indeed　all　others；　from　the

mind；　and　opening　the　mouth　with　songs　of　cheerfulness　and

thanksgiving　for　the　many　wonderful　blessings　with　which　a

seafaring　life　overflows。



For　my　own　part；　however　whimsical　it　may　appear；　I　confess　I

have　thought　the　strange　story　of　Circe　in　the　Odyssey　no　other

than　an　ingenious　allegory；　in　which　Homer　intended　to　convey　to

his　countrymen　the　same　kind　of　instruction　which　we　intend　to

communicate　to　our　own　in　this　digression。　　As　teaching　the　art

of　war　to　the　Greeks　was　the　plain　design　of　the　Iliad；　so　was

teaching　them　the　art　of　navigation　the　no　less　manifest

intention　of　the　Odyssey。　　For　the　improvement　of　this；　their

situation　was　most　excellently　adapted；　and　accordingly　we　find

Thucydides；　in　the　beginning　of　his　history；　considers　the　Greeks

as　a　set　of　pirates　or　privateers；　plundering　each　other　by　sea。

This　being　probably　the　first　institution　of　commerce　before　the

Ars　Cauponaria　was　invented；　and　merchants；　instead　of　robbing；

began　to　cheat　and　outwit　each　other；　and　by　degrees　changed　the

Metabletic；　the　only　kind　of　traffic　allowed　by　Aristotle　in　his

Politics；　into　the　Chrematistic。



By　this　allegory　then　I　suppose　Ulysses　to　have　been　the　captain

of　a　merchant…ship；　and　Circe　some　good　ale…wife；　who　made　his

crew　drunk　with　the　spirituous　liquors　of　those　days。　　With　this

the　transformation　into　swine；　as　well　as　all　other　incidents　of

the　fable；　will　notably　agree；　and　thus　a　key　will　be　found　out

for　unlocking　the　whole　mystery；　and　forging　at　least　some　meaning

to　a　story　which；　at　present；　appears　very　strange　and　absurd。



Hence；　moreover；　will　appear　the　very　near　resemblance　between

the　sea…faring　men　of　all　ages　and　nations；　and　here　perhaps　may

be　established　the　truth　and　justice　of　that　observation；　which

will　occur　oftener　than　once　in　this　voyage；　that　all　human　flesh

is　not　the　same　flesh；　but　that　there　is　one　kind　of　flesh　of

landmen；　and　another　of　seamen。



Philosophers；　divines；　and　others；　who　have　treated　the

gratification　of　human　appetites　with　contempt；　have；　among　other

instances；　insisted　very　strongly　on　that　satiety　which　is　so　apt

to　overtake　them　even　in　the　very　act　of　enjoyment。　　And　here

they　more　particularly　deserve　our　attention；　as　most　of　them　may

be　supposed　to　speak　from　their　own　experience；　and　very　probably

gave　us　their　lessons　with　a　full　stomach。　　Thus　hunger　and

thirst；　whatever　delight　they　may　afford　while　we　are　eating　and

drinking；　pass　both　away　from　us　with　the　plate　and　the　cup；　and

though　we　should　imitate　the　Romans；　if；　indeed；　they　were　such

dull　beasts；　which　I　can　scarce　believe；　to　unload　the　belly　like

a　dung…pot；　in　order　to　fill　it　again　with　another　load；　yet

would　the　pleasure　be　so　considerably　lessened　that　it　would

scarce　repay　us　the　trouble　of　purchasing　it　with　swallowing　a

basin　of　camomile　tea。　　A　second　haunch　of　venison；　or　a　second

dose　of　turtle；　would　hardly　allure　a　city　glutton　with　its

smell。　　Even　the　celebrated　Jew　himself；　when　well　filled　with

calipash　and　calipee；　goes　contentedly　home　to　tell　his　money；

and　expects　no　more　pleasure　from　his　throat　during　the　next

twenty…four　hours。　　Hence　I　suppose　Dr。　South　took　that　elegant

comparison　of　the　joys　of　a　speculative　man　to　the　solemn　silence

of　an　Archimedes　over　a　problem；　and　those　of　a　glutton　to　the

stillness　of　a　sow　at　her　wash。　　A　simile　which；　if　it　became　the

pulpit　at　all；　could　only　become　it　in　the　afternoon。　　Whereas　in

those　potations　which　the　mind　seems　to　enjoy；　rather　than　the

bodily　appetite；　there　is　happily　no　such　satiety；　but　the　more　a

man　drinks；　the　more　he　desires；　as　if；　like　Mark　Anthony　in

Dryden；　his　appetite　increased　with　feeding；　and　this　to　such　an

immoderate　degree；　ut　nullus　sit　desiderio　aut　pudor　aut　modus。

Hence；　as　with　the　gang　of　Captain　Ulysses；　ensues　so　total　a

transformation；　that　the　man　no　more　continues　what　he　was。

Perhaps　he　ceases　for　a　time　to　be　at　all；　or；　though　he　may

retain　the　same　outward　form　and　figure　he　had　before；　yet　is　his

nobler　part；　as　we　are　taught　to　call　it；　so　changed；　that；

instead　of　being　the　same　man；　he　scarce　remembers　what　he　was　a

few　hours　before。　　And　this　transformation；　being　o