journal of a voyage to lisbon-第23节

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attention　of　any　man　in　power；　and　should　thus　be　the　means　of

applying　any　remedy　to　the　most　inveterate　evils；　at　least；　I

have　obtained　my　whole　desire；　and　shall　have　lain　so　long

wind…bound　in　the　ports　of　this　kingdom　to　some　purpose。　　I

would；　indeed；　have　this　workwhich；　if　I　should　live　to　finish

it；　a　matter　of　no　great　certainty；　if　indeed　of　any　great　hope

to　me；　will　be　probably　the　last　I　shall　ever　undertaketo

produce　some　better　end　than　the　mere　diversion　of　the　reader。



Monday。This　day　our　captain　went　ashore；　to　dine　with　a

gentleman　who　lives　in　these　parts；　and　who　so　exactly　resembles

the　character　given　by　Homer　of　Axylus；　that　the　only　difference

I　can　trace　between　them　is；　the　one；　living　by　the　highway；

erected　his　hospitality　chiefly　in　favor　of　land…travelers；　and

the　other；　living　by　the　water…side；　gratified　his　humanity　by

accommodating　the　wants　of　the　mariner。



In　the　evening　our　commander　received　a　visit　from　a　brother

bashaw；　who　lay　wind…bound　in　the　same　harbor。　　This　latter

captain　was　a　Swiss。　　He　was　then　master　of　a　vessel　bound　to

Guinea；　and　had　formerly　been　a　privateering；　when　our　own　hero

was　employed　in　the　same　laudable　service。　　The　honesty　and

freedom　of　the　Switzer；　his　vivacity；　in　which　he　was　in　no

respect　inferior　to　his　near　neighbors　the　French；　the　awkward

and　affected　politeness；　which　was　likewise　of　French　extraction；

mixed　with　the　brutal　roughness　of　the　English　tarfor　he　had

served　under　the　colors　of　this　nation　and　his　crew　had　been　of

the　samemade　such　an　odd　variety；　such　a　hotch…potch　of

character；　that　I　should　have　been　much　diverted　with　him；　had

not　his　voice；　which　was　as　loud　as　a　speaking…trumpet；

unfortunately　made　my　head　ache。　　The　noise　which　he　conveyed

into　the　deaf　ears　of　his　brother　captain；　who　sat　on　one　side　of

him；　the　soft　addresses　with　which；　mixed　with　awkward　bows；　he

saluted　the　ladies　on　the　other；　were　so　agreeably　contrasted；

that　a　man　must　not　only　have　been　void　of　all　taste　of　humor；

and　insensible　of　mirth；　but　duller　than　Cibber　is　represented　in

the　Dunciad；　who　could　be　unentertained　with　him　a　little　while；

for；　I　confess；　such　entertainments　should　always　be　very　short；

as　they　are　very　liable　to　pall。　　But　he　suffered　not　this　to

happen　at　present；　for；　having　given　us　his　company　a　quarter　of

an　hour　only；　he　retired；　after　many　apologies　for　the　shortness

of　his　visit。



Tuesday。The　wind　being　less　boisterous　than　it　had　hitherto

been　since　our　arrival　here；　several　fishing…boats；　which　the

tempestuous　weather　yesterday　had　prevented　from　working；　came　on

board　us　with　fish。　　This　was　so　fresh；　so　good　in　kind；　and　so

very　cheap；　that　we　supplied　ourselves　in　great　numbers；　among

which　were　very　large　soles　at　fourpence　a　pair；　and　whitings　of

almost　a　preposterous　size　at　ninepence　a　score。　　The　only　fish

which　bore　any　price　was　a　john　doree；　as　it　is　called。　　I　bought

one　of　at　least　four　pounds　weight　for　as　many　shillings。　　It

resembles　a　turbot　in　shape；　but　exceeds　it　in　firmness　and

flavor。　　The　price　had　the　appearance　of　being　considerable　when

opposed　to　the　extraordinary　cheapness　of　others　of　value；　but

was；　in　truth；　so　very　reasonable　when　estimated　by　its　goodness；

that　it　left　me　under　no　other　surprise　than　how　the　gentlemen　of

this　country；　not　greatly　eminent　for　the　delicacy　of　their

taste；　had　discovered　the　preference　of　the　doree　to　all　other

fish：　　but　I　was　informed　that　Mr。　Quin；　whose　distinguishing

tooth　hath　been　so　justly　celebrated；　had　lately　visited

Plymouth；　and　had　done　those　honors　to　the　doree　which　are　so

justly　due　to　it　from　that　sect　of　modern　philosophers　who；　with

Sir　Epicure　Mammon；　or　Sir　Epicure　Quin；　their　head；　seem　more　to

delight　in　a　fish…pond　than　in　a　garden；　as　the　old　Epicureans

are　said　to　have　done。



Unfortunately　for　the　fishmongers　of　London；　the　doree　resides

only　in　those　seas；　for；　could　any　of　this　company　but　convey　one

to　the　temple　of　luxury　under　the　Piazza；　where　Macklin　the

high…priest　daily　serves　up　his　rich　offerings　to　that　goddess；

great　would　be　the　reward　of　that　fishmonger；　in　blessings　poured

down　upon　him　from　the　goddess；　as　great　would　his　merit　be

towards　the　high…priest；　who　could　never　be　thought　to　overrate

such　valuable　incense。



And　here；　having　mentioned　the　extreme　cheapness　of　fish　in　the

Devonshire　sea；　and　given　some　little　hint　of　the　extreme

dearness　with　which　this　commodity　is　dispensed　by　those　who　deal

in　it　in　London；　I　cannot　pass　on　without　throwing　forth　an

observation　or　two；　with　the　same　view　with　which　I　have

scattered　my　several　remarks　through　this　voyage；　sufficiently

satisfied　in　having　finished　my　life；　as　I　have　probably　lost　it；

in　the　service　of　my　country；　from　the　best　of　motives；　though　it

should　be　attended　with　the　worst　of　success。　　Means　are　always

in　our　power；　ends　are　very　seldom　so。



Of　all　the　animal　foods　with　which　man　is　furnished；　there　are

none　so　plenty　as　fish。　　A　little　rivulet；　that　glides　almost

unperceived　through　a　vast　tract　of　rich　land；　will　support　more

hundreds　with　the　flesh　of　its　inhabitants　than　the　meadow　will

nourish　individuals。　　But　if　this　be　true　of　rivers；　it　is　much

truer　of　the　sea…shores；　which　abound　with　such　immense　variety

of　fish　that　the　curious　fisherman；　after　he　hath　made　his

draught；　often　culls　only　the　daintiest　part　and　leaves　the　rest

of　his　prey　to　perish　on　the　shore。　　If　this　be　true　it　would

appear；　I　think；　that　there　is　nothing　which　might　be　had　in　such

abundance；　and　consequently　so　cheap；　as　fish；　of　which　Nature

seems　to　have　provided　such　inexhaustible　stores　with　some

peculiar　design。　　In　the　production　of　terrestrial　animals　she

proceeds　with　such　slowness；　that　in　the　larger　kind　a　single

female　seldom　produces　more　than　one　a…year；　and　this　again

requires　three；　for；　or　five　years　more　to　bring　it　to

perfection。　　And　though　the　lesser　quadrupeds；　those　of　the　wild

kind　particularly；　with　the　birds；　do　multiply　much　faster；　yet

can　none　of　these　bear　any　proportion　with　the　aquatic　animals；

of　whom　every　female　matrix　is　furnished　with　an　annual　offspring

almost　exceeding　the　power　of　numbers；　and　which；　in　many

instances　at　least；　a　single　year　is　capable　of　bringing　to　some

degree　of　maturity。



What　then　ought　in　general　to　be　so　plentiful；　what　so　cheap；　as

fish？　　What　then　so　properly　the　food　of　the　poor？　　So　in　many

places　they　are；　and　so　might　they　always　be　in　great　cities；

which　are　always　situated　near　the　sea；　or　on　the　conflux　of

large　rivers。　　How　comes　it　then；　to　look　no　farther　abroad　for

instances；　that　in　our　city　of　London　the　case　is　so　far

otherwise　that；　except　that　of　sprats；　there　is　not　one　poor

palate　in　a　hundred　that　knows　the　taste　of　fish？



It　is　true　indeed　that　this　taste　is　generally　of　such　excellent

flavor　that　it　exceeds　the　power　of　French　cookery　to　treat　the

palates　of　the　rich　with　anything　more　exquisitely　delicate；　so

that　was　fish　the　common　food　of　the　poor　it　might　put　them　too

much　upon　an　equality　with　their　betters　in　the　great　article　of

eating；　in　which；　at　present；　in　the　opinion　of　some；　the　great

difference　in　happiness　between　man　and　man　consists。　　But　this

argument　I　shall　treat　with　the　utmost　disdain：　　for　if　ortolans

were　as　big　as　buzzards；　and　at　the　same　time　as　plenty　as

sparrows；　I　should　hold　it　yet　reasonable　to　indulge　the　poor

with　the　dainty；　and　that　for　this　cause　especially；　that　the

rich　would　soon　find　a　sparrow；　if　as　scarce　as　an　ortolan；　to　be

much　the　greater；　as　it　would　certainly　be　the　rarer；　dainty　of

the　two。



Vanity　or　scarcity　will　be　always　the　favorite　of　luxury；　but

honest　hunger　will　be　satisfied　with　plenty。　　Not　to　search

deeper　into　the　cause　of　the　evil；　I　should　think　it　abundantly

sufficient　to　propose　the　remedies　of　it。　　And；　first；　I　humbly

submit　the　absolute　necessity　of　immediately　hanging　all　the

fishmongers　within　the　bills　of　mortality；　and；　however　it　might

have　been　some　time　ago　the　opinion　of　mild　and　temporizing　men

that　the　evil　complained　of　might　be　removed　by　gentler　methods；

I　suppose　at　this　day　there　are　none　who　do　not　see　the

impossibility　of　using　such　with　any　effect。　　Cuncta　prius

tentanda　might　have　been　formerly　urged　with　some　plausibility；

but　cuncta　prius　tentata　may　now　be　replied：　　for　surely；　if　a

few　monopolizing　fishmongers　could　defeat　that　excellent　scheme

of　the　Westminster　market；　to　the　erecting　which　so　many　justices

of　peace；　as　well　as　other　wise　and　learned　men；　did　so

vehemently　apply　themselves；　that　they　might　be　truly　said　not

only　to　have　laid　the　whole　strength　of　their　heads；　but　of　their

shoulders　too；　to　the　business；　it　would　be　a　vain　endeavor　for

any　other　body　of　men　to　attempt　to　remove　so　stubborn　a

nuisance。



If　it　should　be　doubt