journal of a voyage to lisbon-第25节

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am　convinced；　any　want　of　provisions　of　a　more　substantial　kind；

such　as　dried　beef；　pork；　and　fish；　so　that　the　captain　seemed

ready　to　perform　his　contract；　and　amply　to　provide　for　his

passengers。　　What　I　did　then　was　not　from　necessity；　but；

perhaps；　from　a　less　excusable　motive；　and　was　by　no　means

chargeable　to　the　account　of　the　captain。



But；　let　the　motive　have　been　what　it　would；　the　consequence　was

still　the　same；　and　this　was　such　that　I　am　firmly　persuaded　the

whole　pitiful　thirty　pounds　came　pure　and　neat　into　the　captain's

pocket；　and　not　only　so；　but　attended　with　the　value　of　ten　pound

more　in　sundries　into　the　bargain。　　I　must　confess　myself

therefore　at　a　loss　how　the　epithet　PITIFUL　came　to　be　annexed　to

the　above　sum；　for；　not　being　a　pitiful　price　for　what　it　was

given；　I　cannot　conceive　it　to　be　pitiful　in　itself；　nor　do　I

believe　it　is　thought　by　the　greatest　men　in　the　kingdom；　none　of

whom　would　scruple　to　search　for　it　in　the　dirtiest　kennel；　where

they　had　only　a　reasonable　hope　of　success。　　How；　therefore；　such

a　sum　should　acquire　the　idea　of　pitiful　in　the　eyes　of　the

master　of　a　ship　seems　not　easy　to　be　accounted　for；　since　it

appears　more　likely　to　produce　in　him　ideas　of　a　different　kind。

Some　men；　perhaps；　are　no　more　sincere　in　the　contempt　for　it

which　they　express　than　others　in　their　contempt　of　money　in

general；　and　I　am　the　rather　inclined　to　this　persuasion；　as　I

have　seldom　heard　of　either　who　have　refused　or　refunded　this

their　despised　object。　　Besides；　it　is　sometimes　impossible　to

believe　these　professions；　as　every　action　of　the　man's　life　is　a

contradiction　to　it。　　Who　can　believe　a　tradesman　who　says　he

would　not　tell　his　name　for　the　profit　he　gets　by　the　selling

such　a　parcel　of　goods；　when　he　hath　told　a　thousand　lies　in

order　to　get　it？　　Pitiful；　indeed；　is　often　applied　to　an　object

not　absolutely；　but　comparatively　with　our　expectations；　or　with

a　greater　object：　　in　which　sense　it　is　not　easy　to　set　any

bounds　to　the　use　of　the　word。　　Thus；　a　handful　of　halfpence

daily　appear　pitiful　to　a　porter；　and　a　handful　of　silver　to　a

drawer。　　　The　latter；　I　am　convinced；　at　a　polite　tavern；　will

not　tell　his　name　（for　he　will　not　give　you　any　answer）　under　the

price　of　gold。　　And　in　this　sense　thirty　pound　may　be　accounted

pitiful　by　the　lowest　mechanic。



One　difficulty　only　seems　to　occur；　and　that　is　this：　　how　comes

it　that；　if　the　profits　of　the　meanest　arts　are　so　considerable；

the　professors　of　them　are　not　richer　than　we　generally　see　them？

One　answer　to　this　shall　suffice。　　Men　do　not　become　rich　by　what

they　get；　but　by　what　they　keep。　　He　who　is　worth　no　more　than

his　annual　wages　or　salary；　spends　the　whole；　he　will　be　always　a

beggar　let　his　income　be　what　it　will；　and　so　will　be　his　family

when　he　dies。　　This　we　see　daily　to　be　the　case　of　ecclesiastics；

who；　during　their　lives；　are　extremely　well　provided　for；　only

because　they　desire　to　maintain　the　honor　of　the　cloth　by　living

like　gentlemen；　which　would；　perhaps；　be　better　maintained　by

living　unlike　them。



But；　to　return　from　so　long　a　digression；　to　which　the　use　of　so

improper　an　epithet　gave　occasion；　and　to　which　the　novelty　of

the　subject　allured；　I　will　make　the　reader　amends　by　concisely

telling　him　that　the　captain　poured　forth　such　a　torrent　of　abuse

that　I　very　hastily　and　very　foolishly　resolved　to　quit　the　ship。



I　gave　immediate　orders　to　summon　a　hoy　to　carry　me　that　evening

to　Dartmouth；　without　considering　any　consequence。　　Those　orders

I　gave　in　no　very　low　voice；　so　that　those　above　stairs　might

possibly　conceive　there　was　more　than　one　master　in　the　cabin。

In　the　same　tone　I　likewise　threatened　the　captain　with　that

which；　he　afterwards　said；　he　feared　more　than　any　rock　or

quicksand。　　Nor　can　we　wonder　at　this　when　we　are　told　he　had

been　twice　obliged　to　bring　to　and　cast　anchor　there　before；　and

had　neither　time　escaped　without　the　loss　of　almost　his　whole　cargo。



The　most　distant　sound　of　law　thus　frightened　a　man　who　had

often；　I　am　convinced；　heard　numbers　of　cannon　roar　round　him

with　intrepidity。　　Nor　did　he　sooner　see　the　hoy　approaching　the

vessel　than　he　ran　down　again　into　the　cabin；　and；　his　rage　being

perfectly　subsided；　he　tumbled　on　his　knees；　and　a　little　too

abjectly　implored　for　mercy。



I　did　not　suffer　a　brave　man　and　an　old　man　to　remain　a　moment　in

this　posture；　but　I　immediately　forgave　him。



And　here；　that　I　may　not　be　thought　the　sly　trumpeter　of　my　own

praises；　I　do　utterly　disclaim　all　praise　on　the　occasion。

Neither　did　the　greatness　of　my　mind　dictate；　nor　the　force　of　my

Christianity　exact；　this　forgiveness。　　To　speak　truth；　I　forgave

him　from　a　motive　which　would　make　men　much　more　forgiving　if

they　were　much　wiser　than　they　are；　because　it　was　convenient　for

me　so　to　do。



Wednesday。This　morning　the　captain　dressed　himself　in　scarlet

in　order　to　pay　a　visit　to　a　Devonshire　squire；　to　whom　a　captain

of　a　ship　is　a　guest　of　no　ordinary　consequence；　as　he　is　a

stranger　and　a　gentleman；　who　hath　seen　a　great　deal　of　the　world

in　foreign　parts；　and　knows　all　the　news　of　the　times。



The　squire；　therefore；　was　to　send　his　boat　for　the　captain；　but

a　most　unfortunate　accident　happened；　for；　as　the　wind　was

extremely　rough　and　against　the　hoy；　while　this　was　endeavoring

to　avail　itself　of　great　seamanship　in　hauling　up　against　the

wind；　a　sudden　squall　carried　off　sail　and　yard；　or　at　least　so

disabled　them　that　they　were　no　longer　of　any　use　and　unable　to

reach　the　ship；　but　the　captain；　from　the　deck；　saw　his　hopes　of

venison　disappointed；　and　was　forced　either　to　stay　on　board　his

ship；　or　to　hoist　forth　his　own　long…boat；　which　he　could　not

prevail　with　himself　to　think　of；　though　the　smell　of　the　venison

had　had　twenty　times　its　attraction。　　He　did；　indeed；　love　his

ship　as　his　wife；　and　his　boats　as　children；　and　never　willingly

trusted　the　latter；　poor　things！　to　the　dangers　of　the　sea。



To　say　truth；　notwithstanding　the　strict　rigor　with　which　he

preserved　the　dignity　of　his　stations　and　the　hasty　impatience

with　which　he　resented　any　affront　to　his　person　or　orders；

disobedience　to　which　he　could　in　no　instance　brook　in　any　person

on　board。　　he　was　one　of　the　best　natured　fellows　alive。　　He

acted　the　part　of　a　father　to　his　sailors；　he　expressed　great

tenderness　for　any　of　them　when　ill；　and　never　suffered　any　the

least　work　of　supererogation　to　go　unrewarded　by　a　glass　of　gin。

He　even　extended　his　humanity；　if　I　may　so　call　it；　to　animals；

and　even　his　cats　and　kittens　had　large　shares　in　his　affections。



An　instance　of　which　we　saw　this　evening；　when　the　cat；　which　had

shown　it　could　not　be　drowned；　was　found　suffocated　under　a

feather…bed　in　the　cabin。　　I　will　not　endeavor　to　describe　his

lamentations　with　more　prolixity　than　barely　by　saying　they　were

grievous；　and　seemed　to　have　some　mixture　of　the　Irish　howl　in

them。　　Nay；　he　carried　his　fondness　even　to　inanimate　objects；　of

which　we　have　above　set　down　a　pregnant　example　in　his

demonstration　of　love　and　tenderness　towards　his　boats　and　ship。

He　spoke　of　a　ship　which　he　had　commanded　formerly；　and　which　was

long　since　no　more；　which　he　had　called　the　Princess　of　Brazil；

as　a　widower　of　a　deceased　wife。　　This　ship；　after　having

followed　the　honest　business　of　carrying　goods　and　passengers　for

hire　many　years；　did　at　last　take　to　evil　courses　and　turn

privateer；　in　which　service；　to　use　his　own　words；　she　received

many　dreadful　wounds；　which　he　himself　had　felt　as　if　they　had

been　his　own。



Thursday。As　the　wind　did　not　yesterday　discover　any　purpose　of

shifting；　and　the　water　in　my　belly　grew　troublesome　and　rendered

me　short…breathed；　I　began　a　second　time　to　have　apprehensions　of

wanting　the　assistance　of　a　trochar　when　none　was　to　be　found；　I

therefore　concluded　to　be　tapped　again　by　way　of　precaution；　and

accordingly　I　this　morning　summoned　on　board　a　surgeon　from　a

neighboring　parish；　one　whom　the　captain　greatly　recommended；　and

who　did　indeed　perform　his　office　with　much　dexterity。　　He　was；　I

believe；　likewise　a　man　of　great　judgment　and　knowledge　in　the

profession；　but　of　this　I　cannot　speak　with　perfect　certainty；

for；　when　he　was　going　to　open　on　the　dropsy　at　large　and　on　the

particular　degree　of　the　distemper　under　which　I　labored；　I　was

obliged　to　stop　him　short；　for　the　wind　was　changed；　and　the

captain　in　the　utmost　hurry　to　depart；　and　to　desire　him；　instead

of　his　opinion；　to　assist　me　with　his　execution。　　I　was　now　once

more　delivered　from　my　burden；　which　was　not　indeed　so　great　as　I

had　apprehended；　wanting　two　quarts　of　what　was　let　out　at　the

last　operation。



While　the　surgeon　was　drawing　away　my　water　the　sailors　were

drawing　up　the　anchor；　both　were　finished　at　the　same　time；　we

unfurled　our　sails　and　soon　passed　the　Berry…head；　which