journal of a voyage to lisbon-第4节

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reader　will　easily　perceive　it　is　not　introduced　for　its　own

sake；　but　for　some　observations　and　reflections　naturally

resulting　from　it；　and　which；　if　but　little　to　his　amusement；

tend　directly　to　the　instruction　of　the　reader　or　to　the

information　of　the　public；　to　whom　if　I　choose　to　convey　such

instruction　or　information　with　an　air　of　joke　and　laughter；　none

but　the　dullest　of　fellows　will；　I　believe；　censure　it；　but　if

they　should；　I　have　the　authority　of　more　than　one　passage　in

Horace　to　allege　in　my　defense。　　Having　thus　endeavored　to

obviate　some　censures；　to　which　a　man　without　the　gift　of

foresight；　or　any　fear　of　the　imputation　of　being　a　conjurer；

might　conceive　this　work　would　be　liable；　I　might　now　undertake　a

more　pleasing　task；　and　fall　at　once　to　the　direct　and　positive

praises　of　the　work　itself；　of　which　indeed；　I　could　say　a

thousand　good　things；　but　the　task　is　so　very　pleasant　that　I

shall　leave　it　wholly　to　the　reader；　and　it　is　all　the　task　that

I　impose　on　him。　　A　moderation　for　which　he　may　think　himself

obliged　to　me　when　he　compares　it　with　the　conduct　of　authors；

who　often　fill　a　whole　sheet　with　their　own　praises；　to　which

they　sometimes　set　their　own　real　names；　and　sometimes　a

fictitious　one。　　One　hint；　however；　I　must　give　the　kind　reader；

which　is；　that　if　he　should　be　able　to　find　no　sort　of　amusement

in　the　book；　he　will　be　pleased　to　remember　the　public　utility

which　will　arise　from　it。　　If　entertainment；　as　Mr。　Richardson

observes；　be　but　a　secondary　consideration　in　a　romance；　with

which　Mr。　Addison；　I　think；　agrees；　affirming　the　use　of　the

pastry　cook　to　be　the　first；　if　this；　I　say；　be　true　of　a　mere

work　of　invention；　sure　it　may　well　be　so　considered　in　a　work

founded；　like　this；　on　truth；　and　where　the　political　reflections

form　so　distinguishing　a　part。　　But　perhaps　I　may　hear；　from　some

critic　of　the　most　saturnine　complexion；　that　my　vanity　must　have

made　a　horrid　dupe　of　my　judgment；　if　it　hath　flattered　me　with

an　expectation　of　having　anything　here　seen　in　a　grave　light；　or

of　conveying　any　useful　instruction　to　the　public；　or　to　their

guardians。　　I　answer；　with　the　great　man　whom　I　just　now　quoted；

that　my　purpose　is　to　convey　instruction　in　the　vehicle　of

entertainment；　and　so　to　bring　about　at　once；　like　the　revolution

in　the　Rehearsal；　a　perfect　reformation　of　the　laws　relating　to

our　maritime　affairs：　　an　undertaking；　I　will　not　say　more

modest；　but　surely　more　feasible；　than　that　of　reforming　a　whole

people；　by　making　use　of　a　vehicular　story；　to　wheel　in　among

them　worse　manners　than　their　own。





INTRODUCTION



In　the　beginning　of　August；　1753；　when　I　had　taken　the　duke　of

Portland's　medicine；　as　it　is　called；　near　a　year；　the　effects　of

which　had　been　the　carrying　off　the　symptoms　of　a　lingering

imperfect　gout；　I　was　persuaded　by　Mr。　Ranby；　the　king's　premier

sergeant…surgeon；　and　the　ablest　advice；　I　believe；　in　all

branches　of　the　physical　profession；　to　go　immediately　to　Bath。

I　accordingly　wrote　that　very　night　to　Mrs。　Bowden；　who；　by　the

next　post；　informed　me　she　had　taken　me　a　lodging　for　a　month

certain。　　Within　a　few　days　after　this；　whilst　I　was　preparing

for　my　journey；　and　when　I　was　almost　fatigued　to　death　with

several　long　examinations；　relating　to　five　different　murders；

all　committed　within　the　space　of　a　week；　by　different　gangs　of

street…robbers；　I　received　a　message　from　his　grace　the　duke　of

Newcastle；　by　Mr。　Carrington；　the　king's　messenger；　to　attend　his

grace　the　next　morning；　in　Lincoln's…inn…fields；　upon　some

business　of　importance；　but　I　excused　myself　from　complying　with

the　message；　as；　besides　being　lame；　I　was　very　ill　with　the

great　fatigues　I　had　lately　undergone　added　to　my　distemper。



His　grace；　however；　sent　Mr。　Carrington；　the　very　next　morning；

with　another　summons；　with　which；　though　in　the　utmost　distress；

I　immediately　complied；　but　the　duke；　happening；　unfortunately

for　me；　to　be　then　particularly　engaged；　after　I　had　waited　some

time；　sent　a　gentleman　to　discourse　with　me　on　the　best　plan

which　could　be　invented　for　putting　an　immediate　end　to　those

murders　and　robberies　which　were　every　day　committed　in　the

streets；　upon　which　I　promised　to　transmit　my　opinion；　in

writing；　to　his　grace；　who；　as　the　gentleman　informed　me；

intended　to　lay　it　before　the　privy　council。



Though　this　visit　cost　me　a　severe　cold；　I；　notwithstanding；　set

myself　down　to　work；　and　in　about　four　days　sent　the　duke　as

regular　a　plan　as　I　could　form；　with　all　the　reasons　and

arguments　I　could　bring　to　support　it；　drawn　out　in　several

sheets　of　paper；　and　soon　received　a　message　from　the　duke　by　Mr。

Carrington；　acquainting　me　that　my　plan　was　highly　approved　of；

and　that　all　the　terms　of　it　would　be　complied　with。　　The

principal　and　most　material　of　those　terms　was　the　immediately

depositing　six　hundred　pound　in　my　hands；　at　which　small　charge　I

undertook　to　demolish　the　then　reigning　gangs；　and　to　put　the

civil　policy　into　such　order；　that　no　such　gangs　should　ever　be

able；　for　the　future；　to　form　themselves　into　bodies；　or　at　least

to　remain　any　time　formidable　to　the　public。



I　had　delayed　my　Bath　journey　for　some　time；　contrary　to　the

repeated　advice　of　my　physical　acquaintance；　and　to　the　ardent

desire　of　my　warmest　friends；　though　my　distemper　was　now　turned

to　a　deep　jaundice；　in　which　case　the　Bath　waters　are　generally

reputed　to　be　almost　infallible。　　But　I　had　the　most　eager　desire

of　demolishing　this　gang　of　villains　and　cut…throats；　which　I　was

sure　of　accomplishing　the　moment　I　was　enabled　to　pay　a　fellow

who　had　undertaken；　for　a　small　sum；　to　betray　them　into　the

hands　of　a　set　of　thief…takers　whom　I　had　enlisted　into　the

service；　all　men　of　known　and　approved　fidelity　and　intrepidity。



After　some　weeks　the　money　was　paid　at　the　treasury；　and　within　a

few　days　after　two　hundred　pounds　of　it　had　come　to　my　hands；　the

whole　gang　of　cut…throats　was　entirely　dispersed；　seven　of　them

were　in　actual　custody；　and　the　rest　driven；　some　out　of　the

town；　and　others　out　of　the　kingdom。　　Though　my　health　was　now

reduced　to　the　last　extremity；　I　continued　to　act　with　the　utmost

vigor　against　these　villains；　in　examining　whom；　and　in　taking

the　depositions　against　them；　I　have　often　spent　whole　days；　nay；

sometimes　whole　nights；　especially　when　there　was　any　difficulty

in　procuring　sufficient　evidence　to　convict　them；　which　is　a　very

common　case　in　street…robberies；　even　when　the　guilt　of　the　party

is　sufficiently　apparent　to　satisfy　the　most　tender　conscience。

But　courts　of　justice　know　nothing　of　a　cause　more　than　what　is

told　them　on　oath　by　a　witness；　and　the　most　flagitious　villain

upon　earth　is　tried　in　the　same　manner　as　a　man　of　the　best

character　who　is　accused　of　the　same　crime。　　Meanwhile；　amidst

all　my　fatigues　and　distresses；　I　had　the　satisfaction　to　find　my

endeavors　had　been　attended　with　such　success　that　this　hellish

society　were　almost　utterly　extirpated；　and　that；　instead　of

reading　of　murders　and　street…robberies　in　the　news　almost　every

morning；　there　was；　in　the　remaining　part　of　the　month　of

November；　and　in　all　December；　not　only　no　such　thing　as　a

murder；　but　not　even　a　street…robbery　committed。　　Some　such；

indeed；　were　mentioned　in　the　public　papers；　but　they　were　all

found　on　the　strictest　inquiry；　to　be　false。　　In　this　entire

freedom　from　street…robberies；　during　the　dark　months；　no　man

will；　I　believe；　scruple　to　acknowledge　that　the　winter　of　1753

stands　unrivaled；　during　a　course　of　many　years；　and　this　may

possibly　appear　the　more　extraordinary　to　those　who　recollect　the

outrages　with　which　it　began。　　Having　thus　fully　accomplished　my

undertaking；　I　went　into　the　country；　in　a　very　weak　and

deplorable　condition；　with　no　fewer　or　less　diseases　than　a

jaundice；　a　dropsy；　and　an　asthma；　altogether　uniting　their

forces　in　the　destruction　of　a　body　so　entirely　emaciated　that　it

had　lost　all　its　muscular　flesh。　　Mine　was　now　no　longer　what　was

called　a　Bath　case；　nor；　if　it　had　been　so；　had　I　strength

remaining　sufficient　to　go　thither；　a　ride　of　six　miles　only

being　attended　with　an　intolerable　fatigue。　　I　now　discharged　my

lodgings　at　Bath；　which　I　had　hitherto　kept。　　I　began　in　earnest

to　look　on　my　case　as　desperate；　and　I　had　vanity　enough　to　rank

myself　with　those　heroes　who；　of　old　times；　became　voluntary

sacrifices　to　the　good　of　the　public。　　But；　lest　the　reader

should　be　too　eager　to　catch　　at　the　word　VANITY；　and　should　be

unwilling　to　indulge　me　with　so　sublime　a　gratification；　for　I

think　he　is　not　too　apt　to　gratify　me；　I　will　take　my　key　a　pitch

lower；　and　will　frankly　own　that　I　had　a　stronger　motive　than　the

love　of　the　public　to　push　me　on：　　I　will　therefore　confess　to

him　that　my　private　affairs　at　the　beginning　of　the　winter　had

but　a　gloomy　aspect；　for　I　had　not　plundered　the　pu