journal of a voyage to lisbon-第6节

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smells　and　smoke　of　London　by　its　distance；　which　last　is　not　the

fate　of　Kensington；　when　the　wind　blows　from　any　corner　of　the　east。



Obligations　to　Mr。　Ward　I　shall　always　confess；　for　I　am

convinced　that　he　omitted　no　care　in　endeavoring　to　serve　me；

without　any　expectation　or　desire　of　fee　or　reward。



The　powers　of　Mr。　Ward's　remedies　want　indeed　no　unfair　puffs　of

mine　to　give　them　credit；　and　though　this　distemper　of　the　dropsy

stands；　I　believe；　first　in　the　list　of　those　over　which　he　is

always　certain　of　triumphing；　yet；　possibly；　there　might　be

something　particular　in　my　case　capable　of　eluding　that　radical

force　which　had　healed　so　many　thousands。　　The　same　distemper；　in

different　constitutions；　may　possibly　be　attended　with　such

different　symptoms；　that　to　find　an　infallible　nostrum　for　the

curing　any　one　distemper　in　every　patient　may　be　almost　as

difficult　as　to　find　a　panacea　for　the　cure　of　all。



But　even　such　a　panacea　one　of　the　greatest　scholars　and　best　of

men　did　lately　apprehend　he　had　discovered。　　It　is　true；　indeed；

he　was　no　physician；　that　is；　he　had　not　by　the　forms　of　his

education　acquired　a　right　of　applying　his　skill　in　the　art　of

physic　to　his　own　private　advantage；　and　yet；　perhaps；　it　may　be

truly　asserted　that　no　other　modern　hath　contributed　so　much　to

make　his　physical　skill　useful　to　the　public；　at　least；　that　none

hath　undergone　the　pains　of　communicating　this　discovery　in

writing　to　the　world。　　The　reader；　I　think；　will　scarce　need　to

be　informed　that　the　writer　I　mean　is　the　late　bishop　of　Cloyne；

in　Ireland；　and　the　discovery　that　of　the　virtues　of　tar…water。



I　then　happened　to　recollect；　upon　a　hint　given　me　by　the

inimitable　and　shamefully…distressed　author　of　the　Female

Quixote；　that　I　had　many　years　before；　from　curiosity　only；　taken

a　cursory　view　of　bishop　Berkeley's　treatise　on　the　virtues　of

tar…water；　which　I　had　formerly　observed　he　strongly　contends　to

be　that　real　panacea　which　Sydenham　supposes　to　have　an　existence

in　nature；　though　it　yet　remains　undiscovered；　and　perhaps　will

always　remain　so。



Upon　the　reperusal　of　this　book　I　found　the　bishop　only　asserting

his　opinion　that　tar…water　might　be　useful　in　the　dropsy；　since

he　had　known　it　to　have　a　surprising　success　in　the　cure　of　a

most　stubborn　anasarca；　which　is　indeed　no　other　than；　as　the

word　implies；　the　dropsy　of　the　flesh；　and　this　was；　at　that

time；　a　large　part　of　my　complaint。



After　a　short　trial；　therefore；　of　a　milk　diet；　which　I　presently

found　did　not　suit　with　my　case；　I　betook　myself　to　the　bishop's

prescription；　and　dosed　myself　every　morning　and　evening　with

half　a　pint　of　tar…water。



It　was　no　more　than　three　weeks　since　my　last　tapping；　and　my

belly　and　limbs　were　distended　with　water。　　This　did　not　give　me

the　worse　opinion　of　tar…water；　for　I　never　supposed　there　could

be　any　such　virtue　in　tar…water　as　immediately　to　carry　off　a

quantity　of　water　already　collected。　　For　my　delivery　from　this　I

well　knew　I　must　be　again　obliged　to　the　trochar；　and　that　if　the

tar…water　did　me　any　good　at　all　it　must　be　only　by　the　slowest

degrees；　and　that　if　it　should　ever　get　the　better　of　my

distemper　it　must　be　by　the　tedious　operation　of　undermining；　and

not　by　a　sudden　attack　and　storm。



Some　visible　effects；　however；　and　far　beyond　what　my　most

sanguine　hopes　could　with　any　modesty　expect；　I　very　soon

experienced；　the　tar…water　having；　from　the　very　first；　lessened

my　illness；　increased　my　appetite；　and　added；　though　in　a　very

slow　proportion；　to　my　bodily　strength。　　But　if　my　strength　had

increased　a　little　my　water　daily　increased　much　more。　　So　that；

by　the　end　of　May；　my　belly　became　again　ripe　for　the　trochar；

and　I　was　a　third　time　tapped；　upon　which；　two　very　favorable

symptoms　appeared。　　I　had　three　quarts　of　water　taken　from　me

less　than　had　been　taken　the　last　time；　and　I　bore　the　relaxation

with　much　less　（indeed　with　scarce　any）　faintness。



Those　of　my　physical　friends　on　whose　judgment　I　chiefly　depended

seemed　to　think　my　only　chance　of　life　consisted　in　having　the

whole　summer　before　me；　in　which　I　might　hope　to　gather

sufficient　strength　to　encounter　the　inclemencies　of　the　ensuing

winter。　　But　this　chance　began　daily　to　lessen。　　I　saw　the　summer

mouldering　away；　or　rather；　indeed；　the　year　passing　away　without

intending　to　bring　on　any　summer　at　all。　　In　the　whole　month　of

May　the　sun　scarce　appeared　three　times。　　So　that　the　early

fruits　came　to　the　fullness　of　their　growth；　and　to　some

appearance　of　ripeness；　without　acquiring　any　real　maturity；

having　wanted　the　heat　of　the　sun　to　soften　and　meliorate　their

juices。　　I　saw　the　dropsy　gaining　rather　than　losing　ground；　the

distance　growing　still　shorter　between　the　tappings。　　I　saw　the

asthma　likewise　beginning　again　to　become　more　troublesome。　　I

saw　the　midsummer　quarter　drawing　towards　a　close。　　So　that　I

conceived；　if　the　Michaelmas　quarter　should　steal　off　in　the　same

manner；　as　it　was；　in　my　opinion；　very　much　to　be　apprehended　it

would；　I　should　be　delivered　up　to　the　attacks　of　winter　before　I

recruited　my　forces；　so　as　to　be　anywise　able　to　withstand　them。



I　now　began　to　recall　an　intention；　which　from　the　first　dawnings

of　my　recovery　I　had　conceived；　of　removing　to　a　warmer　climate；

and；　finding　this　to　be　approved　of　by　a　very　eminent　physician；

I　resolved　to　put　it　into　immediate　execution。　　Aix　in　Provence

was　the　place　first　thought　on；　but　the　difficulties　of　getting

thither　were　insuperable。　　The　Journey　by　land；　beside　the

expense　of　it；　was　infinitely　too　long　and　fatiguing；　and　I　could

hear　of　no　ship　that　was　likely　to　set　out　from　London；　within

any　reasonable　time；　for　Marseilles；　or　any　other　port　in　that

part　of　the　Mediterranean。



Lisbon　was　presently　fixed　on　in　its　room。　　The　air　here；　as　it

was　near　four　degrees　to　the　south　of　Aix；　must　be　more　mild　and

warm；　and　the　winter　shorter　and　less　piercing。



It　was　not　difficult　to　find　a　ship　bound　to　a　place　with　which

we　carry　on　so　immense　a　trade。　　Accordingly；　my　brother　soon

informed　me　of　the　excellent　accommodations　for　passengers　which

were　to　be　found　on　board　a　ship　that　was　obliged　to　sail　for

Lisbon　in　three　days。　　I　eagerly　embraced　the　offer；

notwithstanding　the　shortness　of　the　time；　and；　having　given　my

brother　full　power　to　contract　for　our　passage；　I　began　to

prepare　my　family　for　the　voyage　with　the　utmost　expedition。



But　our　great　haste　was　needless；　for　the　captain　having　twice

put　off　his　sailing；　I　at　length　invited　him　to　dinner　with　me　at

Fordhook；　a　full　week　after　the　time　on　which　he　had　declared；

and　that　with　many　asseverations；　he　must　and　would　weigh　anchor。



He　dined　with　me　according　to　his　appointment；　and　when　all

matters　were　settled　between　us；　left　me　with　positive　orders　to

be　on　board　the　Wednesday　following；　when　he　declared　he　would

fall　down　the　river　to　Gravesend；　and　would　not　stay　a　moment　for

the　greatest　man　in　the　world。　　He　advised　me　to　go　to　Gravesend

by　land；　and　there　wait　the　arrival　of　his　ship；　assigning　many

reasons　for　this；　every　one　of　which　was；　as　I　well　remember；

among　those　that　had　before　determined　me　to　go　on　board　near　the　Tower。







THE　VOYAGE





WEDNESDAY；　June　26；　1754。On　this　day　the　most　melancholy　sun　I

had　ever　beheld　arose；　and　found　me　awake　at　my　house　at

Fordhook。　　By　the　light　of　this　sun　I　was；　in　my　own　opinion；

last　to　behold　and　take　leave　of　some　of　those　creatures　on　whom

I　doted　with　a　mother…like　fondness；　guided　by　nature　and

passion；　and　uncured　and　unhardened　by　all　the　doctrine　of　that

philosophical　school　where　I　had　learned　to　bear　pains　and　to

despise　death。　　In　this　situation；　as　I　could　not　conquer　Nature；

I　submitted　entirely　to　her；　and　she　made　as　great　a　fool　of　me

as　she　had　ever　done　of　any　woman　whatsoever；　under　pretense　of

giving　me　leave　to　enjoy；　she　drew　me　in　to　suffer；　the　company

of　my　little　ones　during　eight　hours；　and　I　doubt　not　whether；　in

that　time；　I　did　not　undergo　more　than　in　all　my　distemper。



At　twelve　precisely　my　coach　was　at　the　door；　which　was　no　sooner

told　me　than　I　kissed　my　children　round；　and　went　into　it　with

some　little　resolution。　　My　wife；　who　behaved　more　like　a　heroine

and　philosopher；　though　at　the　same　time　the　tenderest　mother　in

the　world；　and　my　eldest　daughter；　followed　me；　some　friends　went

with　us；　and　others　here　took　their　leave；　and　I　heard　my

behavior　applauded；　with　many　murmurs　and　praises　to　which　I　well

knew　I　had　no　title；　as　all　other　such　philosophers　may；　if　they

have　any　modesty；　confess　on　the　like　occasions。



In　two　hours　we　arrived　in　Rotherhithe；　and　immediately　went　on

board；　and　were　to　have　sailed　the　next　morning；　but；　as　this　was

the　king's　proclamation…day；　and　consequently　a　holiday　at　the

custom…house；　the　captain　coul