journal of a voyage to lisbon-第7节

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

custom…house；　the　captain　could　not　clear　his　vessel　till　the

Thursday；　for　these　holidays　are　as　strictly　observed　as　those　in

the　popish　calendar；　and　are　almost　as　numerous。　　I　might　add

that　both　are　opposite　to　the　genius　of　trade；　and　consequently

contra　bonum　publicum。



To　go　on　board　the　ship　it　was　necessary　first　to　go　into　a　boat；

a　matter　of　no　small　difficulty；　as　I　had　no　use　of　my　limbs；　and

was　to　be　carried　by　men　who；　though　sufficiently　strong　for

their　burden；　were；　like　Archimedes；　puzzled　to　find　a　steady

footing。　　Of　this；　as　few　of　my　readers　have　not　gone　into

wherries　on　the　Thames；　they　will　easily　be　able　to　form　to

themselves　an　idea。　　However；　by　the　assistance　of　my　friend；　Mr。

Welch；　whom　I　never　think　or　speak　of　but　with　love　and　esteem；　I

conquered　this　difficulty；　as　I　did　afterwards　that　of　ascending

the　ship；　into　which　I　was　hoisted　with　more　ease　by　a　chair

lifted　with　pulleys。　　I　was　soon　seated　in　a　great　chair　in　the

cabin；　to　refresh　myself　after　a　fatigue　which　had　been　more

intolerable；　in　a　quarter　of　a　mile's　passage　from　my　coach　to

the　ship；　than　I　had　before　undergone　in　a　land…journey　of　twelve

miles；　which　I　had　traveled　with　the　utmost　expedition。



This　latter　fatigue　was；　perhaps；　somewhat　heightened　by　an

indignation　which　I　could　not　prevent　arising　in　my　mind。　　I

think；　upon　my　entrance　into　the　boat；　I　presented　a　spectacle　of

the　highest　horror。　　The　total　loss　of　limbs　was　apparent　to　all

who　saw　me；　and　my　face　contained　marks　of　a　most　diseased　state；

if　not　of　death　itself。　　Indeed；　so　ghastly　was　my　countenance；

that　timorous　women　with　child　had　abstained　from　my　house；　for

fear　of　the　ill　consequences　of　looking　at　me。　　In　this　condition

I　ran　the　gauntlope　（so　I　think　I　may　justly　call　it）　through

rows　of　sailors　and　watermen；　few　of　whom　failed　of　paying　their

compliments　to　me　by　all　manner　of　insults　and　jests　on　my

misery。　　No　man　who　knew　me　will　think　I　conceived　any　personal

resentment　at　this　behavior；　but　it　was　a　lively　picture　of　that

cruelty　and　inhumanity　in　the　nature　of　men　which　I　have　often

contemplated　with　concern；　and　which　leads　the　mind　into　a　train

of　very　uncomfortable　and　melancholy　thoughts。　　It　may　be　said

that　this　barbarous　custom　is　peculiar　to　the　English；　and　of

them　only　to　the　lowest　degree；　that　it　is　an　excrescence　of　an

uncontrolled　licentiousness　mistaken　for　liberty；　and　never　shows

itself　in　men　who　are　polished　and　refined　in　such　manner　as

human　nature　requires　to　produce　that　perfection　of　which　it　is

susceptible；　and　to　purge　away　that　malevolence　of　disposition　of

which；　at　our　birth；　we　partake　in　common　with　the　savage

creation。　　This　may　be　said；　and　this　is　all　that　can　be　said；

and　it　is；　I　am　afraid；　but　little　satisfactory　to　account　for

the　inhumanity　of　those　who；　while　they　boast　of　being　made　after

God's　own　image；　seem　to　bear　in　their　minds　a　resemblance　of　the

vilest　species　of　brutes；　or　rather；　indeed；　of　our　idea　of

devils；　for　I　don't　know　that　any　brutes　can　be　taxed　with　such

malevolence。　　A　sirloin　of　beef　was　now　placed　on　the　table；　for

which；　though　little　better　than　carrion；　as　much　was　charged　by

the　master　of　the　little　paltry　ale…house　who　dressed　it　as　would

have　been　demanded　for　all　the　elegance　of　the　King's　Arms；　or

any　other　polite　tavern　or　eating…house！　for；　indeed；　the

difference　between　the　best　house　and　the　worst　is；　that　at　the

former　you　pay　largely　for　luxury；　at　the　latter　for　nothing。



Thursday；　June　27。This　morning　the　captain；　who　lay　on　shore　at

his　own　house；　paid　us　a　visit　in　the　cabin；　and　behaved　like　an

angry　bashaw；　declaring　that；　had　he　known　we　were　not　to　be

pleased；　he　would　not　have　carried　us　for　five　hundred　pounds。

He　added　many　asseverations　that　he　was　a　gentleman；　and　despised

money；　not　forgetting　several　hints　of　the　presents　which　had

been　made　him　for　his　cabin；　of　twenty；　thirty；　and　forty

guineas；　by　several　gentlemen；　over　and　above　the　sum　for　which

they　had　contracted。　　This　behavior　greatly　surprised　me；　as　I

knew　not　how　to　account　for　it；　nothing　having　happened　since　we

parted　from　the　captain　the　evening　before　in　perfect　good　humor；

and　all　this　broke　forth　on　the　first　moment　of　his　arrival　this

morning。　　He　did　not；　however；　suffer　my　amazement　to　have　any

long　continuance　before　he　clearly　showed　me　that　all　this　was

meant　only　as　an　apology　to　introduce　another　procrastination

（being　the　fifth）　of　his　weighing　anchor；　which　was　now　postponed

till　Saturday；　for　such　was　his　will　and　pleasure。



Besides　the　disagreeable　situation　in　which　we　then　lay；　in　the

confines　of　Wapping　and　Rotherhithe；　tasting　a　delicious　mixture

of　the　air　of　both　these　sweet　places；　and　enjoying　the　concord

of　sweet　sounds　of　seamen；　watermen；　fish…women；　oyster…women；

and　of　all　the　vociferous　inhabitants　of　both　shores；　composing

altogether　a　greater　variety　of　harmony　than　Hogarth's

imagination　hath　brought　together　in　that　print　of　his；　which　is

enough　to　make　a　man　deaf　to　look　atI　had　a　more　urgent　cause

to　press　our　departure；　which　was；　that　the　dropsy；　for　which　I

had　undergone　three　tappings；　seemed　to　threaten　me　with　a　fourth

discharge　before　I　should　reach　Lisbon；　and　when　I　should　have

nobody　on　board　capable　of　performing　the　operation；　but　I　was

obliged　to　hearken　to　the　voice　of　reason；　if　I　may　use　the

captain's　own　words；　and　to　rest　myself　contented。　　Indeed；　there

was　no　alternative　within　my　reach　but　what　would　have　cost　me

much　too　dear。　　There　are　many　evils　in　society　from　which　people

of　the　highest　rank　are　so　entirely　exempt；　that　they　have　not

the　least　knowledge　or　idea　of　them；　nor　indeed　of　the　characters

which　are　formed　by　them。　　Such；　for　instance；　is　the　conveyance

of　goods　and　passengers　from　one　place　to　another。　　Now　there　is

no　such　thing　as　any　kind　of　knowledge　contemptible　in　itself；

and；　as　the　particular　knowledge　I　here　mean　is　entirely

necessary　to　the　well　understanding　and　well　enjoying　this

journal；　and；　lastly；　as　in　this　case　the　most　ignorant　will　be

those　very　readers　whose　amusement　we　chiefly　consult；　and　to

whom　we　wish　to　be　supposed　principally　to　write；　we　will　here

enter　somewhat　largely　into　the　discussion　of　this　matter；　the

rather；　for　that　no　ancient　or　modern　author　（if　we　can　trust　the

catalogue　of　doctor　Mead's　library）　hath　ever　undertaken　it；　but

that　it　seems　（in　the　style　of　Don　Quixote）　a　task　reserved　for

my　pen　alone。



When　I　first　conceived　this　intention　I　began　to　entertain

thoughts　of　inquiring　into　the　antiquity　of　traveling；　and；　as

many　persons　have　performed　in　this　way　（I　mean　have　traveled）　at

the　expense　of　the　public；　I　flattered　myself　that　the　spirit　of

improving　arts　and　sciences；　and　of　advancing　useful　and

substantial　learning；　which　so　eminently　distinguishes　this　age；

and　hath　given　rise　to　more　speculative　societies　in　Europe　than

I　at　present　can　recollect　the　names　ofperhaps；　indeed；　than　I

or　any　other；　besides　their　very　near　neighbors；　ever　heard

mentionedwould　assist　in　promoting　so　curious　a　work；　a　work

begun　with　the　same　views；　calculated　for　the　same　purposes；　and

fitted　for　the　same　uses；　with　the　labors　which　those　right

honorable　societies　have　so　cheerfully　undertaken　themselves；　and

encouraged　in　others；　sometimes　with　the　highest　honors；　even

with　admission　into　their　colleges；　and　with　enrollment　among

their　members。



From　these　societies　I　promised　myself　all　assistance　in　their

power；　particularly　the　communication　of　such　valuable

manuscripts　and　records　as　they　must　be　supposed　to　have

collected　from　those　obscure　ages　of　antiquity　when　history

yields　us　such　imperfect　accounts　of　the　residence；　and　much　more

imperfect　of　the　travels；　of　the　human　race；　unless；　perhaps；　as

a　curious　and　learned　member　of　the　young　Society　of　Antiquarians

is　said　to　have　hinted　his　conjectures；　that　their　residence　and

their　travels　were　one　and　the　same；　and　this　discovery　（for　such

it　seems　to　be）　he　is　said　to　have　owed　to　the　lighting　by　accident

on　a　book；　which　we　shall　have　occasion　to　mention　presently；

the　contents　of　which　were　then　little　known　to　the　society。



The　king　of　Prussia；　moreover；　who；　from　a　degree　of　benevolence

and　taste　which　in　either　case　is　a　rare　production　in　so

northern　a　climate；　is　the　great　encourager　of　art　and　science；　I

was　well　assured　would　promote　so　useful　a　design；　and　order　his

archives　to　be　searched　on　my　behalf。　　But　after　well　weighing

all　these　advantages；　and　much　meditation　on　the　order　of　my

work；　my　whole　design　was　subverted　in　a　moment　by　hearing　of　the

discovery　just　mentioned　to　have　been　made　by　the　young

antiquarian；　who；　from　the　most　ancient　record　in　the　world

（though　I　don't　find　the　society　are　all　agreed