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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

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