journal of a voyage to lisbon-第9节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



in　which　his　skill　was　somewhat　deficient；　at　least　that　branch

of　tapping　for　the　dropsy；　for　he　very　ingenuously　and　modestly

confessed　he　had　never　seen　the　operation　performed；　nor　was

possessed　of　that　chirurgical　instrument　with　which　it　is　performed。



Friday；　June　28。By　way　of　prevention；　therefore；　I　this　day

sent　for　my　friend；　Mr。　Hunter；　the　great　surgeon　and　anatomist

of　Covent…garden；　and；　though　my　belly　was　not　yet　very　full　and

tight；　let　out　ten　quarts　of　water；　the　young　sea…surgeon

attended　the　operation；　not　as　a　performer；　but　as　a　student。



I　was　now　eased　of　the　greatest　apprehension　which　I　had　from　the

length　of　the　passage；　and　I　told　the　captain　I　was　become

indifferent　as　to　the　time　of　his　sailing。　　He　expressed　much

satisfaction　in　this　declaration；　and　at　hearing　from　me　that　I

found　myself；　since　my　tapping；　much　lighter　and　better。　　In

this；　I　believe；　he　was　sincere；　for　he　was；　as　we　shall　have

occasion　to　observe　more　than　once；　a　very　good…natured　man；　and；

as　he　was　a　very　brave　one　too；　I　found　that　the　heroic　constancy

with　which　I　had　borne　an　operation　that　is　attended　with　scarce

any　degree　of　pain　had　not　a　little　raised　me　in　his　esteem。

That　he　might　adhere；　therefore；　in　the　most　religious　and

rigorous　manner　to　his　word；　when　he　had　no　longer　any　temptation

from　interest　to　break　it；　as　he　had　no　longer　any　hopes　of　more

goods　or　passengers；　he　ordered　his　ship　to　fall　down　to

Gravesend　on　Sunday　morning；　and　there　to　wait　his　arrival。



Sunday；　June　30。Nothing　worth　notice　passed　till　that　morning；

when　my　poor　wife；　after　passing　a　night　in　the　utmost　torments

of　the　toothache；　resolved　to　have　it　drawn。　　I　despatched

therefore　a　servant　into　Wapping　to　bring　in　haste　the　best

tooth…drawer　he　could　find。　　He　soon　found　out　a　female　of　great

eminence　in　the　art；　but　when　he　brought　her　to　the　boat；　at　the

waterside；　they　were　informed　that　the　ship　was　gone；　for　indeed

she　had　set　out　a　few　minutes　after　his　quitting　her；　nor　did　the

pilot；　who　well　knew　the　errand　on　which　I　had　sent　my　servant；

think　fit　to　wait　a　moment　for　his　return；　or　to　give　me　any

notice　of　his　setting　out；　though　I　had　very　patiently　attended

the　delays　of　the　captain　four　days；　after　many　solemn　promises

of　weighing　anchor　every　one　of　the　three　last。

But　of　all　the　petty　bashaws　or　turbulent　tyrants　I　ever　beheld；

this　sour…faced　pilot　was　the　worst　tempered；　for；　during　the

time　that　he　had　the　guidance　of　the　ship；　which　was　till　we

arrived　in　the　Downs；　he　complied　with　no　one's　desires；　nor　did

he　give　a　civil　word；　or　indeed　a　civil　look；　to　any　on　board。



The　tooth…drawer；　who；　as　I　said　before；　was　one　of　great

eminence　among　her　neighbors；　refused　to　follow　the　ship；　so　that

my　man　made　himself　the　best　of　his　way；　and　with　some　difficulty

came　up　with　us　before　we　were　got　under　full　sail；　for　after

that；　as　we　had　both　wind　and　tide　with　us；　he　would　have　found

it　impossible　to　overtake　the　ship　till　she　was　come　to　an　anchor

at　Gravesend。



The　morning　was　fair　and　bright；　and　we　had　a　passage　thither；　I

think；　as　pleasant　as　can　be　conceived：　　　for；　take　it　with　all

its　advantages；　particularly　the　number　of　fine　ships　you　are

always　sure　of　seeing　by　the　way；　there　is　nothing　to　equal　it　in

all　the　rivers　of　the　world。　　The　yards　of　Deptford　and　of

Woolwich　are　noble　sights；　and　give　us　a　just　idea　of　the　great

perfection　to　which　we　are　arrived　in　building　those　floating

castles；　and　the　figure　which　we　may　always　make　in　Europe　among

the　other　maritime　powers。　　That　of　Woolwich；　at　least；　very

strongly　imprinted　this　idea　on　my　mind；　for　there　was　now　on　the

stocks　there　the　Royal　Anne；　supposed　to　be　the　largest　ship　ever

built；　and　which　contains　ten　carriage…guns　more　than　had　ever

yet　equipped　a　first…rate。



It　is　true；　perhaps；　that　there　is　more　of　ostentation　than　of

real　utility　in　ships　of　this　vast　and　unwieldy　burden；　which　are

rarely　capable　of　acting　against　an　enemy；　but　if　the　building

such　contributes　to　preserve；　among　other　nations；　the　notion　of

the　British　superiority　in　naval　affairs；　the　expense；　though

very　great；　is　well　incurred；　and　the　ostentation　is　laudable　and

truly　political。　　Indeed；　I　should　be　sorry　to　allow　that

Holland；　France；　or　Spain；　possessed　a　vessel　larger　and　more

beautiful　than　the　largest　and　most　beautiful　of　ours；　for　this

honor　I　would　always　administer　to　the　pride　of　our　sailors；　who

should　challenge　it　from　all　their　neighbors　with　truth　and

success。　　And　sure　I　am　that　not　our　honest　tars　alone；　but　every

inhabitant　of　this　island；　may　exult　in　the　comparison；　when　he

considers　the　king　of　Great　Britain　as　a　maritime　prince；　in

opposition　to　any　other　prince　in　Europe；　but　I　am　not　so　certain

that　the　same　idea　of　superiority　will　result　from　comparing　our

land　forces　with　those　of　many　other　crowned　heads。　　In　numbers

they　all　far　exceed　us；　and　in　the　goodness　and　splendor　of　their

troops　many　nations；　particularly　the　Germans　and　French；　and

perhaps　the　Dutch；　cast　us　at　a　distance；　for；　however　we　may

flatter　ourselves　with　the　Edwards　and　Henrys　of　former　ages；　the

change　of　the　whole　art　of　war　since　those　days；　by　which　the

advantage　of　personal　strength　is　in　a　manner　entirely　lost；　hath

produced　a　change　in　military　affairs　to　the　advantage　of　our

enemies。　　As　for　our　successes　in　later　days；　if　they　were　not

entirely　owing　to　the　superior　genius　of　our　general；　they　were

not　a　little　due　to　the　superior　force　of　his　money。　　Indeed；　if

we　should　arraign　marshal　Saxe　of　ostentation　when　he　showed　his

army；　drawn　up；　to　our　captive　general；　the　day　after　the　battle

of　La　Val；　we　cannot　say　that　the　ostentation　was　entirely　vain；

since　he　certainly　showed　him　an　army　which　had　not　been　often

equaled；　either　in　the　number　or　goodness　of　the　troops；　and

which；　in　those　respects；　so　far　exceeded　ours；　that　none　can

ever　cast　any　reflection　on　the　brave　young　prince　who　could　not

reap　the　laurels　of　conquest　in　that　day；　but　his　retreat　will　be

always　mentioned　as　an　addition　to　his　glory。



In　our　marine　the　case　is　entirely　the　reverse；　and　it　must　be

our　own　fault　if　it　doth　not　continue　so；　for　continue　so　it　will

as　long　as　the　flourishing　state　of　our　trade　shall　support　it；

and　this　support　it　can　never　want　till　our　legislature　shall

cease　to　give　sufficient　attention　to　the　protection　of　our

trade；　and　our　magistrates　want　sufficient　power；　ability；　and

honesty；　to　execute　the　laws；　a　circumstance　not　to　be

apprehended；　as　it　cannot　happen　till　our　senates　and　our　benches

shall　be　filled　with　the　blindest　ignorance；　or　with　the　blackest

corruption。



Besides　the　ships　in　the　docks；　we　saw　many　on　the　water：　　the

yachts　are　sights　of　great　parade；　and　the　king's　body　yacht　is；

I　believe；　unequaled　in　any　country　for　convenience　as　well　as

magnificence；　both　which　are　consulted　in　building　and　equipping

her　with　the　most　exquisite　art　and　workmanship。



We　saw　likewise　several　Indiamen　just　returned　from　their　voyage。



These　are；　I　believe；　the　largest　and　finest　vessels　which　are

anywhere　employed　in　commercial　affairs。　　The　colliers；　likewise；

which　are　very　numerous；　and　even　assemble　in　fleets；　are　ships

of　great　bulk；　and　if　we　descend　to　those　used　in　the　American；

African；　and　European　trades；　and　pass　through　those　which　visit

our　own　coasts；　to　the　small　craft　that　lie　between　Chatham　and

the　Tower；　the　whole　forms　a　most　pleasing　object　to　the　eye；　as

well　as　highly　warming　to　the　heart　of　an　Englishman　who　has　any

degree　of　love　for　his　country；　or　can　recognize　any　effect　of

the　patriot　in　his　constitution。　　Lastly；　the　Royal　Hospital　at

Greenwich；　which　presents　so　delightful　a　front　to　the　water；　and

doth　such　honor　at　once　to　its　builder　and　the　nation；　to　the

great　skill　and　ingenuity　of　the　one；　and　to　the　no　less　sensible

gratitude　of　the　other；　very　properly　closes　the　account　of　this

scene；　which　may　well　appear　romantic　to　those　who　have　not

themselves　seen　that；　in　this　one　instance；　truth　and　reality　are

capable；　perhaps；　of　exceeding　the　power　of　fiction。　　When　we　had

passed　by　Greenwich　we　saw　only　two　or　three　gentlemen's　houses；

all　of　very　moderate　account；　till　we　reached　Gravesend：　　these

are　all　on　the　Kentish　shore；　which　affords　a　much　dryer；

wholesomer；　and　pleasanter　situation；　than　doth　that　of　its

opposite；　Essex。　　This　circumstance；　I　own；　is　somewhat

surprising　to　me；　when　I　reflect　on　the　numerous　villas　that

crowd　the　river　from　Chelsea　upwards　as　far　as　Shepperton；　where

the　narrower　channel　affords　not　half　so　noble　a　prospect；　and

where　the　continual　succession　of　the　small　craft；　like　the

frequent　repetition　of　all　things；　which　have　nothing　in　them

great；　beautiful；　or　admirable；　tire　the　eye；　and　give　us

distaste　and　aversion；　instead　of　pleasure