the history of john bull-第1节

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The　History　of　John　Bull

by　John　Arbuthnot




INTRODUCTION　BY　HENRY　MORLEY。

This　is　the　book　which　fixed　the　name　and　character　of　John　Bull　on　the　English　people。　　Though　in　one　part　of　the　story　he　is　thin　and　long　nosed；　as　a　result　of　trouble；　generally　he　is　suggested　to　us　as　〃ruddy　and　plump；　with　a　pair　of　cheeks　like　a　trumpeter；〃　an　honest　tradesman；　simple　and　straightforward；　easily　cheated；　but　when　he　takes　his　affairs　into　his　own　hands；　acting　with　good　plain　sense；　knowing　very　well　what　he　wants　done；　and　doing　it。

The　book　was　begun　in　the　year　1712；　and　published　in　four　successive　groups　of　chapters　that　dealt　playfully；　from　the　Tory　point　of　view；　with　public　affairs　leading　up　to　the　Peace　of　Utrecht。　　The　Peace　urged　and　made　by　the　Tories　was　in　these　light　papers　recommended　to　the　public。　　The　last　touches　in　the　parable　refer　to　the　beginning　of　the　year　1713；　when　the　Duke　of　Ormond　separated　his　troops　from　those　of　the　Allies　and　went　to　receive　Dunkirk　as　the　stipulated　condition　of　cessation　of　arms。　　After　the　withdrawal　of　the　British　troops；　Prince　Eugene　was　defeated　by　Marshal　Villars　at　Denain；　and　other　reverses　followed。　　The　Peace　of　Utrecht　was　signed　on　the　31st　of　March。

Some　chapters　in　this　book　deal　in　like　manner；　from　the　point　of　view　of　a　good…natured　Tory　of　Queen　Anne's　time；　with　the　feuds　of　the　day　between　Church　and　Dissent。　　Other　chapters　unite　with　this　topic　a　playful　account　of　another　chief　political　event　of　the　timethe　negotiation　leading　to　the　Act　of　Union　between　England　and　Scotland；　which　received　the　Royal　Assent　on　the　6th　of　March；　17O7；　John　Bull　then　consented　to　receive　his　〃Sister　Peg〃　into　his　house。　　The　Church；　of　course；　is　John　Bull's　mother；　his　first　wife　is　a　Whig　Parliament；　his　second　wife　a　Tory　Parliament；　which　first　met　in　November；　171O。

This　〃History　of　John　Bull〃　began　with　the　first　of　its　four　parts　entitled　〃Law　is　a　Bottomless　Pit；　exemplified　in　the　case　of　Lord　Strutt；　John　Bull；　Nicholas　Frog；　and　Lewis　Baboon；　who　spent　all　they　had　in　a　Law…suit。〃　　For　Law　put　Warthe　War　of　the　Spanish　Succession；　for　lawyers；　soldiers；　for　sessions；　campaigns；　for　verdicts；　battles　won；　for　Humphry　Hocus　the　attorney；　Marlborough　the　general；　for　law　expenses；　war　expenses；　and　for　aim　of　the　whole；　to　aid　the　Tory　policy　of　peace　with　France。　　A　second　part　followed；　entitled　〃John　Bull　in　his　Senses；〃　the　third　part　was　called　〃John　Bull　still　in　his　Senses；〃　and　the　fourth　part；　〃Lewis　Baboon　turned　Honest；　and　John　Bull　Politician。〃　　The　four　parts　were　afterwards　arranged　into　two；　as　they　are　here　reprinted；　and　published　together　as　〃The　History　of　John　Bull；〃　with　a　few　notes　by　the　author　which　sufficiently　explain　its　drift。

The　author　was　John　Arbuthnot；　a　physician；　familiar　friend　of　Pope　and　Swift；　whom　Pope　addressed　as

　　　　　〃Friend　to　my　life；　which　did　not　you　prolong；　　　　　　　The　world　had　wanted　many　an　idle　song；〃

and　of　whom　Swift　said；　that　〃he　has　more　wit　than　we　all　have；　and　his　humanity　is　equal　to　his　wit。〃　　〃If　there　were　a　dozen　Arbuthnots　in　the　world；〃　said　Swift；　〃I　would　burn　'Gulliver's　Travels。'〃

Arbuthnot　was　of　Swift's　age；　born　in　1667；　son　of　a　Scotch　Episcopal　clergyman；　who　lost　his　living　at　the　Revolution。　　His　sonsall　trained　in　High　Church　principlesleft　Scotland　to　seek　their　fortunes；　John　came　to　London　and　taught　mathematics。　　He　took　his　degree　of　Doctor　of　Medicine　at　St。　Andrews　in　1696；　found　use　for　mathematics　in　his　studies　of　medicine；　became　a　Fellow　of　the　Royal　Society；　and　being　by　chance　at　Epsom　when　Queen　Anne's　husband　was　taken　ill；　prescribed　for　him　so　successfully　that　he　was　made　in　1705　Physician　Extraordinary；　and　upon　the　occurrence　of　a　vacancy　in　17O9　Physician　in　Ordinary；　to　the　Queen。　　Swift　calls　him　her　favourite　physician。　　In　171O　he　was　admitted　Fellow　of　the　Royal　College　of　Physicians。　　That　was　Arbuthnot's　position　in　1712…13　when；　at　the　age　of　forty…five；　he　wrote　this　〃History　of　John　Bull。〃　　He　was　personal　friend　of　the　Ministers　whose　policy　he　supported；　and　especially　of　Harley；　Earl　of　Oxford；　the　Sir　Roger　of　the　History。

After　Queen　Anne's　death；　and　the　coming　of　the　Whigs　to　power；　Arbuthnot　lost　his　office　at　Court。　　But　he　was　the　friend　and　physician　of　all　the　wits；　himself　without　literary　ambition；　allowing　friends　to　make　what　alterations　they　pleased　in　pieces　that　he　wrote；　or　his　children　to　make　kites　of　them。　　A　couple　of　years　before　his　death　he　suffered　deeply　from　the　loss　of　the　elder　of　his　two　sons。　　He　was　himself　afflicted　then　with　stone；　and　retired　to　Hampstead　to　die。　　〃A　recovery；〃　he　wrote　to　Swift；　〃is　in　my　case　and　in　my　age　impossible；　the　kindest　wish　of　my　friends　is　euthanasia。〃　　He　died　in　1735。



AUTHOR'S　PREFACE。

When　I　was　first　called　to　the　office　of　historiographer　to　John　Bull；　he　expressed　himself　to　this　purpose：〃Sir　Humphrey　Polesworth；*　I　know　you　are　a　plain　dealer；　it　is　for　that　reason　I　have　chosen　you　for　this　important　trust；　speak　the　truth　and　spare　not。〃　　That　I　might　fulfil　those　his　honourable　intentions；　I　obtained　leave　to　repair　to；　and　attend　him　in　his　most　secret　retirements；　and　I　put　the　journals　of　all　transactions　into　a　strong　box；　to　be　opened　at　a　fitting　occasion；　after　the　manner　of　the　historiographers　of　some　eastern　monarchs：　　this　I　thought　was　the　safest　way；　though　I　declare　I　was　never　afraid　to　be　chopped**　by　my　master　for　telling　of　truth。　　It　is　from　those　journals　that　my　memoirs　are　compiled：　　therefore　let　not　posterity　a　thousand　years　hence　look　for　truth　in　the　voluminous　annals　of　pedants；　who　are　entirely　ignorant　of　the　secret　springs　of　great　actions；　if　they　do；　let　me　tell　them　they　will　be　nebused。***

*　A　Member　of　Parliament；　eminent　for　a　certain　cant　in　his　conversation；　of　which　there　is　a　good　deal　in　this　book。　**　A　cant　word　of　Sir　Humphrey's。　***　Another　cant　word；　signifying　deceived。

With　incredible　pains　have　I　endeavoured　to　copy　the　several　beauties　of　the　ancient　and　modern　historians；　the　impartial　temper　of　Herodotus；　the　gravity；　austerity；　and　strict　morals　of　Thucydides；　the　extensive　knowledge　of　Xenophon；　the　sublimity　and　grandeur　of　Titus　Livius；　and　to　avoid　the　careless　style　of　Polybius；　I　have　borrowed　considerable　ornaments　from　Dionysius　Halicarnasseus；　and　Diodorus　Siculus。　　The　specious　gilding　of　Tacitus　I　have　endeavoured　to　shun。　　Mariana；　Davila；　and　Fra。　Paulo；　are　those　amongst　the　moderns　whom　I　thought　most　worthy　of　imitation；　but　I　cannot　be　so　disingenuous；　as　not　to　own　the　infinite　obligations　I　have　to　the　〃Pilgrim's　Progress〃　of　John　Bunyan；　and　the　〃Tenter　Belly〃　of　the　Reverend　Joseph　Hall。

From　such　encouragement　and　helps；　it　is　easy　to　guess　to　what　a　degree　of　perfection　I　might　have　brought　this　great　work；　had　it　not　been　nipped　in　the　bud　by　some　illiterate　people　in　both　Houses　of　Parliament；　who　envying　the　great　figure　I　was　to　make　in　future　ages；　under　pretence　of　raising　money　for　the　war；*　have　padlocked　all　those　very　pens　that　were　to　celebrate　the　actions　of　their　heroes；　by　silencing　at　once　the　whole　university　of　Grub　Street。　　I　am　persuaded　that　nothing　but　the　prospect　of　an　approaching　peace　could　have　encouraged　them　to　make　so　bold　a　step。　　But　suffer　me；　in　the　name　of　the　rest　of　the　matriculates　of　that　famous　university；　to　ask　them　some　plain　questions：　　Do　they　think　that　peace　will　bring　along　with　it　the　golden　age？　　Will　there　be　never　a　dying　speech　of　a　traitor？　　Are　Cethegus　and　Catiline　turned　so　tame；　that　there　will　be　no　opportunity　to　cry　about　the　streets；　〃A　Dangerous　Plot？〃　　Will　peace　bring　such　plenty　that　no　gentleman　will　have　occasion　to　go　upon　the　highway；　or　break　into　a　house？　　I　am　sorry　that　the　world　should　be　so　much　imposed　upon　by　the　dreams　of　a　false　prophet；　as　to　imagine　the　Millennium　is　at　hand。　　O　Grub　Street！　thou　fruitful　nursery　of　towering　geniuses！　　How　do　I　lament　thy　downfall？　　Thy　ruin　could　never　be　meditated　by　any　who　meant　well　to　English　liberty。　　No　modern　lyceum　will　ever　equal　thy　glory：　　whether　in　soft　pastorals　thou　didst　sing　the　flames　of　pampered　apprentices　and　coy　cook　maids；　or　mournful　ditties　of　departing　lovers；　or　if　to　Maeonian　strains　thou　raisedst　thy　voice；　to　record　the　stratagems；　the　arduous　exploits；　and　the　nocturnal　scalade　of　needy　heroes；　the　terror　of　your　peaceful　citizens；　describing　the　powerful　Betty　or　the　artful　Picklock；　or　the　secret　caverns　and　grottoes　of　Vulcan　sweating　at　his　forge；　and　stamping　the　queen's　image　on　viler　metals　which　he　retails　for　beef　and　pots　of　ale；　or　if　thou　wert　content　in　simple　narrative；　to　relate　the　cruel　acts　of　implacable　revenge；　or　the　complaint　of　ravished　virgins　blushing　to　tell　their　adventures　before　the　listening　crowd　of　city　damsels；　whilst　in　thy　faithful　history　thou　intermingledst　the　gravest　counsels　and　the　purest　morals。　　Nor　less　acute　and　piercing　wert　thou　in　thy　search　and　pompous　descriptions　of　the　works　of　nature；　whether　in　proper　and　emphatic　terms　thou　didst　paint　the　blazing　comet's　fiery　tail；　the　stupendous　force　of　dreadful　thunder　and　earthquakes；　and　the　unrelenting　inundation