the expedition of humphry clinker-第4部分

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form　such　a　wish；　considering　how　much　I　am　indebted　to　your
goodness；　and　the　ineffable　pleasure　I　have　derived　from　your
indulgence　and　approbation　　Good　God！　I　never　heard　your　name
mentioned　without　emotion！　the　most　distant　prospect　of　being
admitted　to　your　company；　filled　my　whole　soul　with　a　kind　of
pleasing　alarm！　as　the　time　approached；　my　heart　beat　with
redoubled　force；　and　every　nerve　thrilled　with　a　transport　of
expectation；　but；　when　I　found　myself　actually　in　your　presence；
　when　I　heard　you　speak；　　when　I　saw　you　smile；　when　I　beheld
your　charming　eyes　turned　favourably　upon　me；　my　breast　was　filled
with　such　tumults　of　delight；　as　wholly　deprived　me　of　the　power
of　utterance；　and　wrapt　me　in　a　delirium　of　joy！　　encouraged　by
your　sweetness　of　temper　and　affability；　I　ventured　to　describe
the　feelings　of　my　heart　　even　then　you　did　not　check　my
presumption　　you　pitied　my　sufferings　and　gave　me　leave　to　hope
you　put　a　favourable　　perhaps　too　favourable　a　construction；　on
my　appearance　　certain　it　is；　I　am　no　player　in　love　　I　speak
the　language　of　my　own　heart；　and　have　no　prompter　but　nature。
Yet　there　is　something　in　this　heart；　which　I　have　not　yet
disclosed。　　I　flattered　myself　　But；　I　will　not　　I　must　not
proceed。　Dear　Miss　Liddy！　for　Heaven's　sake；　contrive；　if
possible；　some　means　of　letting　me　speak　to　you　before　you　leave
Gloucester；　otherwise；　I　know　not　what　will　　But　I　begin　to
rave　again。　　I　will　endeavour　to　bear　this　trial　with　fortitude
　while　I　am　capable　of　reflecting　upon　your　tenderness　and
truth；　I　surely　have　no　cause　to　despair　　a　cloud　hangs　over
me；　and　there　is　a　dreadful　weight　upon　my　spirits！　While　you
stay　in　this　place；　I　shall　continually　hover　about　your
lodgings；　as　the　parted　soul　is　said　to　linger　about　the　grave
where　its　mortal　comfort　lies。　　I　know；　if　it　is　in　your　power；
you　will　task　your　humanity　　your　compassion　　shall　I　add；
your　affection？　　in　order　to　assuage　the　almost　intolerable
disquiet　that　torments　the　heart　of　your　afflicted；

WILSON
GLOUCESTER；　March　31。



To　Sir　WATKIN　PHILLIPS；　of　Jesus　college；　Oxon。

HOT　WELL；　April　18。

DEAR　PHILLIPS；

I　give　Mansel　credit　for　his　invention；　in　propagating　the　report
that　I　had　a　quarrel　with　a　mountebank's　merry　Andrew　at
Gloucester：　but　I　have　too　much　respect　for　every　appendage　of
wit；　to　quarrel　even　with　the　lowest　buffoonery；　and　therefore　I
hope　Mansel　and　I　shall　always　be　good　friends。　I　cannot；
however；　approve　of　his　drowning　my　poor　dog　Ponto；　on　purpose　to
convert　Ovid's　pleonasm　into　a　punning　epitaph；　　deerant　quoque
Littora　Ponto：　for；　that　he　threw　him　into　the　Isis；　when　it　was
so　high　and　impetuous；　with　no　other　view　than　to　kill　the　fleas；
is　an　excuse　that　will　not　hold　water　　But　I　leave　poor　Ponto
to　his　fate；　and　hope　Providence　will　take　care　to　accommodate
Mansel　with　a　drier　death。

As　there　is　nothing　that　can　be　called　company　at　the　Well；　I　am
here　in　a　state　of　absolute　rustication：　This；　however；　gives　me
leisure　to　observe　the　singularities　in　my　uncle's　character；
which　seems　to　have　interested　your　curiosity。　The　truth　is；　his
disposition　and　mine；　which；　like　oil　and　vinegar；　repelled　one
another　at　first；　have　now　begun　to　mix　by　dint　of　being　beat　up
together。　I　was　once　apt　to　believe　him　a　complete　Cynic；　and
that　nothing　but　the　necessity　of　his　occasions　could　compel　him
to　get　within　the　pale　of　society　　I　am　now　of　another　opinion。
I　think　his　peevishness　arises　partly　from　bodily　pain；　and
partly　from　a　natural　excess　of　mental　sensibility；　for；　I
suppose；　the　mind　as　well　as　the　body；　is　in　some　cases　endued
with　a　morbid　excess　of　sensation。

I　was　t'other　day　much　diverted　with　a　conversation　that　passed
in　the　Pump…room；　betwixt　him　and　the　famous　Dr　Ln；　who　is　come
to　ply　at　the　Well　for　patients。　My　uncle　was　complaining　of　the
stink；　occasioned　by　the　vast　quantity　of　mud　and　slime　which　the
river　leaves　at　low　ebb　under　the　windows　of　the　Pumproom。　He
observed；　that　the　exhalations　arising　from　such　a　nuisance；
could　not　but　be　prejudicial　to　the　weak　lungs　of　many
consumptive　patients；　who　came　to　drink　the　water。　The　Doctor
overhearing　this　remark；　made　up　to　him；　and　assured　him　he　was
mistaken。　He　said；　people　in　general　were　so　misled　by　vulgar
prejudices　that　philosophy　was　hardly　sufficient　to　undeceive
them。　Then　humming　thrice；　he　assumed　a　most　ridiculous　solemnity
of　aspect；　and　entered　into　a　learned　investigation　of　the　nature
of　stink。　He　observed；　that　stink；　or　stench；　meant　no　more　than
a　strong　impression　on　the　olfactory　nerves；　and　might　be　applied
to　substances　of　the　most　opposite　qualities；　that　in　the　Dutch
language；　stinken　signifies　the　most　agreeable　perfume；　as　well
as　the　most　fetid　odour；　as　appears　in　Van　Vloudel's　translation
of　Horace；　in　that　beautiful　ode；　Quis　multa　gracilis；　&c。　　The
words　fiquidis　perfusus　odoribus；　he　translates　van　civet　&
moschata　gestinken：　that　individuals　differed　toto　coelo　in　their
opinion　of　smells；　which；　indeed；　was　altogether　as　arbitrary　as
the　opinion　of　beauty；　that　the　French　were　pleased　with　the
putrid　effluvia　of　animal　food；　and　so　were　the　Hottentots　in
Africa；　and　the　Savages　in　Greenland；　and　that　the　Negroes　on　the
coast　of　Senegal　would　not　touch　fish　till　it　was　rotten；　strong
presumptions　in　favour　of　what　is　generally　called　stink；　as
those　nations　are　in　a　state　of　nature；　undebauched　by　luxury；
unseduced　by　whim　and　caprice：　that　he　had　reason　to　believe　the
stercoraceous　flavour；　condemned　by　prejudice　as　a　stink；　was；　in
fact；　most　agreeable　to　the　organs　of　smelling；　for；　that　every
person　who　pretended　to　nauseate　the　smell　of　another's
excretions；　snuffed　up　his　own　with　particular　complacency；　for
the　truth　of　which　he　appealed　to　all　the　ladies　and　gentlemen
then　present：　he　said；　the　inhabitants　of　Madrid　and　Edinburgh
found　particular　satisfaction　in　breathing　their　own　atmosphere；
which　was　always　impregnated　with　stercoraceous　effluvia：　that
the　learned　Dr　B；　in　his　treatise　on　the　Four　Digestions；
explains　in　what　manner　the　volatile　effluvia　from　the　intestines
stimulate　and　promote　the　operations　of　the　animal　economy：　he
affirmed；　the　last　Grand　Duke　of　Tuscany；　of　the　Medicis　family；
who　refined　upon　sensuality　with　the　spirit　of　a　philosopher；　was
so　delighted　with　that　odour；　that　he　caused　the　essence　of
ordure　to　be　extracted；　and　used　it　as　the　most　delicious
perfume：　that　he　himself　（the　doctor）　when　he　happened　to　be　low…spirited；
or　fatigued　with　business；　found　immediate　relief　and
uncommon　satisfaction　from　hanging　over　the　stale　contents　of　a
close…stool；　while　his　servant　stirred　it　about　under　his　nose；
nor　was　this　effect　to　be　wondered　at；　when　we　consider　that　this
substance　abounds　with　the　self…same　volatile　salts　that　are　so
greedily　smelled　to　by　the　most　delicate　invalids；　after　they
have　been　extracted　and　sublimed　by　the　chemists。　　By　this　time
the　company　began　to　hold　their　noses；　but　the　doctor；　without
taking　the　least　notice　of　this　signal；　proceeded　to　shew；　that
many　fetid　substances　were　not　only　agreeable　but　salutary；　such
as　assa　foetida；　and　other　medicinal　gums；　resins；　roots；　and
vegetables；　over　and　above　burnt　feathers；　tan…pits；　candle…snuffs；
&c。　In　short；　he　used　many　learned　arguments　to　persuade
his　audience　out　of　their　senses；　and　from　stench　made　a
transition　to　filth；　which　he　affirmed　was　also　a　mistaken　idea；
in　as　much　as　objects　so　called；　were　no　other　than　certain
modifications　of　matter；　consisting　of　the　same　principles　that
enter　into　the　composition　of　all　created　essences；　whatever　they
may　be：　that　in　the　filthiest　production　of　nature；　a　philosopher
considered　nothing　but　the　earth；　water；　salt　and　air；　of　which
it　was　compounded；　that；　for　his　own　part；　he　had　no　more
objections　to　drinking　the　dirtiest　ditch…water；　than　he　had　to　a
glass　of　water　from　the　Hot　Well；　provided　he　was　assured　there
was　nothing　poisonous　in　the　concrete。　Then　addressing　himself　to
my　uncle；　'Sir　（said　he）　you　seem　to　be　of　a　dropsical　habit；　and
probably　will　soon　have　a　confirmed　ascites：　if　I　should　be
present　when　you　are　tapped；　I　will　give　you　a　convincing　proof
of　what　I　assert；　by　drinking　without　hesitation　the　water　that
comes　out　of　your　abdomen。'　　The　ladies　made　wry　faces　at　this
declaration；　and　my　uncle；　changing　colour；　told　him　he　did　not
desire　any　such　proof　of　his　philosophy：　'But　I　should　he　glad　to
know　（said　he）　what　makes　you　think　I　am　of　a　dropsical　habit？'
'Sir；　I　beg　pardon　（replied　the　Doctor）　I　perceive　your　ancles
are　swelled；　and　you　seem　to　have　the　facies　leucophlegmatica。
Perhaps；　indeed；　your　disorder　may　be　oedematous；　or　gouty；　or　it
may　be　the　lues　venerea：　If　you　have　any　reason　to　flatter
yourself　it　is　this　last；　sir；　I　will　undertake　to　cure　you　with
three　small　pills；　even　if　the　disease　should　have　attained　its
utmost　inveteracy。　Sir；　it　is　an　arcanum；　which　I　have
discovered；　and　prepared　with　infinite　labour。　　Sir；　I　have
lately　cured　a　woman　in　Bristol　　a　common　prostitute；　sir；　who
had　got　all　the　worst　symptoms　of　the　disorder；　such　as　nodi；
tophi；　and　gummata；　verruca；　cristoe　Galli；　and　a　serpiginous
eruption；　or　rather　a　pocky　itch　all　over　her　body。　By　the　time
she　had　taken　the　second　pill；　sir；　by　Heaven！　she　was　as　smooth
as　my　hand；　and　the　third　made　her　sound　and　as　fresh　as　a　new
born　infant。'　'Sir　（cried　my　uncle　peevishly）　I　have　no　reason　to
flatter　myself　that　my　disorder　comes　within　the　efficacy　of　your
nostrum。　But　this　patient　you　talk　of　may　not　be　so　sound　at
bottom　as　you　imagine。'　'I　can't　possibly　be　mistaken　（rejoined
the　philosopher）　for　I　have　had　communication　with　her　three
times　　I　always　ascertain　my　cures　in　that　manner。'　At　this
remark；　all　the　ladies　retired　to　another　corner　of　the　room；　and
some　of　them　began　to　spit。　　As　to　my　uncle；　though　he　was
ruffled　at　first　by　the　doctor's　saying　he　was　dropsical；　he
could　not　help　smiling　at　this　ridiculous　confession　and；　I
suppose；　with　a　view　to　punish　this　original；　told　him　there　was
a　wart　upon　his　nose；　that　looked　a　little　suspicious。　'