journal of a voyage to lisbon-第12部分

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matter　of　such　great　difficulty　as　it　appeared　to　my　ignorance；

and　possibly　may　seem　to　that　of　my　fresh…water　reader。　　The

kitten　was　now　exposed　to　air　and　sun　on　the　deck；　where　its

life；　of　which　it　retained　no　symptoms；　was　despaired　of　by　all。



The　captain's　humanity；　if　I　may　so　call　it；　did　not　so　totally

destroy　his　philosophy　as　to　make　him　yield　himself　up　to

affliction　on　this　melancholy　occasion。　　Having　felt　his　loss

like　a　man；　he　resolved　to　show　he　could　bear　it　like　one；　and；

having　declared　he　had　rather　have　lost　a　cask　of　rum　or　brandy；

betook　himself　to　threshing　at　backgammon　with　the　Portuguese

friar；　in　which　innocent　amusement　they　had　passed　about

two…thirds　of　their　time。



But　as　I　have；　perhaps；　a　little　too　wantonly　endeavored　to　raise

the　tender　passions　of　my　readers　in　this　narrative；　I　should

think　myself　unpardonable　if　I　concluded　it　without　giving　them

the　satisfaction　of　hearing　that　the　kitten　at　last　recovered；　to

the　great　joy　of　the　good　captain；　but　to　the　great

disappointment　of　some　of　the　sailors；　who　asserted　that　the

drowning　a　cat　was　the　very　surest　way　of　raising　a　favorable

wind；　a　supposition　of　which；　though　we　have　heard　several

plausible　accounts；　we　will　not　presume　to　assign　the　true

original　reason。



Friday；　July　12。This　day　our　ladies　went　ashore　at　Ryde；　and

drank　their　afternoon　tea　at　an　ale…house　there　with　great

satisfaction：　　here　they　were　regaled　with　fresh　cream；　to　which

they　had　been　strangers　since　they　left　the　Downs。



Saturday；　July　13。The　wind　seeming　likely　to　continue　in　the

same　corner　where　it　had　been　almost　constantly　for　two　months

together；　I　was　persuaded　by　my　wife　to　go　ashore　and　stay　at

Ryde　till　we　sailed。　　I　approved　the　motion　much；　for　though　I　am

a　great　lover　of　the　sea；　I　now　fancied　there　was　more　pleasure

in　breathing　the　fresh　air　of　the　land；　but　how　to　get　thither

was　the　question；　for；　being　really　that　dead　luggage　which　I

considered　all　passengers　to　be　in　the　beginning　of　this

narrative；　and　incapable　of　any　bodily　motion　without　external

impulse；　it　was　in　vain　to　leave　the　ship；　or　to　determine　to　do

it；　without　the　assistance　of　others。　　In　one　instance；　perhaps；

the　living；　luggage　is　more　difficult　to　be　moved　or　removed　than

an　equal　or　much　superior　weight　of　dead　matter；　which；　if　of　the

brittle　kind；　may　indeed　be　liable　to　be　broken　through

negligence；　but　this；　by　proper　care；　may　be　almost　certainly

prevented；　whereas　the　fractures　to　which　the　living　lumps　are

exposed　are　sometimes　by　no　caution　avoidable；　and　often　by　no

art　to　be　amended。



I　was　deliberating　on　the　means　of　conveyance；　not　so　much　out　of

the　ship　to　the　boat　as　out　of　a　little　tottering　boat　to　the

land；　a　matter　which；　as　I　had　already　experienced　in　the　Thames；

was　not　extremely　easy；　when　to　be　performed　by　any　other　limbs

than　your　own。　　Whilst　I　weighed　all　that　could　suggest　itself　on

this　head；　without　strictly　examining　the　merit　of　the　several

schemes　which　were　advanced　by　the　captain　and　sailors；　and；

indeed；　giving　no　very　deep　attention　even　to　my　wife；　who；　as

well　as　her　friend　and　my　daughter；　were　exerting　their　tender

concern　for　my　ease　and　safety；　Fortune；　for　I　am　convinced　she

had　a　hand　in　it；　sent　me　a　present　of　a　buck；　a　present　welcome

enough　of　itself；　but　more　welcome　on　account　of　the　vessel　in

which　it　came；　being　a　large　hoy；　which　in　some　places　would　pass

for　a　ship；　and　many　people　would　go　some　miles　to　see　the　sight。



I　was　pretty　easily　conveyed　on　board　this　hoy；　but　to　get　from

hence　to　the　shore　was　not　so　easy　a　task；　for；　however　strange

it　may　appear；　the　water　itself　did　not　extend　so　far；　an

instance　which　seems　to　explain　those　lines　of　Ovid；



Omnia　pontus　erant；　deerant　quoque　littora　ponto；



in　a　less　tautological　sense　than　hath　generally　been　imputed　to　them。



In　fact；　between　the　sea　and　the　shore　there　was；　at　low　water；

an　impassable　gulf；　if　I　may　so　call　it；　of　deep　mud；　which　could

neither　be　traversed　by　walking　nor　swimming；　so　that　for　near

one　half　of　the　twenty…four　hours　Ryde　was　inaccessible　by　friend

or　foe。　　But　as　the　magistrates　of　this　place　seemed　more　to

desire　the　company　of　the　former　than　to　fear　that　of　the　latter；

they　had　begun　to　make　a　small　causeway　to　the　low…water　mark；　so

that　foot　passengers　might　land　whenever　they　pleased；　but　as

this　work　was　of　a　public　kind；　and　would　have　cost　a　large　sum

of　money；　at　least　ten　pounds；　and　the　magistrates；　that　is　to

say；　the　churchwardens；　the　overseers；　constable；　and　tithingman；

and　the　principal　inhabitants；　had　every　one　of　them　some

separate　scheme　of　private　interest　to　advance　at　the　expense　of

the　public；　they　fell　out　among　themselves；　and；　after　having

thrown　away　one　half　of　the　requisite　sum；　resolved　at　least　to

save　the　other　half；　and　rather　be　contented　to　sit　down　losers

themselves　than　to　enjoy　any　benefit　which　might　bring　in　a

greater　profit　to　another。　　Thus　that　unanimity　which　is　so

necessary　in　all　public　affairs　became　wanting；　and　every　man；

from　the　fear　of　being　a　bubble　to　another；　was；　in　reality；　a

bubble　to　himself。



However；　as　there　is　scarce　any　difficulty　to　which　the　strength

of　men；　assisted　with　the　cunning　of　art；　is　not　equal；　I　was　at

last　hoisted　into　a　small　boat；　and　being　rowed　pretty　near　the

shore；　was　taken　up　by　two　sailors；　who　waded　with　me　through　the

mud；　and　placed　me　in　a　chair　on　the　land；　whence　they　afterwards

conveyed　me　a　quarter　of　a　mile　farther；　and　brought　me　to　a

house　which　seemed　to　bid　the　fairest　for　hospitality　of　any　in

Ryde。



We　brought　with　us　our　provisions　from　the　ship；　so　that　we

wanted　nothing　but　a　fire　to　dress　our　dinner；　and　a　room　in

which　we　might　eat　it。　　In　neither　of　these　had　we　any　reason　to

apprehend　a　disappointment；　our　dinner　consisting　only　of　beans

and　bacon；　and　the　worst　apartment　in　his　majesty's　dominions；

either　at　home　or　abroad；　being　fully　sufficient　to　answer　our

present　ideas　of　delicacy。



Unluckily；　however；　we　were　disappointed　in　both；　for　when　we

arrived　about　four　at　our　inn；　exulting　in　the　hopes　of

immediately　seeing　our　beans　smoking　on　the　table；　we　had　the

mortification　of　seeing　them　on　the　table　indeed；　but　without

that　circumstance　which　would　have　made　the　sight　agreeable；

being　in　the　same　state　in　which　we　had　dispatched　them　from　our

ship。　　In　excuse　for　this　delay；　though　we　had　exceeded；　almost

purposely；　the　time　appointed；　and　our　provision　had　arrived

three　hours　before；　the　mistress　of　the　house　acquainted　us　that

it　was　not　for　want　of　time　to　dress　them　that　they　were　not

ready；　but　for　fear　of　their　being　cold　or　over…done　before　we

should　come；　which　she　assured　us　was　much　worse　than　waiting　a

few　minutes　for　our　dinner；　an　observation　so　very　just；　that　it

is　impossible　to　find　any　objection　in　it；　but；　indeed；　it　was

not　altogether　so　proper　at　this　time；　for　we　had　given　the　most

absolute　orders　to　have　them　ready　at　four；　and　had　been

ourselves；　not　without　much　care　and　difficulty；　most　exactly

punctual　in　keeping　to　the　very　minute　of　our　appointment。　　But

tradesmen；　inn…keepers；　and　servants；　never　care　to　indulge　us　in

matters　contrary　to　our　true　interest；　which　they　always　know

better　than　ourselves；　nor　can　any　bribes　corrupt　them　to　go　out

of　their　way　while　they　are　consulting　our　good　in　our　own　despite。



Our　disappointment　in　the　other　particular；　in　defiance　of　our

humility；　as　it　was　more　extraordinary；　was　more　provoking。　　In

short；　Mrs。　Francis　（for　that　was　the　name　of　the　good　woman　of

the　house）　no　sooner　received　the　news　of　our　intended　arrival

than　she　considered　more　the　gentility　than　the　humanity　of　her

guests；　and　applied　herself　not　to　that　which　kindles　but　to　that

which　extinguishes　fire；　and；　forgetting　to　put　on　her　pot；　fell

to　washing　her　house。



As　the　messenger　who　had　brought　my　venison　was　impatient　to　be

dispatched；　I　ordered　it　to　be　brought　and　laid　on　the　table　in

the　room　where　I　was　seated；　and　the　table　not　being　large

enough；　one　side；　and　that　a　very　bloody　one；　was　laid　on　the

brick　floor。　　I　then　ordered　Mrs。　Francis　to　be　called　in；　in

order　to　give　her　instructions　concerning　it；　in　particular；　what

I　would　have　roasted　and　what　baked；　concluding　that　she　would　be

highly　pleased　with　the　prospect　of　so　much　money　being　spent　in

her　house　as　she　might　have　now　reason　to　expect；　if　the　wind

continued　only　a　few　days　longer　to　blow　from　the　same　points

whence　it　had　blown　for　several　weeks　past。



I　soon　saw　good　cause；　I　must　confess；　to　despise　my　own

sagacity。　　Mrs。　Francis；　having　received　her　orders；　without

making　any　answer；　snatched　the　side　from　the　floor；　which

remained　stained　with　blood；　and；　bidding　a　servant　to　take　up

that　on　the　table；　left　the　room　with　no　pleasant　countenance；

muttering　to　herself　that；　〃had　she　known　the　litter　which　was　to

have　been　made；　she　would　not　have　taken　such　pains　to　wash　her

house　that　morning。　　If　this　was　gentility；　much　good　may　it　do

such　gentlefolks；　for　her　part　she　had　no　notion　of　it。〃　　From

these　murmurs　I　received　two　hints。　　The　one；　that　it　was　not

from　a　mistake　of　our　inclination　that　the　good　woman　had　starved

us；　but　from　wisely　consulting　her　own　dignity；　or　rather　perhaps

her　vanity；　to　which　our　hunger　was　offered　up　as　a　sacrifice。

The　other；　that　I　was　now　sitting　in　a　damp　room；　a　circumstance；

though　it　had　hitherto　escaped　my　notice　from　the　color　of　the

bricks；　which　was　by　no　means　to　be　neglected　in　a　valetudinary　state。



My　wife；　who；　besides　discharging　excellently　well　her　own　and

all　the　tender　offices　becoming　the　female　character；　who；

besides　being　a　faithful　friend；　an　amiable　companion；　and　a

tender　nurse；　could　likewise　supply　the　wants　of　a　decrepit