journal of a voyage to lisbon-第14部分

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the　account　of　these　two　characters；　as　far　as　a　few　days'

residence　could　inform　me　of　them。　　If　they　should　appear　as　new

to　the　reader　as　they　did　to　me；　he　will　not　be　displeased　at

finding　them　here。　　This　amiable　couple　seemed　to　border　hard　on

their　grand　climacteric；　nor　indeed　were　they　shy　of　owning

enough　to　fix　their　ages　within　a　year　or　two　of　that　time。　　They

appeared　to　be　rather　proud　of　having　employed　their　time　well

than　ashamed　of　having　lived　so　long；　the　only　reason　which　I

could　ever　assign　why　some　fine　ladies；　and　fine　gentlemen　too；

should　desire　to　be　thought　younger　than　they　really　are　by　the

contemporaries　of　their　grandchildren。　　Some；　indeed；　who　too

hastily　credit　appearances；　might　doubt　whether　they　had　made　so

good　a　use　of　their　time　as　I　would　insinuate；　since　there　was　no

appearance　of　anything　but　poverty；　want；　and　wretchedness；　about

their　house；　nor　could　they　produce　anything　to　a　customer　in

exchange　for　his　money　but　a　few　bottles　of　wind；　and　spirituous

liquors；　and　some　very　bad　ale；　to　drink；　with　rusty　bacon　and

worse　cheese　to　eat。　　But　then　it　should　be　considered；　on　the

other　side；　that　whatever　they　received　was　almost　as　entirely

clear　profit　as　the　blessing　of　a　wreck　itself；　such　an　inn　being

the　very　reverse　of　a　coffee…house；　for　here　you　can　neither　sit

for　nothing　nor　have　anything　for　your　money。



Again；　as　many　marks　of　want　abounded　everywhere；　so　were　the

marks　of　antiquity　visible。　　Scarce　anything　was　to　be　seen　which

had　not　some　scar　upon　it；　made　by　the　hand　of　Time；　not　an

utensil；　it　was　manifest；　had　been　purchased　within　a　dozen　years

last　past；　so　that　whatever　money　had　come　into　the　house　during

that　period　at　least　must　have　remained　in　it；　unless　it　had　been

sent　abroad　for　food；　or　other　perishable　commodities；　but　these

were　supplied　by　a　small　portion　of　the　fruits　of　the　farm；　in

which　the　farmer　allowed　he　had　a　very　good　bargain。　　In　fact；　it

is　inconceivable　what　sums　may　be　collected　by　starving　only；　and

how　easy　it　is　for　a　man　to　die　rich　if　he　will　but　be　contented

to　live　miserable。



Nor　is　there　in　this　kind　of　starving　anything　so　terrible　as

some　apprehend。　　It　neither　wastes　a　man's　flesh　nor　robs　him　of

his　cheerfulness。　　The　famous　Cornaro's　case　well　proves　the

contrary；　and　so　did　farmer　Francis；　who　was　of　a　round　stature；

had　a　plump；　round　face；　with　a　kind　of　smile　on　it；　and　seemed

to　borrow　an　air　of　wretchedness　rather　from　his　coat's　age　than

from　his　own。



The　truth　is；　there　is　a　certain　diet　which　emaciates　men　more

than　any　possible　degree　of　abstinence；　though　I　do　not　remember

to　have　seen　any　caution　against　it；　either　in　Cheney；　Arbuthnot；

or　in　any　other　modern　writer　or　regimen。



Nay；　the　very　name　is　not；　I　believe；　in　the　learned　Dr。　James's

Dictionary；　all　which　is　the　more　extraordinary　as　it　is　a　very

common　food　in　this　kingdom；　and　the　college　themselves　were　not

long　since　very　liberally　entertained　with　it　by　the　present

attorney　and　other　eminent　lawyers　in　Lincoln's…inn…hall；　and

were　all　made　horribly　sick　by　it。



But　though　it　should　not　be　found　among　our　English　physical

writers；　we　may　be　assured　of　meeting　with　it　among　the　Greeks；

for　nothing　considerable　in　nature　escapes　their　notice；　though

many　things　considerable　in　them；　it　is　to　be　feared；　have

escaped　the　notice　of　their　readers。　　The　Greeks；　then；　to　all

such　as　feed　too　voraciously　on　this　diet；　give　the　name　of

HEAUTOFAGI；　which　our　physicians　will；　I　suppose；　translate　MEN

THAT　EAT　THEMSELVES。



As　nothing　is　so　destructive　to　the　body　as　this　kind　of　food；

so　nothing　is　so　plentiful　and　cheap；　but　it　was　perhaps　the　only

cheap　thing　the　farmer　disliked。　　Probably　living　much　on　fish

might　produce　this　disgust；　for　Diodorus　Siculus　attributes　the

same　aversion　in　a　people　of　Ethiopia　to　the　same　cause；　he　calls

them　the　fish…eaters；　and　asserts　that　they　cannot　be　brought　to

eat　a　single　meal　with　the　Heautofagi　by　any　persuasion；　threat；

or　violence　whatever；　not　even　though　they　should　kill　their

children　before　their　faces。



What　hath　puzzled　our　physicians；　and　prevented　them　from　setting

this　matter　in　the　clearest　light；　is　possibly　one　simple

mistake；　arising　from　a　very　excusable　ignorance；　that　the

passions　of　men　are　capable　of　swallowing　food　as　well　as　their

appetites；　that　the　former；　in　feeding；　resemble　the　state　of

those　animals　who　chew　the　cud；　and　therefore；　such　men；　in　some

sense；　may　be　said　to　prey　on　themselves；　and　as　it　were　to

devour　their　own　entrails。　　And　hence　ensues　a　meager　aspect　and

thin　habit　of　body；　as　surely　as　from　what　is　called　a

consumption。　　Our　farmer　was　one　of　these。　　He　had　no　more

passion　than　an　Ichthuofagus　or　Ethiopian　fisher。　　He　wished　not

for　anything；　thought　not　of　anything；　indeed；　he　scarce　did

anything　or　said　anything。　　Here　I　cannot　be　understood　strictly；

for　then　I　must　describe　a　nonentity；　whereas　I　would　rob　him　of

nothing　but　that　free　agency　which　is　the　cause　of　all　the

corruption　and　of　all　the　misery　of　human　nature。　　No　man；

indeed；　ever　did　more　than　the　farmer；　for　he　was　an　absolute

slave　to　labor　all　the　week；　but　in　truth；　as　my　sagacious　reader

must　have　at　first　apprehended；　when　I　said　he　resigned　the　care

of　the　house　to　his　wife；　I　meant　more　than　I　then　expressed；

even　the　house　and　all　that　belonged　to　it；　for　he　was　really　a

farmer　only　under　the　direction　of　his　wife。　　In　a　word；　so

composed；　so　serene；　so　placid　a　countenance；　I　never　saw；　and　he

satisfied　himself　by　answering　to　every　question　he　was　asked；　〃I

don't　know　anything　about　it；　sir；　I　leaves　all　that　to　my　wife。〃



Now；　as　a　couple　of　this　kind　would；　like　two　vessels　of　oil；

have　made　no　composition　in　life；　and　for　want　of　all　savor　must

have　palled　every　taste；　nature　or　fortune；　or　both　of　them；　took

care　to　provide　a　proper　quantity　of　acid　in　the　materials　that

formed　the　wife；　and　to　render　her　a　perfect　helpmate　for　so

tranquil　a　husband。　　She　abounded　in　whatsoever　he　was　defective；

that　is　to　say；　in　almost　everything。　　She　was　indeed　as　vinegar

to　oil；　or　a　brisk　wind　to　a　standing…pool；　and　preserved　all

from　stagnation　and　corruption。



Quin　the　player；　on　taking　a　nice　and　severe　survey　of　a

fellow…comedian；　burst　forth　into　this　exclamation：〃If　that

fellow　be　not　a　rogue；　God　Almighty　doth　not　write　a　legible　hand。〃



Whether　he　guessed　right　or　no　is　not　worth　my　while　to　examine；

certain　it　is　that　the　latter；　having　wrought　his　features　into　a

proper　harmony　to　become　the　characters　of　Iago；　Shylock；　and

others　of　the　same　cast；　gave　us　a　semblance　of　truth　to　the

observation　that　was　sufficient　to　confirm　the　wit　of　it。

Indeed；　we　may　remark；　in　favor　of　the　physiognomist；　though　the

law　has　made　him　a　rogue　and　vagabond；　that　Nature　is　seldom

curious　in　her　works　within；　without　employing　some　little　pains

on　the　outside；　and　this　more　particularly　in　mischievous

characters；　in　forming　which；　as　Mr。　Derham　observes；　in　venomous

insects；　as　the　sting　or　saw　of　a　wasp；　she　is　sometimes

wonderfully　industrious。　　Now；　when　she　hath　thus　completely

armed　our　hero　to　carry　on　a　war　with　man；　she　never　fails　of

furnishing　that　innocent　lambkin　with　some　means　of　knowing　his

enemy；　and　foreseeing　his　designs。　　Thus　she　hath　been　observed

to　act　in　the　case　of　a　rattlesnake；　which　never　meditates　a

human　prey　without　giving　warning　of　his　approach。　　This

observation　will；　I　am　convinced；　hold　most　true；　if　applied　to

the　most　venomous　individuals　of　human　insects。　　A　tyrant；　a

trickster；　and　a　bully；　generally　wear　the　marks　of　their　several

dispositions　in　their　countenances；　so　do　the　vixen；　the　shrew；

the　scold；　and　all　other　females　of　the　like　kind。　　But；　perhaps；

nature　hath　never　afforded　a　stronger　example　of　all　this　than　in

the　case　of　Mrs。　Francis。　　She　was　a　short；　squat　woman；　her　head

was　closely　joined　to　her　shoulders；　where　it　was　fixed　somewhat

awry；　every　feature　of　her　countenance　was　sharp　and　pointed；　her

face　was　furrowed　with　the　smallpox；　and　her　complexion；　which

seemed　to　be　able　to　turn　milk　to　curds；　not　a　little　resembled

in　color　such　milk　as　had　already　undergone　that　operation。　　She

appeared；　indeed；　to　have　many　symptoms　of　a　deep　jaundice　in　her

look；　but　the　strength　and　firmness　of　her　voice　overbalanced

them　all；　the　tone　of　this　was　a　sharp　treble　at　a　distance；　for

I　seldom　heard　it　on　the　same　floor；　but　was　usually　waked　with

it　in　the　morning；　and　entertained　with　it　almost　continually

through　the　whole　day。



Though　vocal　be　usually　put　in　opposition　to　instrumental　music；

I　question　whether　this　might　not　be　thought　to　partake　of　the

nature　of　both；　for　she　played　on　two　instruments；　which　she

seemed　to　keep　for　no　other　use　from　morning　till　night；　these

were　two　maids；　or　rather　scolding…stocks；　who；　I　suppose；　by

some　means　or　other；　earned　their　board；　and　she　gave　them　their

lodging　gratis；　or　for　no　other　service　than　to　keep　her　lungs　in

constant　exercise。



She　differed；　as　I　have　said；　in　every　particular　from　her

husband；　but　very　remarkably　in　this；　that；　as　it　was　impossible

to　displease　him；　so　it　was　as　impossible　to　please　her；　and　as

no　art　could　remove　a　smile　from　his　countenance；　so　could　no　art

carry　it　into　hers。　　If　her　bills　were　remonstrated　against　she

was　offended　with　the　tacit　censure　of　her　fair…dealing；　if　they

were　not；　she　seemed　to　regard　it　as　a　tacit　sarcasm　on　her

folly；　which　might　have　set　down　larger　prices　with　the　same

success。　　On　this　lather　hint　she　did　indeed　improve；　for　she

daily　raised　some　of　her　articles。　　A　pennyworth　of　fire　was

to…day　rated　at　a　shilling；　to…morrow　at　eighteen…pence；　and　if

she　dressed　us　two　dishes　for　two　shillings　on　the　Saturday；　we

paid　half…a…crown　for　the　cookery　of