journal of a voyage to lisbon-第15部分

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paid　half…a…crown　for　the　cookery　of　one　on　the　Sunday；　and；

whenever　she　was　paid；　she　never　left　the　room　without　lamenting

the　small　amount　of　her　bill；　saying；　〃she　knew　not　how　it　was

that　others　got　their　money　by　gentle…folks；　but　for　her　part　she

had　not　the　art　of　it。〃　　When　she　was　asked　why　she　complained；

when　she　was　paid　all　she　demanded；　she　answered；　〃she　could　not

deny　that；　nor　did　she　know　she　had　omitted　anything；　but　that　it

was　but　a　poor　bill　for　gentle…folks　to　pay。〃　　I　accounted　for

all　this　by　her　having　heard；　that　it　is　a　maxim　with　the

principal　　inn…holders　on　the　continent；　to　levy　considerable

sums　on　their　guests；　who　travel　with　many　horses　and　servants；

though　such　guests　should　eat　little　or　nothing　in　their　houses；

the　method　being；　I　believe；　in　such　cases；　to　lay　a　capitation

on　the　horses；　and　not　on　their　masters。　　But　she　did　not

consider　that　in　most　of　these　inns　a　very　great　degree　of

hunger；　without　any　degree　of　delicacy；　may　be　satisfied；　and

that　in　all　such　inns　there　is　some　appearance；　at　least；　of

provision；　as　well　as　of　a　man…cook　to　dress　it；　one　of　the

hostlers　being　always　furnished　with　a　cook's　cap；　waistcoat；　and

apron；　ready　to　attend　gentlemen　and　ladies　on　their　summons；

that　the　case　therefore　of　such　inns　differed　from　hers；　where

there　was　nothing　to　eat　or　to　drink；　and　in　reality　no　house　to

inhabit；　no　chair　to　sit　upon；　nor　any　bed　to　lie　in；　that　one

third　or　fourth　part　therefore　of　the　levy　imposed　at　inns　was；

in　truth；　a　higher　tax　than　the　whole　was　when　laid　on　in　the

other；　where；　in　order　to　raise　a　small　sum；　a　man　is　obliged　to

submit　to　pay　as　many　various　ways　for　the　same　thing　as　he　doth

to　the　government　for　the　light　which　enters　through　his　own

window　into　his　own　house；　from　his　own　estate；　such　are　the

articles　of　bread　and　beer；　firing；　eating　and　dressing　dinner。



The　foregoing　is　a　very　imperfect　sketch　of　this　extraordinary

couple；　for　everything　is　here　lowered　instead　of　being

heightened。　　Those　who　would　see　them　set　forth　in　more　lively

colors；　and　with　the　proper　ornaments；　may　read　the　descriptions

of　the　Furies　in　some　of　the　classical　poets；　or　of　the　Stoic

philosophers　in　the　works　of　Lucian。



Monday；　July　20。This　day　nothing　remarkable　passed；　Mrs。

Francis　levied　a　tax　of　fourteen　shillings　for　the　Sunday。　　We

regaled　ourselves　at　dinner　with　venison　and　good　claret　of　our

own；　and　in　the　afternoon；　the　women；　attended　by　the　captain；

walked　to　see　a　delightful　scene　two　miles　distant；　with　the

beauties　of　which　they　declared　themselves　most　highly　charmed　at

their　return；　as　well　as　with　the　goodness　of　the　lady　of　the

mansion；　who　had　slipped　out　of　the　way　that　my　wife　and　their

company　might　refresh　themselves　with　the　flowers　and　fruits　with

which　her　garden　abounded。



Tuesday；　July　21。This　day；　having　paid　our　taxes　of　yesterday；

we　were　permitted　to　regale　ourselves　with　more　venison。　　Some　of

this　we　would　willingly　have　exchanged　for　mutton；　but　no　such

flesh　was　to　be　had　nearer　than　Portsmouth；　from　whence　it　would

have　cost　more　to　convey　a　joint　to　us　than　the　freight　of　a

Portugal　ham　from　Lisbon　to　London　amounts　to；　for　though　the

water…carriage　be　somewhat　cheaper　here　than　at　Deal；　yet　can　you

find　no　waterman　who　will　go　on　board　his　boat；　unless　by　two　or

three　hours'　rowing　he　can　get　drunk　for　the　residue　of　the　week。



And　here　I　have　an　opportunity；　which　possibly　may　not　offer

again；　of　publishing　some　observations　on　that　political　economy

of　this　nation；　which；　as　it　concerns　only　the　regulation　of　the

mob；　is　below　the　notice　of　our　great　men；　though　on　the　due

regulation　of　this　order　depend　many　emoluments；　which　the　great

men　themselves；　or　at　least　many　who　tread　close　on　their　heels；

may　enjoy；　as　well　as　some　dangers　which　may　some　time　or　other

arise　from　introducing　a　pure　state　of　anarchy　among　them。　　I

will　represent　the　case；　as　it　appears　to　me；　very　fairly　and

impartially　between　the　mob　and　their　betters。　　The　whole

mischief　which　infects　this　part　of　our　economy　arises　from　the

vague　and　uncertain　use　of　a　word　called　liberty；　of　which；　as

scarce　any　two　men　with　whom　I　have　ever　conversed　seem　to　have

one　and　the　same　idea；　I　am　inclined　to　doubt　whether　there　be

any　simple　universal　notion　represented　by　this　word；　or　whether

it　conveys　any　clearer　or　more　determinate　idea　than　some　of

those　old　Punic　compositions　of　syllables　preserved　in　one　of　the

comedies　of　Plautus；　but　at　present；　as　I　conceive；　not　supposed

to　be　understood　by　any　one。



By　liberty；　however；　I　apprehend；　is　commonly　understood　the

power　of　doing　what　we　please；　not　absolutely；　for　then　it　would

be　inconsistent　with　law；　by　whose　control　the　liberty　of　the

freest　people；　except　only　the　Hottentots　and　wild　Indians；　must

always　be　restrained。



But；　indeed；　however　largely　we　extend；　or　however　moderately　we

confine；　the　sense　of　the　word；　no　politician　will；　I　presume；

contend　that　it　is　to　pervade　in　an　equal　degree；　and　be；　with

the　same　extent；　enjoyed　by；　every　member　of　society；　no　such

polity　having　been　ever　found；　unless　among　those　vile　people

just　before　commemorated。　　Among　the　Greeks　and　Romans　the

servile　and　free　conditions　were　opposed　to　each　other；　and　no

man　who　had　the　misfortune　to　be　enrolled　under　the　former　could

lay　any　claim　to　liberty　till　the　right　was　conveyed　to　him　by

that　master　whose　slave　he　was；　either　by　the　means　of　conquest；

of　purchase；　or　of　birth。



This　was　the　state　of　all　the　free　nations　in　the　world；　and

this；　till　very　lately；　was　understood　to　be　the　case　of　our　own。



I　will　not　indeed　say　this　is　the　case　at　present；　the　lowest

class　of　our　people　having　shaken　off　all　the　shackles　of　their

superiors；　and　become　not　only　as　free；　but　even　freer；　than　most

of　their　superiors。　　I　believe　it　cannot　be　doubted；　though

perhaps　we　have　no　recent　instance　of　it；　that　the　personal

attendance　of　every　man　who　hath　three　hundred　pounds　per　annum；

in　parliament；　is　indispensably　his　duty；　and　that；　if　the

citizens　and　burgesses　of　any　city　or　borough　shall　choose　such　a

one；　however　reluctant　he　appear；　he　may　be　obliged　to　attend；

and　be　forcibly　brought　to　his　duty　by　the　sergeant…at…arms。



Again；　there　are　numbers　of　subordinate　offices；　some　of　which

are　of　burden；　and　others　of　expense；　in　the　civil

governmentall　of　which　persons　who　are　qualified　are　liable　to

have　imposed　on　them；　may　be　obliged　to　undertake　and　properly

execute；　notwithstanding　any　bodily　labor；　or　even　danger；　to

which　they　may　subject　themselves；　under　the　penalty　of　fines　and

imprisonment；　nay；　and　what　may　appear　somewhat　hard；　may　be

compelled　to　satisfy　the　losses　which　are　eventually　incident；　to

that　of　sheriff　in　particular；　out　of　their　own　private　fortunes；

and　though　this　should　prove　the　ruin　of　a　family；　yet　the

public；　to　whom　the　price　is　due；　incurs　no　debt　or　obligation　to

preserve　its　officer　harmless；　let　his　innocence　appear　ever　so

clearly。　　I　purposely　omit　the　mention　of　those　military　or

military　duties　which　our　old　constitution　laid　upon　its　greatest

members。　　These　might；　indeed；　supply　their　posts　with　some　other

able…bodied　men；　but　if　no　such　could　have　been　found；　the

obligation　nevertheless　remained；　and　they　were　compellable　to

serve　in　their　own　proper　persons。　　The　only　one；　therefore；　who

is　possessed　of　absolute　liberty　is　the　lowest　member　of　the

society；　who；　if　he　prefers　hunger；　or　the　wild　product　of　the

fields；　hedges；　lanes；　and　rivers；　with　the　indulgence　of　ease

and　laziness；　to　a　food　a　little　more　delicate；　but　purchased　at

the　expense　of　labor；　may　lay　himself　under　a　shade；　nor　can　be

forced　to　take　the　other　alternative　from　that　which　he　hath；　I

will　not　affirm　whether　wisely　or　foolishly；　chosen。



Here　I　may；　perhaps；　be　reminded　of　the　last　Vagrant　Act；　where

all　such　persons　are　compellable　to　work　for　the　usual　and

accustomed　wages　allowed　in　the　place；　but　this　is　a　clause

little　known　to　the　justices　of　the　peace；　and　least　likely　to　be

executed　by　those　who　do　know　it；　as　they　know　likewise　that　it

is　formed　on　the　ancient　power　of　the　justices　to　fix　and　settle

these　wages　every　year；　making　proper　allowances　for　the　scarcity

and　plenty　of　the　times；　the　cheapness　and　dearness　of　the　place；

and　that　THE　USUAL　AND　ACCUSTOMED　WAGES　are　words　without　any

force　or　meaning；　when　there　are　no　such；　but　every　man　spunges

and　raps　whatever　he　can　get；　and　will　haggle　as　long　and

struggle　as　hard　to　cheat　his　employer　of　twopence　in　a　day's

labor　as　an　honest　tradesman　will　to　cheat　his　customers　of　the

same　sum　in　a　yard　of　cloth　or　silk。



It　is　a　great　pity　then　that　this　power；　or　rather　this　practice；

was　not　revived；　but；　this　having　been　so　long　omitted　that　it　is

become　obsolete；　will　be　best　done　by　a　new　law；　in　which　this

power；　as　well　as　the　consequent　power　of　forcing　the　poor　to

labor　at　a　moderate　and　reasonable　rate；　should　be　well

considered　and　their　execution　facilitated；　for　gentlemen　who

give　their　time　and　labor　gratis；　and　even　voluntarily；　to　the

public；　have　a　right　to　expect　that　all　their　business　be　made　as

easy　as　possible；　and　to　enact　laws　without　doing　this　is　to　fill

our　statute…books；　much　too　full　already；　still　fuller　with　dead

letter；　of　no　use　but　to　the　printer　of　the　acts　of　parliament。

That　the　evil　which　I　have　here　pointed　at　is　of　itself　worth

redressing；　is；　I　apprehend；　no　subject　of　dispute；　for　why

should　any　persons　in　distress　be　deprived　of　the　assistance　of

their　fellow…subjects；　when　they　are　willing　amply　to　reward　them

for　their　labor？　or；　why　should　the　lowest　of　the　people　be

permitted　to　exact　ten　times　the　value　of　their　work？　For　those

exactions　increase　with　the　degrees　of　necessity　in　their　object；

ins