journal of a voyage to lisbon-第16部分
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permitted to exact ten times the value of their work? For those
exactions increase with the degrees of necessity in their object;
insomuch that on the former side many are horribly imposed upon;
and that often in no trifling matters。 I was very well assured
that at Deal no less than ten guineas was required; and paid by
the supercargo of an Indiaman; for carrying him on board two
miles from the shore when she was just ready to sail; so that his
necessity; as his pillager well understood; was absolute。 Again;
many others; whose indignation will not submit to such plunder;
are forced to refuse the assistance; though they are often great
sufferers by so doing。 On the latter side; the lowest of the
people are encouraged in laziness and idleness; while they live
by a twentieth part of the labor that ought to maintain them;
which is diametrically opposite to the interest of the public;
for that requires a great deal to be done; not to be paid; for a
little。 And moreover; they are confirmed in habits of exaction;
and are taught to consider the distresses of their superiors as
their own fair emolument。 But enough of this matter; of which I
at first intended only to convey a hint to those who are alone
capable of applying the remedy; though they are the last to whom
the notice of those evils would occur; without some such monitor
as myself; who am forced to travel about the world in the form of
a passenger。 I cannot but say I heartily wish our governors
would attentively consider this method of fixing the price of
labor; and by that means of compelling the poor to work; since
the due execution of such powers will; I apprehend; be found the
true and only means of making them useful; and of advancing trade
from its present visibly declining state to the height to which
Sir William Petty; in his Political Arithmetic; thinks it capable
of being carried。
In the afternoon the lady of the above…mentioned mansion called
at our inn; and left her compliments to us with Mrs。 Francis;
with an assurance that while we continued wind…bound in that
place; where she feared we could be but indifferently
accommodated; we were extremely welcome to the use of anything
which her garden or her house afforded。 So polite a message
convinced us; in spite of some arguments to the contrary; that we
were not on the coast of Africa; or on some island where the few
savage inhabitants have little of human in them besides their
form。 And here I mean nothing less than to derogate from the
merit of this lady; who is not only extremely polite in her
behavior to strangers of her own rank; but so extremely good and
charitable to all her poor neighbors who stand in need of her
assistance; that she hath the universal love and praises of all
who live near her。 But; in reality; how little doth the
acquisition of so valuable a character; and the full indulgence
of so worthy a disposition; cost those who possess it! Both are
accomplished by the very offals which fall from a table
moderately plentiful。 That they are enjoyed therefore by so few
arises truly from there being so few who have any such
disposition to gratify; or who aim at any such character。
Wednesday; July 22。This morning; after having been mulcted as
usual; we dispatched a servant with proper acknowledgments of the
lady's goodness; but confined our wants entirely to the
productions of her garden。 He soon returned; in company with the
gardener; both richly laden with almost every particular which a
garden at this most fruitful season of the year produces。 While
we were regaling ourselves with these; towards the close of our
dinner; we received orders from our commander; who had dined that
day with some inferior officers on board a man…of…war; to return
instantly to the ship; for that the wind was become favorable and
he should weigh that evening。 These orders were soon followed by
the captain himself; who was still in the utmost hurry; though
the occasion of it had long since ceased; for the wind had;
indeed; a little shifted that afternoon; but was before this very
quietly set down in its old quarters。
This last was a lucky hit for me; for; as the captain; to whose
orders we resolved to pay no obedience; unless delivered by
himself; did not return till past six; so much time seemed
requisite to put up the furniture of our bed…chamber or
dining…room; for almost every article; even to some of the
chairs; were either our own or the captain's property; so much
more in conveying it as well as myself; as dead a luggage as any;
to the shore; and thence to the ship; that the night threatened
first to overtake us。 A terrible circumstance to me; in my
decayed condition; especially as very heavy showers of rain;
attended with a high wind; continued to fall incessantly; the
being carried through which two miles in the dark; in a wet and
open boat; seemed little less than certain death。 However; as my
commander was absolute; his orders peremptory; and my obedience
necessary; I resolved to avail myself of a philosophy which hath
been of notable use to me in the latter part of my life; and
which is contained in this hemistich of Virgil:
Superanda omnis fortuna ferendo est。
The meaning of which; if Virgil had any; I think I rightly
understood; and rightly applied。 As I was therefore to be
entirely passive in my motion; I resolved to abandon myself to
the conduct of those who were to carry me into a cart when it
returned from unloading the goods。
But before this; the captain; perceiving what had happened in the
clouds; and that the wind remained as much his enemy as ever;
came upstairs to me with a reprieve till the morning。 This was;
I own; very agreeable news; and I little regretted the trouble of
refurnishing my apartment; by sending back for the goods。
Mrs。 Francis was not well pleased with this。
As she understood the reprieve to be only till the morning; she
saw nothing but lodging to be possibly added; out of which she
was to deduct fire and candle; and the remainder; she thought;
would scarce pay her for her trouble。 She exerted therefore all
the ill…humor of which she was mistress; and did all she could to
thwart and perplex everything during the whole evening。
Thursday; July 23。Early in the morning the captain; who had
remained on shore all night; came to visit us; and to press us to
make haste on board。 〃I am resolved;〃 says he; 〃not to lose a
moment now the wind is coming about fair: for my own part; I
never was surer of a wind in all my life。〃 I use his very words;
nor will I presume to interpret or comment upon them farther than
by observing that they were spoke in the utmost hurry。
We promised to be ready as soon as breakfast was over; but this
was not so soon as was expected; for; in removing our goods the
evening before; the tea…chest was unhappily lost。 Every place
was immediately searched; and many where it was impossible for it
to be; for this was a loss of much greater consequence than it
may at first seem to many of my readers。 Ladies and
valetudinarians do not easily dispense with the use of this
sovereign cordial in a single instance; but to undertake a long
voyage; without any probability of being supplied with it the
whole way; was above the reach of patience。 And yet; dreadful as
this calamity was; it seemed unavoidable。 The whole town of Ryde
could not supply a single leaf; for; as to what Mrs。 Francis and
the shop called by that name; it was not of Chinese growth。 It
did not indeed in the least resemble tea; either in smell or
taste; or in any particular; unless in being a leaf; for it was
in truth no other than a tobacco of the mundungus species。 And
as for the hopes of relief in any other port; they were not to be
depended upon; for the captain had positively declared he was
sure of a wind; and would let go his anchor no more till he
arrived in the Tajo。
When a good deal of time had been spent; most of it indeed wasted
on this occasion; a thought occurred which every one wondered at
its not having presented itself the first moment。 This was to
apply to the good lady; who could not fail of pitying and
relieving such distress。 A messenger was immediately despatched
with an account of our misfortune; till whose return we employed
ourselves in preparatives for our departure; that we might have
nothing to do but to swallow our breakfast when it arrived。 The
tea…chest; though of no less consequence to us than the
military…chest to a general; was given up as lost; or rather as
stolen; for though I would not; for the world; mention any
particular name; it is certain we had suspicions; and all; I am
afraid; fell on the same person。
The man returned from the worthy lady with much expedition; and
brought with him a canister of tea; despatched with so true a
generosity; as well as politeness; that if our voyage had been as
long again we should have incurred no danger of being brought to
a short allowance in this most important article。 At the very
same instant likewise arrived William the footman with our own
tea…chest。 It had been; indeed; left in the hoy; when the other
goods were re…landed; as William; when he first heard it was
missing; had suspected; and whence; had not the owner of the hoy
been unluckily out of the way; he had retrieved it soon enough to
have prevented our giving the lady an opportunity of displaying
some part of her goodness。 To search the hoy was; indeed; too
natural a suggestion to have escaped any one; nor did it escape
being mentioned by many of us; but we were dissuaded from it by
my wife's maid; who perfectly well remembered she had left the
chest in the bed…chamber; for that she had never given it out of
her hand in her way to or from the hoy; but William perhaps knew
the maid better; and best understood how far she was to be
believed; for otherwise