journal of a voyage to lisbon-第26部分

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whereas　it　is　here　a　capital　offense　to　assist　any　person　in

going　on　shore　from　a　foreign　vessel　before　it　hath　been

examined；　and　every　person　in　it　viewed　by　the　magistrates　of

health；　as　they　are　called；　this　worthy　pilot；　for　a　very　small

reward；　rowed　the　Portuguese　priest　to　shore　at　this　place；

beyond　which　he　did　not　dare　to　advance；　and　in　venturing　whither

he　had　given　sufficient　testimony　of　love　for　his　native　country。



We　did　not　enter　the　Tajo　till　noon；　when；　after　passing　several

old　castles　and　other　buildings　which　had　greatly　the　aspect　of

ruins；　we　came　to　the　castle　of　Bellisle；　where　we　had　a　full

prospect　of　Lisbon；　and　were；　indeed；　within　three　miles　of　it。



Here　we　were　saluted　with　a　gun；　which　was　a　signal　to　pass　no

farther　till　we　had　complied　with　certain　ceremonies　which　the

laws　of　this　country　require　to　be　observed　by　all　ships　which

arrive　in　this　port。　　We　were　obliged　then　to　cast　anchor；　and

expect　the　arrival　of　the　officers　of　the　customs；　without　whose

passport　no　ship　must　proceed　farther　than　this　place。



Here　likewise　we　received　a　visit　from　one　of　those　magistrates

of　health　before　mentioned。　　He　refused　to　come　on　board　the　ship

till　every　person　in　her　had　been　drawn　up　on　deck　and　personally

viewed　by　him。　　This　occasioned　some　delay　on　my　part；　as　it　was

not　the　work　of　a　minute　to　lift　me　from　the　cabin　to　the　deck。

The　captain　thought　my　particular　case　might　have　been　excused

from　this　ceremony；　and　that　it　would　be　abundantly　sufficient　if

the　magistrate；　who　was　obliged　afterwards　to　visit　the　cabin；

surveyed　me　there。　　But　this　did　not　satisfy　the　magistrate's

strict　regard　to　his　duty。　　When　he　was　told　of　my　lameness；　he

called　out；　with　a　voice　of　authority；　〃Let　him　be　brought　up；〃

and　his　orders　were　presently　complied　with。　　He　was；　indeed；　a

person　of　great　dignity；　as　well　as　of　the　most　exact　fidelity　in

the　discharge　of　his　trust。　　Both　which　are　the　more　admirable　as

his　salary　is　less　than　thirty　pounds　English　per　annum。



Before　a　ship　hath　been　visited　by　one　of　those　magistrates　no

person　can　lawfully　go　on　board　her；　nor　can　any　on　board　depart

from　her。　　This　I　saw　exemplified　in　a　remarkable　instance。　　The

young　lad　whom　I　have　mentioned　as　one　of　our　passengers　was　here

met　by　his　father；　who；　on　the　first　news　of　the　captain's

arrival；　came　from　Lisbon　to　Bellisle　in　a　boat；　being　eager　to

embrace　a　son　whom　he　had　not　seen　for　many　years。　　But　when　he

came　alongside　our　ship　neither　did　the　father　dare　ascend　nor

the　son　descend；　as　the　magistrate　of　health　had　not　yet　been　on

board。　　Some　of　our　readers　will；　perhaps；　admire　the　great

caution　of　this　policy；　so　nicely　calculated　for　the　preservation

of　this　country　from　all　pestilential　distempers。　　Others　will　as

probably　regard　it　as　too　exact　and　formal　to　be　constantly

persisted　in；　in　seasons　of　the　utmost　safety；　as　well　as　in

times　of　danger。　　I　will　not　decide　either　way；　but　will　content

myself　with　observing　that　I　never　yet　saw　or　heard　of　a　place

where　a　traveler　had　so　much　trouble　given　him　at　his　landing　as

here。　　The　only　use　of　which；　as　all　such　matters　begin　and　end

in　form　only；　is　to　put　it　into　the　power　of　low　and　mean　fellows

to　be　either　rudely　officious　or　grossly　corrupt；　as　they　shall

see　occasion　to　prefer　the　gratification　of　their　pride　or　of

their　avarice。



Of　this　kind；　likewise；　is　that　power　which　is　lodged　with　other

officers　here；　of　taking　away　every　grain　of　snuff　and　every　leaf

of　tobacco　brought　hither　from　other　countries；　though　only　for

the　temporary　use　of　the　person　during　his　residence　here。　　This

is　executed　with　great　insolence；　and；　as　it　is　in　the　hands　of

the　dregs　of　the　people；　very　scandalously；　for；　under　pretense

of　searching　for　tobacco　and　snuff；　they　are　sure　to　steal

whatever　they　can　find；　insomuch　that　when　they　came　on　board　our

sailors　addressed　us　in　the　Covent…garden　language：　　〃Pray；

gentlemen　and　ladies；　take　care　of　your　swords　and　watches。〃

Indeed；　I　never　yet　saw　anything　equal　to　the　contempt

and　hatred　which　our　honest　tars　every　moment　expressed

for　these　Portuguese　officers。



At　Bellisle　lies　buried　Catharine　of　Arragon；　widow　of　prince

Arthur；　eldest　son　of　our　Henry　VII；　afterwards　married　to；　and

divorced　from　Henry　VIII。　　Close　by　the　church　where　her　remains

are　deposited　is　a　large　convent　of　Geronymites；　one　of　the　most

beautiful　piles　of　building　in　all　Portugal。



In　the　evening；　at　twelve；　our　ship；　having　received　previous

visits　from　all　the　necessary　parties；　took　the　advantage　of

the　tide；　and　having　sailed　up　to　Lisbon　cast　anchor　there；　in　a

calm　and　moonshiny　night；　which　made　the　passage　incredibly

pleasant　to　the　women；　who　remained　three　hours　enjoying　it；

whilst　I　was　left　to　the　cooler　transports　of　enjoying　their

pleasures　at　second…hand；　and　yet；　cooler　as　they　may　be；　whoever

is　totally　ignorant　of　such　sensation　is；　at　the　same　time；　void

of　all　ideas　of　friendship。



Wednesday。Lisbon；　before　which　we　now　lay　at　anchor；　is　said　to

be　built　on　the　same　number　of　hills　with　old　Rome；　but　these　do

not　all　appear　to　the　water；　on　the　contrary；　one　sees　from

thence　one　vast　high　hill　and　rock；　with　buildings　arising　above

one　another；　and　that　in　so　steep　and　almost　perpendicular　a

manner；　that　they　all　seem　to　have　but　one　foundation。



As　the　houses；　convents；　churches；　&c。；　are　large；　and　all　built

with　white　stone；　they　look　very　beautiful　at　a　distance；　but　as

you　approach　nearer；　and　find　them　to　want　every　kind　of

ornament；　all　idea　of　beauty　vanishes　at　once。　　While　I　was

surveying　the　prospect　of　this　city；　which　bears　so　little

resemblance　to　any　other　that　I　have　ever　seen；　a　reflection

occurred　to　me　that；　if　a　man　was　suddenly　to　be　removed　from

Palmyra　hither；　and　should　take　a　view　of　no　other　city；　in　how

glorious　a　light　would　the　ancient　architecture　appear　to　him！

and　what　desolation　and　destruction　of　arts　and　sciences　would　he

conclude　had　happened　between　the　several　eras　of　these　cities！



I　had　now　waited　full　three　hours　upon　deck　for　the　return　of　my

man；　whom　I　had　sent　to　bespeak　a　good　dinner　（a　thing　which　had

been　long　unknown　to　me）　on　shore；　and　then　to　bring　a　Lisbon

chaise　with　him　to　the　seashore；　but　it　seems　the　impertinence　of

the　providore　was　not　yet　brought　to　a　conclusion。　　At　three

o'clock；　when　I　was　from　emptiness；　rather　faint　than　hungry；　my

man　returned；　and　told　me　there　was　a　new　law　lately　made　that　no

passenger　should　set　his　foot　on　shore　without　a　special　order

from　the　providore；　and　that　he　himself　would　have　been　sent　to

prison　for　disobeying　it；　had　he　not　been　protected　as　the

servant　of　the　captain。　　He　informed　me　likewise　that　the　captain

had　been　very　industrious　to　get　this　order；　but　that　it　was　then

the　providore's　hour　of　sleep；　a　time　when　no　man；　except　the

king　himself；　durst　disturb　him。



To　avoid　prolixity；　though　in　a　part　of　my　narrative　which　may　be

more　agreeable　to　my　reader　than　it　was　to　me；　the　providore；

having　at　last　finished　his　nap；　dispatched　this　absurd　matter　of

form；　and　gave　me　leave　to　come；　or　rather　to　be　carried；　on　shore。



What　it　was　that　gave　the　first　hint　of　this　strange　law　is　not

easy　to　guess。　　Possibly；　in　the　infancy　of　their　defection；　and

before　their　government　could　be　well　established；　they　were

willing　to　guard　against　the　bare　possibility　of　surprise；　of　the

success　of　which　bare　possibility　the　Trojan　horse　will　remain

for　ever　on　record；　as　a　great　and　memorable　example。　　Now　the

Portuguese　have　no　walls　to　secure　them；　and　a　vessel　of　two　or

three　hundred　tons　will　contain　a　much　larger　body　of　troops　than

could　be　concealed　in　that　famous　machine；　though　Virgil　tells　us

（somewhat　hyperbolically；　I　believe）　that　it　was　as　big　as　a

mountain。



About　seven　in　the　evening　I　got　into　a　chaise　on　shore；　and　was

driven　through　the　nastiest　city　in　the　world；　though　at　the　same

time　one　of　the　most　populous；　to　a　kind　of　coffee…house；　which

is　very　pleasantly　situated　on　the　brow　of　a　hill；　about　a　mile

from　the　city；　and　hath　a　very　fine　prospect　of　the　river　Tajo

from　Lisbon　to　the　sea。　　Here　we　regaled　ourselves　with　a　good

supper；　for　which　we　were　as　well　charged　as　if　the　bill　had　been

made　on　the　Bath…road；　between　Newbury　and　London。



And　now　we　could　joyfully　say；　　　　　　　　　



Egressi　optata　Troes　potiuntur　arena。



Therefore；　in　the　words　of　Horace；



hie　Finis　chartaeque　viaeque。











End