journal of a voyage to lisbon-第4部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



branches　of　the　physical　profession；　to　go　immediately　to　Bath。

I　accordingly　wrote　that　very　night　to　Mrs。　Bowden；　who；　by　the

next　post；　informed　me　she　had　taken　me　a　lodging　for　a　month

certain。　　Within　a　few　days　after　this；　whilst　I　was　preparing

for　my　journey；　and　when　I　was　almost　fatigued　to　death　with

several　long　examinations；　relating　to　five　different　murders；

all　committed　within　the　space　of　a　week；　by　different　gangs　of

street…robbers；　I　received　a　message　from　his　grace　the　duke　of

Newcastle；　by　Mr。　Carrington；　the　king's　messenger；　to　attend　his

grace　the　next　morning；　in　Lincoln's…inn…fields；　upon　some

business　of　importance；　but　I　excused　myself　from　complying　with

the　message；　as；　besides　being　lame；　I　was　very　ill　with　the

great　fatigues　I　had　lately　undergone　added　to　my　distemper。



His　grace；　however；　sent　Mr。　Carrington；　the　very　next　morning；

with　another　summons；　with　which；　though　in　the　utmost　distress；

I　immediately　complied；　but　the　duke；　happening；　unfortunately

for　me；　to　be　then　particularly　engaged；　after　I　had　waited　some

time；　sent　a　gentleman　to　discourse　with　me　on　the　best　plan

which　could　be　invented　for　putting　an　immediate　end　to　those

murders　and　robberies　which　were　every　day　committed　in　the

streets；　upon　which　I　promised　to　transmit　my　opinion；　in

writing；　to　his　grace；　who；　as　the　gentleman　informed　me；

intended　to　lay　it　before　the　privy　council。



Though　this　visit　cost　me　a　severe　cold；　I；　notwithstanding；　set

myself　down　to　work；　and　in　about　four　days　sent　the　duke　as

regular　a　plan　as　I　could　form；　with　all　the　reasons　and

arguments　I　could　bring　to　support　it；　drawn　out　in　several

sheets　of　paper；　and　soon　received　a　message　from　the　duke　by　Mr。

Carrington；　acquainting　me　that　my　plan　was　highly　approved　of；

and　that　all　the　terms　of　it　would　be　complied　with。　　The

principal　and　most　material　of　those　terms　was　the　immediately

depositing　six　hundred　pound　in　my　hands；　at　which　small　charge　I

undertook　to　demolish　the　then　reigning　gangs；　and　to　put　the

civil　policy　into　such　order；　that　no　such　gangs　should　ever　be

able；　for　the　future；　to　form　themselves　into　bodies；　or　at　least

to　remain　any　time　formidable　to　the　public。



I　had　delayed　my　Bath　journey　for　some　time；　contrary　to　the

repeated　advice　of　my　physical　acquaintance；　and　to　the　ardent

desire　of　my　warmest　friends；　though　my　distemper　was　now　turned

to　a　deep　jaundice；　in　which　case　the　Bath　waters　are　generally

reputed　to　be　almost　infallible。　　But　I　had　the　most　eager　desire

of　demolishing　this　gang　of　villains　and　cut…throats；　which　I　was

sure　of　accomplishing　the　moment　I　was　enabled　to　pay　a　fellow

who　had　undertaken；　for　a　small　sum；　to　betray　them　into　the

hands　of　a　set　of　thief…takers　whom　I　had　enlisted　into　the

service；　all　men　of　known　and　approved　fidelity　and　intrepidity。



After　some　weeks　the　money　was　paid　at　the　treasury；　and　within　a

few　days　after　two　hundred　pounds　of　it　had　come　to　my　hands；　the

whole　gang　of　cut…throats　was　entirely　dispersed；　seven　of　them

were　in　actual　custody；　and　the　rest　driven；　some　out　of　the

town；　and　others　out　of　the　kingdom。　　Though　my　health　was　now

reduced　to　the　last　extremity；　I　continued　to　act　with　the　utmost

vigor　against　these　villains；　in　examining　whom；　and　in　taking

the　depositions　against　them；　I　have　often　spent　whole　days；　nay；

sometimes　whole　nights；　especially　when　there　was　any　difficulty

in　procuring　sufficient　evidence　to　convict　them；　which　is　a　very

common　case　in　street…robberies；　even　when　the　guilt　of　the　party

is　sufficiently　apparent　to　satisfy　the　most　tender　conscience。

But　courts　of　justice　know　nothing　of　a　cause　more　than　what　is

told　them　on　oath　by　a　witness；　and　the　most　flagitious　villain

upon　earth　is　tried　in　the　same　manner　as　a　man　of　the　best

character　who　is　accused　of　the　same　crime。　　Meanwhile；　amidst

all　my　fatigues　and　distresses；　I　had　the　satisfaction　to　find　my

endeavors　had　been　attended　with　such　success　that　this　hellish

society　were　almost　utterly　extirpated；　and　that；　instead　of

reading　of　murders　and　street…robberies　in　the　news　almost　every

morning；　there　was；　in　the　remaining　part　of　the　month　of

November；　and　in　all　December；　not　only　no　such　thing　as　a

murder；　but　not　even　a　street…robbery　committed。　　Some　such；

indeed；　were　mentioned　in　the　public　papers；　but　they　were　all

found　on　the　strictest　inquiry；　to　be　false。　　In　this　entire

freedom　from　street…robberies；　during　the　dark　months；　no　man

will；　I　believe；　scruple　to　acknowledge　that　the　winter　of　1753

stands　unrivaled；　during　a　course　of　many　years；　and　this　may

possibly　appear　the　more　extraordinary　to　those　who　recollect　the

outrages　with　which　it　began。　　Having　thus　fully　accomplished　my

undertaking；　I　went　into　the　country；　in　a　very　weak　and

deplorable　condition；　with　no　fewer　or　less　diseases　than　a

jaundice；　a　dropsy；　and　an　asthma；　altogether　uniting　their

forces　in　the　destruction　of　a　body　so　entirely　emaciated　that　it

had　lost　all　its　muscular　flesh。　　Mine　was　now　no　longer　what　was

called　a　Bath　case；　nor；　if　it　had　been　so；　had　I　strength

remaining　sufficient　to　go　thither；　a　ride　of　six　miles　only

being　attended　with　an　intolerable　fatigue。　　I　now　discharged　my

lodgings　at　Bath；　which　I　had　hitherto　kept。　　I　began　in　earnest

to　look　on　my　case　as　desperate；　and　I　had　vanity　enough　to　rank

myself　with　those　heroes　who；　of　old　times；　became　voluntary

sacrifices　to　the　good　of　the　public。　　But；　lest　the　reader

should　be　too　eager　to　catch　　at　the　word　VANITY；　and　should　be

unwilling　to　indulge　me　with　so　sublime　a　gratification；　for　I

think　he　is　not　too　apt　to　gratify　me；　I　will　take　my　key　a　pitch

lower；　and　will　frankly　own　that　I　had　a　stronger　motive　than　the

love　of　the　public　to　push　me　on：　　I　will　therefore　confess　to

him　that　my　private　affairs　at　the　beginning　of　the　winter　had

but　a　gloomy　aspect；　for　I　had　not　plundered　the　public　or　the

poor　of　those　sums　which　men；　who　are　always　ready　to　plunder

both　as　much　as　they　can；　have　been　pleased　to　suspect　me　of

taking：　　on　the　contrary；　by　composing；　instead　of　inflaming　the

quarrels　of　porters　and　beggars　（which　I　blush　when　I　say　hath

not　been　universally　practiced）；　and　by　refusing　to　take　a

shilling　from　a　man　who　most　undoubtedly　would　not　have　had

another　left；　I　had　reduced　an　income　of　about　five　hundred

pounds＇13＇　a…year　of　the　dirtiest　money　upon　earth　to　little　more

than　three　hundred　pounds；　a　considerable　proportion　of　which

remained　with　my　clerk；　and；　indeed；　if　the　whole　had　done　so；　as

it　ought；　he　would　be　but　ill　paid　for　sitting　almost　sixteen

hours　in　the　twenty…four　in　the　most　unwholesome；　as　well　as

nauseous　air　in　the　universe；　and　which　hath　in　his　case

corrupted　a　good　constitution　without　contaminating　his　morals。



＇13＇　A　predecessor　of　mine　used　to　boast　that　he　made　one

thousand　pounds　a…year　in　his　office；　but　how　he　did　this　（if

indeed　he　did　it）　is　to　me　a　secret。　　His　clerk；　now　mine；　told

me　I　had　more　business　than　he　had　ever　known　there；　I　am　sure　I

had　as　much　as　any　man　could　do。　　The　truth　is；　the　fees　are　so

very　low；　when　any　are　due；　and　so　much　is　done　for　nothing；

that；　if　a　single　justice　of　peace　had　business　enough　to　employ

twenty　clerks；　neither　he　nor　they　would　get　much　by　their　labor。



The　public　will　not；　therefore；　I　hope；　think　I　betray　a　secret

when　I　inform　them　that　I　received　from　the　Government　a　yearly

pension　out　of　the　public　service　money；　which；　I　believe；

indeed；　would　have　been　larger　had　my　great　patron　been

convinced　of　an　error；　which　I　have　heard　him　utter　more　than

once；　that　he　could　not　indeed　say　that　the　acting　as　a　principal

justice　of　peace　in　Westminster　was　on　all　accounts　very

desirable；　but　that　all　the　world　knew　it　was　a　very　lucrative

office。　　Now；　to　have　shown　him　plainly　that　a　man　must　be　a

rogue　to　make　a　very　little　this　way；　and　that　he　could　not　make

much　by　being　as　great　a　rogue　as　he　could　be；　would　have

required　more　confidence　than；　I　believe；　he　had　in　me；　and　more

of　his　conversation　than　he　chose　to　allow　me；　I　therefore

resigned　the　office　and　the　farther　execution　of　my　plan　to　my

brother；　who　had　long　been　　myassistant。　　And　now；　lest　the　case

between　me　and　the　reader　should　be　the　same　in　both　instances　as

it　was　between　　me　and　the　great　man；　I　will　not　add　another　word

on　the　subject。





But；　not　to　trouble　the　reader　with　anecdotes；　contrary　to　my　own

rule　laid　down　in　my　preface；　I　assure　him　I　thought　my　family

was　very　slenderly　provided　for；　and　that　my　health　began　to

decline　so　fast　that　I　had　very　little　more　of　life　left　to

accomplish　what　I　had　thought　of　too　late。　　I　rejoiced　therefore

greatly　in　seeing　an　opportunity；　as　I　apprehended；　of　gaining

such　merit　in　the　eve　of　the　public；　that；　if　my　life　were　the

sacrifice　to　it；　my　friends　might　think　they　did　a　popular　act　in

putting　my　family　at　least　beyond　the　reach　of　necessity；　which　I

myself　began　to　despair　of　doing。　　And　though　I　disclaim　all

pretense　to　that　Spartan　or　Roman　patriotism　which　loved　the

public　so　well　that　it　was　always　ready　to　become　a　voluntary

sacrifice　to　the　public　good；　I　do　solemnly　declare　I　have　that

love　for　my　family。



After　this　confession　therefore；　that　the　public　was　not　the

principal　deity　to　which　my　life　was　offered　a　sacrifice；　and

when　it　is　farther　considered　what　a　poor　sacrifice　this　was；

being　indeed　no　other　than　the　giving　up　what　I　saw　little

likelihood　of　being　able　to　hold　much　longer；　and　which；　upon　the

terms　I　held　it；　nothing　but　the　weakness　of　human　nature　could

represent　to　me　as　worth　holding　at　all；　the　world　may；　I

believe；　without　envy；　allow　me　all　the　praise　to　which　I　have

any　title。　　My　aim；　in　fact；　was　not　praise；　which　is　the　last

gift　they　care　to　bestow；　at　least；