journal of a voyage to lisbon-第5部分

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

gift　they　care　to　bestow；　at　least；　this　was　not　my　aim　as　an

end；　but　rather　as　a　means　of　purchasing　some　moderate　provision

for　my　family；　which；　though　it　should　exceed　my　merit；　must　fall

infinitely　short　of　my　service；　if　I　succeeded　in　my　attempt。　　To

say　the　truth；　the　public　never　act　more　wisely　than　when　they

act　most　liberally　in　the　distribution　of　their　rewards；　and　here

the　good　they　receive　is　often　more　to　be　considered　than　the

motive　from　which　they　receive　it。　　Example　alone　is　the　end　of

all　public　punishments　and　rewards。　　Laws　never　inflict　disgrace

in　resentment；　nor　confer　honor　from　gratitude。　　〃For　it　is　very

hard；　my　lord；〃　said　a　convicted　felon　at　the　bar　to　the　late

excellent　judge　Burnet；　〃to　hang　a　poor　man　for　stealing　a

horse。〃　　〃You　are　not　to　be　hanged　sir；〃　answered　my　ever…honored

and　beloved　friend；　〃for　stealing　a　horse；　but　you　are　to　be

hanged　that　horses　may　not　be　stolen。〃　　In　like　manner　it　might

have　been　said　to　the　late　duke　of　Marlborough；　when　the

parliament　was　so　deservedly　liberal　to　him；　after　the　battle　of

Blenheim；　〃You　receive　not　these　honors　and　bounties　on　account

of　a　victory　past；　but　that　other　victories　may　be　obtained。〃



I　was　now；　in　the　opinion　of　all　men；　dying　of　a　complication　of

disorders；　and；　were　I　desirous　of　playing　the　advocate；　I　have

an　occasion　fair　enough；　but　I　disdain　such　an　attempt。　　I　relate

facts　plainly　and　simply　as　they　are；　and　let　the　world　draw　from

them　what　conclusions　they　please；　taking　with　them　the　following

facts　for　their　instruction：　　the　one　is；　that　the　proclamation

offering　one　hundred　pounds　for　the　apprehending　felons　for

certain　felonies　committed　in　certain　places；　which　I　prevented

from　being　revived；　had　formerly　cost　the　government　several

thousand　pounds　within　a　single　year。　　Secondly；　that　all　such

proclamations；　instead　of　curing　the　evil；　had　actually　increased

it；　had　multiplied　the　number　of　robberies；　had　propagated　the

worst　and　wickedest　of　perjuries；　had　laid　snares　for　youth　and

ignorance；　which；　by　the　temptation　of　these　rewards；　had　been

sometimes　drawn　into　guilt；　and　sometimes；　which　cannot　be

thought　on　without　the　highest　horror；　had　destroyed　them　without

it。　　Thirdly；　that　my　plan　had　not　put　the　government　to　more

than　three　hundred　pound　expense；　and　had　produced　none　of　the

ill　consequences　above　mentioned；　but；　lastly；　had　actually

suppressed　the　evil　for　a　time；　and　had　plainly　pointed　out　the

means　of　suppressing　it　for　ever。　　This　I　would　myself　have

undertaken；　had　my　health　permitted；　at　the　annual　expense　of　the

above…mentioned　sum。



After　having　stood　the　terrible　six　weeks　which　succeeded　last

Christmas；　and　put　a　lucky　end；　if　they　had　known　their　own

interests；　to　such　numbers　of　aged　and　infirm　valetudinarians；

who　might　have　gasped　through　two　or　three　mild　winters　more；　I

returned　to　town　in　February；　in　a　condition　less　despaired　of　by

myself　than　by　any　of　my　friends。　　I　now　became　the　patient　of

Dr。　Ward；　who　wished　I　had　taken　his　advice　earlier。　　By　his

advice　I　was　tapped；　and　fourteen　quarts　of　water　drawn　from　my

belly。　　The　sudden　relaxation　which　this　caused；　added　to　my

enervate；　emaciated　habit　of　body；　so　weakened　me　that　within　two

days　I　was　thought　to　be　falling　into　the　agonies　of　death。　　I

was　at　the　worst　on　that　memorable　day　when　the　public　lost　Mr。

Pelham。　　From　that　day　I　began　slowly；　as　it　were；　to　draw　my

feet　out　of　the　grave；　till　in　two　months'　time　I　had　again

acquired　some　little　degree　of　strength；　but　was　again　full　of

water。　　During　this　whole　time　I　took　Mr。　Ward's　medicines；　which

had　seldom　any　perceptible　operation。　　Those　in　particular　of　the

diaphoretic　kind；　the　working　of　which　is　thought　to　require　a

great　strength　of　constitution　to　support；　had　so　little　effect

on　me；　that　Mr。　Ward　declared　it　was　as　vain　to　attempt　sweating

me　as　a　deal　board。　　In　this　situation　I　was　tapped　a　second

time。　　I　had　one　quart　of　water　less　taken　from　me　now　than

before；　but　I　bore　all　the　consequences　of　the　operation　much

better。　　This　I　attributed　greatly　to　a　dose　of　laudanum

prescribed　by　my　surgeon。　　It　first　gave　me　the　most　delicious

flow　of　spirits；　and　afterwards　as　comfortable　a　nap。



The　month　of　May；　which　was　now　begun；　it　seemed　reasonable　to

expect　would　introduce　the　spring；　and　drive　of　that　winter　which

yet　maintained　its　footing　on　the　stage。　　I　resolved　therefore　to

visit　a　little　house　of　mine　in　the　country；　which　stands　at

Ealing；　in　the　county　of　Middlesex；　in　the　best　air；　I　believe；

in　the　whole　kingdom；　and　far　superior　to　that　of　Kensington

Gravel…pits；　for　the　gravel　is　here　much　wider　and　deeper；　the

place　higher　and　more　open　towards　the　south；　whilst　it　is

guarded　from　the　north　wind　by　a　ridge　of　hills；　and　from　the

smells　and　smoke　of　London　by　its　distance；　which　last　is　not　the

fate　of　Kensington；　when　the　wind　blows　from　any　corner　of　the　east。



Obligations　to　Mr。　Ward　I　shall　always　confess；　for　I　am

convinced　that　he　omitted　no　care　in　endeavoring　to　serve　me；

without　any　expectation　or　desire　of　fee　or　reward。



The　powers　of　Mr。　Ward's　remedies　want　indeed　no　unfair　puffs　of

mine　to　give　them　credit；　and　though　this　distemper　of　the　dropsy

stands；　I　believe；　first　in　the　list　of　those　over　which　he　is

always　certain　of　triumphing；　yet；　possibly；　there　might　be

something　particular　in　my　case　capable　of　eluding　that　radical

force　which　had　healed　so　many　thousands。　　The　same　distemper；　in

different　constitutions；　may　possibly　be　attended　with　such

different　symptoms；　that　to　find　an　infallible　nostrum　for　the

curing　any　one　distemper　in　every　patient　may　be　almost　as

difficult　as　to　find　a　panacea　for　the　cure　of　all。



But　even　such　a　panacea　one　of　the　greatest　scholars　and　best　of

men　did　lately　apprehend　he　had　discovered。　　It　is　true；　indeed；

he　was　no　physician；　that　is；　he　had　not　by　the　forms　of　his

education　acquired　a　right　of　applying　his　skill　in　the　art　of

physic　to　his　own　private　advantage；　and　yet；　perhaps；　it　may　be

truly　asserted　that　no　other　modern　hath　contributed　so　much　to

make　his　physical　skill　useful　to　the　public；　at　least；　that　none

hath　undergone　the　pains　of　communicating　this　discovery　in

writing　to　the　world。　　The　reader；　I　think；　will　scarce　need　to

be　informed　that　the　writer　I　mean　is　the　late　bishop　of　Cloyne；

in　Ireland；　and　the　discovery　that　of　the　virtues　of　tar…water。



I　then　happened　to　recollect；　upon　a　hint　given　me　by　the

inimitable　and　shamefully…distressed　author　of　the　Female

Quixote；　that　I　had　many　years　before；　from　curiosity　only；　taken

a　cursory　view　of　bishop　Berkeley's　treatise　on　the　virtues　of

tar…water；　which　I　had　formerly　observed　he　strongly　contends　to

be　that　real　panacea　which　Sydenham　supposes　to　have　an　existence

in　nature；　though　it　yet　remains　undiscovered；　and　perhaps　will

always　remain　so。



Upon　the　reperusal　of　this　book　I　found　the　bishop　only　asserting

his　opinion　that　tar…water　might　be　useful　in　the　dropsy；　since

he　had　known　it　to　have　a　surprising　success　in　the　cure　of　a

most　stubborn　anasarca；　which　is　indeed　no　other　than；　as　the

word　implies；　the　dropsy　of　the　flesh；　and　this　was；　at　that

time；　a　large　part　of　my　complaint。



After　a　short　trial；　therefore；　of　a　milk　diet；　which　I　presently

found　did　not　suit　with　my　case；　I　betook　myself　to　the　bishop's

prescription；　and　dosed　myself　every　morning　and　evening　with

half　a　pint　of　tar…water。



It　was　no　more　than　three　weeks　since　my　last　tapping；　and　my

belly　and　limbs　were　distended　with　water。　　This　did　not　give　me

the　worse　opinion　of　tar…water；　for　I　never　supposed　there　could

be　any　such　virtue　in　tar…water　as　immediately　to　carry　off　a

quantity　of　water　already　collected。　　For　my　delivery　from　this　I

well　knew　I　must　be　again　obliged　to　the　trochar；　and　that　if　the

tar…water　did　me　any　good　at　all　it　must　be　only　by　the　slowest

degrees；　and　that　if　it　should　ever　get　the　better　of　my

distemper　it　must　be　by　the　tedious　operation　of　undermining；　and

not　by　a　sudden　attack　and　storm。



Some　visible　effects；　however；　and　far　beyond　what　my　most

sanguine　hopes　could　with　any　modesty　expect；　I　very　soon

experienced；　the　tar…water　having；　from　the　very　first；　lessened

my　illness；　increased　my　appetite；　and　added；　though　in　a　very

slow　proportion；　to　my　bodily　strength。　　But　if　my　strength　had

increased　a　little　my　water　daily　increased　much　more。　　So　that；

by　the　end　of　May；　my　belly　became　again　ripe　for　the　trochar；

and　I　was　a　third　time　tapped；　upon　which；　two　very　favorable

symptoms　appeared。　　I　had　three　quarts　of　water　taken　from　me

less　than　had　been　taken　the　last　time；　and　I　bore　the　relaxation

with　much　less　（indeed　with　scarce　any）　faintness。



Those　of　my　physical　friends　on　whose　judgment　I　chiefly　depended

seemed　to　think　my　only　chance　of　life　consisted　in　having　the

whole　summer　before　me；　in　which　I　might　hope　to　gather

sufficient　strength　to　encounter　the　inclemencies　of　the　ensuing

winter。　　But　this　chance　began　daily　to　lessen。　　I　saw　the　summer

mouldering　away；　or　rather；　indeed；　the　year　passing　away　without

intending　to　bring　on　any　summer　at　all。　　In　the　whole　month　of

May　the　sun　scarce　appeared　three　times。　　So　that　the　early

fruits　came　to　the　fullness　of　their　growth；　and　to　some

appearance　of　ripeness；　without　acquiring　any　real　maturity；

having　wanted　the　heat　of　the　sun　to　soften　and　meliorate　their

juices。　　I　saw　the　dropsy　gaining　rather　than　losing　ground；　the

distance　growing　still　shorter　between　the　tappings。　　I　saw　the

asthma　likewise　beginning　again　to　become　more　troublesome。　　I

saw　the　midsummer　quarter　drawing　towards　a　close。　　So　that　I

conceived；　if　the　Michaelmas　quarter　should　steal　off　in　the　sa