journal of a voyage to lisbon-第6部分

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

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

manner；　as　it　was；　in　my　opinion；　very　much　to　be　apprehended　it

would；　I　should　be　delivered　up　to　the　attacks　of　winter　before　I

recruited　my　forces；　so　as　to　be　anywise　able　to　withstand　them。



I　now　began　to　recall　an　intention；　which　from　the　first　dawnings

of　my　recovery　I　had　conceived；　of　removing　to　a　warmer　climate；

and；　finding　this　to　be　approved　of　by　a　very　eminent　physician；

I　resolved　to　put　it　into　immediate　execution。　　Aix　in　Provence

was　the　place　first　thought　on；　but　the　difficulties　of　getting

thither　were　insuperable。　　The　Journey　by　land；　beside　the

expense　of　it；　was　infinitely　too　long　and　fatiguing；　and　I　could

hear　of　no　ship　that　was　likely　to　set　out　from　London；　within

any　reasonable　time；　for　Marseilles；　or　any　other　port　in　that

part　of　the　Mediterranean。



Lisbon　was　presently　fixed　on　in　its　room。　　The　air　here；　as　it

was　near　four　degrees　to　the　south　of　Aix；　must　be　more　mild　and

warm；　and　the　winter　shorter　and　less　piercing。



It　was　not　difficult　to　find　a　ship　bound　to　a　place　with　which

we　carry　on　so　immense　a　trade。　　Accordingly；　my　brother　soon

informed　me　of　the　excellent　accommodations　for　passengers　which

were　to　be　found　on　board　a　ship　that　was　obliged　to　sail　for

Lisbon　in　three　days。　　I　eagerly　embraced　the　offer；

notwithstanding　the　shortness　of　the　time；　and；　having　given　my

brother　full　power　to　contract　for　our　passage；　I　began　to

prepare　my　family　for　the　voyage　with　the　utmost　expedition。



But　our　great　haste　was　needless；　for　the　captain　having　twice

put　off　his　sailing；　I　at　length　invited　him　to　dinner　with　me　at

Fordhook；　a　full　week　after　the　time　on　which　he　had　declared；

and　that　with　many　asseverations；　he　must　and　would　weigh　anchor。



He　dined　with　me　according　to　his　appointment；　and　when　all

matters　were　settled　between　us；　left　me　with　positive　orders　to

be　on　board　the　Wednesday　following；　when　he　declared　he　would

fall　down　the　river　to　Gravesend；　and　would　not　stay　a　moment　for

the　greatest　man　in　the　world。　　He　advised　me　to　go　to　Gravesend

by　land；　and　there　wait　the　arrival　of　his　ship；　assigning　many

reasons　for　this；　every　one　of　which　was；　as　I　well　remember；

among　those　that　had　before　determined　me　to　go　on　board　near　the　Tower。







THE　VOYAGE





WEDNESDAY；　June　26；　1754。On　this　day　the　most　melancholy　sun　I

had　ever　beheld　arose；　and　found　me　awake　at　my　house　at

Fordhook。　　By　the　light　of　this　sun　I　was；　in　my　own　opinion；

last　to　behold　and　take　leave　of　some　of　those　creatures　on　whom

I　doted　with　a　mother…like　fondness；　guided　by　nature　and

passion；　and　uncured　and　unhardened　by　all　the　doctrine　of　that

philosophical　school　where　I　had　learned　to　bear　pains　and　to

despise　death。　　In　this　situation；　as　I　could　not　conquer　Nature；

I　submitted　entirely　to　her；　and　she　made　as　great　a　fool　of　me

as　she　had　ever　done　of　any　woman　whatsoever；　under　pretense　of

giving　me　leave　to　enjoy；　she　drew　me　in　to　suffer；　the　company

of　my　little　ones　during　eight　hours；　and　I　doubt　not　whether；　in

that　time；　I　did　not　undergo　more　than　in　all　my　distemper。



At　twelve　precisely　my　coach　was　at　the　door；　which　was　no　sooner

told　me　than　I　kissed　my　children　round；　and　went　into　it　with

some　little　resolution。　　My　wife；　who　behaved　more　like　a　heroine

and　philosopher；　though　at　the　same　time　the　tenderest　mother　in

the　world；　and　my　eldest　daughter；　followed　me；　some　friends　went

with　us；　and　others　here　took　their　leave；　and　I　heard　my

behavior　applauded；　with　many　murmurs　and　praises　to　which　I　well

knew　I　had　no　title；　as　all　other　such　philosophers　may；　if　they

have　any　modesty；　confess　on　the　like　occasions。



In　two　hours　we　arrived　in　Rotherhithe；　and　immediately　went　on

board；　and　were　to　have　sailed　the　next　morning；　but；　as　this　was

the　king's　proclamation…day；　and　consequently　a　holiday　at　the

custom…house；　the　captain　could　not　clear　his　vessel　till　the

Thursday；　for　these　holidays　are　as　strictly　observed　as　those　in

the　popish　calendar；　and　are　almost　as　numerous。　　I　might　add

that　both　are　opposite　to　the　genius　of　trade；　and　consequently

contra　bonum　publicum。



To　go　on　board　the　ship　it　was　necessary　first　to　go　into　a　boat；

a　matter　of　no　small　difficulty；　as　I　had　no　use　of　my　limbs；　and

was　to　be　carried　by　men　who；　though　sufficiently　strong　for

their　burden；　were；　like　Archimedes；　puzzled　to　find　a　steady

footing。　　Of　this；　as　few　of　my　readers　have　not　gone　into

wherries　on　the　Thames；　they　will　easily　be　able　to　form　to

themselves　an　idea。　　However；　by　the　assistance　of　my　friend；　Mr。

Welch；　whom　I　never　think　or　speak　of　but　with　love　and　esteem；　I

conquered　this　difficulty；　as　I　did　afterwards　that　of　ascending

the　ship；　into　which　I　was　hoisted　with　more　ease　by　a　chair

lifted　with　pulleys。　　I　was　soon　seated　in　a　great　chair　in　the

cabin；　to　refresh　myself　after　a　fatigue　which　had　been　more

intolerable；　in　a　quarter　of　a　mile's　passage　from　my　coach　to

the　ship；　than　I　had　before　undergone　in　a　land…journey　of　twelve

miles；　which　I　had　traveled　with　the　utmost　expedition。



This　latter　fatigue　was；　perhaps；　somewhat　heightened　by　an

indignation　which　I　could　not　prevent　arising　in　my　mind。　　I

think；　upon　my　entrance　into　the　boat；　I　presented　a　spectacle　of

the　highest　horror。　　The　total　loss　of　limbs　was　apparent　to　all

who　saw　me；　and　my　face　contained　marks　of　a　most　diseased　state；

if　not　of　death　itself。　　Indeed；　so　ghastly　was　my　countenance；

that　timorous　women　with　child　had　abstained　from　my　house；　for

fear　of　the　ill　consequences　of　looking　at　me。　　In　this　condition

I　ran　the　gauntlope　（so　I　think　I　may　justly　call　it）　through

rows　of　sailors　and　watermen；　few　of　whom　failed　of　paying　their

compliments　to　me　by　all　manner　of　insults　and　jests　on　my

misery。　　No　man　who　knew　me　will　think　I　conceived　any　personal

resentment　at　this　behavior；　but　it　was　a　lively　picture　of　that

cruelty　and　inhumanity　in　the　nature　of　men　which　I　have　often

contemplated　with　concern；　and　which　leads　the　mind　into　a　train

of　very　uncomfortable　and　melancholy　thoughts。　　It　may　be　said

that　this　barbarous　custom　is　peculiar　to　the　English；　and　of

them　only　to　the　lowest　degree；　that　it　is　an　excrescence　of　an

uncontrolled　licentiousness　mistaken　for　liberty；　and　never　shows

itself　in　men　who　are　polished　and　refined　in　such　manner　as

human　nature　requires　to　produce　that　perfection　of　which　it　is

susceptible；　and　to　purge　away　that　malevolence　of　disposition　of

which；　at　our　birth；　we　partake　in　common　with　the　savage

creation。　　This　may　be　said；　and　this　is　all　that　can　be　said；

and　it　is；　I　am　afraid；　but　little　satisfactory　to　account　for

the　inhumanity　of　those　who；　while　they　boast　of　being　made　after

God's　own　image；　seem　to　bear　in　their　minds　a　resemblance　of　the

vilest　species　of　brutes；　or　rather；　indeed；　of　our　idea　of

devils；　for　I　don't　know　that　any　brutes　can　be　taxed　with　such

malevolence。　　A　sirloin　of　beef　was　now　placed　on　the　table；　for

which；　though　little　better　than　carrion；　as　much　was　charged　by

the　master　of　the　little　paltry　ale…house　who　dressed　it　as　would

have　been　demanded　for　all　the　elegance　of　the　King's　Arms；　or

any　other　polite　tavern　or　eating…house！　for；　indeed；　the

difference　between　the　best　house　and　the　worst　is；　that　at　the

former　you　pay　largely　for　luxury；　at　the　latter　for　nothing。



Thursday；　June　27。This　morning　the　captain；　who　lay　on　shore　at

his　own　house；　paid　us　a　visit　in　the　cabin；　and　behaved　like　an

angry　bashaw；　declaring　that；　had　he　known　we　were　not　to　be

pleased；　he　would　not　have　carried　us　for　five　hundred　pounds。

He　added　many　asseverations　that　he　was　a　gentleman；　and　despised

money；　not　forgetting　several　hints　of　the　presents　which　had

been　made　him　for　his　cabin；　of　twenty；　thirty；　and　forty

guineas；　by　several　gentlemen；　over　and　above　the　sum　for　which

they　had　contracted。　　This　behavior　greatly　surprised　me；　as　I

knew　not　how　to　account　for　it；　nothing　having　happened　since　we

parted　from　the　captain　the　evening　before　in　perfect　good　humor；

and　all　this　broke　forth　on　the　first　moment　of　his　arrival　this

morning。　　He　did　not；　however；　suffer　my　amazement　to　have　any

long　continuance　before　he　clearly　showed　me　that　all　this　was

meant　only　as　an　apology　to　introduce　another　procrastination

（being　the　fifth）　of　his　weighing　anchor；　which　was　now　postponed

till　Saturday；　for　such　was　his　will　and　pleasure。



Besides　the　disagreeable　situation　in　which　we　then　lay；　in　the

confines　of　Wapping　and　Rotherhithe；　tasting　a　delicious　mixture

of　the　air　of　both　these　sweet　places；　and　enjoying　the　concord

of　sweet　sounds　of　seamen；　watermen；　fish…women；　oyster…women；

and　of　all　the　vociferous　inhabitants　of　both　shores；　composing

altogether　a　greater　variety　of　harmony　than　Hogarth's

imagination　hath　brought　together　in　that　print　of　his；　which　is

enough　to　make　a　man　deaf　to　look　atI　had　a　more　urgent　cause

to　press　our　departure；　which　was；　that　the　dropsy；　for　which　I

had　undergone　three　tappings；　seemed　to　threaten　me　with　a　fourth

discharge　before　I　should　reach　Lisbon；　and　when　I　should　have

nobody　on　board　capable　of　performing　the　operation；　but　I　was

obliged　to　hearken　to　the　voice　of　reason；　if　I　may　use　the

captain's　own　words；　and　to　rest　myself　contented。　　Indeed；　there

was　no　alternative　within　my　reach　but　what　would　have　cost　me

much　too　dear。　　There　are　many　evils　in　society　from　which　people

of　the　highest　rank　are　so　entirely　exempt；　that　they　have　not

the　least　knowledge　or　idea　of　them；　nor　indeed　of　the　characters

which　are　formed　by　them。　　Such；　for　instance；　is　the　conveyance

of　goods　and　passengers　from　one　place　to　another。　　Now　there　is

no　such　t