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journal of a voyage to lisbon-第4章

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reader will easily perceive it is not introduced for its own

sake; but for some observations and reflections naturally

resulting from it; and which; if but little to his amusement;

tend directly to the instruction of the reader or to the

information of the public; to whom if I choose to convey such

instruction or information with an air of joke and laughter; none

but the dullest of fellows will; I believe; censure it; but if

they should; I have the authority of more than one passage in

Horace to allege in my defense。  Having thus endeavored to

obviate some censures; to which a man without the gift of

foresight; or any fear of the imputation of being a conjurer;

might conceive this work would be liable; I might now undertake a

more pleasing task; and fall at once to the direct and positive

praises of the work itself; of which indeed; I could say a

thousand good things; but the task is so very pleasant that I

shall leave it wholly to the reader; and it is all the task that

I impose on him。  A moderation for which he may think himself

obliged to me when he compares it with the conduct of authors;

who often fill a whole sheet with their own praises; to which

they sometimes set their own real names; and sometimes a

fictitious one。  One hint; however; I must give the kind reader;

which is; that if he should be able to find no sort of amusement

in the book; he will be pleased to remember the public utility

which will arise from it。  If entertainment; as Mr。 Richardson

observes; be but a secondary consideration in a romance; with

which Mr。 Addison; I think; agrees; affirming the use of the

pastry cook to be the first; if this; I say; be true of a mere

work of invention; sure it may well be so considered in a work

founded; like this; on truth; and where the political reflections

form so distinguishing a part。  But perhaps I may hear; from some

critic of the most saturnine complexion; that my vanity must have

made a horrid dupe of my judgment; if it hath flattered me with

an expectation of having anything here seen in a grave light; or

of conveying any useful instruction to the public; or to their

guardians。  I answer; with the great man whom I just now quoted;

that my purpose is to convey instruction in the vehicle of

entertainment; and so to bring about at once; like the revolution

in the Rehearsal; a perfect reformation of the laws relating to

our maritime affairs:  an undertaking; I will not say more

modest; but surely more feasible; than that of reforming a whole

people; by making use of a vehicular story; to wheel in among

them worse manners than their own。





INTRODUCTION



In the beginning of August; 1753; when I had taken the duke of

Portland's medicine; as it is called; near a year; the effects of

which had been the carrying off the symptoms of a lingering

imperfect gout; I was persuaded by Mr。 Ranby; the king's premier

sergeant…surgeon; and the ablest advice; I believe; in all

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 pu
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