Зображення сторінки
PDF
ePub

pleases rather because it is reftrained by no rule, than because it is conformable to any that cuftom has established. Camilla puts you in mind of the moft perfect mufic that can be compofed; Flora, of the wild fweetnefs which is sometimes produced by the irregular play of the breeze upon the Eolian harp. Camilla reminds you of a lovely young queen; Flora, of her more lovely maid of honour. In Camilla you admire the decency of the Graces; in Flora, the attractive fweetness of the Loves. Artlefs fenfibility, wild, native feminine gaiety, and the most touching tenderness of foul, are the ftrange characteristics of Flora. Her countenance glows with youthful beauty, which all art feems rather to diminish than increase, rather to hide than adorn; and while Camilla charms you with the choice of her drefs, Flora enchants you with the neglect of hers. Thus different are the beauties which nature has manifefted in Camilla and Flora! yet while The has, in this contrariety, fhewn the extent of her power to please, she has alfo proved, that truth and virtue are always the fame. Generofity and tenderness are the first principles in the minds of both favourites, and were never poffeffed in an higher degree than they are poffeffed by Flora: fhe is juft as attentive to the intereft of others, as fhe is negligent of her own; and tho' fhe could fubmit to any misfortune that could befal herfelf, yet fhe hardly knows how to bear the misfortunes of another. Thus does Flora unite the ftrongest fenfibility with the moft lively. gaiety; and both are expreffed with the moft bewitching mixture in her countenance. While Camilla infpires a reverence that keeps you at a refpectful, yet admiring diftance, Flora excites the most ardent, yet moft elegant defire. Camilla reminds you of the dignity of Diana, Flora of the attractive fenfibility of Califto: Camilla almoft elevates you to the fenfibility of angels, Flora delights you with the loveliest idea of woman.

Greville.

142. A Fable by the celebrated Linnæus,

tranflated from the Latin.

Once upon a time the feven wife men of Greece were met together at Athens, and it was propofed that every one of them should mention what he thought the greateft wonder in the creation. One of them, of higher conceptions than the reft, propofed the opinion of fome of the aftronomers about the fixed stars, which they believed to be so many funs, that had each

their planets rolling about them, and were ftored with plants and animals like this earth. Fired with this thought, they agreed to fupplicate Jupiter, that he would at leaft permit them to take a journey to the moon, and stay there three days, in order to fee the wonders of that place, and give an account of them at their return. Jupiter confented, and ordered them to affemble on a high mountain, where there should be a cloud ready to convey them to the place they defired to fee. They picked out fome chofen companions, who might affift them in defcribing and painting the objects they fhould meet with. At length they arrived at the moon, and found a palace there well fitted up for their reception. The next day, being very much fatigued with their journey, they kept quiet at home till noon; and being fill faint, they refreshed themfelves with a most delicious entertainment, which they relished fo well, that it overcame their curiofity. This day they only faw through the window that delightful fpot, adorned with the most beautiful flowers, to which the beams of the fun gave an uncommon luftre, and heard the finging of moft melodious birds till evening came on. The next day they rofe very early in order to begin their obfervations; but fome very beautiful young ladies of that country coming to make them a vifit, advised them first to recruit their ftrength before they expofed themselves to the laborious talk they were about to undertake.

The delicate meats, the rich wines, the beauty of thefe damfels, prevailed over the refolution of these strangers. A fine concert of mufic is introduced, the young ones begin to dance, and all is turned to jollity; fo that this whole day was spent in gallantry, till fome of the neighbouring inha bitants, growing envious at their mirth, rufhed in with words. The elder part of the company tried to appease the younger, promifing the very next day they would bring the rioters to juftice. This they per formed, and the third day the caufe was heard; and what with accufations, pleadings, exceptions, and the judgment itself, the whole day was taken up, on which the term fet by Jupiter expired. On their return to Greece, all the country flocked in upon them to hear the wonders of the moon defcribed, but all they could tell was, for that was all they knew, that the ground was covered with green intermixed with flowers, and that the birds fung among the branches of the trees; but what kind of

flowers

flowers they faw, or what kind of birds they heard, they were totally ignorant. Upon which they were treated every where with contempt.

If we apply this fable to men of the prefent age, we shall perceive a very juft fimilitude. By these three days the fable denotes the three ages of man. First, youth, in which we are too feeble in every refpect to look into the works of the Creator: all that season is given up to idlenefs, luxury, and paftime. Secondly, manhood, in which men are employed in fettling, marrying, educating children, providing fortunes for them, and raising a family. Thirdly, old age, in which after having made their fortunes, they are overwhelmed with law-fuits and proceedings relating to their efates. Thus it frequently happens that men never confider to what end they were deftined, and why they were brought into the world. B. Thornton.

§ 143. Mercy recommended.

My uncle Toby was a man patient of injuries; not from want of courage,where juft occafions prefented, or called it forth, I know no man under whofe arm I would fooner have taken shelter;-nor did this arife from any infenfibility or obtufeness of his intellectual parts ;-he was of a peaceful, placid nature,-no jarring element in it, all was mixed up fo kindly within him my uncle Toby had fcarce a heart to retaliate upon a fly:-Go, fays he, one day at dinner, to an overgrown one which had buzzed about his nofe, and tormented him cruelly all dinner-time, and which, after infinite attempts, he had caught at last, as it flew by him;-I'll not hurt thee, fays my uncle Toby, rifing from his chair, and going across the room, with the fly in his hand. I'll not hurt a hair of thy head:-Go, fays he, lifting up the fath, and opening his hand as he spoke, to let it efcape;-go, poor devil,-get thee gone, why fhould I hurt thee?-This world, furely, is wide enough to hold both thee and me.

This is to ferve for parents and governors instead of a whole volume upon the fubject. Sterne,

$144. The Starling. -Befhrew the fombre pencil! faid I vauntingly-for I envy not its powers, which paints the evils of life with fo hard and deadly a colouring. The mind fits terrified at the objects the has magnified

herfelf and blackened: reduce them to their proper fize and hue, fhe overlooks them.- 'Tis true, faid I, correcting the propofition-the Baftile is not an evil to be defpifed-but ftrip it of its towersfill up the foffe-unbarricade the doorscall it fimply a confinement, and suppose 'tis fome tyrant of a diftemper-and not of a man-which holds you in it-the evil vanishes, and you bear the other half without complaint.

I was interrupted in the hey-day of this foliloquy, with a voice which I took to be of a child, which complained" it could "not get out."- -I looked up and down

the paffage, and feeing neither man, woman, nor child, I went out without further attention.

In my return back through the paffage, I heard the fame words repeated twice over; and looking up, I faw it was a Starling hung in a little cage" I can't get out-I can't get out," faid the Starling.

I ftood looking at the bird; and to every person who came through the paffage, it ran fluttering to the fide towards which they approached it, with the fame lamentations of its captivity-" I can't get out," faid the Starling-God help thee! faid I, but I will let thee out, coft what it will; fo I turned about the cage to get at the door; it was twisted and double twisted fo faft with wire, there was no getting it open without pulling the cage to pieces-I took both hands to it.

The bird flew to the place where I was attempting his deliverance, and thrusting his head through the trellis, preffed his breaft against it, as if impatient.-I fear, poor creature! faid I, I cannot set thee at liberty-" No," faid the Starling." I "can't get out, I can't get out," faid the Starling.

I vow I never had my affections more tenderly awakened; nor do I remember an incident in my life, where the diffipated fpirits, to which my reason had been a bubble, were fo fuddenly called home. Mechanical as the notes were, yet so true in tune to nature were they chanted, that in one moment they overthrew all my fyftematic reafonings upon the Baftile; and I heavily walked up ftairs, unfaying every word I had faid in going down them.

Difguife thyfelf as thou wilt, ftill, flavery! faid Iftill thou art a bitter draught! and though thoufands in all ages have been made to drink of thee, thou art no less bit

ter

ing another day of mifery to add to the heap. As I darkened the little light he had, he lifted up a hopelcfs eye towards the door, then caft it down-hook his head, and went on with his work of affiction. I heard his chains upon his legs, as he turned his body to lay his little tick upon the bundle-He gave a deep figh-I faw the iron enter into his foul-I burit into tears I could not fuftain the picture of confinement which my fancy had drawn.

ter on that account.-'Tis thou, thrice fweet and gracious goddefs, addreiling my felf to Liberty, whom all in public or in private worship, whofe tafte is grateful, and ever will be fo, till Nature herfelf fhall, change-no tint of words can fpot thy fnowy mantle, or chymic power turn thy fceptre into iron-with thee to fmile upon him as he eats his cruft, the fwain is happier than his monarch, from whose court thou art exiled!-Gracious Heaven! cried I, kneeling down upon the last step but one in my afcent-Grant me but health, thou great Beltower of it, and give § 145. Trim's Explanation of the Fifth me but this fair goddess as my companion -and fhower down thy mitres, if it feems good unto thy Divine providence, upon thofe heads which are aching for them!

$145. The Captive.

Sterne.

The bird in his cage purfued me into my room; I fat down clofe by my table, and leaning my head upon my hand, I began to figure to myfelf the mileries of coninement: I was in a right frame for it, and fo I gave full fcope to my imagination.

I was going to begin with the millions of my fellow-creatures born to no inheritance but flavery; but finding, however affecting the picture was, that I could not bring it near me, and that the multitude of fad groupes in it did but diftract me

I took a fingle captive, and having first fhut him up in his dungeon, I then looked through the twilight of his grated door to take his picture.

I beheld his body half wafted away with long expectation and confinement, and felt what kind of ficknefs of the heart it was which arifes from hope deferred. Upon looking ncarer, d faw him pale and feverith: in thirty years the western breeze had not once fanned his blood-he had feen no fun, no moon, in all that time-nor had the voice of friend or kinfman breathed through his lattice-his children-

-But here my heart began to bleedand I was forced to go on with another part of the portrait..

He was fitting upon the ground upon a little ftraw, in the furtheft corner of his dungeon, which was alternately his chair and bed: a little calendar of fmall fticks were laid at the head, notched all over with the difmal days and nights he had paffed there

he had one of thefe little flicks in

his hand, and with a ruity nail he was etch.

Commandment.

Ibid.

-Pr'ythee, Trim, quoth my father, What do thou mean, by "honouring thy father and mother?"

66

Allowing them, an't please your honour, three halfpence a day out of my pay, when they grow old. And didft thou do that, Trim? faid Yorick. He did indeed, replied my uncle Toby.-Then, Trim, faid Yerick, fpringing out of his chair, and taking the Corporal by the hand, thou art the best commentator upon that part of the Decalogue; and I honour thee more for it, Corporal Trim, than if thou hadit

had a hand in the Talmud itself.

$147. Health.

Ibid.

O bleffed health! thou art above all gold and treafure; 'tis thou who enlargest the foul, and openeft all its powers to receive inftruction, and to reliih virtue.— He that has thee, has little more to with for! and he that is fo wretched as to want thee,—wants every thing with thee, Ibid.

§ 148. A Voyage to Lilliput.

CHAP. I.

The authors gives fome account of himself and family: his first inducements to travel. He is fhipwrecked, and favims for his life: gets fafe on fhore in the country of Lillput; is made a prifoner, and carried up the country.

My father had a small eftate in Nottinghamshire; I was the third of five fons. He fent me to Emanuel college in Cambridge at fourteen years old, where I refided three years, and applied myfelf clote to my ftadies; but the charge of maintaining me, although I had a very fcanty allowance, being too great for a narrow fortune, I was bound apprentice to Mr. James Bates, an

eminent

eminent furgeon in London, with whom I continued four years; and my father now and then fending me finall fums of money, I laid them out in learning navigation, and other parts of the mathematics, useful to thofe who intend to travel, as I always believed it would be fome time or other my fortune to do. When I left Mr. Bates, I went down to my father; where, by the affiftance of him and my uncle John, and fome other relations, I got forty pounds, and a promife of thirty pounds a year to maintain me at Leyden: there I ftudied phyfic two years and feven months, knowing it would be useful in long voyages.

Soon after my return from Leyden, I was recommended by my good maiter Mr. Bates to be furgeon to the Swallow, captain Abraham Pannell, commander; with whom I continued three years and a half, making a voyage or two into the Levant, and fome other parts. When I came back, I refolved to fettle in London, to which Mr. Bates, my mafter, encouraged me, and by him I was recommended to feveral patients. I took part of a small house in the Old-Jewry; and being advised to alter my condition, I married Mrs. Mary Burton, fecond daughter to Mr. Edmund Burton, hofier in Newgate-street, with whom I received four hundred pounds for a portion.

things would mend, I accepted an advantageous offer from Captain William Pritchard, master of the Antelope, who was making a voyage to the South-Sea. We fet fail from Bristol, May 4th, 1699, and our voyage at first was very profperous.

But, my good mafter Bates dying in two years after, and I having few friends, my bufinefs began to fail; for my confcience would not fuffer me to imitate the bad practice of too many among my brethren. Having therefore confulted with my wife, and fome of my acquaintance, I determined to go again to fea. I was furgeon fucceffively in two fhips, and made feveral voyages for fix years to the Eaft and WeftIndies, by which I got fome addition to my fortune. My hours of leifure I fpent in reading the best authors, antient and modern, being always provided with a good number of books; and when I was athore, in obferving the manners and difpofitions of the people, as well as learning their language, wherein I had a great facility by the ftrength of my memory.

It would not be proper, for fome reafons, to trouble the reader with the particulars of our adventures in thofe feas: let it fuffice to inform him, that, in our paffage from thence to the Eaft-Indies, we were driven by a violent form to the north-west of Van Diemen's land. By an obfervation we found ourselves in the latitude of 30 degrees a minutes fouth. Twelve of our crew were dead by immoderate labour, and ill food; the reft were in a very weak condition. On the fifth of November, which was the beginning of fummer in thofe parts, the weather being very hazy, the feamen fpied a rock within half a cable's length of the thip; but the wind was fo ftrong, that we were driven directly upon it, and immediately fplit. Six of the crew, of whom I was one, having let down the boat into the fea, made a thift to get clear of the fhip and the rock. We rowed by my computation about three leagues, till we were able to work no longer, being already spent with labour while we were in the fhip. We therefore trufted ourselves to the mercy of the waves, and in about half an hour the boat was overfet by a fudden flurry from the north. What became of my companions. in the boat, as well as of thofe who efcaped on the rock, or were left in the vefic, I cannot tell; but conclude they were all loft. For my own part, I swam as fortune directed me, and was pushed forward by wind and tide. I often let my legs drop, and could feel no bottom: but when I was almolt gone, and able to struggle no longer, I found myself within my depth; and by this time the ftorm was much abated. The declivity was fo fmall, that I walked near a mile before I got to the fhore, which I conjectured was about eight o'clock in the evening. I then advanced forward near half a mile, but could not difcover any figns of houfes or inhabitants; at least I was in fo weak a condition, that I did not obferve them. extremely tired, and with that, and the heat of the weather, and about half a pint of brandy that I drank as I left the ship, I found myself much inclined to fleep. I lay down on the grafs, which was very fhort and foft, where I flept founder than ever I remembered to have done in my

The last of thefe voyages not proving very fortunate, I grew weary of the fea, and intended to flay at home with my wife and family. I removed from the OldJewry to Fetter-lane, and from thence to Wapping, hoping to get bufinefs among the failors: but it would not turn to acCount, After three years expectation that

I was

life, and, as I reckoned, about nine hours; for when I awaked, it was just day-light. I attempted to rife, but was not able to ftir; for as I happened to lie on my back, I found my arms and legs were ftrongly faftened on each fide to the ground; and my hair, which was long and thick, tied down in the fame manner. I likewife felt feveral flender ligatures across my body, from my arm-pits to my thighs. I could only look upwards, the fun began to grow hot, and the light offended my eyes. I heard a confufed noife about me; but, in the posture I lay, could fee nothing except the ky. In a little time I felt fomething alive moving on my left leg, which advancing gently forward over my breaft, came almost up to my chin; when bending my eyes downward as much as I could, I perceived it to be a human creature not fix inches high, with a bow and arrow in his hands, and a quiver at his back. In the mean time, I felt at least forty more of the fame kind (as I conjectured) following the first. I was in the utmost aftonifhment, and roared fo loud, that they all ran back in a fright; and some of them, as I was afterwards told, were hurt with the falls they got by leaping from my fides upon the ground. However, they foon returned, and one of them, who ventured fo far as to get a full fight of my face, lifting up his hands and eyes by way of admiration, cried out in a fhrill but diftinct voice, bekinah degul: the others repeated the fame words feveral times, but I then knew not what they meant. I lay all this while, as the reader may believe, in great uneafinefs; at length, ftruggling to get loofe, I had the fortune to break the ftrings, and wrench out the pegs that fastened my left arm to the ground; for, by lifting it up to my face, I discovered the methods they had taken to bind me, and at the fame time with a violent pull, which gave me exceffive pain, I a little loofened the ftrings that tied down my hair on the left fide, fo that I was juft able to turn my head about two inches. But the creatures ran off a fecond time, before I could feize them; whereupon there was a great fhout in a very fhrill accent, and after it ceafed, I heard one of them cry aloud, tolgo phonac; when in an inftant I felt above an hundred arrows discharged on my left hand, which pricked me like fo many needles; and befides, they fhot another flight into the air, as we do bombs in Europe, whereof many, I fuppofe, fell on my body, (though I felt them not) and

fome on my face, which I immediately covered with my left hand. When this fhower of arrows was over, I fell a groaning with grief and pain, and then striving again to get loofe, they discharged another volley larger than the first, and some of them attempted with spears to flick me in the fides; but by good luck I had on me a buff jerkin, which they could not pierce. I thought it the most prudent method to lie ftill, and my defign was to continue fo till night, when, my left hand being already loofe, I could eafily free myself: and as for the inhabitants, I had reafon to believe I might be a match for the greatest army they could bring againft me, if they were all of the fame fize with him that I faw. But fortune difpofed otherways of me. When the people observed I was quiet, they discharged no more arrows: but, by the noise I heard, I knew their numbers increased: and about four yards from me, over-against my right ear, I heard a knocking for above an hour, like that of people at work; when turning my head that way, as well as the pegs and ftrings would permit me, I saw a stage erected about a foot and a half from the ground, capable of holding four of the inhabitants, with two or three ladders to mount it: from whence one of them, who seemed to be a perfon of quality, made me a long speech, whereof I understood not one fyllable. But I fhould have mentioned, that before the principal perfon began his oration, he cried out three times, langro dehul fan; (these words and the former were afterwards repeated and explained to me.) Whereupon immediately about fifty of the inhabitants came and cut the ftrings that faftened the left fide of my head, which gave me the liberty of turning it to the right, and of obferving the perfon and getture of him that was to speak. He appeared to be of a middle age, and taller than any of the other three who attended him, whereof one was a page that held up his train, and feemed to be fomewhat longer than my middle finger; the other two flood one on each fide to fupport him. He acted every part of an orator, and I could obferve many periods of threatenings, and others of promifes, pity, and kindness. I answered in a few words, but in the most fubmiffive manner, lifting up my left hand and both my eyes to the fun, as calling him for a witnefs; and being almost famished with hunger, having not eaten a morfel for fome hours before I left the hip, I found the

demands

« НазадПродовжити »