journal of a voyage to lisbon-第22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！



instead　of　being　the　same　man；　he　scarce　remembers　what　he　was　a

few　hours　before。　　And　this　transformation；　being　once　obtained；

is　so　easily　preserved　by　the　same　potations；　which　induced　no

satiety；　that　the　captain　in　vain　sends　or　goes　in　quest　of　his

crew。　　They　know　him　no　longer；　or；　if　they　do；　they　acknowledge

not　his　power；　having　indeed　as　entirely　forgotten　themselves　as

if　they　had　taken　a　large　draught　of　the　river　of　Lethe。



Nor　is　the　captain　always　sure　of　even　finding　out　the　place　to

which　Circe　hath　conveyed　them。　　There　are　many　of　those　houses

in　every　port…town。　　Nay；　there　are　some　where　the　sorceress

doth　not　trust　only　to　her　drugs；　but　hath　instruments　of　a

different　kind　to　execute　her　purposes；　by　whose　means　the　tar　is

effectually　secreted　from　the　knowledge　and　pursuit　of　his

captain。　　This　would；　indeed；　be　very　fatal；　was　it　not　for　one

circumstance；　that　the　sailor　is　seldom　provided　with　the　proper

bait　for　these　harpies。　　However；　the　contrary　sometimes　happens；

as　these　harpies　will　bite　at　almost　anything；　and　will　snap　at　a

pair　of　silver　buttons；　or　buckles；　as　surely　as　at　the　specie

itself。　　Nay；　sometimes　they　are　so　voracious；　that　the　very

naked　hook　will　go　down；　and　the　jolly　young　sailor　is　sacrificed

for　his　own　sake。



In　vain；　at　such　a　season　as　this；　would　the　vows　of　a　pious

heathen　have　prevailed　over　Neptune；　Aeolus；　or　any　other　marine

deity。　　In　vain　would　the　prayers　of　a　Christian　captain　be

attended　with　the　like　success。　　The　wind　may　change　how　it

pleases　while　all　hands　are　on　shore；　the　anchor　would　remain

firm　in　the　ground；　and　the　ship　would　continue　in　durance；

unless；　like　other　forcible　prison…breakers；　it　forcibly　got

loose　for　no　good　purpose。　　Now；　as　the　favor　of　winds　and

courts；　and　such　like；　is　always　to　be　laid　hold　on　at　the　very

first　motion；　for　within　twenty…four　hours　all　may　be　changed

again；　so；　in　the　former　case；　the　loss　of　a　day　may　be　the　loss

of　a　voyage：　　for；　though　it　may　appear　to　persons　not　well

skilled　in　navigation；　who　see　ships　meet　and　sail　by　each　other；

that　the　wind　blows　sometimes　east　and　west；　north　and　south；

backwards　and　forwards；　at　the　same　instant；　yet；　certain　it　is

that　the　land　is　so　contrived；　that　even　the　same　wind　will　not；

like　the　same　horse；　always　bring　a　man　to　the　end　of　his

journey；　but；　that　the　gale　which　the　mariner　prayed　heartily　for

yesterday；　he　may　as　heartily　deprecate　to…morrow；　while　all　use

and　benefit　which　would　have　arisen　to　him　from　the　westerly　wind

of　to…morrow　may　be　totally　lost　and　thrown　away　by　neglecting

the　offer　of　the　easterly　blast　which　blows　to…day。



Hence　ensues　grief　and　disreputation　to　the　innocent　captain；

loss　and　disappointment　to　the　worthy　merchant；　and　not　seldom

great　prejudice　to　the　trade　of　a　nation　whose　manufactures　are

thus　liable　to　lie　unsold　in　a　foreign　warehouse　the　market　being

forestalled　by　some　rival　whose　sailors　are　under　a　better

discipline。　　To　guard　against　these　inconveniences　the　prudent

captain　takes　every　precaution　in　his　power；　he　makes　the

strongest　contracts　with　his　crew；　and　thereby　binds　them　so

firmly；　that　none　but　the　greatest　or　least　of　men　can　break

through　them　with　impunity；　but　for　one　of　these　two　reasons；

which　I　will　not　determine；　the　sailor；　like　his　brother　fish　the

eel；　is　too　slippery　to　be　held；　and　plunges　into　his　element

with　perfect　impunity。　　To　speak　a　plain　truth；　there　is　no

trusting　to　any　contract　with　one　whom　the　wise　citizens　of

London　call　a　bad　man；　for；　with　such　a　one；　though　your　bond　be

ever　so　strong；　it　will　prove　in　the　end　good　for　nothing。



What　then　is　to　be　done　in　this　case？　　What；　indeed；　but　to　call

in　the　assistance　of　that　tremendous　magistrate；　the　justice　of

peace；　who　can；　and　often　doth；　lay　good　and　bad　men　in　equal

durance；　and；　though　he　seldom　cares　to　stretch　his　bonds　to　what

is　great；　never　finds　anything　too　minute　for　their　detention；

but　will　hold　the　smallest　reptile　alive　so　fast　in　his　noose；

that　he　can　never　get　out　till　he　is　let　drop　through　it。　　Why；

therefore；　upon　the　breach　of　those　contracts；　should　not　an

immediate　application　be　made　to　the　nearest　magistrate　of　this

order；　who　should　be　empowered　to　convey　the　delinquent　either　to

ship　or　to　prison；　at　the　election　of　the　captain；　to　be　fettered

by　the　leg　in　either　place？　　But；　as　the　case　now　stands；　the

condition　of　this　poor　captain　without　any　commission；　and　of

this　absolute　commander　without　any　power；　is　much　worse　than　we

have　hitherto　shown　it　to　be；　for；　notwithstanding　all　the

aforesaid　contracts　to　sail　in　the　good　ship　the　Elizabeth；　if

the　sailor　should；　for　better　wages；　find　it　more　his　interest　to

go　on　board　the　better　ship　the　Mary；　either　before　their　setting

out　or　on　their　speedy　meeting　in　some　port；　he　may　prefer　the

latter　without　any　other　danger　than　that　of　〃doing　what　he　ought

not　to　have　done；〃　contrary　to　a　rule　which　he　is　seldom

Christian　enough　to　have　much　at　heart；　while　the　captain　is

generally　too　good　a　Christian　to　punish　a　man　out　of　revenge

only；　when　he　is　to　be　at　a　considerable　expense　for　so　doing。

There　are　many　other　deficiencies　in　our　laws　relating　to

maritime　affairs；　and　which　would　probably　have　been　long　since

corrected；　had　we　any　seamen　in　the　House　of　Commons。　　Not　that　I

would　insinuate　that　the　legislature　wants　a　supply　of　many

gentlemen　in　the　sea…service；　but；　as　these　gentlemen　are　by

their　attendance　in　the　house　unfortunately　prevented　from　ever

going　to　sea；　and　there　learning　what　they　might　communicate　to

their　landed　brethren；　these　latter　remain　as　ignorant　in　that

branch　of　knowledge　as　they　would　be　if　none　but　courtiers　and

fox…hunters　had　been　elected　into　parliament；　without　a　single

fish　among　them。　　The　following　seems　to　me　to　be　an　effect　of

this　kind；　and　it　strikes　me　the　stronger　as　I　remember　the　case

to　have　happened；　and　remember　it　to　have　been　dispunishable。　　A

captain　of　a　trading　vessel；　of　which　he　was　part　owner；　took　in

a　large　freight　of　oats　at　Liverpool；　consigned　to　the　market　at

Bearkey：　　this　he　carried　to　a　port　in　Hampshire；　and　there　sold

it　as　his　own；　and；　freighting　his　vessel　with　wheat　for　the　port

of　Cadiz；　in　Spain；　dropped　it　at　Oporto　in　his　way；　and　there；

selling　it　for　his　own　use；　took　in　a　lading　of　wine；　with　which

he　sailed　again；　and；　having　converted　it　in　the　same　manner；

together　with　a　large　sum　of　money　with　which　he　was　intrusted；

for　the　benefit　of　certain　merchants；　sold　the　ship　and　cargo　in

another　port；　and　then　wisely　sat　down　contented　with　the　fortune

he　had　made；　and　returned　to　London　to　enjoy　the　remainder　of　his

days；　with　the　fruits　of　his　former　labors　and　a　good　conscience。



The　sum　he　brought　home　with　him　consisted　of　near　six　thousand

pounds；　all　in　specie；　and　most　of　it　in　that　coin　which　Portugal

distributes　so　liberally　over　Europe。



He　was　not　yet　old　enough　to　be　past　all　sense　of　pleasure；　nor

so　puffed　up　with　the　pride　of　his　good　fortune　as　to　overlook

his　old　acquaintances　the　journeymen　tailors；　from　among　whom　he

had　been　formerly　pressed　into　the　sea…service；　and；　having　there

laid　the　foundation　of　his　future　success　by　his　shares　in

prizes；　had　afterwards　become　captain　of　a　trading　vessel；　in

which　he　purchased　an　interest；　and　had　soon　begun　to　trade　in

the　honorable　manner　above　mentioned。　　The　captain　now　took　up

his　residence　at　an　ale…house　in　Drury…lane；　where；　having　all

his　money　by　him　in　a　trunk；　he　spent　about　five　pounds　a　day

among　his　old　friends　the　gentlemen　and　ladies　of　those　parts。

The　merchant　of　Liverpool；　having　luckily　had　notice　from　a

friend　during　the　blaze　of　his　fortune；　did；　by　the　assistance　of

a　justice　of　peace；　without　the　assistance　of　the　law；　recover

his　whole　loss。　　The　captain；　however；　wisely　chose　to　refund　no

more；　but；　perceiving　with　what　hasty　strides　Envy　was　pursuing

his　fortune；　he　took　speedy　means　to　retire　out　of　her　reach；　and

to　enjoy　the　rest　of　his　wealth　in　an　inglorious　obscurity；　nor

could　the　same　justice　overtake　him　time　enough　to　assist　a

second　merchant　as　he　had　done　the　first。



This　was　a　very　extraordinary　case；　and　the　more　so　as　the

ingenious　gentleman　had　steered　entirely　clear　of　all　crimes　in

our　law。　　Now；　how　it　comes　about　that　a　robbery　so　very　easy　to

be　committed；　and　to　which　there　is　such　immediate　temptation

always　before　the　eyes　of　these　fellows；　should　receive　the

encouragement　of　impunity；　is　to　be　accounted　for　only　from　the

oversight　of　the　legislature；　as　that　oversight　can　only　be；　I

think；　derived　from　the　reasons　I　have　assigned　for　it。



But　I　will　dwell　no　longer　on　this　subject。　　If　what　I　have　here

said　should　seem　of　sufficient　consequence　to　engage　the

attention　of　any　man　in　power；　and　should　thus　be　the　means　of

applyi