the expedition of humphry clinker-第28部分

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chastisement；　employed　certain　useful　instruments；　such　as　may　be
found　in　all　countries；　to　give　him　the　bastinado；　which；　being
repeated　more　than　once；　effectually　stopt　the　current　of　his
abuse。

As　for　the　liberty　of　the　press；　like　every　other　privilege；　it
must　be　restrained　within　certain　bounds；　for　if　it　is　carried　to
a　branch　of　law；　religion；　and　charity；　it　becomes　one　of　the
greatest　evils　that　ever　annoyed　the　community。　If　the　lowest
ruffian　may　stab　your　good　name　with　impunity　in　England；　will
you　be　so　uncandid　as　to　exclaim　against　Italy　for　the　practice
of　common　assassination？　To　what　purpose　is　our　property　secured；
if　our　moral　character　is　left　defenceless？　People　thus　baited；
grow　desperate；　and　the　despair　of　being　able　to　preserve　one's
character；　untainted　by　such　vermin；　produces　a　total　neglect　of
fame；　so　that　one　of　the　chief　incitements　to　the　practice　of
virtue　is　effectually　destroyed。

Mr　Barton's　last　consideration；　respecting　the　stamp…duty；　is
equally　wise　and　laudable　with　another　maxim　which　has　been　long
adopted　by　our　financiers；　namely；　to　connive　at　drunkenness；
riot；　and　dissipation；　because　they　inhance　the　receipt　of　the
excise；　not　reflecting；　that　in　providing　this　temporary
convenience；　they　are　destroying　the　morals；　health；　and　industry
of　the　people　　Notwithstanding　my　contempt　for　those　who　flatter
a　minister；　I　think　there　is　something　still　more　despicable　in
flattering　a　mob。　When　I　see　a　man　of　birth；　education；　and
fortune；　put　himself　on　a　level　with　the　dregs　of　the　people；
mingle　with　low　mechanics；　feed　with　them　at　the　same　board；　and
drink　with　them　in　the　same　cup；　flatter　their　prejudices；
harangue　in　praise　of　their　virtues；　expose　themselves　to　the
belchings　of　their　beer；　the　fumes　of　their　tobacco；　the
grossness　of　their　familiarity；　and　the　impertinence　of　their
conversation；　I　cannot　help　despising　him；　as　a　man　guilty　of　the
vilest　prostitution；　in　order　to　effect　a　purpose　equally　selfish
and　illiberal。

I　should　renounce　politics　the　more　willingly；　if　I　could　find
other　topics　of　conversation　discussed　with　more　modesty　and
candour；　but　the　daemon　of　party　seems　to　have　usurped　every
department　of　life。　Even　the　world　of　literature　and　taste　is
divided　into　the　most　virulent　factions；　which　revile；　decry；　and
traduce　the　works　of　one　another。　Yesterday；　I　went　to　return　an
afternoon's　visit　to　a　gentleman　of　my　acquaintance；　at　whose
house　I　found　one　of　the　authors　of　the　present　age；　who　has
written　with　some　success　　As　I　had　read　one　or　two　of　his
performances；　which　gave　me　pleasure；　I　was　glad　of　this
opportunity　to　know　his　person；　but　his　discourse　and　deportment
destroyed　all　the　impressions　which　his　writings　had　made　in　his
favour。　He　took　upon　him　to　decide　dogmatically　upon　every
subject；　without　deigning　to　shew　the　least　cause　for　his
differing　from　the　general　opinions　of　mankind；　as　if　it　had　been
our　duty　to　acquiesce　in　the　ipse　dixit　of　this　new　Pythagoras。
He　rejudged　the　characters　of　all　the　principal　authors；　who　had
died　within　a　century　of　the　present　time；　and；　in　this　revision；
paid　no　sort　of　regard　to　the　reputation　they　had　acquired　
Milton　was　harsh　and　prosaic；　Dryden；　languid　and　verbose；　Butler
and　Swift　without　humour；　Congreve；　without　wit；　and　Pope
destitute　of　any　sort　of　poetical　merit　　As　for　his
contemporaries；　he　could　not　bear　to　hear　one　of　them　mentioned
with　any　degree　of　applause　　They　were　all　dunces；　pedants；
plagiaries；　quacks；　and　impostors；　and　you　could　not　name　a
single　performance；　but　what　was　tame；　stupid；　and　insipid。　It
must　be　owned；　that　this　writer　had　nothing　to　charge　his
conscience　with；　on　the　side　of　flattery；　for　I　understand；　he
was　never　known　to　praise　one　line　that　was　written；　even　by
those　with　whom　he　lived　on　terms　of　good　fellowship。　This
arrogance　and　presumption；　in　depreciating　authors；　for　whose
reputation　the　company　may　be　interested；　is　such　an　insult　upon
the　understanding；　as　I　could　not　bear　without　wincing。

I　desired　to　know　his　reasons　for　decrying　some　works；　which　had
afforded　me　uncommon　pleasure；　and；　as　demonstration　did　not　seem
to　be　his　talent；　I　dissented　from　his　opinion　with　great
freedom。　Having　been　spoiled　by　the　deference　and　humility　of　his
hearers；　he　did　not　bear　contradiction　with　much　temper；　and　the
dispute　might　have　grown　warm；　had　it　not　been　interrupted　by　the
entrance　of　a　rival　bard；　at　whose　appearance　he　always　quits　the
place　　They　are　of　different　cabals；　and　have　been　at　open　war
these　twenty　years　　If　the　other　was　dogmatical；　this　genius　was
declamatory：　he　did　not　discourse；　but　harangue；　and　his　orations
were　equally　tedious　and　turgid。　He　too　pronounces　ex　cathedra
upon　the　characters　of　his　contemporaries；　and　though　he　scruples
not　to　deal　out　praise；　even　lavishly；　to　the　lowest　reptile　in
Grubstreet　who　will　either　flatter　him　in　private；　or　mount　the
public　rostrum　as　his　panegyrist；　he　damns　all　the　other　writers
of　the　age；　with　the　utmost　insolence　and　rancour　　One　is　a
blunderbuss；　as　being　a　native　of　Ireland；　another；　a　half…starved
louse　of　literature；　from　the　banks　of　the　Tweed；　a
third；　an　ass；　because　he　enjoys　a　pension　from　the　government；　a
fourth；　the　very　angel　of
dulness；　because　he　succeeded　in　a　species　of　writing　in　which
this　Aristarchus　had　failed；　a　fifth；　who　presumed　to　make
strictures　upon　one　of　his　performances；　he　holds　as　a　bug　in
criticism；　whose　stench　is　more　offensive　than　his　sting　　In
short；　except　himself　and　his　myrmidons；　there　is　not　a　man　of
genius　or　learning　in　the　three　kingdoms。　As　for　the　success　of
those；　who　have　written　without　the　pale　of　this　confederacy；　he
imputes　it　entirely　to　want　of　taste　in　the　public；　not
considering；　that　to　the　approbation　of　that　very　tasteless
public；　he　himself　owes　all　the　consequence　he　has　in　life。

Those　originals　are　not　fit　for　conversation。　If　they　would
maintain　the　advantage　they　have　gained　by　their　writing；　they
should　never　appear　but　upon　paper　　For　my　part；　I　am　shocked　to
find　a　man　have　sublime　ideas　in　his　head；　and　nothing　but
illiberal　sentiments　in　his　heart　　The　human　soul　will　be
generally　found　most　defective　in　the　article　of　candour　　I　am
inclined　to　think；　no　mind　was　ever　wholly　exempt　from　envy；
which；　perhaps；　may　have　been　implanted；　as　an　instinct　essential
to　our　nature。　I　am　afraid　we　sometimes　palliate　this　vice；　under
the　spacious　name　of　emulation。　I　have　known　a　person　remarkably
generous；　humane；　moderate；　and　apparently　self…denying；　who
could　not　hear　even　a　friend　commended；　without　betraying　marks
of　uneasiness；　as　if　that　commendation　had　implied　an　odious
comparison　to　his　prejudice；　and　every　wreath　of　praise　added　to
the　other's　character；　was　a　garland　plucked　from　his　own
temples。　This　is　a　malignant　species　of　jealousy；　of　which　I
stand　acquitted　in　my　own　conscience。

Whether　it　is　a　vice；　or　an　infirmity；　I　leave　you　to　inquire。

There　is　another　point；　which　I　would　much　rather　see　determined；
whether　the　world　was　always　as　contemptible；　as　it　appears　to　me
at　present？　　If　the　morals　of　mankind　have　not　contracted　an
extraordinary　degree　of　depravity；　within　these　thirty　years；
then　must　I　be　infected　with　the　common　vice　of　old　men；
difficilis；　querulus；　laudator　temporis　acti；　or；　which　is　more
probable；　the　impetuous　pursuits　and　avocations　of　youth　have
formerly　hindered　me　from　observing　those　rotten　parts　of　human
nature；　which　now　appear　so　offensively　to　my　observation。

We　have　been　at　court；　and　'change；　and　every　where；　and　every
where　we　find　food　for　spleen；　and　subject　for　ridicule　　My　new
servant；　Humphry　Clinker；　turns　out　a　great　original：　and　Tabby
is　a　changed　creature　　She　has　parted　with　Chowder；　and　does
nothing　but　smile；　like　Malvolio　in　the　play　　I'll　be　hanged　if
she　is　not　acting　a　part　which　is　not　natural　to　her　disposition；
for　some　purpose　which　I　have　not　yet　discovered。

With　respect　to　the　characters　of　mankind；　my　curiosity　is　quite
satisfied：　I　have　done　with　the　science　of　men；　and　must　now
endeavour　to　amuse　myself　with　the　novelty　of　things。　I　am；　at
present；　by　a　violent　effort　of　the　mind；　forced　from　my　natural
bias；　but　this　power　ceasing　to　act；　I　shall　return　to　my
solitude　with　redoubled　velocity。　Every　thing　I　see；　and　hear；
and　feel；　in　this　great　reservoir　of　folly；　knavery；　and
sophistication；　contributes　to　inhance　the　value　of　a　country
life；　in　the　sentiments　of

Yours　always；
MATT。　BRAMBLE
LONDON；　June　2。



To　Mrs　MARY　JONES；　at　Brambleton…hall。

DEAR　MARY　JONES；

Lady　Griskin's　botler；　Mr　Crumb；　having　got　'squire　Barton　to
frank　me　a　kiver；　I　would　not　neglect　to　let　you　know　how　it　is
with　me；　and　the　rest　of　the　family。

I　could　not　rite　by　John　Thomas；　for　because　he　went　away　in　a
huff；　at　a　minutes'　warning。　He　and　Chowder　could　not　agree；　and
so　they　fitt　upon　the　road；　and　Chowder　bitt　his　thumb；　and　he
swore　he　would　do　him　a　mischief；　and　he　spoke　saucy　to　mistress；
whereby　the　squire　turned　him　off　in　gudgeon；　and　by　God's
providence　we　picked　up　another　footman；　call