the expedition of humphry clinker-第4部分

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connexion；　I　carried　her　off　the　very　next　day　to　Bristol；　but
the　poor　creature　was　so　frightened　and　fluttered；　by　our　threats
and　expostulations；　that　she　fell　sick　the　fourth　day　after　our
arrival　at　Clifton；　and　continued　so　ill　for　a　whole　week；　that
her　life　was　despaired　of。　It　was　not　till　yesterday　that　Dr
Rigge　declared　her　out　of　danger。　You　cannot　imagine　what　I　have
suffered；　partly　from　the　indiscretion　of　this　poor　child；　but
much　more　from　the　fear　of　losing　her　entirely。　This　air　is
intolerably　cold；　and　the　place　quite　solitary　　I　never　go　down
to　the　Well　without　returning　low…spirited；　for　there　I　meet　with
half　a　dozen　poor　emaciated　creatures；　with　ghostly　looks；　in　the
last　stage　of　a　consumption；　who　have　made　shift　to　linger
through　the　winter　like　so　many　exotic　plants　languishing　in　a
hot…house；　but　in　all　appearance；　will　drop　into　their　graves
before　the　sun　has　warmth　enough　to　mitigate　the　rigour　of　this
ungenial　spring。　　If　you　think　the　Bath…water　will　be　of　any
service　to　me；　I　will　go　thither　so　soon　as　my　niece　can　bear　the
motion　of　the　coach。　Tell　Barns　I　am　obliged　to　him　for　his
advice；　but　don't　choose　to　follow　it。　If　Davis　voluntarily
offers　to　give　up　the　farm；　the　other　shall　have　it；　but　I　will
not　begin　at　this　time　of　day　to　distress　my　tenants；　because
they　are　unfortunate；　and　cannot　make　regular　payments：　I　wonder
that　Barns　should　think　me　capable　of　such　oppression　　As　for
Higgins；　the　fellow　is　a　notorious　poacher；　to　be　sure；　and　an
impudent　rascal　to　set　his　snares　in　my　own　paddock；　but；　I
suppose；　he　thought　he　had　some　right　（especially　in　my　absence）
to　partake　of　what　nature　seems　to　have　intended　for　common　use　
you　may　threaten　him　in　my　name；　as　much　as　you　please；　and　if　he
repeats　the　offence；　let　me　know　it　before　you　have　recourse　to
justice。　　I　know　you　are　a　great　sportsman；　and　oblige　many　of
your　friends：　I　need　not　tell　you　to　make　use　of　my　grounds；　but
it　may　be　necessary　to　hint；　that　I　am　more　afraid　of　my　fowling…piece
than　of　my　game。　When　you　can　spare　two　or　three　brace　of
partridges；　send　them　over　by　the　stagecoach；　and　tell　Gwyllim
that　she　forgot　to　pack　up　my　flannel　and　wide　shoes　in　the
trunk…mail　　I　shall　trouble　you　as　usual；　from　time　to　time；
till　at　last　I　suppose　you　will　be　tired　of　corresponding　with

Your　assured　friend；
M。　BRAMBLE
CLIFTON；　April　17。



To　Miss　LYDIA　MELFORD。

Miss　Willis　has　pronounced　my　doom　　you　are　going　away；　dear
Miss　Melford！　　you　are　going　to　be　removed；　I　know　not　whither！
what　shall　I　do？　which　way　shall　I　turn　for　consolation？　I　know
not　what　I　say　　all　night　long　have　I　been　tossed　in　a　sea　of
doubts　and　fears；　uncertainty　and　distraction；　without　being　able
to　connect　my　thoughts；　much　less　to　form　any　consistent　plan　of
conduct　　I　was　even　tempted　to　wish　that　I　had　never　seen　you；
or　that　you　had　been　less　amiable；　or　less　compassionate　to　your
poor　Wilson；　and　yet　it　would　be　detestable　ingratitude　in　me　to
form　such　a　wish；　considering　how　much　I　am　indebted　to　your
goodness；　and　the　ineffable　pleasure　I　have　derived　from　your
indulgence　and　approbation　　Good　God！　I　never　heard　your　name
mentioned　without　emotion！　the　most　distant　prospect　of　being
admitted　to　your　company；　filled　my　whole　soul　with　a　kind　of
pleasing　alarm！　as　the　time　approached；　my　heart　beat　with
redoubled　force；　and　every　nerve　thrilled　with　a　transport　of
expectation；　but；　when　I　found　myself　actually　in　your　presence；
　when　I　heard　you　speak；　　when　I　saw　you　smile；　when　I　beheld
your　charming　eyes　turned　favourably　upon　me；　my　breast　was　filled
with　such　tumults　of　delight；　as　wholly　deprived　me　of　the　power
of　utterance；　and　wrapt　me　in　a　delirium　of　joy！　　encouraged　by
your　sweetness　of　temper　and　affability；　I　ventured　to　describe
the　feelings　of　my　heart　　even　then　you　did　not　check　my
presumption　　you　pitied　my　sufferings　and　gave　me　leave　to　hope
you　put　a　favourable　　perhaps　too　favourable　a　construction；　on
my　appearance　　certain　it　is；　I　am　no　player　in　love　　I　speak
the　language　of　my　own　heart；　and　have　no　prompter　but　nature。
Yet　there　is　something　in　this　heart；　which　I　have　not　yet
disclosed。　　I　flattered　myself　　But；　I　will　not　　I　must　not
proceed。　Dear　Miss　Liddy！　for　Heaven's　sake；　contrive；　if
possible；　some　means　of　letting　me　speak　to　you　before　you　leave
Gloucester；　otherwise；　I　know　not　what　will　　But　I　begin　to
rave　again。　　I　will　endeavour　to　bear　this　trial　with　fortitude
　while　I　am　capable　of　reflecting　upon　your　tenderness　and
truth；　I　surely　have　no　cause　to　despair　　a　cloud　hangs　over
me；　and　there　is　a　dreadful　weight　upon　my　spirits！　While　you
stay　in　this　place；　I　shall　continually　hover　about　your
lodgings；　as　the　parted　soul　is　said　to　linger　about　the　grave
where　its　mortal　comfort　lies。　　I　know；　if　it　is　in　your　power；
you　will　task　your　humanity　　your　compassion　　shall　I　add；
your　affection？　　in　order　to　assuage　the　almost　intolerable
disquiet　that　torments　the　heart　of　your　afflicted；

WILSON
GLOUCESTER；　March　31。



To　Sir　WATKIN　PHILLIPS；　of　Jesus　college；　Oxon。

HOT　WELL；　April　18。

DEAR　PHILLIPS；

I　give　Mansel　credit　for　his　invention；　in　propagating　the　report
that　I　had　a　quarrel　with　a　mountebank's　merry　Andrew　at
Gloucester：　but　I　have　too　much　respect　for　every　appendage　of
wit；　to　quarrel　even　with　the　lowest　buffoonery；　and　therefore　I
hope　Mansel　and　I　shall　always　be　good　friends。　I　cannot；
however；　approve　of　his　drowning　my　poor　dog　Ponto；　on　purpose　to
convert　Ovid's　pleonasm　into　a　punning　epitaph；　　deerant　quoque
Littora　Ponto：　for；　that　he　threw　him　into　the　Isis；　when　it　was
so　high　and　impetuous；　with　no　other　view　than　to　kill　the　fleas；
is　an　excuse　that　will　not　hold　water　　But　I　leave　poor　Ponto
to　his　fate；　and　hope　Providence　will　take　care　to　accommodate
Mansel　with　a　drier　death。

As　there　is　nothing　that　can　be　called　company　at　the　Well；　I　am
here　in　a　state　of　absolute　rustication：　This；　however；　gives　me
leisure　to　observe　the　singularities　in　my　uncle's　character；
which　seems　to　have　interested　your　curiosity。　The　truth　is；　his
disposition　and　mine；　which；　like　oil　and　vinegar；　repelled　one
another　at　first；　have　now　begun　to　mix　by　dint　of　being　beat　up
together。　I　was　once　apt　to　believe　him　a　complete　Cynic；　and
that　nothing　but　the　necessity　of　his　occasions　could　compel　him
to　get　within　the　pale　of　society　　I　am　now　of　another　opinion。
I　think　his　peevishness　arises　partly　from　bodily　pain；　and
partly　from　a　natural　excess　of　mental　sensibility；　for；　I
suppose；　the　mind　as　well　as　the　body；　is　in　some　cases　endued
with　a　morbid　excess　of　sensation。

I　was　t'other　day　much　diverted　with　a　conversation　that　passed
in　the　Pump…room；　betwixt　him　and　the　famous　Dr　Ln；　who　is　come
to　ply　at　the　Well　for　patients。　My　uncle　was　complaining　of　the
stink；　occasioned　by　the　vast　quantity　of　mud　and　slime　which　the
river　leaves　at　low　ebb　under　the　windows　of　the　Pumproom。　He
observed；　that　the　exhalations　arising　from　such　a　nuisance；
could　not　but　be　prejudicial　to　the　weak　lungs　of　many
consumptive　patients；　who　came　to　drink　the　water。　The　Doctor
overhearing　this　remark；　made　up　to　him；　and　assured　him　he　was
mistaken。　He　said；　people　in　general　were　so　misled　by　vulgar
prejudices　that　philosophy　was　hardly　sufficient　to　undeceive
them。　Then　humming　thrice；　he　assumed　a　most　ridiculous　solemnity
of　aspect；　and　entered　into　a　learned　investigation　of　the　nature
of　stink。　He　observed；　that　stink；　or　stench；　meant　no　more　than
a　strong　impression　on　the　olfactory　nerves；　and　might　be　applied
to　substances　of　the　most　opposite　qualities；　that　in　the　Dutch
language；　stinken　signifies　the　most　agreeable　perfume；　as　well
as　the　most　fetid　odour；　as　appears　in　Van　Vloudel's　translation
of　Horace；　in　that　beautiful　ode；　Quis　multa　gracilis；　&c。　　The
words　fiquidis　perfusus　odoribus；　he　translates　van　civet　&
moschata　gestinken：　that　individuals　differed　toto　coelo　in　their
opinion　of　smells；　which；　indeed；　was　altogether　as　arbitrary　as
the　opinion　of　beauty；　that　the　French　were　pleased　with　the
putrid　effluvia　of　animal　food；　and　so　were　the　Hottentots　in
Africa；　and　the　Savages　in　Greenland；　and　that　the　Negroes　on　the
coast　of　Senegal　would　not　touch　fish　till　it　was　rotten；　strong
presumptions　in　favour　of　what　is　generally　called　stink；　as
those　nations　are　in　a　state　of　nature；　undebauched　by　luxury；
unseduced　by　whim　and　caprice：　that　he　had　reason　to　believe　the
stercoraceous　flavour；　condemned　by　prejudice　as　a　stink；　was；　in
fact；　most　agreeable　to　the　organs　of　smelling；　for；　that　every
person　who　pretended　to　nauseate　the　smell　of　another's
excretions；　snuffed　up　his　own　with　particular　complacency；　for
the　truth　of　which　he　appealed　to　all　the　ladies　and　gentlemen
then　present：　he　said；　the　inhabitants　of　Madrid　and　Edinburgh
found　particular　satisfaction　in　breathing　their　own　atmosphere；
which　was　always　impregnated　with　stercoraceous　effluvia：　that
the　learned　Dr　B；　in　his　treatise　on　the　Four　Digestions；
explains　in　what　manner　the　volatile　effluvia　from　the　intestines
stimulate　and　promote　t