第 11 节
作者:
敏儿不觉 更新:2021-02-19 21:45 字数:9322
divine love set over us as a race of beings of a superior order
to men; and who; with great ease to themselves; might regulate
our affairs and establish peace; modesty; freedom; and justice;
and; totally destroying all sedition; might complete the
happiness of the human race。 So far; at least; may even now be
said with truth; that in all states which are under the
government of mere man; without any divine assistance; there is
nothing but labor and misery to be found。 From what I have said;
therefore; we may at least learn; with our utmost endeavors; to
imitate the Saturnian institution; borrowing all assistance from
our immortal part; while we pay to this the strictest obedience;
we should form both our private economy and public policy from
its dictates。 By this dispensation of our immortal minds we are
to establish a law and to call it by that name。 But if any
government be in the hands of a single person; of the few; or of
the many; and such governor or governors shall abandon himself or
themselves to the unbridled pursuit of the wildest pleasures or
desires; unable to restrain any passion; but possessed with an
insatiable bad disease; if such shall attempt to govern; and at
the same time to trample on all laws; there can be no means of
preservation left for the wretched people。〃 Plato de Leg。; lib。
iv。 p。 713; c。 714; edit。 Serrani。
It is true that Plato is here treating of the highest or
sovereign power in a state; but it is as true that his
observations are general and may be applied to all inferior
powers; and; indeed; every subordinate degree is immediately
derived from the highest; and; as it is equally protected by the
same force and sanctified by the same authority; is alike
dangerous to the well…being of the subject。 Of all powers;
perhaps; there is none so sanctified and protected as this which
is under our present consideration。 So numerous; indeed; and
strong; are the sanctions given to it by many acts of parliament;
that; having once established the laws of customs on merchandise;
it seems to have been the sole view of the legislature to
strengthen the hands and to protect the persons of the officers
who became established by those laws; many of whom are so far
from bearing any resemblance to the Saturnian institution; and to
be chosen from a degree of beings superior to the rest of human
race; that they sometimes seem industriously picked out of the
lowest and vilest orders of mankind。 There is; indeed; nothing;
so useful to man in general; nor so beneficial to particular
societies and individuals; as trade。 This is that alma mater at
whose plentiful breast all mankind are nourished。 It is true;
like other parents; she is not always equally indulgent to all
her children; but; though she gives to her favorites a vast
proportion of redundancy and superfluity; there are very few whom
she refuses to supply with the conveniences; and none with the
necessaries; of life。
Such a benefactress as this must naturally be beloved by mankind
in general; it would be wonderful; therefore; if her interest was
not considered by them; and protected from the fraud and violence
of some of her rebellious offspring; who; coveting more than
their share or more than she thinks proper to allow them; are
daily employed in meditating mischief against her; and in
endeavoring to steal from their brethren those shares which this
great alma mater had allowed them。
At length our governor came on board; and about six in the
evening we weighed anchor; and fell down to the Nore; whither our
passage was extremely pleasant; the evening being very
delightful; the moon just past the full; and both wind and tide
favorable to us。
Tuesday; July 2。This morning we again set sail; under all the
advantages we had enjoyed the evening before。 This day we left
the shore of Essex and coasted along Kent; passing by the
pleasant island of Thanet; which is an island; and that of
Sheppy; which is not an island; and about three o 'clock; the
wind being now full in our teeth; we came to an anchor in the
Downs; within two miles of Deal。My wife; having suffered
intolerable pain from her tooth; again renewed her resolution of
having it drawn; and another surgeon was sent for from Deal; but
with no better success than the former。 He likewise declined the
operation; for the same reason which had been assigned by the
former: however; such was her resolution; backed with pain; that
he was obliged to make the attempt; which concluded more in honor
of his judgment than of his operation; for; after having put my
poor wife to inexpressible torment; he was obliged to leave her
tooth in statu quo; and she had now the comfortable prospect of a
long fit of pain; which might have lasted her whole voyage;
without any possibility of relief。 In these pleasing sensations;
of which I had my just share; nature; overcome with fatigue;
about eight in the evening resigned her to resta circumstance
which would have given me some happiness; could I have known how
to employ those spirits which were raised by it; but;
unfortunately for me; I was left in a disposition of enjoying an
agreeable hour without the assistance of a companion; which has
always appeared to me necessary to such enjoyment; my daughter
and her companion were both retired sea…sick to bed; the other
passengers were a rude school…boy of fourteen years old and an
illiterate Portuguese friar; who understood no language but his
own; in which I had not the least smattering。 The captain was
the only person left in whose conversation I might indulge
myself; but unluckily; besides a total ignorance of everything in
the world but a ship; he had the misfortune of being so deaf;
that to make him hear; I will not say understand; my words; I
must run the risk of conveying them to the ears of my wife; who;
though in another room (called; I think; the state…roombeing;
indeed; a most stately apartment; capable of containing one human
body in length; if not very tall; and three bodies in breadth);
lay asleep within a yard of me。 In this situation necessity and
choice were one and the same thing; the captain and I sat down
together to a small bowl of punch; over which we both soon fell
fast asleep; and so concluded the evening。
Wednesday; July 3。This morning I awaked at four o'clock for my
distemper seldom suffered me to sleep later。 I presently got up;
and had the pleasure of enjoying the sight of a tempestuous sea
for four hours before the captain was stirring; for he loved to
indulge himself in morning slumbers; which were attended with a
wind…music; much more agreeable to the performers than to the
hearers; especially such as have; as I had; the privilege of
sitting in the orchestra。 At eight o 'clock the captain rose;
and sent his boat on shore。 I ordered my man likewise to go in
it; as my distemper was not of that kind which entirely deprives
us of appetite。 Now; though the captain had well victualled his
ship with all manner of salt provisions for the voyage; and had
added great quantities of fresh stores; particularly of
vegetables; at Gravesend; such as beans and peas; which had been
on board only two days; and had possibly not been gathered above
two more; I apprehended I could provide better for myself at Deal
than the ship's ordinary seemed to promise。 I accordingly sent
for fresh provisions of all kinds from the shore; in order to put
off the evil day of starving as long as possible。 My man
returned with most of the articles I sent for; and I now thought
myself in a condition of living a week on my own provisions。 I
therefore ordered my own dinner; which I wanted nothing but a
cook to dress and a proper fire to dress it at; but those were
not to be had; nor indeed any addition to my roast mutton; except
the pleasure of the captain's company; with that of the other
passengers; for my wife continued the whole day in a state of
dozing; and my other females; whose sickness did not abate by the
rolling of the ship at anchor; seemed more inclined to empty
their stomachs than to fill them。 Thus I passed the whole day
(except about an hour at dinner) by myself; and the evening
concluded with the captain as the preceding one had done; one
comfortable piece of news he communicated to me; which was; that
he had no doubt of a prosperous wind in the morning; but as he
did not divulge the reasons of this confidence; and as I saw none
myself besides the wind being directly opposite; my faith in this
prophecy was not strong enough to build any great hopes upon。
Thursday; July 4。This morning; however; the captain seemed
resolved to fulfill his own predictions; whether the wind would
or no; he accordingly weighed anchor; and; taking the advantage
of the tide when the wind was not very boisterous; he hoisted his
sails; and; as if his power had been no less absolute over Aeolus
than it was ov