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though producing, for the moment, a sensation as warm of resentment3, as that just mentioned had excited of gratitude4, was next received by the Doctor.
It was written with the most profuse5 praise of the Musical Tours; but with a view to admonish6 the Tourist to revise the account drawn7 up of the expenses, the bad roads, the bad living, the bad carriages, and other various faults and deficiencies upon which the travels in Germany had expatiated8: all which this new correspondent was convinced were related from misinformation, or misconception; as he had himself visited the same spots without witnessing any such imperfections. He conjured9 the Doctor, therefore, to set right these statements in his next edition; which single amendment10 would render the journal of his Tour in Germany the most delightful11 now in print: and, with wishes sincerely fervent12 for all honour and all success to the business, he signed himself, Dr. Burney’s true admirer,
John Hutton,
Of Lindsey House, Chelsea.
Dr. Burney, who felt that his veracity13 had that unsullied honour that, like the virtue14 of the wife of
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Cæsar, must not be suspected, read this letter with the amazement15, and answered it with the indignation, of offended integrity. He could not, he said, be the dupe of misrepresentation, for he had related only what he had experienced. His narrative16 was all personal, all individual; and he had documents, through letters, bills, and witnesses in fellow-travellers, and in friends or inhabitants of the several places described, that could easily be produced to verify his assertions: all which he was most able and willing to call forth17; not so much, perhaps, for the satisfaction of Mr. Hutton, who so hastily had misjudged him, as for his own; in certifying18, upon proof, how little he had deserved the mistrust of his readers, as being capable of giving hearsay19 intelligence to the public.
Mr. Hutton instantly, and in a tone of mingled20 alarm and penitence21, wrote a humble22, yet energetic apology for his letter; earnestly entreating23 the Doctor’s pardon for his officious precipitancy; and appealing to Dr. Hawkesworth, whom he called his excellent friend, to intercede24 in his favour. He took shame, he added, to himself, for not having weighed the subject more chronologically25 before he wrote his strictures; as he had now made out that
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his hasty animadversion was the unreflecting result of the different periods in which the Doctor and himself had travelled; his own German visit having taken place previously26 to the devastating27 war between the King of Prussia and the Empress Queen, which had since laid waste the whole country in which, unhappily, it had been waged.
Dr. Burney accepted with pleasure this conceding explanation. The good offices of Dr. Hawkesworth were prompt to accelerate a reconciliation28 and an interview; and Mr. Hutton, with even tears of eager feelings to repair an unjust accusation29, hastened to Queen-Square. Dr. Burney, touched by his ingenuous30 contrition31, received him with open arms. And, from that moment, he became one of the Doctor’s most reverential and most ardent32 admirers.
He made frequent visits to the house; conceived the most friendly regard for the whole family; and abruptly33, and with great singularity, addressed a letter, that was as original in ideas as in diction, to one of the daughters,[39] with whom he demanded permission of the Doctor to correspond. And in
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a postscript34, that was nearly as long as the epistle, to obviate35, probably, any ambiguous notions from his zeal—though he was already a grey and wrinkled old man—he acquainted his new young correspondent that he had been married four-and-thirty years.
Mr. Hutton was one of the sect37 of the Moravians, or Hurnhuters, and resided at Lindsey House, Chelsea, as secretary to the united brethren. He was author, also, of an Essay towards giving some just ideas of the character of Count Zinzendorf, the inventor and founder38 of the sect.
Mr. Hutton was a person of pleasing though eccentric manners. His notions were uncommon39; his language was impressive, though quaint36: his imagination, notwithstanding his age, was playful, nay40, poetical41. He considered all mankind as his brethren, and himself, therefore, as every one’s equal; alike in his readiness to serve them, and in the frankness with which he demanded their services in return.
His desire to make acquaintance, and to converse42 with every body to whom any species of celebrity43 was attached, was insatiable, and was dauntless. He approached them without fear, and accosted44 them without introduction. But the genuine kindness
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of his smile made way for him wherever there was heart and observation; and with such his encounter, however uncouth45, brought on, almost invariably, a friendly intercourse46.
Yet where, on the contrary, he met not with those delicate developers and interpreters, heart and observation, to instil47 into those he addressed a persuasion48 of the benevolence49 of his intentions in seeking fair and free fraternity with all his fellow-creatures, he suffered not his failures to dishearten him; for as he never meant, he never took offence. And even when turned away from with rudeness or alarm, as a man conceived to be intrusive50, impertinent, or suspicious, he would neither be angry nor affronted51; but, sorrowfully shaking his head, would hope that some happy accident would inspire them with softer feelings, ere some bitter misfortune should retaliate52 their unkindness.
The immediate53, it might, perhaps, be said, the instinctive54 cause of any rebuff that he met with in public, namely, his extraordinary appearance, and apparel, never seemed to occur to him; for as he looked not at the finest garb55 of the wealthy or modish56 with the smallest respect, he surmised57 not
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that the shabbiness of his own could influence his reception. By him, the tailor and the mantua-maker were regarded merely as manufacturers of decency58, not of embellishment; and he had full as much esteem59 for his own clumsy cobbler or second-hand60 patching tailor, as the finest beau or belle61 of Almack’s could have for their Parisian attirers.
Nevertheless, so coarse was the large, brown, slouching surtout, which infolded his body; so rough and blowsy was the old mop-like wig62 that wrapt up his head; that, but for the perfectly63 serene64 mildness of his features, and the venerability of his hoary65 eye-brows, he might at all times have passed for some constable66, watchman, or policeman, who had mistaken the day for the night, and was prowling into the mansions67 of gentlemen, instead of public-houses, to take a survey that all was in order.
That a man such as this, with every mark of a nature the most unstained, and of a character the most unsophisticated, could belong to a sect, which, by all popular report at least, was stampt, at that time, as dark and mystic; and as being wild and strange in some of its doctrines68 even to absurdity69; must make every one who had witnessed the virtuous70 tenor71 of the life of Mr. Hutton, and shared
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in the inoffensive gaiety of his discourse72, believe the sect to have been basely calumniated73; for not a word was ever uttered by this singular being that breathed not good will to all mankind; and not an action is recorded, or known of him, that is irresponsive of such universal benevolence.
Dr. Burney, now, without a single black-ball, was elected a fellow of the Royal Society; of which honour his first notice was received through the amiable74 and zealous75 Miss Phipps,[40] who, knowing the day of election, had impatiently gathered the tidings of its success from her brother, Sir Constantine Phipps:[41] and before either the president, or the friend who had nominated the Doctor for a candidate, could forward the news, she sportively anticipated their intelligence, by sending to Queen-Square a letter directed in large characters, “For Dr. Burney, F. R. S.”
点击收听单词发音
1 animated | |
adj.生气勃勃的,活跃的,愉快的 | |
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2 undertaking | |
n.保证,许诺,事业 | |
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3 resentment | |
n.怨愤,忿恨 | |
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4 gratitude | |
adj.感激,感谢 | |
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5 profuse | |
adj.很多的,大量的,极其丰富的 | |
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6 admonish | |
v.训戒;警告;劝告 | |
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7 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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8 expatiated | |
v.详述,细说( expatiate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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9 conjured | |
用魔术变出( conjure的过去式和过去分词 ); 祈求,恳求; 变戏法; (变魔术般地) 使…出现 | |
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10 amendment | |
n.改正,修正,改善,修正案 | |
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11 delightful | |
adj.令人高兴的,使人快乐的 | |
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12 fervent | |
adj.热的,热烈的,热情的 | |
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13 veracity | |
n.诚实 | |
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14 virtue | |
n.德行,美德;贞操;优点;功效,效力 | |
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15 amazement | |
n.惊奇,惊讶 | |
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16 narrative | |
n.叙述,故事;adj.叙事的,故事体的 | |
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17 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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18 certifying | |
(尤指书面)证明( certify的现在分词 ); 发证书给…; 证明(某人)患有精神病; 颁发(或授予)专业合格证书 | |
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19 hearsay | |
n.谣传,风闻 | |
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20 mingled | |
混合,混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 ); 混进,与…交往[联系] | |
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21 penitence | |
n.忏悔,赎罪;悔过 | |
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22 humble | |
adj.谦卑的,恭顺的;地位低下的;v.降低,贬低 | |
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23 entreating | |
恳求,乞求( entreat的现在分词 ) | |
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24 intercede | |
vi.仲裁,说情 | |
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25 chronologically | |
ad. 按年代的 | |
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26 previously | |
adv.以前,先前(地) | |
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27 devastating | |
adj.毁灭性的,令人震惊的,强有力的 | |
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28 reconciliation | |
n.和解,和谐,一致 | |
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29 accusation | |
n.控告,指责,谴责 | |
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30 ingenuous | |
adj.纯朴的,单纯的;天真的;坦率的 | |
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31 contrition | |
n.悔罪,痛悔 | |
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32 ardent | |
adj.热情的,热烈的,强烈的,烈性的 | |
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33 abruptly | |
adv.突然地,出其不意地 | |
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34 postscript | |
n.附言,又及;(正文后的)补充说明 | |
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35 obviate | |
v.除去,排除,避免,预防 | |
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36 quaint | |
adj.古雅的,离奇有趣的,奇怪的 | |
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37 sect | |
n.派别,宗教,学派,派系 | |
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38 Founder | |
n.创始者,缔造者 | |
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39 uncommon | |
adj.罕见的,非凡的,不平常的 | |
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40 nay | |
adv.不;n.反对票,投反对票者 | |
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41 poetical | |
adj.似诗人的;诗一般的;韵文的;富有诗意的 | |
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42 converse | |
vi.谈话,谈天,闲聊;adv.相反的,相反 | |
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43 celebrity | |
n.名人,名流;著名,名声,名望 | |
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44 accosted | |
v.走过去跟…讲话( accost的过去式和过去分词 );跟…搭讪;(乞丐等)上前向…乞讨;(妓女等)勾搭 | |
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45 uncouth | |
adj.无教养的,粗鲁的 | |
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46 intercourse | |
n.性交;交流,交往,交际 | |
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47 instil | |
v.逐渐灌输 | |
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48 persuasion | |
n.劝说;说服;持有某种信仰的宗派 | |
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49 benevolence | |
n.慈悲,捐助 | |
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50 intrusive | |
adj.打搅的;侵扰的 | |
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51 affronted | |
adj.被侮辱的,被冒犯的v.勇敢地面对( affront的过去式和过去分词 );相遇 | |
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52 retaliate | |
v.报复,反击 | |
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53 immediate | |
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的 | |
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54 instinctive | |
adj.(出于)本能的;直觉的;(出于)天性的 | |
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55 garb | |
n.服装,装束 | |
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56 modish | |
adj.流行的,时髦的 | |
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57 surmised | |
v.臆测,推断( surmise的过去式和过去分词 );揣测;猜想 | |
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58 decency | |
n.体面,得体,合宜,正派,庄重 | |
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59 esteem | |
n.尊敬,尊重;vt.尊重,敬重;把…看作 | |
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60 second-hand | |
adj.用过的,旧的,二手的 | |
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61 belle | |
n.靓女 | |
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62 wig | |
n.假发 | |
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63 perfectly | |
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 | |
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64 serene | |
adj. 安详的,宁静的,平静的 | |
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65 hoary | |
adj.古老的;鬓发斑白的 | |
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66 constable | |
n.(英国)警察,警官 | |
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67 mansions | |
n.宅第,公馆,大厦( mansion的名词复数 ) | |
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68 doctrines | |
n.教条( doctrine的名词复数 );教义;学说;(政府政策的)正式声明 | |
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69 absurdity | |
n.荒谬,愚蠢;谬论 | |
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70 virtuous | |
adj.有品德的,善良的,贞洁的,有效力的 | |
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71 tenor | |
n.男高音(歌手),次中音(乐器),要旨,大意 | |
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72 discourse | |
n.论文,演说;谈话;话语;vi.讲述,著述 | |
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73 calumniated | |
v.诽谤,中伤( calumniate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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74 amiable | |
adj.和蔼可亲的,友善的,亲切的 | |
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75 zealous | |
adj.狂热的,热心的 | |
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