A very delightful1 adventure, as well to the persons concerned as to the good-natured reader.
Adams, Fanny, and the guide, set out together about one in the morning, the moon being then just risen. They had not gone above a mile before a most violent storm of rain obliged them to take shelter in an inn, or rather alehouse, where Adams immediately procured2 himself a good fire, a toast and ale, and a pipe, and began to smoke with great content, utterly3 forgetting everything that had happened.
Fanny sat likewise down by the fire; but was much more impatient at the storm. She presently engaged the eyes of the host, his wife, the maid of the house, and the young fellow who was their guide; they all conceived they had never seen anything half so handsome; and indeed, reader, if thou art of an amorous4 hue5, I advise thee to skip over the next paragraph; which, to render our history perfect, we are obliged to set down, humbly6 hoping that we may escape the fate of Pygmalion; for if it should happen to us, or to thee, to be struck with this picture, we should be perhaps in as helpless a condition as Narcissus, and might say to ourselves, Quod petis est nusquam. Or, if the finest features in it should set Lady —— ‘s image before our eyes, we should be still in as bad a situation, and might say to our desires, Coelum ipsum petimus stultitia.
Fanny was now in the nineteenth year of her age; she was tall and delicately shaped; but not one of those slender young women who seem rather intended to hang up in the hall of an anatomist than for any other purpose. On the contrary, she was so plump that she seemed bursting through her tight stays, especially in the part which confined her swelling7 breasts. Nor did her hips8 want the assistance of a hoop9 to extend them. The exact shape of her arms denoted the form of those limbs which she concealed10; and though they were a little reddened by her labour, yet, if her sleeve slipped above her elbow, or her handkerchief discovered any part of her neck, a whiteness appeared which the finest Italian paint would be unable to reach. Her hair was of a chesnut brown, and nature had been extremely lavish11 to her of it, which she had cut, and on Sundays used to curl down her neck, in the modern fashion. Her forehead was high, her eyebrows12 arched, and rather full than otherwise. Her eyes black and sparkling; her nose just inclining to the Roman; her lips red and moist, and her underlip, according to the opinion of the ladies, too pouting13. Her teeth were white, but not exactly even. The small-pox had left one only mark on her chin, which was so large, it might have been mistaken for a dimple, had not her left cheek produced one so near a neighbour to it, that the former served only for a foil to the latter. Her complexion14 was fair, a little injured by the sun, but overspread with such a bloom that the finest ladies would have exchanged all their white for it: add to these a countenance15 in which, though she was extremely bashful, a sensibility appeared almost incredible; and a sweetness, whenever she smiled, beyond either imitation or description. To conclude all, she had a natural gentility, superior to the acquisition of art, and which surprized all who beheld16 her.
This lovely creature was sitting by the fire with Adams, when her attention was suddenly engaged by a voice from an inner room, which sung the following song:—
THE SONG.
Say, Chloe, where must the swain stray
Who is by thy beauties undone17?
To wash their remembrance away,
To what distant Lethe must run?
The wretch18 who is sentenced to die
May escape, and leave justice behind;
From his country perhaps he may fly,
But oh! can he fly from his mind?
O rapture19! unthought of before,
To be thus of Chloe possess’d;
Nor she, nor no tyrant’s hard power,
Her image can tear from my breast.
But felt not Narcissus more joy,
With his eyes he beheld his loved charms?
Yet what he beheld the fond boy
More eagerly wish’d in his arms.
How can it thy dear image be
Which fills thus my bosom20 with woe21?
Can aught bear resemblance to thee
Which grief and not joy can bestow22?
This counterfeit23 snatch from my heart,
Ye pow’rs, tho’ with torment24 I rave25,
Tho’ mortal will prove the fell smart:
I then shall find rest in my grave.
Ah, see the dear nymph o’er the plain
Come smiling and tripping along!
A thousand Loves dance in her train,
The Graces around her all throng26.
To meet her soft Zephyrus flies,
And wafts27 all the sweets from the flowers,
Ah, rogue28 I whilst he kisses her eyes,
More sweets from her breath he devours29.
My soul, whilst I gaze, is on fire:
But her looks were so tender and kind,
My hope almost reach’d my desire,
And left lame30 despair far behind.
Transported with madness, I flew,
And eagerly seized on my bliss31;
Her bosom but half she withdrew,
But half she refused my fond kiss.
Advances like these made me bold;
I whisper’d her — Love, we’re alone. —
The rest let immortals32 unfold;
No language can tell but their own.
Ah, Chloe, expiring, I cried,
How long I thy cruelty bore!
Ah, Strephon, she blushing replied,
You ne’er was so pressing before.
Adams had been ruminating33 all this time on a passage in Aeschylus, without attending in the least to the voice, though one of the most melodious34 that ever was heard, when, casting his eyes on Fanny, he cried out, “Bless us, you look extremely pale!” — “Pale! Mr Adams,” says she; “O Jesus!” and fell backwards35 in her chair. Adams jumped up, flung his Aeschylus into the fire, and fell a-roaring to the people of the house for help. He soon summoned every one into the room, and the songster among the rest; but, O reader! when this nightingale, who was no other than Joseph Andrews himself, saw his beloved Fanny in the situation we have described her, canst thou conceive the agitations36 of his mind? If thou canst not, waive37 that meditation38 to behold39 his happiness, when, clasping her in his arms, he found life and blood returning into her cheeks: when he saw her open her beloved eyes, and heard her with the softest accent whisper, “Are you Joseph Andrews?” — “Art thou my Fanny?” he answered eagerly: and, pulling her to his heart, he imprinted40 numberless kisses on her lips, without considering who were present.
If prudes are offended at the lusciousness41 of this picture, they may take their eyes off from it, and survey parson Adams dancing about the room in a rapture of joy. Some philosophers may perhaps doubt whether he was not the happiest of the three: for the goodness of his heart enjoyed the blessings42 which were exulting43 in the breasts of both the other two, together with his own. But we shall leave such disquisitions, as too deep for us, to those who are building some favourite hypothesis, which they will refuse no metaphysical rubbish to erect44 and support: for our part, we give it clearly on the side of Joseph, whose happiness was not only greater than the parson’s, but of longer duration: for as soon as the first tumults45 of Adams’s rapture were over he cast his eyes towards the fire, where Aeschylus lay expiring; and immediately rescued the poor remains46, to wit, the sheepskin covering, of his dear friend, which was the work of his own hands, and had been his inseparable companion for upwards47 of thirty years.
Fanny had no sooner perfectly48 recovered herself than she began to restrain the impetuosity of her transports; and, reflecting on what she had done and suffered in the presence of so many, she was immediately covered with confusion; and, pushing Joseph gently from her, she begged him to be quiet, nor would admit of either kiss or embrace any longer. Then, seeing Mrs Slipslop, she curtsied, and offered to advance to her; but that high woman would not return her curtsies; but, casting her eyes another way, immediately withdrew into another room, muttering, as she went, she wondered who the creature was.
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1
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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2
procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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3
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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amorous
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| adj.多情的；有关爱情的 | |
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hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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humbly
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| adv. 恭顺地，谦卑地 | |
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7
swelling
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| n.肿胀 | |
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hips
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| abbr.high impact polystyrene 高冲击强度聚苯乙烯，耐冲性聚苯乙烯n.臀部( hip的名词复数 )；[建筑学]屋脊；臀围（尺寸）；臀部…的 | |
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hoop
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| n.（篮球）篮圈，篮 | |
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10
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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11
lavish
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| adj.无节制的；浪费的；vt.慷慨地给予，挥霍 | |
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12
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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13
pouting
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| v.撅（嘴）( pout的现在分词 ) | |
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14
complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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15
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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16
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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17
undone
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| a.未做完的，未完成的 | |
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18
wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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19
rapture
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| n.狂喜；全神贯注；着迷；v.使狂喜 | |
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20
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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21
woe
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| n.悲哀，苦痛，不幸，困难；int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌 | |
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22
bestow
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| v.把…赠与，把…授予；花费 | |
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23
counterfeit
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| vt.伪造，仿造；adj.伪造的，假冒的 | |
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24
torment
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| n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠 | |
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25
rave
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| vi.胡言乱语；热衷谈论；n.热情赞扬 | |
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26
throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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27
wafts
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| n.空中飘来的气味，一阵气味( waft的名词复数 )；摇转风扇v.吹送，飘送，（使）浮动( waft的第三人称单数 ) | |
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28
rogue
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| n.流氓；v.游手好闲 | |
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29
devours
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| 吞没( devour的第三人称单数 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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30
lame
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| adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的 | |
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31
bliss
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| n.狂喜，福佑，天赐的福 | |
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32
immortals
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| 不朽的人物( immortal的名词复数 )； 永生不朽者 | |
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33
ruminating
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| v.沉思( ruminate的现在分词 )；反复考虑；反刍；倒嚼 | |
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34
melodious
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| adj.旋律美妙的，调子优美的，音乐性的 | |
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35
backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
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36
agitations
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| （液体等的）摇动( agitation的名词复数 )； 鼓动； 激烈争论； （情绪等的）纷乱 | |
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37
waive
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| vt.放弃，不坚持(规定、要求、权力等) | |
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38
meditation
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| n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录 | |
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39
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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40
imprinted
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| v.盖印（imprint的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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41
lusciousness
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42
blessings
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| n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福 | |
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43
exulting
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| vi. 欢欣鼓舞，狂喜 | |
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44
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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45
tumults
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| 吵闹( tumult的名词复数 )； 喧哗； 激动的吵闹声； 心烦意乱 | |
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46
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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47
upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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48
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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