Mrs. Grizzle exerts herself in finding a proper Match for her Brother; who is accordingly introduced to the young Lady, whom he marries in due Season.
I have been the more circumstantial in opening the character of Trunnion, because he bears a considerable share in the course of these memoirs1; but now it is high time to resume the consideration of Mrs. Grizzle, who, since her arrival in the country, had been engrossed2 by a double care, namely, that of finding a suitable match for her brother, and a comfortable yoke-fellow for herself.
Neither was this aim the result of any sinister4 or frail5 aggression6, but the pure dictates7 of that laudable ambition, which prompted her to the preservation9 of the family name. Nay10, so disinterested11 was she in this pursuit, that, postponing12 her nearest concern, or at least leaving her own fate to the silent operation of her charms, she laboured with such indefatigable13 zeal14 in behalf of her brother, that before they had been three months settled in the country, the general topic of conversation in the neighbourhood was an intended match between the rich Mr. Pickle15 and the fair Miss Appleby, daughter of a gentleman who lived in the next parish, and who though he had but little fortune to bestow16 upon his children, had, to use his own phrase, replenished17 their veins19 with some of the best blood in the country.
This young lady, whose character and disposition20 Mrs. Grizzle had investigated to her own satisfaction, was destined21 for the spouse22 of Mr. Pickle; and an overture23 accordingly made to her father, who, being overjoyed at the proposal, gave his consent without hesitation24, and even recommended the immediate25 execution of the project with such eagerness, as seemed to indicate either a suspicion of Mr. Pickle’s constancy, or a diffidence of his own daughter’s complexion26, which perhaps he thought too sanguine27 to keep much longer cool. The previous point being thus settled, our merchant, at the instigation of Mrs. Grizzle, went to visit his future father-in-law, and was introduced to the daughter, with whom he had, that same afternoon, an opportunity of being alone. What passed in that interview I never could learn, though from the character of the suitor, the reader may justly conclude that she was not much teased with the impertinence of his addresses. He was not, I believe, the less welcome for that reason: certain it is she made no objection to his taciturnity; and when her father communicated his resolution, acquiesced28 with the most pious29 resignation. But Mrs. Grizzle, in order to give the lady a more favourable30 idea of his intellects than his conversation could possibly inspire, resolved to dictate8 a letter, which her brother should transcribe31 and transmit to his mistress as the produce of his own understanding, and had actually composed a very tender billet for this purpose; yet her intention was entirely32 frustrated33 by the misapprehension of the lover himself, who, in consequence of his sister’s repeated admonitions, anticipated her scheme, by writing, for himself, and despatching the letter one afternoon, while Mrs. Grizzle was visiting at the parson’s.
Neither was this step the effect of his vanity or precipitation; but having been often assured by his sister that it was absolutely necessary for him to make a declaration of his love in writing, he took this opportunity of acting34 in conformity35 with her advice, when his imagination was unengaged or undisturbed by any other suggestion, without suspecting in the least that she intended to save him the trouble of exercising his own genius. Left, therefore, as he imagined, to his own inventions, he sat down, and produced the following morceau, which was transmitted to Miss Appleby, before his sister and counsellor had the least intimation of the affair:—
“Miss Sally Appleby.
“Madam,— Understanding you have a parcel of heart, warranted sound, to be disposed of, shall be pleased to treat for said commodity, on reasonable terms; doubt not, shall agree for same; shall wait on you for further information, when and where you shall appoint. This the needful from — Yours, etc.
“Gam. Pickle.”
This laconic36 epistle, simple and unadorned as it was, met with as cordial a reception from the person to whom it was addressed, as if it had been couched in the most elegant terms that delicacy37 of passion and cultivated genius could supply; nay, I believe, was the more welcome on account of its mercantile plainness; because when an advantageous38 match is in view, a sensible woman often considers the flowery professions and rapturous exclamations39 of love as ensnaring ambiguities40, or, at best, impertinent preliminaries, that retard41 the treaty they are designed to promote; whereas Mr. Pickle removed all disagreeable uncertainty42, by descending43 at once to the most interesting particular.
She had no sooner, as a dutiful child, communicated this billet-doux to her father, than he, as a careful parent, visited Mr. Pickle, and, in presence of Mrs. Grizzle, demanded a formal explanation of his sentiments with regard to his daughter Sally. Mr. Gamaliel, without any ceremony, assured him he had a respect for the young woman, and, with his good leave, would take her for better, for worse. Mr. Appleby, after having expressed his satisfaction that he had fixed44 his affections in his family, comforted the lover with the assurance of his being agreeable to the young lady; and they forthwith proceeded to the articles of the marriage-settlement, which being discussed and determined46, a lawyer was ordered to engross3 them; the wedding-clothes were bought, and, in short, a day was appointed for the celebration of their nuptials47, to which everybody of any fashion in the neighbourhood was invited. Among these, commodore Trunnion and Mr. Hatchway were not forgotten, being the sole companions of the bridegroom, with whom, by this time, they had contracted a sort of intimacy48 at their nocturnal rendezvous49.
They had received a previous intimation of what was on the anvil50, from the landlord, before Mr. Pickle thought proper to declare himself; in consequence of which, the topic of the one-eyed commander’s discourse51, at their meeting, for several evenings before, had been the folly52 and plague of matrimony, on which he held forth45 with great vehemence53 of abuse, leveled at the fair sex, whom he represented as devils incarnate54, sent from hell to torment55 mankind; and in particular inveighed56 against old maids, for whom he seemed to entertain a singular aversion; while his friend Jack57 confirmed the truth of all his allegations, and gratified his own malignant58 vein18 at the same time by clenching59 every sentence with a sly joke upon the married state, built upon some allusion60 to a ship or sea-faring life. He compared a woman to a great gun loaded with fire, brimstone, and noise, which, being violently heated, will bounce and fly, and play the devil, if you don’t take special care of her breechings. He said she was like a hurricane that never blows from one quarter, but veers61 about to all points of the compass. He likened her to a painted galley62, curiously63 rigged, with a leak in her hold, which her husband would never be able to stop. He observed that her inclinations64 were like the Bay of Biscay; for why? because you may heave your deep sea lead long enough without ever reaching the bottom; that he who comes to anchor on a wife may find himself moored65 in d — d foul66 ground, and after all, can’t for his blood slip his cable; and that, for his own part, though he might make short trips for pastime, he would never embark67 in woman on the voyage of life, he was afraid of foundering68 in the first foul weather.
In all probability, these insinuations made some impression on the mind of Mr. Pickle, who was not very much inclined to run great risks of any kind; but the injunctions and importunities of his sister, who was bent69 upon the match, overbalanced the opinion of his sea friends, who finding him determined to marry, notwithstanding all the hints of caution they had thrown out, resolved to accept his invitation, and honoured his nuptials with their presence accordingly.
1 memoirs | |
n.回忆录;回忆录传( mem,自oir的名词复数) | |
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2 engrossed | |
adj.全神贯注的 | |
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3 engross | |
v.使全神贯注 | |
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4 sinister | |
adj.不吉利的,凶恶的,左边的 | |
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5 frail | |
adj.身体虚弱的;易损坏的 | |
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6 aggression | |
n.进攻,侵略,侵犯,侵害 | |
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7 dictates | |
n.命令,规定,要求( dictate的名词复数 )v.大声讲或读( dictate的第三人称单数 );口授;支配;摆布 | |
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8 dictate | |
v.口授;(使)听写;指令,指示,命令 | |
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9 preservation | |
n.保护,维护,保存,保留,保持 | |
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10 nay | |
adv.不;n.反对票,投反对票者 | |
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11 disinterested | |
adj.不关心的,不感兴趣的 | |
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12 postponing | |
v.延期,推迟( postpone的现在分词 ) | |
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13 indefatigable | |
adj.不知疲倦的,不屈不挠的 | |
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14 zeal | |
n.热心,热情,热忱 | |
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15 pickle | |
n.腌汁,泡菜;v.腌,泡 | |
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16 bestow | |
v.把…赠与,把…授予;花费 | |
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17 replenished | |
补充( replenish的过去式和过去分词 ); 重新装满 | |
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18 vein | |
n.血管,静脉;叶脉,纹理;情绪;vt.使成脉络 | |
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19 veins | |
n.纹理;矿脉( vein的名词复数 );静脉;叶脉;纹理 | |
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20 disposition | |
n.性情,性格;意向,倾向;排列,部署 | |
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21 destined | |
adj.命中注定的;(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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22 spouse | |
n.配偶(指夫或妻) | |
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23 overture | |
n.前奏曲、序曲,提议,提案,初步交涉 | |
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24 hesitation | |
n.犹豫,踌躇 | |
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25 immediate | |
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的 | |
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26 complexion | |
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27 sanguine | |
adj.充满希望的,乐观的,血红色的 | |
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28 acquiesced | |
v.默认,默许( acquiesce的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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29 pious | |
adj.虔诚的;道貌岸然的 | |
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30 favourable | |
adj.赞成的,称赞的,有利的,良好的,顺利的 | |
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31 transcribe | |
v.抄写,誉写;改编(乐曲);复制,转录 | |
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32 entirely | |
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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33 frustrated | |
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34 acting | |
n.演戏,行为,假装;adj.代理的,临时的,演出用的 | |
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35 conformity | |
n.一致,遵从,顺从 | |
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36 laconic | |
adj.简洁的;精练的 | |
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37 delicacy | |
n.精致,细微,微妙,精良;美味,佳肴 | |
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38 advantageous | |
adj.有利的;有帮助的 | |
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39 exclamations | |
n.呼喊( exclamation的名词复数 );感叹;感叹语;感叹词 | |
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40 ambiguities | |
n.歧义( ambiguity的名词复数 );意义不明确;模棱两可的意思;模棱两可的话 | |
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41 retard | |
n.阻止,延迟;vt.妨碍,延迟,使减速 | |
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42 uncertainty | |
n.易变,靠不住,不确知,不确定的事物 | |
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43 descending | |
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44 fixed | |
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的 | |
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45 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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46 determined | |
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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47 nuptials | |
n.婚礼;婚礼( nuptial的名词复数 ) | |
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48 intimacy | |
n.熟悉,亲密,密切关系,亲昵的言行 | |
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49 rendezvous | |
n.约会,约会地点,汇合点;vi.汇合,集合;vt.使汇合,使在汇合地点相遇 | |
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50 anvil | |
n.铁钻 | |
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51 discourse | |
n.论文,演说;谈话;话语;vi.讲述,著述 | |
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52 folly | |
n.愚笨,愚蠢,蠢事,蠢行,傻话 | |
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53 vehemence | |
n.热切;激烈;愤怒 | |
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54 incarnate | |
adj.化身的,人体化的,肉色的 | |
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55 torment | |
n.折磨;令人痛苦的东西(人);vt.折磨;纠缠 | |
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56 inveighed | |
v.猛烈抨击,痛骂,谩骂( inveigh的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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57 jack | |
n.插座,千斤顶,男人;v.抬起,提醒,扛举;n.(Jake)杰克 | |
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58 malignant | |
adj.恶性的,致命的;恶意的,恶毒的 | |
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59 clenching | |
v.紧握,抓紧,咬紧( clench的现在分词 ) | |
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60 allusion | |
n.暗示,间接提示 | |
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61 veers | |
v.(尤指交通工具)改变方向或路线( veer的第三人称单数 );(指谈话内容、人的行为或观点)突然改变;(指风) (在北半球按顺时针方向、在南半球按逆时针方向)逐渐转向;风向顺时针转 | |
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62 galley | |
n.(飞机或船上的)厨房单层甲板大帆船;军舰舰长用的大划艇; | |
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63 curiously | |
adv.有求知欲地;好问地;奇特地 | |
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64 inclinations | |
倾向( inclination的名词复数 ); 倾斜; 爱好; 斜坡 | |
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65 moored | |
adj. 系泊的 动词moor的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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66 foul | |
adj.污秽的;邪恶的;v.弄脏;妨害;犯规;n.犯规 | |
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67 embark | |
vi.乘船,着手,从事,上飞机 | |
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68 foundering | |
v.创始人( founder的现在分词 ) | |
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69 bent | |
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的 | |
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