The Doctor exults1 in his Victory — They set out for Rotterdam, where they are entertained by two Dutch Gentlemen in a Yacht, which is overturned in the Maese, to the manifest hazard of the Painter’s Life — They spend the Evening with their Entertainers, and next Day visit a Cabinet of Curiosities.
Tom was accordingly ordered to administer to his occasions; and the conqueror3, elated with his success, which he in a great measure attributed to his manner of attack, and the hymn4 which he howled, told Peregrine, that he was now convinced of the truth of what Pindar sung in these words, ossa de me pephileke Zeus atuzontai boan Pieridon aionta; for he had no sooner begun to repeat the mellifluent strains of that divine poet, than the wretch5 his antagonist6 was confounded, and his nerves unstrung.
On their return to the inn, he expatiated7 on the prudence8 and tranquility of his own behaviour, and ascribed the consternation9 of Pallet to the remembrance of some crime that lay heavy upon his conscience; for, in his opinion, a man of virtue10 and common sense could not possibly be afraid of death, which is not only the peaceful harbour that receives him shattered on the tempestuous11 sea of life, but also the eternal seal of his fame and glory, which it is no longer in his power to forfeit12 and forego. He lamented13 his fate, in being doomed14 to live in such degenerate15 days, when war is become a mercenary trade; and ardently16 wished, that the day would come, when he should have such an opportunity of signalizing his courage in the cause of liberty, as that of Marathon, where a handful of Athenians, fighting for their freedom, defeated the whole strength of the Persian empire. “Would to heaven!” said he, “my muse18 were blessed with an occasion to emulate19 that glorious testimony20 on the trophy21 in Cyprus, erected22 by Cimon, for two great victories gained on the same day over the Persians by sea and land; in which it is very remarkable23, that the greatness of the occasion has raised the manner of expression above the usual simplicity24 and modesty25 of all other ancient inscriptions26.” He then repeated it with all the pomp of declamation27, and signified his hope, that the French would one day invade us with such an army as that which Xerxes led into Greece, that it might be in his power to devote himself, like Leonidas, to the freedom of his country.
This memorable28 combat being thus determined29, and everything that was remarkable in Antwerp surveyed, they sent their baggage down the Scheldt to Rotterdam, and set out for the same place in a post-waggon, which that same evening brought them in safety to the banks of the Maese. They put up at an English house of entertainment, remarkable for the modesty and moderation of the landlord; and next morning the doctor went in person to deliver letters of recommendation to two Dutch gentlemen from one of his acquaintance at Paris. Neither of them happened to be at home when he called; so that he left a message at their lodgings30, with his address; and in the afternoon, they waited upon the company, and, after many hospitable32 professions, one of the two invited them to spend the evening at his house.
Meanwhile they had provided a pleasure yacht, in which they proposed to treat them with an excursion upon the Maese. This being almost the only diversion that place affords, our young gentleman relished33 the proposal; and, notwithstanding the remonstrances34 of Mr. Jolter, who declined the voyage on account of the roughness of the weather, they went on board without hesitation35, and found a collation36 prepared in the cabin. While they tacked37 to and fro in the river, under the impulse of a mackerel breeze, the physician expressed his satisfaction, and Pallet was ravished with the entertainment. But the wind increasing, to the unspeakable joy of the Dutchmen, who had now an opportunity of showing their dexterity38 in the management of the vessel39, the guests found it inconvenient40 to stand upon deck, and impossible to sit below, on account of the clouds of tobacco smoke which rolled from the pipes of their entertainers, in such volumes as annoyed them even to the hazard of suffocation41. This fumigation42, together with the extraordinary motion of the ship, began to affect the head and stomach of the painter, who begged earnestly to be set on shore. But the Dutch gentlemen, who had no idea of his sufferings, insisted, with surprising obstinacy43 of regard, upon his staying until he should see an instance of the skill of the mariners44; and, bringing him on deck, commanded the men to carry the vessel’s lee gunwale under water. This nicety of navigation they instantly performed, to the admiration45 of Pickle46, the discomposure of the doctor, and terror of Pallet, who blessed himself from the courtesy of a Dutchman, and prayed to Heaven for his deliverance.
While the Hollanders enjoyed the reputation of this feat17, and the distress47 of the painter, at the same time, the yacht was overtaken by a sudden squall, that overset her in a moment, and flung every man overboard into the Maese, before they could have the least warning of their fate, much less time to provide against the accident. Peregrine, who was an expert swimmer, reached the shore in safety; the physician, in the agonies of despair, laid fast hold on the trunk-breeches of one of the men, who dragged him to the other side; the entertainers landed at the bomb-keys, smoking their pipes all the way with great deliberation; and the poor painter must have gone to the bottom, had not he been encountered by the cable of a ship that lay at anchor near the scene of their disaster. Though his senses had forsaken48 him, his hands fastened by instinct on this providential occurrence, which he held with such a convulsive grasp, that, when a boat was sent out to bring him on shore, it was with the utmost difficulty that his fingers were disengaged. He was carried into a house, deprived of the use of speech, and bereft49 of all sensation; and, being suspended by the heels, a vast quantity of water ran out of his mouth. This evacuation being made, he began to utter dreadful groans50, which gradually increased to a continued roar; and, after he had regained51 the use of his senses, he underwent a delirium52 that lasted several hours. As for the treaters, they never dreamed of expressing the least concern to Pickle or the physician for what had happened, because it was an accident so common as to pass without notice.
Leaving the care of their vessel to the seamen53, the company retired54 to their respective lodgings, in order to shift their clothes; and in the evening our travellers were conducted to the house of their new friend, who, with a view of making his invitation the more agreeable, had assembled, to the number of twenty or thirty Englishmen, of all ranks and degrees, from the merchant to the periwig-maker’s prentice.
In the midst of this congregation stood a chafing-dish with live coals, for the convenience of lighting55 their pipes, and every individual was accommodated with a spitting-box. There was not a mouth in the apartment unfurnished with a tube, so that they resembled a congregation of chimeras56 breathing fire and smoke; and our gentlemen were fain to imitate their example in their own defence. It is not to be supposed that the conversation was either very sprightly57 or polite; that the whole entertainment was of the Dutch cast — frowzy58 and phlegmatic59; and our adventurer, as he returned to his lodging31, tortured with the headache, and disgusted with every circumstance of his treatment, cursed the hour in which the doctor had saddled them with such troublesome companions.
Next morning by eight o’clock, these polite Hollanders returned the visit, and, after breakfast, attended their English friends to the house of a person that possessed60 a very curious cabinet of curiosities, to which they had secured our company’s admission. The owner of this collection was a cheesemonger, who received them in a woollen nightcap, with straps61 buttoned under his chin. As he understood no language but his own, he told them, by the canal of one of their conductors, that he did not make a practice of showing his curiosities; but understanding that they were Englishmen, and recommended to his friends, he was content to submit them to their perusal62. So saying, he led them up a dark stair, into a small room, decorated with a few paltry63 figures in plaster of Paris, two or three miserable64 landscapes, the skins of an otter2, seal, and some fishes stuffed; and in one corner stood a glass case, furnished with newts, frogs, lizards65, and serpents, preserved in spirits; a human foetus, a calf66 with two heads, and about two dozen of butterflies pinned upon paper.
The virtuoso67 having exhibited these particulars, eyed the strangers with a look soliciting68 admiration and applause; and as he could not perceive any symptom of either in their gestures or countenances69, withdrew a curtain, and displayed a wainscot chest of drawers, in which, he gave them to understand, was something that would agreeably amuse the imagination. Our travellers, regaled with this notice, imagined that they would be entertained with the sight of some curious medals, or other productions of antiquity70; but how were they disappointed, when they saw nothing but a variety of shells, disposed in whimsical figures, in each drawer! After he had detained them full two hours with a tedious commentary upon the shape, size, and colour of each department, he, with a supercilious71 simper, desired that the English gentlemen would frankly72 and candidly73 declare, whether his cabinet, or that of Mynheer Sloane, at London, was the most valuable. When this request was signified in English to the company, the painter instantly exclaimed, “By the Lard! they are not to be named of a day. And as for that matter, I would not give one corner of Saltero’s coffee-house at Chelsea for all the trash he hath shown.” Peregrine, unwilling74 to mortify75 any person who had done his endeavour to please him, observed, that what he had seen was very curious and entertaining; but that no private collection in Europe was equal to that of Sir Hans Sloane, which, exclusive of presents, had cost an hundred thousand pounds. The two conductors were confounded at this asseveration, which, being communicated to the cheesemonger, he shook his head with a significant grin; and, though he did not choose to express his incredulity in words, gave our hero to understand, that he did not much depend upon his veracity76. From the house of this Dutch naturalist77, they were draggled all round the city by the painful civility of their attendants, who did not quit them till the evening was well advanced, and then not till after they had promised to be with them before ten o’clock next day, in order to conduct them to a country house, situated78 in a pleasant village on the other side of the river.
Pickle was already so much fatigued79 with their hospitality, that, for the first time of his life, he suffered a dejection of spirits; and resolved, at any rate, to avoid the threatened persecution80 of to-morrow. With this view, he ordered his servants to pack up some clothes and linen81 in a portmanteau; and in the morning embarked82, with his governor, in the treckskuyt, for the Hague, whither he pretended to be called by some urgent occasion, leaving his fellow-travellers to make his apology to their friends, and assuring them, that he would not proceed for Amsterdam without their society. He arrived at the Hague in the forenoon, and dined at an ordinary frequented by officers and people of fashion; where being informed that the princess would see company in the evening, he dressed himself in a rich suit of the Parisian cut, and went to court, without any introduction. A person of his appearance could not fail to attract the notice of such a small circle. The prince himself, understanding he was an Englishman and a stranger, went up to him without ceremony, and, having welcomed him to the place, conversed83 with him for some minutes on the common topics of discourse84.
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exults
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| 狂喜，欢跃( exult的第三人称单数 ) | |
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otter
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| n.水獭 | |
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conqueror
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| n.征服者，胜利者 | |
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hymn
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| n.赞美诗，圣歌，颂歌 | |
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wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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antagonist
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| n.敌人，对抗者，对手 | |
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expatiated
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| v.详述，细说( expatiate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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prudence
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| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
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consternation
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| n.大为吃惊，惊骇 | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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tempestuous
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| adj.狂暴的 | |
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forfeit
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| vt.丧失；n.罚金，罚款，没收物 | |
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lamented
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| adj.被哀悼的，令人遗憾的v.（为…）哀悼，痛哭，悲伤( lament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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degenerate
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| v.退步，堕落；adj.退步的，堕落的；n.堕落者 | |
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ardently
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| adv.热心地，热烈地 | |
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feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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muse
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| n.缪斯（希腊神话中的女神），创作灵感 | |
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emulate
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| v.努力赶上或超越，与…竞争；效仿 | |
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testimony
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| n.证词；见证，证明 | |
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trophy
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| n.优胜旗，奖品，奖杯，战胜品，纪念品 | |
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ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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modesty
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| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
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inscriptions
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| （作者）题词( inscription的名词复数 )； 献词； 碑文； 证劵持有人的登记 | |
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declamation
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| n. 雄辩，高调 | |
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memorable
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| adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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lodgings
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| n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
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lodging
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| n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
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hospitable
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| adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的 | |
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relished
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| v.欣赏( relish的过去式和过去分词 )；从…获得乐趣；渴望 | |
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remonstrances
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| n.抱怨，抗议( remonstrance的名词复数 ) | |
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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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collation
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| n.便餐；整理 | |
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tacked
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| 用平头钉钉( tack的过去式和过去分词 )； 附加，增补； 帆船抢风行驶，用粗线脚缝 | |
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dexterity
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| n.(手的)灵巧，灵活 | |
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vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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inconvenient
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| adj.不方便的，令人感到麻烦的 | |
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suffocation
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| n.窒息 | |
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fumigation
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| n.烟熏，熏蒸；忿恨 | |
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obstinacy
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| n.顽固；（病痛等）难治 | |
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mariners
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| 海员，水手（mariner的复数形式） | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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pickle
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| n.腌汁，泡菜；v.腌，泡 | |
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distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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Forsaken
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| adj. 被遗忘的, 被抛弃的 动词forsake的过去分词 | |
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bereft
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| adj.被剥夺的 | |
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groans
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| n.呻吟，叹息( groan的名词复数 )；呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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regained
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| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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delirium
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| n. 神智昏迷,说胡话;极度兴奋 | |
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seamen
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| n.海员 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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chimeras
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| n.（由几种动物的各部分构成的）假想的怪兽( chimera的名词复数 )；不可能实现的想法；幻想；妄想 | |
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sprightly
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| adj.愉快的，活泼的 | |
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frowzy
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| adj.不整洁的；污秽的 | |
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phlegmatic
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| adj.冷静的，冷淡的，冷漠的，无活力的 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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straps
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| n.带子( strap的名词复数 )；挎带；肩带；背带v.用皮带捆扎( strap的第三人称单数 )；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
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perusal
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| n.细读，熟读；目测 | |
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paltry
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| adj.无价值的，微不足道的 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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lizards
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| n.蜥蜴( lizard的名词复数 ) | |
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calf
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| n.小牛，犊，幼仔，小牛皮 | |
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virtuoso
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| n.精于某种艺术或乐器的专家，行家里手 | |
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soliciting
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| v.恳求( solicit的现在分词 )；（指娼妇）拉客；索求；征求 | |
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countenances
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| n.面容( countenance的名词复数 )；表情；镇静；道义支持 | |
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antiquity
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| n.古老；高龄；古物，古迹 | |
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supercilious
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| adj.目中无人的，高傲的；adv.高傲地；n.高傲 | |
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frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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candidly
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| adv.坦率地，直率而诚恳地 | |
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unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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mortify
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| v.克制，禁欲，使受辱 | |
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veracity
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| n.诚实 | |
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naturalist
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| n.博物学家(尤指直接观察动植物者) | |
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situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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fatigued
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| adj. 疲乏的 | |
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persecution
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| n. 迫害,烦扰 | |
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linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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embarked
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| 乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 )； 装载； 从事 | |
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conversed
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| v.交谈，谈话( converse的过去式 ) | |
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discourse
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| n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述 | |
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