He is visited by Pallet — Contracts an Intimacy1 with a Newmarket Nobleman, and is by the Knowing Ones taken in.
This affair being settled, and our adventurer, for the present, free of all female connections, he returned to his former course of fast living among the bucks2 of the town, and performed innumerable exploits among whores, bullies3, rooks, constables4, and justices of the peace. In the midst of these occupations, he was one morning visited by his old fellow-traveller, Pallet, whose appearance gave him equal surprise and concern. Though the weather was severe, he was clothed in the thin summer dress which he had worn at Paris, and was now, not only threadbare, but, in some parts, actually patched; his stockings, by a repetition of that practice known among economists5 by the term of coaxing6, hung like pudding-bags about his ankles; his shirt, though new washed, was of the saffron hue7, and, in divers8 places, appeared through the crannies of his breeches; he had exchanged his own hair for a smoke-dried tie-periwig, which all the flour in his dredging-box had not been able to whiten; his eyes were sunk, his jaws9 lengthened10 beyond their usual extension; and he seemed twenty years older than he looked when he and our hero parted at Rotterdam. In spite of all these evidences of decay, he accosted11 him with a meagre affectation of content and good-humour, struggled piteously to appear gay and unconcerned, professed13 his joy at seeing him in England, excused himself for having delayed so long to come and present his respects; alleging14 that, since his return, he had been a mere15 slave to the satisfaction of some persons of quality and taste, who had insisted upon his finishing some pieces with the utmost expedition.
Peregrine received him with that compassion16 and complaisance17 which was natural to his disposition18; inquired about the health of Mrs. Pallet and his family, and asked if his friend, the doctor, was in town. The painter seemed to have resumed his resentment19 against that gentleman, of whom he spoke20 in contemptuous terms. “The doctor,” said he, “is so much overshadowed with presumption21 and self-conceit, that his merit has no relief. It does not rise. There is no keeping in the picture, my dear sir. All the same as if I were to represent the moon under a cloud; there will be nothing but a deep mass of shade, with a little tiny speck22 of light in the middle, which would only serve to make, as it were, the darkness visible. You understand me. Had he taken my advice, it might have been better for him; but he is bigoted23 to his own opinion. You must know, Mr. Pickle24, upon our return to England, I counselled him to compose a little smart, clever ode upon my Cleopatra. As Gad25 shall judge me, I thought it would have been of some service, in helping26 him out of obscurity; for you know, as Sir Richard observes,
“Soon will that die, which adds thy fame to mine;
Let me then live, join’d to a work of thine.”
“By the bye, there is a most picturesque27 contrast in these lines, of thy and me, living and dying, and thine and mine. Ah! a prize upon it! Dick, after all, was the man. Ecod! he rounded it off. But, to return to this unhappy young man, would you believe it, he tossed up his nose at my friendly proposal, and gabbled something in Greek, which is not worth repeating. The case was this, my dear sir, he was out of humour at the neglect of the world. He thought the poets of the age were jealous of his genius, and strove to crush it accordingly, while the rest of mankind wanted taste sufficient to discern it. For my own part, I profess12 myself one of these; and, as the clown in Billy Shakespeare says of the courtier’s oath, had I sworn by the doctor’s genius, that the pancakes were naught28, they might have been for all that very good, yet shouldn’t I have been forsworn. Let that be as it will, he retired29 from town in great dudgeon, and set up his rest near a hill in Derbyshire, with two tops, resembling Parnassus, and a well at the bottom, which he had christened Hyp-o’-the-Green. Egad! if he stays in that habitation, ’tis my opinion he’ll soon grow green with the hip30 indeed. He’ll be glad of an opportunity to return to the fleshpots of Egypt, and pay his court to the slighted Queen Cleopatra. Ha! well remembered, by this light! you shall know, my good sir, that this same Egyptian princess has been courted by so many gallants of taste, that, as I hope to live, I found myself in some sort of dilemma31, because in parting with her to one, I should have disobliged all his rivals. Now a man would not choose to give offence to his friends, at least I lay it down as a maxim32 to avoid the smallest appearance of ingratitude33. Perhaps I may be in the wrong. But every man has his way. For this reason, I proposed to all the candidates, that a lottery34 or raffle35 should be set on foot, by which every individual would have an equal chance for her good graces, and the prize be left to the decision of fortune. The scheme was mightily36 relished37, and the terms being such a trifle as half a guinea, the whole town crowded into my house, in order to subscribe38. But there I was their humble39 servant. ‘Gentlemen, you must have a little patience till my own particular friends are served.’ Among that number, I do myself the honour to consider Mr. Pickle. Here is a copy of the proposals; and, if the list should be adorned40 with his name, I hope, notwithstanding his merited success among the young ladies, he will for once be shunned41 by that little vixen called Miss Fortune! he, he, he!”
So saying, he bowed with a thousand apish congees42, and presented his paper to Peregrine, who, seeing the number of subscribers was limited to one hundred, said he thought him too moderate in his expectations, as he did not doubt that his picture would be a cheap purchase at five hundred, instead of fifty pounds, at which the price was fixed43. To this unexpected remark Pallet answered, that among the connoisseurs44 he would not pretend to appraise45 his picture; but that, in valuing his works, he was obliged to have an eye to the Gothic ignorance of the age in which he lived. Our adventurer saw at once into the nature of this raffle, which was no other than a begging shift to dispose of a paltry46 piece, that he could not otherwise have sold for twenty shillings. However, far from shocking the poor man in distress47, by dropping the least hint of his conjecture48, he desired to be favoured with six chances, if the circumstances of his plan would indulge him so far; and the painter, after some hesitation49, condescended50 to comply with his request, out of pure friendship and veneration51; though he observed, that, in so doing, he must exclude some of his most intimate companions. Having received the money he gave Pickle his address, desiring he would, with his convenience, visit the princess, who, he was sure, would display her most engaging attractions, in order to captivate his fancy; and took his leave extremely well pleased with the success of his application.
Though Peregrine was tempted52 with the curiosity of seeing this portrait, which he imagined must contain some analogy to the ridiculous oddity of the painter, he would not expose himself to the disagreeable alternative of applauding the performance, contrary to the dictates53 of conscience and common sense, or of condemning54 it, to the unspeakable mortification55 of the miserable56 author; and therefore never dreamt of returning the painter’s visit. Nor did he ever hear of the lottery’s being drawn57. About this time he was invited to spend a few weeks at the country seat of a certain nobleman, with whom he had contracted an acquaintance, in the course of his debauches, which we have already described. His lordship being remarkable58 for his skill and success in horse-racing, his house was continually filled with the connoisseurs and admirers of that sport, upon which the whole conversation turned, insomuch that Peregrine gradually imbibed59 some knowledge in horse-flesh, and the diversions of the course; for the whole occupation of the day, exclusive of eating and drinking, consisted in viewing, managing, and exercising his lordship’s stud.
Our hero looked upon these amusements with an eye of taste as well as curiosity; he contemplated60 the animal as a beautiful and elegant part of the creation, and relished the surprising exertion61 of its speed with a refined and classical delight. In a little time he became personally acquainted with every horse in the stable, and interested himself in the reputation of each; while he also gratified his appetite for knowledge, in observing the methods of preparing their bodies, and training them to the race. His lordship saw and encouraged his eagerness, from which he promised himself some advantage; he formed several private matches for his entertainment, and flattered his discernment, by permitting him to be successful in the first bets he made. Thus was he artfully decoyed into a spirit of keenness and adventure, and disposed to depend upon his own judgment63, in opposition64 to that of people who had made horse-racing the sole study of their lives. He accompanied my lord to Newmarket, and, entering at once into the genius of the place, was marked as fair game, by all the knowing ones there assembled, many of whom found means to take him in, in spite of all the cautions and admonitions of his lordship, who wanted to reserve him for his own use.
It is almost impossible for any man, let him be never so fearful or phlegmatic65, to be an unconcerned spectator in this busy scene. The demon66 of play hovers67 in the air, like a pestilential vapour, tainting68 the minds of all present with infallible infection, which communicates from one person to another, like the circulation of a general panic. Peregrine was seized with this epidemic69 distemper to a violent degree; and, after having lost a few loose hundreds, in his progress through the various rookeries of the place, entered into partnership70 with his noble friend in a grand match, upon the issue of which he ventured no less than three thousand pounds. Indeed he would not have risked such a considerable sum, had not his own confidence been reinforced by the opinion and concurrence71 of his lordship, who hazarded an equal bet upon the same event. These two associates engaged themselves in the penalty of six thousand pounds, to run one chaise and four against another, three times round the course; and our adventurer had the satisfaction of seeing his antagonist72 distanced in the first and second heat; but, all of a sudden, one of the horses of his machine was knocked up, by which accident the victory was ravished almost from his very grasp, and he was obliged to endure the damage and the scorn.
He was deeply affected73 with this misfortune, which he imputed74 to his own extravagance and temerity75; but discovered no external signs of affliction, because his illustrious partner bore his loss with the most philosophic76 resignation, consoling himself, as well as Pickle, with the hope of making it up on some other occasion. Nevertheless, our young gentleman could not help admiring, and even envying his equanimity77, not knowing that his lordship had managed matters so as to be a gainer by the misfortune; which to retrieve78, Peregrine purchased several horses, at the recommendation of his friend; and, instead of returning to London, made a tour with him to all the celebrated79 races in England, at which, after several vicissitudes80 of fortune, he made shift, before the end of the season, to treble his loss.
But his hopes seemed to increase with his ill-luck. In the beginning of winter he came to town, fully62 persuaded that fortune must necessarily change, and that next season he should reap the happy fruits of his experience. In this confidence, he seemed to drown all ideas of prudence81 and economy. His former expense was mere parsimony82, compared with that which he now incurred83. He subscribed84 to the opera, and half a dozen concerts at different parts of the town; was a benefactor85 to several hospitals; purchased a collection of valuable pictures; took a house, and furnished it in a most magnificent taste, laid in a large stock of French wines, and gave extravagant86 entertainments to his quality friends, who, in return, loaded him with compliments, and insisted upon his making use of their interest and goodwill87.
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1
intimacy
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| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
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bucks
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| n.雄鹿( buck的名词复数 )；钱；（英国十九世纪初的）花花公子；（用于某些表达方式）责任v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的第三人称单数 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃 | |
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bullies
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| n.欺凌弱小者, 开球 vt.恐吓, 威胁, 欺负 | |
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constables
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| n.警察( constable的名词复数 ) | |
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economists
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| n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 ) | |
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coaxing
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| v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的现在分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱；“锻炼”效应 | |
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hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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divers
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| adj.不同的；种种的 | |
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jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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lengthened
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| （时间或空间）延长，伸长( lengthen的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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accosted
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| 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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profess
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| v.声称，冒称，以...为业，正式接受入教，表明信仰 | |
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professed
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| 公开声称的，伪称的，已立誓信教的 | |
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alleging
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| 断言，宣称，辩解( allege的现在分词 ) | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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compassion
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| n.同情，怜悯 | |
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complaisance
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| n.彬彬有礼，殷勤，柔顺 | |
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disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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presumption
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| n.推测，可能性，冒昧，放肆，[法律]推定 | |
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speck
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| n.微粒，小污点，小斑点 | |
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bigoted
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| adj.固执己见的，心胸狭窄的 | |
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pickle
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| n.腌汁，泡菜；v.腌，泡 | |
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gad
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| n.闲逛；v.闲逛 | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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naught
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| n.无，零 [=nought] | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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hip
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| n.臀部，髋；屋脊 | |
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dilemma
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| n.困境，进退两难的局面 | |
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maxim
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| n.格言，箴言 | |
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ingratitude
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| n.忘恩负义 | |
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lottery
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| n.抽彩；碰运气的事，难于算计的事 | |
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raffle
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| n.废物，垃圾，抽奖售卖；v.以抽彩出售 | |
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mightily
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| ad.强烈地；非常地 | |
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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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subscribe
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| vi.(to)订阅，订购；同意；vt.捐助，赞助 | |
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39
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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adorned
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| [计]被修饰的 | |
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shunned
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| v.避开，回避，避免( shun的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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congees
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| v.告别，鞠躬( congee的第三人称单数 ) | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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connoisseurs
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| n.鉴赏家，鉴定家，行家( connoisseur的名词复数 ) | |
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appraise
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| v.估价，评价，鉴定 | |
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paltry
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| adj.无价值的，微不足道的 | |
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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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conjecture
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| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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condescended
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| 屈尊，俯就( condescend的过去式和过去分词 )； 故意表示和蔼可亲 | |
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veneration
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| n.尊敬，崇拜 | |
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52
tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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dictates
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| 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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54
condemning
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| v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的现在分词 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地 | |
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mortification
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| n.耻辱，屈辱 | |
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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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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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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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imbibed
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| v.吸收( imbibe的过去式和过去分词 )；喝；吸取；吸气 | |
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contemplated
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| adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式 | |
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exertion
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| n.尽力，努力 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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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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demon
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| n.魔鬼，恶魔 | |
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hovers
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| 鸟( hover的第三人称单数 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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tainting
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| v.使变质( taint的现在分词 )；使污染；败坏；被污染，腐坏，败坏 | |
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epidemic
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| n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的 | |
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partnership
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| n.合作关系，伙伴关系 | |
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concurrence
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| n.同意；并发 | |
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antagonist
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| n.敌人，对抗者，对手 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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imputed
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| v.把（错误等）归咎于( impute的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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temerity
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| n.鲁莽，冒失 | |
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philosophic
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| adj.哲学的，贤明的 | |
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equanimity
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| n.沉着，镇定 | |
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retrieve
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| vt.重新得到，收回；挽回，补救；检索 | |
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celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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vicissitudes
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| n.变迁，世事变化；变迁兴衰( vicissitude的名词复数 )；盛衰兴废 | |
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81
prudence
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| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
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parsimony
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| n.过度节俭，吝啬 | |
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incurred
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| [医]招致的，遭受的； incur的过去式 | |
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84
subscribed
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| v.捐助( subscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；签署，题词；订阅；同意 | |
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85
benefactor
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| n. 恩人，行善的人，捐助人 | |
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86
extravagant
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| adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的 | |
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87
goodwill
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| n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉 | |
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