THE JOURNAL F A VOYAGE TO LISBON. Wednesday, June 26, 1754. N this day, the most melancholy fun my own opinion, last to behold and take leave of fome of thofe creatures on whom I doated with a mother like fondness, guided by nature and paffion, and uncured and unhardened by all the doctrine of that philofophical school where I had learnt to bear pains and to despise death. In this fituation, as I could not conquer nas ture, I fubmitted entirely to her, and the made as great a fool of me as the had ever done of any woman whatsoever: under pretence of giving me leave to enjoy, the drew me in to fuffer the company of my little ones, during eight hours; and I doubt not whether, in that time, I did not I undergo more than in all my diítemper. At twelve precifely my coach was at the door, which was no fooner told me than I kiffed my children round, and went into it with fome little refolution. My wife, who behaved more like a heroine and philofopher, though at the same time the tendereft mother in the world, and my eldest daughter followed me; fome friends went with us, and others here took their leave; and I heard my behaviour applauded, with many murmurs and praifes to which I well knew I had no title; as all other fuch philofophers may, if they have any modefty, confefs on the like occafions. In two hours we arrived in Rederiffe, and immediately went on board, and were to have failed the next morning; but as this was the king's proclamation-day, and confequently a holiday at the Custom-house, the captain could not elear his veffel till the Thurfday; for thefe holidays are as firictly obferved as thofe in the popish ca lendar, and are almost as numerous. I might add, that both are oppofite to the genius of trade, and confequently contra bonum publicum. Το go on board the ship it was neceffary firft to go into a boat; amatter of no small difficulty, as I had no ufe of my limbs, and was to be carried by men, who though fufficiently ftrong for their burden, were, like Archimedes, puzzled to find a steady footing. Of this, as few of my readers have not gone into wherries on the Thames, they will eafily be able to form to them. felves an idea. However, by the affritance of my friend Mr. Welch, whom I never think or fpeak of but with love and efteem, I conquered this culty, as I did afterwards that of afcending he fhip, into winch I was hoitted with more cafe by a chair lifted withpullies. I was foon [eated in a great chair in the cabin, to refresh myfelf after a fatigue which had been more intolerable, in a quarter of a mile's paffage from my coach to the fhip, than I had before undergone in a landjourney of twelve miles, which I had travelled with the utmost expedition. This latter fatigue was, perhaps, fomewhat heightened by an indignation which I could not prevent arifing in my mind. I think, upon my entrance into the boat, I prefented a fpectacle of the highest horror. The total lofs of limbs was apparent to all who faw me, and my face contained marks of a moft difeafed ftate, if not of death itself. Indeed fo ghattly was my countenance, that timorous women with child had abstained from my houfe, for fear of the ill confequences of looking at me. In this condition I ran the gauntlope, (fo I think I may juftly call it) through rows of failors and watermen, few of whom failed of paying their compliments to me, by all manner of infults and jefts on my mifery. No man who knew me will think I conceived any perfonal refentment at this beha viour; but it was a lively picture of that cruelty and inhumanity, in the nature of men, which I have often contemplated with concern; and which leads the mind into a train of very une comfortable and melancholy thoughts. It may be faid, that this barbarous cuttom is peculiar to the English, and of them only to the lowell de gree; that it is an excrefcence of an uncontrouled licentioufnefs mittaken for liberty, and never fhows itfelf in men who are polished and refined, in fuch manner as human nature requires, to produce that perfection of what it is fufceptible, and to purge away that malevolence of difpofition, of which, at our birth, we partake in common with the favage creation. This may be faid, and this is all that can be faid; and it is, I am afraid, but little fatisfactory to account for the inhumanity of those, who, while they boaft of being made after God's own image, feem to bear in their minds a refemblance of the vileft fpecies of brutes; or rather, indeed, of our idea of devils: for I don't know that any brutes can be taxed with fuch malevolence. A furloin of beef was now placed on the table, for which, though little better than carrion, as much was charged by the master of the little paltry alehouse who dreffed it, as would have been ̈. demanded for all the elegance of the King'sArms, or any other polite tavern, or eating houfe; for indeed the difference between the best house and the worst is, that at the former you pay largely for luxury, at the latter for nothing. Thursday, June 27. This morning the cap tain, who lay on fhore at his own house, paid us a vifit in the cabin; and after having expreffed his concern at the impoffibility of failing fo foon as he expected, hoped we would excufe delay, which he could not forefee, but affured us he would certainly fall down the river on Saturday. This indeed was no fmall mortification to me; for, befides the difagreeable fituation in which we then lay, in the confines of Wapping and Redriffe, tafting a delicious mixture of the air of both thefe fweet places, and enjoying the concord of fweet founds of feamen, watermen, fish-women, oyfter-women, and of all the vociferous inhabitants of both fhores, compofing altogether a greater variety of harmony than Hogarth's ima gination hath brought together in that print of Iris, which is enough to make a man deaf to look at; I had a more urgent caufe to prefs our departure, which was, that the dropfy, for which I had undergone three tappings, feemed to threaten me with a fourth difcharge before I fhould reach Lifbon, and when I fhould have no body on board capable of performing the opera tion; but I was obliged to hearken to the voice of reafon, if I may ufe the captain's own words, and to rest myfelf contented. Indeed there was no alternative within my reach, but what would have cost me much too dear. There are many evils in fociety, from which people of the higheft rank are fo entirely exempt, that they have not the leaft knowledge or idea of them; nor indeed of the characters which are formed by them. Such, for instance, is the conveyance of goods and paffengers from one place to another. Now there is no fuch thing as any kind of knowledge contemptible in itfelf; and as the particular knowledge I here mean is entirely neceffary to the well understanding and well enjoying this journal; and laitly, as in this cafe the moft ignorant will be thofe very readers whofe amusement we chiefly confult, and to whom we wish to be fuppofed principally to write, we will here enter fomewhat largely into the difcuffion of this matter; the rather, for that no antient or modern author (if we can truit the catalogue of Dr. Mead's library) hath ever undertaken it; but that it feems (in the ftile of Don Quixote) a task reserved for my pen alone. When I first conceived this intention, I began to entertain thoughts of inquiring into the |