第 11 节
作者:敏儿不觉      更新:2021-02-19 21:45      字数:9322
  divine love set over us as a race of beings of a superior order
  to men; and who; with great ease to themselves; might regulate
  our affairs and establish peace; modesty; freedom; and justice;
  and; totally destroying all sedition; might complete the
  happiness of the human race。  So far; at least; may even now be
  said with truth; that in all states which are under the
  government of mere man; without any divine assistance; there is
  nothing but labor and misery to be found。  From what I have said;
  therefore; we may at least learn; with our utmost endeavors; to
  imitate the Saturnian institution; borrowing all assistance from
  our immortal part; while we pay to this the strictest obedience;
  we should form both our private economy and public policy from
  its dictates。  By this dispensation of our immortal minds we are
  to establish a law and to call it by that name。  But if any
  government be in the hands of a single person; of the few; or of
  the many; and such governor or governors shall abandon himself or
  themselves to the unbridled pursuit of the wildest pleasures or
  desires; unable to restrain any passion; but possessed with an
  insatiable bad disease; if such shall attempt to govern; and at
  the same time to trample on all laws; there can be no means of
  preservation left for the wretched people。〃 Plato de Leg。; lib。
  iv。 p。 713; c。 714; edit。 Serrani。
  It is true that Plato is here treating of the highest or
  sovereign power in a state; but it is as true that his
  observations are general and may be applied to all inferior
  powers; and; indeed; every subordinate degree is immediately
  derived from the highest; and; as it is equally protected by the
  same force and sanctified by the same authority; is alike
  dangerous to the well…being of the subject。  Of all powers;
  perhaps; there is none so sanctified and protected as this which
  is under our present consideration。  So numerous; indeed; and
  strong; are the sanctions given to it by many acts of parliament;
  that; having once established the laws of customs on merchandise;
  it seems to have been the sole view of the legislature to
  strengthen the hands and to protect the persons of the officers
  who became established by those laws; many of whom are so far
  from bearing any resemblance to the Saturnian institution; and to
  be chosen from a degree of beings superior to the rest of human
  race; that they sometimes seem industriously picked out of the
  lowest and vilest orders of mankind。  There is; indeed; nothing;
  so useful to man in general; nor so beneficial to particular
  societies and individuals; as trade。  This is that alma mater at
  whose plentiful breast all mankind are nourished。  It is true;
  like other parents; she is not always equally indulgent to all
  her children; but; though she gives to her favorites a vast
  proportion of redundancy and superfluity; there are very few whom
  she refuses to supply with the conveniences; and none with the
  necessaries; of life。
  Such a benefactress as this must naturally be beloved by mankind
  in general; it would be wonderful; therefore; if her interest was
  not considered by them; and protected from the fraud and violence
  of some of her rebellious offspring; who; coveting more than
  their share or more than she thinks proper to allow them; are
  daily employed in meditating mischief against her; and in
  endeavoring to steal from their brethren those shares which this
  great alma mater had allowed them。
  At length our governor came on board; and about six in the
  evening we weighed anchor; and fell down to the Nore; whither our
  passage was extremely pleasant; the evening being very
  delightful; the moon just past the full; and both wind and tide
  favorable to us。
  Tuesday; July 2。This morning we again set sail; under all the
  advantages we had enjoyed the evening before。  This day we left
  the shore of Essex and coasted along Kent; passing by the
  pleasant island of Thanet; which is an island; and that of
  Sheppy; which is not an island; and about three o 'clock; the
  wind being now full in our teeth; we came to an anchor in the
  Downs; within two miles of Deal。My wife; having suffered
  intolerable pain from her tooth; again renewed her resolution of
  having it drawn; and another surgeon was sent for from Deal; but
  with no better success than the former。  He likewise declined the
  operation; for the same reason which had been assigned by the
  former:  however; such was her resolution; backed with pain; that
  he was obliged to make the attempt; which concluded more in honor
  of his judgment than of his operation; for; after having put my
  poor wife to inexpressible torment; he was obliged to leave her
  tooth in statu quo; and she had now the comfortable prospect of a
  long fit of pain; which might have lasted her whole voyage;
  without any possibility of relief。  In these pleasing sensations;
  of which I had my just share; nature; overcome with fatigue;
  about eight in the evening resigned her to resta circumstance
  which would have given me some happiness; could I have known how
  to employ those spirits which were raised by it; but;
  unfortunately for me; I was left in a disposition of enjoying an
  agreeable hour without the assistance of a companion; which has
  always appeared to me necessary to such enjoyment; my daughter
  and her companion were both retired sea…sick to bed; the other
  passengers were a rude school…boy of fourteen years old and an
  illiterate Portuguese friar; who understood no language but his
  own; in which I had not the least smattering。  The captain was
  the only person left in whose conversation I might indulge
  myself; but unluckily; besides a total ignorance of everything in
  the world but a ship; he had the misfortune of being so deaf;
  that to make him hear; I will not say understand; my words; I
  must run the risk of conveying them to the ears of my wife; who;
  though in another room (called; I think; the state…roombeing;
  indeed; a most stately apartment; capable of containing one human
  body in length; if not very tall; and three bodies in breadth);
  lay asleep within a yard of me。  In this situation necessity and
  choice were one and the same thing; the captain and I sat down
  together to a small bowl of punch; over which we both soon fell
  fast asleep; and so concluded the evening。
  Wednesday; July 3。This morning I awaked at four o'clock for my
  distemper seldom suffered me to sleep later。  I presently got up;
  and had the pleasure of enjoying the sight of a tempestuous sea
  for four hours before the captain was stirring; for he loved to
  indulge himself in morning slumbers; which were attended with a
  wind…music; much more agreeable to the performers than to the
  hearers; especially such as have; as I had; the privilege of
  sitting in the orchestra。  At eight o 'clock the captain rose;
  and sent his boat on shore。  I ordered my man likewise to go in
  it; as my distemper was not of that kind which entirely deprives
  us of appetite。  Now; though the captain had well victualled his
  ship with all manner of salt provisions for the voyage; and had
  added great quantities of fresh stores; particularly of
  vegetables; at Gravesend; such as beans and peas; which had been
  on board only two days; and had possibly not been gathered above
  two more; I apprehended I could provide better for myself at Deal
  than the ship's ordinary seemed to promise。  I accordingly sent
  for fresh provisions of all kinds from the shore; in order to put
  off the evil day of starving as long as possible。  My man
  returned with most of the articles I sent for; and I now thought
  myself in a condition of living a week on my own provisions。  I
  therefore ordered my own dinner; which I wanted nothing but a
  cook to dress and a proper fire to dress it at; but those were
  not to be had; nor indeed any addition to my roast mutton; except
  the pleasure of the captain's company; with that of the other
  passengers; for my wife continued the whole day in a state of
  dozing; and my other females; whose sickness did not abate by the
  rolling of the ship at anchor; seemed more inclined to empty
  their stomachs than to fill them。  Thus I passed the whole day
  (except about an hour at dinner) by myself; and the evening
  concluded with the captain as the preceding one had done; one
  comfortable piece of news he communicated to me; which was; that
  he had no doubt of a prosperous wind in the morning; but as he
  did not divulge the reasons of this confidence; and as I saw none
  myself besides the wind being directly opposite; my faith in this
  prophecy was not strong enough to build any great hopes upon。
  Thursday; July 4。This morning; however; the captain seemed
  resolved to fulfill his own predictions; whether the wind would
  or no; he accordingly weighed anchor; and; taking the advantage
  of the tide when the wind was not very boisterous; he hoisted his
  sails; and; as if his power had been no less absolute over Aeolus
  than it was ov