the expedition of humphry clinker-第34章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


the　Five　Nations　　Our　good　friends　the　Five　Nations。　　The
Toryrories；　the　Maccolmacks；　the　Out…o'the…ways；　the　Crickets；
and　the　Kickshaws　　Let　'em　have　plenty　of　blankets；　and
stinkubus；　and　wampum；　and　your　excellency　won't　fail　to　scour
the　kettle；　and　boil　the　chain；　and　bury　the　tree；　and　plant　the
hatchet　　Ha；　ha；　ha！'　When　he　had　uttered　this　rhapsody；　with　his
usual　precipitation；　Mr　Barton　gave　him　to　understand；　that　I　was
neither　Sir　Francis；　nor　St　Francis；　but　simply　Mr　Melford；
nephew　to　Mr　Bramble；　who；　stepping　forward；　made　his　bow　at　the
same　time。　'Odso！　no　more　it　is　Sir　Francis　　（said　this　wise
statesman）　Mr　Melford；　I'm　glad　to　see　you　　I　sent　you　an
engineer　to　fortify　your　dock　　Mr　Bramble　　your　servant；　Mr
Bramble　　How　d'ye；　good　Mr　Bramble？　Your　nephew　is　a　pretty　young
fellow　　Faith　and　troth；　a　very　pretty　fellow！　　His　father　is　my
old　friend　　How　does　he　hold　it？　Still　troubled　with　that　damned
disorder；　ha？'　'No；　my　lord　（replied　my　uncle）；　all　his　troubles
are　over　　He　has　been　dead　these　fifteen　years。'　'Dead！　how　　Yes
faith！　now　I　remember：　he　is　dead　sure　enough　　Well；　and　how　
does　the　young　gentleman　stand　for　Haverford　West？　or　　a　what
d'ye。　My　dear　Mr　Milfordhaven；　I'll　do　you　all　the　service　in　my
power　I　hope　I　have　some　credit　left'　　My　uncle　then　gave　him　to
understand；　that　I　was　still　a　minor；　and　that　we　had　no
intention　to　trouble　him　at　present；　for　any　favour　whatsoever　
'I　came　hither　with　my　nephew　（added　he）　to　pay　our　respects　to
your　grace；　and　I　may　venture　to　say；　that　his　views　and　mine　are
at　least　as　disinterested　as　those　of　any　individual　in　this
assembly。'　'My　dear　Mr　Brambleberry！　you　do　me　infinite　honour　　I
shall　always　rejoice　to　see　you　and　your　hopeful　nephew；　Mr
Milfordhaven　　My　credit；　such　as　it　is；　you　may　command　　I　wish
we　had　more　friends　of　your　kidney。'

Then；　turning　to　captain　C；　'Ha；　C！　（said　he）　what　news；　C？
How　does　the　world　wag？　ha！'　'The　world　wags　much　after　the　old
fashion；　my　lord　（answered　the　captain）：　the　politicians　of
London　and　Westminster　have　begun　again　to　wag　their　tongues
against　your　grace；　and　your　short…lived　popularity　wags　like　a
feather；　which　the　next　puff　of　antiministerial　calumny　will　blow
away'　　'A　pack　of　rascals　（cried　the　duke）　　Tories；　Jacobites；
rebels；　one　half　of　them　would　wag　their　heels　at　Tyburn；　if　they
had　their　deserts'　　So　saying；　he　wheeled　about；　and　going　round
the　levee；　spoke　to　every　individual；　with　the　most　courteous
familiarity；　but　he　scarce　ever　opened　his　mouth　without　making
some　blunder；　in　relation　to　the　person　or　business　of　the　party
with　whom　he　conversed；　so　that　he　really　looked　like　a　comedian；
hired　to　burlesque　the　character　of　a　minister　　At　length；　a
person　of　a　very　prepossessing　appearance　coming　in；　his　grace
ran　up；　and；　hugging　him　in　his　arms；　with　the　appellation　of　'My
dear　Chs！'　led　him　forthwith　into　the　inner　apartment；　or
Sanctum　Sanctorum　of　this　political　temple。　'That　（said　captain
C）　is　my　friend　C　T；　almost　the　only　man　of　parts　who　has
any　concern　in　the　present　administration　　Indeed；　he　would　have
no　concern　at　all　in　the　matter；　if　the　ministry　did　not　find　it
absolutely　necessary　to　make　use　of　his　talents　upon　some
particular　occasions　　As　for　the　common　business　of　the　nation；
it　is　carried　on　in　a　constant　routine　by　the　clerks　of　the
different　offices；　otherwise　the　wheels　of　government　would　be
wholly　stopt　amidst　the　abrupt　succession　of　ministers；　every　one
more　ignorant　than　his　predecessor　　I　am　thinking　what　a　fine
hovel　we　should　be　in；　if　all　the　clerks　of　the　treasury；　the
secretaries；　of　the　war…office；　and　the　admiralty；　should　take　it
in　their　heads　to　throw　up　their　places　in　imitation　of　the　great
pensioner　But；　to　return　to　C　T；　he　certainly　knows　more
than　all　the　ministry　and　all　the　opposition；　if　their　heads　were
laid　together；　and　talks　like　an　angel　on　a　vast　variety　of
subjects。　He　would　really　be　a　great　man；　if　he　had　any
consistency　or　stability　of　character　　Then；　it　must　be　owned；　he
wants　courage；　otherwise　he　would　never　allow　himself　to　be　cowed
by　the　great　political　bully；　for　whose　understanding　he　has
justly　a　very　great　contempt。　I　have　seen　him　as　much　afraid　of
that　overbearing　Hector；　as　ever　schoolboy　was　of　his　pedagogue；
and　yet　this　Hector；　I　shrewdly　suspect；　is　no　more　than　a　craven
at　bottom　　Besides　this　defect；　C　has　another；　which　he　is　at
too　little　pains　to　hide　　There's　no　faith　to　be　given　to　his
assertions；　and　no　trust　to　be　put　in　his　promises　　However；　to
give　the　devil　his　due；　he's　very　good…natured；　and　even
friendly；　when　close　urged　in　the　way　of　solicitation　　As　for
principle；　that's　out　of　the　question　　In　a　word；　he　is　a　wit　and
an　orator；　extremely　entertaining；　and　he　shines　very　often　at
the　expence　even　of　those　ministers　to　whom　he　is　a　retainer。　This
is　a　mark　of　great　imprudence；　by　which　he　has　made　them　all　his
enemies；　whatever　face　they　may　put　upon　the　matter；　and　sooner
or　later　he'll　have　cause　to　wish　he　had　been　able　to　keep　his
own　counsel。　I　have　several　times　cautioned　him　on　this　subject；
but　'tis　all　preaching　to　the　desert　　His　vanity　runs　away　with
his　discretion'　　I　could　not　help　thinking　the　captain　himself
might　have　been　the　better　for　some　hints　of　the　same　nature　　His
panegyric；　excluding　principle　and　veracity；　puts　me　in　mind　of　a
contest　I　once　overheard；　in　the　way　of　altercation；　betwixt　two
apple…women　in　Spring…garden　　One　of　those　viragos　having　hinted
something　to　the　prejudice　of　the　other's　moral　character；　her
antagonist；　setting　her　hands　in　her　sides；　replied　　'Speak　out；
hussy　　I　scorn　your　malice　　I　own　I'm　both　a　whore　and　a　thief；
and　what　more　have　you　to　say？　　Damn　you；　what　more　have　you　to
say？　baiting　that；　which　all　the　world　knows；　I　challenge　you　to
say　black　is　the　white　of　my　eye'　　We　did　not　wait　for　Mr　T's
coming　forth；　but　after　captain　C　had　characterised　all　the
originals　in　waiting；　we　adjourned　to　a　coffeehouse；　where　we　had
buttered　muffins　and　tea　to　breakfast；　the　said　captain　still
favouring　us　with　his　company　　Nay；　my　uncle　was　so　diverted　with
his　anecdotes；　that　he　asked　him　to　dinner；　and　treated　him　with
a　fine　turbot；　to　which　he　did　ample　justice　　That　same　evening　I
spent　at　the　tavern　with　some　friends；　one　of　whom　let　me　into　C's
character；　which　Mr　Bramble　no　sooner　understood；　than　he
expressed　some　concern　for　the　connexion　he　had　made；　and
resolved　to　disengage　himself　from　it　without　ceremony。

We　are　become　members　of　the　Society　for　the　Encouragement　of　the
Arts；　and　have　assisted　at　some　of　their　deliberations；　which
were　conducted　with　equal　spirit　and　sagacity　　My　uncle　is
extremely　fond　of　the　institution；　which　will　certainly　be
productive　of　great　advantages　to　the　public；　if；　from　its
democratical　form；　it　does　not　degenerate　into　cabal　and
corruption　　You　are　already　acquainted　with　his　aversion　to　the
influence　of　the　multitude；　which；　he　affirms；　is　incompatible
with　excellence；　and　subversive　of　order　　Indeed　his　detestation
of　the　mob　has　been　heightened　by　fear；　ever　since　he　fainted　in
the　room　at　Bath；　and　this　apprehension　has　prevented　him　from
going　to　the　Little　Theatre　in　the　Hay…market；　and　other　places
of　entertainment；　to　which；　however；　I　have　had　the　honour　to
attend　the　ladies。

It　grates　old　Square…toes　to　reflect；　that　it　is　not　in　his　power
to　enjoy　even　the　most　elegant　diversions　of　the　capital；　without
the　participation　of　the　vulgar；　for　they　now　thrust　themselves
into　all　assemblies；　from　a　ridotto　at　St　James's；　to　a　hop　at
Rotherhithe。　I　have　lately　seen　our　old　acquaintance　Dick　Ivy；
who　we　imagined　had　died　of　dram…drinking；　but　he　is　lately
emerged　from　the　Fleet；　by　means　of　a　pamphlet　which　he　wrote　and
published　against　the　government　with　some　success。　The　sale　of
this　performance　enabled　him　to　appear　in　clean　linen；　and　he　is
now　going　about　soliciting　subscriptions　for　his　Poems；　but　his
breeches　are　not　yet　in　the　most　decent　order。

Dick　certainly　deserves　some　countenance　for　his　intrepidity　and
perseverance　　It　is　not　in　the　power　o