the expedition of humphry clinker-第48章

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generous　concern　in　the　cause　of　your　servant；　I　conceived　a
particular　esteem　and　veneration　for　your　person；　and　yet　what　I
say　is　true。　I　should　think　myself　happy；　if　I　could　be　admitted
into　your　protection　and　service；　as　house…steward；　clerk；
butler；　or　bailiff；　for　either　of　which　places　I　think　myself
tolerably　well　qualified；　and；　sure　I　am；　I　should　not　be　found
deficient　in　gratitude　and　fidelity　　At　the　same　time；　I　am　very
sensible　how　much　you　must　deviate　from　the　common　maxims　of
discretion；　even　in　putting　my　professions　to　the　trial；　but　I
don't　look　upon　you　as　a　person　that　thinks　in　the　ordinary
stile；　and　the　delicacy　of　my　situation；　will；　I　know；　justify
this　address　to　a　heart　warmed　with　beneficence　and　compassion　
Understanding　you　are　going　pretty　far　north；　I　shall　take　an
opportunity　to　throw　myself　in　your　way　again；　before　you　reach
the　borders　of　Scotland；　and；　I　hope；　by　that　time；　you　will　have
taken　into　consideration；　the　truly　distressful　case　of；

honoured　sir；
your　very　humble；　and　devoted　servant；
EDWARD　MARTIN'

The　'squire；　having　perused　this　letter；　put　it　into　my　hand；
without　saying　a　syllable；　and　when　I　had　read　it　we　looked　at
each　other　in　silence。　From　a　certain　sparkling　in　his　eyes；　I
discovered　there　was　more　in　his　heart；　than　he　cared　to　express
with　his　tongue；　in　favour　of　poor　Martin；　and　this　was　precisely
my　own　feeling；　which　he　did　not　fail　to　discern；　by　the　same
means　of　communication　　'What　shall　we　do　（said　he）　to　save　this
poor　sinner　from　the　gallows；　and　make　him　a　useful　member　of　the
commonwealth；　and　yet　the　proverb　says；　Save　a　thief　from　the
gallows；　and　he'll　cut　your　throat。'　I　told　him　I　really　believed
Martin　was　capable　of　giving　the　proverb　the　lie；　and　that　I
should　heartily　concur　in　any　step　he　might　take　in　favour　of　his
solicitation。　We　mutually　resolved　to　deliberate　upon　the
subject；　and；　in　the　mean　time；　proceeded　on　our　journey。　The
roads；　having　been　broken　up　by　the　heavy　rains　in　the　spring；
were　so　rough；　that　although　we　travelled　very　slowly；　the
jolting　occasioned　such　pain；　to　my　uncle；　that　he　was　become
exceedingly　peevish　when　we　arrived　at　this　place；　which　lies
about　eight　miles　from　the　postroad；　between　Wetherby　and
Boroughbridge。

Harrigate…water；　so　celebrated　for　its　efficacy　in　the　scurvy　and
other　distempers；　is　supplied　from　a　copious　spring；　in　the
hollow　of　a　wild　common；　round　which；　a　good　many　houses　have
been　built　for　the　convenience　of　the　drinkers；　though　few　of
them　are　inhabited。　Most　of　the　company　lodge　at　some　distance；
in　five　separate　inns；　situated　in　different　parts　of　the
commons；　from　whence　they　go　every　morning　to　the　well；　in　their
own　carriages。　The　lodgers　of　each　inn　form　a　distinct　society；
that　eat　together；　and　there　is　a　commodious　public　room；　where
they　breakfast　in　disabille；　at　separate　tables；　from　eight
o'clock　till　eleven；　as　they　chance　or　chuse　to　come　in　　Here
also　they　drink　tea　in　the　afternoon；　and　play　at　cards　or　dance
in　the　evening。　One　custom；　however；　prevails；　which　I　looked
upon　as　a　solecism　in　politeness。　The　ladies　treat　with　tea　in
their　turns；　and　even　girls　of　sixteen　are　not　exempted　from　this
shameful　imposition　　There　is　a　public　ball　by　subscription　every
night　at　one　of　the　houses；　to　which　all　the　company　from　the
others　are　admitted　by　tickets；　and；　indeed；　Harrigate　treads
upon　the　heels　of　Bath；　in　the　articles　of　gaiety　and
dissipation　　with　this　difference；　however；　that　here　we　are　more
sociable　and　familiar。　One　of　the　inns　is　already　full　up　to　the
very　garrets；　having　no　less　than　fifty　lodgers；　and　as　many
servants。　Our　family　does　not　exceed　thirty…six；　and　I　should　be
sorry　to　see　the　number　augmented；　as　our　accommodations　won't
admit　of　much　increase。

At　present；　the　company　is　more　agreeable　than　one　could　expect
from　an　accidental　assemblage　of　persons；　who　are　utter　strangers
to　one　another　　There　seems　to　be　a　general　disposition　among　us
to　maintain　good…fellowship；　and　promote　the　purposes　of
humanity；　in　favour　of　those　who　come　hither　on　the　score　of
health。　I　see　several　faces　which　we　left　at　Bath；　although　the
majority　are　of　the　Northern　counties；　and　many　come　from
Scotland　for　the　benefit　of　these　waters　　In　such　a　variety；
there　must　be　some　originals；　among　whom　Mrs　Tabitha　Bramble　is
not　the　most　inconsiderable　　No　place　where　there　is　such　an
intercourse　between　the　sexes；　can　be　disagreeable　to　a　lady　of
her　views　and　temperament　　She　has　had　some　warm　disputes　at
table；　with　a　lame　parson　from　Northumberland；　on　the　new　birth；
and　the　insignificance　of　moral　virtue；　and　her　arguments　have
been　reinforced　by　an　old　Scotch　lawyer；　in　a　rye　periwig；　who；
though　he　has　lost　his　teeth；　and　the　use　of　his　limbs；　can　still
wag　his　tongue　with　great　volubility。　He　has　paid　her　such
fulsome　compliments；　upon　her　piety　and　learning；　as　seem　to　have
won　her　heart；　and　she；　in　her　turn；　treats　him　with　such
attention　as　indicates　a　design　upon　his　person；　but；　by　all
accounts；　he　is　too　much　of　a　fox　to　be　inveigled　into　any　snare
that　she　can　lay　for　his　affection。

We　do　not　propose　to　stay　long　at　Harrigate；　though；　at　present；
it　is　our　headquarters；　from　whence　we　shall　make　some
excursions；　to　visit　two　or　three　of　our　rich　relations；　who　are
settled　in　this　country。　　Pray；　remember　me　to　all　our　friends　of
Jesus；　and　allow　me　to　be　still

Yours　affectionately；
J。　MELFORD
HARRIGATE；　June　23。



To　Dr　LEWIS。

DEAR　DOCTOR；

Considering　the　tax　we　pay　for　turnpikes；　the　roads　of　this
county　constitute　a　most　intolerable　grievance。　Between　Newark
and　Weatherby；　I　have　suffered　more　from　jolting　and　swinging
than　ever　I　felt　in　the　whole　course　of　my　life；　although　the
carriage　is　remarkably　commodious　and　well　hung；　and　the
postilions　were　very　careful　in　driving。　I　am　now　safely　housed
at　the　New　Inn；　at　Harrigate；　whither　I　came　to　satisfy　my
curiosity；　rather　than　with　any　view　of　advantage　to　my　health；
and；　truly；　after　having　considered　all　the　parts　and　particulars
of　the　place；　I　cannot　account　for　the　concourse　of　people　one
finds　here；　upon　any　other　principle　but　that　of　caprice；　which
seems　to　be　the　character　of　our　nation。

Harrigate　is　a　wild　common；　bare　and　bleak；　without　tree　or
shrub；　or　the　least　signs　of　cultivation；　and　the　people　who
come　to　drink　the　water；　are　crowded　together　in　paltry　inns；
where　the　few　tolerable　rooms　are　monopolized　by　the　friends　and
favourites　of　the　house；　and　all　the　rest　of　the　lodgers　are
obliged　to　put　up　with　dirty　holes；　where　there　is　neither　space；
air；　nor　convenience。　My　apartment　is　about　ten　feet　square；　and
when　the　folding　bed　is　down；　there　is　just　room　sufficient　to
pass　between　it　and　the　fire。　One　might　expect；　indeed；　that
there　would　be　no　occasion　for　a　fire　at　Midsummer；　but　here　the
climate　is　so　backward；　that　an　ash　tree；　which　our　landlord
has　planted　before　my　window；　is　just　beginning　to　put　forth　its
leaves；　and　I　am　fain　to　have　my　bed　warmed　every　night。

As　for　the　water；　which　is　said　to　have　effected　so　many
surprising　cures；　I　have　drank　it　once；　and　the　first　draught　has
cured　me　of　all　desire　to　repeat　the　medicine。　　Some　people　say
it　smells　of　rotten　eggs；　and　others　compare　it　to　the　scourings
of　a　foul　gun。　　It　is　generally　supposed　to　be　strongly
impregnated　with　sulphur；　and　Dr　Shaw；　in　his　book　upon　mineral
water；　says；　he　has　seen　flakes　of　sulphur　floating　in　the　well　
Pace　tanti　viri；　I；　for　my　part；　have　never　observed　any　thing
like　sulphur；　either　in　or　about　the　well；　neither　do　I　find　that
any　brimstone　has　ever　been　extracted　from　the　water。　As　for　the
smell；　if　I　may　be　allowed　to　judge　from　my　own　organs；　it　is
exactly　that　of　bilge…water；　and　the　saline　taste　of　it　seems　to
declare　that　it　is　nothing　else　than　salt　water　putrified　in　the
bowels　of　the　earth。　I　was　obliged　to　hold　my　nose　with　one　hand；
while　I　advanced　the　glass　to　my　mouth　with　the　other；　and　after
I　had　made　shift　to　swallow　it；　my　stomach　could　hardly　retain
what　it　had　received。　　The　only　effects　it　produced　were