the expedition of humphry clinker-第57章

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There　is　no　hold　by　which　an　Englishman　is　sooner　taken　than　that
of　compassion　　We　were　immediately　interested　in　behalf　of　this
veteran。　Even　Tabby's　heart　was　melted；　but　our　pity　was　warmed
with　indignation；　when　we　learned；　that　in　the　course　of　two
sanguinary　wars；　he　had　been　wounded；　maimed；　mutilated；　taken；
and　enslaved；　without　ever　having　attained　a　higher　rank　than
that　of　lieutenant　　My　uncle's　eyes　gleamed；　and　his　nether　lip
quivered；　while　he　exclaimed；　'I　vow　to　God；　sir；　your　case　is　a
reproach　to　the　service　　The　injustice　you　have　met　with　is　so
flagrant'　　'I　must　crave　your　pardon；　sir　（cried　the　other；
interrupting　him）；　I　complain　of　no　injustice　　I　purchased　an
ensigncy　thirty　years　ago；　and；　in　the　course　of　service　rose　to
a　lieutenant；　according　to　my　seniority'　　'But　in　such　a　length
of　time　（resumed　the　'squire）；　you　must　have　seen　a　great　many
young　officers　put　over　your　head'　　'Nevertheless　（said　he）；　I
have　no　cause　to　murmur　　They　bought　their　preferment　with　their
money　　I　had　no　money　to　carry　to　market　that　was　my　misfortune；
but　no　body　was　to　blame'　　'What！　no　friend　to　advance　a　sum　of
money？'　（said　Mr　Bramble）　'Perhaps；　I　might　have　borrowed　money
for　the　purchase　of　a　company　（answered　the　other）；　but　that　loan
must　have　been　refunded；　and　I　did　not　chuse　to　incumber　myself
with　a　debt　of　a　thousand　pounds；　to　be　payed　from　an　income　of
ten　shillings　a…day。'　'So　you　have　spent　the　best　part　of　your
life　（cried　Mr　Bramble）；　your　youth；　your　blood；　and　your
constitution；　amidst　the　dangers；　the　difficulties；　the　horrors
and　hardships　of　a　war；　for　the　consideration　of　three　or　four
shillings　a…day　a　consideration　'　'Sir　（replied　the　Scot；　with
great　warmth）；　you　are　the　man　that　does　me　injustice；　if　you　say
or　think　I　have　been　actuated　by　any　such　paltry　consideration　　I
am　a　gentleman；　and　entered　the　service　as　other　gentlemen　do；
with　such　hopes　and　sentiments　as　honourable　ambition　inspires　
If　I　have　not　been　lucky　in　the　lottery　of　life；　so　neither　do　I
think　myself　unfortunate　　I　owe　to　no　man　a　farthing；　I　can
always　command　a　clean　shirt；　a　mutton…chop；　and　a　truss　of
straw；　and　when　I　die；　I　shall　leave　effects　sufficient　to　defray
the　expence　of　my　burial。'

My　uncle　assured　him；　he　had　no　intention　to　give　him　the　least
offence；　by　the　observations　he　had　made；　but；　on　the　contrary；
spoke　from　a　sentiment　of　friendly　regard　to　his　interest　　The
lieutenant　thanked　him　with　a　stiffness　of　civility；　which
nettled　our　old　gentleman；　who　perceived　that　his　moderation　was
all　affected；　for；　whatsoever　his　tongue　might　declare；　his　whole
appearance　denoted　dissatisfaction　　In　short；　without　pretending
to　judge　of　his　military　merit；　I　think　I　may　affirm；　that　this
Caledonian　is　a　self…conceited　pedant；　aukward；　rude；　and
disputacious　　He　has　had　the　benefit　of　a　school…education；　seems
to　have　read　a　good　number　of　books；　his　memory　is　tenacious；　and
he　pretends　to　speak　several　different　languages；　but　he　is　so
addicted　to　wrangling；　that　he　will　cavil　at　the　clearest　truths；
and；　in　the　pride　of　argumentation；　attempt　to　reconcile
contradictions　　Whether　his　address　and　qualifications　are　really
of　that　stamp　which　is　agreeable　to　the　taste　of　our　aunt；　Mrs
Tabitha；　or　that　indefatigable　maiden　is　determined　to　shoot　at
every　sort　of　game；　certain　it　is　she　has　begun　to　practice　upon
the　heart　of　the　lieutenant；　who　favoured　us　with　his　company　to
supper。

I　have　many　other　things　to　say　of　this　man　of　war；　which　I　shall
communicate　in　a　post　or　two；　mean　while；　it　is　but　reasonable
that　you　should　be　indulged　with　some　respite　from　those　weary
lucubrations　of

Yours；
J。　MELFORD
NEWCASTLE　UPON　TYNE；　July　10。



To　Sir　WATKIN　PHILLIPS　Bart。　of　Jesus　college；　Oxon。

DEAR　PHILLIPS；

In　my　last　I　treated　you　with　a　high　flavoured　dish；　in　the
character　of　the　Scotch　lieutenant；　and　I　must　present　him　once
more　for　your　entertainment。　It　was　our　fortune　to　feed　upon　him
the　best　part　of　three　days；　and　I　do　not　doubt　that　he　will
start　again　in　our　way　before　we　shall　have　finished　our　northern
excursion。　The　day　after　our　meeting　with　him　at　Durham　proved　so
tempestuous　that　we　did　not　choose　to　proceed　on　our　journey；　and
my　uncle　persuaded　him　to　stay　till　the　weather　should　clear　up；
giving　him；　at　the　same　time；　a　general　invitation　to　our　mess。
The　man　has　certainly　gathered　a　whole　budget　of　shrewd
observations；　but　he　brings　them　forth　in　such　an　ungracious
manner　as　would　be　extremely　disgusting；　if　it　was　not　marked　by
that　characteristic　oddity　which　never　fails　to　attract　the
attention　　He　and　Mr　Bramble　discoursed；　and　even　disputed；　on
different　subjects　in　war；　policy；　the　belles　lettres；　law；　and
metaphysics；　and　sometimes　they　were　warmed　into　such　altercation
as　seemed　to　threaten　an　abrupt　dissolution　of　their　society；　but
Mr　Bramble　set　a　guard　over　his　own　irascibility；　the　more
vigilantly　as　the　officer　was　his　guest；　and　when；　in　spite　of
all　his　efforts；　he　began　to　wax　warm；　the　other　prudently　cooled
in　the　same　proportion。

Mrs　Tabitha　chancing　to　accost　her　brother　by　the　familiar
diminutive　of　Matt；　'Pray；　sir　（said　the　lieutenant）；　'is　your
name　Matthias？'　You　must　know　it　is　one　of　our　uncle's　foibles　to
be　ashamed　of　his　name　Matthew；　because　it　is　puritanical；　and
this　question　chagrined　him　so　much；　that　he　answered；　'No；　by　G…d！'
in　a　very　abrupt　tone　of　displeasure。　　The　Scot　took　umbrage
at　the　manner　of　his　reply；　and　bristling　up；　'If　I　had　known
（said　he）　that　you　did　not　care　to　tell　your　name；　I　should　not
have　asked　the　question　　The　leddy　called　you　Matt；　and　I
naturally　thought　it　was　Matthias：　　perhaps；　it　may　be
Methuselah；　or　Metrodorus；　or　Metellus；　or　Mathurinus；　or
Malthinnus；　or　Matamorus；　or　'　'No　（cried　my　uncle　laughing）；　it
is　neither　of　those；　captain：　my　name　is　Matthew　Bramble；　at；
your　service。　　The　truth　is；　have　a　foolish　pique　at　the　name　of
Matthew；　because　it　favours　of　those　canting　hypocrites；　who；　in
Cromwell's　time；　christened　all　their　children　by　names　taken
from　the　scripture。'　'A　foolish　pique　indeed。　（cried　Mrs　Tabby）；
and　even　sinful；　to　fall　out　with　your　name　because　it　is　taken
from　holy　writ。　　I　would　have　you　to　know；　you　was　called　after
great…uncle　Matthew　ap　Madoc　ap　Meredith；　esquire；　of
Llanwysthin；　in　Montgomeryshire；　justice　of　the　quorum；　and
crusty　ruttleorum；　a　gentleman　of　great　worth　and　property；
descended　in　a　strait　line；　by　the　female　side；　from　Llewellyn；
prince　of　Wales。'

This　genealogical　anecdote　seemed　to　make　some　impression　upon
the　North…Briton；　who　bowed　very　low　to　the　descendant　of
Llewellyn；　and　observed　that　he　himself　had　the　honour　of　a
scriptural　nomination。　The　lady　expressing　a　desire　of　knowing
his　address；　he　said；　he　designed　himself　Lieutenant　Obadiah
Lismahago；　and　in　order　to　assist　her　memory；　he　presented　her
with　a　slip　of　paper　inscribed　with　these　three　words；　which　she
repeated　with　great　emphasis；　declaring；　it　was　one　of　the　most
noble　and　sonorous　names　she　had　ever　heard。　He　observed　that
Obadiah　was　an　adventitious　appellation；　derived　from　his　great…
grandfather；　who　had　been　one　of　the　original　covenanters；　but
Lismahago　was　the　family　surname；　taken　from　a　place　in　Scotland
so　called。　He　likewise　dropped　some　hints　about　the　antiquity　of
his　pedigree；　adding；　with　a　smile　of　self…denial；　Sed　genus　et
proavos；　et　quoe　non　fecimus　ipsi；　vix　ea　nostra　voco；　which
quotation　he　explained　in　deference　to　the　ladies；　and　Mrs
Tabitha　did　not　fail　to　compliment　him　on　his　modesty　in　waving
the　merit　of　his　ancestry；　adding；　that　it　was　the　less　necessary
to　him；　as　he　had　such　a　considerable　fund　of　his　own。　She　now
began　to　glew　herself　to　his　favour　with　the　grossest　adulation。　
She　expatiated　upon　the　antiquity　and　virtues　of　the　Scottish
nation；　upon　their　valour；　probity；　learning；　and　politeness。　She
even　descended　to　encomiums　on　his　own　personal　address；　his
gallantry；　good　sense；　and　erudition。　　She　appealed　to　her
brother；　whether　the　captain　was　not　the　very　image　of　our　cousin
governor　Griffith。　She　discovered