the expedition of humphry clinker-第83章

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and　is　become　a　new　creeter　from　the　ammunition　of　Humphry
Clinker；　our　new　footman；　a　pious　young　man；　who　has　laboured
exceedingly；　that　she　may　bring　forth　fruits　of　repentance。　I
make　no　doubt　but　he　will　take　the　same　pains　with　that　pert
hussey　Mary　Jones；　and　all　of　you；　and　that　he　may　have　power
given　to　penetrate　and　instill　his　goodness；　even　into　your　most
inward　parts；　is　the　fervent　prayer　of

Your　friend　in　the　spirit；
TAB。　BRAMBLE
Septr。　18。



To　Dr　LEWIS。

DEAR　LEWIS；

Lismahago　is　more　paradoxical　than　ever。　　The　late　gulp　he　had　of
his　native　air；　seems　to　have　blown　fresh　spirit　into　all　his
polemical　faculties。　I　congratulated　him　the　other　day　on　the
present　flourishing　state　of　his　country；　observing　that　the
Scots　were　now　in　a　fair　way　to　wipe　off　the　national　reproach　of
poverty；　and　expressing　my　satisfaction　at　the　happy　effects　of
the　union；　so　conspicuous　in　the　improvement　of　their
agriculture；　commerce；　manufactures；　and　manners　　The　lieutenant；
screwing　up　his　features　into　a　look　of　dissent　and　disgust；
commented　on　my　remarks　to　this　effect　　'Those　who　reproach　a
nation　for　its　poverty；　when　it　is　not　owing　to　the　profligacy　or
vice　of　the　people；　deserve　no　answer。　The　Lacedaemonians　were
poorer　than　the　Scots；　when　they　took　the　lead　among　all　the　free
states　of　Greece；　and　were　esteemed　above　them　all　for　their
valour　and　their　virtue。　The　most　respectable　heroes　of　ancient
Rome；　such　as　Fabricius；　Cincinnatus；　and　Regulus；　were　poorer
than　the　poorest　freeholder　in　Scotland；　and　there　are　at　this
day　individuals　in　North…Britain；　one　of　whom　can　produce　more
gold　and　silver　than　the　whole　republic　of　Rome　could　raise　at
those　times　when　her　public　virtue　shone　with　unrivalled　lustre；
and　poverty　was　so　far　from　being　a　reproach；　that　it　added　fresh
laurels　to　her　fame；　because　it　indicated　a　noble　contempt　of
wealth；　which　was　proof　against　all　the　arts　of　corruption　　If
poverty　be　a　subject　for　reproach；　it　follows　that　wealth　is　the
object　of　esteem　and　veneration　　In　that　case；　there　are　Jews　and
others　in　Amsterdam　and　London；　enriched　by　usury；　peculation；
and　different　species　of　fraud　and　extortion；　who　are　more
estimable　than　the　most　virtuous　and　illustrious　members　of　the
community。　An　absurdity　which　no　man　in　his　senses　will　offer　to
maintain。　　Riches　are　certainly　no　proof　of　merit：　nay　they　are
often　（if　not　most　commonly）　acquired　by　persons　of　sordid　minds
and　mean　talents：　nor　do　they　give　any　intrinsic　worth　to　the
possessor；　but；　on　the　contrary；　tend　to　pervert　his
understanding；　and　render　his　morals　more　depraved。　But；　granting
that　poverty　were　really　matter　of　reproach；　it　cannot　be　justly
imputed　to　Scotland。　No　country　is　poor　that　can　supply　its
inhabitants　with　the　necessaries　of　life；　and　even　afford
articles　for　exportation。　Scotland　is　rich　in　natural　advantages：
it　produces　every　species　of　provision　in　abundance；　vast　herds
of　cattle　and　flocks　of　sheep；　with　a　great　number　of　horses；
prodigious　quantities　of　wool　and　flax；　with　plenty　of　copse
wood；　and　in　some　parts　large　forests　of　timber。　The　earth　is
still　more　rich　below　than　above　the　surface。　It　yields
inexhaustible　stores　of　coal；　free…stone；　marble；　lead；　iron；
copper；　and　silver；　with　some　gold。　The　sea　abounds　with
excellent　fish；　and　salt　to　cure　them　for　exportation；　and　there
are　creeks　and　harbours　round　the　whole　kingdom；　for　the
convenience　and　security　of　navigation。　The　face　of　the　country
displays　a　surprising　number　of　cities；　towns；　villas；　and
villages；　swarming　with　people；　and　there　seems　to　be　no　want　of
art；　industry；　government；　and　police：　such　a　kingdom　can　never
be　called　poor；　in　any　sense　of　the　word；　though　there　may　be
many　others　more　powerful　and　opulent。　But　the　proper　use　of
those　advantages；　and　the　present　prosperity　of　the　Scots；　you
seem　to　derive　from　the　union　of　the　two　kingdoms！'

I　said；　I　supposed　he　would　not　deny　that　the　appearance　of　the
country　was　much　mended；　that　the　people　lived　better；　had　more
trade；　and　a　greater　quantity　of　money　circulating　since　the
union；　than　before。　'I　may　safely　admit　these　premises　（answered
the　lieutenant）；　without　subscribing　to　your　inference。　The
difference　you　mention；　I　should　take　to　be　the　natural　progress
of　improvement　　Since　that　period；　other　nations；　such　as　the
Swedes；　the　Danes；　and　in　particular　the　French；　have　greatly
increased　in　commerce；　without　any　such　cause　assigned。　Before
the　union；　there　was　a　remarkable　spirit　of　trade　among　the
Scots；　as　appeared　in　the　case　of　their　Darien　company；　in　which
they　had　embarked　no　less　than　four　hundred　thousand　pounds
sterling；　and　in　the　flourishing　state　of　the　maritime　towns　in
Fife；　and　on　the　eastern　coast；　enriched　by　their　trade　with
France；　which　failed　in　consequence　of　the　union。　The　only　solid
commercial　advantage　reaped　from　that　measure；　was　the　privilege
of　trading　to　the　English　plantations；　yet；　excepting　Glasgow　and
Dumfries；　I　don't　know　any　other　Scotch　towns　concerned　in　that
traffick。　In　other　respects；　I　conceive　the　Scots　were　losers　by
the　union。　　They　lost　the　independency　of　their　state；　the
greatest　prop　of　national　spirit；　they　lost　their　parliament；　and
their　courts　of　justice　were　subjected　to　the　revision　and
supremacy　of　an　English　tribunal。'

'Softly；　captain　（cried　I）；　you　cannot　be　said　to　have　lost　your
own　parliament；　while　you　are　represented　in　that　of　Great…Britain。'
'True　（said　he；　with　a　sarcastic　grin）；　in　debates　of
national　competition；　the　sixteen　peers　and　forty…five　commoners
of　Scotland；　must　make　a　formidable　figure　in　the　scale；　against
the　whole　English　legislature。'　'Be　that　as　it　may　（I　observed）
while　I　had　the　honour　to　sit　in　the　lower　house；　the　Scotch
members　had　always　the　majority　on　their　side。'　'I　understand
you；　Sir　（said　he）；　they　generally　side　with　the　majority；　so　much
the　worse　for　their　constituents。　But　even　this　evil　is　not　the
worst　they　have　sustained　by　the　union。　Their　trade　has　been　saddled
with　grievous　impositions；　and　every　article　of　living　severely
taxed；　to　pay　the　interest　of　enormous　debts；　contracted　by　the
English；　in　support　of　measures　and　connections　in　which　the
Scots　had　no　interest　nor　concern。'　I　begged　he　would　at　least
allow；　that　by　the　union　the　Scots　were　admitted　to　all　the
privileges　and　immunities　of　English　subjects；　by　which　means
multitudes　of　them　were　provided　for　in　the　army　and　navy；　and
got　fortunes　in　different　parts　of　England；　and　its　dominions。
'All　these　（said　he）　become　English　subjects　to　all　intents　and
purposes；　and　are　in　a　great　measure　lost　to　their　mother…country。
The　spirit　of　rambling　and　adventure　has　been　always
peculiar　to　the　natives　of　Scotland。　If　they　had　not　met　with
encouragement　in　England；　they　would　have　served　and　settled；　as
formerly；　in　other　countries；　such　as　Muscovy；　Sweden；　Denmark；
Poland；　Germany；　France；　Piedmont；　and　Italy；　in　all　which
nations　their　descendants　continue　to　flourish　even　at　this　day。'

By　this　time　my　patience　began　to　fail　and　I　exclaimed；　'For
God's　sake；　what　has　England　got　by　this　union　which；　you　say；
has　been　so　productive　of　misfortune　to　the　Scots。'　'　Great　and
manifold　are　the　advantages　which　England　derives　from　the　union
（said　Lismahago；　in　a　solemn　tone）。　First　and　foremost；　the
settlement　of　the　protestant　succession；　a　point　which　the
English　ministry　drove　with　such　eagerness；　that　no　stone　was
left　unturned；　to　cajole　and　bribe　a　few　leading　men；　to　cram　the
union　down　the　throats　of　the　Scottish　nation；　who　were
surprisingly　averse　to　the　expedient。　They　gained　by　it　a
considerable　addition　of　territory；　extending　their　dominion　to
the　sea　on　all　sides　of　the　island；　thereby　shutting　up　all　back…doors
against　the　enterprizes　of　their　enemies。　They　got　an
accession　of　above　a　million　of　useful　subjects；　constituting　a
never…failing　nursery　of　seamen；　soldiers；　labourers；　and
mechanics；　a　most　valuable　acquisition　to　a　trading　country；
exposed　to　foreign　wars；　and　obliged　to　maintain　a　number　of
settlements　in　all　the　four　quarters　of　the　globe。　In