the uncommercial traveller-第38章

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winding…sheets。　　The　ground　at　my　feet　where；　when　last　there；　I

had　seen　the　peasantry　of　Naples　dancing　among　the　vines；　reckless

of　the　burning　mountain　which　threatened　to　overwhelm　them；　was　now

in　possession　of　a　strong　serpent　of　engine…hose；　watchfully　lying

in　wait　for　the　serpent　Fire；　and　ready　to　fly　at　it　if　it　showed

its　forked　tongue。　　A　ghost　of　a　watchman；　carrying　a　faint　corpse

candle；　haunted　the　distant　upper　gallery　and　flitted　away。

Retiring　within　the　proscenium；　and　holding　my　light　above　my　head

towards　the　rolled…up　curtain　…　green　no　more；　but　black　as　ebony　…

my　sight　lost　itself　in　a　gloomy　vault；　showing　faint　indications

in　it　of　a　shipwreck　of　canvas　and　cordage。　　Methought　I　felt　much

as　a　diver　might；　at　the　bottom　of　the　sea。



In　those　small　hours　when　there　was　no　movement　in　the　streets；　it

afforded　matter　for　reflection　to　take　Newgate　in　the　way；　and；

touching　its　rough　stone；　to　think　of　the　prisoners　in　their　sleep；

and　then　to　glance　in　at　the　lodge　over　the　spiked　wicket；　and　see

the　fire　and　light　of　the　watching　turnkeys；　on　the　white　wall。

Not　an　inappropriate　time　either；　to　linger　by　that　wicked　little

Debtors'　Door　…　shutting　tighter　than　any　other　door　one　ever　saw　…

which　has　been　Death's　Door　to　so　many。　　In　the　days　of　the

uttering　of　forged　one…pound　notes　by　people　tempted　up　from　the

country；　how　many　hundreds　of　wretched　creatures　of　both　sexes　…

many　quite　innocent　…　swung　out　of　a　pitiless　and　inconsistent

world；　with　the　tower　of　yonder　Christian　church　of　Saint　Sepulchre

monstrously　before　their　eyes！　　Is　there　any　haunting　of　the　Bank

Parlour；　by　the　remorseful　souls　of　old　directors；　in　the　nights　of

these　later　days；　I　wonder；　or　is　it　as　quiet　as　this　degenerate

Aceldama　of　an　Old　Bailey？



To　walk　on　to　the　Bank；　lamenting　the　good　old　times　and　bemoaning

the　present　evil　period；　would　be　an　easy　next　step；　so　I　would

take　it；　and　would　make　my　houseless　circuit　of　the　Bank；　and　give

a　thought　to　the　treasure　within；　likewise　to　the　guard　of　soldiers

passing　the　night　there；　and　nodding　over　the　fire。　　Next；　I　went

to　Billingsgate；　in　some　hope　of　market…people；　but　it　proving　as

yet　too　early；　crossed　London…bridge　and　got　down　by　the　water…side

on　the　Surrey　shore　among　the　buildings　of　the　great　brewery。

There　was　plenty　going　on　at　the　brewery；　and　the　reek；　and　the

smell　of　grains；　and　the　rattling　of　the　plump　dray　horses　at　their

mangers；　were　capital　company。　　Quite　refreshed　by　having　mingled

with　this　good　society；　I　made　a　new　start　with　a　new　heart；

setting　the　old　King's　Bench　prison　before　me　for　my　next　object；

and　resolving；　when　I　should　come　to　the　wall；　to　think　of　poor

Horace　Kinch；　and　the　Dry　Rot　in　men。



A　very　curious　disease　the　Dry　Rot　in　men；　and　difficult　to　detect

the　beginning　of。　　It　had　carried　Horace　Kinch　inside　the　wall　of

the　old　King's　Bench　prison；　and　it　had　carried　him　out　with　his

feet　foremost。　　He　was　a　likely　man　to　look　at；　in　the　prime　of

life；　well　to　do；　as　clever　as　he　needed　to　be；　and　popular　among

many　friends。　　He　was　suitably　married；　and　had　healthy　and　pretty

children。　　But；　like　some　fair…looking　houses　or　fair…looking

ships；　he　took　the　Dry　Rot。　　The　first　strong　external　revelation

of　the　Dry　Rot　in　men；　is　a　tendency　to　lurk　and　lounge；　to　be　at

street…corners　without　intelligible　reason；　to　be　going　anywhere

when　met；　to　be　about　many　places　rather　than　at　any；　to　do　nothing

tangible；　but　to　have　an　intention　of　performing　a　variety　of

intangible　duties　to…morrow　or　the　day　after。　　When　this

manifestation　of　the　disease　is　observed；　the　observer　will　usually

connect　it　with　a　vague　impression　once　formed　or　received；　that

the　patient　was　living　a　little　too　hard。　　He　will　scarcely　have

had　leisure　to　turn　it　over　in　his　mind　and　form　the　terrible

suspicion　'Dry　Rot；'　when　he　will　notice　a　change　for　the　worse　in

the　patient's　appearance：　　a　certain　slovenliness　and

deterioration；　which　is　not　poverty；　nor　dirt；　nor　intoxication；

nor　ill…health；　but　simply　Dry　Rot。　　To　this；　succeeds　a　smell　as

of　strong　waters；　in　the　morning；　to　that；　a　looseness　respecting

money；　to　that；　a　stronger　smell　as　of　strong　waters；　at　all　times；

to　that；　a　looseness　respecting　everything；　to　that；　a　trembling　of

the　limbs；　somnolency；　misery；　and　crumbling　to　pieces。　　As　it　is

in　wood；　so　it　is　in　men。　　Dry　Rot　advances　at　a　compound　usury

quite　incalculable。　　A　plank　is　found　infected　with　it；　and　the

whole　structure　is　devoted。　　Thus　it　had　been　with　the　unhappy

Horace　Kinch；　lately　buried　by　a　small　subscription。　　Those　who

knew　him　had　not　nigh　done　saying；　'So　well　off；　so　comfortably

established；　with　such　hope　before　him　…　and　yet；　it　is　feared；

with　a　slight　touch　of　Dry　Rot！'　when　lo！　the　man　was　all　Dry　Rot

and　dust。



From　the　dead　wall　associated　on　those　houseless　nights　with　this

too　common　story；　I　chose　next　to　wander　by　Bethlehem　Hospital；

partly；　because　it　lay　on　my　road　round　to　Westminster；　partly；

because　I　had　a　night　fancy　in　my　head　which　could　be　best　pursued

within　sight　of　its　walls　and　dome。　　And　the　fancy　was　this：　　Are

not　the　sane　and　the　insane　equal　at　night　as　the　sane　lie　a

dreaming？　　Are　not　all　of　us　outside　this　hospital；　who　dream；　more

or　less　in　the　condition　of　those　inside　it；　every　night　of　our

lives？　　Are　we　not　nightly　persuaded；　as　they　daily　are；　that　we

associate　preposterously　with　kings　and　queens；　emperors　and

empresses；　and　notabilities　of　all　sorts？　　Do　we　not　nightly　jumble

events　and　personages　and　times　and　places；　as　these　do　daily？　　Are

we　not　sometimes　troubled　by　our　own　sleeping　inconsistencies；　and

do　we　not　vexedly　try　to　account　for　them　or　excuse　them；　just　as

these　do　sometimes　in　respect　of　their　waking　delusions？　　Said　an

afflicted　man　to　me；　when　I　was　last　in　a　hospital　like　this；　'Sir；

I　can　frequently　fly。'　　I　was　half　ashamed　to　reflect　that　so　could

I　…　by　night。　　Said　a　woman　to　me　on　the　same　occasion；　'Queen

Victoria　frequently　comes　to　dine　with　me；　and　her　Majesty　and　I

dine　off　peaches　and　maccaroni　in　our　night…gowns；　and　his　Royal

Highness　the　Prince　Consort　does　us　the　honour　to　make　a　third　on

horseback　in　a　Field…Marshal's　uniform。'　　Could　I　refrain　from

reddening　with　consciousness　when　I　remembered　the　amazing　royal

parties　I　myself　had　given　（at　night）；　the　unaccountable　viands　I

had　put　on　table；　and　my　extraordinary　manner　of　conducting　myself

on　those　distinguished　occasions？　　I　wonder　that　the　great　master

who　knew　everything；　when　he　called　Sleep　the　death　of　each　day's

life；　did　not　call　Dreams　the　insanity　of　each　day's　sanity。



By　this　time　I　had　left　the　Hospital　behind　me；　and　was　again

setting　towards　the　river；　and　in　a　short　breathing　space　I　was　on

Westminster…bridge；　regaling　my　houseless　eyes　with　the　external

walls　of　the　British　Parliament　…　the　perfection　of　a　stupendous

institution；　I　know；　and　the　admiration　of　all　surrounding　nations

and　succeeding　ages；　I　do　not　doubt；　but　perhaps　a　little　the

better　now　and　then　for　being　pricked　up　to　its　work。　　Turning　off

into　Old　Palace…yard；　the　Courts　of　Law　kept　me　company　for　a

quarter　of　an　hour；　hinting　in　low　whispers　what　numbers　of　people

they　were　keeping　awake；　and　how　intensely　wretched　and　horrible

they　were　rendering　the　small　hours　to　unfortunate　suitors。

Westminster　Abbey　was　fine　gloomy　society　for　another　quarter　of　an

hour；　suggesting　a　wonderful　procession　of　its　dead　among　the　dark

arches　and　pillars；　each　century　more　amazed　by　the　century

following　it　than　by　all　the　centuries　going　before。　　And　indeed　in

those　houseless　night　walks　…　which　even　included　cemeteries　where

watchmen　went　round　among　the　graves　at　stated　times；　and　moved　the

tell…tale　handle　of　an　index　which　recorded　that　they　had　touched

it　at　such　an　hour　…　it　was　a　solemn　consideration　what　enormous

hosts　of　dead　b