confessions of an english opium-eater-第26章

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ollowing　offer。　　Like　other　men；　I　have　particular　fancies　about　the　place　of　my　burial；　having　lived　chiefly　in　a　mountainous　region；　I　rather　cleave　to　the　conceit；　that　a　grave　in　a　green　churchyard　amongst　the　ancient　and　solitary　hills　will　be　a　sublimer　and　more　tranquil　place　of　repose　for　a　philosopher　than　any　in　the　hideous　Golgothas　of　London。　　Yet　if　the　gentlemen　of　Surgeons'　Hall　think　that　any　benefit　can　redound　to　their　science　from　inspecting　the　appearances　in　the　body　of　an　opium…eater；　let　them　speak　but　a　word；　and　I　will　take　care　that　mine　shall　be　legally　secured　to　themi。e。；　as　soon　as　I　have　done　with　it　myself。　　Let　them　not　hesitate　to　express　their　wishes　upon　any　scruples　of　false　delicacy　and　consideration　for　my　feelings；　I　assure　them　they　will　do　me　too　much　honour　by　〃demonstrating〃　on　such　a　crazy　body　as　mine；　and　it　will　give　me　pleasure　to　anticipate　this　posthumous　revenge　and　insult　inflicted　upon　that　which　has　caused　me　so　much　suffering　in　this　life。　　Such　bequests　are　not　common；　reversionary　benefits　contingent　upon　the　death　of　the　testator　are　indeed　dangerous　to　announce　in　many　cases：　　of　this　we　have　a　remarkable　instance　in　the　habits　of　a　Roman　prince；　who　used；　upon　any　notification　made　to　him　by　rich　persons　that　they　had　left　him　a　handsome　estate　in　their　wills；　to　express　his　entire　satisfaction　at　such　arrangements　and　his　gracious　acceptance　of　those　loyal　legacies；　but　then；　if　the　testators　neglected　to　give　him　immediate　possession　of　the　property；　if　they　traitorously　〃persisted　in　living〃　（si　vivere　perseverarent；　as　Suetonius　expresses　it）；　he　was　highly　provoked；　and　took　his　measures　accordingly。　　In　those　times；　and　from　one　of　the　worst　of　the　Caesars；　we　might　expect　such　conduct；　but　I　am　sure　that　from　English　surgeons　at　this　day　I　need　look　for　no　expressions　of　impatience；　or　of　any　other　feelings　but　such　as　are　answerable　to　that　pure　love　of　science　and　all　its　interests　which　induces　me　to　make　such　an　offer。

Sept　30；　1822




Footnotes：

｛1｝　　〃Not　yet　RECORDED；〃　I　say；　for　there　is　one　celebrated　man　of　the　present　day；　who；　if　all　be　true　which　is　reported　of　him；　has　greatly　exceeded　me　in　quantity。

｛2｝　　A　third　exception　might　perhaps　have　been　added；　and　my　reason　for　not　adding　that　exception　is　chiefly　because　it　was　only　in　his　juvenile　efforts　that　the　writer　whom　I　allude　to　expressly　addressed　hints　to　philosophical　themes；　his　riper　powers　having　been　all　dedicated　（on　very　excusable　and　very　intelligible　grounds；　under　the　present　direction　of　the　popular　mind　in　England）　to　criticism　and　the　Fine　Arts。　　This　reason　apart；　however；　I　doubt　whether　he　is　not　rather　to　be　considered　an　acute　thinker　than　a　subtle　one。　　It　is；　besides；　a　great　drawback　on　his　mastery　over　philosophical　subjects　that　he　has　obviously　not　had　the　advantage　of　a　regular　scholastic　education：　　he　has　not　read　Plato　in　his　youth　（which　most　likely　was　only　his　misfortune）；　but　neither　has　he　read　Kant　in　his　manhood　（which　is　his　fault）。

｛3｝　　I　disclaim　any　allusion　to　EXISTING　professors；　of　whom　indeed　I　know　only　one。

｛4｝　　To　this　same　Jew；　by　the　way；　some　eighteen　months　afterwards；　I　applied　again　on　the　same　business；　and；　dating　at　that　time　from　a　respectable　college；　I　was　fortunate　enough　to　gain　his　serious　attention　to　my　proposals。　　My　necessities　had　not　arisen　from　any　extravagance　or　youthful　levities　（these　my　habits　and　the　nature　of　my　pleasures　raised　me　far　above）；　but　simply　from　the　vindictive　malice　of　my　guardian；　who；　when　he　found　himself　no　longer　able　to　prevent　me　from　going　to　the　university；　had；　as　a　parting　token　of　his　good　nature；　refused　to　sign　an　order　for　granting　me　a　shilling　beyond　the　allowance　made　to　me　at　schoolviz。；　100　pounds　per　annum。　　Upon　this　sum　it　was　in　my　time　barely　possible　to　have　lived　in　college；　and　not　possible　to　a　man　who；　though　above　the　paltry　affectation　of　ostentatious　disregard　for　money；　and　without　any　expensive　tastes；　confided　nevertheless　rather　too　much　in　servants；　and　did　not　delight　in　the　petty　details　of　minute　economy。　　I　soon；　therefore；　became　embarrassed；　and　at　length；　after　a　most　voluminous　negotiation　with　the　Jew　（some　parts　of　which；　if　I　had　leisure　to　rehearse　them；　would　greatly　amuse　my　readers）；　I　was　put　in　possession　of　the　sum　I　asked　for；　on　the　〃regular〃　terms　of　paying　the　Jew　seventeen　and　a　half　per　cent。　by　way　of　annuity　on　all　the　money　furnished；　Israel；　on　his　part；　graciously　resuming　no　more　than　about　ninety　guineas　of　the　said　money；　on　account　of　an　attorney's　bill　（for　what　services；　to　whom　rendered；　and　when；　whether　at　the　siege　of　Jerusalem；　at　the　building　of　the　second　Temple；　or　on　some　earlier　occasion；　I　have　not　yet　been　able　to　discover）。　　How　many　perches　this　bill　measured　I　really　forget；　but　I　still　keep　it　in　a　cabinet　of　natural　curiosities；　and　some　time　or　other　I　believe　I　shall　present　it　to　the　British　Museum。

｛5｝　　The　Bristol　mail　is　the　best　appointed　in　the　Kingdom；　owing　to　the　double　advantages　of　an　unusually　good　road　and　of　an　extra　sum　for　the　expenses　subscribed　by　the　Bristol　merchants。

｛6｝　　It　will　be　objected　that　many　men；　of　the　highest　rank　and　wealth；　have　in　our　own　day；　as　well　as　throughout　our　history；　been　amongst　the　foremost　in　courting　danger　in　battle。　　True；　but　this　is　not　the　case　supposed；　long　familiarity　with　power　has　to　them　deadened　its　effect　and　its　attractions。

｛7｝　　＇Greek　text＇

｛8｝　　＇Greek　text＇。　　EURIP。　　Orest。

｛9｝　　＇Greek　text＇

｛10｝　　＇Greek　text＇。　　The　scholar　will　know　that　throughout　this　passage　I　refer　to　the　early　scenes　of　the　Orestes；　one　of　the　most　beautiful　exhibitions　of　the　domestic　affections　which　even　the　dramas　of　Euripides　can　furnish。　　To　the　English　reader　it　may　be　necessary　to　say　that　the　situation　at　the　opening　of　the　drama　is　that　of　a　brother　attended　only　by　his　sister　during　the　demoniacal　possession　of　a　suffering　conscience　（or；　in　the　mythology　of　the　play；　haunted　by　the　Furies）；　and　in　circumstances　of　immediate　danger　from　enemies；　and　of　desertion　or　cold　regard　from　nominal　friends。

｛11｝　　EVANESCED：　　this　way　of　going　off　the　stage　of　life　appears　to　have　been　well　known　in　the　17th　century；　but　at　that　time　to　have　been　considered　a　peculiar　privilege　of　blood…royal；　and　by　no　means　to　be　allowed　to　druggists。　　For　about　the　year　1686　a　poet　of　rather　ominous　name　（and　who；　by…the…bye；　did　ample　justice　to　his　name）；　viz。；　Mr。　FLAT…MAN；　in　speaking　of　the　death　of　Charles　II。　expresses　his　surprise　that　any　prince　should　commit　so　absurd　an　act　as　dying；　because；　says　he；

〃Kings　should　disdain　to　die；　and　only　DISAPPEAR。〃

They　should　ABSCOND；　that　is；　into　the　other　world。

｛12｝　　Of　this；　however；　the　learned　appear　latterly　to　have　doubted；　for　in　a　pirated　edition　of　Buchan's　Domestic　Medicine；　which　I　once　saw　in　the　hands　of　a　farmer's　wife；　who　was　studying　it　for　the　benefit　of　her　health；　the　Doctor　was　made　to　say〃Be　particularly　careful　never　to　take　above　five…and…twenty　OUNCES　of　laudanum　at　once；〃　the　true　reading　being　probably　five…and…twenty　DROPS；　which　are　held　equal　to　about　one　grain　of　crude　opium。

｛13｝　　Amongst　the　great　herd　of　travellers；　&c。；　who　show　sufficiently　by　their　stupidity　that　they　never　held　any　intercourse　with　opium；　I　must　caution　my　readers　specially　against　the　brilliant　author　of　Anastasius。　　This　gentleman；　whose　wit　would　lead　one　to　presume　him　an　opium…eater；　has　made　it　impossible　to　consider　him　in　that　character；　from　the　grievous　misrepresentation　which　he　gives　of　its　effects　at　pp。　215…17　of　vol。　i。　　Upon　consideration　it　must　appear　such　to　the　author　himself；　for；　waiving　the　errors　I　have　insisted　on　in　the　text；　which　（and　others）　are　adopted　in　the　fullest　manner；　he　will　himself　admit　that　an　old　gentleman　〃with　a　snow…white　beard；〃　who　eats　〃ample　doses　of　opium；〃　and　is　yet　able　to　deliver　what　is　meant　and　received　as　very　weighty　counsel　on　the　bad　effects　of　that　practice；　is　but　an　indifferent　evidence　that　opium　either　kills　people　prematurely　or　sends　them　into　a　madhouse。　　But　for　my　part；　I　see　into　this　old　gentleman　and　his　motives：