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In The Street Calais I never finished a twelve-guinea bargain so expeditiously in my life: my time seemd heavy upon the loss of the lady, and knowing every moment of it would be as two, till I put myself into motionI ordered post-horses directly, and walkd towards the hotel. Lord! said I, hearing the town-clock strike four, and recollecting that I had been little more than a single hour in Calais What a large volume of adventures may be graspd within this little span of life by him who interests his heart in every thing, and who having eyes to see, what time and chance are perpetually holding out to him as he journeyeth on his way, misses nothing he can fairly lay his hands on. If this wont turn out somethinganother willno mattertis an assay upon human natureI get my labour for my painstis enoughthe pleasure of the experiment has kept my senses, and the best part of my blood, awake, and layd the gross to sleep. I pity the man who can travel from Dan to Beersheba, and cry, Tis all barrenand so it is; and so is all the world to him who will not cultivate the fruits it offers. I declare, said I, clapping my hands chearily together, that was I in a desert, I would find out wherewith in it to call forth my affectionsIf I could not do better, I would fasten them upon some sweet Myrtle, or seek some melancholy Cypress to connect myself toI would court their shade, and greet them kindly for their protectionI would cut my name upon them, and swear they were the loveliest trees throughout the desert: if their leaves witherd, I would teach myself to mourn, and when they rejoiced, I would rejoice along with them. The learned Smelfungus travelld from Boulogne to Parisfrom Paris to Romeand so onbut he set out with the spleen and jaundice, and every object he passd by was discolourd or distortedHe wrote an account of them, but twas nothing but the account of his miserable feelings. I met Smelfungus in the grand Portico of the Pantheonhe was just coming out of it.Tis nothing but a huge cock pit,4 said heI wish you had said nothing worse of the Venus of Medicis, replied Ifor in passing through Florence, I had heard he had fallen foul upon the goddess, and used her worse than a common strumpet without the least provocation in nature. I poppd upon Smelfungus5 again at Turin, in his return home; and a sad tale of sorrowful adventures he had to tell, wherein he spoke of moving accidents by flood and field, and of the cannibals which each other eat: the Anthropophagi6he had been flead alive, and bedevild, and used worse than St. Bartholomy, at every stage he had come at Ill tell it, cried Smelfungus, to the world. You had better tell it, said I, to your physician. Mundungus,7 with an immense fortune, made the whole tour; going on from Rome to Naplesfrom Naples to Venicefrom Venice to Viennato Dresden, to Berlin, without one generous connection or pleasurable anecdote to tell of; but he had travelld straight on, looking neither to his right hand or his left, lest Love or Pity should seduce him out of his road. Peace be to them! if it is to be found; but heaven itself, was it possible to get there with such tempers, would want objects to give itevery gentle spirit would come flying upon the wings of Love to hail their arrivalNothing would the souls of Smelfungus and Mundungus hear of, but fresh anthems of joy, fresh raptures of love, and fresh congratulations of their common felicityI heartily pity them: they have brought up no faculties for this work; and was the happiest mansion in heaven to be allotted to Smelfungus and Mundungus, they would be so far from being happy, that the souls of Smelfungus and Mundungus would do penance there to all eternity |
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