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Journal of A Voyage to Lisbon-Part16_HENRY FIELDING(1707-1754)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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into the deaf ears of his brother captain, who sat on one side of

him, the soft addresses with which, mixed with awkward bows, he



saluted the ladies on the other, were so agreeably contrasted,

that a man must not only have been void of all taste of humor,



and insensible of mirth, but duller than Cibber is represented in

the Dunciad, who could be unentertained with him a little while;



for, I confess, such entertainments should always be very short,

as they are very liable to pall. But he suffered not this to



happen at present; for, having given us his company a quarter of

an hour only, he retired, after many apologies for the shortness



of his visit.

Tuesday.--The wind being less boisterous than it had hitherto



been since our arrival here, several fishing-boats, which the

tempestuous weather yesterday had prevented from working, came on



board us with fish. This was so fresh, so good in kind, and so

very cheap, that we supplied ourselves in great numbers, among



which were very large soles at fourpence a pair, and whitings of

almost a preposterous size at ninepence a score. The only fish



which bore any price was a john doree, as it is called. I bought

one of at least four pounds weight for as many shillings. It



resembles a turbot in shape, but exceeds it in firmness and

flavor. The price had the appearance of being considerable when



opposed to the extraordinary cheapness of others of value, but

was, in truth, so very reasonable when estimated by its goodness,



that it left me under no other surprise than how the gentlemen of

this country, not greatly eminent for the delicacy of their



taste, had discovered the preference of the doree to all other

fish: but I was informed that Mr. Quin, whose distinguishing



tooth hath been so justlycelebrated, had lately visited

Plymouth, and had done those honors to the doree which are so



justly due to it from that sect of modern philosophers who, with

Sir Epicure Mammon, or Sir Epicure Quin, their head, seem more to



delight in a fish-pond than in a garden, as the old Epicureans

are said to have done.



Unfortunately for the fishmongers of London, the doree resides

only in those seas; for, could any of this company but convey one



to the temple of luxury under the Piazza, where Macklin the

high-priest daily serves up his rich offerings to that goddess,



great would be the reward of that fishmonger, in blessings poured

down upon him from the goddess, as great would his merit be



towards the high-priest, who could never be thought to overrate

such valuable incense.



And here, having mentioned the extreme cheapness of fish in the

Devonshire sea, and given some little hint of the extreme



dearness with which this commodity is dispensed by those who deal

in it in London, I cannot pass on without throwing forth an



observation or two, with the same view with which I have

scattered my several remarks through this voyage, sufficiently



satisfied in having finished my life, as I have probably lost it,

in the service of my country, from the best of motives, though it



should be attended with the worst of success. Means are always

in our power; ends are very seldom so.



Of all the animal foods with which man is furnished, there are

none so plenty as fish. A little rivulet, that glides almost



unperceived through a vast tract of rich land, will support more

hundreds with the flesh of its inhabitants than the meadow will



nourish individuals. But if this be true of rivers, it is much

truer of the sea-shores, which abound with such immensevariety



of fish that the curious fisherman, after he hath made his

draught, often culls only the daintiest part and leaves the rest



of his prey to perish on the shore. If this be true it would

appear, I think, that there is nothing which might be had in such



abundance, and consequently so cheap, as fish, of which Nature

seems to have provided such inexhaustible stores with some



peculiar design. In the production of terrestrial animals she




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