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Journal of A Voyage to Lisbon-Part20_HENRY FIELDING(1707-1754)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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reward, rowed the Portuguese priest to shore at this place,

beyond which he did not dare to advance, and in venturing whither



he had given sufficient testimony of love for his native country.

We did not enter the Tajo till noon, when, after passing several



old castles and other buildings which had greatly the aspect of

ruins, we came to the castle of Bellisle, where we had a full



prospect of Lisbon, and were, indeed, within three miles of it.

Here we were saluted with a gun, which was a signal to pass no



farther till we had complied with certain ceremonies which the

laws of this country require to be observed by all ships which



arrive in this port. We were obliged then to cast anchor, and

expect the arrival of the officers of the customs, without whose



passport no ship must proceed farther than this place.

Here likewise we received a visit from one of those magistrates



of health before mentioned. He refused to come on board the ship

till every person in her had been drawn up on deck and personally



viewed by him. This occasioned some delay on my part, as it was

not the work of a minute to lift me from the cabin to the deck.



The captain thought my particular case might have been excused

from this ceremony, and that it would be abundantly sufficient if



the magistrate, who was obliged afterwards to visit the cabin,

surveyed me there. But this did not satisfy the magistrate's



strict regard to his duty. When he was told of my lameness, he

called out, with a voice of authority, "Let him be brought up,"



and his orders were presently complied with. He was, indeed, a

person of great dignity, as well as of the most exact fidelity in



the discharge of his trust. Both which are the more admirable as

his salary is less than thirty pounds English per annum.



Before a ship hath been visited by one of those magistrates no

person can lawfully go on board her, nor can any on board depart



from her. This I saw exemplified in a remarkableinstance. The

young lad whom I have mentioned as one of our passengers was here



met by his father, who, on the first news of the captain's

arrival, came from Lisbon to Bellisle in a boat, being eager to



embrace a son whom he had not seen for many years. But when he

came alongside our ship neither did the father dare ascend nor



the son descend, as the magistrate of health had not yet been on

board. Some of our readers will, perhaps, admire the great



caution of this policy, so nicely calculated for the preservation

of this country from all pestilential distempers. Others will as



probably regard it as too exact and formal to be constantly

persisted in, in seasons of the utmost safety, as well as in



times of danger. I will not decide either way, but will content

myself with observing that I never yet saw or heard of a place



where a traveler had so much trouble given him at his landing as

here. The only use of which, as all such matters begin and end



in form only, is to put it into the power of low and mean fellows

to be either rudely officious or grossly corrupt, as they shall



see occasion to prefer the gratification of their pride or of

their avarice.



Of this kind, likewise, is that power which is lodged with other

officers here, of taking away every grain of snuff and every leaf



of tobacco brought hither from other countries, though only for

the temporary use of the person during his residence here. This



is executed with great insolence, and, as it is in the hands of

the dregs of the people, very scandalously; for, under pretense



of searching for tobacco and snuff, they are sure to steal

whatever they can find, insomuch that when they came on board our



sailors addressed us in the Covent-garden language: "Pray,

gentlemen and ladies, take care of your swords and watches."



Indeed, I never yet saw anything equal to the contempt

and hatred which our honest tars every moment expressed



for these Portuguese officers.

At Bellisle lies buried Catharine of Arragon, widow of prince



Arthur, eldest son of our Henry VII, afterwards married to, and

divorced from Henry VIII. Close by the church where her remains



are deposited is a large convent of Geronymites, one of the most

beautiful piles of building in all Portugal.



In the evening, at twelve, our ship, having received previous

visits from all the necessary parties, took the advantage of



the tide, and having sailed up to Lisbon cast anchor there, in a




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