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Life of John Sterling-Part33_Thomas Carlyle(1795-1881)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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English conveyance.



"We reached this the day before yesterday, in the evening; having had

a strong breeze against us for a day or two before; which made me



extremely uncomfortable,--and indeed my headache is hardly gone yet.

From about the 4th to the 9th of the month, we had beautiful weather,



and I was happy enough. You will see by the map that the straightest

line from Gibraltar to this place goes close along the African coast;



which accordingly we saw with the utmostclearness; and found it

generally a line of mountains, the higher peaks and ridges covered



with snow. We went close in to Algiers; which looks strong, but

entirely from art. The town lies on the slope of a straight coast;



and is not at all embayed, though there is some little shelter for

shipping within the mole. It is a square patch of white buildings



huddled together; fringed with batteries; and commanded by large forts

on the ridge above: a most uncomfortable-looking place; though, no



doubt, there are _cafes_ and billiard-rooms and a theatre within,--for

the French like to have their Houris, &c., on _this_ side of Paradise,



if possible.

"Our party of fifty people (we had taken some on board at Gibraltar)



broke up, on reaching this; never, of course, to meet again. The

greater part do not proceed to Alexandria. Considering that there was



a bundle of midshipmen, ensigns, &c., we had as much reason among us

as could perhaps be looked for; and from several I gained bits of



information and traits of character, though nothing very

remarkable....



"I have established myself in an inn, rather than go to Lady

Louis's;[27] I not feeling quite equal to company, except in moderate doses. I



have, however, seen her a good deal; and dine there to-day, very

privately, for Sir John is not quite well, and they will have no



guests. The place, however, is full of official banqueting, for

various unimportant reasons. When here before, I was in much distress



and anxiety, on my way from Rome; and I suppose this it was that

prevented its making the same impression on me as now, when it seems



really the stateliest town I have ever seen. The architecture is

generally of a corrupt Roman kind; with something of the varied and



picturesque look, though much more massive, of our Elizabethan

buildings. We have the finest English summer and a pellucid sky....



Your affectionate

"JOHN STERLING."



At Naples next, for three weeks, was due admiration of the sceneries

and antiquities, Bay and Mountain, by no means forgetting Art and the



Museum: "to Pozzuoli, to Baiae, round the Promontory of

Sorrento;"--above all, "twice to Pompeii," where the elegance and



classic simplicity of Ancient Housekeeping strikes us much; and again

to Paestum, where "the Temple of Neptune is far the noblest building I



have ever seen; and makes both Greek and Revived Roman seem quite

barbaric.... Lord Ponsonby lodges in the same house with me;--but, of



course, I do not countenance an adherent of a beaten Party!"[28]--Or

let us take this more compendious account, which has much more of



human in it, from an onward stage, ten days later:--

"_To Thomas Carlyle, Esq., Chelsea, London_.



"ROME, 13th May, 1842,

"MY DEAR CARLYLE,--I hope I wrote to you before leaving England, to



tell you of the necessity for my doing so. Though coming to Italy,

there was little comfort in the prospect of being divided from my



family, and pursuits which grew on me every day. However, I tried to

make the best of it, and have gained both health and pleasure.



"In spite of scanty communications from England (owing to the

uncertainty of my position), a word or two concerning you and your



dear Wife have reached me. Lately it has often occurred to me, that

the sight of the Bay of Naples, of the beautiful coast from that to



this place, and of Rome itself, all bathed in summer sunshine, and

green with spring foliage, would be some consolation to her.[29] Pray



give her my love.

"I have been two days here; and almost the first thing I did was to



visit the Protestant burial-ground, and the graves of those I knew

when here before. But much as being now alone here, I feel the






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