the vicar of wakefield-第1部分

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The　Vicar　of　Wakefield

by　Oliver　Goldsmith



A　TALE


Supposed　to　be　written　by　Himself


Sperate　miseri；　cavete　faelices




ADVERTISEMENT

There　are　an　hundred　faults　in　this　Thing；　and　an　hundred　things　might　be　said　to　prove　them　beauties。　But　it　is　needless。　A　book　may　be　amusing　with　numerous　errors；　or　it　may　be　very　dull　without　a　single　absurdity。　The　hero　of　this　piece　unites　in　himself　the　three　greatest　characters　upon　earth；　he　is　a　priest；　an　husbandman；　and　the　father　of　a　family。　He　is　drawn　as　ready　to　teach；　and　ready　to　obey；　as　simple　in　affluence；　and　majestic　in　adversity。　In　this　age　of　opulence　and　refinement　whom　can　such　a　character　please？　Such　as　are　fond　of　high　life；　will　turn　with　disdain　from　the　simplicity　of　his　country　fire…side。　Such　as　mistake　ribaldry　for　humour；　will　find　no　wit　in　his　harmless　conversation；　and　such　as　have　been　taught　to　deride　religion；　will　laugh　at　one　whose　chief　stores　of　comfort　are　drawn　from　futurity。

OLIVER　GOLDSMITH



CONTENTS

1。　The　description　of　the　family　of　Wakefield；　in　which　a　kindred　likeness　prevails　as　well　of　minds　as　of　persons

2。　Family　misfortunes。　The　loss　of　fortune　only　serves　to　increase　the　pride　of　the　worthy

3。　A　migration。　The　fortunate　circumstances　of　our　lives　are　generally　found　at　last　to　be　of　our　own　procuring

4。　A　proof　that　even　the　humblest　fortune　may　grant　happiness；　which　depends　not　on　circumstance；　but　constitution　5。　A　new　and　great　acquaintance　introduced。　What　we　place　most　hopes　upon　generally　proves　most　fatal

6。　The　happiness　of　a　country　fire…side

7。　A　town　wit　described。　The　dullest　fellows　may　learn　to　be　comical　for　a　night　or　two

8。　An　amour；　which　promises　little　good　fortune；　yet　may　be　productive　of　much

9。　Two　ladies　of　great　distinction　introduced。　Superior　finery　ever　seems　to　confer　superior　breeding

10。　The　family　endeavours　to　cope　with　their　betters。　The　miseries　of　the　poor　when　they　attempt　to　appear　above　their　circumstances

11。　The　family　still　resolve　to　hold　up　their　heads

12。　Fortune　seems　resolved　to　humble　the　family　of　Wakefield。　Mortifications　are　often　more　painful　than　real　calamities

13。　Mr　Burchell　is　found　to　be　an　enemy；　for　he　has　the　confidence　to　give　disagreeable　advice

14。　Fresh　mortifications；　or　a　demonstration　that　seeming　calamities　may　be　real　blessings

15。　All　Mr　Burchell's　villainy　at　once　detected。　The　folly　of　being…over…wise

16。　The　Family　use　art；　which　is　opposed　with　still　greater

17。　Scarce　any　virtue　found　to　resist　the　power　of　long　and　pleasing　temptation　18。　The　pursuit　of　a　father　to　reclaim　a　lost　child　to　virtue

19。　The　description　of　a　Person　discontented　with　the　present　government；　and　apprehensive　of　the　loss　of　our　liberties

20。　The　history　of　a　philosophic　vagabond；　pursuing　novelty；　but　losing　content

21。　The　short　continuance　of　friendship　among　the　vicious；　which　is　coeval　only　with　mutual　satisfaction

22。　Offences　are　easily　pardoned　where　there　is　love　at　bottom

23。　None　but　the　guilty　can　be　long　and　completely　miserable

24。　Fresh　calamities

25。　No　situation；　however　wretched　it　seems；　but　has　some　sort　of　comfort　attending　it

26。　A　reformation　in　the　gaol。　To　make　laws　complete；　they　should　reward　as　well　as　punish

27。　The　same　subject　continued

28。　Happiness　and　misery　rather　the　result　of　prudence　than　of　virtue　in　this　life。　Temporal　evils　or　felicities　being　regarded　by　heaven　as　things　merely　in　themselves　trifling　and　unworthy　its　care　in　the　distribution

29。　The　equal　dealings　of　providence　demonstrated　with　regard　to　the　happy　and　the　miserable　here　below。　That　from　the　nature　of　pleasure　and　pain；　the　wretched　must　be　repaid　the　balance　of　their　sufferings　in　the　life　hereafter

30。　Happier　prospects　begin　to　appear。　Let　us　be　inflexible；　and　fortune　will　at　last　change　in　our　favour

31。　Former　benevolence　now　repaid　with　unexpected　interest

32。　The　Conclusion



CHAPTER　1

The　description　of　the　family　of　Wakefield；　in　which　a　kindred　likeness　prevails　as　well　of　minds　as　of　persons

I　was　ever　of　opinion；　that　the　honest　man　who　married　and　brought　up　a　large　family；　did　more　service　than　he　who　continued　single；　and　only　talked　of　population。　From　this　motive；　I　had　scarce　taken　orders　a　year　before　I　began　to　think　seriously　of　matrimony；　and　chose　my　wife　as　she　did　her　wedding　gown；　not　for　a　fine　glossy　surfaces　but　such　qualities　as　would　wear　well。　To　do　her　justice；　she　was　a　good…natured　notable　woman；　and　as　for　breeding；　there　were　few　country　ladies　who　could　shew　more。　She　could　read　any　English　book　without　much　spelling；　but　for　pickling；　preserving；　and　cookery；　none　could　excel　her。　She　prided　herself　also　upon　being　an　excellent　contriver　in　house…　keeping；　tho'　I　could　never　find　that　we　grew　richer　with　all　her　contrivances。　However；　we　loved　each　other　tenderly；　and　our　fondness　encreased　as　we　grew　old。　There　was　in　fact　nothing　that　could　make　us　angry　with　the　world　or　each　other。　We　had　an　elegant　house；　situated　in　a　fine　country；　and　a　good　neighbourhood。　The　year　was　spent　in　moral　or　rural　amusements；　in　visiting　our　rich　neighbours；　and　relieving　such　as　were　poor。　We　had　no　revolutions　to　fear；　nor　fatigues　to　undergo；　all　our　adventures　were　by　the　fire…side；　and　all　our　migrations　from　the　blue　bed　to　the　brown。

As　we　lived　near　the　road；　we　often　had　the　traveller　or　stranger　visit　us　to　taste　our　gooseberry　wine；　for　which　we　had　great　reputation；　and　I　profess　with　the　veracity　of　an　historian；　that　I　never　knew　one　of　them　find　fault　with　it。　Our　cousins　too；　even　to　the　fortieth　remove；　all　remembered　their　affinity；　without　any　help　from　the　Herald's　office；　and　came　very　frequently　to　see　us。　Some　of　them　did　us　no　great　honour　by　these　claims　of　kindred；　as　we　had　the　blind；　the　maimed；　and　the　halt　amongst　the　number。　However；　my　wife　always　insisted　that　as　they　were　the　same　flesh　and　blood；　they　should　sit　with　us　at　the　same　table。　So　that　if　we　had　not；　very　rich；　we　generally　had　very　happy　friends　about　us；　for　this　remark　will　hold　good　thro'　life；　that　the　poorer　the　guest；　the　better　pleased　he　ever　is　with　being　treated：　and　as　some　men　gaze　with　admiration　at　the　colours　of　a　tulip；　or　the　wing　of　a　butterfly；　so　I　was　by　nature　an　admirer　of　happy　human　faces。　However；　when　any　one　of　our　relations　was　found　to　be　a　person　of　very　bad　character；　a　troublesome　guest；　or　one　we　desired　to　get　rid　of；　upon　his　leaving　my　house；　I　ever　took　care　to　lend　him　a　riding　coat；　or　a　pair　of　boots；　or　sometimes　an　horse　of　small　value；　and　I　always　had　the　satisfaction　of　finding　he　never　came　back　to　return　them。　By　this　the　house　was　cleared　of　such　as　we　did　not　like；　but　never　was　the　family　of　Wakefield　known　to　turn　the　traveller　or　the　poor　dependent　out　of　doors。

Thus　we　lived　several　years　in　a　state　of　much　happiness；　not　but　that　we　sometimes　had　those　little　rubs　which　Providence　sends　to　enhance　the　value　of　its　favours。　My　orchard　was　often　robbed　by　school…boys；　and　my　wife's　custards　plundered　by　the　cats　or　the　children。　The　'Squire　would　sometimes　fall　asleep　in　the　most　pathetic　parts　of　my　sermon；　or　his　lady　return　my　wife's　civilities　at　church　with　a　mutilated　curtesy。　But　we　soon　got　over　the　uneasiness　caused　by　such　accidents；　and　usually　in　three　or　four　days　began　to　wonder　how　they　vext　us。

My　children；　the　offspring　of　temperance；　as　they　were　educated　without　softness；　so　they　were　at　once　well　formed　and　healthy；　my　sons　hardy　and　active；　my　daughters　beautiful　and　blooming。　When　I　stood　in　the　midst　of　the　little　circle；　which　promised　to　be　the　supports　of　my　declining　age；　I　could　not　avoid　repeating　the　famous　story　of　Count　Abensberg；　who；　in　Henry　II's　progress　through　Germany；　while　other　courtiers　came　with　their　treasures；　brought　his　thirty…two　children；　and　presented　them　to　his　sovereign　as　the　most　valuable　offering　he　had　to　bestow。　In　this　manner；　though　I　had　but　six；　I　considered　them　as　a　very　valuable　present　made　to　my　country；　and　consequently　looked　upon　it　as　my　debtor。　Our　eldest　son　was　named　George；　after　his　uncle；　who　left　us　ten　thousand　pounds。　Our　second　child；　a　girl；　I　intended　to　call　after　her　aunt　Grissel；　but　my　wife；　who　during　her　pregnancy　had　been　reading　romances；　insisted　upon　her　being　called　Olivia。　In　less　than　another　year　we　had　another　daughter；　and　now　I　was　determined　that　Grissel　should　be　her　name；　but　a　rich　relation　taking　a　fancy　to　stand　godmother；　the　girl　was；　by　her　directions；　called　Sophia；　so　that　we　had　two　romantic　names　in　the　family；　but　I　solemnly　protest　I　had　no　hand　in　it。　Moses　was　our　next；　and　after　an　interval　of　twelve　years；　we　had　two　sons　more。

It　would　be　fruitless　to　deny　my　exultation　when　I　saw　my　little　ones　about　me；　but　the　vanity　and　the　satisfaction　of　my　wife　were　even　greater　than　mine。　When　our　visitors　would　say；　'Well；　upon　my　word；　Mrs　Primrose；　you　have　the　finest　children　in　the　whole　country。''Ay；　neighbour；'　she　would　answer；　'they　are　as　heaven　made　them；　handsome　enough；　if　they　be　good　enough；　for　handsome　is　that　handsome　does。'　And　th