the vicar of wakefield-第23部分

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ptures；　and　the　ladies　especially；　but　as　it　was　now　my　only　means；　it　was　received　with　contempt：　a　proof　how　ready　the　world　is　to　under　rate　those　talents　by　which　a　man　is　supported。

'In　this　manner　I　proceeded　to　Paris；　with　no　design　but　just　to　look　about　me；　and　then　to　go　forward。　The　people　of　Paris　are　much　fonder　of　strangers　that　have　money；　than　of　those　that　have　wit。　As　I　could　not　boast　much　of　either；　I　was　no　great　favourite。　After　walking　about　the　town　four　or　five　days；　and　seeing　the　outsides　of　the　best　houses；　I　was　preparing　to　leave　this　retreat　of　venal　hospitality；　when　passing　through　one　of　the　principal　streets；　whom　should　I　meet　but　our　cousin；　to　whom　you　first　recommended　me。　This　meeting　was　very　agreeable　to　me；　and　I　believe　not　displeasing　to　him。　He　enquired　into　the　nature　of　my　journey　to　Paris；　and　informed　me　of　his　own　business　there；　which　was　to　collect　pictures；　medals；　intaglios；　and　antiques　of　all　kinds；　for　a　gentleman　in　London；　who　had　just　stept　into　taste　and　a　large　fortune。　I　was　the　more　surprised　at　seeing　our　cousin　pitched　upon　for　this　office；　as　he　himself　had　often　assured　me　he　knew　nothing　of　the　matter。　Upon　my　asking　how　he　had　been　taught　the　art　of　a　connoscento　so　very　suddenly；　he　assured　me　that　nothing　was　more　easy。　The　whole　secret　consisted　in　a　strict　adherence　to　two　rules：　the　one　always　to　observe；　that　the　picture　might　have　been　better　if　the　painter　had　taken　more　pains；　and　the　other；　to　praise　the　works　of　Pietro　Perugino。　But；　says　he；　as　I　once　taught　you　how　to　be　an　author　in　London；　I'll　now　undertake　to　instruct　you　in　the　art　of　picture　buying　at　Paris。

'With　this　proposal　I　very　readily　closed；　as　it　was　a　living；　and　now　all　my　ambition　was　to　live。　I　went　therefore　to　his　lodgings；　improved　my　dress　by　his　assistance；　and　after　some　time；　accompanied　him　to　auctions　of　pictures；　where　the　English　gentry　were　expected　to　be　purchasers。　I　was　not　a　little　surprised　at　his　intimacy　with　people　of　the　best　fashion；　who　referred　themselves　to　his　judgment　upon　every　picture　or　medal；　as　to　an　unerring　standard　of　taste。　He　made　very　good　use　of　my　assistance　upon　these　occasions；　for　when　asked　his　opinion；　he　would　gravely　take　me　aside；　and　ask　mine；　shrug；　look　wise；　return；　and　assure　the　company；　that　he　could　give　no　opinion　upon　an　affair　of　so　much　importance。　Yet　there　was　sometimes　an　occasion　for　a　more　supported　assurance。　I　remember　to　have　seen　him；　after　giving　his　opinion　that　the　colouring　of　a　picture　was　not　mellow　enough；　very　deliberately　take　a　brush　with　brown　varnish；　that　was　accidentally　lying　by；　and　rub　it　over　the　piece　with　great　composure　before　all　the　company；　and　then　ask　if　he　had　not　improved　the　tints。

'When　he　had　finished　his　commission　in　Paris；　he　left　me　strongly　recommended　to　several　men　of　distinction；　as　a　person　very　proper　for　a　travelling　tutor；　and　after　some　time　I　was　employed　in　that　capacity　by　a　gentleman　who　brought　his　ward　to　Paris；　in　order　to　set　him　forward　on　his　tour　through　Europe。　I　was　to　be　the　young　gentleman's　governor；　but　with　a　proviso　that　he　should　always　be　permitted　to　govern　himself。　My　pupil　in　fact　understood　the　art　of　guiding　in　money　concerns　much　better　than　I。　He　was　heir　to　a　fortune　of　about　two　hundred　thousand　pounds；　left　him　by　an　uncle　in　the　West　Indies；　and　his　guardians；　to　qualify　him　for　the　management　of　it；　had　bound　him　apprentice　to　an　attorney。　Thus　avarice　was　his　prevailing　passion：　all　his　questions　on　the　road　were　how　money　might　be　saved；　which　was　the　least　expensive　course　of　travel；　whether　any　thing　could　be　bought　that　would　turn　to　account　when　disposed　of　again　in　London。　Such　curiosities　on　the　way　as　could　be　seen　for　nothing　he　was　ready　enough　to　look　at；　but　if　the　sight　of　them　was　to　be　paid　for；　he　usually　asserted　that　he　had　been　told　they　were　not　worth　seeing。　He　never　paid　a　bill；　that　he　would　not　observe；　how　amazingly　expensive　travelling　was；　and　all　this　though　he　was　not　yet　twenty…one。　When　arrived　at　Leghorn；　as　we　took　a　walk　to　look　at　the　port　and　shipping；　he　enquired　the　expence　of　the　passage　by　sea　home　to　England。　This　he　was　informed　was　but　a　trifle；　compared　to　his　returning　by　land；　he　was　therefore　unable　to　withstand　the　temptation；　so　paying　me　the　small　part　of　my　salary　that　was　due；　he　took　leave；　and　embarked　with　only　one　attendant　for　London。

'I　now　therefore　was　left　once　more　upon　the　world　at　large；　but　then　it　was　a　thing　I　was　used　to。　However　my　skill　in　music　could　avail　me　nothing　in　a　country　where　every　peasant　was　a　better　musician　than　I；　but　by　this　time　I　had　acquired　another　talent；　which　answered　my　purpose　as　well；　and　this　was　a　skill　in　disputation。　In　all　the　foreign　universities　and　convents；　there　are　upon　certain　days　philosophical　theses　maintained　against　every　adventitious　disputant；　for　which；　if　the　champion　opposes　with　any　dexterity；　he　can　claim　a　gratuity　in　money；　a　dinner；　and　a　bed；　for　one　night。　In　this　manner　therefore　I　fought　my　way　towards　England；　walked　along　from　city　to　city；　examined　mankind　more　nearly；　and；　if　I　may　so　express　it；　saw　both　sides　of　the　picture。　My　remarks；　however；　are　but　few：　I　found　that　monarchy　was　the　best　government　for　the　poor　to　live　in；　and　commonwealths　for　the　rich。　I　found　that　riches　in　general　were　in　every　country　another　name　for　freedom；　and　that　no　man　is　so　fond　of　liberty　himself　as　not　to　be　desirous　of　subjecting　the　will　of　some　individuals　in　society　to　his　own。

'Upon　my　arrival　in　England；　I　resolved　to　pay　my　respects　first　to　you；　and　then　to　enlist　as　a　volunteer　in　the　first　expedition　that　was　going　forward；　but　on　my　journey　down　my　resolutions　were　changed；　by　meeting　an　old　acquaintance；　who　I　found　belonged　to　a　company　of　comedians；　that　were　going　to　make　a　summer　campaign　in　the　country。　The　company　seemed　not　much　to　disapprove　of　me　for　an　associate。　They　all；　however；　apprized　me　of　the　importance　of　the　task　at　which　I　aimed；　that　the　public　was　a　many　headed　monster；　and　that　only　such　as　had　very　good　heads　could　please　it：　that　acting　was　not　to　be　learnt　in　a　day；　and　that　without　some　traditional　shrugs；　which　had　been　on　the　stage；　and　only　on　the　stage；　these　hundred　years；　I　could　never　pretend　to　please。　The　next　difficulty　was　in　fitting　me　with　parts；　as　almost　every　character　was　in　keeping。　I　was　driven　for　some　time　from　one　character　to　another；　till　at　last　Horatio　was　fixed　upon；　which　the　presence　of　the　present　company　has　happily　hindered　me　from　acting。'



CHAPTER　21

The　short　continuance　of　friendship　amongst　the　vicious；　which　is　coeval　only　with　mutual　satisfaction


My　son's　account　was　too　long　to　be　delivered　at　once；　the　first　part　of　it　was　begun　that　night；　and　he　was　concluding　the　rest　after　dinner　the　next　day；　when　the　appearance　of　Mr　Thornhill's　equipage　at　the　door　seemed　to　make　a　pause　in　the　general　satisfaction。　The　butler；　who　was　now　become　my　friend　in　the　family；　informed　me　with　a　whisper；　that　the　'Squire　had　already　made　some　overtures　to　Miss　Wilmot；　and　that　her　aunt　and　uncle　seemed　highly　to　approve　the　match。　Upon　Mr　Thornhill's　entering；　he　seemed；　at　seeing　my　son　and　me；　to　start　back；　but　I　readily　imputed　that　to　surprize；　and　not　displeasure。　However；　upon　our　advancing　to　salute　him；　he　returned　our　greeting　with　the　most　apparent　candour；　and　after　a　short　time；　his　presence　served　only　to　encrease　the　general　good　humour。

After　tea　he　called　me　aside；　to　enquire　after　my　daughter；　but　upon　my　informing　him　that　my　enquiry　was　unsuccessful；　he　seemed　greatly　surprised；　adding；　that　he　had　been　since　frequently　at　my　house；　in　order　to　comfort　the　rest　of　my　family；　whom　he　left　perfectly　well。　He　then　asked　if　I　had　communicated　her　misfortune　to　Miss　Wilmot；　or　my　son；　and　upon　my　replying　that　I　had　not　told　them　as　yet；　he　greatly　approved　my　prudence　and　precaution；　desiring　me　by　all　means　to　keep　it　a　secret：　'For　at　best；'　cried　he；　'it　is　but　divulging　one's　own　infamy；　and　perhaps　Miss　Livy　may　not　be　so　guilty　as　we　all　imagine。'　We　were　here　interrupted　by　a　servant；　who　came　to　ask　the　'Squire　in；　to　stand　up　at　country　dances；　so　that　he　left　me　quite　pleased　with　the　interest　he　seemed　to　take　in　my　concerns。　His　addresses；　however；　to　Miss　Wilmot；　were　too　obvious　to　be　mistaken；　and　yet　she　seemed　not　perfectly　pleased；　but　bore　them　rather　in　compliance　to　the　will　of　her　aunt；　than　from　real　inclination。　I　had　even　the　satisfaction　to　see　her　lavish　some　kind　looks　upon　my　unfortunate　son；　which　the　other　could　neither　extort　by　his　fortune　nor　assiduity。　Mr　Thornhill's　seeming　composure；　however；　not　a　little　surprised　me：　we　had　now　continued　here　a　week；　at　the　pressing　instances　of　Mr　Arnold；　but　each　day　the　more　tenderness　Miss　Wilmot　shewed　my　son；　Mr　Thomhill's　friendship　seemed　proportionably　to　encrease　for　him。

He　had　formerly　made　us　the　most　kind　assurances　of　using　his　interest　to　serve　the　family；　but　now　his　generosity　was　not　confined　to　promises　alone：　the　morning　I　designed　for　my　departure；　Mr　Thornhill　came　to　me　with　looks　of　real　pleasure　to　inform　me　of　a