A Year's Journey through France and Part of Spain, Volume 2 (1777)Thicknesse, Philip
History
A Year's Journey through France and Part of Spain, Volume 2 (1777)
Thicknesse, Philip
France -- Description and travel; Spain -- Description and travel
If God delights so much in variety, as all things animate and inanimate
sufficiently prove, no wonder that man should do so too: and I have now
been so accustomed to move, though slowly, that I intend to creep on to
my _journey's end_, by which means I may live to have been an inhabitant
of every town almost in Europe, and die, as I have lately (and wish I
had always) lived, a free citizen of the whole world, slave to no sect,
nor subject to any King. Yet, I would not be considered as one wishing
to promote that disposition in others; for I must confess, that it is in
England alone, where an innocent and virtuous man can sit down and enjoy
the blessings of liberty and his own chearful hearth, in full confidence
that no earthly power can disturb it; and the best reason which can be
offered in favour of Englishmen visiting other kingdoms, is, to enable
them, upon their return, to know how to enjoy the inestimable blessings
of their own.
LETTER LVI.
For what should I cross the streight which divides us, though it were
but _half_ seven leagues? we should only meet to part again, and
purchase pleasure, as most pleasures are purchased, too dearly; I have
dropt some heavy tears, (ideally at least) over poor BUCKLE'S[J] grave,
and it is all one to a man, now with GOD! on what King's soil such a
_tribute as that_ is paid: had some men of all nations known the
goodness of his heart as we did, some men of all nations would grieve as
we do. When I frequented _Morgan's_[K] I used him as a touch-stone, to
try the hearts of other men upon; for, as he was not rich, he was out of
the walk of knaves and flatterers, and such men, who were moot
prejudiced in his favour at first sight, and coveted not his company
after a little acquaintance, I always avoided as beings made of base
metal. It was for this reason I despised that ****** ****, (you know who
I mean) for you too have seen him _snarl_, _and bite_, _and play the
dog_, even to BUCKLE!
[J] WILLIAM BUCKLE, Esq.
[K] MORGAN'S Coffee-House, Grove, BATH.
Our Sunday night's tea club, round his chearful hearth, is now for ever
dissolved, and SHARPE and RYE have administered their last friendly
offices with a potion of sorrow.
Were I the hermit of _St. Catharine_, I would chissel his name as deeply
into one of my pine-heads, as his virtues are impressed on my memory.
Though I have lost _his guinea_, I will not lose his name; he looked
down with pity upon me when here; who can say he may not do so still? I
should be an infidel, did not a few such men as he _keep me back_.
And now, my dear Sir, after the many trifling subjects in this very long
correspondence with you, I will avail myself of this good one, to close
it, on the noblest work of GOD, AN HONEST MAN. The loss of such a
friend, is sufficient to induce one to lay aside all pursuits, but that
of following his example, and to prepare to follow him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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