The Expedition of Humphry ClinkerSmollett, T. (Tobias)
General
The Expedition of Humphry Clinker
Smollett, T. (Tobias)
Epistolary fiction; Great Britain -- Fiction; Travelers -- Fiction
Our domestic oeconomy continues on the old footing.--My sister Tabby
still adheres to methodism, and had the benefit of a sermon at Wesley’s
meeting in Newcastle; but I believe the Passion of love has in some
measure abated the fervour of devotion both in her and her woman,
Mrs Jenkins, about whose good graces there has been a violent contest
betwixt my nephew’s valet, Mr Dutton, and my man, Humphry Clinker.--Jery
has been obliged to interpose his authority to keep the peace, and to
him I have left the discussion of that important affair, which had like
to have kindled the flames of discord in the family of
Yours always, MATT. BRAMBLE TWEEDMOUTH, July 15.
To Sir WATKIN PHILLIPS, Bart. at Oxon.
DEAR WAT,
In my two last you had so much of Lismahago, that I suppose you are
glad he is gone off the stage for the present.--I must now descend
to domestic occurrences.--Love, it seems, is resolved to assert his
dominion over all the females of our family.--After having practised
upon poor Liddy’s heart, and played strange vagaries with our aunt
Mrs Tabitha, he began to run riot in the affections of her woman, Mrs
Winifred Jenkins, whom I have had occasion to mention more than once in
the course of our memoirs. Nature intended Jenkins for something very
different from the character of her mistress; yet custom and habit have
effected a wonderful resemblance betwixt them in many particulars. Win,
to be sure, is much younger and more agreeable in her person; she is
likewise tender-hearted and benevolent, qualities for which her mistress
is by no means remarkable, no more than she is for being of a timorous
disposition, and much subject to fits of the mother, which are the
infirmities of Win’s constitution: but then she seems to have adopted
Mrs Tabby’s manner with her cast cloaths.--She dresses and endeavours
to look like her mistress, although her own looks are much more
engaging.--She enters into her scheme of oeconomy, learns her phrases,
repeats her remarks, imitates her stile in scolding the inferior
servants, and, finally, subscribes implicitly to her system of
devotion.--This, indeed, she found the more agreeable, as it was in a
great measure introduced and confirmed by the ministry of Clinker,
with whose personal merit she seems to have been struck ever since he
exhibited the pattern of his naked skin at Marlborough.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account