The Expedition of Humphry ClinkerSmollett, T. (Tobias)
General
The Expedition of Humphry Clinker
Smollett, T. (Tobias)
Epistolary fiction; Great Britain -- Fiction; Travelers -- Fiction
extend so far, and, if it did, he should let the people take their own
way; for he thought it would be great presumption in him to direct them
in the exercise of their own profession. Mrs Winifred Jenkins made a
general clearance with the assistance of Mr Humphry Clinker, who joined
her both in prayer and ejaculation.--As he took it for granted that we
should not be long in this world, he offered some spiritual consolation
to Mrs Tabitha, who rejected it with great disgust, bidding him keep his
sermons for those who had leisure to hear such nonsense.--My uncle sat,
collected in himself, without speaking; my man Archy had recourse to a
brandy-bottle, with which he made so free, that I imagined he had sworn
to die of drinking any thing rather than sea-water: but the brandy had
no more effect upon him in the way of intoxication, than if it had been
sea-water in good earnest.--As for myself, I was too much engrossed by
the sickness at my stomach, to think of any thing else. Meanwhile the
sea swelled mountains high, the boat pitched with such violence, as if
it had been going to pieces; the cordage rattled, the wind roared; the
lightning flashed, the thunder bellowed, and the rain descended in
a deluge--Every time the vessel was put about, we ship’d a sea that
drenched us all to the skin.--When, by dint of turning, we thought to
have cleared the pier head, we were driven to leeward, and then the
boatmen themselves began to fear that the tide would fail before we
should fetch up our lee-way: the next trip, however, brought us into
smooth water, and we were safely landed on the quay, about one o’clock
in the afternoon.--‘To be sure (cried Tabby, when she found herself
on terra firma), we must all have perished, if we had not been the
particular care of Providence.’ ‘Yes (replied my uncle), but I am much
of the honest highlander’s mind--after he had made such a passage
as this: his friend told him he was much indebted to
Providence;--“Certainly (said Donald), but, by my saul, mon, I’se ne’er
trouble Providence again, so long as the brig of Stirling stands.”’--You
must know the brig, or bridge of Stirling, stands above twenty miles
up the river Forth, of which this is the outlet--I don’t find that our
‘squire has suffered in his health from this adventure; but poor Liddy
is in a peaking way--I’m afraid this unfortunate girl is uneasy in her
mind; and this apprehension distracts me, for she is really an amiable
creature.
We shall set out to-morrow or next day for Stirling and Glasgow; and we
propose to penetrate a little way into the Highlands, before we turn our
course to the southward--In the mean time, commend me to all our friends
round Carfax, and believe me to be, ever yours,
EDINBURGH, Aug. 8. J. MELFORD
To Dr LEWIS.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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