The Expedition of Humphry ClinkerSmollett, T. (Tobias)
General
The Expedition of Humphry Clinker
Smollett, T. (Tobias)
Epistolary fiction; Great Britain -- Fiction; Travelers -- Fiction
Without waiting for your answer to my last, I proceed to give you an
account of our journey to London, which has not been wholly barren of
adventure. Tuesday last the ‘squire took his place in a hired coach and
four, accompanied by his sister and mine, and Mrs Tabby’s maid, Winifrid
Jenkins, whose province it was to support Chowder on a cushion in
her lap. I could scarce refrain from laughing when I looked into the
vehicle, and saw that animal sitting opposite to my uncle, like any
other passenger. The squire, ashamed of his situation, blushed to the
eyes: and, calling to the postilions to drive on, pulled the glass up in
my face. I, and his servant, John Thomas, attended them on horseback.
Nothing worth mentioning occurred, till we arrived on the edge of
Marlborough Downs. There one of the four horses fell, in going down
hill at a round trot; and the postilion behind, endeavouring to stop
the carriage, pulled it on one side into a deep rut, where it was fairly
overturned. I had rode on about two hundred yards before; but, hearing
a loud scream, galloped back and dismounted, to give what assistance
was in my power. When I looked into the coach, I could see nothing
distinctly, but the nether end of Jenkins, who was kicking her heels and
squalling with great vociferation. All of a sudden, my uncle thrust
up his bare pate, and bolted through the window, as nimble as a
grasshopper, having made use of poor Win’s posteriors as a step to rise
in his ascent--The man (who had likewise quitted his horse) dragged this
forlorn damsel, more dead than alive, through the same opening. Then
Mr Bramble, pulling the door off its hinges with a jerk, laid hold
on Liddy’s arm, and brought her to the light; very much frighted, but
little hurt. It fell to my share to deliver our aunt Tabitha, who had
lost her cap in the struggle, and being rather more than half frantic,
with rage and terror, was no bad representation of one of the sister
Furies that guard the gates of hell--She expressed no sort of concern
for her brother, who ran about in the cold, without his periwig, and
worked with the most astonishing agility, in helping to disentangle
the horses from the carriage: but she cried, in a tone of distraction,
‘Chowder! Chowder! my dear Chowder! my poor Chowder is certainly
killed!’
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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