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travels through france and italy-第26章

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six times in the course of the war。 They were  fitted out at a very small expence; and used to run over in the  night to the coast of England; where they hovered as English  fishing smacks; until they kidnapped some coaster; with which  they made the best of their way across the Channel。 If they fell  in with a British cruiser; they surrendered without resistance:  the captain was soon exchanged; and the loss of the proprietor  was not great: if they brought their prize safe into harbour;  the advantage was considerable。 In time of peace the merchants of  Boulogne deal in wine brandies; and oil; imported from the South;  and export fish; with the manufactures of France; to Portugal;  and other countries; but the trade is not great。 Here are two or  three considerable houses of wine merchants from Britain; who  deal in Bourdeaux wine; with which they supply London and other  parts of England; Scotland; and Ireland。 The fishery of mackarel  and herring is so considerable on this coast; that it is said to  yield annually eight or nine hundred thousand livres; about  thirty…five thousand pounds sterling。

The shop…keepers here drive a considerable traffic with the  English smugglers; whose cutters are almost the only vessels one  sees in the harbour of Boulogne; if we except about a dozen of  those flat…bottomed boats; which raised such alarms in England;  in the course of the war。 Indeed they seem to be good for nothing  else; and perhaps they were built for this purpose only。 The  smugglers from the coast of Kent and Sussex pay English gold for  great quantities of French brandy; tea; coffee; and small wine;  which they run from this country。 They likewise buy glass  trinkets; toys; and coloured prints; which sell in England; for  no other reason; but that they come from France; as they may be  had as cheap; and much better finished; of our own manufacture。  They likewise take off ribbons; laces; linen; and cambrics;  though this branch of trade is chiefly in the hands of traders  that come from London and make their purchases at Dunkirk; where  they pay no duties。 It is certainly worth while for any traveller  to lay in a stock of linen either at Dunkirk or Boulogne; the  difference of the price at these two places is not great。 Even  here I have made a provision of shirts for one half of the money  they would have cost in London。 Undoubtedly the practice of  smuggling is very detrimental to the fair trader; and carries  considerable sums of money out of the kingdom; to enrich our  rivals and enemies。 The custom…house officers are very watchful;  and make a great number of seizures: nevertheless; the smugglers  find their account in continuing this contraband commerce; and  are said to indemnify themselves; if they save one cargo out of  three。 After all; the best way to prevent smuggling; is to lower  the duties upon the commodities which are thus introduced。 I have  been told; that the revenue upon tea has encreased ever since the  duty upon it was diminished。 By the bye; the tea smuggled on the  coast of Sussex is most execrable stuff。 While I stayed at  Hastings; for the conveniency of bathing; I must have changed my  breakfast; if I had not luckily brought tea with me from London:  yet we have as good tea at Boulogne for nine livres a pound; as  that which sells at fourteen shillings at London。

The bourgeois of this place seem to live at their ease; probably  in consequence of their trade with the English。 Their houses  consist of the ground…floor; one story above; and garrets。 In  those which are well furnished; you see pier…glasses and marble  slabs; but the chairs are either paultry things; made with straw  bottoms; which cost about a shilling a…piece; or old…fashioned;  high…backed seats of needle…work; stuffed; very clumsy and  incommodious。 The tables are square fir boards; that stand on  edge in a corner; except when they are used; and then they are  set upon cross legs that open and shut occasionally。 The king of  France dines off a board of this kind。 Here is plenty of table…linen  however。 The poorest tradesman in Boulogne has a napkin on  every cover; and silver forks with four prongs; which are used  with the right hand; there being very little occasion for knives;  for the meat is boiled or roasted to rags。 The French beds are so  high; that sometimes one is obliged to mount them by the help of  steps; and this is also the case in Flanders。 They very seldom  use feather…beds; but they lie upon a paillasse; or bag of straw;  over which are laid two; and sometimes three mattrasses。 Their  testers are high and old…fashioned; and their curtains generally  of thin bays; red; or green; laced with taudry yellow; in  imitation of gold。 In some houses; however; one meets with  furniture of stamped linen; but there is no such thing as a  carpet to be seen; and the floors are in a very dirty condition。  They have not even the implements of cleanliness in this country。  Every chamber is furnished with an armoire; or clothes…press; and  a chest of drawers; of very clumsy workmanship。 Every thing shews  a deficiency in the mechanic arts。 There is not a door; nor a  window; that shuts close。 The hinges; locks; and latches; are of  iron; coarsely made; and ill contrived。 The very chimnies are  built so open; that they admit both rain and sun; and all of them  smoke intolerably。 If there is no cleanliness among these people;  much less shall we find delicacy; which is the cleanliness of the  mind。 Indeed they are utter strangers to what we call common  decency; and I could give you some high…flavoured instances; at  which even a native of Edinburgh would stop his nose。 There are  certain mortifying views of human nature; which undoubtedly ought  to be concealed as much as possible; in order to prevent giving  offence: and nothing can be more absurd; than to plead the  difference of custom in different countries; in defence of these  usages which cannot fail giving disgust to the organs and senses  of all mankind。 Will custom exempt from the imputation of gross  indecency a French lady; who shifts her frowsy smock in presence  of a male visitant; and talks to him of her lavement; her  medecine; and her bidet! An Italian signora makes no scruple of  telling you; she is such a day to begin a course of physic for  the pox。 The celebrated reformer of the Italian comedy introduces  a child befouling itself; on the stage; OE; NO TI SENTI? BISOGNA  DESFASSARLO; (fa cenno che sentesi mal odore)。 I have known a  lady handed to the house of office by her admirer; who stood at  the door; and entertained her with bons mots all the time she was  within。 But I should be glad to know; whether it is possible for  a fine lady to speak and act in this manner; without exciting  ideas to her own disadvantage in the mind of every man who has  any imagination left; and enjoys the entire use of his senses;  howsoever she may be authorised by the customs of her country?  There is nothing so vile or repugnant to nature; but you may  plead prescription for it; in the customs of some nation or  other。 A Parisian likes mortified flesh: a native of Legiboli  will not taste his fish till it is quite putrefied: the civilized  inhabitants of Kamschatka get d
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