Arthur Mervyn Or, Memoirs of the Year 1793 , livre ebook

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244 pages

English

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pubOne.info thank you for your continued support and wish to present you this new edition. The evils of pestilence by which this city has lately been afflicted will probably form an era in its history. The schemes of reformation and improvement to which they will give birth, or, if no efforts of human wisdom can avail to avert the periodical visitations of this calamity, the change in manners and population which they will produce, will be, in the highest degree, memorable. They have already supplied new and copious materials for reflection to the physician and the political economist. They have not been less fertile of instruction to the moral observer, to whom they have furnished new displays of the influence of human passions and motives.

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Publié par	Pub One Info
Date de parution	23 octobre 2010
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9782819912057
Langue	English

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PREFACE.
The evils of pestilence by which this city haslately been afflicted will probably form an era in its history. Theschemes of reformation and improvement to which they will givebirth, or, if no efforts of human wisdom can avail to avert theperiodical visitations of this calamity, the change in manners andpopulation which they will produce, will be, in the highest degree,memorable. They have already supplied new and copious materials forreflection to the physician and the political economist. They havenot been less fertile of instruction to the moral observer, to whomthey have furnished new displays of the influence of human passionsand motives.
Amidst the medical and political discussions whichare now afloat in the community relative to this topic, the authorof these remarks has ventured to methodize his own reflections, andto weave into an humble narrative such incidents as appeared to himmost instructive and remarkable among those which came within thesphere of his own observation. It is every one's duty to profit byall opportunities of inculcating on mankind the lessons of justiceand humanity. The influences of hope and fear, the trials offortitude and constancy, which took place in this city in theautumn of 1793, have, perhaps, never been exceeded in any age. Itis but just to snatch some of these from oblivion, and to deliverto posterity a brief but faithful sketch of the condition of thismetropolis during that calamitous period. Men only require to bemade acquainted with distress for their compassion and theircharity to be awakened. He that depicts, in lively colours, theevils of disease and poverty, performs an eminent service to thesufferers, by calling forth benevolence in those who are able toafford relief; and he who portrays examples of disinterestednessand intrepidity confers on virtue the notoriety and homage that aredue to it, and rouses in the spectators the spirit of salutaryemulation.
In the following tale a particular series ofadventures is brought to a close; but these are necessarilyconnected with the events which happened subsequent to the periodhere described. These events are not less memorable than thosewhich form the subject of the present volume, and may hereafter bepublished, either separately or in addition to this.
C.B.B.
CHAPTER I.
I was resident in this city during the year 1793.Many motives contributed to detain me, though departure was easyand commodious, and my friends were generally solicitous for me togo. It is not my purpose to enumerate these motives, or to dwell onmy present concerns and transactions, but merely to compose anarrative of some incidents with which my situation made meacquainted.
Returning one evening, somewhat later than usual, tomy own house, my attention was attracted, just as I entered theporch, by the figure of a man reclining against the wall at a fewpaces distant. My sight was imperfectly assisted by a far-off lamp;but the posture in which he sat, the hour, and the place,immediately suggested the idea of one disabled by sickness. It wasobvious to conclude that his disease was pestilential. This did notdeter me from approaching and examining him more closely.
He leaned his head against the wall; his eyes wereshut, his hands clasped in each other, and his body seemed to besustained in an upright position merely by the cellar-door againstwhich he rested his left shoulder. The lethargy into which he wassunk seemed scarcely interrupted by my feeling his hand and hisforehead. His throbbing temples and burning skin indicated a fever,and his form, already emaciated, seemed to prove that it had notbeen of short duration.
There was only one circumstance that hindered mefrom forming an immediate determination in what manner this personshould be treated. My family consisted of my wife and a youngchild. Our servant-maid had been seized, three days before, by thereigning malady, and, at her own request, had been conveyed to thehospital. We ourselves enjoyed good health, and were hopeful ofescaping with our lives. Our measures for this end had beencautiously taken and carefully adhered to. They did not consist inavoiding the receptacles of infection, for my office required me togo daily into the midst of them; nor in filling the house with theexhalations of gunpowder, vinegar, or tar. They consisted incleanliness, reasonable exercise, and wholesome diet. Custom hadlikewise blunted the edge of our apprehensions. To take this personinto my house, and bestow upon him the requisite attendance, wasthe scheme that first occurred to me. In this, however, the adviceof my wife was to govern me.
I mentioned the incident to her. I pointed out thedanger which was to be dreaded from such an inmate. I desired herto decide with caution, and mentioned my resolution to conformmyself implicitly to her decision. Should we refuse to harbour him,we must not forget that there was a hospital to which he would,perhaps, consent to be carried, and where he would be accommodatedin the best manner the times would admit. "Nay," said she, "talknot of hospitals. At least, let him have his choice. I have no fearabout me, for my part, in a case where the injunctions of duty areso obvious. Let us take the poor, unfortunate wretch into ourprotection and care, and leave the consequences to Heaven."
I expected and was pleased with this proposal. Ireturned to the sick man, and, on rousing him from his stupor,found him still in possession of his reason. With a candle near, Ihad an opportunity of viewing him more accurately.
His garb was plain, careless, and denoted rusticity.His aspect was simple and ingenuous, and his decayed visage stillretained traces of uncommon but manlike beauty. He had all theappearances of mere youth, unspoiled by luxury and uninured tomisfortune. I scarcely ever beheld an object which laid so powerfuland sudden a claim to my affection and succour. "You are sick,"said I, in as cheerful a tone as I could assume. "Cold bricks andnight-airs are comfortless attendants for one in your condition.Rise, I pray you, and come into the house. We will try to supplyyou with accommodations a little more suitable."
At this address he fixed his languid eyes upon me."What would you have?" said he. "I am very well as I am. While Ibreathe, which will not be long, I shall breathe with more freedomhere than elsewhere. Let me alone – I am very well as I am." "Nay,"said I, "this situation is unsuitable to a sick man. I only ask youto come into my house, and receive all the kindness that it is inour power to bestow. Pluck up courage, and I will answer for yourrecovery, provided you submit to directions, and do as we wouldhave you. Rise, and come along with me. We will find you aphysician and a nurse, and all we ask in return is good spirits andcompliance." "Do you not know," he replied, "what my disease is?Why should you risk your safety for the sake of one whom yourkindness cannot benefit, and who has nothing to give inreturn?"
There was something in the style of this remark,that heightened my prepossession in his favour, and made me pursuemy purpose with more zeal. "Let us try what we can do for you," Ianswered. "If we save your life, we shall have done you someservice, and, as for recompense, we will look to that."
It was with considerable difficulty that he waspersuaded to accept our invitation. He was conducted to a chamber,and, the criticalness of his case requiring unusual attention, Ispent the night at his bedside.
My wife was encumbered with the care both of herinfant and her family. The charming babe was in perfect health, buther mother's constitution was frail and delicate. We simplified thehousehold duties as much as possible, but still these duties wereconsiderably burdensome to one not used to the performance, andluxuriously educated. The addition of a sick man was likely to beproductive of much fatigue. My engagements would not allow me to bealways at home, and the state of my patient, and the remediesnecessary to be prescribed, were attended with many noxious anddisgustful circumstances. My fortune would not allow me to hireassistance. My wife, with a feeble frame and a mind shrinking, onordinary occasions, from such offices, with fastidiousscrupulousness, was to be his only or principal nurse.
My neighbours were fervent in their well-meant zeal,and loud in their remonstrances on the imprudence and rashness ofmy conduct. They called me presumptuous and cruel in exposing mywife and child, as well as myself, to such imminent hazard, for thesake of one, too, who most probably was worthless, and whosedisease had doubtless been, by negligence or mistreatment, renderedincurable.
I did not turn a deaf ear to these censurers. I wasaware of all the inconveniences and perils to which I thusspontaneously exposed myself. No one knew better the value of thatwoman whom I called mine, or set a higher price upon her life, herhealth, and her ease. The virulence and activity of this contagion,the dangerous condition of my patient, and the dubiousness of hischaracter, were not forgotten by me; but still my conduct in thisaffair received my own entire approbation. All objections on thescore of my friends were removed by her own willingness and evensolicitude to undertake the province. I had more confidence thanothers in the vincibility of this disease, and in the success ofthose measures which we had used for our defence against it. But,whatever were the evils to accrue to us, we were sure of one thing:namely, that the consciousness of having neglected this unfortunateperson would be a source of more unhappiness than could possiblyredound from the attendance and care that he would claim.
The more we saw of him, indeed, the more did wecongratulate ourselves on our proceeding. His torments were acuteand tedious; but, in the midst even of delirium, his heart seemedto overflow with gratitude, and to be actuated by no wish but toalleviate our toil and our danger. He ma