第5章

theywerehandsomelybound，andtothemIfirstturnedmyattention。Iopenedthemsuccessively，andendeavouredtomakeouttheirmeaning；theircontents，however，asfarasIwasabletounderstandthem，werebynomeansinteresting：whoeverpleasesmayreadthesebooksforme，andkeepthem，too，intothebargain，saidItomyself。

Inowtookupthethirdbook：itdidnotresembletheothers，beinglongerandconsiderablythicker；thebindingwasofdingycalf-skin。Iopenedit，andasIdidsoanotherstrangethrillofpleasureshotthroughmyframe。Thefirstobjectonwhichmyeyesrestedwasapicture；itwasexceedinglywellexecuted，atleastthescenewhichitrepresentedmadeavividimpressionuponme，whichwouldhardlyhavebeenthecasehadtheartistnotbeenfaithfultonature。Awildsceneitwas-aheavyseaandrockyshore，withmountainsinthebackground，abovewhichthemoonwaspeering。Notfarfromtheshore，uponthewater，wasaboatwithtwofiguresinit，oneofwhichstoodatthebow，pointingwithwhatIknewtobeagunatadreadfulshapeinthewater；firewasflashingfromthemuzzleofthegun，andthemonsterappearedtobetransfixed。IalmostthoughtIhearditscry。Iremainedmotionless，gazinguponthepicture，scarcelydaringtodrawmybreath，lestthenewandwondrousworldshouldvanishofwhichI

hadnowobtainedaglimpse。’Whoarethosepeople，andwhatcouldhavebroughtthemintothatstrangesituation？’Iaskedofmyself；

andnowtheseedofcuriosity，whichhadsolonglaindormant，begantoexpand，andIvowedtomyselftobecomespeedilyacquaintedwiththewholehistoryofthepeopleintheboat。Afterlookingonthepicturetilleverymarkandlineinitwerefamiliartome，IturnedovervariousleavestillIcametoanotherengraving；anewsourceofwonder-alowsandybeachonwhichthefuriousseawasbreakinginmountain-likebillows；cloudandrackdeformedthefirmament，whichworeadullandleaden-likehue；

gullsandotheraquaticfowlsweretopplingupontheblast，orskimmingoverthetopsofthemaddeningwaves-’Mercyuponhim!hemustbedrowned!’Iexclaimed，asmyeyesfelluponapoorwretchwhoappearedtobestrivingtoreachtheshore；hewasuponhislegs，butwasevidentlyhalfsmotheredwiththebrine；highabovehisheadcurledahorriblebillow，asiftoengulfhimforever。

’Hemustbedrowned!hemustbedrowned!’Ialmostshrieked，anddroppedthebook。Isoonsnatcheditupagain，andnowmyeyelightedonathirdpicture：againashore，butwhatasweetandlovelyone，andhowIwishedtobetreadingit；therewerebeautifulshellslyingonthesmoothwhitesand，somewereemptylikethoseIhadoccasionallyseenonmarblemantelpieces，butoutofotherspeeredtheheadsandbodiesofwondrouscrayfish，awoodofthickgreentreesskirtedthebeachandpartlyshadeditfromtheraysofthesun，whichshonehotabove，whilebluewavesslightlycrestedwithfoamweregentlycurlingagainstit；therewasahumanfigureuponthebeach，wildanduncouth，cladintheskinsofanimals，withahugecaponhishead，ahatchetathisgirdle，andinhishandagun；hisfeetandlegswerebare；hestoodinanattitudeofhorrorandsurprise；hisbodywasbentfarback，andhiseyes，whichseemedstartingoutofhishead，werefixeduponamarkonthesand-alargedistinctmark-ahumanfootprint……

Reader，isitnecessarytonamethebookwhichnowstoodopeninmyhand，andwhoseveryprints，feebleexpoundersofitswondrouslines，hadproducedwithinmeemotionsstrangeandnovel？Scarcely-foritwasabookwhichhasexertedoverthemindsofEnglishmenaninfluencecertainlygreaterthananyotherofmoderntimes-

whichhasbeeninmostpeople’shands，andwiththecontentsofwhicheventhosewhocannotreadaretoacertainextentacquainted-abookfromwhichthemostluxuriantandfertileofourmodernprosewritershavedrunkinspiration-abook，moreover，towhich，fromthehardydeedswhichitnarrates，andthespiritofstrangeandromanticenterprisewhichittendstoawaken，Englandowesmanyofherastonishingdiscoveriesbothbyseaandland，andnoinconsiderablepartofhernavalglory。

Hailtothee，spiritofDeFoe!Whatdoesnotmyownpoorselfowetothee？EnglandhasbetterbardsthaneitherGreeceorRome，yetIcouldsparethemeasierfarthanDeFoe，’unabashedDeFoe，’asthehunchbackedrhymerstyledhim。

Thetruechordhadnowbeentouched；aragingcuriositywithrespecttothecontentsofthevolume，whoseengravingshadfascinatedmyeye，burnedwithinme，andIneverresteduntilIhadfullysatisfiedit；weekssucceededweeks，monthsfollowedmonths，andthewondrousvolumewasmyonlystudyandprincipalsourceofamusement。ForhourstogetherIwouldsitporingoverapagetillIhadbecomeacquaintedwiththeimportofeveryline。Myprogress，slowenoughatfirst，becamebydegreesmorerapid，tillatlast，under’ashoulderofmuttonsail，’Ifoundmyselfcanteringbeforeasteadybreezeoveranoceanofenchantment，sowellpleasedwithmyvoyagethatIcarednothowlongitmightbeereitreacheditstermination。

AnditwasinthismannerthatIfirsttooktothepathsofknowledge。

AboutthistimeIbegantobesomewhatimpressedwithreligiousfeelings。Myparentswere，toacertainextent，religiouspeople；

but，thoughtheyhaddonetheirbesttoaffordmeinstructiononreligiouspoints，Ihadeitherpaidnoattentiontowhattheyendeavouredtocommunicate，orhadlistenedwithanearfartooobtusetoderiveanybenefit。Butmymindhadnowbecomeawakenedfromthedrowsytorporinwhichithadlainsolong，andthereasoningpowerswhichIpossessedwerenolongerinactive。

HithertoIhadentertainednoconceptionwhateverofthenatureandpropertiesofGod，andwiththemostperfectindifferencehadheardthedivinenameproceedingfromthemouthsofpeople-frequently，alas!onoccasionswhenitoughtnottobeemployed；butInowneverhearditwithoutatremor，forInowknewthatGodwasanawfulandinscrutableBeing，theMakerofallthings；thatwewereHischildren，andthatwe，byoursins，hadjustlyoffendedHim；

thatwewereinverygreatperilfromHisanger，notsomuchinthislifeasinanotherandfarstrangerstateofbeingyettocome；thatwehadaSaviourwithaltowhomitwasnecessarytolookforhelp：uponthispoint，however，Iwasyetverymuchinthedark，as，indeed，weremostofthosewithwhomIwasconnected。

ThepowerandterrorsofGodwereuppermostinmythoughts；theyfascinatedthoughtheyastoundedme。TwiceeverySundayIwasregularlytakentothechurch，where，fromacornerofthelargespaciouspew，linedwithblackleather，IwouldfixmyeyesonthedignifiedHigh-Churchrector，andthedignifiedHigh-Churchclerk，andwatchthemovementoftheirlips，fromwhich，astheyreadtheirrespectiveportionsofthevenerableliturgy，wouldrollmanyaportentousworddescriptiveofthewondrousworksoftheMostHigh。

RECTOR。Thoudidstdividethesea，throughthypower：thoubrakesttheheadsofthedragonsinthewaters。

PHILOH。ThousmotesttheheadsofLeviathaninpieces：andgavesthimtobemeatforthepeopleinthewilderness。

RECTOR。Thoubroughtestoutfountains，andwatersoutofthehardrocks：thoudriedstupmightywaters。

PHILOH。Thedayisthine，andthenightisthine：thouhastpreparedthelightandthesun。

Peacetoyourmemories，dignifiedrector，andyetmoredignifiedclerk!-bythistimeyeareprobablygonetoyourlonghomes，andyourvoicesarenolongerheardsoundingdowntheaislesofthevenerablechurch-nay，doubtless，thishasalreadylongsincebeenthefateofhimofthesonorous’Amen!’-theoneofthetwowho，withallduerespecttotherector，principallyengrossedmyboyishadmiration-he，atleast，isscarcelynowamongtheliving!

Living!why，Ihaveheardsaythatheblewafife-forhewasamusicalaswellasaChristianprofessor-aboldfife，tocheertheGuardsandthebraveMarines，astheymarchedwithmeasuredstep，obeyinganinsanecommand，upBunker’sheight，whilsttheriflesofthesturdyYankeesweresendingtheleadenhailsharpandthickamidstthered-coatedranks；forPhilohhadnotalwaysbeenamanofpeace，noranexhortertoturntheothercheektothesmiter，buthadevenarrivedatthedignityofahalberdinhiscountry’sservicebeforehissix-footformrequiredrest，andthegray-hairedveteranretired，afteralongperegrination，tohisnativetown，toenjoyeaseandrespectabilityonapensionof’eighteenpenceaday’；andwelldidhisfellow-townsmenact，when，toincreasethateaseandrespectability，andwithathoughtfulregardforthedignityofthegoodchurchservice，theymadehimclerkandprecentor-themanofthetallformandoftheaudiblevoice，whichsoundedloudandclearashisownBunkerfife。Well，peacetothee，thoufineoldchap，despiserofdissenters，andhaterofpapists，asbecameadignifiedandHigh-Churchclerk；ifthouartinthygrave，thebetterforthee；thouwertfittedtoadornabygonetime，whenloyaltywasinvogue，andsmilingcontentlaylikeasunbeamupontheland，butthouwouldstbesadlyoutofplaceinthesedaysofcoldphilosophiclatitudinariandoctrine，universaltolerism，andhalf-concealedrebellion-raretimes，nodoubt，forpapistsanddissenters，butwhichwouldassuredlyhavebrokentheheartoftheloyalsoldierofGeorgetheThird，andthedignifiedHigh-ChurchclerkofprettyD。

Wepassedmanymonthsatthisplace：nothing，however，occurredrequiringanyparticularnotice，relatingtomyself，beyondwhatI

havealreadystated，andIamnotwritingthehistoryofothers。

Atlengthmyfatherwasrecalledtohisregiment，whichatthattimewasstationedataplacecalledNormanCross，inLincolnshire，orratherHuntingdonshire，atsomedistancefromtheoldtownofPeterborough。Forthisplacehedeparted，leavingmymotherandmyselftofollowinafewdays。Ourjourneywasasingularone。

Ontheseconddaywereachedamarshyandfennycountry，which，owingtoimmensequantitiesofrainwhichhadlatelyfallen，wascompletelysubmerged。Atalargetownwegotonboardakindofpassage-boat，crowdedwithpeople；ithadneithersailsnoroars，andthosewerenotthedaysofsteam-vessels；itwasatreck-

schuyt，andwasdrawnbyhorses。YoungasIwas，therewasmuchconnectedwiththisjourneywhichhighlysurprisedme，andwhichbroughttomyremembranceparticularscenesdescribedinthebookwhichInowgenerallycarriedinmybosom。Thecountrywas，asI

havealreadysaid，submerged-entirelydrowned-nolandwasvisible；thetreesweregrowingboltuprightintheflood，whilstfarmhousesandcottageswerestandinginsulated；thehorseswhichdrewuswereuptothekneesinwater，and，oncomingtoblindpoolsand’greedydepths，’werenotunfrequentlyswimming，inwhichcase，theboysorurchinswhomountedthemsometimesstood，sometimesknelt，uponthesaddleandpillions。Noaccident，however，occurredeithertothequadrupedsorbipeds，whoappearedrespectivelytobequiteAUFAITintheirbusiness，andextricatedthemselveswiththegreatesteasefromplacesinwhichPharaohandallhishostwouldhavegonetothebottom。NightfallbroughtustoPeterborough，andfromthencewewerenotslowinreachingtheplaceofourdestination。