A Sentimental Journey | Page 4

first two include all those who travel by land or by water,
labouring with pride, curiosity, vanity, or spleen, subdivided and
combined ad infinitum.
The third class includes the whole army of peregrine martyrs; more
especially those travellers who set out upon their travels with the
benefit of the clergy, either as delinquents travelling under the direction
of governors recommended by the magistrate;--or young gentlemen
transported by the cruelty of parents and guardians, and travelling
under the direction of governors recommended by Oxford, Aberdeen,
and Glasgow.
There is a fourth class, but their number is so small that they would not
deserve a distinction, were it not necessary in a work of this nature to
observe the greatest precision and nicety, to avoid a confusion of

character. And these men I speak of, are such as cross the seas and
sojourn in a land of strangers, with a view of saving money for various
reasons and upon various pretences: but as they might also save
themselves and others a great deal of unnecessary trouble by saving
their money at home,--and as their reasons for travelling are the least
complex of any other species of emigrants, I shall distinguish these
gentlemen by the name of
Simple Travellers.
Thus the whole circle of travellers may be reduced to the following
HEADS:-
Idle Travellers, Inquisitive Travellers, Lying Travellers, Proud
Travellers, Vain Travellers, Splenetic Travellers.
Then follow:
The Travellers of Necessity, The Delinquent and Felonious Traveller,
The Unfortunate and Innocent Traveller, The Simple Traveller,
And last of all (if you please) The Sentimental Traveller, (meaning
thereby myself) who have travell'd, and of which I am now sitting
down to give an account,--as much out of NECESSITY, and the besoin
de Voyager, as any one in the class.
I am well aware, at the same time, as both my travels and observations
will be altogether of a different cast from any of my forerunners, that I
might have insisted upon a whole nitch entirely to myself;--but I should
break in upon the confines of the VAIN Traveller, in wishing to draw
attention towards me, till I have some better grounds for it than the
mere NOVELTY OF MY VEHICLE.
It is sufficient for my reader, if he has been a traveller himself, that
with study and reflection hereupon he may be able to determine his
own place and rank in the catalogue;--it will be one step towards
knowing himself; as it is great odds but he retains some tincture and
resemblance, of what he imbibed or carried out, to the present hour.
The man who first transplanted the grape of Burgundy to the Cape of
Good Hope (observe he was a Dutchman) never dreamt of drinking the
same wine at the Cape, that the same grape produced upon the French
mountains,--he was too phlegmatic for that--but undoubtedly he
expected to drink some sort of vinous liquor; but whether good or bad,
or indifferent,--he knew enough of this world to know, that it did not
depend upon his choice, but that what is generally called CHOICE, was

to decide his success: however, he hoped for the best; and in these
hopes, by an intemperate confidence in the fortitude of his head, and
the depth of his discretion, Mynheer might possibly oversee both in his
new vineyard; and by discovering his nakedness, become a laughing
stock to his people.
Even so it fares with the Poor Traveller, sailing and posting through the
politer kingdoms of the globe, in pursuit of knowledge and
improvements.
Knowledge and improvements are to be got by sailing and posting for
that purpose; but whether useful knowledge and real improvements is
all a lottery;--and even where the adventurer is successful, the acquired
stock must be used with caution and sobriety, to turn to any profit: --but,
as the chances run prodigiously the other way, both as to the
acquisition and application, I am of opinion, That a man would act as
wisely, if he could prevail upon himself to live contented without
foreign knowledge or foreign improvements, especially if he lives in a
country that has no absolute want of either;--and indeed, much grief of
heart has it oft and many a time cost me, when I have observed how
many a foul step the Inquisitive Traveller has measured to see sights
and look into discoveries; all which, as Sancho Panza said to Don
Quixote, they might have seen dry-shod at home. It is an age so full of
light, that there is scarce a country or corner in Europe whose beams
are not crossed and interchanged with others.--Knowledge in most of
its branches, and in most affairs, is like music in an Italian street,
whereof those may partake who pay nothing.--But there is no nation
under heaven--and God is my record (before whose tribunal