The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle | Page 5

far,
as to declare a passion for the person whom he afterwards wedded, as
we shall see in the sequel. Indeed, she was the spur that instigated him
in all his extraordinary undertakings; and I question, whether be would
or not have been able to disengage himself from that course of life in
which he had so long mechanically moved, unless he had been roused
and actuated by her incessant exhortations. London, she observed, was

a receptacle of iniquity, where an honest, unsuspecting man was every
day in danger of falling a sacrifice to craft; where innocence was
exposed to continual temptations, and virtue eternally persecuted by
malice and slander; where everything was ruled by caprice and
corruption, and merit utterly discouraged and despised. This last
imputation she pronounced with such emphasis and chagrin, as plainly
denoted how far she considered herself as an example of what she
advanced; and really the charge was justified by the constructions that
were put upon her retreat by her female friends, who, far from imputing
it to the laudable motives that induced her, insinuated, in sarcastic
commendations, that she had good reason to be dissatisfied with a place
where she had been so overlooked; and that it was certainly her wisest
course to make her last effort in the country, where, in all probability,
her talents would be less eclipsed, and her fortune more attractive.
Be this as it will, her admonitions, though they were powerful enough
to convince, would have been insufficient to overcome the languor and
vis inertiae of her brother, had she not reinforced her arguments, by
calling in question the credit of two or three merchants, with whom he
was embarked in trade.
Alarmed at these hints of intelligence, be exerted himself effectually;
he withdrew his money from trade, and laying it out in Bank-stock, and
India-bonds, removed to a house in the country, which his father had
built near the sea-side, for the convenience of carrying on a certain
branch of traffic in which he had been deeply concerned.
Here then Mr. Pickle fixed his habitation for life, in the
six-and-thirtieth year of his age; and though the pangs he felt at parting
with his intimate companions, and quitting all his former connections,
were not quite so keen as to produce any dangerous disorder in his
constitution, he did not fail to be extremely disconcerted at his first
entrance into a scene of life to which he was totally a stranger. Not but
that he met with abundance of people in the country, who, in
consideration of his fortune, courted his acquaintance, and breathed
nothing but friendship and hospitality; yet, even the trouble of
receiving and returning these civilities was an intolerable fatigue to a

man of his habits and disposition. He therefore left the care of the
ceremonial to his sister, who indulged herself in all the pride of
formality; while he himself, having made a discovery of a public-house
in the neighbourhood, went thither every evening and enjoyed his pipe
and can; being very well satisfied with the behaviour of the landlord,
whose communicative temper was a great comfort to his own
taciturnity; for he shunned all superfluity of speech, as much as he
avoided any other unnecessary expense.
CHAPTER II.

He is made acquainted with the Characters of Commodore Trunnion
and his Adherents--Meets with them by Accident, and contracts an
Intimacy with that Commander.
This loquacious publican soon gave him sketches of all the characters
in the county; and, among others, described that of his next neighbour,
Commodore Trunnion, which was altogether singular and odd. "The
commodore and your worship," said he, "will in a short time be hand
and glove, he has a power of money, and spends it like a prince--that is,
in his own way--for to be sure he is a little humorsome, as the saying is,
and swears woundily; though I'll be sworn he means no more harm than
a sucking babe. Lord help us! it will do your honour's heart good to
hear him tell a story, as how he lay alongside of the French, yard-arm
and yard-arm, board and board, and of heaving grapplings, and
stink-pots, and grapes, and round and double-headed partridges, crows
and carters. Lord have mercy upon us! he has been a great warrior in
his time, and lost an eye and a heel in the service. Then he does not live
like any other Christian land-man; but keeps garrison in his house, as if
he were in the midst of his enemies, and makes his servants turn out in
the night, watch and watch as he calls it, all the year round. His
habitation is defended by a ditch, over which he has laid a draw-bridge,
and planted his court-yard with patereroes continually loaded with shot,