PREFACE.
The very peculiar circumstances under which the Author professes to obtrude the present volume upon public notice, appear to require some explanation, were it only to obviate suspicions which might arise, that the general detail of circumstances which it comprises, has been the production of an active imagination, rather than a relation of the occurrences of real life; for he is fully aware, that such a construction might be put upon the apparent anomaly of the travels of one, whose loss of sight, a source of information naturally considered indispensable in such an undertaking, must greatly limit his power of acquiring the legitimate materials, necessary to give his work body and consistency.
On this account, it may not be superfluous, to enter upon a brief history of his misfortune, as introductory to an explanation of the motives which have influenced him in bringing forward the present publication.
Destined to the naval service of his country, his exclusive attention, for some years, was devoted to the attainment of that professional knowledge, which he hoped might lead to honourable distinction; how far these views were likely to have been crowned with success, it will now be useless to state; it is sufficient to say, that at the age of twenty-five, while in the very bloom of expectation, his prospects were irrecoverably blighted by the effects of an illness, resulting from his professional duties, and which left him deprived of all the advantages of “heavens prime decree,”—wholly—and, he fears, permanently blind.
“Total eclipse! nor sun; nor moon;All dark amidst the blaze of noon.”
“Total eclipse! nor sun; nor moon;All dark amidst the blaze of noon.”
“Total eclipse! nor sun; nor moon;All dark amidst the blaze of noon.”
“Total eclipse! nor sun; nor moon;
All dark amidst the blaze of noon.”
After the distressing feelings which accompanied the first shock of this bodily privation, hadin some measure subsided, the active mind began to seek occupation and amusement, amongst the many resources which a beneficent Providence had still left uncurtailed. These he has happily found, not only abundant, but apparently inexhaustible; and the lapse of ten years, has not merely softened down the sense of misfortune, but even reconciled him to an affliction, which some view as the severest that can befal humanity.
“⸺though sight be lost,Life yet hath many solaces, enjoyedWhere other senses want not their delights.”
“⸺though sight be lost,Life yet hath many solaces, enjoyedWhere other senses want not their delights.”
“⸺though sight be lost,Life yet hath many solaces, enjoyedWhere other senses want not their delights.”
“⸺though sight be lost,
Life yet hath many solaces, enjoyed
Where other senses want not their delights.”
Amongst the various pursuits which have served to cheer, and sooth him throughout this protracted day of darkness, the book of nature has been largely opened to his mental view; nor has he failed to cultivate the pleasing fields of literature; and he may exclaim with our admired poet, when he so pathetically bewails the loss of this most precious organ:
“So thick a drop serene hath quenched their orbs,Or dim suffusion veiled; yet not the moreCease I to wander where the Muses hauntClear spring, or shady grove, or sunny hill.”
“So thick a drop serene hath quenched their orbs,Or dim suffusion veiled; yet not the moreCease I to wander where the Muses hauntClear spring, or shady grove, or sunny hill.”
“So thick a drop serene hath quenched their orbs,Or dim suffusion veiled; yet not the moreCease I to wander where the Muses hauntClear spring, or shady grove, or sunny hill.”
“So thick a drop serene hath quenched their orbs,
Or dim suffusion veiled; yet not the more
Cease I to wander where the Muses haunt
Clear spring, or shady grove, or sunny hill.”
In time he began to acquire greater facility of locomotion than he could have anticipated, and which was succeeded by an almost irresistible inclination to visit different parts of his native country, in quest of knowledge or amusement; notwithstanding the limited information, which it may be imagined he would thus derive, he found the impressions produced, afford him not only present, but permanent gratification. To some, this may appear incredible; it must, however, not be forgotten, that the loss of one sense, is uniformly compensated by superior powers of those that remain unimpaired, in consequence of their being more called into action; and it is well known, that the sense of touch, in particular, acquires so great a delicacy, as to afford degrees of information, which under ordinary states it is incapable of: besides this advantage, he acquired an undefinable power, almost resembling instinct, which he believes in a lively manner gives him ideas of whatever may be going forward externally.
In the year 1819, his health having for some time suffered from causes which it is unnecessaryto mention, the Author became assured that nothing would tend more to re-establish it, than a visit to the highly favoured clime of the southern parts of Europe: while at the same time, and which was, perhaps, paramount to all other considerations, he would be gratifying his desire of obtaining information; he therefore, with this double view, determined to undertake the journey which forms the subject of the present pages;—and is happy to say, that in neither of these objects has he met with disappointment.
It may be more difficult to assign satisfactory reasons, for laying before his readers the various incidents which befel him, in this pursuit of health and occupation; for he is not vain enough to imagine, that they could feel interested in his acquisition of the one, or participate with him in the enjoyment of the other.
The compilation was, in the first instance, entered upon as a matter of employment and selfish pleasure. None but those who have travelled through countries, and amidst circumstances novel to them, can appreciate the delight experiencedfrom recalling in this way the interesting points of an interesting journey, and fighting as it were, their battles over again. On shewing a portion of the notes thus collected to his friends, their too kind partiality (for such he fears it has been) induced them to think that if published, they might not prove wholly unacceptable to the public, and their solicitations and assurances at length determined him to adopt their suggestions.
The Author will not profess to be ignorant of the presumptuous nature of his attempt; or unconscious of the numerous deficiencies and inaccuracies with which his work abounds; many of these are necessarily attributable to the disadvantages under which he has laboured; his very outset was amidst unfavourable circumstances, as he was then almost wholly unacquainted with that language, which could alone enable him to acquire the information he was seeking for: this must be his apology for the want of observation and incident, which are more particularly manifest throughout the first months of his residence in France.
The want of vision must frequently make hisobservations and descriptions imperfect; to compensate for this, he has availed himself of such intelligence as he could derive from others; and, for the same reasons, has introduced a variety of extracts from interesting authors, which appeared desirable to elucidate or enliven his narrative.
He rests his chief hope of the approbation of the public, upon having given a plain and faithful statement of a journey, which must be regarded as possessing a degree of originality, arising from the peculiar circumstances under which it was accomplished.
He now concludes his prefatory matter, by soliciting the indulgence of his readers, and entreating them not to criticise with too much severity, a work which, he trusts, has some claims upon their forbearance; and which, if it happens to repay their perusal by any pleasurable emotion, or to excite a kind sympathy for his own situation, will have answered the fullest expectation of its author.
Windsor,May 1st, 1822.