Читать книгу The Totall Discourse of the Rare Adventures & Painefull Peregrinations. The Long Nineteene Yeares Travayles from Scotland to the most famous Kingdomes in Europe, Asia and Affrica онлайн

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Infandum Regina, jubes renovare dolorem.

Thou wouldst, I should renew my former griefe

To speake of sorrow, helplesse of reliefe:

He melts in woes, who uttereth griefe with words,

Whilst deepest streames, the greatest calme affords.

But now to proceed in my punctuall purpose, the nature of man, by an inward inclination, is alwaies inquisitive [I. 9.]of forraine newes; yea, and much more affecteth the sight and knowledge of strange, and unfrequented kingdomes, such is the instinct of his naturall affection. Navigation hath often united the bodies of Realmes together, but travell hath done much more; for first to the Actor it giveth the impression of understanding, experience, patience, and an infinite treasure, of unexprimable vertues: secondly, it unfoldeth to the world, the government of States, the authority and disposition of Kings and Princes; the secrets, manners, customes, and Religions of all Nations and People. And lastly, bringeth satisfaction to the home-dwelling man, of these things, he would have seene, and could not attempt. Travell hath beene in more request amongst the Ancients, then it is now with us in the latter Age. Philosophers, Poets, Historiographers, and learned Divines, how they have perigrinated to know the life of States, and the fashions of farre Countries, would be an endles taske for me briefly to relate. Many (I confesse) long to see the remotest Regions of the earth, but dare not undertake the dangers of sight, the chargeable expences of a tributary journey, the hard indurance of flint stones, for a soft feather bed, the extremities of thirst, nor the parching heat of the Sun, hunger in the belly, nor the moist distilling dew to be a humide coverlet to their tender skinne, with innumerable other insuing miseries. But Ixion-like, mistaking Juno, would by a meere imagination, runne out the sleeping course of an endlesse peregrination. For my part, what I have reaped, is by a deare-bought knowledge, as it were, a small contentment, in a never contenting subject, a bitter pleasant tast, of a sweete-seasoned sowre, and all in all, what I found was more then ordinary rejoycing, in an extraordinary sorrow of delights.