IV
вАЬNow before I quit Calais,вАЭ a travel-writer would say, вАЬit would not be amiss to give some account of it.вАЭвБ†вАФNow I think it very much amissвБ†вАФthat a man cannot go quietly through a town and let it alone, when it does not meddle with him, but that he must be turning about and drawing his pen at every kennel he crosses over, merely oвАЩ my conscience for the sake of drawing it; because, if we may judge from what has been wrote of these things, by all who have wrote and gallopвАЩdвБ†вАФor who have gallopвАЩd and wrote, which is a different way still; or who, for more expedition than the rest, have wrote galloping, which is the way I do at presentвБ†вЄЇвБ†from the great Addison, who did it with his satchel of school books hanging at his aвБ†вЄЇ, and galling his beastвАЩs crupper at every strokeвБ†вАФthere is not a gallopper of us all who might not have gone on ambling quietly in his own ground (in case he had any), and have wrote all he had to write, dryshod, as well as not.
For my own part, as heaven is my judge, and to which I shall ever make my last appealвБ†вАФI know no more of Calais (except the little my barber told me of it as he was whetting his razor), than I do this moment of Grand Cairo; for it was dusky in the evening when I landed, and dark as pitch in the morning when I set out, and yet by merely knowing what is what, and by drawing this from that in one part of the town, and by spelling and putting this and that together in anotherвБ†вАФI would lay any travelling odds, that I this moment write a chapter upon Calais as long as my arm; and with so distinct and satisfactory a detail of every item, which is worth a strangerвАЩs curiosity in the townвБ†вАФthat you would take me for the town-clerk of Calais itselfвБ†вАФand where, sir, would be the wonder? was not Democritus, who laughed ten times more than IвБ†вАФtown-clerk of Abdera? and was not (I forget his name) who had more discretion than us both, town-clerk of Ephesus?вБ†вЄЇвБ†it should be pennвАЩd moreover, sir, with so much knowledge and good sense, and truth, and precisionвБ†вЄЇвБ†
вАФNayвБ†вАФif you donвАЩt believe me, you may read the chapter for your pains.