2 96
august near him, crammed down his throat by handfuls the remains
of a large baked fifh, and feveral bread-fruits, which
he fwallowed with a voracious appetite. His countenance
was the pidlure of phlegmatic infenfibility, and feemed to
witnefs that all his thoughts centred in the care of his
paunch. He fcarce deigned to look at us, and a few mo-
nofyllables which he uttered, were only d-ire&ed to remind
his feeders of their duty, when we attracted their attention.
The great degree of fatisfaftion which we had enjoyed on
,our different walks in this ifland, and particularly the plea-
fure of this day’s excurfion, was diminifhed by the appeal-
ance and behaviour of the chief, and the reflections which
naturally arofe from thence. We had flattered ourfelves
with the pleafing fancy of having found at leaf! one little
fpot of the world, where a whole nation, without being
lawlefs barbarians, aimed at a certain frugal equality in
their way of living, and whole hours of enjoyment were
juftly proportioned to thofe of labour and reft. Our disappointment
was, therefore very great, when we faw a
luxurious individual fpending his life in the moft fluggilh.
inactivity, and without one benefit to fociety, like the privileged
parafites of more civilized climates, fattening on
the fuperfluous produce of the foil, of which he robbed the
labouring multitude. His indolence, in fome degree, re-
fembled that which'is frequent in India and the adjacent
kingdoms of the' Eaft, and deferved every mark of mdignation
tion which Sir John Mandeville exprefied in his Afiatic
travels. That worthy knight, who, top-full of chivalry,
and the valourous fpirit of his time, devoted his life to
conftant activity, was highly incenfed at the fight of a
monfter of lazinefs, who pafied his days “ withouten
“ doynge of ony dedes of armes,” and lived “ ev.eremore
“ thus in efe, as a fwyn that is fedde in fty, for to ben
“ made fatte
On
* For the CatisfaSioB of my readers I (hall here infer! the account which the
knight gives 'of the voluptuary who attraded his cenfure, efpecially as feveräl
little circumftances ferve to’ make the fimilarity between him and'the Taheitian
-chief more perfed.— “ From that lond, in returnynge be ten jorneys thorge out
“ the lond of the grete Chane, is another gode yle and a great’kyngdom, where
« flje kyng is 'fuhe riche and myghty. And amonges the riche men of his
“ contree is a paflynge riche man, that is no prynce, ne duke, ne erl ; but he
“ hath mo that holden of him londes and other Iordfchipes: for he is more
riche. For he bathe every zeer of annulle rente 300000 hörs charged with
tc corn of - dyverfe greynes and ryzs ; and fo he ledethe .a fülle noble . lif and a
“ delycate, after the cuftom of the contree. J o r he.hathe. every day 50-fair
“ damyfeles, alle maydenes, that ferven him evere more at his mete, and for to
« 'lye-by 'him o night, and for to do with hem that is 'to .bis plefance. And
.«‘ when he is at the table, thei bryngen him hys mete, at every tyme 5,and
“ 5 togedre. And in brjmgynge hire fervyce, thei fy.ngen a fong. And after
“ that, thei kutten his mete, and putten 'it in Sis mouthe, for he touchethe
»« no thing, ncchandlethe nought, but holdethe everemore his hondes before
«< him upon the table,; For he hathe.fo longe nayles, that he may take no-
« thing, ne handle no thing, for the nobleffe of that contree is to -have longe
“ nayles, and to make hem growen alle ways- to ben as longe as men may. ■
“ And alle weys theitV damyfeles, that I fpafc of beforn, fyngen all the tyme
,1 that this riche man, etethe: and whan that he «tethe .no more of his firft
«« cours,' thanne other 5 and 5 -of faire .damyfeles bryngen him hisfecon.de
.. pours alle weys fyngynge as thei dide beforn. And fo thei don contynuelly
-VOL. I. q .9 . '-“ '.every
Au*7g7u5s-t.