登陆注册
5435700000020

第20章

but the old and diseased among them, are supported by hospitals;for begging is a trade unknown in this empire.

And here it may, perhaps, divert the curious reader, to give some account of my domestics, and my manner of living in this country, during a residence of nine months, and thirteen days. Having a head mechanically turned, and being likewise forced by necessity, I had made for myself a table and chair convenient enough, out of the largest trees in the royal park. Two hundred sempstresses were employed to make me shirts, and linen for my bed and table, all of the strongest and coarsest kind they could get; which, however, they were forced to quilt together in several folds, for the thickest was some degrees finer than lawn. Their linen is usually three inches wide, and three feet make a piece. The sempstresses took my measure as I lay on the ground, one standing at my neck, and another at my mid-leg, with a strong cord extended, that each held by the end, while a third measured the length of the cord with a rule of an inch long. Then they measured my right thumb, and desired no more; for by a mathematical computation, that twice round the thumb is once round the wrist, and so on to the neck and the waist, and by the help of my old shirt, which I displayed on the ground before them for a pattern, they fitted me exactly. Three hundred tailors were employed in the same manner to make me clothes; but they had another contrivance for taking my measure. I kneeled down, and they raised a ladder from the ground to my neck; upon this ladder one of them mounted, and let fall a plumb-line from my collar to the floor, which just answered the length of my coat: but my waist and arms I measured myself. When my clothes were finished, which was done in my house (for the largest of theirs would not have been able to hold them), they looked like the patch-work made by the ladies in England, only that mine were all of a colour.

I had three hundred cooks to dress my victuals, in little convenient huts built about my house, where they and their families lived, and prepared me two dishes a-piece. I took up twenty waiters in my hand, and placed them on the table: a hundred more attended below on the ground, some with dishes of meat, and some with barrels of wine and other liquors slung on their shoulders; all which the waiters above drew up, as Iwanted, in a very ingenious manner, by certain cords, as we draw the bucket up a well in Europe. A dish of their meat was a good mouthful, and a barrel of their liquor a reasonable draught.

Their mutton yields to ours, but their beef is excellent. I have had a sirloin so large, that I have been forced to make three bites of it; but this is rare. My servants were astonished to see me eat it, bones and all, as in our country we do the leg of a lark. Their geese and turkeys I usually ate at a mouthful, and I confess they far exceed ours. Of their smaller fowl I could take up twenty or thirty at the end of my knife.

同类推荐
  • The Drums Of Jeopardy

    The Drums Of Jeopardy

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 六十种曲玉镜台记

    六十种曲玉镜台记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 片玉山房词话

    片玉山房词话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 一诚斋诗存

    一诚斋诗存

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 离俗览

    离俗览

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 此幸福彼幸福

    此幸福彼幸福

    本书收录了吕麦女士精心创作短篇散文,文字清新犹如心灵鸡汤,滋养读者的身心,深受广大中学生喜爱。
  • 笑傲仙神

    笑傲仙神

    仙路断,神道绝,小小流浪儿,何以夺天地造化,笑傲九天仙神!一曲笑傲仙神,道尽世人多少煎熬、苦难、血泪......曲终人散,但闻......不见......
  • 修仙门诊

    修仙门诊

    自己修仙多无趣!开个诊所,一边济世救人,一边制造修仙者!
  • 相墓手札

    相墓手札

    沐林枫是一个厨师,因为出身于精通相墓之术的“疙瘩”世家,被国家一个重点课题组找到,希望他帮助寻找能够证明“华夏文明起源”的商末古墓。就在沐林枫答应东方教授参加课题组的同时,国外的文物走私集团也派出了盗墓高手,准备与课题组争抢寻找攸候喜的陵墓。要找到古墓必须先找到沐家祖传的《帝葬山图》,于是沐林枫成了双方争夺的对象。沐林枫在曾祖的坟墓中发现了祖传的相墓之术,要想继承相墓绝技就必须成为看护古墓的“守灵人”,当沐林枫成为守灵人后,却发现自进退两难,因为课题组的工作是寻找和挖掘《帝葬山图》上的古墓,而他的责任是保护古墓不受打搅。
  • 在无声的时光中前行

    在无声的时光中前行

    这是一场跨越两个世纪的暗恋故事。初见她时,他6岁,她7岁。她为他赶过流氓混混,他也带她去看过满山的萤火飞舞。月色清朗,星河璀璨,他与她躺在小船上看流星划过,也在开满蒲公英的山坡上许下了诺言,她说:“阿墨,我会回来的。”墨时年等了十年才等的他心爱的女孩,又等了十年才等到了与她白首偕老。可他不知道的是,严意等了他两个世纪。6岁时,他家就在我家对面,相隔了一座桥,走过去要55步,16岁时他坐在我前面,只要我一伸手就能碰到他,26岁时她回到了与他初见的地方,这一次她拼尽全力跑过去,只用了20步。路尽头有个人在等她,她高兴的扑进了他的怀里,“阿墨,我回来了。”少年终于等到了他的女孩。
  • 地星实验之物种起源

    地星实验之物种起源

    末世来临只是剧情开始,新世界的大门已然打开!
  • 借尸还魂:夫人闹和离

    借尸还魂:夫人闹和离

    她一曲水袖舞名动天下,却换得皇姐的嫉妒与暗杀,抛尸枯井!借尸还魂后,她以另一名女子的肉身重生,势要报仇雪恨,将皇姐手刃于刀下。她乃当今丞相夫人,被小妾所害香消玉殒。再睁眼,她已非她,小妾心狠,她手辣,步步为营,屡战屡胜。她的锋芒毕露,引来了一群狼的偷窥……有一日,卫琉璃手拿一张纸,盯着苏如瑾,雄赳赳道,“姓苏的,老娘要和离!”他笑得张狂邪魅,将她禁锢在墙角,阴森森道,“带着我的种,准备和离去哪?”
  • 玄圃山灵秘录

    玄圃山灵秘录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 女配逆袭:邪王医妃勾勾缠

    女配逆袭:邪王医妃勾勾缠

    "顾灵芝穿越了,人家穿越女大多数都会成为主角大放光彩,展开一番惊天动地的抱负,再不济也要混个王妃皇后当当。可她却穿成了一本重生复仇文里面的恶毒女配……这还不算,她还刚好就穿到了恶毒女配大结局的时候。满门男子斩首示众,女眷被发配充军,原本高高在上的镇国侯府嫡女被充入军营,沦落为人人践踏的奴婢……当初顾灵芝当初看的有多爽,现在就过的有多凄惨。既来之则安之,顾灵芝什么不不想,就想着如何在书中重生女主角的眼皮子底下活下去。然而,谁知她一不小心抱上了一根金大腿。墨九霄:“你是恶毒女配,我是反派邪王,在一起,绝配!”"--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 明伦汇编人事典睡部

    明伦汇编人事典睡部

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。