More probably the traveller was obliged to share
it with a stranger of disagreeable appearance, if not of
disposition.
[96] At German ordinaries "every travyler must syt at the
ordinary table both master and servant," so that often they were driven
to sit with such "slaves" that in the rush to get the best pieces from
the common dish in the middle of the table, "a man wold abhor to se such
fylthye hands in his dish."[97] Many an eager tourist lay down with
small-pox before he had seen anything of the world worth mentioning, or
if he gained home, brought a broken constitution with him. The third
Lord North was ill for life because of the immoderate quantities of hot
treacle he consumed in Italy, to avoid the plague.[98]
But it was not really the low material dangers of small-pox, quartain
ague, or robbers which troubled the Elizabethan. Such considerations
were beneath his heroical temper. Sir Edward Winsor, warned against the
piratical Gulf of Malta, writes: "And for that it should not be said an
Englishman to come so far to see Malta, and to have turned backe againe,
I determined rather making my sepulker of that Golfe."[99] It was the
sort of danger that weakened character which made people doubt the
benefits of travel. So far we have not mentioned in our description of
the books addressed to travellers any of the reminders of the trials of
Ulysses, and dark warnings against the "Siren-songs of Italy." Since
they were written at the same time with the glowing orations in praise
of travel, it might be well to consider them before we go farther.
* * * * *
CHAPTER III
SOME CYNICAL ASPERSIONS UPON THE BENEFITS OF TRAVEL
The traveller newly returned from foreign lands was a great butt for the
satirists. In Elizabethan times his bows and tremendous politeness, his
close-fitting black clothes from Venice, his French accent, his finicky
refinements, such as perfumes and pick-tooths, were highly offensive to
the plain Englishman. One was always sure of an appreciative audience if
he railed at the "disguised garments and desperate hats" of the
"affectate traveller" how; his attire spoke French or Italian, and his
gait cried "behold me!" how he spoke his own language with shame and
loathing.[100] "You shall see a dapper Jacke, that hath beene but over
at Deepe,[101] wring his face round about, as a man would stir up a
mustard-pot, and talke English through the teeth, like ... Monsieur
Mingo de Moustrap."[102] Nash was one of the best at describing some who
had lived in France for half-a-dozen years, "and when they came home,
they have hyd a little weerish leane face under a broad French hat, kept
a terrible coyle with the dust in the streete in their long cloaks of
gray paper, and spoke English strangely. Naught else have they profited
by their travell, save learnt to distinguish of the true Burdeaux Grape,
and know a cup of neate Gascoygne wine from wine of Orleance; yea, and
peradventure this also, to esteeme of the poxe as a pimple, to weare a
velvet patch on their face, and walke melancholy with their armes
folded."[103]
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