Dickory Cronke.docx
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Dickory Cronke.docx
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DickoryCronke
DickoryCronkebyDanielDefoeTHE
DUMBPHILOSOPHER,OR,GREATBRITAIN'SWONDER;
CONTAINING:
I.AfaithfulandverysurprisingAccounthowDickoryCronke,aTinner'sson,intheCountyofCornwall,wasbornDumb,andcontinuedsoforFifty-eightyears;andhow,somedaysbeforehedied,hecametohisSpeech;withMemoirsofhisLife,andtheMannerofhisDeath.
II.ADeclarationofhisFaithandPrinciplesinReligion;withaCollectionofSelectMeditations,composedinhisRetirement.
III.HisPropheticalObservationsupontheAffairsofEurope,moreparticularlyofGreatBritain,from1720to1729.ThewholeextractedfromhisOriginalPapers,andconfirmedbyunquestionableAuthority.
TOWHICHISANNEXEDHISELEGY,WRITTENBYAYOUNGCORNISHGENTLEMAN,OF
EXETERCOLLEGEINOXFORD.
WITH
ANEPITAPHBYANOTHERHAND.
"Nonquis,sedquid."
LONDON:
PrintedforandSoldbyTHOMASBICKERTON,attheCrown,inPaternosterRow.1719.
PREFACE
Theformalityofaprefacetothislittlebookmighthavebeenverywellomitted,ifitwerenottogratifythecuriosityofsomeinquisitivepeople,who,Iforesee,willbeapttomakeobjectionsagainsttherealityofthenarrative.
Indeedthepublichastoooftenbeenimposeduponbyfictitiousstories,andsomeofaverylatedate,sothatIthinkmyselfobligedbytheusualrespectwhichispaidtocandidandimpartialreaders,toacquaintthem,bywayofintroduction,withwhattheyaretoexpect,andwhattheymaydependupon,andyetwiththiscautiontoo,thatitisanindicationofillnatureorillmanners,ifnotboth,topryintoasecretthatisindustriouslyconcealed.
However,thattheremaybenothingwantingonmypart,Idoherebyassurethereader,thatthepapersfromwhencethefollowingsheetswereextracted,arenowintown,inthecustodyofapersonofunquestionablereputation,who,Iwillbeboldtosay,willnotonlybeready,butproud,toproducethemuponagoodoccasion,andthatIthinkisasmuchsatisfactionasthenatureofthiscaserequires.
Astotheperformance,itcansignifylittlenowtomakeanapologyuponthataccount,anyfartherthanthis,thatifthereaderpleaseshemaytakenoticethatwhathehasnowbeforehimwascollectedfromalargebundleofpapers,mostofwhichwerewritinshorthand,andveryill-digested.However,thismaybereliedupon,thatthoughthelanguageissomethingaltered,andnowandthenawordthrownintohelptheexpression,yetstrictcarehasbeentakentospeaktheauthor'smind,andkeepascloseaspossibletothemeaningoftheoriginal.Forthedesign,Ithinkthereisnothingneedbesaidinvindicationofthat.Hereisadumbphilosopherintroducedtoawickedanddegenerategeneration,asaproperemblemofvirtueandmorality;andiftheworldcouldbepersuadedtolookuponhimwithcandourandimpartiality,andthentocopyafterhim,theeditorhasgainedhisend,andwouldthinkhimselfsufficientlyrecompensedforhispresenttrouble.
PARTI
Amongthemanystrangeandsurprisingeventsthathelptofilltheaccountsofthislastcentury,Iknownonethatmeritmoreanentirecredit,oraremorefittobepreservedandhandedtoposteritythanthoseIamnowgoingtolaybeforethepublic.
DickoryCronke,thesubjectofthefollowingnarrative,wasbornatalittlehamlet,nearSt.Columb,inCornwall,onthe29thofMay,1660,beingthedayandyearinwhichKingCharlestheSecondwasrestored.Hisparentswereofmeanextraction,buthonest,industriouspeople,andwellbelovedintheirneighbourhood.Hisfather'schiefbusinesswastoworkatthetinmines;hismotherstayedathometolookafterthechildren,ofwhichtheyhadseverallivingatthesametime.OurDickorywastheyoungest,andbeingbutasicklychild,hadalwaysadoubleportionofhercareandtenderness.
Itwasupwardsofthreeyearsbeforeitwasdiscoveredthathewasborndumb,theknowledgeofwhichatfirstgavehismothergreatuneasiness,butfindingsoonafterthathehadhishearing,andallhisothersensestothegreatestperfection,hergriefbegantoabate,andsheresolvedtohavehimbroughtupaswellastheircircumstancesandhiscapacitywouldpermit.
Ashegrew,notwithstandinghiswantofspeech,heeverydaygavesomeinstanceofareadygenius,andageniusmuchsuperiortothecountrychildren,insomuchthatseveralgentlemenintheneighbourhoodtookparticularnoticeofhim,andwouldoftencallhimRestorationDick,andgivehimmoney,&c.
Whenhecametobeeightyearsofage,hismotheragreedwithapersoninthenextvillage,toteachhimtoreadandwrite,bothwhich,inaveryshorttime,heacquiredtosuchperfection,especiallythelatter,thathenotonlytaughthisownbrothersandsisters,butlikewiseseveralyoungmenandwomenintheneighbourhood,whichoftenbroughthiminsmallsums,whichhealwayslaidoutinsuchnecessariesashestoodmostinneedof.
Inthisstatehecontinuedtillhewasabouttwenty,andthenhebegantoreflecthowscandalousitwasforayoungmanofhisageandcircumstancestoliveidleathome,andsoresolvestogowithhisfathertothemines,totryifhecouldgetsomethingtowardsthesupportofhimselfandthefamily;butbeingofatenderconstitution,andoftensick,hesoonperceivedthatsortofbusinesswastoohardforhim,sowasforcedtoreturnhomeandcontinueinhisformerstation;uponwhichhegrewexceedingmelancholy,whichhismotherobserving,shecomfortedhiminthebestmannershecould,tellinghimthatifitshouldpleaseGodtotakeheraway,shehadsomethingleftinstoreforhim,whichwouldpreservehimagainstpublicwant.
Thiskindassurancefromamotherwhomhesodearlylovedgavehimsome,thoughnotanentiresatisfaction;however,heresolvestoacquiesceunderittillProvidenceshouldordersomethingforhimmoretohiscontentandadvantage,which,inashorttimehappenedaccordingtohiswish.Themannerwasthus:
-
OneMr.OwenParry,aWelshgentlemanofgoodrepute,comingfromBristoltoPadstow,alittleseaportinthecountyofCornwall,neartheplacewhereDickorydwelt,andhearingmuchofthisdumbman'sperfections,wouldneedshavehimsentfor;andfinding,byhissignificantgesturesandalloutwardappearancesthathemuchexceededthecharacterthatthecountrygaveofhim,tookamightylikingtohim,insomuchthathetoldhim,ifhewouldgowithhimintoPembrokeshire,hewouldbekindtohim,andtakecareofhimaslongashelived.
ThiskindandunexpectedofferwassowelcometopoorDickory,thatwithoutanyfartherconsideration,hegotapenandinkandwritanote,andinaveryhandsomeandsubmissivemannerreturnedhimthanksforhisfavour,assuringhimhewoulddohisbesttocontinueandimproveit;andthathewouldbereadytowaituponhimwheneverheshouldbepleasedtocommand.
Toshortentheaccountasmuchaspossible,allthingswereconcludedtotheirmutualsatisfaction,andinaboutafortnight'stimetheysetforwardforWales,whereDickory,notwithstandinghisdumbness,behavedhimselfwithsomuchdiligenceandaffability,thathenotonlygainedtheloveofthefamilywherehelived,butofeverybodyroundhim.
Inthisstationhecontinuedtillthedeathofhismaster,whichhappenedabouttwentyyearsafterwards;inallwhichtime,ashasbeenconfirmedbyseveralofthefamily,hewasneverobservedtobeanywaysdisguisedbydrinking,ortobeguiltyofanyofthefolliesandirregularitiesincidenttoservantsingentlemen'shouses.Onthecontrary,whenhehadanysparetime,hisconstantcustomwastoretirewithsomegoodbookintoaprivateplacewithincall,andthereemployhimselfinreading,andthenwritingdownhisobservationsuponwhatheread.
Afterthedeathofhismaster,whoselossafflictedhimtothelastdegree,oneMrs.MaryMordant,agentlewomanofgreatvirtueandpiety,andaverygoodfortune,tookhimintoherservice,andcarriedhimwithher,firsttoBath,andthentoBristol,where,afteralingeringdistemper,whichcontinuedforaboutfouryears,shediedlikewise.
Uponthelossofhismistress,Dickorygrewagainexceedingmelancholyanddisconsolate;atlength,reflectingthatdeathisbutacommondebtwhichallmortalsowetonature,andmustbepaidsoonerorlater,hebecamealittlebettersatisfied,andsodeterminestogettogetherwhathehadsavedinhisservice,andthentoreturntohisnativecountry,andtherefinishhislifeinprivacyandretirement.
Havingbeen,ashasbeenmentioned,abouttwenty-fouryearsaservant,andhaving,intheinterim,receivedtwolegacies,viz.,oneofthirtypounds,lefthimbyhismaster,andanotheroffifteenpoundsbyhismistress,andbeingalwaysveryfrugal,hehadgotbyhiminthewholeupwardsofsixtypounds.This,thinkshe,withprudentmanagement,willbeenoughtosupportmeaslongasIlive,andsoI'lle'enlayasideallthoughtsoffuturebusiness,andmakethebestofmywaytoCornwall,andtherefindoutsomesafeandsolitaryretreat,whereImayhavelibertytomeditateandmakemymelancholyobservationsupontheseveraloccurrencesofhumanlife.
Thisresolutionprevailedsofar,thatnotimewasletsliptogeteverythinginreadinesstogowiththefirstship.Astohismoney,healwayskeptthatlockedupbyhim,unlesshesometimeslentittoafriendwithoutinterest,forhehadamortalhatredtoallsortsofusuryorextortion.Hisbooks,ofwhichhehadaconsiderablequantity,andsomeofthemverygoodones,togetherwithhisotherequipage,hegotpackedup,thatnothingmightbewantingagainstthefirstopportunity.
InafewdaysheheardofavesselboundtoPadstow,theveryporthewishedtogoto,beingwithinfourorfivemilesoftheplacewherehewasborn.When
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