The Travels and Adventures of JAMES MASSEY.
CHAP. I.
Of our Author's particular Studies and Profession; with an Account of his Embarking, and his first Shipwreck on the Coast of Spain.
The narrow Limits with which the Life of Man is circumscrib'd, and the few Years he is capable of employing in cultivating and perfecting the Arts and Sciences, glide away so soon, that no wonder if the Progress he makes in either, turns to very little Account. Nor is the Shortness of Life the only Obstacle which thwarts our natural Desire of Universal Knowledge; the Loss of Worldly Goods being another Bar equally insurmountable, the Truth of which I learnt, to my Cost, long before I had finish'd my Studies.
The Inclination I had from my Cradle to the Belles Lettres, to Antiquity, and to the strange Rarities I saw brought home from foreign Parts, made my Father resolve to put me early to School, where I was such an apt Scholar that my Diligence and Memory got me the Prize in all the Classes. The fine things my Masters said in my Praise, and the Tenderness with which my Parents lov'd me, redoubled my Emulation, insomuch that I gave my self no Respite, and had made so good use of my Time that when I was but eighteen Years old, I understood both Latin and Greek, very well. In short, I had gone thro' a Course of Philosophy, and was far advanc'd in the Mathematics, when my Father David Massey, who was Captain of a Ship, had the Misfortune to be blown up with his Vessel by the Imprudence of a Sailor, who inadvertently set fire to the Powder.
This fatal Blow happen'd to our Family in 1639, and of all the Days in the Year, upon that very Day that our Army was beat by the Spaniards before Thionville; you must know that the good Man was bound to the Factory at Senegal, and as the greatest Part of the Lading was upon his own Account, my Mother was on a sudden left a Widow with five Children, and scarce any thing to maintain them. This Calamity however was so far from breaking her Heart, that as soon as she receiv'd the News of it, she sent for us, and said to us with a manly Air: 'Children, one of the worst Misfortunes has happen'd to you that could fall out in humane Life: One fatal Moment has not only robb'd me of my dear Husband, but you of your Father, and all your fortunes. Nevertheless, be not cast down, for the Divine Providence can work Miracles to support his Creatures. Learn by this Fatality, not to place your Trust in the Arm of Flesh; and be assur'd that God is a gracious Being, who will not abandon you. Since I have not sufficient Means left to bring you all up as we had intended, consider what Professions each of you is most inclin'd to follow. For your part, James, said she, I think you had best be a Surgeon, which, since you seem to be fond of Travelling, like your Father, is an Art that will favour your Design.' She likewise propos'd to the biggest Children what Professions they should undertake; to which every one of them consented with Tears, and apply'd with Success.
My Mother, who was a Native of Hedin, where she had Relations still living, left Abbeville, and went thither to settle. To my very great joy, tho' contrary to my Expectation, I found many People there who were sincerely concern'd for her Misfortune. One of her Brothers took one of the Children off of her Hands; a Father-in-law took another; and twenty People promis'd her that they would never let her want. Nay, some would fain have persuaded me to alter my Purpose, and pursue my Studies, in hopes that in time I might have it in my Power to bring up the innocent Children, who were not able to help themselves; but my Resolution was form'd, and my Inclination fix'd.
I took Leave of my Family and my dearest Acquaintance, who were sorry to part with me, and set out for Paris. The Grandeur, Magnificence, and Variety, together with the vast Concourse of People of all Ranks, which I saw on my Arrival at this fine Place, did at the first Dash astonish me; every thing that occur'd to my View, seem'd perfectly new to me; I thought my self in another World; and M. Rousseau, the Surgeon, to whose Tuition I had been recommended, had enough to do for near a fortnight to answer the Questions I was continually putting to him, to gratify my Curiosity. He likewise did me the Favour to carry me to Marli, Fontainbleu, St. Dennis, St. Germain, the Louvre, the Tuilleries, and many other Places, which are the Admiration of foreigners. But as the Value of Things is enhanc'd by their Rarity, and diminish'd by their Frequency, I accustom'd my self at last to look upon all these Fineries with a sort of Indifference, which by degrees turn'd to an Aversion; so that I abandoned all those Curiosities to the Speculation of the Idle and the Indolent, and began to apply my self carefully to the Art I had purpos'd to study. M. Rousseau had very good Business, and great Experience, and the many Cures he perform'd, open'd new Discoveries to me every Day.