But There Was Here
No Such Odious Curiosity, No Offensive Staring, As At Burton.
At
this place too I took notice that I began to be always civilly bowed
to by the children of the villages through which I passed.
From Derby to the baths of Matlock, which is one of the most
romantic situations, it was still fifteen miles. On my way thither,
I came to a long and extensive village, which I believe was called
Duffield. They here at least did not show me into the kitchen, but
into the parlour; and I dined on cold victuals.
The prints and pictures which I have generally seen at these inns
are, I think, almost always prints of the royal family, oftentimes
in a group, where the king, as the father of the family, assembles
his children around him; or else I have found a map of London, and
not seldom the portrait of the King of Prussia; I have met with it
several times. You also sometimes see some of the droll prints of
Hogarth. The heat being now very great, I several times in this
village heard the commiserating exclamation of "Good God Almighty!"
by which the people expressed their pity for me, as being a poor
foot passenger.
At night I again stopped at an inn on the road, about five miles
from Matlock. I could easily have reached Matlock, but I wished
rather to reserve the first view of the country till the next day
than to get there when it was dark.
But I was not equally fortunate in this inn, as in the two former.
The kitchen was full of farmers, among whom I could not distinguish
the landlord, whose health I should otherwise immediately have
drank. It is true I heard a country girl who was also in the
kitchen, as often as she drank say, "Your health, gentlemen all!"
But I do not know how it was, I forgot to drink any one's health,
which I afterwards found was taken much amiss. The landlord drank
twice to my health sneeringly, as if to reprimand me for my
incivility; and then began to join the rest in ridiculing me, who
almost pointed at me with their fingers. I was thus obliged for a
time to serve the farmers as a laughing-stock, till at length one of
them compassionately said, "Nay, nay, we must do him no harm, for he
is a stranger." The landlord, I suppose, to excuse himself, as if
he thought he had perhaps before gone too far said, "Ay, God forbid
we should hurt any stranger," and ceased his ridicule; but when I
was going to drink his health, he slighted and refused my attention,
and told me, with a sneer, all I had to do was to seat myself in the
chimney-corner, and not trouble myself about the rest of the world.
The landlady seemed to pity me, and so she led me into another room
where I could be alone, saying, "What wicked people!"
I left this unfriendly roof early the next morning, and now quickly
proceeded to Matlock.
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