THE GRAND DISCOVERY
"Mr. Sam Semple," the doctor continued, with emphasis on the prefix to
which, indeed, the poet was not entitled in his native town, "doth not
ask for help: he is not starving: he is prosperous: he has gained the
friendship, or the patronage, of certain persons of quality. This is
the reward of genius. Let us forget that he was the son of a
customhouse servant, and let us admit that he proved unequal to the
duties--for which he was unfitted--of a clerk. He has now risen--we
will welcome one whose name will in the future add lustre to our
town."
The vicar shook his head. "Trash," he murmured, "trash."
"Well, gentlemen, I will proceed to read the letter."
He unfolded it and began with a sonorous hum.
"'Honoured Sir,'" he repeated the words. "'Honoured Sir,'--the letter,
gentlemen, is addressed to myself--ahem! to myself. 'I have recently
heard of a discovery which will probably affect in a manner so vital,
the interests of my beloved native town, that I feel it my duty to
communicate the fact to you without delay. I do so to you rather than
to my esteemed patron, the worshipful the mayor, once my master, or to
Captain Crowle, or to any of those who subscribed for my volume of
Miscellany Poems, because the matter especially and peculiarly
concerns yourself as a physician, and as the fortunate owner of the
spring or well which is the subject of the discovery'--the subject of
the discovery, gentlemen. My well--mine." He went on. "'You are aware,
as a master in the science of medicine, that the curative properties
of various spas or springs in the country--the names of Bath,
Tunbridge Wells, and Epsom are familiar to you, so doubtless are those
of Hampstead and St. Chad's, nearer London. It now appears that a
certain learned physician having reason to believe that similar waters
exist, as yet unsuspected, at King's Lynn, has procured a jar of the
water from your own well--that in your garden'--my well, gentlemen, in
my own garden!--'and, having subjected it to a rigorous examination,
has discovered that it contains, to a much higher degree than any
other well hitherto known to exist in this country, qualities, or
ingredients, held in solution, which make this water sovereign for the
cure of rheumatism, asthma, gout, and all disorders due to ill humours
or vapours--concerning which I am not competent so much as to speak to
one of your learning and skill.'"
"He has," said the schoolmaster, "the pen of a ready writer. He
balances his periods. I taught him. So far, he was an apt pupil."
The doctor resumed.
"'This discovery hath already been announced in the public journals. I
send you an extract containing the news.' I read this extract,
gentlemen."
It was a slip of printed paper, cut from one of the diurnals of
London.
"'It has been discovered that at King's Lynn in the county of Norfolk,
there exists a deep well of clear water whose properties, hitherto
undiscovered, form a sovereign specific for rheumatism and many
similar disorders. Our physicians have already begun to recommend the
place as a spa and it is understood that some have already resolved
upon betaking themselves to this newly discovered cure. The distance
from London is no greater than that of Bath. The roads, it is true,
are not so good, but at Cambridge, it is possible for those who do not
travel in their own carriages to proceed by way of barge or tilt boat
down the Cam and the Ouse, a distance of only forty miles which in the
summer should prove a pleasant journey.'
"So far"--the doctor informed us, "for the printed intelligence. I now
proceed to finish the letter. 'Among others, my patron, the Right
Honourable the Earl of Fylingdale, has been recommended by his
physician to try the newly discovered waters of Lynn as a preventive
of gout. He is a gentleman of the highest rank, fashion, and wealth,
who honours me with his confidence. It is possible that he may even
allow me to accompany him on his journey. Should he do so I shall look
forward to the honour of paying my respects to my former patrons. He
tells me that other persons of distinction are also going to the same
place, with the same objects, during the coming summer.'
"You hear, gentlemen," said the doctor, looking round, "what did I
say? Wealth for all--for all. So. Let me continue. 'Sir, I would with
the greatest submission venture to point out the importance of this
event to the town. The nobility and gentry of the neighbourhood should
be immediately made acquainted with this great discovery; the clergy
of Ely, Norwich, and Lincoln; the members of the University of
Cambridge: the gentlemen of Boston, Spalding, and Wisbech should all
be informed. It may be expected that there will be such a concourse
flocking to Lynn as will bring an accession of wealth as well as fame
to the borough of which I am a humble native. I would also submit that
the visitors should find Lynn provided with the amusements necessary
for a spa. I mean music; the assembly; a pump room; a garden; the ball
and the masquerade and the card room; clean lodgings; good wine; and
fish, flesh and fowl in abundance. I humbly ask forgiveness for these
suggestions and I have the honour to remain, honoured sir, your most
obedient humble servant, with my grateful service to all the gentlemen
who subscribed to my verses, and thereby provided me with a ladder up
which to rise, Samuel Semple.'"
At this moment the bowl of punch was brought in and placed before the
captain with a tray of glasses. The doctor folded his letter, replaced
it in his pocketbook and took off his spectacles.
"Gentlemen, you have heard my news. Captain Crowle, may I request that
you permit the society to drink with me to the prosperity of the
spa--the prosperity of the spa--the spa of Lynn."
"Let us drink it," said the captain, "to the newly discovered spa. But
this Samuel--the name sticks."
The toast was received with the greatest satisfaction, and then, when
the punch was buzzed about, there arose a conversation so lively and
so loud that heads looked out of windows in the square wondering what
in the world had happened with the society. Not a quarrel, surely.
Nay, there was no uplifting of voices: there was no anger in the
voices: nor was it the sound of mirth: there was no note of merriment:
nor was it a drunken loosening of the tongue: such a thing with this
company was impossible. It was simply a conversation in which all
spoke at the same time over an event which interested and excited all
alike. Everybody contributed something.
"We must have a committee to prepare for the accommodation of the
visitors."
"We must put up a pump room."
"We must engage a dipper."
"We must make walks across the fields."
"There must be an assembly with music and dancing."
"There must be a card room."
"There must be a long room for those who wish to walk about and to
converse--with an orchestra."
"There must be public breakfasts and suppers."
"We shall want horns to play in the evening."
"We must have glass lamps of variegated colours to hang among the
trees."
"I will put up the pump room," said the doctor, "in my garden, over
the well."
"We must look to our lodgings. The beds in our inns are for the most
part rough hewn boards on trestles with a flock bed full of knobs and
sheets that look like leather. The company will look for bedsteads and
feather beds."
"The ladies will ask for curtains. We must give them what they are
accustomed to enjoy."
"We must learn the fashionable dance."
"We must talk like beaux and dress like the gentlefolk of
Westminster."
The captain looked on, meanwhile, whispering in my ear, from time to
time. "Samuel is a liar," he said. "I know him to be a liar. Yet why
should he lie about a thing of so much importance? If he tells the
truth, Jack--I know not--I misdoubt the fellow--yet--again--he may
tell the truth----And why should he lie, I say? Then--one knows
not--among the company we may even find a husband for the girl. As for
taking her to London--but we shall see."
So he shook his head, not wholly carried away like the rest, but with
a certain amount of hope. And then, waiting for a moment when the talk
flagged a bit, he spoke.
"Gentlemen, if this news is true--and surely Samuel would not invent
it, then the old town is to have another great slice of luck. We have
our shipping and our trade: these have made many of us rich and have
given an honest livelihood to many more. The spa should bring in, as
the doctor has told us, wealth by another channel. I undertake to
assure you that we shall rise to the occasion. The town shall show
itself fit to receive and to entertain the highest company. We
tarpaulins are too old to learn the manners of fashion. But we have
men of substance among us who will lay out money with such an object:
we have gentlemen of family in the country round: we have young
fellows of spirit," he clapped me on the shoulder, "who will keep up
the gaieties: and, gentlemen, we have maidens among us--as blooming as
any in the great world. We shall not be ashamed of ourselves--or of
our girls."
These words created a profound sigh of satisfaction. The men of
substance would rise to the occasion.
Before the bowl was out a committee was appointed, consisting of
Captain Crowle, the vicar of St. Margaret's, the curate of St.
Nicholas--the two clergymen being appointed as having imbibed at the
University of Cambridge some tincture of the fashionable world--and
the doctor. This important body was empowered to make arrangements for
the reception and for the accommodation and entertainment of the
illustrious company expected and promised. It was also empowered to
circulate in the country round about news of the extraordinary
discovery and to invite all the rheumatic and the gouty: the asthmatic
and everybody afflicted with any kind of disease to repair immediately
to Lynn Regis, there to drink the sovereign waters of the spa.
"It only remains, gentlemen," said the doctor in conclusion, "that I
myself should submit the water of my well to an examination." He did
not think it necessary to inform the company that he had received from
Samuel Semple an analysis of the water stating the ingredients and
their proportions as made by the anonymous physician of London.
"Should it prove--of which I have little doubt--that the water is such
as has been described by my learned brother in medicine, I shall
inform you of the fact."
It was a curious coincidence, though the committee of reception were
not informed of the fact, that the doctor's analysis exactly agreed
with that sent to him.
It was a memorable evening. For my own part,--I know not why--during
the reading of the letter my heart sank lower and lower. It was the
foreboding of evil. Perhaps it was caused by my knowledge of Samuel of
whom I will speak presently. Perhaps it was the thought of seeing the
girl whom I loved, while yet I had no hope of winning her, carried off
by some sprig of quality who would teach her to despise her homely
friends, the master mariners young and old. I know not the reason. But
it was a foreboding of evil and it was with a heavy heart that I
repaired to the quay and rowed myself back to the ship in the
moonlight.
They were going to drink to the next voyage of _The Lady of Lynn_.
Why, the lady herself, not her ship, was about to embark on a voyage
more perilous--more disastrous--than that which awaited any of her
ships. Cruel as is the ocean I would rather trust myself--and her--to
the mercies of the Bay of Biscay at its wildest--than to the
tenderness of the crew who were to take charge of that innocent and
ignorant lady.