Dumfries， July 2nd， 1818
My dear Fanny，
I intended① to have written you from Kirkcudbright， the town I shall be in tomorrow， but I will write now because my Knapsack has worn my coat in the Seams， my coat has gone to the Taylorsand， I have but one coat to my back in these parts.
I must tell you I went to Liverpool with George and our new Sister and the Gentleman， my fellow traveller， through the summer and autumn， we had a tolerable② journey to Liverpool which I left the next morning before George was up for Lancaster.
Then we set off from Lancaster on foot with our Knapascks on， and have walked a Little zig zag through the mountains and lakes of Cumberland and Westmoreland land—we came from Carlisle yesterday to this place-we are employed in going up Mountains， looking at strange towns， prying into old ruins and eating very hearty③ breakfasts. Here we are full in the Midst of broad Scocth “How is it a’wi yourself”—the Girls are walking about bare footed and in the worst cottages the smoke finds its way out of the door.
Mr. Abbey says we are Don Quixotes—tell him we are more generally taken for pedlars. All I hope is that we may not be taken for excise men in this whiskey country. We are generally up about 5 walking before breakfast and we complete our 20 miles before dinner.
Yesterday we visited Burn’s Tomb and this morning the fine Ruins of Lincluden. I had done thus far when my coat came back fortified④ at all points， so as we lose no time we set forth again through Galloway—all very pleasant and pretty with no fatigue when one is used to it. We are in the midst of Meg Merrilies’country of whom I suppose you have heard.
If you like some sorts of Ballads， I will now and then scribble⑤ one for you； if I send any to Tom I’ll tell him to send them to you. I have so many interruptions that I cannot manage to fill a letter in one day.
My dear Fanny， I am ready to tumble into bed so fatigued⑥ that when I am asleep you might sew my nose to my great toe and trundle me round the town， like a Hoop， without waking me. Then I get so hungry a Ham goes but a very little way and fowls are like Larks to me.A batch of bread I make no more a do with than a sheet of parliament， and I can eat a Bull’s head as easily as I used to do Bull’s eyes. Ah dear I must soon be contented with an acre or two of oaten cake， a hogshead of milk and a basket of eggs morning noon and night when I get among the Highlanders.
Your affectionate Brother John.
① intend v. 想要，打算
② tolerable adj. 尚好的，还可以的，过得去的
③ heartyadj. 丰盛的，营养丰富的
④ fortifiedadj. 加强的
⑤ scribblev. 潦草地书写，在……上面乱涂(或乱画)
⑥ fatiguedadj. 疲乏的
约翰·济慈致弟弟
我亲爱的范尼：
我原打算明天到达刻古布立时再给你写信，但现在我就写了，因为背包把我衣服的接缝处磨破了，我已把它送到裁缝店去缝补，所以现在身上只穿着一件衣服了。
有必要告诉你，我是和乔治、新结识的一位修女以及整个夏季与秋季与我同行的一位绅士一起去利物浦的。旅程还比较愉快，我于次日早晨离开利物浦前往兰卡斯特，乔治随后也动身前来。
随后我们又从兰卡斯特出发，肩上背着我们的行囊，沿着一条弯弯曲曲的小路，一路步行穿过了昆布兰和威斯特摩兰的群山和湖泊——昨天我们从喀来尔来到了这个地方——便忙于上山、观看陌生的城镇、考察古老的废墟、吃着丰盛的早餐。在这儿，我们完全置身于一片苏格兰方言之中，如：“一切，哦，顺利”——女孩子们光着脚四处闲逛；在简陋的农舍里，炊烟夺门而出。
阿比先生说我们是堂吉诃德——说实在的人们更通常把我们看作小贩。我所希望的就是在这个威士忌的国度里，人们不会以为我们是收税官。我们通常五点钟左右起床，早餐之前开始行走，晚餐之前走完20英里。
昨天我们参观了伯恩墓，今天早晨参观了保存完好的林克卢登的遗迹。到此我就做了这件事，我那外套在全部加固后也送来了，为了不浪费时间，我们再次动身穿过加罗威角，一路上很愉快有趣、毫无疲惫感，一个人一旦适应了这种行程的话，定会如此。我们现在行进在梅格·梅里莱斯的故土上，我想你听说过她吧！
如果你喜欢民谣的话，我会不时地为你涂写一首；如果我给汤姆寄去了这类诗，我会告诉他要他再寄给你。经常有人打搅我，所以我无法在一天里写完一封信。
亲爱的范尼，现在我正准备上床睡觉，我是如此疲惫不堪，以致在我睡下之后，如果你将我的鼻子和大脚趾头缝在一起，在城里像滚呼拉圈一样地滚动我，也不会把我弄醒；我又是如此饥饿不堪，一片火腿只够塞我的牙缝，家禽于我仿佛云雀。一炉面包我能毫不费力地吃下，一如吃下一片薄姜饼；一头公牛的头我能轻松地吃下，就像过去吃掉它的眼睛。哎呀，早晨、中午和晚上，如果有一两亩麦片糕，一豪格海牛奶和一篮子鸡蛋我就心满意足了，此时我溶入了苏格兰高原人之中。
爱你的哥哥，
约翰
于敦夫里斯
1818年7月2日
