led him) was regaling in the parlour, he was not his fervant, but only a friend and companion, and as good a gentleman as Mr. Jones himfelf.'

He

Dowling fat all this while filent, biting his fingers, making faces, grinning, and looking wonderfully arch; at last he opened his lips, and protefted that the gentleman looked like another fort of man. then called for his bill with the utmost hafte, declared he must be at Hereford that evening, lamented his great hurry of bufinefs, and wifhed he could divide himself into twenty pieces, in order to be at once in twenty places.

The petty-fogger now likewife departed, and then Jones defired the favour of Mrs. Whitefield's company to drink tea with him; but fhe refufed, and with a manner fo different from that with which fhe had received him at dinner, that it a little furprized him. And now he foon perceived her behaviour totally changed; for inftead of that natural affability which we have before celebrated, he wore a conftrained feverity on her countenance, which was fo difagreeable to Mr. Jones, that he refolved however late to quit the houfe that evening.

He did indeed account fomewhat unfairly for this fudden change; for befides fome hard and unjust furmifes concerning female ficklenefs and mutability, he began to fufpect that he owed this want of civility to his want of horfes; a fort of animals which, as they dirty no fheets, are thought, in inns, to pay better for their beds than their riders, and are therefore confidered as the more defirable company; but Mrs. Whitefield, to do her juftice, had a much more liberal way of thinking. She was perfectly well-bred, and could be very civil to a gentleman, though he walked on foot. In reality, fhe looked on our hero as a forry fcoundrel, and therefore treated him as fuch, for which not even Jones himfelf, had he known as much as the reader, could have blamed her; nay, on the contrary, he must have approved her conduct, and have esteemed her the more for the difrefpect fhewn towards himself. This is indeed a moft aggravating circumftance which attends depriving men unjustly

of

of their reputation; for a man who is confcious of having an ill character, cannot justly be angry with thofe who neglect and flight him; but ought rather to defpife fuch as affect his converfation, unless where a perfect intimacy muft have convinced them that their friend's character hath been falfely and injurioufly afperfed.

This was not, however, the cafe of Jones; for as he was a perfect ftranger to the truth, fo he was with good reafon offended at the treatment he received. He therefore paid his reckoning and departed, highly against the will of Mr. Partridge, who having remon ftrated much against it to no purpose, at lalt condefcended to take up his knapfack, and to attend his friend.

CHAP. IX..

Containing feveral dialogues between Jones and Partridge concerning love, cold, hunger, and other matters;. with the lucky and narrow escape of Partridge, as he was on the very brink of making a fatal difcovery to bis friend.

TH

HE fhadows began now to defcend larger from the high mountains: the feathered creation had betaken themfelves to their reft. Now the highest order of mortals were fitting down to their dinners, and the loweft order to their fuppers. In a word, the clock ftruck five just as Mr. Jones took his leave of Gloucester; an hour at which (as it was now mid-winter) the dirty fingers of night would have drawn her fable curtain over the univerfe, had not the moon forbid her, who now, with a face as broad and as red as thofe of fome jolly mortals, who, like her, turn night into day, began to rife from her. bed, where he had flumbered away the day, in order to fit up all night. Jones had not travelled far before he paid his compliments to that beautiful planet, and turning to his companion, afked him, if he had ever beheld fo delicious an evening. Partridge making no ready anfwer to his question, he proceed

ed

very

7

ed to comment on the beauty of the moon, and repeated fome paffages from Milton, who hath certainly excelled all other poets in his defcription of the heavenly luminaries. He then told Partridge the ftory from the Spectator, of two lovers who had agreed to entertain themselves when they were at a great diftance from each other, by repairing, at a certain fixed hour, to look at the moon; thus pleafing themfelves with the thought that they were both employed in contemplating the fame object at the fame time. Thofe lovers,' added he, must have had fouls truly capable of feeling all the tenderness of the fublimeft of all human paffions.' Very probably,' cries Partridge: but I fhould envy them more, if they had bodies incapable of feeling. cold; for I am almost frozen to death, and am ery much afraid I fhall lofe a piece of my nofe before we get to another houfe of entertainment. Nay, truly, we may well expect fome judgment fhould happen to us for our folly in running away fo by night from one of the most excellent inns E ever fet my foot into. I am fure I never faw more good things in my life, and the greatest lord in the land cannot live better in his own houfe than he may there. And to forfake fuch a houfe, and go a rambling about the country, the Lord knows whither, per devia rura viarum, I fay nothing for my part; but fome people might not have charity enough to conclude we were in our fober fenfes.' Fie upon it, Mr. Partridge,' fays Jones, have a better. heart: confider you are going to face an enemy; and are you afraid of facing a little cold? I with, indeed, we had a guide to advife which of thefe roads we fhould take,' May I be fo bold,' fays Partridge, to offer my advice: Interdum ftultus opportuna loquitur.' Why, which of them, cries Jones, would you recommend? Truly neither of them, anfwered Partridge. The only road ⚫ can be certain of finding, is the road we came. A good hearty pace will bring us back to Gloucefter in an hour; but if we go forward, the Lord Harry knows when we fhall arrive at any place;

،

we

for

for I fee at least fifty miles before me, and no houfe in all the way.' You fee, indeed, a very fair profpect, fays Jones, which receives great additional beauty from the extreme luftre of the 6. moon. However, I will keep the left-hand track, as that feems to lead directly to thofe hills, which we were informed lie not far from Worcester. And here, if y f you are inclined to quit me, you may, and, return back again; but, for my part, I am refolved forward.'

to go

to

It is unkind in you, Sir,' fays Partridge, fufpect me of any fuch intention. What I have advifed hath been as much on your account as on my own; but fince you are determined to go on, I am as much determined to follow, I præ, fequar te.'

moon

They now travelled fome miles without fpeaking to each other, during which fufpence of difcourfe Jones often fighed, and Benjamin groaned as bitterly, though from a very different reafon, At length Jones made a full ftop, and turning about, cries, Who knows, Partridge, but the lovelieft creature in the univerfe may have her eyes now fixed on that very. which I behold at this inftant?' Very, likely, Sir,' anfwered Partridge; and if my eyes were fixed on a good furloin of roaft beef, the devil might take the moon and her horns into the bargain.' Did ever Tramontane make fuch an anfwer?' cries Jones. Prithee, Partridge, waft thou ever fufceptible of love in thy life, or hath time worn away all the traces of it from thy me< ? mory Alack-a-day, cries Partridge, well would it have been for me if I had never known. f what love was. Infandum. Regina jubes renovare

Dolorem' I am fure I have tafted all the tenderness and fublimities, and bitterneffes of the paffion." Was your miftrefs unkind then?' fays Jones. Very unkind indeed, Sir,' anfwered Partridge? for fhe married me, and made one of the moft confounded wives in the world. However, heaven be praifed, fhe's gone; and if I believed fhe was in the moon, according to the book I once read, which

'teaches

teaches that to be the receptacle of departed fpirits, I would never look at it for fear of feeing her: but I wish, Sir, that the moon was a looking-glafs for your fake, and that Mifs Sophia Western was now placed before it.' My dear Partridge,' cries Jones, what a thought was there! A thought which I am certain could never have entered into any mind but that of a lover. O Partridge, could I hope once again to fee that face; but, alas! all thofe golden dreams are vanished for ever, and my only refuge from future mifery is to forget the object of all my former happinefs. And do you really defpair of ever feeing Mifs Western again?' answered Partridge: If you will follow my advice, I will engage you fhall not only fee her, but have her in your arms." Ha! do not awaken a thought of that nature,' cries Jones. I have ftruggled fufficiently to conquer all fuch wishes already.' Nay,' answered Partridge, if you do not wish to have your miftrefs in your arms, you are a most extraordinary lover indeed.' Well, well,' fays Jones, let us avoid this fubject; but pray what is your advice?' To give it you in the military phrafe then,' fays Partridge, as we are foldiers; To the right about.' Let us return the way we came; we may yet reach Gloucefter to-night, though late; whereas if we proceed, we are likely, for ought I fee, to ramble about for ever without coming either to houfe or home,' I have already told you my refolution is to go on,' anfwered Jones; but I would have you go back. I am obliged to you for your company hither; and I beg you to accept a guinea as a fmall inftance of my gratitude. Nay, it would be cruel in me to fuffer you to go any farther; for, to deal plainly with you, my chief end and defire is a glorious death in the fervice of my king and country.' As for your money,' replied Partridge, I beg, Sir, you will put it up; I will receive none of you at this time; for at prefent I am, I believe, the richer man of the two. And as your refolution is to gò on, fo mine is to follow you if you do. Nay, now

my