began to conceive much worthier Sentiments of his Friend's Understanding.

The Clock had juft ftruck Three when they arrived, and Jones immediately befpoke PoftHorfes; but unluckily there was not a Horfe to be procured in the whole Place; which the Reader will not wonder at, when he confiders the Hurry in which the whole Nation, and especially this Part of it, was at this Time engaged, when Expreffes were paffing and repaffing every Hour of the Day and Night.

Jones endeavoured all he could to prevail with his former Guide to escorte him to Coventry; but he was inexorable. While he was arguing with the Boy in the Inn-yard, a Perfon came up to him, and faluting him by his Name, enquired how all the good Family did in Somersetshire; and now Jones cafting his Eyes upon this Perfon, presently difcovered him to be Mr. Dowling the Lawyer, with whom he had dined at Gloucefter, and with much Courtesy returned his Salutation.

Dowling very earneftly preffed Mr. Jones to go no further that Night; and backed his Solicitations with many unanfwerable Arguments, fuch as, that it was almost dark, that the Roads were very dirty, and that he would be able to travel much better by Day-light, with many others equally good, fome of which Jones had probably fuggefted to himfelf before; but as they were then ineffectual, fo they were ftill; and he continued refolute in his Design, even tho' he should be obliged to fet out on Foot.

When the good Attorney found he could not prevail on Jones to stay, he as ftrenuously applied himself to perfuade the Guide to accompany him. He urged many Motives to induce I 6

him

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bim to undertake this fhort Journey, and at laft concluded with faying, Do you think the Gen tleman won't very well reward you for your Trouble?'

Two to one are odds at every other thing, as well as at Foot-ball. But the Advantage which this united Force hath in Perfuafion or Entreaty, must have been visible to a curious Obferver; for he muft have often feen, that when a Father, a Mafter, a Wife, or any other Perfon in Authority, have foutly adhered to a Denial against all the Reasons which a fingle Man could produce, they have afterwards yielded to the Repetition of the fame Sentiments by a fecond or third Perfon, who hath undertaken the Caufe without attempting to advance any thing new in its Behalf. And hence perhaps proceeds the Phrafe of feconding an Argument or a Motion, and the great Confequence this is of in all Affemblies of public Debate. Hence like wife probably it is, that in our Courts of Law we often hear a learned Gentleman (generally a Serjeant) repeating for an Hour together what another learned Gentleman who fpoke just before him, had been faying.

Inftead of accounting for this, we fhall proceed in our ufual Manner to exemplify it in the Conduct of the Lad above-mentioned, who fubmitted to the Perfuafions of Mr. Dowling, and promised once more to admit Fones into his Side-Saddle; but infifted on firft giving the poor Creatures a good Bait, faying, they had travelled a great way, and been rid very hard. Indeed this Caution of the Boy was needlefs; for Jones, notwithstanding his Hurry and Impatience, would have ordered this of himself; for he by no means agreed with the Opinion of thofe who confider Animals

I

as

as mere Machines, and when they bury their Spurs in the Belly of their Horse, imagine the Spur and the Horfe to have an equal Capacity of feeling Pain.

While the Beasts were eating their Corn, or rather were supposed to eat it; (for as the Boy was taking Care of himself in the Kitchin, the Hoftler took great Care that his Corn fhould not be confumed in the Stable) Mr. Jones, at the earneft Defire of Mr. Dowling, accompanied that Gentleman into his Room, where they fat down together over a Bottle of Wine.

CHA P. X.

In which Mr. Jones and Mr. Dowling drink a Bottle together.

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R. Dowling, pouring out a Glafs of Wine, named the Health of the good Squire Allworthy; adding,If you please, Sir, we will likewife remember his Nephew and Heir, the young Squire: Come, Sir, here's Mr. Blifil to you, a very pretty young Gentleman; and who, I dare fwear, will hereafter make a very confiderable Figure in his Country. I have a Borough for him myfelf in my Eye.'

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Sir, anfwered Jones, I am convinced you • don't intend to affront me, fo I fhall not resent it; but, I promife you, you have joined two • Perfons very improperly together; for one is the Glory of the Human Species, and the other is a Rafcal who difhonours the Name of Man.' Dowling ftared at this. He said, "He thought both the Gentlemen had a very unexceptionable Character. As for Squire Allworthy him

felf,'

felf,' fays he, I never had the Happiness to fee him; but all the World talks of his Goodnefs. And, indeed, as to the young GentleC man, I never faw him but once, when I carried

him the News of the Lofs of his Mother; and ⚫ then I was fo hurried, and drove, and tore with

the Multiplicity of Bufinefs, that I had hardly "Time to converse with him; but he looked fo like a very honeft Gentleman, and behaved himself fo prettily, that I proteft I never was ⚫ more delighted with any Gentleman fince I was • born.'

I don't wonder,' anfwered Jones, that he • fhould impose upon you in fo fhort an Acquaintance; for he hath the Cunning of the Devil himself, and you may live with him many Years without discovering him. I was bred up ⚫ with him from my Infancy, and we were hardly "ever afunder; but it is very lately only, that I have difcovered half the Villany which is in him. I own I never greatly liked him. I thought he wanted that Generofity of Spirit, which is the fure Foundation of all that is great and noble in Human Nature. I faw a Selfifhnefs in him long ago which I despised; but it · is lately, very lately, that I have found him capable of the baseft and blackest Designs; for, indeed, I have at laft found out, that he hath • taken an Advantage of the Opennefs of my own Temper, and hath concerted the deepest Project, by a long Train of wicked Artifice, to work my Ruin, which at last he hath effected.' Ay! Ay! cries Dowling, I proteft then, it is a Pity fuch a Person should inherit the great Eftate of your Uncle Allworthy.'

•Alas,

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Alas, Sir,' cries Jones, you do me an Ho"nour to which I have no Title. It is true, indeed, his Goodness once allowed me the Liberty of calling him by a much nearer Name; but as this was only a voluntary Act of Goodnefs, I can complain of no Injustice when he 'thinks proper to deprive me of this Honour ; fince the Lofs cannot be more unmerited than

the Gift originally was. I affure you, Sir, I · am no Relation of Mr. Allworthy; and if the World, who are incapable of setting a true Value on his Virtue, fhould think, in his Behaviour by me, he hath dealt hardly by a Relation, they do an Injustice to the best of Men: For I-but I ask your Pardon, I shall trouble you with no Particulars relating to myself; only as you feemed to think me a Relation of Mr. Allworthy, I thought proper to fet you right in Matter that might draw fome Cenfures upon him, which I promise you I would rather lofe my Life, than give Occasion to.'

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I proteft, Sir, cried Dowling, you talk very 'much like a Man of Honour; but instead of giving me any Trouble, I protest it would give < me great Pleasure to know how you came to be thought a Relation of Mr. Allworthy's, if you 6 are not. Your Horfes won't be ready this half Hour, and as you have fufficient Opportunity, I wish you would tell me how all that happened; for I proteft it seems very furprizing that you should pafs for a Relation of a Gentleman, without being so.'

Jones, who in the Compliance of his Difpofition (tho' not in his Prudence) a little refembled his lovely Sophia, was eafily prevailed on to fatisfy. Mr. Dow