Some of the Servants had acquainted Fitzpatrick who Mr. Western was. The good Irishman therefore thinking he had now an Opportunity to do an Act of Service to his Uncle, and by that Means might poffibly obtain his Favour, ftept up to Jones, and cried out, Upon my Conscience, Sir, you may be afhamed of denying your: having feen the Gentleman's Daughter before my Face, when you know I found you there upon the Bed together.' Then turning to Western, he offered to conduct him immediately to the Room where his Daughter was; which Offer being accepted, he, the Squire, the Parfon, and some others, afcended directly to Mrs. Wa ters's Chamber, which they entered with no less Violence than Mr. Fitzpatrick had done before.

The poor Lady started from her Sleep with as much Amazement as Terror, and beheld at her Bed-fide a Figure which might very well be fupposed to have escaped out of Bedlam. Such Wildnefs, and Confufion were in the Looks of Mr. Western who no fooner faw the Lady, than he ftarted back, fhewing fufficiently by his Manner, before he spoke, that this was not the Perfon fought after.

So much more tenderly do Women value their Reputation than their Perfons, that tho' the latter feemed now in more Danger than before; yet as the former was fecure, the Lady fcreamed not with fuch Violence as fhe had done on the other Occafion. However, the no fooner found herself alone, than fhe abandoned all Thoughts of further Repofe; and as fhe had fufficient Reason to be diffatisfied with her prefent Lodging, the dreffed herself with all poffible Expedition..

Mr.

Book X. Mr. Western now proceeded to fearch the whole House, but to as little Purpose as he had disturbed poor Mrs. Waters. He then returned disconfolate into the Kitchin, where he found Jones in the Cuftody of his Servants.

This violent Uproar had raised all the People in the House, tho' it was yet fcarcely Day-light. Among these was a grave Gentleman, who had the Honour to be in the Commiffion of the Peace for the County of Worcester. Of which Mr. Western was no fooner informed, than he offered to lay his Complaint before him. The Juftice declined executing his Office, as he faid he had no Clerk prefent, nor any Book about Juftice Bufinefs; and that he could not carry all the Law in his Head about ftealing away Daughters, and fuch fort of Things.

Here Mr. Fitzpatrick offered to lend him his Affiftance; informing the Company that he had been himself bred to the Law. (And indeed he had ferved three Years as Clerk to an Attorney in the North of Ireland, when chufing a genteeler Walk in Life, he quitted his Mafter, came over to England, and fet up that Business which requires no Apprenticeship, namely, that of a Gen tleman, in which he had fucceeded as hath been already partly mentioned.)

Mr. Fitzpatrick declared that the Law concerning Daughters was out of the prefent Cafe; that ftealing a Muff was undoubtedly Felony, and the Goods being found upon the Perfon, were fufficient Evidence of the Fact.

The Magiftrate, upon the Encouragement of fo learned a Coadjutor, and upon the violent Interceffion of the Squire, was at length prevailed

upon

เ

upon to feat himself in the Chair of Justice, where being placed, upon viewing the Muff which Jones ftill held in his Hand, and upon the Parfon's fwearing it to be the Property of Mr. Western, he defired Mr. Fitzpatrick to draw up a Commitment, which he faid he would fign.

which was at

Jones now defired to be heard, laft, with Difficulty, granted him. He then produced the Evidence of Mr. Partridge, as to the finding it; but what was ftill more, Sufan depofed that Sophia herself had delivered the Muff to her, and had ordered her to convey it into the Chamber where Mr. Jones had found it.

Whether a natural Love of Juftice, or the extraordinary Comeliness of Jones, had wrought on Sufan to make the Discovery, I will not determine; but fuch were the Effects of her Evidence, that the Magiftrate, throwing himself back in his Chair, declared that the Matter was now altogether as clear on the Side of the Prifoner, as it had before been against him; with which the Parfon concurred, faying, The Lord forbid he fhould be inftrumental in committing an innocent Perfon to Durance. The Juftice then arofe, acquitted the Prifoner, and broke up the Court...

Mr. Weftern now gave every one prefent a hearty Curfe, and immediately ordering his Horfes, departed in Purfuit of his Daughter, without taking the leaft Notice of his Nephew Fitzpatrick, or returning any Answer to his Claim of Kindred, notwithstanding all the Obligations he had just received from that Gentleman. In the Violence, moreover, of his Hurry, and of his Paffion, he luckily forgot to demand the Muff

of

of Jones: I fay luckily; for he would have died on the Spot rather than have parted with it.

Jones likewife, with his Friend Partridge, fet forward the Moment he had paid his Reckoning, in Queft of his lovely Sophia, whom he now refolved never more to abandon the Pursuit of Nor could he bring himself even to take Leave of Mrs. Waters; of whom he detefted the very Thoughts, as fhe had been, tho' not defignedly, the Occafion of his miffing the happiest Interview with Sophia, to whom he now vowed eternal Conftancy.

As for Mrs. Waters, fhe took the Opportunity of the Coach which was going to Bath; for which Place the fet out in Company with the two Irish Gentlemen, the Landlady kindly lending her her Clothes; in Return for which he was contented only to receive about double their Value, as á Recompence for the Loan. Upon the Road the was perfectly reconciled to Mr. Fitzpatrick, who was a very handfome Fellow, and indeed did all fhe could to confole him in the Abfence of his Wife.

Thus ended the many odd Adventures which Mr. Jones encountered at his Inn at Upton, where they talk, to this Day, of the Beauty and lovely Behaviour of the charming Sophia, by the Name of the Somerfetfhire Angel.

CHAP. VIII.

In which the Hiftory goes backward.

EFORE we proceed any farther in our Hiftory, it may be proper to look a little back, in order to account for the extraordinary Ap

pearance

pearance of Sophia and her Father at the Inn at Upton.

The Reader may be pleased to remember, that in the Ninth Chapter of the Seventh Book of our Hiftory, we left Sophia, after a long Debate between Love and Duty, deciding the Caufe, as it ufually, I believe, happens, in Favour of the former.

This Debate had arifen, as we have there fhewn, from a Vifit which her Father had juft before made her, in order to force her Confent to a Marriage with Blifil; and which he had underflood to be fully implied in her Acknowledgment, that he neither muft, nor could refufe any abfolute Command of his.

Now from this Vifit the Squire retired to his Evening Potation, overjoyed at the Success he had gained with his Daughter; and as he was of a focial Difpofition, and willing to have Partakers in his Happiness, the Beer was ordered to flow very liberally into the Kitchin; fo that before Eleven in the Evening, there was not a fingle Perfon fober in the House, except only Mrs. Weftern herself, and the charming Sophia.

Early in the Morning a Meffenger was difpatched to fummon Mr. Blifil: For tho' the Squire imagined that young Gentleman had been much less acquainted than he really was, with the former Averfion of his Daughter; as he had not, however, yet received her Consent, he longed impatiently to communicate it to him, not doubting but that the intended Bride herself would confirm it with her Lips. As to the Wedding, it had the Evening before been fixed, by the Male Parties, to be celebrated on the next Morning fave one.

Breakfast