CHAP. VIII. In which Fortune feems to have been in a better Humor with Jones than we have hitherto feen her. As there is no wholefomer, fo perhaps there are few stronger fleeping potions than fatigue. Of this Jones might be faid to have taken a very large dofe, and it operated very forcibly upon him. He had already flept nine hours, and might perhaps have slept longer, had he not been awakened by a moft violent noife at his chamberdoor, where the found of many heavy blows was accompanied with as many exclamations of murder. Jones presently leapt from his bed, where he found the mafter of the puppet- fhow belaboring the back and ribs of his poor Merry Andrew, without either mercy or moderation. Jones inftantly interpofed on behalf of the fuffering party, and pinned the infulting conqueror up to the wall: for the puppet- fhow man was no more able to contend with Jones, than the poor party-colored jefter had been to contend with this puppet-man. But tho' the Merry Andrew was a little fellow, and not very ftrong, he had nevertheless some choler about him. He therefore no fooner found himself delivered from the enemy, than he began to attack him with the only weapon at which he was his equal. From this he first discharged a volley of general abufive words, and thence proceeded to fome particular accufations- "D-n » your blood, you rafcal," fays he, "I have not » only fupported you, (for to me you owe all the » money you get) but I have faved you from the gallows. Did you not want to rob the Lady of her fine riding-habit, no longer ago than yefter,, day, in the back-lane here? Can you deny that » you wished to have her alone in a wood to strip her, to ftrip one of the prettieft Ladies that ever was seen in the world? And here you have fallen » upon me, and have almoft murdered me for doing no harm to a girl as willing as myself, only ,, becaufe fhe likes me better than you. دو دو دو دو " Jones no fooner heard this, than he quitted the mafter, laying on him at the fame time the most violent injunctions of forbearance from any further infult on the Merry Andrew; and then taking the poor wretch with him into his own apartment, he foon learnt tidings of his Sophia, whom the fellow, as he was attending his master with his drum the day before, had feen pafs by. He eafily prevailed with the lad to fhow him the exact place; and then, having fummoned Partridge, he departed with the utmost expedition. It was almost eight of the clock before all matters could be got ready for his departure: for Partridge was not in any hafte; nor could the reckoning be presently adjusted; and when both these were settled and over, Jones would not quit the place, before he had perfectly reconciled all differences between the mafter and the man. When this was happily accomplished, he fet forwards, and was by the trusty Merry Andrew conducted to the spot by which Sophia had paffed; and then having handfomely rewarded his conductor, he again pushed on with the utmost eagerness, being highly delighted with the extraordinary manner in which he received his intelligence. Of this Partridge was no fooner acquainted, than he, with great earnestness, began to prophefy, and affured Jones, that he would certainly have good fuccefs in the end: For, he faid, two fuch accidents could never have happened to direct him after his Mistress, if Providence had not defigned to bring them together at last." And this was the first time that Jones lent any attention to the fuperftitious doctrines of his companion. وو دو They had not gone above two miles, when a violent storm of rain overtook them; and as they happened to be at the fame time in fight of an alehouse, Partridge, with much earnest entreaty, prevailed with Jones to enter, and weather the ftorm. Hunger is an enemy (if indeed it may be called one) which partakes more of the English than of the French difpofition; for tho' you fubdue this never so often, it will always rally again in time; and fo it did. with Partridge, who was no fooner arrived within the kitchen, than he began to ask the fame queftions which he had asked the night before. The confequence of this was an excellent cold chine being produced upon the table, upon which not only Partridge, but Jones himself, made a very hearty breakfast, tho' the latter began to grow again uneafy, as the people of the house could give him no fresh information concerning Sophia. Their meal being over, Jones was again preparing to fally, notwithstanding the violence of the ftorm ftill continued; but Partridge begged heartily for another mug; and at last cafting his eyes on a lad at the fire, who had entered into the kitchen, and who at that inftant was looking as earnestly at him, he turned fuddenly to Jones, and cried, " Master, » give me your hand, a single mug shạn't serve the " turn this bout. Why here's more news of Madam „Sophia come to town. The boy there standing by the fire is the very lad that rode before her. I can fwear to my own plafter on his face." "Heavens bless you, Sir," cries the boy, "it is your own plafter fure enough; I shall have always reason to remember your goodness; for it has almost cured وو دو دو رو At thefe words Jones ftarted from his chair, and bidding the boy follow him immediately, departed from the kitchen into a private apartment; for fo delicate was he with regard to Sophia, that he never willingly mentioned her name in the prefence of many people; and tho' he had, as it were, from the overflowings of his heart, given Sophia as a toast among the officers, where he thought it was impoffible she fhould be known; yet even there the Reader may 1 remember how difficultly he was prevailed upon to mention her furname. Hard therefore was it, and perhaps, in the opinion of many fagacious Readers, very abfurd and monftrous, that he should principally owe his present misfortunes to the fuppofed want of that delicacy with which he fo abounded; for, in reality, Sophia was much more offended at the freedoms which fhe thought (and not without good reason) he had taken with her name and character, than at any freedoms, in which, under his prefent circumftances, he had indulged himfelf with the perfon of another woman; and to fay truth, I believe Honor could never have prevailed on her to leave Upton without feeing her Jones, had it not been for these two ftrong inftances of a levity in his behaviour, fo void of all respect, and indeed fo highly inconfiftent with any degree of love and tenderness in great and delicate minds. But fo matters fell out, and fo I must relate them; and if any Reader is fhocked at their appearing unnatural, I cannot help it. I must remind fuch persons, that I am not writing a system, but a history, and I am not obliged to reconcile every matter to the received notions concerning truth and nature. But if this was never so easy to do, perhaps it might be more prudent in me to avoid it. For inftance, as the fact at present before us now ftands, without any comment of mine upon it, tho' it may at firft fight offend fome Readers, yet, upon more mature confideration, it muft please all; for wife and good men may confider what happened to Jones at Upton as a juft punishment for . |