Mr. Nightingale, who grew every minute fonder of Jones, was very defirous of his company that day to dinner at the tavern, where he offered to introduce him to fome of his acquaintance; but Jones begged to be excufed, " as his clothes", he cc were not yet come to town.

faid,

To confefs the truth, Mr. Jones was now in a fituation, which fometimes happens to be the cafe of young gentlemen of much better figure than himself. In fhort, he had not one penny in his pocket; a fituation in much greater credit among the ancient philofophers, than among the modern wife men who live in Lombard-street, or those who frequent White's chocolate - house. And, perhaps, the great honors which thofe philofophers have ascribed to an empty pocket, may be one of the reafons of that high contempt in which they are held in the aforefaid ftreet and chocolate-house.

Now if the ancient opinion, that men might live very comfortably on virtue only, be, as the modern wife men just above mentioned pretend to have discovered, a notorious error; no lefs false is, I apprehend, that pofition of fome writers of romance, that a man may live altogether on love: for however delicious repafts this may afford to fome of our fenfes or appetites, it is moft certain it can afford none to others. Thofe, therefore, who have placed too great a confidence in fuch writers, have experienced their error when it was

too late; and have found that love was no more capable of allaying hunger, than a rofe is capable of delighting the ear, or a violin of gratifying the fmell.

Notwithstanding, therefore, all the delicacies which love had fet before him, namely, the hopes of feeing Sophia at the masquerade; on which, however ill-founded his imagination might be, he had voluptuously feafted during the whole day, the evening no fooner came, than Mr. Jones began to languish for fome food of a groffer kind. Partridge discovered this by intuition, and took the occafion to give fome oblique hints concerning the bank-bill, and when those were rejected with difdain, he collected courage enough once more to mention a return to Mr. Allworthy.

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Partridge," cries Jones, "you cannot see my fortune in a more desperate light than I fee it ,, myfelf; and I begin heartily to repent, that I fuffered you to leave a place, where you was fettled, and to follow me. However, I infift " now on your returning home; and for the expense and trouble which you have so kindly put » yourself to on my account, all the clothes I left behind in your care, I defire you would take your own. I am forry I can make you no other acknowledgment."

as

He spoke these words with fo pathetic an accent, that Partridge, among whofe vices ill-nature or

hardness of heart were not numbered, burst into tears; and after fwearing he would not quit him in his distress, he began with the most earnest entreaties to urge his return home. "For Heaven's fake, Sir," fays he, " do but confider: What » can your Honor do? How is it poffible you can live in this town without money? Do what "you will, Sir, or go wherever you please I am refolved not to defert

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you. But

fider: - Do pray, Sir, for

it into

your

But pray, Sir, con

your own fake, take confideration; and I'm fure," fays he,

,, that your own good fenfe will bid you return home."

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"How often shall I tell thee," answered Jones that I have no home to return to? Had I any hopes that Mr. Allworthy's doors would be open to receive me, I want no distress to urge me. Nay, there is no other cause earth, which upon ,, would detain me a moment from flying to his prefence; but, alas! that I am for ever banished from. His laft words were, -O Partridge, they ftill ring in my ears His laft words were, when he gave me a fum of money, what it was I know ,, not, but confiderable I'm fure it was-His laft words were "I am refolved from this day forward, on no account, to converse with you any more.

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Here paffion ftopt the mouth of Jones, as furprise, for a moment, did that of Partridge: but he foon recovered the use of speech, and after a fhort preface, in which he declared he had no inquifitiveness in his temper, inquired, what

Jones

Jones meant by a confiderable fum; he knew not how much; and what was become of the money?

In both these points he now received full fatisfaction; on which he was proceeding to comment, when he was interrupted by a meffage from Mr. Nightingale, who defired his Mafter's company in his apartment.

When the two gentlemen were both attired for the masquerade, and Mr. Nightingale had given orders for chairs to be fent for, a circumstance of diftrefs occurred to Jones, which will appear very ridiculous to many of my Readers. This was how to procure a fhilling; but if fuch Readers will reflect a little on what they have themselves felt from the want of a thousand pound, or, perhaps, of ten or twenty, to execute a favorite fcheme, they will have a perfect idea of what Mr. Jones felt on this occafion. For this fum, therefore, he applied to Partridge, which was the firft he had permitted him to advance, and was the last he intended that poor fellow fhould advance in his fervice. To fay the truth, Partridge had lately made no offer of this kind; whether it was that he defired to fee the bank-bill broke in upon, or that diftrefs fhould prevail on Jones to return home, or from what other motive it proceeded, I will not determine.

VOL. III.

T

CHAP. V I I.

Containing the whole Humors of a Masquerade.

OUR Cavaliers now arrived at that temple,

where Heydegger, the great Arbiter Deliciarum, the great high priest of pleasure prefides; and, like other heathen priests, imposes on his votaries by the pretended prefence of the Deity, when in reality no fuch Deity is there.

Mr. Nightingale having taken a turn or two with his companion, foon left him, and walked off with a female, faying, "Now you are here, ,, Sir, you must beat about for your own game.

Jones began to entertain ftrong hopes that his Sophia was prefent; and thefe hopes gave him more fpirits than the lights, the mufic, and the company; though these are pretty strong antidotes against the spleen. He now accosted every woman he faw, whofe ftature, fhape or air, bore any resemblance to his angel. To all of whom he endeavoured to fay fomething fmart, in order to engage an answer, by which he might difcover that voice which he thought it impoffible he should mistake. Some of thefe anfwered by a queftion, in a fqueaking voice, "Do you know me?" Much the greater number said, “I don't know you, Sir;' and nothing more. Some called him an impertinent fellow; fome made him no anfwer at all; fome said,

Indeed I don't know your voice, and I fhall have