6

.

prevailed upon to facrifice a fimple inclination to the addreffes of a fine gentleman, who brings her both a tittle and a large eftate: for, indeed,' added the,. I must do Sophy the juftice to confefs, this Blifil is but a hideous kind of fellow, as you know, Bellafton, all country. gentlemen are, and hath nothing but his fortune to recommend him.'

Nay,' faid Lady Bellafton, I don't then fo much wonder at my coufin; for I promise you, this Jones is a very agreeable fellow, and hath one virtue which the men fay is a great recommendation to us. What do you think, Mrs Western- -I fhall certainly make you laugh; nay, I can hardly tell you myself for laughing · -Will you believe me the fellow hath had the affurance to make love to me? But if you fhould be inclined to difbelieve it, here is evidence enough, his own hand-writing, I affure you.' She then delivered her coufin the letter with the propofals of marriage, which, if the reader hath a defire to fee, he will find already on record in the fifteenth book of this hiftory.

*

Upon my word, I am aftonished,' faid Mrs Western, this is indeed a mafter-piece of affurance. With your leave, I may poffibly make fome ufe of this letter." You have my full liberty,' cries Lady Bellafton, to apply it to what purpofe you pleafe. However, I would not have it fhewn to any but Mifs Western, nor to her, unlefs you find occation.' · Well, and how did you ufe the fellow returned Mrs Western. • Not as a husband,' faid the lady; I am not married, I promife you, my dear. You know, Mrs Weftern, I have tried the comforts once already; and once I think is enough for any reasonable woman.'

This letter Lady Bellafton thought would certainly turn the balance againft Jones in the mind of Sophia, and the was emboldened to give it up, partly by her hopes of having him inftantly difpatched out of the way, and partly by having fecured the evidence of Honour, who, upon founding her, fhe faw fufficient reafon to imagine, was prepared to teftify whatever the pleased.

But perhaps the reader may wonder why Lady Bellafton, who in her heart hated Sophia, fhould be fo defirous of promoting a match which was fo much to the

intereft of the young lady. Now, I would defire fuch readers to look carefully into human nature, page almoft the laft, and there he will find, in fcarce legible characters, that women, notwithstanding the prepofterous behaviour of mothers, aunts, &c. in matrimonial matters, do, in reality, think it fo great a misfortune to have their inclinations in love thwarted, that they imagine they ought never to carry enmity higher than upon these disappoint. ments; again, he will find it written much about the fame place, that a woman who hath once been pleased with the poffeffion of a man, will go above half way to the devil to prevent any other woman from enjoying the fame.

If he will not be contented with thefe reafons, I freely confefs I fee no other motive to the actions of that lady, unless we will conceive fhe was bribed by Lord Fellamar, which, for my own part, I fee no caufe to fufpect.

Now this was the affair which Mrs Weftern was preparing to introduce to Sophia, by fome prefatory difcourfe on the folly of love, and on the wifdom of legal proftitution for hire, when her brother and Blifil broke abruptly in upon her; and hence arofe all that coldness in her behaviour to Blifil, which, though the fquire, as was ufual with him, imputed to a wrong caufe, infufed into Blifil himself (he being a much more cunning man) fufpicion of the real truth.

CHA P. IX.

In which Jones pays a vifit to Mrs Fitzpatrick.

HE reader may now perhaps be pleafed to return with us to Mr Jones, who, at the appointed hour, attended on Mrs Fitzpatrick; but before we relate the converfation which now paffed, it may be proper, according to our method, to return a little back, and to account for fo great an alteration of behaviour in this lady, that from changing her lodging principally to avoid Mr Jones, he had now industriously, as hath been seen, fought this interview.

And here we shall need only to refort to what happened the preceding day, when hearing from Lady Bellaflon, that Mr Western was arrived in town, fhe went to

pay her duty to him, at his lodgings at Piccadilly, where the was received with many fcurvy compellations too coarfe to be repeated, and was even threatened to be kicked out of doors. From hence an old fervant of her aunt Western, with whom she was well acquainted, con. ducted her to the lodgings of that lady, who treated her not more kindly, but more politely; or, to fay the truth, with rudeness in another way. In fhort, fhe returned from both, plainly convinced not only that her scheme of reconciliation had proved abortive, but that she must for ever give over all thoughts of bringing it about by any means whatever. From this moment, defire of revenge only filled her mind; and in this temper meeting Jones at the play, an opportunity feemed to her to occur of effecting this purpose.

The reader muft remember, that he was acquainted by Mrs Fitzpatrick, in the account fhe gave of her own itory, with the fondness Mrs Weftern had formerly fhewn for Mrs Fitzpatrick at Bath, from the difappointment of which Mrs Fitzpatrick derived the great bitterness her aunt had expreffed toward her. She had therefore no doubt, but that the good lady would as eafily liften to the addreffes of Mr Jones, as the had before done to the other; for the fuperiority of charms was clearly on the fide of Mr Jones; and the advance which her aunt had fince made in age, fhe concluded, (how juftly I will not fay), was an argument rather in favour of her project than against it.

Therefore, when Jones attended, after a previous declaration of her defire of ferving him, arifing, as the faid, from a firm affurance how much the fhould, by fo doing, oblige Sophia; and, after fome excufes for her former difappointment, and after acquainting Mr Jones in whofe cuftody his mistress was, of which the thought him ignorant, fhe very explicitely mentioned her scheme to him, and advised him to make sham addreffes to the older lady, in order to procure an easy access to the younger, informing him at the fame time of the fuccefs which Mr Fitzpatrick had formerly owed to the very fame ftratagem.

Mr Jones expreffed great gratitude to the lady for the kind intentions towards him which he had expreffed,

and indeed teftified by this propofal; but befides intimating fome diffidence of fuccefs, from the lady's knowledge of his love to her niece, which had not been her cafe in regard to Mr Fitzpatrick, he faid he was afraid Mifs Western would never agree to an impofition of this kind, as well from her utter deteftation of all fallacy, as from her avowed duty to her aunt.

Mrs Fitzpatrick was a little nettled at this; and, indeed, if it may not be called a lapfe of the tongue, it was a fmall deviation from politenefs in Jones, and into which he scarce would have fallen, had not the delight he felt in praifing Sophia, hurried him out of all reflection; for this commendation of one coufin, was more than a tacit rebuke on the other.

4

Indeed, Sir,' answered the lady, with fome warmth, I cannot think there is any thing eafier than to cheat an old woman with a profeffion of love, when her com⚫ plexion is amorous; and though fhe is my aunt, I muft fay there never was a more liquorish one than her ladyfhip. Can't you pretend that the despair of poffeffing her niece, from her being promised to Blifil, has made you turn your thoughts towards her? As to my coufin Sophia, I can't imagine her to be fuch a fimpleton as to have the leaft fcruple on fuch an account, or to conceive any harm in punishing one of thefe haggs for the many mifchiefs they bring upon families, by their tragi-comic paffions; for which I think it is pity they are not punishable by law. I had no fuch fcruple myfelf; and yet I hope my coufin Sophia will not think it an affront, when I fay fhe cannot deteft every real fpecies of falfehood more than her coufin Fitzpatrick. To my aunt indeed I pretend no duty, nor doth fhe deferve any. However, Sir, I have given you my advice, and if you decline purfuing it, I fhall have the lefs opinion of your underftanding-that's all.'

Jones now clearly faw the error he had committed, and exerted his utmost power to rectify it; but he only faultered and ftuttered into nonsense and contradiction. To fay the truth, it is often fafer to abide by the confequences of the first blunder, than to endeavour to rectify it; for by fuch endeavours we generally plunge ourfely deeper instead of extricating ourfelves; and few

per

fens will, on fuch occafions, have the good nature which Mr3 Fitzpatrick difplayed to Jones, by faying with a fmile, You need attempt no more excufes; for I can easily forgive a real lover, whatever is the effect of fondness for his miftrefs.'

She then renewed her propofal, and very fervently recommended it, omitting no argument which her inven tion could fuggeft on the fubject; for fhe was fo violently incenfed against her aunt, that fcarce any thing was capable of affording her equal pleasure with expofing her; and, like a true woman, fhe would fee no difficulties in the execution of a favourite scheme.

Jones, however, perfifted in declining the undertaking, which had not indeed the leaft probability of fuccefs. He eafily perceived the motives which induced Mrs Fitzpatrick to be fo eager in preffing her advice, He faid, he would not deny the tender and paffionate regard he had for Sophia; but was fo confcious of the inequality of their fituations, that he could never flatter himself so far as to hope that fo divine a young lady would condefcend to think on fo unworthy a man; nay, he protested he could fcarce bring himself to wifh fhe fhould. He concluded with a profeffion of generous fentiments, which we have not at prefent leifure to infert.

There are fome fine women (for I dare not here speak in too general terms) with whom felf is fo predominant, that they never detach it from any fubject; and as vanity is with them a ruling principle, they are apt to lay hold of whatever praife they meet with; and, though the property of others, convey it to their own ufe. In the company of thefe ladies it is impoffible to say any thing handfome of another woman, which they will not apply to themselves; nay, they often improve the praise they feize; as, for inftance, if her beauty, her wit, her gentility, her good-humour, deferve fo much commendation, what do I deferve who poffefs thofe qualities in fo much more eminent a degree?

To thefe ladies a man often recommends himfelf while he is commending another woman; and while he is expreffing ardour and generous fentiments for his mistress, hey are confidering what a charming lover this man Kuld make to them, who can feel all this tenderness for