more concerned at any thing in my life; but, if the fact ' be true, I am convinced the man, whoever he is, was ' in fault. Heaven knows there are many villains in this town, who make it their bufinefs to provoke young 'gentlemen. Nothing but the greatest provocation could ' have tempted him; for of all the gentlemen I ever had in my house, I never faw one fo gentle, or fo fweet tempered. He was beloved by every one in the house, and every one who came near it.'

While fhe ws thus running on, a violent knocking at the door interrupted the converfation, and prevented her from proceeding further, or from receiving any answer; for as the concluded this was a vifiter to Mr Allworthy, she hastily retired, taking with her her little girl, whofe eyes were all over blubbered at the melancholy news she heard of Jones, who used to call her his little wife, and not only gave her many play-things, but spent whole hours in playing with her himself.

Some readers may, perhaps, be pleased with these minute circumstances, in relating of which we follow the example of Plutarch, one of the best of our brother hiftorians; and others to whom they may appear trivial, wil, we hope, at leaft'pardon them, as we are never prolix on fuch occafions.

CHAP. III.

The arrival of Mr Western, with fome matters concerning the paternal authority.

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RS Miller had not long left the room, when Mr Western entered; but not before a small wrangling bout had paffed between him and his chairmen; for the fellows, who had taken up their burden at the Hercules Pillars, had conceived no hopes of having any future good customer in the fquire; and they were, moreover, farther encouraged by his generofity, (for he had given them, of his own accord, fixpence more than their fare); they therefore very boldly demanded another fhilling, which fo provoked the fquire, that he not only beftowed many hearty curfes on them at the door, but retained his anger after he came into the room; swearing that all the Londoners were like the court, and

thought of nothing but plundering country gentlemen. D-n me,' fays he, if I won't walk in the rain rather than get into one of their hand-barrows again. They have jolted me more in a mile, than Brown Befs would in a long fox chace.'

When his wrath on this occafion was a little appeafed, he refumed the fame paffionate tone on another. There,' fays he, there is fine bufinefs forwards now. The hounds have changed at laft, and when we imagi⚫ned we had a fox to deal with, od-rat-it, it turns out to be a badger at last.'

Pray, my good neighbour,' faid Allworthy, drop your metaphors, and fpeak a little plainer ‹ Why, then,' fays the fquire, to tell you plainly, we have been all this time afraid of a fon of whore of a baftard of somebody's, I don't know who's, not I ;and now here is a confounded fon of a whore of a lord, who may be a baftard too for what I know or cafe, for he fhall never have a daughter of mine by my confent. They have beggared the nation, but they fhall never beggar me. My land fhall never be fent over to

Hanover.'

You surprise me much, my good friend,' faid Allworthy. Why, zounds! I am surprised myself,' anfwered the fquire, I went to zee fifter Western laft night, according to her own appointment, and there I was had into a whole room-full of women.-There " was my Lady cousin Bellafton, and my Lady Betty, and my Lady Catharine, and my Lady I don't know who; 'd-n me if ever you catch me among fuch a kennel of hoop-petticoat bs. D-n me, I'd rather be run by my own dogs, as one A&ton was, that the ftorybook fays was turned into a hare, and his own dogs killed un, and eat un. Od-rabbet-it, no mortal was • ever run in fuch a manner; if I dodged one way, one had me, if I offered to clap back, another fnapped me. O certainly one of the greateft matches in England, fays one coufin, (here he attempted to mimic them); A very advantageous offer indeed, cries another confin, (for you must know they be all my coufins, thof I never zeed half o'um before). Surely,' fays that fat

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a-se b, my Lady Bellafton, "coufin, you must be "out of your wits to think of refufing fuch an offer."

Now I begin to underftand,' fays Allworthy: fome perfon hath made propofals to Mifs Weftern, which the ladies of the family approve, but is not to your liking.'

My liking! faid Weftern, how the devil should it? I tell you it is a lord, and those are always volks whom " you know I always refolved to have nothing to do with. • Did unt I refuse a matter of vorty years purchase now for a bit of land, which one o'um had a mind to put into a park, only because I would have no dealings with lords, and doft think I would marry my daughter zu? Befides, • ben't I engaged to you, and did I ever go off any bargain when I had promised?'

As to that point, neighbour,' faid Allworthy, I entirely releafe you from any engagement. No contract can be binding between parties who have not a full power to make it at the time, nor ever afterwards acquire the power of fulfilling it.'

Slud! then,' anfwered Weftern. I tell you I have

power, and I will fulfil it. Come along with me directly to Doctors Commons, I will get a licence: and '.I will go to fifter, and take away the wench by force, and fhe fhall ha un, or I will lock her up, and keep her upon bread and water as long as fhe lives.'

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Mr Weftern,' faid Allworthy, fhall I beg you will hear my full fentiments on this matter? Hear thee! ay, to be fure, I will,' anfwered he. Why then, Sir,' cries Allworthy, I can truly fay, without a compliment either to you or the young lady, that when this match was propofed, I embraced it very readily and heartily, from my regard to you both. An alliance between two families fo nearly neighbours, and between whom there had always exifted fo mutual an intercourfe and good harmony, I thought a molt defireable event; and with regard to the young lady, not only the concur rent opinion of all who knew her, but my own observation, affured me, that fhe would be an ineftimable treasure to a good hufband. I fhall fay nothing of her perfonal qualifications, which certainly are admirable; her good-nature, her charitable difpofition, her moj

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defty, are to well known to need any panegyric: but the hath one quality which exhifted in a high degree in that beft of women, who is now one of the firft of angels, which, as it is not of a glaring kind, more commonly efcapes obfervation; fo little indeed is it remarked, that I want a word to exprefs it. I must use negatives on this occafion. I never heard any thing of pertness, or what is called repartee, out of her mouth, no pretence to wit, much lefs to that kind of wisdom, which is the refult only of great learning and experience; the affectation of which, in a young wo• man is as abfurd as any of the affectations of an ape. No dictatorical fentiments, no judicial opinions, no profound criticisms. Whenever I have feen her in the S company of men, the hath been all attention, with the modefty of a learner, not the forwardness of a teacher. You'll pardon me for it, but I once, to try her only, defired her opinion on a point which was controverted between Mr Twackum and Mr Square. To which fhe anfwered with much fweetnefs, You will pardon me, good Mr Allworthy; I am fure you cannot in "carneft think me capable of deciding any point in "which two fuch gentlemen difagree.' Twackum and Square, who both alike thought themfelves fure of a • favourable decifion, feconded my requeft. She anfwered with the fame good humour, I muft abfolutely be "excused; for I will affront neither fo much, as to give my judgment on his fide.' Indeed, fhe always fhewed the higheft deference to the understandings of men; a quality abfolutely effential to the making a good wife. I fhall only add, that as fhe is moft apparently void of • all affectation, this deference muft be certainly real.'

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Here Blifil fighed bitterly: upon which Weftern, whofe eyes were full of tears at the praife of Sopia, blubbered out, Don't be chicken-hearted, for fhat ha • her; d—n me, fhat ha her, if he was twenty times as ' good.'

Remember your promife, Sir,' cried Allworthy, I was not to be interrupted.'Well, fhat unt,' anfwered the fquire, I wont fpeak another word.'

Now, my good friend,' continued Allworthy, I have dwelt fo long on the merit of this young lady,

partly as I really am in love with her character, and partly that fortune (for the match in that light is really advantageous on my nephew's fide) might not be imagined to be my principal view in having fo eagerly embraced the propofal. Indeed I heartily wifhed to re'ceive fo great a jewel into my family; but though I may wifh for many good things, I woul not therefore steal them, or be guilty of any violence or injuftice to poffefs " myself of them. Now to force a woman into a marriage contrary to her confent or approbation, is an act of fuch injuftice or oppreffion, that I wish the laws of our country could reftrain it; but a good confcience is never lawlefs in the worst regulated ftate, and will provide thofe laws for itfelf, which the neglect of legiflators hath forgotten to fupply. This is furely a case of that kind: for it is cruel, nay, impious, to force a woman into that ftate againft her will, for her beha'viour in which fhe is to be accountable to the highest and moft dreadful court of judicature, and to answer at the peril of her foul? To discharge the matrimonial duties in an adequate manner is no eafy tafk; and shall we lay this burden upon a woman, while we at the fame time deprive her of all that affiftance which may enable her to undergo it? Shall we tear her very heart from her, while we injoin her duties to which a whole heart is fearce equal? I muft fpeak very plainly here; I think parents who act in this manner are acceffaries to all the guilt which their children afterwards incur, and of courfe muft, before a juft judge, expect to partake of their punishment; but if they could avoid this, good Heaven! is there a foul who can bear the thought of having contributed to the damnation of his child?

For thefe reafons, my best neighbour, as I fee the inclinations of this young lady are molt unhappily averfe to my nephew, I mult decline any further thoughts of the honour you intended him, though I affure you I fhall always retain the molt grateful fense of it?'

Well, Sir,' faid Weltern, (the froth burfting forth from his lips the moment they were uncorked), 'you cannot fay but I have heard you out, and now I expect you'll hear me'; and if I don't anfwer every word on't, why then I'll confent to gee the matter up. First, VOL. III.

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