6

which other people are bleffed; there must be certainly some sense which can relish the delights of found and show, which I have not; for furely mankind would not labour fo much, nor facrifice fo much for the obtaining, nor would they be fo elate and proud with poffeffing, what appeared to them, as it doth to me, the moft infignificant of all trifles.'

"

" No, no, mifs,' cries the aunt; you are born with as many fenfes as other people; but I affure you, you are not born with a fufficient understanding to make a fool of me, or to expofe my conduct to the world. So I declare this to you upon my word, and you know, I believe, how fixed my refolutions are, unless you agree to fee his Lordship this afternoon, I will, with my own hands, deliver you to-morrow morning to my 'brother, and will never henceforth interfere with you, " nor fee your face again.' Sophia stood a few moments filent after this fpeech, which was uttered in a most angry and peremptory tone; and then bursting into tears, the cried, Do with me, Madam, whatever you please ; I am the moft miferable, undone wretch upon earth; if my dear aunt forfakes me, where fhall I look for a protector? My dear niece,' cries fhe, you will have a very good protector in his Lordfhip; a protector, whom nothing but a hankering after that vile fellow Jones can make you decline. Indeed, Madam,' faid Sophia, you wrong me. How can you imagine, after what you have fhewn me, if I had ever any fuch thoughts, that I should not banish them for ever. it will fatisfy you, I will receive the facrament upon it, never to fee his face again.' But, child, dear 'child,' faid the aunt, be reasonable: can you invent a fingle objection? I have already, I think, told you a fufficient objection,' answered Sophia.- What?' cries the aunt ; I remember none.' Sure, Madam,' faid Sophia, I told you he had used me in the rudeft and vile manner.' Indeed, child,' anfwered fhe, I never heard you, or did not understand you : -But what do you mean by this rude and vile manner?" Indeed, Madam,' faid Sophia, I am almoft afhamed <to tell you. He caught me in his arms, pulled me down upon the fettee, and thruft his hand into my bo

If

fom, and kiffed it with fuch violence, that I have the 'mark upon my left breaft at this moment.'-' Indeed !” faid Mrs Western. Yes indeed Madam,' anfwered Sopia; my father luckily came in at that instant, or, Heaven knows what rudeness he intended to have proceeded to. I am aftonished and confounded,' cries the aunt. No woman of the name of Western hath been ever treated fo, fince we were a family. I would have torn the eyes of a prince out, if he had attempted fuch freedoms with me. It is impoffible: fure, Sophia, you must invent this to raife my indignation againft him.' I hope, Madam,' faid Sophia, you have too good an opinion of me, to imagine me capable of telling an untruth. Upon my foul it is true.1 I fhould have ftabbed him to the heart, had I been prefent,' returned the aunt. Yet furely he could have no difhonourable defign: it is impoffible; he durft not : befides, his propofals fhew he bad not; for they are not only honourable but generous.

age allows too great freodoms.

I don't know; the A diftant falute is

all I would have allowed before the ceremony. I have had lovers formerly, not fo long ago neither; feveral lovers, though I never would confent to marriage, and I never encouraged the leaft freedom. It is a foolish cuftom, and what I never would agree to. No man kiffed more of me than my cheek. It is as much as one can bring one's felf to give lips up to a husband; and, indeed, could I ever have been perfuaded to marry, I believe, I fhould not have foon been brought to endure fo much." You will pardon me, dear Madam,' faid Sophia, if I make one obfervation: you own you have had many lovers, and the world knows it, even if you should deny it. You refufed them all, and, I am convinced, one coronet at least among them.' You say true, dear Sophy,' answered she; I had once the offer of a title.' Why then,' faid Sophia, you not fuffer me to refufe this once?" It is true, child,' faid fhe, I have refused the offer of a title: but it was not fo good an offer; that is, not fo very, very good an offer. Yes, Madam,' faid Sophia;

• will

• but you have had very great propofals from men of vast fortunes. It was not the firft, nor the fecond, nor

third advantageous match that offered itself.'

• 1 own

it was not,' faid fhe. Well, Madam,' continued Sophia, and why may not I expect to have a fecond perhaps better than this? You are now but a young woman, and I am convinced would not promife to yield to the first lover of fortune, nay, or of title too.

I

am a very young woman, and fure I need not defpair." Well, my dear, dear Sophy,' cries the aunt, what would you have me fay? Why, I only beg that I may not be left alone, at least this evening grant me that, and I will fubmit, if you think, after what is paft, I ought to fee him in your company. Well, I Ι will grant it,' cries the aunt. Sophy, you know I' love you, and can deny you nothing. You know the eafinefs of my nature; I have not always been so easy. I have been formerly thought cruel; by the men, I mean. I was called the cruel Partheniffa. I have broken many a window that has had verfes to the cruel Partheniffa in it. Sophy, I was never fo handsome as you, and yet I had fomething of you formerly. I am little altered. Kingdoms and ftates, as Tully Cicero fays in his epiftles, undergo alterations, and fo muft the human form.' Thus run fhe on for near half an hour upon herself, and her conquefts, and her cruelty, till the arrival of my Lord, who, after a moft tedious vifit, during which Mrs Western never once offered to leave the room, retired, not much more fatisfied with the aunt than with the niece. For Sophia had brought her aunt into fo excellent a temper, that fhe confented to almost every thing her niece faid; and agreed that a little distant behaviour might not be improper to fo forward a lover.

a

Thus Sophia, by a little well-directed flattery, for which furely none will blame her, obtained a little cafe for herself, and, at least, put off the evil day. And now we have feen our heroine in a better fituation than fhe hath been for a long time before, we look a little after Mr Jones, whom we left in the most deplorable fituation that can well be imagined.

CHA P. V.

Mrs Miller and Mr Nightingale vifit Fones in the prifon.

W

HEN Mr Allworthy and his nephew went to meet Mr Western, Mrs Miller fet forwards to her fonin-law's lodgings, in order to acquaint him with the accident which had befallen his friend Jones; but he had known it long before from Partridge, (for Jones, when he left Mrs Miller, had been furnished with a room in the fame houfe with Mr Nightingale). The good woman found her daughter under great affliction on account of Mr Jones, whom having comforted as well as fhe could, fhe fet forwards to the Gate-house, where she heard he was, and where Mr Nightingale was arrived before her.

The firmnefs and conftancy of a true friend is a circumftance fo extremely delightful to perfons in any kind of diftrefs, that the diftrefs itfelf, if it be only temporary, and admits of relief, is more than compenfated by bringing this comfort with it. Nor are inftances of this kind fo rare, as fome fuperficial and inaccurate obfervers have reported. To fay the truth, want of compaffion is not to be numbered among our general faults. The black ingredient which fouls our difpofition, is envy. Hence our eye is feldom, I am afraid, turned upwards to those who are manifeftly greater, better, wifer, or happier than ourselves, without fome degree of malignity; while we commonly look downwards on the mean and miferable, with fufficient benevolence and pity. In fact, I have remarked, that most of the defects which have discovered themselves in the friendships, within my obfervation, have arisen from envy only; a hellish vice and yet onefrom which I have known very few abfolutely exempt. But enough of a subject which, if purfued, would lead me too far.

Whether it was that Fortune was apprehenfive left Jones fhould fink under the weight of his adverfity, and that he might thus lofe any future opportunity of tormenting him; or whether the really abated fomewhat of her feverity towards him, fhe feemed a little to relax her perfecution, by fending him the company of two fuch

faithful friends, and what is perhaps more rare, a faithful fervant. For Partridge, though he had many imperfections, wanted not fidelity; and though fear would not fuffer him to be hanged for his mafter, yet the world, I believe, could not have bribed him to desert his cause.

While Jones was expreffing great fatisfaction in the prefence of his friends, Partridge brought an account, that Mr Fitzpatrick was ftill alive, though the furgeon declared that he had very little hopes. Upon which Jones fetching a deep figh, Nightingale faid to him, My dear Tom, why fhould you afflict yourself fo upon an accident, which, whatever be the confequence, can be • attended with no danger to you, and in which your con• science cannot accufe you of having been in the left to blame. If the fellow should die, what have you done more than taken away the life of a ruffian in your own defence? So will the coronet's inqueft certainly find it; • and then you will be eafily admitted to bail: and tho you must undergo the form of a trial, yet it is a trial which many men would ftand for for you a fhilling.' • Come, come, Mr Jones,' faid Mrs Miller, 'chear your• felf up. I knew you could not be the aggreffor, and fo I told Mr Allworthy, and fo he fhall acknowledge too

before I have done with him.'

Jones gravely anfwered, That whatever might be his fate, he should always lament the having fhed the blood of one of his fellow creatures, as one of the highest miffortunes which could have befallen him. But I have a

nother misfortune of the tendereft kind,—-O! Mrs Miller, I have loft what I held mot dear upon earth." That must be a mistress,' said Mrs Miller, " but come, 6 come; I know more than you imagine;' (for indeed Partridge had blabbed all); and I have heard more than you know. Matters go better, I promife you, than you think; and I would not give Blifil fixpence for all the chance which he hath of the lady.'

Indeed, my dear friend, indeed,' anfwered Jones, you are an entire ftranger to the caufe of my grief. If you was acquaz.ted with the ftory, you would allow cafe admitted of no comfort. I apprehend no dinger from Blifil. I have undone myself.' • Don't deIpair, replied Mrs Miller; you know not what a wo

my