fcripture are, when compared to the weighty matters of the law.

I am, SIR,

Your faithful humble fervant,

ROGER THWACKUM.

This was the first time Thwackum ever wrote in this authoritative ftyle to Mr Allworthy, and of this he had afterwards fufficient reason to repent, as in the cafe of those who mistake the highest degree of goodness for the loweft degree of weaknefs. Allworthy had indeed never liked this man. He knew him to be proud and ill-natured; he also knew that his divinity itself was tinctured with his temper, and fuch as in many respects he himself did by no means approve: but he was at the fame time an excellent fcholar, and moft indefatigable in teaching the two lads. Add to this, the ftrict severity of his life and manners, an unimpeached honefty, and moft devout attachment to religion. So that, upon the whole, though Allworthy did not efteem nor love the man, yet he could never bring himself to part with a tutor to the boys, who was, both by learning and induftry, extremely well qualified for his office; and he hoped, that as they were bred up in his own houfe, and under his own eye, he should be able to correct whatever was wrong in Thwackum's inftructions.

CHA P. V.

In which the history is continued.

R Allworthy, in his laft fpeech, had recollected fome

Mtender ideas concerning Jones, which had brought

tears into the good man's eyes. This Mrs Miller obierving, faid, 'Yes, yes, Sir, your goodness to this poor young man is known, notwithstanding all your care to conceal it; but there is not a fingle fyllable of truth in what thofe villains faid. Mr Nightingale hath now difcovered the whole matter. It feems these fellows were employed by a lord, who is a rival of Jones, to have preffed him on board a fhip.I affure them I don't know who they will prefs next. Mr Nightingale here hath feen the officer himself, who is

poor

Mr

a very pretty gentleman, and hath told him all, and is very forry for what he undertook, which he would never have done, had he known Mr Jones to have been a gentleman; but he was told that he was a common ftrolling vagabond.'

Allworthy ftared at all this, and declared he was a ftranger to every word she said. 'Yes, Sir,' answered she, I believe you are.— -It is a very different ftory, I believe, from what thofe fellows told the lawyer.'

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• What lawyer, Madam ? what is it you mean?' faid Allworthy. 6 Nay, nay,' faid fhe, this is fo like you to deny your own goodnefs; but Mr Nightingale here faw • him.' Saw whom, Madam? anfwered be. ‹ Why, your lawyer, Sir,' said she, that you fo kindly fent to inquire into the affair.' I am ftill in the dark, upon my honour,' faid Allworthy. Why, then, do you tell him, my dear Sir,' cried fhe. • Indeed, Sir,' faid Ninghtingale, I did fee that very lawyer, who went from you when I came into the room, at an alehouse in Alderfgate, in company with two of the fellows who were employed by Lord Fellamar to prefs Mr Jones, and who were by that means prefent at the unhappy rencounter between him and Mr Fitzpatrick.' I own, Sir,' faid Mrs Miller, when I faw this gentleman come into the room to you, I told Mr Nightingale that I apprehended you had fent him thither to inquire into the affair.' Allworthy fhewed marks of aftonishment in his countenance at this news, and was indeed for two or three minutes ftruck dumb by it. At laft, addreffing himfelf to Mr Nightingale, he faid, I muft confefs myself, Sir,' more furprifed at what you tell me, than I have ebeen before at any thing in my whole life. Are you certain this was the gentleman ? I am most certain,' anfwered Nightingale, At Alderfgate? cries Allworthy. And was you in company with this lawyer and the two fellows? I was, Sir,' faid the other, very near half an hour.'. Well, Sir,' faid Allworthy, and in what manner did the lawyer behave? did

ver

you hear all that paffed between him and the fellows?' No, Sir,' answered Nightingale, they had been toge ther before I came.-- In my prefence the lawyer faid little; but after I had feveral times examined the fel

lows, who perfifted in a story directly contrary to what I heard from Mr Jones, and which I find by Mr Fitzpa'trick was a rank falsehood: the lawyer then defired the fellows to fay nothing but what was the truth, and feemed to speak fo much in favour of Mr Jones, that when I faw the fame person with you, I concluded your goodness had prompted you to fend him thither. And did you not fend him thither? fays Mrs Miller. Indeed I did not,' answered Allworthy; ' nor did I know he had gone on fuch an errand till this moment.'-' I fee ' it all!' faid Mrs Miller, upon my foul, I fee it all! No wonder they have been clofeted fo close lately. Son Nightingale, let me beg you run for thefe fellows immediately-find them out if they are above ground. will go myself. Dear Madam,' faid Allworthy, be patient, and do me the favour to fend a fervant up ftairs to call Mr Dowling hither, if he be in the house, or, if not, Mr Blifil.' Mrs Miller went out muttering fomething to herself, and prefently returned with an answer, That Mr Dowling was gone; but that the t'other, as the called him, was coming.

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Allworthy was of a cooler difpofition than the good woman whofe fpirits were all up in arms in the caufe of her friend. He was not, however, without fome fufpicions which were near a-kin to hers. When Blifil came into the room, he asked him with a very ferious countenance, and with a less friendly look than he had ever before given him, Whether he knew any thing of Mr Dowling's having feen any of the perfons who were present at the duel between Jones and another gentleman.

There is nothing fo dangerous as a queftion which comes by furprife on a man whofe bufinefs it is to conceal truth, or to defend falfehood. For which reason those worthy perfonages, whofe noble office it is to fave the lives of their fellow-creatures at the Old-bailey, take the utmoft care, by frequent previous examination, to divine every queftion which may be asked their clients on the day of trial, that they may be fupplied with proper and ready anfwers, which the most fertile invention cannot fupply in an inftant. Befides, the fudden and violent impuife on the blood, occafioned by these furprifes, caufes frequently fuch an alteration in the countenance, that the VOL. III.

Y

man obliged to give evidence against himself. And fuch indeed were the alterations which the countenance of Blifil · underwent from this fudden queftion, that we can scarce blame the eagernefs of Mrs Miller, who immediately cried out, Guilty, upon my honour! guilty, upon my foul!' Mr Ailworthy fharply rebuked her for this impetuofity; and then turning to Blifil, who feemed finking into the earth, he faid, Why do you hefitate, Sir, at giving me an anfwer? You certainly must have employed him; for he would not, of his own accord, I believe, have undertaken fuch an errand, and efpecially without acquainting

' me.'

Blifil then anfwered, I own, Sir,. I have been guilty of an offence, yet I may hope your pardon? My pardon!' faid Allworthy very angrily. Nay, Sir,' anfwered Blifil, I knew you would be offended; yet furely my dear uncle will forgive the effects of the most amiable of human weakneffes. Compaffion for thofe who do not deferve it, I own, is a crime; and yet it is a crime from which you yourself are not entirely free. I know I have been guilty of it in more than one inftance to this very perion; and I will own I did fend Mr Dowling, not on a vain and fruitless inquiry, but to difcover the witneffes, and to endeavour to foften their evidence. This, Sir, is the truth; which though I intended to conceal from you, I will not deny.'

1 confefs,' faid Nightingale, this is the light in which it appeared to me from the gentleman's behavi

⚫ our.'

Now, Madam,' faid Allworthy, I believe you will, · once in your life, own you have entertained a wrong fufpicion, and are not fo angry with my nephew as you

was.'

Mrs Miller was filent; for though he could not fo haftily be pleafed with Blifil, whom he looked upon to have been the ruin of Jones, yet, in this particular inflance, he had impofed upon her as well as upon the reft; fo entirely had the devil ftood his friend. And indeed, I look upon the vulgar obfervation, "That the devil of"ten deferts his friends, and leaves them in the lurch," to be a great abufe on that gentleman's character. Perhaps he may fometimes defert thofe who are only his cup

acquaintance, or who, at most, are but half his; but he generally ftands by those who are thoroughly his fervants, and helps them off in all extremities, till their bargain expires.

As a conquered rebellion ftrengthens a government, or as health is more perfectly established by recovery from fome difeafes; fo anger, when removed, often gives new life to affection. This was the cafe of Mr Allworthy; for Blifil having wiped off the greater fufpicion, the leffer, which had been raifed by Square's letter, funk of course, and was forgotten; and Thwackum, with whom he was greatly offended, bore alone all the reflections which Square had caft on the enemies of Jones.

As for that young man, the refentment of Mr Allworthy began more and more to abate towards him. He told Blifil, he did not only forgive the extraordinary efforts of his good-nature, but would give him the pleafure of following his example. Then turning to Mrs Miller, with a smile which would have become an angel, he cried, • What fay you, Madam; shall we take a hackney-coach, and all of us together pay a vifit to your friend? I promife you it is not the firft vifit I have made in a prifon.'

Every reader, I believe, will be able to anfwer for the worthy woman: but they must have a great deal of good nature, and be well acquainted with friendship, who can feel what fhe felt on this occafion. Few, I hope, are capable of feeling what now paffed in the mind of Blifi!; but thofe who are, will acknowledge, that it was impollible for him to raife any objection to this vifit. Fortune, however, or the gentleman lately mentioned above, stood his friend, and prevented his undergoing fo great a fhock ; for at the very instant when the coach was fent for, Partridge arrived, and having called Mrs Miller from the company, acquainted her with the dreadful accident lately come to light; and hearing Mr Allworthy's intention, begged her to find fome means of ftopping him; For,' fays he, the matter muft at all hazards be kept a fecret from him; and if he fhould now go, he will find Mr Jones and his mother, who arrived jult as I left him, lamenting over one another the horrid crime they have ignorantly committed.'

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