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but few of your commands, Sir,' faid Nightingale, which I fhall not very chearfully obey.' Nay, Sir, I 'afk nothing,' faid the uncle, but the honour of your company home to my lodging, that I may reafon the cafe a little more fully with you: for I would, if poffible, have the fatisfaction of preferving my family, notwithstanding the headftrong folly of my brother, who, in his own opinion, is the wifeft man in the world.'

Nightingale, who well knew his uncle to be as headftrong as his father, fubmitted to attend him home, and then they both returned back into the room, where the old gentleman promifed to carry himself with the fame decorum which he had before maintained.

THE

CHA P. X.

A fhort chapter, which concludes the book.

HE long abfence of the uncle and nephew had occafioned fome difquiet in the minds of all whom they had left behind them; and the more, as during the preceding dialogue, the uncle had more than once elevated his voice, fo as to be heard down ftairs; which, though they could not diftinguish what he faid, had caufed fome evil foreboding in Nancy and her mother, and indeed even in Jones himself.

When the good company therefore again affembled, there was a vifible alteration in all their faces; and the good humour which at their last meeting univerfally fhone forth in every countenance, was now changed into a much less agreeable afpect. It was a change indeed common enough to the weather in this climate, from funshine to clouds, from June to December.

This alteration was not however greatly remarked by any prefent; for as they were all now endeavouring to conceal their own thoughts, and to act a part, they became all too bufily engaged in the fcene to be fpectators of it. Thus, neither the uncle nor nephew faw any fymptoms of fufpicion in the mother or daughter; nor did the mother or daughter remark the over-acted complaifance of the old man, nor the counterfeit fatisfaction which grinned in the features of the young one.

Something like this, I believe, frequently happens, where the whole attention of two friends being engaged in the part which each is to act, in order to impofe on the other, neither fees nor fufpects the art practifed against himself; and thus the thruft of both (to borrow no improper metaphor on the occafion) alike takes place.

From the fame reafon it is no unufual thing for both parties to be over-reached in a bargain, though the one must be always the greater lofer; as he was who fold a blind horfe, and received a bad note in payment.

Our company in about half an hour broke up, and the uncle carried off his nephew ; but not before the latter had affured Mifs Nancy, in a whisper, that he would attendher early in the morning, and fulfil all his engagements.

Jones, who was the leaft concerned in this scene, fawthe most. He did indeed fufpect the very fact; for befides obferving the great alteration in the behaviour of the uncle, the diftance he affumed, and his overftrained civility to Mifs Nancy; the carrying off a bridegroom from his bride at that time of night, was fo extraordinary a proceeding, that it could be accounted for only by ima-gining that young Nightingale had revealed the whole truth, which the apparent opennefs of his temper, and his being fluftered with liquor, made too probable.

While he was reasoning with himself, whether he should acquaint thefe poor people with his fufpicion, the maid of the house informed him, that a gentlewoman defired to fpeak to him. He went immediately out, and taking the candle from the maid, ushered his vifitant up ftairs, who,, in the perfon of Mrs Honour, acquainted him with fuch · dreadful news concerning his Sophia, that he immediately. loft all confideration for every other person and his whole flock of compaffion was entirely fwallowed up in reflections on his own mifery, and on that of his unfortunate angel.

What this dreadful matter was, the reader will be informed, after we have firft related the many preceding fleps which produced it, and thofe will be the fubject of the following book.

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T

CHA P. I

Too short to need a prefaces.

HERE are a fet of religious, or rather moral writers, who teach that virtue is the certain road to happiness, and vice to mifery, in this world. A very wholefome and comfortable doctrine, and to which we have but one objection, namely, that it is not true.

Indeed, if by virtue thefe writers mean the exercise of thofe cardinal virtues, which like good houfewives stay. at home, and mind only the business of their own family, I fhall very readily concede the point; for so surely do all these contribute and lead to happiness, that I could almost wish, in violation of all the ancient and modern fages, to call them rather by the name of wisdom, than by that of virtue: for, with regard to this life, no fyftem, I conceive, was ever wiser than that of the ancient Epicureans, who held this wifdom to constitute their chief good; nor foolisher than that of their oppofites, those modern epicures, who place all felicity in the abundant gratification of every sensual appetite.

But if by virtue is meant (as I almoft think it ought) a certain relative quality, which is always bufying itself without doors, and feems as much interested in purfuing the good of others as its own; I cannot fo cafily

agree that this is the fureft way to happiness; because I am afraid we muft then include poverty and contempt, with all the mischiefs which backbiting, envy, and ingratitude, can bring on mankind, in our idea of happinefs; nay, fometimes, perhaps, we fhall be obliged to wait upon the faid happiness to a gaol; fince many by the above virtue have brought themselves thither."

I have not now leifure to enter upon fo large a field of fpeculation as here feems opening upon me: my defign was to wipe off a doctrine that lay in my way; fince while Mr Jones was acting the most virtuous part imaginable-in labouring to preserve his fellow-creatures from deftruction, the devil, or fome other evil fpirit, one perhaps cloathed in human flesh, was hard at work to make him completely miferable in the ruin of his Sophia.

This, therefore, would seem an exception to the above rule, if indeed it was a rule; but as we have in our voyage through life feen fo many other exceptions to it, we chufe to dispute the doctrine on which it is founded, which we don't apprehend to be Chriftian, which we are convinced is not true, and which is indeed destructive of one of the nobleft arguments that reafon alone can furnish for the belief of immortality..

But as the reader's curiofity (if he hath any) must be now awake, and hungry, we shall provide to feed it as fast

as we can.

I

CHA P. II.

In which is opened a very black defign against Sophia.

REMEMBER a wife old gentleman who used to fay, • When children are doing nothing, they are doing mifchief.' I will not enlarge this quaint faying to the moft beautiful part of the creation in general; but fo far I may be allowed, that when the effects of female jealoufy do not appear openly in their proper colours of rage and fury, we may fufpect that mischievous paffion to be at work privately, and attempting to undermine, what it doth not attack above ground.

This was exemplified in the conduct of Lady Bellafton, who, under all the fmiles which he wore in her counte

nance, concealed much indignation against Sophia; and as fhe plainly faw that this young lady ftood between her and the full indulgence of her defires, fhe refolved to get rid of her by fome means or other; nor was it long be fore a very favourable opportunity of accomplishing this prefented itfelf to her.

The reader may be pleased to remember, that when Sophia was thrown into that confternation at the playhoufe, by the wit and humour of a fet of young gentlemen. who call themselves the town, we informed him, that she had put herself under the protection of a young nobleman, who had very safely conducted her to her chair.

This nobleman, who frequently vifited Lady Bellafton, had more than once feen Sophia there fince her arrival in town, and had conceived a very great liking to her; which liking, as beauty never looks more amiable than in diftrefs, Sophia had in this fright fo increased, that he might now, without any great impropriety; be said to be actually in love with her.

It may eaûly be believed, that he would not fuffer fa handfome an occafion of improving his acquaintance with the beloved object as now offered itfelf, to elapfe, when. even good breeding alone might have prompted him to pay her a vifit.

The next morning, therefore, after this accident, he waited on Sophia, with the ufual compliments, and hopes that she had received no harm from her last night's ad

venture.

As love, like fire, when once thoroughly kindled, is foon blown into a flame, Sophia in a very fhort time completed her conqueft. Time now flew away unper ceived, and the noble lord had been two hours in com pany with the lady, before it entered into his head that he had made too long a vifit. Though this circumftance alone would have alarmed Sophia, who was fomewhat more a mistress of computation at prefent, fhe had indeed much more pregnant evidence, from the eyes of her lover, of what paft within his bofom; nay, though he did not make any open declaration of his paffion, yet many of his expreffions were rather too warm, and too tender, to have been imputed to complaifance, even in the age when fuch complaifance was in fafhion; the very

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