Jones meant by a confiderable fum; he knew not how much; and what was become of the money?

In both these points he now received full fatisfaction; on which he was proceeding to comment, when he was interrupted by a message from Mr. Nightingale, who defired his Mafter's company in his apartment.

When the two gentlemen were both attired for the masquerade, and Mr. Nightingale had given orders for chairs to be fent for, a circumftance of diftrefs occurred to Jones, which will appear very ridiculous to many of my Readers. This was how to procure a fhilling; but if fuch Readers will reflect a little on what they have themselves felt from the want of a thousand pound, or, perhaps, of ten or twenty, to execute a favorite fcheme, they will have a perfect idea of what Mr. Jones felt on this occafion. For this fum, therefore, he applied to Partridge, which was the firft he had permitted him to advance, and was the laft he intended that poor fellow fhould advance in his fervice. To fay the truth, Partridge had lately made no offer of this kind; whether it was that he defired to fee the bank-bill broke in upon, or that distress should prevail on Jones to return home, or from what other motive it proceeded, I will not determine.

VOL. III.

T

CHA P. V I I.

Containing the whole Humors of a Masquerade.

OUR Cavaliers now arrived at that temple, where Heydegger, the great Arbiter Deliciarum, the great high priest of pleasure prefides; and, like other heathen priests, imposes on his votaries by the pretended prefence of the Deity, when in reality no fuch Deity is there.

Mr. Nightingale having taken a turn or two with his companion, foon left him, and walked off with a female, faying, "Now you are here, Sir, you must beat about for your own game.

Jones began to entertain ftrong hopes that his Sophia was prefent; and these hopes gave him more fpirits than the lights, the mufic, and the company; though these are pretty ftrong antidotes against the spleen. He now accofted every woman he faw, whofe ftature, fhape or air, bore any resemblance to his angel. To all of whom he endeavoured to fay fomething fmart, in order to engage an answer, by which he might difcover that voice which he thought it impoffible he should mistake. Some of these anfwered by a question, in a fqueaking voice, "Do you know me?" Much the greater number faid, "I don't know you, Sir;" and nothing more. Some called him an impertinent fellow; fome made him no anfwer at all; fome faid,

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Indeed I don't know your voice, and I shall have

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,, nothing to lay to you;" and many gave him as kind answers as he could wifh, but not in the voice he defired to hear.

Whilst he was talking with one of thefe laft, (who was in the habit of a fhepherdess) a Lady in a domino came up to him, and flapping him on the shoulder, whispered him, at the fame time, in the ear, "If you talk any longer with that trollop, I will acquaint Mifs Western.

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Jones no fooner heard that name, than, immediately quitting his former companion, he applied to the domino, begging and entreating her to show him the Lady she had mentioned, if she was then in the room.

The mask walked haftily to the upper end of the innermoft apartment before she spoke; and then, instead of answering him, fat down, and declared she was tired. Jones fat down by her, and still perfifted in his entreaties; at last the Lady coldly answered, "I imagined Mr. Jones had been a more difcerning lover, than to fuffer any dif guife to conceal his Miftrefs from him. "Is fhe here then, Madam?" replied Jones, with fome vehemency. Upon which the Lady cry'd, — “Hush, Sir, you will be observed. I promise you, » upon my honor, Mifs Western is not here."

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Jones now taking the mask by the hand, fell to entreating her in the most earnest manner, to

ácquaint him where he might find Sophia and when he could obtain no direct aufwer, he began to upbraid her gently for having disappointed him the day before; and concluded, faying, "Indeed, „ my good Fairy Queen, I know your Majesty very ,, well, notwithstanding the affected difguife of , your voice. Indeed, Mrs. Fitzpatrick, it is a little cruel to divert yourself, at the expense of

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» my torments.

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The mask answered, "Though you have fo ingeniously discovered me, I must still speak in the fame voice, left I fhould be known by ,, others. And do you think, good Sir, that I have no greater regard for my coufin, than to affist in carrying on an affair between you two, which must end in her ruin, as well as your own? Befides, I promise you, my coufin is not mad enough to consent to her own destruction, if you are fo much her enemy as to tempt her to it.

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"Alas, Madam," faid Jones, " you little know » my heart, when you call me an enemy of Sophia."

"And yet to ruin any one," cries the other, , you will allow, is the act of an enemy; and when by the fame act you must knowingly and certainly bring ruin on yourself, is it not folly or madness, as well as guilt? Now, Sir, my cousin has very little more than her father will please to give her; , very little for one of her fashion,-you know him, and you know your own fituation."

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Jones vowed he had no fuch defign on Sophia, That he would rather fuffer the moft violent of deaths than facrifice her intereft to his defires. He faid he knew how unworthy he was of her "every way; that he had long ago refolved to quit all fuch afpiring thoughts, but that fome ftrange accidents had made him defirous to fee ,, her once more, when he promised he would ,, take leave of her for ever. No, Madam, concluded he, "my love is not of that base kind which feeks its own fatisfaction, at the expense of what is most dear to its object. I would facrifice every thing to the poffeffion of my Sophia, but Sophia herself."

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Though the Reader may have already conceived no very fublime idea of the virtue of the Lady in the mafk; and tho' poffibly fhe may hereafter appear not to deferve one of the firft characters of her fex; yet it is certain, thefe generous fentiments made a ftrong impreffion upon her, and greatly added to the affection fhe had before conceived for our young Hero.

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The Lady now, after a filence of a few moments, faid, "She did not fee his pretenfions to Sophia fo much in the light of prefumption, as of imprudence. Young fellows," fays fhe, can never have too afpiring thoughts; I love ambition in a young man, and I would have , you cultivate it as much as poffible. Perhaps ≫ you may fucceed with those who are infinitely

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