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of her mouth as filth doth from a mud-cart, when the board which confines it is removed. Partridge likewise shovelled in his share of calumny; and, what may surprise the reader, not only bespattered the maid, but attempted to sully the lily-white character of Sophia herself. "Never a barrel the better herring," cries he. "Noscitur a socio is a true saying. It must be confessed, indeed, that the lady in the fine garments is the civiler of the two, but I warrant neither of them are a bit better than they should be. A couple of Bath trulls, I'll answer for them; your quality don't ride about at this time o'night without servants." "Sbodlikins, and that's true," cries the landlady," you have certainly hit upon the very matter; for quality don't come into a house without bespeaking a supper, whether they eat any or no.”

While they were thus discoursing, Mrs Honour returned and discharged her commission, by bidding the landlady immediately wake Mr Jones, and tell him a lady wanted to speak with him. The landlady referred her to Partridge, saying, he was the squire's friend; but, for her part, she never called menfolks, especially gentlemen, and then walked sullenly out of the kitchen. Honour applied herself to Partridge, but he refused; " for my friend," cries he, "went to bed very late, and he would be very angry to be disturbed so soon." Mrs Honour insisted still to have him called, saying, she was sure, instead of being angry, that he would be to the highest degree delighted when he knew the occasion. "Another time perhaps he might," cries Partridge; "but non omnia possumus omnes. One woman is enough at once for a reasonable man.""What do you mean by one woman, fellow?" cries Honour.—" None of your fellow," answered Partridge. He then proceeded to inform her plainly, that Jones was in bed with a wench, and made use of an expression too indelicate to be here inserted; which so enraged Mrs Honour, that she called him jackanapes, and returned in a violent hurry to her mistress, whom she acquainted with the success of her errand, and with the account she had received, which, if possible, she exaggerated, being as angry with Jones as if he had pronounced all the words that came from the mouth of Partridge. She discharged a torrent of abuse on the master, and advised her mistress to quit all thoughts of a man who had never shewn himself deserving of her. She then ripped up the story of Molly Seagrim, and gave the most malicious turn to his formerly quitting Sophia herself; which, I must confess, the present incident not a little countenan

ced.

The spirits of Sophia were too much dissipated by concern to enable her to stop the torrent of her maid. At last, however, she interrupted her, saying, "I never can believe this; some villain hath belied him. You say you had it from his friend; but surely it is not the office of

a friend to betray such secrets.""I suppose,' cries Honour," the fellow is his pimp; for I never saw so ill-looked a villain. Besides, such profligate rakes as Mr Jones are never ashamed of these matters."

To say the truth, this behaviour of Partridge was a little inexcusable; but he had not slept off the effect of the dose which he swallowed the evening before, which had, in the morning, received the addition of above a pint of wine, or indeed rather of malt spirits, for the perry was by no means pure. Now, that part of his head which nature designed for the reservoir of drink being very shallow, a small quantity of liquor overflowed it, and opened the sluices of his heart, so that all the secrets there deposited ran out. These sluices were indeed naturally very ill secured. To give the best-natured turn we can to his disposition, he was a very honest man; for, as he was the most inquisitive of mortals, and eternally prying into the secrets of others, so he very faithfully paid them, by communicating, in return, every thing within his knowledge.

While Sophia, tormented with anxiety, knew not what to believe, nor what resolution to take, Susan arrived with the sack-whey. Mrs Honour immediately advised her mistress, in a whisper, to pump this wench, who probably could inform her of the truth. Sophia approved it, and began as follows: "Come hither, child; now, answer me truly what I am going to ask you, and I promise you I will very well reward you. Is there a young gentleman in this house, a handsome young gentleman, that" Here Sophia blushed, and was confounded-" A young gentleman," cries Honour, "that came hither in company with that saucy rascal who is now in the kitchen?" Susan answered, there was."Do you know any thing of any lady?" continues Sophia; "any lady-I don't ask you whether she is handsome or no; perhaps she is not; that's nothing to the purpose; but do you know of any lady?"'—"La, madam," cries Honour,

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you will make a very bad examiner. Harkee, child," says she, " is not that very young gentleman now in bed with some nasty trull or other?" Here Susan smiled, and was silent."Answer the question, child," says Sophia," and here's a guinea for you." -"A guinea! madam," cries Susan; "La, what's a guinea? If my mistress should know it, I shall certainly lose my place that very instant."-" Here's another for you," says Sophia," and I promise you faithfully your mistress shall never know it." Susan, after a very short hesitation, took the money, and told the whole story, concluding with saying, "If you have any great curiosity, madam, I can steal softly into his room, and see whether he be in his own bed or no." She accordingly did this by Sophia's desire, and returned with an answer in the negative.

Sophia now trembled and turned pale. Mrs Honour begged her to be comforted, and not to

think any more of so worthless a fellow. "Why
there," says Susan, "I hope, madam, your lady
ship won't be offended; but pray, madam, is
not your ladyship's name Madam Sophia Wes-
tern?"-" How is it possible you should know
me?" answered Sophia." Why, that man that
the gentlewoman spoke of, who is in the kitchen,
told about you last night. But I hope your lady-
ship is not angry with me."-" Indeed, child,"
said she, "I am not; pray tell me all, and I
promise you I'll reward you."-" Why, ma-
dam," continued Susan," that man told us all
in the kitchen, that Madam Sophia Western-
Indeed I don't know how to bring it out."-
Here she stopped, till having received encou-
ragement from Sophia, and being vehemently
pressed by Mrs Honour, she proceeded thus:-
"He told us, madam, though to be sure it is
all a lie, that your ladyship was dying for love
of the young squire, and that he was going to
the wars to get rid of you. I thought to myself
then, he was a false-hearted wretch; but now,
to see such a fine, rich, beautiful lady as you be,
forsaken for such an ordinary woman, (for to be
sure so she is, and another man's wife into the
bargain,) it is such a strange unnatural thing,
in a manner-

Sophia gave her a third guinea, and telling her she would certainly be her friend if she mentioned nothing of what had passed, nor inform ed any one who she was, dismissed the girl with orders to the post-boy to get the horses ready immediately.

Being now left alone with her maid, she told her trusty waiting-woman, that she never was more easy than at present. "I am now convinced," said she, "he is not only a villain, but a low despicable wretch. I can forgive all, rather than his exposing my name in so barbarous That renders him the object of my contempt. Yes, Honour, I am now easy. I am indeed, I am very easy;" and then she burst into a violent flood of tears.

a manner.

to it, she bribed the maid to convey it into the empty bed of Mr Jones, in which, if he did not find it, she charged her to take some method of conveying it before his eyes in the morning.

Then having paid for what Mrs Honour had eaten, in which bill was included an account for what she herself might have eaten, she mounted her horse, and once more assuring her companion that she was perfectly easy, continued her journey.

CHAP. VI.

Containing, among other things, the ingenuity of Partridge, the madness of Jones, and the folly of Fitzpatrick.

It was now past five in the morning, and other company began to rise and come to the kitchen, among whom were the serjeant and the coachman, who, being thoroughly reconciled, made a libation, or, in the English phrase, drank a hearty cup together.

In this drinking, nothing more remarkable happened than the behaviour of Partridge, who, when the serjeant drank a health to King George, repeated only the word king; nor could he be brought to utter more; for though he was going to fight against his own cause, yet he could not be prevailed upon to drink against it.

Mr Jones being now returned to his own bed, (but from whence he returned we must beg to be excused from relating), summoned Partridge from this agreeable company, who, after a ceremonious preface, having obtained leave to offer his advice, delivered himself as follows:

"It is, sir, an old saying, and a true one, that a wise man may sometimes learn counsel from a fool; I wish, therefore, I might be so bold as to offer you my advice, which is, to return home again, and leave these horrida bella, these bloody wars, to fellows who are contented to swallow After a short interval spent by Sophia, chiefly gunpowder, because they have nothing else to in crying, and assuring her maid that she was eat. Now, every body knows your honour perfectly easy, Susan arrived with an account wants for nothing at home; when that's the that the horses were ready; when a very extra- case, why should any man man travel abroad?" ordinary thought suggested itself to our young Partridge," cries Jones, "thou art certainheroine, by which Mr Jones would be acquaint ly a coward; I wish, therefore, thou wouldst ed with her having been at the inn, in way return home thyself, and trouble me no more." which, if any sparks of affection for her remained in him, would be at least some punishment for his faults.

The reader will be pleased to remember a little muff, which hath had the honour of being more than once remembered already in this history. This muff, ever since the departure of Mr Jones, had been the constant companion of Sophia by day, and her bed-fellow by night, and this muff she had at this very instant upon her arm, whence she took it off with great indignation; and having writ her name with her pencil upon a piece of paper, which she pinned

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"I ask your honour's pardon," cries Partridge; "I spoke on your account more than my own; for as to me, Heaven knows my cumstances are bad enough, and I am so far from being afraid, that I value a pistol, or a blunderbuss, or any such thing, no more than a pop-gun. Every man must die once, and what signifies the manner how? besides, perhaps, I may come off with the loss only of an arm or a leg. I assure you, sir, I was never less afraid in my life; and so, if your honour is resolved to go on, I am resolved to follow you. But, in that case, I wish I might give my opinion. To

A FOUNDLING.

be sure it is a scandalous way of travelling, for a great gentleman like you to walk a-foot. Now, here are two or three good horses in the stable, which the landlord will certainly make no scruple of trusting you with; but if he should, I can easily contrive to take them; and let the worst come to the worst, the king would certainly pardon you, as you are going to fight in his cause."

Now, as the honesty of Partridge was equal to his understanding, and both dealt only in small matters, he would never have attempted a roguery of this kind, had he not imagined it alto gether safe; for he was one of those who have more consideration of the gallows than of the fitness of things; but, in reality, he thought he might have committed this felony without any danger; for, besides that he doubted not but the name of Mr Allworthy would sufficiently quiet the landlord, he conceived they should be altogether safe, whatever turn affairs might take; as Jones, he imagined, would have friends enough on one side, and as his friends would as well secure him on the other.

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When Mr Jones found that Partridge was in earnest in this proposal, he very severely rebuked him, and that in such bitter terms, that present. the other attempted to laugh it off, and ly turned the discourse to other matters, saying, he believed they were then in a bawdyhouse, and that he had with much ado prevented two wenches from disturbing his honour in the middle of the night. Heyday!" says he, "I believe they got into your chamber whether I would or no; for here lies the muff of one of them on the ground." Indeed, as Jones return ed to his bed in the dark, he had never per ceived the muff on the quilt, and in leaping into his bed he had tumbled it on the floor. This Partridge now took up, and was going to put into his pocket, when Jones desired to see it. The muff was so very remarkable, that our hero might possibly have recollected it without the information annexed; but his memory was not put to that hard office; for at the same instant he saw and read the words Sophia Western upon the paper that was pinned to it. His looks now grew frantic in a moment, and he eagerly cried out, "O heavens! how came this muff here?" "I know no more than your honour," cried Partridge; "but I saw it upon the arm of one of the women who would have disturbed you, if I would have suffered them."-" Where are they?" cries Jones, jumping out of bed, and laying hold of his clothes." Many miles off, I believe, by this time," cried Partridge. And now Jones, upon further enquiry, was sufficient ly assured, that the bearer of this muff was no other than the lovely Sophia herself.

The behaviour of Jones on this occasion, his thoughts, his looks, his words, his actions, were such as beggar all description. After many bitter execrations on Partridge, and not fewer on

himself, he ordered the poor fellow, who was
frightened out of his wits, to run down and hire
him horses at any rate; and a very few minutes
afterwards, having shuffled on his clothes, he
hastened down stairs to execute the orders him-
self, which he had just before given.

But before we proceed to what passed on his
arrival in the kitchen, it will be necessary to re-
cur to what had there happened since Partridge
had first left it on his master's summons.

The serjeant was just marched off with his party, when the two Irish gentlemen arose, and came down stairs, both complaining, that they had been so often waked by the noises in the inn, that they had never once been able to close their eyes all night.

The coach, which had brought the young lady and her maid, and which, perhaps, the reader may have hitherto concluded was her own, was indeed a returned coach belonging to Mr King of Bath, one of the worthiest and honestest men that ever dealt in horseflesh, and whose coaches we heartily recommend to all our readers who travel that road; by which means they may, perhaps, have the pleasure of riding in the very coach, and being driven by the very coachman, that is recorded in this history.

The coachman, having but two passengers, and hearing Mr Macklachlan was going to Bath, offered to carry him thither at a very moderate price. He was induced to this by the report of the hostler, who said, that the horse which Mr Macklachlan had hired from Worcester would be much more pleased with returning to his friends there than to prosecute a long journey; for that the said horse was rather a two-legged than a four-legged animal.

Mr Macklachlan immediately closed with the proposal of the coachman, and, at the same time, the conveyance persuaded his friend Fitzpatrick to accept of the fourth place in the coach. This soreness of his bones made more agreeable to him than a horse; and being well assured of meeting with his wife at Bath, he thought a little delay would be of no consequence.

Macklachlan, who was much the sharper man of the two, no sooner heard that this lady came from Chester, with the other circumstances which he learned from the hostler, than it came into his head that she might possibly be his friend's wife; and presently acquainted him with this suspicion, which had never once occurred to Fitzpatrick himself. To say the truth, he was one of those compositions which Nature makes up in too great a hurry, and forgets to put any brains in their head.

Now it happens to this sort of men, as to bad hounds, who never hit off a fault themselves; but no sooner doth a dog of sigacity open his mouth than they immediately do the same, and, without the guidance of any scent, run directly forwards as fast as they are able. In the same manner, the very moment Mr Macklachlan had

mentioned his apprehension, Mr Fitzpatrick instantly concurred, and flew directly up stairs to surprise his wife before he knew where she was; and unluckily (as Fortune loves to play tricks with those gentlemen who put themselves entirely under her conduct), ran his head against several doors and posts to no purpose. Much kinder was she to me, when she suggested that simile of the hounds, just before inserted; since the poor wife may, on these occasions, be so justly compared to a hunted hare. Like that little wretched animal, she pricks up her ears to listen after the voice of her pursuer; like her, flies away trembling when she hears it; and, like her, is generally overtaken and destroyed in the end.

This was not however the case at present; for after a long fruitless search, Mr Fitzpatrick returned to the kitchen, where, as if this had been a real chace, entered a gentleman hallooing as hunters do when the hounds are at a fault. He was just alighted from his horse, and many attendants at his heels.

Here, reader, it may be necessary to acquaint thee with some matters, which, if thou dost know already, thou art wiser than I take thee to be. And this information thou shalt receive in the next chapter.

CHAP. VII.

ture, who was then no more than eighteen, as a monster, and had never since suffered her to be named in his presence.

The kitchen was now a scene of universal confusion, Western enquiring after his daughter, and Fitzpatrick as eagerly after his wife, when Jones entered the room, unfortunately having Sophia's muff in his hand.

As soon as Western saw Jones, he set up the same holla as is used by sportsmen when their game is in view. He then immediately run up, and laid hold of Jones, crying, "We have got the dog-fox, I warrant the bitch is not far off." The jargon which followed for some minutes, where many spoke different things at the same time, as it would be very difficult to describe, so would it be no less unpleasant to read.

Jones having, at length, shaken Mr Western off, and some of the company having interfered between them, our hero protested his innocence as to knowing any thing of the lady; when Parson Supple stepped up, and said, "It is folly to deny it; for why, the marks of guilt are in thy hands. I will myself asseverate, and bind it by an oath, that the muff thou bearest in thy hand belongeth unto Madam Sophia; for I have frequently observed her, of later days, to bear it about her."-" My daughter's muff!" cries the squire, in a rage; "hath he got my daughter's muff? bear witness, the goods are found upon him. I'll have him before a justice of the peace this instant. Where is my daughter, vil

In which are concluded the Adventures that hap lain?"-" Sir," said Jones, "I beg you would

pened at the inn at Upton.

In the first place, then, this gentleman just arrived was no other person than Squire Western himself, who was come hither in pursuit of his daughter; and had he fortunately been two hours earlier, he had not only found her, but his niece into the bargain; for such was the wife of Mr Fitzpatrick, who had run away with her five years before, out of the custody of that sage lady Madam Western.

Now this lady had departed from the inn much about the same time with Sophia; for, having been waked by the voice of her husband, she had sent up for the landlady, and, being by her apprized of the matter, had bribed the good woman, at an extravagant price, to furnish her with horses for her escape. Such prevalence had money in this family; and though the mistress would have turned away her maid for a corrupt hussy, if she had known as much as the reader, yet she was no more proof against corruption herself than poor Susan had been.

Mr Western and his nephew were not known to one another; nor indeed would the former have taken any notice of the latter if he had known him; for this being a stolen match, and consequently an unnatural one, in the opinion of the good squire, he had, from the time of her committing it, abandoned the poor young crea

be pacified. The muff, I acknowledge, is the young lady's; but, upon my honour, I have never seen her." At these words Western lost all patience, and grew inarticulate with rage.

Some of the servants had acquainted Fitzpatrick who Mr Western was. The good Irishman, therefore, thinking he had now an oppor tunity to do an act of service to his uncle, and by that means might possibly obtain his favour, stept up to Jones, and cried out," Upon my conscience, sir, you may be ashamed of denying your having seen the gentleman's daughter before my face, when you know I found you there upon the bed together." Then turning to Western, he offered to conduct him immediately to the room where his daughter was; which offer being accepted, he, the squire, the parson, and some others, ascended directly to Mrs Waters's chamber, which they entered with no less violence than Mr Fitzpatrick had done before.

The poor lady started from her sleep with as much amazement as terror, and beheld at her bedside a figure which might very well be supposed to have escaped out of Bedlam. Such wildness and confusion were in the looks of Mr Western; who no sooner saw the lady, than he started back, shewing sufficiently by his manner, before he spoke, that this was not the person sought after.

So much more tenderly do women value their

reputation than their persons, that though the latter seemed now in more danger than before, yet as the former was secure, the lady screamed not with such violence as she had done on the other occasion. However, she no sooner found herself alone than she abandoned all thoughts of further repose; and as she had sufficient reason to be dissatisfied with her present lodging, she dressed herself with all possible expedition. Mr Western now proceeded to search the whole house, but to as little purpose as he had disturbed poor Mrs Waters. He then returned disconsolate into the kitchen, where he found Jones in the custody of his servants.

This violent uproar had raised all the people in the house, though it was yet scarcely daylight. Among these was a grave gentleman, who had the honour to be in the commission of the peace for the county of Worcester; of which Mr Western was no sooner informed than he offered to lay his complaint before him. The justice declined executing his office, as he said he had no clerk present, nor no book about justice business; and that he could not carry all the law in his head about stealing away daughters, and such sort of things.

Here Mr Fitzpatrick offered to lend him his assistance, informing the company that he had been himself bred to the law. (And indeed he had served three years as clerk to an attorney in the north of Ireland, when, chusing a genteeler walk in life, he quitted his master, came over to England, and set up that business which requires no apprenticeship, namely, that of a gen tleman, in which he had succeeded, as hath been already partly mentioned.)

Mr Fitzpatrick declared, that the law concerning daughters was out of the present case; that stealing a muff was undoubtedly felony, and the goods being found upon the person, were sufficient evidence of the fact.

The magistrate, upon the encouragement of so learned a coadjutor, and upon the violent intercession of the squire, was at length prevailed upon to seat himself in the chair of justice, where being placed, upon viewing the muff, which Jones still held in his hand, and upon the parson's swearing it to be the property of Mr Western, he desired Mr Fitzpatrick to draw up a commitment, which he said he would sign. Jones now desired to be heard, which was at last, with difficulty, granted him. He then produced the evidence of Mr Partridge as to the finding it; but what was still more, Susan deposed, that Sophia herself had delivered the muff to her, and had ordered her to convey it into the chamber where Mr Jones had found it. Whether a natural love of justice, or the extraordinary comeliness of Jones, had wrought on Susan to make the discovery, I will not determine; but such were the effects of her evidence, that the magistrate, throwing himself back in his chair, declared, that the matter was

now altogether as clear on the side of the pri soner as it had been before against him; with which the parson concurred, saying, "The Lord forbid he should be instrumental in committing an innocent person to durance." The justice then arose, acquitted the prisoner, and broke up the

court.

Mr Western now gave every one present a hearty curse, and immediately ordering his horses, departed in pursuit of his daughter, without taking the least notice of his nephew Fitzpatrick, or returning any answer to his claim of kindred, notwithstanding all the obligations he had just received from that gentleman. In the violence, moreover, of his hurry, and of his passion, he luckily forgot to demand the muff of Jones: I say, luckily; for he would have died on the spot rather than have parted with it.

Jones likewise, with his friend Partridge, set forward the moment he had paid his reckoning, in quest of his lovely Sophia, whom he now resolved never more to abandon the pursuit of. Nor could he bring himself even to take leave of Mrs Waters; of whom he detested the very thoughts, as she had been, though not designedly, the occasion of his missing the happiest interview with Sophia, to whom he now vowed eternal constancy.

As for Mrs Waters, she took the opportunity of the coach which was going to Bath; for which place she set out in company with the two Irish gentlemen, the landlady kindly lending her her clothes; in return for which she was contented only to receive about double their value, as a recompence for the loan. Upon the road she was perfectly reconciled to Mr Fitzpatrick, who was a very handsome fellow, and indeed did all she could to console him in the absence of his wife.

Thus ended the many odd adventures which Mr Jones encountered at his inn at Upton, where they talk, to this day, of the beauty and lovely behaviour of the charming Sophia, by the name of the Somersetshire angel.

CHAP. VIII.

In which the History goes backward.

BEFORE we proceed any farther in our history, it may be proper to look a little back, in order to account for the extraordinary appearance of Sophia and her father at the inn at Upton.

The reader may be pleased to remember, that in the ninth chapter of the seventh Book of our history, we left Sophia, after a long debate between love and duty, deciding the cause, as it usually, I believe, happens, in favour of the former.

This debate had arisen, as we have there shewn, from a visit which her father had just before made her, in order to force her consent

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