honour, goodness, modesty, bravery, tenderness, and, in a word, every human virtue?-Forgive me, my dear; but I was uneasy till I became myself the object of such a passion."

"And do you really think," said Amelia, smiling," that I shall forgive you robbing me of such a lover? or, supposing what you banter me with was true, do you really imagine you could change such a passion?"

"No, my dear," answered the other, "I only hope I have changed the object : for, be assured, there is no greater vulgar error than that it is impossible for a man who loves one woman ever to love another. On the contrary, it is certain, that a man who can love one woman so well at a distance, will love another better that is nearer to him. Indeed, I have heard one of the best husbands in the world declare, in the presence of his wife, that he had always loved a princess with adoration. These passions, which reside only in very amorous and very delicate minds, feed only on the delicacies there growing, and leave all the substantial food, and enough of the delicacy too, for the wife."

The tea being now ready, Mrs Bennet, or, if you please, for the future, Mrs Atkinson, proposed to call in her husband, but Amelia objected. She said she should be glad to see him any other time, but was then in the utmost hurry, as she had been three hours absent from all she most loved. However, she had scarce drank a dish of tea before she changed her mind, and saying, she would not part man and wife, desired Mr. Atkin son might appear.

The maid answered, that her master was not at home; which words she had scarce spoken, when he knocked hastily at the door, and immediately came running into the room, all pale and breathless, and addressing himself to Amelia, cried out, "I am sorry, my dear lady, to bring you ill news; but Captain Booth"- "What! what!" cries Amelia, dropping the tea-cup from her hand," is any thing the matter with him?" "Don't be frightened, my dear lady," said the serjeant-" he is in very good health; but a misfortune hath happened."" Are my child

ren well?" said Amelia." O, very well," answered the serjeant.-" Pray, madam, don't be frightened; I hope it will signify nothing-he is arrested-but I hope to get him out of their damned hands immediately.". '—" Where is he?" cries Amelia, "I will go to him this instant!" -"He begs you will not," answered the serjeant. "I have sent his lawyer to him, and am going back with Mrs Ellison this moment; but I beg your ladyship, for his sake, and for your own sake, not to go." -" Mrs Ellison! what is Mrs Ellison to do?" cries Amelia. "I must and will go." Mrs Atkinson then interposed, and begged she would not hurry her spirits, but compose herself, and go home to her children, whither she would attend her. She comforted her with the thoughts, that the Captain was in no immediate danger; that she could go to him when she would, and desired her to let the serjeant return with Mrs Ellison, saying, she might be of service; and that there was much wisdom, and no kind of shame, in making use of bad people on certain occasions.

"And who," cries Amelia, a little come to herself, "hath done this barbarous action?"

"One I am ashamed to name," cries the serjeant; "indeed, I had always a very different opinion of him; I could not have believed any thing but my own ears and eyes; but Dr Harrison is the man who hath done the deed."

"Dr Harrison!" cries Amelia.-" Well then, there is an end of all goodness in the world. I will never have a good opinion of any human being more."

The serjeant begged that he might not be detained from the Captain; and that if Amelia pleased to go home, he would wait upon her. But she did not chuse to see Mrs Ellison at this time; and after a little consideration she resolved to stay where she was, and Mrs Atkinson agreed to go and fetch her children to her, it being not many doors distant.

The serjeant then departed; Amelia, in her confusion, never having once thought of wishing him joy on his marriage.

CHAP. I.

Being the first Chapter of the Eighth Book.

THE history must now look a little backwards to those circumstances which led to the catastrophe mentioned at the end of the last Book.

When Amelia went out in the morning, she left her children to the care of her husband. In this amiable office he had been engaged near an hour, and was at that very time lying along on the floor, and his little things crawling and playing about him, when a most violent knock was heard at the door; and immediately a footman, running up stairs, acquainted him, that his lady was taken violently ill, and carried into Mrs Chenevix's toy-shop.

Booth no sooner heard this account, which was delivered with great appearance of haste and earnestness, than he leaped suddenly from the floor; and leaving his children roaring at the news of their mother's illness, in strict charge with his maid, he ran as fast as his legs could carry him to the place; or towards the place rather: for, before he arrived at the shop, a gentleman stopped him full butt, crying," Captain, whither so fast?"-Booth answered eagerly, "Whoever you are, friend, don't ask me any questions now." "You must pardon me, Captain," answered the gentleman;" but I have a little business with your honour-In short, Captain, I have a small warrant here in my pocket against your honour, at the suit of one Dr Harrison."-" You are a bailiff then," says Booth.-"I am an officer, sir," answered the other." Well, sir, it is in vain to contend," cries Booth; "but let me beg you will permit me only to step to Mrs Chenevix's-I will attend you, upon my honour, wherever you please; but my wife lies violently ill there."-"O, for that matter," answered the bailiff, " you may set your heart at ease. Your lady, I hope, is very well. I assure you, she is not there; you will excuse me, Captain, these are only stratagems of war. Bolus and virtus, quis in a hostess equirit?"-"Sir, I honour your learning," cries Booth, "and could almost kiss you for what you tell me. I assure you, I would forgive you five hundred arrests for such a piece of news. Well, sir, and whither am I to go with you?”"O, any where; where your honour pleases,"

cries the bailiff." Then suppose we go Brown's coffee-house," said the prisoner.-"No," answered the bailiff, " that will not do; that's in the verge of the court."-" Why then to the nearest tavern," said Booth.-"No, not to a tavern," cries the other," that is not a place of security; and you know, Captain, your honour is a shy cock; I have been after your honour these three months-Come, sir, you must go to my house, if you please."-"With all my heart," answered Booth, "if it be any where hereabouts." -"O it is but a little ways off," replied the bai liff; "it is only in Gray's-Inn-Lane, just by al most." He then called a coach, and desired his prisoner to walk in.

Booth entered the coach without any resist ance, which had he been inclined to make, he must have plainly perceived would have been ineffectual, as the bailiff appeared to have several followers at hand, two of whom, beside the com mander in chief, mounted with him into the coach. As Booth was a sweet-tempered man, as well as somewhat of a philosopher, he behaved with all the good humour imaginable, and, indeed, with more than his companions; who, however, shewed him what they call civility; that is, they neither struck him nor spit in his face.

Notwithstanding the pleasantry which Booth endeavoured to preserve, he, in reality, envied every labourer whom he saw pass by him in his way. The charms of liberty against his will rushed on his mind; and he could not avoid suggesting to himself, how much more happy was the poorest wretch, who without control could repair to his homely habitation and to his family, compared to him, who was thus vio lently, and yet lawfully, torn away from the company of his wife and children. And their condition, especially that of his Amelia, gave his heart many a severe and bitter pang.

At length he arrived at the bailiff's mansion, and was ushered into a room, in which were several persons. Booth desired to be alone; upon which the bailiff waited on him up stairs, into an apartment, the windows of which were well fortified with iron-bars; but the walls had not the least outwork raised before them; they were, indeed, what is generaly called naked, the bricks having been only covered with a thin plaister, which, in many places, was mouldered away.

The first demand made upon Booth was for coach-hire, which amounted to two shillings, according to the bailiff's account; that being just double the legal fare. He was then asked if he did not chuse a bowl of punch; to which he having answered in the negative, the bailiff replied, Nay, sir, just as you please. I don't ask you to drink, if you don't chuse it; but certainly you know the custom; the house is full of prisoners, and I can't afford gentlemen a room to themselves for nothing."

Booth presently took this hint, indeed it was a pretty broad one, and told the bailiff, he should not scruple to pay him his price; but, in fact, he never drank unless at his meals.-"As to that, sir," cries the bailiff, "it is just as your honour pleases. I scorn to impose upon any gentleman in misfortunes: I wish you well out of them for my part. Your honour can take nothing amiss of me, I only does my duty, what I am bound to do; and as you says you don't care to drink any thing, what will you be pleased to have for din

Der?"

Booth then complied in bespeaking a dish of meat, and told the bailiff, he would drink a bottle with him after dinner. He then desired the favour of pen, ink, and paper, and a messenger; all which were immediately procured him, the bailiff telling him he might send wherever he pleased, and repeating his concern for Booth's misfortunes, and a hearty desire to see the end of them.

The messenger was just dispatched with the letter, when, who should arrive but honest Atkinson? A soldier of the guards, belonging to the same company with the serjeant, and who had known Booth at Gibraltar, had seen the arrest, and heard the orders given to the coachman. This fellow accidentally meeting Atkinson, had acquainted him with the whole affair.

At the appearance of Atkinson, joy immediately overspread the countenance of Booth. The ceremonials which passed between them are unnecessary to be repeated. Atkinson was soon dispatched to the attorney, and to Mrs Ellison, as the reader hath before heard from his own mouth.

Booth now greatly lamented that he had writ to his wife. He thought she might have been acquainted with the affair better by the serjeant. Booth begged him, however, to do every thing in his power to comfort her, to assure her that he was in perfect health and good spirits, and to lessen as much as possible the concern which he knew she would have at reading his letter.

The serjeant, however, as the reader hath seen, brought himself the first account of the arrest. Indeed, the other messenger did not arrive till a full hour afterwards. This was not owing to any slowness of his, but to many previous errands which he was to execute before the delivery of the letter: for, notwithstanding the earnest desire which the bailiff had declared to see VOL. I.

Booth out of his troubles, he had ordered the porter, who was his follower, to call upon two or three other bailiffs, and as many attornies, to try to load his prisoner with as many actions as possible.

Here the reader may be apt to conclude that the bailiff, instead of being a friend, was really an enemy to poor Booth; but in fact, he was not so. His desire was no more than to accumulate bail-bonds; for the bailiff was reckoned an honest and good sort of man in his way, and had no more malice against the bodies in his custody, than a butcher hath to those in his: and as the latter, when he takes his knife in hand, hath no idea but of the joints into which he is to cut the carcase; so the former, when he handles his writ, hath no other design but to cut out the body into as many bail-bonds as possible. As to the life of the animal, or the liberty of the man, they are thoughts which never obtrude themselves on either.

CHAP. II.

Containing an account of Mr Booth's fellowsufferers.

BEFORE We return to Amelia, we must detain our reader a little longer with Mr Booth, in the custody of Mr Bondum the bailiff, who now informed his prisoner, that he was welcome to the liberty of the house with the other gentlemen.

One

Booth asked who those gentlemen were. of them, sir," says Mr Bondum, " is a very great writer or author, as they call him. He hath been here these five weeks, at the suit of a bookseller, for eleven pound odd money: but he expects to be discharged in a day or two, for he hath writ out the debt. He is now writing for five or six booksellers, and he will get you sometimes, when he sits to it, a matter of fifteen shillings a-day: for he is a very good pen, they say; but is apt to be idle. Some days he won't write above five hours; but at other times I have known him at it above sixteen."-" Ay!" cries Booth; 66 pray, what are his productions?— What doth he write?"-" Why, sometimes,' answered Bondum," he writes your history books for your numbers, and sometimes your verses, your poems, what do you call them? and then again he writes news for your newspapers.' -"Ay, indeed! he is a most extraordinary inan truly. How doth he get his news here?""Why, he makes it, as he doth your parliament speeches for your magazines. He reads then to us sometimes over a bowl of punch.-To be sure, it is all one as if one was in the parliament-house -it is about liberty and freedom, and about the constitution of England. I say nothing for my part; for I will keep my neck out of a halter; but, faith, he makes it out plainly to me, that all matters are not as they should be. I am all for 2 R

At length, partly by the persuasions of Mrs Atkinson, partly from consideration of her little ones, and more, perhaps, from the relief which she had acquired by her tears, Amelia became a little composed.

Nothing worth notice past in this miserable company from this time till the return of Mrs Ellison from the bailiff's house; and to draw out scenes of wretchedness to too great a length, is a task very uneasy to the writer, and for which none but readers of a most gloomy complexion will think themselves ever obliged to his labours. At length Mrs Ellison arrived, and entered the room with an air of gaiety, rather misbecoming the occasion. When she had seated herself in a chair, she told Amelia that the Captain was very well, and in good spirits; and that he earnestly desired her to keep up hers. "Come, madam," said she, "don't be disconsolate; I hope we shall soon be able to get him out of his troubles. The debts, indeed, amount to more than I expected; however, ways may be found to redeem him. He must own himself guilty of some rashness in going out of the verge, when he knew to what he was liable; but that is not now to be remedied. If he had followed my advice this had not happened; but men will be headstrong." "I cannot bear this,” cries Amelia ; “shall I hear that best of creatures blamed for his tenderness to me?"

"Well, I will not blame him," answered Mrs Ellison, "I am sure I propose nothing but to serve him and if you will do as much to serve him yourself, he will not long be a prisoner." "I do!" cries Amelia; "Oh Heavens! is there a thing upon earth”

"Yes, there is a thing upon earth," said Mrs Ellison, "and a very easy thing too. And yet I will venture my life, you start when I propose it. And yet when I consider that you are a woman of understanding, I know not why I should think so; for sure you must have too much good sense to imagine that you can cry your husband out of prison. If this would have done, I see you have almost cried your eyes out already. And yet you may do the business by a much pleasanter way than by crying and bawling."

"What do you mean, madam?" cries Amelia." For my part, I cannot guess your meaning.”

"Before I tell you then, madam," answered Mrs Ellison, "I must inform you, if you do not already know it, that the Captain is charged with actions to the amount of near five hundred pound. I am sure I would willingly be his bail; but I know my bail would not be taken for that sum. You must consider, therefore, madam, what chance you have of redeeming him; unless you chuse, as perhaps some wives would, that he should lie all his life in prison."

At these words, Amelia discharged a shower of tears, and gave every mark of the most frantic grief.

"Why, there now," cries Mrs Ellison," while you will indulge these extravagant passions, how can you be capable of listening to the voice of reason? I know I am a fool in concerning myself thus with the affairs of others. I know the thankless office I undertake; and yet I love you so, my dear Mrs Booth, that I cannot bear to see you afflicted, and I would comfort you, if you would suffer me. Let me beg you to make your mind easy, and within these two days, I will engage to set your husband at liberty. Harkee, child, only behave like a woman of spirit this evening, and keep your appointment, notwithstanding what hath happened; and I am convinced there is one, who hath the power and the will to serve you."

Mrs Ellison spoke the latter part of her speech in a whisper; so that Mrs Atkinson, who was then engaged with the children, might not hear her; but Amelia answered aloud, and said, "What appointment would you have me keep this evening?"

"Nay, nay, if you have forgot," cries Mrs Ellison, "I will tell you more another time; but come, will you go home? my dinner is ready by this time, and you shall dine with me."

"Talk not to me of dinners," cries Amelia. "My stomach is too full already."

"Nay, but, dear madam," answered Mrs Ellison, "let me beseech you to go home with me. I do not care," says she, whispering," to speak before some folks."

"I have no secret, madam, in the world," replied Amelia aloud, “which I would not communicate to this lady; for I shall always acknowledge the highest obligations to her for the secrets she hath imparted to me."

"Madam," said Mrs Ellison, " I do not interfere with obligations; I am glad the lady hath obliged you so much; and I wish all people were equally mindful of obligations. I hope I have omitted no opportunity of endeavouring to oblige Mrs Booth, as well as I have some other folks."

"If by other folks, madam, you mean me," cries Mrs Atkinson, "I confess, I sincerely believe you intended the same obligation to us both; and I have the pleasure to think it is owing to me, that this lady is not as much obliged to you as I am."

I protest, madam, I can hardly guess your meaning," said Mrs Ellison. "Do you really intend to affront me, madam ?”

"I intend to preserve innocence and virtue, if it be in my power, madam," answered the other." And sure nothing but the most eager resolution to destroy it, could induce you to mention such an appointment at such a time."

"I did not expect this treatment from you, madam," ," cries Mrs Ellison; "such ingratitude I could not have believed, had it been reported to me by any other."

"Such impudence," answered Mrs Atkinson,