6

much mistaken; what you fay now accounts very well for all his monftrous notions. Poor gentleman! I am heartily concerned for him; indeed he hath a ftrange wildness about his eyes, which I took notice of before, though I did not mention it.'

The landlord agreed with this laft affertion, and likewife claimed the fagacity of having obferved it. And certainly,' added he, it must be fo; for no one but a madman would have thought of leaving fo good a houfe, to ramble about the country at that time of night.

.

The excifeman, pulling his pipe from his mouth, faid, He thought the gentleman looked and talked a little wildly, and then turning to Partridge, If he be a madman,' fays he, he fhould not be fuffered to travel thus about the country; for poffibly he may do fome mischief. It is pity he was not fe'cured and fent home to his relations.'

Now fome conceits of this kind were likewife lurk. ing in the mind of Partridge; for, as he was now perfuaded that Jones had run away from Mr. Allworthy, he promised himself the highest rewards, if he could by any means convey him back. But fear of Jones, of whofe fiercenefs and ftrength he had feen, and indeed felt fome inftances, had however reprefented any fuch fcheme as impoffible to be executed,. and had difcouraged him from applying himfelf to form any regular plan for the purpofe. But no fooner did he hear the fentiments of the exciteman, than he embraced that opportunity of declaring his own, and expreffed a hearty with that fuch a matter could be brought about.

Could be brought about!' fays the excifeman; why there is nothing easier.'

Ah! Sir,' anfwered Partridge,' you don't know 'what a devil of a fellow he is. He can take me up "with one hand, and throw me out at a window; and he would too, if he did but imagine

Pogh' fays the excifeman, I believe I am as good a man as he. Befides, here are five of us.' I don't know what five," cries the landlady, ' my * husband shall have nothing to do in it. Nor fhall Z 2

'any

any violent hands be laid upon any body in my houfe. The young gentleman is as pretty a young gentleman as ever I faw in my life, and I believe he is no more mad than any of us. What do you tell of his having a wild look with his eyes? they are the prettieft eyes I ever faw, and he hath the prettieft look with them; and a very modest civil young man he is. I am fure I have bepitied him heartily ever fince the gentleman there in the corner told us he was croft in love. Certainly that is enough to make any man, especially fuch a fweet young gen⚫tleman as he is, to look a little otherwife than he 'did before. Lady, indeed! what the devil would the lady have better than fuch a handfome man with a great estate? I suppose fhe is one of your quality folks, one of your townly ladies that we faw last night in the puppet show, who don't know what they would be at.'

The attorney's clerk likewife declared he would have no concern in the bufinefs, without the advice of council. Suppofe,' fays he, an action of falfe imprisonment fhould be brought against us, what ⚫ defence could we make? Who knows what may be fufficient evidence of madness to a jury? But I only fpeak upon my own account; for it don't look well for a lawyer to be concerned in these matters, unlefs it be as a lawyer. Juries are always lefs favourable to us than to other people. I don't therefore diffuade you, Mr. Thomfon, (to the excifeman), nor the gentleman, nor any body else.'

The excifeman thook his head at this fpeech, and the puppet show-man faid, 'madness was fometimes a difficult matter for a jury to decide: For I re• member,' fays he, I was once prefent at a trial of madness, where twenty witneffes fwore that the perfon was as mad as a March hare; and twenty others, that he was as much in his fenfes as any man in England-And indeed it was the opinion of moft people, that it was only a trick of his rela⚫tions to rob the poor man of his right.'

Very likely cries the landlady, I myself knew a poor gentleman who was kept in a mad house all

his

his life by his family, and they enjoyed his eftate, but it did them no good; for, though the law gave it them, it was the right of another.'

Pogh!' cries the clerk with great contempt, who hath any right but what the law gives them? If the law gave me the best eftate in the country, I should never trouble myself much who had the right.'

If it be fo,' fays Partridge, Felix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum?

My landlord, who had been called out by the arrival of a horfeman at the gate, now returned into the kitchen, and with an affrighted countenance cried out, What do you think, gentlemen? The rebels have given the duke the flip, and are got almoft to London-It is certainly true, for a man on horfeback juft now told me fo.'

I am glad of it with all my heart,' cries Partridge; then there will be no fighting in thefe

parts.'

I am glad,' cries the clerk,' for a better reason; for I would always have right take place.'

Ay but,' anfwered the landlord, "I have heard • fome people say this man hath no right.'

I will prove the contrary in a moment,' cries the clerk; if my father dies feized of a right; do you • mind me, feized of a right, I fay; doth not that right defcend to his fon? and doth not one right - defcend as well as another?'

6

·

But how can he have any right to make us papifhes? fays the landlord.

As to the

Never fear that,' cries Partridge. matter of right, the gentleman there hath proved it as clear as the fun; and, as to the matter of religion, it is quite out of the cafe. The papifts themfelves don't expect any fuch thing. A popish priest, whom I knew very well, and who is a very honeft man, told me upon his word and honour they had no fuch defign.'

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And another priest of my acquaintance,' faid the landlady, hath told me the fame thing-But my hufbaud is always fo afraid of papifhes. I know a

great many papifhes that are very honeft fort of people, and spend their money very freely; and it is always a maxin with me, that one man's money is as good as another's.'

Very true, mistress,' faid the puppet-show-man I don't care what religion comes, provided the prefbyterians are not uppermoft; for they are enemies to puppet-fhows.'

And fo you would facrifice your religion to your • interest,' cries the excifeman; and are defirous to fee popery brought in, are you?

Not I truly,' anfwered the other; ' I hate popery as much as any man: but yet it is a comfort to one, that one fhould be able to live under it, which I could not do among prefbyterians. To be fure every man values his livelihood first; that must be I granted; and I warrant, if you would confefs the • truth, you are more afraid of lofing your place than any thing elfe; but never fear, friend, there will be an excife under another government as well as ' under this.'

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Why certainly,' replied the excifeman, I should be a very ill man, if I did not honour the king, ⚫ whose bread 1 eat That is no more than natural, as a man may fay: for what fignifies it to me that there would be an excife office under another government, fince my friends would be out, and L 'could expect no better than to follow them? No, no, friend, I fhall never be bubbled out of my religion, in hopes only of keeping my place under another government; for I fhould certainly be no better, and very probably might be worse.'

Why, that is what I fay,' cries the landlord, • whenever folks fay, who knows what may happen? • Odzooks, should not I be a blockhead to lend my money to I know not who, because mayhap he may return it again? I am fure it is fafe in my own bureau, and there will keep it.'

The attorney's clerk had taken a great fancy to the fagacity of Partridge. Whether this proceeded from the great difcernment which the former had into men, as well as things, or whether it arofe from the

fympathy

fympathy between their minds; for they were both truly Jacobites in principle; they now fhook hands heartily, and drank bumpers of strong beer to healths which we think proper to bury in oblivion.

Thefe healths were afterwards pledged by all prefent, and even by my landlord himself, though reluc tantly; but he could not withstand the menaces of the clerk, who fwore he would never fet his foot within his houfe again, if he refufed. The bumpers which were swallowed on this occafion foon put an end to the converfation. Here, therefore, we will put an end to the chapter.

CHAP. VIII.

In which fortune feems to have been in a better humour with Jones than we have hitherto seen her.

S there is no wholefomer, fo perhaps there are

A few ftronger fleeping potions than fatigue. Of

this Jones might be faid to have taken a very large dofe, and it operated very forcibly upon him. He had already slept nine hours, and might perhaps have flept longer, had he not been awakened by a moft violent noife at his chamber door, where the found of many heavy blows was accompanied with many exclamations of murder. Jones presently leapt from his bed, where he found the master of the puppet-show belabouring the back and ribs of his poor merry Andrew, without either mercy or moderation.

Jones inftantly interpofed on behalf of the fuffering party, and pinned the infulting conqueror up to the wall; for the puppet show-man was no more able to contend with Jones, than the poor party-coloured jefter had been to contend with this puppet-man.

But, though the merry Andrew was a little fellow, and not very strong, he had nevertheless fome choler about him. He therefore no fooner found himself delivered from the enemy than he began to attack him with the only weapon at which he was his equal. From this he first discharged a volley of general abufive words, and thence proceeded to fome particular

accufa