leaft fuperftitious, must allow to have been peculiarly fortunate. Partridge was moreover better pleafed with the prefent purfuit of his companion, than he had been with his purfuit of glory; and from thefe very omens, which affured the pedagogue of fuccefs, he likewife first acquired a clear idea of the amour between Jones. and Sophia; to which he had before given very little attention, as he had originally taken a wrong fcent con cerning the reasons of Jones's departure; and as to what happened at Upton, he was too much frightened juft before and after his leaving that place, to draw any other conclufions from thence, than that poor Jones was a downright madman: a conceit which was not at all difagreeable to the opinion he before had of his extraordinary wildnefs, of which he thought, his be haviour on their quitting Gloucefter fo well jullified all the accounts he had formerly received. ile was now however pretty well fatisfied with his prefent expedition, and henceforth began to conceive much worthier fentiments of his friend's understanding.

The clock had juft ftruck three when they arrived, and Jones immediately bespoke post-horses; but unluckily there was not a horfe to be procured in the whole place; which the reader will not wonder at, when he confiders the hurry in which the whole nation, and especially this part of it, was at this time engaged, when expreffes were pailing and repaffing every hour of the day and night.

Jones endeavoured all he could to prevail with his former guide to escorte him to Coventry; but he was inexorable. While he was arguing with the boy in the inn-yard, a person came up to him, and faluting him by his name, enquired how all the good family did in Somerfetthire; and now Jones, cafting his eyes upon this perfon, prefently difcovered him to be Mr. Dowling the lawyer, with whom he had dined at Gloucester, and with much courtesy returned his falutation.

Dowling very earnestly preffed Mr. Jones to go no further that night; and backed his folicitations with many unanswerable arguments, fuch as that it was almoft dark, that the roads were very dirty, and that he would be able to travel much better by day-light, with VOL. VIII.

A a

many

many others equally good, fome of which Jones had probably fuggefted to himfelf before; but as they were then ineffectual, fo they were still; and he continued refolute in his defign, even though he should be obliged to fet out on foot.

When the good attorney found he could not prevail on Jones to ftay, he as ftrenuously applied himfelf to perfuade the guide to accompany him. He urged many motives to induce him to undertake this hort journey, and at last concluded with faying, Do you think the gentleman won't very well reward you for your trouble?'

Two to one are odds at every other thing, as welf as at foot-ball. But the advantage which this united force hath in perfuafion or entreaty, must have been visible to a curious obferver; for he must have often feen, that when a father, a master, a wife, or any other perfon in authority, have ftoutly adhered to a denial against all the reafons which a fingle man could produce, they have afterwards yielded to the repetition of the fame fentiments by a fecond or third person, who hath undertaken the caufe, without attempting to advance any thing new in its behalf. And hence perhaps proceeds the phrafe of feconding an argument or a motion, and the great confequence this is of in alt affemblies of public debate. Hence likewife probably it is, that in our courts of law we often hear a learned gentleman (generally a ferjeant) repeating for an hour together what another learned gentleman who spoke juft before him, had been faying.

Inftead of accounting for this, we shall proceed in our ufual manner to exemplify it in the conduct of the lad above-mentioned, who fubmitted to the perfuafions of Mr. Dowling, and promifed once more to admit Jones into his fide-faddle; but infifted on firft giving the poor creatures a good bait, faying they had travelled a great way, and been rid very hard. Indeed this caution of the boy was needlefs; for Jones, notwithstanding his hurry and impatience, would have ordered this of himfelf; for he by no means agreed with the opinion of those who confider animals as mere ma chines, and when they bury their fpurs in the belly of

their horfe, imagine the fpur and the horse to have an equal capacity of feeling pain.

While the beafts were eating their corn, or rather were supposed to eat it; (for, as the boy was taking care of himself in the kitchen, the hoftler took great care that his corn fhould not be confumed in the ftable), Mr. Jones, at the earnest defire of Mr. Dowling, accompanied that gentleman into his room, where they fat down together over a bottle of wine.

CHAP. X.

In which Mr. Jones and Mr. Dowling drink a bottle together.

MR. Dowling, pouring out a glafs of wine, named the health of the good fquire Allworthy, adding, If you pleafe, Sir, we will likewife remember his nephew and heir, the young fquire; come, Sir, here's Mr. Blifil to you, a very pretty young gen'tleman; and who, I dare fwear, will hereafter make a very confiderable figure in his country. I have a borough for him my felf in my eye.'

Sir,' answered Jones, I am convinced you don't ' intend to affront me, fo I fhall not refent it; but, I ' promife you, you have joined two perfons very improperly together; for one is the glory of the hu'man fpecies, and the other is a rafcal, who difho-nours the name of man.'

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Dowling ftared at this. He faid,' He thought both the gentlemen had a very unexceptionable character. As for fquire Allworthy himfelf,' fays he,' { never had the happinefs to fee him; but all the ' world talks of his goodnefs. And, indeed, as to the young gentleman, I never faw him but once, ' when I carried him the news of the lofs of his mother; and then I was fo hurried, and drove and tore with the multiplicity of business, that I had hardly time to converfe with him; but he looked fo like a very honeft gentleman, and behaved himself fo prettily, that I proteft I never was more delighted with any gentleman fince I was born.'

·

I don't wonder,' answered Jones, that he should impofe upon you in fo fhort an acquaintance; for he hath the cunning of the devil himself, and you · may live with him many years, without discovering • him. I was bred up with him from my infancy, and we were hardly ever afunder; but it is very lately only, that I have discovered half the villainy which is in him. I own I never greatly liked him. I thought he wanted that generofity of fpirit, which is the fure foundation of all that is great and noble in human nature. I faw a felfishnefs in him long ago, which I defpifed; but it is lately, very lately, • that I have found him capable of the basest and blackeft defigns; for, indeed, I have at last found out, that he hath taken an advantage of the opennefs of my own temper, and hath concerted the deepest project, by a long train of wicked artifice, to work my ruin, which at last he hath effected.'

you do me an honour It is true, indeed, his

Ay! Ay!' cries Dowling, I proteft then, it is a pity fuch a person should inherit the great estate of your uncle Allworthy.' < Alas, Sir,' cries Jones, to which I have no title. goodness once allowed me the liberty of calling him by a much nearer name; but, as this was only a voluntary act of goodness, I can complain of no injuftice, when he thinks proper to deprive me of this ⚫ honour, fince the lofs cannot be more unmerited than the gift originally was. I affure you, Sir, I am no relation of Mr. Allworthy; and if the world, who are incapable of setting a true value on his virtue, fhould think, in his behaviour by me, he • hath dealt hardly by a relation, they do an injuftice to the best of men: for I-but I ask your pardon; I fhall trouble you with no particulars relating to myfelf; only, as you feemed to think me a relation of Mr. Allworthy, I thought proper to fet you right in a matter that might draw fome cenfures upon him, which I promise you I would rather lofe my life, than give occafion to.'

I proteft, Sir,' cried Dowling, you talk very much like a man of honour; but, instead of giving

me any trouble, I proteft it would give me great pleasure to know how you came to be thought a • relation of Mr. Allworthy's, if you are not. Your

• horfes won't be ready this half-hour, and, as you have fufficient opportunity, I with you would tell me how all that happened; for I proteft, it feems very furprising that you should país for a relation ⚫ of a gentleman, without being fo.'

Jones, who in the compliance of his difpofition (tho' not in his prudence), a little resembled his lovely Sophia, was easily prevailed on to fatisfy Mr Dowling's curiofity, by relating the hiftory of his birth and edu cation, which he did, like Othello,

Even from his boyish years,

To th' very moment he was bad to tell;

the which to hear, Dowling, like Defdemona, did fe riously incline;

He fwore 'twas ftrange, 'twas paffing strange; 'Twas pitiful, 'twas wondrous pitiful.

Mr. Dowling was indeed very greatly affected with this relation; for he had not divested himself of hu manity by being an attorney. Indeed nothing is more unjuft than to carry our prejudices against a profeffion into private life, and to borrow our idea of a man from our opinion of his calling. Habit, it is true, leffens the horror of thofe actions which the profeffion makes neceffary, and confequently habitual; but, in all other inftances, nature works in men of all profeffions alike, nay perhaps even more ftrongly with those who give her, as it were, a holiday, when they are following their ordinary business. A butcher, I make no doubt, would feel compunction at the flaughter of a fine horfe; and, though a furgeon can conceive no pain in cutting off a limb, I have known him compaffionate a man in a fit of the gout. The common hang-man, who hath ftretched the necks of hundreds, is known to have trembled at his first operation on a head; and the very profeffors of human