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SOME MORALISTS

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XXVII

Parson Adams and useless riches

"Gina rapture," for I suppose you are a

IVE me your hand, brother," said Adams

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clergyman. No, truly," answered the other (indeed, he was a priest of the Church of Rome; but those who understand our laws will not wonder he was not over-ready to own it).—“Whatever you are," cries Adams, "you have spoken my sentiments. I believe I have preached every syllable of your speech twenty times over; for it hath always appeared to me easier for a cable-rope (which, by the way, is the true rendering of that word we have translated camel) to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to get into the kingdom of heaven.”—“That, sir," said the other, "will be easily granted you by divines, and is deplorably true; but as the prospect of our good at a distance doth not so forcibly affect us, it might be of some service to mankind to be made thoroughly sensible-which I think they might be with very little serious attention—that even the blessings of this world are not to be purchased with riches; a doctrine, in my opinion, not only metaphysically, but, if I may say so, mathematically demonstrable; and which I have been always so perfectly convinced of, that I have a contempt for nothing so much as for gold." Adams now began a long discourse;

but as most which he said occurs among many authors who have treated this subject, I shall omit inserting it. During its continuance Joseph and Fanny retired to rest, and the host likewise left the room. When the English parson had concluded, the Romish resumed the discourse, which he continued with great bitterness and invective; and at last ended by desiring Adams to lend him eighteenpence to pay his reckoning; promising, if he never paid him, he might be assured of his prayers. The good man answered that eighteen-pence would be too little to carry him any very long journey; that he had half a guinea in his pocket, which he would divide with him. He then fell to searching his pockets, but could find no money; for indeed the company with whom he dined had passed one jest upon him which we did not then enumerate, and had picked his pocket of all that treasure which he had so ostentatiously produced.

"Bless me!" cried Adams, “I have certainly lost it; I can never have spent it. Sir, as I am a Christian, I had a whole half-guinea in my pocket this morning, and have not now a single halfpenny of it left. Sure the devil must have taken it from me!"-"Sir," answered the priest, smiling, “you need make no excuses; if you are not willing to lend me the money, I am contented." Sir," cries Adams, "if I had the greatest sum in the world-ay, if I had ten pounds about me--I would bestow it all to rescue any Christian from distress. I am more vexed at my loss on your account than my own. Was ever anything so unlucky? Because I have no money in my pocket, I shall be

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suspected to be no Christian!”—“I am more unlucky," quoth the other, "if you are as generous as you say; for really a crown would have made me happy, and conveyed me in plenty to the place I am going, which is not above twenty miles off, and where I can arrive by to-morrow night. I assure you I am not accustomed to travel penniless. I am but just arrived in England, and we were forced by a storm in our passage to throw all we had overboard. I don't suspect but this fellow will take my word for the trifle I owe him; but I hate to appear so mean as to confess myself without a shilling to such people; for these, and indeed too many others, know little difference in their estimation between a beggar and a thief." However, he thought he should deal better with the host that evening than the next morning: he therefore resolved to set out immediately, notwithstanding the darkness; and accordingly, as soon as the host returned, he communicated to him the situation of his affairs; upon which the host, scratching his head, answered, “Why, I do not know, master; if it be So, and you have no money, I must trust, I think, though I had rather always have ready money if I could; but marry, you look like so honest a gentleman that I don't fear your paying me if it was twenty times as much." The priest made no reply, but, taking leave of him and Adams as fast as he could, not without confusion, and perhaps with some distrust of Adams' sincerity, departed.

He was no sooner gone than the host fell a shaking his head, and declared, if he had suspected the fellow

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