whom No-body knows, (a Scandal, by the by, as old as the Days of Homer *) will always be the envied Portion of those, who have a legal Title either to Honour or Estate.

From that Figure, therefore, which the Irish Peer, who brought Sophia to Town, hath already made in this Hiftory, the Reader will conclude, doubtless, it muit have been an eafy Matter to have difcovered his Houfe in London, without knowing the particular Street or Square which he inha bited, fince he must have been one whom every Body knows. To fay the Truth, fo it would have been to any of thofe Trademen who are accustomed to attend the Regions of the Great: For the Doors of the Great are generally no lefs eafy to find, than it is difficult to get Entrance into them. But Jones, as well as Partridge, was an entire Stranger in London; and as he happened to. arrive first in a Quarter of the Town, the Inhabitants of which have very little Intercourfe with the Houtholders of Hanover or Grofve nor Square, (for he entered through GraysInn Lane) fo he rambled about fome Time, before he could even find his Way to those

See the 2d Cdyssey, ver. 175.
B 5

happy

happy Manfions, where Fortune fegregates from the Vulgar, thofe magnanimous Heroes, the Defcendants of antient Britons, Saxons, or Danes, whofe Ancestors being born in better Days, by fundry Kinds of Merit, have entailed Riches and Honour on their Pofterity./

Jones being at length arrived at those terreftrial Elysian Fields, would now foon have difcovered his Lordship's Manfion; but the Peer unluckily quitted his former House when he went for Ireland, and as he was juft entered into a new one, the Fame of his Equipage had not yet fufficiently blazed in the Neighbourhood: So that after a fuccefslefs Enquiry 'till the Clock had struck Eleven, Jones, at last, yielded to the Advice of Partridge, and retreated to the Bull and Gate in Holborn, that being the -Inn where he had firit alighted, and where he retired to enjoy that Kind of Repofe, which ufually attends Perfons in his Cir cumstances.

Early in the Morning he again fet forth in Purfuit of Sophia; and many a weary Step he took to no better Purpose than before. At laft, whether it was that Fortune relented, or whether it was no longer in her Power to disappoint him, he came into the

very

མ་ཐུ་ན་་་་་་་

Ch. 2.

a FOUNDLING.

very Street which was honoured by his Lordfhip's Refidence; and being directed to the, Houfe, he gave one gentle Rap at the Door.

The Porter, who, from the Modesty of the Knock, had conceived no high Idea of the Perfon approaching, conceived but little better from the Appearance of Mr. Jones, who was dreft in a Suit of Fuftian,, and had by his Side the Weapon formerly purchased of the Serjeant; of which, tho the Blade might be compofed of well-tempered Steel, the Handle was compofed only of Erafs, and that none of the brightest. When Jones, therefore, enquired after the young Lady, who had come to Town with his Lordship, this Fellow answered furlily, That there were no Ladies there." Jones then defired to fee the Master of the Houfe but was informed that his Lordship would fee no Body that Morning. And upon growing more preffing, the Porter faid,

He had pofitive Orders to let no Perfon • in; but if you think proper,' faid he, to leave your Name, I will acquaint his Lordship; and if you call another Time, you fhall know when he will fee you.'

Jones now declared, that he had very. particular Business with the young Lady, and could not depart without feeing her.' Upon which the Porter, with no very agreeable Voice or Afpect, affirmed,

• That

there was no young Lady in that Houfe, and,' confequently, none could he fee;". adding, Sure you are the ftrangest Man "I ever met with; for you will not take an Answer.

I have often thought, that by the parti cular Defcription of Cerberus the Porter of Hell, in the 6th Eneid, Virgil might poffibly intend to fatyrize the Porters of the great Men in his Time; the Picture, at lealt, refembles thofe who have the Honour to attend at the Doors of our great Men. The Porter in his Lodge, anfwers exactly to Cerberus in his Den, and, like him, must be appeafed by a Sop, before Access can be gained to his Mafter.. Perhaps Jones might have feen him in that Light, and have re-. collected the Paffage, where the Sybil, in. order to procure an Entrance for Eneas,, prefents the Keeper of the Stygian Avenue with fuch a Sop. Jones, in like Manner,, now began to offer a Bribe to the human Cerberus, which à Footman overhearing,

inftantly

if Mr.

instantly advanced, and declared, Jones would give him the Sum proposed, he would conduct him to the Lady.' Jones inftantly agreed, and was forthwith conducted to the Lodging of Mis. Fitzpatrick, by the very Fellow who had attended the Ladies thither the Day before..

Nothing more aggravates ill Succefs than the near Approach to Good. The Gamefter, who lofts his Party at Piquet by a fingle Point, laments his bad Luck ten Times as much as he who never came within a Profpect of the Game. So in a Lottery, the Proprietors of the next Numbers to that which wins the great Prize, are apt to account themselves much more unfortunate than their Fellow-Sufferers. In fhort, these kind of hair-breadth Miflings of Happiness, look like the Infults of Fortune, who may be confidered as thus playing Tricks with us, and wantonly diverting herfelf at our Expence.

Jones, who more than once already had experienced this frolickfome Difpofition of the Heathen Goddefs, was now again doomed to be tantalized in the like Man; ner: For he arrived at the Door of Mrs. Fitzpatrick, about ten Minutes after the Departure