6 ture make a quick Progrefs, when once they get abroad, as this unhappily hath already. Befides, fhould any fatal, Accident follow, as upon my Soul I am afraid will, unless immediately prevented, the Public would ring of your Name, in a Manner which, if your Father hath ⚫ common Humanity, must offend him. If you will therefore tell me where I may find the old Gentleman, I will not lofe a Moment in the Business; which while I purfue, you cannot do a more generous Action, than by paying a Vifit to the poor Girl. You will find I have not exaggerated in the Account I have given • of the Wretchedness of the Family. Nightingale immediately confented to the Propofal; and now having acquainted Jones with his Father's Lodging, and the Coffeehouse where he would mot probably find him, he hesitated a Moment, and then faid, My dear Tom, you are going to undertake an Impoffibility. If you knew my Father, you would never think of obtain ing his Confent.- -Stay, there is one Way Suppofe you told him I was ⚫ already married, it might be easier to reconcile him to the Fact after it was done; VOL. V. I ' and and, upon my Honour, I am so affected with what you have faid, and I love my Nancy fo paffionately, I almost wish it was done, whatever might be the Confe quence. Aguar Jones greatly approved the Hint, and promifed to purfue it. They then separated, -Nightingale to vifit his Nancy, and Jones in queft of the old Gentleman. What passed between Jones and old Mr. Nightingale, with the Arrival of a Perfon not yet mentioned in this Hiftory. VOD N Otwithstanding the Sentiment of the Roman Satyrift, which denies the Divinity of Fortune; and the Opinion of Seneca to the fame Purpofe; Cicero, who was, I believe, a wifer Man than either of them, xprefly holds the contrary; and certain it is there are fome Incidents in Life so very strange and unaccountable, that it feems to require more than human Skill and Forefight in producing them. Of this kind was what now happened to Jones, who found Mr. Nightingale the el der . der in fo critical a Minute, that Fortune, if she was really worthy all the Worship she received at Rome, could not have contrived fuch another. In fhort the old Gentleman and the Father of the young Lady whom he intended for his Son, had been hard at it for many Hours; and the latter was just now gone, and had left the former delighted with the Thoughts that he had fucceeded in a long Contention which had been between the two Fathers of the future Bride and Bridegroom; in which both endeavoured to over-reach the other, and, as not rarely happens in fuch Cafes, both had retreated fully fatisfied of having obtained the Victo 25 th in the tort nok 44 This Gentleman whom Mr. Jones now vifited, was what they call a Man of the World, that is to fay, a Man who directs his Conduct in this World,' as one who being fully perfuaded there is no other, is refolved to make the most of this. In his early Years he had been bred to Trade, but having acquired a very good Fortune, he had lately declined his Bufinefs; or to speak more properly, had changed it from dealing in Goods to dealing only in Money, of which he had always a plentiful Fund at Command, and of which he knew very well how to make a very plentiful Advantage; fomeI 2 ry. times times of the Neceffitics of private Men, and fometimes of thofe of the Public. He had indeed converfed fo entirely with Money, that it may be almoft doubted, whether he imagined there was any other thing really exifted in the World; this at least may be certainly averred, that he firmly believed nothing elfe to have any real Value. The Reader will, I fancy, allow, that Fortune could not have culled out a more improper Perfon for Mr. Jones to attack with any Probability of Succefs, nor could the whimsical Lady have directed this Attack at a more unfeasonable Time, As Money then was always uppermost in this Gentleman's Thoughts, fo the Moment he faw a Stranger within his Doors, it immediately occurred to his Imagination, that fuch Stranger was either come to bring him Money, or to fetch it from him. And according as one or other of thefe Thoughts prevailed, he conceived a favourable or unfavourable Idea of the Perfon who approached him. Unluckily for Jones, the latter of these was the Afcendant at prefent; for as a young Gentleman had visited him the Day before, : : 173 before, with a Bill from his Son for a Play Debt, he apprehended at the first Sight of Jones, that he was come on fuch another Errand. Jones therefore had no fooner told him that he was come on his Son's Account, than the old Gentleman, being confirmed in his Sufpicion, burft forth into an Exclamation, That he would lofe his • Labour.' Is it then poffible, Sir, answered Jones, that you can guess my Business ? If I do guess it, replied the other, I repeat again to you, you will lofe your Labour. What, I fuppofe you are one of thofe Sparks who lead my Son into all thofe Scenes of Riot and Debauchery, ⚫ which will be his Destruction; but I fhall pay no more of his Bills I promise you. • I expect he will quit all fuch Company for the future. If I had imagined otherwife I fhould not have provided a Wife for him; for I would be inftrumental in the Ruin ' of no Body.' How, Sir, faid Jones, and was this Lady of your providing?" Pray,Sir,anfwered the old Gentleman, how comes it to be any Concern of yours?" -Nay, dear Sir, replied Jones, be not • offended that I intereft myself in what regards your Son's Happiness, for whom I have fo great an Honour and Value. • It was upon that very Account I came to 13 • wait |