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there was any Deficiency in Point of Fortune? nay, doth not your prefent Anger arife folely from that Deficiency? And if he hath failed in his Duty here, did not you as much exceed that Authority, • when you abfolutely bargained with him for a Woman without his Knowledge, • whom you yourself never faw, and whom if you had feen and known as well as I, • it must have been Madness in you, to have ever thought of bringing into your Family.

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• Stil I own my Nephew in a Fault; • but furely it is not an unpardonable Fault. • He hath acted indeed without your Con

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fent, in a Matter in which he ought to • have asked it; but it is in a Matter in ⚫ which his Intereft is principally concerned; you yourself muft and will acknowledge, that you confulted his Intereft only, and if he unfortunately differed from you, and hath been mistaken in his Notion of Happinefs, will you, Brother, if you love your Son, carry him still wider from the Point? Will you encrease the ⚫ill Confequences of his fimple Choice? • Will you endeavour to make an Event ⚫ certain Mifery to him, which may accidentally prove fo? In a Word, Brother,

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• because he hath put it out of your Power to make his Circumstances as affluent as you would, will you diftrefs them as • much as you can?'

By the Force of the true Catholic Faith, St. Anthony won upon the Fishes. Orpheus and Amphion went a little farther, and by the Charms of Mufic enchanted Things merely inanimate. Wonderful both! But

neither History nor Fable have ever yet ventured to record an Inftance of any one, who by Force of Argument and Reason hath triumphed over habitual Avarice.

Mr. Nightingale, the Father, inftead attempting to answer his Brother, contented himself with only obferving, that they had always differed in their Sentiments concerning the Education of their Children.

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I wish, faid he, Brother, you would have • confined your Care to your own Daughter, and never have troubled yourself with my Son, who hath, I believe, as little profited by your Precepts, as by your Example: For young Nightingale was his Uncle's Godfon, and had lived more with him than with his Father.. Sa that the Uncle had often declared, he loved his Nephew almoft equally with his own Child.. Jones

Jones fell into Raptures with this good Gentleman; and when after much Periwafion, they found the Father grew ftill more and more irritated, instead of appeafed, Jones conducted the Uncle to his Nephew at the Houfe of Mrs. Miller.

A

CHAP. IX.

Containing ftrange Matters.

This Return to his Lodgings, Jones found the Situation of Affairs greatly altered from what they had been in at his Departure. The Mother, the two Daughters and young Mr. Nightingale were now fat down to Supper together, when the Uncle was, at his own Defire, introduced without any Ceremony into the Company, to all of whom he was well known; for he had feveral Times vifited his Nephew at that House,

The old Gentleman immediately walked up to Mifs Nancy, faluted and wished her Joy, as he did afterwards the Mother and the other Sifter; and laftly, he paid the proper Compliments to his Nephew, with

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the fame good Humour and Curtefy, as if his Nephew had married his equal or fupe. rior in Fortune, with all the previous Requifites first performed.

Mifs Nancy and her fuppofed Hufband both turned pale, and looked rather foolish than otherwise upon the Occafion; but Mrs. Miller took the firft Opportunity of withdrawing; and having fent for Jones into the Dining Room, fhe threw herself at his Feet, and in a moft paffionate Flood of Tears, called him her good Angel, the Preferver of her poor little Family, with many other refpectful and endearing Appel lations, and made him every Acknowledgment which the highest Benefit can extract from the most grateful Hearts.

After the first Guft of her Paffion was a little over, which fhe declared, if she had not vented, would have burst her, fhe proceeded to inform Mr. Jones, that all Matters were fettled between Mr. Nightingale and her Daughter, and that they were to be married the next Morning: At which Mr. Jones having expreft much Pleafure,

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poor Woman fell again into a Fit of Joy and Thanksgiving, which he at length with Difficulty filenced, and prevailed on

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her to return with him back to the Company, whom they found in the fame good Humour in which they had left them.

This little Society now past two or three very agreeable Hours together, in which the Uncle, who was a very great Lover of his Bottle, had fo well ply'd his Nephew, that this latter, though not drunk, began to be fomewhat fluftered; and now Mr. Nightingale taking the old Gentleman with him up Stairs into the Apartment he had lately occupied, unbofomed himself as follows.

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As you have been always the best and kindeft of Uncles to me, and as you have fhewn fuch unparalelled Goodness • in forgiving this Match, which to be fure may be thought a little improvident; I 'fhould never forgive myself if I attempted to deceive you in any thing.' He then confeffed the Truth, and opened the whole Affair.

How, Jack! faid the old Gentleman, and are you really then not married to this young Woman?' No, upon my Honour, anfwered Nightingale, I have told you the fimple Truth.' My dear

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• Boy,

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