Boy, cries the Uncle, killing him, I am heartily glad to hear it. I never was bet⚫ter pleased in my Life. If you had been married, I fhould have affifted you as 'much as was in my Power, to have made 'the best of a bad Matter; but there is a great Difference between confidering a Thing which is already done and irrecoverable, and that which is yet to do. Let your Reafon have fair Play, Jack, and you will fee this Match in fo foolish and prepofterous a Light, that there will be. no Need of any diffuafive Arguments.'. How, Sir! replies young Nightingale, is there this Difference between having already done an Act, and being in. 'Honour engaged to do it?' Pugh, faid. "the Uncle, Honour is a Creature of the 'World's making, and the World hath the • Power of a Creator over it, and may govern and direct it as they pleafe. Now you well know how trivial these Breaches of Contract are thought; even the groffeft make but the Wonder and Con• verfation of a Day. Is there a Man who ' will be afterwards more backward in giv. ing you his Sifter or Daughter? Or is • there any Sifter or Daughter who would ' be more backward to receive you? Honour is not concerned in thefe Engage'ments.' Pardon me, dear Sir, cries • Night

• Nightingale, I can never think so; and not only Honour, but Confcience and Humanity are concerned. I am well fatisfied, that was I now to difappoint the 'young Creature, her Death would be the Confequence, and I should look on myfelf as her Murderer; nay, as her Mur• derer by the cruelleft of all Methods, by breaking her Heart.' Break her Heart, • indeed! no, no, Jack, cries the Uncle, the Hearts of Women are not fo foon broke; they are tough, Boy, they are tough.' But, Sir, anfwered Nightin gale, my own Affections are engaged, • and I never could be happy with any other Woman. How often have I heard you fay, that Children fhould be always fuffered to chufe for themfelves, and that you would let my Coufin Harriet do fo!' Why ay, replied the old Gentleman, fo I would have them; but then I would ⚫ have them chufe wifely. - Indeed, Jack, you must and fhall leave this Girl.'

Indeed, Uncle, cries the other, I muft and will have her. You will, young • Gentleman? faid the Uncle; I did not expect fuch a Word from you. I fhould not wonder if you had ufed fuch Language to your Father, who hath always • treated you like a Dog, and kept you at

• the

the Distance which a Tyrant preferves over his Subjects; but I who have lived • with you upon an equal Footing, might furely expect better Ufage: But I know how to account for it all; it is all owing to your prepofterous Education, in which I have had too little Share. There is my Daughter now, whom I have brought up as my Friend, never doth any thing without my Advice, nor ever refufes to take it when I give it her. You have never yet given her Advice in an Affair of this Kind, faid Nightingale, for I am greatly mittaken in my Coufin, if fhe would be very ready to obey even your most pofitive Commands in abandoning her Inclinations.'. • Don't abuse my Girl, anfwered the old Gentleman with fome E. motion; don't abufe my Harriet. I have brought her up to have no Inclinations 'contrary to my own. By fuffering her 'to do whatever fhe pleases, I have enured her to a Habit of being pleafed to do • whatever I like.' • Pardon me, Sir, faid Nightingale, I have not the least Design to reflect on my Coufin, for whom I have the greatest Efteem; and indeed I am convinced you will never put her to fo fevere a Trial, or lay fuch hard Commands on her as you would do on me.

I

: -But,

But, dear Sir, let us return to the

• Company; for they will begin to be uneafy at our long Abfence. I must beg one Favour of my dear Uncle, which is that he would not say any thing to fhock • the poor Girl or her Mother.' • O you

• need not fear me, answered he, I under• stand myself too well to affront Women; fo I will readily grant you that Favour; • and in Return I must expect another • of you.' • There are but few of your Commands, Sir, faid Nightingale, which I fhall not very chearfully obey.' Nay, Sir, I afk nothing, faid the Uncle, but the Honour of your Company home to my Lodging, that I may reafon the Case a little more fully with you: For I would • if poffible have the Satisfaction of preferv. ing my Family, notwithstanding the headstrong Folly of my Brother, who, in his own Opinion, is the wifeft Man • in the World.'

Nightingale, who well knew his Uncle to be as headstrong as his Father, fubmitted to attend him Home, and then they both returned back into the Room, where the old Gentleman promised to carry himfelf with the fame Decorum which he had before maintained.

CHAP.

СНАР. Х.

Afhort Chapter which concludes the Book.

TH

HE long Abfence of the Uncle and Nephew had occafioned fome Difquiet in the Minds of all whom they had left behind them; and the more, as during the preceding Dialogue, the Uncle had more than once elevated his Voice, so as to be heard down Stairs; which, though they could not diftinguish what he faid, had caufed fome evil foreboding in Nancy and her Mother, and indeed even in Jones himfelf..

When the good Company therefore again affembled, there was a vifible Alteration in all their Faces; and the good Humour which, at their laft Meeting, univerfally fhone forth in every Countenance, was now changed into a much less agreeable Afpect. It was a Change indeed common enough to the Weather in this Climate, from Sunshine to Clouds, from June to December

This