superior. Lastly, I am commanded to tell you, that the only instance of your compliance with my uncle's inclinations, which he requires, is, your immediately quitting this country. I can not conclude this without offering you my advice, as a Christian, that you would seriously think of amending your life: that you may be assisted with grace so to do, will be always the prayer of

Your humble servant,
W. BLIFIL."

Many contending passions were raised in our hero's mind by this letter; but the tender prevailed at last over the indignant and irrascible, and a flood of tears came seasonably to his assistance, and possibly prevented his misfortunes from either turning his head or bursting his heart.

He grew, however, soon ashamed of indulging this remedy; and starting up, he cried, "Well then, I will give Mr Allworthy the only instance he requires of my obedience. I will go this moment-but whither?-why let fortune direct; since there is no other who thinks it of any consequence what becomes of this wretched person, it shall be a matter of equal indifference to my self. Shall I alone regard what no other-Ha! have I not reason to think there is another?One whose value is above that of the whole world! I may, I must, imagine my Sophia is not indifferent to what becomes of me. Shall I then leave this only friend?—And such a friend? Shall I not stay with her?-Where? How can I stay with her? Have I any hopes of ever seeing her, though she was as desirous as myself, without exposing her to the wrath of her father? and to what purpose? Can I think of soliciting such a creature to consent to her own ruin? Shall I indulge any passion of mine at such a price? Shall I lurk about this country like a thief, with such intentions? No! I disdain-I detest the thought. Farewell, my Sophia; farewell, most lovely, most beloved." Here passion stopt his mouth, and found a vent at his eyes.

And now, having taken a resolution to leave the country, he began to debate with himself whither he should go. The world, as Milton phrases it, lay all before him; and Jones, no more than Adam, had any man to whom he might resort for comfort or assistance. All his acquaintance were the acquaintance of Mr Allworthy; and he had no reason to expect any countenance from them, as that gentleman had withdrawn his favour from him. Men of great and good characters should indeed be very cautious how they discard their dependents; for the consequence to the unhappy sufferer is, being discarded by all others.

What course of life to pursue, or to what business to apply himself, was a second consideration: and here the prospect was all a melancholy void. Every profession, and every trade, required length of time, and, what was worse, mo

ney; for matters are so constituted, that " Nothing out of nothing" is not a truer maxim in physics than in politics; and every man who is greatly destitute of money, is on that account entirely excluded from all means of acquiring it.

At last the ocean, that hospitable friend to the wretched, opened her capacious arms to receive him; and he instantly resolved to accept her kind invitation. To express myself less figuratively, he determined to go to sea.

This thought indeed no sooner suggested itself, than he eagerly embraced it; and having presently hired horses, he set out for Bristol to put it in execution.

But before we attend him on this expedition, we shall resort a while to Mr Western's, and see what farther happened to the charming Sophia.

CHAP. III.

Containing several dialogues.

THE morning in which Mr Jones departed, Mrs Western summoned Sophia into her apartment; and having first acquainted her that she had obtained her liberty of her father, she proceeded to read her a long lecture on the subject of matrimony; which she treated not as a romantic scheme of happiness arising from love, as it hath been described by the poets; nor did she mention any of those purposes for which we are taught by divines to regard it as instituted by sacred authority; she considered it rather as a fund in which prudent women deposit their fortunes to the best advantage, in order to receive a larger interest for them than they could have elsewhere.

When Mrs Western had finished, Sophia answered, that she was very incapable of arguing with a lady of her aunt's superior knowledge and experience, especially on a subject which she had so very little considered as this of matrimony.

Argue with me, child!" replied the other, "I do not indeed expect it. I should have seen the world to very little purpose truly, if I am to argue with one of your years. I have taken this trouble, in order to instruct you. The ancient philosophers, such as Socrates, Alcibiades, and others, did not use to argue with their scholars. You are to consider me, child, as Socrates, not asking your opinion, but only informing you of mine." From which last words the reader may possibly imagine, that this lady had read no more of the philosophy of Socrates, than she had of that of Alcibiades; and indeed we cannot resolve his curiosity as to this point.

"Madam," cries Sophia, "I have never presumed to controvert any opinion of yours; and this subject, as I said, I have never yet thought of, and perhaps never may."

"Indeed, Sophy," replied the aunt, "this dissimulation with me is very foolish. The French shall as soon persuade me that they take foreign towns in defence only of their own country, as you can impose on me to believe you have never yet thought seriously of matrimony. How can you, child, affect to deny that you have considered of contracting an alliance, when you so well know I am acquainted with the party with whom you desire to contract it? an alliance as unnatural and contrary to your interest, as a separate league with the French would be to the interest of the Dutch? But, however, if you have not hitherto considered of this matter, I promise you it is now high time; for my brother is resolved immediately to conclude the treaty with Mr Blifil; and indeed I am a sort of guarantee in the affair, and have promised your concurrence."

"Indeed, madam," cries Sophia, "this is the only instance in which I must disobey both yourself and my father. For this is a match which requires very little consideration in me to refuse."

"If I was not as great a philosopher as Socrates himself," returned Mrs Western, you would overcome my patience. What objection can you have to the young gentleman ?"

"A very solid objection, in my opinion," says Sophia,-"I hate him."

66

"Will you never learn the proper use of words?" answered the aunt. Indeed, child, you should consult Bailey's Dictionary. It is impossible you should hate a man from whom you have received no injury. By hatred, therefore, you mean no more than dislike, which is no sufficient objection against your marrying of him. I have known many couples, who have entirely disliked each other, lead very comfortable, genteel lives. Believe me, child, I know these things better than you. You will allow me, I think, to have seen the world; in which I have not an acquaintance who would not rather be thought to dislike her husband, than to like him. The contrary is such out of fashion romantic nonsense, that the very imagination of it is shocking."

"Indeed, madam," replied Sophia, "I shall never marry a man I dislike. If I promise my father never to consent to any marriage contrary to his inclinations, I think I may hope he will never force me into that state contrary to my

own.

"Inclinations!" cries the aunt, with some warmth; "Inclinations! I am astonished at your assurance. A young woman of your age, and unmarried, to talk of inclinations! But whatever your inclinations may be, my brother is resolved; nay, since you talk of inclinations, I shall advise him to hasten the treaty. Inclinations !"

Sophia then flung herself upon her knees, and tears began to trickle from her shining eyes.

She entreated her aunt to have mercy upon her, and not to resent so cruelly her unwillingness to make herself miserable; often urging, that she alone was concerned, and that her happiness only was at stake.

As a bailiff, when well authorized by his writ, having possessed himself of the person of some unhappy debtor, views all his tears without concern; in vain the wretched captive attempts to raise compassion; in vain the tender wife, bereft of her companion, the little prattling boy, or frighted girl, are mentioned as inducements to reluctance. The noble Bumtrap, blind and deaf to every circumstance of distress, greatly soars above all the motives to humanity, and into the hands of the gaoler resolves to deliver his miserable prey:

Not less blind to the tears, or less deaf to every entreaty of Sophia, was the politic aunt, nor less determined was she to deliver over the trembling maid into the arms of the gaoler Blifil. She answered with great impetuosity," So far, madam, from your being concerned alone, your concern is the least, or surely the least important. It is the honour of your family which is concerned in this alliance; you are only the instrument. Do you conceive, mistress, that in an intermarriage between kingdoms, as when a daughter of France is married into Spain, the princess herself is alone considered in the match? No; it is a match between two kingdoms, rather than between two persons. The same happens in great families, such as ours. The alliance between the families is the principal matter. You ought to have a greater regard for the honour of your family than for your own person; and if the example of a princess cannot inspire you with these noble thoughts, you cannot surely complain at being used no worse than all princesses are used."

"I hope, madam," cries Sophia, with a little elevation of voice, "I shall never do any thing to dishonour my family; but as for Mr Blifil, whatever may be the consequence, I am resolved against him, and no force shall prevail in his favour."

Western, who had been within hearing during the greater part of the preceding dialogue, had now exhausted all his patience; he therefore entered the room in a violent passion, crying, "D-n me then if shatunt ha'n, d-n me if shatunt, that's all—that's all-d-n me if shatunt."

Mrs Western had collected a sufficient quantity of wrath for the use of Sophia; but she now transferred it all to the squire. "Brother," said she, "it is astonishing that you will interfere in a matter which you had totally left to my negotiation. Regard to my family hath made me take upon myself to be the mediating power, in order to rectify those mistakes in policy which you have committed in your daughter's education. For, brother, it is you; it is

per servant all the time of their marriage, had returned that behaviour, by making what the world calls a good husband. He very seldom swore at her, (perhaps not above once a-week,) and never beat her: she had not the least occasion for jealousy, and was perfect mistress of her time; for she was never interrupted by her husband, who was engaged all the morning in his field exercises, and all the evening with bottlecompanions. She scarce, indeed, ever saw him but at meals, where she had the pleasure of carving those dishes which she had before attended in the dressing. From these meals she retired about five minutes after the other servants, having only stayed to drink the king over the water. Such were, it seems, Mr Western's orders; for it was a maxim with him, that women should come in with the first dish, and go out after the first glass. Obedience to these orders was perhaps no difficult task; for the conversation (if it may be so called) was seldom such as could entertain a lady. It consisted chiefly of hallooing, singing, relations of sporting adventures, b-d-y, and abuse of women, and of the government.

These, however, were the only seasons when Mr Western saw his wife; for when he repaired to her bed he was generally so drunk that he could not see, and in the sporting season he always rose from her before it was light. Thus was she perfect mistress of her time, and had besides a coach and four usually at her command; though unhappily, indeed, the badness of the neighbourhood, and of the roads, made this of little use; for none who had set much value on their necks would have passed through the one, or who had set any value on their hours, would have visited the other. Now, to deal honestly with the reader, she did not make all the return expected to so much indulgence: for she had been married against her will, by a fond father, the match having been rather advantageous on her side; for the squire's estate was upwards of 3000l. a-year, and her fortune no more than a bare 80001. Hence, perhaps, she had contracted a little gloominess of temper; for she was rather a good servant than a good wife; nor had she always the gratitude to return the extraordinary degree of roaring mirth with which the squire received her, even with a good-humoured smile. She would, moreover, sometimes interfere with matters which did not concern her, as the violent drinking of her husband, which, in the gentlest terms, she would take some of the few opportunities he gave her of remonstrating against. And once in her life she very earnestly entreated him to carry her for two months to London, which he peremptorily denied ; nay, was angry with his wife for the request ever after, being well assured that all the husbands

in London are cuckolds.

For this last, and many other good reasons, Western at length heartily hated his wife; and

as he never concealed this hatred before her death, so he never forgot it afterwards; but when any thing in the least soured him, as a bad scenting day, or a distemper among his hounds, or any other such misfortune, he constantly vented his spleen by invectives against the deceased, saying,-" If my wife was alive now, she would be glad of this."

These invectives he was especially desirous of throwing forth before Sophia: for as he loved her more than he did any other, so he was really jealous that she had loved her mother better than him. And this jealousy Sophia seldom failed of heightening on these occasions; for he was not contented with violating her ears with the abuse of her mother, but endeavoured to force an explicit approbation of all this abuse; with which desire he never could prevail upon her by any promise or threats to comply.

Hence some of my readers will, perhaps, wonder that the squire had not hated Sophia as much as he had hated her mother; but I must inform them that hatred is not the effect of love, even through the medium of jealousy. It is, indeed, very possible for jealous persons to kill the ob jects of their jealousy, but not to hate them. Which sentiment being a pretty hard morsel, and bearing something of the air of a paradox, we shall leave the reader to chew the cud upon it to the end of the chapter.

CHAP. V.

The generous behaviour of Sophia towards her Aunt.

SOPHIA kept silence during the foregoing speech of her father, nor did she once answer otherwise than with a sigh; but as he understood none of the language, or, as he called it, lingo, of the eyes, so he was not satisfied without some further approbation of his sentiments, which he now demanded in the usual way of his daughter; telling her, he expected she was ready to take the part of every body against him, as she had always done that of the bher mother. Sophia remaining still silent, he cried out, What, art dumb? why dost unt speak? Was not thy mother a dd b to me? answer me that. What! I suppose you despise your father too, and don't think him good enough to speak to ?"

"For Heaven's sake, sir," answered Sophia, " do not give so cruel a turn to my silence. I am sure I would sooner die than be guilty of any disrespect towards you; but how can I venture to speak, when every word must either offend my dear papa, or convict me of the blackest ingratitude as well as impiety to the memory of the best of mothers; for such, I am certain, my mamma was always to me?”

"And your aunt, I suppose, is the best of

sisters too!" replied the squire. "Will you be so kind as to allow that she is a b? I may fairly insist upon that, I think."

"Indeed, sir," says Sophia, "I have great obligations to my aunt. She hath been a second mother to me."

"And a second wife to me too," returned Western; "so you will take her part too! You won't confess that she hath acted the part of the vilest sister in the world?"

Upon my word, sir," cries Sophia, "I must belie my heart wickedly if I did. I know my aunt and you differ very much in your way of thinking; but I have heard her a thousand times express the greatest affection for you; and I am convinced, so far from her being the worst sister in the world, there are very few who love a brother better."

"The English of all which is," answered the squire," that I am in the wrong. Ay, certainly; ay, to be sure, the woman is in the right, and the man in the wrong always.”

"Pardon me, sir," cries Sophia, "I do not say so."

"What don't you say?" answered the father; "you have the impudence to say she's in the right; doth it not follow then, of course, that I am in the wrong? and, perhaps, I am in the wrong to suffer such a Presbyterian Hanoverian b to come into my house. She may 'dite me of a plot for any thing I know, and give my estate to the government."

"So far, sir, from injuring you or your estate," says Sophia, " if my aunt had died yesterday, I am convinced she would have left you her whole fortune."

Whether Sophia intended it or no, I shall not presume to assert; but, certain it is, these last words penetrated very deep into the ears of her father, and produced a much more sensible effect than all she had said before. He received the sound with much the same action as a man receives a bullet in his head. He started, staggered, and grew pale. After which he remained silent above a minute, and then began in the following hesitating manner :-" Yesterday! she would have left me her estate yesterday! would she? Why, yesterday, of all the days in the year? I suppose if she dies to-morrow she will leave it to somebody else, and, perhaps, out of the vamily."-" My aunt, sir," cries Sophia, "hath very violent passions, and I can't answer what she may do under their influence."

"You can't!" returned the father, "and pray who hath been the occasion of putting her into those violent passions? nay, who hath actually put her into them? was not you and she hard at it before I came into the room? besides, was not all our quarrel about you? I have not quarrelled with sister this many years but upon your account; and now you would throw the whole blame upon me, as thof I should be the occasion of her leaving the estcate out o' the vamily. I

could have expected no better indeed; this is like the return you make to all the rest of my fondness."

"I beseech you then," cries Sophia," upon my knees I beseech you, if I have been the unhappy occasion of this difference, that you will endeavour to make it up with my aunt, and not suffer her to leave your house in this violent rage of anger: she is a very good-natured woman, and a few civil words will satisfy her.-Let me entreat you, sir."

"So I must go and ask pardon for your fault, must I?" answered Western. "You have lost the hare, and I must draw every way to find her again? Indeed, if I was certain"-Here he stopt, and Sophia throwing in more entreaties, at length prevailed upon him; so that after venting two or three bitter sarcastical expressions against his daughter, he departed as fast as he could, to recover his sister before her equipage could be gotten ready.

Sophia then returned to her chamber of mourning, where she indulged herself (if the phrase may be allowed me) in all the luxury of tender grief. She read over more than once the letter which she had received from Jones; her muff too was used on this occasion; and she bathed both these, as well as herself, with her tears. In this situation, the friendly Mrs Honour exerted her utmost abilities to comfort her afflicted mistress: she ran over the names of many young gentlemen; and, having greatly commended their parts and persons, assured Sophia that she might take her choice of any. These methods must have certainly been used with some success in disorders of the like kind, or so skilful a practitioner as Mrs Honour would never have ventured to apply them: nay, I have heard that the college of chambermaids hold them to be as sovereign remedies as any in the female dispensary. But whether it was that Sophia's disease differed inwardly from those cases with which it agreed in external symptoms, I will not assert; but, in fact, the good waiting-woman did more harm than good, and at last so incensed her mistress, (which was no easy matter,) that, with an angry voice, she dismissed her from her presence.

CHAP. VI.

Containing great variety of matter.

THE Squire overtook his sister just as she was stepping into the coach, and, partly by force, and partly by solicitations, prevailed upon her to order her horses back into their quarters. He succeeded in this attempt without much difficulty; for the lady was, as we have already hinted, of a most placable disposition, and greatly loved her brother, though she despised his parts, or rather his little knowledge of the world.