Containing fuch very deep and grave matters, that fome readers, perhaps, may not relifh it.

SQUARE had no fooner lighted his pipe, than addreffing himfelf to Allworthy, he thus began: Sir, I cannot help congratulatiug you on your ne phew; who at an age when few lads have any ideas but of fenfible objects, is arrived at a capacity of diftinguishing right from wrong. To confine any thing feems to me against the law of nature, by which every thing hath a right to liberty. Theid were his words; and the impreffion they have made ་ on me is never to be eradicated.. Can any man

&

have a higher notion of the rule of right, and the eternal fitnefs of things? I cannot help promiling. • myself from fuch a dawn, that the meridian of this youth will be equal to that of either the elder of the younger Brutus."

Here Twaekum haitily interrupted, and spilling fome of his wine, and fwallowing the relt with great eagerness, anfwered, From another expreflion he made ufe of, I hope he will refemble much better men. The law of nature is a jargon of words, which means nothing. I know not of any fuch law, not of any right which can be derived from it. To do as we would be done by, is indeed a chriftian motive, as the boy well expreffed himfelf, and [ am glad to find my inftructions have borne fuch good

fruit.

If vanity was a thing fit, (fays Square) I might indulge fome on the fame occafion for whence only he can have learnt his notions of right or wrong, I think is pretty apparent. If there be no law of nature, there is no right nor wrong.'

How! (fays the parfon) do you then banish revelation? Am I talking with a deift or an atheist?" Drink about, (fays Western) pox of your laws ♦ of nature. I don't know what you mean either of

you

you, by right and wrong. To take away my girl's bird was wrong in my opinion; and my neighbour Allworthy may do as he pleases; but to encourage boys in fuch practifes is to breed them up to the gallows.'

Allworthy anfwered, That he was forry for what his nephew had done; but could not confent to purnifh him, as he acted rather from a generous than unworthy motive.' He faid, If the boy had ftolen the bird, none would have been more ready to vote for a fevere chaftifement than himself; but it was plain that was not his defign:' and, indeed, is was as apparent to him, that he could have no other view but what he had himself avowed. (For as to that analicious purpose which Sophia fufpected, it never once entered into the head of Mr. Allworthy.) He, at length, concluded with again blaming the action as inconfiderate, and which, he faid, was pardonable only in a child.

Square had delivered his opinion fo openly, that if he was now filent he muft fubmit to have his judgment cenfured. He said, therefore, with fome warmth, That Mr. Allworthy had too much refpect to the dirty confideration of property. That in paffing our judgments on great and mighty actions, all private regards fhould be laid afide; for by adhering to those narrow rules, the younger Brutus had been ⚫ condemned of ingratitude, and the elder of parri⚫cide.'

And if they had been hanged too for thofe crimes.' cried Thwackum, they would have had no more then their deserts. A couple of heathenish villains! Heaven be praifed, we have no Brutus's now-a-days. I wifh, Mr. Square, you would defift from filling the minds of my pupils with fuch antichristian stuff; for the confequence muft be, while they are under my care, its being well fcourged out of them again. There is your difciple Tom almost spoiled already. I over-heard him the other day difputing with Mafter Blifil, that there was no merit in faith withour works. I know that is one of your tenets, and I fuppofe he had it from you."

• Don't

Don't accufe me of fpoiling him, fays Square. Who taught him to laugh at whatever is virtuous and decent, and fit and right in the nature of things? He is your own fcholar, and I difclaim him. No, no, Mafter Blifil is my boy. Young as he is, that lad's notions of moral rectitude I defy you ever to eradicate.'

Thwackum put on a contemptuous fneer at this, and replied, Ay, ay, I will venture him with you. He is too well grounded for all your philofophical cant to hurt. No, no, I have taken care to inftil

* fuch principles into him'

And I have infilled principles into him too,' cries Square, What put the fublime idea of virtue could infpire a human mind with the generous thought of giving liberty? And I repeat to you again, if it was 2 fit thing to be proud, I might claim the honour of having infufed that idea..

And if pride was not forbidden,' faid Thwackum, I might boaft of having taught him that duty which he himself affigned as his motive.'

So, between you both,' fays the 'fquire, the young gentlemen hath been taught to rob my daugh⚫ter of her bird. I find I must take care of my par tridge mew. I fhall have fome virtuous religious man or other fet all my partridges at liberty.' Then Happing a gentleman of the law, who was prefent, on the back, he cried out, What fay you to this Mr. Counsellor? Is not this against law?"

The lawyer with great gravity delivered himself as follows:

If the cafe be put of a partridge, there can be no doubt but an action would lie for though this be Fera Natura, yet being reclaimed, property vefts: but being the cafe of a finging bird, though reclaimed, as it is a thing of bafe nature, it mult be confidered as nullius in bonis. In this cafe, therefore, I conceive the plaintiff must be nonfuited; and I fhould difadvice the bringing any fuch action.' Well (fays the fquire) if it be nullus bonus, let us drink about, and talk a little of the ftate of the nation, or fome fuch difcourfe that we all underland

• for

⚫ for I am fure I don't understand a word of this. It may be learning and fenfe for aught I know; but " you fhall never perfuade me into it. Pox! you have • neither of you mentioned a word of that poor lad who deferves to be commended, to venture breaking his neck to oblige my girl, was a generous fpirited action: I have learning enough to fee that. D-n me, here's Tom's health. I fhall love the boy for it the longest day I have to live.'

Thus was the debate interrupted; but it would probably have been foon refumed, had not Mr. Allworthy prefently called for his coach, and carried off the two combatants.

Such was the conclufion of this adventure of the bird, and of the dialogue occafioned by it, which we could not help recounting to our reader, though it happened fome years before that flage, or period of time, at which our hiftory is now arrived.

CHAP.

V.

Containing matter accommodated to every taffe.

PARPA leves capiunt animos, Small things affect light minds,' was the fentiment of a great mafter of the paffion of love. And certain it is, that from this day Sophia began to have fome little kindnefs for Tom Jones, and no little averfion for his companion.

Many accidents from time to time improved both thefe paffions in her breaft; which without our recounting, the reader may well conclude, from what we have before hinted of the different tempers of thefe lads, and how much the one fuited with her own inclinations more than the other. To fay the truth, Sophia, when very young difcerned that Tom, though an idle, thoughtlefs, rattling rafcal, was no body's enemy but his own; and that Mafter Blifil, though a prudent, difcrect, fober, young gentleman, was, at the fame time, ftrongly attached to the intereft only of one fingle perfon; and who that fingle perfon was the

reader

feader will be able to divine without any affistance of

ours.

These two characters are not always received in the world with the different regard which feems feverally due to either; and which one would imagine mankind from felf-intereft, fhould fhew towards them. But perhaps there may be a political reafon for it: in finding one of a truly benevolent difpofition, men may very reafonably fuppofe, they have found a treafure, and be defirous of keeping it, like all other good things to themselves. Hence they may imagine, that to trumpet forth the praifes of fuch a perfon, would in the vulgar phrafe, be crying Roaft-meat and calling in partakers of what they intend to apply folely to their own ufe. If this reafon does not fatisfy the reader, I know no other means of accounting for the little refpect which I have commonly feen paid to a character which really does great honour to human nature, and is productive of the higheft good to fociety. But it was otherwife with Sophia. She honoured Tom Jones and fcorned Matter Blifil, almoft as foon as the knew the meaning of thofe two words..

Sophia had been abfent upwards of three years with her aunt; during all which time fhe had feldom feen either of thefe young gentlemen. She dined, however, once, together with her aunt, at Mr. All worthy's. This was a few days after the adventureof the partridge, before commemorated. Sophia heard the whole ftory at table, where fhe faid nothing,; nor indeed could her aunt get many words from her, as she returned home; but her maid, when nndrefling her, happening to fay, Well, Mifs, I fuppofe you have feen young Mafter Blifil to-day. She answered with much paffion, I hate the name of Mafter Blist as I do whatever is bafé and treacherous; and I wonder Mr. Allworthy would fuffer that old barbarous school-master to punish a poor boy fo cruelly, for what was only the effect of his good-nature. She then recounted the ftory to her maid, and concluded with faying,Don't you think he is a boy of a noble. 4. Spirit ??

G. 5.

This