at first purposed. This motion being complied with, brought them of neceffity back again to the churchyard.

Mafter Blifil, who rode firft, feeing fuch a mob affembled, and two women in the pofture in which we left the combatants, ftopt his horfe to enquire what was the matter. A country fellow, fcratching his head, anfwered him; I don't know meafter un't I; and pleafe your honour, here hath been a vight, I think, between goody Brown and Mol Seagrim.' Who, who cries Tom; but without waiting for an anfwer, having difcovered the features of his Molly through all the difcompofure in which they now were, he haftily alighted, turned his horfe loofe, and leaping over the wall ran to her. She now first burfling into tears, told him how barbaroufly fhe had been treated. Upon which, forgetting the fex of goody Brown, or perhaps not knowing it, in his rage; for, in reality, he had no feminine appearance, but a petticoat, which he might not obferve, he gave her a lafh or two with his horfe-whip; and then flying at the mob, who were all accufed by Moll, he dealt his blows fo profufely on all fides, that unless I would again invoke the mufe, (which the good-natured reader may think a little too hard upon her, as fhe hath fo lately been violently fweated) it would be impoffible for me to recount the horfe-whipping of that day. Having fcoured the whole coaft of the enemy, as well as any of Homer's heroes ever did, or as Don Quixote, or any knight-errant in the world could have done, he returned to Molly, whom he found in a condition, which muft give both me and my reader pain, was it to be defcribed here. Tom raved like a mad-man, beat his breaft, tore his hair, ftamped on the ground, and vowed the utmoft vengeance on all who had been concerned. He then pulled off his coat, and buttoned it round her, put his hat upon her head, wiped the blood from her face as well as he I could with his handkerchief, and called out to the fervant to ride as faft as poffible for a fide-faddle, or a pillion, that he might carry her fafe home.

VOL. I.

H

Master

Mafter Blifil objected to the fending away the fervant, as they had only one with them; but as Square feconded the order of Jones, he was obliged to com-ply.

The fervant returned in a very fhort time with the pillion, and Molly, having collected her rags as well as fhe could, was placed behind him. In which manner fhe was carried home, Square, Blifil, and Jones attending.

Here Jones having received his coat, giving her a fly kifs, and whispering her, that he would return in the evening, quitted his Molly, and rode on after his com panions.

CHA P. IX.

Containing matter of no very peaceable colour. MOLLY had no fooner apparelled herself in her accustomed rags, than her filters began to fall violently upon her; particularly her eldest fifter, who told her fhe was well-enough served. • How had the the affurance to wear a gown which young Madam Weltern had given to mother! If one of us was to wear it, I think,' fays fhe, I myfelf have the beft right; but warrant you think it belongs to your beauty. I fuppofe you think yourfelf more handfomer than any of us.' • Hand her down the bit of glafs from over the cupboard,' cries another; I'd wafh the blood from my face before I talked of my beauty.' You'd better have minded what the parfon fays,' cries the eldest, and not a harkened after men voke.' I indeed, child, and fo fhe had,' fays the mother fobbing; fhe hath brought a difgrace upon us all. She's the vurt of the family that ever was a whore. You need not • upbraid me with that, mother,' cries Molly; you yourfelf was brought-to bed of filter there, within a week after you was married.' Yes, huffy,' anfwered the enraged mother, fo I was, and what was the mighty matter of that? I was made an honest wo, man then; and if you was to be made an honeft

<

woman,

" woman, I fhould not be angry; but you must have to doing with a gentleman, you nafty flut; you will ⚫ have a bastard, huffy, you will; and that I defy any one to fay of me.'

In this fituation Black George found his family, when he came home for the purpose before-mentioned. As his wife and three daughters were all of them talking together, and most of them crying, it was fome time before he could get an opportunity of being heard; but as foon as fuch an interval occurred, he acquainted the company with what Sophia had said to him.

Goody Seagrim then began to revile her daughter afresh. Here,' fays fhe, you have brought us into a fine quandary indeed. What will Madam fay to that big belly? Oh that ever I fhould live to fee 'this day!'

Molly answered with great spirit, And what is this mighty place which you have got for me, father? (for he had not well understood the phrafe ufed by Sophia of being about her perfon). I suppose it is to be under the cook; but I shan't wash dishes for any body. My gentleman will provide better for See what he hath given me this afternoon : he hath promifed I fhall never want, mother; and you fhan't want money neither, if you will hold your tongue, and know when you are well.' And fo faying, the pulled out feveral guineas, and gave

6 me.

her mother one of them.

The good woman no fooner felt the gold within her palm, than her temper began (fuch is the efficacy of that panacea) to be mollified. Why, husband,'

fays fhe, would any but such a blockhead as you not have enquired what place this was before he had accepted it? Perhaps, as Molly fays, it may be in the kitchen; and truly I don't care my daughter fhould be a fcullion wench: for poor as I am, I am a gentlewoman. And thof I was obliged, as my father, who was a clergyman, died worfe than nothing, and fo could not give me a fhilling of portion, to undervalue myfelf, by marrying a poor man yet I would have you to know, I have a fpirit H 2

above

above all them things. Marry come up! it would better become Madam Western to look at home, ⚫ and remember who her own grand-father was. Some of my family, for ought I know, might ride in their coaches, when the grand fathers of fome voke walked a-voot. I warrant the fancies fhe did a mighty matter, when she fent us that old gownd; fome of my family would not have picked up fuch rags in the treet; but poor people are always trampled upon-The parish need not have been in fuch a flutter with Molly.-You might have told them, child, your grand-mother wore better things new out of the fhop.'

Well, but confider,' cried George, What anfwer • fhall I make to Madam? I don't know what anfwer,' fays fhe. You are always bringing your family into one quandary or other. Do you remember when you fhot the partridge, the occafion of all our misfortunes? Did not I advise you never to go into 'fquire Weftern's manor? Did not I tell you many a good year ago what would come of it? But you would have your own headstrong ways; yes, you would, you villain.'

Black George was, in the main, a peaceable kind of fellow, and nothing choleric, nor rafh, yet did he bear about him fomething of what the antients called the irafcible, and which his wife, if he had been endowed with much wisdom, would have feared. He had long experienced, that when the ftorm grew very high, arguments were but wind, which ferved rather to increafe than to abate it. He was therefore feldom unprovided with a small switch, a remedy of wonderful force, as he had often eflayed, and which the word villain ferved as a hint for applying.

No foaner, therefore, had this fymptom appeared, than he had immediate recourfe to the faid remedy, which though, as it is ufual in all very efficacious me dicines, it at firft feemed to heighten and inflame the difeafe, foon produced a total calp, and reflored the patient to perfect eafe and tranquillity.

This is, however, a kind of horfe medicine, which requires a very robuft conflitution to digeft, and is therefore

therefore proper only for the vulgar, unless in one fingle inftance; viz. where fuperiority of birth breaks out; in which cafe, we fhould not think it very improperly applied by any hufband whatever, if the application was not in itfelf, fo bafe, that, like certain applications of the phyfical kind which need not be mentioned, it so much degrades and contaminates the hand employed in it, that no gentleman fhould endure the thought of any thing fo low and deteftable.

The whole family were foon reduced to a state of perfect quiet; for the virtue of this medicine, like that of electricity, is often communicated through one perfon to many others, who are not touched by the inftrument. To fay the truth, as they both operate by friction, it may be doubted whether there is not fomething analogous between them, of which Mr. Freke would do well to enquire, before he publishes the next edition of his book.

A council was now called, in which, after many debates, Molly ftill perfifting that he would not go to fervice, it was at length refolved, that goody Seagrim herfelf fhould wait on Mifs Western, and endeavour to procure the place for her eldelt daughter, who de clared great readiness to accept it: but fortune, who feems to have been an enemy of this little family, afterwards put a flop to her promotion.

A fory told by Mr. Supple, the curate. The penetration of 'fquire Wettern. His great love for his daughter, and the return to it made by her.

THE next morning Tom Jones hunted with Mr.

Wettern, and was at his return invited by that gentleman to dinner.

The lovely Sophia fhone forth that day with more. gaiety and fprightlinefs than ufual. Her battery was certainly levelled at our hero; though, I believe, fhe herfelf fearce yet knew her own intention; but if

The