Mr. Western, who was advanced at some distance when this accident happened, was now returned, as were the rest of the horse-men. Sophia immediately acquainted them with what had befallen Jones, and begged them to take care of him. Upon which Weltern, who had been much alarmed by meeting his daughter's horfe without its rider, and was now overjoyed to find her unhurt, cried out, I am glad it is no worfe, if Tom hath broken his arm, we will get a joiner to mend un again.'

The 'fquire alighted from his horfe, and proceeded to his houfe on foot, with his daughter and Jones. An impartial spectator, who had met them on the way, would, on viewing their feveral countenances, have coucluded Sophia alone to have been. the object of compaffion: for as to Jones, he exulted in having probably faved the life of the young lady, at the price only of a broken bone; and Mr. Western, though he was not unconcerned at the accident which had befallen Jones, was, however, delighted in a much higher degree with the fortunate efcape of his daughter.

The generofity of Sophia's temper conftrued this behaviour of Jones into great bravery; and it made a deep impreffion on her heart: for certain it is, that there is no one quality which fo generally recommends men to women as this; proceeding, if we believe the common opinion, from that natural timidity of the fex; which is, fays Mr. Oborne, fo great, that a woman is the most cowardly of all the creatures God ever made.' A fentiment more remarkable for its bluntnefs than for its truth. Ariftotle, in his politics, doth them, I believe, more juftice, when he fays, The modefty and fortitude of men differ from thofe virtues in women; for the fortitude which becomes a woman, would be cowardice in a man; and the modefty which becomes a man, would be pertnefs in a woman.' Nor is there, perhaps, more truth in the opinion of thofe who derive the partiality which women are inclined to fhew to the brave, from this excefs of their fear. Mr. Bayle, (I think, in his article of Helen)

imputes this, and with greater probability, to their violent love of glory; for the truth of which, we have the authority of him, who, of all others, faw farthest into human nature; and who introduces the heroine of his Odyffey, the great pattern of matrimonial love and conftancy, affigning the glory of her hufband as the only fource of her affection towards himt.

However this be, certain it is that the accident operated very strongly on Sophia; and, indeed, after much enquiry into the matter, I am inclined to believe, that at this very time, the charming Sophia made no lefs impreffion on the heart of Jones; to fay truth, he had for fome time become fenfible of the irresistible power of her charms.

CHA P. XIV.

The arrival of a furgeon. His operations, and a long dialogue between Sophia and her maid.

WHEN they arrived in Mr. Weftern's hall,

Sophia, who had totter'd along with much difficulty, funk down in a chair; but by the affistance of hartfhorn and water, she was prevented from fainting away, and had pretty well recovered her fpirits, when the furgeon, who was fent for to Jones, appeared. Mr. Weftern, who imputed these fymptoms in his daughter to her fall, advifed her to be prefently blooded by way of prevention. In this opinion he was feconded by the furgeon, who gave fo many reafons for bleeding, and quoted fo many cafes where perfons had mifcarried for want of it, that the 'fquire became very importunate, and indeed infifted peremptorily that his daughter fhould be blooded.

Sophia foon yielded to the commands of her father, though entirely contrary to her own inclinations for the fufpected, I believe, lefs danger from the fright, than either the 'fquire or the furgeon. She

The English reader will not find this in the poem, for the fentiment is entirely left out in the tranflation.

She then ftretched out her beautiful arm, and the rator began to prepare for his work.

ope

While the fervants were bufied in providing materials; the furgeon, who imputed the backwardnefs which had appeared in Sophia to her fears, began to confort her with affurances that there was not the least danger; for no accident, he said, could ever happen in bleeding, but from the monftrous ignorance of pretenders to furgery, which he pretty plainly infinuated was not at prefent to be apprehended. Sophia declared fhe was not under the leaft apprehenfion; adding, if you open an artery, I promise you I'll forgive you; Will you,' cries Western,D-n me, if I will; if he does thee the leaft mifchief, d-n me, if I don't ha' the heart's blood o'un out.' The furgeon affented to bleed her upon these conditions, and then proceeded to his operation, which he performed with as much dexterity as he had promifed; and with as much quicknefs: for he took but little blood from her, faying, it was much fafer to bleed again and again, than to take away too much at once.

Sophia, when her arm was bound up, retired: for fhe was not willing (nor was it, perhaps, ftrictly decent) to be prefent at the operation on Jones. Indeed, one objection which he had to bleeding, (though fhe did not make it) was the delay wich it would occafion to fetting the broken bone. For Weftern, when Sophia was concerned, had no confideration, but for her; and as for Jones himself, he

fat like patience on a monument fmiling at grief.' To fay the truth, when he faw the blood fpringing from the lovely arm of Sophia, he scarce thought of what had happened to himself.

The furgeon now ordered his patient to be stript to his fhirt, and then entirely baring the arm, he began to ftretch and examine it, in fuch a manner, that the tortures he put him to, caufed Jones to make feveral wry faces; which the furgeon obferving, greatly wondered at, crying, What is the matter, Sir? I am fure it is impoffible I fhould hurt you.' And then holding forth the broken

arm

arm, he began a long and very learned lecture of anatomy, in which fimple and double fractures were most accurately confidered; and the feveral ways in which Jones might have broken his arm, were difcuffed, with proper annotations, fhewing how many of thefe would have been better, and how many worse than the prefent cafe.

Having at length finished his laboured harangue, with which the audience, though it had greatly raifed their attention and admiration, were not much edified, as they really understood not a fingle fyllable of all he had faid, he proceeded to bufinefs, which he was more expeditious in finishing, than he had been in beginning.

Jones was then ordered into a bed, which Mr. Weltern compelled him to accept at his own houfe, and fentence of water-gruel was paffed upon him.

Among the good company which had attended in the hall during the bone-fetting, Mrs. Honour was one; who being fummoned to her miftrefs as foon as it was over, and asked by her how the young gentleman did, prefently launched into extravagant praises ou the magnimity, as fhe called it, of his behaviour, which, the faid was fo charming in fo pretty a creature.' She then burft forth into much warmer encomiums on the beauty of his perfon; enumerating many particulars, and ending with the white

nefs of his fkin.

This difcourfe had an effect on Sophia's countenance, which would not perhaps have efcaped the obfervance of the fagacious waiting-woman, had the nce looked her miftrefs in the face, all the time he was fpeaking; but as a looking-glafs, which was most commodiously placed oppofite to her, gave her an opportunity of furveying thofe features, in which, of all others, he took molt delight; fo fhe had not once removed her eyes from that amiable object during her whole fpeech.

Mrs. Honour was fo entirely wrapped up in the fubject on which the exercifed her tongue, and the object before her eyes, that he gave her mistress time to conquer her confufion ; which having done,

the

fhe fmiled on her maid, and told her, she was cer⚫tainly in love with this young fellow.' I in love, Madam!' anfwers fhe, upon my word, Ma'am, I affure you Ma'am, upon my foul, Ma'am, I am Why if you was,' cries her mistress,

' not.'

I

fee no reason that you should be ashamed of it; for he is certainly a pretty fellow.' Yes, Ma'am, anfwered the other, that he is, the moft handfomeft man I ever faw in my life. Yes, to be fure that he is, and, as your lady fhip fays, I don't know why I fhould be afhamed of loving him, though he is my betters. To be fure gentle folks " are but flesh and blood no more than us fervants. Befides, as for Mr. Jones, thof 'fquire Allworthy hath made a gentleman of him, he was not fo good as myself by birth: for thof I am a poor body, I am an honest perfon's child, and my father and mother were married, which is more than fome people can fay, as high as they hold their heads. Marry, come up! I affure you, my dirty confin thof his fkin be fo white, and to be fure, it is the moft whiteft that ever was feen, 1 am a chriftián as well as he, and no body can fay that I am base born, my grandfather was a clergyman †, aud would have been very angry, I believe, to have thought any of his family fhould have taken up with Molly Seagrim's dirty leavings.'

Perhaps Sophia might have fuffered her maid to run on in this manner, from wanting fufficient fpirits to stop her tongue, which the reader may probably conjecture was no very eafy tafik: for, certainly there were fome paffages in her fpeech, which were far from being agreeable to the lady. However, fhe now checked the torrent, as there feemed no end of its flowing. I wonder,' fays fhe, at your affurance in daring to talk thus of one of my father's ⚫ friends. As to the wench, I order you never to VOL. I. • mention

I

This is the fecond perfon of low condition whom we have recorded in this history, to have fprung from the clergy. It is to be hoped fuch inftances will, in future ages, when fome provision is made for the families of the inferior clergy, appear stranger than they can be thought at present.