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prefumption out of countenance. Upon which he let us know that his name was Thornhill, and that he was owner of the eftate that lay for fome extent round us. He again, therefore, offered to falute the female part of the family; and fuch was the power of fortune and fine clothes, that he found no fecond repulfe. As his addrefs, though confident, was eafy, we foon became more familiar; and perceiving mufical inftruments lying near, he begged to be favoured with a fong. As I did not approve of fuch difproportioned acquaintance, I winked upon my daughters, in order to prevent their compliance; but my hint was counteracted by one from their mother; fo that with a chearful air they gave us a favourite fong of Dryden's. Mr. Thornhill feemed highly delighted with their performance and choice, and then took up the guitar himself. He played but very indifferently; however, my eldest daughter repaid his former applaufe with intereft, and affured him that his tones were louder than even those of her mafter. At this compliment he bowed, which fhe returned with a curtfey. He praised her taste, and the commended his understanding: an age could not have made them better acquainted. While the fond mother too, equally happy, infifted upon her landlord's ftepping in, and tafting a glais of her goofeberry. The whole family feemed earnest to pleafe him my girls attempted to entertain him with topicks theythoughtmoft modern; while Mofes, on the contrary, gave him a queftion or two from the ancients, for which he had the fatisfaction of being laughed at my little ones were no lefs bufy, and fondly ftuck clofe to the ftranger. All my endeavours could fcarce keep their dirty fingers from handling and tarnishing the lace on his clothes, and lifting up the flaps of his pocket holes, to fee what was there. At the approach of evening he took leave; but not till he had requested permiffion to renew his vifit, which, as he was our fandlord, we moft readily agreed to.

As foon as he was gone, my wife called a council on the conduct of the day. She was of opinion, that it was a moft fortunate hit; for that he had known even franger things than that brought to bear. She hoped again to fee the day in which we might hold up

our heads with the beft of them; and concluded, the protested he could fee no reason why the two Mifs Wrinklers fhould marry great fortunes, and her children get none. As this laft arg1ment was directed to me, I protefte i I could fee no reafon for it neither; nor why Mr. Simpkins got the ten thoufand pound prize in the lottery, and we fate down with a blank. I pro:eft,

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Charles,' cried my wife, this is the way you always damp my girls and me when we are in fpirits.-Tell me, Soph, my dear, what do you think. of our new vifitor? Don't you think he feemed to be good-natured?'Immenfely fo, indeed, mama,' replied the; I think he has a great deal to fay upon every thing, and is never at a lofs; and the more trifling the fubject, the more he has to fay.'

Yes,' cried Olivia, he is well enough for a man; but for my part, I don't much like him, he is fo extremely impudent and familiar; but on the guitar he is fhocking.' These two laft fpeeches I interpreted by contraries, I found by this, that Sophia internally defpifed, as much as Olivia fecretly admired him. Whatever may be your opinions of him, my chil dren,' cried I, to confefs a truth, he has not prepoffeft me in his favour. Difproportioned friendships ever terminate in difguft: and I thought, notwithstanding all his eafe, that he feemed perfectly fenfible of the distance between us. Let us keep to compa nions of our own rank. There is no character more contemptible, than a man that is a fortune-hunter; and I can fee no reason why fortune-hunting women fhould not be contempti'ble too. Thus, at beft, we shall be contemptible if his views are honourable; but if they be otherwife! I fhould fhudder but to think of that! It is true, I have no apprehenfions from the conduct of my children, but I think there are fome from his cha'racter.' I would have proceeded, but for the interruption of a fervant from the fquire, who, with his compliments, fent us a fide of venifon, and a promife to dine with us fome days after. This well-timed prefent pleaded more powerfully in his favour, than any thing I had to fay could obviate. I therefore continued filent, fatisfied with just having pointed out danger, and leaving it

to

to their own difcretion to avoid it. That virtue which requires to be ever guarded, is fcarce worth the centinel.

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CHAP. VI.

THE HAPPINESS OF

As

FIRE-SIDE.

Buck of Beverland, with the history of Patient Grizzel, the adventures of Čatfkin, and then Fair Rofamond's bower. Our cock, which always crew at eleven, now told us it was time for repose; but an unforeseen difficulty started about lodging the stranger: all our beds were A COUNTRY already taken up, and it was too late to fend him to the next ale-house. In this dilemma, little Dick offered him his part of the bed, if his brother Mofes would let him lie with him.

S we carried on the former difpute with fome degree of warmth, in order to accommodate matters, it was univerfally agreed, that we should have a part of the venifon for fupper, and the girls undertook the task with alacrity. I am forry,' cried I, that we have no neighbour or ftranger to take part in this good cheer: feasts of this kind acquire a double relish from hofpitality.' Blefs me,' cried my wife, here comes our good friend Mr. Burchell, that faved our Sophia, and that run you down fairly in the argument.' Confute me in argument, child!' cried I. You mistake there, my dear. I believe there are but few ⚫ that can do that: I never difpute your • abilities at making a goofe-pye, and I beg you'll leave argument to me.' As I fpoke, poor Mr. Burchell entered the houfe, and was welcomed by the family, who fhook him heartily by the hand, while little Dick officiously reached him a chair.

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I was pleafed with the poor man's friendship for two reasons; because I knew that he wanted mine, and I knew him to be friendly as far as he was able. He was known in our neighbourhood by the character of the poor gentleman that would do no good when he was young, though he was not yet thirty. He would at intervals talk with great good fenfe; but in general he was fondeft of the company of children, whom he used to call harmless little men. He was famous, I found, for finging them ballads, and telling them ftories; and feldom went out without fomething in his pockets for them, a piece of gingerbread, or an halfpenny whistle. He generally came for a few days into our neighbourhood once a year, and lived upon the neighbours hofpitality. He fate down to fupper among us, and my wife was not fparing of her goofeberry wine. The tale went round; he fung us old fongs, and gave the children the story of the

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And I,' cried Bill, will give Mr. Burchell my part, if my fifters will take me to theirs. Well done, my good children,' cried I, hofpitality is one of the first chriftian duties. The beast retires to his shelter, and the bird flies to it's neft; but helpless man can only find refuge 'from his fellow creature. The greateft ftranger in this world, was he that came to fave it. He never had an houfe, as if willing to fee what hofpitality was left remaining amongst us.-Deborah, my dear,' cried I to my wife, give thofe boys a lump of fugar each; and let Dick's be the largeft, because he spoke firft.'

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In the morning early I called out my whole family to help at faving an aftergrowth of hay, and our guest offering his affiftance, he was accepted among the number. Our labours went on lightly, we turned the swath to the wind, I went foremost, and the reft followed in due fucceffion. I could not avoid, however, obferving the affiduity of Mr. Burchell in affifting my daughter Sophia in her part of the task. When he had finished his own, he would join in her's, and enter into a close converfation: but I had too good an opinion of Sophia's underftanding, and was too well convinced of her ambition, to be under any uneafinefs from a man of broken fortune. When we were finished for the day, Mr. Burchell was invited as on the night before; but he refused, as he was to lie that night at a neighbour's to whofe child he was carrying a whistle. When gone, our converfation at fupper turned upon our late unfortunate guest. What a strong inftance,' faid I,

is that poor man of the miseries 'attending a youth of levity and extravagance! He by no means wants fenfe, which only ferves to aggravate his former folly. Poor forlorn crea ture, where are now the revellers, the C • flatterers,

flatterers, that he could once inspire and command! gone, perhaps, to attend the bagnio pander, grown rich by his extravagance. They once praifed him, and now they applaud the pander: their former raptures at his wit, are now converted into farcalms at his folly: he is poor, and ⚫ perhaps deferves poverty; for he has neither the ambition to be independent, nor the skill to be useful.' Prompted perhaps by fome fecret reafons, I delivered this obfervation with too much acrimony, which my Sophia gently reproved. What foever his for

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mer conduct may be, papa, his cir• cumstances should exempt him from • cenfure now. His prefent indigence is a fufficient punishment for former folly; and I have heard my papa himfelf fay, that we fhould never strike one unneceffary blow at a victim over

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• whom Providence holds the courge

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⚫ of it's refentment. You are right, Sophia, cried my fon Mofes, and one of the ancients finely reprefents fo malicious a conduct, by the attempts of a ruftic to flay Marfyas, whofe fkin, the fable tells us, had been wholly ftript off by another. Befides, I don't know if this poor man's fituation be fo bad as my father would reprefent it. We are not to judge of the feelings of others by what we might feel if in their place. • However dark the habitation of the mole to our eyes, yet the animal itfelf finds the apartment fuffici⚫ently lightfome. And to confefs the truth, this man's mind feems fitted to his ftation; for I never heard any one more fprightly than he was today, when he converfed with you.' This was faid without the leaft design, however it excited a bluth, which he Arove to cover by an affected laugh; affuring him, that the fcarce took any notice of what he faid to her; but that the believed he might once have been a very fine gentleman. The readiness with which the undertook to vindicate herself, and her bluthing, were lymptoms I did not internally approve; but I repreft my fufpicions.

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As we expected our landlord the next day, my wife went to make the venifon pafty; Mofes fat reading, while I taught the little ones: my daughters feemed equally busy with the reft; and I obferved them for a good while cook

ing fomething over the fire. I at firft fuppofed they were affifting their mother; but little Dick informed me in a whifper, that they were making a wash for the face. Washes of all kinds I had a natural antipathy to; for I knew that instead of mending the complexion they fpoiled it. I therefore approached my chair by fly degrees to the fire, and grafping the poker, as if it wanted mending, feemingly by accident, overturned the whole compofition, and it was too late to begin another.

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DESCRIBED. THE DULLEST FELLOWS MAY LEARN TO BE COMICAL FOR A NIGHT OR TWO.

WHEN we were in gnacrtvin our

which we were to

our young landlord, it may be easily suppofed what provifions were exhausted to make an appearance. It may also be conjectured that my wife and daughters expanded their gayeft plumage upon this occafion. Mr. Thornhill came with a couple of friends, his chaplain and feeder. The fervants, who were numerous, he politely ordered to the next alehoufe: but my wife, in the triumph of her heart, infifted on entertaining them all; for which, by the bye, our family was pinched for three weeks after. As Mr. Burchell had hinted to us the day before, that he was making fome propofals of marriage to Mifs Wilmot, my fon George's former miftrefs, this a good deal damped the heartiness of his reception: but accident, in fome measure, relieved our embarraffment; for one of the company happening to mention her name, Mr. Thornhill obferved with an oath, that he never knew any thing more ab. furd than calling fuch a fright a beauty : For, ftrike me ugly,' continued he, if I fhould not find as much pleasure in chuling my mistress by the information of a lamp under the clock at St. Dunstan's. At this he laughed, and fo did we: the jets of the rich are ever fuccefsful. Olivia too could not avoid whispering, loud enough to be heard, that he had an infinite fund of hu

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After dinner I began with my usual toalt,

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toaft, the church; for this I was thanked by the chaplain, as he faid the church was the only mistress of his affections. Come, tell us honeftly, Frank,' faid the fquire, with his usual archness,' fuppofe the church, your prefent miftrefs, dreft in lawn fleeves, on one hand, and Mifs Sophia, with no lawn about her, on the other, which would you be for?' For both, to be fure, cried the chaplain. Right, Frank,' cried the fquire; for may this glafs fuffocate me, but a fine girl is worth all the priest craft in the creation. For what are tythes and tricks but an impofition, all a confounded impofture, and I can prove it.'-' I with you would,' cried my son Mofes, and I think,' continued he,' that I should be able to answer you.'Very well, Sir,' cried the fquire, who immediately fmoaked him, and winked on the rest of the company, to prepare us for the fport, if you are for a cool argument upon that fubject, I am ready to accept the challenge. And first, whether are you for managing it analogically, or dialogically? I am for managing it rationally,' cried Mofes, quite happy at being permitted to difpute. Good again, cried the fquire; and firstly, of the firft. I hope you'll not deny that whatever is, is: if you don't grant me that, I can go no farther.". Why,' returned Mofes, I think I may grant that, and make the best of it.'- I hope too,' returned the other,

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you will grant that a part is lefs than the whole." I grant that too,' cried Mofes, it is but juft and rea'fonable. I hope,' cried the fquire, · you will not deny, that the two angles of a triangle are equal to two right ones. Nothing can be plainer, returned t'other; and looked round with his ufual importance.

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• Very

well,' cried the fquire, fpeaking very quick, the premises being thus fettled, I proceed to obferve, that the concatenation of self-existences, proceeding in a reciprocal duplicate ratio, naturally produce a problematical dialogifm, which in fome meafure proves that the effence of fpirituality may be referred to the fecond predicable. Hold, hold,' cried the other, I deny that. Do you think I can thus tamely fubmit to • fuch heterodox doctrines? What,'

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replied the fquire, as if in a paffion, not fubmit! Anfwer me one plain queftion: Do you think Ariftotle right, when he fays that relatives are related?' Undoubtedly,' replied the other. If fo then,' cried the fquire, anfwer me directly to what I propofe: Whether do you judge the analytical investigation of the firft part of my enthymem deficient fecundum quoad, or quoad minus, and give me your reasons: I fay, directly.- I proteft,' cried Mofes, 'I don't rightly comprehend the force of your reafoning; but if it be reduced to one fimple propofition, I fancy it may then have an anfwer." O, Sir,' cried the fquire, I am your moft humble fervant; I find you · want me to furnish you with argument and intellects too. No, Sir, there I proteft you are too hard for 'me.' This effectually raised the laugh againft poor Mofes, who fate the only difinal figure in a groupe of merry faces: nor did he offer a fingle fyllable more during the whole entertainment.

But though all this gave me no pleafure, it had a very different effect upon Olivia, who mistook it for humour, though but a mere act of the memory. She thought him therefore a very fine gentleman; and such as confider what powerful ingredients a good figure, fine clothes, and fortune, are in that character, will eafily forgive her. Mr. Thornhill, notwithstanding his real ignorance, talked with eafe, and could expatiate upon the common topicks of converfation with fluency. It is not furprifing then that fuch talents should win the affections of a girl, who by education was taught to value an ap pearance in herself, and confequently to fet a value upon it in another.

Upon his departure, we again entered into a debate upon the merits of our young landlord. As he directed his looks and converfation to Olivia, it was no longer doubted but that she was the object that induced him to be our vifitor. Nor did the feem to be much difpleafed at the innocent raillery of her brother and fifter upon this occafion. Even Deborah herself feemed to share the glory of the day, and exulted in her daughter's victory as if it were her own. And now, my dear,' cried the to me, I'll fairly own, that it was I

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that

that instructed my girls to encourage our landlord's addreffes. I had always fome ambition, and you now fee that I was right; for who knows how this may end?'-' Aye, who knows that indeed!' anfwered I with a groan: for my part I don't much like it; and I could have been better pleased with one that was poor and honeft, than this fine gentleman with his fortune and infidelity: for, depend on't, if he be what I fufpect him, no free-thinken fhall ever have a child of • mine.'

Sure, father,' cried Mofes, you are too fevere in this; for Heaven ⚫ will never arraign him for what he thinks, but for what he does. Every' man has a thousand vicious thoughts, which arife without his power to fup

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prefs. Thinking freely of religion · may be involuntary with this gentleman fo that allowing his fentiments to be wrong, yet as he is purely paffive in his affent, he is no more to be blamed for his errors, than the governor of a city without walls for the fhelter he is obliged to afford an invading enemy."

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True, my fon,' cried I; but if the governor invites the enemy there, he is juftly culpable. And fuch is always the cafe with those who embrace error. The vice does not lie in affenting to the proofs they fee; butin being blind to many of the proofs that offer. So that, though our erroneous ⚫ opinions be involuntary when formed, yet as we have been wilfully corrupt, or very negligent in forming them, we deferve punishment for our vice, or contempt for our folly.'

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My wife now kept up the converfation, though not the argument: the obferved, that feveral very prudent men of our acquaintance were free-thinkers, and made very good hufbands; and the knew fome fenfible girls that had fkill enough to make converts of their fpoufes: And who knows, my dear,' continued fhe, what Olivia may be able to do. The girl has a great deal to fay upon every fubject, and to my knowledge is very well skilled in controverfy.'

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Why, my dear, what controversy < can the have read?' cried I. 'It does < not occur to me that I ever put fuch books into her hands: you certainly over-rate her merit.'-'Indeed, papa,

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wifited by Mr. Burchell, though

HE next morning we were again

I began, for certain reasons, to be difpleafed with the frequency of his return; but I could not refuse him my company and fire-fide. It is true his labour more than requited his entertainment; for he wrought among us with vigour, and either in the meadow, or at the hay-rick, put himself foremoft. Befides, he had always fomething amusing to fay that leffened our toil, and was at once fo out of the way, and yet fo fenfible, that I loved, laughed at, and pitied him. My only dislike arofe from an attachment he discovered to my daughter: he would in a jefting manner call her his little miftrefs, and when he bought each of the girls a fet of ribbands, her's was the fineft. I knew not how, but he every day feemed to become more amiable, his wit to improve, and his fimplicity to affume the fuperior airs of wisdom.

Our family dined in the field, and we fate, or rather reclined, round a temperate repaft, our cloth fpread upon the hay, while Mr. Burchell gave chearfulness to the feaft. To heighten our fatisfaction, two black-birds anfwered each other from pofite hedges, the familiar red-breast came and pecked the crumbs from our hands, and every found feemed but the echo of tranquility. I never fit thus,' fays Sophia,

but I think of the two lovers, fo 'fweetly defcribed by Mr. Gay, who were ftruck dead in each other's arms. There is fomething fo pathetic in the defcription, that I have read

it

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