more.

་

from difpleafing me by your familiarity, that I must beg you'll accept my friendship, as you already have ་ my efteem.'- - Then with grátitude I accept the ' offer,' cried he, fqueezing me by the hand, thou 'glorious pillar of unfhaken orthodoxy! and do I behold' I here interrupted what he was going to fay; for though, as an author, I could digeft no mall fhare of flattery, yet now my modesty would permit no However, no lovers in romance ever cemented a more inftantaneous friendship. We talked upon feveral fubjects: at first, I thought he feemed rather devout than learned, and began to think he defpifed all human doctrines as drofs. Yet this no way leffened him in my esteem: for I had for fome time begun privately to harbour such an opinion myself. I therefore took occafion to observe, that the world in general began to be blameably indifferent as to doctrinal matters, and followed human fpeculations too muchAy, Sir,' replied he, as if he had referved all his learning to that moment, Ay, Sir, the world is in its dotage, and yet the cofmogony or creation of the 'world has puzzled philofophers of all ages. What a medley of opinions have they not broached upon the creation of the world? Sanconiathon, Manetho, Berofus, and Ocellus Lucanus, have all attempted it in vain. The latter has thefe words, • Anarchon ara kai atelutaion to pan, which imply that all things have neither beginning nor end. Manetho also, who lived about the time of NebuchadonAffer, Affer being a Syriac word ufually applied as a furname to the kings of that country, as Teglat • Phael-Affer, Nabon-Affer; he, I fay, formed a conjecture equally abfurd; for as we ufually fay, ok to biblion kubernetes, which implies that books will never teach the world; fo he attempted to investi'gate-But, Sir, I afk pardon, I am ftraying from the question.'- -That the actually was; nor could I for my life fee how the creation of the world had any thing to do with the bufinefs I was talking of; but it was fufficient to fhew me that he was a man of

letters,

letters, and I now reverenced him the more. I was refolved therefore to bring him to the touchftone; but he was too mild and too gentle to contend for victory. Whenever I made any obfervation that looked like a challenge to controversy, he would fmile, fhake his head, and fay nothing; by which I underftood he could fay much, if he thought proper. The fubject therefore infenfibly changed from the bufinefs of antiquity to that which brought us both to the fair; mine I told him was to fell an horfe, and very luckily, indeed, his was to buy one for one of his tenants. My horfe was foon produced, and in fine we ftruck a bargain. Nothing now remained but to pay me, and he accordingly pulled out a thirty pound note, and bid me change it. Not being in a capacity of complying with his demand, he ordered his footman to be called up, who made his appearance in a very genteel livery. Here, Abraham,' cried he, go and get gold for this; you'll do it at neighbour Jack fon's, or any where.' While the fellow was gone, he entertained me with a pathetic harangue on the great fcarcity of filver, which I undertook to improve, by deploring alfo the great scarcity of gold; fo that by that time Abraham returned, we had both agreed that money was never fo hard to be come at as now. Abraham returned to inform us, that he had been over the whole fair and could not get change, though he had offered half a crown for doing it. This was a very great disappointment to us all; but the old gentleman having paufed a little, asked me if I knew one Solomon Flamborough in my part of the country: upon replying that he was my next-door neighbour, If that be the cafe then,' returned he, I believe we shall deal. You shall have a draught upon him, payable at fight; and let me tell you, he is as warm " a man as any within five miles round him. Honest • Solomon and I have been acquainted for many years together. I remember I always beat him at three jumps; but he could hop upon one leg farther than I.' A draught upon my neighbour was to me

<

the

:

the fame as money; for I was fufficiently convinced of his ability the draught was figned and put into my hands, and Mr. Jenkinfon, the old gentleman, his man Abraham, and my horfe, old Blackberry, trotted off, very well pleased with each other.

4

After a fhort interval, being left to reflection, I began to recollect that I had done wrong in taking a draught from a ftranger, and fo prudently refolved upon following the purchaser, and having back my horfe. But this was now too late: I therefore made directly homewards, refolving to get the draught changed into money at my friend's as faft as poffible. I found my honeft neighbour fmoking his pipe at his own door, and informing him that I had a small bill upon him, he read it twice over. • You can read the name, I fuppofe,' cried I, Ephraim Jenkinfon.' - Yes,' returned he, the name is written plain enough, and I know the gentleman too, the greatest rafçal under the canopy of heaven. This is the very fame rogue who fold us the fpectacles. Was he 'not a venerable looking man, with grey hair, and no flaps to his pocket-holes? And did he not talk a 'long ftring of learning about Greek, and cofmogony, and the world? To this I replied with a groan. Aye,' continued he, he has but one piece of learning in the world, and he always talks it wherever he finds a scholar in company: but I ⚫ know the rogue, and will catch him yet.'

Though I was already fufficiently mortified, my greatest ftruggle was to come, in facing my wife and daughters. No truant was ever more afraid of returning to school, there to behold the mafter's visage, than I was of going home. I was determined, however, to anticipate their fury, by first falling into a paffion myself.

But, alas! upon entering, I found the family no way difpofed for battle. My wife and girls were all in tears, Mr. Thornhill having been there that day to inform them that their journey to town was entirely over. The two ladies having heard reports of us from

fome

fome malicious perfon about us, were that day fet out for London. He could neither difcover the ten-. dency nor the author of thefe, but whatever they might be, or whoever might have broached them, he continued to affure our family of his friendship and protection. I found, therefore, that they bore my difappointment with great refignation, as it was eclipfed in the greatness of their own. But what perplexed us moft was to think who could be fo bafe as to afperfe the character of a family fo harmless as ours, too humble to excite envy, and too inoffenfive to create difauft.

CHAP. XV.

All Mr. Burchell's villany at once detected.

ΤΗ

being over-wife.

The folly of

HAT evening and part of the following day was employed in fruitless attempts to difcover our enemies; fcarce a family in the neighbourhood but incurred our fufpicions, and each of us had reafons for our opinion best known to ourselves. As we were in this perplexity, one of our little boys, who had been playing abroad, brought in a letter-case, which he found on the green. It was quickly known to belong to Mr. Burchell, with whom it had been feen, and upon examination, contained fome hints upon different fubjects; but what particularly engaged our attention, was a fealed note fubfcribed, the copy of a letter to be fent to the ladies at Thornhill-castle. It inftantly occurred that he was the base informer, and we deliberated whether the note thould not be broke open. I was against it; but Sophia, who faid fhe was fure that of all men he would be the last to be guilty of fo much bafenefs, infifted upon its being read. In this fhe was feconded by the rest of the family, and, at their joint folicitation, I read as follows:

LADIES,

LADIES,

THE bearer will fufficiently fatisfy you as to the perfon from whence this comes: one at leaft the ⚫ friend of innocence, and ready to prevent its being ⚫ feduced. I am informed for a truth, that you have ⚫ fome intention of bringing two young ladies to town, ⚫ whom I have fome knowledge of, under the character of companions. As I would neither have fimplicity impofed upon, nor virtue contaminated, I must offer it as my opinion, that the impropriety of 'fuch a step will be attended with dangerous confequences. It has never been my way to treat the infamous or the lewd with feverity; nor fhould I now • have taken this method of explaining myfelf, or reproving folly, did it not aim at guilt. Take therefore the admonition of a friend, and seriously re⚫flect on the confequences of introducing infamy and 'vice into retreats where peace and innocence have hitherto refided.'

Our doubts were now at an end. There feemed indeed fomething applicable to both fides in this letter, and its cenfures might as well be referred to those to whom it was written, as to us; but the malicious meaning was obvious, and we went no farther. My wife had scarce patience to hear me to the end, but railed at the writer with unrestrained refentment. Olivia was equally fevere, and Sophia feemed perfectly amazed at his bafenefs. As for my part, it appeared to me one of the vileft inftances of unprovoked ingratitude I had met with. Nor could I account for it in any other manner than by imputing it to his defire of detaining my youngest daughter in the country, to have the more frequent opportunities of an interview. In this manner we all fat ruminating upon fchemes of vengeance, when our other little boy came running in to tell us that Mr. Burchell was approaching at the other end of the field. It is easier to conceive than defcribe the complicated fenfations which are felt from the pain of a recent injury, and the pleasure of

approach