lover departed home, having first earnestly begged that no violence might be offered to the lady by his haste, in the same manner as a popish inquisitor begs the lay power to do no violence to the heretic delivered over to it, and against whom the church hath passed sentence.

And, to say the truth, Blifil had passed sentence against Sophia; for however pleased he had declared himself to Western with his reception, he was by no means satisfied, unless it was that he was convinced of the hatred and scorn of his mistress; and this had produced no less reciprocal hatred and scorn in him. It may, perhaps, be asked, Why then did he not put an immediate end to all further courtship? I answer, for that very reason, as well as for several others equally good, which we shall now proceed to open to the reader.

Though Mr. Blifil was not of the complexion of Jones, nor ready to eat every woman he saw; yet he was far from being destitute of that appetite which is said to be the common property of all animals. With this, he had likewise that distinguishing taste, which serves to direct men in their choice of the object or food of their several appetites; and this taught him to consider Sophia as a most delicious morsel, indeed to regard her with the same desires which an ortolan inspires into the soul of an epicure. Now the agonies which affected the mind of Sophia, rather augmented than impaired her beauty; for her tears added brightness to her eyes, and her breasts rose higher with her sighs. Indeed, no one hath seen beauty in its highest lustre, who hath never seen it in distress. Blifil therefore looked on this human ortolan with greater desire than when he viewed her last; nor was his desire at all lessened by the aversion which he discovered in her to himself. On the contrary, this served rather to heighten the pleasure he proposed in rifling her charms, as it added triumph to lust; nay, he

had some further views, from obtaining the absolute possession of her person, which we detest too much even to mention; and revenge itself was not without its share in the gratifications which he promised himself. The rivalling poor Jones, and supplanting him in her affections, added another spur to his pursuit, and promised another additional rapture to his enjoyment.

Besides all these views, which to some scrupulous persons may seem to savour too much of malevolence, he had one prospect, which few readers will regard with any great abhorrence. And this was, the estate of Mr. Western; which was all to be settled on his daughter and her issue; for so extravagant was the affection of that fond parent, that, provided his child would but consent to be miserable with the husband he chose, he cared not at what price he purchased him.

For these reasons Mr. Blifil was so desirous of the match, that he intended to deceive Sophia, by pretending love to her; and to deceive her father and his own uncle, by pretending he was beloved by her. In doing this, he availed himself of the piety of Thwackum, who held, that if the end proposed was religious (as surely matrimony is) it mattered not how wicked were the means. As to other occasions, he used to apply the philosophy of Square, which taught, that the end was immaterial, so that the means were fair and consistent with moral rectitude. To say truth, there were few occurrences in life on which he could not draw advantage from the precepts of one or other of those great masters.

Little deceit was indeed necessary to be practised on Mr. Western; who thought the inclinations of his daughter of as little consequence as Blifil himself conceived them to be; but as the sentiments of Mr. Allworthy were of a very different kind, so it was absolutely necessary to impose on him.

In this, however, Blifil was so well

assisted by Western, that he succeeded without difficulty; for as Mr. Allworthy had been assured by her father that Sophia had a proper affection for Blifil, and that all which he had suspected concerning Jones was entirely false, Blifil had nothing more to do than to confirm these assertions; which he did with such equivocations, that he preserved a salvo for his conscience; and had the satisfaction of conveying a lie to his uncle without the guilt of telling one. When he was examined touching the inclinations of Sophia by Allworthy, who said, He would on no account be accessary to forcing a young lady into a marriage contrary to her own will; he answered, That the real sentiments of young ladies were very difficult to be understood; that her behaviour to him was full as forward as he wished it, and that if he could believe her father, she had all the affection for him which any lover could desire. As for Jones,' said he, 'whom I am loth 'to call villain, though his behaviour to you, Sir, sufficiently justifies the appellation, his own vanity, or perhaps some wicked views, might make him boast of a 'falsehood; for if there had been any reality in Miss 'Western's love to him, the greatness of her fortune 'would never have suffered him to desert her, as you are well informed he hath. Lastly, Sir, I promise you I 'would not myself, for any consideration, no, not for the world, consent to marry this young lady, if I was not persuaded she had all the passion for me which I desire 'she should have.'

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This excellent method of conveying a falsehood with the heart only, without making the tongue guilty of an untruth, by the means of equivocation and imposture, hath quieted the conscience of many a notable deceiver; and yet, when we consider that it is Omniscience on which these endeavour to impose, it may possibly seem capable of affording only a very superficial comfort; and

that this artful and refined distinction between communicating a lie, and telling one, is hardly worth the pains it costs them.

Allworthy was pretty well satisfied with what Mr. Western and Mr. Blifil told him; and the treaty was now, at the end of two days, concluded. Nothing then remained previous to the office of the priest, but the office of the lawyers, which threatened to take up so much time, that Western offered to bind himself by all manner of covenants, rather than defer the happiness of the young couple. Indeed, he was so very earnest and pressing, that an indifferent person might have concluded he was more a principal in this match than he really was; but this eagerness was natural to him on all occasions; and he conducted every scheme he undertook in such a manner, as if the success of that alone was sufficient to constitute the whole happiness of his life.

The joint importunities of both father and son-in-law would probably have prevailed on Mr. Allworthy, who brooked but ill any delay of giving happiness to others, had not Sophia herself prevented it, and taken measures to put a final end to the whole treaty, and to rob both church and law of those taxes which these wise bodies have thought proper to receive from the propagation of the human species in a lawful manner. Of which in the next chapter.

CHAPTER VII.

A strange resolution of Sophia, and a more strange stratagem of Mrs. Honour.

THOUGH Mrs. Honour was principally attached to her own interest, she was not without some little attachment

to Sophia. To say truth, it was very difficult for any one to know that young lady without loving her. She therefore no sooner heard a piece of news, which she imagined to be of great importance to her mistress, than, quite forgetting the anger which she had conceived two days. before at her unpleasant dismission from Sophia's presence, she ran hastily to inform her of the news.

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The beginning of her discourse was as abrupt as her entrance into the room. 'O dear Ma'am!' says she, 'what doth your la'ship think? To be sure I am 'frightened out of my wits; and yet I thought it my duty to tell your la'ship, though perhaps it may make เ you angry, for we servants don't always know what will 'make our ladies angry; for, to be sure, every thing is always laid to the charge of a servant. When our 'ladies are out of humour, to be sure we must be 'scolded; and to be sure I should not wonder if your 'la'ship should be out of humour; nay, it must surprise 'you certainly, ay, and shock you too.'-' Good Honour, let me know it without any longer preface,' says Sophia; 'there are few things, I promise you, which will surprise, เ and fewer which will shock me.'-'Dear Ma'am,' answered Honour, 'to be sure, I overheard my master 'talking to parson Supple about getting a licence this very afternoon; and to be sure I heard him say, your 'la'ship should be married to-morrow morning.' Sophia turned pale at these words, and repeated eagerly 'Tomorrow morning!'-'Yes, Ma'am,' replied the trusty waiting-woman, 'I will take my oath I heard my 'master say so.'-' Honour,' says Sophia, 'you have 'both surprised and shocked me to such a degree, that I 'have scarce any breath or spirits left. What is to be 'done in my dreadful situation?' I wish I was able ' to advise your la'ship,' says she. Do advise me,' cries Sophia, 'pray, dear Honour, advise me. Think what

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