CHAPTER III.
_Of Mr Abraham Adams the curate, Mrs Slipslop the chambermaid, andothers._
Mr Abraham Adams was an excellent scholar. He was a perfect master ofthe Greek and Latin languages; to which he added a great share ofknowledge in the Oriental tongues; and could read and translate French,Italian, and Spanish. He had applied many years to the most severestudy, and had treasured up a fund of learning rarely to be met with ina university. He was, besides, a man of good sense, good parts, and goodnature; but was at the same time as entirely ignorant of the ways ofthis world as an infant just entered into it could possibly be. As hehad never any intention to deceive, so he never suspected such a designin others. He was generous, friendly, and brave to an excess; butsimplicity was his characteristick: he did, no more than Mr ColleyCibber, apprehend any such passions as malice and envy to exist inmankind; which was indeed less remarkable in a country parson than in agentleman who hath passed his life behind the scenes,--a place whichhath been seldom thought the school of innocence, and where a verylittle observation would have convinced the great apologist that thosepassions have a real existence in the human mind.
His virtue, and his other qualifications, as they rendered him equal tohis office, so they made him an agreeable and valuable companion, andhad so much endeared and well recommended him to a bishop, that at theage of fifty he was provided with a handsome income of twenty-threepounds a year; which, however, he could not make any great figure with,because he lived in a dear country, and was a little encumbered with awife and six children.
It was this gentleman, who having, as I have said, observed the singulardevotion of young Andrews, had found means to question him concerningseveral particulars; as, how many books there were in the New Testament?which were they? how many chapters they contained? and such like: to allwhich, Mr Adams privately said, he answered much better than Sir Thomas,or two other neighbouring justices of the peace could probablyhave done.
Mr Adams was wonderfully solicitous to know at what time, and by whatopportunity, the youth became acquainted with these matters: Joey toldhim that he had very early learnt to read and write by the goodness ofhis father, who, though he had not interest enough to get him into acharity school, because a cousin of his father's landlord did not voteon the right side for a churchwarden in a borough town, yet had beenhimself at the expense of sixpence a week for his learning. He told himlikewise, that ever since he was in Sir Thomas's family he had employedall his hours of leisure in reading good books; that he had read theBible, the Whole Duty of Man, and Thomas a Kempis; and that as often ashe could, without being perceived, he had studied a great good bookwhich lay open in the hall window, where he had read, "as how the devilcarried away half a church in sermon-time, without hurting one of thecongregation; and as how a field of corn ran away down a hill with allthe trees upon it, and covered another man's meadow." This sufficientlyassured Mr Adams that the good book meant could be no other than Baker'sChronicle.
The curate, surprized to find such instances of industry and applicationin a young man who had never met with the least encouragement, askedhim, If he did not extremely regret the want of a liberal education, andthe not having been born of parents who might have indulged his talentsand desire of knowledge? To which he answered, "He hoped he had profitedsomewhat better from the books he had read than to lament his conditionin this world. That, for his part, he was perfectly content with thestate to which he was called; that he should endeavour to improve histalent, which was all required of him; but not repine at his own lot,nor envy those of his betters." "Well said, my lad," replied the curate;"and I wish some who have read many more good books, nay, and some whohave written good books themselves, had profited so much by them."
Adams had no nearer access to Sir Thomas or my lady than through thewaiting-gentlewoman; for Sir Thomas was too apt to estimate men merelyby their dress or fortune; and my lady was a woman of gaiety, who hadbeen blest with a town education, and never spoke of any of her countryneighbours by any other appellation than that of the brutes. They bothregarded the curate as a kind of domestic only, belonging to the parsonof the parish, who was at this time at variance with the knight; for theparson had for many years lived in a constant state of civil war, or,which is perhaps as bad, of civil law, with Sir Thomas himself and thetenants of his manor. The foundation of this quarrel was a modus, bysetting which aside an advantage of several shillings _per annum_ wouldhave accrued to the rector; but he had not yet been able to accomplishhis purpose, and had reaped hitherto nothing better from the suits thanthe pleasure (which he used indeed frequently to say was no small one)of reflecting that he had utterly undone many of the poor tenants,though he had at the same time greatly impoverished himself.
Mrs Slipslop, the waiting-gentlewoman, being herself the daughter of acurate, preserved some respect for Adams: she professed great regard forhis learning, and would frequently dispute with him on points oftheology; but always insisted on a deference to be paid to herunderstanding, as she had been frequently at London, and knew more ofthe world than a country parson could pretend to.
She had in these disputes a particular advantage over Adams: for she wasa mighty affecter of hard words, which she used in such a manner thatthe parson, who durst not offend her by calling her words in question,was frequently at some loss to guess her meaning, and would have beenmuch less puzzled by an Arabian manuscript.
Adams therefore took an opportunity one day, after a pretty longdiscourse with her on the essence (or, as she pleased to term it, theincence) of matter, to mention the case of young Andrews; desiring herto recommend him to her lady as a youth very susceptible of learning,and one whose instruction in Latin he would himself undertake; by whichmeans he might be qualified for a higher station than that of a footman;and added, she knew it was in his master's power easily to provide forhim in a better manner. He therefore desired that the boy might be leftbehind under his care.
"La! Mr Adams," said Mrs Slipslop, "do you think my lady will suffer anypreambles about any such matter? She is going to London very concisely,and I am confidous would not leave Joey behind her on any account; forhe is one of the genteelest young fellows you may see in a summer's day;and I am confidous she would as soon think of parting with a pair of hergrey mares, for she values herself as much on one as the other." Adamswould have interrupted, but she proceeded: "And why is Latin morenecessitous for a footman than a gentleman? It is very proper that youclergymen must learn it, because you can't preach without it: but I haveheard gentlemen say in London, that it is fit for nobody else. I amconfidous my lady would be angry with me for mentioning it; and I shalldraw myself into no such delemy." At which words her lady's bell rung,and Mr Adams was forced to retire; nor could he gain a secondopportunity with her before their London journey, which happened a fewdays afterwards. However, Andrews behaved very thankfully and gratefullyto him for his intended kindness, which he told him he never wouldforget, and at the same time received from the good man many admonitionsconcerning the regulation of his future conduct, and his perseverance ininnocence and industry.
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