History of Tom Jones, a Foundling

by Henry Fielding

  Chapter vii.

  Containing such grave matter, that the reader cannot laugh oncethrough the whole chapter, unless peradventure he should laugh at theauthor.

  When Jenny appeared, Mr Allworthy took her into his study, and spoketo her as follows: "You know, child, it is in my power as amagistrate, to punish you very rigorously for what you have done; andyou will, perhaps, be the more apt to fear I should execute thatpower, because you have in a manner laid your sins at my door.

  "But, perhaps, this is one reason which hath determined me to act in amilder manner with you: for, as no private resentment should everinfluence a magistrate, I will be so far from considering your havingdeposited the infant in my house as an aggravation of your offence,that I will suppose, in your favour, this to have proceeded from anatural affection to your child, since you might have some hopes tosee it thus better provided for than was in the power of yourself, orits wicked father, to provide for it. I should indeed have been highlyoffended with you had you exposed the little wretch in the manner ofsome inhuman mothers, who seem no less to have abandoned theirhumanity, than to have parted with their chastity. It is the otherpart of your offence, therefore, upon which I intend to admonish you,I mean the violation of your chastity;--a crime, however lightly itmay be treated by debauched persons, very heinous in itself, and verydreadful in its consequences.

  "The heinous nature of this offence must be sufficiently apparent toevery Christian, inasmuch as it is committed in defiance of the lawsof our religion, and of the express commands of Him who founded thatreligion.

  "And here its consequences may well be argued to be dreadful; for whatcan be more so, than to incur the divine displeasure, by the breach ofthe divine commands; and that in an instance against which the highestvengeance is specifically denounced?

  "But these things, though too little, I am afraid, regarded, are soplain, that mankind, however they may want to be reminded, can neverneed information on this head. A hint, therefore, to awaken your senseof this matter, shall suffice; for I would inspire you withrepentance, and not drive you to desperation.

  "There are other consequences, not indeed so dreadful or replete withhorror as this; and yet such, as, if attentively considered, must, onewould think, deter all of your sex at least from the commission ofthis crime.

  "For by it you are rendered infamous, and driven, like lepers of old,out of society; at least, from the society of all but wicked andreprobate persons; for no others will associate with you.

  "If you have fortunes, you are hereby rendered incapable of enjoyingthem; if you have none, you are disabled from acquiring any, nayalmost of procuring your sustenance; for no persons of character willreceive you into their houses. Thus you are often driven by necessityitself into a state of shame and misery, which unavoidably ends in thedestruction of both body and soul.

  "Can any pleasure compensate these evils? Can any temptation havesophistry and delusion strong enough to persuade you to so simple abargain? Or can any carnal appetite so overpower your reason, or sototally lay it asleep, as to prevent your flying with affright andterror from a crime which carries such punishment always with it?

  "How base and mean must that woman be, how void of that dignity ofmind, and decent pride, without which we are not worthy the name ofhuman creatures, who can bear to level herself with the lowest animal,and to sacrifice all that is great and noble in her, all her heavenlypart, to an appetite which she hath in common with the vilest branchof the creation! For no woman, sure, will plead the passion of lovefor an excuse. This would be to own herself the mere tool and bubbleof the man. Love, however barbarously we may corrupt and pervert itsmeaning, as it is a laudable, is a rational passion, and can never beviolent but when reciprocal; for though the Scripture bids us love ourenemies, it means not with that fervent love which we naturally beartowards our friends; much less that we should sacrifice to them ourlives, and what ought to be dearer to us, our innocence. Now in whatlight, but that of an enemy, can a reasonable woman regard the man whosolicits her to entail on herself all the misery I have described toyou, and who would purchase to himself a short, trivial, contemptiblepleasure, so greatly at her expense! For, by the laws of custom, thewhole shame, with all its dreadful consequences, falls intirely uponher. Can love, which always seeks the good of its object, attempt tobetray a woman into a bargain where she is so greatly to be the loser?If such corrupter, therefore, should have the impudence to pretend areal affection for her, ought not the woman to regard him not only asan enemy, but as the worst of all enemies, a false, designing,treacherous, pretended friend, who intends not only to debauch herbody, but her understanding at the same time?"

  Here Jenny expressing great concern, Allworthy paused a moment, andthen proceeded: "I have talked thus to you, child, not to insult youfor what is past and irrevocable, but to caution and strengthen youfor the future. Nor should I have taken this trouble, but from someopinion of your good sense, notwithstanding the dreadful slip you havemade; and from some hopes of your hearty repentance, which are foundedon the openness and sincerity of your confession. If these do notdeceive me, I will take care to convey you from this scene of yourshame, where you shall, by being unknown, avoid the punishment which,as I have said, is allotted to your crime in this world; and I hope,by repentance, you will avoid the much heavier sentence denouncedagainst it in the other. Be a good girl the rest of your days, andwant shall be no motive to your going astray; and, believe me, thereis more pleasure, even in this world, in an innocent and virtuouslife, than in one debauched and vicious.

  "As to your child, let no thoughts concerning it molest you; I willprovide for it in a better manner than you can ever hope. And nownothing remains but that you inform me who was the wicked man thatseduced you; for my anger against him will be much greater than youhave experienced on this occasion."

  Jenny now lifted her eyes from the ground, and with a modest look anddecent voice thus began:--

  "To know you, sir, and not love your goodness, would be an argument oftotal want of sense or goodness in any one. In me it would amount tothe highest ingratitude, not to feel, in the most sensible manner, thegreat degree of goodness you have been pleased to exert on thisoccasion. As to my concern for what is past, I know you will spare myblushes the repetition. My future conduct will much better declare mysentiments than any professions I can now make. I beg leave to assureyou, sir, that I take your advice much kinder than your generous offerwith which you concluded it; for, as you are pleased to say, sir, itis an instance of your opinion of my understanding."--Here her tearsflowing apace, she stopped a few moments, and then proceededthus:--"Indeed, sir, your kindness overcomes me; but I will endeavourto deserve this good opinion: for if I have the understanding you areso kindly pleased to allow me, such advice cannot be thrown away uponme. I thank you, sir, heartily, for your intended kindness to my poorhelpless child: he is innocent, and I hope will live to be gratefulfor all the favours you shall show him. But now, sir, I must on myknees entreat you not to persist in asking me to declare the father ofmy infant. I promise you faithfully you shall one day know; but I amunder the most solemn ties and engagements of honour, as well as themost religious vows and protestations, to conceal his name at thistime. And I know you too well, to think you would desire I shouldsacrifice either my honour or my religion."

  Mr Allworthy, whom the least mention of those sacred words wassufficient to stagger, hesitated a moment before he replied, and thentold her, she had done wrong to enter into such engagements to avillain; but since she had, he could not insist on her breaking them.He said, it was not from a motive of vain curiosity he had inquired,but in order to punish the fellow; at least, that he might notignorantly confer favours on the undeserving.

  As to these points, Jenny satisfied him by the most solemn assurances,that the man was entirely out of his reach; and was neither subject tohis power, nor in any probability of becoming an object of hisgoodness.

  The ingenuity of this behaviour had gained Jenny so much cre
dit withthis worthy man, that he easily believed what she told him; for as shehad disdained to excuse herself by a lie, and had hazarded his furtherdispleasure in her present situation, rather than she would forfeither honour or integrity by betraying another, he had but littleapprehensions that she would be guilty of falsehood towards himself.

  He therefore dismissed her with assurances that he would very soonremove her out of the reach of that obloquy she had incurred;concluding with some additional documents, in which he recommendedrepentance, saying, "Consider, child, there is one still to reconcileyourself to, whose favour is of much greater importance to you thanmine."