History of Tom Jones, a Foundling

by Henry Fielding

  Chapter ix.

  Containing little more than a few odd observations.

  Jones had been absent a full half-hour, when he returned into thekitchen in a hurry, desiring the landlord to let him know that instantwhat was to pay. And now the concern which Partridge felt at beingobliged to quit the warm chimney-corner, and a cup of excellentliquor, was somewhat compensated by hearing that he was to proceed nofarther on foot, for Jones, by golden arguments, had prevailed withthe boy to attend him back to the inn whither he had before conductedSophia; but to this however the lad consented, upon condition that theother guide would wait for him at the alehouse; because, as thelandlord at Upton was an intimate acquaintance of the landlord atGloucester, it might some time or other come to the ears of the latterthat his horses had been let to more than one person; and so the boymight be brought to account for money which he wisely intended to putin his own pocket.

  We were obliged to mention this circumstance, trifling as it may seem,since it retarded Mr Jones a considerable time in his setting out; forthe honesty of this latter boy was somewhat high--that is, somewhathigh-priced, and would indeed have cost Jones very dear, had notPartridge, who, as we have said, was a very cunning fellow, artfullythrown in half-a-crown to be spent at that very alehouse, while theboy was waiting for his companion. This half-crown the landlord nosooner got scent of, than he opened after it with such vehement andpersuasive outcry, that the boy was soon overcome, and consented totake half-a-crown more for his stay. Here we cannot help observing,that as there is so much of policy in the lowest life, great men oftenovervalue themselves on those refinements in imposture, in which theyare frequently excelled by some of the lowest of the human species.

  The horses being now produced, Jones directly leapt into theside-saddle, on which his dear Sophia had rid. The lad, indeed, verycivilly offered him the use of his; but he chose the side-saddle,probably because it was softer. Partridge, however, though full aseffeminate as Jones, could not bear the thoughts of degrading hismanhood; he therefore accepted the boy's offer: and now, Jones beingmounted on the side-saddle of his Sophia, the boy on that of MrsHonour, and Partridge bestriding the third horse, they set forwards ontheir journey, and within four hours arrived at the inn where thereader hath already spent so much time. Partridge was in very highspirits during the whole way, and often mentioned to Jones the manygood omens of his future success which had lately befriended him; andwhich the reader, without being the least superstitious, must allow tohave been particularly fortunate. Partridge was moreover betterpleased with the present pursuit of his companion than he had beenwith his pursuit of glory; and from these very omens, which assuredthe pedagogue of success, he likewise first acquired a clear idea ofthe amour between Jones and Sophia; to which he had before given verylittle attention, as he had originally taken a wrong scent concerningthe reasons of Jones's departure; and as to what happened at Upton, hewas too much frightened just before and after his leaving that placeto draw any other conclusions from thence than that poor Jones was adownright madman: a conceit which was not at all disagreeable to theopinion he before had of his extraordinary wildness, of which, hethought, his behaviour on their quitting Gloucester so well justifiedall the accounts he had formerly received. He was now, however, prettywell satisfied with his present expedition, and henceforth began toconceive much worthier sentiments of his friend's understanding.

  The clock had just struck three when they arrived, and Jonesimmediately bespoke post-horses; but unluckily there was not a horseto be procured in the whole place; which the reader will not wonder atwhen he considers the hurry in which the whole nation, and especiallythis part of it, was at this time engaged, when expresses were passingand repassing every hour of the day and night.

  Jones endeavoured all he could to prevail with his former guide toescorte him to Coventry; but he was inexorable. While he was arguingwith the boy in the inn-yard, a person came up to him, and salutinghim by his name, enquired how all the good family did inSomersetshire; and now Jones casting his eyes upon this person,presently discovered him to be Mr Dowling, the lawyer, with whom hehad dined at Gloucester, and with much courtesy returned thesalutation.

  Dowling very earnestly pressed Mr Jones to go no further that night;and backed his solicitations with many unanswerable arguments, suchas, that it was almost dark, that the roads were very dirty, and thathe would be able to travel much better by day-light, with many othersequally good, some of which Jones had probably suggested to himselfbefore; but as they were then ineffectual, so they were still: and hecontinued resolute in his design, even though he should be obliged toset out on foot.

  When the good attorney found he could not prevail on Jones to stay, heas strenuously applied himself to persuade the guide to accompany him.He urged many motives to induce him to undertake this short journey,and at last concluded with saying, "Do you think the gentleman won'tvery well reward you for your trouble?"

  Two to one are odds at every other thing as well as at foot-ball. Butthe advantage which this united force hath in persuasion or entreatymust have been visible to a curious observer; for he must have oftenseen, that when a father, a master, a wife, or any other person inauthority, have stoutly adhered to a denial against all the reasonswhich a single man could produce, they have afterwards yielded to therepetition of the same sentiments by a second or third person, whohath undertaken the cause, without attempting to advance anything newin its behalf. And hence, perhaps, proceeds the phrase of seconding anargument or a motion, and the great consequence this is of in allassemblies of public debate. Hence, likewise, probably it is, that inour courts of law we often hear a learned gentleman (generally aserjeant) repeating for an hour together what another learnedgentleman, who spoke just before him, had been saying.

  Instead of accounting for this, we shall proceed in our usual mannerto exemplify it in the conduct of the lad above mentioned, whosubmitted to the persuasions of Mr Dowling, and promised once more toadmit Jones into his side-saddle; but insisted on first giving thepoor creatures a good bait, saying, they had travelled a great way,and been rid very hard. Indeed this caution of the boy was needless;for Jones, notwithstanding his hurry and impatience, would haveordered this of himself; for he by no means agreed with the opinion ofthose who consider animals as mere machines, and when they bury theirspurs in the belly of their horse, imagine the spur and the horse tohave an equal capacity of feeling pain.

  While the beasts were eating their corn, or rather were supposed toeat it (for, as the boy was taking care of himself in the kitchen, theostler took great care that his corn should not be consumed in thestable), Mr Jones, at the earnest desire of Mr Dowling, accompaniedthat gentleman into his room, where they sat down together over abottle of wine.