History of Tom Jones, a Foundling

by Henry Fielding

  Chapter iii.

  What happened to Sophia during her confinement.

  The landlady of the house where the squire lodged had begun very earlyto entertain a strange opinion of her guests. However, as she wasinformed that the squire was a man of vast fortune, and as she hadtaken care to exact a very extraordinary price for her rooms, she didnot think proper to give any offence; for, though she was not withoutsome concern for the confinement of poor Sophia, of whose greatsweetness of temper and affability the maid of the house had made sofavourable a report, which was confirmed by all the squire's servants,yet she had much more concern for her own interest than to provokeone, whom, as she said, she perceived to be a very hastish kind of agentleman.

  Though Sophia eat but little, yet she was regularly served with hermeals; indeed, I believe, if she had liked any one rarity, that thesquire, however angry, would have spared neither pains nor cost tohave procured it for her; since, however strange it may appear to someof my readers, he really doated on his daughter, and to give her anykind of pleasure was the highest satisfaction of his life.

  The dinner-hour being arrived, Black George carried her up a pullet,the squire himself (for he had sworn not to part with the key)attending the door. As George deposited the dish, some complimentspassed between him and Sophia (for he had not seen her since she leftthe country, and she treated every servant with more respect than somepersons shew to those who are in a very slight degree theirinferiors). Sophia would have had him take the pullet back, saying,she could not eat; but George begged her to try, and particularlyrecommended to her the eggs, of which he said it was full.

  All this time the squire was waiting at the door; but George was agreat favourite with his master, as his employment was in concerns ofthe highest nature, namely, about the game, and was accustomed to takemany liberties. He had officiously carried up the dinner, being, as hesaid, very desirous to see his young lady; he made therefore noscruple of keeping his master standing above ten minutes, whilecivilities were passing between him and Sophia, for which he receivedonly a good-humoured rebuke at the door when he returned.

  The eggs of pullets, partridges, pheasants, &c., were, as George wellknew, the most favourite dainties of Sophia. It was therefore nowonder that he, who was a very good-natured fellow, should take careto supply her with this kind of delicacy, at a time when all theservants in the house were afraid she would be starved; for she hadscarce swallowed a single morsel in the last forty hours.

  Though vexation hath not the same effect on all persons as it usuallyhath on a widow, whose appetite it often renders sharper than it canbe rendered by the air on Bansted Downs, or Salisbury Plain; yet thesublimest grief, notwithstanding what some people may say to thecontrary, will eat at last. And Sophia, herself, after some littleconsideration, began to dissect the fowl, which she found to be asfull of eggs as George had reported it.

  But, if she was pleased with these, it contained something which wouldhave delighted the Royal Society much more; for if a fowl with threelegs be so invaluable a curiosity, when perhaps time hath produced athousand such, at what price shall we esteem a bird which so totallycontradicts all the laws of animal oeconomy, as to contain a letter inits belly? Ovid tells us of a flower into which Hyacinthus wasmetamorphosed, that bears letters on its leaves, which Virgilrecommended as a miracle to the Royal Society of his day; but no agenor nation hath ever recorded a bird with a letter in its maw.

  But though a miracle of this kind might have engaged all the_Academies des Sciences_ in Europe, and perhaps in a fruitlessenquiry; yet the reader, by barely recollecting the last dialoguewhich passed between Messieurs Jones and Partridge, will be veryeasily satisfied from whence this letter came, and how it found itspassage into the fowl.

  Sophia, notwithstanding her long fast, and notwithstanding herfavourite dish was there before her, no sooner saw the letter than sheimmediately snatched it up, tore it open, and read as follows:--

  "MADAM,

  "Was I not sensible to whom I have the honour of writing, I should endeavour, however difficult, to paint the horrors of my mind at the account brought me by Mrs Honour; but as tenderness alone can have any true idea of the pangs which tenderness is capable of feeling, so can this most amiable quality, which my Sophia possesses in the most eminent degree, sufficiently inform her what her Jones must have suffered on this melancholy occasion. Is there a circumstance in the world which can heighten my agonies, when I hear of any misfortune which hath befallen you? Surely there is one only, and with that I am accursed. It is, my Sophia, the dreadful consideration that I am myself the wretched cause. Perhaps I here do myself too much honour, but none will envy me an honour which costs me so extremely dear. Pardon me this presumption, and pardon me a greater still, if I ask you, whether my advice, my assistance, my presence, my absence, my death, or my tortures can bring you any relief? Can the most perfect admiration, the most watchful observance, the most ardent love, the most melting tenderness, the most resigned submission to your will, make you amends for what you are to sacrifice to my happiness? If they can, fly, my lovely angel, to those arms which are ever open to receive and protect you; and to which, whether you bring yourself alone, or the riches of the world with you, is, in my opinion, an alternative not worth regarding. If, on the contrary, wisdom shall predominate, and, on the most mature reflection, inform you, that the sacrifice is too great; and if there be no way left to reconcile your father, and restore the peace of your dear mind, but by abandoning me, I conjure you drive me for ever from your thoughts, exert your resolution, and let no compassion for my sufferings bear the least weight in that tender bosom. Believe me, madam, I so sincerely love you better than myself, that my great and principal end is your happiness. My first wish (why would not fortune indulge me in it?) was, and pardon me if I say, still is, to see you every moment the happiest of women; my second wish is, to hear you are so; but no misery on earth can equal mine, while I think you owe an uneasy moment to him who is,

  Madam, in every sense, and to every purpose, your devoted, THOMAS JONES."

  What Sophia said, or did, or thought, upon this letter, how often sheread it, or whether more than once, shall all be left to our reader'simagination. The answer to it he may perhaps see hereafter, but not atpresent: for this reason, among others, that she did not now writeany, and that for several good causes, one of which was this, she hadno paper, pen, nor ink.

  In the evening, while Sophia was meditating on the letter she hadreceived, or on something else, a violent noise from below disturbedher meditations. This noise was no other than a round bout ataltercation between two persons. One of the combatants, by his voice,she immediately distinguished to be her father; but she did not sosoon discover the shriller pipes to belong to the organ of her auntWestern, who was just arrived in town, where having, by means of oneof her servants, who stopt at the Hercules Pillars, learned where herbrother lodged, she drove directly to his lodgings.

  We shall therefore take our leave at present of Sophia, and, with ourusual good-breeding, attend her ladyship.