History of Tom Jones, A Foundling — Bk 15: Ch 04-06

Sophia thanked her ladyship, and withdrew; and presently afterwards Fellamar was admitted upstairs.

Chapter iv.

By which it will appear how dangerous an advocate a lady is when she applies her eloquence to an ill purpose.

When Lady Bellaston heard the young lord's scruples, she treated them with the same disdain with which one of those sages of the law, called Newgate solicitors, treats the qualms of conscience in a young witness.

“My dear lord,” said she, “you certainly want a cordial.

I

must send to Lady Edgely for one of her best drams.

Fie upon it!

have more resolution.

Are you frightened by the word rape?

Or are you apprehensive----?

Well!

if the story of Helen was modern, I should think it unnatural.

I mean the behaviour of Paris, not the fondness of the lady; for all women love a man of spirit.

There is another story of the Sabine ladies--and that too, I thank heaven, is very antient.

Your lordship, perhaps, will admire my reading; but I think Mr Hook tells us, they made tolerable good wives afterwards.

I fancy few of my married acquaintance were ravished by their husbands.

” “Nay, dear Lady Bellaston,” cried he, “don't ridicule me in this manner.

” “Why, my good lord,” answered she, “do you think any woman in England would not laugh at you in her heart, whatever prudery she might wear in her countenance?

----You force me to use a strange kind of language, and to betray my sex most abominably; but I am contented with knowing my intentions are good, and that I am endeavouring to serve my cousin;

for I think you will make her a husband notwithstanding this; or, upon my soul, I would not even persuade her to fling herself away upon an empty title.

She should not upbraid me hereafter with having lost a man of spirit; for that his enemies allow this poor young fellow to be.

” Let those who have had the satisfaction of hearing reflections of this kind from a wife or a mistress, declare whether they are at all sweetened by coming from a female tongue.

Certain it is, they sunk deeper into his lordship than anything which Demosthenes or Cicero could have said on the occasion.

Lady Bellaston, perceiving she had fired the young lord's pride, began now, like a true orator, to rouse other passions to its assistance.

“My lord,” says she, in a graver voice, “you will be pleased to remember, you mentioned this matter to me first; for I would not appear to you in the light of one who is endeavouring to put off my cousin upon you.

Fourscore thousand pounds do not stand in need of an advocate to recommend them.

” “Nor doth Miss Western,” said he, “require any recommendation from her fortune; for, in my opinion, no woman ever had half her charms.

” “Yes, yes, my lord,” replied the lady, looking in the glass, “there have been women with more than half her charms, I assure you; not that I need lessen her on that account: she is a most delicious girl, that's certain; and within these few hours she will be in the arms of one, who surely doth not deserve her, though I will give him his due, I believe he is truly a man of spirit.

” “I hope so, madam,” said my lord; “though I must own he doth not deserve her; for, unless heaven or your ladyship disappoint me, she shall within that time be in mine.

” “Well spoken, my lord,” answered the lady; “I promise you no disappointment shall happen from my side; and within this week I am convinced I shall call your lordship my cousin in public.

” The remainder of this scene consisted entirely of raptures, excuses, and compliments, very pleasant to have heard from the parties; but rather dull when related at second hand.

Here, therefore, we shall put an end to this dialogue, and hasten to the fatal hour when everything was prepared for the destruction of poor Sophia.

But this being the most tragical matter in our whole history, we shall treat it in a chapter by itself.

Chapter v.

Containing some matters which may affect, and others which may surprize, the reader.

The clock had now struck seven, and poor Sophia, alone and melancholy, sat reading a tragedy.

It was the Fatal Marriage; and she was now come to that part where the poor distrest Isabella disposes of her wedding-ring.

Here the book dropt from her hand, and a shower of tears ran down into her bosom.

In this situation she had continued a minute, when the door opened, and in came Lord Fellamar.

Sophia started from her chair at his entrance; and his lordship advancing forwards, and making a low bow, said, “I am afraid, Miss Western, I break in upon you abruptly.

” “Indeed, my lord,” says she, “I must own myself a little surprized at this unexpected visit.

” “If this visit be unexpected, madam,” answered Lord Fellamar, “my eyes must have been very faithless interpreters of my heart, when last I had the honour of seeing you; for surely you could not otherwise have hoped to detain my heart in your possession, without receiving a visit from its owner.

” Sophia, confused as she was, answered this bombast (and very properly I think) with a look of inconceivable disdain.

My lord then made another and a longer speech of the same sort.

Upon which Sophia, trembling, said, “Am I really to conceive your lordship to be out of your senses?

Sure, my lord, there is no other excuse for such behaviour.

” “I am, indeed, madam, in the situation you suppose,” cries his lordship; “and sure you will pardon the effects of a frenzy which you yourself have occasioned; for love hath so totally deprived me of reason, that I am scarce accountable for any of my actions.

” “Upon my word, my lord,” said Sophia, “I neither understand your words nor your behaviour.

” “Suffer me then, madam,” cries he, “at your feet to explain both, by laying open my soul to you, and declaring that I doat on you to the highest degree of distraction.

O most adorable, most divine creature!

what language can express the sentiments of my heart?

” “I do assure you, my lord,” said Sophia, “I shall not stay to hear any more of this.

” “Do not,” cries he, “think of leaving me thus cruelly; could you know half the torments which I feel, that tender bosom must pity what those eyes have caused.

” Then fetching a deep sigh, and laying hold of her hand, he ran on for some minutes in a strain which would be little more pleasing to the reader than it was to the lady; and at last concluded with a declaration, “That if he was master of the world, he would lay it at her feet.

” Sophia then, forcibly pulling away her hand from his, answered with much spirit, “I promise you, sir, your world and its master I should spurn from me with equal contempt.

” She then offered to go; and Lord Fellamar, again laying hold of her hand, said, “Pardon me, my beloved angel, freedoms which nothing but despair could have tempted me to take.

----Believe me, could I have had any hope that my title and fortune, neither of them inconsiderable, unless when compared with your worth, would have been accepted, I had, in the humblest manner, presented them to your acceptance.

----But I cannot lose you.

--By heaven, I will sooner part with my soul!

--You are, you must, you shall be only mine.

” “My lord,” says she, “I intreat you to desist from a vain pursuit; for, upon my honour, I will never hear you on this subject.

Let go my hand, my lord; for I am resolved to go from you this moment; nor will I ever see you more.

” “Then, madam,” cries his lordship, “I must make the best use of this moment; for I cannot live, nor will I live without you.

”----“What do you mean, my lord?

” said Sophia; “I will raise the family.

” “I have no fear, madam,” answered he, “but of losing you, and that I am resolved to prevent, the only way which despair points to me.

”--He then caught her in his arms: upon which she screamed so loud, that she must have alarmed some one to her assistance, had not Lady Bellaston taken care to remove all ears.

But a more lucky circumstance happened for poor Sophia; another noise now broke forth, which almost drowned her cries; for now the whole house rang with, “Where is she?

D--n me, I'll unkennel her this instant.

Show me her chamber, I say.

Where is my daughter?

I know she's in the house, and I'll see her if she's above-ground.

Show me where she is.

”--At which last words the door flew open, and in came Squire Western, with his parson and a set of myrmidons at his heels.

How miserable must have been the condition of poor Sophia, when the enraged voice of her father was welcome to her ears!

Welcome indeed it was, and luckily did he come; for it was the only accident upon earth which could have preserved the peace of her mind from being for ever destroyed.

Sophia, notwithstanding her fright, presently knew her father's voice;

and his lordship, notwithstanding his passion, knew the voice of reason, which peremptorily assured him, it was not now a time for the perpetration of his villany.

Hearing, therefore, the voice approach, and hearing likewise whose it was (for as the squire more than once roared forth the word daughter, so Sophia, in the midst of her struggling, cried out upon her father), he thought proper to relinquish his prey, having only disordered her handkerchief, and with his rude lips committed violence on her lovely neck.

If the reader's imagination doth not assist me, I shall never be able to describe the situation of these two persons when Western came into the room.

Sophia tottered into a chair, where she sat disordered, pale, breathless, bursting with indignation at Lord Fellamar;

affrighted, and yet more rejoiced, at the arrival of her father.

His lordship sat down near her, with the bag of his wig hanging over one of his shoulders, the rest of his dress being somewhat disordered, and rather a greater proportion of linen than is usual appearing at his bosom.

As to the rest, he was amazed, affrighted, vexed, and ashamed.

As to Squire Western, he happened at this time to be overtaken by an enemy, which very frequently pursues, and seldom fails to overtake, most of the country gentlemen in this kingdom.

He was, literally speaking, drunk; which circumstance, together with his natural impetuosity, could produce no other effect than his running immediately up to his daughter, upon whom he fell foul with his tongue in the most inveterate manner; nay, he had probably committed violence with his hands, had not the parson interposed, saying, “For heaven's sake, sir, animadvert that you are in the house of a great lady.

Let me beg you to mitigate your wrath; it should minister a fulness of satisfaction that you have found your daughter; for as to revenge, it belongeth not unto us.

I discern great contrition in the countenance of the young lady.

I stand assured, if you will forgive her, she will repent her of all past offences, and return unto her duty.

” The strength of the parson's arms had at first been of more service than the strength of his rhetoric.

However, his last words wrought some effect, and the squire answered, “I'll forgee her if she wull ha un.

If wot ha un, Sophy, I'll forgee thee all.

Why dost unt speak?

Shat ha un!

d--n me, shat ha un!

Why dost unt answer?

Was ever such a stubborn tuoad?

” “Let me intreat you, sir, to be a little more moderate,” said the parson; “you frighten the young lady so, that you deprive her of all power of utterance.

” “Power of mine a--,” answered the squire.

“You take her part then, you do?

A pretty parson, truly, to side with an undutiful child!

Yes, yes, I will gee you a living with a pox.

I'll gee un to the devil sooner.

” “I humbly crave your pardon,” said the parson; “I assure your worship I meant no such matter.

” My Lady Bellaston now entered the room, and came up to the squire, who no sooner saw her, than, resolving to follow the instructions of his sister, he made her a very civil bow, in the rural manner, and paid her some of his best compliments.

He then immediately proceeded to his complaints, and said, “There, my lady cousin; there stands the most undutiful child in the world; she hankers after a beggarly rascal, and won't marry one of the greatest matches in all England, that we have provided for her.

” “Indeed, cousin Western,” answered the lady, “I am persuaded you wrong my cousin.

I am sure she hath a better understanding.

I am convinced she will not refuse what she must be sensible is so much to her advantage.

” This was a wilful mistake in Lady Bellaston, for she well knew whom Mr Western meant; though perhaps she thought he would easily be reconciled to his lordship's proposals.

“Do you hear there,” quoth the squire, “what her ladyship says?

All your family are for the match.

Come, Sophy, be a good girl, and be dutiful, and make your father happy.

” “If my death will make you happy, sir,” answered Sophia, “you will shortly be so.

” “It's a lye, Sophy; it's a d--n'd lye, and you know it,” said the squire.

“Indeed, Miss Western,” said Lady Bellaston, “you injure your father;

he hath nothing in view but your interest in this match; and I and all your friends must acknowledge the highest honour done to your family in the proposal.

” “Ay, all of us,” quoth the squire; “nay, it was no proposal of mine.

She knows it was her aunt proposed it to me first.

--Come, Sophy, once more let me beg you to be a good girl, and gee me your consent before your cousin.

” “Let me give him your hand, cousin,” said the lady.

“It is the fashion now-a-days to dispense with time and long courtships.

” “Pugh!

” said the squire, “what signifies time; won't they have time enough to court afterwards?

People may court very well after they have been a-bed together.

” As Lord Fellamar was very well assured that he was meant by Lady Bellaston, so, never having heard nor suspected a word of Blifil, he made no doubt of his being meant by the father.

Coming up, therefore, to the squire, he said, “Though I have not the honour, sir, of being personally known to you, yet, as I find I have the happiness to have my proposals accepted, let me intercede, sir, in behalf of the young lady, that she may not be more solicited at this time.

” “You intercede, sir!

” said the squire; “why, who the devil are you?

” “Sir, I am Lord Fellamar,” answered he, “and am the happy man whom I hope you have done the honour of accepting for a son-in-law.

” “You are a son of a b----,” replied the squire, “for all your laced coat.

You my son-in-law, and be d--n'd to you!

” “I shall take more from you, sir, than from any man,” answered the lord; “but I must inform you that I am not used to hear such language without resentment.

” “Resent my a--,” quoth the squire.

“Don't think I am afraid of such a fellow as thee art!

because hast got a spit there dangling at thy side.

Lay by your spit, and I'll give thee enough of meddling with what doth not belong to thee.

I'll teach you to father-in-law me.

I'll lick thy jacket.

” “It's very well, sir,” said my lord, “I shall make no disturbance before the ladies.

I am very well satisfied.

Your humble servant, sir;

Lady Bellaston, your most obedient.

” His lordship was no sooner gone, than Lady Bellaston, coming up to Mr Western, said, “Bless me, sir, what have you done?

You know not whom you have affronted; he is a nobleman of the first rank and fortune, and yesterday made proposals to your daughter; and such as I am sure you must accept with the highest pleasure.

” “Answer for yourself, lady cousin,” said the squire, “I will have nothing to do with any of your lords.

My daughter shall have an honest country gentleman; I have pitched upon one for her--and she shall ha' un.

--I am sorry for the trouble she hath given your ladyship with all my heart.

” Lady Bellaston made a civil speech upon the word trouble;

to which the squire answered--“Why, that's kind--and I would do as much for your ladyship.

To be sure relations should do for one another.

So I wish your ladyship a good night.

--Come, madam, you must go along with me by fair means, or I'll have you carried down to the coach.

” Sophia said she would attend him without force; but begged to go in a chair, for she said she should not be able to ride any other way.

“Prithee,” cries the squire, “wout unt persuade me canst not ride in a coach, wouldst?

That's a pretty thing surely!

No, no, I'll never let thee out of my sight any more till art married, that I promise thee.

” Sophia told him, she saw he was resolved to break her heart.

“O break thy heart and be d--n'd,” quoth he, “if a good husband will break it.

I don't value a brass varden, not a halfpenny, of any undutiful b-- upon earth.

” He then took violent hold of her hand; upon which the parson once more interfered, begging him to use gentle methods.

At that the squire thundered out a curse, and bid the parson hold his tongue, saying, “At'nt in pulpit now?

when art a got up there I never mind what dost say; but I won't be priest-ridden, nor taught how to behave myself by thee.

I wish your ladyship a good-night.

Come along, Sophy; be a good girl, and all shall be well.

Shat ha' un, d--n me, shat ha' un!

” Mrs Honour appeared below-stairs, and with a low curtesy to the squire offered to attend her mistress; but he pushed her away, saying, “Hold, madam, hold, you come no more near my house.

” “And will you take my maid away from me?

” said Sophia.

“Yes, indeed, madam, will I,” cries the squire: “you need not fear being without a servant; I will get you another maid, and a better maid than this, who, I'd lay five pounds to a crown, is no more a maid than my grannum.

No, no, Sophy, she shall contrive no more escapes, I promise you.

” He then packed up his daughter and the parson into the hackney coach, after which he mounted himself, and ordered it to drive to his lodgings.

In the way thither he suffered Sophia to be quiet, and entertained himself with reading a lecture to the parson on good manners, and a proper behaviour to his betters.

It is possible he might not so easily have carried off his daughter from Lady Bellaston, had that good lady desired to have detained her;

but, in reality, she was not a little pleased with the confinement into which Sophia was going; and as her project with Lord Fellamar had failed of success, she was well contented that other violent methods were now going to be used in favour of another man.

Chapter vi.

By what means the squire came to discover his daughter.

Though the reader, in many histories, is obliged to digest much more unaccountable appearances than this of Mr Western, without any satisfaction at all; yet, as we dearly love to oblige him whenever it is in our power, we shall now proceed to shew by what method the squire discovered where his daughter was.

In the third chapter, then, of the preceding book, we gave a hint (for it is not our custom to unfold at any time more than is necessary for the occasion) that Mrs Fitzpatrick, who was very desirous of reconciling her uncle and aunt Western, thought she had a probable opportunity, by the service of preserving Sophia from committing the same crime which had drawn on herself the anger of her family.

After much deliberation, therefore, she resolved to inform her aunt Western where her cousin was, and accordingly she writ the following letter, which we shall give the reader at length, for more reasons than one.

“HONOURED MADAM, “The occasion of my writing this will perhaps make a letter of mine agreeable to my dear aunt, for the sake of one of her nieces, though I have little reason to hope it will be so on the account of another.

“Without more apology, as I was coming to throw my unhappy self at your feet, I met, by the strangest accident in the world, my cousin Sophy, whose history you are better acquainted with than myself, though, alas!

I know infinitely too much; enough indeed to satisfy me, that unless she is immediately prevented, she is in danger of running into the same fatal mischief, which, by foolishly and ignorantly refusing your most wise and prudent advice, I have unfortunately brought on myself.

“In short, I have seen the man, nay, I was most part of yesterday in his company, and a charming young fellow I promise you he is.

By what accident he came acquainted with me is too tedious to tell you now; but I have this morning changed my lodgings to avoid him, lest he should by my means discover my cousin; for he doth not yet know where she is, and it is adviseable he should not, till my uncle hath secured her.

----No time therefore is to be lost; and I need only inform you, that she is now with Lady Bellaston, whom I have seen, and who hath, I find, a design of concealing her from her family.

You know, madam, she is a strange woman; but nothing could misbecome me more than to presume to give any hint to one of your great understanding and great knowledge of the world, besides barely informing you of the matter of fact.

“I hope, madam, the care which I have shewn on this occasion for the good of my family will recommend me again to the favour of a lady who hath always exerted so much zeal for the honour and true interest of us all; and that it may be a means of restoring me to your friendship, which hath made so great a part of my former, and is so necessary to my future happiness.

“I am, with the utmost respect, honoured madam, your most dutiful obliged niece, and most obedient humble servant, HARRIET FITZPATRICK.

” Mrs Western was now at her brother's house, where she had resided ever since the flight of Sophia, in order to administer comfort to the poor squire in his affliction.

Of this comfort, which she doled out to him in daily portions, we have formerly given a specimen.

She was now standing with her back to the fire, and, with a pinch of snuff in her hand, was dealing forth this daily allowance of comfort to the squire, while he smoaked his afternoon pipe, when she received the above letter; which she had no sooner read than she delivered it to him, saying, “There, sir, there is an account of your lost sheep.

Fortune hath again restored her to you, and if you will be governed by my advice, it is possible you may yet preserve her.

” The squire had no sooner read the letter than he leaped from his chair, threw his pipe into the fire, and gave a loud huzza for joy.

He then summoned his servants, called for his boots, and ordered the Chevalier and several other horses to be saddled, and that parson Supple should be immediately sent for.

Having done this, he turned to his sister, caught her in his arms, and gave her a close embrace, saying, “Zounds!

you don't seem pleased; one would imagine you was sorry I have found the girl.

” “Brother,” answered she, “the deepest politicians, who see to the bottom, discover often a very different aspect of affairs, from what swims on the surface.

It is true, indeed, things do look rather less desperate than they did formerly in Holland, when Lewis the Fourteenth was at the gates of Amsterdam; but there is a delicacy required in this matter, which you will pardon me, brother, if I suspect you want.

There is a decorum to be used with a woman of figure, such as Lady Bellaston, brother, which requires a knowledge of the world, superior, I am afraid, to yours.

” “Sister,” cries the squire, “I know you have no opinion of my parts;

but I'll shew you on this occasion who is a fool.

Knowledge, quotha!

I

have not been in the country so long without having some knowledge of warrants and the law of the land.

I know I may take my own wherever I can find it.

Shew me my own daughter, and if I don't know how to come at her, I'll suffer you to call me a fool as long as I live.

There be justices of peace in London, as well as in other places.

” “I protest,” cries she, “you make me tremble for the event of this matter, which, if you will proceed by my advice, you may bring to so good an issue.

Do you really imagine, brother, that the house of a woman of figure is to be attacked by warrants and brutal justices of the peace?

I will inform you how to proceed.

As soon as you arrive in town, and have got yourself into a decent dress (for indeed, brother, you have none at present fit to appear in), you must send your compliments to Lady Bellaston, and desire leave to wait on her.

When you are admitted to her presence, as you certainly will be, and have told her your story, and have made proper use of my name (for I think you just know one another only by sight, though you are relations), I am confident she will withdraw her protection from my niece, who hath certainly imposed upon her.

This is the only method.

--Justices of peace, indeed!

do you imagine any such event can arrive to a woman of figure in a civilised nation?

” “D--n their figures,” cries the squire; “a pretty civilised nation, truly, where women are above the law.

And what must I stand sending a parcel of compliments to a confounded whore, that keeps away a daughter from her own natural father?

I tell you, sister, I am not so ignorant as you think me----I know you would have women above the law, but it is all a lye; I heard his lordship say at size, that no one is above the law.

But this of yours is Hanover law, I suppose.

” “Mr Western,” said she, “I think you daily improve in ignorance.

----I

protest you are grown an arrant bear.

” “No more a bear than yourself, sister Western,” said the squire.

--“Pox!

you may talk of your civility an you will, I am sure you never shew any to me.

I am no bear, no, nor no dog neither, though I know somebody, that is something that begins with a b; but pox!

I

will show you I have got more good manners than some folks.

” “Mr Western,” answered the lady, “you may say what you please, _je vous mesprise de tout mon coeur.

_ I shall not therefore be angry.

----Besides, as my cousin, with that odious Irish name, justly says, I have that regard for the honour and true interest of my family, and that concern for my niece, who is a part of it, that I have resolved to go to town myself upon this occasion; for indeed, indeed, brother, you are not a fit minister to be employed at a polite court.

--Greenland--Greenland should always be the scene of the tramontane negociation.

” “I thank Heaven,” cries the squire, “I don't understand you now.

You are got to your Hanoverian linguo.

However, I'll shew you I scorn to be behind-hand in civility with you; and as you are not angry for what I have said, so I am not angry for what you have said.

Indeed I have always thought it a folly for relations to quarrel; and if they do now and then give a hasty word, why, people should give and take; for my part, I never bear malice; and I take it very kind of you to go up to London; for I never was there but twice in my life, and then I did not stay above a fortnight at a time, and to be sure I can't be expected to know much of the streets and the folks in that time.

I never denied that you know'd all these matters better than I. For me to dispute that would be all as one as for you to dispute the management of a pack of dogs, or the finding a hare sitting, with me.

”--“Which I promise you,” says she, “I never will.

”--“Well, and I promise you,” returned he, “that I never will dispute the t'other.

” Here then a league was struck (to borrow a phrase from the lady) between the contending parties; and now the parson arriving, and the horses being ready, the squire departed, having promised his sister to follow her advice, and she prepared to follow him the next day.

But having communicated these matters to the parson on the road, they both agreed that the prescribed formalities might very well be dispensed with; and the squire, having changed his mind, proceeded in the manner we have already seen.

Chapter vii.