suspect that the sacrifice of truth, which we both imagined to have been made to friendship, was, in reality, a prostitution of it to a depraved and debauched appetite. You now plainly see whence all the seeming generosity of this young man to the family of the gamekeeper proceeded. He supported the father in order to corrupt the daughter, and preserved the family from starving, to bring one of them to shame and ruin. This is friendship! this is generosity! As Sir Richard Steele says, "Gluttons who give high prices for delicacies are very worthy to be called generous."* In short, I am resolved, from this instance, never to pve way to the weakness of human nature more, nor to think anything virtue which cloth not exactly quadrate with the unerring rule of right.'
The goodness of Allworthy had prevented these considerations from occurring to himself; yet were they too plausible to be absolutely and hastily rejected, when laid before his eyes by another. Indeed what Square had said sunk very deeply into his mind, and the uneasiness which it there created was very visible to the other; though the good man would not acknowledge this, but made a very slight answer, and forcibly drove off the discourse to some other subject. It was well, perhaps, for poor Tom that no such suggestions had been made before he was pardoned, for they certainly stamped in the mind of Allworthy the first bad impression concerning Jones.
Containing much clearer matters; but which flowed from the same fountain with those in the preceding chapter
THE reader will be pleased, I believe, to return with me to Sophia. She passed the night, after we saw her last, in no very agreeable manner. Sleep befriended her but little, and dreams less. In the morning, when Mrs Honour, her maid, attended her at the usual hour, she was found already up and dressed.
Persons who live two or three miles' distance in the country are considered as next-door neighbours, and transactions at the one house fly with incredible celerity to the other. Mrs Honour, therefore, had heard the whole story of Molly's shame, which she, being of a very communicative temper, had no sooner en
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Questia, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. www.questia.com
Publication information:
Book title: Tom Jones.
Contributors: Henry Fielding - Author, John Bender - Editor, Simon Stern - Editor.
Publisher: Oxford University Press.
Place of publication: Oxford.
Publication year: 1996.
Page number: 169.
This material is protected by copyright and, with the exception of fair use, may not be further copied, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means.
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