9. CHAPTER IX.
Containing little more than a few odd observations
Jones had been absent a full half-hour, when he returned into the
kitchen in a hurry, desiring the landlord to let him know that instant
what was to pay. And now the concern which Partridge felt at being
obliged to quit the warm chimney-corner, and a cup of excellent
liquor, was somewhat compensated by hearing that he was to proceed
no farther on foot, for Jones, by golden arguments, had prevailed with
the boy to attend him back to the inn whither he had before
conducted Sophia; but to this however the lad consented, upon
condition that the other guide would wait for him at the alehouse;
because, as the landlord at Upton was an intimate acquaintance of
the landlord at Gloucester, it might some time or other come to the
ears of the latter, that his horses had been let to more than one
person; and so the boy might be brought to account for money which
he wisely intended to put in 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; for the honesty of this latter boy was somewhat high- that is,
somewhat high-priced, and would indeed have cost Jones very dear,
had not Partridge, who, as we have said, was a very cunning fellow,
artfully thrown in half-a-crown to be spent at that very alehouse,
while the boy was waiting for his companion. This half-crown the
landlord no sooner got scent of, than he opened after it with such
vehement and persuasive outcry, that the boy was soon overcome, and
consented to take 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 often overvalue themselves on these refinements in
imposture, in which they are frequently excelled by some of the lowest
of the human species.
The horses being now produced, Jones directly leapt into the
side-saddle, on which his dear Sophia had rid. The lad, indeed, very
civilly offered him the use of his: but he chose the side-saddle,
probably because it was softer. Partridge, however, though full as
effeminate as Jones, could not bear the thoughts of degrading his
manhood; he therefore accepted the boy's offer: and now, Jones being
mounted on the side-saddle of his Sophia, the boy on that of Mrs.
Honour, and Partridge bestriding the third horse, they set forwards on
their journey, and within four hours arrived at the inn where the
reader hath already spent so much time. Partridge was in very high
spirits during the whole way, and often mentioned to Jones the many
good omens of his future success, which had lately befriended him; and
which the reader, without being the least superstitious, must allow to
have been particularly fortunate. Partridge was moreover better
pleased with the present pursuit of his companion, than he had been
with his pursuit of glory; and from these very omens, which assured
the pedagogue of success, he likewise first acquired a clear idea of
the amour between Jones and Sophia; to which he had before given
very little attention, as he had originally taken a wrong scent
concerning the reasons of Jones's departure; and as to what happened
at Upton, he was too much frightened just before and after his leaving
that place, to draw any other conclusions from thence, than that
poor Jones was a downright madman: a conceit which was not at all
disagreeable to the opinion he before had of his extraordinary
wildness, of which, he thought, his behaviour on their quitting
Gloucester so well justified all the accounts he had formerly
received. He was now, however, pretty well satisfied with his
present expedition, and henceforth began to conceive much worthier
sentiments of his friend's understanding.
The clock had just struck three when they arrived, and Jones
immediately bespoke posthorses; but unluckily there was not a horse to
be procured in the whole place; which the reader will not wonder at,
when he considers the hurry in which the whole nation, and
especially this part of it, was at this time engaged, when expresses
were passing and repassing every hour of the day and night.
Jones endeavoured all he could to prevail with his former guide to
escorte him to Coventry; but he was inexorable. While he was arguing
with the boy in the inn-yard, a person came up to him, and saluting
him by his name, inquired how all the good family did in
Somersetshire; and now Jones casting his eyes upon this person,
presently discovered him to be Mr. Dowling, the lawyer, with whom he
had dined at Gloucester, and with much courtesy returned the
salutation.
Dowling very earnestly pressed Mr. Jones to go no further that
night; and backed his solicitations with many unanswerable
arguments, such as, that it was almost dark, that the roads were
very dirty, and that he would be able to travel much better by
day-light, with many others equally good, some of which Jones had
probably suggested to himself before; but as they were then
ineffectual, so they were still: and he continued resolute in his
design, even though he should be obliged to set out on foot.
When the good attorney found he could not prevail on Jones to
stay, he as 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't very well reward you for your trouble?"
Two to one are odds at every other thing, as well as at footfall.
But the advantage which this united force hath in persuasion or
entreaty, must have been visible to a curious observer; for he must
have often seen, that when a father, a master, a wife, or any other
person in authority, have stoutly adhered to a denial against all
the reasons which a single man could produce, they have afterwards
yielded to the repetition of the same sentiments by a second or
third person, who hath undertaken the cause, without attempting to
advance anything new in its behalf. And hence, perhaps, proceeds the
phrase of seconding an argument or a motion, and the great consequence
this is of in all assemblies of public debate. Hence, likewise,
probably it is, that in our courts of law we often hear a learned
gentleman (generally a serjeant) repeating for an hour together what
another learned gentleman, who spoke just before him, had been saying.
Instead of accounting for this, we shall proceed in our usual manner
to exemplify it in the conduct of the lad above mentioned, who
submitted to the persuasions of Mr. Dowling, and promised once more to
admit Jones into his side-saddle; but insisted on first giving the
poor 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 have
ordered this of himself; for he by no means agreed with the opinion of
those who consider animals as mere machines, and when they bury
their spurs in the belly of their horse, imagine the spur and the
horse to have an equal capacity of feeling pain.
While the beasts were eating their corn, or rather were supposed
to eat it (for, as the boy was taking care of himself in the
kitchen, the ostler took great care that his corn should not be
consumed in the stable), Mr. Jones, at the earnest desire of Mr.
Dowling, accompanied that gentleman into his room, where they sat down
together over a bottle of wine.