86 liarity, that I must beg you'll accept my friendship, as you already have my esteem." "Then "with gratitude I accept the offer," cried he, squeezing me by the hand, "thou glorious pillar of "unshaken orthodoxy; and do I behold-" I here interrupted what he was going to say; for though, as an author, I could digest no small share of flattery, yet now my modesty would permit no more. However, no lovers in romance ever cemented a more instantaneous friendship. We talked upon several subjects at first I thought he seemed rather devout than learned, and began to think he despised all human doctrines as dross. Yet this no way lessened him in my esteem; for I had for some time begun privately to harbour such an opinion myself. I therefore took occasion to observe, that the world in general began to be blameably indifferent as to doctrinal matters, and followed human speculations too much 66 Ay, Sir," replied he, as if he had reserved all his learning to that moment, "Ay, Sir, the world is in "its dotage, and yet the cosmogony or creation of "the world has puzzled philosophers of all ages. "What a medley of opinions have they not broach"ed upon the creation of the world? Sanchoniathon, "Manetho, Berosus, and Ocellus Lucanus have all 66 attempted it in vain. The latter has these words, Anarchon ara kai atelutaion to pan, which imply "that all things have neither beginning nor end. "Manetho also, who lived about the time of Ne"buchadon-Asser, Asser being a Syriac word usually "applied as a sirname to the kings of that country, as Teglat Phael-Asser, Nabon-Asser, he, I say, "formed a conjecture equally absurd; for as we "usually say, ek to biblion kubernetes, which implies "that books will never teach the world; so he at"tempted to investigate-But, Sir, I ask pardon, I am straying from the question.' -That he actually was; nor could I for my life see how the creation creation of the world had any thing to do with the business I was talking of; but it was sufficient to shew me that he was a man of letters, and I now reverenced him the more. I was resolved therefore to bring him to the touchstone; but he was too mild and too gentle to contend for victory. Whenever I made any observation that looked like a challenge to controversy, he would smile, shake his head, and say nothing; by which, I understood he could say much, if he thought proper. The subject therefore insensibly changed from the business of antiquity to that which brought us both to the fair; mine I told him was to sell an horse, and very luckily, indeed, his was to buy one for one of his tenants. My horse was soon produced, and in fine we struck a bargain. Nothing now remained but to pay me, and he accordingly pulled out a thirty pound note, and bid me change it. Not being in a capacity of complying with this demand, he ordered his footman to be called up, who made his appearance in a very genteel livery. Here Abraham," cried he, " go and get gold for this; you'll do it at neighbour Jackson's, "or any where." While the fellow was gone, he entertained me with a pathetic harangue on the great scarcity of silver, which I undertook to improve, by deploring also the great scarcity of gold; so that by the time Abraham returned, we had both agreed that money was never so hard to be come at as now. Abraham returned to inform us, that he had been over the whole fair, and could not get change, though he had offered half a crown for doing it. This was a very great disappointment to us all; but the old gentleman having paused a little, asked me if I knew one Solomon Flamborough, in my part of the country; upon replying that he was my next floor neighbour; "If that be the case then," returned he," I believe we shall deal. You shall have a draught upon him, payable at sight; and let me 66 "tell "tell you he is as warm a man as any within five "miles round him. Honest Solomon and I have "been acquainted for many years together. I re"member I always beat him at three jumps; but "he could hop on one leg farther than I." A draught upon my neighbour was to me the same as money; for I was sufficiently convinced of his ability. The draught was signed and put into my hands, and Mr. Jenkinson, the old gentleman, his man Abraham, and my horse, old Blackberry, trotted off very well pleased with each other. After a short interval being left to reflection, I began to recollect that I had done wrong in taking a draught from a stranger, and so prudently resolved upon following the purchaser, and having back my horse. But this was now too late: I therefore made directly homewards, resolving to get the draught changed into money at my friend's as fast as possible. I found my honest neighbour smoking his pipe at his own door, and informing him that I had a small bill upon him, he read it twice over. "You "can read the name I suppose," cried I," Ephraim "Jenkinson." 66 Yes," returned he, "the name " is written plain enough, and I know the gentle"man too, the greatest rascal under the canopy of "heaven. This is the very same rogue who sold "us the spectacles. Was he not a venerable look 66 ing man, with grey hair, and no flaps to his "pocket-holes? And did he not talk a long string "of learning about Greek and cosmogony, and the "world?" To this I replied with a groan. " Aye," continued he, "he has but that one piece of learning in the world, and he always talks it away "whenever he finds a scholar in company; but I "know the rogue, and will catch him yet. 66 Though I was already sufficiently mortified, my greatest struggle was to come, in facing my wife and daughters. No truant was ever more afraid of re turning turning to school, there to behold the master's visage, than I was of going home. I was determined however, to anticipate their fury, by first falling into a passion myself. But, alas! upon entering, I found the family no way disposed for battle. My wife and girls were all in tears, Mr. Thornhill having been there that day to inform them, that their journey to town was entirely over. The two ladies having heard reports of us from some malicious person about us, were that day set out for London. He could neither discover the tendency, nor the author of these, but whatever they might be, or whoever might have broached them, he continued to assure our family of his friendship and protection. I found, therefore, that they bore my disappointment with great resignation, as it was eclipsed in the greatness of their own. But what perplexed us most was to think who could be so base as to asperse the character of a family so harmless as ours, too humble to excite envy, and too inoffensive to create disgust. CHAP. XV. All Mr. Burchell's villainy at once detected. The folly of being over-wise. THAT evening and a part of the following day was employed in fruitless attempts to discover our enemies scarcely a family in the neighbourhood but incurred our suspicions, and each of us had reasons for our opinion best known to ourselves. As we were in this perplexity, one of our little boys, who had been playing abroad, brought in a letter-case, which he found on the green. It was quickly known to belong to Mr. Burchell, with whom it had been seen, and, upon examination, contained some hints upon different subjects; but what particularly engaged our attention was a sealed note, superscribed, the copy of a letter to be sent to the two ladies at Thornhill-castle. It instantly occurred that he was the base informer, and we deliberated whether the note should not be broke open. I was against it; but Sophia, who said she was sure that of all men he would be the last to be guilty of so much baseness, insisted upon its being read. In this she was seconded by the rest of the family, and, at their joint solicitation, I read as follows: "LADIES, "THE bearer will sufficiently satisfy you as to "the person from whom this comes: one at least "the friend of innocence, and ready to prevent its being seduced. I am informed for a truth, that "you have some intention of bringing two young "ladies to town, whom I have some knowledge of, "under the character of companions. As I would "neither have simplicity imposed upon, nor virtue "contaminated, I must offer it as my opinion, that "the impropriety of such a step will be attended "with dangerous consequences. It has never been 66 my way to treat the infamous or the lewd with "severity; nor should I now have taken this me"thod of explaining myself, or reproving folly, did "it not aim at guilt. Take therefore the admo"nition of a friend, and seriously reflect on the "consequences of introducing infamy and vice into "retreats where peace and innocence have hitherto "resided." Our doubts were now at an end. There seemed indeed something applicable to both sides in this letter, |