by T. Smollett
Mrs. Trunnion erects a Tyranny in the Garrison, while her Husbandconceives an affection for his Nephew Perry, who manifests a peculiarityof disposition even in his tender years.
Having exercised herself three months in such pious amusements, sheappeared again in the world; but her misfortune had made such animpression on her mind, that she could not bear the sight of a child,and trembled whenever conversation happened to turn upon a christening.Her temper, which was naturally none of the sweetest, seemed to haveimbibed a double proportion of souring from her disappointment; ofconsequence, her company was not much coveted, and she found very fewpeople disposed to treat her with those marks of consideration which shelooked upon as her due. This neglect detached her from the society of anunmannerly world; she concentrated the energy of all her talents inthe government of her own house, which groaned accordingly under herarbitrary sway; and in the brandy-bottle found ample consolation for allthe affliction she had undergone.
As for the commodore, he in a little time weathered his disgrace, afterhaving sustained many severe jokes from the lieutenant, and now hischief aim being to be absent from his own house as much as possible, hefrequented the public-house more than ever, more assiduously cultivatedthe friendship of his brother-in-law, Mr. Pickle, and in the course oftheir intimacy conceived an affection for his nephew Perry, which didnot end but with his life. Indeed it must be owned that Trunnion wasnot naturally deficient in the social passions of the soul, which thoughthey were strangely warped, disguised, and overborne by the circumstanceof his boisterous life and education, did not fail to manifestthemselves occasionally through the whole course of his behaviour.
As all the hopes of propagating his own name had perished, and hisrelations lay under the interdiction of his hate, it is no wonder thatthrough the familiarity and friendly intercourse subsisting between himand Mr. Gamaliel, he contracted a liking for the boy, who by this timeentered the third year of his age, and was indeed a very handsome,healthy, and promising child; and what seemed to ingratiate him stillmore with his uncle, was a certain oddity of disposition, for which hehad been remarkable even from his cradle. It is reported of him, thatbefore the first year of his infancy was elapsed, he used very often,immediately after being dressed, in the midst of the caresses whichwere bestowed upon him by his mother, while she indulged herself in thecontemplation of her own happiness, all of a sudden to alarm her witha fit of shrieks and cries, which continued with great violence tillhe was stripped to the skin with the utmost expedition by order ofhis affrighted parent, who thought his tender body was tortured by themisapplication of some unlucky pill; and when he had given them all thisdisturbance and unnecessary trouble, he would he sprawling and laughingin their faces, as if he ridiculed the impertinence of their concern.Nay, it is affirmed, that one day, when an old woman who attended in thenursery had by stealth conveyed a bottle of cordial waters to her mouth,he pulled his nurse by the sleeve, by a slight glance detected thetheft, and tipped her the wink with a particular slyness of countenance,as if he had said, with a sneer, "Ay, ay, that is what you must all cometo." But these instances of reflection in a babe nine months old areso incredible, that I look upon them as observations, founded uponimaginary recollection, when he was in a more advanced age, and hispeculiarities of temper became much more remarkable; of a piece withthe ingenious discoveries of those sagacious observers, who candiscern something evidently characteristic in the features of any notedpersonage whose character they have previously heard explained. Yetwithout pretending to specify at what period of his childhood thissingularity first appeared, I can with great truth declare, that whenhe first attracted the notice and affection of his uncle, it was plainlyperceivable.
One would imagine he had marked out the commodore as a proper object ofridicule, for almost all his little childish satire was leveledagainst him. I will not deny that he might have been influenced in thisparticular by the example and instruction of Mr. Hatchway, who delightedin superintending the first essays of his genius. As the gout had takenup its residence in Mr. Trunnion's great toe, from whence it neverremoved, no not for a day, little Perry took great pleasure in treadingby accident on this infirm member; and when his uncle, incensed by thepain, used to damn him for a hell-begotten brat, he would appease him ina twinkling, by returning the curse with equal emphasis, and askingwhat was the matter with old Hannibal Tough? an appellation by which thelieutenant had taught him to distinguish this grim commander.
Neither was this the only experiment he tried upon the patience of thecommodore, with whose nose he used to take indecent freedoms, even.while he was fondled on his knee. In one month he put him to theexpense of two guineas in seal-skin; by picking his pocket of diverstobacco-pouches, all of which he in secret committed to the flames. Nordid the caprice of his disposition abstain from the favourite beverageof Trunnion, who more than once swallowed a whole draught in whichhis brother's snuff-box had been emptied, before he perceived thedisagreeable infusion; and one day, when the commodore had chastised himby a gentle tap with his cane, he fell flat on the floor as if he hadbeen deprived of all sense and motion, to the terror and amazement ofthe striker; and after having filled the whole house with confusion anddismay, opened his eyes, and laughed heartily at the success of his ownimposition.
It would be an endless and perhaps no very agreeable task, to enumerateall the unlucky pranks he played upon his uncle and others, before heattained the fourth year of his age; about which time he was sent, withan attendant, to a day-school in the neighbourhood, that (to use hisgood mother's own expression) he might be out of harm's way. Here,however, he made little progress, except in mischief, which he practisedwith impunity, because the school-mistress would run no risk ofdisobliging a lady of fortune, by exercising unnecessary severities uponher only child. Nevertheless, Mrs. Pickle was not so blindly partial asto be pleased with such unseasonable indulgence. Perry was taken out ofthe hands of this courteous teacher, and committed to the instructionof a pedagogue, who was ordered to administer such correction as the boyshould in his opinion deserve. This authority he did not neglect touse, his pupil was regularly flogged twice a day; and after having beensubjected to this course of discipline for the space of eighteen months,declared the most obstinate, dull, and untoward genius that ever hadfallen under his cultivation; instead of being reformed, he seemedrather hardened and confirmed in his vicious inclinations, and was deadto all sense of fear as well as shame.
His mother was extremely mortified at these symptoms of stupidity, whichshe considered as an inheritance derived from the spirit of his father,and consequently insurmountable by all the efforts of human care.But the commodore rejoiced over the ruggedness of his nature, and wasparticularly pleased when, upon inquiry, he found that Perry had beatenall the boys in the school; a circumstance from which he prognosticatedeverything that was fair and fortunate in his future fate: observing,that at his age he himself was just such another. The boy, who wasnow turned of six, having profited so little under the birch ofhis unsparing governor, Mrs. Pickle was counselled to send him to aboarding-school not far from London, which was kept by a certain personvery eminent for his successful method of education. This advice she themore readily embraced, because at that time she found herself prettyfar gone with another child that she hoped would console her for thedisappointment she had met with in the unpromising talents of Perry,or at any rate divide her concern, so as to enable her to endure theabsence of either.
CHAPTER XII.