History of Tom Jones, a Foundling

by Henry Fielding

  Chapter xiii.

  A dreadful accident which befel Sophia. The gallant behaviour ofJones, and the more dreadful consequence of that behaviour to theyoung lady; with a short digression in favour of the female sex.

  Mr Western grew every day fonder and fonder of Sophia, insomuch thathis beloved dogs themselves almost gave place to her in hisaffections; but as he could not prevail on himself to abandon these,he contrived very cunningly to enjoy their company, together with thatof his daughter, by insisting on her riding a hunting with him.

  Sophia, to whom her father's word was a law, readily complied with hisdesires, though she had not the least delight in a sport, which was oftoo rough and masculine a nature to suit with her disposition. She hadhowever another motive, beside her obedience, to accompany the oldgentleman in the chase; for by her presence she hoped in some measureto restrain his impetuosity, and to prevent him from so frequentlyexposing his neck to the utmost hazard.

  The strongest objection was that which would have formerly been aninducement to her, namely, the frequent meeting with young Jones, whomshe had determined to avoid; but as the end of the hunting season nowapproached, she hoped, by a short absence with her aunt, to reasonherself entirely out of her unfortunate passion; and had not any doubtof being able to meet him in the field the subsequent season withoutthe least danger.

  On the second day of her hunting, as she was returning from the chase,and was arrived within a little distance from Mr Western's house, herhorse, whose mettlesome spirit required a better rider, fell suddenlyto prancing and capering in such a manner that she was in the mostimminent peril of falling. Tom Jones, who was at a little distancebehind, saw this, and immediately galloped up to her assistance. Assoon as he came up, he leapt from his own horse, and caught hold ofhers by the bridle. The unruly beast presently reared himself an endon his hind legs, and threw his lovely burthen from his back, andJones caught her in his arms.

  She was so affected with the fright, that she was not immediately ableto satisfy Jones, who was very solicitous to know whether she hadreceived any hurt. She soon after, however, recovered her spirits,assured him she was safe, and thanked him for the care he had taken ofher. Jones answered, "If I have preserved you, madam, I amsufficiently repaid; for I promise you, I would have secured you fromthe least harm at the expense of a much greater misfortune to myselfthan I have suffered on this occasion."

  "What misfortune?" replied Sophia eagerly; "I hope you have come to nomischief?"

  "Be not concerned, madam," answered Jones. "Heaven be praised you haveescaped so well, considering the danger you was in. If I have broke myarm, I consider it as a trifle, in comparison of what I feared uponyour account."

  Sophia then screamed out, "Broke your arm! Heaven forbid."

  "I am afraid I have, madam," says Jones: "but I beg you will suffer mefirst to take care of you. I have a right hand yet at your service, tohelp you into the next field, whence we have but a very little walk toyour father's house."

  Sophia seeing his left arm dangling by his side, while he was usingthe other to lead her, no longer doubted of the truth. She now grewmuch paler than her fears for herself had made her before. All herlimbs were seized with a trembling, insomuch that Jones could scarcesupport her; and as her thoughts were in no less agitation, she couldnot refrain from giving Jones a look so full of tenderness, that italmost argued a stronger sensation in her mind, than even gratitudeand pity united can raise in the gentlest female bosom, without theassistance of a third more powerful passion.

  Mr Western, who was advanced at some distance when this accidenthappened, was now returned, as were the rest of the horsemen. Sophiaimmediately acquainted them with what had befallen Jones, and beggedthem to take care of him. Upon which Western, who had been muchalarmed by meeting his daughter's horse without its rider, and was nowoverjoyed to find her unhurt, cried out, "I am glad it is no worse. IfTom hath broken his arm, we will get a joiner to mend un again."

  The squire alighted from his horse, and proceeded to his house onfoot, with his daughter and Jones. An impartial spectator, who had metthem on the way, would, on viewing their several countenances, haveconcluded Sophia alone to have been the object of compassion: for asto Jones, he exulted in having probably saved the life of the younglady, at the price only of a broken bone; and Mr Western, though hewas not unconcerned at the accident which had befallen Jones, was,however, delighted in a much higher degree with the fortunate escapeof his daughter.

  The generosity of Sophia's temper construed this behaviour of Jonesinto great bravery; and it made a deep impression on her heart: forcertain it is, that there is no one quality which so generallyrecommends men to women as this; proceeding, if we believe the commonopinion, from that natural timidity of the sex, which is, says MrOsborne, "so great, that a woman is the most cowardly of all thecreatures God ever made;"--a sentiment more remarkable for itsbluntness than for its truth. Aristotle, in his Politics, doth them, Ibelieve, more justice, when he says, "The modesty and fortitude of mendiffer from those virtues in women; for the fortitude which becomes awoman, would be cowardice in a man; and the modesty which becomes aman, would be pertness in a woman." Nor is there, perhaps, more oftruth in the opinion of those who derive the partiality which womenare inclined to show to the brave, from this excess of their fear. MrBayle (I think, in his article of Helen) imputes this, and withgreater probability, to their violent love of glory; for the truth ofwhich, we have the authority of him who of all others saw farthestinto human nature, and who introduces the heroine of his Odyssey, thegreat pattern of matrimonial love and constancy, assigning the gloryof her husband as the only source of her affection towards him.[*]

  [*] The English reader will not find this in the poem; for the sentiment is entirely left out in the translation.

  However this be, certain it is that the accident operated verystrongly on Sophia; and, indeed, after much enquiry into the matter, Iam inclined to believe, that, at this very time, the charming Sophiamade no less impression on the heart of Jones; to say truth, he hadfor some time become sensible of the irresistible power of her charms.