Chapter xiv.
What happened to Mr Jones in his journey from St Albans.
They were got about two miles beyond Barnet, and it was now the duskof the evening, when a genteel-looking man, but upon a very shabbyhorse, rode up to Jones, and asked him whether he was going to London;to which Jones answered in the affirmative. The gentleman replied, "Ishould be obliged to you, sir, if you will accept of my company; forit is very late, and I am a stranger to the road." Jones readilycomplied with the request; and on they travelled together, holdingthat sort of discourse which is usual on such occasions.
Of this, indeed, robbery was the principal topic: upon which subjectthe stranger expressed great apprehensions; but Jones declared he hadvery little to lose, and consequently as little to fear. HerePartridge could not forbear putting in his word. "Your honour," saidhe, "may think it a little, but I am sure, if I had a hundred-poundbank-note in my pocket, as you have, I should be very sorry to loseit; but, for my part, I never was less afraid in my life; for we arefour of us, and if we all stand by one another, the best man inEngland can't rob us. Suppose he should have a pistol, he can kill butone of us, and a man can die but once.--That's my comfort, a man candie but once."
Besides the reliance on superior numbers, a kind of valour which hathraised a certain nation among the moderns to a high pitch of glory,there was another reason for the extraordinary courage which Partridgenow discovered; for he had at present as much of that quality as wasin the power of liquor to bestow.
Our company were now arrived within a mile of Highgate, when thestranger turned short upon Jones, and pulling out a pistol, demandedthat little bank-note which Partridge had mentioned.
Jones was at first somewhat shocked at this unexpected demand;however, he presently recollected himself, and told the highwayman,all the money he had in his pocket was entirely at his service; and sosaying, he pulled out upwards of three guineas, and offered to deliverit; but the other answered with an oath, That would not do. Jonesanswered coolly, he was very sorry for it, and returned the money intohis pocket.
The highwayman then threatened, if he did not deliver the bank-notethat moment, he must shoot him; holding his pistol at the same timevery near to his breast. Jones instantly caught hold of the fellow'shand, which trembled so that he could scarce hold the pistol in it,and turned the muzzle from him. A struggle then ensued, in which theformer wrested the pistol from the hand of his antagonist, and bothcame from their horses on the ground together, the highwayman upon hisback, and the victorious Jones upon him.
The poor fellow now began to implore mercy of the conqueror: for, tosay the truth, he was in strength by no means a match for Jones."Indeed, sir," says he, "I could have had no intention to shoot you;for you will find the pistol was not loaded. This is the first robberyI ever attempted, and I have been driven by distress to this."
At this instant, at about a hundred and fifty yards' distance, layanother person on the ground, roaring for mercy in a much louder voicethan the highwayman. This was no other than Partridge himself, who,endeavouring to make his escape from the engagement, had been thrownfrom his horse, and lay flat on his face, not daring to look up, andexpecting every minute to be shot.
In this posture he lay, till the guide, who was no otherwise concernedthan for his horses, having secured the stumbling beast, came up tohim, and told him his master had got the better of the highwayman.
Partridge leapt up at this news, and ran back to the place where Jonesstood with his sword drawn in his hand to guard the poor fellow; whichPartridge no sooner saw than he cried out, "Kill the villain, sir, runhim through the body, kill him this instant!"
Luckily, however, for the poor wretch, he had fallen into moremerciful hands; for Jones having examined the pistol, and found it tobe really unloaded, began to believe all the man had told him, beforePartridge came up: namely, that he was a novice in the trade, and thathe had been driven to it by the distress he mentioned, the greatestindeed imaginable, that of five hungry children, and a wife lying inof the sixth, in the utmost want and misery. The truth of all whichthe highwayman most vehemently asserted, and offered to convince MrJones of it, if he would take the trouble to go to his house, whichwas not above two miles off; saying, "That he desired no favour, butupon condition of proving all he had all alledged."
Jones at first pretended that he would take the fellow at his word,and go with him, declaring that his fate should depend entirely on thetruth of his story. Upon this the poor fellow immediately expressed somuch alacrity, that Jones was perfectly satisfied with his veracity,and began now to entertain sentiments of compassion for him. Hereturned the fellow his empty pistol, advised him to think of honestermeans of relieving his distress, and gave him a couple of guineas forthe immediate support of his wife and his family; adding, "he wishedhe had more for his sake, for the hundred pound that had beenmentioned was not his own."
Our readers will probably be divided in their opinions concerning thisaction; some may applaud it perhaps as an act of extraordinaryhumanity, while those of a more saturnine temper will consider it as awant of regard to that justice which every man owes his country.Partridge certainly saw it in that light; for he testified muchdissatisfaction on the occasion, quoted an old proverb, and said, heshould not wonder if the rogue attacked them again before they reachedLondon.
The highwayman was full of expressions of thankfulness and gratitude.He actually dropt tears, or pretended so to do. He vowed he wouldimmediately return home, and would never afterwards commit such atransgression: whether he kept his word or no, perhaps may appearhereafter.
Our travellers having remounted their horses, arrived in town withoutencountering any new mishap. On the road much pleasant discoursepassed between Jones and Partridge, on the subject of their lastadventure: in which Jones exprest a great compassion for thosehighwaymen who are, by unavoidable distress, driven, as it were, tosuch illegal courses, as generally bring them to a shameful death: "Imean," said he, "those only whose highest guilt extends no fartherthan to robbery, and who are never guilty of cruelty nor insult to anyperson, which is a circumstance that, I must say, to the honour of ourcountry, distinguishes the robbers of England from those of all othernations; for murder is, amongst those, almost inseparably incident torobbery."
"No doubt," answered Partridge, "it is better to take away one's moneythan one's life; and yet it is very hard upon honest men, that theycan't travel about their business without being in danger of thesevillains. And to be sure it would be better that all rogues werehanged out of the way, than that one honest man should suffer. For myown part, indeed, I should not care to have the blood of any of themon my own hands; but it is very proper for the law to hang them all.What right hath any man to take sixpence from me, unless I give ithim? Is there any honesty in such a man?"
"No, surely," cries Jones, "no more than there is in him who takes thehorses out of another man's stable, or who applies to his own use themoney which he finds, when he knows the right owner."
These hints stopt the mouth of Partridge; nor did he open it againtill Jones, having thrown some sarcastical jokes on his cowardice, heoffered to excuse himself on the inequality of fire-arms, saying, "Athousand naked men are nothing to one pistol; for though it is true itwill kill but one at a single discharge, yet who can tell but that onemay be himself?"
BOOK XIII.
CONTAINING THE SPACE OF TWELVE DAYS.
History of Tom Jones, a Foundling Page 143