History of Tom Jones, a Foundling

by Henry Fielding

  Chapter iv.

  Which we hope will be very attentively perused by young people of bothsexes.

  Partridge had no sooner left Mr Jones than Mr Nightingale, with whomhe had now contracted a great intimacy, came to him, and, after ashort salutation, said, "So, Tom, I hear you had company very latelast night. Upon my soul you are a happy fellow, who have not been intown above a fortnight, and can keep chairs waiting at your door tilltwo in the morning." He then ran on with much commonplace raillery ofthe same kind, till Jones at last interrupted him, saying, "I supposeyou have received all this information from Mrs Miller, who hath beenup here a little while ago to give me warning. The good woman isafraid, it seems, of the reputation of her daughters." "Oh! she iswonderfully nice," says Nightingale, "upon that account; if youremember, she would not let Nancy go with us to the masquerade." "Nay,upon my honour, I think she's in the right of it," says Jones:"however, I have taken her at her word, and have sent Partridge tolook for another lodging." "If you will," says Nightingale, "we may, Ibelieve, be again together; for, to tell you a secret, which I desireyou won't mention in the family, I intend to quit the house to-day.""What, hath Mrs Miller given you warning too, my friend?" cries Jones."No," answered the other; "but the rooms are not convenient enough.Besides, I am grown weary of this part of the town. I want to benearer the places of diversion; so I am going to Pall-mall." "And doyou intend to make a secret of your going away?" said Jones. "Ipromise you," answered Nightingale, "I don't intend to bilk mylodgings; but I have a private reason for not taking a formal leave.""Not so private," answered Jones; "I promise you, I have seen it eversince the second day of my coming to the house. Here will be some weteyes on your departure. Poor Nancy, I pity her, faith! Indeed, Jack,you have played the fool with that girl. You have given her a longing,which I am afraid nothing will ever cure her of." Nightingaleanswered, "What the devil would you have me do? would you have memarry her to cure her?" "No," answered Jones, "I would not have hadyou make love to her, as you have often done in my presence. I havebeen astonished at the blindness of her mother in never seeing it.""Pugh, see it!" cries Nightingale. "What, the devil should she see?""Why, see," said Jones, "that you have made her daughter distractedlyin love with you. The poor girl cannot conceal it a moment; her eyesare never off from you, and she always colours every time you comeinto the room. Indeed, I pity her heartily; for she seems to be one ofthe best-natured and honestest of human creatures." "And so," answeredNightingale, "according to your doctrine, one must not amuse oneselfby any common gallantries with women, for fear they should fall inlove with us." "Indeed, Jack," said Jones, "you wilfully misunderstandme; I do not fancy women are so apt to fall in love; but you have gonefar beyond common gallantries." "What, do you suppose," saysNightingale, "that we have been a-bed together?" "No, upon my honour,"answered Jones, very seriously, "I do not suppose so ill of you; nay,I will go farther, I do not imagine you have laid a regularpremeditated scheme for the destruction of the quiet of a poor littlecreature, or have even foreseen the consequence: for I am sure thouart a very good-natured fellow; and such a one can never be guilty ofa cruelty of that kind; but at the same time you have pleased your ownvanity, without considering that this poor girl was made a sacrificeto it; and while you have had no design but of amusing an idle hour,you have actually given her reason to flatter herself that you had themost serious designs in her favour. Prithee, Jack, answer me honestly;to what have tended all those elegant and luscious descriptions ofhappiness arising from violent and mutual fondness? all those warmprofessions of tenderness, and generous disinterested love? Did youimagine she would not apply them? or, speak ingenuously, did not youintend she should?" "Upon my soul, Tom," cries Nightingale, "I did notthink this was in thee. Thou wilt make an admirable parson. So Isuppose you would not go to bed to Nancy now, if she would let you?""No," cries Jones, "may I be d--n'd if I would." "Tom, Tom," answeredNightingale, "last night; remember last night----

  When every eye was closed, and the pale moon, And silent stars, shone conscious of the theft."

  "Lookee, Mr Nightingale," said Jones, "I am no canting hypocrite, nordo I pretend to the gift of chastity, more than my neighbours. I havebeen guilty with women, I own it; but am not conscious that I haveever injured any.--Nor would I, to procure pleasure to myself, beknowingly the cause of misery to any human being."

  "Well, well," said Nightingale, "I believe you, and I am convinced youacquit me of any such thing."

  "I do, from my heart," answered Jones, "of having debauched the girl,but not from having gained her affections."

  "If I have," said Nightingale, "I am sorry for it; but time andabsence will soon wear off such impressions. It is a receipt I musttake myself; for, to confess the truth to you--I never liked any girlhalf so much in my whole life; but I must let you into the wholesecret, Tom. My father hath provided a match for me with a woman Inever saw; and she is now coming to town, in order for me to make myaddresses to her."

  At these words Jones burst into a loud fit of laughter; whenNightingale cried--"Nay, prithee, don't turn me into ridicule. Thedevil take me if I am not half mad about this matter! my poor Nancy!Oh! Jones, Jones, I wish I had a fortune in my own possession."

  "I heartily wish you had," cries Jones; "for, if this be the case, Isincerely pity you both; but surely you don't intend to go awaywithout taking your leave of her?"

  "I would not," answered Nightingale, "undergo the pain of takingleave, for ten thousand pounds; besides, I am convinced, instead ofanswering any good purpose, it would only serve to inflame my poorNancy the more. I beg, therefore, you would not mention a word of itto-day, and in the evening, or to-morrow morning, I intend to depart."

  Jones promised he would not; and said, upon reflection, he thought, ashe had determined and was obliged to leave her, he took the mostprudent method. He then told Nightingale he should be very glad tolodge in the same house with him; and it was accordingly agreedbetween them, that Nightingale should procure him either the groundfloor, or the two pair of stairs; for the young gentleman himself wasto occupy that which was between them.

  This Nightingale, of whom we shall be presently obliged to say alittle more, was in the ordinary transactions of life a man of stricthonour, and, what is more rare among young gentlemen of the town, oneof strict honesty too; yet in affairs of love he was somewhat loose inhis morals; not that he was even here as void of principle asgentlemen sometimes are, and oftener affect to be; but it is certainhe had been guilty of some indefensible treachery to women, and had,in a certain mystery, called making love, practised many deceits,which, if he had used in trade, he would have been counted thegreatest villain upon earth.

  But as the world, I know not well for what reason, agree to see thistreachery in a better light, he was so far from being ashamed of hisiniquities of this kind, that he gloried in them, and would oftenboast of his skill in gaining of women, and his triumphs over theirhearts, for which he had before this time received some rebukes fromJones, who always exprest great bitterness against any misbehaviour tothe fair part of the species, who, if considered, he said, as theyought to be, in the light of the dearest friends, were to becultivated, honoured, and caressed with the utmost love andtenderness; but, if regarded as enemies, were a conquest of which aman ought rather to be ashamed than to value himself upon it.