History of Tom Jones, a Foundling Page 18

  Chapter iii.

  The description of a domestic government founded upon rules directlycontrary to those of Aristotle.

  My reader may please to remember he hath been informed that JennyJones had lived some years with a certain schoolmaster, who had, ather earnest desire, instructed her in Latin, in which, to do justiceto her genius, she had so improved herself, that she was become abetter scholar than her master.

  Indeed, though this poor man had undertaken a profession to whichlearning must be allowed necessary, this was the least of hiscommendations. He was one of the best-natured fellows in the world,and was, at the same time, master of so much pleasantry and humour,that he was reputed the wit of the country; and all the neighbouringgentlemen were so desirous of his company, that as denying was not histalent, he spent much time at their houses, which he might, with moreemolument, have spent in his school.

  It may be imagined that a gentleman so qualified and so disposed, wasin no danger of becoming formidable to the learned seminaries of Etonor Westminster. To speak plainly, his scholars were divided into twoclasses: in the upper of which was a young gentleman, the son of aneighbouring squire, who, at the age of seventeen, was just enteredinto his Syntaxis; and in the lower was a second son of the samegentleman, who, together with seven parish-boys, was learning to readand write.

  The stipend arising hence would hardly have indulged the schoolmasterin the luxuries of life, had he not added to this office those ofclerk and barber, and had not Mr Allworthy added to the whole anannuity of ten pounds, which the poor man received every Christmas,and with which he was enabled to cheer his heart during that sacredfestival.

  Among his other treasures, the pedagogue had a wife, whom he hadmarried out of Mr Allworthy's kitchen for her fortune, viz., twentypounds, which she had there amassed.

  This woman was not very amiable in her person. Whether she sat to myfriend Hogarth, or no, I will not determine; but she exactly resembledthe young woman who is pouring out her mistress's tea in the thirdpicture of the Harlot's Progress. She was, besides, a profest followerof that noble sect founded by Xantippe of old; by means of which shebecame more formidable in the school than her husband; for, to confessthe truth, he was never master there, or anywhere else, in herpresence.

  Though her countenance did not denote much natural sweetness oftemper, yet this was, perhaps, somewhat soured by a circumstance whichgenerally poisons matrimonial felicity; for children are rightlycalled the pledges of love; and her husband, though they had beenmarried nine years, had given her no such pledges; a default for whichhe had no excuse, either from age or health, being not yet thirtyyears old, and what they call a jolly brisk young man.

  Hence arose another evil, which produced no little uneasiness to thepoor pedagogue, of whom she maintained so constant a jealousy, that hedurst hardly speak to one woman in the parish; for the least degree ofcivility, or even correspondence, with any female, was sure to bringhis wife upon her back, and his own.

  In order to guard herself against matrimonial injuries in her ownhouse, as she kept one maid-servant, she always took care to chuse herout of that order of females whose faces are taken as a kind ofsecurity for their virtue; of which number Jenny Jones, as the readerhath been before informed, was one.

  As the face of this young woman might be called pretty good securityof the before-mentioned kind, and as her behaviour had been alwaysextremely modest, which is the certain consequence of understanding inwomen; she had passed above four years at Mr Partridge's (for that wasthe schoolmaster's name) without creating the least suspicion in hermistress. Nay, she had been treated with uncommon kindness, and hermistress had permitted Mr Partridge to give her those instructionswhich have been before commemorated.

  But it is with jealousy as with the gout: when such distempers are inthe blood, there is never any security against their breaking out; andthat often on the slightest occasions, and when least suspected.

  Thus it happened to Mrs Partridge, who had submitted four years to herhusband's teaching this young woman, and had suffered her often toneglect her work, in order to pursue her learning. For, passing by oneday, as the girl was reading, and her master leaning over her, thegirl, I know not for what reason, suddenly started up from her chair:and this was the first time that suspicion ever entered into the headof her mistress. This did not, however, at that time discover itself,but lay lurking in her mind, like a concealed enemy, who waits for areinforcement of additional strength before he openly declares himselfand proceeds upon hostile operations: and such additional strengthsoon arrived to corroborate her suspicion; for not long after, thehusband and wife being at dinner, the master said to his maid, _Damihi aliquid potum:_ upon which the poor girl smiled, perhaps at thebadness of the Latin, and, when her mistress cast her eyes on her,blushed, possibly with a consciousness of having laughed at hermaster. Mrs Partridge, upon this, immediately fell into a fury, anddischarged the trencher on which she was eating, at the head of poorJenny, crying out, "You impudent whore, do you play tricks with myhusband before my face?" and at the same instant rose from her chairwith a knife in her hand, with which, most probably, she would haveexecuted very tragical vengeance, had not the girl taken the advantageof being nearer the door than her mistress, and avoided her fury byrunning away: for, as to the poor husband, whether surprize hadrendered him motionless, or fear (which is full as probable) hadrestrained him from venturing at any opposition, he sat staring andtrembling in his chair; nor did he once offer to move or speak, tillhis wife, returning from the pursuit of Jenny, made some defensivemeasures necessary for his own preservation; and he likewise wasobliged to retreat, after the example of the maid.

  This good woman was, no more than Othello, of a disposition

  To make a life of jealousy And follow still the changes of the moon With fresh suspicions--

  With her, as well as him,

  --To be once in doubt, Was once to be resolvd--

  she therefore ordered Jenny immediately to pack up her alls andbegone, for that she was determined she should not sleep that nightwithin her walls.

  Mr Partridge had profited too much by experience to interpose in amatter of this nature. He therefore had recourse to his usual receiptof patience, for, though he was not a great adept in Latin, heremembered, and well understood, the advice contained in these words

  --_Leve fit quod bene fertur onus_

  in English:

  A burden becomes lightest when it is well borne--

  which he had always in his mouth; and of which, to say the truth, hehad often occasion to experience the truth.

  Jenny offered to make protestations of her innocence; but the tempestwas too strong for her to be heard. She then betook herself to thebusiness of packing, for which a small quantity of brown papersufficed, and, having received her small pittance of wages, shereturned home.

  The schoolmaster and his consort passed their time unpleasantly enoughthat evening, but something or other happened before the next morning,which a little abated the fury of Mrs Partridge; and she at lengthadmitted her husband to make his excuses: to which she gave thereadier belief, as he had, instead of desiring her to recall Jenny,professed a satisfaction in her being dismissed, saying, she was grownof little use as a servant, spending all her time in reading, and wasbecome, moreover, very pert and obstinate; for, indeed, she and hermaster had lately had frequent disputes in literature; in which, ashath been said, she was become greatly his superior. This, however, hewould by no means allow; and as he called her persisting in the right,obstinacy, he began to hate her with no small inveteracy.