History of Tom Jones, a Foundling Page 29

  Chapter v.

  The opinions of the divine and the philosopher concerning the twoboys; with some reasons for their opinions, and other matters.

  It is probable, that by disclosing this secret, which had beencommunicated in the utmost confidence to him, young Blifil preservedhis companion from a good lashing; for the offence of the bloody nosewould have been of itself sufficient cause for Thwackum to haveproceeded to correction; but now this was totally absorbed in theconsideration of the other matter; and with regard to this, MrAllworthy declared privately, he thought the boy deserved rewardrather than punishment, so that Thwackum's hand was withheld by ageneral pardon.

  Thwackum, whose meditations were full of birch, exclaimed against thisweak, and, as he said he would venture to call it, wicked lenity. Toremit the punishment of such crimes was, he said, to encourage them.He enlarged much on the correction of children, and quoted many textsfrom Solomon, and others; which being to be found in so many otherbooks, shall not be found here. He then applied himself to the vice oflying, on which head he was altogether as learned as he had been onthe other.

  Square said, he had been endeavouring to reconcile the behaviour ofTom with his idea of perfect virtue, but could not. He owned there wassomething which at first sight appeared like fortitude in the action;but as fortitude was a virtue, and falsehood a vice, they could by nomeans agree or unite together. He added, that as this was in somemeasure to confound virtue and vice, it might be worth Mr Thwackum'sconsideration, whether a larger castigation might not be laid on uponthe account.

  As both these learned men concurred in censuring Jones, so were theyno less unanimous in applauding Master Blifil. To bring truth tolight, was by the parson asserted to be the duty of every religiousman; and by the philosopher this was declared to be highly conformablewith the rule of right, and the eternal and unalterable fitness ofthings.

  All this, however, weighed very little with Mr Allworthy. He could notbe prevailed on to sign the warrant for the execution of Jones. Therewas something within his own breast with which the invincible fidelitywhich that youth had preserved, corresponded much better than it haddone with the religion of Thwackum, or with the virtue of Square. Hetherefore strictly ordered the former of these gentlemen to abstainfrom laying violent hands on Tom for what had past. The pedagogue wasobliged to obey those orders; but not without great reluctance, andfrequent mutterings that the boy would be certainly spoiled.

  Towards the gamekeeper the good man behaved with more severity. Hepresently summoned that poor fellow before him, and after many bitterremonstrances, paid him his wages, and dismist him from his service;for Mr Allworthy rightly observed, that there was a great differencebetween being guilty of a falsehood to excuse yourself, and to excuseanother. He likewise urged, as the principal motive to his inflexibleseverity against this man, that he had basely suffered Tom Jones toundergo so heavy a punishment for his sake, whereas he ought to haveprevented it by making the discovery himself.

  When this story became public, many people differed from Square andThwackum, in judging the conduct of the two lads on the occasion.Master Blifil was generally called a sneaking rascal, a poor-spiritedwretch, with other epithets of the like kind; whilst Tom was honouredwith the appellations of a brave lad, a jolly dog, and an honestfellow. Indeed, his behaviour to Black George much ingratiated himwith all the servants; for though that fellow was before universallydisliked, yet he was no sooner turned away than he was as universallypitied; and the friendship and gallantry of Tom Jones was celebratedby them all with the highest applause; and they condemned MasterBlifil as openly as they durst, without incurring the danger ofoffending his mother. For all this, however, poor Tom smarted in theflesh; for though Thwackum had been inhibited to exercise his arm onthe foregoing account, yet, as the proverb says, It is easy to find astick, &c. So was it easy to find a rod; and, indeed, the not beingable to find one was the only thing which could have kept Thwackum anylong time from chastising poor Jones.

  Had the bare delight in the sport been the only inducement to thepedagogue, it is probable Master Blifil would likewise have had hisshare; but though Mr Allworthy had given him frequent orders to makeno difference between the lads, yet was Thwackum altogether as kindand gentle to this youth, as he was harsh, nay even barbarous, to theother. To say the truth, Blifil had greatly gained his master'saffections; partly by the profound respect he always showed hisperson, but much more by the decent reverence with which he receivedhis doctrine; for he had got by heart, and frequently repeated, hisphrases, and maintained all his master's religious principles with azeal which was surprizing in one so young, and which greatly endearedhim to the worthy preceptor.

  Tom Jones, on the other hand, was not only deficient in outward tokensof respect, often forgetting to pull off his hat, or to bow at hismaster's approach; but was altogether as unmindful both of hismaster's precepts and example. He was indeed a thoughtless, giddyyouth, with little sobriety in his manners, and less in hiscountenance; and would often very impudently and indecently laugh athis companion for his serious behaviour.

  Mr Square had the same reason for his preference of the former lad;for Tom Jones showed no more regard to the learned discourses whichthis gentleman would sometimes throw away upon him, than to those ofThwackum. He once ventured to make a jest of the rule of right; and atanother time said, he believed there was no rule in the world capableof making such a man as his father (for so Mr Allworthy sufferedhimself to be called).

  Master Blifil, on the contrary, had address enough at sixteen torecommend himself at one and the same time to both these opposites.With one he was all religion, with the other he was all virtue. Andwhen both were present, he was profoundly silent, which bothinterpreted in his favour and in their own.

  Nor was Blifil contented with flattering both these gentlemen to theirfaces; he took frequent occasions of praising them behind their backsto Allworthy; before whom, when they two were alone, and his unclecommended any religious or virtuous sentiment (for many such cameconstantly from him) he seldom failed to ascribe it to the goodinstructions he had received from either Thwackum or Square; for heknew his uncle repeated all such compliments to the persons for whoseuse they were meant; and he found by experience the great impressionswhich they made on the philosopher, as well as on the divine: for, tosay the truth, there is no kind of flattery so irresistible as this,at second hand.

  The young gentleman, moreover, soon perceived how extremely gratefulall those panegyrics on his instructors were to Mr Allworthy himself,as they so loudly resounded the praise of that singular plan ofeducation which he had laid down; for this worthy man having observedthe imperfect institution of our public schools, and the many viceswhich boys were there liable to learn, had resolved to educate hisnephew, as well as the other lad, whom he had in a manner adopted, inhis own house; where he thought their morals would escape all thatdanger of being corrupted to which they would be unavoidably exposedin any public school or university.

  Having, therefore, determined to commit these boys to the tuition of aprivate tutor, Mr Thwackum was recommended to him for that office, bya very particular friend, of whose understanding Mr Allworthy had agreat opinion, and in whose integrity he placed much confidence. ThisThwackum was fellow of a college, where he almost entirely resided;and had a great reputation for learning, religion, and sobriety ofmanners. And these were doubtless the qualifications by which MrAllworthy's friend had been induced to recommend him; though indeedthis friend had some obligations to Thwackum's family, who were themost considerable persons in a borough which that gentlemanrepresented in parliament.

  Thwackum, at his first arrival, was extremely agreeable to Allworthy;and indeed he perfectly answered the character which had been given ofhim. Upon longer acquaintance, however, and more intimateconversation, this worthy man saw infirmities in the tutor, which hecould have wished him to have been without; though as those seemedgreatly overbalanced by his good qualities, they did not incline MrAllworthy to part with hi
m: nor would they indeed have justified sucha proceeding; for the reader is greatly mistaken, if he conceives thatThwackum appeared to Mr Allworthy in the same light as he doth to himin this history; and he is as much deceived, if he imagines that themost intimate acquaintance which he himself could have had with thatdivine, would have informed him of those things which we, from ourinspiration, are enabled to open and discover. Of readers who, fromsuch conceits as these, condemn the wisdom or penetration of MrAllworthy, I shall not scruple to say, that they make a very bad andungrateful use of that knowledge which we have communicated to them.

  These apparent errors in the doctrine of Thwackum served greatly topalliate the contrary errors in that of Square, which our good man noless saw and condemned. He thought, indeed, that the differentexuberancies of these gentlemen would correct their differentimperfections; and that from both, especially with his assistance, thetwo lads would derive sufficient precepts of true religion and virtue.If the event happened contrary to his expectations, this possiblyproceeded from some fault in the plan itself; which the reader hath myleave to discover, if he can: for we do not pretend to introduce anyinfallible characters into this history; where we hope nothing will befound which hath never yet been seen in human nature.

  To return therefore: the reader will not, I think, wonder that thedifferent behaviour of the two lads above commemorated, produced thedifferent effects of which he hath already seen some instance; andbesides this, there was another reason for the conduct of thephilosopher and the pedagogue; but this being matter of greatimportance, we shall reveal it in the next chapter.