Joseph Andrews, Vol. 1 Page 6
CHAPTER II.
_Of Mr Joseph Andrews, his birth, parentage, education, and greatendowments; with a word or two concerning ancestors._
Mr Joseph Andrews, the hero of our ensuing history, was esteemed to bethe only son of Gaffar and Gammer Andrews, and brother to theillustrious Pamela, whose virtue is at present so famous. As to hisancestors, we have searched with great diligence, but little success;being unable to trace them farther than his great-grandfather, who, asan elderly person in the parish remembers to have heard his father say,was an excellent cudgel-player. Whether he had any ancestors beforethis, we must leave to the opinion of our curious reader, findingnothing of sufficient certainty to rely on. However, we cannot omitinserting an epitaph which an ingenious friend of ours hathcommunicated:--
Stay, traveller, for underneath this pew Lies fast asleep that merry man Andrew: When the last day's great sun shall gild the skies, Then he shall from his tomb get up and rise. Be merry while thou canst: for surely thou Shalt shortly be as sad as he is now.
The words are almost out of the stone with antiquity. But it is needlessto observe that Andrew here is writ without an _s_, and is, besides, aChristian name. My friend, moreover, conjectures this to have been thefounder of that sect of laughing philosophers since calledMerry-andrews.
To waive, therefore, a circumstance which, though mentioned inconformity to the exact rules of biography, is not greatly material, Iproceed to things of more consequence. Indeed, it is sufficientlycertain that he had as many ancestors as the best man living, and,perhaps, if we look five or six hundred years backwards, might berelated to some persons of very great figure at present, whose ancestorswithin half the last century are buried in as great obscurity. Butsuppose, for argument's sake, we should admit that he had no ancestorsat all, but had sprung up, according to the modern phrase, out of adunghill, as the Athenians pretended they themselves did from the earth,would not this autokopros[A] have been justly entitled to all thepraise arising from his own virtues? Would it not be hard that a man whohath no ancestors should therefore be rendered incapable of acquiringhonour; when we see so many who have no virtues enjoying the honour oftheir forefathers? At ten years old (by which time his education wasadvanced to writing and reading) he was bound an apprentice, accordingto the statute, to Sir Thomas Booby, an uncle of Mr Booby's by thefather's side. Sir Thomas having then an estate in his own hands, theyoung Andrews was at first employed in what in the country they callkeeping birds. His office was to perform the part the ancients assignedto the god Priapus, which deity the moderns call by the name of Jack o'Lent; but his voice being so extremely musical, that it rather alluredthe birds than terrified them, he was soon transplanted from the fieldsinto the dog-kennel, where he was placed under the huntsman, and madewhat the sportsmen term whipper-in. For this place likewise thesweetness of his voice disqualified him; the dogs preferring the melodyof his chiding to all the alluring notes of the huntsman, who soonbecame so incensed at it, that he desired Sir Thomas to provideotherwise for him, and constantly laid every fault the dogs were at tothe account of the poor boy, who was now transplanted to the stable.Here he soon gave proofs of strength and agility beyond his years, andconstantly rode the most spirited and vicious horses to water, with anintrepidity which surprized every one. While he was in this station, herode several races for Sir Thomas, and this with such expertness andsuccess, that the neighbouring gentlemen frequently solicited the knightto permit little Joey (for so he was called) to ride their matches. Thebest gamesters, before they laid their money, always inquired whichhorse little Joey was to ride; and the bets were rather proportioned bythe rider than by the horse himself; especially after he had scornfullyrefused a considerable bribe to play booty on such an occasion. Thisextremely raised his character, and so pleased the Lady Booby, that shedesired to have him (being now seventeen years of age) for herown footboy.
[A] In English, sprung from a dunghill.
Joey was now preferred from the stable to attend on his lady, to go onher errands, stand behind her chair, wait at her tea-table, and carryher prayer-book to church; at which place his voice gave him anopportunity of distinguishing himself by singing psalms: he behavedlikewise in every other respect so well at Divine service, that itrecommended him to the notice of Mr Abraham Adams, the curate, who tookan opportunity one day, as he was drinking a cup of ale in Sir Thomas'skitchen, to ask the young man several questions concerning religion;with his answers to which he was wonderfully pleased.