4 gift hath not given himself for the fake of giving the Example to his Readers. CHAP. II. Of Mr. Jofeph Andrews his Birth, Parentage, Education, and great Endowments; with a Word or two concerning Ancestors. M TR. Jofeph Andrews, the Hero of our enfuing History, was esteemed to be the only Son of Gaffar and Gammer Andrews, and Brother to the illustrious Pamela, whose Virtue is at present so famous. As to his Ancestors, we have fearched with great Diligence, but little Success; being unable to trace them farther than his Great Grandfather, who, as an elderly Person in the Parish remembers to have heard his Father fay, was an excellent Cudgel-player. Whether he had any Ancestors before this, we must leave to the Opinion of our curious Reader, finding nothing of sufficient Certainty to rely on. However, we cannot omit inserting an Epitaph which an ingenious Friend of ours hath communicated: Stay Traveller, for underneath this Pew The Words are almost out of the Stone with Antiquity. But it is needless to observe, that Andrew here is writ without ans, and is besides a Christian は stian Name. My Friend moreover conjectures this to have been the Founder of that Sect of laughing Philosophers, since called Merry Andrews. To wave therefore a Circumstance, which, tho' mentioned in conformity to the exact Rules of Biography, is not greatly material; I proceed to things of more consequence. Indeed it is sufficiently certain, that he had as many Ancestors as the best Man living; and perhaps, if we look five or fix hundred Years backwards, might be related to some Persons of very great Figure at present, whose Ancestors within half the last Century are buried in as great Obscurity. But suppose for Argument's fake we should admit that he had no Ancestors at all, but had sprung up, according to the modern Phrase, out of a Dunghil, as the Athenians pretended they themselves did from the Earth, would not this * Autokopros have been justly entitled to all the Praise arising from his own Virtues? Would it not be hard, that a Man who hath no Ancestors, should therefore be rendered incapable of acquiring Honour; when we fee so many who have no Virtues, enjoying the Honour of their Forefathers? At ten Years old (by which time his Education was advanced to Writing and Reading) he was bound an Apprentice, according to the Statute, to Sir Thomas Booby an Uncle of Mr. Booby's by the Father's Side. Sir Thomas having then an Estate in his own Hands, the young Andrews was at first employed in what in the Country they call keeping Birds. His Office was to perform the Part the Antients affigned to the God Priapus, which Deity the Moderns call by the Name of Jack-o' Lent: But his Voice being fo extremely musical, that it rather allured the Birds than terrified them, he was foon transplanted from the Fields into the Dog-kennel, where he was placed under the Huntsman, and made what Sportsmen term a Whipper-in. For this Place likewife the Sweetness of his Voice disqualified him; the Dogs preferring the Melody of his chiding to all the alluring Notes of the Huntfman, who soon became so incensed at it, that he defired Sir Thomas to provide otherwise for him; and constantly laid every Fault the Dogs were at, to the Account of the poor Boy, who was now transplanted to the Stable. Here he foon gave Proofs of Strength and Agility, beyond his Years, and conftantly rode the most spirited and vicious Horses to water with an Intrepidity which surprized every one. While he was in this Station, he rode several Races for Sir Thomas, and this with such Expertness and Success, that the neighbouring Gentlemen frequently folicited the Knight, to permit little Joey (for fo he was called) to ride their Matches. The best Gamesters, before they laid their Money, always enquired which Horse little Joey was to ride; and the Betts were rather proportioned by the Rider than by the Horse himself; especially after he had scornfully refused a confiderable Bribe to play booty on fuch an Occasion. This extremely raised his Character, and fo pleased the Lady Booby, that the defired to have him, (being now seventeen Years of Age) for her own Foot-boy. * In English, sprung from a Dunghil. Joey was now preferred from the Stable to attend on his Lady, to go on her Errands, stand behind her Chair, wait at her Tea-table, and carry her Prayer-Book to Church; at which Place, his Voice gave him an Opportunity of diftinguish ing himself by singing Pfalms: he behaved likewise in every other respect so well at divine Service, that it recommended him to the Notice of Mr. Abraham Adams the Curate, who took an Opportunity one Day, as he was drinking a Cup of Ale in Sir Thomas's Kitchin, to ask the young Man several Questions concerning Religion; with his Answers to which he was wonderfully pleased. CHAP. III. Of Mr. Abraham Adams the Curate, Mrs. Slipflop the Chambermaid, and others. M R. Abraham Adams was an excellent Scholar. He was a perfect Master of the Greek and Latin Languages; to which he added a great Share of Knowledge in the Oriental Tongues, and could read and translate French, Italian and Spanish. He had applied many Years to the most severe Study, and had treasured up a Fund of Learning rarely to be met with in a University. He was besides a Man of good Senfe, good Parts, and good Nature; but was at the fame time as entirely ignorant of the Ways of this World, as an Infant just entered into it could possibly be. As he had never any Intention to deceive, so he never suspected such a Design in others. He was generous, friendly and brave to an Excess; but Simplicity was his Characteristick: he did, no more than Mr. Colley Cibber, apprehend any such Paffions as Malice and Envy to exist in Mankind, which was indeed less remarkable in a Country Parson than in a Gentleman who hath past his Life behind the Scenes, a Place which hath been feldom thought the School of Innocence; and where a very little Obfer B4 Observation would have convinced the great Apologist, that those Paffions have a real Existence in the human Mind. His Virtue and his other Qualifications, as they rendered him equal to his Office ; so they made him an agreeable and valuable Companion, and had so much endeared and well recommended him to a Bishop; that at the Age of Fifty, he was provided with a handsome Income of twenty-three Pounds a Year; which however, he could not make any great Figure with: because he lived in a dear Country, and was a little incumbered with a Wife and fix Children. It was this Gentleman, who having, as I have said, observed the fingular Devotion of young Andrews, had found means to question him concerning several Particulars; as how many Books there were in the New Testament? which were they? how many Chapters they contained ? and such like; to all which Mr. Adams privately said, he answered much better than Sir Thomas, or two other neighbouring Justices of the Peace could probably have done. Mr. Adams was wonderfully solicitous to know at what Time, and by what Opportunity the Youth became acquainted with these Matters: Joey told him, that he had very early learnt to read and write by the Goodness of his Father, who, though he had not Interest enough to get him into a Charity School, because a Coufin of his Father's Landlord did not vote on the right Side for a Church-warden in a Borough-Town, yet had been himself at the Expence of Sixpence a Week for his Learning. He told him likewise, that ever since he was in Sir Thomas's Family, he had employed all his Hours of Leisure in reading good Books; |