Chapter v.

Containing much matter to exercise the judgment and reflection of the

reader.

I believe it is a true observation, that few secrets are divulged to

one person only; but certainly, it would be next to a miracle that a

fact of this kind should be known to a whole parish, and not transpire

any farther.

And, indeed, a very few days had past, before the country, to use a

common phrase, rung of the schoolmaster of Little Baddington; who was

said to have beaten his wife in the most cruel manner. Nay, in some

places it was reported he had murdered her; in others, that he had

broke her arms; in others, her legs: in short, there was scarce an

injury which can be done to a human creature, but what Mrs Partridge

was somewhere or other affirmed to have received from her husband.

The cause of this quarrel was likewise variously reported; for as some

people said that Mrs Partridge had caught her husband in bed with his

maid, so many other reasons, of a very different kind, went abroad.

Nay, some transferred the guilt to the wife, and the jealousy to the

husband.

Mrs Wilkins had long ago heard of this quarrel; but, as a different

cause from the true one had reached her ears, she thought proper to

conceal it; and the rather, perhaps, as the blame was universally laid

on Mr Partridge; and his wife, when she was servant to Mr Allworthy,

had in something offended Mrs Wilkins, who was not of a very forgiving

temper.

But Mrs Wilkins, whose eyes could see objects at a distance, and who

could very well look forward a few years into futurity, had perceived

a strong likelihood of Captain Blifil's being hereafter her master;

and as she plainly discerned that the captain bore no great goodwill

to the little foundling, she fancied it would be rendering him an

agreeable service, if she could make any discoveries that might lessen

the affection which Mr Allworthy seemed to have contracted for this

child, and which gave visible uneasiness to the captain, who could not

entirely conceal it even before Allworthy himself; though his wife,

who acted her part much better in public, frequently recommended to

him her own example, of conniving at the folly of her brother, which,

she said, she at least as well perceived, and as much resented, as any

other possibly could.

Mrs Wilkins having therefore, by accident, gotten a true scent of the

above story,--though long after it had happened, failed not to satisfy

herself thoroughly of all the particulars; and then acquainted the

captain, that she had at last discovered the true father of the little

bastard, which she was sorry, she said, to see her master lose his

reputation in the country, by taking so much notice of.

The captain chid her for the conclusion of her speech, as an improper

assurance in judging of her master's actions: for if his honour, or

his understanding, would have suffered the captain to make an alliance

with Mrs Wilkins, his pride would by no means have admitted it. And to

say the truth, there is no conduct less politic, than to enter into

any confederacy with your friend's servants against their master: for

by these means you afterwards become the slave of these very servants;

by whom you are constantly liable to be betrayed. And this

consideration, perhaps it was, which prevented Captain Blifil from

being more explicit with Mrs Wilkins, or from encouraging the abuse

which she had bestowed on Allworthy.

But though he declared no satisfaction to Mrs Wilkins at this

discovery, he enjoyed not a little from it in his own mind, and

resolved to make the best use of it he was able.

He kept this matter a long time concealed within his own breast, in

hopes that Mr Allworthy might hear it from some other person; but Mrs

Wilkins, whether she resented the captain's behaviour, or whether his

cunning was beyond her, and she feared the discovery might displease

him, never afterwards opened her lips about the matter.

I have thought it somewhat strange, upon reflection, that the

housekeeper never acquainted Mrs Blifil with this news, as women are

more inclined to communicate all pieces of intelligence to their own

sex, than to ours. The only way, as it appears to me, of solving this

difficulty, is, by imputing it to that distance which was now grown

between the lady and the housekeeper: whether this arose from a

jealousy in Mrs Blifil, that Wilkins showed too great a respect to the

foundling; for while she was endeavouring to ruin the little infant,

in order to ingratiate herself with the captain, she was every day

more and more commending it before Allworthy, as his fondness for it

every day increased. This, notwithstanding all the care she took at

other times to express the direct contrary to Mrs Blifil, perhaps

offended that delicate lady, who certainly now hated Mrs Wilkins; and

though she did not, or possibly could not, absolutely remove her from

her place, she found, however, the means of making her life very

uneasy. This Mrs Wilkins, at length, so resented, that she very openly

showed all manner of respect and fondness to little Tommy, in

opposition to Mrs Blifil.

The captain, therefore, finding the story in danger of perishing, at

last took an opportunity to reveal it himself.

He was one day engaged with Mr Allworthy in a discourse on charity: in

which the captain, with great learning, proved to Mr Allworthy, that

the word charity in Scripture nowhere means beneficence or generosity.

“The Christian religion,” he said, “was instituted for much nobler

purposes, than to enforce a lesson which many heathen philosophers had

taught us long before, and which, though it might perhaps be called a

moral virtue, savoured but little of that sublime, Christian-like

disposition, that vast elevation of thought, in purity approaching to

angelic perfection, to be attained, expressed, and felt only by grace.

Those,” he said, “came nearer to the Scripture meaning, who understood

by it candour, or the forming of a benevolent opinion of our brethren,

and passing a favourable judgment on their actions; a virtue much

higher, and more extensive in its nature, than a pitiful distribution

of alms, which, though we would never so much prejudice, or even ruin

our families, could never reach many; whereas charity, in the other

and truer sense, might be extended to all mankind.”

He said, “Considering who the disciples were, it would be absurd to

conceive the doctrine of generosity, or giving alms, to have been

preached to them. And, as we could not well imagine this doctrine

should be preached by its Divine Author to men who could not practise

it, much less should we think it understood so by those who can

practise it, and do not.

“But though,” continued he, “there is, I am afraid, little merit in

these benefactions, there would, I must confess, be much pleasure in

them to a good mind, if it was not abated by one consideration. I

mean, that we are liable to be imposed upon, and to confer our

choicest favours often on the undeserving, as you must own was your

case in your bounty to that worthless fellow Partridge: for two or

three such examples must greatly lessen the inward satisfaction which

a good man would otherwise find in generosity; nay, may even make him

timorous in bestowing, lest he should be guilty of supporting vice,

and encouraging the wicked; a crime of a very black dye, and for which

it will by no means be a sufficient excuse, that we have not actually

intended such an encouragement; unless we have used the utmost caution

in chusing the objects of our beneficence. A consideration which, I

make no doubt, hath greatly checked the liberality of many a worthy

and pious man.”

Mr Allworthy answered, “He could not dispute with the captain in the

Greek language, and therefore could say nothing as to the true sense

of the word which is translated charity; but that he had always

thought it was interpreted to consist in action, and that giving alms

constituted at least one branch of that virtue.

“As to the meritorious part,” he said, “he readily agreed with the

captain; for where could be the merit of barely discharging a duty?

which,” he said, “let the word charity have what construction it

would, it sufficiently appeared to be from the whole tenor of the New

Testament. And as he thought it an indispensable duty, enjoined both

by the Christian law, and by the law of nature itself; so was it

withal so pleasant, that if any duty could be said to be its own

reward, or to pay us while we are discharging it, it was this.

“To confess the truth,” said he, “there is one degree of generosity

(of charity I would have called it), which seems to have some show of

merit, and that is, where, from a principle of benevolence and

Christian love, we bestow on another what we really want ourselves;

where, in order to lessen the distresses of another, we condescend to

share some part of them, by giving what even our own necessities

cannot well spare. This is, I think, meritorious; but to relieve our

brethren only with our superfluities; to be charitable (I must use the

word) rather at the expense of our coffers than ourselves; to save

several families from misery rather than hang up an extraordinary

picture in our houses or gratify any other idle ridiculous

vanity--this seems to be only being human creatures. Nay, I will

venture to go farther, it is being in some degree epicures: for what

could the greatest epicure wish rather than to eat with many mouths

instead of one? which I think may be predicated of any one who knows

that the bread of many is owing to his own largesses.

“As to the apprehension of bestowing bounty on such as may hereafter

prove unworthy objects, because many have proved such; surely it can

never deter a good man from generosity. I do not think a few or many

examples of ingratitude can justify a man's hardening his heart

against the distresses of his fellow-creatures; nor do I believe it

can ever have such effect on a truly benevolent mind. Nothing less

than a persuasion of universal depravity can lock up the charity of a

good man; and this persuasion must lead him, I think, either into

atheism, or enthusiasm; but surely it is unfair to argue such

universal depravity from a few vicious individuals; nor was this, I

believe, ever done by a man, who, upon searching his own mind, found

one certain exception to the general rule.” He then concluded by

asking, “who that Partridge was, whom he had called a worthless

fellow?”

“I mean,” said the captain, “Partridge the barber, the schoolmaster,

what do you call him? Partridge, the father of the little child which

you found in your bed.”

Mr Allworthy exprest great surprize at this account, and the captain

as great at his ignorance of it; for he said he had known it above a

month: and at length recollected with much difficulty that he was told

it by Mrs Wilkins.

Upon this, Wilkins was immediately summoned; who having confirmed what

the captain had said, was by Mr Allworthy, by and with the captain's

advice, dispatched to Little Baddington, to inform herself of the

truth of the fact: for the captain exprest great dislike at all hasty

proceedings in criminal matters, and said he would by no means have Mr

Allworthy take any resolution either to the prejudice of the child or

its father, before he was satisfied that the latter was guilty; for

though he had privately satisfied himself of this from one of

Partridge's neighbours, yet he was too generous to give any such

evidence to Mr Allworthy.