Chapter v.

The opinions of the divine and the philosopher concerning the two

boys; with some reasons for their opinions, and other matters.

It is probable, that by disclosing this secret, which had been

communicated in the utmost confidence to him, young Blifil preserved

his companion from a good lashing; for the offence of the bloody nose

would have been of itself sufficient cause for Thwackum to have

proceeded to correction; but now this was totally absorbed in the

consideration of the other matter; and with regard to this, Mr

Allworthy declared privately, he thought the boy deserved reward

rather than punishment, so that Thwackum's hand was withheld by a

general pardon.

Thwackum, whose meditations were full of birch, exclaimed against this

weak, and, as he said he would venture to call it, wicked lenity. To

remit the punishment of such crimes was, he said, to encourage them.

He enlarged much on the correction of children, and quoted many texts

from Solomon, and others; which being to be found in so many other

books, shall not be found here. He then applied himself to the vice of

lying, on which head he was altogether as learned as he had been on

the other.

Square said, he had been endeavouring to reconcile the behaviour of

Tom with his idea of perfect virtue, but could not. He owned there was

something which at first sight appeared like fortitude in the action;

but as fortitude was a virtue, and falsehood a vice, they could by no

means agree or unite together. He added, that as this was in some

measure to confound virtue and vice, it might be worth Mr Thwackum's

consideration, whether a larger castigation might not be laid on upon

the account.

As both these learned men concurred in censuring Jones, so were they

no less unanimous in applauding Master Blifil. To bring truth to

light, was by the parson asserted to be the duty of every religious

man; and by the philosopher this was declared to be highly conformable

with the rule of right, and the eternal and unalterable fitness of

things.

All this, however, weighed very little with Mr Allworthy. He could not

be prevailed on to sign the warrant for the execution of Jones. There

was something within his own breast with which the invincible fidelity

which that youth had preserved, corresponded much better than it had

done with the religion of Thwackum, or with the virtue of Square. He

therefore strictly ordered the former of these gentlemen to abstain

from laying violent hands on Tom for what had past. The pedagogue was

obliged to obey those orders; but not without great reluctance, and

frequent mutterings that the boy would be certainly spoiled.

Towards the gamekeeper the good man behaved with more severity. He

presently summoned that poor fellow before him, and after many bitter

remonstrances, paid him his wages, and dismist him from his service;

for Mr Allworthy rightly observed, that there was a great difference

between being guilty of a falsehood to excuse yourself, and to excuse

another. He likewise urged, as the principal motive to his inflexible

severity against this man, that he had basely suffered Tom Jones to

undergo so heavy a punishment for his sake, whereas he ought to have

prevented it by making the discovery himself.

When this story became public, many people differed from Square and

Thwackum, in judging the conduct of the two lads on the occasion.

Master Blifil was generally called a sneaking rascal, a poor-spirited

wretch, with other epithets of the like kind; whilst Tom was honoured

with the appellations of a brave lad, a jolly dog, and an honest

fellow. Indeed, his behaviour to Black George much ingratiated him

with all the servants; for though that fellow was before universally

disliked, yet he was no sooner turned away than he was as universally

pitied; and the friendship and gallantry of Tom Jones was celebrated

by them all with the highest applause; and they condemned Master

Blifil as openly as they durst, without incurring the danger of

offending his mother. For all this, however, poor Tom smarted in the

flesh; for though Thwackum had been inhibited to exercise his arm on

the foregoing account, yet, as the proverb says, It is easy to find a

stick, &c. So was it easy to find a rod; and, indeed, the not being

able to find one was the only thing which could have kept Thwackum any

long time from chastising poor Jones.

Had the bare delight in the sport been the only inducement to the

pedagogue, it is probable Master Blifil would likewise have had his

share; but though Mr Allworthy had given him frequent orders to make

no difference between the lads, yet was Thwackum altogether as kind

and gentle to this youth, as he was harsh, nay even barbarous, to the

other. To say the truth, Blifil had greatly gained his master's

affections; partly by the profound respect he always showed his

person, but much more by the decent reverence with which he received

his doctrine; for he had got by heart, and frequently repeated, his

phrases, and maintained all his master's religious principles with a

zeal which was surprizing in one so young, and which greatly endeared

him to the worthy preceptor.

Tom Jones, on the other hand, was not only deficient in outward tokens

of respect, often forgetting to pull off his hat, or to bow at his

master's approach; but was altogether as unmindful both of his

master's precepts and example. He was indeed a thoughtless, giddy

youth, with little sobriety in his manners, and less in his

countenance; and would often very impudently and indecently laugh at

his 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 which

this gentleman would sometimes throw away upon him, than to those of

Thwackum. He once ventured to make a jest of the rule of right; and at

another time said, he believed there was no rule in the world capable

of making such a man as his father (for so Mr Allworthy suffered

himself to be called).

Master Blifil, on the contrary, had address enough at sixteen to

recommend himself at one and the same time to both these opposites.

With one he was all religion, with the other he was all virtue. And

when both were present, he was profoundly silent, which both

interpreted in his favour and in their own.

Nor was Blifil contented with flattering both these gentlemen to their

faces; he took frequent occasions of praising them behind their backs

to Allworthy; before whom, when they two were alone, and his uncle

commended any religious or virtuous sentiment (for many such came

constantly from him) he seldom failed to ascribe it to the good

instructions he had received from either Thwackum or Square; for he

knew his uncle repeated all such compliments to the persons for whose

use they were meant; and he found by experience the great impressions

which they made on the philosopher, as well as on the divine: for, to

say the truth, there is no kind of flattery so irresistible as this,

at second hand.

The young gentleman, moreover, soon perceived how extremely grateful

all those panegyrics on his instructors were to Mr Allworthy himself,

as they so loudly resounded the praise of that singular plan of

education which he had laid down; for this worthy man having observed

the imperfect institution of our public schools, and the many vices

which boys were there liable to learn, had resolved to educate his

nephew, as well as the other lad, whom he had in a manner adopted, in

his own house; where he thought their morals would escape all that

danger of being corrupted to which they would be unavoidably exposed

in any public school or university.

Having, therefore, determined to commit these boys to the tuition of a

private tutor, Mr Thwackum was recommended to him for that office, by

a very particular friend, of whose understanding Mr Allworthy had a

great opinion, and in whose integrity he placed much confidence. This

Thwackum was fellow of a college, where he almost entirely resided;

and had a great reputation for learning, religion, and sobriety of

manners. And these were doubtless the qualifications by which Mr

Allworthy's friend had been induced to recommend him; though indeed

this friend had some obligations to Thwackum's family, who were the

most considerable persons in a borough which that gentleman

represented in parliament.

Thwackum, at his first arrival, was extremely agreeable to Allworthy;

and indeed he perfectly answered the character which had been given of

him. Upon longer acquaintance, however, and more intimate

conversation, this worthy man saw infirmities in the tutor, which he

could have wished him to have been without; though as those seemed

greatly overbalanced by his good qualities, they did not incline Mr

Allworthy to part with him: nor would they indeed have justified such

a proceeding; for the reader is greatly mistaken, if he conceives that

Thwackum appeared to Mr Allworthy in the same light as he doth to him

in this history; and he is as much deceived, if he imagines that the

most intimate acquaintance which he himself could have had with that

divine, would have informed him of those things which we, from our

inspiration, are enabled to open and discover. Of readers who, from

such conceits as these, condemn the wisdom or penetration of Mr

Allworthy, I shall not scruple to say, that they make a very bad and

ungrateful use of that knowledge which we have communicated to them.

These apparent errors in the doctrine of Thwackum served greatly to

palliate the contrary errors in that of Square, which our good man no

less saw and condemned. He thought, indeed, that the different

exuberancies of these gentlemen would correct their different

imperfections; and that from both, especially with his assistance, the

two lads would derive sufficient precepts of true religion and virtue.

If the event happened contrary to his expectations, this possibly

proceeded from some fault in the plan itself; which the reader hath my

leave to discover, if he can: for we do not pretend to introduce any

infallible characters into this history; where we hope nothing will be

found which hath never yet been seen in human nature.

To return therefore: the reader will not, I think, wonder that the

different behaviour of the two lads above commemorated, produced the

different effects of which he hath already seen some instance; and

besides this, there was another reason for the conduct of the

philosopher and the pedagogue; but this being matter of great

importance, we shall reveal it in the next chapter.