The History Of The Life Of The Late Mr. Jonathan Wild The Great(Fiscle Part 3) by Henry Fielding (best books to read for young adults txt) 📖

Book 1 Chapter 7 Pg 26

An Adventure Where Wild,  In The Division Of The Booty,  Exhibits An

Astonishing Instance Of Greatness.

 

 

 

 

 

The Count Was One Night Very Successful At The Hazard-Table,  Where

Wild,  Who Was Just Returned From His Travels,  Was Then Present; As

Was Likewise A Young Gentleman Whose Name Was Bob Bagshot,  An

Acquaintance Of Mr. Wild's,  And Of Whom He Entertained A Great

Opinion; Taking,  Therefore,  Mr. Bagshot Aside,  He Advised Him To

Provide Himself (If He Had Them Not About Him) With A Case Of

Pistols,  And To Attack The Count In His Way Home,  Promising To

Plant Himself Near With The Same Arms,  As A Corps De Reserve,  And

To Come Up On Occasion. This Was Accordingly Executed,  And The

Count Obliged To Surrender To Savage Force What He Had In So

Genteel And Civil A Manner Taken At Play.

 

And As It Is A Wise And Philosophical Observation,  That One

Misfortune Never Comes Alone,  The Count Had Hardly Passed The

Examination Of Mr. Bagshot When He Fell Into The Hands Of Mr.

Snap,  Who,  In Company With Mr. Wild The Elder And One Or Two More

Gentlemen,  Being,  It Seems,  Thereto Well Warranted,  Laid Hold Of

The Unfortunate Count,  And Conveyed Him Back To The Same House

From Which,  By The Assistance Of His Good Friend,  He Had Formerly

Escaped.

 

Mr. Wild And Mr. Bagshot Went Together To The Tavern,  Where Mr.

Bagshot (Generously,  As He Thought) Offered To Share The Booty,

And,  Having Divided The Money Into Two Unequal Heaps,  And Added A

Golden Snuff-Box To The Lesser Heap,  He Desired Mr. Wild To Take

His Choice.

 

Mr. Wild Immediately Conveyed The Larger Share Of The Ready Into

His Pocket,  According To An Excellent Maxim Of His,  "First Secure

What Share You Can Before You Wrangle For The Rest;" And Then,

Turning To His Companion,  He Asked With A Stern Countenance

Whether He Intended To Keep All That Sum To Himself? Mr. Bagshot

Answered,  With Some Surprize,  That He Thought Mr. Wild Had No

Reason To Complain; For It Was Surely Fair,  At Least On His Part,

To Content Himself With An Equal Share Of The Booty,  Who Had Taken

The Whole. "I Grant You Took It," Replied Wild; "But,  Pray,  Who

Proposed Or Counselled The Taking It? Can You Say That You Have

Done More Than Executed My Scheme? And Might Not I,  If I Had

Pleased,  Have Employed Another,  Since You Well Know There Was Not

A Gentleman In The Room But Would Have Taken The Money If He Had

Known How,  Conveniently And Safely,  To Do It?" "That Is Very

True," Returned Bagshot,  "But Did Not I Execute The Scheme,  Did

Not I Run The Whole Risque? Should Not I Have Suffered The Whole

Punishment If I Had Been Taken,  And Is Not The Labourer Worthy Of

His Hire?" "Doubtless," Says Jonathan,  "He Is So,  And Your Hire I

Shall Not Refuse You,  Which Is All That The Labourer Is Entitled

To Or Ever Enjoys. I Remember When I Was At School To Have Heard

Book 1 Chapter 7 Pg 27

Some Verses Which For The Excellence Of Their Doctrine Made An

Impression On Me,  Purporting That The Birds Of The Air And The

Beasts Of The Field Work Not For Themselves. It Is True,  The

Farmer Allows Fodder To His Oxen And Pasture To His Sheep; But It

Is For His Own Service,  Not Theirs,  In The Same Manner The

Ploughman,  The Shepherd,  The Weaver,  The Builder,  And The Soldier,

Work Not For Themselves But Others; They Are Contented With A Poor

Pittance (The Labourer's Hire),  And Permit Us,  The Great,  To Enjoy

The Fruits Of Their Labours. Aristotle,  As My Master Told Us,  Hath

Plainly Proved,  In The First Book Of His Politics,  That The Low,

Mean,  Useful Part Of Mankind,  Are Born Slaves To The Wills Of

Their Superiors,  And Are Indeed As Much Their Property As The

Cattle. It Is Well Said Of Us,  The Higher Order Of Mortals,  That

We Are Born Only To Devour The Fruits Of The Earth; And It May Be

As Well Said Of The Lower Class,  That They Are Born Only To

Produce Them For Us. Is Not The Battle Gained By The Sweat And

Danger Of The Common Soldier? Are Not The Honour And Fruits Of The

Victory The General's Who Laid The Scheme? Is Not The House Built

By The Labour Of The Carpenter And The Bricklayer? Is It Not Built

For The Profit Only Of The Architect And For The Use Of The

Inhabitant,  Who Could Not Easily Have Placed One Brick Upon

Another? Is Not The Cloth Or The Silk Wrought Into Its Form And

Variegated With All The Beauty Of Colours By Those Who Are Forced

To Content Themselves With The Coarsest And Vilest Part Of Their

Work,  While The Profit And Enjoyment Of Their Labours Fall To The

Share Of Others? Cast Your Eye Abroad,  And See Who Is It Lives In

The Most Magnificent Buildings,  Feasts His Palate With The Most

Luxurious Dainties,  His Eyes With The Most Beautiful Sculptures

And Delicate Paintings,  And Clothes Himself In The Finest And

Richest Apparel; And Tell Me If All These Do Not Fall To His Lot

Who Had Not Any The Least Share In Producing All These

Conveniences,  Nor The Least Ability So To Do? Why Then Should The

State Of A Prig[Footnote: A Thief.] Differ From All Others? Or Why

Should You,  Who Are The Labourer Only,  The Executor Of My Scheme,

Expect A Share In The Profit? Be Advised,  Therefore; Deliver The

Whole Booty To Me,  And Trust To My Bounty For Your Reward." Mr.

Bagshot Was Some Time Silent,  And Looked Like A Man Thunderstruck,

But At Last,  Recovering Himself From His Surprize,  He Thus Began:

"If You Think,  Mr. Wild,  By The Force Of Your Arguments,  To Get

The Money Out Of My Pocket,  You Are Greatly Mistaken. What Is All

This Stuff To Me? D--N Me,  I Am A Man Of Honour,  And,  Though I

Can't Talk As Well As You,  By G--You Shall Not Make A Fool Of Me;

And If You Take Me For One,  I Must Tell You You Are A Rascal." At

Which Words He Laid His Hand To His Pistol. Wild,  Perceiving The

Little Success The Great Strength Of His Arguments Had Met With,

And The Hasty Temper Of His Friend,  Gave Over His Design For The

Present,  And Told Bagshot He Was Only In Jest. But This Coolness

With Which He Treated The Other's Flame Had Rather The Effect Of

Oil Than Of Water. Bagshot Replied In A Rage,  "D--N Me,  I Don't

Like Such Jests; I See You Are A Pitiful Rascal And A Scoundrel."

Wild,  With A Philosophy Worthy Of Great Admiration,  Returned,  "As

For Your Abuse,  I Have No Regard To It; But,  To Convince You I Am

Not Afraid Of You,  Let Us Lay The Whole Booty On The Table,  And

Let The Conqueror Take It All." And Having So Said,  He Drew Out

Book 1 Chapter 7 Pg 28

His Shining Hanger,  Whose Glittering So Dazzled The Eyes Of

Bagshot,  That,  In Tone Entirely Altered,  He Said,  "No! He Was

Contented With What He Had Already; That It Was Mighty Ridiculous

In Them To Quarrel Among Themselves; That They Had Common Enemies

Enough Abroad,  Against Whom They Should Unite Their Common Force;

That If He Had Mistaken Wild He Was Sorry For It; And As For A

Jest,  He Could Take A Jest As Well As Another." Wild,  Who Had A

Wonderful Knack Of Discovering And Applying To The Passions Of

Men,  Beginning Now To Have A Little Insight Into His Friend,  And

To Conceive What Arguments Would Make The Quickest Impression On

Him,  Cried Out In A Loud Voice,  "That He Had Bullied Him Into

Drawing His Hanger,  And,  Since It Was Out,  He Would Not Put It Up

Without Satisfaction." "What Satisfaction Would You Have?"

Answered The Other. "Your Money Or Your Blood," Said Wild. "Why,

Look Ye,  Mr. Wild," Said Bagshot,  "If You Want To Borrow A Little

Of My Part,  Since I Know You To Be A Man Of Honour,  I Don't Care

If I Lend You; For,  Though I Am Not Afraid Of Any Man Living,  Yet

Rather Than Break With A Friend,  And As It May Be Necessary For

Your Occasions--" Wild,  Who Often Declared That He Looked Upon

Borrowing To Be As Good A Way Of Taking As Any,  And,  As He Called

It,  The Genteelest Kind Of Sneaking-Budge,  Putting Up His Hanger,

And Shaking His Friend By The Hand,  Told Him He Had Hit The Nail

On The Head; It Was Really His Present Necessity Only That

Prevailed With Him Against His Will,  For That His Honour Was

Concerned To Pay A Considerable Sum The Next Morning. Upon Which,

Contenting Himself With One Half Of Bagshot's Share,  So That He

Had Three Parts In Four Of The Whole,  He Took Leave Of His

Companion And Retired To Rest.

 

Book 1 Chapter 8 Pg 29

 

Wild Pays A Visit To Miss Letitia Snap. A Description Of That

Lovely Young Creature,  And The Successless Issue Of Mr. Wild's

Addresses.

 

 

 

 

 

The Next Morning When Our Hero Waked He Began To Think Of Paying A

Visit To Miss Tishy Snap,  A Woman Of Great Merit And Of As Great

Generosity; Yet Mr. Wild Found A Present Was Ever Most Welcome To

Her,  As Being A Token Of Respect In Her Lover. He Therefore Went

Directly To A Toy-Shop,  And There Purchased A Genteel Snuff-Box,