the vicar of wakefield-第2章

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is　uncle；　who　left　us　ten　thousand　pounds。　Our　second　child；　a　girl；　I　intended　to　call　after　her　aunt　Grissel；　but　my　wife；　who　during　her　pregnancy　had　been　reading　romances；　insisted　upon　her　being　called　Olivia。　In　less　than　another　year　we　had　another　daughter；　and　now　I　was　determined　that　Grissel　should　be　her　name；　but　a　rich　relation　taking　a　fancy　to　stand　godmother；　the　girl　was；　by　her　directions；　called　Sophia；　so　that　we　had　two　romantic　names　in　the　family；　but　I　solemnly　protest　I　had　no　hand　in　it。　Moses　was　our　next；　and　after　an　interval　of　twelve　years；　we　had　two　sons　more。

It　would　be　fruitless　to　deny　my　exultation　when　I　saw　my　little　ones　about　me；　but　the　vanity　and　the　satisfaction　of　my　wife　were　even　greater　than　mine。　When　our　visitors　would　say；　'Well；　upon　my　word；　Mrs　Primrose；　you　have　the　finest　children　in　the　whole　country。''Ay；　neighbour；'　she　would　answer；　'they　are　as　heaven　made　them；　handsome　enough；　if　they　be　good　enough；　for　handsome　is　that　handsome　does。'　And　then　she　would　bid　the　girls　hold　up　their　heads；　who；　to　conceal　nothing；　were　certainly　very　handsome。　Mere　outside　is　so　very　trifling　a　circumstance　with　me；　that　I　should　scarce　have　remembered　to　mention　it；　had　it　not　been　a　general　topic　of　conversation　in　the　country。　Olivia；　now　about　eighteen；　had　that　luxuriancy　of　beauty　with　which　painters　generally　draw　Hebe；　open；　sprightly；　and　commanding。　Sophia's　features　were　not　so　striking　at　first；　but　often　did　more　certain　execution；　for　they　were　soft；　modest；　and　alluring。　The　one　vanquished　by　a　single　blow；　the　other　by　efforts　successfully　repeated。

The　temper　of　a　woman　is　generally　formed　from　the　turn　of　her　features；　at　least　it　was　so　with　my　daughters。　Olivia　wished　for　many　lovers；　Sophia　to　secure　one。　Olivia　was　often　affected　from　too　great　a　desire　to　please。　Sophia　even　represt　excellence　from　her　fears　to　offend。　The　one　entertained　me　with　her　vivacity　when　I　was　gay；　the　other　with　her　sense　when　I　was　serious。　But　these　qualities　were　never　carried　to　excess　in　either；　and　I　have　often　seen　them　exchange　characters　for　a　whole　day　together。　A　suit　of　mourning　has　transformed　my　coquet　into　a　prude；　and　a　new　set　of　ribbands　has　given　her　younger　sister　more　than　natural　vivacity。　My　eldest　son　George　was　bred　at　Oxford；　as　I　intended　him　for　one　of　the　learned　professions。　My　second　boy　Moses；　whom　I　designed　for　business；　received　a　sort　of　a　miscellaneous　education　at　home。　But　it　is　needless　to　attempt　describing　the　particular　characters　of　young　people　that　had　seen　but　very　little　of　the　world。　In　short；　a　family　likeness　prevailed　through　all；　and　properly　speaking；　they　had　but　one　character；　that　of　being　all　equally　generous；　credulous；　simple；　and　inoffensive。



CHAPTER　2

Family　misfortunes。　The　loss　of　fortune　only　serves　to　encrease　the　pride　of　the　worthy


The　temporal　concerns　of　our　family　were　chiefly　committed　to　my　wife's　management；　as　to　the　spiritual　I　took　them　entirely　under　my　own　direction。　The　profits　of　my　living；　which　amounted　to　but　thirty…five　pounds　a　year；　I　made　over　to　the　orphans　and　widows　of　the　clergy　of　our　diocese；　for　having　a　sufficient　fortune　of　my　own；　I　was　careless　of　temporalities；　and　felt　a　secret　pleasure　in　doing　my　duty　without　reward。　I　also　set　a　resolution　of　keeping　no　curate；　and　of　being　acquainted　with　every　man　in　the　parish；　exhorting　the　married　men　to　temperance　and　the　bachelors　to　matrimony；　so　that　in　a　few　years　it　was　a　common　saying；　that　there　were　three　strange　wants　at　Wakefield；　a　parson　wanting　pride；　young　men　wanting　wives；　and　ale…houses　wanting　customers。　Matrimony　was　always　one　of　my　favourite　topics；　and　I　wrote　several　sermons　to　prove　its　happiness：　but　there　was　a　peculiar　tenet　which　I　made　a　point　of　supporting；　for　I　maintained　with　Whiston；　that　it　was　unlawful　for　a　priest　of　the　church　of　England；　after　the　death　of　his　first　wife；　to　take　a　second；　or　to　express　it　in　one　word；　I　valued　myself　upon　being　a　strict　monogamist。　I　was　early　innitiated　into　this　important　dispute；　on　which　so　many　laborious　volumes　have　been　written。　I　published　some　tracts　upon　the　subject　myself；　which；　as　they　never　sold；　I　have　the　consolation　of　thinking　are　read　only　by　the　happy　Few。　Some　of　my　friends　called　this　my　weak　side；　but　alas！　they　had　not　like　me　made　it　the　subject　of　long　contemplation。　The　more　I　reflected　upon　it；　the　more　important　it　appeared。　I　even　went　a　step　beyond　Whiston　in　displaying　my　principles：　as　he　had　engraven　upon　his　wife's　tomb　that　she　was　the　only　wife　of　William　Whiston；　so　I　wrote　a　similar　epitaph　for　my　wife；　though　still　living；　in　which　I　extolled　her　prudence；　oeconomy；　and　obedience　till　death；　and　having　got　it　copied　fair；　with　an　elegant　frame；　it　was　placed　over　the　chimney…piece；　where　it　answered　several　very　useful　purposes。　It　admonished　my　wife　of　her　duty　to　me；　and　my　fidelity　to　her；　it　inspired　her　with　a　passion　for　fame；　and　constantly　put　her　in　mind　of　her　end。

It　was　thus；　perhaps；　from　hearing　marriage　so　often　recommended；　that　my　eldest　son；　just　upon　leaving　college；　fixed　his　affections　upon　the　daughter　of　a　neighbouring　clergyman；　who　was　a　dignitary　in　the　church；　and　in　circumstances　to　give　her　a　large　fortune：　but　fortune　was　her　smallest　accomplishment。　Miss　Arabella　Wilmot　was　allowed　by　all；　except　my　two　daughters；　to　be　completely　pretty。　Her　youth；　health；　and　innocence；　were　still　heightened　by　a　complexion　so　transparent；　and　such　an　happy　sensibility　of　look；　as　even　age　could　not　gaze　on　with　indifference。　As　Mr　Wilmot　knew　that　I　could　make　a　very　handsome　settlement　on　my　son；　he　was　not　averse　to　the　match；　so　both　families　lived　together　in　all　that　harmony　which　generally　precedes　an　expected　alliance。　Being　convinced　by　experience　that　the　days　of　courtship　are　the　most　happy　of　our　lives；　I　was　willing　enough　to　lengthen　the　period；　and　the　various　amusements　which　the　young　couple　every　day　shared　in　each　other's　company；　seemed　to　encrease　their　passion。　We　were　generally　awaked　in　the　morning　by　music；　and　on　fine　days　rode　a　hunting。　The　hours　between　breakfast　and　dinner　the　ladies　devoted　to　dress　and　study：　they　usually　read　a　page；　and　then　gazed　at　themselves　in　the　glass；　which　even　philosophers　might　own　often　presented　the　page　of　greatest　beauty。　At　dinner　my　wife　took　the　lead；　for　as　she　always　insisted　upon　carving　every　thing　herself；　it　being　her　mother's　way；　she　gave　us　upon　these　occasions　the　history　of　every　dish。　When　we　had　dined；　to　prevent　the　ladies　leaving　us；　I　generally　ordered　the　table　to　be　removed；　and　sometimes；　with　the　music　master's　assistance；　the　girls　would　give　us　a　very　agreeable　concert。　Walking　out；　drinking　tea；　country　dances；　and　forfeits；　shortened　the　rest　of　the　day；　without　the　assistance　of　cards；　as　I　hated　all　manner　of　gaming；　except　backgammon；　at　which　my　old　friend　and　I　sometimes　took　a　two…penny　hit。　Nor　can　I　here　pass　over　an　ominous　circumstance　that　happened　the　last　time　we　played　together：　I　only　wanted　to　fling　a　quatre；　and　yet　I　threw　deuce　ace　five　times　running。　Some　months　were　elapsed　in　this　manner；　till　at　last　it　was　thought　convenient　to　fix　a　day　for　the　nuptials　of　the　young　couple；　who　seemed　earnestly　to　desire　it。　During　the　preparations　for　the　wedding；　I　need　not　describe　the　busy　importance　of　my　wife；　nor　the　sly　looks　of　my　daughters：　in　fact；　my　attention　was　fixed　on　another　object；　the　completing　a　tract　which　I　intended　shortly　to　publish　in　defence　of　my　favourite　principle。　As　I　looked　upon　this　as　a　master…piece　both　for　argument　and　style；　I　could　not　in　the　pride　of　my　heart　avoid　shewing　it　to　my　old　friend　Mr　Wilmot；　as　I　made　no　doubt　of　receiving　his　approbation；　but　not　till　too　late　I　discovered　that　he　was　most　violently　attached　to　the　contrary　opinion；　and　with　good　reason；　for　he　was　at　that　time　actually　courting　a　fourth　wife。　This；　as　may　be　expected；　produced　a　dispute　attended　with　some　acrimony；　which　threatened　to　interrupt　our　intended　alliance：　but　on　the　day　before　that　appointed　for　the　ceremony；　we　agreed　to　discuss　the　subject　at　large。　It　was　manag