<p><SPAN name="link2HCH0018" id="link2HCH0018"></SPAN></p>
<h2> CHAPTER 18 </h2>
<h3> The pursuit of a father to reclaim a lost child to virtue </h3>
<p>Tho' the child could not describe the gentleman's person who handed his
sister into the post-chaise, yet my suspicions fell entirely upon our
young landlord, whose character for such intrigues was but too well known.
I therefore directed my steps towards Thornhill-castle, resolving to
upbraid him, and, if possible, to bring back my daughter: but before I had
reached his seat, I was met by one of my parishioners, who said he saw a
young lady resembling my daughter in a post-chaise with a gentleman, whom,
by the description, I could only guess to be Mr Burchell, and that they
drove very fast. This information, however, did by no means satisfy me. I
therefore went to the young 'Squire's, and though it was yet early,
insisted upon seeing him immediately: he soon appeared with the most open
familiar air, and seemed perfectly amazed at my daughter's elopement,
protesting upon his honour that he was quite a stranger to it. I now
therefore condemned my former suspicions, and could turn them only on Mr
Burchell, who I recollected had of late several private conferences with
her: but the appearance of another witness left me no room to doubt of his
villainy, who averred, that he and my daughter were actually gone towards
the wells, about thirty miles off, where there was a great deal of
company. Being driven to that state of mind in which we are more ready to
act precipitately than to reason right, I never debated with myself,
whether these accounts might not have been given by persons purposely
placed in my way, to mislead me, but resolved to pursue my daughter and
her fancied deluder thither. I walked along with earnestness, and enquired
of several by the way; but received no accounts, till entering the town, I
was met by a person on horseback, whom I remembered to have seen at the
'Squire's, and he assured me that if I followed them to the races, which
were but thirty miles farther, I might depend upon overtaking them; for he
had seen them dance there the night before, and the whole assembly seemed
charmed with my daughter's performance. Early the next day I walked
forward to the races, and about four in the afternoon I came upon the
course. The company made a very brilliant appearance, all earnestly
employed in one pursuit, that of pleasure; how different from mine, that
of reclaiming a lost child to virtue! I thought I perceived Mr Burchell at
some distance from me; but, as if he dreaded an interview, upon my
approaching him, he mixed among a crowd, and I saw him no more. I now
reflected that it would be to no purpose to continue my pursuit farther,
and resolved to return home to an innocent family, who wanted my
assistance. But the agitations of my mind, and the fatigues I had
undergone, threw me into a fever, the symptoms of which I perceived before
I came off the course. This was another unexpected stroke, as I was more
than seventy miles distant from home: however, I retired to a little
ale-house by the road-side, and in this place, the usual retreat of
indigence and frugality, I laid me down patiently to wait the issue of my
disorder. I languished here for near three weeks; but at last my
constitution prevailed, though I was unprovided with money to defray the
expences of my entertainment. It is possible the anxiety from this last
circumstance alone might have brought on a relapse, had I not been
supplied by a traveller, who stopt to take a cursory refreshment. This
person was no other than the philanthropic bookseller in St Paul's
church-yard, who has written so many little books for children: he called
himself their friend; but he was the friend of all mankind. He was no
sooner alighted, but he was in haste to be gone; for he was ever on
business of the utmost importance, and was at that time actually compiling
materials for the history of one Mr Thomas Trip. I immediately recollected
this good-natured man's red pimpled face; for he had published for me
against the Deuterogamists of the age, and from him I borrowed a few
pieces, to be paid at my return. Leaving the inn, therefore, as I was yet
but weak, I resolved to return home by easy journies of ten miles a day.
My health and usual tranquillity were almost restored, and I now condemned
that pride which had made me refractory to the hand of correction. Man
little knows what calamities are beyond his patience to bear till he tries
them; as in ascending the heights of ambition, which look bright from
below, every step we rise shews us some new and gloomy prospect of hidden
disappointment; so in our descent from the summits of pleasure, though the
vale of misery below may appear at first dark and gloomy, yet the busy
mind, still attentive to its own amusement, finds as we descend something
to flatter and to please. Still as we approach, the darkest objects appear
to brighten, and the mental eye becomes adapted to its gloomy situation.</p>
<p>I now proceeded forward, and had walked about two hours, when I perceived
what appeared at a distance like a waggon, which I was resolved to
overtake; but when I came up with it, found it to be a strolling company's
cart, that was carrying their scenes and other theatrical furniture to the
next village, where they were to exhibit. The cart was attended only by
the person who drove it, and one of the company, as the rest of the
players were to follow the ensuing day. Good company upon the road, says
the proverb, is the shortest cut, I therefore entered into conversation
with the poor player; and as I once had some theatrical powers myself, I
disserted on such topics with my usual freedom: but as I was pretty much
unacquainted with the present state of the stage, I demanded who were the
present theatrical writers in vogue, who the Drydens and Otways of the
day.—'I fancy, Sir,' cried the player, 'few of our modern dramatists
would think themselves much honoured by being compared to the writers you
mention. Dryden and Row's manner, Sir, are quite out of fashion; our taste
has gone back a whole century, Fletcher, Ben Johnson, and all the plays of
Shakespear, are the only things that go down.'—'How,' cried I, 'is
it possible the present age can be pleased with that antiquated dialect,
that obsolete humour, those overcharged characters, which abound in the
works you mention?'—'Sir,' returned my companion, 'the public think
nothing about dialect, or humour, or character; for that is none of their
business, they only go to be amused, and find themselves happy when they
can enjoy a pantomime, under the sanction of Johnson's or Shakespear's
name.'—'So then, I suppose,' cried I, 'that our modern dramatists
are rather imitators of Shakespear than of nature.'—'To say the
truth,' returned my companion, 'I don't know that they imitate any thing
at all; nor, indeed does the public require it of them: it is not the
composition of the piece, but the number of starts and attitudes that may
be introduced into it that elicits applause. I have known a piece, with
not one jest in the whole, shrugged into popularity, and another saved by
the poet's throwing in a fit of the gripes. No, Sir, the works of Congreve
and Farquhar have too much wit in them for the present taste; our modern
dialect is much more natural.'</p>
<p>By this time the equipage of the strolling company was arrived at the
village, which, it seems, had been apprised of our approach, and was come
out to gaze at us; for my companion observed, that strollers always have
more spectators without doors than within. I did not consider the
impropriety of my being in such company till I saw a mob gather about me.
I therefore took shelter, as fast as possible, in the first ale-house that
offered, and being shewn into the common room, was accosted by a very
well-drest gentleman, who demanded whether I was the real chaplain of the
company, or whether it was only to be my masquerade character in the play.
Upon informing him of the truth, and that I did not belong in any sort to
the company, he was condescending enough to desire me and the player to
partake in a bowl of punch, over which he discussed modern politics with
great earnestness and interest. I set him down in my mind for nothing less
than a parliament-man at least; but was almost confirmed in my
conjectures, when upon my asking what there was in the house for supper,
he insisted that the Player and I should sup with him at his house, with
which request, after some entreaties, we were prevailed on to comply.</p>
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