Chapter 27.00: Chapter v. — The opinions of the divine and the philosopher concerning the two boys; with some reasons for their opinions, and other matters.

**
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.