Hitherto, Fortune seemed to incline the victory on
the travellers’ side, when, according to her
custom, she began to show the fickleness of her disposition;
for now the host, entering the field, or rather chamber
of battle, flew directly at Joseph, and, darting his
head into his stomach (for he was a stout fellow and
an expert boxer), almost staggered him: but Joseph,
stepping one leg back, did with his left hand so chuck
him under the chin that he reeled. The youth
was pursuing his blow with his right hand when he
received from one of the servants such a stroke with
a cudgel on his temples, that it instantly deprived
him of sense, and he measured his length on the ground.
Fanny rent the air with her cries, and Adams was coming
to the assistance of Joseph; but the two serving-men
and the host now fell on him, and soon subdued him,
though he fought like a madman, and looked so black
with the impressions he had received from the mop,
that Don Quixote would certainly have taken him for
an inchanted Moor. But now follows the most tragical
part; for the captain was risen again, and, seeing
Joseph on the floor, and Adams secured, he instantly
laid hold on Fanny, and, with the assistance of the
poet and player, who, hearing the battle was over,
were now come up, dragged her, crying and tearing her
hair, from the sight of her Joseph, and, with a perfect
deafness to all her entreaties, carried her downstairs
by violence, and fastened her on the player’s
horse; and the captain, mounting his own, and leading
that on which this poor miserable wretch was, departed,
without any more consideration of her cries than a
butcher hath of those of a lamb; for indeed his thoughts
were entertained only with the degree of favour which
he promised himself from the squire on the success
of this adventure.
The servants, who were ordered to secure Adams and
Joseph as safe as possible, that the squire might
receive no interruption to his design on poor Fanny,
immediately, by the poet’s advice, tied Adams
to one of the bed-posts, as they did Joseph on the
other side, as soon as they could bring him to himself;
and then, leaving them together, back to back, and
desiring the host not to set them at liberty, nor to
go near them, till he had further orders, they departed
towards their master; but happened to take a different
road from that which the captain had fallen into.
CHAPTER X.
A discourse between the poet and the player; of
no other use in this history but to divert the reader.
Before we proceed any farther in this tragedy we shall
leave Mr Joseph and Mr Adams to themselves, and imitate
the wise conductors of the stage, who in the midst
of a grave action entertain you with some excellent
piece of satire or humour called a dance. Which
piece, indeed, is therefore danced, and not spoke,
as it is delivered to the audience by persons whose
thinking faculty is by most people held to lie in their
heels; and to whom, as well as heroes, who think with
their hands, Nature hath only given heads for the
sake of conformity, and as they are of use in dancing,
to hang their hats on.
