Lifes Progress Through the Passions | Page 6

from her who had been really so.
He endeavoured at first to insinuate himself into her favour by all those
little flattering artifices which are so becoming in persons of his tender
years, and which never fail to make an impression on a gentle and
affable disposition; but finding his services not only rejected, but also
rejected with scorn and moroseness, his spirit was too great to continue
them for any long time; and all the assiduity he had shewn to gain her
good-will, was on a sudden converted into a behaviour altogether the
reverse: he was sure to turn the deaf ear to all the commands she laid
upon him, and so far from doing any thing to please her, he seemed to
take a delight in vexing her. This occasioning many complaints to his
father, drew on him very severe chastisements both at home and abroad;
but though while the smart remained, he made many promises of
amendment in this point, the hatred he had now conceived against her,
would not suffer him to keep them.
His sister, who was five years older than himself, and a girl of great
prudence, took a good deal of pains to convince him how much it was
both his interest and his duty to pay all manner of respect to a lady
whom their father had thought fit to set over them; but all she could say
on that head was thrown away, and he still replied, that since he could
not make her love him, he should always hate her.
This young lady had perhaps no less reason than her brother to be
dissatisfied with the humour of their stepmother; and it was only the
tender affection she had for him which made her feign a contentment at
the treatment both of them received, in order to keep him within any
manner of bounds.
It may be reckoned among the misfortunes of Natura, that he so soon
lost the benefit of these kind remonstrances: his fair adviser having a
considerable fortune, independent on her father, left her by a
grandmother, who had also answered for her at the font, was courted by
a gentleman, to whom neither herself nor family having any thing to
object, she became a bride in a very few months, and went with her
husband to a seat he had at a considerable distance in the country.

This poor youth was now without any one, either to prevent him from
doing a fault, or to conceal it when committed; on the contrary, his
mother-in-law, having new-modelled all the family, and retained only
such servants as thought it their duty to study nothing but to humour
her, every little error in him was exaggerated, and he was represented
to his father as incorrigible, perverse, and all that is disagreeable in
nature.
I will not take upon me to determine whether, or not, the old gentleman
had altogether so ill an opinion of his son, as they endeavoured to
inspire him with; but it is certain, that whatever his thoughts were on
the matter, he found himself obliged for a quiet life to use him with a
good deal of severity, which, either because he believed it unjust, or
that it was disagreeable to his own disposition, he grew very weary of
in a short time, and to put an end to it, resolved to send the child to a
boarding-school, tho' he had always declared against that sort of
education, and frequently said, that though these great schools might
improve the learning, they were apt to corrupt the morals of youth.
Finding himself, however, under a kind of necessity for so doing,
nothing remained but the choice of a convenient place. The wife
proposed some part of Yorkshire, not only as the cheapest, but also that
by reason of the distance, she should not have the trouble of him at
home in the holidays; but to this it was not in her power to prevail on
his father to consent, and after many disputes between them on it, Eton
was at length pitched upon.
Natura heard of his intended removal with a perfect indifference:--if the
thoughts of parting from his father gave him any pain, it was balanced
by those of being eased of the persecuting of his stepmother; but when
all things were prepared for his journey, in which he was to be
accompanied by an old relation, who was to give the necessary charge
with him to those into whose care he should be committed, he was
taken suddenly ill on the very day he had been to take leave of his
kindred, and other friends in town.
His distemper proved to be the small-pox, but being of a very
favourable sort, he recovered in a