The Adventures of Roderick Random | Page 7

with his disconsolate bedfellow to a farm-house, where an old
servant of his mother dwelt: there they remained some time in a
situation but ill adapted to the elegance of their desires and tenderness
of their love; which nevertheless my father chose to endure, rather than

supplicate an unnatural and inflexible parent but my mother, foreseeing
the inconveniences to which she must have been exposed, bad she been
delivered in this place (and her pregnancy was very far advanced),
without communicating her design to her husband, went in disguise to
the house of my grand. father, hoping that her tears and condition
would move him to compassion, and reconcile him to an event which
was now irrecoverably past.
She found means to deceive the servants, and get introduced as an
unfortunate lady, who wanted to complain of some matrimonial
grievances, it being my grandfather's particular province to decide in all
cases of scandal. She was accordingly admitted into his presence,
where, discovering herself, she fell at his feet, and in the most affecting
manner implored his forgiveness; at the same the same time
representing the danger that threatened not only her life, but that of his
own grandchild, which was about to see the light. He told her he was
sorry that the indiscretion of her and his son had compelled him to
make a vow, which put it out of his power to give them any assistance;
that he had already imparted his thoughts on that subject to her husband,
and was surprised that they should disturb his peace with any farther
importunity. This said, he retired.
The violence of my mother's affliction had such an effect on her
constitution that she was immediately seized with the pains of childbed;
and had not an old maidservant, to whom she was very dear, afforded
her pity and assistance, at the hazard of incurring my grandfather's
displeasure, she and the innocent fruit of her womb must have fallen
miserable victims to his rigour and inhumanity. By the friendship of
this poor woman she was carried up to a garret, and immediately
delivered of a man child, the story of whose unfortunate birth he
himself now relates. My father, being informed of what had happened,
flew to the embraces of his darling spouse, and while he loaded his
offspring with paternal embraces, could not forbear shedding a flood of
tears on beholding the dear partner of his heart (for whose ease he
would have sacrificed the treasures of the east) stretched upon a flock
bed, in a miserable apartment, unable to protect her from the
inclemencies of the weather. It is not to be supposed that the old

gentleman was ignorant of what passed, though he affected to know
nothing of the matter, and pretended to be very much surprised, when
one of his grandchildren, by his eldest son deceased, who lived with
him as his heir apparent, acquainted him with the affair; he determined
therefore to observe no medium, but immediately (on the third day after
her delivery) sent her a peremptory order to be gone, and turned off the
servant who had preserved her life. This behaviour so exasperated my
father that he had recourse to the most dreadful imprecations; and on
his bare knees implored that Heaven would renounce him if ever he
should forget or forgive the barbarity of his sire.
The injuries which this unhappy mother received from her removal in
such circumstances, and the want of necessaries where she lodged,
together with her grief and anxiety of mind, soon threw her into a
languishing disorder, which put an end to her life. My father, who
loved her tenderly, was so affected with her death that he remained six
weeks deprived of his senses; during which time, the people where he
lodged carried the infant to the old man who relented so far, on hearing
the melancholy story of his daughter-in-law's death, and the deplorable
condition of his son, as to send the child to nurse, and he ordered my
father to be carried home to his house, where he soon recovered the use
of his reason.
Whether this hardhearted judge felt any remorse for his cruel treatment
of his son and daughter, or (which is more probable) was afraid his
character would suffer in the neighbourhood, he professed great sorrow
for his conduct to my father, whose delirium was succeeded by a
profound melancholy and reserve. At length he disappeared, and,
notwithstanding all imaginable inquiry, could not be heard of; a
circumstance which confirmed most people in the opinion of his having
made away with himself in a fit of despair. How I understood the
particulars of my birth will appear in the course of these memoirs.
CHAPTER II

I grow up--am hated by my Relations--sent to