_The surprizing Adventures of Tom Traveller are continued in this
Chapter._
The happiest dexterity and the greatest activeness in an author, is
to give his reader a specimen of his talents, to introduce a pleasing
narrative, and when he has worked up his curiosity to the highest
pitch, to leave him in the middle of a most interesting event.
This was the peculiar cunning of those famous stories, which go by
the name of the Arabian night’s entertainments, which are for that
reason divided into a century of nights, each being employed in some
very engaging tale. A late celebrated Biographer has followed this
ingenious method, and now and then diverts the reader with a curious
history, I mean the author of Tom Jones, and Joseph Andrews, in
which several other adventures beside that of the hero, are artfully
interwoven, which at once displays a delightful variety, feasts the
mental appetite with a pleasing desert, which otherwise might be apt
to cloy by feeding on one dish, though ever so delicate; for this
reason that celebrated writer, entitles the heads of his chapters a
bill of fare, which points out to them the ensuing entertainment.
We shall not therefore disappoint our reader, but shall, to answer
the expectation, which we are sensible we have raised, proceed with
the history of _Tom Traveller_, forbidding all compilers whatsoever,
to insert, or abstract this unparallel’d history in their future
collections of voyages, travels, &c.
_Tom the Cat_, was no sooner gone home with his benevolent Mistress,
than _Tom Traveller_, at the importunity of _Hugh_ of the _Borough_,
continued his narrative.
My courage encreased, as I said, with my success, and having obliged
those terraqueous militants to stand and deliver, I found my purse
grow heavy, and believing I had made a competent fortune, I resolved,
as _Gibbet_ says in the play, to buy myself a place in the houshold,
and live as snug as ’ere a courtier of them all; with this view I
was returning to _London_, from _Finchley Common_, which had been my
last stage, when a gentleman rode up in a full gallop saying he was
pursued by a highwayman, and desired me to accompany him in order to
get out of the road. In the confusion I was in, at his mentioning
being pursued, I began to fear for myself, and looking back saw two
men, riding very fast after us, yet not so fast as to appear in
pursuit, however I took the gentleman’s advice, and rode with him
full speed, following the course he made which he directed to the
right hand, from the high road across the country, when all of a
sudden he snatched my reins, and desired me to deliver, or he would
blow my brains to the Devil; I had neither time nor presence of mind,
to refuse his unreasonable request, and he robbed me of all I had in
the world, except twenty pounds I had left with a favourite girl,
whom I then kept, after this he rode off, taking my pistols with
him, leaving me to reflect on so unexpected an adventure; but I had
no opportunity to consider much about it. I had no cash left, and I
found myself in possession of no property on the face of the earth,
but my horse and clothes, the former of which I was now resolved
to sell, and never more venture my life to scrape up riches for
other people to enjoy; I saw the hazard, the danger, and the folly
in it, and with this determination I pursued my way to _London_,
saying with Juvenal, _Cantabit Vacuus Viator_; where I arrived, and
having sold my horse, walked to my lodgings, where to my amazement I
found the bird flown, and nothing but the nest, and a few scattered
feathers left behind. Thus in one day was I deprived of what I had
been amassing for several months, to the value of three hundred
pounds sterling, one hundred of which I laid out on my mistress
in cloaths and equipage. I had cultivated a good acquaintance
with several young Gentlemen (strangers to my new way of life) at
_Art——rs_, and telling them I had a mind to see the world, made it my
request to them to serve me.