Page:The history of Tom Jones (1749 Volume 1).pdf/229

 large Periods of Time, in which nothing happened worthy of being recorded in a Chronicle of this Kind.

In o doing, we do not only conult our own Dignity and Eae; but the Good and Advantage of the Reader: For beides, that by thee Means we prevent him from throwing away his Time in reading without either Pleaure or Emolument, we give him at all uch Seaons an Opportunity of employing that wonderful Sagacity, of which he is Mater, by filling up thee vacant Spaces of Time with his own Conjectures; for which Purpoe, we have taken care to qualify him in the preceding Pages.

For Intance, what Reader but knows that Mr. Allworthy felt at firt for the Los of his Friend, thoe Emotions of Grief, which on uch Occaions enter into all Men whoe Hearts are not compoed of Flint, or their Heads of as olid Materials? Again, what Reader doth not know that Philoophy and Religion, in time, moderated, and at laft extinguihed this Grief? The former of thee, teaching the Folly and Vanity of it, and the latter, correcting it, as unlawful, and at the ame time auaging it by raiing future Hopes and Aurances which enable a