Page:The history of Tom Jones (1749 Volume 1).pdf/98

 that the good Man had ended his Narrative with owning a Reolution to take care of the Child, and to breed him up as his own; for, to acknowledge the Truth, he was always ready to oblige her Brother, and very eldom, if ever, contradicted his Sentiments; he would indeed ometimes make a few Obervations, as, that Men were headtrong and mut have their own way, and would wih he had been blet with an independent Fortune; but thee were always vented in a low Voice, and at the mot amounted only to what is called Muttering.

However, what he withheld from the Infant, he betowed with the utmot Profusenes on the poor unknown Mother, whom he called an impudent Slut, a wanton Huy, an audacious Harlot, a wicked Jade, a vile Strumpet, with every other appellation with which the Tongue of Virtue never fails to lah thoe who bring a Digrace on the Sex.

A Conultation was now entered into, how to proceed in order to dicover the Mother. A Scrutiny was firt made into the Characters of the female Servants of the Houe, who were all acquitted by Mrs. Wilkins, and with apparent Merit; for he had col-