Page:The history of Tom Jones (1749 Volume 2).pdf/52

 The Beauty of this Girl made, however, no Impreion on Tom, till he grew towards the Age of Sixteen, when Tom, who was near three Years older, began firt to cat the Eyes of Affection upon her. And this Affection he had fixed on the Girl long before he could bring himelf to attempt the Poeion of her Peron: for tho’ his Contitution urged him greatly to this, his Principles no les forcibly retrained him. To debauch a young Woman, however low her Condition was, appeared to him a very heinous Crime; and the Good-will he bore the Father, with the Compaion he had for his Family, very trongly corroborated all uch ober Reflections; o that he once reolved to get the better of his Inclinations, and he actually abtained three whole Months without ever going to Seagrim’s Houe, or eeing his Daughter.

Now though Molly was, as we have aid, generally thought a very fine Girl, and in reality he was o, yet her Beauty was not of the mot amiable Kind. It had indeed very little of Feminine in it, and would at leat have become a Man as well as a Woman; for, to ay the Truth, Youth