 affected with this Relation; for he had not
divested himself of Humanity by being an Attorney. Indeed nothing is more unjust
than to carry our Prejudices against a Profession into private Life, and to
borrow our Idea of a Man from our Opinion of his Calling. Habit, it is true,
lessens the Horror of those Actions which the Profession makes necessary, and
consequently habitual; but in all other Instances, Nature works in Men of all
Professions alike; nay, perhaps, even more strongly with those who give her, as
it were, a Holiday, when they are following their ordinary Business. A Butcher,
I make no doubt, would feel Compunction at the Slaughter of a fine Horse; and
though a Surgeon can conceive no Pain in cutting off a Limb, I have known him
compassionate a Man in a Fit of the Gout. The common Hangman, who hath stretched
the Necks of Hundreds, is known to have trembled at his first Operation on a
Head: And the very Professors of Human Blood-shedding, who in their Trade of War
butcher Thousands, not only of their Fellow Professors, but often of Women and
Children, without Remorse; even these, I say, in Times of Peace, when Drums and
Trumpets are laid aside, often lay aside all their Ferocity, and become very
gentle Members of civil Society. In the same Manner an Attorney may feel all the
Miseries and Distresses of his Fellow Creatures, provided he happens not to be
concerned against them.
    Jones, as the Reader knows, was yet unacquainted with the very black Colours
in which he had been represented to Mr. Allworthy; and as to other Matters he
did not shew them in the most disadvantageous Light: For though he was unwilling
to cast any Blame on his former Friend and Patron, yet he was not very desirous
of heaping too much upon himself. Dowling therefore observed, and not without
Reason, that very ill Offices must have been done him by some Body: »For
certainly,« cries he, »the Squire would never have disinherited you only for a
few Faults, which any young Gentleman might have committed. Indeed, I cannot
properly say disinherited; for to be sure by Law you cannot claim as Heir.
That's certain; that no Body need go to Counsel for. Yet when a Gentleman had in
a Manner adopted you thus as his own Son, you might reasonably have expected
some very considerable Part, if not the Whole; nay, if you had expected the
Whole, I should not have blamed you: For certainly all Men are for getting as
much as
