 of all Animals. With this, he had likewise that
distinguishing Taste, which serves to direct Men in their Choice of the Objects,
or Food of their several Appetites; and this taught him to consider Sophia as a
most delicious Morsel, indeed to regard her with the same Desires which an
Ortolan inspires into the Soul of an Epicure. Now the Agonies which affected the
Mind of Sophia rather augmented than impaired her Beauty; for her Tears added
Brightness to her Eyes, and her Breasts rose higher with her Sighs. Indeed no
one hath seen Beauty in its highest Lustre, who hath never seen it in Distress.
Blifil therefore looked on this human Ortolan with greater Desire than when he
viewed her last; nor was his Desire at all lessened by the Aversion which he
discovered in her to himself. On the contrary, this served rather to heighten
the Pleasure he proposed in rifling her Charms, as it added Triumph to Lust;
nay, he had some further Views, from obtaining the absolute Possession of her
Person, which we detest too much even to mention; and Revenge itself was not
without its Share in the Gratifications which he promised himself. The rivalling
poor Jones, and supplanting him in her Affections, added another Spur to his
Pursuit, and promised another additional Rapture to his Enjoyment.
    Besides all these Views, which to some scrupulous Persons may seem to savour
too much of Malevolence, he had one Prospect, which few Readers will regard with
any great Abhorrence. And this was the Estate of Mr. Western; which was all to
be settled on his Daughter and her Issue; for so extravagant was the Affection
of that fond Parent, that provided his Child would but consent to be miserable
with the Husband he chose, he cared not at what Price he purchased him.
    For these Reasons Mr. Blifil was so desirous of the Match, that he intended
to deceive Sophia, by pretending Love to her; and to deceive her Father and his
own Uncle, by pretending he was beloved by her. In doing this, he availed
himself of the Piety of Thwackum, who held, that if the End proposed was
religious (as surely Matrimony is) it mattered not how wicked were the Means. As
to other Occasions, he used to apply the Philosophy of Square, which taught,
that the End was immaterial, so that the Means were fair and consistent with
moral Rectitude. To say Truth, there were few Occurrences in Life on which he
could not draw Advantage from the Precepts of one or other of those great
Masters.
    Little Deceit was indeed necessary to be practised on Mr. Western
