 in
your Bed.«
    Mr. Allworthy exprest great Surprise at this Account, and the Captain as
great at his Ignorance of it: For he said, he had known it above a Month, and at
length recollected with much Difficulty that he was told it by Mrs. Wilkins.
    Upon this, Wilkins was immediately summoned, who having confirmed what the
Captain had said, was by Mr. Allworthy, by and with the Captain's Advice,
dispatched to Little Baddington to inform herself of the Truth of the Fact: For
the Captain exprest great Dislike at all hasty Proceedings in criminal Matters,
and said he would by no means have Mr. Allworthy take any Resolution either to
the Prejudice of the Child or its Father, before he was satisfied that the
latter was guilty: For tho' he had privately satisfied himself of this from one
of Partridge's Neighbours, yet he was too generous to give any such Evidence to
Mr. Allworthy.
 

                                   Chapter VI

The Trial of Partridge, the Schoolmaster, for Incontinency; The Evidence of his
  Wife; A short Reflection on the Wisdom of our Law; with other grave Matters,
              which those will like best who understand them most.
 
It may be wondered that a Story so well known, and which had furnished so much
Matter of Conversation, should never have been mentioned to Mr. Allworthy
himself, who was perhaps the only Person in that Country who had never heard of
it.
    To account in some measure for this to the Reader, I think proper to inform
him that there was no one in the Kingdom less interested in opposing that
Doctrine concerning the Meaning of the Word Charity, which hath been seen in the
preceding Chapter, than our good Man. Indeed, he was equally intitled to this
Virtue in either Sense: For as no Man was ever more sensible of the Wants, or
more ready to relieve the Distresses of others, so none could be more tender of
their Characters, or slower to believe any thing to their Disadvantage.
    Scandal, therefore, never found any Access to his Table: For as it hath been
long since observed that you may know a Man by his Companions; so I will venture
to say, that by attending to the Conversation at a great Man's Table, you may
satisfy yourself of his Religion, his Politics, his Taste, and indeed of his
entire Disposition: For tho' a few odd Fellows will utter their own Sentiments
in all Places, yet much the greater Part of Mankind have enough of the Courtier
to accommodate their Conversation to the Taste and Inclination of their
Superiors.
    But to return to
