Whether this remark, which was confessedly not very politic on the part of poor alarmed Cecilia, or the consciousness of having overshot his argument, piqued and disconcerted the good old man, certain it is he did not receive his daughter’s apology with his usual suavity and candour, but coldly answered that he was not bound to revoke his opinions merely because they might not chance to conform with those of Mr. Wilson; and least of all, said he, should I have suspected that you, Cecilia, who have ever shewn such deference to my authority, should be alarmed lest it might outweigh that of any other person. Heaven forbid, cries Cecilia, that I should ever fail to reverence that wisdom, which I am of an age to comprehend, but which a youth like my nephew may misconceive and construe not according to reason and its true sense, but according to the bent and impulse of his own passions. You are right, said De Lancaster, recovering his complacency, you are right, my dear child, and I am sorry that I alluded to the example of young Hannibal, as I have ever disapproved of Hanno for bringing him at so early an age to the altar, and implanting hatred and revenge in his heart by a solemn oath for ever. All this while take notice, I am an enemy to blows; I never struck your brother Philip in my life, nor should allow of his striking my grandson John; at the same time there are blows, that inflict no disgrace; the blows for instance, that are received in battle, when combating the enemies of our country, where the hero, although bleeding with his wounds, spares the life of the opponent, who asks it of him and submits himself to his mercy. I shall speak upon this more at large to my grandson, and define to him the several characters and descriptions of blows in such a manner, as may enable him to distinguish which may be passed over, and which may not; copying the example of the Sage Chiron the Centaur, who, when tutoring his pupil young Achilles upon the nature of blows, put a whip into his hand, and set him astride on his own back, threatening at the same time to kick him off without mercy, if he ventured to make use of it. With submission to your better judgment, said Cecilia, smiling at the ridiculousness of the allusion, I should conceive it may be well to postpone this lecture till our young Achilles is more able to understand it, and in the meantime, till this matter of the ham-strung horse is cleared up, to send him out of harm’s way with his tutor Mr. Wilson, who meditates to pay a visit to his parish, and has, as you well know, repairs and improvements to superintend at his parsonage house, where your people are at work for his accommodation.