Life's Progress Through the Passions; Or, The Adventures of NaturaHaywood, Eliza Fowler
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Life's Progress Through the Passions; Or, The Adventures of Natura
Haywood, Eliza Fowler
English fiction -- 18th century
Accordingly, when they brought him something had been ordered for him
to take, he refused it, saying, he had not occasion for any more
physic, and immediately got up, and dressed himself, in spite of all
the servant that attended him could do to prevent it.--Word being
carried to his father of what he was doing, he imagined him delirious,
and immediately got up, and went into his room, nor though he found
him intirely cool, could be perswaded from his first opinion.--The
doctor was again sent for, who unwilling to lose his perquisite, made
a long harangue on the nature of internal fevers, and very learnedly
proved, or seemed to prove, that they might operate so far as to
affect the brain, without the least outward symptom.
Natura could not forbear laughing within himself, to hear this great
man so much mistaken; but when they told him he must take his physic,
and go to bed, or at least be confined to his chamber, he absolutely
refused both, and said he was as well as ever he was in his life.--All
he said, however, availed nothing, and his father was about to make
use of his authority to force him to obedience to the doctor's
prescription, when finding no other way to avoid it, he fell on his
knees, and with tears in his eyes, confessed he had only counterfeited
sickness, to delay being sent to Eton again; begged his father to
forgive him; said he was sorry for having attempted to deceive him,
but was ready to go whenever he pleased.
The father was strangely amazed at the trick had been put upon him;
and after some severe reprimands on the occasion, asked what he had to
complain of at Eton, that had rendered him so unwilling to return.
Natura hesitated at this demand, but could not find in his heart to
forge any unjust accusation concerning his usage at that place, and at
last said, that indeed it was only because he had a mind to stay a
little longer at home with him. On which he told him he was an idle
boy, but he must not expect that wheedle would serve his turn; for
since he was not sick, he must go to school the next day: Natura
renewed his intreaties for pardon, and assured him he now desired
nothing more than to do as he commanded.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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