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Page 72
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
A DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE ORDINARY OF NEWGATE AND MR. JONATHAN WILD
THE GREAT; IN WHICH THE SUBJECTS OF DEATH, IMMORTALITY, AND OTHER
GRAVE MATTERS, ARE VERY LEARNEDLY HANDLED BY THE FORMER.
ORDINARY. Good morrow to you, sir; I hope you rested well last
night.
JONATHAN. D--n'd ill, sir. I dreamt so confoundedly of hanging,
that it disturbed my sleep.
ORDINARY. Fie upon it! You should be more resigned. I wish you
would make a little better use of those instructions which I have
endeavoured to inculcate into you, and particularly last Sunday,
and from these words: "Those who do evil shall go into everlasting
fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." I undertook to shew
you, first, what is meant by EVERLASTING FIRE; and, secondly, who
were THE DEVIL AND HIS ANGELS. I then proceeded to draw some
inferences from the whole; [Footnote: He pronounced this word
HULL, and perhaps would have spelt it so.] in which I am mightily
deceived if I did not convince you that you yourself was one of
those ANGELS, and, consequently, must expect EVERLASTING FIRE to
be your portion in the other world.
JONATHAN. Faith, doctor, I remember very little of your
inferences; for I fell asleep soon after your naming your text.
But did you preach this doctrine then, or do you repeat it now in
order to comfort me?
ORDINARY. I do it in order to bring you to a true sense of your
manifold sins, and, by that means, to induce you to repentance.
Indeed, had I the eloquence of Cicero, or of Tully, it would not
be sufficient to describe the pains of hell or the joys of heaven.
The utmost that we are taught is, THAT EAR HATH NOT HEARD, NOR CAN
HEART CONCEIVE. Who then would, for the pitiful consideration of
the riches and pleasures of this world, forfeit such inestimable
happiness! such joys! such pleasures! such delights? Or who would
run the venture of such misery, which, but to think on, shocks the
human understanding? Who, in his senses, then, would prefer the
latter to the former?
JONATHAN. Ay, who indeed? I assure you, doctor, I had much rather
be happy than miserable. But [Footnote: This part was so blotted
that it was illegible.]
. . . . . . .
ORDINARY. Nothing can be plainer. St. . . .
. . . . . . .
Jonathan. . . . . If once convinced . . . . no man . . lives of .
. . . . whereas sure the clergy . . opportunity . better informed
. . . . . all manner of vice
ORDINARY. . are. atheist. . . deist ari.. cinian. hanged.. burnt..
oiled. oasted. . . . dev . . his an . ... ell fire . . ternal
da... tion.
JONATHAN. You ... to frighten me out of my wits. But the good ...
is, I doubt not, more merciful than his wicked.. If I should
believe all you say, I am sure I should die in inexpressible
horrour.
ORDINARY. Despair is sinful. You should place your hopes in
repentance and grace; and though it is most true that you are in
danger of the judgment, yet there is still room for mercy; and no
man, unless excommunicated, is absolutely without hopes of a
reprieve.
JONATHAN. I am not without hopes of a reprieve from the cheat yet.
I have pretty good interest; but if I cannot obtain it, you shall
not frighten me out of my courage. I will not die like a pimp. D--
n me, what is death? It is nothing but to be with Platos and with
Caesars, as the poet says, and all the other great heroes of
antiquity. ...
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