Book-bot.com - read famous books online for free

The Adventures of Roderick Random by Tobias George Smollett
page 22 of 602 (03%)
to grandpapa? His sister's brat had been too well taken care of.
Grandpapa was too just not make a difference between an unnatural,
rebellious son and his dutiful, loving children, who took his
advice in all things;" and such expressions were vented against him
with great violence; until the judge at length commanded silence.
He calmly rebuked my uncle for his unmannerly behaviour, which he
said he would excuse on account of his education: he told him he
had been very kind to the boy, whom he had kept at school seven or
eight years, although he was informed he made no progress in his
learning but was addicted to all manner of vice, which he rather
believed, because he himself was witness to a barbarous piece of
mischief he had committed on the jaws of his chaplain. But, however,
he would see what the lad was fit for, and bind him apprentice to
some honest tradesman or other, provided he would mend his manners,
and behave for the future as became him." The honest tar (whose
pride and indignation boiled within him) answered my grandfather,
that it was true he had sent him to school, but it had cost him
nothing, for he had never been at one shilling expense to furnish
him with food, raiment, books, or other necessaries; so that it
was not much to be wondered at, if the boy made small progress; and
yet whoever told him so was a lying, lubberly rascal, and deserved
to be keel-haul'd; for thof he (the lieutenant) did not understand
those matters himself, he was well informed as how Rory was the
best scholar of his age in all the country; the truth of which he
would maintain, by laying a wager of his whole half-year's pay
on the boy's head--with these words he pulled out his purse, and
challenged the company: "Neither is he predicted to vice, as you
affirm, but rather, left like a wreck, d'ye see, at the mercy of
the wind and weather, by your neglect, old gentleman. As for what
happened to your chaplain, I am only sorry that he did not knock
DigitalOcean Referral Badge