Smollett, Tobias (1721-1777)

The Adventures of Roderick Random

London

Printed for J. Osborn

1748

"My bosom had been hitherto a stranger to such a flood of joy as now rushed upon it: My faculties were overborn by the tide"

--My bosom [Page 211] had been hitherto a stranger to such a flood of joy as now rushed upon it: My faculties were overborn by the tide: It was some time, before I could open my mouth; and much longer 'ere I could utter a coherent sentence--At length, I fervently requested her to lead me immediately to the object of my adoration: but she resisted my importunity, and explained the danger of such premature conduct--"How favourable soever (said she) my lady's inclination towards you may be, this you may depend upon, that she will not commit the smallest trespass on decorum, either in disclosing her own, or in receiving a declaration of your passion: and altho' the great veneration I have for you, has prompted me to reveal what she communicated to me in confidence, I know so well the severity of her sentiments with respect to the punctilios of her sex, that, if she should learn the least surmise of it, she would not only dismiss me as a wretch unworthy of her benevolence, but also for ever shun the efforts of your love"--I assented to the justness of her remonstrance, and desired she would assist me with her advice and direction: upon which, it was concerted between us, that for the present, I should be contented with her telling Narcissa that in the course of her inquiries, she could only learn my name: and that if in a day or two, I could fall upon no other method of being made acquainted, she would deliver a letter from me, on pretence of consulting her happiness; and say that I met her in the streets, and bribed her to that piece of service. --Matters being thus adjusted, I kept my old acquaintance to breakfast, and learned [Page 212] from her conversation, that my rival Sir Timothy had drunk himself into an apoplexy, of which he died five months ago, that the savage was still unmarried, and that his aunt had been seized with a whim which he little expected, and chosen the school-master of the parish for her lord and husband: but matrimony not agreeing with her constitution, she had been hectick and dropsical a good while, and was now at Bath in order to drink the waters for the recovery of her health; that her niece had accompanied her thither at her request, and attended her with the same affection as before, notwithstanding the faux pas she had committed: and that her nephew who had been exasperated at the loss of her fortune, did not give his attendance out of good will, but purely to have an eye on his sister, lest she should likewise throw herself away, without his consent or approbation. --Having enjoyed ourselves in this manner, and made an assignation to meet next day at a certain place, Miss Williams took her leave; and Strap's looks being very inquisitive about the nature of the communication subsisting between us, I made him acquainted with the whole affair, to his great astonishment and satisfaction.

Population::Stranger Liquid::Flood Liquid::Tide

Searching "bosom" and "stranger" in HDIS (Prose)

Over 45 entries in ESTC (1748, 1749, 1750, 1755, 1760, 1762, 1763, 1766, 1768, 1770, 1772, 1773, 1774, 1775, 1777, 1778, 1779, 1780, 1783, 1784, 1786, 1787, 1790, 1791, 1792, 1793, 1794, 1795, 1797, 1799, 1800).

Smollett, Tobias. The Adventures of Roderick Random. In Two Volumes. (London: printed for J. Osborn, 1748). <Link to ECCO>

03/06/2006