The Expedition of Humphry Clinker

THE EXPEDITION OF HUMPHRY CLINKER 165
kind of arrogant civility; but then she thinks she has a right to treat
them with the most ungracious freedoms of speech, and never fails
to let them know she is sensible of her own superior affluence.—
In a word, she speaks well of no living soul, and has not one single
friend in the world. Her husband hates her mortally; but, although
the brute is sometimes so very powerful in him that he will have
his own way, he generally truckles to her dominion, and dreads,
like a schoolboy, the lash of her tongue. On the other hand, she is
afraid of provoking him too far, lest he should make some desperate
effort to shake off her yoke.—She, therefore, acquiesces in the
proofs he daily gives of his attachment to the liberty of an English
freeholder, by saying and doing, at his own table, whatever gratifies
the brutality of his disposition, or contributes to the ease of his
person. The house, though large, is neither elegant nor comfort-
able.—It looks like a great inn, crowded with travellers, who dine
at the landlord’s ordinary, where there is a great profusion of
victuals and drink, but mine host seems to be misplaced; and I
would rather dine upon filberts with a hermit, than feed upon
venison with a hog. The footmen might be aptly compared to the
waiters of a tavern, if they were more serviceable and less rapacious;
but they are generally insolent and inattentive, and so greedy, that,
I think, I can dine better, and for less expence, at the Star and
Garter in Pall-mall, than at our cousin’s castle in Yorkshire. The
’squire is not only accommodated with a wife, but he is also blessed
with an only son, about two and twenty, just returned from Italy,
a complete fidler and dillettante; and he slips no opportunity of
manifesting the most perfect contempt for his own father.
When we arrived, there was a family of foreigners at the house,
on a visit to this virtuoso, with whom they had been acquainted at
the Spa: it was the count de Melville, with his lady, on their way to
Scotland. Mr. Burdock had met with an accident, in consequence
of which both the count and I would have retired, but the young
gentleman and his mother insisted upon our staying dinner; and
their serenity seemed to be so little ruffled by what had happened,
that we complied with their invitation. The ’squire had been
brought home over night in his post-chaise, so terribly belaboured
about the pate, that he seemed to be in a state of stupefaction, and
had ever since remained speechless. A country apothecary, called
Grieve, who lived in a neighbouring village, having been called to
his assistance, had let him blood, and applied a poultice to his head,