"It may be a vulgar proverb, but I doubt whether it be a vulgar error,"
said Mr. Percy: "I have great faith in the wisdom of nations. So much so in
the present instance, that I own I would rather a son of mine were to marry
a well-conducted farmer's daughter of _honest parentage_, than the daughter
of an ill-conducted lady of rank or fashion. The farmer's daughter might
be trained into a gentlewoman, and might make my son at least a faithful
wife, which is more than he could expect, or than I should expect, from
the young lady, who had early seen the example of what was bad, and whose
predispositions would be provided with the excuse of the old song."

Godfrey took fire at this, and exclaimed against the injustice of a
doctrine which would render wretched for life many young women who might
possess every amiable and estimable quality, and who could never remedy the
misfortune of their birth. Godfrey urged, that whilst this would render the
good miserable, it would be the most probable means of driving the weak
from despair into vice.

Rosamond eagerly joined her brother's side of the question. Mr. Percy,
though he knew, he said, that he must appear one of the "fathers with
flinty hearts," protested that he felt great compassion for the unfortunate
individuals, as much as a man who was not in love with any of them could
reasonably be expected to feel.

"But now," continued he, "granting that all the consequences which Godfrey
has predicted were to follow from my doctrine, yet I am inclined to believe
that society would, upon the whole, be the gainer by such severity, or, as
I am willing to allow it to be, such apparent injustice. The adherence to
this principle would be the misery, perhaps the ruin, of a few; but would,
I think, tend to the safety and happiness of so many, that the evil would
be nothing in comparison to the good. The certainty of shame descending