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Unit 5: Joseph Andrews-IV: Detailed Study of the Text

from his curacy, and that their “being poor is no Reason against their marrying.” Lady Booby Notes
tells him that she will never allow him in her house again, which punishment Mr. Adams
accepts with relative calm.

Chapter III
Lady Booby summons Lawyer Scout and demands that he supply the legal justification for
her resolution “to have no discarded Servants of mine settled here.” In order to oblige her,
Scout makes a hair-splitting distinction between settlement in law and settlement in fact,
saying that if they can demonstrate that Joseph is not settled in fact, then Mr. Adams will
have no standing to publish Joseph’s wedding banns. If, however, Joseph manages to get
married, the situation would change: “When a Man is married, he is settled in Fact; and then
he is not removable.” Scout promises to persuade Mr. Adams not to publish the banns, so
that Lady Booby will, with the help of the obliging Justice Frolick, be able to remove both
Joseph and Fanny from the parish. Fielding then reveals that Scout acts as a lawyer without
having the proper qualifications.

Chapter IV

Lady Booby endures further emotional turbulence, and on Tuesday she goes to church and
hears Mr. Adams publishing the second of Joseph and Fanny’s wedding banns. Upon returning
home she learns from Mrs. Slipslop that Joseph and Fanny have been brought before the
Justice. Lady Booby is not entirely pleased with this news, because “though’ she wished Fanny
far enough, she did not desire the Removal of Joseph, especially with her.” While Lady Booby
is considering how to act, a coach and six drives up containing her nephew, Mr. Booby, and
his wife, Pamela. Lady Booby is hearing of Mr. Booby’s marriage for the first time. The new-
minted Mrs. Pamela Booby is, of course, the former Pamela Andrews.

Chapter V
Mr. Booby’s servants soon begin to ask after Joseph, who has not corresponded with Pamela
since his dismissal from Lady Booby’s. The servants soon apprise Mr. Booby of Joseph’s
situation, and Mr. Booby resolves to intervene and liberate Joseph before Pamela finds out
what has happened. He arrives on the scene just as Justice Frolick, an acquaintance of his,
is about to send Joseph and Fanny to Bridewell Prison. Mr. Booby demands to know what
crime they have committed; he reads the deposition and finds that Joseph and Fanny stand
accused of having stolen a twig from Lawyer Scout’s property. When Mr. Booby objects,
Justice Frolick takes him aside and explains that the Constable will probably let the prisoners
escape but that the accusation of theft is the only way that Lady Booby can “prevent their
bringing an Incumbrance on her own Parish.” Mr. Booby gives his word that Joseph and
Fanny will never encumber the parish, and the Justice delivers the couple into Mr. Booby’s
custody, burning the mittimus. While Joseph gets dressed in a suit of Mr. Booby’s clothes,
the Justice invites Fanny to settle with Joseph in the Justice’s own parish. Mr. Booby then
takes Joseph and Fanny in his own coach, and they drive back to Lady Booby’s; on the way
they pick up Mr. Adams when they meet him walking in a field. Mr. Booby reveals that he
has married Pamela, and everyone rejoices. Upon their arrival back at Booby Hall, Mr.
Booby reintroduces Joseph to Lady Booby, explaining that he expects her to receive Joseph
and treat him with respect as a member of the family. Lady Booby complies delightedly, but
she refuses to receive Fanny.

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