Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors]

her barbarity, as also with my resolution, viz. never to look out of my way for one of her sex more; therefore, that your humble servant may be revenged, he desires you to insert this in one of your next papers, which he hopes will be a warning to all the ' rest of the women-gazers, as well as to poor

ANTHONY GAPE.'

MR. SPECTATOR,

'I DESIRE to know in your next, if the merry 'game of "the Parson has lost his cloak," is not 'mightily in vogue amongst the fine ladies this Christmas; because I see they wear hoods of all colours, which I suppose is for that purpose; if it 'is, and you think it proper, I will carry some of 'those hoods with me to our ladies in Yorkshire; because they enjoined me to bring them something 'from London that was very new. If you can tell any thing in which I can obey their commands more agreeably, be pleased to inform me, and you 'will extremely oblige

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

'Your humble servant.'

Oxford, December 29.

'MR. SPECTATOR,

[ocr errors]

'SINCE you appear inclined to be a friend to 'the distressed, I beg you would assist me in an 'affair under which I have suffered very much. The reigning toast of this place is Patetia; I have pur'sued her with the utmost diligence this twelve'month, and find nothing stands in my way but one 'who flatters her more than I can. Pride is her 'favourite passion; therefore if you will be so far 'my friend as to make a favourable mention of me ' in one of your papers, I believe I should not fail in 'my addresses. The scholars stand in rows, as they 'did to be sure in your time, at her pew-door; and 'she has all the devotion paid to her by a crowd of

[blocks in formation]

'youths who are unacquainted with the sex, and "have inexperience added to their passion: however, if it succeeds according to my vows, you will make < me the happiest man in the world, and the most ' obliged amongst all

Your most humble servants.'

MR. SPECTATOR,

'I CAME to my mistress's toilet this morning, for I am admitted when her face is stark naked: she frowned, and cried pish when I said a thing · that I stole ; and I will be judged by you whether it was not very pretty. Madam, said I, you shall 'forbear that part of your dress; it may be well in others, but you cannot place a patch where it does not hide a beauty.'

T

No. CCLXIX. TUESDAY, JANUARY 8.

................aevo rarissima nostro

Simplicitas........

And brings our old simplicity again.

OVID.

DRYDEN.

I WAS this morning surprised with a great knocking at the door, when my landlady's daughter came up to me, and told me, that there was a man below desired to speak with me. Upon my asking her who it was, she told me it was a very grave elI derly person, but that she did not know his name. immediately went down to him, and found him' to be the coachman of my worthy friend Sir Roger de Coverley. He told me that his master came to town last night, and would be glad to take a turn with me in

Gray's-Inn Walks. As I was wondering in myself what had brought Sir Roger to town, not having lately received any letter from him, he told me that his master was come up to get a sight of Prince Eugene, and that he desired I would immediately meet him.

I was not a little pleased with the curiosity of the old knight, though I did not much wonder at it, having heard him say more than once in private discourse, that he looked upon Prince Eugenio, for so the knight always calls him, to be a greater man than Scanderbeg.

I was no sooner come into Gray's-Inn Walks, but I heard my friend upon the terrace hemming twice or thrice to himself with great vigour, for he loves to clear his pipes in good air, to make use of his own phrase, and is not a little pleased with any one who takes notice of the strength which he still exerts in his morning hems.

I was touched with a secret joy at the sight of the good old man, who before he saw me was engaged in conversation with a beggar-man that had asked an alms of him. I could hear my friend chide him for not finding out some work; but at the same time saw him put his hand in his pocket and give himn six-pence.

Our salutations were very hearty on both sides, consisting of many kind shakes of the hand, and several affectionate looks which we cast upon one another. After which the knight told me my good friend his chaplain was very well, and much at my service, and that the Sunday before he had made a most incomparable sermon out of Dr. Barrow. I have left, says he, all my affairs in his hands, and being willing to lay an obligation upon him, have deposited with him thirty marks, to be distributed among his poor parishioners.

He then proceeded to acquaint me with the welfare of Will Wimble. Upon which he put his hand

in his fob, and presented me in his name with a tobacco-stopper, telling me that Will had been busy all the beginning of the winter in turning great quantities of them; and that he made a present of one to every gentleman in the country who has good principles, and smokes. He added, that poor Will was at present under great tribulation, for that Tom Touchy had taken the law of him for cutting some hazel sticks out of one of his hedges.

Among other pieces of news which the knight brought from his country-seat, he informed me that Moll White was dead; and that about a month after her death the wind was so very high, that it blew down the end of one of his barns. But for my own part, says Sir Roger, I do not think that the old woman had any hand in it.

He afterwards fell into an account of the diversions which had passed in his house during the holidays; for Sir Roger, after the laudable custom of his ancestors, always keeps open house at Christmas. I learned from him that he had killed eight fat hogs for this season, that he had dealt about his chines very liberally amongst his neighbours, and that in particular he had sent a string of hog's-puddings with a pack of cards to every poor family in the parish. I have often thought, says Sir Roger, it happens very well that Christmas should fall out in the middle of winter. It is the most dead and uncom fortable time of the year, when the poor people would suffer very much from their poverty and cold, if they had not good cheer, warm fires, and Christmas gambols, to support them. I love to rejoice their poor hearts at this season, and to see the whole village merry in my great hall. I allow a double quantity of malt to my small beer, and set it a running for twelve days to every one that calls for it. I have always a piece of cold beef and a mince-pye upon the table, and am wonderfully pleased to see

my tenants pass away a whole evening in playing their innocent tricks, and smutting one another. Our friend Will Wimble is as merry as any of them, and shews a thousand roguish tricks upon these oc

casions.

I was very much delighted with the reflection of my old friend, which carried so much goodness in it. He then launched out into the praise of the late act of parliament for securing the church of England; and told me with great satisfaction, that he believed it already began to take effect, for that a rigid dissenter who chanced to dine at his house on Christmas day, had been observed to eat very plentifully of his plumb-porridge.

After having dispatched all our country matters, Sir Roger made several enquiries concerning the club, and particularly of his old antagonist Sir Andrew Freeport. He asked me with a kind of smile, whether Sir Andrew had not taken the advantage of his absence, to vent among them some of his republican doctrines; but soon after gathering up his countenance into a more than ordinary seriousness, tell me truly, says he, do not you think Sir Andrew had a hand in the pope's procession?........but without giving me time to answer him, well, well, says he, I know you are a wary man, and do not care to talk of public matters.

The knight then asked me, if I had seen Prince Eugenio, and made me promise to get him a stand in some convenient place where he might have a full sight of that extraordinary man, whose presence does so much honour to the British nation. He dwelt very long on the praises of this great general, and I found that, since I was with him in the country, he had drawn many observations together out of his reading in Baker's Chronicle, and other authors, who always lie in his hall window, which very much redound to the honour of this prince.

« AnteriorContinuar »