[In The Spectator, a daily paper of the early eighteenth century, were printed many stories about Sir Roger de Coverley, one of the famous characters in English literature. Here is one of the stories. In it the writer describes a Sunday spent with Sir Roger at his country home.]
I am always very well pleased with a country Sunday, and think, if keeping holy the seventh day were only a human institution, it would be the best method that could have been thought of for the polishing and civilizing of mankind. It is certain the country people would soon degenerate into a kind of savages and barbarians were there not such frequent returns of a stated time, in which the whole village meet together with their best faces, and in their cleanliest habits, to converse with one another upon indifferent subjects, hear their duties explained to them, and join together in adoration of the Supreme Being. Sunday clears away the rust of the whole week, not only as it refreshes in their minds the notions of religion, but as it puts both the sexes upon appearing in their most agreeable forms, and exerting all such qualities as are apt to give them a figure in the eye of the village. A countryfellow distinguishes himself as much in the churchyard as a citizen does upon "Change, the whole parish politics being generally discussed in that place either after the sermon or before the bell rings.
My friend Sir Roger, being a good churchman, has beautified the inside of his church with several texts of his own choosing. He has likewise given a handsome pulpit cloth, and railed in the communion table at his own expense. He has often told me that. at his coming to his estate, he found his parishioners very irregular; and that, in order to make them kneel and join in the responses, he gave every one of them a hassock and a common prayer-book; and at the same time employed an itinerant singing-master, who goes about the country for that purpose, to instruct them rightly in the tunes of the psalms; upon which they now very much value themselves, and indeed outdo most of the country churches that I have ever heard.
As Sir Roger is landlord to the whole congregation, he keeps them in very good order, and will suffer nobody to sleep in it besides himself; for, if by chance he has been surprised into a short nap at sermon, upon recovering out of it he stands up and looks about him, and, if he sees anybody else nodding, either wakes them himself or sends his servant to them. Several of the old knight"s peculiarities break out upon these occasions. Some- times he will be lengthening out a verse in the singing psalms half a minute after the restof the congregation have done with it; sometimes, when he is pleased with the matter of his devotion, he pronounces "Amen!" three or four times to the same prayer; and sometimes stands up when everybody else is upon their knees, to count the congregation, or see if any of his tenants are missing.
I was yesterday very much surprised to hear my old friend in the midst of the service calling out to one John Matthews to mind what he was about, and not disturb the congregation. This John Matthews, it seems, is remarkable for being an idle fellow, and at that time was kicking his heels for his diversion. This authority of the knight, though exerted in that odd manner which accompanies him in all circumstances of life, has a very good effect upon the parish, who are not polite enough to see anything ridiculous in his behaviour; besides that the general good sense and worthiness of his character make his friends observe these little singularities as foils that rather set off than blemish his good qualities.
As soon as the sermon is finished, nobody presumes to stir till Sir Roger is gone out of the church. The knight walks down from his seat in the chancel between a double row of his tenants that stand bowing to him on each side; and every now and then inquires how such a one"s wife, or mother, or son, or father is, whom he does not see in church; which is understood as a secret reprimand to theperson that is absent.
The chaplain has often told me that, upon a catechizing day, when Sir Roger has been pleased with a boy that answers well, he has ordered a Bible to be given him next day for his encouragement; and sometimes accompanies it with a flitch of bacon to his mother. Sir Roger has likewise added five pounds a year to the clerk"s place; and, that he may encourage the young fellows to make themselves perfect in the church service, has promised, upon the death of the present incumbent, who is very old, to bestow it according to merit.
Joseph Addison.
Author.-Joseph Addison (1672-1719) is one of the earliest and most famous of English essayists. " The Spectator," a noble monument to his success as a light essayist, as an " abstract and brief chronicle"of the manners of the time is incomparable. His criticism, though not profound, shows sobriety and good sense. His style reflects a singular grace and breeding, yet a subtle irony is conveyed in his beautifully lucid sentences." The Spectator " and" The Tatler " contain most of his best essays. His poetry is not very important; perhaps his best-known verses are those beginning thus:" The spacious firmament on high .
General notes.-Sir Roger de Coverley, as pictured in variousnumbers el Addison"s " Spectator," was the beau-ideal of an amiable English country gentleman in the reign of Queen Anne. He wascourteous to his neighbours, kind to his servants, loving to his family. He had charming little follies and eccentricities, which endear him still more. See how many examples you can find in "Sir Roger at Church" of his whimsicalities; his pardonable vanity, and his delightful pomposity.