in the world. That debt lay heavy on our house for one generation, but it
was retrieved by a gift from that honest man you see there, a citizen of
our name, but nothing at all akin to us. I know Sir Andrew Freeport has
said behind my back, that this man was descended from one of the ten
children of the maid of honour I showed you above; but it was never made
out. We winked at the thing indeed, because money was wanting at that
time."

Here I saw my friend a little embarrassed, and turned my face to the next
portraiture.

Sir Roger went on with his account of the gallery in the following
manner. "This man" (pointing to him I looked at) "I take to be the honour
of our house, Sir Humphrey de Coverley; he was in his dealings as
punctual as a tradesman, and as generous as a gentleman. He would have
thought himself as much undone by breaking his word, as if it were to be
followed by bankruptcy. He served his country as knight of this shire[71]
to his dying day. He found it no easy matter to maintain an integrity in
his words and actions, even in things that regarded the offices which
were incumbent upon him, in the care of his own affairs and relations of
life, and therefore dreaded (though he had great talents) to go into
employments of state, where he must be exposed to the snares of ambition.
Innocence of life and great ability were the distinguishing parts of his
character; the latter, he had often observed, had led to the destruction
of the former, and used frequently to lament that great and good had not
the same signification. He was an excellent husbandman, but had resolved
not to exceed such a degree[72] of wealth; all above it he bestowed in
secret bounties many years after the sum he aimed at for his own use was
attained. Yet he did not slacken his industry, but to a decent old age
spent the life and fortune which was superfluous to himself, in the
service of his friends and neighbours."

Here we were called to dinner, and Sir Roger ended the discourse of[73]
this gentleman, by telling me, as we followed the servant, that this his
ancestor was a brave man, and narrowly escaped being killed in the civil
wars; "For," said he, "he was sent out of the field upon a private
message, the day before the battle of Worcester." The whim[74] of
narrowly escaping by having been within a day of danger, with other
matters above mentioned, mixed with good sense, left me at a loss whether
I was more delighted with my friend's w