nse and worthiness of his character makes 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 an one's wife, or
mother, or son, or father do, whom he does not see at church; which is
understood as a secret reprimand to the person that is absent.

The chaplain has often told me, that upon a catechising 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[85], who is
very old, to bestow it according to merit.

The fair understanding between Sir Roger and his chaplain, and their
mutual concurrence in doing good, is the more remarkable, because the
very next village is famous for the differences and contentions that
arise between the parson and the squire, who live in a perpetual state of
war. The parson is always preaching at the squire, and the squire to be
revenged on the parson never comes to church. The squire has made all his
tenants atheists and tithe-stealers; while the parson instructs them
every Sunday in the dignity of his order, and insinuates to them in
almost every sermon, that he is a better man than his patron. In short,
matters are come to such an extremity, that the squire has not said his
prayers either in public or private this half-year; and that the parson
threatens him, if he does not mend his manners, to pray for him in the
face of the whole congregation.

Feuds of this nature, though too frequent in the country, are very fatal
to the ordinary people; who are so used to be dazzled with riches, that
they pay as much deference to the understanding of a man of an estate, as
of a man of learning; and are very hardly brought to regard any truth,
how important soever it may be, that is preached to them, when they know
there are several men of five hundred a year, who do not believe it.

L.

FOOTNOTES:

[82] _O