great
care and tenderness out of regard to his past services, tho' he has been
useless for several years.

I could not but observe with a great deal of pleasure the joy that
appeared in the countenance of these ancient domesticks upon my friend's
arrival at his country-seat. Some of them could not refrain from tears
at the sight of their old master; every one of them press'd forward to
do something for him, and seemed discouraged if they were not employed.
At the same time the good old Knight, with the mixture of the father and
the master of the family, tempered the enquiries after his own affairs
with several kind questions relating to themselves. This humanity and
good-nature engages every body to him, so that when he is pleasant upon
any of them, all his family are in good humour, and none so much as the
person whom he diverts himself with. On the contrary, if he coughs, or
betrays any infirmity of old age, it is easy for a stander-by to observe
a secret concern in the looks of all his servants.

My worthy friend has put me under the particular care of his butler, who
is a very prudent man, and, as well as the rest of his fellow-servants,
wonderfully desirous of pleasing me, because they have often heard their
master talk of me as of his particular friend.

My chief companion, when Sir Roger is diverting himself in the woods or
the fields, is a very venerable man who is ever with Sir Roger, and has
lived at his house in the nature of a chaplain above thirty years. This
gentleman is a person of good sense and some learning, of a very regular
life and obliging conversation. He heartily loves Sir Roger, and knows
that he is very much in the old Knight's esteem, so that he lives in the
family rather as a relation than a dependent.

I have observed in several of my papers, that my friend Sir Roger,
amidst all his good qualities, is something of an humorist; and that his
virtues, as well as imperfections, are as it were tinged by a certain
extravagance, which makes them particularly HIS, and distinguishes them
from those of other men. This cast of mind, as it is generally very
innocent in itself, so it renders his conversation highly agreeable, and
more delightful than the same degree of sense and virtue would appear in
their common and ordinary colours. As I was walking with him last night,
he asked me how I liked the good man whom I have just now mentioned?
and without staying for my answer told me, That he was afrai