ad both their portions added to her own, and was
stolen by a neighbouring gentleman, a man of stratagem and resolution,
for he poisoned three mastiffs to come at her, and knocked down two
deer-stealers in carrying her off. Misfortunes happen in all families.
The theft of this romp and so much money, was no great matter to our
estate. But the next heir that possessed it was this soft gentleman,
whom you see there. Observe the small buttons, the little boots, the
laces, the slashes about his clothes, and above all the posture he is
drawn in (which, to be sure, was his own choosing); you see he sits
with one hand on a desk writing, and looking as it were another way,
like an easy writer, or a sonneteer. He was one of those that had too
much wit to know how to live in the world; he was a man of no justice,
but great good manners; he ruined everybody that had anything to do
with him, but {63} never said a rude thing in his life; the most
indolent person in the world, he would sign a deed that passed away
half his estate with his gloves on, but would not put on his hat before
a lady if it were to save his country. He is said to be the first that
made love by squeezing the hand. He left the estate with ten thousand
pounds' debt upon it, but however by all hands I have been informed
that he was every way the finest gentleman 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 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 hi