them. If any dispute arises, they apply themselves to him for the decision; if they do not acquiesce in his judgment, which I think never happened above once or twice at most, they appeal to me.1 At his first settling 2 with me, I made him a present of all the good sermons which have been printed in English, and only begged of him that every Sunday he would pronounce one of them in the pulpit. Accordingly he has digested them into such a series that they follow one another naturally, and make a continued system of practical divinity.”

As Sir Roger was going on with his story, the gentleman we were talking of came up to us, and upon the knight's asking him who preached to-morrow (for it was Saturday night), told us the Bishop of St. Asaph 1 in the morning, and Dr. South 5 in the afternoon. He then showed us his list of preachers for the whole year, where I saw with a great deal of pleasure Archbishop Tillotson, Bishop Saunderson, Dr. Barrow, Dr. Calamy, with several living authors who have published discourses of practical divinity. I no sooner saw this

1 if any. to me. Complex or tells us that he was forced by his compound sentence? mother to read Tillotson's sermons,

2 at his first settling=when he but that they did him no good. first settled.

8 digested, arranged.

4 Bishop of St. Asaph, believed to be Dr. Beveridge, a volume of whose sermons was published in 1708.

5 Dr. South, an English divine (born 1633), famous for his wit and eloquence.

7 Bishop Saunderson; i.e., Dr. Robert Saunderson, who was born 1587, and died 1662.

8 Dr. Barrow. Dr. Isaac Barrow (1630-1677) was famous for his very long sermons.

9 Dr. Calamy. Dr. Calamy was a celebrated Presbyterian minister

6 Archbishop Tillotson. Byron under the Commonwealth.

venerable man in the pulpit but I very much approved of my friend's insisting upon the qualifications of a good aspect and a clear voice; for I was so charmed with the gracefulness of his figure and delivery, as well as with the discourses he pronounced, that I think I never passed any time more to my satisfaction. A sermon repeated after this manner is like the composition of a poet in the mouth of a graceful actor.

I could heartily wish that more of our country clergy would follow this example, and, instead of wasting their spirits in laborious compositions of their own, would endeavor after a handsome1 elocution and all those other talents that are proper to enforce what has been formed by greater masters. This would not only be more easy to themselves, but more edifying 2 to the people.

2. SIR ROGER ON THE BENCH.

My worthy friend Sir Roger is one of those who is 3 not only at peace within himself, but beloved and esteemed by all about him. He receives a suitable tribute for his universal benevolence to mankind, in the returns of affection and good-will which are paid him by every one that lives within his neighborhood.*

I lately met with two or three odd instances of that general respect which is shown to the good old knight. He would needs carry Will Wimble1 and myself with him to the county assizes.2 As we were upon the road, Will Wimble joined a couple of plain men who rode before us, and conversed with them for some time; during which my friend Sir Roger acquainted me with their characters.

"The first of them," says he, "that has a spaniel by his side, is a yeoman of about an hundred pounds a year, an honest man: he is just within the game-act,3 and qualified to kill an hare1 or a pheasant; he knocks down a dinner with his gun twice or thrice a week: and by that means lives much cheaper than those who have not so good an estate as himself. He would be a good neighbor5 if he did not destroy so many par

1 Will Wimble, an imaginary character, representative of the younger sons of country gentle

men.

2 assizes (literally, sessions), a court of justice in England, held twice a year in every county.

or possession of such malefactor, and to his own use for ever keep, such guns, bows, cross-bows, buckstalls, engine-hays, nets, ferrets, and coney dogs, etc." This amiable enactment, which permitted a one-hundred-pound freeholder to become in his single person accuser, witness, judge, jury, and executioner, and which made an equally

shot a hare a "malefactor," was the law of the land even as late as 1827.

8 within the game-act. This was a law passed during the reign of James I., which provided that, if any person not having real prop-respectable but poorer man who erty producing forty pounds per annum, or two hundred pounds' worth of goods and chattels, presumed to shoot game, "then any person having lands, tenements, or hereditaments of the clear yearly value of one hundred pounds a year may take from the person

4 an hare. The use of an before a sounded h, under the accent, occurs everywhere in Addison: as an hen, an hundred, etc.

5 neighbor. See Glossary.

tridges in short, he is a very sensible man; shoots flying;1 and has been several times foreman of the petty jury.

"The other that rides along with him is Tom Touchy, a fellow famous for taking the law of everybody. There is not one in the town where he lives that he has not sued at a quarter-sessions. The rogue had once the impudence to go to law with the widow. His head is full of costs, damages, and ejectments; he plagued a couple of honest gentlemen so long for a trespass in breaking one of his hedges, till 5 he was forced to sell the ground it inclosed to defray the charges of the prosecution. His father left him fourscore pounds a year; but he has cast and been cast so often, that he is not now worth thirty."

As Sir Roger was giving me this account of Tom Touchy, Will Wimble and his two companions stopped short until we came up to them. After having paid their respects to Sir Roger, Will told him that Mr. Touchy and he must appeal to him upon a dispute that arose between them. Will, it seems, had been giving his fellow-traveler an account of his angling one day in such a hole; when Tom Touchy, instead of hearing out his story, told him, that Mr. such an one, if he

1 shoots flying. The expression | of the next county to him." (Specis condensed; give it in full. tator, No. 2.)

2 quarter-sessions. The same as "assizes."

8 the widow. "It is said, he [Sir Roger] keeps himself a bachelor, by reason he was crossed in love by a perverse beautiful widow

4 ejectments. See Webster.

5 so long... till looks like a mixed construction: change it. 6 cast, won his case; been cast, lost his case.

7 such a=a certain.

pleased, might take the law of him for fishing in that part of the river.

My friend Sir Roger heard them both upon a round trot; and after having paused some time, told them, with the air of a man who would not give his judgment rashly, that much might be said on both sides. They were neither of them dissatisfied with the knight's determination,1 because neither of them found himself in the wrong by it; upon which we made the best of our way to the assizes.

The court was set 2 before Sir Roger came; but notwithstanding all the justices had taken their places upon the bench, they made room for the old knight at the head of them; who, for his reputation in the country, took occasion to whisper in the judge's ear, that he was glad his lordship had met with so much good weather in his circuit.3 I was listening to the proceedings of the court with much attention, and infinitely pleased with that great appearance and solemnity which so properly accompanies such a public administration of our laws; when, after about an hour's sitting,5 I observed to my great surprise, in the midst of a trial, that my friend Sir Roger was getting up to speak. I was in some pain for him till I found he had acquitted himself of two or three sentences with a look of much business and great intrepidity.

1 determination, decision. 2 was set. Explain.

8 circuit, the journey of judges from place to place to try causes. 4 accompanies. Should this verb be plural? What is its subject?

5 after about an hour's sitting. A very common phrase-form in Addison, neatly taking the place of a clause," after the court had sat about an hour."

6 intrepidity. Give synonym.