Days with Sir Roger De CoverleySteele, Richard, Sir
General
Days with Sir Roger De Coverley
Steele, Richard, Sir
English essays
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 afraid of being
insulted with Latin and Greek at his own table; for which reason he
desired a particular friend of his at the University to find him out a
clergyman rather of plain sense than much learning, of a good aspect, a
clear voice, a sociable temper, and, if possible, a man that understood
a little of backgammon. My friend, says Sir Roger, found me out this
gentleman, who, besides the endowments required of him, is, they tell
me, a good scholar, tho' he does not shew it. I have given him the
parsonage of the parish; and because I know his value, have settled upon
him a good annuity for life. If he outlives me, he shall find that he
was higher in my esteem than perhaps he thinks he is. He has now been
with me thirty years; and tho' he does not know I have taken notice of
it, has never in all that time asked anything of me for himself, tho' he
is every day soliciting me for some thing in behalf of one or other of
my tenants his parishioners. There has not been a law-suit in the
parish since he has liv'd among 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. At his first settling with me, I made him a present of all
the good sermons which have been printed in English, and only begg'd
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
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account