John Inglesant: A Romance (Volume 1 of 2)Shorthouse, J. H. (Joseph Henry)
History
John Inglesant: A Romance (Volume 1 of 2)
Shorthouse, J. H. (Joseph Henry)
Great Britain -- History -- Charles I, 1625-1649 -- Fiction; Religious fiction
The next morning they rose at four, though two of the family had been at
prayer all night, and did not go to rest till the others rose. They
went into the oratory in the house itself to prayers, for they kept six
times of prayer during the day. At six they said the psalms of the hour,
for every hour had its appropriate psalms, and at half-past six went to
Church for matins. When they returned at seven o’clock they said the
psalms of the hour, sang a short hymn, and went to breakfast. After
breakfast, when the younger members of the family were at their studies,
Mr. Ferrar took Inglesant to the school, where all the children in the
neighbourhood were permitted to come. At eleven they went to dinner, and
after dinner there was no settled occupation till one, every one being
allowed to amuse himself as he chose. The young ladies had been trained
not only to superintend the house, but to wait on any sick persons in
the neighbourhood who came to the house at certain times for assistance,
and to dress the wounds of those who were hurt, in order to give them
readiness and skill in this employment, and to habituate them to the
virtues of humility and tenderness of heart. A large room was set apart
for this purpose, where Mr. Ferrar had instructed them in the necessary
skill, having been himself Physic Fellow at Clare Hall, in Cambridge,
and under the celebrated Professors at Padua, in Italy. This room
Inglesant requested to see, thinking that he should in this way also see
something of and be able to speak to the young ladies whose acquaintance
he had hitherto not had much opportunity of cultivating. Mr. Ferrar
told his nephew to show it him—young Nicholas Ferrar, a young man of
extraordinary skill in languages, who was afterwards introduced to the
King and Prince Charles, some time before his early death. When they
entered the room Inglesant was delighted to find that the only member of
the family there was the young lady in the Grey Friar’s habit, whose
face had attracted him so much in Church. She was listening to the long
tiresome tale of an old woman, following the example of George Herbert,
who thought on a similar occasion, that "it was some relief to a poor
body to be heard with patience."
Johnny, who in spite of his Jesuitical and Court training was naturally
modest, and whose sense of religion made him perfectly well-bred,
accosted the young lady very seriously, and expressed his gratitude at
having been permitted to stay and see so many excellent and improving
things as that family had to show. The liking which the head of the
house had evidently taken for Inglesant disposed the younger members in
his favour, and the young lady answered him simply and unaffectedly, but
with manifest pleasure.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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