A student of the Temple might have made use of a judge's robes or the chancellor's seals: but being tired of sauntering in Westminster-hall without even getting half-a-guinea for a motion, he has accepted of a commission in one of the new-raised regiments, and is... Ruined A younger brother of a good family threw himself away upon an obscure widow with a jointure of 500l. per annum, by which he is Ruined Another, a man of fortune, fell in love with, and married a genteel girl without a farthing; and though she makes him an excellent wife, he is universally allowed to have Ruined himself Before I conclude, I cannot but take notice of the strange sense, in which a friend of mine once heard this word used in company by a girl of the town. The young creature, being all life and spirits, engrossed all the conversation to herself; and herself indeed was the subject of all the conversation: but what most surprised him, was the manner in which she used this word Ruined; which occurred frequently in her discourse, though never intended by her to convey the meaning generally affixed to it. It served her sometimes as an era to determine the date of every occurrence- -' she bought such a gown, just after she was ruined-the first time she saw Garrick in Ranger, she was in doubt whether it was before or after she was ruined.'-Having occasion to mention a young gentleman, she burst into raptures O he is a dear creature! He it was that ruined me-O he is a dear soul!-he carried me to an inn ten miles from my father's house in the country, where he ruined me.-If he had not ruined me, I should have been as miserable and as moping as my sisters. But the dear soul was forced to go abroad on his travels, and I was obliged to come upon the town, three weeks after I was ruined-no, woven not so much as three weeks after I was ruined—yes, it was full three weeks after I was ruined.' N° 105. THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 1756. Gaudet equis, canibusque, et aprici gramine campi.-Hor. In rev'rend sportsmen is right orthodox. My cousin Village, from whom I had not heard for some time, has lately sent me an account of a Country Parson; which I dare say will prove entertaining to my town readers, who can have no other idea of our clergy, than what they have collected from the spruce and genteel figures which they have been used to contemplate here in doctors' scarfs, puddingsleeves, starched bands, and feather-top grizzles. It will be found from my cousin's description, that these reverend ensigns of othodoxy are not so necessary to be displayed among rustics; and that, when they are out of the pulpit or surplice, the good pastors may, without censure, put on the manners as well as dress of a groom or whipper-in. " DEAR COUSIN, Doncaster, Jan. 14, 1756. I am just arrived here, after having paid a visit to our old acquaintance Jack Quickset, who is now become the Reverend Mr. Quickset, Rector of parish in the north-riding of this county, a living worth upwards of three hundred pounds per annum. As the ceremonies of ordination have occasioned no alteration in Jack's morals or behaviour, the figure he makes in the church is somewhat remarkable but as there are many other incumbents of country livings, whose clerical characters will be found to tally with his, perhaps a slight sketch, or, as I may say, rough draught of him, with some account of my visit, will not be unentertaining to your readers. ; "Jack, hearing that I was in this part of the world, sent me a very hearty letter, informing me, that he had been double-japanned (as he called it) about a year ago, and was the present incumbent of where if I would favour him with my company, he would give me a cup of the best Yorkshire stingo, and would engage to shew me a noble day's sport, as he was in a fine open country with plenty of foxes. I rejoiced to hear he was so comfortably settled, and set out immediately for his living. When I arrived within the gate, my ears were alarmed with such a loud chorus of "No mortals on earth are so happy as we," that I began to think I had made a mistake; till observing its close neighbourhood to the church convinced me, that this could be no other than the parsonage-house. On my entrance, my friend (whom I found in the midst of a room-full of foxhunters in boots and bob-wigs) got up to welcome me to and embracing me, gave me the full flavour of his stingo by belching in my face, as he did me the honour of saluting me. He then introduced me to his friends; and placing me at the right hand of his own elbowchair, assured them, that I was a very honest cock, and loved a chase of five-and-twenty miles an end as well as any of them: to preserve the credit of which character, I was obliged to comply with an injunction to toss off a pint bumper of port, with the foot of the fox dipped and squeezed into it to give a zest to the liquor. The whole economy of Jack's life is very different from that of his brethren. Instead of having a wife and a house full of children (the most common family of a country clergyman), he is single; unless we credit some idle whispers in the parish, that he is married to his housekeeper. The calm amusements of piquet, chess, and backgammon, have no charms for Jack, who sees "his dearest action in the field," and boasts, that he has a brace of as good hunters in his stable, as ever leg was laid over. Hunting and shooting are the only business of his life; foxhounds and pointers lie about in every parlour; and he is himself, like Pistol, always in boots. The estimation in which he holds his friends, is rated according to their excellence as sportsmen; and to be able to make a good shot, or hunt a pack of hounds well, are most recommending qualities. His parishioners often earn a shilling and a cup of ale at his house, by coming to acquaint him, that they have found a hare sitting, or a fox in cover. One day, while I was alone with my friend, the servant came in to tell him, that the clerk wanted to speak with him. He was ordered in; but I could not help smiling, when (instead of giving notice of a burying, christening, or some other church business, as I expected) I found the honest clerk only came to acquaint his reverend superior, that there was a covey of partridges, of a dozen brace at least, not above three fields from the house. 'Jack's elder brother, Sir Thomas Quickset, who gave him the benefice, is lord of the manor: so that Jack has full power to beat up the game unmolested. He goes out three times a week with his brother's hounds, whether Sir Thomas hunts or not; and has besides a deputation from him as lord of the manor, consigning the game to his care, and empowering him to take away all guns, nets, and dogs, from persons not duly qualified. Jack is more proud of this office, than many other country clergymen are of being in the commission for the peace. Poaching is in his eye the most heinous crime in the two tables; nor does the care of souls appear to him h him half so important a duty as the preservation of the game. Sunday, you may suppose, is as dull and tedious to this ordained sportsman, as to any fine lady in town; not that he makes the duties of his function any fatigue to him, but as this day is necessarily a day of rest from the usual toils of shooting and the chase. It happened that the first Sunday after I was with him he engaged to take care of a church, in the absence of a neighbouring clergyman, which was about twenty miles off. He asked me to accompany him; and the more to encourage me, he assured me, that we should ride over as fine a champaign open country as any in the north. Accordingly I was roused by him in the morning before day-break by a loud hollowing of hark to Merriman,' and the repeated smacks of his half-hunter; and after we had fortified our stomachs with several slices of hungbeef and a horn or two of stingo, we sallied forth. Jack was mounted upon a hunter, which he assured me was never yet thrown out: and as we rode along, he could not help lamenting, that so fine a soft morning should be thrown away upon a Sunday; at the same time remarking, that the dogs might run breast high. Though we made the best of our way over hedge and ditch, and took every thing, we were often delayed by trying if we could prick for a hare, or by leaving the road to examine a piece of cover; and he frequently made me stop, while he pointed out the particular course that Reynard took, or the spot where he had earthed. At length we arrived on full gallop at the church, where we found the congregation waiting for us: but as Jack had nothing to do but to alight, pull his band out of the sermon-case, give his brown scratch-bob a shake, and clap on the sur |