Loveg. I conceived it was not in my power to say no but I told Mr. Reader, it could be only on the condition that he should go with me; and we had such a dose !

Wor. I suppose you found him to be a most curious sprig of divinity, according to the fashionable taste of the day.

Mrs. Wor. How could you hit it off together?

Loveg. Why Madam, he first began bowing and scraping, with such an abundance of compliments, that I could not tell what to do with them.

Mrs. Wor. Not with one half of them, I suppose. Loveg. No-nor with one quarter of them, madam. Wor. After the compliments were all over, how did you proceed?

Loveg. Sir, he began chattering away at a most extraordinary rate; first, upon one topic, then upon another; I think I never heard so much incoherent chatter before. But the first thing which struck me, was the furniture of his room. On one peg were hung a pair of skaits, with red Morocco straps; on another his violin; at another place his bows and arrows were exhibited, as he was a member of an archer's club; over his chimney-piece were piled, his gun and other accoutrements for that sport, with two or three dog-collars; then there was his backgammon-table, his cribbage board, and among other pretty play things, he had his battledores, and shuttle-cocks.

Wor. From the furniture of his room, you might easily guess the furniture of his head.

Loveg. I thought that was more easily described, by what appeared on two or three shelves of books, which he called his library; containing little, that 1 could find, but a parcel of plays, loose poetry, and empty novels.

Wor. Had he no books of divinity?

Loveg. Sir, he had a few trumpery pamphlets, and among the rest, he had one book somewhat bet

ter bound than the others, called "The Religion of a polite gentleman."

Wor. In the name of wonder, what sort of a book can that be?

Loveg. I should suppose a jumble of affectation, and religious compliments. I asked him however out of curosity, what were its contents. He directly answered, he had only read a little in the middle of it; but that the author plainly proved, that no gentleman should be over morose in his religion, and that this was supposed to be the fault of St. Paul, for that he was bread a Sadducee.

Wor. A Sadducee! Did he not mean a Pharisee? Loveg. I suppose he might, but that he did not know the one from the other.

Wor. And had he no other religious publications besides?

Loveg. Sir, he had a book called "Thesaurus Ecclesiæ Anglicanæ," written by one Ecton.

Mrs. Wor. Sir, we do not understand what these Latin titles to books of divinity mean.

Loveg. Why Madam, it means, "The Treasury of the English Church."

Mrs. Wor. I suppose then he had one good book at least; for in the Liturgy, Articles, and Homilies, there is a treasure of divinity, remarkably good, and sound and it is wonderful how well calculated those writings against popery, are to confute the modern protestantism of the day, as you Sir, (to Mr. Lovegood) have often remarked,

:

Loveg. O Madam, Ecton's Thesaurus, contains nothing but an account of the worth of different livings, and all other church preferments. If I were to give it another name, it should be, A Guide to preferment-Hunters; though they commonly call it among themselves, The Parson's Bible.

Wor. What could be the style of the conversation of this poor creature?

Loveg. Sir, the most empty, and frivolous imaginabe. I did not at first, (according to Mr. Reader's

desire,) introduce religion too hastily, lest I should forfeit the use of the pulpit; he supposed that I had not much more to do with it, than himself; only he conceived I might be of a more grave, and phlegmatic turn of mind; and that I was a fine orator, as he called it.

Wor. I should suppose this idea respecting your turn of mind, might have had some check upon his frothy talk.

Loveg. Not in the least; his chatter was incessant. He first began asking me, if I lived in a good sporting country. I waived it, and said, that I was fond of my study, that I had a large family, and a good deal to do in my parish; and that I had really no time for such amusements. He then said, he confessed he was of another turn; and that he could not see the need of muzzing over a set of books all the day long. Then he went on telling me what a wonderful deal of game he had killed that season, with one Esquire Madcap, a strange wild young fellow, who lives in those parts. Then all at once he cried, "Oh sir! you really came a day after the fair; for Mr. Madcap, our young Esquire, who lives about three miles off, treated us with a horse-race; he is a merry fellow I can assure you; and really Sir, we had charming sport." I answered, I supposed it might be to them that liked it. But hints of that sort were of no avail; for on he went, crying, Really Sir, between the pleasures of the horse course in the mornings, and the card parties, and balls in in the evenings, we were all alive!!"

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Wor. Did you not tell him, it was much to be lamented, that the people of his spiritual charge, could not be kept alive, without the aids of cards, balls, and horse races ?

Loveg. Sir, I said to him, what was their life, would be my death; and he immediately cried, “ O my stars and garters! I think you were born under a strange planet."