We last Night received a Piece of ill News at our Club, which very
sensibly afflicted every one of us. I question not but my Readers
themselves will be troubled at the hearing of it. To keep them no
longer in Suspense, Sir ROGER DE COVERLEY _is dead_. He departed this
Life at his House in the Country, after a few Weeks' Sickness. Sir
ANDREW FREEPORT has a Letter from one of his Correspondents in those
Parts, that informs him the old Man caught a Cold at the County
Sessions, as he was very warmly promoting an Address of his own
penning, in which he succeeded according to his Wishes. But this
Particular comes from a Whig Justice of Peace, who was always Sir
Roger's Enemy and Antagonist. I have Letters both from the Chaplain
and Captain _Sentry_ which mention Nothing of it, but are filled with
many Particulars to the Honour of the good old Man. I have likewise a
Letter from the Butler, who took so much Care of me last Summer when I
was at the Knight's House. As my Friend the Butler mentions, in the
Simplicity of his Heart, several circumstances the others have passed
over in Silence, I shall give my Reader a Copy of his Letter without
any Alteration or Diminution.
"_Honoured Sir,_
"Knowing that you was my old Master's good Friend, I could not forbear
sending you the melancholy News of his Death, which has afflicted the
whole Country, as well as his poor Servants, who loved him, I may say,
better than we did our Lives. I am afraid he caught his Death the last
County Sessions, where he would go to see Justice done to a poor Widow
Woman, and her Fatherless Children that had been wronged by a
Neighbouring Gentleman; for you know, Sir, my good Master was always
the poor Man's Friend. Upon his coming home, the first Complaint he
made was, that he had lost his Roast-Beef Stomach, not being able to
touch a Sirloin, which was served up according to Custom; and you know
he used to take great Delight in it. From that Time forward he grew
worse and worse, but still kept a good Heart to the last. Indeed we
were once in great Hope of his Recovery, upon a kind Message that was
sent him from the Widow Lady whom he had made Love to the forty last
Years of his Life; but this only proved a Light'ning before Death. He
has bequeathed to this Lady, as a Token of his Love, a great Pearl
Necklace, and a Couple of Silver Bracelets set with Jewels, which
belonged to my good old Lady his Mother; He has bequeathed the fine
white Gelding, that he used to ride a hunting upon, to his Chaplain,
because he thought he would be kind to him, and has left you all his
Books. He has, moreover, bequeathed to the Chaplain a very pretty
Tenement with good Lands about it. It being a very cold Day when he
made his Will, he left for Mourning, to every Man in the Parish, a
great Frize Coat, and to every Woman a black Riding-hood. It was a
most moving Sight to see him take Leave of his poor Servants,
commending us all for our Fidelity, whilst we were not able to speak a
Word for weeping. As we most of us are grown gray-headed in our Dear
Master's Service, he has left us Pensions and Legacies, which we may
live very comfortably upon, the remaining Part of our Days. He has
bequeathed a great Deal more in Charity, which is not yet come to my
Knowledge, and it is peremptorily said in the Parish, that he has left
Money to build a Steeple to the Church; for he was heard to say some
Time ago, that if he lived two Years longer _Coverley_ Church should
have a Steeple to it. The Chaplain tells every Body that he made a
very good End, and never speaks of him without Tears. He was buried,
according to his own Directions, among the Family of the _Coverleys_,
on the left Hand of his Father Sir _Arthur_. The Coffin was carried by
Six of his Tenants, and the Pall held up by Six of the _Quorum_: The
whole Parish followed the Corps with heavy Hearts, and in their
Mourning-Suits, the Men in Frize, and the Women in Riding-hoods.
Captain _Sentry_, my Master's Nephew, has taken Possession of the
Hall-House, and the whole Estate. When my old Master saw him a little
before his Death, he shook him by the Hand, and wished him Joy of the
Estate which was falling to him, desiring him only to make a good Use
of it, and to pay the several Legacies, and the Gifts of Charity which
he told him he had left as Quit-rents upon the Estate. The Captain
truly seems a courteous Man, though he says but little. He makes much
of those whom my Master loved, and shews great Kindness to the old
House-dog, that you know my poor Master was so fond of. It wou'd have
gone to your Heart to have heard the Moans the dumb Creature made on
the Day of my Master's Death. He has ne'er joyed himself since; no
more has any of us. 'Twas the melancholiest Day for the poor People
that ever happened in _Worcestershire_. This being all from,
_Honoured Sir,_
_Your most sorrowful Servant,_
Edward Biscuit.
_P.S._ My Master desired, some Weeks before he died, that a Book which
comes up to you by the Carrier should be given to Sir _Andrew
Freeport_, in his Name."
This Letter, notwithstanding the poor Butler's Manner of Writing it,
gave us such an Idea of our good old Friend, that upon the Reading of
it there was not a dry Eye in the Club. Sir _Andrew_ opening the Book
found it to be a Collection of Acts of Parliament. There was in
Particular the Act of Uniformity, with some Passages in it marked by
Sir _Roger's_ own Hand. Sir _Andrew_ found that they related to two or
three Points, which he had disputed with Sir _Roger_ the last Time he
appeared at the Club. Sir _Andrew_, who would have been merry at such
an Incident on another Occasion, at the Sight of the Old Man's
Handwriting burst into Tears, and put the Book into his Pocket.
Captain _Sentry_ informs me, that the Knight has left Rings and
Mourning for every one in the Club.
_Addison._