I was this morning walking in the gallery, when Sir
Roger entered at the end opposite to me, and, advancing
towards me, said he was glad to meet me among his relations,
the de Coverleys, and hoped I liked the conversation
of so much good company, who were as silent as myself.
I knew he alluded to the pictures; and, as he is a gentleman
who does not a little value himself upon his ancient
descent, I expected he would give me some account of (90: 5)
them. We were now arrived at the upper end of the gallery,
when the knight faced towards one of the pictures,
and, as we stood before it, he entered into the matter,
after his blunt way of saying things as they occur to his
imagination, without regular introduction or care to preserve (10)
the appearance of chain of thought.
"It is," said he, "worth while to consider the force of
dress, and how the persons of one age differ from those
of another merely by that only. One may observe, also,
that the general fashion of one age has been followed by (15)
one particular set of people in another, and by them preserved
from one generation to another. Thus, the vast
jetting coat and small bonnet, which was the habit[54] in
Harry the Seventh's time, is kept on in the yeomen of the
guard; not without a good and politic view, because they (20)
look a foot taller, and a foot and an half broader; besides
that the cap leaves the face expanded, and consequently
more terrible, and fitter to stand at the entrance of
palaces.
[54] Costume.
"This predecessor of ours, you see, is dressed after (25)
this manner, and his cheeks would be no larger than
mine, were he in a hat as I am. He was the last man
that won a prize in the Tilt-yard, which is now a common
street before Whitehall. You see the broken lance that
lies there by his right foot. He shivered that lance of his
adversary all to pieces; and, bearing himself--look you,
sir--in this manner, at the same time he came within
the target of the gentleman who rode against him, and (91: 5)
taking him with incredible force before him on the pommel
of his saddle, he in that manner rid the tournament
over, with an air that showed he did it rather to perform
the rule[55] of the lists than expose his enemy. However, it
appeared he knew how to make use of a victory; and, (10)
with a gentle trot, he marched up to a gallery where their
mistress sat,--for they were rivals,--and let him down
with laudable courtesy and pardonable insolence. I don't
know but it might be exactly where the coffee-house is
now. (15)
[55] The law of the tournament.
"You are to know this my ancestor was not only of a
military genius, but fit also for the arts of peace; for he
played on the bass viol as well as any gentleman at
court. You see where his viol hangs by his basket-hilt
sword. The action at the Tilt-yard you may be sure won (20)
the fair lady, who was a maid of honour, and the greatest
beauty of her time. Here she stands, the next picture.
You see, sir, my great-great-great-grandmother has on the
new-fashioned petticoat, except that the modern is gathered
at the waist: my grandmother appears as if she (25)
stood in a large drum, whereas the ladies now walk as
if they were in a go-cart. For all this lady was bred at
court, she became an excellent country wife; she brought
ten children; and, when I show you the library, you shall
see, in her own hand, allowing for the difference of the
language, the best receipt now in England both for an
hasty-pudding and a white-pot.
"If you please to fall back a little,--because 'tis necessary (92: 5)
to look at the three next pictures at one view,--these
are three sisters. She on the right hand, who is so very
beautiful, died a maid; the next to her, still handsomer,
had the same fate, against her will; this homely thing in
the middle had both their portions added to her own, and (10)
was stolen by a neighbouring gentleman, a man of stratagem
and resolution, for he poisoned three mastiffs to come
at her, and knocked down two deer-stealers in carrying
her off. Misfortunes happen in all families. The theft
of this romp and so much money was no great matter to (15)
our estate. But the next heir that possessed it[56] was this
soft gentleman, whom you see there; observe the small
buttons, the little boots, the laces, the slashes about his
clothes, and, above all, the posture he is drawn in,--which
to be sure was his own choosing. You see he sits (20)
with one hand on a desk, writing and looking as it were
another way, like an easy writer or a sonneteer. He was
one of those that had too much wit to know how to live in
the world: he was a man of no justice, but great good
manners; he ruined everybody that had anything to do (25)
with him, but never said a rude thing in his life; the
most indolent person in the world, he would sign a deed
that passed away half his estate, with his gloves on, but
would not put on his hat before a lady if it were to save
his country. He is said to be the first that made love
by squeezing the hand. He left the estate with ten thousand
pounds' debt upon it; but, however, by all hands I
have been informed that he was every way the finest (93: 5)
gentleman in the world. That debt lay heavy on our
house for one generation; but it was retrieved by a gift
from that honest man you see there, a citizen of our
name, but nothing at all akin to us. I know Sir Andrew
Freeport has said behind my back that this man was (10)
descended from one of the ten children of the maid of
honour I showed you above; but it was never made out.
We winked at the thing, indeed, because money was
wanting at that time."
[56] The estate.
Here I saw my friend a little embarrassed, and turned (15)
my face to the next portraiture.
Sir Roger went on with his account of the gallery in
the following manner: "This man"--pointing to him I
looked at--"I take to be the honour of our house, Sir
Humphrey de Coverley. He was, in his dealings, as (20)
punctual as a tradesman and as generous as a gentleman.
He would have thought himself as much undone by breaking
his word as if it were to be followed by bankruptcy.
He served his country as knight of this shire[57] to his dying
day. He found it no easy matter to maintain an integrity (25)
in his words and actions, even in things that regarded the
offices which were incumbent upon him in the care of his
own affairs and relations of life, and therefore dreaded,
though he had great talents, to go into employments of
state, where he must be exposed to the snares of ambition.
Innocence of life and great ability were the distinguishing
parts of his character; the latter, he had often
observed, had led to the destruction of the former, and (94: 5)
used frequently to lament that _great_ and _good_ had not
the same signification. He was an excellent husbandman,[58]
but had resolved not to exceed such a degree of
wealth; all above it he bestowed in secret bounties many
years after the sum he aimed at for his own use was attained. (10)
Yet he did not slacken his industry, but to a
decent old age spent the life and fortune which was
superfluous to himself, in the service of his friends and
neighbours."
[57] Representative of the shire in Parliament.
[58] Economist.
Here we were called to dinner; and Sir Roger ended (15)
the discourse of this gentleman by telling me, as we followed
the servant, that this his ancestor was a brave man,
and narrowly escaped being killed in the Civil Wars;
"for," said he, "he was sent out of the field upon a
private message the day before the battle of Worcester." (20)
The whim of narrowly escaping by having been within
a day of danger, with other matters above mentioned,
mixed with good sense, left me at a loss whether I was
more delighted with my friend's wisdom or simplicity.
R. (25)