An agreeable companion upon the road is as good as a coach.
A man's first care should be to avoid the reproaches of his own heart;
his next, to escape the censures of the world: if the last interferes
with the former, it ought to be entirely neglected; but otherwise there
cannot be a greater satisfaction to an honest mind, than to see those
approbations which it gives itself seconded by the applauses of the
public: a man is more sure of his conduct, when the verdict he passes
upon his own behaviour is thus warranted and confirmed by the opinion of
all that know him.
My worthy friend Sir Roger is one of those who is not only at peace
within himself, but beloved and esteemed by all about him. He receives a
suitable tribute for his universal benevolence to mankind, in the returns
of affection and good-will, which are paid him by every one that lives
within his neighbourhood. I lately met with two or three odd instances of
that general respect which is shown to the good old Knight. He would
needs carry Will Wimble and myself with him to the county assizes: as we
were upon the road Will Wimble joined a couple of plain men who rid
before us, and conversed with them for some time; during which my friend
Sir Roger acquainted me with their characters.
"The first of them," says he, "that has a spaniel by his side, is a
yeoman of about an hundred pounds a year, an honest man: he is just
within the Game Act[132], and qualified to kill an hare or a pheasant: he
knocks down a dinner with his gun twice or thrice a week; and by that
means lives much cheaper than those who have not so good an estate as
himself. He would be a good neighbour if he did not destroy so many
partridges: in short, he is a very sensible man; shoots flying; and has
been several times foreman of the petty jury.
"The other that rides along with him is Tom Touchy, a fellow famous for
taking the law of everybody. There is not one in the town where he lives
that he has not sued at the quarter sessions. The rogue had once the
impudence to go to law with the widow. His head is full of costs,
damages, and ejectments: he plagued a couple of honest gentlemen so long
for a trespass in breaking one of his hedges, till he was forced to sell
the ground it inclosed to defray the charges of the prosecution: his
father left him fourscore pounds a year; but he has cast and been
cast[133] so often, that he is not now worth thirty. I suppose he is
going upon the old business of the willow tree."
[Illustration]
As Sir Roger was giving me this account of Tom Touchy, Will Wimble and
his two companions stopped short till we came up to them. After having
paid their respects to Sir Roger, Will told him that Mr. Touchy and he
must appeal to him upon a dispute that arose between them. Will it seems
had been giving his fellow-traveller an account of his angling one day in
such a hole; when Tom Touchy, instead of hearing out his story, told him
that Mr. Such-a-one, if he pleased, might take the law of him for fishing
in that part of the river. My friend Sir Roger heard them both, upon a
round trot[134]; and after having paused some time told them, with the
air of a man who would not give his judgment rashly, that much might be
said on both sides. They were neither of them dissatisfied with the
Knight's determination, because neither of them found himself in the
wrong by it: upon which we made the best of our way to the assizes.
The court was sat before Sir Roger came; but notwithstanding all the
justices had taken their places upon the bench, they made room for the
old Knight at the head of them; who for his reputation in the county took
occasion to whisper in the judge's ear, "That he was glad his Lordship
had met with so much good weather in his circuit." I was listening to the
proceeding of the court with much attention, and infinitely pleased with
that great appearance and solemnity which so properly accompanies such a
public administration of our laws; when, after about an hour's sitting, I
observed to my great surprise, in the midst of a trial, that my friend
Sir Roger was getting up to speak. I was in some pain for him, till I
found he had acquitted himself of two or three sentences, with a look of
much business and great intrepidity.
Upon his first rising the court was hushed, and a general whisper ran
among the country people, that Sir Roger was up. The speech he made was
so little to the purpose, that I shall not trouble my readers with an
account of it; and I believe was not so much designed by the Knight
himself to inform the court, as to give him a figure in my eye, and keep
up his credit in the country.
I was highly delighted, when the court rose, to see the gentlemen of the
country gathering about my old friend, and striving who should compliment
him most; at the same time that the ordinary people gazed upon him at a
distance, not a little admiring his courage, that was not afraid to speak
to the judge.
In our return home we met with a very odd accident[135]; which I cannot
forbear relating, because it shows how desirous all who know Sir Roger
are of giving him marks of their esteem. When we were arrived upon the
verge of his estate, we stopped at a little inn to rest ourselves and our
horses. The man of the house had it seems been formerly a servant in the
Knight's family; and to do honour to his old master, had some time since,
unknown to Sir Roger, put him up in a sign-post before the door; so that
the Knight's head had hung out upon the road about a week before he
himself knew anything of the matter. As soon as Sir Roger was acquainted
with it, finding that his servant's indiscretion proceeded wholly from
affection and good-will, he only told him that he had made him too high a
compliment; and when the fellow seemed to think that could hardly be,
added with a more decisive look, "That it was too great an honour for any
man under a duke"; but told him at the same time that it might be altered
with a very few touches, and that he himself would be at the charge[136]
of it. Accordingly they got a painter by the Knight's directions to add
a pair of whiskers to the face, and by a little aggravation[137] of the
features to change it into the Saracen's Head. I should not have known
this story had not the innkeeper, upon Sir Roger's alighting, told him in
my hearing, "That his honour's head was brought back last night with the
alterations that he had ordered to be made in it." Upon this my friend,
with his usual cheerfulness, related the particulars above mentioned, and
ordered the head to be brought into the room. I could not forbear
discovering greater expressions of mirth than ordinary upon the
appearance of this monstrous face, under which, notwithstanding it was
made to frown and stare in a most extraordinary manner, I could still
discover a distant resemblance of my old friend. Sir Roger upon seeing me
laugh, desired me to tell him truly if I thought it possible for people
to know him in that disguise. I at first kept my usual silence; but upon
the Knight's conjuring[138] me to tell him whether it was not still more
like himself than a Saracen, I composed my countenance in the best manner
I could, and replied, that much might be said on both sides.
These several adventures, with the Knight's behaviour in them, gave me as
pleasant a day as ever I met with in any of my travels.