queathed 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 Parifh, a great Frize-Coat, and to every • Woman a black Riding-hood. It C was a moft moving fight to see him take leave of his poor Servants, com"mending us all for our Fidelity, whilft we were not able to speak a word for weeping. As we most of us are grown grey-headed in our dear Mafter's Service, he has left us Penfions 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 faid in the Pa rifh, that he has left Money to build 6 a Steeple to the Church; for he was heard to fay fome time ago, that if he lived two Years longer, Coverley • Church fhould have a Steeple to it.

The

The Chaplain tells every Body that he made a very good End, and never fpeaks of him without Tears. He was ❝ buried according to his own Directions, among the Family of the COVERLIES, on the left Hand of his Fa ther Sir Arthur. The Coffin was carried by fix of his Tenants, and the Pall held up by fix 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 Mafter's Nephew, has taken Poffeffion of the Hall-house, and the whole Eftate. • When my old Mafter faw him a little before his Death, he shook him by the Hand, and wished him Joy of the Eftate which was falling to him, defiring him only to make good Ufe of it, and to pay the feveral Legacies, and the Gifts of Charity which he told him he had left as Quit-rents < upon the Estate. The Captain truly • feems a courteous Man, though fays but little. He makes much of those whom my Mafter loved, and fhews great Kindness to the old Houfe-dog, that you know my poor Mafter was

.• fo

fo fond of. It would have gone to ં your Heart to have heard the Moans the dumb Creature made on the Day ' of my Master's Death. He has never joyed himself fince; 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,

P. S.

Your moft forrowful Servant,

Edward Bifcuit.

My Mafter defired, fome Weeks before he died, that a Book which comes up to you by the Carrier fhould be given to Sir ANDREW FREEPORT in his Name.

THIS Letter, notwithstanding the poor Butler's manner of writing it, gave us fuch 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 fome Paffages in it marked by Sir ROGER'S

own Hand. Sir ANDREW found that they related to two or three Points, which he had difputed with Sir ROGER the last time he appeared at the Club. Sir ANDREW, who would have been merry at fuch an Incident on another, Occafion, at the fight of the old Man's Hand-writing burft 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.

every

N° 18. Friday, October 24.

Miferum eft alienæ incumbere fama,›

Ne collapfa ruant fubductis tecta columnis.

T

Juv

J

HIS being a Day of Bufinefs with me, I must make the prefent Entertainment like a Treat at an Houfewarming, out of fuch Prefents as have been fent me by my Guefts. The first Dish which I ferve up is a Letter come fresh to my Hand.

Mr.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

"IT is with inexpreffible Sorrow that hear of the Death of good Sir Roger, and do heartily condole with you upon fo melancholy an Occafion. 'I think you ought to have blackened the Edges of a Paper which brought us fo ill News, and to have had it ftamped likewife in Black. It is ex'pected of you that you fhould write his Epitaph, and, if poffible, fill his place in the Club with as worthy and diverting a Member. I queftion not ❝ but you will receive many Recom'mendations from the publick of fuch 6 as will appear Candidates for that • Poft.

6

SINCE I am talking of Death, ' and have mentioned an Epitaph, I muft tell you, Sir, that I have made difcovery of a Church-yard in which 'I believe you might spend an Afternoon, with great Pleafure to your felf and to the Publick: It belongs to the • Church of Stebon-Heath, commonly 'called Stepney. Whether or no it be 'that the People of that Parish have a particular Genius for an Epitaph, or that there be fome Poet among

"them