The Sun.
London, England, 1818-09-15 00:00:00

A CURATE'S FAREWELL.

The little village of POulshot, on Wednesday
se'ennight, exhibited one of the most pleasing and
affecting sights that can be conceived. The wor-
t,,y Curate of that parish, upon quitting it, after
having faithfully and most respectably discharged
the duties of his situation eleven years, gave a
farewell dinner to all the poor people of his flock,
and about 130 sat down to a most plentiful repast
of old English fare. Mr. Mrs. and Miss Eden,
with other Ladies raid Gentlemen, headed the
tables, and distributed the cheering bounty to
their poor neighbours, whose countenances de-
clared the sensations of hearts overflowing with
gratitude. After dinner, upon the health of the
founder of the feast being given by Mr. Eden, in
a speech happily expressive of their good opinion
end esteem for their pastor, and their sorrow and
regret at the cause of their now assembling toge-
ther, the Rev. Mr. Williams returned thanks, and
took that opportunity of giving an exhortation of
very considerable length as his parting advice,
hoping, under such influence, it might produce a
salutary effect on their future conduct. lie took
a cursory view of the chief errors of their lives,
and earnestly urged them •to immediate amend-
ment ; and with peculiar energy enforced the
necessity of greater attention to the sacred duties
of the Sabbath-day, on which their happiness
both here and hereafter so notch depended. liavi\ng
delineated, in glowing colours, the happiness of
that man who regularly and conscientiously per-
forms his religious duties, and the misery of him
who neglects them, with the dreadful conse-
quences, be concluded by a most pathetic appeal
to their understandings and their hearts for the
truth of his observations, by exhorting them to a
better observance of the Lord's clay; pointing
out the numerous evils attendant upon the neglect
of it ; and expressing the most affecting assur,
ances of good-will to all around him, for whose
welfare he felt the sincerest anxiety. lie then
drank health and happiness to them all, and re-
tired, leaviiig many of his audience overwhelmed
with tears, and all heartily regretting the loss of
a pastor, who had endeared himself to his pa-
rishioners by many years' devotion th their inte-
rests and happiness. Altogether, it was the most
interesting and affecting sight the writer of this
ever witnessed. The excellent band of music from
Seend then relieved the temporary gloom by strik-
ing up the noble air of " God save the King," and
continued all the evening to amuse the company
with select airs played with great taste ; and, un-
der the excellent direction of Mr. and Mrs. Eden,
the evening was spent in dancing and conviviality
in the most happy manner possible, till night
closed the festive scene, when every one retired,
highly delighted with the hospitality and plea-
sures of a day, such as many of them bad never
before experienced, and such as will for years be
remembered with pleasure. The weather being
beautifully fine, the dinner was served up on the
lawn before the parsonage-houie ; the company
danced under the shade of a noble plane-tree ; and
to the credit of Mr. Eden, who conducted the
whole, every person retired fully satisfied, but in
perfect sobriety. The provision was so ample,
that the following morning a distribution was
made of the remnants, sufficient_to supply all the
families with another dinner.—(Bath Herald)

A sturgeon, which measured eight feet six
inches in length, four feet two inches in circum-
ference, and weighed fourteen stone two pounds,
was taken, a tew days ago, in the river Eden. a
little above Rickerby. The fishermen had been
in pursuit of it eight days, during which period
they caught it four times, but escaped by break-
ing their nets with the greatest ease.