The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1848-12-30
Ptctsres Of Manner In Rnglasd I'm she
Times Of James n.
BY T. b. MAcAULAY.
The Country Clergy.

whole, plebeian class. And, indeed, fol
one who made the figure of gentleman
ten were mere mental servants. A large
proportion Of those divines who had no ben
ehces, or whose bene6ces were too small
10 afford comfortable revenue, lived in the
houses OF laymen. 1t had long been evi
dent that this practice tended to degrade the
Pnestly character. Laud had exerted him
self to effect a change; and Charles the
First had repeatedly issued positive order.
that none but men Of high rank should pre-
sumo TO keep domestic chaplsins. But thess
inlunctions had become obsolete. Indeed
during the domination of the Puritans
many OF the elected ministers of the Church
Of England could obtain bread and shelter
only by attaching themselves to the house
holds Of royalist gentlemen; and the habits
which had been formed in those times oil
trouble continued long after the re-estab
lshment of monarchy and episcopacy. In
the mansions Of men Of liberal sentiments
and cultivated understandings, the chaplain
was doubtless treated with urbanity and
kindness. His conversation, his literary
assistance. his spiritual advice, were consid
cred as an ample return for his food, his
lodging, and bis stipend. But this was not
the general feeling Of the country gentle
man, The coarse and ignorant squire, who
thought that it belonged to his dignity to
have grace said every day at his table, by
an ecclesiastie il full canonicals. found
means TO reconcile dignity with economy.
A young Levite-such was the phrase then
in use-might be had for his board, a small
garret, and tsa pounds year, and might
not only perform his own professional func-
lions, might not only be the most patient Of
butts and listeners, might not only be al
ways ready in fine weather for bowls, and
in rainy weather for shovelbosrd, bur might
also save the expense Of gardener, or OF q
groom. Sometimes the reverend man nail
ed up the aprcots, and sometimes he curried
the coach horses. He cast up the farrier'
bills. He walked ten miles with a mes
sage or parcel. IL he was permitted TO
dine with the family, he was expected TO
content himself with the plainest fare. He
might hll himself with the corned beef and
the carrots; but as soon as the tarts and
cheesecakes made their appearance. he
quilted his seat, and stood aloof ill he was
summoned to return thanks for the repast.
from great part Of which he had been ex-
cluded.s
Perhaps, after some years of service, he
was presented to living sufficient to sup
port him: but he often found /, necessary
to purchase his prelerment by species Of
simony, which furnished an inexhaustible
subject OF pleasantly to three or four gener-
atoms Of scofers. With his cure he was
expected to take a wife. The wife had or. |
dlnarily been in the patrons service; and it
was well if she was not suspected OF stand
ing too high in the patn MS favor. Indeed,
the nature OF the matrimonial connexions
which the clergmen Of that age were in
the habit OF forming, is the most certain in
dlcstion OF the place which the order held
In the social system. An Oxonian, writing
a few months after the death Of Charles the
Second, complained bitterly, not only that
the country attorney and the country apoth-
ecsry looked down with disdain on the
country clergyman, but that one Of the les
sons most earnestly inculcated on every girl
of honorable family was to give no encour.
asement to lover in orders, and that. if
any young lady forgot this precept, she was
almost as much disgrsced as by an Illicit
amour. Clarendon, who assuredly bore no
Twill to the Church, mentions it as a sign
'f the confusion Of ranks which the great
ebellion had produced, that some dsmsels
'f noble families had bestowed themselves
on divines. A waiting woman was general
y considered as the most suitable helpmate
or parson. Queen Elizabeth, as the head
'f the Church, had given what seemed TO
De formal sanction to this prejudice, by
ssuing special orders that no clergyman
hould presume to marry servant girl, with.
tut the consent of her master or mistress.
During several generations, accordingly, the {
citation between priests and handmaidens
vas theme for endless Jest nor would il :
'e easy to find in the comedy of the seven- !
eenth century, single instance of cler. /
lyman who wins spouse above the rank :
{ a cook.f Even so late as the time of .
Ieorge the Second, the keenest of all oh. .
srvers Of Life and manners, himself priest, q
smarked that in great household, the q
haplain was the resource Of lady's maid n
hose character had been blown upon. and ;.
no was therefore forced to give up hopes 4
catching the stewsrd.t II
In general, the divine who Quilted his !,
for benefce and wife, found r
st he had only exchanged one class of a
.xatons for another. Not one living in q,
ty enabled the incumbent to bring I'D i
mily comfortably. As children multiplied 70
I'd grew, the household Of the priest be- IL
me more and more beggarly. Holes ap- a.
JARED more and more plainly in the thatch Il
his parsonage, and in his single cassock. -
ften it was only by toiling on his glebe, "
feeding swine, and by loading dung. h,
rts. that he could obtain daily bread; nor 80
his utmost exenions always prevent the -
liliffs from taking his concordance and his o.
kstand in execution. Il was white dav ~
which be was admitted into the kitchen '. ~
great house, and RECALLED by the ser. ="
nts with cold meat ard ale. His child. We
Esehsrd. Csuzes Of the Contempt osthe CLERGY. Qua
n. SafAre 70 Ir1f ~ -ahOaf leave the IIoi.. -
rtisI, 30 - Ibet the English cIerey ver. io IN
m ei&ss Is remarked M The Travels the Grand D1t hk
smo. - 81 el1tft DuAs en- q"
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