The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-01-02
MISCELLANEOUS.
The LltcrATy oru
Pictures OF Manners Ia England Ia, tha times OF
James III.

l. w.
james ii.
BY t. Il. MAoAULAY
An early and highly picturesque chapter of Macaulays
History OF England is occupied with ga description OF
the state IN which England was ,at The time when the
passed from Charles ii to his brotherthe period
at the opening of the work. Commencing with brill
liant picture OF the progress OF English wealth, the
thor turns to aview of the condition OF things al par
cuar era in population. taxation, the army and navy,
the support OF officials, agricultural and mineral
sources the people of the country and the towns, the
clergyman the squire the manners OF the capital The
literature, the science the general cultivation and nieli-
gence. This is fine field for the unfaggng genius OF
Macaulay, delghtng equally in generalization and detail
These are characteristic passages
THE COUNTRY CLERGY.
The clergy were regarded as on the whole pebeian
class. And indeed, Tor one who made the Inquire OF
gentleman ten mere menial servants large pro-
potion OF those dvines who had no benefces or whose
beneices small To afford a comfortable revenue
lived in the houses of aymen II had long been evident
that this patce tended to degrade the presy character
Land had exerted himself to effect change and Charles
the First had repeatedly issued positive orders that none
but OF high rank should presume TO keep domestic
chaplans But these njunctions had become obsolete.
Indeed. during the domination of the Purans, many of
The elected ministers OF the Church Of England could OBJ
tain bread and shelter only by attaching themselves to
the households OF royast gentlemen; and the habits
which had been formed in those times of trouble contn-
ued long after the re-csablishmen OF monarchy and
epscopacy In the mansions OF men OF liberal senti-
ments and cultivated understandings, the chaplain was
doubtless treated with urbanity and kindness. His
conversation his literary assistance his spiritual ad
vice, considered ample return for his food,
his lodging, and his stipend. But this was not the
general feeling OF the country gentleman. The coarse
and ignorant squire who thought that it belonged to
his dignity to have grace said every day at his ia
Bile by ecclesastc in full canonicas, found means
to reconcile dignity with economy. A young Lee
vite--such The phrase then in use-might be had
for his board small garrett and ten pounds year, and
might not only perform his own professional functions
might not only be the most patient OF butts and listeners
might not only be always ready in hne weather for
bowls and in rainy weather for shovelboard but might
also save the expense OF a gardener, or OF groom
Sometimes the reverend man nailed up the aprcots, and
sometimes he cured the coach horses. He cast up the
farrers bills. He walked ten miles with message
parcel Ii he was permitted to dine with the family, he
expected to content himself with the planest fare
He might fill himself with the corned beef and the
rots but as soon as the tart- and cheesecakes made
their appearance, he quilted his seat and stood aoof till
he summoned 10 return thanks Tor the repast from
great part of which he had been excluded
Perhaps after some years OF service he was presented
TO living sufficient to support him but he often found
necessary to purchase his preerment by species of
slnony, which furnished an lnexhauslble subject OF
pleasantly to three or four generations OF scoers With
his cure he expected to take a wife The wife had
ordinarily been in The patrons service and il was well
she was not suspected OF standing too high in the pa
irons favor indeed the nature of the matrimonial con-
neSi ions which the clergymen of that age were the
habit OF forming, is the most certain indication of the
place which the order held IN the social system An
Oxonan, writing few months after the death OF Charles
with sif, G 1' tie ire y sS%y rsssary locked down
the lessons most earnestly ihculcated every girl Of
honorable family was to give no encouragement to
lover in ORDERS and that If any young lady forgot this
precep she was almost as much disgraced by an
illicit amour. Clarendon, who assuredly bore ILL.,
will to the church, mentions it as sign of the con-
that damses of noble families had bestowed them
selves on divnes. A waiting was generally
considered as the most suitable hepnae for parson
Queen Elizabeth as head of the church. had given what
seemed 10 be fUna this by
ing special orders that no cergym~a should presume to
marry servant girl, without the consent OF he ester
or mistress. During several generations accordingly the
relation between priests and handmadens was theme
for endless Jest; nor would it be easy to find in the
comedy of the seventeenth century, single instance of
clergyman who wins spouse above the rank of
cookt Even SO late as the time of George the Second,
the keenest of all observers of life and manners, himself
priest remarked that in great household the chap
lain the resource of ladys maid whose character
had been blown upon and who was therefore, forced to
give up hopes of catching the steward
In general the divine who quilted his chaplainshp for
benclce and wife, found that he, had only exchanged
one class of vexatons for another. Not one living
fifty enabled the incumbent to bring up family comfort
ably As children multiplied and grew, the household OF
the priest became more and more beggary. Holes APP
peared and more plainly in the thach OF his
age and in his sing cassock Often 1t was only by
toilng on his gebe, by feeding swne and by loading
dungcarts that he could obtain daily bread did his
utmost exertions always prevent the bailis from taking
his concordance and his inksand IN execution 1t was
white day on which he admitted into the kitchen of
la great house. and RECALLED by the servants with cold
meat and ale His chlren were brought up like the
children of the neighborng peasanry His boys followed
the plough and his girls went out to service Study he
found mpo sbe: for the alvowson of his living would
hardly have sold for sum sufficient TO purchase good
theological lbary and he might be considered as unu-
sually lucky if he had ten twelve dogseared volumes
among the pots and pans his shelves. Even keen
and strong intellect might be expected to rust IN SO unfa
vorable situation"
SQUIRE AT HOME.
His chief serious employment the care OF his prop
erty He examined samples of grain, handled pigs, and
on mark days made bargains ankard with dro-
vers and hop merchants. His chief pleasures were COM
monty derived from field sports and IRON an unreilned
sensualiy His language and pronunciation were such
as should expect to hear only from the most lg
noran clowns His oa,hs, coarse ests and scurrllous
his ovnee s Psye d WITH the accent o.
which he spoke whether he from Somerselshire or
York shire He troubled himself little about decorating
his abode and if he attempted decoration, seldom pro-
| duced anything but deormy. The litter OF farIn-
ward gathered under the windows of his bedchamber,
and the cabbages and gooseberry bushes grew close
Ia his hall door His table loaded with coarse
plenty; and guests cordially welcomed to IT. But,
as the habit of drinking TO excess was general IN te
class which he belonged and as ms fortune ao no
enable him TO inoxicate large assemblies daily win
claet or canary strong beer the ordinary beverage
The quantity OF beer consumed IN those days was P
enormous; for beer then was to the, middle am -.
classes not only all that beer now 49, but all a . Wiz,
tea and ardent spirits now are. 1t was ohiy az s,
houses, or great OCCASIONS lhat l9'S - those
placed on the board The ladies' o, he house Wnool
business had commonly been to COOK 'he epas re'eu
as soon as the dishes had been dev0ureu ana let VI.
gentlemen TO their ale and tobacco ne CoaioS JIMMY vi
the afternoon was often prolonged l the reVsllefs were
laid under the table. L. rh,
ompses of the great world and what he saw OF 1t enu
81 rhnr a., confuse than TO enIighen his understanding