The Daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1845-1850, 1849-07-12
AN ENGLISH PARSoNAGE.


AN ENGLISH PARSONAGE.
Mr.. Coleman, in his &C Letters from Abroad"
gives the following description of an English
Parsonage Had sketch been given OF the
manner in which many OF the pensioners drag
out their weary existence, it might have afforded
melancholy and instructive contrast TO this
scene of refinement and luxury.
You see the date OF my letter, Nottingham
shire,) and have seldom in my lite passed more
agreeable Sunday. have been twice at church,
and am staying with the clergyman. He is
gentleman of fortune, and though without title
himself, he married lady OF rank, and his fami.
ly are allied by blood or marriage to some OF the
highest aristocracy in the kingdom. He special.
ly invited me TO come and pass few days with
him; and came by appointment yesterday, and
shall leave tomorrow, as my engagements DO not
admit OF longer delay, though he has urged me
to remain. He has small church; parish,
with the exception OF a few families, composed
OF tenant farmers and aborers His salary is
E90O-that is about $4500-and house and
glebe of about forty acres. His father, man of
great wealth, lives directly in his neghborhood.
Imagine beautiful country, not naturally fer.
tile, but made one OF the most productive by cul
tivation, and every where covered with the most
luxuriant vegetation imagine roads as hne a
can be trodden, without pebble to impedes the
carriage, and bounded with neatly trimmed hedg-
es; imagine here and there substantial farm
house, surrounded with acres and acres of green
crops, and many Of them with stacks OF wheat
and barley made in the most finished and beauti-
tul manner, in some cases twenty, thirty, and
even forty in number, containing, by estimates,
two hundred and three hundred bushels of grain
each, { am only stating facts J imagine you APP
proach to large cluster of ornamented trees,
through which you see the turrets of the house
rising, and occasionally appearing and disappear.
| 81.
enues, bordered with shrubs and flowers OF the
richest description; imagine an extensive lawn,
stretching tar away in front OF one side of the
house, as smooth as Milton describes it, with the
sheep and cattle grazing upon it; imagine beau
tiful mirrored lake OF half mile in length, and
with corresponding width, glistenng and spark
ling at the loot CT the lawn imagine a grove OF
magnificent forest trees in the rear of the par
sonage, with the towers of the old church man
tied with ivy, showing its gray and venerable i'm
age among the trees, with Its church yard, and
marble and moss grown monuments, where Old
| Mortality might find congenal employment for
days and months, and you will have some little
notion OF the exterior OF my transient resting
place. Now enter the house, and find the libra
ries stored with books, and the drawing rooms
elegant in their plainest attire, but crowded with
the most beau itul objects of ornament and curl
osity, and fitted up with every possible append
diniag room, the table covered with the richest
plate, and this plate filed with the richest viands
which the culinary art, and the vintage and the
fruit garden can supply; imagine house at your
disposal, servant at your command to anticipate
your wants; imagine an elegant bedchamber, a
bright coal fire, fresh water in basins, in goblets,
in tubs, napkins without stint, as white as snow,
double mattrass, French bed, sheets of finest
linen, canopy OF the riches silk, table porto.
~ "fe1tiS dPPdtutus anu stdtIOnss,, night
lamp, candles and silver candleslicks, and beau
tltul paintings and exquisite statuary, and everv
KIND OF chair or sofa, but rocking chair, and
then you will have some little notion of the place
where now am, and indeed pretty accurate and
not exaggerated description OF my residence for
the last three weeks,-.five weeks,-three months
i cannot say how long-and then Judge wheth-
er IT is not likely TO spoil me. For the last Tort
night, Tor an example, with the exception of one
day, have dined off of silver and porcelain, and
have sat down each day to table as sumptuous
and abundant, and various and elegant, as / ever
saw at any dinner party in Boston /; indeed, more
so, and much OF the time with large party of
ladies' and gentlemen, elegant in dress and
manners as you can meet with never with less
than four men servants, many times with eight or
ten, and in one case | counted eleven, eight of
whom were in elegant livery. trimmed with sill
yer epauettes, sc