Wilmington daily commercial. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1866-1877, 1872-01-20
Virgin. clcrs, /. the OIaes Time.


Ihs clergymen Of Virginia were in a position
80 false and dsmoralizing, that a body they
could not but become indolent and diseolute.
The Law gave them sixteen thousand pounds Of
tobacco per annnm; which might be worth two
hundred pounds a year, II the quality were
high, and the incumbent lncky and skilful IN
selling it; or it might be worth sixty pounds =
year, II the quality we're low and the crop super
abundant. They were further allowed by Law
four hundred pounds OF tobacco, or forty Hli-
linge, FOR preaching a funeral sermon; two hun
dred pounds Of tobacco for a marriage by lcense
iffy for a marriage by banns; and fee for
baptism, which custom appears 10 have liked At
a guinea for the rich, and five shillings for
others. To these revenues was added glebe
sufficient for good farm, which liberal ve-tTy'
we are told, were sometimes kind enough TO
stock" with one or two families Of slaves The
clergy appointed without much regard to their
fitness, were subjected to little supervision.
The parishes were OF great extent, stretching
sometimes a. much as thirty miles along anyer,
and YET 30 thinly inhabited that they could
scarcely furnish a congregations and such was
the scarcity Of candidates, that cOmmiszary
hesitated TO suspend clergyman, even for no,
tOriOus vice, because the parish might remain
vacant for two or three years.
Thus circumstance, each clergyman behaved
according to his disp0aiiion Few OF them,
mon OF learning aud virtue, eked out their
slender and changing incomes by taking pupils
and it was these few who saved civilization in the
Colony. Others, men Of rude energy and exec
utiye force pushed the cultivation Of their globes,
bought more slaves, raired more tobacco, spec
ulated sometimes in both, grew rich, re-
duced their parish duty to the minimum, and
performed that minimum with haste aud form
atty. But the greater number lived a. Idle
hangers on OF the wealthier houses. assisting
their felOw-idlers, the planters, to kill time and
run through their estates, not always dissolute,
but easy-gOing, self-indulgent good-natured men
men of the world. 1t not very uncommon for
g u. 70 no f.N afs
Jockey-club, and personally assist in the details
Of the race-course, such as weighing the men
and timing the horses. Ii was common for
clergymsR to ride after the hounds in fox-hunt-
ing, and they were as apt to nail the trophy OF
the days chase to their stable door as any ether
man. The names Of cergymen figured among
the patrons Of balls and they were rather noted
for their skill at cards All Of which was Just
an properfor clergymen as planters, and no more
necessary. But in those days the bottle was the
yitating accompaniment of every innocent de-
light. The race must end in a dinner, and
the dinner must end under the table. The days
hunt must be followed by a nights debauch.
The christening Of a child murt De the preteXt
for days revel. This single element OF
mischief converted all festal days, all honest
mirth, all joyous recreation, into injury, shame,
and ruin. Nothing can make any headway
againnst the potency OF wine, for 1t suspends
tue operation Of that within uB which enables us
to resist, and finally destroys it. 1t vltates the
texture Of the brain itself, the seat Of life. aAd
the citadel Of all superior force. And the
wine which flowed 30 freely at the planters Ia
bles was Madeira, strongest Of wines, so enriched
by time and two long yO ages, that the uncork-
ing Of one bottle flied a LARGE house with fra
GRANGE.
The tales we read Of the clergy Of CID Virginia
ztagger belief, though it is clergymen who re-
port them. The reverend rector OF WicOmico
we read, not approving the bread placed upon
the communicable, erred out FROM tic altar
in the nldrt Of the service, TO one OF his church
wardens George. this bread Is not tit for a
dog" We read OF another WHO was invited after
church to dinner at planter house, where lie
drank so much that he had to be tied IN his gig
and servant sent to lead his horse home. One
Jolly parsOn comes down to us reeling up and
down the porch Of a tavern, bawling " the pas
sers-by to come and driuk with hiIn. Another
lives in the memory Of his county because he
fought duel within sight Of the church in which
he had formerly Oilie.ated. Another is remem-
bered AZ the jOyial hunter vino died cheering on
pocketing annually hundred dollars, the Teyu-
nue. Of a legacy, Tor preaching four sermons
year against atheism gambling, racing. and
swearing. though himself notorious swearer
racer, and gambler. Another is the hero Of a
story that one day paraOn and vCstry differed ia
opinion quarTeled, aud came TO blows. The par
SON a giant in strength, put them tJ fight Not
content with his victory, he renewed the battle
on Sunday mOrAiug in church, when from the
ventage, ground Of the pulpit he hurled at them
this text from Nehemiah And I cuutended
with them and cursed them and amote certain
of them, and plucked of their hair. winch had
the keen sting OF literal From, Ut .iHdt-
&c MmMiy tDr february.