The Sir Roger de Coverley Papers, from the SpectatorAmerican Book, 1892 - 148 pages |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
acquainted ADDISON Æneid afterwards animals appear BALFOUR STEWART beard behavior breeding Budgell called Captain Sentry chaplain Charterhouse School Club conversation court creature daughter discourse Drury Lane Eclogues England Eudoxus Eustace Budgell famous father Florio fortune friend Sir Roger gentleman give Glaphyra hand hare head hear heard heart Henry Henry VIII honest honor humor July kind King lady Laertes Leonilla Leontine lives London look maid manner master mind Moll White Nævia nature never observed occasion old friend old knight ordinary paper particular party pass passion person pleased pleasure reason reign Richard Steele Roger de Coverley says Sir Roger servants Sir Andrew Freeport Sir Richard Baker SPECTATOR Steele Tatler tell thee thou thought tion town VIRGIL W. E. GLADSTONE walking Westminster Abbey Whig whole widow Wimble woman young
Popular passages
Page 18 - THE first of our society is a gentleman of Worcestershire, of ancient descent, a baronet, his name Sir Roger de Coverley. His great-grandfather was inventor of that famous country-dance which is called after him. All who know that shire are very well acquainted with the parts and merits of Sir Roger. He is a gentleman that is very singular in his behaviour, but his singularities proceed from his good sense, and are contradictions to the manners of the world, only as he thinks the world is in the...
Page 19 - It is said he keeps himself a bachelor by reason he was crossed in love by a perverse beautiful widow of the next county to him.
Page 5 - It was said of Socrates, that he brought Philosophy down from Heaven to inhabit among Men ; and I shall be ambitious to have it said of me, that I have brought Philosophy out of Closets and Libraries, Schools and Colleges, to dwell in Clubs and Assemblies, at Tea-tables, and in Coffee-houses.
Page 17 - I have acted in all the parts of my life as a looker-on, which is the character I intend to preserve in this paper.
Page 91 - Mr. such an one, if he pleased, might take the law of him for fishing in that part of the river. My friend Sir Roger heard them both upon a round trot; and after having paused some time, told them, with the air of a man who would not give his judgment rashly, that much might be said on both sides.
Page 91 - The court was sat before Sir Roger came ; but notwithstanding all the justices had taken their places upon the bench, they made room for the old Knight at the head of them; who for his reputation in the country took occasion to whisper in the judge's ear, " That he was glad his lordship had met with so much good weather in his circuit.
Page 138 - Captain Sentry, seeing two or three wags who sat near us lean with an attentive ear towards Sir Roger, and fearing lest they should smoke the knight, plucked him by the elbow, and whispered something in his ear, that lasted till the opening of the fifth act.
Page 44 - Roger's house, among the ruins of an old abbey, there is a long walk of aged elms ; which are shot up so very high, that when one passes under them, the rooks and crows that rest upon the tops of them seem to be cawing in another region. I am very much delighted with this sort of noise, which I consider as a kind of natural prayer to that Being who supplies the wants of his whole creation, and who, in the beautiful language of the Psalms ', feedeth the young ravens that call upon him.
Page 129 - The glorious names of Henry the Fifth and queen Elizabeth gave the knight great opportunities of shining, and of doing justice to Sir Richard Baker, who, as our knight observed with some surprise, had a great many kings in him, whose monuments he had not seen in the abbey.
Page 146 - WE last night received a piece of ill news at our Club, which very sensibly afflicted every one of us. I question not but my readers themselves will be troubled at the hearing of it. To keep them no longer in suspense, Sir Roger de Coverley is dead. He departed this life at his house in the country, after a few weeks