The Sir Roger de Coverley Papers, from the SpectatorScott, Foresman, 1898 - 249 pages |
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Common terms and phrases
acquainted Addison Æsop appear beau beauty behavior called chaplain Church club coffee-house conversation court discourse dress eighteenth century England English esteem Eudoxus Eustace Budgell fashion father fortune fox-hunters Freeport friend Sir Roger gallery gave gentleman give Glaphyra hand hear heard heart honest honor humor Hungary water hunting Inns of Court Introduction Joseph Addison Juvenal kind Kit-Cat Club lady Laertes learning Leonora Leontine lived London look manner master merchant mind Mohocks Moll White mother nature never numbers observed old knight ordinary paper particular passion person pleased pleasure political Pyrrhus reader reason Roger de Coverley says Sir Roger Section sense servants Sir Andrew Freeport Spectator spirit squire Steele Steele's talk Tatler tell thee things thou thought tion told Tories town turn Virgil walk Westminster Abbey Whig whole widow Wimble woman writing young
Popular passages
Page 235 - Whoever wishes to attain an English style, familiar but not coarse, and elegant but not ostentatious, must give his days and nights to the volumes of Addison...
Page 106 - Sunday, and think, if keeping holy the seventh day were only a human institution, it would be the best method that could have been thought of for the polishing and civilizing of mankind. It is certain the country people would soon degenerate into a kind of savages and barbarians, were there not such frequent returns of a stated time, in which the whole village meet together with their best faces, and in their cleanliest habits, to converse with one another upon indifferent subjects, hear their duties...
Page 41 - Soon as the evening shades prevail The moon takes up the wondrous tale, And nightly to the listening earth Repeats the story of her birth ; Whilst all the stars that round her burn, And all the planets in their turn, Confirm the tidings as they roll, And spread the truth from pole to pole.
Page 82 - At his first settling with me I made him a present of all the good sermons which have been printed in English, and only begged of him that every Sunday he would pronounce one of them in the pulpit. Accordingly he has digested them into such a series that they follow one another naturally, and make a continued system of practical divinity.
Page 41 - Whilst all the stars that round her burn, And all the planets in their turn, Confirm the tidings as they roll, And spread the truth from pole to pole. What though, in solemn silence, all Move round the dark terrestrial ball; What though no real voice nor sound Amid their radiant orbs be found ; In reason's ear they all rejoice, And utter forth a glorious voice ; Forever singing as they shine, The hand that made us is divine.
Page 107 - He has likewise given a handsome pulpit cloth and railed in the communion table at his own expense. He has often told me that at his coming to his estate he found his parishioners very irregular, and that in order to make them kneel and join in the responses he gave every one of them a hassock and a commonprayer book, and at the same time employed an itinerant singing master, who goes about the country for that purpose, to instruct them rightly in the tunes of the Psalms...
Page 107 - As Sir Roger is landlord to the whole congregation he keeps them in very good order, and will suffer nobody to sleep in it besides himself; for, if by chance he has been surprised into a short nap at sermon, upon recovering out of it he stands up and looks about him, and if he sees anybody else nodding, either wakes them himself, or sends his servant to them.
Page 80 - I am the more at ease in Sir ROGER'S family, because it consists of sober and staid persons; for as the knight is the best master in the world, he seldom changes his servants; and as he is beloved by all about him, his servants never care for leaving him. By this means his domestics are all in years, and grown old with their master. You would take his valet...
Page 57 - Temple ; a man of great probity, wit, and understanding ; but he has chosen his place of residence rather to obey the direction of an old humoursome father, than in pursuit of his own inclinations. He was placed there to study the laws of the land, and is the most learned of any of the house in those of the stage.
Page 108 - I was yesterday very much surprised to hear my old friend, in the midst of the service, calling out to one John Matthews to mind what he was about and not disturb the congregation. This John Matthews, it seems, is remarkable for being an idle fellow, and at that time was kicking his heels for his diversion. This authority of the knight, though exerted in that odd manner which accompanies him in all circumstances of life, has a very good effect upon the parish, who are not polite enough to see anything...