laid before us, we should find nothing in such a character which might not fet him on a le"vel with men of the highest stations. The following extract, out of the private papers of an honeft country-gentleman, will fet this matter in a clear light. Your reader will perhaps ⚫ conceive a greater idea of him from these actions done in fecret, and without a witness, than of thofe which have drawn upon them the admiration of multitudes.' 66 MEMOIRS. "In my twenty-fecond year I found a violent "affection for my coufin Charles's wife grow ing upon me, wherein I was in danger of fucceeding, if I had not upon that account begun my travels into foreign countries. 66 "A little after my return to England, at a "private meeting with my uncle Francis, I refufed the offer of his eftate, and prevailed 66 upon him not to difinherit his fon Ned. "Mem. Never to tell this to Ned, left he "should think hardly of his deceased father; though he continues to speak ill of me for "this very reafon. 66 my "Prevented a scandalous law-fuit betwixt nephew Harry and his mother, by allowing "her under-hand, out of my own pocket, fo "much money yearly as the dispute was about. "Procured a benefice for a young divine, "who is fifter's fon to the good man who was my tutor, and hath been dead twenty years. "Gave 66 Z 2 "Gave ten pounds to poor Mrs. "friend H-'s widow. , my "Mem. To retrench one difh at my table, "until I have fetched it up again. "Mem. To repair my houfe and finish my "gardens in order to employ poor people after "harvest-time. "Ordered John to let out goodman D's "fheep that were pounded by night; but not "to let his fellow fervants know it. "Prevailed upon M. T. Efq. not to take the "law of the farmer's fon for fhooting a partridge, and to give him his gun again. 66 "Paid the apothecary for curing an old wo"man that confeffed herself a witch. "Gave away my favourite dog, for biting a "beggar. 66 66 "Made the minister of the parish and a whig juftice of one mind, by putting them to explain their notions to one another. Mem. To turn off Peter, for fhooting a "doe while fhe was eating acorns out of his "hand. "When my neighbour John, who hath often "injured me, comes to make his request to 66 66 66 morrow: "Mem. I have forgiven him. "Laid up my chariot, and fold my horses, to relieve the poor in a scarcity of corn. "In the fame year remitted to my tenants a fifth part of their rents. "As I was airing to-day I fell into a thought "that warmed my heart, and fhall, I hope, be the better for it as long as I live. 5 "Mem. "Mem. To charge my fon in private to "erect no monument for me; but not to put "this in my last will." N° 623. Monday, November 22, 1714. Sed mihi vel tellus optem prius ima dehifcat, But first let yawning earth a paffage rend, And let me thro' the dark abyss descend; First let avenging Jove, with flames from high, * Drive down this body to the nether sky, I Condemn'd with ghosts in endless night to lie; No; he who had my vows fhall ever have; DRYDEN. AM obliged to my friend, the love-casuist*, for the following curious piece of antiquity, which I fhall communicate to the public in his own words. * See SPECT. N° 591, N° 602, N° 605, N° 614, and N 625. 23 • Mr. • Mr. SPECTATOR, You OU may remember that I lately tranfmitted to you an account of an ancient cuftom in the manors of Eaft and Weft-Enborne, in the county of Berks, and elfewhere*. "If a cuftomary tenant die, the widow shall "have what the law calls her Freebench, in all "his copyhold lands, dum fola & cafta fuerit; that is, while the lives fingle and chaste; "but if the commits incontinency the forfeits. "her eftate; yet if fhe will come into the "court riding backward upon a black ram, with "his tail in her hand, and fay the words following, the fteward is bound by the custom to re-admit her to her freebench.' 66 66 Here I am, Riding upon a black ram, "Like a whore as I am; "And for my crincum crancum, "Have loft my bincum bancum; "Have done this worldly fhame; After having informed you that my Lord Coke obferves, that this is the most frail and flippery tenure of any in England, I shall tell you, fince the writing of that letter, I have, according to my promife, been at great pains in See SPECT. N° 614, and Note ibidem. fearching す 6 fearching out the records of the black ram; and have at laft met with the proceedings of the court-baron, held in that behalf, for the fpace of a whole day. The record faith, that a ftrict inquifition having been made into the right of the tenants to their feveral eftates, by the crafty old steward, he found that many ⚫ of the lands of the manor were, by default of the feveral widows, forfeited to the lord, and accordingly would have entered on the premifes: upon which the good women demanded the benefit of the ram." The fteward, 6 6 after having perufed their several pleas, adjourned the court to Barnaby-bright,* that they might have day enough before them. The court being fet, and filled with a great concourfe of people, who came from all parts to fee the folemnity; the first who entered was the widow Frontley, who had made her appearance in the last year's cavalcade. The regifter obferves that finding it an eafy pad-ram, ⚫ and foreseeing the might have further occafion * for it, the purchased it of the steward. 6 6 ty, Mrs. Sarah Dainty, relict of Mr. John Dainwho was the greatest prude of the parish, came next in the proceffion. She at first made fome difficulty of taking the tail in her hand; and was obferved, in pronouncing the form of penance, to foften the two moft emphatical words into clincum clancum: but the steward ⚫ took care to make her speak plain English before he would let her have her land again. 6 Then the eleventh, now the twenty-fecond of June, being the longest day in the year. 24 • The |