ref used the careffes of a goddess for her fake, and to use the expreffion of the best of pagan authors, vetulam fuam prætulit immortalitati, his old woman was dearer to him than immortality. "Virtue is the next necessary qualification for this domestic character, as it naturally produces constancy and mutual esteem. Thus Brutus and Portia were more remarkable for virtue and affection than any others of the age in which they lived. "Good-nature is a third neceffary ingredient in the marriage state, without which it would inevitably four upon a thousand occafions. When greatness of mind is is joined with this amiable quality, it attracts the admiration and esteem of all who behold it. Thus Cafar, not more remarkable for his fortune and valour than for his humanity, stole into the hearts of the Roman people, when, breaking through the custom, he pronounced an oration at the funeral of his first and best beloved wife. "Good-nature is insufficient, unless it be steady and uniform, and accompanied with an evenness of temper, which is, above all things, to be preserved in this friendship contracted for life. A man must be eafy, within himself, before he can be so to his other self. Socrates and Marcus Aurelius, are instances of men, who, by the ftrength of philofophy, having entirely composed their minds, and subdued their passions, are celebrated for good husbands, notwithstanding the first was yoked with Xantippee, and the other with Faustina. If the wedded pair would but habituate themselves, for the first year, to bear with one another's faults, the difficulty would be pretty well conquered. This mutual sweetness of temper and complacency was finely recommended in the nuptial ceremonies among the heathens, who, when they facrificed to Juno at that folemnity, always tore out the gall from the entrails of the victim, and cast it behind the altar. " I shall conclude this letter with a passage out of Dr. Plot's Natural History of Staffordshire, not only as it will ferve to fill up your present paper, but, if I find myfelf in the humour, may give rise to another; I having by me an old register, belonging to the place here undermentioned." Sir Philip de Somervile had the manors of Wichenovre, Sirefcot, Ridware, Netherton, and Cowlee, all in Com. Stafford, of the earls of Lancaster, by this memorable fervice. The faid Sir Philip shall find, maintain, and fuftain, one bacon flitch, hanging in his hall at Wichenovre, ready arrayed all times of the year, but in Lent, to be given to every man or woman married, after the day and the year of their marriage be past, in form following: Whensoever that any one such before-named will come to inquire for the bacon, in their own person, they shall come to the bailiff, or to the porter of the lordship of Wichenovre, and shall say to them in the manner as enfueth : "Bayliff, or porter, I doo you to know, that I am come for myself, to demand one bacon flyke hanging in the hall of the lord of Wichenovre, after the form thereunto belonging." And in After which relation, the bailiff or porter shall afsign a day to him, upon promife by his faith to return, and with to bring twain of his neighbours. the mean time the faid bailiff shall take with him twain of the freeholders of the lordship of Wichenoure, and they three shall go to the manor of Rudlow, belonging to Rebert Knightleye, and there fhall fummon the aforefaid Knightleye, or his bailiff, commanding him to be ready at Wichenoure the day appointed, at prime of day, with his carriage, that is to say, a horse and a faddle, a fack and a prike, for to convey the faid bacon and corn a journey out of the county of Stafford at his costages. And then the faid bailiff shall, with the faid freeholders, fummon all the tenants of the faid manor, to be ready at the day appointed, at Wichenovre, for to do and perform the services which they owe to the bacon. And at the day affigned, all fuch as owe fervices to the bacon, shall be ready at the gate of the manor of Wichenoure, from the fun-rifing to noon, attending and awaiting for the coming of him who fetcheth the bacon. And when he is come, there shall be de livered to him and his fellows, chaplets; and to all those which shall be there, to do their services due to the bacon. And they shall lead the faid demandant with trumps and tabours, and other manner of minftrelfy, to the hall-door, where he shall find the lord of Wichenovre, or his steward, ready to deliver the bacon in this manner. He shall inquire of him, which demandeth the bacon, if he have brought twain of his neighbours with him: Which must answer, they be bere ready. And then the steward shall cause these two neighbours to fwear, if the said demandant be a wedded man, or have been a man wedded; and if fince his marriage one year and a day be past; and if he be a freeman, or a villain. And if his faid neighbours make oath, that he hath for him all these three points rehearsed; then shall the bacon be taken down and brought to the hall-door, and shall there be laid upon one half quarter of wheat, and upon one other of rye. And he that demandeth the bacon shall kneel upon his knee, and shall hold his right hand upon a book, which book shall be laid upon the bacon and the corn, and shall make oath in this manner: "Here ye Sir Philip de Somervile, lord of Wichenovre, mayntener, and gyver of this Baconne: That I A fithe I wedded B my wife, and fithe I had hyr in my kepying, and at my wylle, by a year and a day after our marriage, I would not have chaunged for none other, farer, ne fowler: Richer, ne pourer; ne for none other descended of greater lynage; flepying ne wa-' king, at noo tyme. And if the feyd & were fole and I fole, I would take her to be my wife before all the wymen of worlde, of what condiciones foever they be, good or evylle; as help me God and his feynts, and this flesh and all fleshes." And his neighbours shall make oath, that they trust verily he hath faid truly. And if he be found by his neighbours before named, that he be a freeman, there shall be delivered to him half a quarter of wheat and a cheese; and if he be a villain, he shall have half a quarter of rye without cheese. And then shall Knight leye, the lord of Rudlow, be called for, to carry all these things tofore rehearsed; and the faid corn shall be laid on one horse and the bacon above it; and he to whom the bacon appertaineth, shall ascend upon his horse, and shall take the cheese before him, if he have a horse. And if he have none, the lord of Wichenovre shall cause him to have one horfe and faddle to such time as he be paffed his lordship; and fo shall they depart the manor of Wichenovre with the corn and the bacon, tofore him that hath won it, with trumpets, tabourets, and other manner of minstrelfie. And all the free tenants of Wichenovre shall conduct him to be paffed the lord of Wichenovre. And then shall they all return: Except him, to whom appertaineth to make the carriage and journey without the county of Stafford, the costs of his lord of Wichenovre. SPECTATOR, Vol. VIII. No. 607. IDLENESS. Mr. SPECTATOR, IF F you ever read a letter which is sent with the more pleasure for the real ty of its complaints, this may have reason to hope for a favourable acceptance; and if time be the most irretrievable lofs, the regrets which follow will be thought, I hope, the more justifiable. The regaining of my liberty from a long state of indolence and inactivity, and the defire of refifting the farther encroachments of idleness, make me apply to you; and the uneasiness with which I recollect the past years, and the apprehenfions with which I expect the future, soon determined me to it. "Idleness is so general a distemper, that I cannot but imagine a speculation on this subject will be of universal use. There is hardly any one person without some allay of it; and thousands besides myself Ipend more time in an idle uncertainty which to begin first of two affairs, than would have been fufficient to have ended both. The occasion of this seems to be the want of some neceffary employment, to put the spirits in motion, and awaken them out of their lethargy: If I had less leisure, I should have more; for I should then find my time diftinguished into portions, fome for business, and others for the indulging of pleasures: But now one face of indolence overspreads the whole, and I have no land-mark to direct myself by. Were one's time a little straitened by business, like water inclosed in its banks, it would have some determined course; but unless it be put into some channel, it has no current, but becomes a deluge without use or motion. "When Scanderbeg Prince of Epirus was dead, the Turks, who had but too often felt the force of his arm in the battles he had won for them, imagined that by wearing a piece of his bone near their heart, they should be animated with a vigour and force like to that which inspired him when living. As I am like to be but of little use whilst I live, I am refolved to do what good I can after my decease; and have accordingly ordered my bones to be disposed of in this manner for the good of my countrymen, who are troubled with too exorbitant a degree of fire. All foxhunters, upon wearing me, would in a short time be brought to endure their beds in a morning, and perhaps even quit them with regret at ten: Instead of hurrying away to teaze a poor animal, and run away from their own thoughts, chair or a chariot would be thought the most defirable means of performing a remove from one place to another. I should be a cure for the unnatural defire of John Trot for dancing, and a specific to lessen the inclinations Mrs. Fidget has to motion, and cause her always to give her approbation to the present place the is in. In fine, no Egyp tian mummy was ever half so useful in physic, as I should be to these feverish constitutions, to repress the violent fallies of youth, and give each action its proper weight and repose. a "I can stifle any violent inclination, and oppose a torrent of anger, or the folicitations of revenge, with fuccess. But indolence is a stream which flows flowly on, but yet undermines the foundation of every VOL. II. R |