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Juftice Freeman, the grave Mr. Justice Tonson, the good Lady Jones, and the two virtuous gentlewomen her daughters, nay, the great Sir Thomas "Truby, Knight and Baronet, and my young mafter "the Efquire, who fhall one day be Lord of this "Manor." Notwithstanding which, it was my good hap to acquit myself to the good liking of the whole congregation; but the Lord forbid I should glory

therein.

The next chapter contains an account how he discharged the feveral duties of his office; in particular he infifts on the following:

I was determined to reform the manifold Corruptions and Abuses which had crept into the Church.

First, I was especially severe in whipping forth dogs from the Temple, all excepting the lap-dog of the good widow Howard, a fober dog which yelped not, nor was there offence in his mouth.

Secondly, I did even proceed to moroseness, though fore against my heart, unto poor babes, in tearing from them the half-eaten apples which they privily munched at Church. But verily it pitied me, for I remembered the days of my youth.

Thirdly, With the sweat of my own hands, I did make plain and fmooth the dogs-cars throughout our great Bible.

Fourthly, The pews and benches which were formerly fwept but once in three years, I caused every Saturday to be swept with a befom and trimmed.

Fifthly, and lastly, I caused the surplice to be neatly darned, washed, and laid in fresh lavender (yea, and fometimes to be fprinkled with rofe-water), and I had great laud and praise from all the neighbouring Clergy, forafmuch as no parish kept the Minister in cleaner linen.

Notwithstanding thefe his publick cares, in the eleventh chapter be informs us he did not neglect his ufual occupations as a handy-craftsman.

Shoes, faith he, did I make (and, if intreated, mend) with good approbation. Faces alfo did I fhave, and I clipped the hair. Chirurgery alfo I practifed in the worming of dogs; but to bleed adventured I not, except the poor. Upon this my twofold profeffion, there paffed among men a merry tale delectable enough to be rehearsed: How that, being overtaken with liquor one Saturday evening, I shaved the Priest with Spanish blacking for fhoes instead of a wash-ball, and with. lamp-black powdered his perriwig. But thefe were fayings of men, delighting in their own conceits more than in the truth. For it is well known, that great was my care and skill in these my crafts; yea, I once had the honour of trimming Sir Thomas himself, without fetching blood. Furthermore, I was fought unto to geld the Lady Frances her spaniel, which was wont to go aftray: He was called Toby, that is to fay, Tobias. And 3dly, I was intrufted with a gorgeous pair of shoes of the faid Lady, to fet an heel-piece thereon; and I received fuch praise therefore, that it was faid all over the parish, I fhould be recommended unto the King to mend fhoes for his Majefty: whom God preferve! Amen.

The rest of this chapter I purposely omit, for it must be owned that when he speaks as a shoe-maker, he is very abfurd. He talks of Mofes's pulling off his shoes, of tanning the hides of the Bulls of Bafan, of Simon the Tanner, etc. and takes up four or five pages to prove, that when the Apostles were inftructed to travel without shoes, the precept did not extend to their fucceffors.

The next chapter relates how he discovered a Thief with a Bible and key, and experimented verfes of the Pfalms that had cured Agues.

I pass over many others which inform us of parish affairs only, fuch as of the Succeffion of Curates; a lift of the weekly Texts; what Pfalms he chofe on proper occa fons; and what Children were born and buried: The last of which articles he concludes thus:

That the fhame of women may not endure, I speak not of Baftards: neither will I name the Mothers, although thereby I might delight many grave women of the parish Even her who hath done penance in the sheet will I not mention, forafmuch as the church hath been witness of her difgrace: Let the father who hath made due compofition with the churchwardens to conceal his infirmity, reft in peace; my pen fhall not bewray him, for I also have finned.

The next chapter contains what he calls a great Revolution in the Church, part of which I transcribe.

Now was the long-expected time arrived, when the Pfalms of King David should be hymned unto the same tunes to which he played them upon his harp; (fo was I informed by my Singing-mafter, a man right cunning in Pfalmody :) Now was our over-abundant quaver and trilling done away, and in lieu thereof was inftituted the Sol-fa, in fuch guife as is fung in his Majefty's Chapel. We had London finging-mafters fent into every parish, like unto Excifemen; and I alfo was ordained to adjoin myfelf unto them, though an unworthy difciple, in order to inftruct my fellowparishioners in this new manner of Worship. What tho'

they accused me of humming through the noftril, as a Sackbut? yet would I not forego that harmony, it having been agreed by the worthy parish-clerks of London still to preserve the fame. I tutored the young men and maidens to tune their voices as it were a pfaltery, and the Church on a Sunday was filled with thefe new Hallelujahs.

Then follow full feventy chapters, containing an exact detail of the Law-fuits of the Parfon and his Parishioners concerning tythes, and near a hundred pages left blank, with an earnest defire that the history might be completed by any of his fucceffors, in whose time these fuits should be ended.

The next chapter contains an account of the Briefs read in the church, and the fums collected upon each. For the reparation of nine churches, collected at nine feveral times, 2 s. and 7 d. For fifty families ruined by fire, I s. d. For an inundation, a King Charles's groat, given by Lady Frances, &c.

In the next he laments the difufe of Wedding-fermons, and celebrates the benefits arifing from thofe at Funerals, concluding with thefe Words: Ah! let not the relations of the deceased grudge the small expence of an hat-band, a pair of gloves, and ten fhillings, for the fatisfaction they are sure to receive from à pious Divine, that their father, brother, or bofom wife, are certainly in heaven.

In another, he draws a panegyrick on one Mrs. Margaret Wilkins; but after great encomiums, concludes, that, notwithstanding all, fhe was an unprofitable veffel, being a barren woman, and never once having furnished God's church with a christening.

We find in another chapter, how he was much staggered in his belief, and difturbed in his confcience by an Oxford fcholar, who had proved to him by logick, that animals might have rational, nay, immortal fouls; but how he was again comforted by the reflection, that, if fo, they might be allowed chriftian burial, and greatly augment the fees of the parish.

In the two following chapters he is overpowered with Vanity. We are told, how he was conftantly admitted to all the feafts and banquets of the Church-officers, and the Speeches be there made for the good of the parish. How he gave hints to young Clergymen to preach; but, above all, how he gave a Text for the 30th of January, which occafioned a most excellent fermon, the merits of which he takes entirely to himself. He gives an account of a conference he had with the Vicar concerning the Use of Texts. Let a preacher (faith he) confider the affembly before whom he preacheth, and unto them adapt his text. Micah the id and 11th affordeth good matter for Courtiers and court-ferving men. The heads of the land judge for reward; and the people thereof judge for hire; and the prophets thereof divine for money; yet will they lean upon the Lord, and fay, Is not the Lord among us? Were the first Minifter to appoint a preacher before the Houfe of Commons, would not he be wife to make choice of thefe words? Give, and it shall be given unto ye. Or before the Lords, Giving no offence, that the Miniftry be not blamed, 2 Cor. vi. 3. Or praifing the warm zeal of an Adminiftration, Who maketh his Minifters a flaming fire, Pfalm civ. 4. We omit many other of his texts, as too tedious.

From this period, the style of the book rifes extremely. Before the next chapter was pafted the Effigies of Dr.