The Best of the Worlds Classics, Restricted to Prose | Page 8

in the world; he was a man of no justice, but great
good manners; he ruined everybody that had anything to do with him,
but never said a rude thing in his life; the most indolent person in the
world; he would sign a deed that passed away half his estate with his
gloves on, but would not put on his hat before a lady if it were to save
his country. He is said to be the first that made love by squeezing the
hand. He left the estate with ten thousand pounds debt upon it; but,
however, by all hands I have been informed that he was every way the
finest gentleman in the world. That debt lay heavy on our house for one
generation, but it was retrieved by a gift from that honest man you see
there, a citizen of our name, but nothing at all akin to us. I know Sir
Andrew Freeport has said behind my back that this man was descended
from one of the ten children of the maid of honor I showed you above;
but it was never made out. We winked at the thing, indeed, because
money was wanting at that time."
Here I saw my friend a little embarrassed, and turned my face to the
next portraiture. Sir Roger went on with his account of the gallery in

the following manner:
"This man [pointing to him I looked at] I take to be the honor of our
house. Sir Humphrey de Coverley; he was in his dealings as punctual
as a tradesman, and as generous as a gentleman. He would have
thought himself as much undone by breaking his word, as if it were to
be followed by bankruptcy. He served his country as a knight of the
shire to his dying day. He found it no easy matter to maintain an
integrity in his words and actions, even in things that regarded the
offices which were incumbent upon him, in the care of his own affairs
and relations of life, and therefore dreaded (tho he had great talents) to
go into employments of state, where he must be exposed to the snares
of ambition. Innocence of life and great ability were the distinguishing
parts of his character; the latter, he had often observed, had led to the
destruction of the former, and he used frequently to lament that great
and good had not the same signification. He was an excellent
husbandman, but had resolved not to exceed such a degree of wealth;
all above it he bestowed in secret bounties many years after the sum he
aimed at for his own use was attained. Yet he did not slacken his
industry, but to a decent old age spent the life and fortune which was
superfluous to himself, in the service of his friends and neighbors."
Here we were called to dinner, and Sir Roger ended the discourse of
this gentleman, by telling me, as we followed the servant, that this his
ancestor was a brave man, and narrowly escaped being killed in the
civil wars. "For," said he, "he was sent out of the field upon a private
message the day before the battle of Worcester." The whim of narrowly
escaping by having been within a day of danger, with other matters
above mentioned, mixed with good sense, left me at a loss whether I
was more delighted with my friend's wisdom or simplicity.

V
ON CERTAIN SYMPTOMS OF GREATNESS[4]
There is no affection of the mind so much blended in human nature,

and wrought into our very constitution, as pride. It appears under a
multitude of disguises, and breaks out in ten thousand different
symptoms. Every one feels it in himself, and yet wonders to see it in his
neighbor. I must confess, I met with an instance of it the other day
where I should very little have expected it. Who would believe the
proud person I am going to speak of is a cobbler upon Ludgate hill?
This artist being naturally a lover of respect, and considering that his
circumstances are such that no man living will give it him, has
contrived the figure of a beau, in wood; who stands before him in a
bending posture, with his hat under his left arm, and his right hand
extended in such a manner as to hold a thread, a piece of wax, or an awl,
according to the particular service in which his master thinks fit to
employ him. When I saw him, he held a candle in this obsequious
posture. I was very well pleased with the cobbler's invention, that had
so ingeniously contrived an inferior, and stood a little while
contemplating this inverted idolatry, wherein the image did homage to
the man. When we