’This Man (pointing to him I looked at) I take to be the Honour 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 Knight of this 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 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 Neighbours.’

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 Battel 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.

R.

[Footnote 1:  When Henry VIII drained the site of St. James’s Park he formed, close to the Palace of Whitehall, a large Tilt-yard for noblemen and others to exercise themselves in jousting, tourneying, and fighting at the barriers.  Houses afterwards were built on its ground, and one of them became Jenny Man’s “Tilt Yard Coffee House.”  The Paymaster-General’s office now stands on the site of it.]

[Footnote 2:  A kind of Custard.]

* * * * *

No. 110.  Friday, July 6, 1711.  Addison.

      ‘Horror ubique animos, simul ipsa silentia terrent.’

      Virg.