Mankind? This Mischief had not then befall n, To human Life, and Houshold Peace confound. SIR ROGER listened to this Passage with great Attention, and desiring Mr. HONEYCOMB to fold down a Leaf at the Place, and lend him his Book, the Knight put it up in his Pocket, and told us that he would read over those Verses again before he went to Bed. W "Heu Pietas! heu prisca Fides!"-VIRG. E last Night received a Piece of ill News at our Club, which very sensibly afflicted every one of us. I question not but my Readers. themselves will be troubled at the hearing of it. To keep them no longer in suspence, Sir ROGER DE COVERLEY is dead. He departed this Life at his House in the Country, after a few Weeks' Sickness. Sir ANDREW FREEPORT has a Letter from one of his Correspondents in those Parts, that informs him the old Man caught a Cold at the County-Sessions, as he was very warmly promoting an Address of his own. penning, in which he succeeded according to his Wishes. But this Particular comes from a Whig Justice of Peace, who was always Sir ROGER'S Enemy and Antagonist. I have Letters both from the Chaplain and Captain SENTREY which mention nothing of it, but are filled with many Particulars to the honour of the good old Man. I have likewise a Letter from the Butler, who took so much care of me last Summer when I was at the Knight's House. As my Friend the Butler mentions, in the Simplicity of his Heart, several Circumstances the others have passed over in Silence, I shall give my Reader a Copy of his Letter, without any Alteration or Diminution. "Honoured Sir, "KNOWING that you was my old Master's good Friend, I could not forbear sending you the melancholy News of his Death, which has afflicted the whole Country, as well as his poor Servants, who loved him, I may say, better than we did our Lives. I am afraid he caught his Death the last County-Sessions, where he would go to see Justice done to a poor Widow Woman, and her Fatherless Children, that had been wronged by a neighbouring Gentleman; for you know, Sir, my good Master was always the poor Man's Friend. Upon his coming home, the first Complaint he made was, that he had lost his Rost-Beef Stomach, not being able to touch a Sirloin, which was served up according to custom; and you know he used to take great delight in it. From that time forward he grew worse and worse, but still kept a good Heart to the last. Indeed we were once in great hope of his Recovery, upon a kind Message that was sent him. from the Widow Lady whom he had made love to the forty last Years of his Life; but this only proved a Lightning before Death. He has bequeathed to this Lady, as a token of his Love, a great Pearl Necklace, and a Couple of Silver Bracelets set with Jewels, which belonged to my good old Lady his Mother: He has bequeathed the fine white Gelding, that he used to ride a hunting upon, to his Chaplain, because he thought he would be kind to him, and has left you all his Books. He has, moreover, bequeathed to the Chaplain a very pretty Tenement with good Lands about it. It being a very cold Day when he made his Will, he left for Mourning, to every Man in the Parish, a great Frize Coat, and to every Woman, a black Riding-hood. It was a most moving sight to see him take leave of his poor Servants, commending us all for our Fidelity, whilst we were not able to speak a word for weeping. As we most of us are grown gray-headed in our dear Master's Service, he has left us Pensions and Legacies, which we may live very comfortly upon, the remaining part of our Days. He has bequeathed a great deal more in Charity, which is not yet come to my Knowledge, and it is peremptorily said in the Parish, that he has left Money to build a Steeple to the Church; for he was heard to say some time ago, that if he lived two Years longer, Coverley Church should have a Steeple to it. The Chaplain tells every Body that he made a very good End, and never speaks of him without Tears. He was buried according to his own Directions, among the Family of |