"JosephAddison&RichardSteele-DaysWithSirRogerDeCoverley" - читать интересную книгу автора (Addison Joseph)

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MR. WILL WIMBLE.

I was yesterday morning walking with Sir Roger before his house,
a country-fellow brought him a huge fish, which, he told him, Mr.
William Wimble had caught that very morning; and that he
presented it, with his service to him, and intended to come and
dine with him. At the same time he delivered a letter which my
friend read to me as soon as the messenger left him.

"Sir Roger,

"I desire you to accept of a jack, which is the best I have
caught this season. I intend to come and stay with you a week,
and see how the perch bite in the Black River. I observed with
some concern, the last time I saw you upon the bowling-green,
that your whip wanted a lash to it; I will bring half a dozen
with me that I twisted last week, which I hope will serve you all
the time you are in the country. I have not been out of the
saddle for six days last past, having been at Eaton with Sir
John's eldest son. He takes to his learning hugely.

"I am, Sir, your humble servant,

"Will Wimble."

This extraordinary letter, and message that accompanied it, made
me very curious to know the character and quality of the
gentleman who sent them; which I found to be as follows. Will
Wimble is younger brother to a baronet, and descended of the
ancient family of the Wimbles. He is now between forty and
fifty; but being bred to no business and born to no estate, he
generally lives with his elder brother as superintendent of his
game. He hunts a pack of dogs better than any man in the
country, and is very famous for finding out a hare. He is
extremely well versed in all the little handicrafts of an idle
man: he makes a Mayfly to a miracle; and furnishes the whole
country with angle-rods. As he is a good-natur'd officious
fellow, and very much esteem'd upon account of his family, he is
a welcome guest at every house, and keeps up a good
correspondence among all the gentlemen about him. He carries a
tulip-root in his pocket from one to another, or exchanges a
puppy between a couple of friends that live perhaps in the
opposite sides of the county. Will is a particular favourite of
all the young heirs, whom he frequently obliges with a net that
he has weaved, or a setting-dog that he has made himself. He now
and then presents a pair of garters of his own knitting to their