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

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 had said behind my back, that this man was descended
from one of the ten children of the maid of honour I shewed 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 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 (though 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 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