Minister, in the same Dilemma'
we were all the Horses being engaged—He was going to Burton Pynsent.
The orly other mention an account of a election for members of Parliament at Norwich:
And in another passage _he mentions that on June 13, 1791 there was a Smock Race et the Heart in honour of Whit Monday, and the celebrations of Whitsuntide did not end with Monday or Tuesday, for on June 15 the worthy parson drove into Norwich to attend the Bishop's Primary Visitation:
After the Court was adjourned we walked to the Mai tead Inn, where most of the Clergy with the Chancellor dined and spent the Afternoon, about 84 Clergy dined together. For our Dinner we each paid 0.3.0. The Bishop gave the Wine at and after Dinner one Bottle between two Clergymen. The Chancellor left us about 5 o'clock, I very soon afterwards retired with Mr. Priest. There " were but few Clergy that I knew, We had for Dinner Maccarel, Veal, Mutton, Green Goose, Ducklings, Peas ete, ete. ye?
It_ is not surprising to note]
ntry of the diary next Had but an indifferent Night of Sleep," although the diarist, contrary to his usual frankness, ascribes the accident to 'a very rough Night, high' Wind with heavy Rain." It is wonderful indeed how our' ancestors managed to consume such enormous quantities of food and drink without apparent disadvantage. The Tithe partic which the parson held at suitable intervals were gorgeous feasts, as may be gathered from the diary. On December 6, 1791, twenty farmers visited him and' paid their dues, "dined, spent the remaining part of the day with him, and left, at midnight well pleased with their entertainment." They might well be pleased. This is the description in the diary: gave them for Dinner a Surloin of Beef roisted,, Slift-Marrow-Bone of Beef boiled, boiled Leg to Mueton and Caper-Sause, Couple of Rabbits and jon Sauce, Some salt Fish! boiled and 'Parsnips, and Egg of Coal, 0.18.0. Paid Ditto for 18d} Sauce with plenty of plumb Puddings and plain ditto. Th: spoke highly la favour of my] strong Beer, they never drank any tetter' they said. Paid' Stephen Andtews for Carr (lage) '9f Coal, 0.15.0 Paid Ditto for 11d Rate to the Church 02.0. Reed. of Ditto my last Visitation Fee, 028. Mr. Hewlett was very dull and "dejected. There was drank, six Bottles of Rum which made three Bowls of Punch, four Bottles of Port Wine, besides Strong Beer..."
Tt was talked that there} Would be a" severe Contest. between Sr. John Wodehouse, Sr. Edwd. Astley and Mr, Coke, but, Yesterday it was the common Coke had declined the Tam (as is Mr. Custance) for Sr. jehouse only, St. Edwd. Astley having made" an unlucky junction with Mr. Coke—whose parliamentary Conduct has been quite opposite of late Sr. Edwd. Astley having veted for popular Mr, Pitt and Mr. Coke for Fox, and Lord North.
It will be noted that the popularity of Mr. Pitt was considered to be a very sound reason for the parson to vote against him. It is not surprising in many ways that the Rreat events outside were so little noted by even the country clergy, for news took such a long time to get afoot. Moreover, the forces of the Crown were not drawn, as they were a hundred years later, from the whole of the manhood of the! nation, so that the losses and victories must have left a large proportion of the nation cold, or at the most mildly interested. Yet this extract of January 25, 1783, shows that occasionally' Parson Woodforde could forget his pigs and his. garden and his parishioner This Evening the Ipswich News brought us the joyful News of Peace being signed at Versailles the 20 of this month and reed. at London the 25. No mention of the same in either of the Norwich, Papers. The above Peace with America, France and Spain, Dut not with the "Dutch—Tho! daily expected by them."
Nowadays Whitsuntide, if not in such great repute as Enster, a time when the beginning of the summer is more or less officially. recognized by the community. The race meetings, the athletic meetings, and the cricket grounds all give promise of the open-air pleasures which find their crown in August and September. Yet, of course, the rain has to have its option on the enjoyments, although it is not permitted to damp ardour inside as well as out. The contention that the present generation is lacking in some the finer chafaeteristics of its forefathers hardly bears ex mination when Parson Wood-forde's diary is brought as a witness. Just recently. Mr. Osbert Sitwell has been pillorying the Victorians by the simple [process of convicting them out Of their own mouths of egregious ,|folly either of prophesy or principle. While Parson Wood-forde undoubtedly deserves. well lof his generation and probably: (Was accounted a worthy pillar vt the Church, he would hardly be accepted" nowadays, and although his hospitality and Philosophical outlook are deserve ing of appreciation they would not be sufficient to compensate for his complete lack of the wider outlook. Yet in his way he is a most picturesque figure and not unworthy to. be.remembered opposite that far more pious and sententious pa son whom Goldsmith immortarlised.
But Parson Woodforde did good occasionally, though were by stealth, but did not seem to imbibe' the Vicar of Wakefield's sense of brotherhood with his flock, He was at least no snob. He much preferred to revel with the farmers of his tithe frolics or in the more intellectual society of the cousins of Cowper, for he con-fosied to finding the necessity of occasionally dining with a bishop or a baronet rather strain on his good temper. he did not dispense homilies, he was lavish sending pork, in baskets of apples, and veal broth to his parishioners, while his sporting faculty received full scope "in "coursing fine large hares" with his. grey hounds Duchess, Hector and Reach em. Yet he had his troubles, because the American War had to be paid for in heavy taxation, but he was superior to them by' virtue of the long way which a little money went in those days. He kept open house, two maid servants, two, men servants, a boy, and three horses, and was generous to his nieces' and nephews, on £400 a year. 'The conclusion, therefore, is very contradictory. If Parson Woodforde can be' looked down upon with some superiority by the parson of the twentieth-century, he had his points, and he was certainly able to afford more than his success would be able to do. on Why up this picture of the ate eighteenth-century may ced with good reason.
But at alt events, Whitsun "is a very English holiday time and the follies and the virtues of Parson Woodforde have in them that essence of England whi endures in spite of the change in the ballot box and the mode of travelling.
Why should not Shanghai have its doggerel alphabet like other places? Here goes, with reference to the week's topies:
A-that is Abend. He's mystified BY the task of deciding what's ite
black and What white B's—Mrs, Brenan who released for the Fleet The Faleon—a gunboat both modern and neat 'C—marks Canton's latest move to rebel war or just talk? non-one can tell, D—Doctor Dalton endeavours to state In. terms short and simple China's. problems to date E-tha's the Empire we honour today, Its sill going strong spite what evoakers will say F—that's Judge—Feetham—the uictest of sages Resolved to work on; salvation stages G—Sce Madame Guller who once And. on. Wednesday to play, most kindly consents [H's—for Henli which comes round again The oarsmen dont care; yet Thope it went tain Ilan "Hay with our old, friend King-Hall Will give the Lyceum's last lay' of all Kis Kiangwan: no polo still the wail:
other crime in the weather's black tal L—shows the liners now crowded with folk Going home on their leave, 'We remain: it's no joke! M—That's just muddling ard meddling' along The price of the tael snd the dollar's all, wrong
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.