An Historical, Topographical and Descriptive Account of the Weald of Kent

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Page xxviii - Careless their merits or their faults to scan, His pity gave ere charity began. Thus to relieve the wretched was his pride, And e'en his failings lean'd to virtue's side ; But in his duty prompt at every call, He watch'd and wept, he pray'd and felt for all...
Page xxviii - A man he was to all the country dear, And passing rich with forty pounds a year; Remote from towns he ran his godly race, Nor e'er had changed, nor wished to change, his place; Unskilful he to fawn, or seek for power, By doctrines fashioned to the varying hour ; Far other aims his heart had learned to prize, More bent to raise the wretched than to rise.
Page 202 - ... palaces, navigation, &c. but now sallow, &c. are rejected, and nothing but oak any where regarded ; and yet see the change ; for when our houses were builded of willow, then had we oaken men ; but now that our houses are come to be made of oak, our men are not only become willow, but a great many altogether of straw, which is a sore alteration.
Page xxviii - His pity gave ere charity began. Thus to relieve the wretched was his pride, And e'en his failings lean'd to virtue's side : But in his duty prompt at every call, He watch'd and wept, he pray'd and felt for all. And as a bird each fond endearment tries To tempt its new-fledg'd offspring to the skies, He tried each art, reprov'd each dull delay, Allur'd to brighter worlds, and led the way.
Page xxxi - Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, When it is in the power of thine hand to do it. Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, And to-morrow I will give: When thou hast it by thee.
Page 201 - ... there are old men yet dwelling in the village where I remain, which have noted three things to be marvellously altered in England within their sound remembrance. One is, the multitude of chimneys lately erected ; whereas, in their young days, there were not above two or three, if so many, in most uplandish towns of the realm...
Page 202 - Now have we many chimnies; and yet out tender**** complain of rheums, catarrhs, and poses; then had we none but reredosses, and our heads did never ache. For as the smoke in those days was supposed to be a sufficient hardening for the timber of the house, so it was reputed a far better medicine to keep the good man and his family from the quacke or pose, wherewith, as then, very few were acquainted.
Page 202 - With us the nobility, gentry, and students, do ordinarily go to dinner at eleven before noon, and to supper at five, or between five and six at afternoon. The merchants dine and sup seldom before twelve at noon and six at night, especially in London. The husbandmen dine also at high noon, as they call it, and sup at seven or eight; but out of term in our universities the scholars dine at ten.
Page 166 - Nature shall join you ; Time shall make it grow A work to wonder at - perhaps a Stowe.
Page 201 - ... as well lodged as the lord of the town : So well were they contented. Pillows, said they, were thought meet only for women in childbed : As for servants, if they had any sheet above them it was well : For seldom had they any under their bodies to keep them from the pricking straws that ran oft through the canvass, and rased their hardened hides.

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