[67] A worthy and eccentric country gentleman, afterwards the second Lord Rokeby, being cousin ("a great many times removed") and successor in the barony to Richard, Archbishop of Armagh, who first bore that title.—His beard was truly patriarchal.—Mr. Muntz's—pooh!—
[68] Great grandmamma, by the father's side, to the excellent lady of the same name who yet "keeps the keys" at Tappington.
[69] Azores?—Mrs. Botherby's orthography, like that of her distinguished contemporary Baron Duberly, was "a little loose."
Mox Regina filium peperit a multis optatum et a Deo sanctificatum. Cumque Infans natus fuisset, statim clarâ voce, omnibus audientibus, clamavit "Christianus sum! Christianus sum! Christianus sum!" Ad hanc vocem Presbyteri duo, Widerinus et Edwoldus, dicentes Deo Gratias, et omnes qui aderant mirantes, cœperunt cantare Te Deum laudamus. Quo facto rogabat Infans cathecumenum a Widerino sacerdote fieri, et ab Edwoldo teneri ad præsignaculum fidei et Romwoldum vocari.—Nov. Legend. Angl. in Vita Scti Romualdi.
[THE BLASPHEMER'S WARNING.]
A LAY OF ST. ROMWOLD.
In Kent, we are told, There was seated of old, A handsome young gentleman, courteous and bold, He'd an oaken strong-box, well replenish'd with gold, With broad lands, pasture, arable, woodland, and wold, Not an acre of which had been mortgaged or sold; He'd a Plesaunce and Hall passing fair to behold, He had beeves in the byre, he had flocks in the fold, And was somewhere about five-and-twenty years old. His figure and face, For beauty and grace, To the best in the county had scorn'd to give place. Small marvel, then, If, of women and men Whom he chanced to foregather with, nine out of ten Express'd themselves charm'd with Sir Alured Denne.
From my earliest youth, I've been taught, as a truth, A maxim which most will consider as sooth, Though a few, peradventure, may think it uncouth; There are three social duties, the whole of the swarm In this great human hive of ours, ought to perform, And that too as soon as conveniently may be; The first of the three— Is, the planting a Tree! The next, the producing a Book—then, a Baby! (For my part, dear Reader, without any jesting, I So far at least, have accomplished my destiny.)
From the foremost, i.e. The "planting the Tree," The Knight may, perchance, have conceiv'd himself free, Inasmuch as that, which way soever he looks, Over park, mead, or upland, by streamlets and brooks, His fine beeches and elms shelter thousands of rooks; In twelve eighty-two, There would also accrue Much latitude as to the article, Books; But, if those we've disposed of, and need not recall, Might, as duties, appear in comparison small, One remain'd, there was no getting over at all, —The providing a male Heir for Bonnington Hall; Which, doubtless, induced the good Knight to decide, As a matter of conscience, on taking a Bride.