he shook him by the Hand, and wished him Joy of the Estate which was falling to him, desiring him only to make good Use of it, and to pay the several Legacies, and the Gifts of Charity which he told him he had left as Quitrents upon the Estate.  The Captain truly seems a courteous Man, though he says but little.  He makes much of those whom my Master loved, and shews great Kindness to the old House-dog, that you know my poor Master was so fond of.  It would have gone to your Heart to have heard the Moans the dumb Creature made on the Day of my Master’s Death.  He has ne’er joyed himself since; no more has any of us.  ’Twas the melancholiest Day for the poor People that ever happened in Worcestershire.  This being all from,

  Honoured Sir,

  Your most Sorrowful Servant_,

  Edward Biscuit.

  P.  S. ’My Master desired, some Weeks before he died, that a Book
  which comes up to you by the Carrier should be given to Sir Andrew
  Freeport, in his Name.’

This Letter, notwithstanding the poor Butler’s Manner of writing it, gave us such an Idea of our good old Friend, that upon the reading of it there was not a dry Eye in the Club.  Sir Andrew opening the Book, found it to be a Collection of Acts of Parliament.  There was in particular the Act of Uniformity, with some Passages in it marked by Sir Roger’s own Hand.  Sir Andrew found that they related to two or three Points, which he had disputed with Sir Roger the last time he appeared at the Club.  Sir Andrew, who would have been merry at such an Incident on another Occasion, at the sight of the old Man’s Hand-writing burst into Tears, and put the Book into his Pocket.  Captain Sentry informs me, that the Knight has left Rings and Mourning for every one in the Club.

O.

[Footnote 1:  In No. 1 of the Bee (for February, 1733) Eustace Budgell, who set up that publication, and who probably was the intimate friend of Addison’s to whom he there refers, said of Sir Roger de Coverley,

’Mr. Addison was so fond of this character that a little before he laid down the Spectator (foreseeing that some nimble gentleman would catch up his pen the moment he quitted it) he said to an intimate friend, with a certain warmth in his expression which he was not often guilty of, By God, I’ll kill Sir Roger, that nobody else may murder him.’

Accordingly the whole Spectator No. 517 consists of nothing but an account of the old knight’s death, and some moving circumstances which attended it.  Steele had by this date resolved on bringing his Spectator to a close, and Addison’s paper on the death of Sir Roger, the first of several which are to dispose of all members of the Spectator’s Club and break up the Club itself, was the first clear warning to the public that he had such an intention.]

[Footnote 2:  [Hopes]]