31, 1689.--My birthday, being now 69 years old. Blessed Father
who hast prolonged my years to this great age, and given me to see so
great and wonderful revolutions, and preserved me amidst them to this
moment, accept, I beseech thee, the continuance of my prayers and
thankful acknowledgements, and grant me grace to be working out my
salvation and redeeming the time, that thou mayest be glorified by me
here, and my soul immortal saved, whenever thou shalt call for it to
perpetuate thy praises to all eternity, in that heavenly kingdom where
there are no more changes or vicissitudes, but rest and peace, and joy
and consummate felicity for ever. Grant this, O Heavenly Father, for
the sake of Jesus thine only Son and our Saviour. Amen.
* * * * *
CURIOUS LETTER,
_From a country squire, in the 18th century, to a gentleman in London,
who had written to him concerning the character of a Servant._
"Sir--Yours I receiv'd the 24th of this present instant, June, and, at
your request, will give you an impartial account of my man, John Gray's
character. He is a shoemaker, or cordwainer, which you please to call
it, by trade, and now in our town; he is following the carding business
for every one that wants him; he served his time at a town called
Binstock, in Northamptonshire; and from thence the Great Addington
journeyman, to this occupation, as before mentioned, and used to come to
my house, and found, by riding my horses to water, that he rode a horse
pretty well; which was not at all mistaken, for he rides a horse well:
and he looks after a kennel of hounds very well, and finds a hare very
well: he hath no judgement in hunting a pack of hounds now, though he
rides well, he don't with discretion, for he don't know how to make the
most of a horse; but a very harey-starey fellow: will ride over a church
if in his way, though he may prevent a leap by having a gap within ten
yards of him; and if you are not in the field with himself, when you are
hunting to tutor him about riding, he will kill all the horses you have
in the stable in one month, for he hath killed downright, and lamed so
that they will never be fit for use, no more than five horses since he
has hunted my hounds, which is two years and upwards; he can talk no dog
language to a hound; he hath no voice; speaks to a hound such as if his
head were in a churn; nor neither does he know how to draw a hound when
they are at a loss, no more than a child of seven years old.
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