The chimney in this kitchen, where they were roasting and boiling,
seemed to be taken off from the rest of the room and enclosed by a
wooden partition; the rest of the apartment was made use of as a
sitting and eating-room. All round on the sides were shelves with
pewter dishes and plates, and the ceiling was well stored with
provisions of various kinds, such as sugar-loaves, black-puddings,
hams, sausages, flitches of bacon, &c.
While I was eating, a post-chaise drove up, and in a moment both the
folding-doors were thrown open and the whole house set in motion, in
order to receive, with all due respect, these guests, who, no doubt,
were supposed to be persons of consequence. The gentlemen alighted,
however, only for a moment, and called for nothing but a couple of
pots of beer, and then drove away again. Notwithstanding, the
people of the house behaved to them with all possible attention, for
they came in a post-chaise.
Though this was only an ordinary village, and they certainly did not
take me for a person of consequence, they yet gave me a carpeted
bedroom, and a very good bed.
The next morning I put on clean linen, which I had along with me,
and dressed myself as well as I could. And now, when I thus made my
appearance, they did not, as they had the evening before, show me
into the kitchen, but into the parlour, a room that seemed to be
allotted for strangers, on the ground-floor. I was also now
addressed by the most respectful term, "sir;" whereas the evening
before I had been called only "master": by this latter appellation,
I believe, it is usual to address only farmers and quite common
people.
This was Sunday, and all the family were in their Sunday-clothes. I
now began to be much pleased with this village, and so I resolved to
stop at it for the day, and attend divine service. For this purpose
I borrowed a prayer-book of my host. Mr. Illing was his name, which
struck me the more, perhaps, because it is a very common name in
Germany. During my breakfast I read over several parts of the
English liturgy, and could not help being struck at the circumstance
that every word in the whole service seems to be prescribed and
dictated to the clergyman. They do not visit the sick but by a
prescribed form; as, for instance, they must begin by saying, "Peace
be to this house," &c.
Its being called a prayer-book, rather than, like ours, a hymn-book,
arises from the nature of the English service, which is composed
very little of singing, and almost entirely of praying. The psalms
of David, however, are here translated into English verse, and are
generally printed at the end of English prayer-books.
The prayer-book which my landlord lent me was quite a family piece,
for all his children's births and names, and also his own wedding-
day, were very carefully set down on it. Even on this account alone
the book would not have been uninteresting to me.
At half-past nine the service began. Directly opposite to our
house, the boys of the village were all drawn up, as if they had
been recruits to be drilled; all well-looking, healthy lads, neat
and decently dressed, and with their hair cut short and combed on
the forehead, according to the English fashion; their bosoms were
open, and the white frills of their shirts turned back on each side.
They seemed to be drawn up here at the entrance of the village
merely to wait the arrival of the clergyman.
I walked a little way out of the village, where, at some distance, I
saw several people coming from another village, to attend divine
service here at Nettlebed.
At length came the parson on horseback. The boys pulled off their
hats, and all made him very low bows. He appeared to be rather an
elderly man, and wore his own hair round and decently dressed, or
rather curled naturally.
The bell now rung in, and so I too, with a sort of secret proud
sensation, as if I also had been an Englishman, went with my prayer-
book under my arm to church, along with the rest of the
congregation; and when I got into the church, the clerk very civilly
seated me close to the pulpit.
Nothing can possibly be more simple, apt, and becoming than the few
decorations of this church.
Directly over the altar, on two tables in large letters, the ten
commandments were written. There surely is much wisdom and
propriety in thus placing, full in the view of the people, the sum
and substance of all morality.
Under the pulpit near the steps that led up to it, was a desk, from
which the clergyman read the liturgy, the responses were all
regularly made by the clerk; the whole congregation joining
occasionally, though but in a low voice; as for instance, the
minister said, "Lord, have mercy upon us!" the clerk and the
congregation immediately subjoin, "and forgive us all our sins." In
general, when the clergyman offers up a prayer, the clerk and the
whole congregation answer only, Amen!
The English service must needs be exceedingly fatiguing to the
officiating minister, inasmuch as besides a sermon, the greatest
part of the liturgy falls to his share to read, besides the psalms
and two lessons.
The joining of the whole congregation in prayer has something
exceedingly solemn and affecting in it.
