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old, and had swam two miles before I set forward. Such was
its swiftness and perseverance, that, had it not been partly
through compassion to the owner, and partly through fear of
the ridicule of the spectators, I had certainly given up the
chace.
The chapel of Martindale is a perpetual curacy, under the
vicarage of Barton; the donation of it is alternate, between
J[ ] Richardson, Esq; of Penrith, and the Vicar of Barton:
the former, (who is likewise proprietor of the tythes,)
presenting to it twice, and the latter once: the ancient
endowment was only 2l. 15s. 4d. per
annum, a small house, and about four acres of land.
Strange as it may seem, a Mr Richard Birker, who served this
curacy sixty-seven years, amassed a considerable sum of
money upon it, though, at his first coming, two shirts, and
one suit of cloathes were his whole property. His penury and
avarice were the sole causes of his wealth; for being the
only man except one in the parish who could write, he
transacted most of the law affairs of his parishioners, and
was by them, on that account, nicknamed Sir Richard, or the
Lawyer. Whenever he lent money, he deducted at the time of
lending, two shillings in the pound for interest, and the
term of the loan never exceeded a year: he charged for
writing a receipt two-pence, and for a promissary note
four-pence; and used such other acts of extortion as one
would scarce believe to have been practised in so contracted
a sphere. He likewise taught a school, and served as
parish-clerk; and in both these offices he likewise shewed
his wonderful turn for economy and gain; for his
quarter-dues from his scholars being small, he had from the
parents of each scholar a fortnight's board and lodging; and
the Easter days, being usually paid in eggs, he, at
the time of collecting, carried with him a board, in which
was an hole which served him as a gage, and he positively
refuse to accept any which would pass through. He married a
woman of the name of Brown, with whom he got a fortune of
L.60, and to whom, at his decease, he left the sum of
L/1200; after which she was married to Theodorus
Sisson, Esquire.
Upon the death of Mr Birker no one would undertake the cure,
on account of the smallness of the stipend: those therefore
of the parishioners who could read, performed the service by
turns. We need not doubt that this occasioned some humorous
blunders; one in particular was this: An honest farmer,
whose yokefellow was not, it seems, the most pacific of her
sex, was to hold forth one Sunday; after rummaging the book
a long time to no purpose for the concluding clause, he
called to one of his neighbours, whose wife was lately dead,
to assist him, declaring, at the same time, that he was
afraid he should never find the peace of God as long
as he lived.
Things remained in this situation for some time; at length a
little decrepid man, called Brownrigg, to whom Mr Birket
(sic) had taught a little Latin and Greek, was by the
parishioners appointed perpetual reader: for this they
allowed him, (with the consent of the Donee,) the church
perquisites, then worth about L.12 per annum.
Brownrigg being a man of good character, and there being no
clergyman within several miles to baptize their children, or
bury their dead, the parishioners petitioned the Bishop to
grant him deacon's orders; this was accordingly done, and he
served the cure forty-eight years.
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As we have now seen most of the beauties of the Lake, I
cannot help giving some account of the present manners of
the rustic inhabitants of this and the neighbouring
mountainous environs. The reader will, however, forgive a
pretty long quotation, which I must borrow from an old
anthor; his name I could not find, as the title-page of the
book was torn out, but I think it was Feltham: his
description hath a great deal of truth, and an equal share
of humour, but seems rather calculated to raise a laugh,
than to convey an adequate idea of the people. These are his
own words:
"A plain country fellow is one that manures his ground well,
but lets himself lye fallow and untilled. He has reason
enough to do his bushiness, and not enough to be idle and
melancholy. He seems to have the punishment of
Nebuchadnezzar, for his
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