A PARSON’S DIARY

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 951, 19 April 1930, Page 16

A PARSON’S DIARY

Genial Woodfordc Tells His Daily Tale THE fourth volume of "The Diary of a Country Parson," written j by the Reverend James Wood* forde and edited by John Beresford, ■was published recently. It covers the j years 1793-96. The friendly quality | of the diary is shown by the following selected extracts taken from "The | Periodical.” lanuarv 26. Dreadful times I am afraid ! iir approaching to nil Europe. 1 ranee the ; foundation or all of it. The poor King of j France bore his horrid fate with manly j fortitude and resignation. Pray God he j rnav be eternally happy In thy heavenly I Kingdom. And have mercy upon hl» Qu« en, j J r.hlhlren and their Aunt Princess tlizaall of whom by the Papers are verj , ill irwleed In their confinement. Their lives j are in greit danger now cf oeing taken av«\ L\ the French Assassins or Fiifliaus. | 'far. 22. Got up this morning with a , comical hind of a snr* throat, not much j pain, had something of it Vesterd iy, rather to-day—made use of Port Wire Yevterdav pretty freely, and ‘•some black Cur- . \p. I 30. Dinner to-day, baked Deef, the . flr.t v r ever had some of the Chine, it baked three Hours and then it was scarce hot through. No more baked Meat. May 2. Mr Du Uuesbe is very far advanced in Years but he will net own it. He v by no means fit to drive a single Horse Chaise. His Servant Man thnt came on horseback with hi.n, was afraid that he would overturn coming along, he cannet see the ruts distinctly, iie will not however weur Spectacles at all. He cannot ; be;ir to appear old, but must be us young in anything as the youngest Person. .lime 26. We all walked to Leicester Fields. « and there suw the Panorama, a fine deception in painting of the British and Hussion Fleets at Splthead in the Year —. ft was well [ worth seeing indeed, only one Shilling apiece, I pd. 0. 3. 6. We stayed about an Hour there, Company continually going to sc- It. Nov. 22. Very restless last Night indeed A perspired greatly had not half nil hours s!~ep the whole Night, thank God however I got up much better than I expected, tho’ my Spirits were very low ... .1 drank n Glass of Port Wine A eat some tested bread to day about 12. o'clock and which seen ed to agree with me very well, after dinner * Iso f made free with Port Wine that is. drank six or seven Glasses, and was much more composed after It. At Supper, eal some Pork Stakes weh. I much relished end was mucli belter when I went to bed. Dec. 4. Took four more Pills this Evening going to bed as did Nancy also. Very heavy all day, by sitting up so late and drinking more than usual last Night, the-* not the least disguised by it. Dec. 21. Nancy with me was busy great part of the Morn* fu making some Pills, made m€ Castile Snap, Rhubarb graled »r.d OH of Marsh-Mallows which arc reckoned very good for bilious complaints. 1791. Jan. 1?. Nancy made me very uneasy this Afternoon and does very often, by comf Gaining nf the dismal Situation of my louse, nothing to he seen, and little cr 1.3 visiting, or being visited Ac. If we have cf i*P- lost our best Friends, by the removal of Mr Custance’s Family to Hath, ami the Death of Mr Du (Jucsne, must it not he affected by me as well as her? In short ray Place has been too dull tor h-r ! am hurry to say far many Years.—As things •re so— InTcelix! Feb. 2. Nancy made me very uneasy this Morning as well as Yesterday Afternoon ly h**r saucy tongue, and afterwards turning sulky. Feb. * A Man out of Suffolk, by nani« Southgate, called here this morning, with * Box nt his Back, in which was contained. • wonderful birth of his Wife's, a Child with two distiqct perfect Heads, preserved in Spirits, of the female kind. It died almost immediately on its birth. I gave tlie Man for showing It 0. 1. ft. The Man's Wife is still living and travelling about. April 11. One of my Greyhounds, young, fly, got to Betty Cary’s this morning and ran away with a Shoulder of Mutton undressed A eat It all up. They rnnrtc great lamentation A work about it. I had the firry hound hanged in the Evening. June 4. It being the King's Birth-Day, I put the Ship into the Lagoon in my Garden, full dressed. Dec. 13. Busy all the Morning almost In bottling two tubs of Gin, that came by Moonshine this Morn* very early. Dec. 26: Gould ea- but very little for dinner to day. Appetite bad ... I d ran If plentifully of Port Wine eftep dinner, in- • stead of one Glass, drank 7, or H. Wine Glasses, and it seemed to do me much good. I’efng better for it. 1795. k>b. 2t. s.R. t dreamt very much last Night of my losing my Hat. It Is said to •be a -sign of losing n very near Friend. May To n Bundle of Asparagus at Norwich, I*S. in Number only, and which m.igh.d two found, A » Ur„ the large,! I think I ever saw, pd. 0. 1. 0. June 29. We got to Bath (thunk God) sute A well this Evening between 1). and "’dock, we were put down at *he White in Stall Street kept b> Pickwick A Wife and there we supped and slept, und a very excellent House it is, everything so good A neat Arc. A '!«- ,Tbe Bottlr wa, pushed about pretty brisk after dinner. I was quite merry «, we were alt. Oct. 2!t. St. Janies', farfc . . . .w'as uncommonly cronded indeed, never was known a arrutcr Concourse of People before, and I am very sorry to insert his Majesty was very grossly Insulted by some of the Mob, ?"V . t “> d , « v ery narrow escape of being io d ,hc M " u, r. a Hall passing ttr? Windows as he went thro’ old l alaee-Yard, supposed to be discharged wm «*e?k!? G,, £i bUI Tr , rv fortunately did not strike the King or Lord*. On his return Iron the House to James's Palace ha •w.M very much hissed A hooted at.