08 - Days With Sir Roger de Coverley by Joseph Addison, Richard Steele

Journey into the world of acclaimed writer Sir Richard Steele, as he recounts his intimate experiences living in the household of the intriguing Sir Roger de Coverley for an entire month. This podcast is narrated by Elijah Fisher.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter eight of Days with Sir Roger DeCoverley. This LibriVox
recording is in the public domain. Days with Sir Roger
de Coverley by Joseph Addison and Richard Steele. Chapter eight.
The Spectator's returned to town, having notified to my good
friend Sir Roger that I should let set out for

(00:21):
London the next day. His horses were ready at the
appointed hour in the evening, and attended by one of
his grooms. I arrived at the country town at twilight
in order to be ready for the stage coach the
following day. As soon as we arrived at the inn,
the servant who waited upon me inquired of the chamberlayne

(00:41):
in my hearing what company he had for the coach.
The fellow answered missus Betty Arabel, the great fortune, and
the widow her mother, a recruiting officer, who took a
place because they were to go. Young squire quick set
her cousin that her mother wished her to be married

(01:02):
to Efferring, the Quaker, her guardian, and a gentleman that
had studied himself dumb from Sir Roger de Coverley's I
observed by what he said of myself that according to
his office, he dealt much in intelligence, and doubted not.
But there was some foundation for his reports for the
rest of the company, as well as for the whimsical

(01:25):
account he gave me. The next morning, at daybreak we
were all called, and I, who knew my own natural
sidiness and endeavor to be as little liable to be
disputed with as possible, dressed immediately that I might make
no one wait. The first preparation of our setting out

(01:50):
was that the captain's halfpike was placed near the coachman,
and a drum being behind the coach. In the meantime,
the rummer the captain's equipage was very loud that none
of the captain's things should be placed so as to
be spoiled, upon which his cloak bag was fixed in

(02:11):
the seat of the coach, and the captain himself, according
to a frequent though inviduous behavior of military men, ordered
his man to look sharp, that none but one of
the ladies should have the place he had taken affronting
to the coach box. We were, in some little time

(02:31):
fixed in our seats, and sat with that dislike which
people not too good natured usually conceive of each other
at first sight. The coach jumbled us insensibly into some
sort of familiarity, and we had not moved above two
miles when the widow asked the captain what success he

(02:52):
had in his recruiting. The officer, with a frankness he
believed very graceful, told her that indeed he had been
very little luck and suffered much by desertion. Therefore should
be glad to end his warfare in the service of her,
as her fair daughter. In a word, continued he, I

(03:15):
am a soldier, and to be plain as my character
you see, madam young sound and impudent. Take me yourself, widow,
or give me to her. I will be wholly at
your disposal. I am a soldier of fortune. Ha. This
was followed by a vain laugh of his own, and

(03:36):
a deep silence of all the rest of the company.
I had nothing left for it but to fall fast asleep,
which I did with all speed. Come, said he resolve
upon it. We will make a wedding at the next town.
We will wake this pleasant companion who has fallen asleep
to be the brideman. In giving the Quaker a clap

(04:00):
on the knee, he concluded this sly saint, who, while warrant,
understands what's what as well as you or I widow,
shall give the bride as father. The Quaker, who happened
to be a man of smartness, answered, friend, I take
it in good part that thou hast given me the

(04:22):
authority of a father over this calmly and virtuous child.
And I must assure THEE that if I have the
giving her, I shall not bestow her on THEE. Thy mirth, Friend,
savoreth a folly. Thou art a person of a light mind.
The drum is a type of THEE. It soundeth because

(04:43):
it is empty rarely. It is not from thy fullness,
but thy emptiness that thou hast spoken this day. Friend, Friend,
we have hired this coach in partnership with THEE, to
carry us to the great city. We cannot go any
other way. This worthy mother must hear THEE. If thou

(05:04):
wilt needs utter thy follies, we cannot help it. Friend,
I say, if thou wilt, we must hear THEE. But
if thou wert a man of understanding, thou wouldst not
take advantage of thy courageous countenance to abash us children
of peace? Thou art thou sayest a soldier give quarter

(05:26):
to us who cannot resist thee? Why didst thou flear
at our friend, who feigned himself asleep? He said nothing,
But how dost thou know what he containeth If thou
speakest improper things in the hearing of this virtuous young virgin,
consider it as an outrage against a distressed person, then

(05:51):
it cannot get from THEE to speak indisgressively discreetly what
we are a blofe to hear by being hastened up
with THEE in this public vehicle some degree assaulting on
the high road. Here eproframe pause, and the captain, with

(06:15):
a happy and uncommon impudence, which can be convicted and
support itself in the same time, cries faith friend, I
think THEE I should have been a little imperatent if
thou hadst not reprimainded me. Come thou, art, I see
a smoky old fellow, and i'll very orderly the ensuing

(06:36):
part of my journey. I was going to give myself errors,
But ladies, I beg pardon. The captain was so little
out of humor, and our company was so far from
being serpowered by this little ruffle that Ephraim and he
took a particular delight in being agreeable to each other

(06:58):
for the future, and assumed their different provinces in the
conduct of the company. A reckonings, apartments and accommodoation fell
under Ephraim and the captain look to all disputes upon
the road as the good behavior of our coachmen, and

(07:19):
the right we had of taking place as going to
London of all vehicles coming from. Thence, the occurrences we
met with were ordinary, and very little happened which could
entertain by the relation of them. But when I considered
the company we were in, I took it for no
small good fortune that the whole journey was not spent

(07:41):
in impertinences, which, to be the one part of us
might be an entertainment to the other A suffering. What
therefore Epreme said when we were almost arrived at London
had to me an error not only of good understanding,
but good breeding. Upon the young ladies, expressing her satisfaction

(08:06):
in the journey and declaring how delightful it had been
to her, Eframe delivered himself as follows. There is no
ordinary part of human life which expresses so much a
good mind and a right inward man, as his behavior
upon meeting with strangers, especially such as may seem the

(08:27):
most unsuitable companions to him. Such a man, when he
falleth in the way of with persons of simplicity and innocence, however,
knowing he may be in the ways of men, will
not vaught from himself thereof, But will the rather hide
his superiority to them, that he may not be painful

(08:51):
unto them, my good friend, continued he turning to the officer.
THEE and I are apt to part by and by
and peradventure, we we never meet again, but be advised
by a plain man. Modes and apparel are but trifles
to the real man. Therefore, do not think such a

(09:13):
man as they solve terrible for thy garb, nor such
a one as me come temptable or mine. When two
such as THEE and I meet with affections as we
ought to have towards each other, Thou shouldest rejoice to
see my peaceable demeanor, and I should be glad to

(09:34):
see thy strength and ability to protect me in it.
End of Chapter eight, End of Days with Sir Roger
de Coverley by Joseph Addison and Richard Steele read by
Elijah Fisher,