sunday under three heads-第6部分

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Museum；　there　is　a　curious　pamphlet　got　up　by　the　Agnews　of

Charles's　time；　entitled　'A　Divine　Tragedie　lately　acted；　or　a

Collection　of　sundry　memorable　examples　of　God's　Judgements　upon

Sabbath　Breakers；　and　other　like　Libertines　in　their　unlawful

Sports；　happening　within　the　realme　of　England；　in　the　compass　only

of　two　yeares　last　past；　since　the　Booke　（of　Sports）　was　published；

worthy　to　be　knowne　and　considered　of　all　men；　especially　such　who

are　guilty　of　the　sinne；　or　archpatrons　thereof。'　　This　amusing

document；　contains　some　fifty　or　sixty　veritable　accounts　of　balls

of　fire　that　fell　into　churchyards　and　upset　the　sporters；　and

sporters　that　quarrelled；　and　upset　one　another；　and　so　forth：　　and

among　them　is　one　anecdote　containing　an　example　of　a　rather

different　kind；　which　I　cannot　resist　the　temptation　of　quoting；　as

strongly　illustrative　of　the　fact；　that　this　blinking　of　the

question　has　not　even　the　recommendation　of　novelty。



'A　woman　about　Northampton；　the　same　day　that　she　heard　the　booke

for　sports　read；　went　immediately；　and　having　3。　pence　in　her

purse；　hired　a　fellow　to　goe　to　the　next　towne　to　fetch　a

Minstrell；　who　coming；　she　with　others　fell　a　dauncing；　which

continued　within　night；　at　which　time　shee　was　got　with　child；

which　at　the　birth　shee　murthering；　was　detected　and　apprehended；

and　being　converted　before　the　justice；　shee　confessed　it；　and

withal　told　the　occasion　of　it；　saying　it　was　her　falling　to　sport

on　the　Sabbath；　upon　the　reading　of　the　Booke；　so　as　for　this

treble　sinfull　act；　her　presumptuous　profaning　of　the　Sabbath；　wh。

brought　her　adultory　and　that　murther。　　Shee　was　according　to　the

Law　both　of　God　and　man；　put　to　death。　　Much　sinne　and　misery

followeth　upon　Sabbath…breaking。'



It　is　needless　to　say；　that　if　the　young　lady　near　Northampton　had

'fallen　to　sport'　of　such　a　dangerous　description；　on　any　other　day

but　Sunday；　the　first　result　would　probably　have　been　the　same：　　it

never　having　been　distinctly　shown　that　Sunday　is　more　favourable

to　the　propagation　of　the　human　race　than　any　other　day　in　the

week。　　The　second　result　…　the　murder　of　the　child　…　does　not　speak

very　highly　for　the　amiability　of　her　natural　disposition；　and　the

whole　story；　supposing　it　to　have　had　any　foundation　at　all；　is

about　as　much　chargeable　upon　the　Book　of　Sports；　as　upon　the　Book

of　Kings。　　Such　'sports'　have　taken　place　in　Dissenting　Chapels

before　now；　but　religion　has　never　been　blamed　in　consequence；　nor

has　it　been　proposed　to　shut　up　the　chapels　on　that　account。



The　question；　then；　very　fairly　arises；　whether　we　have　any　reason

to　suppose　that　allowing　games　in　the　open　air　on　Sundays；　or　even

providing　the　means　of　amusement　for　the　humbler　classes　of　society

on　that　day；　would　be　hurtful　and　injurious　to　the　character　and

morals　of　the　people。



I　was　travelling　in　the　west　of　England　a　summer　or　two　back；　and

was　induced　by　the　beauty　of　the　scenery；　and　the　seclusion　of　the

spot；　to　remain　for　the　night　in　a　small　village；　distant　about

seventy　miles　from　London。　　The　next　morning　was　Sunday；　and　I

walked　out；　towards　the　church。　　Groups　of　people　…　the　whole

population　of　the　little　hamlet　apparently　…　were　hastening　in　the

same　direction。　　Cheerful　and　good…humoured　congratulations　were

heard　on　all　sides；　as　neighbours　overtook　each　other；　and　walked

on　in　company。　　Occasionally　I　passed　an　aged　couple；　whose　married

daughter　and　her　husband　were　loitering　by　the　side　of　the　old

people；　accommodating　their　rate　of　walking　to　their　feeble　pace；

while　a　little　knot　of　children　hurried　on　before；　stout　young

labourers　in　clean　round　frocks；　and　buxom　girls　with　healthy；

laughing　faces；　were　plentifully　sprinkled　about　in　couples；　and

the　whole　scene　was　one　of　quiet　and　tranquil　contentment；

irresistibly　captivating。　　The　morning　was　bright　and　pleasant；　the

hedges　were　green　and　blooming；　and　a　thousand　delicious　scents

were　wafted　on　the　air；　from　the　wild　flowers　which　blossomed　on

either　side　of　the　footpath。　　The　little　church　was　one　of　those

venerable　simple　buildings　which　abound　in　the　English　counties；

half　overgrown　with　moss　and　ivy；　and　standing　in　the　centre　of　a

little　plot　of　ground；　which；　but　for　the　green　mounds　with　which

it　was　studded；　might　have　passed　for　a　lovely　meadow。　　I　fancied

that　the　old　clanking　bell　which　was　now　summoning　the　congregation

together；　would　seem　less　terrible　when　it　rung　out　the　knell　of　a

departed　soul；　than　I　had　ever　deemed　possible　before　…　that　the

sound　would　tell　only　of　a　welcome　to　calmness　and　rest；　amidst　the

most　peaceful　and　tranquil　scene　in　nature。



I　followed　into　the　church　…　a　low…roofed　building　with　small

arched　windows；　through　which　the　sun's　rays　streamed　upon　a　plain

tablet　on　the　opposite　wall；　which　had　once　recorded　names；　now　as

undistinguishable　on　its　worn　surface；　as　were　the　bones　beneath；

from　the　dust　into　which　they　had　resolved。　　The　impressive　service

of　the　Church　of　England　was　spoken　…　not　merely　READ　…　by　a　grey…

headed　minister；　and　the　responses　delivered　by　his　auditors；　with

an　air　of　sincere　devotion　as　far　removed　from　affectation　or

display；　as　from　coldness　or　indifference。　　The　psalms　were

accompanied　by　a　few　instrumental　performers；　who　were　stationed　in

a　small　gallery　extending　across　the　church　at　the　lower　end；　over

the　door：　　and　the　voices　were　led　by　the　clerk；　who；　it　was

evident；　derived　no　slight　pride　and　gratification　from　this

portion　of　the　service。　　The　discourse　was　plain；　unpretending；　and

well　adapted　to　the　comprehension　of　the　hearers。　　At　the

conclusion　of　the　service；　the　villagers　waited　in　the　churchyard；

to　salute　the　clergyman　as　he　passed；　and　two　or　three；　I　observed；

stepped　aside；　as　if　communicating　some　little　difficulty；　and

asking　his　advice。　　This；　to　guess　from　the　homely　bows；　and　other

rustic　expressions　of　gratitude；　the　old　gentleman　readily

conceded。　　He　seemed　intimately　acquainted　with　the　circumstances

of　all　his　parishioners；　for　I　heard　him　inquire　after　one　man's

youngest　child；　another　man's　wife；　and　so　forth；　and　that　he　was

fond　of　his　joke；　I　discovered　from　overhearing　him　ask　a　stout；

fresh…coloured　young　fellow；　with　a　very　pretty　bashful…looking

girl　on　his　arm；　'when　those　banns　were　to　be　put　up？'　…　an　inquiry

which　made　the　young　fellow　more　fresh…coloured；　and　the　girl　more

bashful；　and　which；　strange　to　say；　caused　a　great　many　other　girls

who　were　standing　round；　to　colour　up　also；　and　look　anywhere　but

in　the　faces　of　their　male　companions。



As　I　approached　this　spot　in　the　evening　about　half　an　hour　before

sunset；　I　was　surprised　to　hear　the　hum　of　voices；　and　occasionally

a　shout　of　merriment　from　the　meadow　beyond　the　churchyard；　which　I

found；　when　I　reached　the　stile；　to　be　occasioned　by　a　very

animated　game　of　cricket；　in　which　the　boys　and　young　men　of　the

place　were　engaged；　while　the　females　and　old　people　were　scattered

about：　　some　seated　on　the　grass　watching　the　progress　of　the　game；

and　others　sauntering　about　in　groups　of　two　or　three；　gathering

little　nosegays　of　wild　roses　and　hedge　flowers。　　I　could　not　but

take　notice　of　one　old　man　in　particular；　with　a　bright…eyed　grand…

daughter　by　his　side；　who　was　giving　a　sunburnt　young　fellow　some

instructions　in　the　game；　which　he　received　with　an　air　of　profound

deference；　but　with　an　occasional　glance　at　the　girl；　which　induced

me　to　think　that　his　attention　was　rather　distracted　from　the　old

gentleman's　narration　of　the　fruits　of　his　experience。　　When　it　was

his　turn　at　the　wicket；　too；　there　was　a　glance　towards　the　pair

every　now　and　then；　which　the　old　grandfather　very　complacently

considered　as　an　appeal　to　his　judgment　of　a　particular　hit；　but

which　a　certain　blush　in　the　girl's　face；　and　a　downcast　look　of

the　bright　eye；　led　me　to　believe　was　intended　for　somebody　else

than　the　old　man；　…　and　understood　by　somebody　else；　too；　or　I　am

much　mistaken。



I　was　in　the　very　height　of　the　pleasure　which　the　contemplation　of

this　scene　afforded　me；　when　I　saw　the　old　clergyman　making　his　way

towards　us。　　I　trembled　for　an　angry　interruption　to　the　sport；　and

was　almost　on　the　point　of　crying　out；　to　warn　the　cricketers　of

his　approach；　he　was　so　close　upon　me；　however；　that　I　could　do

nothing　but　remain　still；　and　anticipate　the　reproof　that　was

preparing。　　What　was　my　agreeable　surprise　to　see　the　old　gentleman

standing　at　the　stile；　with　his　hands　in　his　pockets；　surveying　the

whole　scene　with　evident　satisfaction！　　And　how　dull　I　must　have

been；　not　to　have　known　till　my　friend　the　grandfather　（who；　by…

the…bye；　said　he　had　been　a　wonderful　cricketer　in　his　time）　told

me；　that　it　was　the　clergyman　himself　who　had　established　the　whole

thing：　　that　it　was　his　field　they　played　in；　and　that　it　was　he

who　had　purchased　stumps；　bats；　ball；　and　all！



It　is　such　scenes　as　this；　I　would　see　near　London；　on　a　Sunday

evening。　　It　is　such　men　as　this；　who　would　do　more　in　one　year　to

make　people　properly　religious；　cheerful；　and　contented；　than　all

the　legislation　of　a　century　could　ever　accomplish。



It　will　be　said　…　it　has　been　very　often　…　that　it　would　be　matter

of　perfect　impossibility　to　make　amusements　and　exercises　succeed

in　large　towns；　which　may　be　very　well　adapted　to　a　country

population。　　Here；　again；　we　are　called　upon　to　yield　to　bare

assertions　on　matters　of　belief　and　opinion；　as　if　they　were

established　and　undoubted　facts。　　That　there　is　a　wide　difference

between　the　two　cases；　no　one　will　be　prepared　to　dispute；　that　the

difference　is　such　as　to　prevent　the　application　of　the　same

principle　to　both；　no　reasonable　man；　I　think；　will　be　disposed　to

maintain。　　The　great　majority　of　the　people　who　make　holiday　on

Sunday　now；　are　industrious；　orderly；　and　well…behaved　persons。　　It

is　n