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Such were the sentiments of most of the burly squires who had ridden in on the sarooms, likewise cli over the street There too were several of the cathedral clergy, the rubicund double-chinned face of the Canon in residence set off by a white, caulifloig under a shovel hat, while the humbler minor canons (who served likewise as curates to all the country round) only powdered their own hair, and wore gowns and cassocks of quality very inferior to that which adorned the portly person of their superior His white bands were of fine cas were of ribbed silk, theirs of black worsted; his buckles of silver, theirs of steel; and the line of dely marked as that between the neat, deferential tradesman, and the lawyer in his spruce snuff-coloured coat, or the doctor, as black in hue as the clergy, though with a secular cut, a sold-headed cane Each had, as in duty bound, ordered his pint of port or claret for the good of the house, and it ell if these were not in the end greatly exceeded; and so clay pipes; but these were mostly of the secondary rank, who sat at the table farthest from the , and whose drink was a measure of ale

The letters had not yet been sorted, but the newspaper had been brought in, and the Canon Boltby had possessed hience about the King, Queen, and Sir Robert Walpole, the character of Marshal Berwick, recently slain at Philipsburg, an account of Spanish outrages at sea, or er, half-wolf, reported to be running wild in France The other gentles were opened, listened and commented; while one or two of the squires, and a shabby, disreputable-looking minor canon made each notable name the occasion of a toast, whether of health to his majesty's friends or confusion to his foes A squabble, as to whether the gallant Berwick should be reckoned as an honest Frenchlishratulations on his recovery

One of the squires inquired after his daughters, and pronounced the little one with the outlandish nahbourhood, a hint of which the topers were not slow to take advantage, while one of the guests at the recent party observed, "Young Belamour seemed to be of that opinion"