Page:A political romance (IA politicalromance00sterrich).pdf/37

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[9]

that his Office did Honour to him.—Him he sends for, with the Church-Wardens, and one of the Sides-Men, a grave, know­ing, old Man, to be present:—For as Trim had with-held the whole Truth from the Parson, touching the Watch-Coat, he thought it probable he would as certainly do the same Thing to others; though this, I said, was wise, the Trouble of the Precau­tion might have been spared,—because the Parson's Character was unblemish'd,—and he had ever been held by the World in the Estimation of a Man of Honour and Inte­grity.—Trim's Character, on the contrary, was as well known, if not in the World, yet, at least, in all the Parish, to be that of a little, dirty, pimping, pettifogging, ambi­dextrous Fellow,—who neither cared what he did or said of any, provided he could get a Penny by it.—This might, I say, have made any Precaution needless;—but you must know, as the Parson had in a Manner but just got down to his Living, he dreaded the Consequences of the least ill Impression on his first Entrance amongst his Parishioners, which would have disabled him from do­ing them the Good he wished;—so that, out of Regard to his Flock, more than the

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