all Deviles, Feofments, and Grants, that certain Name fhall be made ufe of, and no uncertain circumlocutory Defcriptions fhall be allowed; fo? Certainty is the Father of Right, and the Yother of Juffice.

Le reite del Argument jeo ne pouvois oyer, car eo fai dilurb en mon place.

Le Court fuit longement en doubt' de c'ell Petter; et apres grand deliberation eu,

Judgment für denne pour le PL. nifi causa. Motion in Amral of Jodgment, that the pyed Hories were Murw, and therrupen an Inspection was pred

Et im cret Court afville vai

MEMOIRS of P. P. · P.P.

CLERK of this PARISH.

ADVERTISEMENT.

The Original of the following extraordinary Treatise confifted of two large Volumes in Folio; which might justly be intitled, The Importance of a Man to bimfelf: But, as it can be of very little to any body befides, I have contented myfelf to give only this short Abstract of it, as a Taste of the true Spirit of Memoir-Writers.

IN

N the name of the Lord. Amen. I, P. P. by the Grace of God, Clerk of this Parish, writeth this History.

Ever fince I arrived at the age of difcretion, I had a call to take upon me the function of a Parish-cletk; and to that end, it feemed unto me. meet and profitable to affociate myself with the parish-clerks of this Land; fuch I mean, as were right worthy in their calling, men of a clear and fweet voice, and of becoming gravity.

Now it came to pafs, that I was born in the year of our Lord Anno Domini 1655, the year wherein our worthy benefactor, Efquire Bret, did add one Bell to the ring of this Parish. So that

a hech bon wittily faid, "That one and the fame By Ed give to this our Church two rare gifts is gen Bell and its Clerk.

Fiet when I was at fchool, my mistress did gver exti me above the rest of the youth, in that Trad a Ladible voice. And it was further-more Merek Sut I took a kindly affection unto that saker which our Bibles are printed. Yea na od Teerelt myk in finging godly bal Cath Lab M Det, The Children 11. and Oey-Chay; and not, like Jann kvind trivial ditties, Moreber. I always adventured to

Het after Miller William Harris,
Anal confessed to the

TOT MARent Parib-clerk

tawaged that at the age of fixLecher, being led into

ayghiest v mestarina irve to RingDer a fhat time I was acasa bels in the whole home lægevalled upon to : Miss Song called thereunto

or two for an Hat that was edged with filver galloon. But in the year following I broke the head of Henry Stubbs, and obtained an hat not inferior to the former. At Yelverton I encountred George Cummins, Weaver, and behold my head was broken a fecond time! At the wake of Waybrook I engaged William Simkins, Tanner, when lo! thus was my head broken a third time, and much blood trickled therefrom. But I adminiftred to my comfort, faying within myself, "What man "is there, howfoever dextrous in any craft, who is for aye on his guard?" A week after I had a bafe-born child laid unto me; for in the days of my youth I was looked upon as a follower of venereal fantafies: Thus was I led into fin by the comeliness of Sufanna Smith, who firft tempted me and then put me to fhame; for indeed she was a maiden of a seducing eye, and pleasant feature. I humbled myself before the Juftice, I acknowledg

ed

my crime to our Curate; and to do away mine offences and make her fome attonement, was joined to her in holy wedlock on the fabbath day following.

How often do those things which seem unto misfortunes, redound to our advantage! For Minister (who had long look'd on Susanna as moft lovely of his parishioners) liked fo well demeanour, that he recommended me to nour of being his Clerk, which was then

become vacant by the decease of good Mater WF

liam Harris.

Hire ends the 6-3 deur; qür allt filt fits or flats pages of bis antars in general, and the partialor one with Sa Cons bis project Wijk, hel proceed to chapter the minib.

No fooner was I elected into mine c5ce, but I layed afide the powder'd gallantries of my youth, and became a new man. I confidered myself as in fome wife of ecclefiaftical dignity, fince by wearing a band, which is no fmall part of the ornament of our Clergy, I might not unworthily be deemed, as it were, a fhred of the linen vestment of Aaron.

Thou may'st conceive, O reader, with what concern I perceived the eyes of the congregation fixed upon me, when I first took my place at the feet of the Priest. When I raised the psalm, how did my voice quaver for fear! And when I array'd the shoulders of the Minister with the surplice, how did my joints tremble under me! I said within myself, "Remember, Paul, thou ftandeft "before men of high worship, the wife Mr. Juf"tice Freeman, the grave Mr. Justice Tonfon, “the good Lady Jones, and the two virtuous gen“ tlewomen her daughters, nay the great Sir Tho

mas Truby, Knight and Baronet, and my young "mafter the Esquire, who shall one day be Lord " of this Manor :". Notwithstanding which, it was