Page:Manners and customs of ye Englyshe.djvu/161

 Y Rail to Clod's Norton, to my old Country Friend Mr. Giles the Farmer, and with him to the Meeting and yearly Dinner of the North Grantham Agricultural Society at Grumbleton, at the Plantagenet Arms. A mighty fine and great Dinner; and the Appetite of the Company did do my Heart good to ſee, and droll to hear Mr. Giles declare that all the Farmers were ſtarving. I did mightily admire the Breadth and Bigneſs of the Countrymen, and their round Faces like the Sign of the Riſing Sun, but not ſo bright, for though ruddy, looking grave and glum. My in the Chair, very grand and high and mighty, yet gently demeaning himſelf, and did pledge them about him in Wine with an Obeiſance the moſt ſtately I think that I did ever ſee a Man, and wiſh I could do like him, and with Practice hope to be able. The Dinner over, and the drunk, and the Royal Family, and alſo the Church and Army and Navy all drunk, the Chairman did propoſe the Toaſt of the Evening, which was, Proſperity to the North Gruntham Agricultural Society, and made a Speech, and did tell his Hearers that they and the whole Farming Body were going to the Dogs as faſt as they could go; whereat, ſtrange to hear them applaud mightily. He ended his Speech by laying he hoped Gentlemen would that Evening, according to Cuſtom, keep clear of Politics, which