sunday under three heads-第7章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



vile　as　himself；　and　that　in　this　way；　he　may　trace　his　first

yielding　to　temptation；　possibly　his　first　commission　of　crime；　to

an　infringement　of　the　Sabbath。　　But　this　would　be　an　argument

against　any　holiday　at　all。　　If　his　holiday　had　been　Wednesday

instead　of　Sunday；　and　he　had　devoted　it　to　the　same　improper　uses；

it　would　have　been　productive　of　the　same　results。　　It　is　too　much

to　judge　of　the　character　of　a　whole　people；　by　the　confessions　of

the　very　worst　members　of　society。　　It　is　not　fair；　to　cry　down

things　which　are　harmless　in　themselves；　because　evil…disposed　men

may　turn　them　to　bad　account。　　Who　ever　thought　of　deprecating　the

teaching　poor　people　to　write；　because　some　porter　in　a　warehouse

had　committed　forgery？　　Or　into　what　man's　head　did　it　ever　enter；

to　prevent　the　crowding　of　churches；　because　it　afforded　a

temptation　for　the　picking　of　pockets？



When　the　Book　of　Sports；　for　allowing　the　peasantry　of　England　to

divert　themselves　with　certain　games　in　the　open　air；　on　Sundays；

after　evening　service；　was　published　by　Charles　the　First；　it　is

needless　to　say　the　English　people　were　comparatively　rude　and

uncivilised。　　And　yet　it　is　extraordinary　to　how　few　excesses　it

gave　rise；　even　in　that　day；　when　men's　minds　were　not　enlightened；

or　their　passions　moderated；　by　the　influence　of　education　and

refinement。　　That　some　excesses　were　committed　through　its　means；

in　the　remoter　parts　of　the　country；　and　that　it　was　discontinued

in　those　places；　in　consequence；　cannot　be　denied：　　but　generally

speaking；　there　is　no　proof　whatever　on　record；　of　its　having　had

any　tendency　to　increase　crime；　or　to　lower　the　character　of　the

people。



The　Puritans　of　that　time；　were　as　much　opposed　to　harmless

recreations　and　healthful　amusements　as　those　of　the　present　day；

and　it　is　amusing　to　observe　that　each　in　their　generation；　advance

precisely　the　same　description　of　arguments。　　In　the　British

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　int