His
territories comprise a considerable number of good fat acres; and his
seat of power is in an old farm-house, where he enjoys, unmolested, the
stout oaken chair of his ancestors. The personage to whom I allude is a
sturdy old yeoman of the name of John Tibbets, or rather, Ready-Money
Jack Tibbets, as he is called throughout the neighbourhood.
The first place where he attracted my attention was in the church-yard
on Sunday; where he sat on a tombstone after the service, with his hat
a little on one side, holding forth to a small circle of auditors;
and, as I presumed, expounding the law and the prophets; until, on
drawing a little nearer, I found he was only expatiating on the merits
of a brown horse. He presented so faithful a picture of a substantial
English yeoman, such as he is often described in books, heightened,
indeed, by some little finery, peculiar to himself, that I could not
but take note of his whole appearance.
He was between fifty and sixty, of a strong, muscular frame, and at
least six feet high, with a physiognomy as grave as a lion's, and set
off with short, curling, iron-gray locks. His shirt-collar was turned
down, and displayed a neck covered with the same short, curling, gray
hair; and he wore a coloured silk neckcloth, tied very loosely, and
tucked in at the bosom, with a green paste brooch on the knot.
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