He has also his cabinet counsellors in the village, with whom he is
very busy just now, preparing for the May-day ceremonies. Among these
is the village tailor, a pale-faced fellow, that plays the clarionet
in the church choir; and; being a great musical genius, has frequent
meetings of the band at his house, where they "make night hideous" by
their concerts. He is, in consequence, high in favour with Master
Simon; and, through his influence, has the making, or rather marring,
of all the liveries of the Hall; which generally look as though they
had been cut out by one of those scientific tailors of the Flying
Island of Laputa, who took measure of their customers with a quadrant.
The tailor, in fact, might rise to be one of the moneyed men of the
village, were he not rather too prone to gossip, and keep holidays,
and give concerts, and blow all his substance, real and personal,
through his clarionet; which literally keeps him poor, both in body
and estate. He has for the present thrown by all his regular work,
and suffered the breeches of the village to go unmade and unmended,
while he is occupied in making garlands of party-coloured rags, in
imitation of flowers, for the decoration of the May-pole.
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