Its Being Called A Prayer-Book, Rather Than, Like Ours, A Hymn-Book,
Arises From The Nature Of The English Service, Which Is Composed
Very Little Of Singing, And Almost Entirely Of Praying.
The psalms
of David, however, are here translated into English verse, and are
generally printed at the end of English prayer-books.
The prayer-book which my landlord lent me was quite a family piece,
for all his children's births and names, and also his own wedding-
day, were very carefully set down on it. Even on this account alone
the book would not have been uninteresting to me.
At half-past nine the service began. Directly opposite to our
house, the boys of the village were all drawn up, as if they had
been recruits to be drilled; all well-looking, healthy lads, neat
and decently dressed, and with their hair cut short and combed on
the forehead, according to the English fashion; their bosoms were
open, and the white frills of their shirts turned back on each side.
They seemed to be drawn up here at the entrance of the village
merely to wait the arrival of the clergyman.
I walked a little way out of the village, where, at some distance, I
saw several people coming from another village, to attend divine
service here at Nettlebed.
At length came the parson on horseback. The boys pulled off their
hats, and all made him very low bows. He appeared to be rather an
elderly man, and wore his own hair round and decently dressed, or
rather curled naturally.
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