question not but my Readers
themselves will be troubled at the hearing of it. To keep them no longer
in Suspence, Sir ROGER DE COVERLY _is dead_. [1] He departed this Life
at his House in the Country, after a few Weeks Sickness. Sir ANDREW
FREEPORT has a Letter from one of his Correspondents in those Parts,
that informs him the old Man caught a Cold at the County-Sessions, as he
was very warmly promoting an Address of his own penning, in which he
succeeded according to his Wishes, But this Particular comes from a
Whig-Justice of Peace, who was always Sir ROGER'S Enemy and Antagonist.
I have Letters both from the Chaplain and Captain _Sentry_ which mention
nothing of it, but are filled with many Particulars to the Honour of the
good old Man. I have likewise a Letter from the Butler, who took so much
care of me last Summer when I was at the Knight's House. As my Friend
the Butler mentions, in the Simplicity of his Heart, several
Circumstances the others have passed over in Silence, I shall give my
Reader a Copy of his Letter, without any Alteration or Diminution.

_Honoured Sir_,

'Knowing that you was my old Master's good Friend, I could not forbear
sending you the melancholy News of his Death, which has afflicted the
whole Country, as well as his poor Servants, who loved him, I may say,
better than we did our Lives. I am afraid he caught his Death the last
County Sessions, where he would go to see Justice done to a poor Widow
Woman, and her Fatherless Children, that had been wronged by a
neighbouring Gentleman; for you know, Sir, my good Master was always
the poor Man's Friend. Upon his coming home, the first Complaint he
made was, that he had lost his Roast-Beef Stomach, not being able to
touch a Sirloin, which was served up according to Custom; and you know
he used to take great Delight in it. From that time forward he grew
worse and worse, but still kept a good Heart to the last. Indeed we
were once in great [Hope [2]] of his Recovery, upon a kind Message
that was sent him from the Widow Lady whom he had made love to the
Forty last Years of his Life; but this only proved a Light'ning before
Death. He has bequeathed to this Lady, as a token of his Love, a great
Pearl Necklace, and a Couple of Silver Bracelets set with Jewels,
which belonged to my good old Lady his Mother: He has bequeathed the
fine white Gelding, that he used to ride a hunting upon, to his
Chaplain, because