DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70267#0270
238 THE LATE WILLIAM JENNINGS, ESQ.
dining-room, and his bed-chamber, the entire furniture of
which was of his own procuring, and consequently very
mean, and its whole value perhaps not exceeding <£20 :
nor were the rooms above, although (excepting those in
the wing I have already pointed out) all completely finished
and magnificently furnished by his father, ever opened but
once during the whole period of his possessing them, which
extended to nearly a century. He had, nevertheless, more
family pride than Mr. Elwes, and maintained a table in
some degree superior. In this dark and miserable com-
partment of the house His dinner was always served up,
even when he was alone, and he was seldom otherwise, in
family plate: nor, if any portion remained after the wants
of his diminutive household had been satisfied, would he
suffer it to be again introduced to assist in the dinner of
the ensuing day. The poor, however, were never bene-
fited by this profusion of diet; for it was his express order,
and an order uniformly adhered to, that the surplus should
be distributed amoiw his do^s. He was never known,
throughout the whole period of his life, to exhibit one single
charitable action ; and so cold and unsocial was his animal
constitution, that a male friend was scarcely ever invited to
sleep beneath his roof, and there is no instance of a female
of any description having been indebted to him for the
hospitality of a single night. In these respects he was a
character infinitely more despicable than his neighbour,
who at all times evinced the utmost degree of politeness
and gallantry to the fair sex ; and who, if he with-held his
hand from the needy, with-held it in an equal degree from
himself. In his mode of increasing his property, Mr.
Jennings was also a more contemptible miser. Elwes,
when in London, frequented occasionally the gaming-table,
but it was to participate with his associates in the various
chances of the dice. Jennings, too, frequented it, and
was in reality, at one period of his life, an habitual at-
tendant
dining-room, and his bed-chamber, the entire furniture of
which was of his own procuring, and consequently very
mean, and its whole value perhaps not exceeding <£20 :
nor were the rooms above, although (excepting those in
the wing I have already pointed out) all completely finished
and magnificently furnished by his father, ever opened but
once during the whole period of his possessing them, which
extended to nearly a century. He had, nevertheless, more
family pride than Mr. Elwes, and maintained a table in
some degree superior. In this dark and miserable com-
partment of the house His dinner was always served up,
even when he was alone, and he was seldom otherwise, in
family plate: nor, if any portion remained after the wants
of his diminutive household had been satisfied, would he
suffer it to be again introduced to assist in the dinner of
the ensuing day. The poor, however, were never bene-
fited by this profusion of diet; for it was his express order,
and an order uniformly adhered to, that the surplus should
be distributed amoiw his do^s. He was never known,
throughout the whole period of his life, to exhibit one single
charitable action ; and so cold and unsocial was his animal
constitution, that a male friend was scarcely ever invited to
sleep beneath his roof, and there is no instance of a female
of any description having been indebted to him for the
hospitality of a single night. In these respects he was a
character infinitely more despicable than his neighbour,
who at all times evinced the utmost degree of politeness
and gallantry to the fair sex ; and who, if he with-held his
hand from the needy, with-held it in an equal degree from
himself. In his mode of increasing his property, Mr.
Jennings was also a more contemptible miser. Elwes,
when in London, frequented occasionally the gaming-table,
but it was to participate with his associates in the various
chances of the dice. Jennings, too, frequented it, and
was in reality, at one period of his life, an habitual at-
tendant