THE TRIALS
OF
A COUNTRY PARSON

BY
AUGUSTUS JESSOPP, D.D.

AUTHOR OF
“ONE GENERATION OF A NORFOLK HOUSE,”
“HISTORY OF THE DIOCESE OFNORWICH,” &c., &c.

London
T. FISHER UNWIN
PATERNOSTER SQUARE
MDCCCXC

v

In a volume which I published three yearsago1 I attempted to give a faithful pictureof the habits and ways of thinking, thesuperstitions, prejudices and grounds fordiscontent, the grievances and the trials,of the country folk among whom my lotwas cast and among whom it was my dutyand my privilege to live as a countryclergyman. I was surprised, and not alittle pained, to hear from many who readmy book that the impression produced uponthem was exactly the reverse of that whichI had desired to convey. On returning tovia country village after long residence in alarge town, I found things greatly changed,of course; but I found that, though thecountry folk had not shared in the generalprogress which had been going on in thecondition of the urban population, they stillretained some of their sturdy virtues, stillhad some love for their homes, still clungto some of their old prejudices whichreflected their attachment to their birthplace,and that if they were inclined tosurrender themselves to the leadership ofblatant demagogues, and to dwell uponsome real or imagined wrongs coarsely exaggeratedby itinerant agitators with theirliving to get by speechifying, it was notbecause there was no cause for discontent.The rustics were right when they followedtheir instincts and these told them thattheir lot might be easily—so very easily—mademuch happier than it is, if philanthropistswould only give themselves a fairviichance, set themselves patiently to studyfacts before committing themselves to crudetheories, try to make themselves reallyconversant with the conditions which theyvaguely desire to ameliorate, go to work inthe right way and learn to take things bythe right handles.

The circumstances under wh