182 THE SQUIRE AMONG HIS NEIGHBOURS. 



characteristic letter to his agent, Mr. Pritchard, 

 asking him to procure a legal opinion about certain 

 encroachments upon what he conceived to be his 

 rights, and those of the parishioners : — 



'' Dear Sir, — 



" You must remember Parson Jones has oft 

 been talking to me about the pews put up, unfairly, 

 I think, in the chancel of Barrow church. The 

 whole of the chancel is mine as patron, and I am 

 always obliged to do all the repairs to it, whenever 

 wanted. There is a little small pew in it of very 

 ancient date, besides these other two; in this, I 

 suppose, it is intended to thrust poor me, the patron, 

 into ; humble and meek, and deprived of every 

 comfort on my own spot, the chancel. The parson, 

 you know, has been saucy on the occasion, as you 

 know all black Toms are, and therefore I'll now 

 know my power from Mr. Mytton, and set the 

 matter straight somehow or other. I can safely 

 swear at this minute a dozen people of this parish 

 (crowd as they will) can't receive the Sacrament 

 together, and therefore, instead of there being pews 

 of any kind therein, there ought to be none at all, 

 but a free unencumbered chancel at this hour. 



