13

Sir Roger at the Church -Joseph Addison

Summary

The author is very happy for being holy Sunday, the seventh day of the week. Acording to the author it creates the cultural development among the people. Without this custom the people of the country become uncultured. On Sunday they are able to get an opportunity of meeting one another, knowing the paths told by the priests. Sunday clears the dirt of the week. It makes the people religious. Men and women meet one another on Sunday, they talk one another and learn how to behave well. They go to church on Sudnay in the same fashion as the urbans go to trade for more benefit, having adorned on Sunday.

Sir Roger is a gentleman. He is religous. He has decorated the inner part of his church with different types of religious books. He has given a good cloth for preaching. He has done all effort so that he tenants and parishians may go to the church easily and regularly. Everyone has been given handsome places for praying on which they may pray easily by kneeling. By this attempt he has made the people of Parish gentle.

Sir Roger is landlord of the assembled people chruch. He maintains good and strict discipline. His tenants pray with completely devoted and concentration at church. The writer throws the light on the character and eccentrities of Roger. With regard of discipline he neither let anyone sleep and nor doze at church during praying. Sometimes he comes in the mood that he begins verses and other comes in the mood of ending. Sometimes he pronounces 'Amen' three or four times and stands up and counts and tries to findout who so ever is absent. Once he reminded John Matthews to behave sincerely. John Matthews was rubing his heels while praying. The people were never disturbed wtih rude behaviour of Sir Roger. On the contradiction they praise him

Sir Roger after finishing the praying gave the time to talk do his tenants. Unless Sir Roger went out, none left the seat and when he went out, he asked about the families and their daily routine. Doing this he made them know that he has got information about them. The priest of the church once told the writer that Sir Roger gave the bible to the boy who performed well on the day of answering and questioning and gave his mother a flesh piece. He increased five pound per year in his salary and announced that the post of the Parish-clerk will be given to the deserving candidate after the retirement of the present incumbent who has grown old.

There was good understanding between Sir Roger and Parish-clerk. Both of them had good co-operation. It had good effect on the area. Beyond it in the neighbouring country there was always dispute between landlord and Parish-clerk. Both of them used to criticise each other. It had bad effect on the people of that area. The Parish-clerk had made the people atheists.

हिन्दी सारांश

लेखक सप्ताह के सातवें दिन को पवित्र रखने की प्रथा से अत्यन्त प्रसन्न है। लेखक के अनुसार इससे लोगों का सांस्कृतिक विकास होता है। इस प्रथा के बिना गाँव के लोग असभ्य हो गये थे क्योंकि उनको कोई ऐसा अवसर नहीं मिलता जिससे कि वे एक स्थान पर एकत्रित होकर एक-दूसरे से मिल सके. अपने कर्तव्यों का निर्वाह कर सके तथा ईश्वर की प्रार्थना कर सके। रविवार सप्ताह भर की गन्दगी को दूर कर देता है। लोग इस दिन धार्मिक बन जाते है। इस दिन लोग आपस में मिलते हैं, बातचीत करते हैं और अच्छा व्यवहार रखते हैं। जिस तरह शहर के लोग सज-धजकर व्यापार केन्द्र जाते हैं। इस प्रकार गाँव के लोग रविवार को चर्च जाते हैं

सर रोजर एक सज्जन व्यक्ति हैं तथा धर्म में आस्था रखते हैं। उन्होंने चर्च के आन्तरिक भाग को विभिन्न प्रकार की धार्मिक पुस्तकों द्वारा सुसज्जित किया है। यहाँ पर उपदेश लिया जाता है। यहाँ पर एक वस्त्र प्रदान किया जाता है। उनके द्वारा वे सभी प्रयास किये जाते हैं जिससे कि उनके आसामी नियमित रूप से चर्च जा सकें। उन्होंने सबको उचित स्थान प्रदान किये हैं। जिससे उनके आसामी घुटने टेककर प्रार्थना कर सके। इन प्रयासों से उन्होंने लोगों को भला बना दिया है

सर रोजर चर्च में एकत्रित लोगो के मध्य जमींदार हैं। वह सख्त अनुशासन के पक्षधर हैं। उनके आसामी पूर्ण श्रद्धा एवं निष्ठा से प्रार्थना करते हैं। लेखक सर रोजर के चरित्र की विशेष प्रवृत्तियो तथा सनकों पर प्रकाश डालते हुए कहते है कि चर्च में प्रार्थना के समय न तो वह किसी को सोने देते हैं और न ही पलक झपकाने देते हैं। कभी-कभी वह तीन या चार बार आमीन का उच्चारण करते हैं और अचानक खडे हो जाते हैं, और प्रार्थना करने वालों की गणना करने लगते हैं जिससे कि वह जान सके कि कौन-- कौन अनुपस्थित हैं। एक बार उन्होंने जान मैथ्यूज को याद दिलाया था कि तुम्हारा व्यवहार अच्छा नहीं है। जान मैथ्यूज प्रार्थना करते समय अपनी एडियों को रगड़ रहा था। सर रोजर के इस अप्रत्याशित व्यवहार से लोग बिल्कुल परेशान नहीं होते थे। वरन् उनकी प्रशंसा ही करते थे।

सर रोजर अपने आसामियों से प्रार्थना के बाद मिलते थे और जब तक वह बाहर नही चले जाते थे कोई भी अपना स्थान नहीं छोड़ता था। बाहर आकर वह लोगों से उनके परिवार तथा उनकी दिनचर्या के बारे में पूछताछ करते थे। इस तरह से वे लोगो को बता दिया करते थे कि उन्होंने यह पता कर लिया है कि कौन-कौन अनुपस्थित है। चर्च में पादरी ने एक बार लेखक को बताया कि एक बार सर रोजर ने प्रश्नोत्तर वाले दिन एक बालक को उसके अच्छे प्रदर्शन के लिए एक बाइबिल की एक प्रति भेट की ओर उसकी माँ को सुअर के मांस का टुकड़ा दिया। उन्होंने पादरी के वेतन में पाँच पौण्ड की वृद्धि कर दी और यह उदघोषणा की कि पादरी के अवकाश प्राप्ति पर वह अगली नियुक्ति योग्यता के आधार पर करेंगे।

सर रोजर और पादरी के मध्य अच्छा सामंजस्य था। दोनों एक-दूसरे के प्रति सहयोग की भावना रखते थे। इससे क्षेत्र के लोगों पर अच्छा प्रभाव पड़ता था। जबकि पडोस के गांव मे जमींदार तथा पादरी के बीच हमेशा झगडा बना रहता था। वे एक-दूसरे की बुराई किया करते थे। इससे लोगों पर बुरा प्रभाव पड़ता था इससे वहाँ के लोग नास्तिक बन गये थे।

Explanations

Text 1: Sunday clears away the dust of the whole week, not only as it refreshes in their minds the nation of religion but at it puts both the says upon appearing in their most agreeable forms, and exerting all such qualities as are apt to give them a figure in the crys of village.
 Word Meanings - Clears - Cleans (साफ करता है), Dust - Dirt (गन्दगी), Apt - Proper (उचित)
Reference - These lines form an extract from Addison's famous essay 'Sir Roger At Church'.
Context- In this paragraph Addison tells us about the day, Sunday, that makes people religious by praying to God.
Explanation - He says that on Sunday the people of Perish may clean themselves by praying to God on particular day. It is able to give away the dust of the whole week. It refreshes the mind of those who beleive in religion. Both men and women can make their thoughts highly religious. With this doing they may be able to have proper effect on the village.
Text 2: I am always very well pleased with a country Sunday, and
think, if keeping holy the seventh day were only a human institution, it would be the best method that could have been thought of for the polishing and civilising of mankind.
Reference - As above.
Context - In these passage the writer tells us about the significance of Sunday in country life.
Explanation - Addison says that he is very pleased with the significance of sunday in country life. He thinks that though keeping holy the seventh day of the week is only a human institution, it is the best method for the polishing, cleaning and making mankind civilized. It does so because people get gathered at a particular place in their best dress, meet each other and pray to the God for penence of their sins during whole week.
Text 3: A country fellow man distinghuishes himself as much in the churchyard, as a citizen does upon the change, the whole parish politics being generally discussed in that place either after sermon or before the bell rings.
Æ     Æ     Æ
Reference - As above.
Context- Both men and women can make their thoughts highly religious. With this doing they may be able to have proper effect on the village.
Explanation - On Sundays people come to the church in their best dresses and look cheerful and impress their fellow-villagers. A country fellow distinghishes himself as much in the churchyard as he performs the same function on Sundays as the dewellers of the city perform in the exchange. The local issues of the parish are discussed in that place either after sermon or before the bell rings just before the start of the church service. The ringing of the bell reveals the call for the service to start.
Text 4: As Sir Roger is landlord to the whole congregation, he keeps them in very good order, and will suffer nobody to sleep in it besides himself; far if by chance he has been surprised into a short nap at sermon, upon recovering out of if he stands up and looks about him, and if he sees anybody else nodding, either wakes them himself or sends his servant to them. AE            Æ                  Æ    
Word-Meanings - Nap - Slumber (-), Nodding - To salute by bending head.
Reference - As above.
Context - In this one Sir Roger has been described the landlord to the whole congregation. He maintains a very strict discipline.
Explanation - Here Sir Roger is a landlord to the whole congregation. In the chruch actually, it is the Chaplain who runs the whole show. He preaches and sings psalms. But even in Church Sir Roger behaves as if he were the supreme commander. He keeps all the people assembled there under strict discipline. He would not allow anybody else except himself to sleep or doze. There is a sense of irony and also a mild touch of humour in the expression, which is characteristic of Addison's style.
Text 5: Several other of the old knight's particularities break out upon these occasions; sometimes he will be lengthening out a verse in the singing Psalms half a minute after the rest of the congregation have done with it, sometimes when he is pleased with the matter of his devotion, he pronounces "Amen" three or four times to the same prayer.
Word-Meanings - Particularities - Pecularities (ag), Psalms-
Hymns (4), Congregation - Comminity (HP)1
Reference: As above
Context - In these lines Addison has pointed out some irregulaties and shortfalls in strictness in Sir Roger's character in his own case.
Explanation - Here, Addison says that sometimes Sir Roger himself breaks out the rules made by him during prayer. Sometimes, he continues some lines of singing psalms for half a minute after rest of the assembly has done it. Sometimes when he looks happy due to his devotion, speaks out 'Amen'. Three or four times to the same prayer instead of one, and sometimes he himself stands up while others sit upon their knees. He does so to count the people who are present in the assembly and find out who is absent during
prayer.
Text 6: This authority of the knight, though exerted in that odd manner which accompanies him in all circumstances of life, has a very good effect upon the parish, who are not polite enough to see anything ridiculous in his behaviour; besides that the general good sense and worthiness of his character make his friends observe these little singularities as foils that rather set off than blemish his good qualities.
Word-meanings - Polite - Humble, cultured (44, fafa), Ridiculous- Absurd (44), Singularities - Peculiarities (fafa), Foils - The things which is able to have good effect (fay), Set off - Increase (4), Blemish - Fault (c)
Reference - As above.
Context - Here Addison presents Sir Roger very strict in the concern of respect while as far as the matter of discipline. That is to say that it is not considered improper that is very important to maintain the outstanding discipline.
Explanation - As far as the example of love of Sir Roger's discipline one day Sir Roger asked John Matthews not to disturb the assembly and concentrate himself on the sermon. Although he has authority but inspite of the fact that it looks odd. It exercises a very healthy influence upon churchmen. There is no malice in his remarks. He has plenty of good sense in him and is really a worthy clergy. The little course of oddities and singularities of his character make his good qualities more striking and conspicious.
Text 7: The fair understanding between Sir Roger and his chaplain, and their mutual concurrence in doing good, is the most remarkable, because the very next village is famous for the difference and contention that arise between the parson and the squire, who live in a perpetual state of war.
Word-Meanings - Understanding समझ  Concurrence - agreement Contentions - Disputes.
Reference - As above.
Context - Here the writer says about the very good understanding between the landlord and chaplain.
Explanation - The fair understanding between the Chaplain and the landlord is the most remarkable feature of this parish. The credit goes to Sir Roger. In the adjoining parish the squire and, the Chaplain are always at
daggers drawn. This has brought bad effect while mutual understanding between the above two has brought good effect. On the other hand they are always in the state of war.
Text 8: Feuds of this nature, though too frequent in the country are very fatal to the ordinary people, who are so used to be dazzled with riches, that they pay as much deference to the understanding of a man of estate, as of a man of learning.
And are very hardly brought to regard any truth, however impotant [Kanpur 2007] soever it may be, that is preached to them, when they know there are several men of five hundred a year who do not believe it.
Reference - As above.
Context - The good relations between Sir Roger and his Chaplain were remarkable because of the bad relation between the Parson and the Squire in the next village.
Explanation - Such differences of opinion between the Parson and the Squire were a regular feature in villages. The differences proved fatal for the ordinary people. They were subject to the influence of persons of learning and also of rich people. Their appreciation of truth was also coloured with the submission of will. So when they saw a rich man paying little respect to the church, they also followed him. Thus they did not have or pay any regard to the truth however important it might be. Sometimes they came to know that there were several men who did not believe on such a truth that was preached to them. They still didn't believe on those.

Question-Analyse the striking qualities of Addison as a satirist ?

Or

Critically appreciate Addison's humour and satire is 'Sunday in the Country'.

Ans-

Addison played his part in the moral cleaning which was effected by The Tatler's and The Spectator.' But on the whole he did it with a less heartly-good will to women. Not that there is anything very severe in his satire. He deals mainly with fashions in dress and with feminine trivialities and probably nowhere does he pass a judgement so stern as that which has been quoted from Steele on the Conquette.

Addison was more apt than Steele to look abroad upon the general structure of society apart from the question of sex. Addison contributes serious critical papers on literature as well as satirical ores. As a satirist Addison possesses no prejudice or partiality. He is a detached but keen observer of men and manners. His main object was to criticise and reform the contemporary British society. Addison was an innovator of a new type of an essay which was to hold, as it were, the mirror up to nature through certain imaginary characters as the spectator, Sir Roger De Coverley and others.

Addison redicules some fashion of taste by a perfectly grave and simple description of its object. Perhaps the most admirable specimen of this oblique manner in his satire on the Italian opera in the number of the 'Spectator' describing the various lions who had fought in the stage with Nicolini. His power of ridiculing keenly without malignity is of course best shown in his character of Sir Roger de Coverley whose delightful simplicity of mind is made the medium of much good natured satire on the manners of the Tory country gentlemen of the period. One of the most exquisite touches is the description of the extraordinary conversion of dissenter by the Act against occasional conformity.

"He (Sir Roger) then lunched out into parish of the late act of Parliament for the security the church of England and told me with great satisfaction that he believed it already began to take effect for that a rigid dissenter who chanced to dine in house on christmas day, had been observed to eat very plentifully of his plum porridge.

The mixture of fashionable contempt for book learning blended with shrewd mother wit is well represented in the character of Will Honey Comb who had the discretion not to go out of his depth had often certain way of making his real ignorance appear a seeming one. Addison appears to be great satirist in the following essays. Dissection of Beau's Head, 'Coqutte's Heart'. 'Operation's,' 'Exercise of the Fan', 'Lady's Head Dresses,' 'Party fatches. He knew how to ridicule without abusing anyone. He affected a great social reform without inflicting wound. In his satire he is not personal like Pope nor misanthropical like swift. Satire in his hands ceased to be a naked soward. It was simply a pruning hook. It is not biting. He never grins and shakes his sides. He never points the finger are turns up the nose and shoots out the tongue. He is not sour and bitter while satirising. He is serene and gentle manly. He is good natured and well beared. In his essay 'Sir Roger at Home he gives a satirical exposition of the ecentricities of the behaviour which Sir Roger displays on the occasion of the Sunday. He exaggerated sense of duty at the church creates a funny and ridiculous picture. Addison hits in the following lines at those artists craths who care more for saving others souls than their own.

"As Sir Roger is landlord to the congregation, he keeps them in very good order and allows nobody to sleep in it beside himself for, if by chance he has been surprised into a short nap at Sermon, upon recovery out of it he stands up and looks about him and if he sees any body else nodding, either wakes them himself or sends servants to them."

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