to draw near. The speaker was bareheaded, and the breeze at each waft
gently lifted and lowered his hair, somewhat too thin for a man of his
years, these still numbering less than thirty-three. He wore a shade
over his eyes, and his face was pensive and lined; but, though these
bodily features were marked with decay there was no defect in the
tones of his voice, which were rich, musical, and stirring. He stated
that his discourses to people were to be sometimes secular, and
sometimes religious, but never dogmatic; and that his texts would be
taken from all kinds of books. This afternoon the words were as
follows: -
"'And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto
her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set
for the king's mother; and she sat on his right hand. Then
she said, I desire one small petition of thee; I pray thee
say me not nay. And the king said unto her, Ask, on, my
mother: for I will not say thee nay.'"
Yeobright had, in fact, found his vocation in the career of an
itinerant open-air preacher and lecturer on morally unimpeachable
subjects; and from this day he laboured incessantly in that office,
speaking not only in simple language on Rainbarrow and in the hamlets
round, but in a more cultivated strain elsewhere - from the steps and
porticoes of town-halls, from market-crosses, from conduits, on
esplanades and on wharves, from the parapets of bridges, in barns and
outhouses, and all other such places in the neighbouring Wessex towns
and villages. He left alone creeds and systems of philosophy, finding
enough and more than enough to occupy his tongue in the opinions and
actions common to all good men. Some believed him, and some believed
not; some said that his words were commonplace, others complained of
his want of theological doctrine; while others again remarked that it
was well enough for a man to take to preaching who could not see to do
anything else. But everywhere he was kindly received, for the story
of his life had become generally known.