MAGISTERIAL MISTAKE. 549 



Wofully tired, for I had come thirty miles on horseback, I crept 

 into a corner of the pigmy bar, and " pitching in" to a huge loaf and 

 beef to correspond, began to feel myself comfortable, when the land- 

 lord rushed in to announce that their worships were coming, 

 coming, as a matter of necessity, on account of the architectural pe- 

 culiarities of the premises, through the bar, to make their august 

 exit. 



Usually the petty sessions were held at Plymington; but, on 

 account of the fair, the magistrates sat, as a sort of pie-poudre tri- 

 bunal, once a year at Wraxham. 



Their worships descended : I held up the beef while they passed ; 

 the bread took its chance, and was, as I had expected, precipitated 

 to the floor, and kicked majestically into the kitchen. The gentle- 

 man in the van, was evidently clerical ; the main body followed ; it 

 consisted of one brutal-looking, vulgar, obese fox-hunter in doe skins 

 and top boots; the array was without a rear, the chairman he of 

 the quorum, being oppressed with business and bad port, in the arm- 

 chair up stairs. 



On the brink of the bar door, the clerical personage in the van 

 fronted about, and brought up his belly to bear against the advancing 

 squadron, which consisted, as I have said of the fat fox-hunter. An 

 undignified stagger on both sides was the consequence, which, how- 

 ever, the landlord on the one hand, and his tap-wench on the other 

 speedily rectified, and the clerical gentleman thus spoke, while his 

 fox-hunting associate nodded assent, being drunk and sleepy to 

 every word he uttered. 



' Landlord of the Roebuck, I forget your name ?" 



' Jenkins, your worship, all the world over." 



' How dare you interrupt ? Jenkins, as I was about to observe, a 

 man of your years encouraging profligacy and vice " 



' I ! me !" 



' Don't give tongue, scoundrel !" exclaimed the fox-hunter. 



' Silence, every body," roared the reverend gentleman. * e I say, 

 Mr. Jenkins, it astonishes me to find you employing such an ostler ! 

 we punished him three months ago, for riding on his shafts, at 

 Plymington." 



" I knew nothing of this, your worship." 



" Fellow, hold your tongue : where was the use, I confidently 

 ask, of our getting the vagabond discharged as well as punished, if 

 you give him employment ? For, as the Latin poet most pertinently 

 says : 



{ Sylvestrem tenui, musam meditaris, avena !' 



Eh ! Mr. Faggot ?" 



" Oh ! it's quite clear, Sir," growled the fox-hunter. 



" Your worship," said the landlord, " I assure you that the fellow 

 will quit me to-morrow morning. He and I had a quarrel, about a 

 month ago. I gid him warning, and he's got a new place out o' th' 

 county. There's been a man here from Wiltshire to-day for hig 

 character, and I couldn't tell no lie ; so to-morrow he starts." 



" And who was the man?" inquired the parson. 



