2o6 MEMOIR OF 



so, I give you the name of the Rev. John 

 Froude, of Knowstone." 



That gentleman, as the reader is aware, had 

 already given the bishop more than one backfall, 

 which neither he nor his secretary would be 

 likely to forget ; he had proved himself, in fact, 

 more than a match for both ; and his lordship 

 was far too clever a strategist to renew an attack 

 which, if unsuccessful, his good sense told him 

 would only weaken his episcopal authority. 



It is no figure of speech to say that, at 

 that period, there w^ere probably a score of 

 clergymen who had packs of their own in the 

 diocese of Exeter ; three of whom kept fox- 

 hounds only, while the others hunted nominally 

 the hare. 



So the bishop, in commencing, as he very 

 soon did, an energetic crusade against them, 

 had a host to deal with ; every one of whom, 

 not being a curate, would be likely to cry " no 

 surrender " — nay, to defend their right of re- 

 creation in that fashion to the last shot in 

 their locker. 



There is a story of one — the vicar of St. 

 B. — an old friend of Russell's on whom soft 

 words and angry monitions were expended 

 alike in vain ; both being equally powerless to 

 bring him either to the bishop's palace or his 

 visitation courts. At length, his patience being 

 exhausted, his lordship issued a formal citation 



