The Merry Past 



sporting squire, kept a small pack of fast beagles, 

 and was not less fond of the sports of the field than 

 his friend, who had two packs. It so happened 

 that the jolly old gentleman had a fox brought to 

 him on a Saturday, which he placed in a tub, promising 

 himself great sport on the Monday following. Mr. 

 and Mrs. Corbet were constant attendants at church, 

 the latter being a very strict Protestant, and a lady 

 of most regular and exemplary habits. Mr. Stubbs 

 usually spent his Sabbath in a less edifying way, 

 being only booked for an outside-place at the house 

 of prayer. Full of his sporting anticipations for 

 Monday, he could not refrain from taking a sly look 

 at Reynard during the time of service : and he ac- 

 cordingly paid a visit to the tub, in order to see how 

 the animal fared : there, to his great disappoint- 

 ment, he found that the fox was more cunning than 

 those who had confined him, and that he had actually 

 bolted. The old sportsman was furious at this ; 

 but he swore that he would not be done. His horse 

 was at hand, saddled and bridled, and the thought 

 came into his head that he was still in tim^e to have a 

 bit of sport. He accordingly went to the kennel, 

 let out his famous beagles, laid them on the scent, 

 and ran through the churchyard. The scent was 

 breast-high, and the clattering of his horse's hoofs, 

 together with the cry of the pack, naturally alarmed 

 and astonished both the clergyman and congregation. 

 The former, indeed, was so astounded that when he 

 was about to pronounce "The righteous man shall 

 flourish like a green bay tree," he mistook and said a 



37 



