The Merry Past 



his own descendants. About four years before his 

 death, when so standing, on the arrival of the gentle- 

 men, and after the usual greetings, he addressed Mr. 

 Hopwood : " Mester Hoppud," said he, " will you 

 step this way, and I'll just show you a queer touch." 

 The old man led the way to a house, and gave a 

 shout ; out came a fine young woman (a great-grand- 

 daughter), with a child in her arms. " There now," 

 said he with some pride, " you may go home and tell 

 'em you've hunted with five generations i' the same 

 field." His interest in sport continued to his last 

 day ; and on the very evening of his death a grandson, 

 who had been out with the hounds in the morning, 

 called to see him. The old man asked where the 

 hounds had been, and what they had done ; and on 

 being told that after a good run and killing their 

 hare they had gone home at eleven o'clock, he ex- 

 pressed great surprise, and said quickly, " What could 

 mak' 'em do so ? " In two hours after he was dead. 

 Eleazar used to declare that he had never missed 

 a chance of following hounds since he had been a 

 lad, whilst laying great stress upon the importance of 

 putting on dry shoes and stockings on reaching home. 

 He had been an early riser, and never a hard drinker, 

 though, as he admitted, not averse to an occasional 

 bout, though never to such an extent as to damage 

 his health. He had a fresh complexion, and honest, 

 open countenance, with a carriage upright to the 

 last ; his appearance, indeed, was a faithful index 

 of his health and character. He married his first 

 wife the year George the Third ascended the throne, 



53 



