138 Four-in-Hand Z7t Britain. 



saying that the finest part of your sermon was a short 

 quotation from Shakespeare, and I have been reading the 

 whole passage to the ladies. Here it is : 



" The quality of mercy is not strained ; 

 It droppeth, as the gentle rain from heaven, 

 Upon the place beneath : it is twice blessed ; 

 It blesses him that gives, and him that takes." 



Imagine the feelings of the narrow, ignorant man, who 

 really thought he had a call from God to teach man- 

 kind. But he could not help it. A man can no more 

 escape the influence of Shakespeare than he can that of 

 surroundings. Shakespeare is the environment of all 

 English-speaking men. 



Davie's Shakespearean story was of a fellow in Ve- 

 nango County who, having just " struck ile," bought from 

 a pedler a copy of " As You Like It." He was so pleased 

 with Touchstone that he wrote to the pedler : " If that 

 fellow Shakespeare ever writes anything more, be sure to 

 get me one of the first copies — and d — the expense ! " 



We had one of the loveliest mornings imaginable for 

 leaving Stratford. Many had assembled to see the start, 

 and our horn sounded several parting blasts as we crossed 

 the bridge and rode out of the town. Our destination 

 was Coventry, twenty-two miles away, and the route lay 

 through Charlecote Park and Hampton Lucy. This was 

 one of the most perfect of all our days. The deer in 

 hundreds gazed on us as we passed. There were some 

 noble stags in the herd, the finest we had seen in Eng- 



