PETER PIGSKIN 155 



of character and station forming the ingredients of 

 a hunting field for discussion and description. The 

 uninitiated may suppose that a "field" is merely 

 composed of one set of people, drawn from the same 

 class of life j but the foxhunter knows how different 

 is the fact, and how foxhunting reverberates, as it 

 were, through the whole of our social system ; how 

 the joy that a good run inspires in the breast of the 

 peer descends through all classes, even to the humble 

 pedestrian who witnesses either the find or the finish. 

 "Foxhunting," as was well said by Beckford, " is 

 the peculiar sport of Britons," and we trust it will 

 never be obliterated from the national character. It 

 is a fine, generous, comprehensive sport, that every 

 true follower delights to see his neighbour partake 

 of. It unites all classes in brotherly union, like 

 Shakespere's military offer of brotherhood, "be his 

 profession ne'er so mean." 



We need scarcely say that Peter Pigskin wears a 

 dark coat, for whoever saw a meet of foxhounds where 

 a dark coat did not arrive first? It is not a black 

 coat, but a dark coat; a bottle green, with metal 

 buttons, straight cut, single breasted, and short. 

 Peter is a man that has been elevated by foxhunt- 

 ing ; not ridiculously raised above his station, but 

 a man whom foxhunting has brought into contact 

 with parties he would not otherwise have become ac- 

 quainted with. Peter now, and Peter fifty years ago, 

 are very different people. The little, light, bow-legged, 

 shrivelled, grey-headed old man whose clean but 

 queer-cut clothes bespeak defiance to the elements, 

 was then the smart, straight, dapper postilion to the 

 Duke of Blazington, and rode the leaders of his 

 grace's coach and six. In those days great men 

 turned out like great men, and not like great midwives, 

 or great jewellers, as too many do now. The Duke 

 drove his six richly-caparisoned horses, whose flaunt- 

 ing manes were entwined with a luxuriance of ribbon, 



