TESTIMONIAL TO MR. fONVERS. 97 



gentleman whom we are this night assembled to compli- 

 ment. If it be asked whv his name has been g-reeted with 

 such enthusiastic acclamations, it will not be difficult to 

 answer. The reason is, because he has at all times pro- 

 moted to the utmost of his power, in his own district, the 

 national sport of this country. Gentlemen, we hav^e a 

 right to call it our national sport, because not only is it 

 embraced and enjoyed by all classes in this country, but it 

 is either not understood or not appreciated by any other 

 nations on earth. Though I now appear before you in a 

 black coat, I remember the time when I wore scarlet. At 

 that time I recollect once having met a foreigner at a fox- 

 hunt. The horses and dogs were in the best of spirits, 

 the sky was everything that it ought to be, and everything 

 looked promisingly, and augured a good day's sport ; but 

 there occurred one of those untoward accidents which it is 

 impossible to foresee or provide against, and the fo.\ was 

 chopped in cover. My friend the foreigner thereupon 

 turned to the Master of the Hountls (it was in another 

 county than this) and exclaimed : " Oh, my lord Duke, I 

 congratulate you on having kilktd that animal so soon, and 

 with so little trouble. " But, though foreigners cannot 

 understand it, it is a sport which affords enjoyment to all 

 classes of people in this country. In this respect it has a 



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