Roaehing. 105 



sport of the poor bankers is so healthful, and contains so much moral 

 welfare in it, that it is worthy of all encouragement and consideration 

 by the Legislature ; for if it is worth the while of that paternal body 

 to put down bull-baiting, cock-fighting, dog-fighting, pugilism, ratting, 

 dancing, and even cards and skittles, it is surely worth its while to provide 

 in their place something besides drunkenness and debauchery. 



It used to be asked, " Pray what is a gentleman without his 

 recreation?" I think it much more to the purpose to ask. Pray what 

 is a poor man without his recreation ? And, if you do not know, I think I 

 can tell you, for it is summed up in two words — a "drunkard" and a 

 "revolutionist." If you can't trust your people to play, you can't trust 

 them to work. You destroy the balance, and they will restore it after 

 their own fashion. We are trying to make the working man " genteel;" that 

 is the only word for it, and we are making a monster as did Frankenstein. 

 "You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear." No, you can't. Parks 

 and gardens are all very well, but they are not enough, they don't at 

 all fill up the need. 



A hundred years or so hence, if England should have the great good 

 fortune to exist so long, what idiots our great great grandsons will 

 consider their great great grandfathers to have been ! and with what 

 amazement they wiU regard that wonderful anomaly of muddle, worry, 

 and mismanagement which we generalise under the name of the 

 Legislature, and which we continue to put up with year after year like 

 the very patientest of "patient Grisels !" and how very much justified they 

 will be in so regarding and considering ! In the name of goodness and 

 common sense, if a Government does not exist for the happiness, welfare, 

 and comfort of the nation it dominates, what does it exist for ? and 

 why is it permitted to exist ? and how long will it be before the people 

 begin to ask themselves that question ? But alas ! how infirm is human 

 nature ! I was but now a- saying that anglers be quiet contemplative 

 folk ; and here I am bursting out with principles which fine liigh flavoured 

 old Tory and solemn pragmatic old Whig would probably pronounce 

 alike to be bordering on communistic. Though it is laid down somewhere 

 that, though we should render to the Creator that which is his, we 



p 



