256 FRANCIS ORPEN MORRIS 



a gross waste of time and money, and bred a vast 

 amount of selfishness to boot. 



For those who would not be convinced by the 

 ordinary form of sober argument, he clothed the 

 expression of his views on the question in a livelier 

 garb, and published them in a pamphlet which had 

 a wide circulation at the time, his remarks having 

 previously appeared in the columns in the Animal 

 World. The title-page of the publication at once 

 bespoke its character. It represented a bit of retri- 

 butive justice in a picture of a huntsman on foot 

 flying for his life pursued by a pack of foxes, who 

 were close upon his heels and ready to tear him 

 to pieces. The author gave his name in full, adding 

 as one of his honours this, namely, that he was 

 " Knight of the most noble Order of St. Francis," a 

 title which, by the way, one of his correspondents 

 afterwards took quite seriously, firmly believing that 

 he had been solemnly dubbed by some unknown 

 sovereign a knight of that particular order, and, 

 therefore, it may be presumed that he wore the 

 ribbon of the said order a little episode which the 

 " Knight of the Order of St. Francis" himself greatly 

 enjoyed. The pamphlet was written in dialogue 

 form, the principal characters being a squire, a 

 nobleman, a farmer, and a country parson ; the 

 scene was laid on a village green ; the occasion, 

 a meet of the hounds. There were present on 

 horseback Lord Redgauntlet, Lord Newman, Squire 

 Holdhard, Mr. Goahead, Mr. Smash, Mr. Leapwell, 

 and a large and somewhat motley gathering of 



