202 N1MROUS NORTHERN TOUR. 



they. The house remains as he found it, save a few additional 

 comforts, such as double doors, &c., and, for the purpose now re- 

 quired, wants nothing but to be larger, four spare beds being all 

 that remain for visitors. But it is not the house, homely enough, 

 God knows, and, from its outside appearance, such as would be 

 considered infra dig. by a swell city tradesman's wife ; it is the 

 truly emblematic character if I may use such an expression 

 of everything to be seen inside of it, that alone deserves notice. 

 In the first place, neither butler nor footman is there to be found, 

 the house work being done by two young men, one, the son of a 

 keeper at Keith Hall a smart, clean-made young fellow, neatly 

 dressed in his own clothes ; and an active young man, or rather 

 lad, in an undress livery, but with an old head on his shoulders, 

 and booked, I should imagine, for Keith Hall, in future. Neither 

 is the pearled or strawberry-leafed coronet allowed to be seen 

 here. The plate, the linen, the china, the glass, are all marked 

 with a fox's head, encircled with a wreath, on which the words 

 " Floreat scientia," are neatly stamped. The moment you enter 

 the house, you will find you are in that of a sportsman, not 

 merely by the hunting whips that hang up in the vestibule, or the 

 celebrated print of " Lord Darlington's hounds at the feeding 

 troughs," which instantly presents itself to your view, but in the 

 tout ensemble of the embellishments of every room you enter. 



We will begin with that which sportsmen like best the one in 

 which their " feeding troughs " are laid. Over the fire-place is 

 the late Sir Tatton Sykes-*-a first-rate sportsman, I believe in 

 the act of finding his fox, and a capital picture it is. He is sup- 

 posed to be roaring out to some would-be professor of his art, 

 who is holloaing away his fox, and getting the heads of his 

 hounds up, instead -of letting them hunt him. The whipper-in, 

 behind him, is also capital. He is in the act of taking a good 

 fence, with his eyes turned towards the offender, as much as to 

 say " D n you, I wish I dared lay into you, you noisy son of 



a ." Underneath are the following lines, in a small frame, 



(in allusion to the feeding troughs at Cask) which partake of the 

 poet's privilege in the two first lines, for as much as they want 

 truth ; for though the butler is stopped out, the cook is not, and,, 

 above all things, no lack of good wines at Cask : 



" On Irish stew if you can dine, 

 With humble port and sherry wine ; 

 And for a time can ruralize, 

 The Turriff sport to criticize ; 

 Discard all riding from your mind, 

 For here no jealous swells you'll find : 



