Pseudonymous Foot Beagles 59 



whim, he was also a Master of caligraphy 

 and now, as then, he claims that nihil quod 

 tetigit non ornavit. 



Having, like the mushroom, suddenly and 

 unexpectedly come to the surface, the soaring 

 ambition of this masterful Master (he being 

 a " Roturier," with the usual mauvais gout of 

 his class) looked upon foot beagles with con- 

 tempt, notwithstanding the fact that for years 

 before he " rose in the firmament " they had 

 satisfied and given unmitigated pleasure to 

 numbers of his betters (socially and mentally) 

 of both sexes, who were unable to afford the 

 luxury of a horse to ride. Wretched foot 

 beagles were not good enough for him ; he 

 could afford horses, or at least the partner of 

 his joys who had been attracted by his kilt 

 and caligraphy could ; and had he not, since 

 his elevation, been practising riding a " Gee " 

 (privately), so that he could really stick on a 

 quiet horse if it went peacefully and smoothly, 



