98 ECHOES OF OLD COUNTY LIFE. 



gentry and clergy to meet liim, and amongst others the 

 Reverend Christopher. Now, the reverend gentleman 

 was very fond of going to see the hounds meet, and, 

 pottering along through a well-known line of gates, 

 generally managed to sec a good deal of fun. The 

 Bishop, hearing of this, thought it would be a good 

 opportunity to trot Mr. Erie out at Sir Thomas's dinner- 

 party, and in conversation said he had a great objection 

 to his clergy riding to hounds, and, with a merry twinkle 

 of his eye, alluded pointedly to the worthy Rector. Mr. 

 Erie, in reply, said that he saw no harm in it, and that 

 people who went to the carnal enjoyment of balls were 

 equally reprehensible with men who occasionally went 

 to a meet of the hounds ; and he deemed it his duty, 

 he said, to allude to a statement in the Court Circular 

 of the past week, in which it mentioned that amongst 

 the guests at Her Majesty's State Ball at Buckingham 

 Palace was the Bishop of Oxford ! A great laugh 

 ensued, and his lordship replied, *' Yes, Mr. Erie, but I 

 make it a rule never to go into the room where the 

 dancers are." The ready retort was, '' Exactly my case, 

 my lord ; for I make it a rule never to be in the same 

 field where the hounds are running." There w^as an 

 explosion of laughter at this, at the Bishop's expense, 

 in which his lordship heartily joined, when the Rector 

 added he did not much care for hunting, and seldom 

 went with any but Baron Rothschild's hounds, as he 

 wished particularly " to promote Christianity amongst 

 the Jews." 



My good old friend came to tell me this story a few 

 days afterwards with this amusing addition. The 



