COMICALITIES OF THE HUNTING-FIELD 167 



sliould a doctor, a lawyer, or a inercliant. It Las 

 happened more than once that those making com- 

 plaint against a sporting parson have met with 

 well-deserved, though unexpected, rebuke. 



' A well-known hunting poem, entitled " Billesdon 

 Coplow," was written by a clergyman who was fre- 

 quently seen with two or three of the Midland packs, 

 and the following anecdote is told of him : Some of 

 his brethren of the cloth were showing him up, on 

 account of his sporting propensities, to his diocesan, 

 who was inclined to wink at a few failings which 

 "leaned to virtue's side," and was satisfied with 

 the merits of his otherwise irreproachable character. 

 Amongst other enormities, they represented that 



Mr. was actually going to ride a match at the 



county races. " Is he indeed ? " said the amiable 

 and good-humoured old bishop — "is he indeed? 

 Then I will bet you half-a-crown he wins ! " ' 



The farmers who ride to hounds are many of 

 them keen sportsmen as well as bold riders. A man 

 who has been brought up from boyhood among 

 horses must be well accustomed to them, and horses 

 certainly get well accustomed to some very marked 

 peculiarities in their riders. Of one who used to 

 hunt in Essex the following tale is told : 



^ A farmer in Essex, well known some years ago 

 in Lord Petre's hunt, had a horse which was a re- 

 markably clever jumper. I often tried to coax him 

 out of the horse at a strong price. " No," he would 



