ZTbe 1Rex>. TKUIliam JSarfecr Daniel 113 



time. Old sportsmen are still to be found in whose 

 eyes there are but two books, the Bible and ' Rural 

 Sports.' However, the profits of the work were not large 

 enough to recoup the cost whereby the writer had gained 

 his experience. Daniel found it necessary to confine 

 himself to the limits of the King's Bench. Stung with 

 the charge that he was but a Nimrod in prunella, or 

 hopeful of more gains from a fresh venture, he published 

 from his prison some ' Thoughts on the Lord's Prayer.' 

 His training had not fitted him for religious literature, 

 and none but a biographer could now read his discourses. 

 He died in 1833, being as was supposed four-score years 

 of age." 



I am able, however, from researches elsewhere, to 

 supply some additional information which had evidently 

 not been brought to Mr. Sargeaunt's knowledge. Daniel 

 was born at Colchester in the year 1753, and was the 

 son of William Daniel, Esquire, presumably a gentleman 

 of some position and property. On leaving Felsted in 

 1771, William Barker was entered at Christ College, 

 Cambridge, as a pensioner, being then eighteen years 

 of age. His name appears to have been removed from 

 the books of the college after two years of residence, for 

 what reason is not stated. But he was readmitted on 

 September 6th, 1785, took his B.A. degree in 1787 and 

 his M.A. in 1790. He was then ordained, but as his 

 name does not appear among the list of beneficed 

 clergy in Gilbert's Ecclesiastical Directory, published in 

 1829, it has been conjectured that he never held any 

 cure. In a letter addressed to the editor of the 

 Gentleman's Magazine for July, 1802, he is made the 



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