THUIUam Scrope 423 



intemperance, but rather, as Dogberry says, or ought 

 to say, ' it comes by nature.' Ginger-beer I hold 

 to be a dropsical, insufficient and unmanly beverage ; 

 I pray you avoid it ; and as for your magnums and 

 pottle-deep potations, why really at this season of the 

 year, as Captain Bobadil says, ' We cannot extend thus 

 far.' " 



After all, then, deer-stalking has its compensations, and 

 one need not be an anchorite to enjoy the sport. 



But it is odd that, whilst dwelling so minutely upon 

 other details in the deer-stalking equipment, Scrope gives 

 no directions on the dress most suitable for such sport. 

 If one may judge from the illustration which is here 

 reproduced and from others in his book, the deer-stalker 

 of Scrope's day adopted a costume which would cause 

 him to be hooted as a guy nowadays. Think of 

 stalking deer in a frock coat, tightly-strapped trousers, 

 and patent leather shoes ! Yet keen as his sense of 

 humour was, Scrope apparently saw nothing funny 

 or bizarre in such an outfit. 



How keen that sense of humour was is proved by 

 many racy passages in his delightful books. Here is one 

 instance which, despite its tendency to prolixity, I shall 

 make no apology for quoting in full. It is a narrative 

 of the adventures of a French sportsman among the 

 deer in the great forest of the Duke of Atholl. 



" ' J ov > J ov to vou > Lightfoot ; they say you have killed 

 two first-rate harts ; what a happy mortal you must 

 be ! But do, pray, tell me who that smart foreigner 

 is, who so nearly spoiled all our sport ? ' 



' Most readily will I give you his history, partly 



