THE RENTED MANOR. 33 



each man duo consideration ; but if a mistaken 

 laxity in the landlord as regards his tenants liad 

 given, oi'j f(n' the time, assigned to them any sort 

 of s2>oi'ting permission to course hares or to kill 

 rabbits, then the very instant a stranger takes 

 from their landlord those rights exclusively, and 

 pays for them a heavy rent, war is proclaimed; 

 and in many instances tenants, forgetfully un- 

 grateful of the mere permission they had for some 

 time enjoyed, do all they can to annoy the noAv- 

 comer or tenant of the mansion, and to ^^I'cvent 

 their landlord from obtaining an increase to his 

 income, perhaps really needed, by the letting of 

 his house and his shooting, and his park and 

 grounds. 



On the other hand, if the landlord had been 

 of the opinion of the Cobbett ^^ gridiron," namely, 

 that farming and the pursuits of agriculture were 

 so interesting and agreeable in themselves '^as 

 to need no other amusement" on the acres, and 

 if he had kept his tenants strictly to their asserted 

 occupations, giving no leave of any kind to sport, 

 then the third man coming in would find all 

 smooth to his taking and to his liking, and it 

 would be his own fault, or the fault of some very 



VOL. II. D 



