THE SQUIRE 217 



In addition to these arguments against indis- 

 criminate "scarlet coating," we may adduce another 

 that will perhaps have more weight than the foregoing. 

 Nothing looks better than a well-appointed, well- 

 turned out sportsman ; and nothing looks worse than 

 a badly-turned out one. Things that would pass 

 muster uncommonly well with a black coat, are made 

 dreadfully conspicuous by a red one. There is 

 nothing so offensive to the eye as an ill-cut, ill- 

 coloured, bad cloth'd red coat. The majority of the 

 wearers of them seem to think that the coat being 

 scarlet, is all that is necessary ; hence we sometimes 

 see the most antediluvian cuts and the most out-of- 

 the-way fits — coats that look as if they were sent by 

 the Jews in Holy well-street on job for the day. Did 

 ever sportsman, we would ask, see a foxhunter 

 figuring on the stage without a shudder? Even 

 Widdicomb himself, great and versatile as he is, sunk 

 beneath the character at Astley's. Who will ever 

 forget Punch's portrait of him bowing like a man 

 milliner in the saw-dust circle ? Fancy turning half- 

 a-dozen Widdicombs into each hunting field, with 

 their red baize coats, outrageous breeches and boots, 

 and marvellously caparisoned horses. Yet we some- 

 times see objects that are not much behind the great 

 equestrian master of ceremonies in misconception of 

 the character and accoutrements. If occasional 

 sportsmen, and men dependent on the world's 

 favours, would take our advice, they would eschew 

 the scarlet coat, by which means they would escape 

 alike the smiles of their superiors and the detraction 

 of their equals or inferiors. But here comes a 

 licensed scarlet coat wearer — Squire Trevanion of the 

 Priory — followed by three or four friends who have 

 come to his house overnight for the convenience of 

 the " meet." The Squire's " chinchilla " whiskers, as 

 Mrs. Gore would call them, show that he is rather 

 past the prime of life, and like men vacillating 



