FOXES FOXHOUNDS & FOX-HUNTING 



called Hodgson's Loup (Leap). It is said that 

 one Hodgson, a hunting parson, in the excite- 

 ment of the chase, galloped his horse over the 

 cliff's edge. It was this parson who said, " Do 

 as I say, not as I do," when preaching on Sunday 

 observance in the morning prior to an afternoon's 

 hunting. 



The parson at Wasdale Head was on one oc- 

 casion in the middle of the Litany when one of his 

 flock suddenly shouted : ' ' There's t' Ennerdale 

 gurt dog chassing for its life ! " In about ten 

 seconds the church was empty of everybody but 

 the parson, and though the latter got a bad start 

 he soon made up lee-way. The " gurt dog" 

 was a sheep-worrier which had been doing a lot 

 of damage amongst the flocks in the district. 



On one occasion when a farmer clattered down 

 the aisle in his clogs, the blind parson stopped 

 the service to enquire, ' ' Wha's that come in ? " 

 " It's Dan Mossop frae Fell End." " Afoot or 

 on horse-back ? " Parsons and laymen alike 

 were nothing loath to take their share of con- 

 traband liquor in those early days. Concerning 

 a church by the shore in the cellars of which the 

 smugglers used to store their kegs, a wit wrote the 

 following : 



' ' There's a Spirit above, and a spirit below ; 

 A spirit of love and a spirit of woe ; 

 The spirit above is the Spirit Divine. 

 But the spirit below is the spirit of wine." 



Long years ago in Troutbeck, a visiting clergy- 

 man came to take the place of the absent in- 

 cumbent. On entering the vestry he noticed 

 what appeared to be a dirty surplice hanging 

 behind the door. Seeing the direction of his 

 gaze the clerk hurriedly exclaimed, " You 

 musn't put that on, it's nobbut Auld Anne's 



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