THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



gentlemen made a solemn vow, on the morrow, tliat tliey would 

 never again mount either a tandem or a coach box, at least, 

 not with reins in their hands, when they had drunk too mucli 

 wine ; and, though they became very celebrated as coachmen, 

 and were occasionally put to rather a severe test, they most 

 religiously adhered to their vow. 



It was reserved to Hogarth to write a scene of furniture. 

 The rake's levee-room ; the nobleman's dining-room ; the apart- 

 ments of the husband and wife, in Marriage A la mode ; the alder- 

 man's parlour ; the poet's bed-chamber ; and many others, are 

 a history of the manners of the age. Nevertheless, as the 

 furniture and other accompaniments of apartments do, in a great 

 measure, describe the characters of the persons who inhabit 

 them, I will attempt a brief sketch of the rooms occupied by the 

 two Rabys, at Christchurch, as also those of Hargrave. 



The apartments of Andrew require only a short notice. A 

 bust of Shakespeare was on one table, and one of Sir Isaac 

 Newton on another ; prints of Mr. Pitt and Mr. Fox, and also 

 of Adam Smith, author of the Theory of Moixd Sentiinents, 

 adorned the walls ; and a handsome pair of globes were on a 

 side-table, together with a large portfolio of maps and drawings 

 of flowers from nature. On his book-shelves were the best 

 editions of the classics — both in English and in the dead 

 languages — as well as the chief historical works of sundry 

 nations and times. Neither were the rooms in which Frank 

 Raby was domiciled by any means wanting in books, which his 

 uncle had taken care to provide for him, nor were tliey alto- 

 gether uselessly bestowed upon him. In fact, he read hard by 

 starts, but wanted the steady application of his brother, which 

 was essential to cutting a figure in the schools, even in those days 

 when examinations were not over-strict. But the ornaments 

 of these rooms were of a very different character to those of his 

 brother ; and as the taste and inclinations of men are displayed 

 by such trifles, it will not be amiss to make mention of them. 



On his mantel-shelf was a beautiful figure of a race-horse, 

 cast in alabaster, and over it hung the good old-fashioned 

 print of Partner, the race-horse, taking a sweat at Newmarket. 

 That of Hambletonian and Diamond had just then been pub- 

 lished, and, of course, was to be found here, as well as in many 

 other rooms in this aristocratic College. The celebrated 

 carriage match of Lord March (afterwards Duke of Queensbury), 



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