THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



favour. He concluded liis address, however, with this pithy 

 sentence : — 



* You have required no pledges from me, gentlemen, and 

 you have done wisely, for none would I have given you. If it 

 be your pleasure to return me to Parliament, as the repre- 

 sentative of yourselves and your interests, I will endeavour to 

 do my duty ; but I can only consent to be placed there with 

 the liberty to speak my own sentiments, and vote as my con- 

 science directs me. There is, however, one assurance which 

 you may accept as a pledge. I will, to the best of my ability, 

 support the crown, and the ancient institutions of the realm 

 both in church and state, which the example of a neighbouring- 

 country, so lately torn by dissensions in each of these depart- 

 ments, has induced many to assail. I am too young in years 

 to appeal to experience, and my reading, rather than my 

 experience, has led me to believe that there is no certain pro- 

 tection for either person or property under democratic sway, 

 and that Great Britain is the only nation in the world where 

 liberty is the direct end of its constitution. I can only add, 

 then, E>^to perpetua.' 



Here voices in the crowd exclaimed — ' Go on ! — Look at 

 America ! ' 



' Well,' continued our hero, ' I will look at America, and 

 to what can I compare her ? Why, to one of those lofty and 

 umbrageous trees which grow so bulky, and stretch out their 

 branches to such an extent, that the trunk is no longer able to 

 sustain their weight.' 



' Well done, the young one ! ' exclaimed an oldish man, in a 

 leathern apron, having somewhat the appearance of a journey- 

 man shoemaker. ' Go on ! ' 



' What were the republics of antiquity ? ' exclaimed a better 

 dressed man in black, not very unlike a dissenting minister. 



' Well,' observed our young candidate, ' I will tell you 

 what tltey were. They were the mature result of profound 

 political science. In their formation, the deepest resources of 

 philosophy were explored ; the most enlightened sages con- 

 sulted ; and every aid which history, experience, or example of 

 other states could afford, adopted. It is true, they flourished 

 for periods, under the auspices of consummate wisdom and 

 bravery, but their glory, in many instances, was but short- 

 lived. In fact, it was oftentimes confined to the lustre of a 



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