THE LIFE OF A SFORTSMAN 



I consider to be the duty of every public man in these times, 

 whether in Parliament or out. He should lend all the aid in 

 his power to preserve the essentials of the British constitution, 

 yielding to such changes only as are by no means likely to put 

 its safety to the hazard ; to repress, as much as possible, that 

 violent propensity to confusion and anarchy which secretly, if 

 not openly, agitates the ignorant and discontented ; to soothe 

 the querulous, and encourage the timid, and disappoint and 

 undeceive the daring and ill-intentioned ; to guard every man's 

 right, by showing that no claims are paramount to justice; 

 and, lastly, to establish the security of property by encouraging 

 all classes in its defence, and impressing on the public mind 

 this great truth, that life is no longer valuable to any man than 

 whilst he continues in the sure and peaceable possession of what 

 he has a right to call his own.' 



' Bravo, Raby ! ' shouted at least half of those who heard him. 



From the commencement of the foregoing address, it is ap- 

 parent that our hero was by no means anxious for the honour 

 that now awaited him, since he was very sparing of his profes- 

 sions, and indeed, even of his words, until the spur was applied 

 to him. But neither professions nor words were wanting ; 

 neither the purse of the sugar-baker, nor his humour, could 

 avail against the deeply-rooted interest of Sir Richard Hartley, 

 who, in addition to owning nearly half of the borough, spent 

 £4000 a year on it ; and at the end of the third day's poll, our 

 hero was left to walk over the course, and, consequently, at no 

 heavy expense. 



The visit to Sir Richard — a very good kind of man in his way, 

 but of tastes somewhat uncongenial with those of his young 

 guest, and twice his age withal — being one merely of business, 

 and the object of it being attained, Frank Raby was in London 

 again as soon as four posters could convey him, and hailed 

 amongst his acquaintance as the new M.P. 



' I would rather be M.F.' said he, to some of his friends 

 who were jeering him ; and amongst the hardest hitters of 

 them all was his dear friend Hargrave, who cast these lines in 

 his teeth : — 



' Go on, brave youths ! till, in some future age. 

 Whips sliall become the senatorial badge : 

 Till England see her jockey senators 

 Meet all at ^yestminster, in boots and spurs; 



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