THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



See the whole House, in mutual frenzy mad, 

 Her patriots all in leather breeches clad : 

 Of bets, not taxes, learnedly debate, 

 And guide with equal reins a steed and state.' 



'But, jesting apart,' resumed Hargrave, 'how did you get on 

 upon the hustings ? ' 



'Tipped them "a little jaw," as we used to say at Eton. I 

 meant to have said less than I did say, but one or two of my 

 constituents, as I suppose I must now call them, would not be 

 satisfied till they had tried me on a point or two touching 

 my principles, as they are called, but they did not get much by 

 it. I only advised them to be quiet and good subjects, and 

 mind the main chance ; and I might have added, mind their 

 own business. For my part, I cannot think what a fellow 

 with a leathern apron before him can know about politics ; but 

 this I do know, that if power were to get into the hands of such 

 fellows, the tyranjiy of a Nero or a Caligula would be a trifle 

 to it. At all events, the natural form of society would be 

 reversed. The bad would usurp the place of the good, the 

 young of the old, the weak of the strong, the foolish of the wise, 

 the poor of the rich, the servant of his master, and the subjects 

 of their sovereign.' 



' And did no metaphorical application of the study and 

 science of coachmanship or race-riding escape j^ou ? ' said 

 Sir John Inkleton, jocosely ; ' nothing about holding the 

 reins of government with a steady hand, clogging the wJieels 

 of administration, or of other nations outstripping us in 

 the race of glory ? But tell me, Frank, how did your 

 opponent acquit himself ? — did he touch on the shop in his 

 speech ? ' 



' Not he, indeed,' replied Frank, ' but he touched on most 

 other subjects, for he spoke for above two hours. In fact, he 

 appeared to pride himself on his eloquence, and to place his 

 chief dependence upon it ! Indeed, the opening sentence of his 

 speech — and he might as well have told us that Queen Anne 

 was dead — was this : — " Speech being the faculty which exalts 

 man above the rest of the creation, we may consider eloquence 

 as the talent which gives him the most distinguished pre- 

 eminence over his own species ! " ' 



' Capital ! ' exclaimed Sir John ; ' and what next ? ' 

 » ' Oh,' replied Frank, ' I might as well endeavour to 



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