GAME LAWS. 443 



their own, as well as other people's, lives. Lest it 

 should be argued, however, that this might throw on 

 the parish-books those fishermen on the coast, who 

 could, otherwise, support their families by shooting, I 

 must beg to inform you, that these are the very men 

 who are most anxious that a duty should be laid on 

 guns, in order to prevent their being constantly annoyed 

 by the idle. I am credibly informed, that, a few years 

 ago, a petition to this effect would have been presented 



to the House of Commons by (I think) a Mr. B , 



from the fishermen on the coast of Essex, had they not 

 disobliged this gentleman by poaching, or some other 

 improper conduct. 



Let farmers' bird-keepers be confined to the use of a pistol, or 

 fire-arms not exceeding a foot in length, and be liable to a surcharge 

 if they shoot at game or water-fowl. 



Many a " bird-keeper /" have I caught, both at dusk, 

 and at dawn, crawling behind a hedge after a covey of 

 partridges that were feeding on a barley stubble. Such 

 little exercises in rural sports frequently go on, either 

 in the morning, before sportsmen are in the field ; or 

 in the afternoon, while the legislator is at the first 

 course of his dinner ; his head keeper at his tea ; and 

 the under keepers watching the coverts. 



Many a " bird-keeper!" too, have I seen leaving the 

 good farmer's corn to the generosity of rooks, while he 

 had skulked off to the river, to try the quality of his 

 master's gun and ammunition at a duck or a moor-hen. 



A freeholder of five hundred acres (or a tenant, with the consent 

 of his landlord) may depute a gamekeeper. 



As the law now stands, many a gentleman is living 

 on his estate, which consists of more than a thousand 



