230 NIMROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 



the state in which the Sporting Magazine was wont formerly to be found, 

 in a master's of fox-hounds house, towards the middle of the month," 

 thought I, within myself, with feelings, 1 admit, nearer allied to pride 

 than teeming with that indispensable virtue called charity ! 



Although I have called Mr. Melville a master of the Fife fox-hounds, 

 he has a partner in the duties attending that honourable post, in Captain 

 Wemyss, of Wemyss-castle, M. P. for the county, who manages the 

 pecuniary part of the concern, leaving the affairs of the country, the 

 fixtures, and the kennel, to Mr. Melville. And it is well he does so, for 

 what with attractions of politics and other more serious, but I should 

 imagine by no means more alluring, avocations, the captain only once 

 took the field during either of my visits to Fife, nor do I believe that, fond 

 as he appears to be of hunting, he enjoyed it half a dozen times during the 

 season. The conflicting political interests, however, of this individual 

 county appeared, as it were, to be tearing up society piece-meal, although, 

 I must say, it is the only one in which I ever heard of politics preventing 

 a man hunting in one part of it, but not in another ; yet such was the 

 case with Captain Wemyss, previously to his having been elected its 

 representative. 



On our voyage from Edinburgh to Largo, we passed within view of 

 Wemyss-castle, and also of the residence of a quondam celebrated Mel- 

 tonian — namely, Mr. Cristie of Dury, who 1 was sorry to hear had 

 retired from the field in which he was so conspicuous, not only as a 

 rider, but as a sportsman, and this upon a conscientious scruple. If he 

 thinks fox-hunting is wrong, he is not wrong to discontinue it ; but, for 

 ray own part, I see nothing in it that can hurt the soul, however the 

 body may be affected by it, and I am ready to exclaim with Falstaff — 



