74 NIMROD'S HUNTING TOUR 



continued the joke by a second assurance that he did not aUude to 

 my brother, and asked him to retm'n with him to his palace to 

 dinner. He thanked him, but told him he was afraid even to dine 

 with a Bishop on a Saturday. 



Bishops, however, are men. A few years since I passed two days 

 in the same house wdth one of them, and, owing to a sporting man 

 or two besides myself being of the party, we talked so much about 

 hunting, that his Lordship was heard to declare, that he really 



believed, if he had remained a little longer at , he should have 



become a fox-hunter, though he had never worn a pair of boots in 

 his life. 



The best anecdote of a Bishop and hunting is yet to come. It 

 is well known, that (though before I was born) a cei-tain high- 

 bred dignitary of the Church kept a pack of fox-hounds, and was 

 one of the best sportsmen of his day. When, however, the mitre 

 adorned his brow, the hounds were transferred to his noble brother, 

 who continued them in great style, but the Bishop did not attend 

 them. Taking a ride, however, one day in a country in which he 

 thought it not unliliely he might see something of them, he met the 

 fox. The hounds were at fault ; when, putting his finger under his 

 wig, his Lordship gave one of his beautiful view-halloos. " Hark, 

 halloo!" said one of the field. The huntsman listened, and the 

 halloo was repeated. "That will do," said he, knowing his old 

 master's voice; " that's Gospel, by G-d ! " 



I seem to forget that I am waiting a history of a hunting country. 

 There was a Doctor of another description in Sussex — a saviour of 

 bodies, and not of souls — who took my fancy much as a sportsman 

 of the Old School. His name is Hodson, and he resides at Lewes. 

 Though a disciple of u9j]sculapius, he is much more partial to the 

 rural gods, and is a pretty constant attendant on the East -Sussex 

 hounds, generally contriving that his patients shall be convalescent 

 on hunting days. He has got two useful nags, if they zvere in 

 condition; but despite of this, they are doomed to carry himself— ^no 

 feather weight — pretty often, and a friend now and then into the 

 bargain. He had them both out one day, and I could not help 

 smiling at the pad-boy on the second horse — a good welter weight 

 of about fifteen stone ! 



