108 NIMROD'S HUNTING TOUR 



nature : Tom Sowclen '■' and I once tail-piped a greyhound at Jack 

 Land's f door (there being no steps,) and he made but one jump to 

 the bridge, as God's my judge " (the usual way of the Colonel 

 clenching all his stories). Those who know where the bridge is 

 situated must agree with me in thinking that the Colonel could jumi) 

 a bit also. I am told, however, that his anecdotes were generally 

 good, and the merit of them much enhanced by the very peculiar 

 mode of utterance with which he delivered them. 



A clergyman residing in Devonshire, having another living in 

 Nottinghamshire, went a short time since to visit it. As is cus- 

 tomary on such occasions, his old bailiff, or farming man, wrote 

 to inform him how things were going on in his absence, and con- 

 cluded his epistle with these words : — "Betty Hony was married a 

 Monday — Time she lo as. The old sow have a farrowed nine." Now 

 whether among the figures of speech, or the rules of writing, this 

 may be termed a climax, I leave others to determine ; but there is a 

 unity of thought and a closeness of expression about it which savour 

 strongly of the concise. 



* Thomas Sowden, Esq., of Whitstone near Exeter, a gentleman of con- 

 siderable fortune and eccentric habits, who keeps a small pack of harriers, 

 "j" Landlord of the London Inn, Exeter. 



