THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 281 



exercises, not to mention the race-course, the gentle art 

 of anghng, or the exciting pleasures of saihng, may 

 occupy the leisure hours; but all these vanish with 

 September's sun. Partridge-shooting, which has dete- 

 riorated less than any other chasse au fusil, may endure 

 for its brief season; but there is a monotony in the 

 pursuit, militating against the permanence of its charms. 

 The time is then at hand so well described by one un- 

 conscious of all the beauties he depicted : — 



" Nor yet the hawthorn bore her berries red, 

 With which the fieldfare, wintry guest, is fed ; 

 Nor Autumn yet had dash'd from every spray, 

 With her chill hand, the mellow leaves away : 

 But corn was housed, and beans were in the stack, 

 Now, therefore, issued forth the spotted pack." 



COWPER. 



The racing campaign has terminated with the New- 

 market Houghton Meeting, and then is the time when all 

 the chivalry of England find their minds attuned to the 

 sport not elsewhere so to be enjoyed in all the king- 

 doms of the earth. The desire of the one sport leaves 

 St. James's tenantless ; the bow-windows of White's and 

 Boodle's are deserted ; their occupants are then, as they 

 have been humorously dehneated by Mr. Paul, '' candi- 

 dates for Brookes's" Happily, that one sport still 

 remains uninjured by the march of innovation. The 

 Noble Science flourishes, not only in pristine purity, but 

 in maturity of excellence. The breed of hounds has 

 2o 



