164 Seventy Years a Master. 



sports should only be enjoyed by the high 

 and wealthy. That is far from my view, and 

 sorry, indeed, should I be to see the sports of 

 the field — one of the sources of our national 

 pride and honour — confined to any one class 

 exclusively. 



But this I must say, that a man who has a 

 family to support by his daily labour or 

 exertions in business, has no right to neglect 

 that family for pursuits for which it must be 

 quite evident that he cannot afford either the 

 money or time. Let him first place himself 

 beyond poverty, and provide against a rainy 

 day, and then enjoy himself as much as he 

 pleases in the health-giving joys of our 

 English field sports, chief of which I rank the 

 Chase. 



And now, enough of this '^ preaching," 

 because I am anxious to also pay a tribute to 

 another great friend and supporter of the 

 Hunt, namely the Puppy-walker. I put him 

 next in importance to the farmer, and the 

 success of the Hunt is in no small measure 

 due to them. Without the co-operation and 



