60 A ROPE FOR THE AUTHOR. 



found large-sized horses do tolerably well for a man 

 of my moderate expectations. But now let us return 

 to the ropes that I first mentioned. Suppose the one 

 to be made of but ordinary material, the other of the 

 best cord. (I may be destined to find the half-inch 

 one quite strong enough to do my business.) Curran 

 said, " a hearse was the coach after all." I may find 

 the small bit of choice hemp the rope " AT LAST." 

 either by voluntary or forced experiment. I hope 

 there is no wish on the part of my readers that I 

 should do so, as I fear I should say as Pat does, " the 

 more you bid me the more I won't :" for many as are 

 my obligations to all my readers, I do not pretend 

 to be as obedient as the Frenchman, who, we are 

 told, on being " bid to go to H 11, to H 11 he 

 goes." In fact, I have not about me the same obe- 

 dience: if I had, I might be tempted to do what 

 some friends have suggested, write a sporting novel : 

 but wanting this, as the loss of one faculty in- 

 creases others, my ideas are JUST enough to convince 

 me, that, after having written this same novel, it 

 would be sent by the public viva voce to the same 

 place the Frenchman so courteously betakes himself; 

 so on the whole I consider it would be a devilish 

 bad spec. 



When I touched on politics last month, it was 

 pretty clear I dare say to every one that I had, as I 

 said, got out of my line of country: in talking of 

 ropes (though I do not think in this case the thing is 

 quite so clear), I hope I am out of my line also ; and 

 when I run to earth, let me hope (if it is to such an 

 one as the Frenchman makes for) I may find it 

 stopped. " Hark back" is odious to a fox-hunter, 



