DR. ASTON. 91 



forth equipped for the occasion, with his dark 

 brown topped boots, and a pair of silver chain 

 spurs on his heels, a pepper and salt coat, some- 

 what short in the skirts, but coming well over his 

 knees, a huge whip in his hand, and a hat rather 

 low in the crown, but with a capacious brim, under 

 which appeared his wide, red, good-humoured 

 face. The doctor himself was a large portly man, 

 riding somewhat under twenty stone, but his favou- 

 rite horse was quite equal to his weight. He was 

 a dark chestnut, nearly seventeen hands high, 

 and would have carried a giant ; when he was led 

 from the stable, the worthy vicar mounted from 

 a horse-block, the only chance he had of getting 

 into his saddle. I must here digress a little to 

 inform my youthful readers that in former times 

 a horse-block was attached to almost every house in 

 the country. In those prosperous days, the good 

 old custom of riding double was universally prac- 

 tised, and in order to facilitate the ascent of a 

 female behind some village Nestor, so called from 

 his being a pillion sage, (excuse the pun) the ap- 

 pendage I have mentioned was in general use. 



Off the Doctor set, attended by his servant, a 

 sort of factotum, who occasionally acted as groom, 

 clerk, and footman. It was pleasant to see the 

 hearty welcome which the worthy divine received 

 from his brother sportsmen, when he came to the 

 place where the hounds met to throw off. He 



