300 THE COUNTRY CLERGYMAN. 



pacify him, the batter would at length do, what 

 Wellington would not, retire from the field, or 

 perhaps let himself be bowled out. It was worth 

 this sacrifice of a wicket, for good humour and 

 satisfaction immediately regained their ascendancy, 

 and Browne went away self convinced that he was 

 a first-rate bowler. Mr. Browne had also another 

 fantastic habit, of endeavouring to assume the 

 attitudes while at the wicket, of the great public 

 players. Sometimes he would stoop over his bat, 

 with his back at right angles with his legs, like 

 Beagley : sometimes he would keep jerking and 

 swinging his bat like Broadbridge ; sometimes he 

 stood fixed and immovable as Pilch, and in his 

 successive transformations he always promised him- 

 self the science of his illustrious prototypes. It was 

 in vain he was told, that the attitude was of no con- 

 sequence ; that every good cricketer chose his own 

 style, and was original ; that an imitator is necessa- 

 rily an inferior. It was all of no avail ; the Proteus 

 of cricket was every day in a new clnracter, and 

 as may be conceived, unsuccessful in all. When he 

 played in a calm rational manner as himself, very 

 few of us were superior to him. He grew at last 

 too corpulent for the game, and took up fishing 

 instead. When we last heard of him he was 

 married, and had become very musical. I had 

 forgotten to mention that one of his tenants be- 

 longed to the club, wlu ,\as one of our most bril- 



