304 THE COUNTRY CLERGYMAN. 



or three o'clock in the morning, discussing this im- 

 portant subject, and exemplifying their fine and 

 elegant theories, by introducing a bat in the 

 parlour; and when satiated temporarily of this 

 side of the subject, they would then commence a 

 review of the manner and excellencies of the great 

 public players; while the names of Serle and 

 Saunders, of Beagley and Hayward, of Adams 

 (a great favourite with them) and Broadbridge, 

 were repeated again and again, till the chimes oi 

 the town clock warned them that the hour of cock- 

 crow was near, or in the words of Shakspeare, / 



' The Curfew-bell hath toll'd, 'tis three o'clock.' 



Poor Hector! he is alas no more! We were 

 present with him and played in his last match, in 

 which he was pre-eminently great, but soon after, 

 (it was then autumn, and the matches were break- 

 ing up) he complained of a pain in his side and 

 cough, and he gradually fell into an irrecoverable 

 decline. The ruling passion was strong even to 

 the last. During the latter time of his illness, 

 the great single wicket-match took place between 

 Pilch and Marsden at Norwich, in which the 

 former was victorious ; Hector was then on his 

 dying bed; but his brother thought it would 

 gratify him to hear that his favourite player had 

 triumphed, and mentioned his success. Hector 

 looked up and smiled and that smile was his 



