144 THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER 



appeared at the hall-door to greet his sporting 

 friends, and the sweep immediately rode forward, re- 

 ceived the congratulations of his Grace, and returned 

 them by holding his brush horizontally in front of 

 his hat, a la militaire. This movement brought all 

 the ladies and other inmates in the house to the 

 windows, whereupon the sweep jumped up on his 

 nag, and stood erect upon one leg, extending the 

 other in the air, holding the reins in one hand, and 

 holding out the other like a flying Mercury. He 

 then showed his skill in horsemanship by galloping 

 round the circle in this attitude, amidst the waving 

 of handkerchiefs, and to the infinite amusement of 

 all present.' 



Frenchmen are supposed to be not very partial to 

 fox-hunting in the English fashion; however, some 

 years ago, M. Alphonse Esquiros, a well-known 

 French author, being in England, participated in the 

 sport in a county ' whose name,' he says, ' I cannot 

 give, for reasons which will be presently understood ; 

 it is one of those most celebrated for fox-hunting.' 

 After describing the meet at the covert- side, the 

 master of the hounds appears upon the scene, and 

 the sport begins. 



c At last appeared the squire; he was a man of 

 about sixty, but still hale, and whose manners, at 

 once noble and affable, announced the pleasure him- 

 self felt in affording pleasure to others. My friend 

 the sportsman wished to introduce me to him. " He 



