Mr. Waterton at Home. 303 



animated nature, to which he had dedicated himself 

 from childhood to old age, proved the couplet true. 

 His lot brought with it no obligation to work for his 

 bread, and he became a mighty hunter with the Bads- 

 worth, when " Darlington's peer" was in his prime. 

 Sudden remorse seized him one day just before the 

 hunting season began. He felt that scampering after 

 foxes was " not life in earnest," and he longed to ex- 

 change the Tally-ho / and the Ware wheat ! for the 

 golden flash of the humming bird, the scream of the 

 parrot, and the deep toll of the campanero in the 

 forests of Brazils. A scarlet tempter in the person 

 of the Earl himself, met him a few miles from 

 London, and, jumping out of his chaise-and-four, 

 earnestly begged him to change his mind. Still, he 

 was not to be headed back, although, as he used to 



and Germany ; and the Emperor of the French purchased large and 

 middle for three successive years. At one time Mr. Wainman bred 

 about 220 pigs a year, and sold about iooo/. worth. Until the cattle 

 plague came, there was a brisk trade ; but the regulations interfered 

 and closed the English and Irish markets. In England the pigs were 

 perpetually stopped at stations, owing to some informality, real or sup- 

 posed, and, to save further expense, the butchers got them. Between 

 Carhead and Forfar five passes were required ; and, after such a severe 

 check, high prices became a dream of the past. 



Mr. Wiley's small breed are remarkable for neatness and quality, and 

 he has always got very high prices for them. The old gentleman has 

 not been a very extensive shower ; but he very seldom missed Birming- 

 ham, and won constantly till there were more "black judges" on the 

 bench. Lord Wenlock's pigs are always very fat, and' his lordship has 

 never shown finer pens of the small breed than those at Battersea and 

 Leeds, when the young sows were declared by the judges to be " mag- 

 nificent," as in truth they were. Before Mr. Wainman came out, Mr. 

 Harrison, of Stockport, beat everyone with small, middle, and big. 

 Carhead caught him up at Canterbury and Leeds, and Mr. Wainman 

 bought his Worcester Duke at Battersea for 23/., and won thirteen 

 firsts and four seconds with him. Victor, one of Mr. Harrison's boars, 

 did Mr. Duckering a good deal of good, and corrected the coarseness 

 of the Lincolnshire sort. Mr. Duckering has sows chiefly for the 

 middle breed, but he has shown all three for some years, and beat Mr. 

 Wainman, at Plymouth, with his Dexter Chief, who was beautifully 

 got up. His two sons assist him, and they keep a coal staith at 

 Kirton Lindsey. Mr. Hickman, of Hull, was once an extensive 



