MOUNTAIN FOXES 275 



hunting is the most popular. Most of the ballads 

 sung upon festive occasions have for their subject- 

 matter some " Bet Bouncer," with cheeks " broad 

 and red as a parson's cushion," or memorable fox- 

 chase. Wordsworth asserted that in his time, when 

 the hounds were out on Helvellyn, not a soul in 

 the village would stay for want of leisure to enjoy the 

 sport. And I know of my own frequent knowledge 

 that this applies to the daleswomen as well as the 

 men. Hunting with harriers or foxhounds is equally 

 popular, though from the nature of the ground the 

 former has most women followers. So strongly did 

 this love of sport exist among the yeomen of the last 

 century that it is even asserted they went hunting 

 on Sundays. In time this Sabbath-breaking and 

 lawlessness became so flagrant that the parson from 

 the pulpit openly denounced it. And it is said to 

 this day that his denunciation was uttered in this 



wise : " O ye wicked of W , if you go a-hunting 



any more on the Sabbath day, I'll go with you! " 

 and the good clergyman, being as fond of hunting 

 as the rest, kept his word to the letter. 



