THE HARE AND THE LAWYERS 53 



Lord William Howard, the bold Baron of the 

 Marches, was supplied with great quantities of game 

 for his household at Naworth Castle ; the price which 

 his steward paid was sixpence for an old hare and 

 threepence for a leveret. At the present time a 

 Scottish poacher can generally obtain half a crown for 

 a good hare, and I am told that the price never falls 

 below eighteenpence, even when hares are unsaleable 

 in the shops. 



The Rev S. Dixon gives an amusing anecdote 

 apropos of this, in a little work published more than 

 forty years ago. A Welshman is introduced to a 

 Norfolk birdcatcher, who proceeds to describe his 

 experience of the rural police of the day. ' " One da', 

 when I was here all alone arter some draw-waters 

 [goldfinches], up come the rural, lookin' very knowin'. 

 ' I sa', bor,' ses he, ' I want a hare very bad ; can't 

 yow happen o' one ? ' 'I don' know,' ses I, ' I'll see 

 what I can du. Per'aps yow'U be here agin to-morrer.' 

 So away he walk, as if the lane was his property, 

 instid o' the governor's. The governor was 't'ome, so 

 I went and told 'im the good-lookin' rural with the 

 bootiful whiskers wanted a hare. Law, Sar ! how he 



did cuss and swear I He called them a set of 



jinnizerries. ' Coyham, bor,' ses he, ' I'll tell ye what 

 to du. Here's half a crown ; du yow go to the citty, 



