218 SONS OF NIMROD. 



times glad to associate, as they were 

 all three favourite sons of Nimrod, and 

 emulated each other in all the accom- 

 plishments of that celebrated hunter of 

 the field. Indeed, such a trio, with such 

 real love for, and thorough knowledge 

 of, field sports, in every branch, and 

 all so similarly endowed by nature for 

 their enjoyments, it has not been my 

 fortune to meet with since. 



With one, who was near my own age, 

 I was on closer terms of intimacy than 

 I was with the others. He had an elder 

 and an only brother, who was a bene- 

 ficed clergyman in Northamptonshire. 

 Living so wide apart, and their pursuits 

 being as widely different, the brothers did 

 not often meet, though there was no 

 want of affection on either side. 



On one of these rare occurrences, when 

 stopping at the vicarage, the elder brother, 

 as became his profession, took upon him after 

 dinner to expatiate upon the necessity of 



