164 THE SPORTING WORLD. 



in promoting harmless pursuits, increases the 

 happiness and consequent content of the in- 

 fluential part of the community. By affording 

 them amusement at home, many are deterred 

 from seeking extraneous amusement abroad. By 

 rendering home agreeable to them they neither 

 wish to make other countries a residence, or to 

 alter the habits of their own. Better this than 

 plotting revolutions. I must consider the great 

 merit of a man's pursuits are whether they are 

 conducive to the gratification of others as well 

 as himself. The collector of old china or coins 

 has his pursuit, but it is a purely selfish one, 

 and the only good it does is to a few dealers 

 in such articles, who are not usually of a class 

 highly to be commended as to their strict ad- 

 herence to truth or the accuracy of their state- 

 ments as regards these articles of virtu. He sits 

 in the comparative solitude of his own apart- 

 ment, looks over his treasures and is only one 

 degree removed from the miser, who does the. 



