THE SPORTING WORLD. 257 



pretensions in any way, and as unwilling to ob- 

 trude any observations on self, on the time or 

 patience of my reader, I think I am entitled, in 

 my own case, to avail myself of that which I 

 have shewn to others, namely fair play. 



It will naturally strike the reader that in de- 

 picting the characteristics of such parts of the 

 sporting world as I have mentioned in terms 

 of reprehension, I must at some time have 

 mixed more or less with them and their 

 pursuits. I will make " a clean breast " of it, 

 I have. But as a man going once to see a 

 felon hung in no way shews him one intending 

 to mix with and adopt practices that may bring 

 him to be hung also ; so seeing enough of sport- 

 ing in all its phases to render a man au fait of 

 the general character of those practising such 

 pursuits, let me hope will not lead to the infer- 

 ence that he must necessarily be one of them. 

 Curiosity and a determination to see all con- 

 nected with the Sporting World may induce a 



R 



