THE FARMER 171 



with town life. He will then be able to draw a 

 just estimate of the quiet, respectable loyalty that 

 pervades the whole class, and contrast it with the 

 hurried, self-interested excitement and elbowing that 

 characterises the gatherings of large bodies. There 

 is something at once substantial and respectable 

 about the yeomanry of the kingdom, if we may so 

 designate all the landholders who are qualified to vote 

 for knights of the shire, instead of the 40s. freeholders 

 of former times. 



The " yeomanry of England " has always inspired 

 in our landsman's mind the sort of feeling that " Ye 

 Mariners of England " rouses in that of the sailor. 

 We look upon them as one of the main-stays of this 

 country. 



If there is one class of men, however, who can 

 more properly appreciate the spirited liberality of the 

 farmer than another, it is foxhunters ; above all, fox- 

 hunters, who themselves are also farmers. We do 

 not mean foxhunting farmers, but farming foxhunters ; 

 country gentlemen, who keep a small quantity of 

 land in their own hands more for amusement than 

 profit — perhaps. These are the parties who can 

 best enter into the feelings and appreciate the 

 forbearance of the real farmer, whose means of 

 livelihood depend on the well-doing and produce of 

 his crop. Let the squire picture to himself his 

 feelings at seeing the well -ploughed, well -worked, 

 well-manured, well-watched field of young wheat, that 

 he has boasted of the expected produce of to all his 

 neighbours, counted as so much gold, nay, perhaps, 

 held up to the admiration of his local agricultural 

 society — let him picture to himself his feelings, we 

 say, at seeing this beloved spot crossed diagonally by 

 a field of fifty horsemen, followed by a score of 

 boys on ponies, whose rear is brought up by a herd 

 of cows or Scotch cattle, that sweep round the 

 enclosure before they can be got out ! 



