PREFACE 



MY design and object in writing this work was not 

 merely to depict the life of a sportsman, in the 

 general perhaps, with some persons, unfavourable 

 acceptation of that term, but, taking higher ground, to 

 portray the character of an English gentleman attached 

 to the sports and pastimes of his country ; and, likewise, 

 to give a sketch of a country gentleman's family, in as 

 close imitation as possible of those of the best descrip- 

 tion, with which it has been my good fortune to become 

 acquainted. In fact, in many instances, the imitation, or 

 resemblance, is so close, as not to be doubtful to many as 

 to who are the original parties ; and they themselves 

 cannot be displeased with my selection, when they are 

 intended to be displayed as exemplars worthy of being 

 followed by others. 



The plan, or outline, of this half-true, half -fictitious 

 story, is soon told. It is, as has already been observed, 

 descriptive of a country gentleman, of large fortune and 

 highly connected, having two sons and two daughters. 

 He himself is a sportsman, but only to a certain extent ; 

 that is to say, he does not aspire to fox-hunting, but keeps 

 a first-rate pack of harriers, and is also a good shot. His 

 eldest son has nothing sporting in his constitution, but has 

 all the good qualities that adorn and exalt our nature, and 

 for which, of course, full credit is given him. The hero 

 of my tale is the younger son, who, differing in taste from 

 his brother, enters into the sports of the field at a very 

 early age, and becomes a thorough sportsman, in the 

 legitimate sense of that, often wrongly applied, term. 

 How far I have succeeded in portraying him as such, my 

 readers must be my j udges ; I can only say, I have made 

 him follow, as nearly as I was able, in the footsteps of 

 those who, within my time and knowledge, have become 



