THE MASTER 27 



trust all the foregoing great sportsmen will excuse the freedom 

 with which we have written their names, " It is your opinion, 

 I find,"' writes Mr. Beckford, " that a gentleman might make 

 the best huntsman ; I have no doubt that he would, if he chose 

 the trouble of it.'" 



It is just the "trouble " that chokes people off half the pro- 

 jects and enterprises of life. If it wasn't the trouble, and per- 

 haps a Icctlc the fear of Mr. Hardwick, we would give that 

 confounded organ-grinder, who has just struck up under our 

 window, for the third time this morning, an uncommon good 

 quilting, but as it is, we will just sit still and let him grind 

 himself out. 



Thank God, he's gone at last, though he has sorely put us 

 out. Let us see what was it we were writing about. Oh, we 

 have it — gentlemen-huntsmen and paid-huntsmen. Well, our 

 next sketch shall be that of a paid " Huntsman," a jolly black- 

 capped, red-faced, purple-lapped huntsman ; meanwhile we 

 will glance at the other duties of a " Master," lest the non- 

 hunting portion of the community may suppose " blowing 

 out" and " blowing, up " are the only qualifications requisite 

 for one. 



For the benefit of embryo gentlemen-huntsmen, we may, 

 however, quote what Colonel Cook wrote on the subject in his 

 " Observations on Foxhunting "" — an able work written by a 

 practical sportsman, and published some twenty years ago — 

 " Gentlemen," says he, " should recollect, let their situation in 

 life be ever so exalted, if thej- condescend to hunt their own 

 hounds, that when in the field they are huntsvien ; a huntsman 

 is a public character, and as such is liable to have remarks and 

 criticisms made by the field (who it is always to be remem- 

 bered are hut lookers on, and as such are apt to flatter themselves 

 they knozu as much of the game as the actual player) and to be 

 spoken to b\- farmers and others on the occurrences which 



