194 THE HUNTING FIELD 



ere this have fallen into disrepute. Every man dubs himself, 

 or is dubbed, " Esquire." One of the judges, in reply to an 

 objection of counsel, that a man had improperly described 

 himself an " Esquire," observed that it had been held that 

 every man who was not a gentleman was entitled to be called 

 " Esquire ; " and a still older authority — we believe the 

 lamented Mr. Thurtell, or one of his confederates — propounded 

 the doctrine that keeping a gig and horse was proof of a man 

 being a gentleman. In spite, however, of all its misapplica- 

 tions — in spite of all the jibes and jeers levelled at the class, 

 there is still something about the title " Esquire," or 

 "Squire," peculiarly grateful to Englishmen, and peculiarly 

 expressive of the tranquil simplicity of country life. Strictly 

 speaking, we believe the title of Esquire is the prerogative of 

 parties named in her Majesty's commission of the peace, of 

 members of certain professions and callings, but there is no 

 doubt that its real working identity is the lord of the soil, the 

 country resident — the country justice, if you will, but the 

 follower of field sports, at all events. This is the sort of being 

 that the title " Esquire " suggests to the minds of Englishmen, 

 and this is the sort of " Squire" that the country people look 

 up to as the highest authority within the scope of their 

 imaginations. And rightly, we believe, they do so look up, 

 for a well educated right thinking gentleman is an acquisition 

 in a district, and are best appreciated, as we said before, by 

 those who have witnessed their want or removal. We may 

 even go further, and say, that counties well supplied with 

 resident gentry exhibit a much smaller amount of crime 

 than counties where they are scarce. All statesmen are 

 aware of this, and it has always been an object with 

 Governments to afford, by the encouragement and protection 

 of country sports, every inducement to landowners to live on 

 their estates. 



We consider the maintenance of field sports of immense 



