218 THE HUNTING FIELD 



would be attempting bribery upon men who are not open to 

 corruption. Your small voters don't " "unt ; " nothing under a 

 master sweep. Indeed, it is no small recommendation to the 

 chase, that it is so little capable of perversion to other than 

 legitimate purposes. 



A nobleman"s influence, however, must always be great in 

 his own localit}-. There is the influence of wealth and station, 

 almost always blended with the influence of pri\ate worth. 

 Common people may not be great judges of etiquette or 

 accomplishments, but they are all judges of the homely 

 qualities of which they themselves partake. A bad husband, 

 a harsh master, an unpunctual payer, are qualities that adapt 

 themselves to all stations of life ; indeed, we believe the lower 

 we look in society, the more great people are respected for 

 what they are than for what they have. The influence of 

 intercourse is also considerable. The nobleman occupies 

 much the same place in the country that ro3-alt}' occupies in 

 London. People all like to be asked to the Palace. An occa- 

 sional dinner keeps all things straight in the countrx' — \'enison's 

 very convincing. 



And here let us take a glance at a most popular sport that 

 somehow or other has never been treated with the respect it 

 deserves — we allude to the noble sport of Tuft Hunting. 

 True, Lord William Lenno-x launched a novel under that title ; 

 but as we prefer letting other people read our thoughts and 

 ideas to reading the thoughts and ideas of other people, without 

 meaning the slightest disrespect to his lordship, we can 

 candidly saj- we ha\e never read his work : therefore we trust, 

 whatever ma}- be the similarity of ideas, that we shall not be 

 accused of " cribbing " from him. 



Tuft Hunting is a fine, delicate, scientific, enterprising, 

 subtle amusement. If the proper " stud}- of mankind is 

 man," surely the pursuit of a lord must be proper beyond all 

 contradiction. 



