168 OLD FASHIONS 



that came over his hips — covered with a cut-ofF coat, 

 into the outside pockets of which his hands were usually 

 thrust— enveloped a heart which beat in unison with 

 the best feelings of our nature ; in addition were well- 

 polished top-boots, which supported a figure singular for 

 its oddity and inelegance. 



Possessed of an easy independence and a contented 

 mind, his loftiest aspirations seemed to be directed to 

 becoming familiar with the fraternity to which I belonged ; 

 and his principal pleasure was derived from acting in the 

 same capacity at Cambridge as Bishop Atterbury, as 

 I have elsewhere termed him, did at Oxford, though not 

 from the same motives. This gave him an opportunity 

 of selecting and appointing the men to drive for the 

 particular establishment which he ostensibly owned or 

 superintended ; and in doing so, one of his invariable con- 

 ditions was, that they should confine their nether limbs 

 to knee breeches and top-boots. This did not prevent 

 him from mixing with them in public company, into 

 which his convivial disjoosition would often lead him ; 

 and while avoiding anything approaching to business 

 in his conversation, he would display his satirical 

 humour in good-naturedly exposing some of their 

 peculiar foibles. 



But it was at his own house and at his own table that 

 this extraordinary and eccentric being should have been 

 seen, for his character to have been projDerly appreciated. 

 To this his sanctum — for his home was seldom invaded — 

 I, with one other only of the fraternity, and our wives, 

 W'Cre admitted or invited. There everything was dis- 

 posed in the neatest order, and everything provided 



