G SPORTING IN BOTH HEMISPHERES. 



distant branch of a long line of ancestors, had not many 

 years previously been summoned from a small living in 

 a remote and distant part of the kingdom, to take possession 

 of this noble estate, with all its historical souvenirs and 

 ample revenues. He was a person of advanced age and 

 most eccentric appearance, and, owing to his previous poverty 

 and seclusion, had contracted habits of close parsimony, and 

 a peculiar method of expressing the vernacular, that he con- 

 tinued to practise even in his present altered circumstances. 

 In fact, he was, to a certain extent, the wonder and amuse- 

 ment of the country, and few old dames in the surrounding 

 villages but had some mysterious story to tell about him. 



The habits of his wife and himself certainly warranted 

 some extraordinary conclusions, as they avoided nearly all 

 society, shut themselves up in the old hall, and lived chiefly 

 upon the produce of the park viz., rabbits and venison. 

 Frequent differences arose between the eccentric proprietor 



of and the neighbouring gentry, with regard to county 



matters, in his position as a great land-owner and magistrate ; 

 and they generally found him a very stubborn person to 

 deal with; but with all his peculiarities of character and 

 language, he was a staunch Conservative, and had a profound 

 respect for aristocracy. 



Once in every year he invited a large assemblage of the 

 surrounding gentry to what he termed a cold collection, upon 

 which occasion, habited in a very rusty suit of black, and 

 crowned with an old Welsh wig, he pointed out the ancient 

 portraits of the different members of his family with these 

 memorable words " These, ladies and gentlemen are my 

 post s." 



The Rector of W e, an inveterate Whig and wag of 



that day, but a very talented man, took great pleasure in 

 tormenting poor Mr. , and amongst many other humo- 

 rous jokes he circulated at his expense, was the report that 



