PARTING WORDS ON SPORT. 485 



time the northern summer and autumn sporting season, with 

 its grouse, salmon, and deer, was his heart's delight; while 

 the hunting-field in the " Shires " supplied uninterrupted 

 winter excitement, without which life would have been a 

 burden. On a Twelfth of August he sometimes never went 

 to bed at all, in order to be on the ground by the first streak 

 of the dawn; and in winter never missed "a meet" if he 

 could help it. The natural consequence followed : active 

 sports palled he took to gambling and horse-racing to 

 supply their place was completely ruined, and died in his 

 prime a confirmed sot. 



Whether or not sport is indigenous to the soil of the British 

 Isles, it is certain that its practice as a highly honourable 

 pursuit dates from a very early period, probably from the 

 heroic or prehistoric ages. That the chase and capture of 

 wild animals have been the occupation of a class in all ages, 

 and in almost all countries, is undoubtedly the case ; but I 

 firmly believe that the love of field-sports has been the national 

 characteristic of no other people so much as of our own. 

 When it became so, I do not know. It may have belonged 

 to the ancient Briton, as I am inclined to think, and have 

 taken still deeper root with the advent of those Vikings, or 

 sea-kings, whose feats of daring formed the theme of so many 

 legends and ballads, and the traditions of whose wild exploits 

 are remembered to this day. 



Probably this prevailing spirit of sport through all our 

 classes was most nearly approached by the ancient Greeks at 

 their Olympic games, where, as in our hunting-fields, all 

 classes met on equal terms in friendly contest. These games 

 were established among them by leaders whose rare prescience 

 foresaw the advantage of early training and personal emulation 

 in those accomplishments, which are most useful to the soldiers 

 of a people who were almost constantly engaged in war. Let 

 us now, therefore, take into consideration the effect of this 



