"TEMPORA MUTANTUR." 89 



sit out all night in a gunning punt to be half frozen to 

 death, as we were wont to do. But we are still made, 

 as the Italians say, di la stepa pasta, and it delights 

 us to think upon the times now past and gone, and 

 to remember what joyous days they were. 



That times have changed for the worse seems to 

 me not to admit of an argument. The times I 

 allude to were good old times. Now, in 1886, no 

 one will, I think, dispute that they are deuced bad. 

 In the good old times the farmer and his landlord 

 were, as a general rule, on the best of terms, and 

 he stood with his hat in his hand begging the squire 

 to let him his land, and the landlord's wishes were 

 what he looked up to. This was the feeling in the 

 good old days. Now the prophecy of Nixon has 

 actually come to pass, and this was, " The landlord 

 shall stand with his hat in his hand begging his 

 tenants to hold his land." Yes, to hold his land ! 

 and to almost dictate to him what terms to make, or 

 he will throw up his farm upon the slightest differ- 

 ence of opinion, or, what he considers, provocation. 



At present, with the so-called liberal feelings that 

 have grown up with the bad times, with that most 

 absurd hares and rabbits imposition, or, what it is 

 thought smarter to call, the " Ground Game Act," 



