The Rev. E. A. Aldridge 141 



found his recreation in sport, particularly hunting, but he has 

 strong views on the subordination of sport to duty and has 

 evolved a code of rules for his own guidance which will be of 

 interest to all hunting parsons. In a letter to me on the subject 

 of hunting he says, " The stories told of the old hunting parson 

 — let us hope they are greatly exaggerated — must never be 

 heard in modern times." But I am afraid there can be little 

 doubt that the stories were not exaggerated. It is impossible 

 to read the records of some of the hunting parsons of the first 

 part of the nineteenth century which appear in this book 

 without seeing that, however lovable they may have been as good 

 fellows, however good sportsmen, and however charitable in 

 their squirish way, they were often not parsons in any real sense 

 of the word, and should never have set out to be clergymen 

 at all. 



They had more than a little to do with the bad state of the 

 Church of England before the reawakening set in and changed 

 everything for the better — an event that may be dated, for 

 want of a better landmark, from what is called the Oxford 

 Movement. I have never heard of an officiating clergyman of 

 the present day who has ever been accused of neglecting his 

 work for the sake of sport, and I should not think there is a 

 sensible person who would not agree that the modern hunting 

 parson is generally the best parish cleric to be found in his 

 county. 



Mr. Aldridge believes that a hunting parson should be even 

 more than usually punctilious in the discharge of parish work. 

 He once indulged in a morning's shooting before taking a 

 wedding, and although he gave himself plenty of time to change 

 before the service, he afterwards regretted having shot before- 

 hand. 



Talking about dressing for church recalls a strange ex- 

 perience he had while a youngster at Cambridge. Before 

 starting for the training-camp at Aldershot, he attended chapel 

 in uniform and was promptly told by the janitor to go and change 

 his " Buck-shooter's " dress. In the end he had to cover 

 the Queen's uniform with a long surplice before he was allowed 

 to take part in the service. This is a beautiful example of the 

 different treatment accorded soldiers in peace and war. In 

 peace time, right up to August, 1914<, a private soldier was 



