NOTHING LIKE CROSSING THE PALM. 119 



posing him to be ever so well inclined towards his 

 client, I may perhaps in some degree illustrate what 

 will be his feelings by an anecdote of a huntsman — 

 not that I mean or consider there is any affinity 

 between the honesty of a huntsman and a denizen of 

 Stone Buildings : God forbid there should be ! 



A huntsman had hunted the hounds of a gentleman 

 not overburthened with money, who had permitted 

 him to cap. The man had always shown good sport, 

 rode well up to his hounds, and killed his foxes. He 

 afterwards hunted the hounds of a nobleman, who 

 disliked the capping system ; told the man so ; and, 

 on learning what he had usually made during a 

 season in his last place, liberally made up his wages 

 to that amount. It was, however, soon remarked 

 that the man neither rode as bold as formerly, nor 

 killed his foxes in his former style. He was aware of 

 this himself; so, fearing he might be complained of, 

 he waited on his lord, and respectfully but plumply 

 told him he must either be allowed to cap or must 

 quit his situation. His lord was astonished, and 

 asked if he had not as good a place as his former one ? 

 He allowed he had even a better ; " but, my Lord," 

 says the man, " I wish to show your lordship and the 

 gentlemen sport, and try all I can, but for the life of 

 me I cannot ride or kiU a fox as I did when I used 

 to feel the money after a kill." 



I wonder whether the same feeling is experienced 

 by legal gentlemen. 



I have been led into the above observations from 

 considering that a man keeping race-horses under a 

 public trainer, and not being himself a good judge of 

 racing matters, stands in about the same situation as 



I 4 



