SPOETING OF THE PAST AND 

 THE PRESENT DAY 



" tempora ! mores ! " how our grandsires 

 would stare if they could only see how differently 

 sporting in all its branches is carried on now-a- 

 days ; it would make their pigtails stand on end, 

 and the brass buttons fly off their blue coats in 

 very fright. 



There are few of the Squire Western school 

 now left ; but occasionally you may still come 

 across some jovial old sportsman of eighty years 

 or more, who, though his form is shrunken, and 

 his snow-white head proclaims that many winters 

 have passed over it, yet carries a pair of eyes as 

 bright and keen as of yore, eyes that glisten again 

 when he launches forth on his favourite hobby. 



I know several gentlemen nearer eighty than 

 seventy who still shoot, and keep a fine kennel 

 of dogs. One of these gentlemen only last year 

 took a moor in Scotland for five years. May he 

 live to enjoy it and renew his lease. 



I could name many close on, ay, over fourscore, 



II A 



