MR. sponge's sporting tour. 273 



Mr. Jogglebury Crowdey did not hunt from any of these motives, 

 and it would puzzle a conjurer to make out why he hunted ; indeed, 

 the members of the different hunts he patronised — for he was one of 

 the run-about, non-subscribing sort — were long in finding out. It was 

 observed that he generally affected countries abounding in large 

 woods, such as Stretchaway Forest, Hazelbury Chase, and Oaking- 

 ton Banks, into which he would dive with the greatest avidity. At 

 first people thought he was a very keen hand, anxious to see a fox 

 handsomely found, if he could not see him handsomely finished, against 

 which latter luxury his figure and activity, or want of activity, were 

 somewhat opposed. Indeed, when we say that he went by the name 

 of the Woolpack, our readers will be able to imagine the style of 

 man he was : long-headed, short-necked, large-girthed, dumpling- 

 legged little fellow, who, like most fat men, made himself dangerous 

 by compressing a most unreasonable stomach into a circumscribed 

 coat, each particular button of which looked as if it was ready to 

 burst off, and knock out the eye of any one who might have the 

 temerity to ride along side of him. He was a puffy, wheezy, senten- 

 tious little fellow, who accompanied his parables with a snort into a 

 large finely-plaited shirt-frill, reaching nearly up to his nose. His 

 hunting-costume consisted of a black coat and waistcoat, with white 

 moleskin breeches, much cracked and darned about the knees and 

 other parts, as nether garments made of that treacherous stuff often 

 are. His shapeless tops, made regardless of the refinements of " right 

 and left," dangled at his horse's sides like a couple of stable-buckets; 

 and he carried his heavy iron hammer-headed whip over his shoulder 

 like a flail. But we are drawing his portrait instead of saying why 

 he hunted. Well then, having married Mrs. Springwheat's sister, 

 who was always boasting to Mrs. Crowdey what a loving, doating 

 husband Springey was after hunting, Mrs. Crowdey had induced 

 Crowdey to try his hand, and though soon satisfied that he hadn't the 

 slightest taste for the sport, but being a great man for what he 

 called gibbey-sticks, he hunted for the purpose of finding them. As 

 we said before, he generally appeared at large woodlands, into which 

 he would ride with the hounds, plunging through the stiffest clay, and 

 forcing his way through the strongest thickets, making observations 

 all the while of the hazels, and the hollies, and the black thorns, and, 

 we are sorry to say, sometimes of the young oaks and ashes, that he 

 thought would fashion into curious-handled walking-sticks ; and these 

 he would return for at a future day, getting them with as large clubs 

 as possible, which he would cut into the heads of beasts or birds, or 

 fishes, or men. At the time of which we are writing, he had accu- 

 mulated a vast quantity — thousands ; the garret at the top of his 

 house was quite full, so were most of the closets, while the rafters in 

 the kitchen, and cellars, and outhouses, were crowded with others 

 in a state of deshabille. He calculated his stock at immense worth, 

 12* 



