4 
Jetliro Tidl : his Life, Times, and Teaching. 
were overborne by that never-resting energy of spirit which was hig 
chief characteristic. TuU's own words are very sad ; of his book 
he says, " The whole was written in pains of the stone and other 
diseases as incurable and almost as cruel." Tull was not without 
a sense of humour. For example, he rechristens an adverse book, 
The Practical Husbandman ; he says it should have for title The 
Cockney Tliishandman, who never practised agriculture out of 
the sound of Bow bells. By way of illustration he cites the 
case of an old woman of good eyes and strong imagination, who 
could see a needle upon a barn, whilst she could not see the barn 
itself. And, again, a gentleman who consults with his bailiff about 
entering upon a new scheme of husbandry is likely to have the 
same encouragement as a Papist, having a mind to turn Protes- 
tant, would have by asking the opinion of his confessor. 
Partly by nature, chiefly no doubt from bodily infirmity, Tull 
was very irritable, and liighly sensitive to criticism, which in 
his case was monstrously and outrageously offensive. He was 
also intolerant as regards the perversity, stupidity, and ignorance 
of his workmen and labourers. By these two things his life 
was continually embittered ; poor Tull with overstrung nerves 
certainly did not attain to Charles Kingsley's ideal : 
The world goes up, and tlie world goes down, 
And the sunshine follows the rain; 
And yesterdiij-'s sneer and yesterday's frown 
Can never come over again. 
Patient reader — this is a Tullian phrase — '■ patient reader," 
before reaching the regular and chronological biography of 
Tull, it may be well to glance at the state of agricultural know- 
ledge immediately preceding the Tullian era, and, to understand 
Tull and his life-work, it is almost necessary to consider briefly 
the agricultural, social, and political condition of the England of 
his day. It is well also to premise that there are very few 
materials for a biography. In TuU's own book there are nn- 
valuable autobiographical touches, literary manna to be carefully 
garnered and husbanded. Bo far as can at present be ascer- 
tained, only two persons who knew him personally have left 
written records of facts and impressions. One of these has 
been already referred to, the very able gentleman of Hungerford 
who wrote in the Ge}illem(insMariazineiov 17(J I'. His biography 
is the one foundation upon which all subsequent compilers have 
built. The other person who knew Tull intimately — a regular 
correspondent, who visited at Prosperous, and was often visited 
in town, was Charles, eighth Lord Cathcart. His ^18. diary gives 
names, dates, and facts very exactly, althougli unfortunately 
the narrations, except on great occasions, are too often wanting 
