\"Iwaswiththemmilesbeyondthat，\"saysanother。\"Therewerefiveorsixmenrodethebrook，\"continuesourphilosopher，whonamesthefourorfive，notmentioningtheunfortunatewhohadspokenlastashavingbeenamongthenumber。\"Well;thenhewentacrossbyAshbyGrange，andtriedthedrainatthebackofthefarmyard，butBootlehadhaditstopped。AfoxgotinthereonedaylastMarch，andBootlealwaysstopsitsincethat。Sohehadtogoon，andhecrossedtheturnpikeclosebyAshbyChurch。I
sawhimcross，andthehoundswerethenfullfiveminutesbehindhim。HewentthroughFrolicWood，buthedidn\'thangaminute，andrightupthepasturestoMorleyHall。\"\"That\'swhereIwasthrownout，\"saystheunfortunatewhohadboastedbefore，andwhoisstilldisposedtoboastalittle。ButourphilosopherassureshimthathehasnotintruthbeennearMorleyHall;andwhentheunfortunateonemakesanattempttoargue，putshimdownthoroughly。\"AllIcansayis，youcouldn\'thavebeenthereandbeheretooatthismoment。MorleyHallisamileandahalftoourright，andnowthey\'recomingroundtotheLinney。He\'llgointothelittlewoodthere，andasthereisn\'tasmuchasanutshellopenforhim，they\'llkillhimthere。It\'llhavebeenatidylittlething，butnotveryfast。I\'vehardlybeenoutofatrotyet，butwemayaswellmoveonnow。\"Thenhebreaksintoaneasycanterbythesideoftheroad，whiletheunfortunates，whohavebeenrollingamongtheheavy—ploughedgroundintheearlypartoftheday，makevaineffortstoridebyhisside。Theykeephim，however，insight，andarecomforted;forheisamanwithacharacter，andknowswhatheisabout。Hewillneverbeutterlylost，andaslongastheycanremaininhiscompanytheywillnotbesubjectedtothatdreadfulfeelingofabsolutefailurewhichcomesuponaninexperiencedsportsmanwhenhefindshimselfquitealone，anddoesnotknowwhichwaytoturnhimself。
Amanwillnotlearntorideafterthisfashioninaday，noryetinayear。Ofallfashionsofhuntingitrequires，perhaps，themostpatience，thekeenestobservation，thestrongestmemory，andthegreatesteffortsofintellect。Butthepower，whenachieved，hasitstriumph;ithasitsrespect，andithasitsadmirers。Ourfriend，whilehewasguidingtheunfortunatesontheroad，knewhisposition，androdeforawhileasthoughhewereachiefofmen。Hewasthechiefofmenthere。Hewasdoingwhatheknewhowtodo，andwasnotfailing。Hehadmadenoboastswhichsternfactswouldafterwardsdisprove。Andwhenherodeupslowlytothewood—side，havingfromadistanceheardthehuntsman\'swhoopthattoldhimofthefox\'sfate，hefoundthathehadbeenrightineveryparticular。Nooneatthatmomentknowsthelinetheyhaveallriddenaswellasheknowsit。Butnow，amongthecrowd，whenmenareturningtheirhorses\'headstothewind，andloudquestionsarebeingasked，andfalseanswersarebeinggiven，andtheambitiousmenarecongratulatingthemselvesontheirdeeds，hesitsbylisteninginsardonicsilence。\"Twelvemilesofground！\"hesaystohimself，repeatingthewordsofsomevaliantyoungster;\"ifit\'seight，I\'lleatit。\"Andthenwhenhehears，forheisallearaswellasalleye，whenhehearsaslightboastfromoneofhislateunfortunatecompanions，afirstsmallblastofthetrumpetwhichwillbecomeloudanonifitbenotchecked，hesmilesinwardly，andmoralizesontheweaknessofhumannature。Butthemanwhoneverjumpsisnotusuallyofabenevolentnature，anditisalmostcertainthathewillmakeupalittlestoryagainsttheboaster。
Suchistheamusementofthemanwhoridesandneverjumps。
Attachedtoeveryhunttherewillbealwaysoneortwosuchmen。
Theirevidenceisgenerallyreliable;theirknowledgeofthecountryisnottobedoubted;theyseldomcometoanyseveretrouble;andhaveusuallymadeforthemselvesaverywidecircleofhuntingacquaintancesbywhomtheyarequietlyrespected。ButIthinkthatmenregardthemastheydothechaplainonboardaman—of—war，orastheywouldregardaheraldonafieldofbattle。Whenmenareassembledforfighting，themanwhonotoriouslydoesnotfightmustfeelhimselftobesomewhatlowerthanhisbrethrenaroundhim，andmustbesoesteemedbyothers。
THEHUNTINGPARSON。
IfeelsomedifficultyindealingwiththecharacterIamnowabouttodescribe。Theworldatlargeisverypronetocondemnthehuntingparson，regardinghimasamanwhoisfalsetohisprofession;and，formyself，Iamnotpreparedtosaythattheworldiswrong。Hadmypastorsandmasters，myfatherandmother，togetherwiththeotheroutwardcircumstancesofmyearlylife，madeaclergymanofme，IthinkthatIshouldnothavehunted，oratleast，IhopethatImighthaveabstained;andyet，forthelifeofme，Icannotseethereasonagainstit，ortellanymanwhyaclergymanshouldnotridetohounds。Indiscussingthesubject，andIoftendodiscussit，theargumentagainstthepracticewhichisfinallyadopted，theargumentwhichisintendedtobeconclusive，simplyamountstothis，thataparishclergymanwhodoeshisdutycannotfindthetime。Butthatargumentmightbeusedwithmuchmoretruthagainstothermenofbusiness，againstthosetowhosehuntingtheworldtakesnoexception。Indeed，ofallmen，theordinaryparishclergyman，is，perhaps，theleastliabletosuchcensure。Helivesinthecountry，andcanhuntcheaperandwithlesssacrificeoftimethanothermen。Hisprofessionaloccupationdoesnotabsorballhishours，andheistoooftenanidleman，whetherhehuntorwhetherhedonot。Norisitdesirablethatanymanshouldworkalwaysandneverplay。Ithinkitiscertainlythefactthataclergymanmayhunttwiceaweekwithlessobjectioninregardtohistimethananyothermanwhohastoearnhisbreadbyhisprofession。Indeed，thisissomanifestlythecase，thatIamsurethattheargumentinquestion，thoughitistheonewhichisalwaysintendedtobeconclusive，doesnotintheleastconveytheobjectionwhichisreallyfelt。Thetruthis，thatalargeandmostrespectablesectionoftheworldstillregardshuntingaswicked。ItissupposedtobeliketheCiderCellarsortheHaymarketattwelveo\'clockatnight。Theoldladiesknowthattheyoungmengotothesewickedplaces，andhopethatnogreatharmisdone;butitwouldbedreadfultothinkthatclergymenshouldsodegradethemselves。NowIwishIcouldmaketheoldladiesunderstandthathuntingisnotwicked。
Butalthoughthatexpressedpleaastothewantoftimereallyamountstonothing，andalthoughtheunexpressedfeelingofoldladiesastothewickednessofhuntingdoesnotintruthamounttomuch，Iwillnotsaythatthereisnootherimpedimentinthewayofahuntingparson。Indeed，therehavecomeupoflateyearssomanyimpedimentsinthewayofanyamusementonthepartofclergymen，thatwemustalmostpresumethemtobedivestedattheirconsecrationofallhumanattributesexcepthungerandthirst。Inmyyoungerdays，andIamnotasyetveryold，anelderlyclergymanmightplayhisrubberofwhistwhilsthisyoungerreverendbrotherwasdancingaquadrille;andtheymightdothiswithoutanyriskofarebukefromabishop，oranyprobabilitythattheirneighbourswouldlookaskanceatthem。
Suchrecreationsarenowunclericalinthehighestdegree，orifnotinthehighest，theyareonlyonedegreelesssothanhunting。Thetheatrewasespeciallyarespectableclericalresource，andwemaystilloccasionallyseeheadsofcollegesinthestalls，orperhapsadean，orsomerector，unambitiousoffurtherpromotion。Butshouldayoungcurateshowhimselfinthepit，hewouldbebutalostsheepofthehouseofIsrael。Andlatterlytherewentforth，atanyrateinonediocese，afirmanagainstcricket！Novels，too，areforbidden;thoughthefactthattheymaybeenjoyedinsolitudesavestheclergyfromabsoluteignoranceastothatbranchofournationalliterature。
Allthisisharduponmenwho，letthemstruggleastheymaytolovetheasceticismsofareligiouslife，areonlymen;andithasastrongtendencytokeepoutoftheChurchthatveryclass，theyoungersonsofcountrygentlemen，whomallChurchmenshouldwishtoseeenterit。Youngmenwhothinkofthematterwhenthetimefortakingordersiscomingnear，donotfeelthemselvesqualifiedtorivalSt。Paulintheirlives;andtheywhohavenotthoughtofitfindthemselvestobecruellyusedwhentheyareexpectedtomaketheattempt。
Butofalltheamusementswhichalaymanmayfollowandaclergymanmaynot，huntingisthoughttobebymuchtheworst。
Thereisasavourofwickednessaboutitintheeyesoftheoldladieswhichalmosttakesitoutoftheirlistofinnocentamusementsevenforlaymen。Bythetermoldladiesitwillbeunderstood，perhaps，thatIdonotalludesimplytomatronsandspinsterswhomaybeovertheageofsixty，buttothatmostrespectableportionoftheworldwhichhastaughtitselftoabhorthepompsandvanities。Pompsandvanitiesareundoubtedlybad，andshouldbeabhorred;butitbehoovesthosewhothustakeuponthemselvesthedutiesofcensorstobesurethatthepracticesabhorredareintruthrealpompsandactualvanities，notpompsandvanitiesoftheimagination。Nowastohunting，Imaintainthatitisofitselfthemostinnocentamusementgoing，andthatithasnoneofthatCider—Cellarflavourwithwhichtheoldladiesthinkthatitissosavoury。Huntingisdonebyacrowd;