butmenwhomeettogethertodowickedthingsmeetinsmallparties。Mencannotgambleinthehunting—field，anddrinkingthereismoredifficultthaninalmostanyothersceneoflife。
Anonyma，asweweretoldtheotherday，mayshowherself;butifso，sheridesalone。Theyoungmanmustbeabrazensinner，toofargoneforhuntingtohurthim，whowillridewithAnonymainthefield。Iknownovicewhichhuntingeitherproducesorrendersprobable，excepttheviceofextravagance;andtothat，ifamanbethatwaygiven，everypursuitinlifewillequallyleadhimAseatforaMetropolitanborough，oraloveofortolans，oratasteevenfornewbootswillruinamanwhoputshimselfinthewayofruin。Thesamemaybesaidofhunting，thesameandnomore。
Butnotthelessisthegeneralfeelingverystrongagainstthehuntingparson;andnotthelesswillitremainsoinspiteofanythingthatImaysay。Underthesecircumstancesourfriendthehuntingparsonusuallyridesasthoughheweremoreorlessunderacloud。Thecloudisnottobeseeninamelancholybroworashameddemeanour;forthehuntingparsonwillhaveliveddownthosefeelings，andisgenerallytooforcibleamantoallowhimselftobesubjectedtosuchannoyances;noristhecloudtobefoundinanygentletardinessofhismotions，oranattemptatsuppressedriding;forthehuntingparsongenerallyrideshard。
Unlesshelovedhuntingmuchhewouldnotbethere。Butthecloudistobeperceivedandheardinthemannerinwhichhespeaksofhimselfandhisowndoings。Heisnevernaturalinhisself—talkasisanyotherman。Heeitherfliesathisownclothatonce，marringsomefalseapologyforhispresence，tellingyouthatheistherejusttoseethehounds，andhintingtoyouhisownknowledgethathehasnobusinesstorideafterthem;orelsehedropshisprofessionaltogether，andspeakstoyouinatonewhichmakesyoufeelthatyouwouldnotdaretospeaktohimabouthisparish。Youcantalktothebankerabouthisbanking，thebrewerabouthisbrewing，thefarmerabouthisbarley，orthelandlordabouthisland;buttoahuntingparsonofthislatterclass，youmaynotsayawordabouthischurch。
Therearethreemodesinwhichahuntingparsonmaydresshimselfforhunting，thevariationshavingreferencesolelytothenetherman。Asregardstheuppermantherecanneverbeadifference。Achimney—pothat，awhiteneckerchief，somewhatbroadinitsfoldsandstrongwithplentifulstarch，astoutblackcoat，cutrathershorterthaniscommonwithclergymen，andamodest，darksomewaistcoatthatshallattractnoattention，theseareallmattersofcourse。Buttheobserver，ifhewillallowhiseyetodescendbelowtheseuppergarments，willperceivethattheclergymanmaybecomfortableandboldinbreeches，orhemaybeuncomfortableandsemi—decorousinblacktrowsers。Andthereisanothermodeofdressopentohim，whichI
canassuremyreadersisnotanunknowncostume，atertiumquid，bywhichsemi—decorumandcomfortarecombined。Thehuntingbreechesareputonfirst，andtheblacktrowsersaredrawnoverthem。
Butinwhatevergarbthehuntingparsonmayride，healmostinvariablyrideswell，andalwaysenjoysthesport。Ifhedidnot，whatwouldtempthimtoruncounter，ashedoes，tohisbishopandtheoldladies？Andthough，whenthehoundsarefirstdashingoutofcovert，andwhenthesputteringisbeginningandtheeagerimpetuosityoftheyoungisdrivingmenthreeatatimeintothesamegap，whenthatwildexcitementofafoxjustawayisatitsheight，andordinarysportsmenarerushingforplaces，thoughatthesemomentsthehuntingparsonmaybeabletorestrainhimself，andtodeclarebyhismomentarytranquillitythatheisonlytheretoseethehounds，hewilleverbefound，seeingthehoundsalso，whenmanyofthateagercrowdhavelaggedbehind，altogetheroutofsightofthelasttailofthem。Hewilldropintotherunning，asitwereoutoftheclouds，whentheselectfewhavesettleddownsteadilytotheirsteadywork;andtheselectfewwillneverlookuponhimasonewho，afterthat，islikelytofalloutoftheirnumber。Hegoesoncertainlytothekill，andthenretiresalittleoutofthecircle，asthoughhehadtrottedinatthatspotfromhisordinaryparochialoccupations，justtoseethehounds。
FormyselfIownthatIlikethehuntingparson。Igenerallyfindhimtobeaboutthepleasantestmaninthefield，withthemosttosayforhimself，whetherthetalkbeofhunting，ofpolitics，ofliterature，orofthecountry。Heisneverahuntingmanunalloyed，unadulterated，andunmixed，aclassofmanwhichisperhapsofallclassesthemosttediousandheavyinhand。Thetallow—chandlerwhocantalkonlyofcandles，orthebarristerwhocantalkonlyofhisbriefs，isverybad;butthehuntingmanwhocantalkonlyofhisruns，is，Ithink，worseeventhantheunadulteratedtallow—chandler，orthebarristerunmixed。Letmepauseforamomentheretobegyoungsportsmennottofallintothisterriblemistake。Suchboresinthefieldare，alas，toocommon;butthehuntingparsonneversinsafterthatfashion。
Thoughakeensportsman，heissomethingelsebesidesasportsman，andforthatreason，iffornoother，isalwaysawelcomeadditiontothecrowd。
ButstillImustconfessattheendofthispaper，asIhintedalsoatthebeginningofit，thatthehuntingparsonseemstohavemadeamistake。Heiskickingagainstthepricks，andrunningcountertothatsectionoftheworldwhichshouldbehissection。Heismakinghimselftostinkinthenostrilsofhisbishop，andisbecomingastumbling—block，andarockofoffencetohisbrethren。Itisbootlessforhimtoargue，asIhavehereargued，thathisamusementisinitselfinnocent，andthatsomeopen—airrecreationisnecessarytohim。Granthimthatthebishopsandoldladiesarewrongandthatheisrightinprinciple，andstillhewillnotbejustified。Whatevermaybeourwalkinlife，nomancanwalkwellwhodoesnotwalkwiththeesteemofhisfellows。Nowthoselittlewalksbythecovertsides，thosepleasantlittlewalksofwhichIamwriting，arenot，unfortunately，heldtobeestimable，orgoodforthemselves，byEnglishclergymeningeneral。
THEMASTEROFHOUNDS。
ThemasterofhoundsbestknownbymoderndescriptionisthemasteroftheJorrockstype。Now，asItakeit，thisisnotthetypebestknownbyEnglishsportsmen，nordotheJorrocksana，goodthoughtheybe，giveanyfairpictureofsuchamasterofhoundsasordinarilypresidesoverthehuntinEnglishcounties。
Mr。Jorrockscomesintoahuntwhennooneelsecanbefoundtoundertakethework;when，inwantofanyonebetter，thesubscribershirehisservicesasthoseofanupperservant;when，infact，thehuntisatalowebb，andisstrugglingforexistence。Mr。Jorrockswithhiscarpet—bagthenmakeshisappearance，drivingthehardestbargainthathecan，purposingtodothecountryatthelowestpossiblefigure，followedbyashorttrainofmostundesirablenags，withreferencetowhichthewonderisthatMr。Jorrocksshouldbeabletoinduceanyhuntingservanttotrusthisnecktotheircustody。
Mr。Jorrocksknowshiswork，andisgenerallyamostlaboriousman。Huntingishisprofession，butitisonebywhichhecanbarelyexist。Hehopestosellahorseortwoduringtheseason，andinthiswayaddssomethingofthetradeofadealertohisothertrade。Buthisofficeisthankless，ill—paid，closelywatched，andsubjecttoallmannerofindignities。Mensuspecthim，andthebestofthosewhoridewithhimwillhardlytreathimastheirequal。Heisacceptedasadisagreeablenecessity，andisdismissedassoonasthecountrycandobetterforitself。
AnyhuntthathassubjecteditselftoMr。Jorrocksknowsthatitisindisgrace，andwillpassitsitinerantmasterontosomeotherdistrictassoonasitcansuititselfwithapropermasterofthegoodoldEnglishsort。
Itisofsuchamasterasthis，amasterofthegoodoldEnglishsort，andnotofanitinerantcontractorforhunting，thatI
hereintendtospeak。Suchamasterisusuallyanoldresidentinthecountywhichhehunts;oneofthosecountrynoblemenorgentlemenwhoseparksarethegloryofourEnglishlandscape，andwhosenamesaretobefoundinthepagesofourcountyrecords;
orifnotthat，heisonewho，withaviewtohunting，hasbroughthisfamilyandfortuneintoanewdistrict，andhasfoundareadyplaceasacountrygentlemanamongnewneighbours。IthasbeensaidthatnooneshouldbecomeamemberofParliamentunlesshebeamanoffortune。Iholdsucharuletobemuchmoretruewithreferencetoamasterofhounds。Forhisownsakethisshouldbeso，andmuchmoresoforthesakeofthoseoverwhomhehastopreside。Itisapositioninwhichnomancanbepopularwithoutwealth，anditisapositionwhichnomanshouldseektofillunlesshebepreparedtospendhismoneyforthegratificationofothers。Ithasbeensaidofmastersofhoundsthattheymustalwayshavetheirhandsintheirpockets，andmustalwayshaveaguineatofindthere;andnothingcanbetruerthanthisifsuccessfulhuntingistobeexpected。Menhavehuntedcountries，doubtless，oneconomicalprinciples，andthesporthasbeencarriedonfromyeartoyear;butundersuchcircumstancesitiseverdwindlingandbecomingfrightfullyless。Thefoxesdisappear，andwhenfoundalmostinstantlysinkbelowground。