Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

FREE-HOLDER]

N° 22

THE TORY FOXHUNTER.

[ADDISON.

Studiis rudis, sermone barbarus, impetu strenuus, manu promptus, cogitatione celer.-VELL. PATerc.

OR the honour of his Majesty, and the safety of

FOR

his government, we cannot but observe, that those, who have appeared the greatest enemies to both, are of that rank of men, who are commonly distinguished by the title of Fox-hunters. As several of these have had no part of their education in cities, camps, or courts, it is doubtful whether they are of greater ornament or use to the nation in which they live. It would be an everlasting reproach to politics, should such men be able to overturn an establishment which has been formed by the wisest laws, and is supported by the ablest heads. The wrong notions and prejudices which cleave to many of these countrygentlemen, who have always lived out of the way of

being better informed, are not easy to be conceived by a person who has never conversed with them.

That I may give my readers an image of these rural statesmen, I shall, without further preface, set down an account of a discourse I chanced to have with one of them some time ago. I was travelling towards one of the remotest parts of England, when about three o'clock in the afternoon, seeing a country-gentleman trotting before me with a spaniel by his horse's side, I made up to him. Our conversation opened, as usual, upon the weather; in which we were very unanimous; having both agreed that it was too dry for the season of the year. My fellow-traveller, upon this, observed to me, that there had been no good weather since the Revolution. I was a little startled at so extraordinary a remark, but would not interrupt him until he proceeded to tell me of the fine weather they used to have in King Charles the Second's reign. I only answered that I did not see how the badness of the weather could be the king's fault; and, without waiting for his reply, asked him whose house it was we saw upon a rising ground at a little distance from us. He told me it belonged to an old fanatical cur, Mr. Such-a-one. You must have heard of him,' says he, he's one of the Rump.' I knew the gentle

man's

man's character upon hearing his name, but assured him that to my knowledge he was a good churchman. 'Ay!' says he with a kind of surprise, 'We were 'told in the country, that he spoke twice in the queen's 'time against taking off the duties upon French claret.' This naturally led us into the proceedings of late parliaments, upon which occasion he affirmed roundly, that there had not been one good law passed since King William's accession to the throne, except the act for preserving the game. I had a mind to see him out, and therefore did not care for contradicting him. Is it not hard,' says he,' that honest gentle'men should be taken into custody of messengers to 'prevent them from acting according to their con'sciences? But,' says he, what can we expect 'when a parcel of factious sons of He was

going on in great passion, but chanced to miss his dog, who was amusing himself about a bush that grew at some distance behind us. We stood still till he had whistled him up; when he fell into a long panegyric upon his spaniel, who seemed indeed excellent in his kind: but I found the most remarkable adventure of his life was, that he had once like to have worried a dissenting-teacher. The master could hardly sit on his horse for laughing all the while he

was

was giving me the particulars of this story, which I found had mightily endeared his dog to him, and, as he himself told me, had made him a great favourite among all the honest gentlemen of the country. We were at length diverted from this piece of mirth by a post-boy, who winding his horn at us, my companion gave him two or three curses, and left the way clear for him. I fancy,' said I,' that post brings news

[ocr errors]

from Scotland. I shall long to see the next Gazette.' 'Sir,' says he,' I make it a rule never to believe any ' of your printed news. We never see, sir, how things go, except now and then in “Dyer's Letter," and I read that more for the style than the news. The man has a clever pen, it must be owned. But is it not strange that we should be making war upon 'Church-of-England men, with Dutch and Swiss 'soldiers, men of antimonarchical principles? These 'foreigners will never be loved in England, sir; they ⚫ have not that wit and good-breeding that we have.' I must confess I did not expect to hear my new acquaintance value himself upon these qualifications; but finding him such a critic upon foreigners, I asked him if he had ever travelled? He told me, he did not know what travelling was good for, but to teach a man to ride the great horse, to jabber French, and to

talk

talk against passive-obedience: To which he added, that he scarce ever knew a traveller in his life who had not forsook his principles, and lost his huntingseat. 'For my part,' says he, 'I and my father before me have always been for passive-obedience, and shall be always for opposing a prince who makes use of ministers that are of another opinion. But 'where do you intend to inn to-night? (for we were

[ocr errors]

now come in sight of the next town ;) I can help you to a very good landlord if you will go along with me. He is a lusty, jolly fellow, that lives well, at least 'three yards in the girth, and the best Church-of'England man upon the road.' I had the curiosity to see this high-church inn-keeper, as well as to enjoy more of the conversation of my fellow-traveller, and therefore readily consented to set our horses together for that night. As we rode side by side through the town, I was let into the characters of all the principal inhabitants whom we met in our way. One was a dog, another a whelp, and another a cur, under which several denominations were comprehended all that voted on the Whig side in the last election of burgesses. As for those of his own party, he distinguished them by a nod of his head, and asking them how they did by their Christian

names.

« AnteriorContinuar »