ot unlike the captain of a man-of-war; but,
unlike the captain of a man-of-war, he carries no sailing orders. He
is free to go where he lists, and is hardly expected to tell any one
whither he goeth. He is enveloped in a mystery which, to the young, adds
greatly to his grandeur; and he is one of those who, in spite of the
democratic tenderness of the age, may still be said to go about as a
king among men. No one contradicts him. No one speaks evil of him to
his face; and men tremble when they have whispered anything of some
half-drawn covert, of some unstopped earth, some fox that should not
have escaped, and, looking round, see that the master is within
earshot. He is flattered, too, if that be of any avail to him. How he
is flattered! What may be done in this way to Lord Mayors by common
councilmen who like Mansion-house crumbs, I do not know; but kennel
crumbs must be very sweet to a large class of sportsmen. Indeed, they
are so sweet that almost every man will condescend to flatter the master
of hounds. And ladies too, all the pretty girls delight to be spoken
to by the master! He needs no introduction, but is free to sip all the
sweets that come. Who will not kiss the toe of his boots, or refuse to
be blessed by the sunshine of his smile?

But there are heavy duties, deep responsibilities, and much true
heart-felt anxiety to stand as makeweight against all these sweets.
The master of hounds, even though he take no part in the actual work of
hunting his own pack, has always his hands full of work. He is always
learning, and always called upon to act on his knowledge suddenly. A
Lord Mayor may sit at the Mansionhouse, I think, without knowing much of
the law. He may do so without discovery of his ignorance. But the master
of hounds who does not know his business is seen through at once. To
say what that business is would take a paper longer than this, and the
precept writer by no means considers himself equal to such a task. But
it is multifarious, and demands a special intellect for itself. The
master should have an eye like an eagle's, an ear like a thief's, and a
heart like a dog's that can be either soft or ruthless as occasion may
require. How he should love his foxes, and with what pertinacity he
should kill them! How he should rejoice when his skill has assisted in
giving the choice men of his hunt a run that they can remember for the
next six years! And how heavy should be his heart within him when he
trudges