Chambers's cyclopaedia of English literature : a history critical and biographical of authors in the English tongue from the earliest times till the present day, with specimens of their writing . nd profession of poaching, which he followed in hisyounger days with unrivalled talent and success, andwould undoubtedly have pursued till his death had notthe bursting of an overloaded gun unluckily shot off hisleft hand. As it was, he still contrived to mingle a little116 of his old unlawful occupation with his honest callings;was a reference of high authority amongst the youngaspirants, an adviser
Chambers's cyclopaedia of English literature : a history critical and biographical of authors in the English tongue from the earliest times till the present day, with specimens of their writing . nd profession of poaching, which he followed in hisyounger days with unrivalled talent and success, andwould undoubtedly have pursued till his death had notthe bursting of an overloaded gun unluckily shot off hisleft hand. As it was, he still contrived to mingle a little116 of his old unlawful occupation with his honest callings;was a reference of high authority amongst the youngaspirants, an adviser of undoubted honour and secrecy—suspected, and more than suspected, as being one who,though he played no more, oerlooked the cards. Yethe kept to windward of the law, and indeed contrived tobe on such terms of social and even friendly intercourse with the guardians of the game on M Common as may be said to prevail between reputed thieves and themyrmidons of justice at Bow Street. . Never did any human being look more like that sortof sportsman commonly called a poacher. He was atall, finely-built man, with a prodigious stride, thatcleared the ground like a horse, and a power of con-. MARY RUSSELL MITFORD. From the Portrait by John Lucas in the National Portrait Gallery. tinning his slow and steady speed that seemed nothingless than miraculous. Neither man, nor horse, nor dogcould out-tire him. He had a bold, undaunted presence,and an evident strength and power of bone and might see, by looking at him, that he did not knowwhat fear meant. In his youth he had fought morebattles than any man in the forest. He was as if bornwithout nerves, totally insensible to the recoils and dis-gusts of humanity. I have known him take up a hugeadder, cut off its head, and then deposit the living andwrithing body in his brimless hat, and walk with itcoiling and wreathing about his head, like anotherMedusa, till the sport of the day was over, and hecarried it home to secure the fat. W
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectenglish, bookyear1901
