1864.

ART. I.-1. Natural History and Sport in Moray: Collected from the Journals and Letters of the late Charles St. John. Edinburgh 1863.

2. Life in Normandy, Sketches of French Fishing, Farming, Cooking, Natural History, and Politics. Drawn from Nature. Two vols. Edinburgh, 1863. 3. Reminiscences of the late Thomas Assheton Smith, Esq.; Or, the Pursuits of an English Country Gentleman. By Sir JOHN E. EARDLEY-WILMOT, Bart. London, 1860.

4. Home Walks and Holiday Rambles. By the Rev. E. A. JOHNS. London, 1863. 5. The Recreations of a Country Parson. London, 1862.

6. The Field-the Country Gentleman's Newspaper. London, v.x.

Is it possible to give a stranger some idea of the country life of England of those enjoyments which enter so deeply into the nature of our islander? Perhaps not; but with the help of the books named above, and selected from the more recent works bearing on our subject, we propose to try. Let us begin at the beginning. When a French parent has a son to educate, he sends him to a 66 college" in a town. An English paterfamilias, if he can afford it, sends his boy to Eton or Harrow, or, if he cannot stand the expense, he seeks out some minor rural school, where there are good masters and also good playing fields and a river to row on. And each has his reward. The French school-boy is a pretty-behaved young gentleman. The Jesuits make fair classical scholars still, though not so good as of old; and an average French educated boy can write his own language, and speak whole N-1

VOL. XL.

sentences grammatically-accomplishments which fall only to the favoured few in England. On the other hand, the English public-school boy, if not taught like the ancient Persians" to ride, and shoot with the bow, and speak the truth," can for the most part, and as a class, sit a horse across country, shoot with fowling-piece and rifle, box, row, swim, and play at cricket and foot-ball. The love of truth, we hope, is not peculiar to either country; but the courageous training of an English boy must have some effect in bracing the mind to honesty, as well as the limbs to labour. There is another result of this English training. From school-days to old age an Englishman looks for his recreation and pleasure to the country. The fe verish whirl of a London " season, or & tempting of fortune at Baden or Homburg, only sends him back more eager for the sport, the farming, planting, gardening of home. The rural passion is imitated and affected in other countries. In an Englishman it is genuine, and instead of wearing out amidst the straight hedges and restraints of civilisation, is extending with new pursuits and modern acquirements. A huntsman (of hounds) or a deer-stalker always knew he must study the nature and habits of his "chase," and of the serviceable animals which he trained to assist in it. But now every sportsman worthy of the name is more or less a Naturalist. A good part of his enjoyment is derived from observing and comparing the habits of the game, the country, the climate; and so, the circle wideuing, all natural sights and things. When we speak of "Englishmen," we include the whole inhabitants of our islands, and with some modification, what we have said is even peculiarly applicable to Scotsmen; for