Sometimes to range the ground about
To find her out again;
And if by sight, or sound of bell,
His falcon2 he may see,
Wo ho! he cries, with cheerful voice—
The gladdest man is he.
HANDEFULL OF PLEASANT DELITES.
At an early hour this morning the Hall was in a bustle4, preparing for the sport of the day. I heard Master Simon whistling and singing under my window at sunrise, as he was preparing the jesses for the hawk's legs, and could distinguish now and then a stanza5 of one of his favourite old ditties:
"In peascod time, when hound to horn
Gives note that buck6 be kill'd;
And little boy with pipe of corn
Is tending sheep a-field," etc.
A hearty7 breakfast, well flanked by cold meats, was served up in the great hall. The whole garrison8 of retainers and hangers-on were in motion, reinforced by volunteer idlers from the village. The horses were led up and down before the door; everybody had something to say and something to do, and hurried hither and thither9; there was a direful yelping10 of dogs; some that were to accompany us being eager to set off, and others that were to stay at home being whipped back to their kennels11. In short, for once, the good squire12's mansion13 might have been taken as a good specimen14 of one of the rantipole establishments of the good old feudal15 times.
Breakfast being finished, the chivalry16 of the Hall prepared to take the field. The fair Julia was of the party, in a hunting-dress, with a light plume17 of feathers in her riding-hat. As she mounted her favourite Galloway, I remarked, with pleasure, that old Christy forgot his usual crustiness, and hastened to adjust her saddle and bridle18. He touched his cap as she smiled on him and thanked him; and then, looking round at the other attendants, gave a knowing nod of his head, in which I read pride and exultation19 at the charming appearance of his pupil.
Lady Lillycraft had likewise determined20 to witness the sport. She was dressed in her broad white beaver21, tied under the chin, and a riding-habit of the last century. She rode her sleek22, ambling23 pony24, whose motion was as easy as a rocking-chair; and was gallantly25 escorted by the general, who looked not unlike one of the doughty26 heroes in the old prints of the battle of Blenheim. The parson, likewise, accompanied her on the other side; for this was a learned amusement in which he took great interest; and, indeed, had given much counsel, from his knowledge of old customs.
At length everything was arranged, and off we set from the Hall. The exercise on horseback puts one in fine spirits; and the scene was gay and animating27. The young men of the family accompanied Miss Templeton. She sat lightly and gracefully28 in her saddle, her plumes29 dancing and waving in the air; and the group had a charming effect as they appeared and disappeared among the trees, cantering along with the bounding animation30 of youth. The squire and Master Simon rode together, accompanied by old Christy mounted on Pepper. The latter bore the hawk on his fist, as he insisted the bird was most accustomed to him. There was a rabble31 rout32 on foot, composed of retainers from the Hall, and some idlers from the village, with two or three spaniels for the purpose of starting the game.
A kind of corps33 de reserve came on quietly in the rear, composed of Lady Lillycraft, General Harbottle, the parson, and a fat footman. Her ladyship ambled34 gently along on her pony, while the general, mounted on a tall hunter, looked down upon her with an air of the most protecting gallantry.
For my part, being no sportsman, I kept with this last party, or rather lagged behind, that I might take in the whole picture; and the parson occasionally slackened his pace and jogged on in company with me.
The sport led us at some distance from the Hall, in a soft meadow reeking35 with the moist verdure of spring. A little river ran through it, bordered by willows36, which had put forth37 their tender early foliage38. The sportsmen were in quest of herons, which were said to keep about this stream.
There was some disputing already among the leaders of the sport. The squire, Master Simon, and old Christy, came every now and then to a pause, to consult together, like the field officers in an army; and I saw, by certain motions of the head, that Christy was as positive as any old, wrong-headed German commander.
The Consultation39 in the Field
As we were prancing40 up this quiet meadow every sound we made was answered by a distinct echo from the sunny wall of an old building that lay on the opposite margin41 of the stream; and I paused to listen to the "spirit of a sound," which seems to love such quiet and beautiful places. The parson informed me that this was the ruin of an ancient grange, and was supposed by the country people to be haunted by a dobbie, a kind of rural sprite, something like Robin-Goodfellow. They often fancied the echo to be the voice of the dobbie answering them, and were rather shy of disturbing it after dark. He added, that the squire was very careful of this ruin, on account of the superstition42 connected with it. As I considered this local habitation of an "airy nothing," I called to mind the fine description of an echo in Webster's Duchess of Malfy:
——"'Yond side o' th' river lies a wall,
Piece of a cloister43, which in my opinion
Gives the best echo that you have ever heard:
So plain in the distinction of our words
That many have supposed it a spirit
That answers."
The parson went on to comment on a pleasing and fanciful appellation44 which the Jews of old gave to the echo, which they called Bath-kool, that is to say, "the daughter of the voice;" they considered it an
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