登陆注册
5218100000014

第14章 THE HUNTING PARSON(1)

I feel some difficulty in dealing with the character I am now about to describe.The world at large is very prone to condemn the hunting parson,regarding him as a man who is false to his profession;and,for myself,I am not prepared to say that the world is wrong.Had my pastors and masters,my father and mother,together with the other outward circumstances of my early life,made a clergyman of me,I think that I should not have hunted,or at least,I hope that I might have abstained;and yet,for the life of me,I cannot see the reason against it,or tell any man why a clergyman should not ride to hounds.In discussing the subject,and I often do discuss it,the argument against the practice which is finally adopted,the argument which is intended to be conclusive,simply amounts to this,that a parish clergyman who does his duty cannot find the time.But that argument might be used with much more truth against other men of business,against those to whose hunting the world takes no exception.Indeed,of all men,the ordinary parish clergyman,is,perhaps,the least liable to such censure.He lives in the country,and can hunt cheaper and with less sacrifice of time than other men.His professional occupation does not absorb all his hours,and he is too often an idle man,whether he hunt or whether he do not.Nor is it desirable that any man should work always and never play.I think it is certainly the fact that a clergyman may hunt twice a week with less objection in regard to his time than any other man who has to earn his bread by his profession.Indeed,this is so manifestly the case,that I am sure that the argument in question,though it is the one which is always intended to be conclusive,does not in the least convey the objection which is really felt.The truth is,that a large and most respectable section of the world still regards hunting as wicked.It is supposed to be like the Cider Cellars or the Haymarket at twelve o'clock at night.The old ladies know that the young men go to these wicked places,and hope that no great harm is done;but it would be dreadful to think that clergymen should so degrade themselves.Now I wish I could make the old ladies understand that hunting is not wicked.

But although that expressed plea as to the want of time really amounts to nothing,and although the unexpressed feeling of old ladies as to the wickedness of hunting does not in truth amount to much,I will not say that there is no other impediment in the way of a hunting parson.Indeed,there have come up of late years so many impediments in the way of any amusement on the part of clergymen,that we must almost presume them to be divested at their consecration of all human attributes except hunger and thirst.In my younger days,and I am not as yet very old,an elderly clergyman might play his rubber of whist whilst his younger reverend brother was dancing a quadrille;and they might do this without any risk of a rebuke from a bishop,or any probability that their neighbours would look askance at them.

Such recreations are now unclerical in the highest degree,or if not in the highest,they are only one degree less so than hunting.The theatre was especially a respectable clerical resource,and we may still occasionally see heads of colleges in the stalls,or perhaps a dean,or some rector,unambitious of further promotion.But should a young curate show himself in the pit,he would be but a lost sheep of the house of Israel.And latterly there went forth,at any rate in one diocese,a firman against cricket !Novels,too,are forbidden;though the fact that they may be enjoyed in solitude saves the clergy from absolute ignorance as to that branch of our national literature.

All this is hard upon men who,let them struggle as they may to love the asceticisms of a religious life,are only men;and it has a strong tendency to keep out of the Church that very class,the younger sons of country gentlemen,whom all Churchmen should wish to see enter it.Young men who think of the matter when the time for taking orders is coming near,do not feel themselves qualified to rival St.Paul in their lives;and they who have not thought of it find themselves to be cruelly used when they are expected to make the attempt.

But of all the amusements which a layman may follow and a clergyman may not,hunting is thought to be by much the worst.

There is a savour of wickedness about it in the eyes of the old ladies which almost takes it out of their list of innocent amusements even for laymen.By the term old ladies it will be understood,perhaps,that I do not allude simply to matrons and spinsters who may be over the age of sixty,but to that most respectable portion of the world which has taught itself to abhor the pomps and vanities.Pomps and vanities are undoubtedly bad,and should be abhorred;but it behooves those who thus take upon themselves the duties of censors to be sure that the practices abhorred are in truth real pomps and actual vanities,not pomps and vanities of the imagination.Now as to hunting,I maintain that it is of itself the most innocent amusement going,and that it has none of that Cider-Cellar flavour with which the old ladies think that it is so savoury.Hunting is done by a crowd;but men who meet together to do wicked things meet in small parties.Men cannot gamble in the hunting-field,and drinking there is more difficult than in almost any other scene of life.

同类推荐
  • 佛说谤佛经

    佛说谤佛经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 女开科传

    女开科传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 童蒙须知韵语

    童蒙须知韵语

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Enchanted Typewriter

    The Enchanted Typewriter

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 理惑论

    理惑论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 陆少的隐婚夫人

    陆少的隐婚夫人

    喜欢一个人本没有错,错就错在自己喜欢的那个人却不喜欢自己!陆天熠,陆天地产的总裁,多金帅气,人人争相巴结的陆少,在T市翻手为云覆手为雨的商界大亨!商场得意,情场失意,他追追逐逐一个女人多年,却从不曾转身,哪怕一次,他便会发现身后一道纠缠的目光夏菱雪,温柔美丽的夏家千金,不争不宠,善良柔弱是她给人的一贯印象,无人知道,她内心的那份坚强与偏执竟主宰着她整个的生命。萧羽,谦谦公子,如玉风华,是医学界新生代的领军人物。恋着她是必然,是从青葱岁月里的那一份暗恋开始!林曼柔,T市第一名模,林市长掌上明珠,高傲的她不屑于人人追逐的陆天熠,但却享受他追在自己身后的快意一次意外的善意行为,促成了一场带有目的的相亲当他亲口同意这门婚事,她由战战兢兢变的满心欢喜没有人知道她多么渴望成为他的妻子,即便知道他爱的另有其人,但她仍然甘愿沉沦他说"要做我陆天熠的妻子必须见不得光,人前人后,我还是单身的钻石王老五,这你也愿意"“我愿意!”她点头,毅然决然陆天熠不知道,爱与不爱其实很难界定,就像黑和白之前有一段漫长的灰色地带,爱可以变成不爱,而不爱可以变成爱当他赐予她华丽的牢笼,转身却寻着她人的身影当他偶尔归家,她却满足殆尽,不争不宠,内心欢喜两年中,他从不曾记起紫苑中还有一个她而她,在她最绚烂的年华里守着他给予的空房子,如此一生,心甘情愿,不在奢求当他因一时感动吻上她的额角当他的身影渐渐出现在眼前,归家的次数渐渐增多当他扣着她的手腕,在众人面前宣布她是他隐婚的妻子她还能平淡如素,无欲无求的过完一生吗当她知道,他只是借着她在试探另一个女人他赐给你无尽的柔情,只是为了另一个女人能够圈禁他的怀抱陆天熠,为什么你可以如此辗转轻视我对你的爱,一次一次将我由云端推向谷底而我又多么没用,眼看着自己心碎,还要将一片片碎片粘贴完整萧羽说"夏菱雪,喜欢你已经很久很久了,我以为那只是年少时的一份冲动,但在遇见你,那份悸动从心底喷薄而出,一直燃烧着我。"明杰说"你不知道我在想你,是因为你不爱我,我明明知道你不想我,却还爱你,是因为我太傻。现在我终于明白,人生就像一场舞会,教会你最初舞步的人未必能陪你走到散场。爱情亦是如此!"夏菱雪想,明杰想通了,他走出了她的魔障,那自己呢,何时能走出陆天熠的魔障爱你,很久了;等你,也很久了;现在,我要离开你了,比很久很久,还要久
  • 都市无敌仙帝系统

    都市无敌仙帝系统

    他本是一个平凡少年,得到仙帝系统后,人生发生了翻天覆地的变化。诸天万界,任我驰骋!横压一世,谁人可挡?
  • 声优养成大师

    声优养成大师

    一个伪宅和另一个世界线的自己重合了。这个世界没有钉宫,也没有东山,没有佐仓……而他,成了一个即将倒闭的事务所的声优经纪人,面对自己的声优落魄潦倒的状况。既然穿越了,那就成为新世界的卡密!没有钉宫,那就造一个钉宫,没有东山,那就造一个东山。Lovelive不只是二次元,我还要办现实世界的学院偶像比赛!没有漫展?那就引爆同人界的原子弹!虚拟偶像?让洛天依和初音未来同台演唱!……而郝平,只想带着他的声优,在武道馆开演唱会。
  • 七月锦城

    七月锦城

    “那我应该叫你什么?”“你叫我名字就好。”“那多没礼貌。”夏七月摇头,“而且也不能显示我对你的尊敬。”“所以呢?”“呃……”夏七月一手捏着下巴想了想,打了个响指”有了!”“以后我就叫你顾大神了。”顾锦城剑眉不易察觉的挑了挑,“坐过来。”那时年少的我们都曾经明恋暗恋过一个人,你是不是很幸运多年后依旧和他再次相遇。
  • 希特勒的战争和恐怖的大屠杀

    希特勒的战争和恐怖的大屠杀

    警告:包含令人极为不适的内容。本书建议读者年龄超过18岁。大屠杀指的是对大约600万犹太人的杀害,从1933年第一座集中营建起,他们就开始被当作”不良分子”遭遇拘捕。随着希特勒权势日炽,他开始围捕其他“不良分子”。希特勒掌权,慢慢清除犹太人的行动付诸实施。1942年,大约100万犹太人被杀害。被判死刑只是遇害的原因之一。250万犹太人被毒气毒死,50万犹太人被活活饿死。斑疹伤寒的爆发也夺走很多人的性命。盟军胜利后,德国陷入混乱。本书致力于关注到底是何种境况能让一个文明国家容忍大屠杀的发生。
  • 千光眼观自在菩萨秘密法经

    千光眼观自在菩萨秘密法经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 青少年知识博览1

    青少年知识博览1

    本书几乎囊括了自然天地与人类生活的方方面面,可谓名副其实的“百科全书”。它涉及的知识点较全:每一个知识面都包含若干知识点,知识点语言生动、内容严谨,又配以图片说明,足以让读者一目了然,可谓不折不扣的“百科全书”。本书每章都是一个特定的知识领域,章内再按各知识领域的内容特点分类一一展开细述,便于读者查找、阅读。
  • 现在贤劫千佛名经

    现在贤劫千佛名经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 契约兄妹:扑倒冰山校草

    契约兄妹:扑倒冰山校草

    父母离婚,背井离乡;落入差班,结交仨俩哥们;人生悲催,那就认栽;既无欲无求,那就凑合过呗;偏偏老天不作美,一纸法律文书“啥?凭空多出个妹妹?”“做梦!乖乖认姐!”兄妹?!姐弟?!尚在争辩不休;生活已经悄然翻篇......--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 重生最狂女学生

    重生最狂女学生

    【新书《全能大佬人美路子野》求收藏求票票求五星好评~~~】重生夜家废物继承人?说姐废,吊打!极品亲戚,碾压!十项全能混合体,迷弟迷妹哭着求着要求抱大腿!顺便接收系统一枚,秒臣服,天天各种献狗腿。“叮!恭喜宿主大,一大波桃花值正向您袭来,请接收!!”桃花值?什么鬼?!某“桃花”邪魅一笑:媳妇儿,盖章不?确认过眼神,这就是他帝少豁出这辈子都要宠的女人!