Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-02-16
EccLEsIAsTIcAL WITS.

The Bishop of Winchester was once very
neatly sold by one of his own clergy in
the diocese of Oxford, the Rev. Frank Bur-
CESS. Mr.. Burgess was an ardent. fox
hunter. The Bishop, although thorough
horseman, detested sporting parsons But
Frank Burgess was not an easy man to
deal with He was independent and testy.
Wilberforce tried two or three plans indi-
rectly to let the fox-hunting parson know
that he disapproved of the pastime, but,
finding that these had no effect, the Bishop
determined to speak for himself, and, meet
ing Burgess one morning in Oxford, he
gently led up to the obnoxious topic.
"Yon had a capital day yesterday, MIR.
Burgess, for fox-hunting in your neighcor-
hood" Eyes, my lord" said Burgess,
"most excellent, and a capital field and a
splendid rum" 81 suppose you do not
hunt now p said the Bishop, interroga-
lively. "Not much, my lord, replied
Burgess, and then, recollecting the Bishops
objection, and thinking that this reply
might be construed casuistical, the Vicar
added, "Not so much as should like, my
lord" "No, 1 dare say not, said the
Bishop, but-but Looking with that
peculiar glance of his, glance half
sarcastic and half ironical-" do you
think, Mr.. Burgess, that your presence in
the hunting field adds to your influence
among your parishioners!" 81 do not
know whether it adds to my influence, my
lord" replied Burgess; "but l do not
know that it detracts from it. The
Bishop thought it necessary to be frank
now in his turn, and putting on severe
tone, he read the Vicar a sharp lecture
upon the unprofessional character of a fox
hunter in a black coat. Burgess listened
as respectfully as he could but when the
lecture was over he bowed and asked per-
mission to make one observation. This
was to point out to the Bishop that in the
newspapers of day or two before his
name had appeared as one OF those present
at a State ball "Ah, yes, said the
Bishop, promptly, "but if you had been
there you would have seen that was
never in the same room with the dancers,
Mr.. Burgess in the same room.
'.And that, my lord" said Burgess, with
equal promptness, sis my case have
such bad cattle that, though l ride to
hounds pretty often, | am never In the
same field with the hunt-neyer, my
lord p
And the Bishop once provoked an
equally neat, if less personal, retort from
fox-hunting parson, who rode so regu-
larly to hounds that Wilberforce lost his
temper with him. "You go galloping all
over the country, and your parish is going
to the dogs" "That, my lord, replied
the incorrigible priest, sis why l hunt
When my Pensioners are going, as your
lordship says, to the dogs with slight
emphasis on dogs), it is, l submit, my
lord, my positive duty to go also, If only
to look after them"
But Wilberforce, as rule, was as ready
with his repartee as man in his position
must be. He once spoke to keeper upon
a neighboring estate, where he sometimes
spent quiet day shooting, about not 60
ing to church. The man pleaded guilty to
the Bishops impeachment, but added that
he read his Bible on Sunday afternoons,
and, my lord," said the keeper. :" do
not find there that the Apostles went
"You are quite right, my man,
quite ri ght, replied the Bishop; but it
was because there was no game in the Holy
Land. They went fishing instead. y
Whitehall Review.