their
seats, it was his turn to rise, so getting on his legs, he essayed to
speak, but finding, as many men do, that his ideas deserted him the
moment the "eyes of England" were turned upon him, after two or three
hitches of his nankeens, and as many hems and haws, he very coolly
resumed his seat, and spoke as follows:

"Gentlemen, unaccustomed as I am to public speaking, I am taken quite
aback by this werry unexpected compliment (cheers); never since I filled
the hancient and honerable hoffice of churchwarden in the populous
parish of St. Botolph Without, have I experienced a gratification equal
to the present. I thank you from the werry bottom of my breeches-pocket
(applause). Gentlemen, I'm no horator, but I'm a honest man (cheers).
I should indeed be undeserving the name of a sportsman--undeserving of
being a member of that great and justly celebrated 'unt, of which Mr.
Happerley Nimrod has spun so handsome and flattering a yarn, if I
did not feel deeply proud of the compliment you have paid it. It is
unpossible for me to follow that great sporting scholar fairly over the
ridge and furrow of his werry intricate and elegant horation, for there
are many of those fine gentlemen's names--French, I presume--that he
mentioned, that I never heard of before, and cannot recollect; but if
you will allow me to run 'eel a little, I would make a few hobservations
on a few of his hobservations.--Mr. Happerley Nimrod, gentlemen, was
pleased to pay a compliment to what he was pleased to call my something
'ospitality. I am extremely obliged to him for it. To be surrounded
by one's friends is in my mind the 'Al' of 'uman 'appiness (cheers).
Gentlemen, I am most proud of the honour of seeing you all here to-day,
and I hope the grub has been to your likin' (cheers), if not, I'll
discharge my butcher. On the score of quantity there might be a little
deficiency, but I hope the quality was prime. Another time this shall
be all remedied (cheers). Gentlemen, I understand those cheers, and I'm
flattered by them--I likes 'ospitality!--I'm not the man to keep my
butter in a 'pike-ticket, or my coals in a quart pot (immense cheering).
Gentlemen, these are my sentiments, I leaves the flowers of speech to
them as is better acquainted with botany (laughter)--I likes plain
English, both in eating and talking, and I'm happy to see Mr. Happerley
Nimrod has not forgot his, and can put up with our homely fare, and do
without pantaloon cutlets, blanket