An Autobiography of an Ancient Athlete & Antiquarian

210 AUTOBIOGRAPHY There wa~ about this time much opposition to enlisting in the County, chiefly at the bands of farmers, so I wrote to the Eastern Daily Press:- " Everyone knows how sturdy aud patriotic the late \Villiam "Cobbett was, and how strongly he stood out for public rights "and for the farmers and labourers. It may, therefore, be as •· well at this juncture, when so many are hanging back from "enlisting, to quote the following passage fro111 his "Rural "Rides" (Nelson's reprint, p. 438) :- " ' The law authorises the King iu case of invasion or "apprehended invasion to call upon all his people to take up "arms in defence of the couu try. The Militia Law compels "every 1Uau in his turn to become a soldier. And upon what "ground is this? The reason is that every man bas rights in "the country to whkh he belongs, and that, therefore, it is his "duty to defend the country.'" "I wish that this fine old reformer were alive, for we should "see him on the patriotic side with other Radicals who are doing "their duty.'' With reference to the threatened increase of the price of coal I suggested that, locally, the pressure on the pits and waggons could be relieved by reverting to the vast stores of peat in the Broad districts, which had remained idle for three or four years. othiug, however, came of my suggestion. Working at the index to the "Red Book of Lynn" kept me very folly employed this spring. On the 18th March was a very hard frost, 16 degrees, which killed the buddleyas and cut down nearly all the new rose growths. On the 2nd April I bought Mr. Falcon's old motor, and I had some good rides in it with R.J. W.P. and others. H.G.R. came down, and to his utter astonishment I beat him at rifle shooting, 88 to bis 77. Ou the Easter Monday we motored to Holt. Margorie stopped on till the 12th April. My Norwich doctor announced I had a fatty heart, but might last 15 years! Ou the 25th we had a tentative ride towards Lynn, but made a great error coming back, and got into some hilly country at Attlebridge, which made our oil run out. The 6th May was the first hot day of the year, brim– stones and blues both out. Soldiers-the Berks.-were billeted at Lammas in the cottage opposite me, but had no tables or chairs, so I had to lend them some. They were a very decent lot indeed, and I did my best to make