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THE FIRST EDITION
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of Mr. A. Bass of Burton, and his friend Mr. Whateley, a gentleman who truly understands "Philosophy in Sport" Then, the Hon. Robert Grimston judiciously suggested some modification of our plan. We agreed with him that, for a popular work, and one "for play hours," the lighter parts should prevail over the heavier; for, with most persons, a little science goes a long way, and our "winged words," if made too weighty, might not fly far; seeing, as said Thucydides[1], "men do find it such a bore to learn any thing that gives them trouble." For these reasons we drew more largely on our funds of anecdote and illustration, which had been greatly enriched by the contributions of a highly valued correspondent—Mr. E. S. E. Hartopp. When thus the science of batting had been reduced to its fair proportions, it was happily undertaken by the Hon. Frederick Ponsonby, not only through kindness to ourselves personally, but also, we feel assured, because he takes a pleasure in protecting the interests of the rising generation. By his advice, we became more distinct in our explanations, and particularly careful of venturing on

  1. B. i. c. 20.