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260 umpires, promised to support them in an independent judgment, and daily encourage them in the performance of their unpleasant duty. This is beginning at the right end. To expect a judge to do that which he believes will be the signal for his own dismissal is too much.

The absurdity of having a law and breaking it, is obvious; so let me insist on a newer argument, namely, that "to indulge a bowler in an unfair delivery is mistaken kindness, for the fairest horizontal delivery, like Cobbett's and Bedgate's, tends most to that spin, twist, quick rise, shooting and cutting, and that variety after the pitch in which effective bowling consists." A throw is very easy to play—as it comes down, so it bounds up: the batsman feels little credit due, and the spectator feels as little interest. The ball leaves the hand at once without any rotatory motion, and one ball of the same pitch and pace is like another. Very different is that life and vitality in the ball as it spins away from the skimming and low delivery of a hand like Cobbett's. The angle of reflection is not to be calculated by the angle of incidence one in ten times, with such spinning balls. That rotatory motion which makes a bullet glance instead of penetrating—that causes the slowly-moving top to fly off with increased speed when rubbing against the wall—that determines the angle from the cushion, and either the "following"