The Merry Past 



foreigners of distinction came to hunt in England, 

 and took up their quarters at Brighton. The flower 

 of the flock is said to have been the Saxon Baron 

 Gablentz. 



He was a Hght weight and generally kept in the 

 front rank, not infrequently taking up a line for 

 himself. 



This Baron did not know what fear was, and did 

 not care what sort of a horse he got on to, nor what 

 sort of a place he rode him at : in consequence of 

 which, and a naturally loose military seat, he seldom 

 went out without saluting the earth a few times ; one 

 day, indeed, he had so many falls, that he himself said 

 he could not count them. 



It seemed, indeed, unfortunate that the Baron did 

 not adopt the original plan for securing one's seat on 

 a horse, which was invented by a Lord Tweeddale of 

 the past — a nobleman who used to ride with plush 

 breeches on a saddle made of the same material, the 

 nap of this being turned the reverse way to the 

 breeches, so that they worked in with one another. 



The Baron's early hunting experiences on more than 

 one occasion nearly culminated in a tragedy. He rode, 

 for instance, at the Ouse about two miles above 

 Lewes, observing, if his horse could not jump quite 

 over, he would anyhow get part of the way, and 

 might swim the rest. The result was that he got 

 into the middle of it, where, as he said himself, his 

 horse and he floundered about for a quarter of an 

 hour, and only got out then with much difficulty. 



Of English gentlemen he had a very high opinion, 



94 



