72 THE WARWICKSHIRE HUNT. [1824 



famous horse, wliicli he had just bought for a hirge price, 

 led the field as far as Meon Hill ; but by some means he 

 lamed the horse during the course of the run, and, thinking 

 he could not recover, he sold him to Mr. Eussell for 50/., 

 who rode him for eight or nine seasons afterwards, and he 

 always went well on a fast and long day. 



The perfect sportsman, it has been remarked by the 

 intelligent author of the " Sportsman's Cabinet," whether 

 the hounds are drawing or running, is never seen in a place 

 to incur disgrace by heading the game or obstructing the 

 hounds. The chase is a business in which he is a proficient, 

 and he is never at a loss in the execution. From an innate 



an liou. eanon. He also erected the iron bridge over tlie Avon at Hampton Lucy at 

 his sole expense. It was begun in 1829, and completed in January, 1830. Mary, Mrs. 

 Lucy, said in her biography of the Lucy family : " The bridge is not only an elegant 

 structure in itself, but the greatest accommodation to the whole neighbourhood. Well 

 do I remember the poor old wooden footbridge, and how, when the ford was not ford- 

 able, I used to venture on horseback mth fear and trembling over it, and many and 

 many a good dinner at the Rectory has been lost to the invited guests owing to an 

 inoppoitune flood." These good dinners were for years quite a feature of the Hampton 

 Lucy Eectory, and many a good story, almost too good to be repeated, is told in con- 

 nection with them. Many great patrons of the chase partook of Mr. John Lucy's 

 hospitality, amongst others Mr. Apperley (" Nimrod "), the late Lord Henry Bentinck, 

 and others. Loi-d Henry, on his departure, was pleased, in his precise manner, to express 

 his entire approval of his host's menage, with one ejreptioti. Colonel Henry Lane (late 

 Hammer Lane) was sitting in the hall at Hampton Lucy, and saw Mr. J. Lucy go into 

 the dining-room, and heard him say to his butler, " What are those ? " " Those are 

 the Apostle spoons, sir." " When did I tell you to put those out ? " " When it was a 

 first-class dinner-party, sir." "This," said Mr. Lucy, "is not a first-class dinner 

 party." On one occasion he pressed his friend and fellow sportsman, the Rev. Henry 

 Knightley, to partake of some special sauce. The answer was characteiistic also : ' ' No, 

 thank you, I never eat messes." It was some years before Mr. Knightley was again 

 invited. We never heard of his being anything of a gunner ; but with respect to 

 hunting, he was attached to the sport all his life, and in his younger days must have 

 been a first-class man to hounds. He always engaged the most excellent curates, and 

 was most particular that they should be gentlemen as well as earnest workers. This 

 gave him more time to pursue his favourite amusement. When quite an old man he 

 was constantly seen at the covert side in the most irreiDroachable get up — black coat and 

 beautifully cleaned leathers, mounted on his favourite bright bay horse, Man Friday, 

 and attended by his faithful groom. We remember once having to borrow his dress 

 clothes, and his telling us then that in the whole course of his life he had never had his 

 portmanteau packed for him. At the same dinner party at which we were asked to take 

 the foot of the table, most minute directions were given as to the exact quantity of soup 

 we wei'e to help to each guest. He is supposed to have been the originator of the term, 

 " inferior order of the clergy," as applied to the assistant curates of the Church. We 

 remember hearing that on one occasion he was staying at Wroxton Abbey, at a time 

 when gas had for the first time been introduced into the house. When he went to bed, 

 instead of turning off the gas, he blew it out. Fortunately, the fire had burnt low, and 

 soon went out. Early the next morning, the maid thought there was a smell of gas 

 near the door of the bedroom, and took the precaution to enter it without a liglited 

 caudle and at once to open both windows. — C. M. — W. R. V. 



