Giants of the Past 189 



Cleveland and Lady Augusta Milbanke, who must 

 have made a brave show in their scarlet habits. 

 They hunted three times a fortnight and had been 

 used to hunting from the time when they were 

 children, but the general opinion of the day is 

 reflected in Nimrod's remark, " Tet it would be 

 difficult to produce too more amiable or accomplished 

 persons." Then in 1841 came Miss Nellie Holmes, 

 " topping the fences like a bird, to the admiration 

 of all." Then the Misses Loraine Smith, " who 

 rode in scarlet bodices and grey skirts, and Lady 

 Eleanor Lowther, who used to be piloted with the 

 Ouorn and Cottesmore by Dick Christian. I 

 know of no more thrilling touch in all the famous 

 hunting lectures than Dick's account of their ride 

 up Burrough Hill, one of the steepest of the many 

 acclivities of Leicestershire. " Near the top if I 

 didn't think she and the horse would come back- 

 ward. I says, * Do, my lady, catch hold of the 

 horse's mane and lean forward more,' so we gets up 

 safe, and my word the gentlemen did stare when 

 they see us." I suggest that the moral of that 

 story is that a mane on a horse is very convenient 

 sometimes, and indeed big horses should never be 

 hogged. Then there was Miss Manners of Goadby, 

 who was sure " papa would be very angry if she 

 went home without seeing the end of the run " ; 

 and the brilliant Frenchwoman Mrs. Shakerley, who 

 went well over Warwickshire and Leicestershire on 

 the famous horse Golden Ball. But it was not till 

 the seventies that ladies began to take a regular part 

 in hunting. There was Mrs. Arthur of Desborough 

 hunting with the Pytchley. She had an eye like a 

 hawk, a nerve like a lion, and was always ready to 

 lend the huntsman a hand, Mrs. Arthur was one 

 of those ladies, of whom we see many nowadays, who 



