MRS. ASQUITH 7 



charge of Martin, and which contained, among many others, 

 those good horses Lord Arthur, probably the best hunter 

 that has ever crossed Leicestershire ; the handsome grey 

 Franciscan on whom Mr. Arthur Coventry often had a mount 

 when he came to stay at Sysonby Lodge ; the faultless 

 Goldfinder, who was Mrs. Barclay's favourite ; and staunch 

 old Freeman, who carried his owner brilliantly for fourteen 

 seasons. Harry Green, the old steeplechase rider, looked 

 after Count Zabrowsky's string, the best of which was 

 probably Billet Doux. Mr. and Miss Muir, both of whom 

 went well, had several nice horses. Miss Naylor, Prince 

 Henry of Pless, Colonel Forester, Mr. Gordon Wood, Baron 

 M. de Tuyll, Mr. de Winton, Mr. Foxhall Keene, Mr. 

 Younger, Mr. Guy Fenwick, Mr. Laycock, Mr. Prior, Mr. 

 Forbes, Mr. Lawson, Mr. Baldock, and others had well filled 

 stables of high-class animals. My wife and I greatly admired 

 the capable manner in which Lady Augusta Fane rode over 

 a difficult country on not always the best of mounts. The 

 fine riding of Lady Gerard and Mrs. Bunbury (now Baroness 

 M. de Tuyll) is well known to everyone. Mrs. Lawson 

 always rode straight, and appeared to thoroughly enjoy the 

 sport ; yet, strange to say, I never heard her name mentioned 

 as a hard riding lady ; because, I suppose, she made no fuss 

 about crossing a difficult country. The world and his wife, to 

 save themselves the trouble of thinking, generally take people 

 by advertisement. Mr. and Mrs. Hornsby, who have since 

 left Stapleford Park, and Mr. and Mrs. Brocklehurst, were 

 extremely popular members of the hunt. Before Mrs. 

 Asquith married, she was a frequent visitor to the Melton 

 country, and never went out of her way to find an easy place. 

 I remember one afternoon in May while riding with my wife 

 for exercise from Melton towards Burton, meeting the farmer 

 through whose fields we were going. This good supporter 

 of hunting at that moment was dolefully regarding a newly 



