BIOGRAPHIES IN A NUTSHELL iii 



regard to the hunting-field, he was described in the 

 Quarterly Revieiv as the " Hercules of Horsemen." 

 " Nim " South likens him to " two single gentlemen 

 rolled into one." " Nimrod," Wildrake, Dalme Rad- 

 cliffe, John Mills, Dick Christian, Brooksby, and 

 nearly every writer who has written about Leicester- 

 shire have published their opinions of the Squire, 

 together with anecdotes and personal reminiscences. 

 Yet, with the exception of obituary notices, no 

 authentic history of the celebrated sportsman has 

 been published, though at the time of his decease, 

 in August, 1866, it was announced that his widow 

 intended to write his biography. Probably the 

 stupendous nature of the task has deterred most 

 sporting writers from attempting it, since there is 

 plenty of authentic material for an exhaustive bio- 

 graphy, and there are many of the Squire's intimate 

 associates still alive who could depict those side- 

 scenes by the help of which we can more readily 

 understand the real character of a man who has 

 attained notoriety. But the Squire was ubiquitous. 

 He was an M.F.H. for thirty-five seasons, during 

 several of which he hunted six days a week. He 

 was an owner of racehorses, and rode both on the 

 flat and across country. He performed one of the 

 greatest feats of endurance in regard to horseman- 

 ship on record when he undertook to ride two 

 hundred miles in ten consecutive hours, and covered 

 the distance within one hour eighteen minutes of 

 the specified time. He was accounted the best 



