42 MngB of tbe 1buntiiia«3ficlb 



burial, but for fear you should not see that paper, I send 

 it to you as under. 



'"Sportsmen, attend. — On Tuesday, 29th inst, was 

 buried at Barrow, near Wenlock, Salop, Thomas Moody, 

 the well-known whipper-in to G. Forester, Esq.'s fox- 

 hounds for twenty years. He was carried to the grave 

 by a proper number of earth-stoppers, and attended by 

 many other sporting friends, who heartily mourned for 

 him." 



' Directly after the corpse followed his old favourite 

 horse (which he always called his ' Old Soul '), thus 

 accoutred : carrying his last fox's brush in front of his 

 bridle, with his cap, whip, boots, spurs, and girdle across 

 the saddle. The ceremony being over, he (by his own 

 desire), had three clear, rattling view-halloos o'er his 

 grave ; and thus ended the career of poor Tom, who 

 lived and died an honest fellow, but alas ! a very wet 

 one. 



' I hope you and your family are well, and you'll believe 



me much yours, 



*G. Forester.' 

 Willey, Dec. 5, 1796. 



It was said that Tom kept on his livery to the last 

 and died in his boots, which I believe are still preserved 

 as relics in Shropshire, and have been immortalised in 

 a song, of which the following stanza may be taken as 

 a specimen : — 



' These boots were Tom Moody's, a better ne'er strode 

 A hunter or hack in the field, or the road, 

 None more true to his friend or his bottle when full — 

 In short, you may call him a thorough John Bull.' 



But the song which has served to keep Tom Moody's 

 memory green through all these years is the following 

 well-known ditty of Charles Dibdin's. 



