*1Rimvo^' 181 



a gentleman, well-bred, courteous, and of charming 

 manners. In the second place, there was no better 

 judge of a horse or a hound in the three kingdoms. 

 His criticisms therefore carried weight, and as they 

 were never unkindly, they created no ill-feeling against 

 the critic. Nevertheless, there was a flutter, not alto- 

 gether pleasant, in every Hunt when it was known that 

 the great ' Nimrod ' was about to pay them a visit. The 

 Master and the ' field ' were alike keenly anxious to 

 receive a favourable verdict from the renowned critic. 

 There was a general furbishing up all round ; the hunt- 

 servants were rigged out in new clothes ; the best horses, 

 the neatest boots and breeches, were brought out to meet 

 that dreaded judicial eye. Everyone was on his best 

 behaviour, and I think there must have been a sigh of 

 relief all round when the ordeal was over, and it only 

 remained to be seen what the great Dictator would have 

 to say in the next issue of the Magazine. Perhaps some 

 grumbled at having been put to expense to please the 

 ' chiel amang them takin' notes,' but a word of praise 

 from ' Nimrod ' in print — and he was generous with his 

 eulogy — was enough to compensate for any outlay. 



No one before or since has exercised such an influence 

 over the hunting-field as ' Nimrod ' did. And then his 

 articles were such pleasant and lively reading. No 

 wonder that he attained a popularity w^hich none of his 

 successors can ever hope to attain, write they never so 

 charmingly. 



But unfortunately for ' Nimrod ' his staunch friend 

 Pittman died in 1830, and it was found after his death 

 that his affairs were hopelessly involved. He had made 

 large loans to ' Nimrod,' which the latter was pressed 

 by the creditors to repay. The Sporting Magazine was 



