28 NIMROUS NORTHERN TOUR. 



which it was produced added to its effect. " How did you get 

 over that stile ?" said I myself, some years back to a London 

 gentleman, whom I had left making his third attempt to leap one, 

 at the top of a sticking hill with the Surrey subscription hounds. 

 " Not at all," was his reply ; " and is it not very odd ? for my 

 horse leaps the bar in the top pole, in the ride of the stables 

 where he stands." " By no means odd," said I, " there are no 

 Surrey hills in that ride." 



Our party at dinner this day at the White Swan, for each 

 house had the benefit in its turn was increased by the presence 

 of the Earl of Eglinton and Lord Archibald Seymour (one of 

 the sons of the Duke of Somerset), the two Messrs. Fletchers, 

 of Saltoun (descendants of the patriotic Andrew, who made 

 such a noise in the world some hundred and thirty years back), 

 and Mr. M'Kenzie Grieve, late of the Horse Guards Blue. To 

 this last-named gentleman I was not altogether a stranger, for 

 we had met in the field in the South, and the last time of our 

 meeting was impressed upon our memories by the not very com- 

 fortable reflection that his horse died on the evening of the run ; 

 and that mine was obliged to be left under the care of a veteri- 

 nary surgeon, for three days, before he could get back to his stable. 

 But let this be washed in Lethe and forgotten ; the only sting 

 that fox-hunting can leave in the breast of a man who can feel, 

 is the reflection, that when he himself may have been most 

 gratified in the enjoyment of it, pain and sufferings will occa- 

 sionally be inflicted by it, on that paragon of animals, the horse. 

 But for this, it would be one of the balsams of life. 



A writer without freedom is a writer without interest ; and I 

 must here claim the privilege which has been before so gene- 

 rously granted to me, in the recapitulation of what I have seen 

 and heard on my various Tours, and for which I can only offer 

 the following excuse : Time and place are of themselves but 

 secondary links in the operation of events, actions and persons 

 being the principal sources of interest. It can be but a brief 

 and rapid sketch of each individual whom I may venture to 

 introduce here ; but as I cannot like Caesar make a history of 

 my own exploits, what should I be without such themes for 

 my pen ? Like Asop's fly on the axle of the chariot wheel, 

 vainly imagining that he was kicking up the dust. In all these 

 matters, however, there is a delicate and honourable reserve 

 that never should, and by me never shall, for a moment be lost 

 sight of or forgotten. 



With which then of these Caledonian sportsmen shall I open 

 the ball ? With Lord Elcho of course, as a master of hounds 

 and a huntsman, for of his private character I need say no more. 



