232 NIMROUS NORTHERN TOUR. 



than we do, we should retain the entire exercise of our senses, 

 as well as the free use of our limbs, to the full age of man. It is 

 the softness and effeminacy of modern manners and habits which 

 deprive men of their natural defence against diseases incidental 

 to our variable climate, and subject them to that debility and 

 morbid sensibility of the nervous system, which lays the founda- 

 tion of diseases that spoil, if they do not destroy, life. I could, 

 however, observe, that the Captain is wide awake to all the ad- 

 vantages of an active rural life, so very conducive to health, not 

 only of body but of mind, for there is nothing at Ury likely to 

 emasculate the one or enervate the other. I do not recollect 

 seeing even an arm-chair in the house. As for those in the 

 dining-room, if the seats of them were made of heart of oak itself 

 they could not be much harder than they are, and the backs of 

 them are as straight, and nearly as high, as a poplar-tree. I 

 believe there is a sofa in the drawing-room, but as for ottomans 

 and footstools, and such like, you might as well look for an ele- 

 phant at Uiy, as for any such Oriental-looking things. It is, 

 however, a well-furnished and very comfortable room, and, 

 amongst other ornaments on its walls, has a full length painting 

 of the Captain in his hunting costume, and two of Tom Cribb 

 one in his clothes, and the other in attitude. "The Chicken" 

 in attitude presides over the side-board in the dining-room ; and, 

 as maybe supposed, the Captain, in his thousand mile match, is 

 not omitted in the collection. 



It is almost needless to refer to the past life of a person, marked 

 with so many instances of public action, as that of Captain Bar- 

 clay is. In Pierce Egan's sporting anecdotes nineteen of his 

 wonderful pedestrian feats are recorded ; but finding no mention 

 made of two extraordinary performances on the coach box I here 

 give them. The first is, his having driven the mail coach from 

 London to Aberdeen without any remission of his task except 

 during the short periods allowed for the refreshment of passen- 

 gers on the journey. Having a large sum depending on the 

 event a little relief was afforded him by a selection of light- 

 mouthed horses ; still so little exhausted was he when he arrived 

 at Aberdeen that he offered to back himself to drive the return 

 mail to London in the same manner ; but the late Lord Kennedy, 

 with whom the original match was made, thought it prudent to 

 decline his challenge. The other was in pursuance of his pas- 

 sion for the ring. Being quartered at Wrexham, North Wales, 

 with the 23rd Regiment, or Welsh Fusileers, he obtained leave 

 from his commanding officer to walk as he said to Liverpool, 

 to see his brother who was staying there, promising to be back 

 for the weekly returns. He did " walk," but not to Liverpool ; 



