2 ECHOES OF OLD COUNTY LIFE. 



will be interesting and amusing, I may without vanity 

 say that they have also an historical value, depicting as 

 they do a series of events — social, sporting, literary, 

 agricultural, and political — which stirred many thousands 

 of minds in the middle of the nineteenth century. 



Amongst many of my recollections are some which 

 may interest my readers, as bringing before them the 

 names of several who have arrived at great eminence in 

 the State, or in the general whirl of society. I remember 

 when the late Lord Granville was Master of the Buck- 

 hounds, and I dare say many there are who would 

 hardly beheve that that eminent and courteous states- 

 man began his public career in the above sporting 

 capacit}-. I rode with him on one occasion to a meet 

 at Creslow to show him the way there, as he had arrived 

 from London after the hounds had left Aylesbury, and 

 shall not forget the delightful six-mile ride I had with 

 him : his conversation, his courteous manners, the plea- 

 sure he felt at the beauty of our V^ale, and especially 

 at the view from the hills where the deer was uncarted. 

 Shortly after the start Lord Canning, afterwards Viceroy 

 of Lidia, who always went in the first flight, charged a 

 strong post-and-rail fence, and his horse, striking the top 

 beam, came down, throwing his rider heavily. He lay 

 motionless, and I jumped off my horse and called for 

 assistance. We raised him up, loosened his collar, 

 bathed his head and face with water, and he slowly 

 regained consciousness. We took him to an adjoining 

 farm-house, and after about an hour he was sufficiently 

 recovered to return to Aylesbury, and was in the saddle 

 again the next day as well as ever. 



