Sic KHcbarfc Sutton 409 



ticable nowadays, and that driving is therefore a necessity 

 of modern sport. But the huge slaughter-lists are not 

 a necessity of sport, indeed they are utterly opposed to 

 the spirit of true sport. They may gratify the clever 

 marksman : they only disgust the genuine sportsman. 



But to return to my muttons. Sir Richard Sutton, 

 whilst one of the foremost sportsmen of his time, was, 

 like Assheton Smith, Hugo Meynell, Peter Beckford, 

 " Gentleman " Smith, and many other British Nimrods, 

 a man of brains and culture. 



" Sir Richard," says one who knew him well, " was 

 never idle ; after the day's amusements out of doors 

 were over he would be ever found, unless engaged with 

 company, occupied with his flute or his book. His stock 

 of information on all subjects was extraordinary. He 

 was well qualified to adorn the Senate, but his contempt 

 for politicians was profound, and, though often solicited, 

 he always declined a seat in Parliament." 



Therein he resembled another famous sportsman 

 among his contemporaries, Mr. Delme'-Radcliffe, whom 

 the first Lord Lytton described as " a rare specimen of 

 an unrivalled combination of talents a country gentle- 

 man able to hold his own in any field sport with all his 

 fellows, and no less qualified to take his seat in the 

 cabinet of the statesman or the closet of the scholar and 

 the philosopher." But, though twice strongly pressed to 

 stand for Hertfordshire, with an undertaking to pay 

 every farthing of his expenses, Delme'-Radcliffe declined, 

 and thus the House of Commons lost one of the best 

 speakers of his day. I don't know that Sir Richard 

 Sutton possessed any oratorical ability comparable with 



