BREEDING OF HUNTERS. 307 



would not fence at all, and it was only after a very 

 long coaxing match at Pytchley, commenced before 

 luncheon and concluded after, that he was induced 

 to take his maiden fence. Even in his zenith, he 

 would suddenly decline a fence, after leading the first 

 flight for a quarter of an hour, and the two were left 

 alone. In spite of this drawback, which lost Sir 

 Charles several good runs, when he had to give him 

 up (after eight seasons), he always said that he could 

 never find real pleasure in riding another. He was 

 bought out of Robson's stable at Newmarket, where 

 Sir Charles often repaired during the meetings, to 

 look, among the ruck in a race, for a thorough-bred 

 hunter to his mind. Frank Buckle had ridden him 

 on one occasion, and it was by his advice that he was 

 purchased in the spring of 1811 for 300 guineas, or 

 100 guineas less than the smarter-looking and higher- 

 actioned Sir Marinel. Northamptonshire was dis- 

 tinguished in after-years as the birthplace of Mame- 

 luke and of Harriet, the dam of Plenipo, the former 

 of whom saw the light at the paddocks of Mr. Elwes, 

 who was long confederate with Lord Jersey ; and it 

 was from the blood of Boadicea, own sister to its 

 great hunting crack, that Touchstone sprang. Sir 

 Charles's riding of Benvolio had become such a North- 

 amptonshire proverb during their first 1811-12 season, 

 that General Grosvenor, through whom he had ori- 

 ginally bought the horse from the late Lord Wilton, 

 happening to be at a sale in Cheshire in the spring of 

 the latter year, gave 150 guineas for her, and sent her 

 to Sir Charles, with we believe a filly at her foot. Her 

 new owner got her into condition ; but although she 

 became very handy, she was hardly up to his weight, 

 and he accordingly gave her away to Lord Spencer, 

 who was then master of the Pytchley, and whose 

 huntsman, Charles King, she carried spjendidly for 

 four seasons. Eventually she went to Tattersall's with 

 Lord Spencer's other horses, and Lady Westminster 



