Ch. IV.] REMINISCENCES. 73 



Within my memory, his only outdoor recreation, besides 

 walking, was riding ; this was taken up at the recommendation 

 of Dr. Bence Jones, and we had the luck to find for him the 

 easiest and quietest cob in the world, named " Tommy." He 

 enjoyed these rides extremely, and devised a series of short 

 rounds which brought him home in time for lunch. Our 

 country is good for this purpose, owing to the number of small 

 valloys which give a variety to what in a flat country would 

 be a dull loop of road. I think he felt surprised at himself, 

 when he remembered how bold a rider he had been, and how 

 utterly old age and bad health had taken away his nerve. He 

 would say that riding prevented him thinking much more 

 effectually than walking — that having to attend to the horse 

 gave him occupation sufficient to prevent any really hard 

 thinking. Aud the change of scene which it gave him was 

 good for spirits and health. 



If I go beyond my own experience, and recall what I have 

 heard him say of his love for sport, &c, I can think of a good 

 deal, but much of it would be a repetition of what is con- 

 tained in his Becollections. He was fond of his gun as quite a 

 boy, and became a good shot ; he used to tell how in South 

 America he killed twenty-three 6nipe in twenty-four shots. In 

 telling the story he was careful to add that he thought they 

 were not quite so wild as English snipe. 



Luncheon at Down came after his mid-day walk; and 

 here I may say a word or two about his meals generally. 

 He had a boy-like love of sweets, unluckily for himself, since 

 he was constantly forbidden to take them. He was not 

 particularly successful in keeping the " vows," as he called 

 them, which he made against eating sweets, and never con- 

 sidered them binding unless he made them aloud. 



He drank very littlo wine, but enjoyed and was revived 

 by the little he did drink. He had a horror of drinking, 

 and constantly warned his boys that any one might be led 

 into drinking too much. I remember, in my innocence as a 

 small boy, asking him if he had been ever tipsy ; and he 

 answered very gravely that he was ashamed to say he had 

 once drunk too much at Cambridge. I was much impressed, 

 so that I know now the place where the question was asked. 



After his lunch he read the newspaper, lying on the sofa 

 in the drawing-room. I think the paper was the only non- 

 scientific matter which he read to himself. Everything else, 

 novels, travels, history, was read aloud to him. He took so 

 wide an interest in life, that there was much to occupy him 

 in newspapers, though he laughed at the wordiness of the 



