164 



Passed Galby and Norton, Great Stretton and Small, 

 Eight onward still sweeping to old Stretton Hall, 

 Where two minutes' check serv'd to shew, at one ken, 

 The extent of the havoc 'mongst horses and men : 

 Such sighing, such sobbing, such trotting, such walking, 

 Such reeling, such halting, of fences such baulking ; 

 Such a smoke in the gaps, such comparing of notes. 

 Such quizzing each other's daub'd breeches and coats. 

 Here a man walked afoot who his horse had half killed, 

 There you met with a steed who his rider had spill'd ; 

 In short, such dilemmas, such scrapes, such distress 

 One fox ne'er occasion'd, the knowing confess. 

 But, alas, the dilemmas had hardly begun ! 

 On for Wigston and Ayleston he resolute ran. 

 Where a few of the stoutest now slacken'd and panted, 

 And many were seen irretrievably planted. 

 The high road to Leicester the scoundrel then crossed, 

 As Tell Tale (i) and Beaufremont (2) found to their cost ; 

 And Yilhers esteem'd it a serious bore 

 That no longer could Shuttlecock (3) fly as before. 

 Even Joe Miller's (4) spirit of fun was so broke 

 That he ceased to consider the run as a joke. 

 Then, streaming away, o'er the river he splashed, 

 Germain, close at hand, off the bank Melon (5) dash'd : 

 Why the Dun prov'd so stout in a scamper so wild — 

 Till now he had only been rode by a Child. (6) 

 After him plung'd Joe Miller, with Musters so slim. 

 Who twice sank and nearly paid dear for his whim, 

 Not reflecting that all water melons must swim. 



I. Tell Tale.— Mr. Forrester's horse. 



8. Mr. Maddock's horse. 



3. Lord Villiers' horse. 



4. Mr. Musters' horse. 



5. Mr. Germain's horse. 



6. Formerly the property of Mr. Child, to whom this Hunt is perhaps 

 indebted for the present spirited style of riding to hounds. 



