Nimrod at Acton Burndl. 31 



It is sixty years ago since Nimi'od ^v^ote : ** After 

 hunting, Sir Bellingham and myself dined at Acton 

 Burnell, which was the fixture for the next morning. 

 This is the fine seat of my very old friend, Sir Edward 

 Smythe, and who hunted Shropshire for six seasons. A 

 more jovial fellow is not to be found in his Majesty's 

 dominions. Though this worthy baronet has plenty of 

 game, he is a strict preserver of foxes, and generally 

 finds a good one. The day I am speaking of did not 

 prove an exception. We found in the park, and after 

 upwards of two hours through a deep and clistressing 

 country, lost him by a holloa from a keeper, who thought 

 he had marked him to ground. At the second check, I 

 heard Sir Bellingham say we had been running him an 

 hour and ten minutes, quite enough for the country we 

 w^ent over. I witnessed on this run what I never saw 

 before, viz., three gentlemen riding at gates, and without 

 their horses falling, tumbling over their heads. The trio 

 was composed of Mr. Bryne, a friend of Sir Edward 

 Smythe's, but a native of the sister kingdom ; Mr. Eock^ 

 a very thrusting young one ; and Mr. Mytton ! Mr. Bryne, 

 I was told, was determined never to be so served again, 

 as he went to a brook and wetted the knees of his 

 breeches, to enable him to stick to his saddle ! I never 

 heard of this experiment before, but, as far as I am a 

 judge, there is only one other step to be taken with the 

 breeches ! " 



Nimrod also speaks of an excellent run from Pitch ford 

 Park of an hour and twenty minutes, when Mr. Mytton 

 and a good field were present, and Sir Bellingham rode 

 a horse of Captain Gordon's that carried him very well. 

 Perhaps history may repeat itself here also ! I find two 

 most interesting accounts of Sundorne and the Corbets, 

 of which more anon. 



Those were jolly times, that it does a hunting man's 

 heart good to go back to occasionally ; and if this frost 

 continues, or if the Shropshire huntsman is disposed to 

 linger longer over his cosy fire, I must fallback on these 

 old stories of Nimrod's, some of which may be half 

 forgotten, or, perhaps, never well enough digested by 

 the present generation. I have something to say, too, 

 by way of advice on the present system of earth-stopping 

 in the county, but it will not do to close the year with 

 one long howl of grumble. We have much to be thank- 



