THE LIFE OF A SFORISMAN 



'Jacob Wardcll, on a weedy thorough-bred one, looking 

 nearly as fit to be carried by, as to carry his rider, with a 

 hooked stick in his right hand, one end of it resting on his 

 shoulder, and his own head nearly as high as the top of it, 

 went away with the lead at a pace that could scarcely be main- 

 tained on a race-course, still less over ridge and furrowed irrass 

 land, on a stiff clay bottom ; and, although he held the lead 

 gallantly for the first four fields, was at length laid flat on his 

 back in a wide, broad ditch, and leaped over, as he lay there, 

 by Forester, and three more whose persons I could not distin- 

 guish, being a good land's length in the rear of them. By a 

 luckj^ turn in my favour, however, I soon got alongside them, 

 and found them to be Lord Villiers on one of his two famous 

 black horses that Mr. Somerby had told mo of, Mr. Childe, 

 Mr. Cholmondeley, and Mr. Smith, ]\Ir. Germaine and Mr. 

 Musters lying a little to their left. I was delighted to find 

 myself in such company, but fearing I should soon be cut by 

 them, as we used to say at Eton, and recollecting an aphorism 

 of Egerton's, that example is the best instructor, I determined 

 on endeavouring to follow Mr. Forester so long as my horse 

 enabled me to do so. And now for the result, which I could 

 not have believed prior to the experience of it. When, at 

 about half a field's distance from him, I saw him take each 

 fence as it came, I repeatedly said within myself, that's nothing 

 at all events — adding, where are your big Leicestershire fences ? 

 But I was as oftentimes deceived, w^hen I came up to them, by 

 finding them very big. But how is this ? 1 would exclaim. 

 Neither Forester nor his horse appeared to make more exertion 

 to get over those strong bullock fences than they might have 

 made in clearing a dead hedge and small ditch. I was told it 

 was all the efiect of hand — of handing his horses, as it were, 

 easily and tenderly over their fences ; not allowing them to leap 

 a yard higher, or farther, than was necessary. That is the man 

 for me. 



' But I was soon obliged to decline keeping such good com- 

 pany ; the pace was beyond what I had been used to, and my 

 place was taken by Sir Henry Peyton on Watchmaker, Lord 

 Foley, and Lindon, who appeared to be just about my own 

 age. This gave me encouragement. " I see the young ones 

 can do it," said I; "so I must not despair." But where were 

 the old ones :* Why, in about three more fields I heard a 



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