THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



in in}^ life. Ho calls one Plato, and the other Rowland, and 

 they cost him no less than 1800 (ruineas. Then their condition 

 was splendid. You arc aware that it was in consequence of 

 my conversation with his i^room, that T kept my horses last 

 sunnner in the house, and luive detcnnined upon never again 

 turning them to grass. 



' As you may suppose, we made the best turn-out in our 

 power, on this day, from this side the country, and a most 

 respectable appearance we cut. Sam Lawley had a picked 

 pack for the occasion, and was mounted on his best horse, 

 John-o'-Gaunt, one of the three for which 1000 guineas were 

 offered. We all, indeed, skimmed the cream of our studs, 

 myself upon Topthorn, whose condition was nuich admired. 

 But now to business : — 



' We found in the first cover we drew, and the fox went 

 boldly away at once ; and, by the quickness of Sam Lawley 

 and his whips, the hounds came out in a bod}''. " But they 

 were pressed upon and ridden over," methinks I hear you say. 

 Not a bit of it. They had sportsmen to deal with, who gave 

 them fair play. But the esprit de corps, you will assure me, 

 or, in other words, jealousy, must have operated to their dis- 

 advantage. This I also disclaim on the part of the whole 

 field; at least, I saw nothing like it: but every man's object 

 was merely to live with the hounds, which was as much indeed 

 as they could do, for the pace was desperately (juick. And 

 the hounds got an advantage in the first five minutes, and 

 a great one it was. A brook — the very brook, I believe, 

 in which the mangled remains of Richard were thrown, 

 and which, even to this day, the country people believe to be 

 tinged with blood^and a small ozier-bed very soon presented 

 themselves, and somewhat checked our career, as the horses 

 did not like them — perhaps the}^ smelled the blood, though I 

 should rather say, the bog. However, all in the same line 

 with myself got over, Peyton, on Watchmaker, being the first. 

 The pace now became awful, as we had ground to make up, 

 and those near the hounds could, without any difiiculty, be 

 distinguished. There were about an equal number of orange 

 and red, neither appearing to me to prevail. I am speaking of 

 the first twelve minutes. It was now that a trifling superiority 

 was exhibited amongst those who, with myself, were on the 

 left of the hounds. A large timber fence presented itself, high 



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