ALKEN'S ILLUSTRATIONS. 



performances of which he happened to be an in- 

 terested eye-witness. This combination happened 

 most happily, it must be allowed. So much for 

 circumstances, which in the first instance led to these 

 dashing "Memoirs" making their appearance in the 

 columns of The Neiv Sporting Magazine in the 

 palmy days of sporting literature.* 



As is easily understood, Nimrod's stirring narrative 

 was eagerly devoured at the time of publication, and 

 Ackermann, the enterprising pubHsher, conceived the 

 happy idea of presenting the veracious Memoirs in a 

 form worthy of their sporting character. For this 

 purpose the very man was at hand, and to Apperley, 

 as historian, was added, as artistic collabor-atetir, the 

 ingenious Henry Aiken to furnish illustrations; an 

 unsurpassable combination to which the present work 

 owes its origin. Both artists stand alone, and as yet 

 have found no successors in their respective branches, 

 with the brilliant exception furnished by the later 



* "The Life of Mytton" began in October, 1834, in The New 

 Sporting Iifaga::hie, having been announced by Ninirod in the previous 

 number. His letter concluded thus : " I hope you will make a start 

 with poor John Mytton on the ist of October — a melancholy reverse, 

 by the way, of his usual start on that day in the Halston covers. But 

 how true the ma-xim, ^ Nil violentiinn est perpetuum'' — '7>V the pace 

 ihat kilts." 



