LIFE OF MYTTON. 



the crown of his hat. He never wore any but 

 the thinnest and finest silk stockings, with very 

 thin boots or shoes, so that in winter he rarely had 

 dry feet. To flannel he was a stranger since he left 

 off his petticoats. Even his hunting-breeches were 

 without lining ; he wore one small waistcoat, always 

 open in the front from about the second of the lower 

 buttons ; and about home he was as often without his 

 hat as with one. His winter shooting gear was a 

 light jacket, white linen trousers, without lining or 

 drawers, of which he knew not the nse ; and in frost 

 and snow he waded through all water that came in his 

 way. Nor is this all. He would sometimes strip to 

 his shirt to follow wild-fowl in hard weather, and 

 once actually laid himself down on the snow in his 

 shirt only to wait their arrival at dusk. But Dame 

 Nature took offence at this, and chastised him rather 

 severely for his daring. On one occasion, however, 

 he out-heroded Herod, for he followed some ducks 

 '' in piiris naticralidns"' — Anglice, stark-naked — on the 

 ice,* and escaped with perfect impunity. He was 

 the only man I ever knew who I think, at one time 



* This occurred at Woodhouse, the seat of his uncle, who related the 

 story to me in London, the circumstance having occurred since I last 

 visited Shropshire. 



