LIFE OF MYTTON. 39 



old road, which had been stopped-up, for the right 

 one ; and entered it, dowji hill too, at the rate of 

 fourteen miles in the hour, when they came sud- 

 denly in contact with some fallen trees, which were 

 placed across it as a barrier. The force of the 

 shock may be imagined ; the carriage was broken 

 to pieces ; the servant was pitched from his seat 

 to a very considerable distance, sustaining a fracture 

 of the skull from the fall ; and Mytton was a good! 

 deal hurt — any other man, perhaps, would have beeni 

 killed, as he was fast asleep at the time. The fate- 

 of the horses and the boys I do not at this moment 

 recollect; but the servant — who, by good conduct^ 

 was promoted by degrees to the post of valet-de- 

 chambre to Mr. Mytton from being a boy in my 

 stable — has, I fear, never recovered from the effects 

 of this dire mishap. On another occasion, when 

 I was on a visit at Sir Bellingham Graham's, the 

 night being very dark, the postboy conducted Mytton 

 into a meadow, instead of taking a short turn in 

 the road ; and, after driving- him around it a grreat 

 many times without being able to find his way out, 

 he left him in his carriage, whilst he went back to 

 Sir Bellingham's for a lanthorn. As the household 

 were all gone to rest, the Squire of Halston must 



