I lo LIFE OF MYTTON. 



his larkinof and desperate system of crossing countries 

 would warrant the expectation of. But this has been 

 attributable to the immense muscular powers of the 

 man ; to a sort of iron grasp by which he holds his 

 horses in his hand at all times, and upon all occasions, 

 which, let your slack-rein gentlemen say what they 

 may, is no small support to a horse going Ids 

 (Mytton's) pace over a country, and particularly over 

 the uneven surface, the deep ditches, and blind grips 

 of his own county, Shropshire. Indeed, when I last 

 met him, I asked him whether it had ever been his 

 fate so to tire a hunter as not to be able to ride him 

 home, when he declared he never recollected having 

 done so. As to the height and width of fences 

 which have been ridden over by him, I repeat I am 

 afraid to recapitulate them ; but I have very respect- 

 able attestation to my having once measured a brook * 

 that he rode Baronet over, in cold blood, in my pre- 

 sence, on our way home from hunting, and found it 

 exceed, by some inches, nine yards from hind-foot to 

 hind-foot! He afterwards backed Baronet to clear 

 nine yards over hurdles placed at some distance from 

 each other ; but he performed the task so often 



• The Perry, which runs through the Halston estate. 



