PART I IT. 



/"CHARACTER, it is said, may be best illustrated 

 by anecdote, and no man's career ever afforded 

 a greater clue in this way than that of John Mytton. 

 As his Memoirs have passed through succeeding 

 editions, further material has offered itself with which 

 it is here proposed to deal, having always in view the 

 primary intention of the work. The best of these 

 stories are fortunately, as it will be seen, to be 

 gathered up about home. 



On one occasion, on his returning from hunting, 

 and when within a couple of miles of Halston, Mr. 

 Mytton laid a trifling wager with one of the party 

 who accompanied him, that he would reach home the 

 first. He suffered his friend to take the lead until 

 they arrived on the Halston domain, and were going 

 at speed in a line with the lake, which is one of con- 

 siderable breadth ; when, suddenly pulling up his 



