156 LIFE OF MYTTON. 



Crouch, who had filled out from a jockey boy 

 hito a round little tub of a man, naturally hesi- 

 tated — he had no change of clothes with him, 

 would be out of his depth, and so on. " Jump 

 up, then!" said Mytton, "and I'll carry you over;" 

 and with great reluctance Crouch at last did 

 jump up. But, alas! the Squire only performed 

 half his promise, for on getting into the middle of the 

 stream he pitched the little man clean over his head 

 into it ! And he was equally fond of creating amuse- 

 ment, even at the expense of his own person. For 

 example : During his successful contest for the 

 borough of Shrewsbury, in 18 19, he threw himself 

 from the car in which he was being " Chaired " home 

 from the hustings, through a window, into the Lion 

 Inn, at the imminent hazard of his life. But the 

 turmoil of a contested election was a fine field for 

 John Mytton. On one occasion the principal cham- 

 pion of the opposing party stood opposite to his inn, 

 challenging any man to contend with him. Mytton 

 listened to his bravado for a while, till his Welsh 

 blood being excited, he set to, and thrashed the 

 fellow to his heart's content in five rounds. He 

 then put something into the beaten man's fist, as 

 he said, " to make him comfortable for the evening." 



