LIFE OF MYTTON. H9 



table ; and one night after dinner rode a black pony 

 up stairs into his chaplain's bedroom. But the pony 

 refused to come down again, and so passed the night 

 in his reverence's quarters. 



Mytton may be said to have lived in a storm, for 

 a row was his delight. Nevertheless, although there 

 was an apparent ferocity of temper about him at 

 times, it was blended with much kindness of heart, 

 and he scarcely ever thrashed a man that he did not 

 give him something afterwards as amends. I remem- 

 ber hearing of an unfortunate horsebreaker having 

 been carried, nolens volens, by a half-broken colt into 

 the midst of his hounds. Mytton flogged him 

 severely, and then gave him a guinea. A baker, for 

 much the same offence, received much the same treat- 

 ment, and had his basket of bread thrown amongst the 

 hounds, but this of course was eventually well paid 

 for. He would not, however, suffer any man to 

 take an improper liberty with him, and, in that 

 case, there was no compensation for a thrashing. 

 A Shrewsbury tradesman, when a little " sprung," 

 ventured to call him "Johnny." Mytton floored 

 him on the spot. 



He was the dread of the owners of the minor gam- 

 bling-tables who frequent country races, for he was 



