NIMROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 121 



Lord Elcho that I had seen the St. Boswell's stud, his lordship asked me 

 if I was not much pleased with Jemmy? I took out my pocket-book and 

 showed him that I had noted him as the flower of the flock. I believe 

 Lord Elcho offered a large sum for him, for his own riding. 



The condition of the duke's horses was most creditable to his groom ; 

 and, as was the case with those under Williamson's care — for they form 

 two separate establishments — every horse was then in work. There was 

 not even a single case of foot-lameness in either of the studs, and I only 

 saw two legs bandaged, to remove some temporary inflammation to which 

 hunters are always subject from blows and other causes. But I must add 

 a few words more on this interesting subject, as well as pleasing one to 

 me, inasmuch as it is a great gratification to be able to speak well of any 

 man, and more especially when writing of that class of men which con- 

 tribute so much to the pleasures of fox-hunting as a good hunting groom 

 contributes. I am bound to say, then, that independently of his profes- 

 sional skill, of which his horses gave proof, I never met with a more 

 civil, unaffected, or sensible man in his line than Matthew Marshall, the 

 Duke of Buccleuch's head groom. He w^as brought up in the stables of 

 the Earl of Home, and the duke gives him every chance to be a first rate 

 hunting groom, as he is almost always to be seen in the field, attired in 

 the proper hunting costume of the servant, and mounted on one or 

 another of the duke's own horses, but in a run quite independent of his 

 Grace, who has his pad-boy out on his second horse. The advantages he 

 receives by this are greater than many persons may imagine, who might 

 not have given the subject their full consideration. He sees and feels 

 his horses in their work ; and thereby partakes of the practical experi- 

 ence which the training groom avails himself of, by his constant presence 

 with his race horses when they are doing, what is called, good work, and 



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