3J2 NIMROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 



slept comfortably upon, three bottles of stout claret, for it was '' a clear stage 

 and no favour," much less any heel taps. I could not havef orgotten 

 my having placed upon the table the picture of Farley, Matthews, and 

 Liston, as a faithful representation of the then passing scene. But above 

 all things, could I have left in " the beggarly, black bruck," as poor Jacky 

 Bunce would have called the Stygian stream, all recollection of the Nor- 

 wegian Captain supplicating for mercy, as " the pace was choking him t 

 Oh no; t'were impossible to have done so ; it was one of the richest scenes I 

 had ever witnessed over any man's mahogany ; and I am quite certain 

 the proverbial good nature of this son of Neptune will forgive me the 

 recapitulation of it. " My lord," said he, after a certain time, as the 

 bottle approached him (heel taps eff;) " may I be allowed a tumbler ?" 

 (Scottice, for giving a preference to whiskey toddy over wine.) " Certainly 

 not," replied my lord. " Encore, on a like occasion." — " My lord, 

 may T be allowed a tumbler V — •' Certainly not," replied my lord again. 

 At length looking upon a bumper that stood before him, with the rose 

 floating in the middle of it, and like ^^neas, in his ^evil—^'duplices 

 iendens ad sidera palmas'' — he most pathetically exclaimed, *' My lord 

 I sooplicate for a tumbler ; I cannot drink any more claret." He might 

 as well have asked for the moon ; so giving up the point as a hopeless 

 case, he set to work manfully, drinking his share to the last drop. 



Sunday, 28. — The period for the hounds returning to their home 

 kennel having arrived. Lord Kintore left Cask this morning for Keith- 

 hall, and I betook myself to Dunlugas for the purpose of spending a cou- 

 ple of days with " the honest, kind-hearted Scotch squire" to whom it 

 belongs, and with the intention of proceeding to Keith-hall on the follow- 

 ino- Tuesday, to be ready for Wednesday's hunting. To catch this hos- 

 pitable gentleman by himself— that is to say, without some friends in his 



