314 NIMROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 



least assuming persons of his rank that perhaps the peerage can produce, 

 at the same time that he is a most finished gentleman. In the course of 

 our chat we talked over old times, and some that he appeared to look 

 back upon with encreased pleasure. They were those of his sporting 

 days, although, as his lordship said, they were but few, having only been 

 one year at Melton. But we had each hunted with Lord Vernon, 

 and had heard Sam Lawley's holloa, which we were not likely to 

 forget ; and we had each witnessed the splendour of Fisherwick-house*. 

 We talked over The Levett (as Theophilus Levett was called), on 

 Banker ; Sambrook Anson, on Neptune ; the Boultby's, the little 

 lawyer, Ned Croxall, the little tanner of Nuneatonf, and others, who 

 used to go so well to hounds in those bye-gone days. Then we had 

 each ridden alongside Lord Forester, and all his brilliant contemporaries, 

 many of whom with himself, are now in their graves. " But is it possible," 

 said his lordship, " that, as I am told he is, the Tom Cholmondeley of 

 those times, the Lord Delamere of these, is still showing them the way 

 in Cheshire?" I assured him that I had reason to believe he was still 

 going with the best men there, and that I hoped he v^ould long continue 

 to do so, as such sportsmen as his lordship is are becoming scarce. The 

 finish to this conversation with Lord Fife was a hearty shake by the 

 hand, and an assurance, that if I visited Scotland again it should not be 

 his fault if we did not talk over these matters at Duff-house over a bottle 

 of good claret. 



* Then occupied by Lord Spencer Chichester. 



t The name of this person was Burton ; but he was equally well known in the 

 sporting world as ** The Parachute," from liis always appearing with hounds in a 

 light green coat. He rode a small bay mare that was very hard to beat ; in fact she 

 carried him quite in the first flight, in Leicestershire, in Mr. Assheton Smith's time, 

 as he will well remember. 



