HISTOEY OF THE LINLITHGOW 



the ground, but he landed on his fore legs and head 

 and rolled over, sending his rider prospecting, but 

 on the right side of the fence — no mean feat early 

 in the day before the first gloss is off horse and 

 man, and when the performance is towards the 

 close of a hard day [as this was], the merit is 

 enhanced, and is, any way, early or late, on a par 

 with the celebrated jump of Squire Tom Smith 

 of Hambledon fame, who, when master of the 

 Craven, rode his horse General over a park wall 

 six feet two inches in height, the rest of the field 

 riding under when they got the postern gate open.^ 

 In both cases the horse fell on landing, but the 

 squire was hurt and our man was not, beyond a 

 shaking, and in both cases the performer was chary 

 of speaking of his deed ; but this will be spoken of 

 and received with incredulity, long after we have 

 been ferried over the unjumpable Styx to hunt in 

 pastures Elysian." ^ 



It should be added perhaps, that when coming 

 down to the wall, Mr Drybrough called out to a 



1 Vide ' Sporting Incidents in the Life of another Tom Smith,' 1867, 

 p. 89. 



2 ' Horse and Hound,' 15th December 1888. A stone in the Preston 

 wall bears this inscription : " W. J. D. The Dream. 8 Dec. 1888." 

 The measurements of the leap as these were made at the time by Mr 

 F, C. Grey, Mr Woodcock, and the author are as follows : — 



From taking off of horse's hind feet to centre of copestone 

 From centre of copestone to landing of horse's near fore-foot 



the wall being 5' in height on the taking off side, 1' 9" in breadth, and 

 7' 7^" in height on the landing side. 



280 



