VVARWICKSHlllE 31 



that way ; and if anything could make a man forget that he had a 

 neck to break, a horse to kill, or a wiie and family to provide for, 

 it would have been riding alongside this gallant fellow at such a 

 moment. 



The uniform politeness of Mr, Corbet formed a striking contrast 

 to the occasional moroseness of his huntsman. Were a man seen by 

 the former in the midst of his hounds at a most trying moment, 

 "Pray, Sir, hold hard, you will spoil your own sport," was all the 

 rebuke he would receive from him ; whereas, " Hold hard. Sir, G-d 

 d — n it, where the hell are you going? " might have been repeated 

 more than once by the latter. I recollect our being alongside each 



other at the end of a capital run, when a Mr. (brother to a 



Suffolk Baronet) was riding much too close to their sterns, regardless 

 of everything that Will said to stop him. It was his first appear- 

 ance in the country, and Will did not know him ; but at last we saw 

 him rolling over and over in a tremendous fall. "There, thank 

 God," said Barrow, " we have done with you ! " He was, however, 

 mistaken ; for we had not gone two fields before he was in his 

 old place again — "The devil's in that fellow surely ! " said Will in 

 despair. 



Warwickshire never knew^ happier days than during the period of 

 Mr. Corbet's hunting it. The farmers had plenty of money, and so 

 had their landlords ; and the greatest good fellowship and sociability 

 prevailed throughout the country. Every man who was a sports- 

 man, and had a good house in it, made a party for some of his 

 brother-sportsmen, on the day preceding a neighbouring fixture: and 

 I recollect on one occasion turning out every morning for a week 

 together among eight red and two black coats from under one man's 

 roof. At these times, however, horses and servants were of course 

 at the neighbouring inns and stables, with which the country 

 abounds. 



The price of horses in Mr. Corbet's Hunt was only exceeded by 

 that given in the Melton Hunt, and in some instances was nearly as 

 great. From two to five hundred guineas were frequently, and in 

 one instance seven hundred and fifty were paid for a hunter, then 

 ten years old. This was the celebrated horse, called " Confidence," 

 the property of that well-known, thorough-bred sportsman, Mr. 



