142 NIMRODS HUNTING TOUR 



ever rode over. It all holds a good scent ; is easy and gentleman- 

 like to get across ; and the Leicestershire part of it is very fine 

 indeed. 



I am making myself an old sportsman when I talk of hunting in 

 the Atherstone country with Mr. Adderley and Lord Vernon, as it is 

 full twenty years ago. There was, however, a good deal of fun 

 going on in those days, and some very hard riding. There were — I 

 shall call them by their proper names — {Propria quae maribus tri- 

 buuntur mascula dicas ; ut sunt Divoriim), or at least by the names 

 by which they were then best known ; there were, I say — Billy 

 Breton — The. (Theophilus) Levet, Tom Boultbee, Ned Croxall (now 

 going), and his father (a gallant old sportsman), Sam brook Anson, 

 Ned Monday, Flozer of Hints, and several others whom I cannot 

 now call to mind — all hard and good riders to hounds — not forgetting 

 little Burton, the tanner of Nuneaton (on his pony), better known 

 by the name of the Paroquet, who proved himself once or twice such 

 a teaser to Tom Smith over Leicestershire. " Damn that fellow," 

 said he one day when he was following him close at his heels, " but 

 noio I ivill stop him;" so charging a most tremendous timber fence, 

 he would in all probability have made his words good, had not his 

 horse broken the top rail, and the Paroquet flew over. 



Amongst those I have mentioned, Levet, Boultbee, and Flozer 

 rode very heavy, but all particularly good horsemen ; and it would 

 have taken one of our very first-rate ones to have beaten Levet upon 

 Banker, or Boultbee on anything in his stable. The last mentioned 

 sportsman is brother to Mr. Charles Boultbee, the best screw-driver* 

 in England. 



I never saw harder riding in my life than on one day when Lord 

 Vernon hunted the Atherstone country, and the hounds met at 

 Bos worth. There were a good many Quornites in the field ; and as 

 his Lordship's colour was orange, and the other red, the esprit de 

 corps was aroused up, and the struggle between them was tre- 

 mendous. My Lord Foley was then going well in Leicestershire, 

 and I shall never forget seeing him charge a very had place, into a 



* This is somewhat technical, and wants an explanation. A lame or very 

 bad horse is called "a screw." I really believe Mr. C. B. is the best man in 

 England on a horse of that description. 



