144 NIMROD'S HUNTING TOUR 



very first-rate huntsman, yet he was not at all surprised at his 

 sudden departure, as he had lived long enough with my Lord Moira 

 to knoio hoiu to take French leave. 



I am always anxious to relate anything that redounds to the 

 credit of a sportsman, and therefore, take this opportunity of 

 mentioning one of the many liberal acts of my Lord Middleton 

 when he hunted the Warwickshire country. Shaw then resided at 

 Stratford-on-Avon, where, from the fruits of his savings in the 

 various fine situations he had held, he had a very comfortable house, 

 and two good hunters in his stable. If, however, at any time, his 

 work was too much for his horses, he had nothing to do but to 

 send word to his Lordship's groom at night, and there was always 

 one at the covert's side for him in the morning. As a proof of his 

 good sense, I never heard Shaw make but one remark during the 

 many times I saw him in the field with Lord Middleton's hounds. 

 "That's all flash," said he aloud, one day when he saw the 

 hounds set to run without, as he thought, knowing why ; and he 

 was right. 



Before I quit the pleasing recollections of what happened in the 

 days I have been speaking of, it may not be amiss to observe, that 

 Lord Vernon hunted this country in very excellent style, and had 

 usually his share of sport. Sam Lawley was his huntsman ; and 

 Harry Jackson — afterwards many years huntsman to Lord Middleton 

 — was his head whipper-in. As a proof, however, of the effective 

 manner in which his Lordship mounted his servants with his hounds, 

 I should mention that Mr. Levet offered him nine hundred guineas 

 for the three Sam Lawley rode — namely, John o'Gaunt, Hercules, 

 and another. Sam Lawley has retired from the sporting world, 

 having a large farm under his late noble master. 



On Friday Lord Anson's hounds met at Mr. Edmund Peel's door. 

 Mr. Peel is a very hard rider ; and, according to Eobert Thurlow's 

 account of him, possesses one very desirable property. " He rides 

 as near to hounds," says Eobert, " as any man need do, but never 

 rides over them. If every gentleman," continued Eobert, "was to 

 ride like Mr. Peel, hounds would not so often lose their foxes, and 

 we should have much better sport." Eobert having lived some 

 years as whipper-in with Mr. T. Smith in Leicestershire and 



