176 NIMROD'S HUNTING TOUR 



his horse must be upwards of twenty stone, but his seat on his saddle 

 surprised me much. He stood up in his stirrups, in his thin jockey 

 boots, as his horse galloped along, and displayed all the activity of a 

 ten-stone man. He is also allowed to be an excellent sportsman, and 

 knows every track in the Forest. 



I have a singular circumstance to relate of Mr. Harbin, which I 

 heard from his own mouth. On my speaking to him in praise of his 

 chestnut horse — for a finer animal eyes never beheld — he told me 

 that he was glandered for four seasons, but it made no difference in 

 his work, and he is now quite well. Another of his hunters was also 

 in the same situation, but he fell a victim to the disease. 



Mr. Nicoll's hounds only hunt three times a week — so on one of 

 the intermediate days Sir Hussey Vivian conducted Sir Francis 

 Burdett and myself through a considerable part of the Forest, and 

 shewed us some of the principal lions ; but it was the wrong time of 

 the year for this. To see the New Forest to advantage, its beauties 

 should be clothed in the shade of summer or the tint of autumn, for 

 scenes wholly desert have only charms for few. 



It is not always that we find the hero and the sportsman united in 

 the same person ; but Sir Hussey Vivian is a thorough sportsman. 

 He is not only a very good shot — very celebrated for his greyhounds, 

 of which he had at least ten brace when I was at Beechwood — but 

 he is also a good judge of, particularly attached and an excellent 

 friend to fox-hunting. Every well-wisher to fox-hunting must read 

 with pleasure Sir Hussey Vivian's speech, a short time since, on the 

 order of the day for the third reading of the proposed Game Bill. 

 "I own," said the gallant General, "I am ])roud of sporting; and 

 the greatest Commander the world ever had has declared, that he 

 found the men who followed the hounds brave and valiant soldiers." 



There is an admirable sentence in Holy Writ, which kindly 

 informs us that pride was not made for man. I know of no one 

 who bears his honours — so thick upon him — with so much meekness 

 as Sir Hussey Vivian, though we might almost say that Fortune 

 hung upon his sword. It is impossible to flatter such a man ; but 

 we may safely apply to him the words of the Poet : — 



" Nor did thy battles make thee proud or high ; 

 Thy conquest raised the state, not thee : 

 Thou overcam'st thyself in every victory." 



