SHROPSHIRE 211 



We .were to have met the Vicar again at Sir Eobert Hill's on 

 Wednesday, but were obliged to return to Kingsland for Thursday's 

 hunting at Condover. We had a beautiful thing on this day of forty- 

 five minutes — with the ladies — till we came to the Severn, when all 

 our fun was over. The hounds crossed, and killed their fox in 

 gallant style. This was the best part of Shropshire I ever rode over : 

 the fields were of fair size, the ground sound, and the fences such as 

 required a hunter to get well over. 



I had the pleasure on this day of seeing Mr. Henry Lyster's 

 performance on his famous mare The Doe. The Doe is very small, 

 but very strong, and was purchased .from Mr. Mytton for eighty-five 

 guineas — having carried his whipper-in. For the weight she can 

 carry, I think she is not to be beaten, and Mr. Lyster was certainly 

 first man on this day. Mr. Mytton and Mr. Eock went gallantly ; 

 but Sir Bellingham Graham surprised us all. He was on a horse 

 always considered slow ; but so determined was his rider to be with 

 them, that, though he got a bad start, he soon got among the first 

 flight. I could judge of his pace, being myself on a fast one ; for 

 though I got out of the covert not a hundred yards behind him, I 

 never could catch him till I found him in a ditch at the end of the 

 burst. 



On the 10th, business called me home, and afterwards to the 

 "little city." On Tuesday the 21st I started again for Shrewsbury, 

 arrived at Mr. Mytton's by breakfast on the 2nd, and found my 

 horses all well. My groom told me it were well I was arrived, as 

 he thought " the Squire would have been a top of some of 'em before 

 another day was over." To say the truth I fully expected it. 



The fixture for the day was Mr. Mytton's house, whither Sir 

 Bellingham had arrived the day before to be ready for business. 

 We had a beautiful find in a large piece of gorse, and a good fox 

 went away ; but the day precluded a chance of sport, as it was 

 extremely stormy without an atom of scent. We did not find again. 



The next day the Shropshire hounds met at Pitchford Park, seven 

 miles on the other side of Shrewsbury, but as I had no horses in 

 that part of the country, I did not meet them. Mr. Mytton went, 

 and saw a fine run of one hour and twenty minutes. 



Exclusive of this, I missed another fine run with the Shropshire 



