234 NIMROD'S HUNTING TOUR 



with hounds, and that is Mr. Whalley, son of the Eector of Ecton. 

 A Mr. Parsons also, another young one, is a bold horseman, and 

 wants nothing but a few years' experience to ensure him a good 

 place. Mr. Meyrick has been so many seasons in Northamptonshire, 

 that he may be reckoned one of them, and few men are before him 

 in a quick thing. 



There is a very sporting draper residing at Northampton by the 

 name of Whitworth ; he is a very thrusting rider after hounds. 



The Northamptonshire farmers are chiefly men of property — the 

 nature of their occupations require them to be so. They almost all 

 keep hunters, which, if they can't ride themselves, their sons can 

 ride for them. The yeomanry of the country live in great comfort. 

 I called upon one of them — Mr. Potterton of Pitsford — to see his 

 stud. He had three clever hunters in his stable, and some good 

 young stock in his paddock, bred from good blood. This is what we 

 should like to see all England over. 



To speak of Mr. Musters as a huntsman, requires the knowledge 

 of a huntsman, but I must make the attempt ; therefore as old 

 Corcoran says, when he comes to an awkward fence, " Go along, 

 horse." 



Few men, I believe, see less of their hounds in kennel than Mr. 

 Musters does, neither can I call him a good kennel huntsman. I do 

 not think it is his passion. It is in the field he shines ; and when I 

 say he is pre-eminent here, I only echo the voice of Fame. In 

 command of hounds, I never saw him excelled, and he certainly 

 handles them with a master's hand. Every art has its terms, and 

 his language in the field is particularly good. He " suits the action 

 to the word, and the word to the action," with the greatest possible 

 effect. From temperament of constitution also he must have been 

 intended for a huntsman, for he is never fatigued, but is always 

 cheery ; and as cheerfulness is catching, his field generally seem 

 cheery also. To sum up all — although a gentleman, he is a 

 huntsman. Nature has qualified him for the task. When with his 

 hounds he is in his element, and, without this, it avails nothing ; for 

 as Ion says, 



" What's the gay Dolphin when he quits the waves, 

 And bounds upon the shore ? " 



