THOMAS ASSHETON SMITH. 177 



out Ills life. While hunting in Leicestershire he was 

 prevailed upon to stand for the borough of Nottingham. 

 On proceeding to the poll, he found not only the town 

 placarded with " No foxhunting M.P.," but a guy in a 

 red coat, tailed by a fox's brush, burning in effigy of 

 him before the hustings. His appearance there elicited 

 tremendous yells and hootings, which apparently no 

 authority could subdue, until, with a stentorian voice, 

 heard above the uproar, Tom Smith exclaimed, " Gen- 

 tlemen ! as you refuse to hear my political principles, 

 be so kind as to listen to these few words : I'll fight 

 any man among ye, little or big, and will have a round 

 with him now for love !" In an instant, as if by magic, 

 yells and groans were converted into rounds of cheers, 

 demonstrating the strange stuff, be it good, bad, or indif- 

 ferent, that Englishmen are made of. 



On another occasion, while riding down the Gallowtree 

 Gate, in Leicester, he struck the horse of a coal-heaver, 

 who, in return, cut him sharply across the face. Smith 

 jumped immediately from his horse, and the driver from 

 his cart, the latter doffing his smock-frock, the former 

 buttoning his coat and turning up his sleeves. The conflict 

 was desperate ; and from a fellow weighing fourteen stone, 

 and standing six feet high, he was receiving severe punish- 

 ment, when, by constables and a crowd of people, the 

 combatants were separated. " You shall hear from me 



M 



