88 Saddle and Sirloin. 



and nearly all the Northern cattle and sheep fairs, 

 either in person or through his man Armstrong ; and 

 he had not unfrequently eight or ten horses for sale at 

 Newcastle. When he judged he was all for quality, 

 and the next time Mr. Grey met him, " shuffling with 

 his hands in his pockets down Parliament-street to the 

 House," he could not refrain from asking him if he 

 still remembered the heifers (Mr. Grey's own) to 

 which he gave prizes at Kelso in '31. He never 

 judged again, and enclosures and tithe apportionments 

 engrossed him, till after some twenty years of official 

 life he retired a broken-down man to Thackwood Nook 

 to die. 



Mr. Grey had no great belief in Mr. Curwen, but 

 he thought him " very clever," and he thoroughly 

 enjoyed his annual autumn ride to Workington Hall, 

 with his brother farmers from the Tyneside. The 

 preparation of these modern moss-troopers for the 

 Workington carnival was not very extensive. They 

 came clad in the peaceful guise of top boots, or brown 

 breeches and gaiters, and merely carried their slippers, 

 a razor, and a couple of shirts, &c., in front of them. 

 Jobson, from New Town, near Chillingham, would 

 have a quiet day's farming on the road with his old 

 pupil Joseph Dixon, at Broadwath, and discuss with 

 him the merits of " Wetheral" and " Constitution," or 

 the white bull of his " sort." Early next morning the 

 two would set out on their ride together, and there 

 was a good muster of pilgrims to breakfast at Cock 

 Bridge. Workington Hall was reached by midday. 

 There they had two days' farming at The Schooze, 

 and dined in a large wooden booth, where Mr. Stanley, 

 then the great " blue parson" of the West, was the 

 chief speaker. Mr. Curwen was at that time member 

 for Cumberland, and the gathering had rather a 

 political tinge about it. The host was field-marshal, 

 and Mr. Blamire was always there to help him. Every 

 one rode through the fields and saw the ploughs at 



