Thomas Godwin. 363 



been written. He didn't care what he rode ; and on 

 one occasion, when the doctor was making a call, and 

 the lad was holding his horse, the sight of Will Head 

 and the Cheshire excited Tom so much that he 

 jumped up and went well on " the unknown," in a nice 

 4O-minute thing. The doctor took it in very good 

 part when the horse arrived back with " an honourable 

 hunting diploma, such as I could never have conferred 

 on him." Mr. Hopwood's beagles occasionally came 

 into the neighbourhood, and were hunted by a pole- 

 bearing enthusiast ; and even Godwin was found aiding 

 and abetting them in treason against " Sir Harry, Will 

 Head, and the hounds," when a fox jumped up in their 

 faces, near an old pond. 



Having his eyes pretty well about him, he pur- 

 chased an Irish horse for 2O/. out of a drove going to 

 Chester fair, with fuil warning that he was a hopeless 

 savage. Fighting and coaxing did its work ; and he 

 exchanged him with one of Sir Harry Mainwaring's, 

 which had defied Will Head, Tom Ranee, and all the 

 rest of the kennel division. With a good ash plant 

 and spurs newly rowelled, he commenced his task ; 

 and as sliding up to trees and houses, and planting 

 its forelegs against them, constituted a great part of 

 the performance, the pair had a lively time, to the 

 great edification of the village. The end of it was 

 that he could ride him hunting in a halter, and sold 

 him back to Sir Harry for ioo/., after a hard run, and 

 felt sure from his after performances that he was given 

 away. His little grey pony, the " three-legged horse," 

 and his terrier bitch, which, weeks after the night of 

 the robbery, marked the man who did it, by springing 

 at him as he called for some ale at the bar, were all 

 landmarks in his Cheshire stay, and through Sir 

 Richard Bulkeley's influence he was engaged to the 

 Earl of Wilton as stud-groom. Jenny Sutton and 

 Arachne (dam of Industry) were among his first 

 charges ; and it was when he stopped at Melton en 



