218 THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



Durham ; Mr. Leche and Sir Richard Puleston, in 

 Cheshire ; Mr. Farquharson, in Dorsetshire ; Lord Fitz- 

 william, in Huntingdonshire and Cambridgeshire ; and 

 Lord Vernon, in the Atherstone country. The masters of 

 these hounds are all of them eminent sportsmen, and, by 

 a close observance of their proceedings, you will learn 

 much, and be better able to appreciate what you may 

 afterwards experience in countries more distinguished for 

 their capability of showing sport, and which, perhaps, 

 deservedly stand at the head of all others." 



This somewhat unwelcome advice was listened to with 

 attention by our hero, rendered the less welcome, in fact, 

 by the recent publication of the Billesden Coplow poem, 

 by Mr. Lowth, which not only added greatly to the re- 

 putation of Leicestershire as a hunting country, but, from 

 its spirit-stirring lines, had very much increased his desire 

 to make one of the many choice spirits whose names and ex- 

 ploits gave birth to them. 1 His good sense, however, at 

 length got the mastery over his desires, and, to the great 

 satisfaction of the Baronet, he yielded to his friendly advice. 



1 As Horace says of Anacreon, to relish this poem we should 

 transport ourselves, in idea, to the time in which it was written ; 

 but one of its great recommendations is, the author having been 

 an eye-witness of a great part of what he relates. As the poet 

 says : 



"He on whose natal hour the queen 



Of verse hath smiled, shall never grace 

 The Isthmian gauntlet, or be seen 

 First .in the famed Olympic race ; " 



and that Mr. Lowth did not go to the end of this terrible run, 

 is not a matter of surprise ; for it took place over, perhaps, the 

 severest part of all the Quorn country. There are a few 

 typographical inaccuracies in the last edition published (although 

 they appeared, I believe, in the original one), such as Wardle for 

 Wardell, and " short home " for "sweet home." The first-named 

 error led to the confounding the late Colonel Wardle, of Mary Ann 

 Clarke notoriety, with the person intended to be introduced viz., 

 the late Jacob Wardell, who, although not making a conspicuous 

 figure here, became, afterwards, a first-flight man, and sold one of 

 his hunters for 800 guineas a great price in those days in 

 consequence of his carrying him through a famous run. Again, for 

 the sake of the rhyme, justice is not done to the Hon. Martin 

 Haivke, who is said to have been reduced to a walk, whereas, 

 although that might have occurred at one period of the run, I have 

 good reason to know that he was up at the end of it, and rode his 

 mare afterwards to Melton, twenty-one miles, in company with the 

 late Mr. Germaine. 



