FOOT-PAD 121 



live lions in the Tower, and the dead ones in West- 

 minster Abbey. 



In the autumn, when on a visit to one of her husband's 

 relations, near Winchester, we attended a grand ball at 

 St. John's House, in that city, given in honour of his 

 Majesty's having comjDleted the fiftieth year of his reign. 

 Some of the military, in their full uniform, were there, 

 and a great many of the aristocracy of the county, among 

 the latter the heir of Dogmersfield and his youthful 

 bride, who were quite the attraction of the evening, for a 

 more magnificent specimen of either sex never was seen. 

 How short-lived their happiness history has told — how 

 blighted his fair jDrospects the severe moralist would 

 record Avithout a tear — while the more compassionate 

 would tremble at the frailties of our nature. 



It must have been shortly afterwards that a famous 

 foot-pad, named Pitt, though better known and dreaded 

 as " the man with the short gun," was executed in this 

 city for highway robbery ; and on my father's going to 

 see him in jail, at the request of the magistrates, he con- 

 fessed that he had endeavoured to stop him several times 

 on Horndean Downs, lying in wait for him in one of the 

 clumps of firs planted at intervals near the road ; but my 

 father had always ridden too fast for him, and being so 

 often bafiled, he at last fired at him, but without effect. 

 My father was generally late in returning from Peters- 

 field, and that evening had £800 about him. 



As a singular occurrence of this j)eriod of my life, I 

 must relate one that arose from a j)ractice then very much 

 in vogue, but which every Avell-ordered mind gladly sees 

 is becoming obsolete. I relate it principally to show upon 



