FAMOUS MASTERS 57 



must have been covered. It has often been suggested 

 to me that these records are exaggerated, but I do not 

 think that there is any truth in the suggestion. 



" Thus Tom spoke his friends ere he gave up his breath : 

 ' Since I see you've resolved to be in at the death, 

 One favour bestow — 'tis the last I shall crave — 

 Give a rattling view-halloa over my grave ; 

 And unless at that warning I lift up my head, 

 My boys, you may fairly conclude I am dead ! ' 

 Honest Tom was obeyed, and the shout rent the sky, 

 For every one joined in the tally-ho cry." 



I have quoted the above Hnes from Dibdin's well- 

 known poem as the best preface to any mention of 

 Mr. Forester's famous whipper-in. Let me correct at 

 once a statement which I have often heard made, that 

 Tom Moody was Mr. Forester's huntsman. Tom 

 Moody never carried the horn. My authority is 

 Mr. Randall. I mention this, because Tom Moody is 

 constantly referred to as a huntsman, though any native 

 of Shropshire knows at the present day that Mr. Forester 

 hunted his own hounds. So far as posterity is concerned, 

 Tom Moody owes his reputation to Dibdin. He was a 

 bold and fearless rider, but a very wet one. In fact, 

 he was seldom sober on horseback. He would ride 

 any horse at anything or anybody, and he was devoted 

 to his master ; but I doubt if a modern M.F.H. would 

 keep him in his employ for a week. Still, there can be 

 little doubt that the Squire encouraged rather than 

 discouraged him in his love of liquor. He would 

 have him into his dining-room and make him drink 

 bumpers of port out of a fox's mask. But if the Squire 



