COSTLY PURSUITS. 395 



good was done with them. I bought many of his 

 yearlings, sometimes at Diss privately, and sometimes 

 at Newmarket by public auction, year after year. 

 I once bought forty-five of him at one deal at £40 

 each, jointly with Mi*. Pad wick, who, as I have related, 

 repudiated the purchase. These I took to Alvediston 

 by special train of fifteen horse-boxes, where they all 

 arrived safely without the least accident of any kind 

 happening to any one of them. After some little 

 time I had them sold there, and had a very good 

 sale : so on the whole I had no cause to regret 

 my bargain. 



Besides this expensive, extensive and ill -regulated 

 establishment he kept a pack of harriers and a large 

 stable of high-priced hunters, which he seldom if ever 

 rode. Moreover, he was fond of shooting, and shot 

 well. Indeed, this was the only sport I ever saw him 

 take any delight in. He always rented one good 

 manor, and sometimes two, besides having one of his 

 own, all well stocked with game, and strictly preserved. 

 He kept also a kennel of greyhounds; but I never 

 heard of his seeing a course — that amusement was 

 left for those who had the care of them. 



To this long list of expensive amusements must be 

 added others that were costly in the extreme ; and 

 not the least was his fondness for horse dealing or 

 coping. He would give for a hunter £200 or £300, 

 keep him for a year or two without riding him, and 

 then sell him back, with two or three more of the 



