THE PYTCHLEY. 131 



plied he knew but little clifTerence in the heavy men and the 

 light ones, for one broke his horses* backs and the other their 

 hearts ; and once, seeing a whip taking undue liberties with a 

 horse, he made him get o£f and run. 



In 1809 Mr. Warde was succeeded by Lord Althorp, who 

 bought his pack. The celebrated Dick Knight hunted them at 

 first, and afterwards Charles King, another famous horseman. 

 In 1819 Sir Charles Knightley took the management, and Jack 

 Wood was his huntsman ; and it is said of him in " Country 

 Quarters," in '' Baily's Magazine," that Charles King was his 

 model huntsman. Lord Jersey his model horseman, and John 

 Warde his aversion 3 also that Benvolis and Sir Marinel were 

 two of his best horses, and that on the former he jumped a 

 fence and brook below Brixworth, which measured thirty-one 

 feet in width, and is still called Knightley's leap. He lived to 

 be a great age, but gave up hunting somewhat early in life, and 

 took to short-horns, alleging, as his reason, like Lord Sefton, 

 that he could not get any horses. Sir Bellingham Graham 

 succeeded in a year or two, but could not have had them long, 

 as in 1825 we find Mr. Musters was master, and lived at 

 Pitsford. He was one of the finest sportsmen and most 

 athletic men of his day, second to none as a huntsman in the 

 field, and while hunting this country he showed capital sport. 

 His reign, however, was short, and, after one season, his place 

 was taken by Mr. Osbaldeston, who had three of the most 

 noted men under him that have evei* been found in one kennel 

 at the same time. These were Jack Stevens, Jem Shirley, and 

 Dick Burton. 



Of Stevens I have before spoken; Jem Shirley was a good man, 

 as he proved in many countries, while Dick Burton has earned a 

 lasting testimonial to his abilities from the late Lord Henry Ben- 

 tinck ; and he, under Assheton Smith and Osbaldeston, served 

 such an apprenticeship as will always make his name one of note 

 in fox-hunting annals. The author of the " Life of Assheton 

 Smith" says of Dick Burton, "A neater or better horseman than 



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