SOME WELL-KNOWN SUPPORTERS. 223 



inherited the literary ability for which some of his ancestors 

 were distinguished, as well as their pluck and hardihood ; 

 and the verses which are given elsewhere are not only 

 sporting in tone and character, but they are well turned and 

 graceful, and show remarkable powers of satire. 



Foremost amongst the hard riders of his day was 

 Mr. Fenton Scott, a typical Yorkshire squire of the olden 

 school, an ardent believer in Englishmen and English ways, 

 more especially if the Englishmen hailed from Yorkshire. 

 A patriot of a type now extinct was Mr. Fenton Scott, as 

 the following anecdote goes to prove : — 



A dinner was given at Leeds at which the Dutch 

 Minister was a guest, and speaker after speaker had flattered 

 His Excellency with a fulsomeness which was very offensive 

 to the downright and plain-spoken Mr. Scott. At last it 

 was his turn to speak, and he proved quite equal to the 



occasion. ' Mr. Chairman,' said he, 'I say all foreigners, 



'and,' looking full at the Dutch Minister, 'especially 



"the Dutch.' The feelings of the guests at that meeting 

 had better be left to the imagination of my readers, for they 

 beggar description. I may add, however, that Mr. Fenton 

 Scott was something of a fire-eater, and was always ready 

 to back up his words and actions with his pistol. He had 

 fought many duels ; and it is related of him that on one 

 occasion when he considered himself insulted, he took up a 

 joint of veal and threw it at the gentleman who had offended 

 him. Of course a hostile meeting was the result, and 

 Mr. I""enton Scott was shot in the leg. ' I would not have 

 ' cared if the beggar had not shot me in the sound leg,' was 

 the remark he made. He was a bold horseman, one who 

 stopped at nothing, and was very keen. 



On one occasion Mr. Scott went to hunt with the Belvoir. 

 The horse he was riding was a bit of a screw, but he could 

 both gallop and jump, and after hounds had been running 



