1 6 TJie Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present, [chap. i. 



the then unprecedented sum of 620/. To judge 

 of him from a painting at Moulton Grange, he was a 

 chestnut horse, standing about 15.3^ with good shoulders, 

 strong quarters, a sensible head, and a hunter all over 

 in appearance. Sir Charles Knightley, than whom there 

 was no better judge, used to say that barring a little 

 lack of quality, he was as nice a horse as could be 

 seen. By the advice of his friend, the Rev. Loraine 

 Smith, Mr. Nethercote bought him from a doctor at 

 Leicester for 120 guineas, and so highly did he him- 

 self esteem him as a performer in the field, that 

 his own bid for him was 400 guineas. On the follow- 

 ing morning, the vendor, thinking it likely that his 

 old college-friend had bid under the influences more 

 common after dinner than at an earlier hour, proposed 

 that the bargain should be off. Mr. Cook, however, 

 declared his determination to retain the horse ; and many 

 years afterwards assured the writer of these lines that he 

 only wished that at that moment he could find another 

 '' Lancet ^' at the same price. The incident created some 

 sensation at the time, and is referred to in a history of 

 Northamptonshire, by the Rev. W. James, of Thedding- 

 worth. The amount, large as it was, was exceeded 

 soon after by Lord Plymouth giving Mr. Peter Allix 

 of Swaffham House, near Newmarket^ 700/. for a mare 

 not fit to carry more than twelve stone ; and this pur- 

 chase was not an after-dinner one, when things are 

 apt to be somewhat in favour of the vendor. When the 

 wine is in, the wit is said to be elsewhere ; and at a period 

 which may be called the " three-bottle one,'' it must have 

 been incumbent on every prudent man not to take part 

 in the post-prandial '' rap."" In the days now spoken of, 



