CHAP. III.] Earl of Chesterfield, Master 



lo 



on giving up the Quorn) when they ran fast^ con- 

 sisted in his knowing how to gallop, a far more diffi- 

 cult thing to do than most people imagine. The 

 general idea is that any fool can make his horse put his 

 best leg first. Hear what " Nimrod ^^ has to say on this 

 point : — ^^ I have known numbers of men/' writes he, 

 " who had plenty of nerve and who could ride well, who 

 never saw a run when the pace was really fast. The 

 reason of this was, that they were not quick themselves : 

 they lost time at their fences, and seemed afraid to 

 gallop. It requires more nerve and a finer finger to 

 put a horse along at his best pace over rough ground 

 and among grips, than to ride over big fences ; but 

 without doing this, no man will be able to ride up to 

 hounds in a real good scent." 



Like his predecessor, Jack Stevens, and man}'' another 

 brilliant first Whip, '^Derry " lacked most of the essen- 

 tials that go to constitute a Huntsman ; and in an 

 establishment where everything was splendid, he, to use 

 the words of that excellent sportsman. Lord Charles 

 Russell, was '^ the splendid failure." During his first 

 season, Lord Chesterfield took up his quarters at the 

 George Hotel at Northampton ; after which he moved 

 to Abington Abbey — the old-fashioned seat of a family 

 who had long held an honoured name among the ancient 

 Squirearchy. The hearty cordial manner and ringing 

 laugh of Harvey, the last of the Thursby Squires, is still 

 fondly remembered by a few surviving- friends ; as 

 is that member of the family, who, as Rector of the 

 parish, won the hearts of all by his good looks, winning 

 address, love of sport, and attention to his duties. 



Courteous and genial with all, Lord Chesterfield made 



