Mr. George AsJiby Ashby. 243 



nothing to complain of in the matter of rabbits, except 

 that I frequently find them a little too short ;" a remark 

 that was followed by much laughter. 



Accurate, however, as may be the aim of the gallant 

 Captain of whom we are speaking, it can hardly exceed 

 that of that other gallant officer, who in 1645 led the 

 battue against the hosts of Fairfax and Cromwell. Stand- 

 ing in a garden at Stafford one day about this time, Prince 

 Rupert, in the presence of Charles I, took a shot with his 

 horse-pistol at the weathercock on the top of the church. 

 The bullet pierced the tail of the gilded fowl, whereupon 

 his Majesty pronounced the feat to be " casualty only," 

 otherwise ^^ nothing but a fluke/^ Aggrieved at this 

 suggestion, the Prince, taking a second aim, again struck 

 the bird, thereby causing Charles to recall the remark he 

 had made on witnessing the success of the first attempt 

 of his great cavalry-general. Proud of being able to 

 affirm that a good round dozen of young people, two of 

 whom have already done good service to their country, 

 have the privilege of calling him *' father," to the worthy 

 parent there is no greater pleasure than to see any of 

 these'in the hunting-field. One fair member of the group, 

 strong in the desire to be " well with hounds," never 

 scruples to go whithersoever her father leads before ; and 

 it is a moot point with some whether she will come to an 

 untimely end by attempting to follow her sire over some 

 impracticable place, or if his hairs will be brought with 

 sorrow to the grave by his daughter jumping upon his 

 prostrate form. To Captain Ashby the village of Naseby 

 is entirely indebted for the beautiful spire which now, 

 with uplifted finger, marks the spot where was fought 

 one of England's most memorable and bloody battles. 



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