MELTON MOWBRAY n 



and Delamere (then Messrs. Forester and Cholmondeley) 

 and two or three others had for some time lived at 

 Loughborough to hunt with Mr. Meynell ; they eventu- 

 ally removed to Melton, took a house, where they were 

 joined by Mr. Smythe Owen of Condover Hall, Shrop- 

 shire, and that dwelling eventually became the Old Club, 

 the members of which were restricted to four, that being 

 the number of the best bedrooms. Soon after the estab- 

 lishment of the Old Club, putting up horses for auction 

 was a common proceeding after dinner. " Parties," writes 

 " The Druid," in Scott and Sebright, "were often made on 

 purpose, and after a couple of bottles of claret, business 

 became quite brisk. Each owner had one reserve bid, 

 and it was quite a sight the next morning to watch the 

 different horses change stables, to the great bewilderment 

 of the grooms. Several were very sweet on the Widow 

 (the property of Captain White) the first day she came 

 out, and ^400 was put under the candlestick. The 

 captain's reserve bid was ^100 above that sum, and 

 after the Billesdon Coplow day, Lord Middleton did 

 not scruple to close further ! ! This 'putting up ' practice, 

 however, soon died out." Later on, while still the club, 

 this became the home of the four M's — Sir James Mus- 

 grave and Messrs. Maher, Maxse, and Moore — who were 

 included in these lines : — 



First the Old Club Men, a compact of four 

 Sporting old Ladies, led on by John Moore ; 

 Val Maher on Potash and Musgrave behind, 

 On his Titus, so testy, comes panting for wind. 

 But hark forward ! one hero is here to be found — 

 The merry Jem Maxse ; and show me the pack 

 That he cannot ride up to on old Cognac. 



Subsequently two younger clubs came into exist- 

 ence. Lord Alvanley's old house, opposite the George, 

 became the New Club, and Sir Harry Goodricke's Lord 

 Rokeby's Club. Within comparatively recent years 



