LORD SOUTHAMPTON 135 



Here Goodricke, perfect in his hand and seat, 

 Rides like a sportsman who can do the feat ; 

 And Stanley, who in courage may not yield 

 To him of yore, who fought on Flodden field, 

 Forgets his weight, and labours all he can 

 To show Perfection, 1 both in horse and man. 

 Carried beyond excitement's wildest bounds, 

 His horse forgetting, seeing but the hounds, 

 Kinnaird, that dear enthusiast of the chase, 

 Heeds not how deep the ground, nor slacks his pace : 

 Will nothing turn or stop him ? nothing check 

 That form of riding, but a broken neck ? 



Here Lowther follows slowly on the track, 



And pines in secret for his " tailing pack." 



(We speak of years gone by, — for now we're told 



Their style of hunting is not always cold, 



And that they draw till one : We therefore pray, 



" That they, like other dogs, may have their day ; " 



Since Lambert's judgment has reformed the pack, 



Improved their breeding, and dispensed with Slack,'- 



All head and legs no longer now they look, 



But stoop to pick a leaf from Goosey's 3 book.) 



The gallant Colonel, pottering at the gaps, 



First damns, then envies " those hard-riding chaps." 



Gardner, 4 who then for raspers ne'er would swerve, 

 And thought all riding to consist in nerve 

 And swimming rivers, — owned the pace was good, 

 But still would have it faster if he could. 

 See Heycock flies along ; and few there be, 

 Where all ride hard, can harder ride than he. 



1 Not improperly so called, for he was one of the best horses in 

 Leicestershire. 



2 The former huntsman of the Cottesmore hounds, well worthy of his 

 name. 



3 Lord Forester's huntsman. His lordship was admitted on all hands 

 to have the most perfect pack, and to have been one of the best riders in 

 England. 



4 Of those who went so well in this run, Lord Gardner alone remained 

 to tell the tale. He married Miss Fortescue, the talented actress, and 

 lived for many years in complete seclusion in Hampshire. 



