THE AUTHOU BECOMES M. P. H. 7 



tliorougli-bred fox-hounds, we had often a good 

 straight chpping run (these, however, forming the 

 exceptions to our general rule), and my ardour for 

 the " noble science " increasing, I at length per- 

 suaded my father to give up the harriers, and allow 

 me to substitute a few couples of fox-hounds in 

 their place, so that at the early age of twenty I 

 became M. P. H., and began hunting my own 

 hounds. From my father's long experience in fox- 

 hunting as well as hare-hunting, his unrivalled 

 abilities both as a rider and huntsman to his own 

 pack, it was impossible for me to have been placed 

 under more able tuition as to the management of 

 horses and hounds ; in fact, he was acknowledged 

 to be the very best rider of his time, and as a hunts- 

 man, no one was then, or could be now, his superior. 

 One of his maxims on horsemanship was, that a 

 good rider had no business ever to fall, without his 

 horse being down with him; and from this being 

 so often inculcated in my boyish riding lessons, 

 both with and without stirrups, I may date my 

 entire escape from any serious injury by a fall 

 during my whole hunting career; and when a 

 young man, I may say that none could ride more 

 fearlessly, believing it next to an impossibility for 

 any horse to throw me fairly out of the saddle. 

 The only two serious accidents I ever met with in 



