Dick Christian again, 49 



mas-time, to see the missus. It was as bold as that 

 Smite job, when Lord Scarbro' come out Hke a 

 drownded rat. That's all in my first lecture. Now 

 you see Belvoir. The kennels are just down in the 

 bottom, half a mile from the Castle ; they were at 

 Croxton in Mr. Newman's time, and nice old kennels 

 they were. This weather will make the farmers skip 

 about. I always think that valley looking particklar 

 pretty ; single trees li^e What a lot of Beivoir Visitors. 

 them there were at Uelvoir nity years 

 ago ; such riders ! — Lord Forester, Lord Jersey, Lord 

 Delamere (Mr. Cholmondeley that was then), Lord 

 Robert and Lord Charles Manners (them were the 

 Duke's brothers). Colonel Mellish, and Mr. Assheton 

 Smith — all riding like devils against each other across 

 the Vale. John Wing, of Sedgebrook, was one of the 

 best riders across the Vale, as a farmer, in those days 

 — ^tremendious ! Him and I's gone together miles; he 

 was about my age. Mr. Smith was always there. He 

 once tipped a gate on Lazarus, and came on to his 

 head ; nothing but the peak of his cap saved him. 

 I've seen those two Mr. Tomlinsons, from Cheshire, 

 ride wonderful here ; there was no beating them. It 

 put Goosey quite out to see them going as they did. 

 Wonderful great meet, the Three Queens, up that 

 road to the right. You can't see the house ; it keeps 

 the name, but it's not a public now. The country's 

 not very open ; it's the hounds and huntsman as 

 brings them. No bulfinches, but some rattlers when 

 you get into the Vale. There used to be a nice little 

 cover, Corston Hills, where the man and the potatoes 

 are, here ; but they've grubbed it up — there's only that 

 little bit left. 



I remember Mr. Newman giving up The Belvoir 

 the Duke's ; it would be in 1805 : he had Huntsmen. 

 'em fourteen seasons. I was out that day. Shawe 

 had been waiting a whole year for the place after he 

 left Sir Thomas Mostyn's. Goosey whipped in to 



V. 



