Mr. Corbet. 445 



very fond of private coursing-, which Mr. Henry Lyster 

 of Rowton Castle, near Alberbury, and Mr. Robert 

 Burton, of Longner, whose estate adjoined Sundorne, 

 always shared with him. 



" The Squire" was a tall, good-looking man, and 

 always dressed for these field days in a cut-away black 

 coat, Bedford cords, and long black Hessians. A 

 chestnut roan cob was his favourite mount, and 

 with his trusty eye-glass affixed to his hat, no one 

 enjoyed the sport so much. His staff of coursing 

 retainers were staunch enough to please Will Shaks- 

 peare, if he could have once more taken his " fallow 

 greyhound" and gone forth to " find him a hare on 

 Cotsale," as Morris the huntsman, Caywood the 

 keeper, and Warwick the Master of the Horse,* were 

 the leading three. He had once twenty brace of grey- 

 hounds, and four rare puppies. Cricketer, Coronet, 

 Colonel, and Collie, in one season. Cricketer ran in 

 Mr. Warwick's name, and won nearly 300/. ; but 

 Hughie Graham bowled him over in the Waterloo 

 Cup. 



Rich and poor, all lunched alike in the ruins of 

 Haughmond Abbey on the public coursing days. 

 The beaters would begin under the Ring Bank on the 

 seeds and wheat, and come inside the drive on to the 

 grass, and work gradually up to the Abbey for one 

 o'clock. Mr. Burton, in his white cords and green 

 coat, and mounted upon one of his i6st. hunters, was 

 the field director. His claim was. indisputable, even 

 on mere kennel grounds, as he was the breeder of 

 Mocking Bird by Figaro out of Malvina. She was 

 sold at his sale for nine or ten guineas ; but run where 



* Mr. Warwick gave his maiden judgment at Coombe, in 1853, and 

 wore the scarlet thrice at the Sundorne meetings, before his good 

 master died. Canaradzo's year (1861) found him at the Waterloo 

 meeting, and he has judged there ever since. In the season of 1867-68 

 he judged 101 days, and decided 2677 courses, and his practice is not 

 diminishing. 



