70 The Post and the Paddock. 



sisted in following him, and taking care that he did 

 speak to the Emperor. " You must bring me good 

 horses, Thomas Kirby, if you do go," was the only 

 condition imposed upon him. The appeal of the red- 

 tape Chamberlain against such a heretical proceeding 

 as getting a pass signed and countersigned in twenty- 

 four hours was quashed almost without a hearing ; and 

 punctually at the end of that time he was gliding out 

 of Cronstadt, pass in pocket, in a Russian war frigate. 

 As they neared Revel, they met Nelson's fleet coming 

 out of it in three divisions, and Mr. Kirby was straight- 

 way elevated on to the poop by the side of the Rus- 

 sian Admiral, and interpreted to the captain of a 

 British flag-boat the news, of which up to that moment 

 he had been kept in the profoundest ignorance, that 

 the Emperor had signed the treaty with Great Britain. 

 This was the first intimation Nelson had of the fact, 

 as the imperial courier had not arrived overland from 

 St. Petersburg. On receiving the official confirma- 

 tion of Mr. Kirby's poop story, he at once signalled to 

 *' send that Englishman on board," and accordingly 

 the Englishman and his trunk were hoisted into his 

 flag-ship, the St. George. During the two days that 

 he spent under the shade of the Union Jack, he had 

 no conversation with the " poor thing like a shadow," 

 but merely watched him as he paced the quarter-deck. 

 Still he was not forgotten ; but was sent ofi" free of 

 expense by the Speedwell to Yarmouth, and kept his 

 promise right faithfully to the Emperor by re-appear- 

 ing in less than three months at the palace, with a list 

 of forty culled ones. 



The late Emperor was nearly as fond of horses as 

 his brother, and one of his last purchases was a 

 splendid black charger from Mr. Ashton, of Lincoln- 

 shire. He made a tempting ofl"er to Frank Butler in 

 1842, to go over and ride and train for him at 

 Sarkasello ; but fears of the cold climate, and his 

 brightening saddle hopes at home, deterred him from 



