2 20 The Post and the Paddock. 



Burton Hall, which he left about 1833, the old man 

 was always roaming amongst his paddocks and 

 watching his favourites with anxious care. The 

 last of his brood mares, which still revels here, 

 is a mare called Birthday, by Assault, out of Ni- 

 tocris, who was foaled on his birthday. He never 

 could find in his heart to have her trained ; twice or 

 thrice she was under orders for departure : but when 

 the day arrived, he could not bear to let her go, as 

 he said they would only break her down. There are 

 not a fev/ pictures in the Hall by Dolby and Herring. 

 Blacklock by the former, and as large as life, faced 

 us on the staircase ; but Manuella, Altisidora, and 

 Belshazzar were far more to our taste. Passing down 

 the hill, and near the bachelor residence of Mr. Frank 

 Watt, we crossed the road to the old Bishop Burton 

 Hall, originally purchased by one Roger Gee, a 

 Liverpool merchant, who rebuilt the place, and laid 

 down a two-mile gallop on the Wold in front of it. 

 Its late owner took a dislike to it, and the very 

 mantel-pieces and door-frames have been pulled 

 down. A narrow walk, with one of the best yew- 

 fences we ever yet saw in " merrie England," led us 

 to the stables, on whose doors the plates of Memnon, 

 Blacklock, Belshazzar, Barefoot, Rockingham, Alti- 

 sidora, Muta, and a host of other winners, still hang, 

 as silent tablets of the luck of other days. Black- 

 lock's box is still pointed out with especial reverence ; 

 and as the housekeeper guided us, candle in hand, 

 through the half-ruined Hall, we came on the skele- 

 ton room, where the coarse frame of the " terrible 

 brown" is encased side by side with Muta. The 

 mare's off shoulder-blade still bore marks of the run- 

 ning sore, which no syringe could heal ; and ere she 

 died, it had eaten its stealthy way right through the 

 bone. The strength of the pasturage and the beau- 

 tiful combination of hill and dale make these pad- 

 docks a perfect paradise for blood mares and foals. 



