REMINISCENCES 



OF THE LATE 



THOMAS ASSHETON SMITH. 



CHAPTER I. 



PBELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS. — BIRTH AND PARENTAGE OP T. ASSHETON 

 SMITH. — ANECDOTES OF HIS CHILDHOOD. — HE IS SENT TO ETON. — HIS 

 FIGHT WITH JOHN MUSTERS. — SUBSEQUENT PUGILISTIC ENCOUNTERS. 

 — ENTERED AT CHRIST CHURCH, OXFORD. — BECOMES FAMOUS AS A 

 CRICKETER. — BEGINS TO HUNT IN LEICESTERSHIRE WITH HUGO MET- 

 NELL. — BILLESDEN COPLOW, 1800. 



Nunc Athletarum studiis, nunc arsit equorum. — HoRAT. 



Most of the ingredients in national character are universal 

 in their characteristics, and belong to no particular time or 

 place. The statesman, the orator, the poet, the warrior, 

 standing out in relief on the records of every country, give 

 to those who come after them, throughout the universe, high 

 aspirations fr.r noble thoughts and noble deeds. On the 

 other hand, all nations have some pursuits and some features 

 peculiarly their own, strongly marking out and distinguish- 

 ing their inhabitants by an unmistakable individuality, and 

 influencing them either for good or evil. It would be 

 curious to examine how far the occupations of men tend to 

 elevate or degrade their tone of thought or action. This 

 was a science reduced to practice by the Spartans, among 

 whom moral education was always closely blended with 



B 



