VI PREFACE. 



tions respecting it ; but on liis arrival she was too ill to see 

 him and he never afterwards saw her again. Some letters 

 and memoranda in her own writing, showing how anxious 

 she was for the realisation of her wishes, have been delivered 

 to him since her death, by one of her nearest relatives, 

 who was with her during her last illness. He has tlierefore 

 undertaken the task as a solemn duty committed to him, to 

 be discharged as zealously as if her life had been spared, 

 but with sincere regret that she has not been allowed to 

 witness its performance. 



In endeavouring faithfully to record what materials he 

 has been able to collect, respecting the life and character of 

 one of the greatest, if not the greatest, of British sportsmen, 

 he has had much gratification in being able, from his per- 

 sonal knowledge of him, to pay this humble tribute to his 

 nobler qualities as a man and as a Christian. 



The text of the articles in the Field has been incor- 

 porated into the following pages, not always word for word, 

 or in the order in which the anecdotes appeared, but as 

 they blended best with the current of the narrative. The 

 author returns his grateful acknowledgments to several 

 friends of the late Mr. Assheton Smith for authentic 

 particulars respecting him ; and for their kind assistance in 

 a labour rendered somewhat arduous, in consequence of the 

 very long period of time which has elapsed since Mr. Smith 

 was in the zenith of his reputation as a rider and master of 

 hounds. His thanks are especially due to the Eev. Henry 

 Fowle, of Chute Lodge, near Andover, who lived with 

 Mr. and Mrs. Smith for many years on the most intimate 

 terms of friendship, and heard many of the raciest and 

 most characteristic anecdotes from the mouth of the callunt 

 sportsman himself. 



