102 REMINISCEXCES, ETC. 



in this somewhat rough exterior, he had been more admired 

 than liked. " Was, then, the great gathering at Rolleston," 

 asks Nimrod, " a compliment paid to Mr. Smith exclusively, 

 or, in part, to the noble diversion of fox-hunting 1 " " To 

 Mr. Smith entirely," he replies, unhesitatingly, to his own 

 question. " It was a spontaneous testimony to the pre- 

 eminence of an individual, and a day appointed to do him 

 honour, rather than the public celebration of a national 

 sport." 



Dick Barton gives a characteristic account of this grand 

 event. "In the year 1840 I left Ted worth with Mr. 

 Assheton Smith's hounds for the great day at Rolleston. I 

 went to Mr. Drake's kennel the first day. On the second, 

 I arrived at Mr. Hodgson's kennel, at Oadby, with the 

 liounds. On Friday, the 20th March, met at Rolleston. 

 The day was almost a failure as far as scent went. We did 

 not find a fox until four o'clock, and then the scent was 

 bad : one hour and twenty minutes, and we lost him, 

 pointing for Rockingham Castle. Upwards of two thousand 

 people were out, and among them Prince Ernest, brother to 

 the Prince Consort (he had come over from Deane, the seat 

 of the Earl of Cardigan). There never was such a glorious 

 meet, and never will be again. One little incident I will 

 mention. The horse, Antwerp, which Mr. Smith intended 

 to ride, got some skin knocked off his hips going by the 

 train. I told Mr. Smith of the accident, as he was dis- 

 figured. He said, ' I will ride him and no other ; can't 

 you get some paint of the same colour V So I did, and 

 painted the ])lace, and he did ride the horse that day. I 

 rode a grey horse, called Jem Crow, which Mr. Smith 

 bought out of the New Forest. On Saturday, the 21st, I 

 went to Sir R. Sutton's kennel, at Burton, with the hounds. 

 We hunted five times, and killed four foxes. On Tuesday, 

 April the 7th, the Duke of Rutland gave Mr. Smith a day 

 in his country. We met at Ropsley Rice Wood, and had a 

 very good day, but did not kill. On Thursday, the Oth, I 



