Mr. M. gives his gun to Mr. Story, and takes off his shooting jacket. Gamekeeper seeing this and laughing with his comrades, observes— "Well, I suppose I mun strip too," and takes off his jacket.

The squire and keeper thereupon take their stand in fighting attitude. The keeper goes with both arms round, and a face half-sneer halfferocity at the squire (5 feet 11 high, 13 stone 10 weight), who gets away, then goes quick in, with terrible hits right and left, and again away-repeated several times, and after one continuous round of about 10 minutes, neither party being down; the gamekeeper (his "nasal" bleeding freely, and both his eyes bunged up, blown and exhausted), hears or affects to hear a shot fired at some distance, and exclaims to his helpers-" By Gom lads, there's another lot t'other side; we mun tak them, and away started the bold pugilist and his men, amid the uproarious laughter of Mr. Story, the squire, and servants.

Mr. M., putting on his jacket, and taking his gun from Mr. Story, saluted: "Good morning, gamekeeper; if you dont tell your master, I wont."

Gamekeeper rejoined: "You be d-d, you shall answer for this at York Assizes."

It is perhaps unnecessary to mention such was not the case. Mr. Story used to say he never saw such an illustration of what spirit and science could do against matter and ignorance.

Mr. Musters' active and athletic powers were extraordinary. It was in his younger days his standing challenge to run 50 yards, he carrying a man of any weight, against another's running 100 yards; and another general challenge of his was to run 50 yards against any horse's 100. He won these matches frequently. The only one in which he had any difficulty was when with his regiment at Paisley; at the age of 24, carrying the 15 stone quarter-master 50 yards against a young Scotchman's 100 yards, his rider so wriggled and kicked and shook the squire (a very common occurrence with amateur jockeys) it was declared a dead heat. On the second race, however, after some tutoring of the quartermaster, the squire won his race by half a yard. He could walk erect under a rail and leap over it, and he could jump on the flat 18 feet both

ways.

He was always a very early riser: 5 or 6 o'clock to get up and 10 or 11 to retire, were his hours; he had no difficulty in adhering to this rule, for he uniformly eschewed strong drink, and indulged not in tobacco, cigars, snuff, or such intoxications; he did not estop others from doing so, but always had a horror of a man of such habits.

All gambling he utterly abhorred, whilst he commiserated those who were unhappily addicted thereto, and amongst whom he could enumerate some for whom he entertained a great regard. He would occasionally have a £5 bet on the St. Leger, the Derby, or even on a match at cricket or billiards; but it is believed that he very rarely, if ever, won more than that sum at any one time.

His epistolary writing was in accordance with his address-flowing, clear, and easy. His temper, like that of many only sons, and all spoiled children, was uncertain: to use a homely phrase, he sometimes got out on the wrong side of the bed, yet he was equally free from sullenness as from vindictiveness of disposition. His temper was quick to rise, but, happily as quick to fall-there was a speedy oblivion. He would be rating

severely a whip; in the same moment, on hearing a favourite hound speak out or a young one whimper, his manner would change, and he would address and direct the same whip, in the most agreeable piano tone, to get forward to a particular spot, and look out.

He cared not, or would not condescend to notice any idle gossiping tales about himself, but on one occasion he departed from his accustomed rule. His hounds met at Colston Bassett, and he happened to be late; on arriving at the meet, in a group of sportsman, a certain deceased clergyman was amusing the others (or thought he was doing so), by pretending to relate an anecdote of the squire, and mentioning the name of a lady in the neighbourhood; and the fun was going on, when up rode Mr. Musters, and as it were unconsciously joined in the general smile. Lord Alvanly, however, struck with such improper and very clerical conduct, told Mr. Musters that the laugh had been at his expense through the medium of the gentleman in the black coat. In an instant Mr. M., addressing that person, said "Mr. ****, I pity you, I pity you from my heart, for I find you are as deformed in mind as in body.' Severe as was the reproof, it was just and merited, and the pitiableness and discomfort of the object were long remembered.

un.

Mr. Musters' fondness for music and singing, in both of which his judgment was very good, continued unabated to the last. Only a few months before his death he went to London purposely to hear Jenny Lind. His memory was accurate he was an agreeable companion, and enjoyed the society of his friends. He took a moderate quantity of wine (always having particular regard to its quality), but was never known to be intoxicated; and his freedom from egotism was not his least agreeable property.

Mr. Musters was a skilful salmon-fisher. In the Duke of Buccleugh's water in the Tweed, near Kelso, he has taken from 15 to 18 fish of large size in the day. About a year before his death he presented his salmon rods to Sir Richard Sutton, and at the same time selected and sent other tokens of his regard to a few other friends.

But it is as a huntsman that Mr. Musters' eminence chiefly rests, and our attention must now therefore be directed to, and conclude with him in that capacity. In Mr. Vyner's Notitia Venatica, and in the late Captain Apperley's writings (under the well known signature of Nimrod) in the Old Sporting Magazine, Mr. Lorraine Smith's, and other productions on fox hunting, there is necessarily much and honourable mention of Mr. Musters, and many interesting scenes and anecdotes are recorded. Mr. Vyner styles him--"a sportsman of the most distinguished celebrity, deservedly placed at the head of the list of all huntsmen, whether amateurs or professionals.' A concise description, universally admitted to be true. This memoir of Mr. Musters, whilst it briefly refers to those writers, will only occupy such fresh ground as they have left, accompanied with a few anecdotes tending to enhance the value of fox-hunting as the purely national and manly pastime which has so long been the characteristic of this country, and at the same time to promote, elevate, and improve the same by its present and future followers.

It has been stated that Mr. Musters' father was for a very long period a master of fox-hounds; the son, consequently, became early imbued with the habits and knowledge requisite in a successful sportsman.

Intelligence and perseverance are quite as necessary to eminence in this pursuit as in any other.

In 1798, on attaining 21, he had his own pack of hounds, in establishing which he was assisted by Mr. Meynell, who was much attached to him.

The old and young squire hunted alternately different sides of the country; but after the latter's marriage in 1805, and his establishing himself at Annesley, Mr. Musters (the son) took the entire control of the whole country. The old gentleman used to say, on coming out after this, that he was 66 one of the field." There were four kennels-Annesley, Colwick, Edwalton, and Wiverton. The South Nottinghamshire country, hunted by Mr. Musters, embraced an extensive district, namely -on the north-east, to Cotham and Searle; on the north-west, up to Chesterfield; and west by the river Derwent; on the north, by the Rufford country (its olden, not its modern landmarks); on the south, by the Quorndon country.

Mr. Musters hunted altogether South Nottinghamshire about 30 seasons, the Badsworth 1, Northamptonshire 7, and Lincolnshire (the south Wold) 2.

He sold his hounds on giving up the country twice, the first time to his friend Assheton Smith (or rather a portion of them), the second to Lord Middleton, receiving on each occasion 1000 guineas for them; and when he finally discontinued keeping hounds in December, 1844, they were purchased in lots by Lord Southampton, Mr. Latouche, the Duke of Cleveland, and Sir Watkin Wynn. His horses were likewise sold on those occasions by Messrs. Tattersall. It would occupy too much space to give the particulars, suffice it to say they realized prices varying from 100 guineas up to 500 guineas. The principal purchasers were Lords Jersey and Darlington, Sir Henry Peyton, Hon. II. Pierrepont, Sir Henry Every, and Mr. Payne.

But although Mr. Musters had been the possessor of many of the best hunters of the day, he certainly was not a good judge of a horse he could form an opinion of his performances, but he could not by examining the shape and action of the horse form a tolerably accurate idea of his capabilities. It was otherwise with the hound: no one was more quick or certain in discriminating all the proper qualifications of that animal.

Although one of the most determined riders that ever got across a horse, Mr. Musters was not a graceful horseman he put the saddle too near the chine, and was wont to remark that the saddle could not be too forward for hunting, nor too backward for the road.

His mode of getting over a country was peculiar, especially during the last 25 years that he hunted: he rarely took a leap flying; he either made his horse jump standing, or he thrust him through the fence; timber of course he could not so treat, and when he was obliged to charge it, he always put his horse at it, however high and strong, at as quick a trot as the animal could go, but never at a gallop, or even a canter if the horse could possibly be restrained to a trot; for he said that at a trot the horse can always measure his ground, and when to make his rise; but at a gallop or a canter he might get too near, and be unable to recover himself. He never, or very rarely, struck his horse at going at a

fence, and strongly objected to it, for he said "the whip or the hand up directed the horse's eyes and attention behind him instead of beforehence many a mistake at a fence, for which the rider only was responsible.'

At a brook his axiom was, if only two yards wide, you could not go too fast, for it was always soft lighting: by riding full gallop at a brook the horse's heart was prevented from failing him at the sight of water, and thus he got safe over by his own impetus and spring; when ten to one by the rider going slowly at it, the horse would thence infer danger and refuse altogether.

His weight (from 40) induced his establishing the above close mode of riding over or through fences. The skins of his horse's legs were pricked; but the concussion of their limbs was saved. It was a troublesome business for the groom carefully to examine the horse's legs after a hard day's work. Truly might be quoted of him the well-known line from "Life let us cherish,"

"He seeks for thorns and finds his share."

Scent, Mr. Musters always said, was a problem beyond his reach : take the following illustration-it has occurred often :-

Gentleman addressing him: "Good morning, Sir; do you think we shall have a scent to-day?"

Mr. M. "I'll tell you, Sir, when my hounds get their noses down." He used to say the author of the old song, beginning—

"A southerly wind and a cloudy sky
Proclaim a hunting morn,"

was a clever composer, but no fox-hunter: for that, although there was nothing certain about scent, there was nothing so indicating an unhunting day as "a southerly wind and a cloudy sky;" and on the contrary, if you were to rely on atmospheric appearances there was nothing whereon so much dependence could be placed as wind with a certain ingredient of east therein. He only liked a south wind when it changed from due north, and then (especially on the first breaking up of a frost) he never knew the scent to fail, on high or low ground, in covert or the open.

Nevertheless, those who were in the habit of hunting with Mr. Musters could form a pretty good idea of his presentiments on that subject. On approaching a covert he seemed as thoughtful as his hounds, and by their demeanour he would form his conclusion directly whether there would be a scent. If his hounds were rolling and gossiping with each other and indifferent about entering the covert, Mr. Musters, who had scarcely before had eyes for any one, would then turn his horse round as good-humouredly as possible, offer his most polite salutations, especially to the ladies, "How do ye do? a delightful day we shall find directly, and have a very nice day-quite a lady's day." Though thus apparently in good humour, it was not so; a numerous field was disappointed-he was out of sorts. A fox is found-there is no scent-the hounds do not get their noses down. Away go the field close upon the hounds, annihilating the little chance that exists of a day's sport: probably a favourite hound is ridden over. It was here that Mr. Musters sometimes gave offence, and occasionally made enemies; to do which, far more than by

an actual injury, which is oft soon forgotten, there is no more certain mode than a slight or contempt, for these are rarely forgiven. He would break out, it mattered not who was the "fool," nay, the higher the rank perhaps the stronger his denunciations. Possibly the hounds divided, and some of the field rode after a quarter of the pack, driving them on instead of stopping them; not, it is to be regretted, a very unusual scene. It sometimes happened that these outrages were committed by undergraduates, (men who had not five seasons' experience in hunting); youths, who with large fortunes, and riding the weights of nine, ten, or eleven stone, yet, forsooth, had their second horses out! and found it abundant fun to over-ride hounds, scent, and everything else, vying with each other which should be first, or which possessed the better horse. Sometimes it happened that "the fool" was a young farmer trying to turn an honest penny by shewing off a horse for sale; but whether aristocratic or rusticratic, he escaped not at the hands of the squire, if the delinquent was ascertained, and whether noble duke, lord, or esquire, the result was something like this: "I thought you had been hunting before; I can't excuse you as I would do those other fellows; you have been jumping over fences, showing off yourself or your horse, and then riding into my hounds. Now, mind, if this occurs again, either you shall go home or my hounds shall." On such occasions he would occasionally take the following course. He knew there was no scent and that his hounds had no chance, and then he would go on, to the unsophisticated observer, in the most provokingly and unintelligibly slow course imaginable, drawing perhaps but not trying, lingering through the morning because annoyed by bad scent and an unruly field. Then the day improving, the sport spoilers gone grumbling home, he would go and find a three o'clock fox, have a brilliant run and kill. This has taken place very frequently under the observations of the writer of this article.

"Any one," he would say, "could ride for ten minutes; but he only was a true sportsman that with pluck and judgment went with the hounds through the run, for it was only by a man's so going straight and to the end of a fifty minutes' sharp thing that nerve was recognizable, which was to be seen at the end, not at the beginning of the day." He condemned holloaing to and lifting hounds. "As a system, it was," he said, "all very pleasant for impatient gentlemen desirous of a gallop at the moment, but its effect on hounds he could only compare to killing the goose for the sake of the golden eggs."

His system of drawing coverts deserves to be remarked. He never drew, near to where his hounds met, knowing so well the habits of the animal, and that the best fox was always ready and the first to go away upon the least noise. He reprobated any one going to a particular covert on speculation. Such and the lane riders, and other persons who occasionally head the fox and mar the day's sport, he naturally held at a very low ebb, however high they held themselves. The unmeasured terms in which he now and then designated these cockneyisms, and his summary mode of treating any contumacious conduct in the field, have been put in contrast with that polished and gentlemanlike deportment for which he was usually remarkable. But this is, as in many other cases, confounding cause and effect.

This discipline with his field was a great advantage; another grand