new horse of yours, of which you have talked to me so much." But he was not to be found. The parson declared he himself put him in a particular stall; and there in truth he was; but the Squire having ordered him to be cropped and docked over night, his owner had not the slightest recollection of him. As may be supposed, a hearty laugh was raised at his expense, and there was an end of all future, somewhat boring, exhibitions of inferior animals to a man who had some of the best horses that money could procure, and who was really a judge of them. But I was never an admirer of practical jokes, especially when, as in this instance, the sufferings of an animal form a feature in them. Neither were many of the frolics of poor Mytton creditable to him. In the first place they are always inconsistent with manhood; and in the next, knowing no bounds with him, they often led him into excesses which endangered his character as a man, and verified the censure passed upon them by Horace :— "Lusit amabiliter; donec jam sævus apertam Some idea may be formed of Mr. Mytton's zeal in the pursuit of every description of sporting, by the following extract from the catalogue of effects sold at Halston, when the establishment was broken up. NET HOUSE. Three bush nets, 26 and 28 yards long, 5 deep Two small mesh nets for bushes Three larger ditto ditto Two drag nets, with large tunnels Four trammel flue nets of various sizes One minnow net One minnow net and pole Three gutter nets. Two casting nets Two drum nets. One cleaching net One gudgeon, or fine meshed, brook net Two large fish cans. Two angling chairs description. Fishing cases and rods of every IN THE ENGINE HOUSE AND AVIARY. Six pheasant nets Three rabbit nets and several purse nets Two pairs of lark nets One partridge net Various rabbit traps, in lots One hundred and twenty-eight vermin traps of every description One badger cub Two fox cubs Thirteen dog kennels Fourteen ferret boxes Three cages for wild animals Nine bird cages Sixteen pairs of quoits Two sets of bowls Sundry cricket bats and balls GUNS. Six rifles of various bores Nine double-barrelled guns Some dozens of powder flasks Shot belts, Gun cases, &c. &c. As a finish to his shooting career, the following anecdote may be relied upon. On a very cold morning after a very warm night, he disturbed some herons, whilst pheasant shooting. are out of distance, sir," said his keeper. devil they are!" replied Mytton; "but I'll be with them," and into the water he plunged. “They "The Perhaps Mytton never made himself much more conspicuous in the field, than he did upon what, a few years back, was well known in the hunting circles of Cheshire, Shropshire, and Staffordshire, as "The Shavington Day." This was a day on which a trial of speed, nose, and bottom was to be made between the fox-hounds of Sir Harry Mainwaring, of Peover-Hall, Cheshire, commonly called "the Cheshire hounds," hunted by Will Head, now huntsman to the Marquis of Hastings; those kept jointly by Sir Edward Smythe, of Acton Burnal-park, Mr. Smythe Owen, of Condoverhall, and Mr. Lloyd, of Aston-hall, each in the County of Salop, (late Sir Bellingham Graham's) |