They had not the condition which I shall insist upon in another chapter.

The New Forest hunting was no joke. In 1848 we hear of Lords Canning, Granville, and Rivers coming over to Heron Court from Highcliffe, disgusted with the danger of the ground, and declaring they will never hunt there again : a groom having been killed, three gentlemen badly hurt, whilst Lord Granville had had his face cut by the boughs

of a tree against which his horse had carried him. Lord Malmesbury relates how, some years before this, Mr. Assheton Smith and Lord Cardigan rode jealous of each other with the Queen's Hounds in the New Forest. A large party was assembled at Mr. Compton's, and the night before these gentlemen glared at each other all dinner time, as if they were. mortal enemies about to fight the next day. Lord Cardigan's horse after a 'regular race' outstayed Mr. Assheton Smith's.

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To ride jealous in a forest, you must be really intrepid! Æsop' relates how on another occasion Mr. Smith was talking to Charles Davis, and not looking where he was going to, when his horse suddenly swerved, Mr. Smith falling on his back over the horse's shoulder. An officious wellwisher asked him if he was hurt-always a mistake when a man has tumbled off-on which Charles Davis turned round and said, He is much too hard to hurt,' an encomium which greatly pleased Mr. Smith.

I read somewhere or other that a great many pictures of Davis were painted at different times. His namesake and relative painted him several times on Hermit, the grey horse he is riding in the well-known engraving of a Meet of the Buckhounds on Ascot Heath during Lord Chesterfield's Mastership. Then there is another engraving of him on Columbine, a short-tailed mare which went to Badminton and bred some capital coach-horses. The Duke of Beaufort was telling me about her only the other day, and I have the entry now before me in Davis's horse-book. For the Michaelmas quarter 1831, under Horses sold,' he notes: 'Brown mare Columbine and foal to the Duke of Beaufort, 191. 5s.'

I believe, though, that the most characteristic and bestknown engraving of him is on Traverser, after Barraud. Without placing this picture in such company as Titian's 'Charles V.' or Velasquez's 'Don Balthazar Carlos' at Madrid, or Stubbs's 'Duke of Hamilton' in the green coat on the chestnut hackney, if the painting is as good as the engraving it must be a very charming and distinguished equestrian portrait. People who care for sporting engravings should buy it; it is getting very scarce. In my time the reduced photograph from the engraving was popular at Harrow. I had one in my room over the mantelpiece. How often have I looked to Mr. Davis for inspiration in the horrid

stress of iambics, and wasted my time in thinking that Traverser was the sort of horse I should like to ride hunting on some day, and Mr. Davis's the sort of seat I should like to have! Traverser was bought for Davis by Lord Granville, and was one of his best horses. He made a noise; but a whistler of Traverser's scope and quality, ridden by an artist of Davis's weight and knowledge of the country, will always beat an average sound horse—at least, that is my experience. How well the artist has put him on the horse! His length of limb guarantees that smoothness of seat which Don Quixote impressed upon Sancho as being the peculiar attribute of a great gentleman. When some one asked Sir R. Sutton whether a stranger out with his hounds could ride, Sir Richard said he did not know, adding 'I should think so, for he hangs a good boot.' So did Charles Davis.

In the most literal sense of the word he was picturesque; and was becomingly aware of it. 'Davis,' a gentleman tells me who knew him well, was always fond of a grey if he could get one to suit him; I think he thought himself better looking on one.' George III.'s choice was inspiration. Nature had dedicated him to scarlet and gold, and had given him the right colouring and complexion for scarlet. In the February number of 'Baily's Magazine' for 1867 a pleasant requiescat in pace article appeared upon Charles Davis. The writer (The Gentleman in Black '') had known the subject of his memoir well for many years, had ridden for several seasons with the Queen's Hounds, and all he says has the value which nearness and the habit of personal intercourse alone can give. This is what he says of Davis's appearance: He was very tall and thin, probably 6 ft. 1 in. in height, and only weighing nine stone and a pound or two. He was a good-looking man, with a large handsome nose and good dark eyes and eyebrows. The exThe Rev. C. Clark, of Sunningdale.