Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1860-04-24
Assheton Smith, the English Nimrod .


A biography OF Assheton Smith, the great
Nimrod OF England, has just been published in
London, and from a review of it we take the
following passages:
This hero, not only of fox-huntng, but of all
sports, tor he was first rate shot, cricketer,
boxer, billiard player aud sailor, as well as rider
and huntsman-was formed by nature for his
part. He was of the right height for exertion
and endurance-hve feet ten inches-with q
well proportoned, muscular, rather slight frame,
weighing ten stone in his early days, and latterly
about eleven stone ten. Once Only he found q
man who could stand before his fists, and that
man said that his blow was like The kick of
horse. The story of his great set to with the
cOal-heaver who had struck his horse is already
pretty well known. His features were plain, and
not indicative of high breeding, but intelligent
and full OF the calmness of perfect selfpossession
and q resolute will. The son OF q great sports
man, he was in the saddle from his childhood !;
and so completely did he grow to it, that it was
the pillow OF his sickness and the armchair of
his old age. II
IA princely fortune enabled him to carry on
his calling in princely style; aud marrying at
fifty one, he had no family cares to turn his
mind from the main object of his life. He had
the eye of hawk, and not only for line across
the country, but for other things. A box OF pa
pers was stolen from his study. He called in all
his servants, questioned them all around, and re-
ceived from them all denial One Of them af-
forwards returned to the room to put Goals on
the fire. He collared him at once, and the man
confessed himself guilty. He had read his guilt
in his face. His temper was hot, and he once
appeared before police magistrate for thrashing
the son of the attorney to a babble railroad who
had brought 10 his bill. He was good aud
hofo nd
stinate, coming of a sire who, having opposed
the making of the Menai Bridge, would never
cross it when it was made. 10 the hunting field
his tongue was sharp, but not foul Now, then
sir, if you don't think you've done harm enough
already, ride through my hounds again but if
you think you have, you may as well go home'
"The dietetics OF man who rode lard with
hounds till eighty are worth knowing. He
drank little, but eat much as well he might, con-
sdering his enormous amount of exercise. His
regular breakfast on hunting morning was a
great plate of hashed mutton, which he could
digest in the saddle He eat no lunch. On
coming home from hunting be used to 60 to bed
for an hour, and then into warm bath before
dinner. He hardly ever wore great coat. In
his latter days he took to the watsr-cure, and
wanted everybody else to take to it.
s.He was desperate rider in the foil sense of
the term. Perhaps no other man ever rode de-
liberately and habitually for faE. He used to
say that usth JaH. you might get over any
tning; and that any man who professed to ride
ought to know how to fail. He knew. himself
how to fall, and in all his tumbles never but
twice broke bone; aud of the two times, once
from having clasp knife in his breast pocket
He always fell clear OF his horse, and never let
20 the bride. Once when his horse was plung-
;r,, ron "a hin, "a he Law on the pronnd with the
bride clenched in his hand, nervous friend
called out to him to let go, or he would be
kicked. He replied, he shall kick my brains
ont first In making cast, as in the run, he
went without hesitation straight over everything
where he thought the scent lay, and to this his
success as huntsman was partly due. On one