ONE OF THE OLD SORT.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3143, 25 July 1881, Page 4

ONE OF THE OLD SORT.

The Hon, Mr Hastings, who lived in the seventeenth century, was son, brother, and uncle to different Earls of Huntingdon. The subject of this notice was a true copy of our ancient nobility, so far as hunting and hawking are concerned. He lived in the neighbourhood of the New Forest, kept all sortß of sporting dogs for hunting the buck, the fox, hare, otter, and badger, anr 1 had a 'walk' in the forest lying in tin parish of Christchurch. Mr Hastins' appears to have exercised a sort of' free warren' over the whole of the neighbouring country. He was popular withal. His house was not over cleanly kept, the great hall being strewn with marrow bones, full of hawkes' perches ; also hounds, spaniels, and terriers. In his parlour, at the lower end, stood an oyster table, which, it is said, was in constant use, for Mr Hastings never failed to eat oysters twice a day—beforedinner and supper —all the year round. He got them from Poole, Dorset. There was a closet in the same room, where he kept his strong beer and wine, of which he was very moderate. Hard by was a pulpit in an old unused chapel for devotion, but this pulpit never wanted a cold chine of beef and vension pasty, gammon of bacon, or a great apple pie stowed away in it! nis sports supplied bis table with almost all but beef and mutton, save on Fridays. when he had the best salt fish, and received company. At meals he sometimes poured syrup of gillyflowers into his sack, and often stirred his glass of ' small beer' with rosemary. Mr Hastings, who was short in stature, and had flaxen hair, lived to he n hundred years olrl, never lost his eyesight and never wore spectacles. He got on horseback without help till past eighty, and and rode to the death of a stag when ninety years of age.