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THE

NOBLE SCIEi^rCE

A FEW GENERAL IDEAS

FOX-HUNTING,

USE OF THE RISING GENERATION OF SPORTSMEN.

F. P. DELME RADCLIFFE, ESQ.

WITH NUMEEOUS ILLUSTE ATIONS

FROM ORIGINAL DESIGNS BY HIS BROTHER.

31 ^cto (Eiitiott,

"WITH ADDITIONAL NOTES BY THE AUTHOR.

LONDON :
GEORGE ROUTLEDGE AND SONS,

AND L. C. GENT.
1875.

Bcbication.

TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS,

ALBERT EDWARD, PRINCE OF WALES, K.G.,

ETC., ETC., ETC.,

THIS THIRD EDITION OF "tHE NOBLE SCIENCE,"

IS, BY HIS GRACIOUS PERMISSION,

MOST RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED,

BY HIS VERY OBEDIENT

HUMBLE SERVANT,

THE AUTHOR.

PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION.

SoMERViLLE, a tlioro Uglily English squire, who about the
middle of the last century gained undying fame by his
poem of " The Chase," one of the happiest of English
compositions, ever elevated, and frequently approaching
sublimity, of whose muse a contemporary observes that

*' Her incense, guiltless of the forms of art,
Breathes ail the huntsman's honesty of heart,"

the great, the immortal Somerville enjoyed the privilege
of dedicating his work to the Prince of AVales of the
period, great- uncle of the present heir to the throne.
His opening address to the

" Great Prince,
Whom Cambria's towering hills proclaim their lord,"

is continued in a strain highly poetical, but savouring
of that adulation which is the born heritage of princes.
Abstinence from all compliment, however due, would,
I feel, be most acceptable to him under whose auspices
I have the honour to introduce my third edition. But

vi PREFACE.

I feel that I shall not only be acquitted of flattery,
but have the world with me when I say that, apart
from the prestige attached to his illustrious position, to
no one could this work be more aptly dedicated than
to one who, in every hunting-field in which he has
appeared, has shone pre-eminent, as in all sports and
pursuits becoming English gentlemen, and I acknow-
ledge a just pride in the patronage of him who, with
the whole Royal Family, has established claims, no less
upon oar affections than our loyalty.

Being unexpectedly called upon by the most enter-
prising of publishers, I have revised every page of the
volume issued thirty-five years since, chiefly for the
benefit of the rising generation of my own locality. I
regret that it is not in my power to render it any way
more attractive, than by favour of its readers it has
hitherto been held.

If I may indulge in one flourish of my own trumpet,
I may boast that the practical utility of several dicta has
been most agreeably recognized. My old friend, Lord
George Paget (now Lieut. -General, possibly oblivious of
the fact), informed me that the price of the book, expen-
sive as was the first edition, was cheap to him ; one page
— containing advice as to the length of his boot-heel, pre-
venting pressure from the stirrup on the instep — having
more than repaid him. Another made no less recog-
nition of my advice as to the hind shoes of the horse,
by which he had, since reading it, escaped overreach.
One of the greatest compliments, and most highly ap-

PREFACE. Vll

predated, was paid me by no less renowned a sportsman
than that celebrity of the West — the Reverend and
revered John Russell. Introducing himself to me
on Goodwood Race Course, he declared that he
" would have walked there from Dartmoor to shake
hands with the Author of * The Noble Science.' "
I have reason to hope that the maxims of my zenith
may yet be found generally, though it cannot be ex-
pected, after a lapse of years, that they can be invari-
ably, applicable. Changes in the system of agriculture,
the great increase of rural population, and other cir-
cumstances have greatly affected scent, as they have
altered the habits of foxes. Where one man took the
field, when this book was written, there are now fifty.
Hence the present fabulous price of horses.

" Customs will alter, men and manners change,"
but the leading features, the main principles of " The
Noble Science "are unaltered — I trust unalterable.

The hints which I presumed to offer, were the sound
deductions from practical experience. If foxes no
longer travel the distances they did of yore ; if a run
over any extent of country is rather an exception,
neither the love nor pursuit of the sport has deteri-
orated.

A contemporary, who for the last half century has
shone, universally admitted, as one of the finest horse-
men who ever crossed a country, and who has been no
less distinguished as a sportsman, has thus written to
me this month : —

VI] 1 PREFACE.

" If foxhunting be no longer the sport it was, it
remains still a grand, a noble social institution. Of
this I have a strong religious conviction. My warmest
friendships have been made and cemented in the hunt-
ing-field."

As I can offer no new light on the subject, in hum-
ble adhesion to my data of 1839, 1 will conclude this
preface with the addition of one more to the many
quotations from beloved Horace : —

" Vade, vale, si quid novisti rectius istis,
Candidus imperii, si non, his utere inecum,"

which for the benefit of the few young ladies of the
period, who do not know everything — Latin included
— I translate literally : — )

Farewell, and if with, these you disagree
Impart uew maxims or use these with me.

PKEFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.

" Eloquar an Sileam V

Ovid.

To those who ask, why I have had the presumption
to offer another vokune, in addition to all which have
already been published upon fox-hunting, my answer
is, that, since the time of Beckford, whose maxims are
now, for the most part, obsolete, it has been generally
remarkable, that nothing (with the exception of that
which has flowed from the classic pen of Nimrod)
has appeared upon the subject, qualified for a place
beyond the saddle-room, or servants' hall. It was not
till after the full completion of my task, that I w^as
shown an article upon fox-hunting, in a work entitled,
" Sporting by Nimrod." Had I been sooner aware
of the existence of this, I might possibly have omitted
some passages in the earlier parts of my pages, with
reference to the respectability of " the Noble Science ;"
seeing that he proves it to have been worthy of all
acceptation, not only by crowned, but by mitred heads ;

X PREFACE.

but SO far from attempting any such alteration of my
text, as might constitute a deviation from his jiath, T
have been proud to find that I have unconsciously
trodden in his steps. The mode of treatment cannot
be very dissimilar, where both are impressed with the
same exalted view of the subject. It is not necessary
that a painter should expunge the effect of a rainbow
from his landscape, because he finds that the idea had
previously been adopted by another artist.

To all other faults of this work will be superadded
that of egotism. The third person is more consistent
with the labour of composition ; like the editorial
" we," it may afford some aml)ush, or may soften the
asperity of didactics ; but hoping that, while I am
above ground, no one will ever draw for me without
a certainty of finding, I have preferred egotistically
to answer in my own person, for every precept I have
ventured to propagate ; have adhered throughout,
" currente calamo," to the epistolary style, and may
safely affirm, that from the first to the last line com-
mitted to press, I have not made two copies of one
single page.

If I am taxed with undue criticism upon The Diary
of a Huntsman, or with a desire to disparage that
production, the manner in which I have spoken of
its autlior, as a sportsman, previous to his appearance
as a penman, must acquit me of anything approaching,
in the remotest degree, to personal disrespect. To
have been silent altogether, would have argued that

PREFACE. XI

I held the writings of a contemporary as utterly iiu
worthy of notice, or that I yielded a tacit assent to
the promulgation of doctrines which, not only in my
own opinion, but in that of all enlightened authorities
to whom I have referred them, are calculated to mis-
lead those whom they are intended to enlighten. In
dealing with these, as with public property, I trust it
is unnecessary for me to disclaim a spirit of acrimony,
or any feeling unworthy the relationship of brother-
sportsmen, both aiming at the same end.

I remember once to have heard a celebrated general
officer remark, in allusion to the publication of a cer-
tain adjutant upon field exercise, "That adjutant is a
better man with the drill than with the quill." It is
very possible, that a man may shine as a rider, without
attaining any degree of eminence as a writer. I may,
perhaps, in my own person, offer an instance of failure
in both respects ; but having, in my first chapter,
touched sufficiently upon my own fears, I will only
add, in the apologetic sense of one line, and in the
supplicatory tone of another, from Ovid,

" Confiteor si quid prodest delicta fateri."
" Da placidam f esso lector amice manum."

F. P. D. R

LIST OF EMBELLISHMENTS.

STEEL PLATES.

Hugo Meynell, Esq., with his Huntsman, Jack Raven, and the
Hound Glider. From the original Painting by C. Loeaine
Smith, Esq. Engraved by J. W. Archer - - Frontispiece

C. LoRAiNE Smith, Esq., from a Portrait in the possession of the

Rev. L. Loraine Smith. Engraved by H. B. Hall to face p. 293

ENGRAVINGS ON WOOD.

(From original designs, by the Rev. C. D. Radcliffe. Engraved by E. Landells.)

Ornamental Title to precede the printed Title page.

Plate I. Going out to cover to face p. 136

Plate II. Drawing in Gorse 144

Plate III. Gone away - - 151

Plate IV. Close at him — " the earth is open " . - - - 1.59

Plate V. Bolted, and Whoo-whoop 170

Plate VI. Going home - - - - - - - - 180

Plate VII. Foxhounds at the face of a drain . - - . 255

Chap. I. (Head piece) The Meet - - - - Page 1

(Tail piece) Taking tlie line for cover - - - 7

Chap. II. (Head piece) Bitch and Puppies - - - - 8

(Tail piece) Hounds in Couples - - - - 1 6

Chap. III. (Head piece) Portrait of a Foxhound - - - 17

(Tail piece) Hound seizing a Fox - - - - 35

Chap. IV. (Head piece) Feeding Hounds - - - - 36

(Tail piece) Huntsman and Hounds - - . 47

Chap. Y. (Headpiece) 'Ware Hare ! 48

(Tail piece) Whip and couples - - - - 57

Chap. VI. (Head piece) A Workman 58

(Tail piece) A Botch 69

Chap, VII. (Head piece) Hunters in Paddock - - - - 70

(Tailpiece) "Gruelling" as it should be - - 97

Chap. VIII. (Head piece) Double, Single, and the Rub - - 98

(Tailpiece) A Spill 132

Chap. IX. (Head piece) Ancient Geologi>;ts - . . . 133

(Tail piece) Foxhound's Head - - - - 181

Chap. X. (Head piece) Hounds in Bath - - - - 182

(Tail piece) Foxhound running - - - . 208

Chap. XI. (Head piece) Making a double cast - - - - 2()9

(Tail piece) Fox running 230

Chap. XII. (Head piece) Savoury anticipations - - - - 231

(Tail piece) and no mistake - - - - 268

Chap. XIII. (Head piece) Earth Stopper ----- 269

(Tail piece) The Social board ----- 289

Emblematical Tail piece to Appendix 302

Ground Plan of the Kennel at Tedworth 281

Plan of Bedstead in the Kennel at Tedworth - - - - 282

Plan of the Stables at Tedworth 282

Introductory

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER 11.

Management of Hounda — Doing the thing as it should be done —
Knowledge of Country essential in the Master and Huntsmen —
Compared with an Army— Business of Hunting — Difterences in
Country— Leicestershire and Hampshire— Necessity of Hounds
being qualified for their Particular Country — Mr, Smith and the
Hambledon ........ 8

CHAPTER III.

Description of Hound adapted to Hertfordshire — Good and Bad
Luck — Mr, Meynell's Opinion as to the Size of a Hound — Mr.
Barnett and the Cambridgeshire — Fast Hounds and Quick
Hounds — Lord Segrave's Blood — Draft from his Kennel — Hon.
G. Berkeley and his Hounds — Size of Hounds best for Herts —
Arched Loins, or Wheeled Backs — Purity of Blood to be pre-
ferred to any Cross— Mr. Smith's Cross with the Bloodhound —
Shape of Hounds — their Height . . . . .17

CHAPTER IV.

Huntsman, as an intellectual Being — The Power of Mind — " Blood
will tell" — Gentlemen against the World— Duke of Wellington
and the Army — Best Class of Professional Huntsmen — Advan-
tages of Temper in all Education — Difference in Disposition of
Hounds — Peculiarities — Summary of General Duties of Hunts-
men in Kennel , . . . . . .36

CHAPTER V.

Whipper-in — Advantages of Practical Explanation — Anecdote of a
Miracle — Essentials in a Whipper-in — Duties in Kennel, and in
the Field— Discrimination— Passive Obedience — Tom Ball . 48

XIV CONTENTS.

P\OE

CHAPTER VI.

Hiding to Plunt and Hunting to Ride— Horsemansliip inseparable
from Enjoyment of the Chase — Going a-Hunting— Price of
Horses— Thorongh-bred. versus Cock-tails — Blood, again, will
tell— A ]\Ian without a Grandfather — The Wendover Run — Nim-
rod's Letter on Condition — Physic— Bleeding . . .58

CHAPTER VII.

Continuation of Remarks on Condition— Nimrod's Alterative Balls
—Gruel after Hunting— Tired Horses, Treatment of — Hints in-
tended for Owners of Short Studs — Shoeing — Lost Shoes —
Anecdote of a H. H. Divine and his Bishop — Spare Shoes —
Method of Shoeing at Oakley — Grooved Shoes — Over-reaches

— Feet and Legs — Foot Lameness— Hot Water as a General
Specific— Knee Buckets — Bleeding in the Foot— Use of Physic
— Feeding after Hunting — When to use Beans — Preparation or
Training of Hunters — Rules for getting them fit — Sweating —
Clipping, Grooming, and Dressing —Time for Clipping — Pre-
cautions—Legs— Firing and Blistering — Salt and Water Ban-
dages— Mercurial Charges — The Late Mr. Villebois — Efficacy of
his Application^Ventilation of Stables— Its Importance — How
easily contrived — Beauty of a Horse's Coat as an outward Sign

of Health ........ 70

CHAPTER VIIL

Riding to Hounds — Difference of Countries— Of Horses — Expense —
Economy — Equipment of a Hunter— Riders— Long or Short
Stirrups— Hand — Temper— Horsemen — Accidents — Crossing
Ruts — Cramped Places — Blind Ditches — Timber and Bull-
finchers— Falling on the Right Side — Useful Horses— Favourites
—Colour — Size— Sex— Railroads the Curse of the Country —
Impending Evils of Foxhunting "a thousand years hence" —
Conclusion of Advice on Treatment of Hunters — Dress of a Gen-
tleman Sportsman — Mrs. Trollope on Male Attire — L'Air Noble

— Change in Costume — Black Cravats — Jack-boots — Con-
tinuations—Best Dress for Hunting— Origin of wearing Scarlet ;
Royal Rule for ditto— Hats— Caps— Whips— Spurs— Charac-
teristics of a real Gentleman Fox-hunter in contrast with the
mere Vermin- killer . . . . . . .98

CHAPTER IX.

A Hunting Morning ; Mood for enjoyment of ; Different Sentiments
upon— Place of jSIeeting— Forcing a Fox— Where is the \\"\\\, is
the Way — View Halloos — Noise — Silence— The Human Voice
divine— Field Language — "Tally-ho" versus "Tally-O" — Mr.

CONTENTS. XV

Smith's Glossary — Drawing Coverts — Up or down Wind —
Instance of an Up-wind Draw in a Spinney— Getting away with
a Fox— The Burst— Pressing him— Advantage of a Start to the
Fox — Mr. Smith's Idea of a Fox's Knowledge of Scent— Covert
Side — " CofFee-housing" — The Number of Hounds for an Effec-
tive Pack— Number in the Field — The Great ]\[r. Meynell, with
a Hundred Couples out — Success of such a Pack— Killing above
Ground, and Digging— Drawing over Foxes- Getting settled to
one — "Ware Piiot'' — Mischief of Interference— Hare and Fox
on the Same Line — Lawful Assistance, when admissible and ad-
vantageous— A Quick Find — Liability to Eiot in a long draw
Blank— Punishment of Hounds — A Day in Herts — Average
Sport — The Find— "Gone away"— The First Ten ]\Iinutes— A
Huntsman in his Proper Place ; how to keep it — Varieties of
Soil — A Check— Eye to Hounds, and Last Recovery — Forward
again — Eacing for the Lead — Over-riding Hounds— Settling to
Business — Hunting and Ptunning— Hunting a Fox, not riding
him down — A View in Chase — The Thick of the Thing — A
Second Check at the Plough Teams — Headed or not 1 — Hunts-
man's Head required — Forward again and again — The Field
in High Feather — A Sinking Yox — " Hang those Footmen, how
they holloa !" — A Fair Finish— Whoo whoop ! This Run com-
pared with a better — Double Casts with Divided Pack — The
Forward Principle, the Rule of Fox-hunting — Drains — Going
Home— The Time for all Things— Return to Kennel— Efficacy
of Hounds — Mr. Smith's Breed of Foxes that can beat any
Pack — Condition everything, and Everything depending on
" System of Kennel" . . . . . .133

CHAPTER X.

System of Kennel — Baths — Feeding — Warmth — Diet — Ventilation
— Oatmeal — Vegetables — Mangel-wurzel — Sago — Biscuit —
Milk — Breeding — Walks— Sires and Dams — Generative Econ-
omy—Choice of Whelps— Naming— Rounding— Dividing Pack
— Drafting— Cub-hunting — Going out in the Evening, an Old
Practice— Entering Young Hounds — Killing Cubs — General Re-
sponsibility of Masters of Hounds .... 182

CHAPTER XL

Uncertainty of Scent — Signs and Indications — Mr. Smith's Theory
disputed — Arguments in Proof of Scent coming from Body and
Breath of the Animal, and not from Touch of Pad alone — Exem-
plified by Case in Point— Old Wells and the Oakley— Efi'ect
of Dew upon Scent — Ascent of Dew versus Descent— Experi-
mental Philosophy — Dr. Dufay and M. Muschenbrock — Results
of Experiments — Mr. Smith upon " Metal "... 209

XVI CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XII.

Hunting from Home— M. F. H. in his own Country — Presents — The
Late Mr. Hanbury— Popularity — Satisfaction — Rights of Coun-
try — Support of Hunting — Errors of Custom — Remedies —
Difficulty of Reformation — Earth- Stopping — Mr. Smith's Plan
— Game-keepers — Habits of Foxes — Importance of Rural
Amusement — Decline of Shooting — New Game BiU — Fox-
hunting the only Resource — Estimate of Expenses , .231

CHAPTER XIII.

Of Provincial Countries—Fox-hunting in Hampshire — Mr. Assheton
Smith — His career in Leicestershire — Character as a Sportsman
and Horseman — Removal to Hampshire — Tedworth and its
Agi-emens—Yiait to the Kennel — Reception there— Description
of the Kennel and Premises — Stables, &c., &c. — Appearance —
Local Advantages— Huntsman— Entry — Stamp of Hounds —
liadical good — Success of the Pack — Horses — Summary of this
Sketch— Plans of the Building . , . . .269

Appendix ........ 290

Biographical Sketch of Two Sportsmen of the last Century . . 293

-r-\/

CHAPTER I.

" Proscrire les carts agreables, et ne vouloir que ceux qui sont absolu-
nient utiles, c'est blamer la nature, qui produit les fleurs, les roses, les
jasmins, comme elle produit des fruits."

From the Album of a Parisienne.

INTRODUCTORY.

XT has been generally admitted, that few can have read
" The Complete Angler" of old Izaak Walton, with-
out being bitten by the seductive language in which he
clothes the communication of his ideas upon his favourite
pastime. Many have, indeed, founded their first taste
for, and their subsequent proficiency in, the gentle art
of angling, upon their acquaintance with his pages ; and
I do not envy the temperament of that man who can rise
from the perusal of Somerville's "Chase" uninfluenced
by a corresponding effect upon his feelings. All, however,

1

2 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

cannot enter into the enthusiasm of the poet, — cannot
be, with myself, at once transported into the very heart
of that ''dehghtful scene where all around is gay :" — but
if less has been written upon " The Noble Science" of
Hunting, than upon other subjects of far less importance
to the good of man, it is not from any lack of materials for
quartos — but, simply, because the practice so far out-
weighs the theory ; because, like good wine that needs no
bush, it requires no description to enhance its attractions;
and because considerably more than three parts out of
four of the number of hunting men, are contented to take
their share of the enjoyment, as they find it, without a
thought towards the scientific or theoretical part of the
pursuit, on the due cultivation of which there is so much
more than they are aw^are of, depending.

Far be it from me to desire that all sons of Nim-
rod should degenerate, or be at once transformed into
scribblers, book-worms, or, as a huntsman of my
acquaintance more aptly designated them, bookmen.
Heaven forefend, too, that those actively engaged in high
and useful calling, should not, in the joys of the chase,
find legitimate relaxation from the arduous course of li-
terary avocations 1 — but, as some apology for committing
to paper my "Thoughts upon Hunting," I would impress
upon those friends who may vouchsafe an attempt to
read what I have written, the fact, that few, possessing
the ability, have found the inclination, either for their
own amusement or the benefit of others, to publish
matter which must be more or less interesting to every

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 3

true votary of the science, if founded only upon the
soHd basis of experience.

Furthermore, be it remembered, that anything ema-
nating from the mere theorist, is as little worthy of notice
as "An Authentic Account of Operations from the Seat
of War in Spain," issuing periodically from a garret in
Seven Dials ; that no one should pretend to write or
offer an opinion upon the subject, who cannot of these
things say — " Qu^que ipse vidi — et quorum pars fui."

Now for myself, in defence of this, my humble essay,
I do not pretend to say with Horace, " Dicam insigne,
recens adhuc Indictum ore alio." I am bound to state,
feeling tremblingly alive to the imputation, on the one
hand, of presumption, should I attempt to deviate from,
or of plagiarism, should I follow too closely in the track
of those who have" preceded me, that I am actuated by
no hope of bringing to light anything new under that sun
which I invoke to shine upon my endeavours, and to
dispel the threatening clouds which will gather upon the
horizon of an author's morning ; by which, in plainer or
less poetical phraseology, I would be understood to mean
a first attempt at any publication beyond a pamphlet or
a song. It is, perhaps, far less incumbent upon me to say
one word in anticipation of a charge which never can
arise, lest the truism of the French proverb should at
once present itself, that " qui s excuse s' accuse," with
regard to my . having joined the class of wiitatores,
which, from our school-boy days, we have held as
" servum pecus," and it will be too evident, I fear, that

1—2

4 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

I have never read one line of the several works of a
sunilar tendency and purport which have appeared in
my time, with the exception of Beckford, whom " not
to know argues oneself unknown."

When I say that, although I have of course heard of,
I have never seen Colonel Cooke's work, or even, to my
knowledge, an extract from his '' Observations upon
Hunting," I need not add my conviction that it would
be far better for my object if every line of it were
committed to my memory ; but still I will arrogate for
my bantling, with all its imperfections on its head, the
merit, if any there be, of originality, if not in conception,
at least in arrangement, of idea ; and in addressing it
more especially to my friends and acquaintance in my
own provincial district, I shall hope to secure one portion
of favourable, if not of partial, critics.

If I am accused of quoting too freely from Greek,
Roman, or British Poets, wherever the aptness of the
quotation is admitted, no apology need be made for
having endeavoured to convey, in the beauty of lan-
guage, ideas which could not otherwise be half so
well expressed. I hope to escape the imputation of
having affected a scholastic pedantry, to which I have
no pretension ; and that those who may look over (I
trust with the intention of overlooking) these and other
failings in the following pages, may find them not wholly
deficient in a redeeming portion of plainer English.

I have already stated, that much has been written
upon subjects far less important to the good of man

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. *>

than hunting ; but having been in this, my introductoiy
chapter, more than sufficiently prosy, I will not tax the
patience of those whom I wish to dip further into this
volume, by entering into a consideration of the progress
of " The Noble Science" from its origin to its present
state of perfection, or of its bearings upon the social
character of man ; but I will here briefly record my
opinion, that hunting is entitled to all the encouragement
which any State may have the power to bestow upon it.
The effect of so manly an exercise upon the mind of
youth has been well described by abler pens; its tendency
to promote that good fellowship which should be *' our
being's end and aim" is duly tested by the position of
society in those counties where its influence has been
most felt. No higher testimony to its practical utility,
in a national point of view, can be required than that of
as brave a hero as ever drew a sword, — the gallant Lord
Lynedoch; — he whom Napoleon characterized as "that
daring old man" has often affirmed, that he should not
have been the soldier he is, had he not been bred a fox-
hunter.

The Koman poet, speaking of Diana, the goddess of
hunting, says, " Deas supereminet omnes." From the
time of Nimrod to the present, hunting has ever ranked
first and foremost of all exercises, whether by man, in
an uncivilized state, as the natural means of subsistence,
or by the most enlightened and refined, as a soul-
inspiring source of pleasure.

Furthermore, I will add that fox-hunting ever has

b THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

been, still is, and, I trust, ever will be, enthusiastically
upheld by men of the highest endowments, — by men
possessed of all the noblest and best attributes of human
nature, many of whom have devoted themselves to its
objects with an assiduity alone sufficient to prove the
worthiness of the cause.

Its operations upon agricultural produce are, also,
sufficiently well known, though, I fear, hardly enough
appreciated by that class, the ''fortunati nimium, sua si
bona norint, agricolse." I will, in an appendix, dedicate
to the farmers of my own county a letter which I pub-
lished some years since, in the Sporting Magazine,
upon the subject of riding over wheat ; but T will here
hold hard, nor allow myself to be led farther into a
repetition of truisms so thoroughly established.

Convinced, myself, that, for the health, the recreation,
the general good, there is nothing to bear a moment's
comparison with hunting, taking it relatively, or collec-
tively ; taking it as affecting the physical condition of
men, or that '' noblest animal in the creation" (as he
has been styled), the horse, I will only add to the motto,
" Floreat scientia," the heartfelt aspiration, " esto i^crpe-
titaf — May it flourish till time shall be no more ! And
now, in proceeding with my comments upon the manner
in which I would see it conducted (a work commenced
originally for my own occupation during the leisure
hours of summer), let me say that, if I should be the
humble means of awakening the attention of any one
individual to the real interests, or tend in the slightest

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 7

degree towards the promotion of that sport to which
I have been addicted from my cradle, with which I have
been for many years most intimately connected, and to
which (apart from higher considerations) I must ever
remain devoted, I shall have gained my end.

chapteb; il

— " Keen on tbe scent,

At fault none losing heart ! — but all at work !
None leaving his task to another ! — answering
The watchful huntsman's caution, check, or cheer,
As steed his rider's rein. Away they go !
How close they keep together ! What a pack !
Nor turn nor ditch nor stream divides them — as
They move with one intelligence, act, will !"

Love Chase.

Management of Hounds — Doing the thing as it should be done — Know-
ledge of Country essential in the Master and Huntsmen — Compai'ed
with an Army— Business of Hunting — Differences in Country-
Leicestershire and Hampshire— Necessity of Hounds being qualified
for their particular Country— Mr. Smith and the Hambledon.

That " whatever is worth domg at all, is worth doing
well," is one of those maxims which may be fearlessly
asserted, without risk of controversy ; and to no under-
taking is it more applicable than to the management
of a pack of foxhounds. To do the thing well, and as
it should be done, ought to be the primary object of

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 9

any one aspiring to the office ; but let ns consider in
what does this well-doing consist. It will not be found
alone in the tout e?zse?72Z>/e, the faultless appearance of the
turn out. Too much attention cannot be paid to the
due efficiency of all appointments, with regard to " dogs,
horses, and men ;" but an aspirant for fame, as a master
of foxhounds, may give an exorbitant sum for a pack
of hounds of unquestionable celebrity, — he may give
carte hlanche to Anderson, Bean, and Elmore, to fill his
stables: — he may secure the services of the best of hunts-
men and whippers-in, — he may bring all these into the
best of countries, — still it is no paradox to say, that,
with all these means and appliances to boot, the thing
may not be done well, or as it should be done. I have
heard of men, ambitious, formerly, of emulating the place
of Lord Jersey, and such performers over a country,
who have, in the purchase of the very horses which they
had followed as brilliant lights, considered that they had
attained the summum honum, the grand requisite to go
and do likewise ; and woful has been their disappoint-
ment at finding that, without the presiding genius, — the
head- piece which has ruled, the hand which guided them
to glory, — the implements were but common tools in
hands of ordinary workmen ; and they were little, if any,
better than i7i statu quo. With all due allowance for
native valour, few, I imagine, will maintain that the
flower of a British army would, under the generality of
commanders, have achieved the prodigies which have
rendered the name and fame of WelHngton imperish-

10 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

able : and thus it is witli an establishment qualified
properly to hunt any country. The chief must not only
be heart and soul in the cause, but he must endeavour
to fortify himself with that thorough knowledge of the
business, which is essential — I say, indispensable — to
complete success. The word, business, may grate upon
the ear of those conversant only with the pleasure, and
brings to my mind the waggery of a story, appertaining,
I believe, to Theodore Hook, in which a citizen is driven
to exasperation by being told that he could not, by any
possibility, have any husincss in his boat, — his own boat,
— because, as is ultimately explained to him, it is his
pleasiire-ho^t. But I contend, that it is a business of
no slight importance to cater for the amusement of a
whole county ; setting aside the hopeless effort to give
unqualified satisfaction, it is a business so to conduct
all matters as to do justice to those who have confided
to him the administration of the policy which rules the
destinies of the little empire which is his theatre of
action. I have been told, upon the best authority, of
that great general, to whom I have before alluded, that,
on the eve of battle, not only would he sleep soundly,
but say that he had as good a right to sleep, then, as
the Lord Mayor had in London, even should they be
all killed and eaten by the enemy on the morrow, having
made all the dispositions calculated to guard against
every contingency, and entitle him to feel that confi-
dence in his own resources which was the forerunner of
victory. So, in like manner, j:)a?'i'2*s componere magna —

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 11

to compare great aflfairs with those comparatively of little
consequence — should a master of foxhounds, upon join-
ing, at the covert side, a host of followers, all " with
souls in arms, and eager for the fray ;" when contem-
plating the responsibility which rests with him, — when
reviewing the numbers looking up to him as arbiter of
what that day shall bring forth, be enabled to say to
himself, '' I have done my duty to the best of my judg-
ment ; I have fixed to draw the covert, which, of all
others, it is most expedient to draw ; I have ascertained
the more than probability of finding here, or in the
neighbourhood ; I am not at variance with any farmer
or landholder who might have been propitiated ; I have
brought an effective establishment into the field; in
short, I have done, and shall do, all within my power
towards the sport, which, all must know, will ever very
much depend upon the elements, and a variety of circum-
stances over which I have no control, and which, whether
favourable or otherwise, will affect me, at least as much
as, if not more than, any one else." He will thus be
supported through all the trying events of the day, by
a consciousness that his field lack none of that zeal and
energy which he should supply. He will, under failure
of scent, or any of the catalogue of miseries to which he
is exposed, even to the heading of a fox, patiently, if
not cheerfully, submit to evils which he cannot sur-
mount; and should all go right, and "merry as a
marriage bell," who, in the whole of that well-pleased

12 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

field, will have half the excitement, the exultation, the
delight, which he will find in this joyous result of all
his hopes and endeavours ?

To retui-n to my position, that with the best esta-
blishments which money can produce, a man may fail
— may fail in showing that sport which will stamp the
character of his pack; — for justice, blind justice, is very
blind indeed in this respect, and will take success as
the sole criterion of merit. I have said that it is not
enouofh to brino^ into the field men, hounds, and horses,
of the best pretensions ; I repeat, that it is not enough,
unless all are pre-eminently qualified for the particular
country in which their lot may be cast ; unless the ser-
vants possess, in addition to every professional quali-
fication, that intimate knowledge of all localities which
is indispensable, and not less so to the master, if he
assume, as he should do, the absolute command ; unless
much, very much, have been done in the time of pre-
paration which cannot be done during the season, which
is as the harvest of the months of promise which have
preceded it. As one striking instance, in support of
what I have thus advanced, and drawing, as will be my
invariable rule, solely upon f^icts within my own ex-
perience, it will be fresh in the memory of all Hamp-
shire gentlemen, that when the great Mr. Osbaldeston
■ — (and great he certainly and deservedly was, and ever
must be held, as a master of hounds) — temporarily re-
moved his splendid establishment from Leicestershire
into the Hambledon country, with the aid of no less a

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 13

man than the renowned Sebright, now with Lord Fitz-
wiUiam, to hunt one of the best packs of hounds ever
bred, so great was the transition from the verdant vales
of Leicester, to their antipodes in the good county of
Southampton, that, although ''the Squire" had good-
humouredly threatened the utter extinction of the
whole race of Hambledon foxes, each day was but a
repetition of '' confusion worse confounded ;" and they
very soon abandoned the country, with all the disgust
which the proverbial odiousness of comparisons was
likely to engender.

No one will imagine that I can entertain the re-
motest idea of casting any reflection upon an establish-
ment, the merits of which were beyond the reach of
detraction. I have recorded the fact as it stands, only
as the strongest proof of my assertion, that a tho-
rough knowledge of a country and its peculiarities is
indispensable ; and I have not the least doubt that if
any of the principal actors in the scene to which I have
alluded were questioned as to what they did in the
Hambledon country, the answer would be " Nothing ;"
that they found themselves truly dislocated, in a strange
locality, and were all abroad. Whether they ivould
have done nothing had they remained is quite another
question ; my belief is that such a pack would have
maintained its superiority in any country; though I
still hold to my opinion, that a hound which may be
perfect in one country, may be utterly useless in an-

1 4 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

other ; that the' greatest talents in a huntsman may be
equally unavaihng, unless backed by an inthnate ac-
quaintance with all peculiar circumstances with which
he may have to contend.

It may be supposed that I have quoted a strong
case for my own purpose, and that the Hambledon
country might have been found impracticable for sport ;
but my case is confirmed by the sequel, in proof of
what may be done by that knowledge of country which
I hold so requisite, and by adapting the principles of
the noble science of fox-hunting to the hunting of the
fox wherever he is to be found. A good run is a good
run anywhere, and is, I believe, at the present time, no
uncommon occurrence in that same province, although
beset by wood and bog on one side, and wood and
flint upon the other. But to my point without further
digression.

It was not, I think, more than two or three seasons
after Mr. Osbaldeston's brief sojourn in Hants, that
Mr. Smith, who has since arrived at the height of dis-
tinction as a huntsman and master of hounds, but who
might then have been styled " a youth to fortune and
to fame unknown," suddenly emerged from the retire-
ment of rural avocation, and became somebody of greater
importance to the good cause than any light which had
yet dawned upon that sphere.

With a very indifferent, and, I believe, so inadequate
a subscription, as to call for many demands upon his

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 15

purse, and proportionate sacrifices on his own part, he
undertook the management of the hounds, receiving
them hterally at a day's notice from Mr. Nunes. He
had, from boyhood, followed the chase wherever it was
to be followed, through the country where he was born
and bred ; not an earth existed, not a woodland or a
spinney, with which he was not familiar. As a horse-
man, he could cross the most difficult country, as a man
should go, who attempts to hunt his hounds ; and, conse-
quently, w^ith a pack of hounds and a stable of horses,
which he would probably himself now term a scratch
concern, to say nothing of his assistants in the field, he
contrived to kill foxes and show sport, in a way which
has had no parallel, either before or since his time, in
those parts.

This is only one of many instances which I could
quote in support of my doctrine, as to the obvious
utility of a due acquaintance with a country, and not
less especially with the kind of hound best adapted to
the soil, and the character of ground over which he is
expected to hold a scent. What I may have to say on
the subject of hounds will afford matter for my next
chapter. I have, in this, dwelt more particularly on
these points, from a consideration of the changes in ad-
ministration which have taken place around me since
last season, and of more which are likely to occur, in
the hope that should any one connected with a new ma-
nagement have taken up this book, he may have arrived

16

THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

thus far before casting it aside, and thereby, possibly,
may have his attention more immediately directed to
what has, ^vithin my own knowledge, caused more
failures than a host of all other accountable causes of
disappointment.

CHAPTEE III.

" For Louiids of middle size, active and strong,
Will better answer all thy various ends,
And croAvn thy pleasing labours with success."

SOMERVILE.

Description of Hound adapted to Hertfordshire— Good and Bad Luck —
Mr. Meyn ell's Opinion as to the Size of a Hound— Mr. Barnett and
the Cambridgeshire — Fast Hounds and Quick Hounds — Lord
Segrave's Blood— Draft from his Kennel — Hon. G. Berkeley and his
Hounds— Size of Hounds best for Herts— Arched Loins, or Wheeled
Backs — Puritj^ of Blood to be preferred to any Cross — Mr. Smith's
Cross with the Bloodhound — Shape of Hounds — their Height.

It would be tlie height of presumption in me, were I
to make any attempt at offering any dogmas upon the
system of kennel. I write, not for the information of
the learned, but for the amusement of the uninitiated
in these mysteries. It is not my purpose to make any
compilation of practical details upon the treatment of

18 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

hounds, nor even to retail any of the thousand and one
mfalhble specifics for the cure of distemper, and other
diseases, all of which would be borrowed from, or be
more or less infringing upon the province of, works
already, for the most part, familiar to sportsmen. It is
true that I could swell a volume, by recapitulating the .
daily results of conferences with those possessing suffi-
cient practical lore upon these matters, were such my
object ; nay, this might, perhaps, constitute the only
valuable product of my penmanship, but I question
whether I should thus add to the stock of useful
maxims which I desire to inculcate, or further my de-
sign of offering a cursory view of the general and grand
ruling principles of fox-hunting, which it will be my
endeavour to make comprehensible and acceptable to
those friends for whose amusement or edification alone
these pages are intended. I must repeat, that I am
drawing solely upon my knowledge and memory for
facts, and should, perhaps, state that I am not only
unaided and alone, but actually and literally writing,
daily, in a room unfurnished with one printed article of
any description, and wholly devoid of all access to
books from which I might cull rich matter for my own.*
"With regard to hounds, let us consider what stamp may
be, from experience, pronounced to be best calculated
for our provincial district, bearing ever in mind that

* More tlian half the book was written in leisure hours during a sum-
mer tour, and a considerable portion on board Mr. Acker's fine schooner
yacht, the Dolphin.

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 19

our Bramingham is, to us, as much or more than the
Billesdon Coplow to the Meltonian ; that our Gad-
desden and Kensvvorth Gorse are no less estimable in
our eyes than those of Segg's Hill, or Catworth, in
countries of higher repute ; and that if we are more
liable to that glorious uncertainty of scent, upon our
colder lands, than those blessed with richer pastures,
where scent can rarely fail, and where any hound ought
to run, we are no less imbued with a love of the pace
that kills, and it is, therefore, the more incumbent upon
us to consult the cultivation of that odora canAm vis,
and all the essential qualities of the animal upon which
we are the more dependant.

There is a certain degree of luck in all things :
making a liberal allowance for the judgment which we
are all ready enough to take credit for, upon the suc-
cess of any scheme, it cannot be denied that there is
good or ill luck attendant upon their results ; and that
one man may be fortunate enough to attain in two
years what another may not accomplish in twenty."'

Thus, upon taking to fox-hounds, I had the good
luck to succeed, in the first draft from a distant kennel
which I pitched upon as likely to recruit the pack, and
as particularly qualified for the country I had under-
taken to hunt. My predecessor, probably at no less

* Mr. Barrett has afforded, in Hants, a practical illustration of this—
having succeeded to the command of the old H. H., on the death of his
lamented brother-in-law, ]\lr. Villebois— with everything to provide de
novo, his sport, last season, exceeded that of many previous, and he has
now a pack of hounds, the sight of which wiU repay the trouble of a visit.

2—2

20 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

pains and expense, had procured drafts from Cheshire
and elsewhere, which, altogether as unluckily, proved
otherwise than beneficial to the kennel. The cUte of
the pack, and many there were, bitches especially, well
worth preserving as a foundation to the present, were
chiefly bred at home, reflecting no little credit upon
the judgment of their owner; but the majority of the
dogs, though magnificent to the eye, were, to use poor
Bob Oldaker's own words, fit only to be cut up into
gloves.

Much did their size and action militate against their
progress over a country where a hound should be a
close hunter. To enable a hound to be a close hunter,
he must be near his work ; a large lolhping animal will,
in our country, not only be figuratively as well as lite-
rally above his business, but he will tire with the eflbrt
of bearing his own weight over flints and fallows re-
quiring constant stooping, and a gift oipy^essing, without
which a Hertfordshire fox will laugh him to scorn.
I must not be supposed, in any strictures upon a draft
from the Cheshire, to offer any disparagement to that
pack, which is, I believe, what it should be : I mean
only to say, that their drafts did not suit the purpose
of improving ours. For our country, I hold twenty-
three inches as the maximum of height. It is true
that, for the strong black-thorn woods of Bedfordshire
and Cambridgeshire, a certain weight of substance is
necessary, and with all my admitted partiality for small
hounds, there is no greater advocate for bone and

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 21

muscle ; but I have never lost sight of the recorded
opinion of the father of the science, Mr. Meynell, — that
the height of a hound had nothing to do with his size.
The breed of some veteran professors might, perhaps,
do for some countries, but defend us from lumber in
any shape.'''' We have, near us, a fine sample of a
large pack, where a larger hound is absolutely required,
in the strong country, and almost impenetrable coverts,
encountered by that good sportsman, Mr. Barnett ; but
he is unremitting in his attention to shoulders, and that
clean mould of limb which unites activity with pov.'ev.
I was forcibly struck by the justice of a remark which
he made to me one day ]ast winter, when w^e were dis-
cussing the merits of different packs within our imme-
diate notice, and the importance attached, in the pre-
sent flying, railroadian era, to the pace of hounds.
" Few people," said he, " consider sufHciently the dif-
ference between a fast hound and a ciuich hound." I
was delighted with a remark so entirely coinciding with
my own long-cherished opinion, for I have ever held
that a hound may be able to fly, that is, may be pos-
sessed of physical ability to run like a greyhound, and
yet prove a slow brute in chase ; but give me a quick

* There can be no use in glossing over fact— I may be setting up com-
paratively new, in opposition to old and well-received opinions, but it is,
nevertheless, a fact beyond dispute, that wherever the heavy breed of
throaty hound has been/air/y tried, it has been found wanting ; wanting,
not in the pottering power of holding on the line, or rather of reiterating
what has been proclaimed and allowed long before, but wanting in speed,
terribly deficient in stoutness, and by no means superior in fineness of
nose. Of all this, I might offer high proof, but not without allusions
savouring of personality.

22 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

hound, a hound instinctively quick in working for and
catching a scent, and I will answer for his following his
nose fast enough for the best horse ever foaled.

We all know the truth of the proverb that " like will
beget like ;" and the fact, that certain qualities are
hereditary, is illustrated no less in the breed of hounds
and horses than in that of the ''genus humanum sine
Cauda, carnivorum," &c.

" Fortes creantur fortibus, et bonis,
Est in juvencis, est in equis patrum
Virtus : neque imbellem feroces
Progenerant aquilse columbam."

HOK.

" c'lyaOoi c'tyivovro oid to <pvvca £? ayadiov." — PlATO.

" Oh worthiness of nature, breed of greatness,
Cowards father cowards, and base things sire the base."

Shakspeare.

In my attempt to establish a pack to my mind's eye, I
never lost sight of the sort which I considered could not
fail to suit, and from my old former ally, George
Mountford, then hunting the Quorn under Mr. Erring-
ton, I luckily obtained several couples of that blood
which I had learned to prize in the palmy days of the
old Oakley, when George was huntsman to Lord Tavis-
tock, he having migrated, upon the Marquis resigning
the country, with that superior pack, which then be-
came the property of Lord Southampton, into Leices-
tershire. To prove that blood was my object, and that
I did not fear a transfer from the grass countries, I
should mention, that I had also not a few choice hounds
of Lord Lonsdale's breeding, both young and seasoned.

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 23

from Lambert ; but to come to tlie luck, the luck
coming at once (which might not, in a series of years,
if ever, have occurred, and to which I attribute all the
satisfaction that has since accrued to me) — this was a
draft of sixteen couples from Lord Segrave's kennel, at
Berkeley Castle, whither I despatched Boxall, on a
special embassy in quest of them. It was singular that
the next pack succeeding to that which I have just
mentioned, in the Oakley country, and to which I must
ever refer with reverential attachment, should have
consisted, at the time they left Bedfordshire, of a lot of
hounds approaching, in my humble opinion, as nearly
to perfection, in all requisites and capabilities for show-
ing sport in any country, as it is possible to arrive.
I need not add, that I allude to those which were the
property of the Hon. G. Berkeley. I am not about to
enter into the Bedfordshire politics of those days, or to
inquire what might have been the reasons inducing that
gentleman, on the one hand, to leave a country, and, on
the other, allowing a country to part with him and his
pack after a series of most brilliant sport : I am upon
the subject of hounds, and I write as I talk, with more
pronenesss to say what I think than to think what I
say ; as I would avoid all cause of offence, so would I
scorn to flatter any man breathing ; and when I say
that the establishment of such a pack as Mr. Berkeley's
was the more remarkable, as in immediate succession to
that which had been so fully tried and approved under
the fostering care of Lord Tavistock (confessedly one

24 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

of the highest rank amidst professors of the science), it
is but justice to add, that this would be no subject of
wonder to those who know Mr. Berkeley's devotion to
all appertaining to the breeding and management of
hounds. There were many in this pack coming up to
my notion of the heau ideal of a fox-hound, and it is
beyond dispute that, during the last season of Mr.
Berkeley's hunting the Oakley country, their perform-
ance left nothing to be desired.* Palmam qui meruit
ferat. I have, perhaps, a natural inclination, when I
see a pack well conducted, to give a full share of credit
to the master ; but I am strengthened in my observa-
tion upon Mr. Berkeley's knowledge in these matters,
and in attributing the excellence of these hounds to his
judgment, by the appearance of some letters upon his
" system," published not very long since in the " New
Sporting Magazine," under the signature, if I rightly
remember, of '' Skim," or something of that kind (but
of this I am not positive, not having them to refer to) .
I read them on the supposition that they were pub-
lished on authority, and can call to mind enough to
know, that if I attempted to give any description of my
own ideas upon the same points, I should find myself
insensibly betrayed into the use of the same language.
I shall think that 1 have reason to be satisfied with
any effort of my own pen, should it produce anything

* At the time alluded to, there was no prospect of that which has since
taken place, the resumption of the country by its former legitimate pos-
sessor. The secession of the Marquis was altogether productive of
" wonderful work in the country."

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 25

half so well worth reading, or manifesting a similar
knowledge of the subject.

During the three years in which I was occupied in
getting together twenty couples of dwarf foxhound
harriers, with which I hunted hare in my own neigh-
bourhood,— in the course of which I obtained drafts not
only from every pack which might be said to be within
reach, but also from Wilts, Dorset, Devon, Hampshire,
&c., I found none which could, in the aggregate, at all
compare with those which I got from the kennel of Mr.
Berkeley, then at Harold, in Bedfordshire..

It would be out of place, here, to state my reasons
for hunting hare with the kind of hound by which she
is generally supposed to be more than over-matched,
further than that they were founded upon my own pre-
ference for that, over every other dog in the creation,
and that I was supported by no less an authority than
Lord Tavistock (once himself a master of harriers) in my
opinion, that nothing existing in canine shape will hunt
a lower scent than a high-bred foxhound. I will, in my
appendix, add an extract from a letter of an old sports-
man, in reference to this branch of the science, and pro-
ceed now to say, that having had, as a matter of course,
infinite trouble with the entry of young hounds limited
to twenty inches in height, I found that, whilst, in the
generality of the drafts, one worth putting forward was
an exception to the lot, in those obtained from Harold,
it was rarely that any were found which did not imme-
diately exhibit ample promise of a future excellence in

26 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

wliicli I was seldom disappointed. How far I succeeded
in establishing this pack of harriers it does not become
me to say ; I leave it to the decision of those judges
who may have seen them upon their transmission into
Norfolk, having, upon taking the foxhounds, sold them
to Sir James Flower, whose energy and zeal are suffi-
cient warrant for the perpetuity of their character f for
my present purpose, it is enough to say, that I at once
decided upon a reliance on Lord Segrave's blood for
hunting the fox in Hertfordshire, and this is the blood
to which, after due trial, I am most anxious to adhere.
In the coldest and most adverse state of atmosphere,
they are to be seen ploughing the ground with their
noses, and recovering any particle of scent which has
not been dissipated. In the best of days, when every
nerve is strained to maintain the pace at which I have
seen them complete six miles in eighteen minutes, they
will be found first in the foremost flight. When the
whoo-whoop resounds, it is ten to one that the hound
first and fast locked in mortal gripe and struggle with
the prostrate victim, is one of these my favourites, who
are alike to be distinguished on all occasions, as many
a deep indenture upon their faces will prove, made by
the fangs of many an old dog fox, in memento of an
existence which, but for their relentless perseverance,
might have been for years prolonged.

* The merits of this crack establishment have been already so well
and justly described, in prose and verse, in the pages of the New Sport-
ing ]\Iagazine, that any eulogy from my pen would be more than
superfluous.

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 27

I have, at the present time, a bitch called Baneful,
by Lord Segrave's Racer, out of his Barmaid, which I
hold quite invaluable, not only because she was pre-
sented to me by Mr. Berkeley, and that I regard such
a present in proportion to the acquisition she has
proved, but on account of the intrinsic worth which
constitutes, amongst all my pets, the best claim to a
favour, which is nothing less than affection. Of all I
ever saw, I should select her, had I a wager depending
upon killing a fox with one single hound. To see her
swimming a river at the head of the pack, throwing
her tongue at every stroke, is, indeed, to use a quaint
expression of Boxall's, enough to make the dead leap
from their graves to look at her. I shall never forget
her, with Ritual, by Mr. Osbaldeston's Sailor, out of
Mr. Berkeley's Relict, another of the sort, when cross-
ing the canal near Tring, in the middle of that glorious
run, with a three-o'clock fox, from Kensworth Gorse to
Wendover, having skirted Aylesbury. In an accurate
account which appeared from the pen of some friend in
" Bell's Life," the pack were well described, and truly,
when crossing the canal, as " clustering as though all
might have been included in a casting net ;" but I will
not here dwell even upon this glorious day, though
glorious it may well be called, considering that a space
of thirty miles over the map, by admeasurement, was
accomplished in two hours and twenty-eight minutes,
without one hound missing, with a fox found after a
severe morning's previous work, and that, taking it

28 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

altogether, it has been proDounced by the oldest mas-
ters of hounds, and other liigh authorities, as a run
which will scarcely find its parallel in the records of
any country. It is a matter of congratulation to my-
self, and I hope, also, to all interested in the well-being
of that pack, which, as long as I have a spark of ambi-
tion left within me, shall be nulli secundus, that Baneful
and Ritual are both of them now only in their fifth
year, and that their descendants give fair promise of
bearing evidence of their stamp. The former has, at
this moment, by her side, a most beautiful litter by
the Duke of Beaufort's Rally wood.

I trust that I may be pardoned the semblance of
egotistical vanity with which I have thus descanted
upon these things affecting my own affairs. All have
their hobby, from which, when once bestridden, they do
not readily dismount ; and any one who can enter into
the sort of parental feeling toward a pack of hounds by
which I am animated, will excuse a certain degree of
pride with which I may reflect upon my endeavours at
improvement, especially when I start with the admis-
sion of luck beyond all power of judgment, in the draft
obtained from Berkeley Castle.

What I have said concerning the excellence of this
blood, and the tribute which I have paid to Mr. Berkeley
as a master of hounds, requires neither excuse nor apo-
logy. I shall ever speak of things as I find them, and
am inclined to swear by the bridge which carries me
safe over. To proceed now with our consideration of

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 29

the sort of hound fit for our country, I need not say
that good shoulders are indispensable to one fit for any ;
but, beyond all other points in shape or make, I would
especially direct the attention of any one hunting Herts,
to feet. Though, perhaps, few, very few, if any, of the
provincial countries (and by provincial I mean all which
are not principally devoted to grazing and pasture lands),
can boast of greater variety than our country, consider-
ing that, on the hedge greens of Gaddesden and Flam-
sted, indeed in the whole country to the west of Red-
bourn, a fox seldom quits grass ; and that further
below, beyond the stiff clay of Bramingham and Sun-
don, we have the fine grass vale of Toddington, equal-
ling the best part of the best of countries, and formerly
characterized by Mr. Meynell himself as the " Elysian
fields ;" still, I have said that a great variety exists ;
and as, in all give-and-take, with the good will come
the bad, so around Kimpton, and a great part of the
country between the Welwyn and Harpenden roads,
and occasionally in other parts, fields are to be found
bestrewed with flints, as thick as leaves in Vallombrosa
— very nearly equalling those in Hampshire. To en-
counter these, a hound must have a foot like that of a
cat in closeness, not exacthj like that of a cat, as I have
found that a cat-foot, however beautiful to look at, is
liable to get what is termed a toe down sooner than
any other. The toes of the foot must be close as pos-
sible, the whole foot round, yet flat enough for elasticity
and expansion in action. With as little of kennel lame-

30 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

ness as any, if not less, I will venture to say that, in no
country are more hounds lamed in the course of a day's
work. I have drafted hounds which, from slight de-
fects in their feet, have been utterly incapacitated, but
which have continued, in other and deeper country,
perfectly effective. Some contend that a hound should
be perfectly straiglit from his withers to his stern ; but
I am myself fond of what are called arched loins, or
ivheel hacks, with an inclination to drooping quarters,
with that development in the muscle of both which
enables them to fly their fences. I fancy, also, that
arched loins are better adapted to hills, and are most
in liarmony with the symmetrical outline requisite for
speed and bottom.

The sketch at the head of this Chapter, however
imperfect, may convey, better than any power of descrip-
tion which I possess, my notion of a well-shaped hound.
It might seem absurd to record my conviction of the
necessity that your hounds should be not only well-
shaped but ivell-hred, having already stated that nothing
canine will hunt like a high-bred foxhound; and surely
none will contend that anything else can run with
them ; but it is too fresh in my memory, that, in these
daj-s of innovation, attempts have been not only sug-
gested, but made, to reform, and thereby, of course,
improve, the blood of this old English foxhound. This
circumstance is of too recent date to admit of being
left to the silence of oblivion.

About two years before Mr. Sebright retired from

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 31

Hertfordshire, I was surprised by the appearance, amidst
the entry for that season, of a large, leggy, black-and-
tanned bitch, called (perhaps in compliment to her pedi-
gree) Wisdom. Without any particular faultiness in
shape, she was, in my eyes, and in those of others seeing
objects in a similar light, exactly the animal, of all others,
to destroy the appearance of a whole pack. Frequently
have I heard it inquired, by strangers, whence the
creature might have strayed ; nay, I remember, upon one
occasion, to have seen some well-meaning and kindly
officious of the field actually riding at her, with that
cracking of whips, and ratings of, " Go along home,'' with
which a stray guardian of the sheepfold is usually
saluted. She had certainly nearly as much resemblance
to a retriever as to any of her associates. Now this
Wisdom was the enfant cherie of the season — the result
of an experiment which was to eclipse the blood of
" old Meynell" and to throw such a gleam of intelligence
upon the science of breeding as should cast into deep
shade the errors of .all former ages : she was to be the
shining evidence and manifestation of a new light.

I am not making this relation sarcastically or imper-
tinently, as a piece of irrelevant gossip, but as matter
highly pertinent to a chapter upon hounds; which,
I think, all will allow, when I say that this experiment
was made by the Professor of whom I have before
spoken as a master of hounds — Mr. Smith, late master
of the Craven. It consisted in the cross of a blood-
hound with a foxhound bitch. It v/as nothing extra-

32 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

ordinary to imagine, that if the nose of a foxhound
Avere capable of improvement, it would be by no means
so well effected as by a cross with the bloodhound—
generally 'allowed to possess the faculty or sense of smell
in a degree of pre-eminence beyond its species ; and, to
the best of my belief, this notion received not only the
full approbation and sanction of Mr. Sebright, but also
of his father, Sir John, from whose acknowledged dis-
cernment and information upon the breeding of animals
he inherits his knowledge. I cannot pretend to say
whether it was intended to persevere in this cross,
thouo-h I have reason to doubt whether the trial of two
seasons, in which this "Wisdom accompanied the pack,
afforded room for satisfaction. I have myself observed
her at work, and believe that she had as good a nose as
might have been expected ; but I do not think that any of
her admirers, or the warmest advocate for change, would
go so far as to say that she in any one point surpassed,
admitting that she ever equalled, the performances of
those rejoicing in the pure blood of old Bobadil or
Cerberus, out of Sprightly or Verity. I did not, at that
time, hunt often enough in Herts to speak from per-
sonal observation, but find, upon inquiry, that she
showed the greatest disposition to act independently, or
otherwise became what w^e should term a rank skirter ;
but it may not be fair to urge this against one solitary
specimen of a fancy, which, for aught I know, may
still be upheld by wiser heads than mine. All I mean
to say is this, that nothing that I have seen or heard

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 33

with regard to a cross with the bloodhound has given
me more incHnatlon to that, than to a water-spaniel, as
an improvement in fox-hunting ; and that in this, as in
many more instances where the benefit of change is not
duly obvious, I should be for letting " well alone."

Upon my succession to the country, I received a very
kind letter from Mr. Smith, inquiring after his protegee.
Wisdom, which was then still, and may be now, in
Mr, Sebright's possession, and offering to assist me in
carrying further the proposed scheme for improving the
breed of hounds. I replied, that, till I had reason to
believe any animal had been bred to equal a thorough-
bred foxhound, I should beg to prefer that description
to any mongrel in the scale of creation ; and by this
f\iith and opinion shall I still, for the present, abide.
I would, therefore, earnestly advise any young gentleman
who may succeed me in Hertfordshire, or any man
undertaking to hunt any country, to stick to the best
Mood ; and, moreover, to spare no pains in obtaining it,
wherever it is to be found. He may then, eventually,
have the satisfaction of showing a pack which, in shape
and make, will prove their high breeding. To sum up
my advice, as to the well-bred and well-shaped hound
I would have him maintain in our country, I will say —
supposing him to have drafts from various kennels, or to
have the choice of so many, of his own breeding, that he is
unlimited in numbers, requiring not more than fifty or
sixty couples for service — draft freely. Never keep a
hound with faulty shape, on account of his pedigree ; still

3

34 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

less should you be induced to retain a hound of inveterate
ill habits, on account of his appearance. Draft, I say,
freely, let them be handsome as pictures, or lineally
descended from old Trojan. Avoid flat sides, short
necks, and throaty, jolt-headed hounds. The proverb,
" handsome is that handsome does," may be generally
applied, not in the sense in which it is used, but literally
to foxhounds. On looking over a pack, if you are struck
with the beauty of any one distinguishable particu-
larly for his intelligent countenance, his swan-like neck,
his fine shoulders, his well-connected frame, compact,
not short, lengthy rather than otherwise, well-rounded
loins, with muscular thighs, and sinewy hocks, with a
depth of rib and forehand from his withers to his brisket,
and proportionate breadth of chest, standing upon bony
legs, quite straight, and firmly planted upon perfect feet
and ankles, and you inquire his name and pedigree, you
will find, in nine cases out of ten, that he has a character
according with the praise you cannot withhold from his
form. I say, therefore, ever avoid a throaty bull-
necked hound, unless you have sufficient reason to give
him credit for qualities atoning for external defects,
which, as the exception to general rule, will occasionally
be found. Reject a flat, open, splay foot, at once ; he
may distinguish himself in grass countries, but will not
go with you till Christmas. Get them as nearly level as
you can ; you will find that you are not only thus spared
the eye-sore of some towering above others, and that
unsizable appearance which may be compared to that

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 35

of a flock of sheep and lambs, but yoa will find that
they will, in all probability, run better together, the
better they are sized ; and the carrying a good head
is not the least of their capabilities which you will
desire to see, I have said, keep to a small sort of
hound for our country, never exceeding twenty-three
inches, and have already quoted Meynell's opinion
that height will not affect size, and, consequently,
power. I had one young hound, this year, below the
maximum of height, which measured, at ten months old,
seven inches and three-quarters round the arm ! The
mid turn in parvo is precisely descriptive of the hound
you will find answer all purposes ; and, supposing you
to have established a pack of this stamp, let us now
consider how you will conduct their operations.

0f )i ^

, ^^-^

- .--s

-:i_

.y

:1

M^.

3—2

CHAPTER lY.

" Well bred, polite,
Credit thy calling."

SOMERVILLE.

Huntsman, as an Intellectual Being — The Power of Mind — " Blood will
tell" — Gentlemen against the "World — Duke of Wellington and the
Army— Best Class of Professional Huntsmen — Advantages of Temper
in all Education— Difference in Disposition of Hounds— Peculiarities
— Summary of General Duties of Huntsmen in Kennel.

We will take it for granted that you have a hunts-
man thoroughly master of his business, in all its various
departments ; all requiring intellect beyond the common
order. It is your own fault if you retain one in your
service, after he has exposed his incaj^acity to an extent
which I have witnessed ; it is injustice to your hounds,
yourself, and all parties concerned. There have been
some, and probably will be more to be seen, who
W'Ould be nearly as much at home as leader of the
orchestra at the Opera, as in hunting a pack of hounds ;
and who have caused a wonder, how they ever came into
a situation for which Nature evidently never intended

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 37

them. I have been more than once reminded of a
London coachman's query to a rustic Jehu, who was
striving to waggon his way through the city : '' I
say, Johnny Raw, who feeds the pigs when you be
driving?" And some woidd-he huntsmen, within my
memory, would probably have made very good feeders,
but certainly should never have left the precincts of the
boiling house. We will suppose that you have one
brought up to the business : — one who has served an
apprenticeship to the service. There are, I believe, few
instances of good huntsmen who have not been bred
and born, as they call it, to the kennel ; and most of
them have commenced their career as whippers-in,
during which period of probation they acquire an insight
into the practical parts of their duty, and, subsequently,
if they have the advantages of education, will endeavour
to improve their minds, to exercise their powers of
reason, to seek information, and dive into the theory of
the science. We are told that knowledge is power ;
and I hold it as a fact beyond dispute, that in any and
every occupation or employment in life, from that of the
metaphysician and philosopher, to the daily labourer ;
from the inventor of steam, to the smith who forges the
iron for the engine, the power of mind will prevail.
The progress of each will be promoted in proportion to
the weight of intellect brought to bear upon the prin-
ciple of action. For this reason, I imagine that men of
education, or, in the common acceptation of the term,
gentlemen, who devote themselves to any of the several

38 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

exercises or accomplisliments, such as riding or driving,
boxing or fencing, shooting, cricket,* &c., are generally
found far to excel, in proportion to their number, the
rest of the world, who, in inferior station, have adopted
any of these walks of life from necessity rather than
choice. " In divinity, physic, or law," the highest orna-
ments have been, with few exceptions, the most finished
gentlemen ; and I have no doubt that a gentleman
farmer would, instead of too often furnishing matter for
a joke, prove the best of agriculturists, if he would farm
less as an amateur, and bring his own deductions to the
assistance of the general rules of practice. I see, myself,
no other objection to the gentleman huntsman but this,
that he would not, could not, consistently with the
maintenance of any society, abandon himself to the
labour, if of the field, certainly not of the kennel ; and
I hold it a sine qiid non, that a huntsman should be
perpetually with his hounds, for reasons which will be
apparent in my definition of the essentials in his cha-
racter. I will maintain, that in ninety-nine cases out
of a hundred, — I might safely say in every case, —
where not only mental, but an exertion of physical
power is required, that " blood ivill tell." Take the
first clodhopper you may meet, who is inured to hard
work upon the railroad ; I wdll take the first gentleman
I find within the doors of Almack's. Let the clod pate
be equally well fed, — trained, if you please, for a month ;
and I will back the gentleman to kill him in walking from

* Terhaps the players may be able to beat the gentlemen in this game ;
but it is their fault if such is the case.

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 39

London to York, or any other feat of endurance. When
I say '' blood will tell/' it is because from high breeding-
descends a larger share of what is technically termed
" pluck ;" because there is a never-yielding sphit, an
animus infused through the veins, which has given rise
to the saying, with regard to horses, that an ounce of
blood is worth a pound of bone. This principle may be
fairly extended and carried out in reference to human
nature. However independent the mind is of the body
the mind is the essence of being, — the life, the soul ; and
will support, in a manner truly wonderful (and admirable,
indeed, as the greatest of the great Creator's works), a
frame bearing no proportion to the mighty spirit by
which it is animated. If we have, in the present time,
degenerated in outward form from those in the days of
our ancestors, whose

" Pillow was buckler, cold and hard,
Who carved at the meal
With gloves of steel.
And drank the red wine through the helmet barred ;

there is still the same chivalrous feeling to nerve the
body to deeds of high daring. It may be said by my
readers, that I am given to military simile ; and I admit
my fondness for the analogy, — a pride in the comparison
between deeds of heroism and fox-hunting ; and I
cannot refrain from noticing the well-known opinion of
that great chieftain, to whom many, happily, like myself,
look up as to a demi-god, and who is, by-the-way, himself
devoted to fox-hunting, that, amongst all his ofl&cers in

40 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

the Peninsula, the best, the bravest, the most reckless
of exposure to the enemy, the readiest to seek

" the bubUe reputation, even in the cannon's moutb,"

and the most indifferent to the hardships of a campaign,
were amongst the dandies, the most refined and polished
of the ladies' men and beaux of the army. This long
digression in favour of gentility, brings me back to the
point whence I started, with the assertion that a gen-
tleman huntsman could hardly fail to excel, if, — and how
much depends upon an if ! — if he could dedicate himself
entirely to the work, after the manner in which Peter
the Great acquired the art of ship-building. As this is
by no means desirable, or called- for in any way, it
should be your endeavour to select a servant with a
turn of mind, a genius, qualifying him for one of the
highest grades in his class ; such a man as would, in the
army, have risen from the ranks to a sergeant-major,
and thence to the top of his profession. He should be
impressed with a due sense of the responsibility which
must be vested in him, and entertain a corresponding-
idea of his own importance, sufficient to ensure the
respect and attention to which he is entitled from those
under his command, without any affectation or conceit
to render him ridiculous. A low-lived blackguard, who
will swear like a trooper, and drink himself into a state
of madness, constituting his qualification, and his one
redeeming point (probably the only merit he will be
found to share, in common with other fools), that of

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 41

" nding like the devil,'' will never keep things straight in
the departments subject to his regulation. His mind,
being brutalized, will be incapable of appreciating the
dignity of his station ; he will be wholly unsusceptible of
any but the grosser elements of his vocation ; and he
will be utterly destitute of that pure enjoyment and
delight in his duty, which may be so truly said to make
toil a pleasure, where a huntsman is characterized by
the reverse of these degrading attributes, and stands as
a pattern of happiness and contentment in the state of
life to w-hich he has been called. For the honour of
the craft, for our own honour, I am happy to state that I
could name many who might say with the poet,

" The labour we delight in physics pain ;"

whose example will, I trust, descend to all ages : but it
would, of course, be invidious here to mention them
particularly. "VVe will only hope that these laudable
characteristics are to be found in the majority of hunts-
men throughout merry England : I should say, the whole
of Great Britain, or world of chase.

You will be fortunate if, in addition to the advantage
of some education, and that of being altogether a
rational being, your huntsman be possessed of that
rare qualification, — a good temper. A man may be
strictly honest, and clever in his business, but may
have an infirmity of temper which will destroy all plea-
sure in the comminiion and intercourse which should
exist between him and the master. He should thank-

42 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

fully receive any lilnts or advice which you may think
fit to bestow upon him, either at home or in the field ;
and it is your business to take care that he is never,
upon any occasion, interfered with hy any one but your-
self: at the same time, he should preserve the most
respectful civility of attention to any remarks which
may be casually addressed to him by others. But it is
far less on your own account (although the pleasure of
your field, and your own popularity, may in a great
degree depend upon your huntsman's temper), it is less
for your own sake than for that of the hounds, that he
should be gifted, at least, with patience and forbear-
ance. There are two ways of doing everything : and
some things may be, perhaps, equally well done by
different plans ; but, without making so wide a distinc-
tion as that of the right from the wrong way, I confess
that I like to see an alacrity, a cheerfulness in com-
pliance, bespeaking real w^illingness in a servant. A
huntsman's whole life is illustrative of the " pleasure of
pleasing ;" and the " love me, love my dog " principle
may be easily discovered in his deportment. We know
how much, how very much, the temper of young horses
and other animals depends upon their mode of treatment.
I miofht carry this further, and advance a few hints to
parents and nurses, upon the management of children,
which might not be inapplicable ; but keeping at
present to the brute creation, and more especially to
our subject, the hound, you will find that the temper
and disposition of your hounds may be traced to the

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 43

manner of your huntsman. Hounds, of course, differ,
like all other things in Nature ; and some few, very few,
like vicious horses, may have a natural ferocity, indo-
mitable. I have heard Sir John Sebright affirm, that
there is no mastiff, or bull-dog, by nature more savage
than a foxhound ; and it is by patient gentleness of
usage, combined with firmness of command, and a
method of enforcing obedience, that a whole pack is
rendered not only docile, but that mass of engaging,
attractive, lovable creatures, that they are generally
found to be when a kind huntsman, or master, throws
himself amidst a hundred of his darlings. If you see
hounds shy at the approach of a huntsman, and difficult
to be drafted ; if they evidently obey his voice from
compulsion rather than inclination, it is the result
either of want of temper, or bad manner with them :
probably of both. They should seem to bask in the
sunshine of his smiles ; they will get so familiarized
with him, that a whistle, a wave of his hand, or the
slightest indication, will convey to them his desire :
they will thus, in casting, wheel right or left, and move
in column, like a squadron of horse on a field-day.

There is, in the human constitution, what is, by
medical and learned men, termed idiosyncracy, — a fine
long word, meaning a peculiarity ; I should, perhaps,
say individuality — requiring separate and distinct treat-
ment. The plain English may be found in the old
saying, that " What is one man's meat, is another man's
poison." In the discovery of this peculiarity in the

44 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

human system, consists the skill of the physician, supe-
rior to the common run of ordinary practitioners, upon
general principles. There is no less in hounds an
idiosyncracij, — a peculiarity in their several dispositions,
which requires the skill of a professor to cope with.
Some young hounds enter instinctively; — from their first
to their last appearance in the field they do no wrong; —
they commence with the scent to which they were born,
and afford a moral to beings of higher class, in their
devotion, through their lives, to the purposes of their
creation. Others, equally good, will take no notice of
anything ; will not stoop to any scent during the first
season, and are still slack at entering, even in the
second ; but ultimately are distinguished at the head
of the pack : and such, I have always observed, last
some seasons longer than the more precocious of the
same litter. Others have an almost inveterate propen-
sity to run anything and everything, by scent or by
view, and act altogether upon the voluntary principle as
soon as they are emancipated from their couplings. A
love of hare will descend, in particular blood, through
generations, and will occasionally demonstrate itself,
especially on bad scenting days, when a hound that is
at any time unsteady must, and will run soinethincj; but
the same hound, when settled to a fox, may be invincible.
In contending with these and many other difficulties
of Nature, it is absurd to imagine that one universal
system of discipline would be found to answer, any better
than it would for school-boys. It has been said of men :

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 45

" Oderunt peccare boni virtutis am ore,
Oderunt peccare mali, formidiue pcence :"

which (as, perhaps, less common, or Latin grammar-like,
than some of my classical quotations) I may, for the
benefit of country gentlemen, thus freely translate :

" The good, for goodness' sake, will fear to falter ;
The bad keep good, — because they fear a halter."

And thus, with hounds, some will require no inducement
to do right ; others will only be restrained by fear of
correction, from doing wrong. There is still another
class to be added to this catalogue — those determined
delinquents, whose errors of omission or commission
may be briefly summed up in the conclusion that they
are literally good for nothing. This will now and then
be the case, even with the best bred and best shaped.
These must be at once put away, if only for reasons
intelligible to every one conversant with a saying con-
cerning " evil communication." If they are good (as a
friend of mine affirms that they are) to make ajDple-trees
grow, the sooner they are buried in the nearest orchard
the better. They may do for transportation to "the
Ingies;" but will do you no credit, if included in any
draft to another kennel. Now, to cherish all the merit,
— to obviate, as far as possible, all the defects ; to study
the peculiarities ; and to make himself acquainted with
the disposition of every hound in the pack, is the
duty of a huntsman, no less than it is that of a training
groom, to consider the difference of constitution, and

46 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

the particular circumstances of every horse under his
care, and so to regulate the work of each. We are, at
present, still upon the subject of system and general
management : we shall, hereafter, arrive at their results,
when we come to the display of science in the field. I
have endeavoured to show that a huntsman, to afford
satisfaction, should be active, well-informed, sober, in-
dustrious, and zealous ; that he should delight in his
toils, and glory in his success. I take it as a matter of
course, that he has his own infallible specific for distem-
per; that his methods of physicking, bleeding, and
dressing, are all conducted, not only on the best prin-
ciples, but that, in his own idea, he is, in all his nos-
trums, superior to his neighbours. To a certain extent,
there is nothing objectionable in his " making swans of
all his geese ;" nay, there is something laudable in the
vanity with which he will inculcate the doctrine of " old
Tom Grant," or some such patriarchal authority, and
will back the data of such and such a school, on which
his own practice is founded, against the world. It will
be desirable that he should have some knowledge of
the anatomy of a dog ; a little knowledge is, perhaps, a
dangerous thing : but I do not mean that which would
lead him into " experimental philosophy," in attempting
dangerous and difiicult operations ; but something,
beyond that of being able to bleed or blister a hound,
is highly useful.*

* One instance of this occurred in my own kennel. A valuable bound,
called Saladin, bad been lame for two seasons before be came into my
possession, the cause remaining undiscovered ; be could get tbrougb a

THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

4r

Perfection enters not within the scale of human
nature ; but if you get a servant possessing all that I
have described as indispensable, and more which I have
named, and may recommend, as desirable qualifications,
you may consider him invaluable ; — that his interests are
identified with your own : — you will hold him entitled to
your fullest confidence; you w411 afibrd him ever}^ facility
of improving himself, and you will take care that he
has wherewithal to be happy and contented in your
service. His comforts, and those of his wife and family,
if he has either, or both, should not be overlooked ;
and he should have no reasonable grounds of complaint,
as to the horses which he is obliged to ride, the subordi-
nates for whose efficiencies he is answerable, or with
regard to any of the minor details, constituting the
material upon which he has to construct the edifice
which you desire to rear— and to uphold, as a pattern
of something " done well and as it should be done."

day's work, but was always more or less unsound. My huntsman, ap-
plying tlie knife to a callous tumour on the back sinews of his near fore-
leg, laid it open to the joint ; and, from underneath the leaders, extracted
an enormous piece of blackthorn, which, having worked in, had bedded
itself amongst the fibres, and there remained for two years. The dog
soon became perfectly sound. I have preserved the thorn, measuring
nearly three inches, as a curiosity.

' ^u5?^M^i^<

" High o'er tliy liead wave thy resounding whip."

SOMEEVILLE.

" The huntsman's self relented to a grin,
And rated him, almost, a whipper-in."

Don Juan.

Whipper-in— Advantages of Practical Explanation— Anecdote of a Mira-
cle—Essentials in Whipper-in— Duties in Kennel, and in the Field-
Discrimination — Passive Obedience— Tom Ball.

Having now bestowed some time upon the character
of a huntsman, let us come to his aides-de-camp, or
whippers-in ; characters, in their own department, not
a whit less important to the well-being of the concern.
It will not be amiss for any novice in ''the science," to
review it in all its bearings. If I am tedious on the subject
of these contingencies, it is because I am anxious to omit
as few links as possible in the chain of general obser-
vations upon the management of a pack of foxhounds.
Had I the pen of Nimrod, I should not expect to im-
prove many servants by the most erudite thesis upon
their duties. Their knowledge is, and must be, chiefly

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 49

the result of practice, whence they may learn to judge
of causes by their effects. One practical lesson is
worth all that could be conveyed to them through the
eloquence of a Cicero.

The following anecdote may serve to illustrate the
benefit of practical explanation in favour of moral argu-
ment. I was told it as a true story, but may use the
hacl^neyed quotation : —

" I know not how the truth may be,
I tell it as 'twas told to me."

A clergyman in a country church had been, in the
course of his sermon, expounding on the nature of
miracles. No sooner had the service ended than one of
his congregation, a bluff farmer, approached him, and
begged to thank him for much that he had learned in
attending to his discourse, but hoped that his reverence
would pardon his asking for some further elucidation of
the meaning of a miracle ; nothing that he had then
heard having tended to enlighten his ignorance of the
nature of such an occurrence.

The divine immediately assented, requesting the
farmer to wait in the porch till the congregation had
dispersed. In the porch accordingly did Giles station
himself, happy in the hope of a solution of such a mystery,
and was sedulously watching the departure of the last
loiterers in the churchyard, when he was literally "taken
all aback," by a tremendous salute in the rear from the
well-directed and vigorously applied foot of the pastor,

4

50 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

who, in reply to the mingled expressions of pain and
wonder, which burst from his disciple, mildly inquired,
"whether what he had then received had caused him any
pain V " Hurt me ! hurt me most woundily," rejoined
the farmer. " Then," said the clergyman, in his most
significant manner, " all I can tell you is, that it would
have been a miracle if it had not." We may presume that
the querist, in this case, required nothing beyond the
fundamental lesson he obtained, and must have been
ever after fully sensible of all that a word, which was
previously as Hebrew to him, could convey. Send your
second whipper-in back some miles after hunting-, and
insist upon his return in good time, not without some
hounds that may be missing ; he will be, for the future,
more awake to the advantage of minding his business
than by repeated lectures upon the expediency of keep-
ing the pack together. Follow this principle up, if you
would have deeds, rather than ivords, prevail through-
out your estabhshment. Without strict sobriety, honesty,
and civility, no servant should be tolerated ; w^e will
only say, therefore, that they are as essential in a
whipper-in as in all others. It is desirable that your
first whipper-in should not only be active and intelligent
in rating and turning hounds, but he should be always
looking forward to the day when he may himself be-
come a huntsman, and endeavour to qualify himself to
take the first fiddle when occasion may require. It is
a difficult task for a whipper-in to hunt the pack ac-
customed to his rate ; they do not willingly accept the

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 51

subsequent apology of his cheer, and they follow him
like boys

" Creeping like snail unwillingly to school :"

but it is well if the guard can drive the mail, should the
coachman be disabled on the journey ; and, in the event
of any accident to the huntsman, the first whipper-in
should be capable of hunting them upon scientific prin-
ciples ; to enable him to do which, he must be born with
a head upon his shoulders. His knowledge of all locali-
ties, his acquaintance with all earths, coverts, their
relative distances, and everything else belonging to
knowledge of country, can, perhaps, be, if anything,
less dispensed with in him than in a huntsman. His
place, in line of march, is at the head, the huntsman
in the centre, and the second whipper-in in the rear of
the pack. He should know the shortest and best way
for hounds to every part of the country, from any
given spot. Having said that he is, eventually, himself
to become a huntsman, it is needless to make any repe-
tition of requisites enumerated as essentials in the last
chapter. His temper will be equally called upon. He
must never sulk, nor hesitate in obedience to any com-
mand received from the huntsman appointed over him,
who is answerable for all proceedings, right or wrong.
Towards hounds he must temper a firmness of resolu-
tion in the vigorous execution of his office, with mode-
ration, remembering that *' there is reason in roasting
of eggs ;" and he is not to add to the punishment of

4—2

52 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

a hound, by giving vent to his own irritation at the
trouble he may have found in " (jettiiKj at him" Dogs
will not, like Mrs. Bond's ducks in the song, "come and
be killed ;" they not only know when they are wrong,
and have incurred the lash, but are good physiogno-
mists, reading your intentions in your looks ; and it is
not surprising that a young hound, on hearing, " bless-
ings upon his carcass," accompanied by a fervent pro-
mise to '' cut him in two " if he is to be got at, with
corresponding evidences of determination in perform-
ance, should endeavour to take the will for the deed,
and lead Mr. Jack or Bill a dance, which generally ends
in trebling the castigation in the long run, and not un -
frequently in being ridden over and left for dead. This
should not be ; hounds, if struck, and we all know
that struck they must be, and severely too, should be
struck, and then rated — not rated with a loud warning,
like the bell of a watchman, to give thieves notice of his
approach — and then hunted or ridden down, as is too
commonly the case. I am inclined to think, that if, after
one crack of the whip, and a hearty rate, they fly at once
cowering to the huntsman's heels, the end is ansM^ered,
without any occasion for further chastisement. A hound
which has felt the lash so as to have reason to remem-
ber the voice \f\iic\\ followed its application, will be more
likely to fly from that voice, when rated in the middle
of a covert, perhaps, inaccessible ; but if it is not suffi-
ciently clear that he might not equally dread the con-
junction of both, whichever might have the precedence,

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 53

it Is obvious that the object of correction may be more
easily accompUshed by coming upon him unawares, in-
stead of rating him out of reach, and this is alone
sufficient reason for the rule I have laid down.

It would be impossible to specify all the dismounted
duties of a whipper-in ; they must, of course, vary with
the rules and regulations of the respective establish-
ments. Some have to dress their own horses, after
hunting ; with others, such is not the case : the work
of servants is generally in j)roportion to the calibre of
the menage ; and where there are fewest cats, the more
mice will there be to be caught. In most, if not in all,
kennels, the whippers-in must take their share with the
boiler (or feeder, as he is called, though he should never
feed the hounds unless the huntsman is necessarily
absent) in keeping all parts of the premises in the
highest state of cleanliness. A well-regulated kennel
will, in the appearance of its lodging-houses, yards,
boiling-house, &c., shame the abode of many Christians,
not cottagers (for it is never so dirty as a cottage), but
householders of a high order, who might well take a
lesson of cleanliness from it ; not a spot of dirt is seen ;
but every day throughout the year, every brick and board
looks as if washed and scoured for some especial occa-
sion ; not an odour mingles with the pure air, which
could offend the olfactory nerves of the most sensitive
lady ; everything is in its place ; nothing is in confu-
sion ; all is in keeping with the tone of order and quiet
which reigns around.

54 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

Whlppers-in, like huntsmen, must feel a pride in
their places, an interest in the credit and reputation
of the pack, and thoroughly enjoy the sport, although
their labour is not light, but, on the contrary, very
arduous, and often harassing and vexatious. Without
being able to ride, a man will, probably, not be placed
in such a situation ; but they should be more than mere
riders, they should be active and good horsemen, capable
of distinguishing between the use and abuse of the horses
intrusted to them ; of this we may take more notice
when on the subject of " riding to hounds." In kennel,
as in the field, the whippers-in are both under command
of the huntsman, and it is his place to take care that
they are diligent in the discharge of all required of
them.

Throughout the summer months, as soon as

" Night's candles are burned out, and jocund day-
Stands tiptoe on the misty mountain tops,"

there is a general turn out, and it is not long after dawn
before the merry pack are snuffing up the heavy dew, at
exercise, attended constantly by both whippers-in, with
the huntsman ; three hacks at least being kept for this
pvirpose. It is a good plan to take them to the nearest
deer-park, and frequently, also, to places where hares
are preserved, to keep up their acquaintance with all
kinds of riot, increasing, as much as possible, their indif-
ference, till it will amount to dislike of what they are so
schooled to avoid. This schooling will much depend

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 55

upon the efficiency of the ^Yhippers-in. The huntsman
is at this time endeavouring to attach every hound to
himself, and will encourage all (particularly the young
hounds) as they are driven up to him by his assistants. A
sensible and intelligent whipper-in will very soon acquire
some notion of the peculiar tempers and dispositions of
different hounds, so essential in a huntsman ; and will
not require to be perpetually cautioned against the
indiscriminate administration of punishment. For one
hound a word may suffice, while others may require as
much payment as lawyers before they do anything.
With these it must necessarily be not only a word, but
'' a word and a blow, and the blow first ;" but nothing-
annoys me more than to see a cut made at a hound, in
the midst of others guiltless of the cause. It is ten to
one but the lash, intended for Vagabond or Guilty, will
descend upon Manager or Blameless, and render others
shy, to no purpose. The difficulty consists in contriv-
ing to awe the resolute, without breaking the spirit of
the timid. One of the best hounds I ever saw had been
so completely cowed in Leicestershire, that he was use-
less till he had changed his owner and country. I have
said enough to prove that the task of a whipper-in is not
one that can be achieved by every groom who can ride
and crack a whip, but that, like every branch of the
science, it is regulated upon certain principles. His
part in the campaign may be designated as that of an
active and zealous partisan. He must exercise his judg-
ment when left to his own discretion, but to all com-

56 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

mands from master or huntsman he must yield Wind
obedience. Prompt only in execution of orders, he must
think as little of stopping hounds, or taking them as it
may seem to him, from their fox, as a soldier would hesi-
tate to storm a fort, by order of his superior, which he
might know to be impregnable. There is a maxim in
the army that no one under the rank of a field officer
has a right to think, much less to express an opinion.
This, with some reservations, should be the creed of the
whipper-in,* but, at the same time, he may console him-
self with the reflection that he is no less necessary to
the sport than the highest in office ; moreover that the
success of the day, the getting well away with a fox, and
avoiding a change, or the triumphant finish, may very
frequently be attributed entirely to his exertions, and
that by attaining to excellence in his calling, he has
rendered himself one of the most useful and deserving
members of the community.

No one could ever have seen old Tom Ball, formerly
whipper-in to Lord Tavistock, without feeling that he
must have been born a whipper-in. George Mountford
would readily admit that, but for Tom, many and many

fox might have escaped his skill, which fell a victim to
old Ball's sagacity, his knowledge of the animal, and
his line. Patiently would he sit by a covert side, where,
by his own line, he had arrived about as soon as the
sulking fox ; there would he view, perhaps, a brace or

* " 262/ XiyHv, i^w To\ix(iv " — It is yours to speak, it is mine to bear.
Such must be his motto.

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 57

more away, without the motion of a muscle, till his
practised eye would recognize the hunted fox, and then
would blythe Echo, and other wood nymphs be startled
by the scream which would resound his knell, and, like
the war-cry of the ancients, would reanimate his pur-
suers with certainty of conquest. I am happy to add
that Tom has been well taken care of, in a small farm
upon the scene of his former exploits. A horse was
presented to him by the Oakley club, to enable him to
look on occasionally, and since the opening of the cam-
paign, on the revival of the old Oakley, he has given
proof that he is not altogether past active service.

al^^fe^

^r-

CHAPTER yi.

" What delight

To back the flying steed — that challenges
The wind for speed ! Seems native more of air
Than earth ! Whose burden only lends him fire !
Whose soul, in his task, turns labour into sport !
Who makes your pastime his ! I sit him now
He takes away my breath ! He makes me feel
I touch not earth — I see not, hear not, all
Is ecstasy of motion,"

Love Chase.

Fading to Hunt and Hunting to Eide— Horsemanship inseparable from
Enjoyment of the Chase — Going a-Hunting — Price of Horses —
Thorough-bred versus Cock-tails— Blood, again, will tell — A Man
without a Grandfather— The Wendover Run— Nimrod's Letter on
Condition — Physic— Bleeding.

That some ride only to hunt, while others only hunt
to ride, is admitted even by the members of the latter
class ; and they, indeed, form a very large majority of
the field of fox-hunters ; but nothing can be more offen-
sive to the feelings of any one with the slightest pre-

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 59

tensions to the character of a sportsman, than to number
him amongst those who hunt only for the sake of a ride,
which they may enjoy at least as well, if not better, after
a stag, or a drag. Still, notwithstanding the esprit de
corps, which would induce me strenuously to advocate
the cause of the first class — those " who ride only to
hunt" — I must ocnfess that I doubt much whether the
Noble Science would not be robbed of one half of its
seductive attractions, if it were not so combined with,
and inseparable from, the use of the horse, — if what is
allowed to be, by both sexes, the most delightful of all
exercises, were not necessary to its enjoyment. We have
read of following the chase on foot, but it is associated
only with the bell-mouthed southern hound, the moun-
tain, and the moor. How^ever devoted a man may be
to the breed of dogs, and to the cultivation of that part
of the Noble Science which I may term the philosophy of
hunting, he might say, with Shakespeare, '' what think
you of the mustard without the beef," if you attempt to
divest it of the charms of riding to hounds. Indeed,
riding to hounds is clearly what was meant by the old
song of ''going a-hunting," and " a-hunting we will go."
How can a man go unless he is possessed of an animal —

" All that a horse should be which nought did lack,
Save a proud rider on so proud a back."

The difference in the manner oi going depends upon the
nerve or ambition of him who follows the hounds for the
sake of what is technically termed " going," or of him

GO THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

who goes for the sake of the hounds. Both may go
equally well over a country, in a run ; but the advantage
which the sportsman has, is this, that he will very
frequently be well amused with what has been, to him,
a day's sport, and return well satisfied with having
' g one hunting," when the other will say that there has
been nothing to go for.

Al], however, who pretend to hunt in any way, are
desirous of being well mounted, at least in their own
estimation. The acquisition of a stud of good hunters
is a matter of the highest importance ; and one, not of the
easiest attainment. A good hunter is always to be had
for money, and it is easier to get a stable full of hunters
than two or three really good hacks ; but a horse which
is well able to carry more than twelve stone across a
country will always command a price, rendering it diffi-
cult for any, but those happily gifted with an abundance
of that which will procure anything and everything,*
to mount themselves to their satisfaction. A light
weight, that is, a man riding from ten to twelve stone,
may, with judgment, aided by luck, buy a horse for from
fifty to a hundred guineas, which may prove first rate ;
but horses equal to higher weight, and possessing any
knowledge of their business, are not to be had under
three figures.

A difference of opinion still exists, as to the degree
of breeding requisite for a hunter ; some still holding to
a well-bred, say three-parts blood, in preference to

* Xpvaog uvoiyii Tvavra,

THE NOBLE SCIENCE, 61

tliorouQ^h-bred ; but I think the taste for the hlo-hest
bred is daily gaining ground ; and, for my own part, I am
thoroughly convinced that a race-horse, with bone and
substance sufficient to qualify him for the rough and
smooth encounter of crossing a country, is, beyond all
comparison, superior to the best cock-tail that can be
produced. As for pace, it has been proved, beyond dis-
pute, that the winner of the Derby would not be fast
enough to live with hounds at their utmost speed. The
great match over the Beacon-course at Newmarket, be-
tween foxhounds and race-horses in training for the
2mrpose, is fresh in the memory of many. The horses
had not a chance with the hounds, although one was
ridden blind, and the other completely done up in the
attempt.

Speaking only from my own experience, I have
always observed, and have also found myself, that a
thorough-bred horse could maintain the best pace, which
a horse must go to be upon any terms with hounds, or
carry his rider anything like what is called ''up to
them," with far greater ease to himself than those of
inferior pedigree. Nimrod most justly remarks, that
" wind is strength," and that " when the puff is out of a
horse, a mountain or a mole-hill are much the same to
him." A race-horse is not only superior in stamina, and
the powers of endurance, but is generally clearer winded,
and, therefore, not blow^n by double the exertion which
would stop a cock-tail. I am far from wishing to insi-
nuate that there has not been, and I hope still will be,

62 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

a very large proportion, perhaps I should say great
majority, of excellent hunters which never might have
stood a chance of being entered for a royal plate. There
are many which, without being like Dibdin's high-mettled
racer,

" Alike formed for sports of the field and the course,'*

may still lay claim to his attributes, and be found

"Always sure to come through, a stanch and fleet horse :"

but if we come to the question, whether thorough-bred
horses are not able to beat all others in a long day, and
take the evidence of the best performers in all countries,
there can be no doubt of a verdict in their favour. We
thus hark back upon my maxim concerning hounds,
which may, indeed, apply to everything — Blood ivill
tell

If it be asserted that race -horses do not take so readily
to fencing, and are more awkward at their business than
the old stamp of hunter, I say that, when properly edu-
cated, and having once taken to jumping, they are far more
clever, because gifted with greater activity. I do not think
that they are longer in making than other horses, but the
fact is, thei7' schooling attracts attention, while the bun-
gling of a novice of minor character escapes observation ;
and when the former falls (not exactly in the inde-
scribable position of " a thorough-bred one falling at his
fence," depicted by a certain artist), every one says that
it is just what he expected, forgetting that '* Rome was

THE NOBLE SCTEXCE. 63

not built In a day ;" tliat the safety-conveyances upon
which they are then seated were, probably, oftener upset
in their time of tuition, when this horse was otherwise
engaged in training for the course, and that, if their equal
in age, he is still their junior in practice as a hunter.

I am presuming that we are talking of quondam race-
horses, because, till blood-horses are bred for the express
purpose of hunting, there must be very few which, if
likely to make hunters, will not previously have been
considered worth the expense of training ; for weeds are
not in higher estimation in racing than in hunting stock,
and the size of a young horse very materially affects
his value. Another advantage which you will find in a
thorough-bred one is this, that he does everything in
a genteel way : if he falls, he has not only plenty of time,
but he knows hoiv to get up again; he does not lie locked
in the embraces of mother earth, or as though destined
for fructification in the soil, but he is up and ready to
make atonement for his mistake, and when others will
appear groggy, he will not be said to have been over-
tahen.

'RoQXCjv a-n: avSpiov ia9\a ylyvtaOai viKfa
KaKuiv d' oixoia ri] (pvaei Tt) tov Trarpog.

EUKIP. APUD StOBCEUM.

I am not over fond of quoting " crack-jaw" upon sport-
ing subjects, but cannot resist the introduction of this
passage as another proof that in ancient, as well as in
modern theory, my doctrine with regard to blood held
good. It is a common saying wdth a friend of mine, an

64 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

octogenarian divine, one of the most highly polished,
and, consequently, one of the most agreeable gentlemen
to be met with in the hunting-field or elsewhere, when he
has occasion to animadvert upon misconduct in any one
holding the rank and station of a gentleman, " Rely
upon it that fellow never had a grandfathe}:" There is
a fund of truth and meaning in these few words ; for
although it has but too frequently happened that some
scions of the aristocracy have proved degenerate (as if
determined to maintain the existence of black sheep in
every flock), it will be found in ninetij-nine cases out of
a hundred, where the harmony of any society is dis-
turbed by an obnoxious individual, that he is a cock-
tail ; a low, underbred fellovv ; one, in short, who never
could have had a grandfather. Thus it is with horses,
the better bred, the more manageable are they gene-
rally found ; they are seldom fractious or inclined to
waste their energies in petty ebullitions : they are not
excited by trifles to an exhibition of their might ; but,
at the covert side, in " the park," or amidst the din of a
crowded race-course, j^i'eserve a dignified sobriety of
deportment, characteristic of their order. If, on the
contrary, you see what is called, probably, a very nice,
spicy prad, exposing himself from the moment he leaves
his stable, with his head in the air, till that of his return
to it, with his tail over his back, going backwards, or, as
a sailor would say, with stern-way, at his fences, and
" kicking up a bobbery" for the sake of making *' much
ado about nothing," you may write him down as the pro-

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 65

duce of the old cart-mare by some country Highflyer,
and may be sure, especially if in addition to all this he
is a runaway, that no one remembers anything about
his grandsire.

In that tremendous run of thirty miles, to which I
have before alluded, in which my huntsman killed one
very valuable mare, and completely tired two other
horses, my first whipper-in was carried well to the
end, in a good place, by a little entire thorough-bred
chestnut horse, of extraordinary power, measuring barely
•fifteen hands. The Hon. E. Grimston and Mr. Daniel],
longo intervallo, did wonders, and kept company with
him to the finish ; but this little horse had gone through
a morning's work before the finding of an afternoon fox,
and I will venture to say that nothing but blood could
have gone throughout the whole of such a day. Enough,
however, of the breeding of our hunters, let us remem-
ber, only, that upon their abilitij to go depends all our
chance of seeing anything of the sort of run we are all
anxious to see, and that to be prepared for any enjoy-
ment of the burst which occurs some fine morning,
when least expected, from some covert, the very last
" one would have thought of" to hold such a fox, our
horses must he in condition.

For the most useful hints upon this most important
point, I would refer every one to Nimrod's letters, which
I consider as gospel on the subject : though it is long
since I read them, on their first coming" out, I remember
enough of them to know that they are to be recom-

5

GG THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

mended for sound precept, and that it will be well with
yourself and your horses if you adhere to the rules they
contain. To the publication of these letters are we in-
debted for the commencement of a new era, a general
revolution, in the treatment of horses. Many were the
prejudices to be contended with, before the folly of the
old regime was sufficiently manifested. Every one is
inclined to be, more or less,

" Laudator temporis acti,

Se puero ;"

and it was some time before the new doctrine of summer-
ing a hunter in the stable, in preference to turning him
out to grass, was generally accepted and established, but
" magna est Veritas et prcevalehit ;" it is now difficult to
find any one so bigoted to the ancient usages of his fore-
fathers as to consign a valuable hunter to all the torment
of heat and flies, — the lamenesses, the grass coughs, and
all the catalogue of ills engendered by what was termed
the indulgence of a summer's run.- — A run, indeed, well
calculated to deprive him of the chance of any run in the
winter. — It has been my custom to have them turned
out into soft paddocks for two hours about sunrise and
sunset, and to keep them through the remainder of the
day and night in loose boxes. I have seen very good ac-
commodation afforded in large barns, which, by movable
partitions of rails or hurdles, may be divided into several
compartments, where they may be served with lucern,
tares, or sainfoin. An artificial bed of clay may be

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. &7

introduced, if required, for the benefit of their/eei, which
will call for constant attention on the part of the head
groom, or person in charge of them. I am not presuming
to indite any code of rules for attaining the degree of
condition which, I have stated, is the sinequd nan: having
already made allusion to what I hold to be the printed
laws, I do not wish to appear as a dwarf treading in the
footsteps of a giant; but this book would fall far
short of its purpose, if I did not, with regard to horses,
record what I have found to succeed best in my own
practice.

Some contend that spring grass is, of itself, alone
sufficient physic for horses at the close of the season, but
I conceive that they require more thoroughly cooling
with active medicine, as soon as they are thrown out of
work. This will prevent the inflammatory tendencies
consequent upon the high state in which they have been
kept since the autumn. In all cases where firing or
blistering is necessary, it is an invariable rule to adopt
this plan as a precautionary measure, and I believe that
even with the soundest and healthiest, it is better not
omitted. I am no advocate for bleeding, except in cases
of positive illness, where active inflammation must be
subdued by summary measures. I would resort to the
lancet with the caution recommended by the poet, as to
the use of superhuman agency in a story or a play,

" Nee Deus intersit, nisi clignus vindice nodus,
Incident."—

Bleeding, merely as an alternative, must lessen its eflect

5—2

08 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

when required for depletion, and cannot fail to operate
injuriously, rather than beneficially, upon the consti-
tution. Many horses, and not only horses but human
beings, have been killed by having been incautiously bled,
when animation has been all but suspended from exhaus-
tion. The lancet, intended to assist the animal functions,
has then extinguished the last spark of vitality remain-
ing. If a hound fall in a fit, or if a horse stop in distress
from fulness, and is evidently labouring under the effu-
sion of blood upon his lungs, caused by unwonted exer-
tions, then the abstraction of blood will, of course, pre-
vent its determination to the part affected ; but the pulse
must be the index upon all occasions, and sufficient time
must be allowed to elapse, to admit of reaction in the
circulation. You may then safely bleed, and should
bleed freely, to obviate the fever which would otherwise
supervene.* It is absurd to ridicule what is called the
quackery of a stable, and to affect, as I have known some
people, to " throw physic to the dogs." What would
race-horses be without the discipline, apart from their
exercise, known and proved to be indispensable ? The
whole system, from beginning to end, is artificial, and it
is, therefore, nonsense to talk of leaving much, unless
all is left, to Nature. A horse in training, or quite up to
the mark for hunting, is in a state bordering upon high
fever ; a state, not of Nature, but one making continual
demands upon the art which produced it. Constitutions
must be studied, all symptoms carefully watched, medi-
* See note to page 116.

THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

G9

cine administered, and changes of diet made, according
to circumstances, to keep the machine capable of per-
forming the extraordinary services required of it. Not
one horse in a thousand can go through a season with-
out the use of any alterative or other drugs ; and those
who know the value of the '' stitch in time which saves
nine," will not despise what may savour, to the unini-
tiated, of quackery.

'^^^^^^^:r^^^^^^^

CHAPTER VIL

" Quantus equis, quantus adest veris
Sudor."

Hob.

Continuation of Remarks on Condition — Nimrod's Alterative Balls —
Gruel after Hunting — Tired Horses, Treatment of — Hints intended
for Owners of Short Studs— Shoeing— Lost Shoes— Anecdote of a
H. H. Divine and his Bishop — Spare Shoes — Method of Shoeing at
Oakley — Grooved Shoes — Over-reaches — Feet and Legs — Foot
Lameness — Hot Water as a General Specific— Knee Buckets — Bleed-
ing in the Foot— Use of Physic— Feeding after Hunting— When to use
Beans— Preparation or Training of Hunters— Rules for getting them
fit — Sweating— Clipping — Grooming and Dressing — Time for Clip-
ping—Precautions—Legs—Firing and Blistering— Salt and Water
Bandages — Mercurial Charges — The Late Mr. Villebois — Efficacy of
his Application — Ventilation of Stables — Its Importance — How
easily contrived — Beauty of a Horse's Coat as an Outward Sign of
Health.

Having said that Nim rod's letters upon condition
should be the " vade mecum" of all sportsmen, or horse
masters, it is scarcely necessary to add, that I have for the

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 71

last ten years, constantly used his alterative balls. I do
not think it right here to print a copy of the prescription
which was laid before the public, and thus pirate the
means of giving a value to the page which it cannot
otherwise possess. Two of the chief ingredients arc
cinnabar of antimony, famous for its sudorific, and cam-
phor, equally efficacious for its sedative properties. One
in ten days, or three in the course of a month, may be
given with advantage, and, after hunting, are as much to
be preferred to cordial balls, as a cup of tea is to a glass
of brandy for a tired man. It is very seldom indeed that
a cordial is required, excepting for gripes, wind, colic,
and such affections ; a bucket of good boiled oatmeal or
linseed gruel, given at twice, is the best restorative, and
should be given as soon as possible upon a horse's re-
turn to his stable. This will satisfy him for the time, and
he will undergo, with more composure and patience, the
tedious process of dressing, washing of feet and legs, &c.
to which he must be subjected before he is done up, and
left to the quiet enjoyment of food and rest. If you have
any distance home after hunting, never neglect to take
the first opportunity of procuring a pint of oatmeal, — or
flour, when oatmeal is not to be had, — and a little warm
water. When the gruel is not boiled, the meal must be
first mixed in cold water : the tea-kettle is generally on
the fire, at that time of day, in the meanest cottages ; and
as instances have been cited in Dorsetshire, of flannel
petticoats having been devoted to the covering of horses'
loins upon such occasions, there is no doubt that the

/2 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

good wife will, either with or without hope of the gra-
tuity with which you will gladly recompense her, bestow
hot water sufficient to make the gruel of the temperature
of new milk ; it should scarcely be warmer, or it may
cause a horse to break out on his progress home. The
deViy of five or ten minutes which this will occasion yon,
may be well spared, even should you be ever so late, or
wet, or cold; — remember that, though you have had your
sandwich, or biscuit, to operate as a stay "stomach," and
appease your own natural cravings, your horse has been
many hours since he started for the place of meeting in
the morning without anything in the shape of nourish-
ment ; all which time he has been subjected to incessant
demands upon his strength. Something must supply the
vacuum thus created; and, if you leave him too long with
nothing but the bridle between his teeth, he will inhale
wind enough to distend his bowels, and occasion all those
symptoms of distress (and truly distressing they are to
witness) which have not been perceivable till he has re-
gained his stall; his unrelenting spirit having carried him
thus far, you are then wonderfully surprised that, after
coming home, as well as ever he w\as in his life, he is all
at once very ill, and, for some time, unfit to come out in
his turn ; whereas, had you thought less of your own
trouble and inconvenience, and adopted this very obvi-
ous and timely precaution, taking especial care to avoid
gettuig him chilled by standing still, and getting him,
if possible, for a few moments on to straw in some stable

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 73

or shed, for most important purposes, it would have
made just all the difference.

Patience, gentle reader, do not cry, " Hold hard ; we
all know enough, and you have said more than enough,
about this gruelling system." Truly you do all know
enough about gruelling your horses, in one common ac-
ceptation of the phrase ; but, if you do know enough, you
do not practise enough of the care which extends beyond
the day, — that day fraught with exhilaration and excite-
ment sufficient to quell thought for the future. You may
find, however, that not only sufficient for that day, but for
the rest of the season, may be the evil thereof. You are
too apt, especially if you have had your own mouthful, and
lit your cigar, to arm yourself with the sophistry that the
sooner you get your horse to his own stable — (videlicet,
yourself to your own fireside) — the better ; and if you
do take a glass of cherry bounce, in passing some friendly
domicile, it is useless delay to dismount. Commend me
to the man who, on being offered refreshment for himself,
accepts it only in favour of his horse, and snatches his
own crust and " go down" in the intervals of five minutes'
attendance upon the animal which has borne him, and
will repay his attention by bearing him again well
through the toils and pleasures of many a day. He
who would betake himself to the road-side public, or
farm-house, and there regale within, while his horse is
shivering without, deserves never to hunt again ; but
there are few, very few, and none deserving the name of
generous sportsmen, capable of such insensibility towards

74 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

the noble beast, in every way superior to the brute who
misuses him. Our errors, in this respect, are more of
omission than commission. We omit certain precautions,
not because they are not duly suggested by prudence,
but because they happen, at the moment, to be incom-
patible with our convenience. It is certainly the reverse
of what is agreeable, to be planted at some rural hostel
without any very ostensible means of reaching the
mahogany, where, possibly, your presence may be re-
quired before " the glasses sparkle on the board,'"' and
" the feast of reason and the flow of soul" will resume
dominion o'er the close of night ! You may have some
time to cool yourself before a hack or any conveyance
can be procured, but, if your horse is thoroughly tired,
you must not remove him from the first comfortable
asylum you can find. It is not necessary that it should
be particularly warm ; if you can obtain plenty of clothing
he will be better for plenty of air ; tranquil repose is what
he requires ; and, till you can send your own groom to
his assistance, you must leave him in charge of a veteri-
nary surgeon, a class of which there is now a respectable
sprinkling dotted here and thereabout most countries."
A man must be either a fool or a brute who kills his

• I had a fine mare, a valuable hunter, tired in a long run, having been
brought out, not in condition. She was taken to the nearest stable, and,
in the course of an hour or two, appeared so far recovered that she was
supposed fit to return home, and was travelled fifteen miles that evening
tu her own stable ; returning, as they described her, in their ignorance,
fresh as a kitten. She was stone dead before morning. I have not the
slightest doubt that, had she remained undisturbed for twenty-four hours
when she first began to rally, she would have suffered no ill eftects from
fatigue or over exertiom

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 75

horse in the field ; I do not, of course, mean to say, that
horses, like all other animals, are not liable to sudden
dissolution, and that, from a variety of causes for which
the rider is not responsible, a good hunter may not fall
a sacrifice to his ardour ; but a man must be a fool who
perseveres, in ignorance, to goad a willing horse to death,
long after exhausted Nature has cried, "Hold, enough :"
— and, on the other hand, must be devoid of humanity,
ergo a brute, if he persists in making a bad fight, instead
of a decorous retreat, after he is sensible of any failing
in the powers of progress.

To your Leicestershire heroes, and others of that
school — to your pinks of the first water — all this may
sound as twaddle, and may entail upon me and the
progeny of my pen the fate of being damned beyond re-
demption ; but — doucement,doucement — remember none
of this is addressed to grandees, or to those enjoying a
change of horses upon every hill. These hints are
intended for those who, instead of having three or four
horses out on one day, have, perhaps, not that number in
their stable ; who wall, upon one horse, lead the van
through the whole of a day, and bring him out, to
take the same place in another, within a week ; — for those
younger brothers and other good fellows who follow the
chase for the pure love of the thing ; who would rather
ride their hunters on to covert themselves in the morn-
ing, than miss the day, and who are, generally speaking,
far better sportsmen, and have ten times more fun for
their money than the more favourite sons of fortune.

76 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

By all these, no wrinkle, tending to the better manage-
ment of their horses, will be despised. I shall proceed,
therefore, to offer them another m the shape of shoeing.

" The Leicestershire creed this old practice outworms,
Lost shoes and dead beat are synonymous terms."

In the poem of Billesdon Coplow, written by a Divine*
of no little celebrity in " the days of old Meynell," there
are many lines which have become immortal, but none
have found such general acceptation as the above two,
which have become proverbial as touching the suspicion
attached to the excuse of a lost shoe. However well
prepared you may be to brave and scorn the doubts
which will arise, and the surmises which will be made,
as to the cause of being thrown out, whenever a case of
" non est inventus" is made out against you, the loss
of a shoe is, of itself, a most mortifying occurrence to any
man unprovided with a second horse. In a soft grass
country you may not be brought to an anchor, especially
if you are minus only a hind-shoe, but in a plough
country, varied with flints, and intersected by lanes, to
be told by some kind friend in your rear (and some fel-
lows seem to have eyes made for these discoveries), that

* If the following anecdote, relative to this reverend sportsman, has
before appeared in print, it is good enough, as a true story, to bear
repetition. Some of his brethren of tho cloth were showing him up, on
account of his sporting propensities, to his Diocesan, Avho was inclined to
wink at a few failings which " leaned to virtue's side," and was satisfied
with the merits of his otherwise irreproachable character. Amongst other

enormities, th.ey represented that Mr. was actually going to ride a

match at the county races. " Is he, indeed !" said the amiable and good-
humoured old Bishop — " is he, indeed ! then I will bet half-a-crown he
wins."

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 77

your fore-shoe is gone, must cause your heart to sink
within you, — it is the next bad hearing to '' a terrible
over-reach ;" it carries with it your sentence of excom-
munication, and renders you hors de combat till you can
be clumsily refitted at the nearest smithy.

It is a common practice to carry a spare shoe and
nails ; and a jointed shoe which may, on a pinch, be fitted
to any horse's foot, is as much a part of the appendages
to the saddles of the hunts-people, as a horn-case or
couples ; but not more than one in ten, if half as many, of
the field have this advantage, which, after all, will not
save you the delay of finding a blacksmith, and of an
operation always too delicate to be hurried.

Prevention is better than remedy. You must take
care that your horses are so shod, that the loss of a
shoe is less probable than breaking down, or horse or
man becoming otherwise disabled, by any of the other
casualties within the chapter of accidents. That they
may be so shod, I w^ill fearlessly aver, and again cry,
" Experto creeled There is no deeper or more holding
soil than that of Bedfordshire ; yet such mishaps were al-
most unknown in Lord Tavistock's establishment, during
four seasons, from 1S26 to 1830, when I hunted regularly
with the Oakley, and they are probably as rare in the
present day, if the shoeing is conducted upon the same
principle. At that time, these misfortunes to me were
rather out of proportion to the number of angels ' visits ;

78 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

and my attention was, consequently, directed to the
method by which exemption was attainable.

The Vulcan presiding then over the forge at Oakley
was pre-eminent in his craft, and one of his horse-shoes,
like everything else to be acquired in that school, which,
in relation to huntinj^ matters, I re<]:arded as

" Mearum
Grande decus columenqiie rerum,"

was worthy of being treasured as a pattern. It is not
only in the driving of the nails, but in the shape and
structure of the shoe itself, that its security depends.
Where so much difference exists, as will be found in the
feet of different horses, no general rule can be laid down
as to the depth, breadth, or weight of metal w^hich each
may require ; but I believe it is established, upon the best
and oldest authorities, that the fore-shoes need not be
turned up, and that no corking is necessary, especially if
the shoe be made sufficiently concave, and have a deep
groove extending along the middle. This, upon the prin-
ciple of a fluted skate, will be found, in a great measure, to
prevent slipping; if any one doubt the fact, upon the sup-
position that this groove must become filled with earth,
and, consequently, useless, let him try which will slip
farthest upon landing over a fence on greasy ground, —
a horse with or without these grooves in his fore-shoes.
Some do not consider it safe to omit the turning up or
corking, but the evils arising from this method would out-
weigh any that could result from slipping, admitting that

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 79

it affords firmer footing. I am not presuming to offer any
treatise upon this scientific branch of farriery : — but to
return to the "lost shoe/' and the best means of guarding
against such an event, — I will briefly state my belief that
everything depends upon the hind-shoes — upon their
fabric and position. Where one shoe is pulled off by
the retentive power of the ground, twenty are torn off
by the over-reach of the hind-shoe. The wound called
an over-reach, so disastrous in its effects, is made not by
the outside, but by the inside edge of the hind-shoe, which
is commonly left sharp, and well adapted to gripe the
heel of the fore-shoe, or to inflict a cut in the flesh above
it ; all horses, from their natural action, in deep ground,
being more or less liable to over-reach in their gallop.
The inside, as well as outside edge, should be well
bevelled off, so that the toe of the hind-shoe should
present only a blunt convex surface. Previously to
rendering hind-shoes thus harmless, I had frequent
over-reaches. In the last seven years I have not had
one ; nor, in the course of the two last seasons, hunting
on the average four days a week, can I call to mind
having more than once lost a shoe.

I am borne out, therefore, by experience, in my as-
sertion that proper care and attention to shoeing will
obviate the inconvenience of "lost shoes," to say nothing
of the preservation from broken feet ; many a hoof being
pretty considerably broken before the loss of the shoe
has been discovered.

80 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

FEET AND LEGS.

On the subject of feet it is not my intention to dwell,
supposing that none of you are disposed to consider
good and sound feet of less importance to a hunter
than a hack, and taking it for granted that, even in the
smallest studs of hunters, your head groom is capable of
counteracting thrushes (for which there is no excuse,
want of care and cleanliness being the prevailing causes),
and also of dealing with corns, wounds from stubs, and
all the minor diseases and injuries to which feet are liable.
It would be easy enough for me here to make extracts,
and fill many pages with matter not irrelevant upon the
treatment of lamenesses, by gleanings from professional
lore ; but it w^ll be far easier for you, in any case re-
quiring more than common attention, to send for the
veterinarian professor of your district, and you will profit
far more by his timely assistance than by the practical use
of the most that could be written for your learning. As a
simple rule, in the observance of which you cannot err,
whenever you have reason to suspect that the foot is the
seat of lameness, off with the shoe in the first instance,
and place the foot in a poultice; or, which is still better,
let the horse stand up to his knee in hot water.
Your stable should be provided with buckets made for
this especial purpose. The benefits of hot water, as
applied externally to the animal frame of man or beast,
are incalculable. I say externally, not wishing to be
mistaken either for a disciple of Sangrado, or for a tee-

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 81

totaller. The effects of constant fomentation are per-
fectly incredible to those who have not been eye-wit-
nesses of the almost miraculous way in which inflam-
mations and swellings have been reduced, by this very
simple remedy. The power of hot water might seem
to bear some affinity to that of its own condensed
vapour — the mighty steam — considering that, amidst all
the arcana of a racing stable, nothing has rendered more
effectual service, upon an emergency. It is not long
since a great favourite for the Derby was disabled, the day
before running, by an untoward encounter which took
place between his hock and the door-posts. The swell-
ing was enormous, bat, by a fomentation — I fear to
say of how many hours' continuance—it was completely
reduced ; the horse was able to run, and ra,n his best,
far better than he ever ran again, being second in the
race. We have not all, however, unlimited relays of
boys ; and the due supply of hands, necessary for the
use of the sponges in such cases, might not accord with
the convenience of many hunting stables. The knee-
buckets, therefore, will be found invaluable. I do not
mean to say that they are entirely to supersede the local
application of poultice to a wound ; but where there is
lameness, proceeding from a blow upon the leg, a thorn,
or, in short, from any kind of injury to leg or foot, and
producing pain, arising from inflammatory action, hot
water is your resource. It will either prove in itself a
remedy, or will be the best preparation for more active
measures. A tub may be made ot such dimensions as

6

82 THE NOBLE SCIEiVCE.

to be capable of admitting both fore-legs at the same
time. I have known no instances of horses showing any
refractory dislike to this process, but, on the contrary,
they have appeared to enjoy it thoroughly; standing quiet
for several hours, during which the heat must, of course,
be renewed by occasional supplies from the copper, with
which every saddle-room should be furnished. If you
find a decided tendency to fever or inflammation in the
foot itself, which you will ascertain by the feel of the
hoof in your hand, by opening a vein just above the
coronet, and immersing the foot immediately in warm
water, you may effect a local abstraction of blood, which
will afford material relief. Many farriers urge, as an
objection to bleeding in the foot, that you can rarely
obtain the removal of blood enough to be of any service ;
but, when the operation is skilfully performed, it is fol-
lowed by the flow of blood in no inconsiderable quantity.
Whenever a lameness is such as to demand rest beyond
a horse's proper turn for coming out again, you will do
well to give a gentle dose of physic. It is always useful,
if only as a precautionary measure, upon the slightest
ailing of an nnimal in a high and forced state of con-
dition. You will gain instead of losing time : by cooling
his body you greatly accelerate the recovery from any
local affection, and one ball of three, four, five, or six
drachms, according to the constitution of the horse,
cannot in any degree impair his stamina. There can
be no greater mistake than the anxiety which is felt
by ignorant grooms as to the appetite of a hunter, after

TFIE NOBLE SCIENCE. 83

a hard day. It may be an indisputable proof of hardi-
ness that a horse is ahle to feed well, on his return ; but
I much question whether any man is better for a beef-
steak and bottle of port, if able to discuss them, after
severe exercise. A feed of oats, mixed in a good warm
bran-mash, is the best diet for a horse after hunting ; to
which, should circumstances require it, a little nitre, as
a febrifuge and mild diuretic, will be a good addition.
If he finish this, and his coat be dry, his ears warm, and
if he show no signs of uneasiness, you may leave him
to rest, and remain, yourself, well satisfied, though he
should have rejected the quartern of dry oats and double
handful of beans, to which he will return with redoubled
relish on the morrow. This habit of mashing will pre-
pare him for physic, should it be subsequently required.
I would not be understood to hold too lightly the neces-
sity of the best food, and plenty of it, being well aware
that the strength goes in at the mouth ; but you must
remember the state of the system, and be wary of
adding fuel to fire.

While on the subject of food, I would remind you
that the tirrie when horses are shedding their summer
coats is their period of depression and debility, and that
the time, when good old beans are of the greatest con-
sequence, is at the end of autumn, just at the com-
mencement of the hunting season. Beans, though, per-
haps, necessary throughout the season, are less needed
in spring, when the juices of the whole animal and vege-
table world are on the ascendant, than at the fall of

84 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

the leaf, when all nature has a downward tendency. It
is at the close of autumn, after a horse has gone well
through his course of physic, that you must endeavour
to endow him with firmness and strength to support him
through the winter. When you consider what a hunter
is called upon to perform, it is not extraordinary that so
many fall, but that so few are killed, considering how
little attention is bestowed, in comparison with what is
required, to "prepare them properly for their work.
Nothing but the glorious uncertainty of sport, the acci-
dental circumstance of being out several times before
there is anything to be done, saves half the horses in a
provincial country from suffering the penalty of neglect
in training. I use the term training, because nothing
less than training will suffice. We all know that a race-
horse cannot be brought up to his form, or expected to
be fit to run, with less than three montlis of active pre-
paration. He is expected only to gallop his best over a
certain space, for the most part, of level turf We know-
the difficulty of preparing him properly for this, yet we
suddenly require a hunter to do ten times more, with one-
tenth part of the rehearsals in the part he has to perform.
Some people, it is true, ijidulge their horses with a look
at the beagles in October ; ride them a gallop, perhaps,
once in the week round the park ; and, in describing a
favourite to be still fat as a pig, and to have blown like
a porpoise, they will speak of his having plenty of flesh
to come off, and talk of his good case as of a matter of
congratulation to themselves. So it mio-ht have been

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 85

a^:)Out the first week in August, for it is well, to see
hunters improve in flesh, upon green meat, and good
summering ; but they forget that, within a month of
the time when they are beginning to get their pigs and
porpoises into trim, they will want them to fly like the
wind, and be sorely disappointed if, hke Icarus, they
are dissolved in the attempt.

The ground is generally so hard, in September and
October, as to furnish some excuse for shortness of work,
though none for attempting to ride horses to hounds, if
they have been subjected to this disadvantage. It is,
literally, hard indeed if you cannot find some place for
regular exercise, without fear of knocking their legs to
pieces ; and the degrees of exercise must be gradual and
progressive, till you arrive at something in your drills
and sham fights resembling the realities of the ensuing
campaign. Commencing with plenty of walking exer-
cise, for, at least, three or four hours (either three at
once in the morning, or going out twice a day for two
hours), during the first six weeks, from the beginning of
August till the middle of September, by which time they
will have got through their physic, even if three doses
are given (and I think two generally sufiicient), they may
then proceed to trot and canter daily, and, by the first
week in October, they will be fit for a smart gallop ; they
should not be hurried, or, at any time, extended to their
utmost speed, but must go a long, steady gallop, at about
three-quarters speed, to accustom them to stay a dis-
tance, and acquire that sine quel noii of power which we

SG THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

term wind. In the course of the next three weeks, sup-
posing that it is your object to have them fit to go by
the first week in November, they shoukl have three
regular sweats. Put your hghtest lad, w^ho can ride
well and hold a horse well together, upon the one you
intend to sw^eat. Let him carry plenty of clothing, ac-
cording to the temperature of the weather and his state
as to flesh, and go, at least, four miles, upon the best
ground you can find — turf is, of course, the best, and a
gentle hill is desirable. He should go little beyond
half-speed. The nearer to his stable that this gallop can
be contrived, the better ; if you have no ground near
your own stable, it must be done near to some shed.
The horse must be brought within doors, as soon as
possible after pulling up from his gallop. Trot him to
the door of the place most convenient for scraping him,
and do not pull off his clothes immediately. Let him stand,
if in a warm place, about five minutes, or rather more,
to encourage the perspiration ; then strip him by degrees,
having two hands busy at scraping off the lather, till no
more moisture can be pressed from his skin ; then, hand-
rub him heartily with leather rubber, till he is dry ; put
on his ordinary suit of dry clothing ; give him half a pail
of water, with the chill off; take him out, and give him a
canter of a mile, to keep up the circulation, and walk
him briskly for the remainder of the time of his usual
exercise.

It is inconvenient, on account of the assistance requi-
site, to sweat more than two horses, perhaps more than

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 87

one, at a time ; and, moreover, if you have plenty of
h:inds, they are not hkely to keep so steady a pace in
company as alone. By taking some at different hours, on
favourable mornings, you may, without difficulty sweat
six or seven horses in a week ; and, with good luck, may
preserve an evenness of condition in the stud, to compare
with that which is the pride of the kennel. In proportion
to the decrease of superfluous flesh, will be the increase of
muscle ; and it is by this means alone that you can get
rid of that terrible obstacle to exertion, that great cause
of death and destruction in the field — the inside fat,
which, during a period of temporary inactivity, will accu-
mulate— which is beyond the reach of drugs, and can
only be thus dissipated, through the pores of the skin.

If more were thought of the preparation of horses —
of the training necessary to qualify them for a burst of
forty minutes, across a country in which they must gallop
nearly at their utmost speed, though fetlock deep in
holding soil, and, after a breather over some acres, pro-
bably against a hill, must be enabled to spring over their
fences, to

" Lead the field, top the barred gate,

O'er the deep ditch exulting bound, and brush
The thorny twining hedge — "

if, I say, the qualifications for such exertions were pro-
perly estimated, we should hear less of horses not being
fit to go till Christmas.

It is not many years since I had occasion to remark
to a brother-sportsman, and master of hounds, who was

88 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

out with me upon his best hunter, m the first week of
regular hunting, tliat his horse's breast-plate appeared
most uncomfortably tight across his chest, of course to
the confinement of his shoulders. Immediately dis-
mounting, he endeavoured to relieve the animal from an
inconvenience so manifest, but, finding the buckle either
rusted in its wonted station, or at its extremity, he
remounted, coolly observing, with a laugh, that the
breast-plate had not been touched since the last day of
the previous season, when it was easy enough, and that
the horse would gradually work down within its dimen-
sions ! Now this was in the month of November, when
the horse either should have been fit to go, or should not
have been where he was. I forget if we had any sport
on that day, but, if we had, I am sure this fat horse must
have had reason to remember it. At Melton the thing
is, I believe, better understood, and, in many other
hunting quarters, the desiderata of condition have been
more attended to of late years ; but these remarks may
not, I trust, be thrown away upon some of my young
friends in the provinces, for whom they are intended.

CLIPPING.

The advantages of another most important branch
of our artificial system, I mean that of clipping, have
been so long thoroughly established that it is needless
here to argue the point, as to the utility or inexpedience
of the practice. It is not very often that thorough -bred
horses will require it; but I may safely venture to say that,

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 89

at least, nineteen out of twenty hunters are the better for
it. It must not be made an excuse for idleness in grooms.
A horse, well groomed and properly dressed, ought to
carry a fine and bright coat, at all events till he is ex-
posed to the winds and storms, and the varieties of heat
and cold which he encounters in his vocation as a hunter.
But, when the coat is thick and long, it must not only
increase perspiration, but operate as a wet blanket, in
preventing the skin from becoming dry and warm. The
benefit of good, strong strapping at a horse, is not only
iu the cleansing of his coat, and thereby rendering the
pores of his skin more healthy, but it is (according to
the general principles of irritation upon the surface of
the body) in the promotion of the circulation which it
occasions. There must, therefore, be no lack of what,
in the vulgar parlance of the stable fraternity, is expres-
sively termed elbow-grease, because a clipped horse may
appear to require less than another. Good strapping
will have a double effect upon him, and make his coat
look like that of a race-horse in the highest condition.
The grand object, however, of clipping, and the principal
benefit derived from it, is this, that a horse, on his return
from hunting, will get comfortably dry in about fifteen
minutes, instead of remaining, for several hours, saturated
in sweat, which is not to be absorbed by manual labour.
There are many men, amongst which number I may
honestly include myself, who would infinitely prefer
going without dinner, rather than forego the luxury of
the toilet which precedes it ; and, if a horse could be

90 THE NOELE SCIENX'E.

questioned, there is no doubt that he would ratlier be
with, than without, the dressing which reUeves him from
the incrustations of sweat and dirt, which he finds so
disagreeable, tliat you will observe him taking every
opportunity of rubbing his head, eyes, nose, and ears,
against any object within his reach, after severe exercise.
But if this dressing is necessarily protracted till mid-
night, because, on account of his great coat, he is con-
stantly breaking out afresh, it must be a source of no
little annoyance to him, and, moreover, materially inter-
fere w^ith his hours of repose.

The best time for clipping is as soon as the winter
coat is set, which is commonly about the beginning of
November. A proceeding causing what I may term,
without intending a pun, so great and unnatural a
change of hahit, must not be undertaken without due
caution, in guarding against the ill effects which might
arise from so sudden a transition. Instances are not
wanting of lock-jaw, and other fatal consequences of the
chill which it may produce. I have, happily, never met
with any but the best results, having never neglected a
method which I consider as a security against the cold,
to which a horse, turned, as it were, at once naked into
the world, must be liable. Common sense wi]l tell you
that you must put on additional clothing in the stable ;
but this is not enough to prevent a horse from catching
cold the first time he is stripped in the face of a north-
easter. The preventive consists in taking care that he
aweatSy the first time he leaves his stable, after clipping.

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 91

It is well to contrive that the operation be finished
at a time of day when yon can immediately give him a
good gallop in clothes ; but his remaining a night in his
box will not signify, if, instead of walking him out, as
usual, and letting him feel the loss of his coat, you warm
him at once, on his first going out. You thus guard
against any check to that insensible perspiration so
essential to man or beast. The surface of the new coat
is broken ; it, at once, adapts itself to the skin, assuming
a natural complexion; and the horse will never after seem
to regret his loss, if a little more care be taken, than
otherwise might have been, to avoid standing still too
long in a current of cold air, for the first two or three
times that he is out, after being lightened of his burthen,
I have been always in the habit of having my horses well
sponged over with tobacco-water — an infusion of tobacco
made about the strength of that which makes a good
wash to kill fleas in dogs. This used, as soon as the
clipping is finished, will cause the coat to lie smooth, if
it have no other effect ; but, I am inclined to think, it is
a preservative, also, from cold. Having had from ten to
twenty horses clipped, annually, according to this mode
of treatment, without one instance of mischief ensuing,
I can confidently recommend the custom, especially to
those with short studs ; as the clipped horse, having less
taken out of him, either in work or subsequent protracted
dressing, will come out at least a day sooner in his turn
than the rough- coated one. Singeing, with spirits of wine
lighted on tow, has the same effect, and has a very neat

02 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

appearance, when well done ; but I do not know that it
is to be preferred to the use of the scissors. In neither
case should the hair be removed below the knee, which
forms a natural protection from thorns and cuts.

FORE-LEGS.

The mention of legs, reminds me that I must not
altogether omit a word or two with regard to the best
means of preserving these delicate parts of the ma-
chinery, upon which all the rest depend. With the best
frame, the best constitution, and the best feet, a horse
without good legs is useless. Always choose a flat,
sinewy leg, avoiding those which are round and fleshy.
Keep clear also, of round joints, which seldom stand.
Fore-legs should be nearly, or quite, straight, according
to perfect symmetry ; but an inclination to bow forwards
is much better than the reverse : there is much less
.strain, in action, on the back sinew. Some horses, foaled
with legs as crooked as those produced by hard work in a
post-horse, have stood training longer than any othei's.
Few, very few, hunters, rode to hounds, are gifted with
such fore-legs that there is not a screw loose by the end
of their third season. I am an advocate for firing, as a
pieventive, rather than a remedy. It is too late to fire
a broken-down horse, although, as long as the contraction
remains in force, he may be sustained, as it were, by a
perpetual bandage, for a time ; but if fired as soon as
there are any indications of its being ultimately neces-

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 93

saiy, you will meet, halfway, and obviate the occurrence
of, an evil which may be incurable. I have found such
incalculable advantages from salt-water bandages, that
I would strongly urge the use of them in every stable.
Soak linen or woollen bandages in salt and water, strong
enough to float an egg ; let every horse stand, in them 5
and keep them constantly moist by frequent application
of the liquid, as it is in evaporation that the benefit con-
sists. They will preserve good legs cool, and will freshen
those that are stale, in a manner not to be expected from
means so simple.^' They should be removed at night,
or they will become dry and hot, thereby destroying their
effect, if kept on too many hours without being renewed.
I have said salt and water, because it is within immediate
reach of every one, and may be prepared, ad lihituin,
by the bo}'s who apply it. Vinegar and saltpetre are
more active in their effect ; but without touching upon
the goulards or washes of the farrier, I have wished to
mention only those plain precepts within the practice
of every master of a horse. More may be done by the
proper use of hot and cold water, than by any other
two prescriptions to be found in the book of knowledge.
If, at the close of the season, you think a horse's legs^
without calling for the iron, or for the punishment of
blister, micrht still be better for something more than
rest, nothing is more likely to renovate him thoroughly
than mercurial charges. A common charge, made of

* Two ounces of sugar of lead, mixed with half a pint of vincgai', form a
lotion wliich has proved an admirable specific.

94 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

pitch, and a variety of compounds, was a favourite sum-
mer appendage to the hunter of the old school, and was
not without its uses ; but there is, I believe, no known
absorbent equal to mercury, and wonders have been per-
formed upon horses' legs by charges in which the potent
quicksilver is the main ingredient. Something of the
kind is prepared by most veterinary surgeons, but I
^magine that the best recipe (because the most miracu-
lous in effect of any I ever witnessed), was in possession
of that most excellent old Encflish afentleman and
thoroughly good old sportsman, the late Mr. Villebois,
a master of foxhounds in Hampshire, at his own expense,
for more than a quarter of a century. It has been said
that

" The evil that men do lives after them —
The good is oft interred with their bones ; "

but if any one would read his epitaph, it is to be found
in the bosoms of all who knew him, in the records of
nought but good through the whole of a long, and, let
us hope, a well-spent life. It is not for me to pronounce
his eulogy, or rob the H. H. of a tribute justly theirs ;
I will leave them honouring the memory of him they
have lost, and happy in a master well qualified, and
in every way worthy, to tread in his steps. The
charge I allude to is prepared from this recipe, which
was presented by Mr. Villebois to a chemist at Alresford.
It is also to be had at Winchester. It must be made
hot, then spread upon a piece of linen, or Rusaia-duck,
cut exactly to the size of the horse's leg, to fit him like

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 95

a laced boot. Apply it hot, and immediately sew up the
linen bandao;e, there to leave it till the stitches of them-
selves wear out. It will generally last a month, some-
times longer ; it may be renewed in the course of the
summer, but must not be kept on too late, or after you
have begun to get the horse into condition ; as its adhe-
sive properties will cause an unsightly appearance for
some time after the linen has been removed ; but this
will all disappear with his change of coat. I have seen
battered legs become as fine as those of a colt by this
process.

I have already dwelt, longer than I originally intended,
upon condition. Upon the management of the animals,
which are of equal consequence, either to the man who
holds them only as vehicles to the contemplation of the
noble science, or to him who regards them as its sole
enjoyment, I will only add the caution to take especial
care that the stables are properly ventilated. The
health of all animals depends greatly upon the kind of
air which they are constantly inhaling as their breath of
life. The different qualities of atmospheric gas have each
their respective effect upon the animal system. The
human blood is purified by the proportions of oxygen
contained in the fresh breeze as it is received into the
lungs ; elevation of spirit, and increase of vigour, are
the consequences of its healthful influence. In a close,
hot stable, a horse is living on impurity, added to which,
the ammonia, arising to a degree of pungency, of which
we are ourselves sensible upon entering such a stable

90 THE NOCLE SCIENCE.

from tlie open air, has a most injurious effect upon tlie
eyes. It is far better that they sliould stand in too mucli
clothing, than that the temperature of the stable should
be too high. The thermometer must be the guide of
your groom ; he should not allow it to stand beyond
sixty degrees, Fahrenheit. A very little labour and
expense of carpentering will render any stable capable
of being thus regulated. Have apertures made through
the w^alls near the ceiling, about the size of j^igeon-lioles,
with movable sliding boards. They can be entirely or
partially opened, and, with the aid of the windows,
cause a thorough circulation of air. Loose boxes, with-
out windows, may be equally ventilated by the same
opening near the roof, and a corresponding one near the
Ijottom of the door. Ignorant grooms, dealers, and
others, studying only the outward semblance of condi-
tion, all keep their stables like hot-beds, thinking that
heat promotes a gloss upon the coat, as it probably does ;
but not equally, or to be compared with that which
indicates the highest health. This forcing heat is not
to be found at Newmarket, where the rational system
has superseded the follies and absurdities of former
ages ; and can the pride of a peacock, can any associa-
tion of colours, exceed in richness of beauty the golden
hues, the lights and shades, which form a banquet for
tlie painter's eye ? when

" With neck like a rainhoic, erecting his crest,
Pampcr'd, prancing, and pleas'd, his head touching his breast,
Scarcely snuffing the air, he's so proud and chitc,
The high-mettled racer first starts for the plate."

THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

97

You must endeavour to bring out your hunter, in the
pride of his strength, to equal this beautiful description
of a race- horse, and take it once, and for all, as certain^
that, if you are resolved upon " doing the trick," your
horse must be quite as much " up to the mark" as
though he were about to '' start for the plate." A volume
would not contain rules sufficient for the attainment of
such a pitch of excellence : experience will be your
best instructor. If you have been long enough with
me in the stable, I have only to wish you an effective
monture, and beg that you will follow me

" To-morrow to fresh fields and pastures new."

/""^--^v. .^^^

V"--

" Then the leap !

To see the saucy barrier, and know
The mettle that can clear it ! Then your time
To prove you master of the manage. Now
You keep him well together for a space,
Roth horse and rider braced, as you were one,
Scanning the distance— then you give him rein,
And let him fly at it."

LoYE Chase.

Hiding to Hounds — Difference of Countries — Of Horses — Expense —
Economy — Equipment of a Hunter— Eiders— Long or Short Stir-
rups— Hand — Temper — Horsemen — Accidents — Crossing Euts —
Cramped Places — Blind Ditches — Timber and Bull-finchers— Falling
on the Eight Side — Useful Horses— Favourites— Colour— Size — Sex
— Eailroads the Curse of the Country — Impending Evils of Fox-
hunting "a thousand years hence"— Conclusion of Advice on Treat-
ment of Hunter — Dress of a Gentleman Sportsman — j\Irs. Trollope
on Male Attire— L' Air Noble— Change in Costume— Black Cravats—
Jack-boots — Continuations— Best Dress for Hunting— Origin of
wearing Scarlet; Eoyal Eule for ditto— Hats— Caps— Whips —
Spurs — Characteristics of a real Gentleman Fox-hunter in contrast
with the mere Vermin-killer.

Having said some little concerning the management
of horses in the stable, I must offer a few remarks upon

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 99

tlieir use when mounted. It would be absurd to at-
tempt any thesis upon riding to hounds, beyond the
general principles of the art, in a w^ork dedicated
especially to one country, and that a provincial, con-
sidering that the style of crossing one country differs
most materially from the mode of riding over another.
The best horse over Leicestershire miglit be quite out
of his element in Essex ; and the rules for negotiating
properly the ox-fences, raspers, and brooks of the pas-
tures, might be wholly inapplicable to the hog-backed
stiles, the cramped corners, blind ditches, up-bank,
down-lane drop, leaps of a plough country. I have
said before, that there is, in Hertfordshire, and those
parts of Bedfordshire belonging to our hunt, every
variety of ground, and, consequently, are there every
description of fences, from the flying-leap to the creep.
You may see a hack go well enough in one half-hour,
and, in the next, nothing but a real hunter has a chance.
Depend upon one thing, that you cannot have too good
a horse : — one that cannot go well in the best countries
cannot go properly in any, notwithstanding Mr. Louth's
asseveration, in the poem from which I have before
quoted, of the run from Billesdon Coplow : —

" All descriptions of country, all horses won't suit,
What's a good country hunter may here prove a brute."

There is more taken out of a horse in covert, and
in the length of runs, than in flying countries. I do
not mean to say that a man may not make a fight

7—2

100 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

through gaps, and, with the aid of lanes, may make one
at tlie end of a run, in the provincials, upon a horse on
which he would have been pounded and lost in the Har-
borough country ; but he will have seen'^n^t as little of
the hounds during the run. Far be it from me to dis-
courage any adept at " oiling a screw," from " darning
away " merrily, and beating more than half of the better
mounted ; but I shall be borne out by those who are
in the habit of riding as much from Melton as from
Markyate-street, in my assertion, that to be with hounds
in Herts, you cannot be too well mounted — videlicet,
you must have a hunter. The size and shape of horses
best calculated for cramped countries may differ, perhaps,
in some respects ; and the small, short-legged, are pre-
ferable to the very large and overgrown, when quick-
ness in turning and constant activity are more important
than great stride and power of extension. Moreover,
where there is limited space, it may be necessary to have
a better command over horses than where there is
plenty of sea-room for sailing a-head : but, in nine cases
out of ten, I should like to take my chance of being
mounted upon the horse most distinguished in North-
amptonshire— in the part which I hold to be the stiffest
— to follow hounds in any other country. There is one
great consolation to those who cannot afford to purchase
hunters at their price, that, with a good hand, seat, and
plenty of nerve, they may make raw horses, and increase
the value of them, according to their scale of education^

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 101

by purchasing them young, at a remunerating price to
the breeder.

All pleasures, that is to say, all pastimes and amuse-
ments, are, more or less, expensive ; in no diversion can
money be better spent than in hunting, if half so well.
Let any young man save one hundred pounds out of his
allowance, or, what may be still better, let his governor
allow him that sum for the especial purpose, and he may
be well mounted by Tilbury, with two good hunters at
his service throughout the season, supposing that he is
not a horse-master all the year round. AYhat will such
a sum avail him for two months' dissipation in London ?
If he be an idler, one of the "fruges consumere nati,"
he will, in the hunting field, find, at least, innocent
occupation for the mind, with the best exercise for the
body ; spending his time and money in society fitting his
station : — if he be a man of business, he will be the
better qualified to perform the duties of his profession,
for occasional indulgence.

" Dulce est desipeve in loco," quoth the poet, and
where is the locus like the place of meeting? With
regard to economy, carefully eschew that penny wisdom,
pound folly, which inclines people to hold anything good,
at the money, because it is cheap. That is cheapest, in
the end, which is best at the beginning. You need not
be imposed upon, or led into extravagant prices ; but you
will find the wear and tear in one good article, equal to
that of three or four of the inferior. Whether in a
master of hounds, purchasing hay, corn, saddlery, and

102 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

equipmeiits for some twenty or thirty horses, and food
for hounds, or whether in the smallest possible esta-
blishment of a younger brother, this principle should be
adhered to ; not only as a matter of luxury and comfort,
but as the plan which will answer best in the long run.
Have your saddles, bridles, &c., from the best makers,
and prefer to give a hundred guineas for a sound horse,
rather than two fifties for a couple of screws. With
good management, and the luck of escaping lamenesses,
each horse will come out three days a fortnight at least.
With two effective horses a man is safe for three days a
week, and will find himself far better carried than those
who, having more than they require, bring each out less
frequently. All this must, of course, depend, in no
slight degree, upon the constitution of horses ; but we
are taking the case of the smallest sufficiency of eftec-
tives. If the fixture do not exceed twelve miles, send
your hunter on in the morning, rather than to strange
stabling over night. Upon dismounting from your hack,
or whatever may be your conveyance to the rendezvous,
be it your first care to look your horse over, and see that
he appears all right ; that he has not broken out into
unaccountable sweat, that his shoes are fast, &c,, &c.
The genus, groom, has, like that o? farrier, materially im-
proved in the last few years. It would scarcely be now
credited, were it not known for a fact, that it is only
thirty years since it would have been considered most
injurious to the legs of a race- horse to icash them. Never,
at Newmarket, in those days, was water suffered to

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 103

approach tlieir legs or feet, for fear of cold. Such bar-
barisms have vanished before the lio-ht of common sense ;
but it is now very common to see horses with their
bridles so put on, that they would be nearly as useful
appendages to their tails as to their mouths. Much
depends upon suiting a bridle to the horse's mouth. The
patent Segundo is generally approved for pullers ; but
what is delight to one is madness to another. I had
once a horse absolutely frantic, almost ungovernable, be-
cause he had taken a dislike to a plain smooth Pelham,
without a joint — a bridle much used in Hants. The
horse was so violent during a run with the Oakley, that
I was compelled to ask one of those excellent fellows, a
Bedfordshire yeoman, to change bridles with me. We
had to twitch his ear before we could touch his mouth ;
but, as soon as the exchange was effected, he became
as perfectly temperate as he always was o-n all other
occasions.

One half of the horses, at the covert side, have the
throat-lash buckled so tight, that by no possibility can
the animal, without choking, carry his head in a de-
sirable position. The groom is less to blame than
yourself for suffering it. Rider (I will not say horseman)
and horse are at variance all the day, both are sufficiently
uneasy, and when the latter is condemned as a pig-headed
brute, how might the observation reflect upon the
former ? See that your girths, without being too loose,
are not too tight. With a breast-plate, a saddle remains
in its place with slacker girths than without, and there

104 T[IE NOBLE SCIENCE.

are very few horses that do not require a breast-plate,
especially where there are any hills.

Ride easily to yourself, and you will sit easiest to
your horse. There is no rule for short or long stirrups,
for riding quite home, up to the instep, or on the ball, or
even at the toe of the foot. There have been, and are,
riders of equal distinction, differing, in these respects,
as to their seats. Whether you sit firmly by gripe or
by balance does not signify ; but the latter is the most
graceful, and a combination of both the most desirable.
A jockey-seat, with the foot well home in the stirrup, is
most commonly adopted, and appears the best for work
across country ; but, if I am to mention the most per-
fect and accomplished horseman of the day, and may be
pardoned the use of any name, I must quote that of
Colonel G. Greenwood, without fear of one dissentient
voice. With a military seat, I have seen him conduct
young and unmade horses over a country in a manner
which, to my thinking, and not according to my opinion
only, has no parallel. Sir F. Burdett, Colonel Standen,
Lord Clanricarde, and other eminent performers, ride
also with long stirrups. Some others, whom I could
mention, would, probably, ride better without any,
than many could with the assistance of either short or
long ; and some huntsmen, &c., have a habit of releasing
their feet, and throwing their stirrups over the withers of
their horse at any large leap, particularly at brooks ; in
this respect, therefore, we may say, "sua cuique voluntas."
A very indifferent and infirm seat, may, by practice,

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 105

become firm and good ; but a hand, the delicate sym-
pathy of finger with the mouth of the horse, is less
easily acquired. So rarely is it seen, that it may be
doubted whether it is to be attained, or if it be not alto-
gether a gift of nature. Old Chifney's rule was to "hold
your rein as a silken thread which you fear to break,"
and the circumstance of so many horses becoming tem-
perate under the control of ladies, which are violent in
the hands of their lords, is proof positive of the advan-
tages of gentleness ; unless, indeed, the effect is attribut-
able to the ^li/^ which they have always over us, and the
horses are conscious of the kind of dominion, or rule,
of woman-kind to which they have submitted. Not one
horse in a hundred has a mouth for a snaffle-bridle only,
and, perhaps, one in a thousand is nearer the proportion
of those which can go with a loose rein. We know that,
in a race, to abandon a horse's head is to stop him at
once, and it is no less indispensably necessary to hold
him well together, across country. He cannot move
well over smooth ground, still less over ridge, and fur-
row, or plough, unless he is perfectly collected. In
this consists the horsemanship of riding to hounds, no
less than in the selection of the firmest ground, the
time and place for increase or decrease of speed, the
manner and rate of putting horses at their fences, and
the like distinguishing features, in the performance of
a first-rate workman. We read at school,

" Hie moderatur equos qui iion moderabitur iram,"

and I fear that good riding will not be found so infallible

lOG THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

a test of ^ood temper, as to serve for a guide to any
young lady in the choice of a husband, if she be not satis-
fied that a fox-hunter is better worth ha vino; than the
" nice young man " who keeps tame rabbits, shoots foxes,
&c., &c. But I must say, that temper and patience have
no sHght influence in the management of a horse ; that if
a man can ride well in an irritable mood, he will ride still
better in good humour ; and that all the most brilliant
amongst the hard riders of my acquaintance, are alike
characterized by the most estimable deportment in all re-
lations of life. T am aware that, in making this assertion, I
am summoning up a fearful array of what are termed, in
Paddyland, "right wicked riders," men of the dare-devil
school, who stick at nothing — men who would be in the
first flight, for a time, at least, with any pack in the
United Kingdom, without being conspicuous in any way
for amiable qualities, or possessing one redeeming virtue
but that of bravery. I say bravery, not courage ; for
there is, between these two, a wide distinction. I take
leave, however, to doubt much whether these men of
nerve are more than mere riders, without pretension to
the name of horsemen. They cannot make the most
of a good horse, or the best of a bad one. A little
jealousy is inseparable from the emulation which the
character of the sport engenders. A generous rivalry is
only an essence of the spirit of the chase ; but that
spirit is the ofls{)ring of mirth ; it is nourished by the
milk of human kindness, and is pregnant with all the best
feelings of human nature, which she annually brings forth.

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 10 7

in the shape of good fellowship, and social harmony. The
art of riding well to hounds is one of those in which the
*' suaviter m modo" may be so happily blended with the
"fortiter in re." A degree of physical power is requisite,
and this is the only way in which we can account for
the fact, that men of twelve, and fourteen stone weight,
have always "held their own" with the light weights ; but
muscular strength is not absolutely indispensable. Any
one who wishes for an apt illustration of the knack of
holding a horse, as compared with power, has only to
look at some urchins, amongst the stable children at
Newmarket, riding the gallops. In an old triplet, older
than the hills, these words are supposed to be addressed
by a horse to his rider : —

" Up the hill, spare me ;
Down the hill, bear me ;
On the flat, never fear me !"

A man may lay worse counsel to heart than is
contained in this doggerel maxim. The necessity for
easing a horse in an ascent, by sparing to urge, by
raising one's self over the withers, and by a timely pull on
gaining the summit, — the assistance which one may
afford by bearing him, instead of abandoning him, on the
descent, are sufficiently obvious. The conclusion is
rather more comprehensive : " On the flat, never fear
me.'' This conveys not only a willingness to exert his
utmost speed, a desire to do his best, if fairly dealt with,
but a hint that he may be trusted. You must have

108 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

confidence in your horse, not pulling him here and
there, to steer clear of this or that, which he sees as
well, or better, and quicker than yourself. " Never fear
him," and send him at his fences in earnest, as though
your heart preceded him in his progress. By sending
him at his fences, I mean to say, let him know that you
intend going, and nothing less. For myself, I am an
advocate for putting a horse slowly at most fences, and
not more than half speed at any ; but, as I have no
claim to professorship in this department, without pre-
suming to deny a contrary practice, I will only say that
such is the method of those whose style I most admire,
and that, in my humble opinion, the expedience of
collecting a horse, and slackening, instead of accele-
rating, his speed, when charging a fence, under a notion
(which I take to be erroneous) of providing him with
sufficient impetus, is founded upon the following rational
principles : — Look at deer, cats, greyhounds, any good
jumpers you choose to take for an example: watch
their voluntary action in taking a leap. They invariably
shorten their pace — the deer altogether into a trot, and
all others to that degree which enables them to concen-
trate their powers ; they cannot spring from an extended
posture. If it be supposed that time will be lost ; that
hounds must gain, irretrievably, upon you ; in short, if all
this sounds dead slow, it will be found that the most
haste is not always conducive to the greatest speed. A
horse hurried, ventre a terre, at a fence, cannot so well
measure his stride, and is apt to make a mistake in the

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 109

most essential point, the taking off; and again, in landing,
if his footing be not sound, or exactly what is desirable,
he can make no effort to recover himself — over he purls
— beyond power of salvation. If he have less impetus,
he can take off to the best advantage ; and, if landed in
difficulties, may escape with a scramble — a slight disturb-
ance,— and a miss is as good as a mile — nothing causing
more delay than a rattling fall, especially if attended
with the usual dissolution of partnership between man
and horse, to say nothing of other trifling inconveniences,
not unfrequently the result of such a game at logger-
heads.

" Is he down 1 No ; well saved, though 'twas just ' omjie sed*
All but a Dinorben,* or — heels over head."

There is no doubt that all quadrupeds can jump
height as well standing as with a run at it. Many
maintain that a horse can clear the widest brook with
the same ease, I am by no means prepared to deny
this position, having seen wonderful instances of standing
jumpers ; but, for water, or a wide ditch, on the other
side of a staken-bound, I am inclined for a little extra
powder. Common sense will avoid extremes, and the
happy medium is, probably, that which will carry you
best over. Some horses have an inveterate. habit of
rushing at their fences, and make wonderfully few
mistakes in their velocity. With these, there is nothing

* I am given to understand that the literal signification of thia Welch
word answers to the English of topsy-turvy.

no THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

loft but to give them their heads, any interference being
more likely to produce mischief; but they cannot be
classed among perfect hunters, and the habit is to be
imputed to defect in their education — a want of hand,
and, probably, of nerve, in the man who made them — for
it has been well observed, by good judges, that nothing
betrays a want of nerve more than a kind of desperation
in charging every sort of fence in a reckless, neck-or-
nothing style, the effect of anything but coolness and
confidence. He who excels in anything is never in a
hurry. The beauty of riding over a country is in doing
it quietly. It should appear as the pleasure which it is,
rather than as a laborious effort to man and horse. It
is only young Hair-brain — Messrs. Harum Scarum and
Co. — that are tearing up the ground, here ; making the
splinters fly, there ; dashing, splashing, crashing : now,
well on the back of one unfortunate hound, then over
another, slamming a gate in the face of one man,
begging pardon of the next, bruising their own knees,
losing their hats (their heads have been long gone), and
ending their sport with a regular " grasser," which dis-
poses of them less to their own satisfaction than to that
of their dearest friends, for the remainder of the day.
Observe the Rev. Mr. Mallard, who does honour to his
cloth alike in the field as in his parish. He is never out
of his place with the hounds, but you can hardly tell
how: — he is never in a fuss. Look at Mr. B. ; — he seems
calmer than still water ; but who can beat him ? Who are
going better than Lord C. R. and Mr. G,, if half so well ?

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. Ill

But they are never at their wita' end, and, consequently,
never lost. Nothmg will turn their heads, and they will
turn from nothing ; they have been going brilliantly,
straight as arrows, rather wide, than otherwise, of the
hounds ; they have been nearly in a line with the head
of the pack. They must have gone the pace, but they
have pulled up on the first indication of a check ; and,
behold, their horses are not blown, not covered with blood
and foam, like some which have been doing wonders.
They know well what they are about, for they ride well
to hunt, and they have learned to know when hounds
are running with or without a scent. They have a
pretty shrewd idea how far hounds carried, and where
they overshot it ; they know the points, and can render
a good account of all the incidents in the run. —
These are sportsmen. A novice in the art of nding to
hounds should learn early to depend entirely upon his
own eye and judgment — to follow no one — to become
acquainted, as soon as possible, with the country ; to
take his own line, and keep it. Take most heed to the
state of the ground from which a horse takes off at a
fence ; it is the fulcrum on which the accomplishment of
the leap depends. Prefer taking it higher, or wider, with
a good take off, than riding for a gap where the ground
is false. Remember, that the man who hesitates is lost ;
and, when your mind is made up, do not vacillate ;
above all, do not leave your own line, to follow that of
another man, for a better. You have no right to follow
close in his wake over a fence which dozens may take

112 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

in a line ; if he falls, you must be upon him. " For
heaven's sake, give me room to fall," is an exclamation
which I have often heard from a celebrated artist, who,
from the acknowledged excellence of his performance,
was generally followed by all aspirants, in a most unjus-
tifiable manner. Had Mr. Osbaldiston been allowed
room to fall, he would not have met with so terrible an
accident as that of being ridden over by the man behind
him, and experiencing a compound fracture of the leg.
Independently of his sufferings, there was his season
spoiled, with the chances much against ever enjoying
another. What can atone for the folly which occasions
such disasters ? Accidents will happen ; and it is fair to
suppose that the distress felt by the man who had been
the cause of such an occurrence, would have led him
to change places with the sufferer, if in his power ; but,
if a man choose to break his own neck, he has no right
to render others liable to injury by his own carelessness,
any more than he is justified in coming into a crowd, or
near the hounds, with a horse notorious as a kicker. At
banks, and brooks, the first horse has the best of it ;
and any fresh place is preferable to one which has been
used. If one man has succeeded in fording a river, or
getting out of boggy ground, the chances are more in
favour of the next, a few yards right or left, than where
there has been a struggle. In short, wherever there is
space for two, it is most unadvisable to follow, like
sheep, in the track of one. Whether hounds are run-
ning or not, never be led into the fatal error of leading

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 1)3

or turning over anything practicable secundum artem. It
is ten to one that, by dismounting, you find that you get
off badly, in every sense. You lose your horse, and invite
a worse predicament than would, in all probability, have
befallen you had you taken the chance of a fall, on the
right side, together ; not to mention the danger of being
trodden upon in footing it, either with, or before him.
Some persons have acquired great facility in these pro-
ceedings ; and it is all very well for corpulent, or elderly
gentlemen, who do not pretend to a place. It may, also,
save a horse's knees, or, certainly, the jarring of his
fore-legs, in dropping into a road, when there is time to
do it; but, generally speaking, it is inexcusable, unless
where boughs of trees, or some such impediments,
render a place not otherwise negotiable. When hounds
are at fault, or at any such opportunities, it must, of
course, ease a horse materially to jump off his back,
and let him stand still, with his face to the wind. I
should have mentioned, at starting, after recommending
a careful survey of equipment, &c., that, where you
expect a quick find, and to be speedily engaged, you
should not omit a good canter, and a pull up, to open
the pipes. If a horse choke, either from being short of
work, or from any accidental cause of sudden and tempo-
rary distress, by patience, for a few moments, you may
very possibly effect his restoration, so that he may carry
you well tJn^ough the rest of the day. Slacken his
girths, give him all the air you can, and do not move
him during the crisis, while his flanks and nostrils beat

8

114 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

the time wliicli he requires. If you apprehend that
he is shaken by a fall, or the cry of bellows to mend
is more importunate, he must be bled at once ; and,
unless you have a second horse out, you must turn
homeward. It is bad policy to run the risk of losing
many days for the sake of one. " We cannot have our
cake, and eat it too :" but I have said enough on this
subject in my last chapter. To proceed with my advice
to young riders to hounds. Considering that without
falls, and plenty of them, it is not likely that many
wdll attain any degree of proficiency — it will be well
to bear in mind that, although tliey must entertain
a thorough contempt for the fear of a fall, a total
disrerrard of the chances of such accidents — it does
not follow that they are to be utterly careless of the
consequences when they do occur. It is all right and
proper, to be " up, on, and at it again," if no bones are
broken, as soon as possible ; they should be hard as
nails, and, so far from giving in to disasters, should never
say done, or yield to ill-luck while they can grapple
with it.* But all this heroism may be strained too far.
A man need not close his ears to the voice of prudence,
and, if seriously shaken or disabled, should make decorous

* One of the most gallant instances of this resolution superior to mis-
fortune, is that feat of Mr. Osbaldiston's, which -will not easily be sur-
passed. T do not allude to his match against time, but to something far
more to our purpose. Both girths having broken in the beginning of a
good run, rather than lose his place, he threw the saddle from him, and
rode, in his usual form, to the end, upon the bare back. To any but a
perfect centaur, such a ride is not so feasible as may be supposed by
those who have not tried it.— " Experto crede,"

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 115

submission to the chance of war, and not, in obstinate
bravado, contend with Fate. If a collar-bone be broken,
which is one of the simplest and most common of frac-
tures, the sooner you are in a surgeon's hands the better.
It will add nothing to your credit, and less to your
recovery, if you persevere to the end of a run which you
can no longer enjoy. If a shoulder be dislocated (another
occurrence by no means uncommon), it should be re-
duced, on the spot, by the help of any who are at hand.
The patient should be placed on one side of a paling, or
gate, and by the strong pull of one man from the other,
it may be instantly replaced. If there be nothing nearer
to act as a lever, the body of the horse will answer the
purpose as well as the gate ; but, if time be allowed for
swelling to ensue, the force of ten men will, perhaps, be
necessary for the operation. The system sustains a
very severe shock from a bad fall, and any affected
indifference to its effects is as absurd as the cowardice
which dreads the encounter. There is an idea that a
draught of vinegar is a specific, upon the principle of
creating a diversion from the head to the stomach, as no
two maladies are co-existent. I have not found any of
the faculty subscribing to its efficacy, and my own expe-
rience has not strengthened my faith in this remedy. It
is, perhaps, better than spirits ; but anything calculated
to promote circulation may equally avail. The best
course any one can adopt in such a case, is that of
remaining perfectly quiet, in a recumbent posture, as
soon as he reaches the means. There is no question

8—2

116 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

that lie should be bled, but not in the field, or before he
has rallied from the shock. When fairly housed, let
him not only be bled, but take physic.* He will thus
counteract the ill effects (and there is no saying how
terrible have been the consequences of a neglected fall),
and, probably, be all the fitter, with the interval of one
day's rest, to endure another, if it be his destiny. Nim-
rod, who has written to the purpose on this, as on all
other points which he has touched, says,

" There's a sweet little clierub tliat sits up aloft"

to keep watch for the life of a sportsman, as well as of
" poor Jack ;" and it is with a feeling as far as possible
removed from levity, or irreverence, that a fox-hunter's
creed may be said to comprehend the profession of a
very lively faith in Providence. Of all kinds of falls, the
worst are those which happen either from a horse get-
ting his foot into a hole, when at speed, or slipping up
sideways. Most others may be more or less affected by
horsemanship ; but for these there is no help. In
Hampshire, and in the western counties, where there are
downs, over which hounds run well, the number of cart-
ruts is most annoying, and many are the purls which
they occasion. A horse must needs roll over his rider ;
as it rarely occurs, in this sudden circumvolution, that a
man is pitched clear of him. The best way of crossing

* Since the above was written, great changes have occurred alike in
human and veterinary practice. In che former the lance is, I believe,
nearly discarded, and phlebotomy confined to leeches or occasional cup-
ping. In both, prevention of making blood, rather than taking it, is
the rule.

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 117

ruts is to take them invariably on the obHque : if you go
straight across, both fore-feet get at once entangled in
the rut, and the consequence is inevitable ; but, in
slanting them, your horse will have one leg to spare,
and, probably, escape with that sort of pick, two of
which would go to a fall. There are very few good
active horses, fit for hunters, that are not naturally good
jumpers. Most of them will take a large leap. The
benefit of their tuition consists in their knowledo-e of

o

their business at cramped places ; at double, and at blind
ditches. Much of their safety, in fencing, may depend
upon the hand of the rider. They may be either lifted
out of a ditch, or pulled into it ; but a perfect hunter
should not constantly stand in need of the ofiice. A
horse that has plumbed the depth of two or three blind
ditches, will keep a good look out, and jump with all
due suspicion and care. It is a good plan to lead young
horses across country, with a long rein and a whip,
teaching them to leap on and off banks, and over or
into the ditches, after the method practised so success-
fully in Ireland, where the horses are far better and
earlier schooled than in any other country ; — for this
reason they are all good jumpers ; — it is far better than
all the practice they can have at the leaping-bar.
Gates, stiles, palings, rails, &c., coming under the de-
nomination of timber, are the safest and easiest of all
leaps, standing generally fair, clear on both sides, and
lower than the stiff fences, which are thought nothing
of in comparison, and always preferred to the still

118 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

stronger temptation, the " noli me tangere' timber.
Avoid a gate that opens from yon, unless you are sure
that it is fast ; you cannot have a much worse fell than
that occasioned by the opening of a gate, upon a horse's
striking it either with fore or hind-legs ; if it open from
you, ride always near the hinge ; the take off is generally
better, though the bars are stiffer close to the post.
Gates opening towards you are the best to jump, they
offer a resistance, and generally break with the weight
and force of a horse, if he be inclined to feel them.
According to the theory of ancient philosophers, one
half of danger consisted in the view of it : this may
account for the preference of a blind thrust through a
bull-finch, with as little idea of what is beyond, as the
man of Thessaly had in the quickset, to an upstand-
ing leap, fair and above hoard. It is possible also that
the certainty of a bad fall, should your horse, either by
being blown, slipping at taking off, or by any other acci-
dent, attempt to go through, instead of clean over the
top of such obstacles, may have something to do with
the choice ; but this has been matter of recommenda-
tion to some men. That first-rater, Mr. Peyton, would,
upon principle, put a beaten horse at timber, because,
if he attempted it, he would be sure toJlJl on the right
side ! although he might altogether fail in getting any-
how over other fences. Any one who can reason thus,
and act accordingly, must be of the right sort, must be
composed of those materials which

" Give the world assurance of a man."

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 119

Having now touched upon earth, air, wood, and
■water, with enough of fire to w^arm me on the subject,
I have little more to offer in shape of advice to rising
sportsmen, with regard to their horses, on the use or
abuse of them. I would, however, add this memento — •
Do not keep a horse which you dislike, and never part
with one that really suits you. The filthy lucre of a
great premium on your bargain, will not replace that
which is neither " gemmis venale, nee auro ;" and, on
the other hand, a useless horse eats as much as one
that is invaluable. He may be undeniable, but if he
be not exactly your sort, follow the old maxim concern-
ing white legs, and

" If lie don't suit you sell him to your friend,
But if you like liim, keep him to life's end."

Cherish him, spare no pains to preserve him ; he will
get no less used to you, than you to him ; and he will
repay all your cares fourfold ; — as he cannot endure for
ever, he will serve as a model for your future choice
as to shape, &c. Never think of colour ; foreigners
have a prejudice against a speck of white, and are
guided by similar nonsense in their selection, though,
truly, they have expatriated some of our best blood ;
but the possessors of large studs will tell you that they
have had equally good horses of all colours ; little ones
are said to beat big ones, and it cannot be doubted
that there are more real good ones below the height
of fifteen hands, three inches (which is high enough),
than above it ; but there is, probably, something in the

120 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

fact, that, as is the case with men, and all things in
animal creation, there are few of large growth per-
fect in other respects. A horse of sixteen hands,
with symmetry as faultless, and power proportionate,
must be better calculated for a hunter than one of
fifteen, neither having* exceeded, or fallen short of, his
natural growth. I say this upon conviction, still taking
leave to retain my own predilection for little ones,
till I see their inferiority manifested. With regard to
entire horses, there is a notion, that, if once stopped,
or tired, they never forget it, and are liable to shut up
early, in a fit of the sulks : there may have been such
cases, but not enough to form a rule. If an entire
horse be good-tempered, and not inclined to be trouble-
some in company, there can be no doubt as to his
superior powers of endurance. During the severest
campaigns in the Peninsular war, according to the
highest and best authority, mares were found most ser-
viceable throughout the whole of our cavalry force ; and,
from the number of mares to be found in coaches, &c.,
it would seem that mares should have the call. It is
sufficient, however, for us to know, that there is no
objection to thenj, that there is no need to regard them
as the weaker vessel, that sex is as immaterial as colour,
and that whether " black, white, or gray ;" masculine,
feminine, or neuter ; anything of the equine genus,
possessing sufficiency of blood and bone — wind, speed,
and bottom — may be a hunter.

How far, or in what manner, this trebly accursed

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 121

I'evolution of railroads may affect the breed of horses,
and fox-hunting generally, it is impossible to say. T he
speculation on the subject is of too painful a nature ;
we cannot enter fully into it, without verging upon a
disquisition on political economy beyond the province of
a treatise on the Noble Science. It must be sufficiently
obvious to the most narrow-spirited, that, unless they
are the objects of fresh legislation, these railroads must
become the most oppressive monopoly ever inflicted
upon a free country. When all the inns and road-side
houses shall be tenantless, and gone to decay, their
present occupants being lost in the abyss of inevitable
ruin which is now opened for them ; when not only
posting, and post-horses, but the roads on which they
travelled, shall be, with the Turnpike Acts themselves,
matter of history — the means of locomotion will be
at the mercy of the most merciless of all human beings
- — a class actuated by cupidity, and beyond the reach of
that salutary correction, that only security for the
public against the abuse of private privilege — a com-
petition. To us, as sportsmen, the intersection of any
country by canal, or railroad, furnishes food enough
in itself for lamentation ; we bewail the beauty of the
district spoiled, and, as an obstacle to our amusement,
we denounce the barrier hostile to our sport. It is
not, however, in such a light only that we view the
case. We willingly admit, that the diversions of one
class in society are but as a feather in the balance,
v/hen weighed against the practical utility of any work.

122 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

tending to the advancement of the general good ; that
it is the duty of a Government to promote, to the ut-
most, all feasible enterprise and undertaking, proved to
be conducive to the interests of the State ; and we
reconcile ourselves to any changes which the con-
dition of the community to which we belong may de-
mand. But when we consider the magnitude of the
convulsion which this mighty railroad delusion will
effect, the fearful extent of its operation, the thousands
of human beings thrown out of employ, the incalculable
diminution in the number of horses, and the consequent
deficiency in demand for agricultural produce — not to
mention the enormous deduction from the revenue,
consequent upon the abolition of the post-horse duties ;
when we think of its varied and multitudinous bearings
upon the present state of society ; and add to all this the
fact, that in no quarter of the globe were the means
of travelling established on so admirable a basis as
hitherto in this country, — that, like the dog and the
shadow, we are about to cast away the substance of
good for the sake of catching at a change of prob-
lematical good, in the opinion of some, and fraught
with positive evil in the estimation of many ; — when
we reflect on these things, we cannot but wonder
at the blindness which has countenanced the growth
of a monster, which will rend the vitals of those
by whom it has been fostered. But let us turn from
the contemplation of a gloomy prospect ; let us
hope that Heaven may avert from old England — and

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 123

Heaven alone can save her from sharing the fate of
empires since the world began, — the downfall which
the refinement of luxury, and its train, entailed on
Home ; the too cert lin consequences of that restless
spirit, that proneness to discontent, inherent in the
human breast, which causes men, for the sake of " keep-
ing moving," to catch at any idea of improvement,
however chimerical — to disregard the timidity of the
wary, and, like

" Fools, rush on where angels fear' J to tread."

We have little or nothing to do with politics, but
when we utter the heartfelt sentiment, " May fox-hunt-
ing flourish a thousand years hence," — convinced that
it is intimately connected with the internal welfare and
happiness of our once merry, still happy, and prosper-
ous country, — we cannot but shudder at the view of
any measures calculated to drain to the source the
very springs of its existence, to dry up the fountains by
which it is supported, to change our habits and pursuits,
transform the rural soil into one vast gridiron, and
render us literally, what Napoleon termed us, a " mere
nation of shopkeepers/' — Our maxim must be that of
my old favourite Horace —

" Dona prsesentis cape Ifetus horae, et

Linque severa."

Let us be thankful that fox-hunting is such as it is
in our time. We will not inquire whether it ever
was better, but trust that it will remain as good.

124 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

In conclusion of my prose in behalf of a good and
deservedly valued hunter, let me recommend, at the
close of his career, that he be not subjected to those
vicissitudes which have been so aflfectingly depicted by
Dibdin, in the poem from which I have more than once
found occasion to make quotations ; inasmuch as it is
unhappily flir less in accordance with the poetical
licence of fiction, than with sad reality. — When he will
carry you no longer well with hounds, do not make him
a drudge ; send him to the kennel, save him a world of
woe by having him shot, and devoting his carcass to
the boiling-house. There can be no objection to giving
him a few years run in park or paddock, if you have
them convenient, provided that his life is not pro-
tracted beyond the power of enjoying it ; and a mare
may, perhaps, breed clever stock long after she has
retired from service : but if you consign them to the
work of the farm, or road, and should lose sight of
them, — the pride of your stable, the horse that has
borne you faithfully, thtit has gained glory, as well
for his master as himself — the favoured of all favour-
ites— may end his days in the manner thus too justly
described : —

" Till at length having laboiir'd, drudged early and late,
' Bow'd down by degrees, he bends on to his fate —

Blind, old, lean, and feeble, he tugs round a mill.

Or draws sand till the sand of his honr-glass stands still —

And now, cold and lifeless, exposed to the view,

In the very same cart which he yesterday drew.

While a pitying crowd his sad relics surrounds,

The high- mettled racer is sold for the hounds."

THE NOBLE SCIENCE, 125

Although last, and, perhsps, least to be considered, in
the review of all essentials in the appointments of a
young fox-hunter — his own personal equipment is a
matter of too much importance to admit of my neg-
lecting, altogether, the subject of his dress. One of the
most agreeable, amusing, and clever of all writers in
the present day, Mrs. Trollope, has, with great truth
and justice, remarked, concerning " the lords of crea-
tion," that our " present style of dress is at once
the least becoming, and the least calculated to mark
the distinctions of society, that ever a spiteful demo-
cratic tailor invented." The same talented lady, speak-
ing of the Hungarian gentlemen in full dress, says,
that they formed " such an assembly as gave one the
comfortable conviction, that notwithstanding all tlie
labour and pains taken in many parts of the world to
destroy it — the genus gentleman does still exist in great
perfection." I fear that should these pages ever meet
the eye of a radical, the tone and sentiment will be
condemned as rococo, to an intolerable degree ; but in
upholding the genus gentleman, above all others, I
should be very sorry to be mistaken, or supposed capable
of casting a reflection upon, or of undervaluing the ster-
ling worth of the middling classes, constituting, in fact,
the great body of the people of England. So far from
entertaining any such unworthy feeling, I would infi-
nitely prefer to shake hands with honest and albeit
vulgar tradesmen, either in the hunting field, or at their
counters, than with many of their most refined cus-

1 20 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

tomers ; though I cannot go the length of some writers
upon the state of society, who, taking exception for
rule, and forgetting the vast disproportion which the
aristocracy bears in numbers, — are disposed to arrogate
to the middling classes an undue share of the whole
moral worth and honour of the nation. I am writing
upon a sport, a noble science exclusively appertaining
to gentlemen, not to rich men who can afford to keep
hounds and horses, but to English gentlemen, in the
most literal sense and meaning of the term ; and next
to maintaining the character, I would have a man
assume, at all times, the appearance of a gentleman.
A young man is less likely to err in attention to dress,
than in slovenUness — the former will wear off, the
latter will grow upon him. The demi-rep roue style,
adopted by too many leaders of fashion in the present
generation, as fully evinces the very acme of mauvais
ton, as that of the past was characteristic of high breed-
ing. It is true that a man possessing I'air nohle, cannot
thoroughly disguise himself, aided by all the ingenuity
of his tailor to that effect ; nor could the most unex-
ceptionable attire impart that same "air' to the parvenu;
but now, that black and coloured neckcloths have super-
ceded the unsullied white, redolent of the labours of
the laundry ; — now, that trousers have entirely taken
place of those leather continuations which formerly
manifested, with the rest of the wardrobe, ^ the careful
offices of valet and attendants — there is not the same
outward distinction between the peer and the apprentice.

THE NOBLE SCIEXCE. 127

A blue, or coloured neckcloth, is all well enough for a
morning dress, with a scarlet coat ; but if one greater
atrocity can be committed than another, in shape of a
mesalliance in dress, it is that of a black cravat, with
top boots — no one, with the remotest pretensions to
taste, could thus commit himself; but, as such things
have been, I mention them only as a warning to any
not aware of the snobbish effect of such a contrast ;
knowing that this opinion is beyond the reach of con-
troversy. With regard to boots, our ancestors thought
with the poet —

" Man wants but little here below,
Nor wants that little long;"

but now, the neat top-boot must give way to the cum-
brous jack of the French postilion.

The skill of Hammond, and of Anderson, is now a
cipher — "their occupation's gone." Leslie may con-
tinue his useful labours on the Poor-law ; but the
matchless, I should say the inexpressible, fitting of the
knee no longer claims his care. Indolence, and the
rage for dispensing with manual labour, have supplied
the long black boot, approaching to the hip ; this may
be very convenient, as it undoubtedly is to the horse-
dealers, who pull them over their dirty fustians ; one
pair may furnish the itinerant sportsman, who carries
his wardrobe on his person, for the week — nay, beyond
this, they are, I believe, in favour and in use with some,
of such standing that I must not presume to abuse

128 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

them ; but I am free to express an opinion as to their
appearance, and their improvement of hunting costume,
and to question any advantage over the old top-boot,
when the knees are fortified from thorns by good
buckskin. — I can better reconcile them with the resem-
blance of a foreign chasseur, than with the figure of
Lord Jersey on horseback, or the heaic idSal of an
English fox-hunter. Those who ride with their feet
full, or quite home, in the stirrup, will find great pro-
tection from the bruises and callous swellings, so com-
monly caused by the contact of the instep with the top
of the stirrup, by having the heel of the boot made so
long, that the stirrup cannot come far enough on the
foot to admit of such pressure. While on the subject of
stirrups, it is as well to say, that the spring bars affixed
to the saddles are not sufficiently to be depended upon,
as a precaution against so horrible an accident as
that of hanging in, and being dragged by, the stirrup. I
have seen an instance of a man falling over the left side
of his horse, with his right foot hanging still in the
right stirrup. No saddle should be without spring bars,
as they will probably act in most cases ; but it is throw-
ing a chance away to omit the additional security of
having the stirrup irons made to open with a spring,
when the foot is displaced. The advantage is obvious,
and, if the springs are properly tempered, no incon-
venience can ever arise. There is, probably, a saving of
expense and labour, which may form a recommendation
to the jack-boot, but it does not cost more now than

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 129

it did formerly, to dress like a gentleman ; and as it is
not absolutely necessary that port wine and black-
currant jelly should be the chief ingredients of proper
blacking, or that the boot-top liquid should actually
be composed of champagne and apricot-jam, according
to the most approved University prescriptions, it is
to be hoped that such boots as those worn by his Grace
of Dorset may long retain their supremacy, not only
as the most becoming, but the most appropriate. It
would be difficult, perhaps presumptuous, to offer any
rules for hunting-apparel, unless possessed of the ability
with which Colonel Hawker has given instructions
for the dress of the shooter, — as the colour of the
upper garment is almost universally the same, and
the cut of it must, of course, be regulated by the taste
of the wearer,— -but to the precaution against wet and
cold which would suggest lamb's-wool stockings and
thick soles for the feet, I would venture to add that
of a lining of flannel to the coat, as a measure of no
little comfort and utility. It is said, that Mr. Brummel's
orders to his tailor were, to " keep continually sending
leather breeches ;" but I venture to recommend leather
in preference to all others, because they are almost
everlasting, and, therefore, though double the price at
first, are cheapest and best in the end. It is a common
error to suppose that they are attended with any
inconvenience in wet weather ; this might have been
the case once, when they were made to fit like the
tightest pantaloons ; but, as they are now made, they

9

130 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

will be found the best wear in the heaviest rain, and
they will resist trifling wet from boughs, &c., being
impregnable to a shower, which would saturate tlie
cords so generally adopted during the teuiporary disuse
of leather. The custom of wearing scarlet in fox-
hunting is supposed to have had its origin in the
circumstance of its being a royal sport, confirmed by
the mandate of one king Henry, who organized and
equipped, in the royal livery of scarlet, a corps for
the destruction of foxes, not after the manner which
we should recognize as legitimate in the present day.
This is, at least, a plausible and, at all events, right royal
way of accounting for a habit, rather of martial, than
of sylvan import, were it not otherwise sufficiently
recommended by the cheerfulness which it imparts to
the aspect of the field. The round hat has long been
preferred to the old cap, which now serves as a dis-
tinction of office. The only advantage in a cap to any
one who cannot endure weight on his head, is, that it
can be made lighter than a hat, and either should be
substantial enough to resist a fall. One word upon a
whip must be superfluous ; the less I offer of the lash
the better, after the incontestible evidence adduced
by Mr. Smith in favour of such an appendage as
" the thong." Spurs have been pronounced by some
very " learned Thebans," to be far more devoted to orna-
ment than use, to be more important to the cavalier in
Hyde Park, who

" With the left heel assiduously aside,
Provokes the caper he pretends to chide,"

THE XOBLE SCIENCE. 131

than to the sportsman ; and I believe that, as far as
they are supposed to be the means of persuasion, as
many races have been lost as won by their stimulus. —
Spurs, however, if not indispensable, are unquestion-
ably useful when properly applied : if a horse require
them to quicken his progress, he may be as well without
them ; but they may very much aid the hand, if used
in concert, in keeping a horse straight, preventing him
swerving from his fences, and are important upon any
sudden occasion of rousing his energies. They must,
therefore, be numbered in the inventory of hunting
requisites. The vocation of the sportsman leads him
constantly amidst " the war of elements ;" — experience
will best direct him, as to the efficacy of his equipment
from head to foot. He should ever be mindful of the
precept of old Parr, and " keep his feet warm by
exercise, and his head cool by temperance." My only
object in writing an article upon, or, rather, of writing
a word upon an article of dress, is that of noticing the
fact, that inasmuch as the demeanour of the " courtly
Chesterfield " — (although he did, after riding "beyond all
price," presume to " wonder how men ever hunted
twice"), — is that which is far more consistent with the
character of a real fox-hunter, than the drinking,
swaggering, rough-and-ready picture of the mere vermin
killer, so constantly misrepresented as the squire of
former days ; so, also, is the most correct mode of
habiliment (the total absence of all which, born of bad
taste, is, in slang parlance, designated as '' swell," — or

9—2

132

THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

** knowing,") — tliat wliich, without one studied effort,
sits naturally on the outward man, — that which alone
accords with the yiersonal appearance of a true votary
of this most gentlemanlike, most " Noble Science."

^1^

Ancient Geologists.

CHAPTER IX.

"All earth's astir, rous'cl with the revelry
Of vigour, health, and joy ! Cheer awakes cheer,
While Echo's mimic tongue that never tires
Keeps up the hearty din :— Each face is then
Its neighbours glass— where gladness sees itself,
And at the bright reflection grows more glad !
Breaks into tenfold mirth ! — laughs like a child,
Would make a gift of its own heart, it is so free !
Would scarce accept a kingdom, 'tis so rich !
Shakes hands with all, and vows it never knew
That life was life before."

Love Chase.

A Hunting IMorning ; Mood for Enjoyment of ; Different Sentiments
upon — Place of Meeting— Forcing a Fox — Where is the Will, is the
W^ay — View Halloos — Noise — Silence— The Human Voice Divine —
Field Langua-e—" Tally-ho" versus "Tally-0"— Mr. Smith's Glos-
sary— Drawing Coverts — Up or down Wine! — Instance of an Up-wind
Draw in a Spinney —Getting away with a' Fox — The Burst— Pressing
him— Advantage of a Start to the Fox — Mr. Smith's Idea of a Fox's
Knowledge of Scent — Covert side—" Coifee-housing" — The JSI umber
of Hounds for an Effective Pack — Number in the Field — TheGteat

134 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

j\Ir. ISleynell, with a Hundred Couples out— Success of such a Puck
—Killing above Ground, and Digging— Drawing over Foxes- Getting
settled to owe- "Ware Eiof' — Mischief of Interference— Hare and
Fox on the Same Line — Lawful Assistance, when admissible and ad-
vantageous— A Quick Find — Liability to Riot in a long draw Blank
— Punishment of Hounds— A Day in Herts — Average Spoi't — The
Find — "Gone away" — The First Ten Minutes— A Huntsman in his
Proper Place ; how to keep it— Varieties of Soil — A Check— Eye to
Hounds, and Last Recovery — Forward again — Racing for the Lead —
Over-riding Hounds— Settling to Business — Hunting and Running
—Hunting a Fox, not riding him down— A View in Chase — The
Thick of the Thing— A Second Check at the Plough Teams — Headed
or not ]— Huntsman's Head required— Forward again and again —
The Field in High Feather— A Sinking Fox—" Hang those Footmen,
how they holloa !" — A Fair Finish— Whoo whoop ! This Run com-
pared with a better — Double Casts with Divided Pack— The Forward
Principle, the Rule of Fox-hunting — Drains— Going Home— The
Time for all Things— Return to Kennel— Efficacy of Hounds — Mr.
Smith's Breed of Foxes that can beat any Pack— Condition every-
thing, and everything depending on " System of Kennel."

Let us fancy ourselves prepared to take the field on
some fine day in November — we will not invoke the
aid of " a southerly wind and a cloudy sky," which no
longer " proclaim a hunting morning ;" — they might
have done of yore, but are now out of date. Light
clouds, just enough to intercept the " garish eye of day,"
without betokening rain or storms, such as veil the
vaulted canopy above us in one tint of sober gray, and
impart to the earth beneath them a mellow and sub-
dued tone of light, varied only by the impulse of a
northern breeze, which, in itself, is but just sufficient to
shake the dew-drop from the thorn,— these are the
welcome materials constituting the prospect of a
hunting morning. Piightly to enjoy such a morning,
you must be in a frame of mind to exclaim with
Borneo : —

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 135

" My bosom's lord sits lightly on its throne,
And all this day an unaccustomed spirit
Lifts me above the ground with cheerful thoughts."

If the half of earthly joys consist in anticipation, the
sportsman is half way towards his seventh heaven,
when, bounding on his covert hack, time and space
appear annihilated, by the rapidity of his progress
towards the scene in which his very soul is centred : —
I speak of sportsmen ; — nothing can be further from my
thoughts, than the presumption that such trash as
this can meet with anything but the most unqualified
contempt from the man who hunts, for fashion, or
relief from ennui. What has he to do with the beauty
of Nature ?

" What's Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba V

The different sentiments with which men may
wend their way, each ostensibly intent upon the same
object — the different sensations which the being out
upon a hunting day may create in different breasts, always
remind me, most forcibly, of Lord Byron's exhibition of
a true seaman's feelings upon his element, contrasted
with those of one incapable of sharing them : —

" Say, who can tell— not thou luxurious slave,
Whose soul would sicken o'er the heaving wave ;
Not thou, vain lord of indolence and ease.
Whom slumber soothes not, pleasure cannot please :
Say, who can tell, save he whose heart hath tried,
And danc'd in triumph o'er the waters wide,
27te exulting sense, the jnilse's maddening x>lay.
That thrills the ivanderer of that trackless way."

Thus it is with hunting.— On the mere steeple-chaser,

136 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

or on the man who rises discontented from a feverish
bed, to curse the custom which prevents the more
protracted indulgence of sloth ; and still more, on him
Avho inwardly kmients that no interposition of a friendly
frost had spared him the necessity of *' doing as others
do at Rome," would any word upon the details of the
science, and what thereto appertains, be other than
utterly wasted. It is by the real sportsman, by the true
admirer of Nature and of Nature's God, by the man
fraught with a lively sense of the boon of existence, of
thankfulness for the health and happiness he is per-
mitted to enjoy, by the man at peace with himself, and
in charity with all men, that the exhilarating inspira-
tions of a hunting morning will be felt and appreciated.

But we are at the place of meeting ; we have no
business to inquire into the motives of any one ; all
have a right to hunt to please themselves, and as long
as they do no mischief, may take the country as it comes,
or the road as it goes, according to their own pleasure.
— Out of a hundred merry faces, you will probably find
many who have ridden long distances, and are constantly
at great trouble and expense, out of pure love of the
sport. The whole field wears, at least, the appearance
of happiness, and, taking them all in all, they are
probably a better set of fellows than you could find
congregated together upon any other occasion.

The place of meeting should never be too near the
covert intended to be drawn. No one should ride by
the side of it before the hounds are thrown off, as a

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 137

very old fox is easily disturbed ; and, when they are
drawing, in taking up a station, which will, of course,
be down wind, remember that it would have been too
much for the patience of Job to have had a fox headed
at his point of breaking. If hounds are drawing a wood
furnished with rides, it is highly desirable that all should
be within covert, excepting those placed officially to
view a fox away, which otherwise might steal off unseen.
If you are in a gorse, there is less occasion to depend on
your ears ; you can see all that is going on, with little
change of position ; and one side, that on which a fox
is most likely to break, should be left entirely open to
him. It is a farce to think of forcing a fox to take any
particular line of country by compelling him to break in
that direction.

■ If he will go, he will — you may depend on't ;
And if he won't, he won't— and there's an end on't.

He is almost certain to make good his first intention —
he heads back, — the cream of the thing is curdled —
hounds lose their first advantage ; they turn, probably,
from a burning scent up wind, to a moderate one down
wind, — the fox multiplies his start tenfold, and a good
run is spoiled. Any man who has ever hunted more
than twice, must know that nothing will sooner head a
fox than a halloo. The veriest tyro must have heard of,
if he have not witnessed, the effect of a tally-ho as soon
as a fox puts his nose out of covert; and, with all due
allowance for exuberance of delight, he has no business

T38 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

out liuntlno: if lie have not learned to view the animal in
respectful silence till he is quite clean "gone away."
A view halloo given then, to the full extent of the
utmost capability of lungs, can do no harm, but will be
thankfully acknowledged by the huntsman. If hounds
should be running, and settled to another fox, they will
not be disturbed by it ; if they are not, the sooner the
huntsman is aware that one (and probably the good
one) is gone, the better. A clear, good, musical view
halloo, either in or out of covert, is one of the most
inspiring accompaniments of the chase ; and, as a sequel
to the cheering encouragement given to the hounds by
the huntsman, in a tone of voice harmonizing with the
floating melody which has arisen from the breath of the
first challenge which proclaimed a find, it creates a
moment of excitement and pleasure indescribable. You
knew before that it was all right ; you could swear by
" old Medler, who never spoke false ;"

" You would lay ten to one 'twas a find ;"

but now you have the evidence to prove the fact, by
ovular demonstration. He has not stolen away, leaving
a steaming trail behind ; there he is, and you see
nothing to hinder a continuance, upon fair terms, with
him. Grateful, however, as is — welcome as must be —
this tocsin to the ear, it is far better altogether dispensed
with, than used incautiously or out of place. I would
not divest the sport of one particle of its animation and
cheeriness ; but fox-hunters do not, generally, err in

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 139

silence. Too much noise must create confusion, and
render hounds wild. A noisy, over-vociferous hunts-
man* sets a fatal example to his field, and is only
preferable to one who, in the other extreme, may be
silent and sulky to a degree of slackness. He must
neither attempt to find a fox with his horn, and frighten
him to death with his tongue ; nor must he talk to
his hounds with apathy and indifference. When I say
that fox-hunters do not err in silence, I mean that the
proportion of mischief far exceeds the benefit resulting
from halloos. The human eye is supposed to have a
wonderful efiect upon the brute creation.

" It is said that a lion will turn and flee
From a maid in the pride of her purity."

But I doubt whether the "human voice divine" is not
far more powerful in its operation. How often does the
partridge shooter inwardly consign the tongues of his
attendants to * * *, where they might want cooling ?
How many instances could I recount of foxes having
been rescued from the jaws of death, from the very
middle of the pack, by the tally-ho, here, — halloo, there,
which gets their heads up, and prevents their running,
infallibly, from a burning scent, into view of the devoted
carcass, within a very short distance of their noses.

The view halloo (a something approaching to a
screaming intonation of " waugh," nearer than anything

* Virgil, in his Georgics says, "Ingentem clamore premes ad retia
cervum," speaking of stag-hunting — but this clamour was only to drive
the stag to the nets.

140 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

I can write), cannot, I believe, be committed to paper ;
but the "tally-ho!" the visible sign, or intelligence, of
the sight of a fox, has been the subject of ingenious
speculation as to the uncle derivaturf Whether it has
its origin in the Norman taillis haiit, "high coppice;"
or whether, as some assert with equal confidence, aa
taillis, "to the coppice ;" or whether it is derived from
the plain English tall ho ! as a salute to that conspi-
cuous and distinguished part of the animal called the
brush, is a matter of no moment to the sportsman,
whatever it may be to the etymologist. My only object,
in this digressive allusion to the word, is to express my
hope and belief that I have not mis-spelt it. I conceive
that nothing but a misprint, and a repetition of the same
diabolical error of the press, can have given us so much
of tally-0, as I find in Mr. Smith's valuable Diary of a
Huntsman, which 1 have seen since the previous chapter
went to press. We hear tye-ho ! for the deer ; so- ho !
for the hare ; to-ho ! to the pointer, &c., &c. Sail-ho !
is the cry from the mast head when a vessel is in sight.
The interjection "ho !" being, as I take it, an exclama-
tion indicative of surprise, and, at the same time,
signifying the presence of an object. In Mr. Smith's
glossary of hunting terms, we n.re told that "//ooi" is
^' the view halloo, when talhj-O is not heard, or ivheti
hounds are at a check, and it is desirable to get thcni on ;"
and, in explanation of tally-0 itself, that, " if desirable
to halloo it loudly, it should be pronounced, ta, a-le, o,"
meaning, beyond doubt, ta, a, le-ho ! for we must expect

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 141

to hear of 'ounds, and 'orsci, in the dialect of the cock-
ney, ivho 'ammers an 'ach along an 'ard road to hint at
Ilepping, from a man who would thus clip the Queen's
English, and rob the dear old tallj^-ho of the expressive
aspirate which was familiar to our infancy. To return
to halloos in general, your first view halloo having led
me a long way since I left you with hounds, drawing for
a fox, on a fine hunting morning. On the use of your
voice in the field, or covert, I should say, remember
never to halloo far from the spot where the fox is
viewed. You may be of real use if you enable a hunts-
man to lay his hoimds on the last space which you saw
occupied by the fox ; taking care, of course, to turn your
horse's head, and w^ave your hand in the direction he is
gone, to prevent their taking heel way. Notliing is more
annoying than, after lifting hounds to a halloo, to find
that your informant has viewed the fox a quarter of a
mile off, nearer, very likely, to the place whence you
started, than to him ; you have then to retrace your
steps, with a very material loss of time, to say nothing
of having disappointed or made fools of the hounds.

With respect to drawing a covert, I believe that,
although unquestionably best, to take a woodland up
wind, it is of little importance which way hounds are
thrown into a gorse, the chances of chopping a fox
being more alarming than those of his getting too good
a start. In small woods, or spinnies, it is not only a
mistake to think that it is necessary to give hounds the
wind, but it is positively wrong to draw otherwise than

142 THE NOBLE SCIENCE,

down wind. You incur a terrible risk of eatclnng a fox
nappin^^, which is an easier thing to do than " to catch
a weasel asleep ;" and, moreover, it is ten to one that
you force a fox, if not chopped, to break against his
inclination.'''' I saw a beautiful find completely spoiled
by this circumstance alone, towards the end of last year
with a celebrated pack. With the idea of forcing a fox
into a particular line of country, the hounds were thrown
up wind, into a spinney : a certain find. By dint of
noise, the fox was unkennelled without accident ; and
finding it impossible to face the pack and field in his
rear, was compelled to make a feint forward, in the eye
of an equinoctial gale ; but, after half a mile of this
fun, he, of course, took the first opportunity of making
a retrograde movement, leading a gallant chase for miles
down wind. The impulse of a pack, however, when
enjoying a burst up wind, close to their fox, is that of
" Vestigia nulla retrorsum." On this occasion, they
never recovered the first check ; and, although they had
a good run, the fox found security in the distant wood-
land of the adjoining country, and the day was wanthig
that satisfactory account of him, which must have been
the result, had a contrary course been pursued in
drawing. In this, as in many other things, " Ce n'est
que ]q premier iKis qui coute."

We are all, of course, anxious enough to get away on

* It has been before remarked, that " if he will go, he will"— it is difficult
to change the ])redetermined line of a fox, but easy enough to force him
to break at a different point to that which he would spontaneously have
chosen.

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 143

the best possible terms with a fox : and it is only fair
towards hounds to get them away close at his brush ; but
I doubt whether this is the best way to ensure a good
run, or that a fox is so likely to face an extent of
country, as he is when he has had a few minutes to
make up his mind. There are numberless instances of
foxes having taken very unusual lines, owing, as may be
justly supposed, to having been thus pressed at first ;
but, on such occasions, it generally happens that some
kind of check occurs in the first five minutes, sfivinsf a
fox some ground for venturing to make a bold coup for
his life. He will then set his head straight, and make
his point good for some known haunt, twelve, thirteen,
or more miles distant, as the crow flies. I do not mean
to say that I would give him a moment's law beyond a
fair start from covert. Your object is to find, and fliirly
hunt, or run him down. To kill a good fox, he must be
lyrcssed all through the chase ; and his fate is most
frequently decided by the pace of the first twenty
minutes, most appropriately designated as '' the burst ;''
but it is ten to one that he heads back, if the chances
are obviously much against him, and winds up his career
in a ring. I have heard great complaints, of late seasons,
of short running foxes in Leicestershire. I conceive that
this is not because foxes are worse, though enclosures
and other causes may be taken into account, but that
hounds are better : — they are bred to run faster. What-
ever may have been the pace of former days, I feel
confident that it was not equal to the speed of the

144 TEIE NOBLE SCIENCE.

present. Hounds, in such countries, burst their fox, and
drive him to his shifts, before he has time to avail
himself of his geography. They get well away with him
from gorse, or small covert, and are never off his line.
This is not generally the case from a larger covert ;
hence the reputation of woodland foxes, which are said
to be always the best. I have been told by some of the
oldest and best sportsmen, that all the finest runs they
can remember, have been when a fox has got a good
start, and the scent has chanced to be good enough to
allow hounds, in nautical phrase, to overhaul him, coming
up with him, hand over hand, when he little expected
them. It is then too late to return, or the gallant
*' varmint" has been too far committed to retract, and
is compelled to do, or die, at once. A good scent may
be truly said to make a good fox.

As to Mr. Smith's idea, that a fox must be a good
judge of scent because he lives by hunting, and that he
regulates his movements accordingly, it certainly might
puzzle ingenuity to say too much of the wiliness or
sagacity of the animal, whose cunning is proverbial ;
but the supposition of their knowledge of a good scent
is not, in my humble opinion, quite borne out by fact.
It is true that they will take to a lane, or hard road,
as will also the hare, and play other vagaries, seemingly
with a notion of diminishing the scent ; but I am
inclined to think, that the surface for their footinir, the
difference of travelling over light or heavy ground, is
their consideration ; or else why does a fox invariably

bl

THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

145

leave ploughed land, and take to grass, which, if he be
anything of a philosopher, he must know will betray his
steps in a tenfold degree ? I shall, hereafter, presume
to offer an opinion upon the nature of scent. We must,
for the present, return to the covert side, where I left-
you— not as, I hope, " coffee-housing" amidst a group of
idlers, who are, probably, conspicuous ornaments of an-
other certain spot, known by the name of Fool's Corner
— but on the tiptoe of expectation, intent upon observing
the working of eighteen or twenty couples of effective
foxhounds, and big with hope as to the success of their
operations. Here the mention of the number of hounds
requisite to constitute an effective pack, betrays me into
what may seem like another brief digression, but which
will not, I trust, appear out of place, as connected with
the science in the field. The number kept in kennel
must, of course, depend upon the country, and the
number of hunting days per week. From fifty to sixty
couples are, I believe, found sufiicient for four days a
week, in most countries, although the kennel establish-
ments in Leicestershire far exceed this number. Taking-
one of the most complete, if not the most perfect, in the
whole world, for an example of what is right, you will
find that it is oftener with less, than with more than
eighteen couples that Lord Forester and Mr. Goosey
thread the vale of Belvoir. When the Father of the
Science, the great Meynell, first went into Leicestershire,
he never took out fewer than one hundred coitples of
hounds, — a fact which I have ascertained from one who

10

146 TUE NOBLE SCIENCE.

was in liis prime, as a fox-hunter, long before the close
of the last century : who well knew the practice of
those days, and was well acquainted with the circum-
stances. One hundred couples were drawn for the
hunting pack (leaving, I should imagine, but a small
residue for the solace of the feeder, at home) ; and
when the fixture was at Segg's Hill, six miles from Mr.
Meynell's residence, it was thought necessary to despatch
them there over night, not only that they might be in
time for the rendezvous with the first rays of light,
but in order to avoid the fiitigue of the journey ! Well
may we expect to " live and learn," or learn while we
live, when we find that, within the memory of many now
being, and I trust, long to be, the science was thus still
in its infancy. That Mr. Meynell lived to discover, and
reform, the errors of this primitive state is well known ;
the order of things, in the present day, being chiefly the
result of his experience : but it is no less fact, that, for
several seasons, he never fairly killed one brace of foxes
above ground. Digging was then a common resource ;
the spade and pickaxe were powerful auxiliaries of those
days. The chase, which had comprehended unlimited
extent, generally terminated in the bowels of the earth ;
and whether the jaded object of many an hour's pursuit
had sought sanctuary in a rabbit-burrow, or in a more
legitimate refuge ; whether the process of extraction was
of brief or of indefinite duration, — that man was held a
recreant who would desert his post, or think about his
*' domus et plciccns uxor," till he could render a posthu-

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 147

mous account of the fox which had afforded " the hunt-
ing of that day."

Some amusing stories are on record, of the supply of
refreshments, and of the scenes which such occasions
furnished. It must be remembered, that this '' beginning
of their end" was not later, probably, than the hour of
our own commencement ; but a party of our forefathers,
in the act of besieouno^ a main earth, must have formed
a humorous subject for the pencil of an artist.

The practice of taking into the field a number of
hounds, such as Somerville, in his day, censures as

" That numerous pack, tliat crowd of stats,
With which the vain profusion of the great
Covers the lawn, and shakes the trembling copse," —

has long been discontinued, for the very reasons described
by the same poet.""'" Hounds should work in concert;
eighteen or twenty couples are enough for any but very
large woodlands ; they should spread well, so as to draw
closely every quarter, but it is useless to think of hurry-
ing over, or, as it is termed, letting them run through
more than a certain portion at once. Nothing is more
disheartening to fox preservers, and gamekeepers, than
drawing over their foxes ; there are some days when a

* " Pompous encumbrance ! a magnificence
Useless, vexatious ! for the wily fox.
Safe in the increasing number of his foes,
Kens well the great advantage : shrinks behind,
And slily creeps through the same beaten track.
And hunts them, step by step ; then views escaped
With inward ecstasy, the panting throng
In their own footsteps puzzled, foiled, and lost."

10—2

148 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

fox win find himself, but there are as many others on
which he will wait to be almost whipped out of his ken-
nel. It is the huntsman's duty to draw every covert, to
the full satisfaction of the proprietor ; and it is better,
also, to take instructions quietly communicated by the
parties authorized to offer them, as to the way in which it
should be drawn. Thus, no plausible pretext will be left
to account for a blank. When the huntsman is drawing
one half, or division, of the covert, it is the duty of the
whippers-in to stop all stragglers from the main body,
and keep them, if possible, within the prescribed boun-
dary; more especially where foxes are numerous, as it is
most important to get the whole pack settled, at first, to
one scent : but this exercise of authority requires judg-
ment, and any interference, on the part of a novice, or
any one unacquainted with the hounds, might be, as
in most cases, highly impolitic. A couple or two, or a
single hoiuid, may have come across and struck upon the
scent of a fox which has shifted, unseen, across a ride.
The scent in the stuff is too stale for them freely to own,
and speak to it ; the ride is redolent only of the steam
of horses, mingled, perhaps, with that of the Indian weed.
They cast themselves, with wonted sagacity, at once
across. They may be young hounds, in which the
owner, or huntsman, has not implicit confidence enough
to elicit a cheer ; but any injudicious " hark back," or
premature cry of " ware riot," may stop the consumma-
tion most devoutly to be wished, delaying, or altogether
preventing, a pretty find. It is a terrible mistake, that

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 149

of raising a shout of '' ware hare," and riding after the
culprit, however good the motive. The pack hear only
a " hollabaloo ;" they can scarcely distinguish the in-
tended rating from cheering ; those which would have
remained neutral, join the row ; and, " save me from my
friends," mentally ejaculates the huntsman. If a man be
disposed to be useful with his whip, or his voice (and a
good sportsman may be, occasionally, of much assistance
with both), he must be under the guidance of one or
two practical rules. When he sees young or old hounds
persevering upon a scent, which others, notoriously of
good character, refuse altogether to acknowledge, he will
hardly err in stopping them. He is welcome to ride
over any hound of mine actually chasing a hare in view
and I will thank him for his pains, whatever he may have
inflicted on the hound : but I had rather judgment was
suspended upon a hound running the line of a hare ; it
is a "non sequitur" that he may not be on the scent of a
fox. We had a laughable instance of this about the end
of last season : when drawing Batch Wood, with little
or no reasonable hope of finding (having recently dis-
turbed this good preserve for foxes), one hound chal-
lenged near the outside of the northernmost quarter,
where there was scarcely covering enough for an earwig ;
I chanced to have placed myself there ; while the pack
were drawing the opposite side. With one cheer to an
old favourite, and one signal from the horn to his com-
rades, we had instantly a crash which shook the few
remaining leaves from off the oaks. While I was in full

150 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

enjoyment of the chorus of the whole body close at a
fox in hollow covert, not caring to look for a view within,
a farmer, one of the most knowing of those who do hnoii\
who had protested in the first instance against the reality
of the find, rode up to me, almost breathless with haste,
exclaiming, " Stop them, for heaven's sake ! and if I was
in your place, sir, I would hang the whole pack. They
are running hare, and nothing else ; I have seen her close
before them these three rings that they have brought
her round." Quietly expressing my full belief that his
eyes had not deceived him as to the hare, I promised
him, if he would remain a moment with me, to show him
something else ; however improbable he might think it,
that a fox should be, where nothing but a hare or rabbit
was visible. I had scarcely spoken, before the gallant
fellow broke over the open, with the pack at his brush,
as I did not thinh, but hneiv, they had been for the pre-
ceding five minutes. The farmer good humouredly
remarked, that " seeing was not believing," and he pro-
bably read a lesson that day, which may avail him, as a
fox-hunter, for the rest of his time. If you see hounds,
which you know are to be depended upon, running out
of sight or hearing of others, and have not time or oppor-
tunity of giving notice to huntsman or whippers in, you
cannot do wrong in endeavouring to lift those which are
upon no scent, with a " go hark cry, hark forward, for.
ward hark !" capping them on, at the same time, to those
that are on the line ; and, again, after viewing a fox
a'way, you will never do otherwise than good in stopping.

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 151

or doing your best to stop, a single hound, or even two
couples, whioh'may get a start too far in advance of the
body. The pack will never relish a scent while there is
anything between them and their fox upon the line,
which is the reason for the irreparable mischief caused
by sheep dogs, greyhounds, or any stray cur that may
have coursed a fox during a run, causing a sudden vari-
ation of scent, w]iich is often irrecoverable. As there
are exceptions to every general rule, so are these cases
instances of distinction from the general and ruling
principle of non-intervention, on the part of the field.
All are equally ready to admit, that "too many cooks
must spoil the broth ;" but I am all for encouraging, on
the part of those who wish thoroughly to participate in
the sport, a desire to know what hounds are about, to
learn, as there is, or should be, a reason for doing every-
thing, the reason why everything is done.

A quick find is essential to the spirit of the day, and,
although it will not add to the steadiness of hounds to
clap them at once upon a fox, without giving them the
trouble of drawing for him, it is very desirable to find
early, before hounds get so disgusted with drawing
through a line of coverts, without a touch of the right
scent, that loss of patience inclines them to the wrong,
and they get into a humour to run anything. In Herts,
and other countries where game preserves are neither
few nor far between, and where there are often more
hares than hounds in a spinney, the wonder is, not that
any hounds should occasionally riot, but that any code

153 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

of discipline should have so thoroughly counteracted
their natural propensities, as to render them so generally
indifferent to the sight, or scent, of anything but that of
fox to which they were entered. This, under the old
system, was still more surprising, as it was the common
custom, even in the best schools, to enter young hounds,
in the first instance, to the scent of hare, with the idea
of teaching them to stoop to a scent, no matter what.
Upon the same principle would gamekeepers encourage
young pointers to stand at lark. The correction which
must follow, in order to eradicate the seeds which we
have ourselves taken pains to implant, appears, to say
the least of it, a most unreasonable tax upon instinct.
If a hound never notices the scent of hare in chase,
you cannot blame him if he chops one, or even pauses
to share a dainty meal, quickly despatched, with a com-
rade or two. For

" Reason raise o'er instinct as we can,
In this 'tis God that works, in that 'tis man."

He would be a fool if he did not "take the good
the gods provide" him, under his nose; but the
whipper-in must be quick in the detection of such
occurrences, must be active in forcing his w^ay instantly
to the rescue of the victim, which rescue, with whip
and rating voice, he must effect, making the hound
feel conscious that he cannot, with impunity, perpe-
trate any act of which he is ashamed. The best and
steadiest of packs cannot be free entirely from hounds
which will occasionally run riot, such hounds being

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 153

frequently most invaluable when once upon a fox. Any
hound that does not instantly desist from running riot,
when properly rated, should be caught np, if there
be time (and it is seldom that this occurs during real
business), and chastised on the spot. If it be expedient
to punish a hound, it is folly to do it by halves. Couple
his fore-legs under his neck, let him lie writhing in futile
efforts to follow the pack, while the whipper-in remains
to administer the lash behind. He is in no danger of
bruises from the double thong, but he cannot escape a
stroke of the lash that " bites to the quick." It must
have been a curious sight to have seen Mr. Smith's
twenty-five couples, " fifty in a row," tied to park palings
(lasJiings must have been at a premium), to be flogged
" till all hands were tired." Dr. Kate's feat of birching
some fifty pairs of rebellious Etonians, one fine morning,
w^as a joke to this ; they had it one by one. Pity that
there is no omni-flagellatory steam-engine. It might be
worth erecting such an apparatus, "for six weeks' " prac-
tice, " from daybreak till the afternoon."'" On bad scent-
ing days, when there is confusion of scent on ground
stained with varieties of game, the best hounds may flash
a little at hare ; but we are supposing nothing adverse —
we are drawing upon a good hunting day ; not a pretty
patch of gorse, though we have several ; but, as they are
not the most common of our coverts, say Westbury, or
any other moderate sized wood which may suggest itself
to your fancy. See that old bitch how she feathers— how

* Vide Diary of a Hvintsman, page 41.

154 TflE NOBLE SCIENCE.

her stern vibrates with the quickened action of her
pulses ; for a moment she ploughs the earth with her
nostrils, she whimpers out a half-suppressed emotion,
dashes a few yards forward, stoops again, and traverses
around her. " Yoi, wind him ! have at him, old darling !
Yoi, touch on him ! Hey, wind him, old Governess ! Yoi,
2:)U8li him up !" A fox for a million. Onward she strikes,
throws back her graceful neck, rears high her head, and,
with a note of confidence, proclaims the joyful tidings of
a find. Like hosts that rally round their standard, at the
trumpet's call, come boundiug through the brake the
merry throng ; the huntsman's cheer is responded to by
a rapid succession of

throats,

" With a whole gamut filled with heavenly notes."

It is a moment of intense, I had almost written, of pain-
ful interest ; so nearly do extremes meet, so close is the
conjunction between the most pleasurable sensations and
those of an opposite character. While hope is mount-
ing almost to delight, anxiety is bordering upon fear.
The action has commenced, the huntsman's heart and
soul are thrown amidst the pack, he has neither eyes nor
ears for aught beside, all is right at present ; but any
one of a hundred probable mischances may mar the tide
of fortune. A few short, sharp, and shrill notes of the
horn, alternating with a cheery " hoic ! hoic ! hoic,
together, hoic !" fill up the pauses in this grand overture
to the approaching opera. The huntsman is, as he
always should be, literally with his hounds ; the second

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 155

whipper-in is in active attendance upon him, at certain
distance in his rear, ready to put on any stragglers as
they join, with a '' go hark cry, go hark !" in a tone of
encouragement (not of reproach, for they cannot all be
en masse at once in strong covert) ; there are twenty
couples thundering through the stuff. Hark to yon
piercing scream across the ride. The first whipper-in
has viewed him over, and, waving his hand in the direc-
tion of the fox's head, he is galloping, stealthily, to the
corner by the gate-post, whence he can rely upon a view
away. Heaven grant that no blundering idiot be out-
side. Here come the pack, they have cleared the high
wood ; look at them flying through the stubs ; see how
they fling, how quick they turn, and how maintain the
cry — now one, and then another, like a chime of bells ;
and helter-skelter, down the muddy ride, come flounder-
ing on " the field."

" Cigars are thrown down in a hurry,
And bridle-reins gather 'd up tight,
See each is prepar'd for a scurry,
And all are rcsolv'd to be right.
Tally-ho ! cries a clod from a tree —

Now I'll give you all leave to come on.
And a terrible burst it will be,

For right o'er a fine country he's gone."

Hunting Song.

The fox has not hung an instant, he has threaded only
the quarter of the covert where he was found, where he
was well found, and so well pressed, that it is too hot to
hold him. Like a gallant fellow he has faced the open;
without a turn he has resolved upon a run for his life ;

156 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

tlie field have behaved well, and like sportsmen, as they
always will, with a little tact and management ; he has
not been headed ; he has broken between the gateway, to
which the whipper-in has ridden, and the oj^posite corner,
where the horn of the master gives assurance that he is
fairly away. It is a signal as well known to the hounds
as to the huntsman ; they fly to a note never heard but
for especial purposes ; one by which they never were de-
ceived or disappointed. The second whipper-in and
huntsman cheer them on to the edge of the covert, with,
"forward, hark! forward, hark ! forward, away, away !" (I
cannot attempt to decipher the intonation of different
huntsmen, for to me there is nothing so unintelligible or
difficult of construction as bad English, whether in
phrases or whole sentences) ; but there is no useless
repetition of view halloos without ; both whipper-in
and master saw him break at the same instant ; in
neither did a muscle move till he had almost cleared the
field between his home and the lane which he has
crossed beyond : then, hearing the echoing thunder of
his enemies, as quickly as follows the peal upon the
lightning's flash, a sign of intelligence passes between
them, after one flourish of the horn, as much as to say,
" That will do, they cannot be coming better or quicker
after him."'*' And now, indeed, they come ; what a

* I have commended silence upon such an occasion, but not as an in-
variable rule. If hounds had been heard to dwell upon a doubtful scent,
or turn, the whipper-in would have been instantly back in covert to
carry them on ; but when they are coming on as well as they can, it is
notoriously best to check impatience ; leave them alone— do not get
their heads up ; they will bring it out, take it up, and carry it Avith them,
twice as well, and quicker, by themselves.

THE NOBLi: SCIENCE. 157

phalanx of spangled beauty ! with a simultaneous rush

they top the fence, pour, like an avalanche, upon the

plain, and settle to the scent. They are away !—

" now my brave youths,

Stripp'd for the chase, give all your souls to joy."

Thanks for your courtesy and patience. Look at the
pack ; see how they are racing for the lead : the young
ones have it for pace, yet what a head they carry. How
they skim across the pasture lands — there is a burning
scent — ride over them who can ! But here, in our pro-
vincial, the man who hunts only to ride, must and will
be chafed and disappointed, though he may have abund-
ance of fencing, and plenty of riding to hunt. It will
now and then happen, that we cross parts of our coun-
try in a manner satisfactory to the hardest Meltonian,
or steeple-chaser ; but I am now attempting to describe
a run, as it usually occurs, with neither more nor less
than the average proportion of disadvantages. Kide as
hard as you please; ride well and boldly, ride like men ;
but try to ride like sportsmen. Above all, do not at-
tempt to race with, or take the lead from, the hunts-
man in his own line. He ought, in himself, to possess
the ability, and it is unpardonable in the muster if he is
not furnished with the means, of keeping as near to his
hounds as he ought to be. I have known it the fashion
to ride at more than one huntsman who had acquired
such celebrity as a crack rider, that it soon became the
only remnant of his reputation, all the requisites of his
calling being merged in the comparatively superficial

l58 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

accomplisliment of " cutting down " all who come near
Iilm. A huntsman should have nerve and decision
enough to act the part of leader upon every occasion.
•He is not to take liberties with his horse, or take unne-
cessary leaps in rivalry with others, whose presence may
not be necessary, or their absence deplored, a moment
after they have cried, Enough ; but he must resolutely
charge, without flinching, all practicable impediments.
If men observe a huntsman hesitating at the most diffi-
cult and doubtful places, and willing to yield the prece-
dence to others inclined to ascertain whether or not
they are negotiable, they will soon take it for granted
that he does not aspire to be first ; that he does not
mind having the shine taken out of him ; and will make
no scruple of getting between him and his hounds, at
most critical moments. His personal determination
should not be less than that for which our commanders,
in both services, have been so conspicuous.''" His eye

* Some of my old friends in the army will remember an often re-
peated story of the difference between '' go along " and " come along."
A fire-eating hero, in the late war, who was very fond of calling out
" Go along, my line fellows, ;/o along !'' had been more than once repulsed
in a certain attack. The assault being taken up by another officer of
a diflferent mould, he, throwing himself first into the breach, cried,
" Come along, my lads, come along !'' setting an example of vigour and
determination which ensured success, and afforded a fine practical illus-
tration of the distinction between following and leading. — Another in-
stance, of a similar nature, I cannot refrain from quoting, as related to
me by a very distinguished naval officer, an eye-witness of the occurrence.
During a gale of wind, which had lasted so long that all hands on board
were dead beat, it became necessary to shorten sail, and Captain, now
Sir T. Hardy, gave the order fcr hands aloft to reef topsails. Worn out
by previous exertions, not a man was found who would obey ; Avhcn the
Captain, instantly doffing his hat, and unbuttoning the knees of the shorts
worn in those days, himself ascended, and in the face of the roaring
tempest, laid out along the yard, and ran out the earring. I hardly need

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 159

to country sliould prevent his getting pounded, for
many a fox is lost, in the time consumed in effecting
an exit from some particularly imaccommodating, per-
haps impracticable, corner. But to return to the chase
just commenced : — the huntsman is lying well with his
hounds, his eye intent upon their every movement,
taking everything as it comes in his line. We have
cleared the few pastures interspersed in a plough coun-
try, like the green oasis of the desert, here and there
just enough to make hounds more sensible of the tran-
sition to new sown arable. The pace is suddenly dimin-
ished ; the sterns, which have been drooping low, are
raised : the heads, which have been exalted, are low-
ered. They will be at check in a moment : — now do not
seize this opportunity of making up your lee-way ; do
not repair the distance they have gained upon you by
spurring up to them on their line. It is pretty theory,
that of keeping your eye upon the leading hounds ; but
it is not every one who knows what hounds are leading,
even if they are near enough to distinguish ; for it is not
always that the first couple are at all times leading, as,
in the present instance, they have overshot the scent —
they have thrown up — they are at fault. It has been
twenty minutes' trimming pace ; those leading hounds
have flashed towards the pond in the corner, and, having
laved their sides, and lapped, stand, like other7yo\nig-
sters, doubting how to recover the effect of having gone

add, tliat lie was followed by as many of his crew as the duty could re-
quire.— The records of these daring deeds do not argue much against my
assumption as to the pre-eminence of the " blood which will tell."

160 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

too fast; the body is casting itself, and spreading round
the field. The huntsman prudently leaves them to
themselves. He well knows what has happened ; but
he allows them to make their own cast first forward,
till they, of their own accord, turn, when he will
incline then quietly back to where they had overran
the scent two hundred yards behind. See how old
Sprightly and Flourish are working on the line ; they
have almost puzzled it out amidst the horses, for it is
there he went. One hundred and ninety-nine of the
best fellows in England, of course utterly unconsciously,
have come streaming on without a thought of pulling
up, till they have fully attained their object of catching
the hounds. They are charmed at being Vvith them
once more ; are talking and laughing, attributing their
ever having been further behind, at any moment, to an
infernal start, and that confounded, quiet way, in
which some persons get them out of covert to en-
sure a start for themselves, while they were merely
discussing the yeomanry races on the up-wind side,
and must have heard if there had been half horn and
halloo enough away. Vowing never to leave them an
instant again, they kept moving as hounds move, or
are moved, and as it is hopeless attempting to pick out
a scent amongst the steam of cavalry, to say nothing
of their trampling over it, the huntsman lifts them in
a semicircular direction towards the point to which the
fox was leaning, and towards which the old hounds

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 161

Lave been inclining. Look up the hedge green, — " hoic !
hoic ! to Handmaid." She has hit him off, with Eitual
and Baneful ; she is running mute ; they are all at him
again, as though he were just fresh found.

And now is the scurry for the second heat. Hold
hard, gentlemen, one moment ; let them get together —
let them settle again ; but this is too much to expect.
When a burst has lasted beyond ten minutes, the field
become very orderly and select ; they sober down won-
derfully if the scent be really good, and make a merit of
what is akin to necessity, in the room which they allow
the hounds ; but with second wind, gained just in the
beginning of a really good thing, with a fair chance of
distancing the second flight, who have only just come
up, without any hope of a pull, where is the use of cry-
ing, '' Hold hard" ? " Diim vivimus, vivamus," we must
live with them while we can. Onward they push — some
level with the leading hound, and the others clattering
straight after them, in a manner which might drive
them on to Highgate, where they not too steady to be
capable of running far without a scent ; but there is no
harm done as yet ; the majority of this first flight are as
anxious to avoid mischief as the master or huntsman
can be ; if it were hunting upon a cold scent they would
be more manageable — allowance must be made for the
intoxication of the burst. The hounds are flying up a
hedge green, half a mile in length ; horses are again
extended ; when, lo ! there is again a pause, not a check,
it does not amount to that, nor does it last as long as

11

162 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

it takes to mention the circumstance ; but on that stile
over which they have dashed, with half a dozen horses
almost on their backs, a boy was seated when the fox
approached it ; he, leaving the green, as soon as he saw
the boy, instead of keeping straight on by the stile,
jumped over to the right, still holding on a parallel
course to that which he was steering. Hounds were
pressed upon by horses, they had hardly room to turn,
they have been ridden on beyond the line, but they are
still scarcely twenty yards to the left of it ; and see,
some couple and a half of tail hounds, which have never
been off it, are carrying it on merrily, obliquely to the
right. No whip is required to put them right ; they
wheel, like pigeons, to the cry ; there is a general pro-
test, on the part of the riders, against the folly just
committed ; even those who consider hounds as bores,
always in the way, allow them to get a little farther
out of it ; they are once more fixed to the business be-
fore them — they run the line of these as though they
were tied to the fox, and they soon defy the speed of
an Eclipse to interfere with them.

" Now the fences made sldrters look blue,
There was no time to crane or to creep,
O'er the pastures like pigeons they flew.
And the ground rode infernally deep.
Oh ! my eyes, what a fall ! Are you hurt ?

No, no, sir, I thank you, are you 1
But who, to enjoy such a spirt,
Would be grudging an odd rib or two."

Hunting Song.

Thus they continue for ten minutes ; the succeeding

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 163

thirty are, if possible, still more enjoyable, thougli,
perhaps, less in accordance with ultra notions of
pace than the burst, being a combination of running
and hunting- with a holding scent. It is very, very
rarely, in the provincials (excepting, of course, par-
ticular parts which may equal the best hunting coun-
tries), that a scent, however good, will serv^e equally
over every variety of land, intersected by lanes, with
here and there a village, or, at least, a colony, whence
emanate a tide of such screams as afford the most incon-
testible proofs of a thorough non-acquiescence in the
doctrines of Malthus. But there has been nothino^ like
a check ; through good or ill report, the fox has held
his way, has kept his head straight ; his line has laid
through the centre of large fields, to the detriment of
seeds, save where the surrounding hedge greens afford
him 251'eferable footing. By taking to these, he occa-
sionally makes closer work for the gallant pack, which
turn at undiminished speed, winding with his every
shift, true as the needle to the Pole. Who, in the
ardour of the chase, can stop to examine the nature of
grain ? '' How the devil," said the cockney, " could I
tell turnips, unless they had boiled mutton in the middle
of them?" "Ware wheat" is all well enough at any
other time, and no one, truly interested in the sport,
will wantonly commit an injury ; but now the farmers
themselves are the first to charge pell mell " over wheat
or what not." " Forward !" is the cry — foiward is the
ruling impulse. The noses of the hounds seem supe-

11—2

164 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

ilor to all difficulties ; tliey do not dash and fling witli
the impetuosity evinced on breakiug covert ; but what
a head they carry — how they jjrc'ss / they are evidently
gaining rapidly on the sinking fox ; he has not improved
his advantage. He has been more than once viewed by
sportsmen during the run ; but one cheer, one half-sup-
pressed " Tally-ho ! forward, yonder he goes," has been
the only token of recognition. There has been no
attempt to cut him off, to lift the pack from scent to
view, nor to lessen the distance between them, or in
any way interfere with the sport. The huntsman will
take every fair advantage of his fox ; but his business is
not only to kill, but to hunt and kill him fairly. The
idea of killing anything /air/?/ or unfairly, may excite a
smile ; may be unintelligible to those who view what we
term sport, as only the variety of certain means to the same
end ; but there is as much difference, in this respect,
in hunting, as there is between the family shot of the
pot-hunter, into the brown of the covey, and the skilful
selection of the marksman in the objects of his unerring
aim. It may be a pretty boast to talk of having killed
ninety-nine out of a hundred foxes ; but the question
is, liovj they are killed — blood is essential to the courage
of the pack ; but the mischief done by unfair attempts
to attain it, far outweighs any benefit to be derived
from the acquisition. It is no very difficult matter to
ride down a half hunted fox, or even one that has never
been pressed, if a man set about it as earnestly as I
have seen some miscalled huntsmen. By the aid of a

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 165

few telegraphic signals, at difFerent points, added to a
knowledge of country ; by riding alongside leading-
hounds, lifting them on, without suffering them to feel
a scent, leaving the body to follow as they best can,
with the help of the whippers-in, and as many of the
field as may consider their utility established by the
acknowledged importance of their hunting whips ; by
clapping round to the opposite side of a covert through
which a fox has gone, in time to view him out, or per-
haps meet him, the sanguinary object may be fully
accomplished, and the scale of merit regulated by the
show of noses on the kennel door. But can any ani-
mals, possessing one tithe of the sagacity of foxhounds,
be expected to make an effort to do for themselves
what is always done for them ? — " Finis coronat opus," —
and it is true, that there is no finish comparable to a
good kill ; but the loss of a fox is infinitely preferable
to his murder, which forms no part of " the Noble Sci-
ence." Our fox, however, is worth a million of dead
ones — forward again to the chase. He was viewed on
yon hill amongst the haulm-cocks, toiling leisurely
along, not as yet " with faltering steps and slow/' but
with a measured gait, as though husbanding his re-
sources for the way before him. For one moment he
paused, and sate, with ears erect, listening to ascertain
the proximity of his foes ; one sidelong glance behind,
and onward, like a guilty thing, he moves —

— '* Hah ! yet he flies,

Nor yields to black despair."

]66 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

With redoubled energy he flies — he feels the press, the
persevering stanchness, which galls more than the fleet-
ness of the burst distressed him. He seems to know that
every instant is of vital consequence.

We are now streaming on, across the fallows and old
clover lay, in a manner which elicits exclamations of
delight. " What care we for grass, if we can run thus
over plough ?" '' What a beautiful thing 1" exclaims an-
other.— " The run of the season," cries a third. — " They
deserve him, any how," says the huntsman, " for they
are all doing their best for him." " We will kill him, as
sure as he has a brush," shouts the master, in ecstasy of
confidence ; " only pray give them room, gentlemen ;
don't crowd upon them, if they slacken." " Luton Park
is his point, depend on't," adds one who knows the line
of every fox (and would be credited if he did not almost
invariably jDredict the reverse of the one taken) ; " but,
• no, confound the ploughs ! he must have been headed by
those infernal plough-teams." " What business have
they to plough on hunting days ?" exclaims young Kapid,
with a blessing upon the causes of a check, just as he
had got a lead, and had determined to keep it : sure
enough, they have thrown up under the noses of the
clod-breaking cattle. It is a moment of doubt, of no
little confusion, for people will talk ; the ploughboys can
scarcely manage their excited Dobbins ; the hounds are all
sixes and sevens, and, amidst the general cry of " headed
back to a certainty," and the unrestrained opinion as to
the exact direction in which each man thinks he has infal-

THE J^OBLE SCIENCE. 167

libly gone, the huntsman has enough to do to mahitain
his composure and presence of mind. Now for his
head-piece ; now for a moment's thought. The field is
ten or fifteen acres in extent ; the furrow, five hundred
yards in length. Here are the plough-teams, noiv causing
confusion enough ; but where were they when the fox
was at this point ? A moment's consideration will tell
that they must have been on the other side of the field,
" Did you see the fox ?" " No, I never zeed un." " No,
because he was barely within your sight." Three
ploughs, and their accompaniments, sufficiently account
for a check on the line ; but do not hold back at once ;
do not too readily take for granted that he has headed
or changed his point — cast forward in the line we were
running beyond the ploughs — the hounds have made
good their own cast, to the right, and are flashing to
the left, striving in vain for a particle of the scent so
lately enjoyed — so suddenly dissipated. "Put 'em on,-
Jem." Now quietly cast them o'er the brow. They
have it : —

" Yoick forward again, and again,
Have at him, have at him, across the green plain."

The check has scarcely occupied two minutes, afford-
ing a moment of relief to the horses, and of merry
interchange of " chaff"," to the men. " What a proper
purl Lord Would-be has had, with Mr. Hasty almost
upon him ! Are they either of them hurt ? — Not at all.
Would-be was shook ; but he was up again, and soon in

16$ THE NOBLE SCTENCE.

his place, like a well-bred one ; — Hasty has had another.
What, two ! with Nonpareil ? his best horse — ay — but
he pumped all the pufF out of him, racing with Charley,
and riding at Burnam, in the first ten minutes. He will
be up directly on his second horse, Marvellous ; would
he were here now, to see this hit ;" and here he is,
answering our '' would he were present," like Banquo's
ghost, all over blood ; chuckling with delight, that this
check has let him in for the rest of the fun. Some
others will be indebted to the ploughs for their shave.
Oh 1 oh 1 such a pun deserves to be smothered in the
next ditch ; but there is no time for a laugh, if we could
get one up for it; for there they go again, as if the
devil was in 'em. Don't cross me ; I'm for the stile, and
my horse rushes so, I can't hold him. — Ha ! ha ! he don't
want much holding now, but fire away, there's lots of
room at the fence; only you can't quite see what's on
the other side, where I mean to be in a moment, please
the Picts and old Pantaloon. Yoi 1 over we go ; all on
the best horses that ever were crossed ; none of them in
the least distressed ; pity that they should some of them
differ in their own view of the case. Good heavens !
what a pace ! no fox can stand this ten minutes longer ;
die he must, if he stays above ground : — he has lately
passed those sheep, see how they remain all huddled
in the corner. Into the park, by Jove. Yoi ! over the
palings ; ride, Jem, and pull one down, to let some of
them through, if you can ; they are topping them by
sections, and will be all over without help. Some two

THE JN'OBLB SCIENCE. 169

or three horses get over with a scramble ; but there is a
lodge, not a hundred yards below : now look at 'em, all
through the herd of deer ; confound your halloos ; hold
your tongues, for heaven's sake, hold your tongues ;
''they have seen him from the house." "Well, never
mind." I never want to see him again, or have him seen
till he is in hand. If he is not headed, or lies down in
one of the clumps, so that he can dodge back, and pro-
tract the finish ; they will run into him handsomely, to a
moral certainty; no horses will be too near them — just
now across the grass. Look at the old hounds, how
they press forward for the lead ; look at their bristles,
how they are pointed ; they are running for him ; he will
not face the country over the opposite paling; he
threads the belt alongside : hark, what a crash is echoed
by the fir-trees ; not a hound is mute ; those notes,
shriller than the piercing octave of the fife, bespeak the
breathless energy of the leading hounds; they are
running him in view. He makes one last effort, exerts
the remnant of his strength in speed, and, for a moment
seems to gain upon the pack ; — but no, his race is run ; he
doubles and avoids the leading couples as they fling at
him ; misses their jaws, and breaks, in open view, across
the plain, with dozens frantic for his blood ; in a mo-
ment they are up with him — another turn ; in the next
instant he is met — he is surrounded ; it is all up with
him. — "Whoo-whoop ! he dies. Now gently, sir, gently ;
do not be in too great haste to rescue his carcass ; let
them kill him, and then let all who are coming up have

170 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

a chance of doing honour to, and having a share in, his
obsequies. Not all the men; they will be here soon
enough, as many as can come at all, and we are not in
the habit of capping for field money ; but let every
hound have a full view of the object of his pursuit.
Let the huntsman, or any of the officials who chance to
be first at the death, as soon as the fox is killed, place
his foot firmly on his body, and with his voice, and the
lash of his whip, save him from being broken up : there
let him lie upon the ground, or throw him across the
branch of some adjacent tree, while the whipper-in is cut-
ting ofi" his mask, brush, and pads. If the kill take place
in a wheat-field, pleasure-ground, or on any spot likely
to suff'er from the influx of spectators, and trampling of
horses, always remove the ceremony to the fittest place
convenient. After a sharp, short, and decisive thing, in
a muggy warm day, it is lucky if a pond be contiguous ;
the hounds will do greater justice to the banquet after
freely lapping, and it does not look well to be long in
breaking up a fox. A pack that have finished the run
properly, generally make clean work of the whole afiair.
Do not keep them too long tantalized. There is a
method, even in this part of the day's business. I have
seen them in Ireland run into their fox, and finish him
at once, as they would have done a rabbit they had
pounced upon, without any one offering to dismount,
even to ascertain the age or sex of the animal ; but this
is a miserable finale ; the hounds which have fought
hardest through the day, may have the least share in,

pij^wirnvf'''^'

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 171

or be ignorant of, the conquest. On the other hand, if
there be too much of funeral parade, or, rather, of triumph
of victory, hounds may get weary of excitement, and
indifferent to the prize. The loud baying of an anxious
circle, restrained only by discipline from falling upon
and rending him to atoms ; the flourish of whips, the
sounding of horns, the screams of the huntsman, as he
rears above his head the mangled remnant of their law-
ful spoil, all form a scene which must be witnessed to
be understood and appreciated. With a Tally-ho —

Tally-ho — Tally ho! he is thrown into the midst

of their gaping jaws, and torn asunder well-nigh ere he
reaches earth. " Hey ! worry, worry ; hey ! tear him ;"
and in one minute nothing is left of him, but some
tougher morsel, which, borne about by some powerful
and wary hounds, affords matter of contention and
fierce debate. This is of short duration ; men turn
towards each other with looks and sentiments of satis-
faction ; all unite in praise of the pack, admitting that
they have well found, well hunted, and well killed the
fox of this day ; hoping that they may, and feeling
sure that they will, do as well with the next.

" Now the stragglers come in, one by one,
Holla ! where, my dear fellow, were you 1
Bad luck, in the midst of the run,

My poor little mare threw her shoe.
But where was that gemman in pink.

Who swore at his tail we should look.
Not in the next parish, I think,
For he never got over the brook."

Hunting Song.

This attempt at the description of a run, is intended

172 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

to convey an idea of the average sport wliicli may be
obtained with a good pack of hounds in a provincial
country, straight, from nine to twelve miles in distance ;
time, from fifty-five minutes to an hour and ten minutes,
supposing the scene of action to differ as widely as pos-
sible from the metropolitan districts. Had it been laid
in the most favourable parts, we must have given the
hounds credit for completely beating off all but a very
chosen few, in the burst ; and also for having had time
to make their own cast, should they overrun or lose the
scent by casualty — before the huntsman could come up
to interfere with them. I am supposing, of course, a
really good scent, when hounds will beat the best horse
that ever was foaled. In this case, the huntsman (having
been, if he has kept his proper place, as forward as any
one could be, if not quite first) will be able to see how
far they carry the scent ; and, in rendering his assist-
ance, will not be tied down to precisely the same line of
conduct which he was bound to pursue over a country
where patience is his best auxiliary. There hounds may
be working on the line, over soil which will not carry a
scent, serving for a continuation of the pace which they
have gone over the intervening patches of grass and
hedge greens ; it would be the height of folly to lift them
as often as they come to stooping ; there the whole
chase consists in hunting and running by tarns, varying
according to the luck of the fox's line ; but, in the
deeper vale, such as that between Bramingham and
Woburn, Hexton and PuUox Hill, Wrest Park, or any

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 173

of the line of country bounding Hertfordshire on the
north, there are not the same reasons to account for
the sudden loss of a good scent. A huntsman must be
more alive to contingencies, and although there, I
would far rather inculcate the principle of leaving them
alone, than that of meddling with them too much ; he
must be quicker in resolve, and may venture more in the
part which he has himself to play. Hounds may
throw up entirely upon fallow, or new-sown land ; they
may not run a yard ; but when gently lifted over it,
they set-to ^again, without the recurrence of another
such mischance, till they are on better terms with their
fox ; but if they throw up in the middle of a large grass
field, when they have been running breast high, unless
some large flock of sheep, or herd of cattle, have foiled
the ground, it can very rarely happen that the fox is
forward ; he cannot have vanished into air ; if his
line is there, and they cannot own it, they cannot run
him anywhere ; he is irrecoverably gone ; there is no
reason to suppose that a burning scent has in a moment
changed to no scent whatever ; although wonderful
changes do occur, in this essential, within very short
space of time : he must have turned so short, right or
left, that the whole body have comj^letely overrun him.
This is more probable when they are carrying a perfect
head, than if, on a more moderate scent, some stragglers
had been dwelling independently on the line ; and
hounds, on such occasions, appear more at a nonplus —
more in consternation at their failure. The huntsman

174 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

may make a brisk swinging cast, dovvn-wincl, unless the
more likely points of country for a fox to make, present
an obvious reason for the reverse. If he casts quickly,
in a half circle forward, and completes the whole round,
it is a hundred to one against hounds crossing the
line without acknowledging it, if they are not too much
hurried ; presuming that there is not any road, or great
variety of ground, creating the difficulties to which we
have supposed them liable in the upper country, where
they might cross the line a dozen times ineffectually. It
saves much time, where every moment is an object, if
the pack can be divided ; one half casting in a contrary
direction, with the master, or first whip, and meeting
the huntsman to the rear, if neither should have suc-
ceeded in hitting him forward : but always make the first
cast sufficiently forward ; there is plenty of time to hold
back, when it is certain that the fox has not held on,
when fairly committed to a country. This observation
does not, of course, apply to a check, up-wind, in the first
ten minutes, or to the reasonable supposition, that the
fox has been headed ; but if you cast back, in the first
instance (according to a rule in beagling after a hare),
should you fail, you are too late to make good anything
forward, without lifting them, at a hand gallop, back
again, in a manner conveying to the whole field
the knowledge of your admission of a positive error.
Should you then hit him forward, you will yourself feel,
and have your pains rewarded by hearing, that if this
had been done at once, it would have made all the dif-

THE NOBLE SCIENCE, 175

ference to the ran ; whereas, if you get upon him ever
so late, should he have headed back, no one can blame
you for any time lost ; nor is it, indeed, of the same
consequence; as he generally makes his point back
whence he came, or is viewed by dozens of people,
when he would have been unseen by any one, had he
not returned. Moreover, when a fox does head com-
pletely back, the cream of the thing is broken : men do
not ride with the same zest, the last may be first, and
vice versa; the sharpness, the edge of the affair, is
blunted ; and although you may have very good sport,
and kill in a way satisfactory enough to a master of
hounds — "sitrgit amari aliquid" — in the description even
of a good ring, it is a sort of reflection upon the business,
and men forgive themselves more easily for missing
any part of it. If, on the contrary, the fox is reported
to have been viewed, holding on his course, as straight
as could have been desired, there will be no end to
the talk of the wonders which might have been en-
acted ; nor can you forgive yourself, or even be forgiven,
for doubting the bravery and stoutness of the fox. You
have no right to suppose a fox beaten, unless the pace,
and the time you have been running him, warrant the
conclusion. If you fancy that he has taken refuge
under ground, or in some outhouse, or rick yard, it will
be time enough to search, and determine this point,
after you have ascertained that he is not still showing
his heels to you. He may have gone to the very mouth
of a drain, may have passed under a barn, over a house.

170 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

to which points the hounds will run, and no further; but
it does not absolutely follow that he is not progressing ;
he may not have taken sanctuary, you may have a whip-
per-in to see that he does not steal away, but still you
should make a cast all round the premises before com-
mencing a search. Hounds will bay, as a matter of course,
at a drain, especially if they are in the habit of running
to ground, and the fox has tried it ; but many a recovery
has ultimately been made forward, after a most useless
waste of time and labour, in the upturning of faggots,
routing the gardens, poking under the laurels, &c., &c.,
every one swearing he can be nowhere else but there,
because they remember a similar finish to some particular
run ; probably, under totally different circumstances.
It is laying a flattering unction to one's soul to account
for a fox in any way, but that of being beaten by him,
and we readily snatch at the idea of having done the
next thing to killing ; but a huntsman must not only
avoid dece|)tion towards others, he must guard against
deceiving himself I knew an instance last year, where
the master and huntsman were at issue, as to the fact of
a fox having gone to ground. The former, Tvith not
more than six couples, recovered and killed him, some
way beyond the spot where the latter, with the majority
of the field, were pottering at a rabbit-hole ; — the mas-
ter, of course, having waived absolute opinion on the
subject, leaving the huntsman to his discretion ; indulg-
ing, at the same time, the exercise of his own. If, by
the evidence of a terrier, in addition to that of the

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 17 J'

liounds, there is no doubt of having run to ground, and
you have decided upon digging, the sooner operations
are commenced the better ; if you want blood, your
hounds are entitled to him. If you think the earth too
strong, it is best to move off at once, as recommended
by Mr. Smith, leaving some one in pay to watch him out ;
as is, I believe, invariably the custom. When he has
been viewed safely out, it is desirable to do away, if pos-
sible, with such a retreat : foxes seldom betake them-
selves to one with which they were previously unac-
quainted. It is astonishing how exactly generations
will tread in the steps of their forefathers. A receptacle
of this kind, which has baulked you once, will as surely
prove a future source of annoyance. This, with the
exception of main earths, which may occasionally be
neglected, can generally be provided for. We have
in the vale of Hexton, and Shilhngton, many very
large drains in the chalky lands, extending the
whole length of the field, for the purpose of carrying
ojBf the torrents from the hills, which otherwise might
alluviate the soil. Mr. Smith, in his glossary, calls
a drain " Under ground, where foxes often run to."
The word has much the same acceptation in our
country ; and a terrible nuisance it has occasionally
proved, marring the promise of the finest runs, shortly
after a fox has betaken himself to the bottoms. It is
next to impossible to dig out, unless a corps of sappers
and miners were on the spot to excavate the land from
one extremity to the other. These drains should each

12

178 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

be faced with an iron grating ; or, should this be con-
sidered too troublesome or expensive, they may, at least,
be guarded against the ingress of anything approaching
to the size of a fox, by stakes driven perpendicularly
in front of the entrance. To this proceeding it is not
likely that the proprietor will raise any tenable ob-
jection.

Having in this chapter endeavoured to render an
account of one fox, I shall not draw for a second ; pre-
ferring to risk the imputation of being alow, of giving a
short day, and going home too early. It never was
my misfortune to witness a sham draw, for the sake of
spinning out the day, with no desire to find ; nor can I
conceive how any man can hunt twice with any esta-
blishment, liable to the suspicion of such a practice, which
is as unsportsmanlike as prejudicial to hounds, and the
general interests of the concern. There are some
people, it is true, who think it right to make out the
day, till dark ;* who cannot trust themselves to their
own resources, should their work be over long before
their dinner-time, and who would think it a sin to have
returned to kennel by two or three o'clock, whatever
may have been the sport since throwing oif at eleven.
Some people, by the same rule, will consider a ball
but ill kept up should dancing cease before daylight ;

* I Avas talking, not long since, to a very clever huntsman — one as keen as
any of Lis fellows in enjoyment of the sport — on the subject of drawing for
a second fox, after a good run and satisfactory kill. " That is," said he, "just
what 1 call jmtting the beggar over the gentlemmi." The phrase struck me
as having a degree of force fiiUy atoning for any want of elegance in ex-
pression.

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 17^

others will, regardless of temperature, keep to certain
days for the dispensing with, or commencement of,
the enjoyment of a fire ; but I never yet could un-
derstand the merit of being regulated by anything but
natural inclination, upon rational principles, in these
particulars. If all are merry, and none weary, or
wishing to be gone, why mind the clock ? I can see
no reason for curtailing the pleasures of the dance,
though they should reach the meridian of the follow-
ing day ; nor, by the same token, should it be pro-
tracted one instant for the sake of being, what is called,
kept up, though it had not endured an hour. The ther-
mometer is a better guide than the almanac, as to fire
and clothing ; you may be lounging alfresco at Christ-
mas, and stirring up the sea-coal at midsummer. There
is no rule for these things ; and when hounds have
wound up their fox properly, in a run exceeding forty
minutes, unless they are very short of work indeed,
under any circumstances, I question the propriety of
drawing again. It is far better to take them home
satisfied, to leave off well, flushed with success ; or you
may undo all that has been done. With regard to
short days, I hold it far more advisable, on a day which
has proved so decidedly adverse as to preclude all
chance of sport, to retire at once, appointing an extra
day in the same week, than to persevere without hope
of any amendment in weather or scent, for want of
which, hounds are getting every moment more disgusted.
On the other hand, should the day be favourable, I

12—2

180 THE NOBLE SCIEN-CE.

would draw as long as light lasted, rather than miss a
chance of sport, should it not have been met with as
early as is desirable.

Let our huntsman now seek home, " with all. his
blushing honours thick upon him." He has counted his
hounds ; if any are missing, which the sound of the
horn has not reclaimed, the second whipper-in must
find them ; but they are all right, and have returned to
their kennel, not jaded, drooping, and spiritless. Stea-
dily as they have followed at the horses' heels, they
have that condition which would have enabled them,
had they been required, to perform exactly as well with
an afternoon fox, as they have done with the hero of
this morning ; not having been cowed, or unneces-
sarily overworked, they acquire those lasting powers of
endurance which will enable them to go through the
longest day, and beat the stoutest fox that ever wore a
brush. Mr. Smith, more than once, asserts his opinion,
that " there are foxes which, when fit to go, can beat
any hounds," This may be correct ; but, I think, some
few huntsmen of my acquaintance will share my desire
to meet with them — to let the mettle of each be fairly
tried on a good scenting day. I have seen many packs
of hounds which have not been a match for any good
fox, when they have left their kennel in the morning,
much less after an hour's work in covert. You may
bring out twenty couples of well-bred, well-shaped, and,
perhaps, if in good condition, good foxhounds : but they
may be nj more like a pack of foxhounds than Plenipo

4=MJ-A:-i^.r.

THE NOBLE SCIENCE, 181

was to a race-horse, when he started for the St. Leger
— because they are not fit to go. The condition of
hounds is everything ; the art of attaining it is no less
difficult than that of training a horse. You cannot
make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, nor can you, by
the best condition, make bad hounds essentially better ;
but, without the best condition, good hounds may be
essentially bad, though their want of success will be attri-
buted to any but the real and prevailing cause ; many
bring out hounds in bad order, simply because they do
not know how to get them into better ; others, from
ill-judged economy, and want of proper method in the
internal regulation of the kennel department. Some
fail for want of work, others from the excess of it. In
short, there is no end to the arguments bearing upon
the state of the materiel upon which all sport depends ;
but, as it may be incorrect to sum up a chapter devoted
to a run, with an essay upon the condition which we
supposed to be perfect at its commencement, we will
leave the pack at their entrance to the kennel, and
hereafter consider what the huntsman and his people
have to do upon their return.

[Hounds in Batli.l

CHAPTER X.

" De rebus cunctis et quibusdam aliis.

System of Kennel — Baths — Feeding — Warmth — Diet — Ventilation —
Oatmeal — Vegetables — Mangel-wurzel — Sago — Biscuit — Milk —
Breeding— Walks — Sires and Dams — Generative Economy— Choice
of Whelps —Naming — Rounding —Dividing Pack — Drafting— Cub-
hunting — Going out in the Evening, an Old Practice — Entering Young
Hounds — Killing Cubs— General Responsibility of Masters of
Hounds.

On approaching within earshot of the kennel, " the
huntsman winds his horn," to sound the note of pre-
paration. The signal is answered by the clamour of the
pack within ; the division destined for the next day's
hunting, which have been fed in the morning, and
have not long returned from an airing, in charge of the
feeder and helpers. Buckets of gruel are now trans-

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 183

ferred from the saddle-room cauldron, and all made
ready in the stable department for the reception of, and
immediate attendance upon, the horses ; while the
feeder, with his ponderous ladle, is stirring up the broth,
and busily providing for the ravenous appetites to which
he has to administer. It was the invariable custom of
the illustrious Meynell, to see himself to the feeding of
the hounds, nor leave the kennel till all were comfort-
ably reposing on their beds of clean wheat straw. This
practice has been followed up by the Duke of Cleve-
land, and other votaries of the science, who, by their
personal attention to the system, have set most lauda-
ble examples for imitation ; but it was with Mr. Mey-
nell that the " system of kennel " originated ; and this
attention on his part is worthy of all admiration, consi-
dering that, in his day, it was much oftener after dark
than with daylight that he returned from a chase of
extent unknown in these days ; very frequently killing
a Quorn fox in the neighbourhood of Belvoir Castle —
a run which would now be considered a most extraor-
dinary occurrence — foxes being, as I understand, unac-
quainted with the line. Whether, however, it was by
the last rays of the setting sun, or by " the lanthorn
dimly burning," in wet or drought, heat or cold, he did
not rejoin the gay circle which enjoyed his hospitality,
till, in the kennel, all was settled to his heart's content.
Wherever the master has the opportunity of doing like-
wise no little benefit must result from the practice,
even if it be unfair to suppose any actual disadvantage

184 THE NOBLE SCIENCE,

arising from its omission. It must serve to keep up a
thorougli acquaintance with his hounds, and with the
whole practical part of his system, the theory of which
should emanate from himself ; but all this is not to be
recommended as a matter of duty, and performed as a
penance ; it must depend entirely upon a man's motives
for keeping hounds, his interest in all that concerns
them, and his degree of enjoyment in the office. If
" all beauty goes in at the mouth," so, may it be said,
does all power. The feeding of hounds, as regards
their condition, is one of the most essential proofs of
a huntsman's skill in kennel. To preserve that even
state of condition throughout the pack, so desirable,
he must be well acquainted with the appetite of every
hound. While some will feed with a voracity not ex-
ceeded by animal kind, others will require enticing to
their food. Mr. Meynell found the use of dry unboiled
oatmeal succeed better than any other plan he had tried,
with delicate hounds. He found that when once induced
to take to it, they would eat it greedily, and that it was
far more heartening than any other kind of aliment.
Delicate hounds may generally be tempted with a little
additional flesh, and with the thickest and best of the
trough ; but they require to be watched — must not be
fed all at once, but allowed to decline or return to their
food according to inclination. As soon as the pack is
in kennel, on returning from hunting, previously to
being fed, every hound should be immersed in a warm
bath of pot liquor ; the temperature should be kept up

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 185

by continual supplies from the boiling-house. One or
two large tubs will serve for the purpose. The whip-
pers-in, provided with muzzles for such as are refrac-
tory, should plunge them in up to their necks, and
detain them at least a minute or two, while the hunts-
man is summoning to the feeding-trough such as have
undergone the process of ablution. The advantage of
pot liquor over hot water, is, that it induces them to lick
themselves, and each other, all over ; and the healing
properties of a dog's tongue are far superior to any
other application, for wounds and sores. The relaxation
of the warm bath, and the steaming evaporation which
proceeds from their bodies, prevent stiffness, relieve pain
from blows, and produce a state of enjoyable refreshment.
Some hounds appear so to relish the proceeding that
they wait with apparent anxiety for their turn. Two
large scrubbing-brushes may be well employed at the
same time, in cleansing them from the accumulated mud
and dirt, as it is not till they are thoroughly clean that
cuts, bruises, wounds, thorns, &c., &c., can be properly at-
tended to. Friar's balsam is useful enough as a healing
application to a green wound, which it may be necessary
to bind up ; but, for all cuts or strains of more than
ordinary severity, the sovereign remedy, hot water,
will be found to answer, beyond all others, in allaying
inflammation ; not only preventing the increase of evil,
but, in many instances, serving in itself for a cure. In
mentioning its wonderful effect upon lameness in horses,
I should have added the fact, that if broken knees are

18G THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

diligently fomented till a whitish film, or slour/h/" super-
venes, it is rarely that they are blemished. For hounds
shaken in the shoulders, or otherwise injured in work,
there is nothing to equal a warm bath on the simple
plan which I give at the head of this chapter, not as an ori-
ginal invention, or as being very uncommon ; but because,
in my visits to different kennels this summer, I have found
none so provided. It consists of a w^ooden contrivance,
in shape such as represented in the preceding sketch,
in breadth capable of admitting a couple of hounds
abreast, with two slight movable bars of iron cross-
ing the top, to prevent an exit or change of position.
Hounds may stand thus, on the day after hunting, or,
if necessary, before their rest on their return, for any
given time ; and unless too suddenly exposed impro-
perly to cold air, are not more liable afterwards to
cold or rheumatism. It is absurd to suppose that
hounds will be more hardy, and less liable to the
effects of bad weather, if kept cold in their kennel.
The warmer and more comfortable they are kept
within doors, the better can they battle with the ele-
ments without. It is, beyond doubt, a great principle
freely to admit

" The nitrous air and purifying breeze,"

whether in a kennel or a palace ; but there are proper
times for such a circulation, in both. We open the

• " Slough— The part that separates from a foul sore." — Johnson.
" At the next dressing, I found a slough come away with the dressings,
which was the sordes." — Wiseman.

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 187

windows and doors of our chambers, but not during
the period of their occupation, in the hunting season ;
nor should the zephyrs of the northern blast be playing
uncontrolled over the slumbering bodies of hounds,
worn out with the toil and heat of chase. They huddle
all together on their litter, courting, by every means in
their power, the warmth by which all nature is revived
and nourished. No kennel is perfect without the means
of warm ventilation, which may easily be supplied by
flues, where the copper of the boiling-house is contig-
uous, as it generally is, to the lodging-houses. As
soon as the hounds emerge reeking from their baths,
they should be fed. Some have been of opinion, that
they should first be made comfortable on their beds ;
but I am inclined to think, that the sooner they are
supplied with the support which exhaustion from fatigue
so much demands, the better ; they are then turned, for
a brief space, into their airing yard, and then consigned
to their dormitory for the night, to be disturbed only
by once being driven off their beds to stretch them-
selves. Their food, though warm, should not be hot,
or it may have a prejudicial effect upon their noses ;
as it is reasonable to suppose that the delicate sense
of smell may be affected by the act of constantly inhal-
ing the steaming fumes, so grateful when in less imme-
diate contact with their olfactory nerves. The idea of
barleymea], or, indeed, of any substitute for the best old
oatmeal that can be procured at any price, has long
been exploded in kennels of any pretension ; nor will

188 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

greaves, or any other nastiness, be found admissible in
place of good horse or cow-flesh. Good old meal, such
as may be bought at Cork, at an average of £15 per ton,
will boil into a consistency very much resembling good
rice pudding. This, broken up and thinned with broth,
to which is added flesh which has been boiled to shreds,
in quantities varying, of course, with the system of re-
spective kennels, and the exigencies of the pack at the
time being, forms the best and most nutritious diet for
hounds in work which has yet been discovered. During
summer months, some variety, and divers experiments,
may be made with impunity ; but, in the season, it is
not safe materially to alter the regimen which expe-
rience has proved to answer. Wheat flour may be
sparingly mixed with oatmeal, as a measure of eco-
nomy, being generally cheaper; but wheat, although
furnishing the ''staff of life" for man, will not afford
the nutriment to hounds which they derive from the
best old oatmeal. The better it is in quality, the more
it increases in boiling, and the farther it goes. The
best time for laying in a stock is a little before harvest,
when none but old meal can be had in the market. In-
stead of being thrown loose, as is frequently the case,
like a heap of ashes in a dust-hole, it should be packed in
large bins, secured, by tin or iron bindings, from attacks
of rats and mice, and trodden down into a solid mass,
in which its qualities will be preserved during the whole
of its consumption. If oat meal could be managed like
that of wheat, barley, or other grain, there would be

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 189

little difficulty in obtaining it in perfection; but, as
particular grinding stones are necessary, in the first
instance, and the meal has then to be submitted to a
delicate process of kiln-drying, there are few places
in England to be depended upon for a supply. The
Scotch is said to be excellent; and I can speak, not
only from my own experience of the last seven years,
but from the report of at least a dozen different kennels,
as to the merits of the Irish. The great difference
which diet will effect, in the appearance and condition
of hounds, renders this point worthy of consideration.
The Roman gladiators imagined themselves injured by
the slightest deviation, in one meal, from the regimen
prescribed ; feeders of fighting cocks are no less strict
in their notions of the qualities of food ; and let any
man, who fancies that a good bellyful of victuals is all
that can be needed for hounds, try, for one fortnight, the
eftect of a change from oatmeal to barley meal of the
best kind, or from good oatmeal to inferior; he will
need no further illustration of the proverb, that "the
proof of the pudding is in the eating," as far as can be
judged by effects, which, in dumb animals, are the only
attestations of its excellence. When you see that, in
addition to the fulness of muscle, and general appear-
ance of health and condition in a hound,

" His glossy skin,
In lights or shades by Nature's pencil drawn,
Keflects the various tints—"

you may judge that there is nothing amiss in the home

190 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

department ; but, if you see him scratching a staring
coat which is nearly threadbare, if not quite out at
elbows, eagerly dashing, on his way to covert, at every
pool to take a drink, which, by hounds of a better
regulated ynenage, would be disdained at such an hour
of the morning, rely upon it, that

"There's something rotten in the state of Denmark."

Most huntsmen prefer feeding hounds precisely the
same all the year round, to making any change, varying
only the quantity ; but, during the heat of summer, less
of flesh and more of vegetable diet must tend to cool
the blood. Potatoes, and any greens coming under the
denomination of garden stuff, may be boiled with the
meal ; but potatoes are less to be recommended, as
being the most difiicult of digestion. They have been
used to great extent in some kennels, and would prove
a great saving of meal, could they be pronounced unob-
jectionable. Ccibbage and lettuce may act as alteratives ;
but the best of all vegetable matter of that kind which
I ever tried, was mangel-wurzel. This root will boil
down to a thick jelly, and form a very agreeable and
wholesome addition to the broth. I have no doubt that
it would answer as well also for hounds in work. By
an application from a most respectable mealman, Mr.
Crampern, of Jermyn Street, I was induced to make a
trial of sago, which he imagined, and I believe still con-
siders, a most important discovery as an article of food
for hounds. Its cheapness would be a great recom-

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 191

mendation ; but, instead of the nutritious properties we
expected to find in the jelly which it will produce, it
disagreed with hounds, and the experiment proved alto-
gether a failure. From the said Mr. Crampern, to whom
I was recommended by Mr. H. Combe, I have had great
quantities of superior Dantzic biscuit, for summer use ;
not as being less expensive than oatmeal, for the price
is about the same, but for the sake of variety, and some
saving in the stock of old meal. Well soaked in water,
and then broken up with equal quantities of meal, it will
be found highly useful, even to the end of cub-hunting.
Milk is an invaluable article of kennel consumption, and
one or two cows are greatly advantageous, if not neces-
sary, to the establishment. In the spring, when there
are dozens of litters of puppies at the same time, — all of
which should be well kept, indeed forced, like young
foals, with abundant sustenance, — milk will avail, when
nothing else would serve the purpose. No bitch should
be allowed to suckle more than four puppies. If you
are strong in numbers, and can afford to lose the ser-
vices of two for one of bitches whelping early, it is easy
so to arrange as to have wet-nurses ready for the pro-
geny of those which you are most anxious to rear ; and
this plan is far preferable to the attempt of bringing
up by hand, or introducing mongrels as foster-mothers.
In selecting walks, it is certainly a great point to get
puppies out, where they will be well fed ; but it is of
still greater consequence to ensure their having liberty.
What cruel instances occur, of hounds coming in from

192 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

walk, with feet like the brood of ducks with which they
had been inclined to gambol, and therefore tied up, or,
at least, confined in some narrow space, to keep them
out of mischief This confinement is utterly ruinous
to their shape ; by bearing perpetually on the foot, it
becomes elongated ; legs, which would have been fault-
less, grow crooked ; and the whole symmetry of a fine
young hound is destroyed by contraction of the scope
which he requires for the development of his daily
increasing faculties. Mr. Meynell was so particular with
regard to walks, that he would not hesitate to send his
young hounds some hundred miles from Quorn, and
quarter several couples upon friends in Sussex, or in
any other counties where they would be sure of meeting
with the treatment upon which their maturity depended.
It is a fortunate circumstance in any country, where
gentlemen are disposed to receive such proteges at their
seats. The disadvantages of a walk in a town, are
more than proportionate to the advantage of making
them familiar with all those objects of which hounds,
on first entering upon the world, are apt to be shy. By
being exercised in couples, after their return to kennel,
along the public roads and through streets, they will
soon conquer any fear of carriages, droves, &c., and lose
altogether that mauvaise Jionte which is a defect rather
than an appertainment of their nature. Unless your reli-
ance is upon drafts from other kennels, nothing is more
essentia] to having a good pack of hounds, than a pro-
per care of the whelps, and the parents from which they

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 193

are bred. The bitches should be carefully chosen, and
should not only be such as are most distinguished in
the field, but such as are strongest and best propor-
tioned, with large ribs and flanks. Never breed from
a faulty hound, be his performance ever so good ; nor
from the best shaped hound, addicted to any incorri-
gible propensities, which are hereditary. The best time
for coupling hounds is in January or February, and not
later than March ; they will then litter in a good time
in spring ; — if bitches litter in winter, it is very difficult
to bring up the whelps, the cold being adverse to their
thriving and well doing. In selecting dogs to breed
from, the ancient and generally received opinion was,
that the descendants of an old dog would prove dull
and heavy. I know not whether this is borne out by
fact, as I have seen most promising stock of seven-year-
old stallions ; but it is, perhaps, better that the sires
should not be above five years old. It is affirmed by
many who profess to have experience in generative
economy, that in any number of successive litters bred
from one bitch, there will be at least one puppy bearing
some resemblance to the sire of her first. If this be
true, how careful should we be in the choice of the
dogs by which we seek to perpetuate the excellences
of our best bitches ; and there is no room to doubt the
credibility of sucli theory, when we know that durnb-
madness, and many other evils, will descend through
generations. The strongest proof, however, which I
can call to mind; in support of the opinion that the

13

194 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

female, when once, is for ever impregnated with a hke-
ness of whatever may have "stamped an image of him-
self," is the case of the cross between a quagga, or zebra,
and a mare. The first produce was exactly what might
have been expected, a striped kind of mule. The expe-
riment was not repeated ; but the mare was, in the next
season, put to a well-bred horse. I am stating nothing
beyond a fact with which I am well acquainted, in saying
that this next, and all succeeding foals by different horses,
were all, more or less, affected by the stripes of the quagga.
Here was no fancied peculiarity — no indistinct resem-
blance of action or manner, but ocular demonstration
of certain plain and indelible signs, of stripes peculiar to
one animal, affording incontestible evidence of his blood.
"Were it not foreign to our purpose to pursue the sub-
ject, I could adduce some curiously interesting accounts
of similar traits, beyond the canine species. It is, per-
haps, very fortunate that such indisputable marks as
the spots of a leopard, or the stripes of a zebra, are not
more common to animal kind, whereby the revelation
of some genealogical novelties might be apprehended.
The first litter of puppies which a bitch brings, are
supposed to be inferior to her second or third ; but
there is no rule for this. As soon as she has littered,
those whelps intended to be kept should be immediately
selected, and the rest put out of the way (or to wet-
nurse, if desirable to preserve them all). There is some
difficulty in choosing at such a time ; the general opinion
is in favour of the lightest, that they will grow up the

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 195

best. It was an old custom to take all the whelps away,
having determined what number to keep, and settle the
choice on those which the bitch carried first back to the
place where she had littered. Another plan was to take
those which were last pupped ; but all this must be
matter of chance. As soon as they can see, they should
have milk given them to lap ; and, at two months old,
they should be weaned, keeping them wholly from the
bitch. At three months old, they are fit to go to walk ;
and, at ten months old, they should return, to commence
their education in the kennel. If they are named before
going to walk, it saves trouble on their return, and pre-
vents their adoption of any ridiculous names, which the
fanciful, rather than sporting taste of their guardians,
may accord to them. The operation of rounding their
ears should be performed early in the spring, that they
may be thoroughly healed before being subjected to the
annoyance of heat or flies. After a short period of exer-
cise, like an awkward squad of recruits by themselves,
they will be fit to join the main body, and very shortly,
after the end of hunting, should accompany the pack in
couples. By the time for entering them, they should
be as handy as old hounds in obedience ; this can only
be effected by constantly practising them abroad, accus-
toming them to horses, to the voice of the huntsman,
and gradually initiating them in the discipline essential
to steadiness, which tempers their gaiety, without de-
stroying the force of their animal spirits. Whether the
pack is divided into dogs and bitches, separate, or not,

13—2

196 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

must depend upon the caprice of their owner. A mixed
pack is now generally supposed to answer best. The
largest of each may be sized, so as to form two com-
plete packs, suitable to all parts of the country. Dogs
are apt to be less flashy, and wdll add to the steadiness
of the bitches, and the lively little ladies will contribute
to the dash of the dogs. Such division of the young
hounds need not, at all events, be made before the com-
mencement of regular hunting. But we have, as yet,
only just got all the young hounds for the year's entry
into kennel. The master has now to determine which
are to be put forward, and make his first draft. If he
can afibrd to be fastidious, there will, in all probability,
be not more than one hound out of every five submitted
to inspection, on coming in from walk, that he will wish
to put forward, even supposing the breeding to have
been successful. The distemper will make sad havoc
with the litters. A huntsman should attend to any that
are within his reach ; but the majority must take their
chance. No specific has yet been discovered, and the
treatment must be adapted to the difierent stages of the
disorder. Vaccination was, at one time, pronounced
infallible, and was tried, I believe, with great success,
one year, by Sir John Cope ; but after- experiments
served only to prove its fallacy. Like other epidemics,
its ravages are more generally felt in some seasons than
in others. In one spring, out of thirty-five couples of
puppies sent to walk, I had only thirteen returned to
kennel, and this fatality was almost universal. In

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 197

the next, the loss was altogether as trifling. The most
promising young hounds, and the strongest (much as
depends upon strength of constitution), will not tho-
roughly recover the effects of distemper, if subjected
to its most virulent attack, without the greatest care.
Younger, that is, late or backward hounds, which have
got over it, under better circumstances, will be more
precocious. If ten couples are required for the entry, at
least sixteen couples may be put forward after the first
draft. It will then be good luck if ten couples stand
the test. Although the average may not exceed one in
five, certainly not more than one in four, it not unfre-
quently occurs, that one w^hole litter may have claims
to the highest consideration.* Upon the real merits of
an entry, it is, of course, impossible, or, at least, pre-
mature, to pass any opinion beyond that w^hich can be
determined by the eye, with regard to appearance, till
their qualifications have been fairly submitted to the
ordeal of

CUB-HUNTING.

Some countries have the advantage of great tracts of
woodland, independently of corn lands, in which hunt-
ing might be pursued all the year round. In Bedford-
shire and Northamptonshire it is necessary only to
suspend operations till the cubs are somewhat bigger

* An extraordinary instance of such luck occurred in the Oakley pack.
Five couples of one litter, the produce of a bitch called Rosalind (pre-
sented by me to Lord Tavistock on account of her blood), by his Grasper,
all proved unexceptionable, and were all most effective through the
season.

198 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

than rabbits, instead of waiting, as is our fate, in
Herts, for the progress of harvest. Such woodlands
are immensely in favour of a huntsman, affording him
abundant opportunity for making young hounds ; indeed,
leaving no excuse for unsteadiness.

Mr. Smith, in recommendino^ cub-huntinof of an even-
ing, instead of at dawn of day, says, that he is " not
aware that this plan has ever been adopted by any other
person ;" still he is *' bold enough to assert that it is a
good one." I can make bold to recommend it to those
who prefer sunset to sunrise, as having been successfully
practised, from time immemorial, in the establishments
at Wakefield and Brocklesby, by the present Lord Yar-
borough, for the number of years he has been master
of hounds ; by his father, and grandfather before him ;
by the Dukes of Grafton, and others innumerable.
I mention these names (as it would be unfair to adopt
any suggestions from the pages of a contemporary
writer, without due acknowledgement of the source
whence they are derived), merely to prove that I am
indebted only to such high authorities for this, with
other valuable hints ; and in addressing myself to em-
bryo masters of hounds, some of whom may not be
physically equal to the fatigue, or in any respect uj)
to the trouble of courting the first blush of Aurora, I
should have advised such a proceeding, as a custom
more consonant with their habits, and by no means
uncommon. As the practice, however, cannot be called
general, it is no matter of surprise that many should

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 199^

be unacquainted with the circumstance. I started with
confessing my inability to advance " anything new
under the sun ;" and, certainly, had I not postponed my
own publication, with the deferential view of ascer-
taining what might be forthcoming in Mr. Smith's, I
should not have propounded as a novelty, what, like most
other information now to be gleaned on the subject,
turns out to be as old as the hills. Professing to date
all my own hints on the improvement in the science
from the time of Mr. Meynell, up to the present; to
ground them upon the long experience of others, added
to such slight stock of my own, as enables me to ad-
venture a few ideas upon the best mode of hunting the
country to which I have the honour to belong ; if I am
not to be deterred from my task by the consciousness
of my own insufficiency, I am not to be scared from
my purpose, by the conviction that all which is worth
knowing has long been known. Contented if the reflected
Lustre of a borrowed light should shed its influence over
my humble efforts, I have persevered in the arrangement
of that collection of facts which forms the basis of the
theory I would promulgate. To return from the lack of
any new light, to cub-hunting in the dark, or in those
hours of shfii.de consecrated to love-sick poets, and to
** maids that love the moon," I conceive that one
reason why it has not been common to take the pack
out on an evening, is, that in most countries, where
cub-hunting is necessarily delayed till September, it
would be dark an hour after there could be sufficient

200 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

dew. If it be cool, rainy weather, any hour in the day
will answer the purpose equally. There is little dew, or
moisture, on the surface of the earth before sun-set,
which, on the first of September, takes place about a
quarter before seven. It is true, that if you find your
fox at five o'clock, every half-hour becomes more
favourable, instead of the reverse, which is generally the
case in the morning ; but you have no drag up to a
fox ; you will probably be longer in finding, and may
have to whip off", for fear of being actually benighted,
and losing your hounds ; whereas, in the morning, you
care not how many hours they run, so long as they can
stick to him, being often in covert from daybreak till
long after noon ; and it is thus that you will be able to
arrive at an opinion as to the stoutness of your entry.
It must be very agreeable when woodlands are handy
to the kennel, as it need not in any way discompose
the order of things. Lord Yarborough assures me that,
so far from finding inconvenience in the practice, he has
himself, for the last fifteen years, preferred it to morning
work. It will be, occasionally, delightful amusement as
a change from partridge-shooting in Herts ; and it will
be far better that any master of hounds, who intends to
govern supreme, should attend on such occasions, than
that he should altogether neglect the cub-hunting ; but,
for my own part,

" Hail ! gentle dawn— mild blushing goddess, hail !

the pack awak'd,

Their matins chant :— nor brook my long delay."

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 201

I have before alluded to what appears to me the obvious
absurdity of ancient usage, that of entering foxhounds
to hare. I have since deeply considered the point in all
its bearings, as something which could not have found
acceptance in the mind of Mr. Meynell, unless grounded
upon some rational principle. He discontinued it, but
he must have had reason for ever having once inclined
to it ; and the only defence I can find of such a doc-
trine, the only argument m its favour, is, that young
hounds were first to be shown what they were not to
hunt. It seems to me, that when hounds are not only
shown their game, but cheered on, and encouraged to
follow it, their nature will be stronger than the reason-
ing instinct, which must tell them to eschew forbidden
fruit, once tasted and enjoyed. High-bred foxhounds,
beyond all doubt, prefer the scent of fox to any other.
When I had dwarf foxhounds as harriers, they would,
when settled to a fox, run through any number of hares
without noticing the scent or sight of them, and, on the
same day, would afterwards hunt hare like beagles. It is
quite evident that you may trust very much to the reason-
ing instinct of the animal hound, and that upon throwing
young hounds into a covert full of riot, it is far better to
leave them entirely alone, to let them dash off with what-
ever scent they may, than to commence rating them in
a manner which may well make them wonder what you
brought them there for. " Never mind them, let them
find it out," were the words of one of the best sports-
men of the day ; " they will soon learn that they are

202 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

wrong." The old hounds, it is to be hoped, will not
join them ; but this allowance to the young ones — this
letting them have their fling, is very different from
cheering them on to the scent you would have them disre-
regard. It is well to let them find out the difference between
the scent upon which they can, without difficulty, strike,
and that for which they have to hunt ; between that to
which their nature and instinct will direct them, and that
to which they should be encouraged, by all possible means,
even to the mobbing of a cub, for the sake of blooding
them. Whippers-in cannot be too cautious in rating
young hounds, on first entering ; if a young hound be
seen taking a scent by himself, throwing his tongue,
and following it eagerly, in a different direction from the
rest of the pack, it does not follow that he is running riot.
You must ascertain that he is not running fox, before cor-
recting him. Too often, as soon as he is seen skirting
from the main body, as it seems to the whipper-in, off he
dashes through the stuff to cut the culprit in two, with a
" Garraway, would yer ? licy ! ivould ye V enough to
frighten him out of his skin. All the while the hound has
been on the scent of a fox, and says to himself — "Oh, ho !
very well, if this is the fun, hang me if ever I try for an-
other." Do not condemn a hound too soon, if he be slack
at entering ; many very good hounds are, what is called,
very backward in coming forward, and are very tardy in
exhibiting any signs of the future excellence they are des-
tined ultimately to display. I remember one particularly
good bitch, in Mr. Sebright's pack, Whisper (by the War-

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 203

wlcksliire Champion, out of their Welcome), that never
left the huntsman's heels for the whole of one season, and
part of the next. Mr. Sebright properly forebore to draft
her, on account of her blood ; her errors being solely of
omission ; and she proved one of the best of her year.
A young hound that cannot run up with the pack at
first, will not improve in pace : unless you have reason
to suppose that his condition can be amended, let him
go to those who do not mind being troubled with the
slows. Determined skirters, and those over-free with
their tongues, termed babblers, are irreclaimable. Draft
freely for all vices which cannot be palliated. A hound
may improve in beauty, and you cannot always afford
to draft for colour, or for any very trifling imperfections
in shape ; he may come off some bad habits, but he will
never come on, if naturally slow; — he may learn to speak,
if he has a detestable habit of running mute (an evil so
well described by Mr. Smith), or to keep silence when he
has nothing to say. If you are fearful of diminishing
your numbers, remember that such drafting is only
weeding your garden ; it does not impair your strength,
but adds to your efficiency. It is far better to have
sixteen couples of effective hounds in the field than
two-and-twenty, with six couples detracting from the
merits, and spoiling the appearance of the rest. Two
heads may be better than one ; you may consult your
huntsman on such occasions : his interest ought to be the
same as your own ; and he should be, to a certain
extent, an executive party ; but when once you have

204 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

determined upon any particular measure, — for instance,
have issued jouvjiat for the drafting of a hound ; — if
you take a real pride in, and mean to be answerable for,
birth, parentage, and education of the pack, let no
remonstrance, no entreaties, cause you to revoke. If
your order be sufficient it should suffice that you have
so ordered. You may be cautious, but you must be
inflexible. The line so often quoted, as to have been
almost Anglicized, must be your ruling principle : —

" Sic volo, sic jubeo— Stet pro ratione, voluntas."

In cub-hunting, when you have the power of stopping
hounds, never suffer them to go away with an old fox.
If you do have a good run, and kill him, it is unfair
towards j^our supporters to anticipate sport which they
cannot be expected to share ; and, if you have no run,
you only make a useless attempt, militating against the
purpose of the day, which is devoted to the education
and improvement of young hounds. After brushing
about in thick covert (one of the chief objects in this
woodland work being to teach hounds to face the stuff",
and draw for a fox through the thickest underwood),
should a young fox break, there can be no objection to
a scurry in the open ; it is, indeed, necessary, before
regular hunting, to enable you to judge of the pace of
young hounds, and how they run together. Some little
fun in the open is also as needful as the work in covert,
to practise hounds in getting away quick to horn and
lialloo. It is a magnificent sight to see from thirty to

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 205

forty couples, all together; and the turning up of a full-
grown young fox, after a merry brush across the coun-
try, on some fine morning early in October, makes a
desirable sensation upon the pack, of which you will
find they have retained a lively impression, when next
required to '' come away, away." Where you have not
the advantage of large woodland, cub-hunting is often
as completely stopped by drought as the regular hunt-
ing is, subsequently, by frost. A good ground-rain in
September and October, makes all the difference. It is
folly to put hounds on scent when the ground is hard as
iron, as it only serves long enough to send them home
lamed and shaken all over. In the season of 1828-29,
if I remember right, so long did we lack moisture that
no hounds could take the field for regular hunting till
the 17th of November. The Oakley Club met, as was
the custom, in the first week of that month, at the
Cock, at Eaton Socon ; but the most agreeable sequel
to those dinners was, on the following morning, neces-
sarily adjourned, sine die; the deep holding clay of the
capital country about Eoxton spinneys being of a con-
sistency too hard for the finest of young English gen-
tlemen of that day, however well inclined they might
have been, with those of the present, for " going it like
bricks."'" Such times and seasons try the patience of
masters of hounds, anxious for their credit ; but as old
Wise, of Southampton, was wont to observe, *' There's
a deal of luck in all these things." If you are balked
* Vide song — " The fine young English gentleman,"— last verse.

20 G THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

of your cub-liunting you must not be dispirited, but
endeavour to make up for it as soon as you can. We
cannot command success, but may all try to deserve it.
It is too common, in many countries, for the sake of the
noses, which all count in the return of killed upon the
kennel door, to make wanton waste of cubs, where cir-
cumstances are favourable to "getting hold of them."
There is, afterwards, a cry of scarcity of foxes. If you
kill one of a litter, it suffices to disperse the rest ; they
want no further notice to quit ; but, when first dis-
turbed, they ring the changes so frequently, that, by the
time it is whoo-whoop with the first of the family, the
rest are half beaten, and it is easy enough to take
advantage of them. Very frequently a detachment of
the pack is at the same moment disposing of another in
a similar manner. Your county must be very full of
foxes to afford such prodigality. The best plan is to
visit every part of the county (excepting some parti-
cular pet places) before November ; you may then be
able to render an account of every litter. I may, here-
after, offer some remarks upon the nature of foxes,
their preservation, &c., with opinions on the manage-
ment of country, which does not necessarily form a
part of the duties devolving entirely upon a master of
hounds. With the end of cub-hunting he is prepared
for public service, and must remember that, for better
or worse, he is responsible for all appertaining to the
establishment. If he is to have any of the merit, to
enjoy any share of credit for what is well done, he is

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 207

equally liable to blame for any and for all defects. It
is very certain that, whatever may be a man's own qua-
lifications for the office of a master of hounds, to that
level will he bring his establishment. If he commence
with an indifferent pack of hounds, and possess, in
himself, the elements of the science essential to their
well-being, he will 7'aise them till they arrive at his own
standard of perfection.* If, on the contrary, he has less
capacity for the undertaking, he will reduce things to
his own calibre. Wealth and station may pre-eminently
qualify one individual in a county, in these respects, for
such office, and he may, with proper public spirit, con-
sent to assume the government, without the slightest
practical knowledge of his duties. Still, upon him will
depend the efficiency of the whole concern. It will be
no excuse to say, that want of sport is not his fault,
that it is in his hounds or servants. It is his fault,
and his only, if they are not what they should be. It
has been most truly said, that " a little knowledge is a
dangerous thing." A man may commit a fatal error in
unlimited exercise of absolute authority, if he presume
too much upon an undue estimate of his own judgment ;
but as, according to the military regulation for the use
of discretionary power, we are told to act " according
to conscience, the best of our understanding, and the
custom of war in the like cases," so will no man err

* Having, however, thus raised them, he must never relax — never think
he has finished a good work, or be tempted to excLiim ^^ opns exegi" —
of that which is never entirely exactum. Many have retrograded, from
too firm a reliance on their own footing.

208

THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

if he take for his guide the leading theory, and act
according to the most approved practice of those whose
rule has passed into a law, applying each principle, as
he best may, to the circumstances of his own peculiar
case.

r

CHAPTER XI.

"'* I pedes quo te rapiunt et aurse."

HOR.

Thus on the air depend the hunter's hopes.''

SOMERVILLE.

Uncertainty of Scent— Signs and Indications — Mr. Smith's Theory dis-
puted— Arguments in Proof of Scent coming from Body and Breath
of the Animal, and not from Touch of Pad alone — Exemplified by
Case in Point — Old Wells and the Oakley — Effect of Dew upon
Scent — Ascent of Dew versus Descent— Experimental Philosophy—
Dr. Dufay and M. Muschenbrock— Eesults of Experiments — Mr.
Smith upon " Metal'"

Of all glorious uncertainties none is greater than
that of scent — the one great thing needful in hunting,
next to the animal to be hunted. Without scent there
can be no sport with dogs, except for those who can

14

210 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

substitute the amusement of coursing for sport. There
are as many signs and indications of good or bad scent
as there are prognostics as to changes of weather, and
they are about as much to be depended upon. By
many certain symptoms we form well-founded expecta-
tions of a downfall, which are often realized ; but
anticipations of rain are not unfrequently as unsub-
stantial as the clouds which had a share in their crea-
tion. Thus it is with scent, which may be termed
*' constant only in inconstancy." When hounds roll
upon the grass; when, in drawing covert, they whip their
sterns so that each appears crimson-pointed ; when the
dew hangs on the thorn;''" when gossamer is floating on
the surface of the ground ; when there are harsh, drying
winds, or frequent storms ; — under any of these, or a
hundred other adverse circumstances, we do not hesitate
to pronounce the impossibility of any chance of scent,
and it is not often that we find ourselves agreeably de-
ceived ; but still, the exceptions are so numerous as to
set at nought anything like invariable rule. Even in
gossamer — even in storms (which I take to be more cer-
tainly fatal to scent than any other state of weather),
under a burning sun, or amidst flakes of falling snow,
instances are not wanting of scent lying breast high.
Philosophy is at fault in any attempt to define the
causes ; it is useless to speculate on probabilities, or

* " When the dew hangs on the thorn,
The huntsman may put up his horn."

Old Proverb.

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 211

take an J tiling for granted, when we know that scent
may vary with the fleeting moments— that it changes
with the soil, and that no one can speak positively to
the point till a fox is found, and hounds have had a fair
chance of settling to a scent, if it exist. It is to be
remarked, that when hounds go soberly to covert, with
their mouths fast closed, instead of staring about them,
and showing disposition to frolic — when, in the place of
boisterous winds and lowering storms, w^e have high
clouds with cool and gentle zephers — when no white
frost has rendered the surface of the earth treacherous
and adhesive — above all, when the quicksilver in the
barometer is on the ascendant, we may fairly hope for
scent ; but we must not be too confident — not unduly
elated by such auspices, or dejected by the reverse. The
sine qua non of scent must be considered, more or Jess,
a matter of chance ; but it may not be uninteresting to
consider how, and in what manner, it is yielded by the
fox in chase. I have been led into a notice of this sub-
ject by the propagation of such an idea, as that the
scent is derived, not from the body or breath, but from
the pad alone. Mr Smith has industriously endeavoured
to prove such assertion by the very means which, in my
humble opinion, afford the strongest confirmation of
the contrary. There is, perhaps, no greater mistake
throughout the whole "Diary of a Huntsman." In
expressing my most unqualified rejection of such hypo-
thesis, it will be necessary to follow closely the line of
argument adduced in its support. Mr. Smith com-

14—2

212 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

mences lii.s observations on scent, after the account of
a famous run which he attributes to the circumstance of
a fox having luckily found the earth stopped that he had
tried at starting. He proceeds to say, '' It will, pro-
bably, be noticed, that, in the above run, the scent was
good, which, of course, a fox must be aware of, as he lives
by hunting ; and this was, prohohly, the cause of liis
trying to go to ground." I have before alluded to what
appears to me another most mistaken notion, or, at all
events, one which is not so supported as to have a claim
to general credence. I then stated some reasons for
believing a fox (in choice of ground, &c.) to be totally
unconscious of the scent which he leaves. I think it
nothing extraordinary that a fox, disturbed by a " roar
in his kennel," should seek the sanctuary of his earth,
without pausing to consider whether the scent was
bad enough to admit of his trusting his precious car-
cass to the open air. Possibly, wliile taking his siesta,
he might have dreamed of a good scent — might have
had a night-mare, from visions of former cub-hunting
in darkness ; but if he were so wonderful a product of
his species, tliat upon his conquest the huntsman could
exclaim, " Vcni, vidi, vici " — " Now, I don't care if I
never kill another fox !" — it is surely matter of surprise
that, with his information concerning the state of tlie
scent, he had not also acquired a hint as touching any
obstructions to his free entrance at the front door of his
family mansion, during his temporary absence at his
suburban villa. "Yet this one would have gone to

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 213

ground, five minutes after being found, if he could."
Why, if he would not, wiiere is the use of an earth-
stopper ? It would have been far more remarkable,
had he attempted to go to ground at the end oi fifttj
minutes, as a fox, when thus heated, will frequently
refuse an open earth ; but, when first found, his point is
almost invariably to the head of earths, which, of course,
are stopped. It maij, very probably, be imagined, if not
noticed, that the scent was good ; for it is no impro-
bable conclusion, relating to a run of sixteen miles ; but
tliatafux must, of course, be aware of this circumstance,
is to say, that, " Who drives fat oxen, must himself be
fat."

It may be fact within the experience of Mr. Smith,
^^ that on many days, v/hen hounds cannot find, and on
which days the scent has been proved to be capital,
that foxes are under ground ;" though I am at a loss
to guess how he reconciles this opinion with that given
in his chapter on Earth-stopping, wherein he says, that
" most foxes almost always laij under ground, in had
iveather particidarly ;' and I must say, that, according
to all I have ever heard or seen, blank days have
been only to be apprehended in the worst weather;
after blustering nights, succeeded by bad mornings,
when there has been little chance of a fox having en-
countered the roughness of the night, and as little pros-
pect of sport, if found. The idea of his being above
ground, in bad scenting weather, and out of the way, in
good, is truly laughable to us, because, in our country,

214 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

the result Is diametrically opposite. With us, it is,
" better day, better deed," and we never make so sure
of finding as upon a day most propitious for the pur-
pose. Moreover, such an assertion is, at best, most
illogical, as it goes to prove, that what we have sup-
posed a good hunting day, is, in plain Eiiglish, a bad one.
If a fox be wanting upon a good scenting day, it is far
more probable that the weather was favourable for his
nocturnal rambles, and that the earth-stopper, instead
of being in bed, did his duty in barring him out before
his return home, and did not, in sea phrase, batten him
down under hatches. A fox, which has been more than
once hunted, need not wind anything, to fancy some-
thing in the wind, on finding no admittance, even ou
business, in his own threshold. His knowledge of
scent, like that of Hudibras, enables him to " smell a
rat," and he may frequently show that he is " up to
snuff," by making himself scarce ; may leave his lodg-
ing in the scrubs, to lie in clover, or on beds of down.
But to come to the question of body scent — Mr. Smith
says, that a fox " will lay " (lie, I suppose the printer
means, unless he thinks the fox is layiny again in a
mare's nest) till hounds " almost tread on him," "which
is one 2orooJ\ that the scent does not come from the body
or breath of the animal, but from the touch; and, by his
layincj quiet in his kennel, the scent does not exude from
under him, that is, from the ground he Icujs upon, &c."
Why— leave a ferret, a pole- cat, or any other animal
of the kind, in a state of quiescence, he emits no scent ;

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 215

excite him, but for an instant, it is then " no7i redolet
sed oletj' then that his, smell may be designated by a
harsher term. It is precisely the same with a fox re-
posing in unconfined space. The air around him is,
then not impregnated with the effluvia from his body,
which betray the proximity of some luckless captive,
doomed in chains to waste his sweetness on an out-
house. It is not till he is roused, that his fuming
vapours rise,

" And v/ith the ambient air eiitangKng mix."

Now, as to " the most convincing and satisfactory
proof" of this most extraordinary doctrine, I must have
recourse to the Diary itself, page 192 : — " But the most
convincing and satisfactory proof that the scent does
come from the touch of the animal, is, that when the
ground carries, after a frost, and there is even a burn-
ing scent on turf, and sound hard ground, until the
hounds get on a fallow, or ploughed ground, when they
will feel the scent for a few ixices only, and it will
entirely go until they are held across the plough-field ;
and when they are again on turf, or sound ground, or
going through the fence, they will hit off the scent
immediately, as the foot is clean and touches the
ground, which is accounted for by the foxes' feet
gathering earth, as soon as they tread on the ploughed
ground, which, on being pressed, adheres to the bottom
of the feet (which is called carrying), consequently
prevents the feet from touching the ground, until this,

216 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

which forms a clog, and is sticking to the feet, is worn
off by a few steps on the sound ground, after leaving the
ploughed land."

I have been compelled to quote the whole of this
long-winded sentence, pausing only at its first round
period, that I may not, according to a prevailing fashion
of the day, by halving of the text, appear guilty of a
wilful perversion of its meaning. Having sifted it, and
measured it by inches, feet, and paces,

" Till one, with moderate haste, might count an hundred,"

the only inference at which the limited powers of my
comprehension have been enabled to arrive, is this — that
it is a sentence of excommunication — a total ejection of
the body of the fox from communion with the air. But
how is this supported ? We are reminded of the fact,
which all must admit, that when the ground is in such
a state that a pedestrian might carry off nearly enough
land upon his shoes, to entitle him to a vote for the
county, that the feet of a fox, or Jiounds, are in like
manner encumbered. It is also evident (for I do not,
by any means, deny that there is, in proportion, as
much scent in the pad as in any other part) that when
a fox takes with him, instead of leaving behind, those
portions of the earth immediately subjected to contact
with that matter which he,

"Through the network of his skin, perspires ;"

there must be far less scent than when there is the
effect of contagion from the earth, to add to the in-

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 217

fection of the air ; but because many hounds require
to be Ufted over ground that carries, does it prove
that there is no scent, "from the body or breath of
the animal, but from the touch?" On the contrary,
unless it is pretended that every particle of scent is lost
on such occasions, it goes to prove, that the only scent
with which many other hounds can, and do, persevere
(hounds, I mean, which are not constantly lifted), not-
withstanding the clogs which prevent the feet of the fox
from touching the ground, must be in the air.

Mr. Smith proceeds to say, that " another ]yvoof, that
the scent by which the fox is hunted, does not come
from the body but from the touch, is, that when hounds
are running across an open country, downs, and such
like, in very windy weather, it cannot be supposed that
the scent would remain stationary, but that it would be
scattered by the wind, and that it arises from the touch,
that is, the i^ad of the fox touching the ground." This,
again, to my erring judgment, seems to prove the
reverse of his own proposition. If the scent de23ended
onli/ upon those parts of the soil, or herbage, which had
been touched, is it likely that it would be carried so far
from these particular substances, as to serve twenty
yards wide of the line, which is frequently the case ?
Who has not seen, if he be an observer, hounds runnintr
harder upon the other side of a hedge-row, not the
side on which the fox passed, than those which are actu-
ally on the line ? Does not this prove, that the particles
of scent which have emanated from the body of the ani-

218 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

mal, have been floating on the air — that if long grass,
or bushes, appear to yield strengthening evidence of the
touch, it is because

" To every shrub the warm effluvia cling,
Hang on the grass, impregnate earth and skies."

My firm beli-ef is, that there is always a pad scent —
always a certain degree of scent from the pad, retained
by all ground, more or less susceptible of the impression
— that the duration of this scent depends upon the kind
of soil, and its evaporations. Were it not for this scent,
there would often be none whatever, which is actually
the case when the ground is foiled by a flock of sheep.
But this is only the scent to which hounds are reduced
when there is no other — when that which they seek to
find floating in the air, is " dispersed, or rarified, by the
meridian sun's intenser heat ;" — it is the scent which
serves them to hunt, but not to run. They can plough
the ground with their noses, and potter on the line, and
on the line only, with the scent of the pad. The scent
with which they run, breast high, with heads erect, is
that which pervades the air some eighteen inches above
the surface of the earth ; — the scent which improves
while " the panting chase grows warmer as he flies ;" —
it is the same which floats above the bodies of the birds,
and enables the pointer, instead of stooping for his game,
to stand in a more exalted attitude, with his head and
stern at right angles. Should any one, for the sake of
argument, inquire, why, if the scent be chiefly in the air,
it does not serve equally along a hard road ? I should

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 219

attribute the difficulties occasioned by Mac Adam, quite
as much to the loss of impending vapour, as to the
want of retaining power in the surface, and consequent
diminution of pad scent. Moreover, hounds will very
often ^y along a road, and, in the month of March,
when the whole country has been in a pulverized con-
dition, they have held the ultra pace, enveloped in
clouds of dust. Any one who has observed stag-hounds
following the deer cart, which has preceded them some
ten minutes, will have little doubt of a scent from a
body which has never been nearer in contact with the
earth upon which they tread, than the bottom of the
vehicle ; and I should be sorry to find myself in the
skin of a fox, which might be conveyed in a wheel-
barrow over a country, if a good pack of hounds had to
make the most of any scent they might find uncon-
nected with the touch. It is very commonly, and justly,
remarked, that when all the field (and probably the
hoi^ses themselves also) are sensible of the smell of a
fox, little scent can be expected for hounds : the fact is,
that there is then not sufficient weight of atmosphere to
condense the volatile particles exuded from his body ;
instead of remaining motionless, they are too quickly
refined, and soar aloft. If all this be not absolutely
logical proof that the scent borne upon the breezes
does not owe its existence entirely and solely to " the
touch, that is, the i^ad of the fox touching the ground,
it must, I think, go far to upset the theory of any one
who will maintain, that if the fox had touched nothing.

220 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

and could have been suspended in mid-air, be would
have left no other than visible signs of his identity.
But to come now to "the most convincing and satisfac-
tory proofs" on my side of the question : — Is it only
that eagerness of excitement, which will occasionally
elicit a whimper from young hounds? — Is it the confident
anticipation of what is awaiting them on the other side
of a river, which causes the oldest hounds in the pack
to throw their tongues with joy, when stemming the
current of some rapid stream ? or is it tliat they greedily
inhale the scent, nowhere more strong than where the

" fuming vapours rise,
And hang upon the gently purling brook ]"

Surely, there must be little enough of touch,, or pad

scent, in the middle of the water ; yet with what avidity

will terriers and spaniels follow upon the scent of a rat,

or water-bird, across a river. I have been dwelHng, like

an old southern hound, upon the subject ; have been

minute, perhaps, even to prolixity in detail ; but I shall

be excused by all who bear in mind, that if

— " brevis esse laboro,

Obscurus fio ;"

and that it is not enough to say, that, amongst all

highest extant authorities,* I have found none dissenting

* Mr. Bell, Professor of Zoology at King's College, says, " The fox has
a subcaudal gland, which secietes an extremely fetid substance." — Clo-
quet, in the French Encydopanlia, says, " In the vicinity of the posterior
parts of the dog [tribe, to which foxes belong], are two small pear-shaped
receptacles, from the inside of which a thick unctuous matter exudes, of
a fetid odour, which escapes through an opening in their margin, by the
assistance of several clusters of muscular fibres, in which these receptacles
are enveloped." The same author, in speaking of the fat of these animals,
says, " In general it is nearly fluid, and, like the rest of the animal's
body, possesses an almost insupportable fetid odour."

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 221

from my view of the case, unless I also adduce some-
thing, in shape of fact, to serve for the groundwork of
my own argument, and the foundation of such support.
I will, however, inflict only one more instance upon the
reader, in proof that the touch has neither more nor less
to do with the scent than I have already represented,
and that scent docs, instead of" does not, come from the
body." One instance, such as the following, is alone suf-
ficiently suitable to my purpose ; it was related to me,
very recently, by Lord Tavistock hinjself : —

It not unfrequently happens, in parts of the Oakley
country, that the meadows are completely inundated by
the irrigations of old Ouse, when that winding river,
svvoUen by winter torrents, pays small deference to
the banks which form the prescribed boundaries of its
course.

It is not in depth, but in extent, that these floods
offer any impediments to those wlio like to see where
they ride, however indifferent they may be to the
number of fathoms deep over which they are rowed.
This coverlid, although it may comprise some acres
on each side of the stream, is nothino- more than a
flowing sheet of water, thrown loosely off the bed of the
river, for the benefit of the alluvial soil within its pre-
cincts. It never has been, and, I trust, never will be,
any impediment to fox-hunting in that country, which,
taking it all in all, is inferior to none in Great Britain,
according to the opinion of those well qualified to pass
sentence upon its merits ; but be this as it may, upon

9 9-:>

THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

the occasion to which I alhide, the fox haviiio- mn down
towards the river, instead of crossing, held on in a con-
tinuous line along the meadows, for a space of two
miles at the very ka^t, being all the way mid-deep in
water. He was never obliged to swim, but was able to
maintain a wonderful pace for any animal half-seas
over ; and well might such an event have been literally
termed an aquatic expedition, at the instigation, and in
honour of the name of such a huntsman as old WeJh.
Never was he nearer being lyumped out than in this
splashing chase ; such was the pace of hounds, and
such the head they carried, that, as he went o'er water
like the wind, he had barely enough within himself for
spouting ; but, turning half round in his saddle, he was
just capable of giving vent to an exclamation, indi-
cative of his opinion, as touching that scent of which
he had not known the touch. " It's in the h'air, my
lord, it's all in the h'alr." Now, under the circum-
stances, and considering that by no possibility could
any ideas of currant-jelly, at that moment, have been
running riot within his brain, the aspiration of the
element was very pardonable, a " trifle light as air,"
to which it gave the emphasis — and, badinage apart,
that simple speech is, to my mind ("jealous" of the
truth of doctrine), a

" confirmation strong,
As proof of holy writ."

If, after this, any one will pretend to say that such
a scent, of which there are every-day instances, arises

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 223

from " the pad of the fox touching the gi'ound," I have
done ; with him I resign all contest, and shall be con-
tented to leave him " alone in his glory."

I would willingly forbear any further notice of the
axioms contained in Mr. Smith's Diary; but as my
attention, and that of the sporting world, has been
evoked by their publication, I cannot allow to pass for
gospel, stated opinions upon most interesting questions,
hitherto treated hypothetically, even by the most scien-
tific inquirers, more especially when Mr. Smith's dictum
happens to be at variance with the best established and
generally received opinions. It is necessary to make
extract, literatim et verhatim, of one other half of a sen-
tence : — '* It is thought, by some, that the reason why
foxes are not oftener killed late in the day, after a hard
and long run when it is nearly dark, that it is owing to
their strength recovering as their natural time for exer-
cise comes on ; but the more probable cause for hounds
not killing their fox oftener than they do at this time
is, that as night comes on in the winter, the wind gets
much colder, and the damp air, or rather the dew, which
falls (and does not rise, as some suppose, on any flat
surface ; for instance, the top of a gate will be covered
with water by the dew, when the under side is perfectly
dry), and it would depress the scent, and prevent its
expansion." — Now, I am not going to break a lance
with the genius who can advance so very self-evident a
proposition, as that a fox, after a hard and long run,
recovers his strength about his natural time for exer-

224 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

cise, like the appetite of an alderman at the sound oi'
the dinner-bell ! Mr. Smith, himself, does not lean to
such an opinion. I will not ask, whether it may, or
may not, be probable that some packs are, at such a
time, so much more tired than the fox, that they are
inclining towards their natural rest ; neither will I split
straws in considering whether the " W conjoined to the
parenthesis, has reference to the dew, or the gate top ;
for the present, my purpose, like that of the Hosicrucian,
is principally with the dew.

The Encyclopcedia Britannica, which is, I believe,
generally taken as tolerable authority on such matters,
after relating the most remarkable experiments of pro-
fessors of the Ptoyal Academy of Science, at Paris —
Doctor Dufay and M. Muschenbrock, the former of
whom vigorously maintained the ascent, and the latter
offered some show of contention for the descent of the
dew — concludes, that " it must still remain dubious, whe-
ther the dew rises or falls." How unlucky for the En-
cyclopaedia, that it should have been published in a day
when no Mr. Smith existed, who could for ever have
determined the question ; then would it have had no
need of committing itself to the theories of these
" learned Thebans." The Diarij would have afforded
a ready and concise solution of the difficulty. Con-
sidering, however, that I am one of the great majority
of those who do certainly "suppose" that the dew
rises ; moreover, remaining firmly convinced that such
is the fact ; the only apology I can offer for not yielding

TIIE NOBLE SCIENCE. 225

implicitly to Mr. Smith's positive assertion, that it falls,
will be found in the work to which I have alluded ; and
as every one who condescends to read this, may not be
fortified with such a volume at his elbow, I will make
brief extracts of that which bears immediately upon the
point.

Dr. Dufay '' supposed, that, if the dew ascended, it
must wet a body placed low down, sooner than one
placed in a higher situation ; and if a number of bodies
were placed in this manner, the lowermost would be
wetted first ; and the rest, in like manner, up to the
top." No very unnatural supposition this, for any
Frenchman or Englishman to have made ; but let us
see how sets the Doctor about the work of proving his
hypothesis. He probably knew little enough of a five-
barred gate ; at all events, it did not occur to him ; per-
haps he might not have satisfied himself with it if it
had ; so, " to determine this, he placed two ladders
against one another, meeting at their tops, spreading
wide asunder at the bottom, and so tall as to reach
thirty-two feet high. To the several steps of these he
fastened large squares of glass, like the panes of win-
dows, placing them in such a manner that they should
not overshade one another. On the trial, it appeared
exactly as Dr. Dufay had apprehended. The lowest
surface of the lowest piece of glass was first wetted ;
then the upper, then the lower surface of the pane next
above it, and so on till all the pieces were wetted to the
top. Hence it appeared plain to him, that the dew

15

226 THE NOBLE SCIENCE,

consisted of the vapours ascending from the earth during
the night-time, which, being condensed by the coldness
of the atmosphere, are prevented from being dissipated,
as in the day-time, by the sun's heat."

We are told of other experiments, the result of
which " was quite conformable to his expectations."

On the other hand, we find that " M. Mushenbrock,
who embraced the contrary opinion, thought he had in-
validated all Dr. Dufay's proofs, by repeating his expe-
riments, with the same success, on a plane covered with
sheet lead. But to this Dr. Dufay replied, that there
was no occasion for supposing the vapour to rise through
the lead, nor from that very spot ; but that, as it arose
from the adjoining open ground, the continual fluctu-
ation of the air could not but spread it abroad, and
carry it thither in its ascent."

" Who shall decide, when doctors disagree V

From the combination of all circumstances, which it
would be tedious to enumerate, not a doubt is left upon
my own mind, that the dew is an exhalation from the
earth, occasioned by the warmth of the sun. We see
little, if any, dew in cloudy weather ; but always the
most after the hottest days ; and, as a matter of course,
in the mornings preceding the hottest days, from the
accumulation through the night. The first appearance,
and the greatest collection of dew, is, invariably, observ-
able upon water-meadows, and on the surface of damp
ground most liable to such exhalation ; if it descended,

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 227

why should it not fall equally upon the most arid soil ?
But I am willing to admit that there are instances of the
total absence of dew after the hottest days ; in short, I
do not pretend to the proof of my position, or offer
more than my own inference from observation upon a
point which has puzzled philosophers. All I mean to
say is, that the top of a gate may be wet with dew, and
the under side dry, without any proof that some under-
current of air did not assist the rapid ascent of the dew,
till, after attaining a certain elevation, it could make a
deposit upon the gate-top.

At all events, I will take upon myself to say, that
dew, whether it rises or falls, can have no prejudicial
effect upon scent. If dew is to be taken as an excuse
for the loss of an afternoon fox, there can be little use
in cub-hunting of an evening, or in turning out in the
middle of the night solely with the hope of avaiHng
ourselves of its moisture.

I must not be supposed, in these comments upon
The Diarij of a Huntsman, to be actuated by any
desire of detracting from its manifold merits. In the
notice which I must necessarily take of a contemporary
authority, it would be misplaced courtesy towards the
writer, injustice to my own work, and to the purpose to
which it is devoted, if I shrank from contesting opinions
to which I could not conscientiously subscribe.

Totally divested of any invidious and unworthy feel-
ing, utterly regardless of the channel through which any
new ideas might flow, looking to the interests of " the

15—2

228 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

Noble Science/' and to the practical utility of any infor-
mation upon the subject, I halted in the course of
my own task, and scanned the Diary, in the hope of
finding that supply of novelty already before the public,
which I felt myself unable to communicate. Of a verity,
that novelty have I found in divers shapes ; but such
novelty is useless if it be past man's understanding. I
say this in a general sense, because I cannot impute to
myself a more than common share of isolated stupidity,
in being unable to discover the meaning of phrases,
which I find equally unintelligible to others.

It is not my intention to make allusion to any discre-
pancies unconnected with the immediate subject of my
own consideration ; but having had occasion to differ,
most materially, from the Diary upon the nature of
scent, which forms the burden of this chapter, I cannot
conclude the disquisition without reference to one of
those novelties which I have pronounced to be utterly
beyond comprehension.

The fifth chapter of this Diary of a Huntsman,
professes to be a Glossary of " Hunting Terms ;" the
preceding chapter having offered an explanation of
" Huntsman's Language." Casting my eye over these
valuable elucidations, being attracted to the article of
" Moving Scent" (page 125), I was struck by the appear-
ance of a word, which, as pertaining to the vocabulary
of a sportsman, or being applicable to hounds, " showed
strangely to my sight." — " Aletal" — ''When hounds are
veiy fresh, and fly for a short distance on a wrong scent,

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 229

or without one, it is called all metal." Now what kind
of 7)ietal is here meant, the writer alone can explain.
To call a hound as good as gold, is no uncommon ex-
pression ; but neither to this precious commodity, nor
to silver, platina, tin, iron, lead, or copper, can this
flying on a wrong scent, have either direct, or indirect
affinity, unless in connection with the fact, that metals
of all kinds are almost impervious to the effect of dew.
Can it be that they have too much brass, or, after all, is
this metal the predominant material, and is the compo-
sition of the article I am now remarking on — a mixture
of Mr. Smith's own composition f Nimrod addressed a
letter to the Editor of Bell's Life, complaining bitterly
of the manner in which his writings have been distorted,
in consequence of his not having the opportunity of cor-
recting the errors of the press.

It is possible that this Glossary may have been sub-
jected to a similar disadvantage ; I did not hesitate
upon the 2)^1711(1 facie evidence of the robbery and mur-
der committed upon the body of the word, Tally-ho ! to
give a verdict against some poor devil of a printer ; and
w^ell knowing that these functionaries are not always
particular to a T, I had no doubt that the word cover,
which occurs so frequently (a word which I had never
seen in sporting sense, unless with regard to a certaii?
description of horses), was intended to be read, covert.
This idea is borne out by the Glossary, which, instead of
Dr. Johnson's definition of the word, cover, " anything
that is laid over another," describes a cover, as "any

230

THE NOBLE SCIEXC'E.

wood, &0., which will hold a fox." It is merely doub-
ling the extension of such an allowance, to lead us to
the supposition, that, amidst the dross of the printing-
house, this '* mctaV may have been confounded with
the mettle which may occasion hounds, when very fresli,
to " fly for a short distance on a wrong scent." The
substitution of a T, for an A, and the addition of an E,
might seem of little moment to any one not conversant
with the laws of scent or accent ; but with regard to a
Glossary, purporting to be an explanation of hunting
terms, it is rather too much to expect that all will rea-
dily accord to an opaque hodij that which is ascribable
only to the spirit.

CX-

'^^■^

CHAPTER XII.

Nihil est ab omni,

Parte beatum."
Hon.

lUe terrarum mihi jn-ceter onmes,
Angulus ridet."

Id.

Hunting from Home— M. F. H. in his own Country — Presents — The Late
Mr. Hanbury— Popularity— Satisfaction— Plights of Country— Sup-
port of Hunting — Errors of Custom — Remedies— Difficulty of Pie-
formation — Earth- Stopping— Mr. Smitli's Plan — Game-keepers —
Habits of Foxes — Importance of Rural Amusement— Decline of
Shooting — ISTew Game Bill— Fox-hunting the only Resource — Esti-
mate of Expenses.

It is highly important to the interests of the Noble
Science, that every man, blessed with the means of pro-
moting the sport of fox-hunting, should endeavour so
to do, to the utmost of his power, in his own country.

232 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

Happy is it for him who is located in the provincials,
if his domestic comforts are such, that he considers
nothing could compensate for the loss of them ; still
happier, if he thinks that hunting from home is every-
thing— that fox-hunting, all over the world, must be,
and is, fox-hunting all the world over — that there is no
country so bad that it may not be made better, by a
proper direction of energy towards the amelioration of
any defects capable of improvement. A bad country
may be made worse, by a bad establishment of hounds,
&c., or better, by a good one. If farmers, or landowners,
are hostile, they may be propitiated. You cannot
gather up all the flints, level the lanes, or alter the
nature of the soil, as to its scenting capabilities ; but
you may labour advantageously in devoting some pains
to the organization and well-being of the Hunting Club;
may be instrumental in directing the use of its funds
to the general benefit, and in promoting that social
intercourse under which it will assuredly flourish, — with-
out which it will as certainly decay. If aU men, pos-
sessing more or less influence in the county, will but
pull together— if each will consider the common cause
identified with his own — if they will remember that a
benefit or an injury to one part of the country, has its
corresponding efiect upon another — if each will contri-
bute his quota towards the advancement of all the
good, and the reconciliation of any bad feeling existing
in his neighbourhood, there can, in no part of England,

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 253

be any serious difficulty in tlie prosecution of a diver-
sion, the taste for which is born and bred with the occu-
pants ; a sport to which those are by nature incHned,
upon whose countenance it very materially depends.

But all this esprit de corps is still more, if possible,
incumbent upon the master of the hounds in the coun-
try, for tlie time being. It is always desirable that he
should be able to found some claim to support upon
his property and influence in the county ; for an itine-
rant professor will never (however he may entitle him-
self to the good- will of those amongst whom he may be
naturalized) command the respect which is generally
so freely accorded to him who has, as it were, a birth-
right in the cause.

The feeling with which a master of hounds should
regard the country he has undertaken to hunt, should
partake largely of the character, and be scarcely inferior
to that, which constitutes the love of our country in a
more comprehensive sense. It should be a modification
of the purest patriotism ; the good of the country should
be the mainspring of all his actions, the focus in which
all that he does should centre. He should do his
utmost to promote the breed of horses and the growth
of crops, and cherish every friendly relation with the
agricultural part of the community. By thus ingratiat-
ing himself with his neighbours, he will add a zest to
the interest which they are disposed to feel in the pros-
perity of the whole concern. Not only his friends, in

234 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

liis own station of life, but the respectable yeomen, inn-
keepers, and tradesmen, all take delight in rearing a
young hound, and returning him in condition to do
credit to his walk. The farmer will say, that he has
lost some scores of fowls by the foxes ; but he will
add, in the same breath, that foxes have kept down his
enemies, the rabbits, and that he does not grudge the
value of fowls, averaging about eighteen pence a piece,
considering all that there is to set against such losses to
the score of the hunting. When farmers are satisfied
that there is every desire to avoid wilful damage, they
are seldom so churlish as to grumble at that which is
accidental, I may say incidental, to the sport in which
they may largely participate. If you once commence a
system of regular compensation, however desirable it
may be in individual cases, the yearly accumulation of
such demands would ultimately balance the account of
the national debt. It would, perhaps, require as much
as would maintain the hunting establishment, to satisfy
claims for damage, supported by sufficient evidence,
against the foxes ; but as it is well known that the fox
is held responsible for everything less than a jackass,
which may be " lost, stolen, or strayed," the depredations
of dogs and vermin, and also of still more systematic
thieves, might be committed with impunity, under the
shelter of the indemnifying fund provided by the Hunt.
It is, indeed, hard, that Widow Thrifty should sustain
the loss of a whole brood of turkeys, or that the pains

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 235

or gains of industry should be, in the remotest degree,
deteriorated; when they are not improved by

" those ijleasures, for the weak too strong,

Too costly for the poor f

but where there is good management, these things will
not be. The surplus funds of a Hunt Club, increased
by the casual donations of the sojourners of a season,
wherever such exist, cannot be better applied than in
redressing, in a quiet way, such actual grievances.* The
late Mr. Hanbury, whose name will ever be respected,
as a master of hounds for many years in the Puckeridge
country, handed down the custom of making occasional
presents to farmers, or their wives, which has since been
followed up with good effect. It is not that the value
of your gifts may bear proportion to the loss, real or
imaginary, set down to your account ; but they are duly
flattered by a token of your consideration. Mr. Han-
bury's business, as head of a great brewery, enabled
him, at no great sacrifice, to keep many in entire good-
humour, by acceptable cadeaux of brown stout. Having
omitted, upon some occasion, the transmission of one of
these, with his wonted regularity, to a certain quarter.

* Tt is not very often that a Hunt Club has the means, if it have the
inclination, to attend to these points ; but still, as it is "Nunkey pays for
all," pay he must. It will not do to turn a deaf ear to just grounds of
complaint. I think that my predecessor had once a sum, amounting to
three figures, to pay for injury done to ewes in the lambing time ; and I
have constantly had fines of from £\Q to £20 at the same season. I was
glad, last spring, to compound, for £18, with one farmer, for the frolic of
one couple of young hounds, just leaving their walk.

23G THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

he received an anonymous reminder to the following

effect : —

" How can you expect that the foxes will thrive,
If they have no porter to keep them alive V*

If popularity be not invariably the consequence atten-
dant upon a just, a wise, and good government, it is
absolutely necessary to the ruler of that microcosm of
which we are treating. A master of hounds can have
no durable prospect of success, unless he carries with
him the voice of the whole country confided to him.
In the earlier part of this work, I endeavoured to point
out some essentials in his conduct, and some few parti-
culars relative to his government in the field. In thus
attempting to describe, according to the result of obser-
vation, some of the principal features of his character
as the leader of a hunt, which should afford no show of
reason for being denounced by any, but should boast
the strongest claim to the right of being upheld by all,
I am impelled by the conviction, that many evils and
difiiculties have arisen solely from a neglect of duties,
apparently trivial in themselves, but which are, in rea-
lity, component parts of the machinery by which the
whole system is regulated. If a man's devotion to
everything connected directly, or indirectly, with the
office, proceed originally from a sense of duty to the

* Of late years, in Hertfordshire, the establishment of a Poultry Fund,
chiefly maintained by contributions from visitors and non-subscribers who
hunt, has been highly eff'cctivc, the fund being under the management of
the secretary of the Hunt, who is at the pains to investigate all claims
and make due compensation for

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 237

particular country to which he has dedicated his ser-
vices, it will soon resolve itself into a matter of choice
and preference. It must be, indeed, a very bad coun-
try with which a man is not more than satisfied, if his
general success in affording satisfaction to others, and
the average of the sport, have been such as to exceed
his expectations. If things go well — if he have had
runs from all quarters — if the retrospect of the past,
the aspect of the present, and the prospect of the future,
are encouraging — if, in short, where all cannot, in the
nature of things, wear one perpetual tint of couleur de
rose, the blue devils have been effectually scared by the
squadron of scarlet; — instead of envying the supposi-
titious advantages of other countries, he may be well
inclined to run his race, if not with the complacency,
with the contentment of the happy pastor, who

" Ne'er had changed, nor wished to change his place."

It behoves every master of hounds to regard, with
a jealous eye, everything approaching to an infraction
upon the rights of his country — rights which he is
bound to hand down, inviolate, to his successor. It
would be well, were there in existence some code of
laws, in which the rights of country, and all apper-
trdning to their tenure (taking the ''mospro lege'), were
more clearly defined, considering that, notwithstand-
ing the apparent simplicity of their adjustment, more
disputes have arisen, and more occasion for discord has
been allowed to exist, than is altogether consonant with

238 THE NOBLE SCIENCK.

that spirit of harmony which should prevail, and ever
be maintained, between two neighbouring Hunts, It
appeared that, upon a great controversy which occupied
so much of the attention of the sporting world last sea-
Ron, public opinion was very much, almost entirely, on one
side, in favour of the retention of country by the party
to whom it had been conceded, without reservation ;
but upon the ''audi alteram ^)rtrie?n" principle, and
taking into account the quarter from whence the
attempt at recovery proceeded, it is only justice to sup-
pose, that such claims, however difficult to establish,
were founded on the fairest grounds. A similar diffe-
ence, but of less notoriety, has, since then, occurred in
another district. In this case, again, the right, according
to the opinion of competent judo^es, seems to have been
easily determined ; but if once such questions are agi-
tated— if doubts are once admitted within the range of
argument, it is no easy matter, "tantas componere Utes."
However amicably such disputes may have commenced,
bad blood is rapidly engendered, and open rupture too
soon succeeds to the coolness occasioned by protracted
litigation, which must terminate to the dissatisfaction of
one competitor, if not of both. Something after th®
manner of racing rules, as matter of reference, might be
advantageous to those called upon to arbitrate in such
cases. Possession is said to comprise nine points of the
law ; but this will not hold good in fox-hunting, unless
a better title to the occupation of the country is suffi-
ciently manifest. Our Hertfordshire country is, in all

THE NOBLE SCIENCE, 239

conscience, large enough, and as much as any hounds
could hunt fairly, in four days per week ; but till the
year 1835, it had, for upwards of twenty years, been
enriched by a considerable slice of Bedfordshire, of
which we had remained during the whole of that period
in undisturbed possession, and of which we should natu-
rally have been most tenacious. As soon, however, as
this portion became needful to the Oakley Hunt, it was
reclaimed by them upon the due advance of proof, that
our right had been never otherwise established than as a
right on sufferance ; the grant having been originally
made under cover of a distinct stipulation, that it might,
at any time, be resumed at pleasure. The validity of
this claim was beyond dispute ; and much that is dis-
agreeable would probably be spared, if all concessions
were guarded by such restrictions, or formally and
finally consigned by a deed of gift, wherever there is
the remotest possibility of any misunderstanding of the
wide distinction between " meum et tuimi." There can
be no harm, but, on the contrary, much good, in the
feeling of give and take, which may enable the master
of one country to offer, as an accommodation, or con-
cede to the request of another, the permission to draw
any particular covert upon certain occasions, attended
with advantage to the one, and devoid of prejudice to
the other ; but from such circumstances as these it will
not do to found a precedent. It is highly necessary
that the nature of such grant should be highly under-
stood at the time, or the lapse of a very few years may

240 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

convert such parts of territory into debateable ground ;
those which are dejure, will not be found de facto the
possessors ; — the memory of the oldest sportsman, who
remembers perfectly that such coverts were drawn by
such a pack (without any knowledge on his part of the
contingencies), is cited as authority ; and they are
compelled either to abandon their claim, or, at best,
compound for a neutrality. All this might easily be
obviated, by a proper understanding of the rights of
country upon its first establishment, and by the pre-
servation of written testimony to this effect, amidst the
archives of the Hunt.

I have said, that the master of hounds should be
held deeply responsible for the preservation of the rights
committed to him ; but more than that it is unfair to ex-
pect. It is too generally the case, that in addition to
all the materiel for hunting a coantry, he has also to
find the country to be hunted. The whole management
and keeping up of the country is suffered to devolve
upon him.

" Horses sound, hounds healthy,
Earths well stopped, and foxes plenty,"

are indispensable requisites, " ivhich nobody can deny ;"
but after finding effective horses, and hounds, &c., the
master has also, literally, to find every fox, in the most
comprehensive sense of the word ; and why is tliis ?
Why, because, simply because, " what is everybody's
business, is nobody's ;" because every one likes to know
that the country is kept uj), and no one cares how this

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 241

is brought to pass. A liberal subscription to the hounds
is thought to include everything that can be required,
from the body of the country, towards the maintenance
of fox-hunting ; more particularly, when the rights of
country are firmly established upon such foundations, as
the hearty concurrence of the landed proprietors, and
their expressed resolution to preserve foxes, according
to their ability. And, pray, will some one ask, is not
that enough ? Does not such a system work well, and
what more would you have ? Granting that the system
does work well — with all my desire to leave well alone,
with all my anti-revolutionary principles, I would be
reformer enough to wish a total change in the funda-
mental parts of the constitution of many hunting coun-
tries. If such a jubilee could be accorded to some
provincials, as was most prudently given for three years
to Leicestershire, when, finding, from the scarcity of
foxes, that the country was almost worn out, Mr.
Meynell removed the whole of his establishment, pro
tempore, to the borders of Huntingdonshire and Bed-
fordshire— hunting the countries in occupation of Lord
Fitzwilliam, and the Cambridgeshire— then might such
reformations be securely effected ; but under no other
than such circumstances, would it be prudent to ven-
ture upon anything of the kind, or attempt to disturb
the existing stability of things, wholly dependent upon
the sufferance of so many conflicting interests. Though
last of the requisites enumerated in the doggrel dis-
tich I have quoted, — the " foxes plenty," is by no

16

242 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

means the least of the bargain. No one, who had
enjoyed that plenty, would like to brave any alterations
which might be calculated to affect (however tempora-
rily), the existence of such an essential.

" 'Tis better far to bear tlie ills we have,
Than fly to others which we know not of ;"

and, perhaps, it is as immaterial to the master of the
hounds, as to any one of his constituents, that he
should " hold a candle to the devil ;" or, to use another
vulgarism, *' pay through the nose" for everything,
lliese demands come within calculation of the expenses
of the country ; they are nothing new, nor can they be
matters with which any one can be unacquainted, on
taking office. It is less, therefore, on behalf of masters
of hounds, than as a matter worthy the consideration of
any himt, about to commence de novo, or having the
power of improving the usual order of things, that I
have alluded to defects in the management of countries,
and have expressed a desire for change of system. In
offering a show of reason for such a wish, it will be
right to point out a few of the present evils, which
appear to me chiefly to require new enactments, and
for such a task I may not be perhaps, altogether, un-
qualified, considering that in Hertfordshire they have
been allowed to increase, and arrive at an extent, which
lias, I believe, no parallel in any other country. In so
doing, inasmuch as I cannot contemplate the prospect
of any change in my own time (nor could I countenance

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 243

the hazard of such an undertaking, were it more feasi-
ble than it is), I must be acquitted of any other motive
than that of arousing the attention of those whom it
may concern, to the importance of the subject. It is
money which forms the sinews of war — it is the
" money makes the mare to go." Without money,
hunting must fail ; and if there be in all countries more
or less difficulty in the provision of adequate funds for
its support, it is so much the more necessary to guard
against the entail of any unnecessary expenditure. Of
the two principal evils of the present system, to which
I allude, the one is the natural consequence of the
other. In the first place, I condemn the fixed price set
upon each day's amusem.ent, the extravagance of the
terms upon which hounds leave their kennel, as likely to
operate, at some time or other, seriously against bye
days ; and as an increase of contingent expense, which,
might well be spared. Secondly, I assert that, with all
the good-will and support of the nobility, squirearchy, and
yeomanry, which is nowhere more liberally bestowed
than in Herts,''' the master of hounds in this, or any
other country similarly circumstanced, is virtually
at the mercy of gamekeepers and earth-stoppers.
For every fox that is found, from one end of the country
to the other, the sum of one sovereign is booked,

* The Marquis of Salisbury, who never hunts, munificently gives .£200 ;
and Lord Verulani, who is also content to leave the representation of his
former prowess in the field to his sons, £100 to the hounds ; besides the
utmost exertion of all the patronage and support which their extensive
possessions afford.

IG— 2

244 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

allowed, and regularly paid. The fees of earth-stoppers,
from half-a-crown, to ten or fifteen shillings, according to
the number of stops within the provhice of each, amount,
on the average, to four pounds per diem. Thus, supposing
that the sport is limited to the finding of one fox, we
start with an expense of five pounds, as the smallest tax
upon the day — independent of all the inevitable v/ear and
tear. So long as these subordinates have as much
interest in foxes, as farmers have in their stock or any
kind of property, it is not to be wondered that the
animal abounds ; and it is equally clear that it would be
better that they should cost two sovereigns each, than
that the stock should be diminished, seeing that there is
no medium ; that they either are or are not ; that they
are altogether preserved, or utterly destroyed ; as there
is no such thing as modification in the forms of vul-
pecide.

But, at the same time, in face of the fact, that most
of the great game-preservers have as much, or far more
pleasure in the possession of foxes, than of game in their
coverts, it appears somewhat absurd that they should
be compelled to become parties to the purchase of
them, from the very servants whose duty it is to protect
them. The master stipulates with his keeper no less
for the protection of the fox, than of the pheasant, and
yet allows an extraordinary premium to be paid ; a prize
to be directly awarded to him for the fulfilment of that,
in default of which he should, and generally would, be
discharged. In countries where so unsportsmanlike a

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 245

practice Is permitted, as that of capping for the death of
a fox, it is notorious, that a kill is not unfrequently
accomplished by a little more mobbing than might
otherwise be held defensible. In like manner, where
there is a proportionate interest in his life, an earth will
be accidentally left open, or drawn, after it has been
stopped by the keeper, whose next fee may depend upon
his rescue.* This has been the case, where the earth-
stoppmg is not performed by the gamekeeper ; as the
stopper, who would, for such an occurrence, forfeit his
ticket, would be the only loser ; but without entering,
at the present moment, into the separate consideration
of matters connected with the earth stopping, and
viewing only the reprehensible parts in the effects of the
anomalies I have described, it is evident that they are
the result of a want of foresight ; an absence of due
consideration in those with whom they originated,
rather than of any organization of wrong principles.
Keflection upon the policy of these regulations, brings

* The view halloos of tliis fraternity must be regarded witli caution,
at the time when a fox is sinking within the precincts of tlieir range ;
more especially if the run has been a ring, and the fox has led the chase
back to the domain whence he was routed, and where he will repay the
trouble of a keeper in doing his utmost to mislead the hounds, that he
may live to fight another day. At the same time that the said keeper is
venting curses upon his depredations, and invoking his destruction by all
the powers of earth or air. It is a new feature in the records of fox-hunt-
ing—this accusing gamekeepers of an over tenderness towards the wily
animal ; but did not a shower of gold procure for Jupiter free access to the
brazen towers of the secluded Danae 1 One fox may live to be worth his
weight to his guardians. Once, and only once, within my memory, the
experiment of a bagman was hazarded in a place of unenviable notoriety
for blanks ; but the trick was, as usual, too palpable ; hounds disdained
the alien carcass easily subdued, and the speculation failed.

24 G THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

US back to the homely proverb with which 1 commenced
my notice of them. " What is everybody's business, is
nobody's." The master of the hounds is left precisely
in the situation of a county member, who is fain to
receive some votes, as favours yielded to his personal
influence. He has to propitiate and allay the hastily
imbibed prejudices of one man ; to conciliate and soothe
the wounded dignity of another ; to admit, without
reference to the realities of the case, that he was too
much on the north, and too little on the south
side of the country, in the preceding season ; to pro-
mise hecatombs of heads and brushes, as trophies
in revenge for peafowls, and all other birds, wild or
domestic, taken from house or tree-tops ; to grant to
Mr. Boreham the privilege of coursing ; and to Mr.
Doubtful, that of shooting, ad Uhitum, over his property,
in consideration of their zeal for Jus iDeculiar sport,
towards the furtherance of which no private sacrifices,
on his part, must be spared. To a certain extent, this
is all very well. The manager of the hounds must be,
ostensibly, the manager of the country. He alone
must be responsible for all errors of omission or com-
mission ; for the whole conduct and proceedings of the
hunt ; but still his attention should be as little as
possible distracted from the multitude of concerns
which necessarily fall to his share, by being called to
the constant consideration of atiliirs which should
require no regulation on his part. There is q\iite
enough of by-play, quite enough of work behind the

THE NOBLE SCIEXCE. 247

scenes, little dreamed of by those who, upon the close

of one season, await only its I'esults in the next. If a

master of hounds had nothing whatever to do with the

sport, further than that of providing what belongs to

him, of the means necessary to its enjoyment, the

country might still be sufficiently indebted to him. If

he properly performs his duty to the utmost that can

reasonably be expected of him — if all in his department

be " done well, and as it should be done," he may, with

the truth and modesty, and in the words of Othello,

say —

" I have done the State some service, and they know it ;
No more of that."

The remedies which I would suggest, for all that is objec-
tionable in the administration of general affairs, affecting
the commonwealth of the hunt, may be comprehended
in a few words ; — I would not entirely abolish rewards
to keepers, by way of encouragement, in shape of
douceurs at Christmas, or at the end of the season ; but
I would have no regular charge for finds, nor even
regular charges for earth-stopping, excepting in coverts
expressly hired for the purposes of the hunt. There,
such payments might be a part of the wages of those
employed; but I would have the preservation of the
foxes, and the stopping of the earths for hunting,
matters entirely dependent upon their respective pro-
prietors. I would have every lord of a domain, make
a point of enforcing his determination to contribute,
gratuitously, all in his power to the noble sport. In-

248 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

stead of aDy regular bill, amounting to from ten to fif-
teen poimds, to be presented by a keeper, as the price
of his forbearance, in permitting the existence of ani-
mals considered obnoxious to game, and, in reality,
destructive to the rabbits, which are his perquisites, I
would have five pounds the maximum of remuneration.
Such a sum might be adequate compensation to any
good servant, for the trouble of doing his duty, and
would be received merely as a token of approbation of
the manner in which he had discharged it, when the
success of his endeavours entitled him to such consider-
ation. There can be no reason why under-keepers, or
other labourers, might not as well undertake the earth-
stopping, on account of their regular employer, as on
that of recompense from a separate body. The feasts
might still be continued, for it is a good custom, that of
assembling together all who are in any way subservient
to the interests of fox-hunting, and aftording them a
jollification, from which they will not separate without
having imbibed a larger flow of those kindly feelings
towards the common cause which it is intended to
promote. It has been always the custom in Herts, to
hold two of these revels, one on each side of the
county ; the huntsman presiding : they are attended by
all the gamekeepers, earth-stoppers, et hoc genus omne,
of the districts ; the annual expense of both seldom
exceeds thirty pounds ; and they tend to implant, and
keep alive, sentiments most desirable to cherish. But
this is not all ; according to the present " custom of the

THE NOBLE SCIENCE, 249

country/' the object of these meetings is, a regular
audit, a systematic settlement of accounts. The only
difference between these, and the generality of such
meetings on business, is this, that here each guest,
instead of disbursing, is prepared with a stated demand
for certain dues, to be then and there received, previous
to participation in the cheer provided for him by his
debtor. After a rigid scrutiny of all claims, by the
huntsman, who is the chancellor of exchequer on
these occasions, two hundred and fifty pounds is the
least which can be set down, in round numbers, as the
sum which passes through his hands in distribution ;
and it is well, then, if he succeeds in giving satisfaction
to the majority. Here is a distinct charge upon the
country, averaging from two hundred and seventy, to
three hundred pounds per annum, for the finding of
foxes only ; not one shilling for the hire of an acre ;
not one sixpence towards compensation for damages ;
but every farthing as a bonus upon the mere preserva-
tion of animals, which would otherwise be destroyed as
vermin. Although I have heard of no other country
where a fox is better worth his weight in gold, I find
that, in some others, it is customary to give as much as
half a sovereign for each find. This, though not alto-
gether a sovereign remedy, is meeting the evil half way,
and the reduction in the sum total would, of course, be
commensurate. But in how many more countries, ay,
and in the midst of game preserves, do foxes swarm,
where nothing in shape of a reward is given ; where

250 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

fees, or feasts, are unheard of; and blank days equally
unknown ? Nothing is so difficult to uproot, or set
aside, as long-standing abuse. Nothing more incontro-
vertible than the answer, that such always has been the
case. There is an old and true story of some fine old
English gentleman, who, having long borne with the
caprice and misbehaviour of an old andT long-favoured
domestic, on finding his patience quite exhausted (the
good servant being transformed into a hard master),
informed him that the time had arrived when it was
desirable to part. " Part !" cried the knight of the nap-
kin, " and pray where may your honour be going then ?"
Such would be the feeling of our out-of-door ministers,
upon any hint as to the abolition of rights sanctified, in
their eyes, by custom. " Where then," would they say,
" where then might we be going to hunt V Rash,
indeed, would be the attempt of any man to stem the
tide of long-indulged venality ; to pull a hornet's nest
about his ears ; and bitterly might he feel the stings
which vindictive malice might inflict upon him. Nothing
but the combined energy of the whole county, — a deter-
mined resolution to shake off the incubus of such a
thraldom, — could place a hunt in a proper position, in
relation to its dependencies ; and, even then, some time
might be required for a reaction from the staggering
efiects of a suspension of the stipendiary system.
Where such rules have been estabhshed, all that
remains for a master of hounds, subjected to their
dominion, is to guard against their increase ; to consider

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 251

the sacrifice of the requisite sum as a necessary evil ; in
short, to make the best of a bad bargain. Having cited
Hertfordshire, as eminently under the influence of an
extravagance in expenditure, I am bound to state, that in
no other country can the subscription be better con-
ducted. Not only is a liberal sum subscribed on paper,
but (what is not always the same thing) it is most
regularly paid. The payment is guaranteed by a few
spirited members of the club, and by the indefatigable
exertions of another, who kindly undertakes the oflSce
of secretary to this committee, the funds are forth-
coming when due. In addition to a subscription of
£1450 towards the hounds (the actual expenses of
which I will hereafter transcribe), £100 are given by the
club towards the expenses of the country ; and all
casual contributions are applied to the same purpose.
It is especially incumbent upon me to avow, that in
no quarter of the globe can a master of hounds be
more generously supported than in this our provincial.
It is not against effects so much as causes, therefore,
that I inveigh, in denouncing the principle of high pay-
ment for that which should, and might, have been
obtained gratis, at the origin of the hunt. And when
we consider that the same money might be better
diverted into other channels ; that two or three hundred
pounds are no trifle in the calculation of expenses ; it is
well to warn the novice, anxious only for the end, and
reckless as to the means, against sowing the seed which,
when once rooted, cannot easily be exterminated.
" Prill cipiis obsta, sero medicina paratur."

liUli THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

With regard to earth-stopping, in the abstract, as
nothing is more mortifying than running constantly
to ground, it is obvious that where earths exist as
numerous as in Herts, and many other countries, no
expense can be spared in the labour of stopping them,
till the arrival of that Utopian sera, when all such mat-
ters shall be undertaken by the owner or occupier of
the soil : but setting aside any difficulties, as to the
proper attention to these earths, I am satisfied that
they are evils even when efficiently attended to. I have
considered Mr, Smith's plan of doing away with them
entirely by stopping them for the season, in all its bear-
ings, since he was good enough, verbally, to commu-
nicate the notion to me, and since I have seen the same
in print ; I believe that he is entitled to all the merit
of the idea, and I am convinced that it must answer
beyond all other methods yet proposed or practised. I
have listened to diversities of opinion upon tbis subject,
for even in this all are not unanimous. Some contend,
that the foxes, accustomed to lie under ground, would,
in severe weather, find exposure to the cold too much
for them, and would altogether shift their quarters, if
tbey did not fall victims to the want of shelter ; but
why should they be more sensible of cold than their
brethren, which are, what is called, stub-bred — strangers
to subterranean enjoyment,

" For that delight they never knew,
And, therefore, never missed 1"

If they are left tolerably quiet, that is, not routed out

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 253

of their turn (for no covert likely to show sport should
be drawn too often), I should not fear their changing
quarters because they are obliged permanently to put
up with some snug warm kennel above ground. Foxes
have a feline attachment to their homes ; and, with that
wonderful instinct which directs the return of dog-s, in
a manner wholly unaccountable, any given distances to
the places whence they have been removed, foxes are
known regularly to retrace their steps ; like other ferce
naturd, they become naturalized on the spots where
they are bred, and are generally to be found within the
scope of their native regions. In the spring, when
anxious to pay their devoirs to the fair, dog-foxes do
not consider the absence of a railroad as any impedi-
ment to their nocturnal visits ; but, Leander like, they
will dare the space of flood or field, in their travels
towards the object of their affections. It is then that
runs occur unheard of at any other time ; and it is for-
tunate that bold Reynard does not invariably pay the
forfeit of his life for his gallantry, for seasoned foxes are
no less necessary to sport than seasoned hounds. The
cubs of the year, however vigorous, have not sufficient
knowledge of the world to face any extent of country.
For this reason, the plan of closing the earths in Octo-
ber, and keeping them fast till the breeding season
(when they must be opened, as you cannot change the
nature or propensities of the animal), is also to be
recommended, as foxes would acquire a greater habit
of locomotion, be more frequently disturbed, and,

'2') A THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

therefore, necessarily more acquainted with country.
This plan would also obviate the risk of an occurrence
which, it is to be feared, is only too frequent, that of
stopping foxes under ground, by the laziness of the
earth-stopper — who, upon a dark winter's morning, will
not quit his bed— till the fox has returned to ground with
his breakfast. Moreover, foxes are notoriously indo-
lent, if not forced by hunger to exertion ; they are not
nice as to the freshness of their viands, rather approv-
ing, like some other foul feeders, of the high goiU, or
odour, of decomposition ; and when the pantry below is
well stored^ they are (especially in blustering weather)
in no haste to emerge into the blessings of daylight. If
compelled to the practice of that which was a military
offence in garrison, the constant " lying out o' nights,"
they must be perpetually on the qui vive. In short, I
can discover, amongst the many advantages, not one
single objection to the obligations thus imposed upon
foxes, to adapt their habits in accordance to our wishes,
excepting the difficulty of carrying the project into ex-
ecution. After obtaining the consent of all proprietors,
and making some composition with the earth-stoppers
for the loss of their vocation, the process of smoking
out, and then securing the earths, must occupy no
inconsiderable portion of time and labour ; nor could
these operations be safely committed to any but most re-
sponsible persons, if, indeed, they could be at all effected
without the personal suporintendance of huntsman or
whipper-in, at the time when they are busily engaged

1 I

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 255

in cub-hunting, &c. Where a great end is to be gained,
the trouble attending the means of accomphshment must
not be considered ; the stopping of a whole country is
proved to be practicable beyond a question, Mr. Smith
being himself evidence of the fact, and as I have before
said, it is an example, doubtless, worthy of imitation. I
must, however, take leave to differ from him once more,
when he says, '' that if every earth in the country was
done away with, it would be a benefit to fox-hunting,
even as respects the breeding of foxes ; for the vixens
would breed above ground in furze, or would find drains
which no one knows of," &c. Admitting the possibility,
which I am much disposed to question, that the whole
vulpine race would so far forego their nature as to
breed entirely above ground, instead of drawing out
every rabbit-burrow, or hole of any kind, or setting
themselves again to the work of excavation on their
own account ; the alternative of ''finding drains which
no one Jcnoivs of," would be ten times more prejudicial to
sport, than all the evils which could possibly result from
the regular earths. Foxes would constantly lie there ;
the drains to which I have before alluded, as requiring
gratings, or stakes, to oppose the ingress of foxes, are
objectionable enough, when they are known, and "a
drain ichich no one knows of,'' &c., must prove an incon-
ceivable nuisance. It is certainly to be regretted that,
where earths are known, every vulpecide may know, to
a certainty, when to trap a fox ; but it is no less true,
that the main earths are the salvation of the many who

256 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

are too deep for their enemies. Unless coverts are well
guarded, a litter of cubs is, probably, nowliere so safe
from molestation as within, the bowels of the earth,
where even those bred above ground are often removed,
by the vixen, when she may flee thither for sanctuary.
We must, therefore, weigh well the pros and cons,
before deciding upon the demolition of such places of
refuo^e. I had serious thouo-hts of attachino^ to the
hunting establishment, an earth-stopper for a whole
district, independent entirely of the local professors in
this department ; but here, again, the difficulty presented
itself of reforming (even when that term is synonymous
with the improvement of) things that have been. By
dispensing with the services, it would unadvisedly pro-
voke the hostility, of a whole body, too well acquainted
with the power of working mischief; but where the
expense of an extra servant is no object, it would be
very desirable to have an active supervisor, responsible
for the proper performance of their duties.

With regard to gamekeepers, and the manner in
which they are supposed to be concerned in the destruc-
tion of foxes, I have already shown the interest which
they have in their preservation ; nor do I believe that
this interest would be decreased, were they moderately
rewarded, instead of immoderately overpaid for their
pains. Many of the cleverest and most successful in
their calling, have a spice of the true spirit within them,
a lurking passion for the cry of hounds, a feeling of
enjoyment in the sight of them, which is evinced by the

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 257

desperate fight they will make over the country upon
their rough hobbies, whenever they have opportunity.
Still, an aversion to foxes is born with the majority of
the craft, notwithstanding the now well-established and
indisputable fact, that pheasants and foxes will flourish
abundantly together.

" Lapis et agnis quanta sortito ohtigit*
Tecum raihi discordia est."

This is exactly descriptive of the sort of innate feeling
with which a thorough-bred gamekeeper regards a fox ;
and it cannot be denied, that there are times and sea-
sons when " Mr. Reynolds" tries his patience. Some
affirm that the cunning rogue will watch the incubation
of hen pheasants, deferring the slaughter of the old bird
till the repast is enriched, not only by poached eggs, but
by the callow brood, just ready to break the bondage of
the shell. No fox-hunter — I may say, no sportsman — will
grudge the little loss which they may occasion, of a few
birds, which might have served for the diversion of some
one man. The direction of one doubly-perforated piece
of iron, cannot stand in competition with the sport of
hundreds on horseback ; but this is not to the point, or, as
the keeper himself would say, " neither here nor there ;"
— "f/e gustihus non est disputandum ;' — we must not
quarrel with a man's taste, if he be determined to protect
every head of his game from all invaders. I would

* " ov£i \vKoi rt Km apvig bf^iofpova 9vn6v ixovaiv,
dXXa KaKcc (pf)ot'tov<n diaj-iinpeg aWijXoimv.'^

Homer's II.
17

258 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

merely suggest, for the benefit of our precious friend
fox, that every chance should be given him of avoiding
condemnation ; a few rabbits thrown about in different
parts of the covert, during the breeding season, which is
the only time when pheasants suffer from their attacks,
will occupy their attention. A little sulphur sprinkled
round a nest, the least smearing of tar on the grass or
plants contiguous, or even a sheet of white paper, will
prove a security almost, if not quite, infallible. Some
of the farm-yards on my own property, situated near
the harbour of several litters of foxes, have sustained
some considerable losses in poultry. The tenant of one,
who had complained of the greatest havoc last year,
has, during the whole of this summer, entirely escaped
their visits ; the out-houses having been under repair,
and newly coated with coal-tar : as all around have
suffered in a greater degree, it is fair to impute his
exemption to this simple circumstance. If a little more
care were taken of fowls, by shutting them all up at night
in the hen-house, it might prove still more effectual.

In summing up the catalogue of offences where-
withal the foxes may be chargeable, it is well to ob-
serve, that if they are no better since the Reform Bill,
neither are they, in any degree, worse in their habits
than formerly. It is, therefore, to be hoped, that there
is no less disposition on the part of all, in any way sub-
jected to the effects of their marauding propensities, to
tolerate their peccadilloes, in consideration of the pre-
ponderating benefits that their existence confers upon

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 259

the country. There is, happily, enough of British spirit
left in all rural districts with which I am acquainted, to
ensure that desirable result of " foxes plenty," for the
present; there is no reason to despair of their con-
tinuance for the future. In closing my exhortation in
behalf of foxes, I shall not, therefore, make any hack -
neyed appeal to the feelings of the community, as sports-
men ; but I will entreat all, in any way interested in the
concerns of rural life, to remember, that fox-hunting is
the very last link of the chain of amusement which has
bound country gentlemen to their homes. This has
been lately deemed so unimportant a branch of sta-
tistics, that the mere mention of anything bearing upon
the recreative privileges of the country, in the august
assembly of St. Stephen's, would draw down a shower of
most unqualified derision upon their hardy advocate ;
but it is for those who live more remote from cities,
whose lot it is to pass their lives farther apart from the
" busy hum of men," to consider how, and in what
manner, the residence of the owners upon their respec-
tive estates affects the interest of the rural population.
If ever this was worthy of a thought, it is doubly so in
the present generation. I say, far more so now than
when land was at its best — when the high war-prices of
all agricultural produce maintained the farmer in a
state of affluence, which was communicated to the
tradesmen, and all the middling classes of the surround-
ing towns and villages. Now, that the power of the
railroads threatens to sweep off all that has hitherto

17—2

2G0 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

caused the life, the bustle, and traffic of provincial
towns, what have they to depend upon, but the sup-
port of the resident nobility and gentry belonging to
them ? It is a melancholy fact, that times are not
what they were in this respect. From a variety of
causes, irrelevant to our present subject, where, formerly,
there were ten, there is not now one, of all the coun-
try-seats between Islington and Edinburgh, and as far
south, east, or west, which is kept up in the style of
our ancestral hospitality. Silence too generally pre-
vails in the halls of our forefathers : —

" Oh ! 'twas merry in the hall,
When beards wagged all ;
We shall ne'er see the like of it again."

It is obvious, that the facilities of locomotion, the
consequent influx of all wealth to one focus of dissipa-
tion, that of the metropolis, are partly causes to which
such changes are attributable ; but we have nothing to
do with causes, we are looking at eflects — at matters as
they now stand. How many families, after a season
in London, spend the remainder of their incomes on
foreign shores. The evil of absenteeism, so fatal to the
sister country, is already shedding its sickening hues
over the fading, but not yet departed glory of old Eng-
land. And is it not the duty of every man to put his
shoulder to the wheel, to do his utmost to render his
own land a land of happiness, to promote the amuse-
ment and innocent pastimes of all classes of society ?
But to return to the way in which all this is particularly

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 261

connected with the maintenance of fox-hunting, which,
I have asserted, is, so far as concerns general relaxation
from farming, and all other occupations, fraught, more
or less, with the cares of business — the last tie, the last
firm hold upon the country gentleman. —

From the increase of population, and for some other
reasons, the resources of amusement have been, of late
years, drawn into a much narrower compass than here-
tofore ; without amusement in the country, it is not
surprising that many leave their homes either for the
varieties of touring, the diversions of the capital, or
the watering places. Shooting, which, in the interval
of the chase, was wont

" To solace many a neiglibouring squire,'^

is now a dead letter, excepting in the domains of gran-
dees, protected by an army of keepers and watchers.
The last new Game Bill put the finishing stroke to the
preservation of game, on petty principalities. The shel-
tering roof of one " licensed dealer in game," covers the
whole multitude of crime committed by all the gangs
of poachers in the vicinity. Previous to this enactment,
some show of concealment was necessary ; some little de-
licacy was requisite in the disposal of the booty ; but now
all obstacles are removed, by a safe and sure asylum for
the spoil ; a premium is offered to successful theft ; the
perpetrator has only to escape detection in actual com-
mission. It is well known that these dealers consider
game, which is shot, scarcely worth their purchase ;

2G2 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

consequently the art of snaring is assiduously cultivated ;
children, from their infancy, are instructed in its rudi-
ments ; and, long before they arrive at the wiring of a
hare, these embrj^o heroes of a "shiny night, in the
season of the year," are able, with horsehair nooses,
dexterously to effect the capture of any number of par-
tridges and pheasants, where there are any such objects
for the employment of their skill. During the breeding
season, in order to keep their hands well in (the occupa-
tion of picking and stealing) the trade which thrives
best with them, they industriously gain possession of
all the eggs within the range of a Sunday's ramble,
over any ground unguarded by a host of sentinels.
For these, also, they obtain a ready sale. Under such
circumstances it would be, indeed, something extraordi-
nary, if the diversion of shooting were to be enjoyed as
before. In many places where, within my memory,
game abounded, there would now be as reasonable
expectation of finding a five pound note as one head of
any description. The pastimes of winter, " siih Jove
frigido," are not so numerous as those of the summer's
day ; then cricket, bowls, quoits, or a hundred other
exercises, not to mention the race-course, the gentle art
of angling, or the exciting pleasures of sailing, may
occupy the leisure hours ; but all these vanish with
September's sun. Partridge-shooting, which has dete-
riorated less than any other chasse au fusil, may endure
for its brief season ; but there is a monotony in the
pursuit, militating against the permanence of its charms.

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 26))

The time is then at hand so well described by one un-
conscious of all the beauties he depicted : —

" Nor yet the hawthorn bore her berries red,
With which the fieldfare, wintry guest, is fed ;
Nor Autumn yet had dash'd from every spray,
With her chill hand, the mellow leaves away :
But corn was housed, and beans were in the stack,
Now, therefore, issued forth the spotted pack."

COWPER.

The racing campaign has terminated with the New-
market Houghton Meeting, and then is the time when all
the chivalry of England find their minds attuned to the
sport not elsewhere so to be enjoyed in all the king"
doms of the earth. The desire of the one sport leaves
St. James's tenantless ; the bow-windows of White's and
Boodle's are deserted ; their occupants are then, as they
have been humorously delineated by Mr. Paul, " candi-
dates for Brookess." Happily, that one sport still
remains uninjured by the march of innovation. The
Noble Science flourishes, not only in pristine purity, but
in maturity of excellence. The breed of hounds has
arrived, if not at absolute perfection, at such a degree
as may content its votaries ; nor is there any lack of
goodly steeds ; and tell it not in Gath, cry it not in
Askelon, that there ever can be lack of foxes ; that any
paltry considerations can effect the destruction of a
race of animals, possessing attractions alone sufficient
to induce a tide of wealth into the country. Those
who duly consider what the country would be without

264 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

fox-hunting, will scout a vulpecide as a common enemy.
It is needless to dilate upon the advantages to be
derived from this pursuit ; they are, and I trust ever
will be, so well understood, that whenever it has hap-
pened that any efficient establishment has had cause to
complain of the want of foxes in one season, its legiti-
mate supporters have generally found means to redeem
their character in the next.

Finally, in recommendation of a country life, and of
the expediency of encouraging all that tends to the
enjoyment of rural occupations, be it remembered that
they are far more dependent upon natural, than artifi-
cial circumstances ; that any attempt at the destruction,
or neglect of the improvement, of the sources of rational
and innocent diversion is at variance with the grand pre-
cept of " doing as we would be done by," and an abuse
of the gifts of Providence.

" God made the country, and man made the town."

Each season has its own peculiar charm, it is the work
of our own hands that occasions any mixture of gall
and wormwood with the milk and honey so bounteously
bestowed upon us.

To the true votaries of the chase, there is much in
this chapter which may seem a work of supereroga-
tion, but they must remember that it is addressed to
all classes of readers, in the humble hope that its circu-
lation may not be entirely limited to the descendants

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 265

of Nimrod (Diana, it is supposed, left no progeny), and
that —

" Those may hunt, who ne'er did hunt before,
And those who always hunted— hunt the more."

There is nothing speculative in my statements, as to the
financial regulations, or general policy ; all are strictly
matters of fact. I shall never forget the concluding
advice of Lord Petre, to whom, some years since, I
applied for hints on these subjects ; he having, for a
very long period, maintained a pack of foxhounds in
an unvarying style of excellence in all departments.
Having, one morning, at Arthur s Club, in St. James's
Street, kindly and patiently assisted me in committing
to paper the details of all evident and probable
contingencies, he wound up our conference by this re-
mark : " Remember, however, that after all this, you
will never have your hand out of your pocket, and must
always have a guinea in it." It is immaterial to the
world, how far I have found this memento borne out by
my own experience. My only motive for offering any
estimate of the funds requisite for carrying on the war
in our provincial, is the hope that it may not, at some
future day, be found wholly useless to my successors,
long after the rest of my lucubrations may have been
forgotten. Any account of expenses actually incurred,
must be far preferable to the best estimate of those
which may be (however reasonably) anticipated ; at the
same time, a faithful extract from my own accounts, for

266 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

one year, would be but fallible, unless I could arrogate
a discretion in their disposition to which I have no
claim. The rule must not be taken, either from a want
of capacity for economy on the one hand, or from (that
which is far from my case) the affluence which causes
indifference to items on the other. It is a duty which
we owe, not only to ourselves, and to the proper use of
means with which we are entrusted, but to the cause, to
steer a middle course, avoiding equally parsimony and
profusion. "Waste not, want not," should be the ruling
principle. If I have not been able to bring down my
own expenditure within the compass of the following
schedule, I can vouch for its accuracy, as a calculation
of all expense absolutely requisite, and inevitably con-
tingent upon an effective establishment, for three days
per week, or seven days per fortnight, in Herts ; of
course, entirely exclusive of the personal concerns
of a master of hounds, with regard to his own hunt-
ing.

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 26

Expenses from January 1st, 183—, to January 1st, 183—, for an establish-
ment of twelve horses, and fifty couples of hounds.

£ s. d. £ s. d.

Huntsman 105 0 0

First whipper-in £55, second £45 . . . 100 0 0

205 0 0

Bills for clothes, boots, &c. .... 55 0 0

Horses.
Fourhelpers, at 12s. per week, for thirty-six weeks 86 8 0
Two ditto for sixteen ditto 19 4 0

Twenty loads of hay, at £5 100 0 0

One hundred and twenty-five quarters of oats,

at 30s 187 10 0

Straw, by contract 20 0 0

Blacksmith 50 0 0

Saddler 25 0 0

Farrier 25 0 0

Fourteen quarters of beans, at 5s. per bushel , 28 0 0

541 2 0

Hounds.

Fifteen tons of meal, at ^14 .... 210 0 0

Flesh 100 0 0

Feeder, 12s. per week, for 52 weeks . . . 31 4 0

Forty tons of coals, at 35s 70 0 0

Druggist 20 0 0

431 4 0

Taxes for hounds and horses .... 72 5 0

Huntsman's book for carriage of goods and

sundries 80 0 0

Feasts for keepers, &c. 32 2 0

Repairs of kennel and stables . . . . 18 18 0

131 0 0

1435 11 0

Earth-stopping, and fees to keepers for finds . 250 0 0

Annual allowance for purchase of horses . . 200 0 0

*Total . £1885 11 0

The foregoing estimate includes, with the exception
of hacks, all that I can set down, as comprehended in
the actual and necessary cost of horses and hounds,

* This analysis of expenses refers to the period in which it was written
— 1839.

2G8

THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

wholly independent of the master, whose expenses
must vary so materially with circumstances, that it
would be useless to say more, with regard to his own
hunting, than that four good horses, with good luck,
will keep him well mounted ; and that less tlian that
number must be insufficient, even in the absence of
those casualties which are so rarely escaped. There are
a variety of trifles which cannot be taken into account,
fully justifying the remark which I have given, as the
result of Lord Petre's experience ; but, at the same
time, I should say, that, with any notion of the business,
and watli common prudence in the management, a pro-
vincial, such as Hertfordshire, may be well hunted for
the sum of two thousand pounds per annum. "Whether
the outlay upon this or other countries, has or has not
been yet brought within such compass, is not to the
point.

i\''

(ICiulh-btopper.)

CHAP TEE XIII.

' SinguLa quid referam 1 Nil non laudabile vidi."

Ovid.

Of Provincial Countries — Fox-hunting in Hampshire — Mr. Assheton
Smith — His career in Leicestershire — Character as a Sportsman and
Horseman — Eemoval to Hampshire — Tedworth and its Agremens—
Visit to the Kennel — Reception there— Description of the Kennel
and Premises --Stables, &c., &c. — Appearance — Local Advantages —
Huntsman— Entry — Stamp of Hounds — liadical good — Success of
the Pack — Horses — Summary of this Sketch — Plans of the Build-
ing.

At the commencement of these my observations upon
the maintenance of the Noble Science, and upon the
management of a pack of foxhounds, I have laid some
stress upon the art of attaining the grand deside-
ratum of " doing the thing M^ell, and as it should be
done." The kennels of the Bel voir and the Quorn, the

270 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

usual establishments of Leicestershire and Northamp-
tonshire, not omitting those of Sir Pt. Sutton, Lords
Yarborough and Fitzwilliam, in adjoining counties,
might either of them serve as examples. They stand,
with regard to capabilities and advantages of country,
in the position which Newmarket occupies in the racing
world. The temptations which such entries offer
to the enterprise of a master of hounds — the support
which is naturally afforded to hunting, where men most
do congregate for this especial purpose — leave no room
to question that these things are as they should be. It
is taken for granted, that, in these districts, nothing is
wanting that judgment or liberality can supply ; and
the supposition, generally speaking, is warranted by the
experience of those who have had opportunity of ob-
taining evidence of the fact. In directing the humble
efforts of my pen towards the encouragement of hunt-
ing in every country capable of raising " a cry of dogs," I
have not dwelt upon those localities where its due support
should ever be considered as a matter of course. I have
studied rather for the benefit of those who are strangers
to Melton, to whom the Coplow is a terra incognita,
who are, and should be, contented with hunting as they
find it, whose duty it is to make the best even of a bad
country ; to bring out in bold relief the bright instances
of less favoured provinces, where the return of sport has
not only equalled, but far exceeded, the utmost exhi-
bited in those countries where Nature has been most
profusely lavish of her gifts.

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 271

Such has been and will be the case ; but it must be
the result of that combination of skill and energy which
can adapt itself to the peculiar exigencies of a locality ;
thus compensating for deficiencies, and rising superior
to obstacles, which, to an inferior genius, might have
appeared and proved insurmountable. With this view,
I have been desirous of laying before my readers the
diagram of a kennel and stables, connected with an
establishment, which, in all that constitutes perfection
in every department, may challenge comparison with
any in the world — situated in a county of no greater
pretension, as a hunting country, than that of Hamp-
shire, It is true that this unpretending shire, or
county of Southampton, can boast no fewer than five
packs of foxhounds ; a circumstance which redounds
highly to the honour of its inhabitants, considering that
there is scarcely a quarter which does not abound in
difficulties, rather than in the advantages conducive to
success. The menage, which I cite as well worthy the
notice of every votary of the Science, appertains to one
of no less renown as a sportsman than Thomas Asshe-
ton Smith, Esq., of Tedworth. It might savour of
fulsome adulation to invest any man with imaginary
endowments ; to claim for him the credit of all that
partial prejudice might be disposed to accord to him,
by placing him only in the reflection of that glass
wherein we were ourselves accustomed to behold him.
But the incense of flattery will not arise through a plain
and simple record of facts. We cannot —

272 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

" Gild refined gold, or paint the lily,
Or add fresh perfume to the violet."

In speaking of the great captain of the age, it would
be difficult to overstrain the voice of eulogy. There
would be nothing beyond the licence of plain speaking,
in affirming, that James Robinson is seven pounds
better than any rider on the turf ; neither is it neces-
sary to approach in the remotest degree to flattery,
in adverting to certain points in any man's character,
for which he has been so pre-eminently conspicuous,
that the fame consequent upon excellence of any kind
has become inseparable from his name. I could not
find a better accompaniment for this work, and might,
perhaps, be fully justified in giving, as public property,
an historical sketch of the life and adventures of Mr.
Assheton Smith, seeing that I could nowhere find a
fitter model for the rising generation of sportsmen ; but
it is not for me to attempt the life of one who " still
lives," as I hope he long may, " a prosperous gentle-
man," It is, indeed, almost superfluous to add, that
the individual to whom I allude, is the identical " Tom
Smith," so distinguished during his career in Leicester-
shire, that his renown had reached even to the ears of
Napoleon, by whom, on reception at the French court,
he was saluted as " Le p)remier chasseur d'Angleterre."
AU are familiar with a series of prints from the pencil of
Mr. " Smith of Loraine," descriptive of a celebrated
run, where Dick Knight, the huntsman of the old Pytch-
ley, is represented accomplishing, in most enviable style,

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 273

a very difficult egress from a park, over a paling beneath
the boughs of a tree ; with which print appear the fol-
lowing lines : —

"Now, Egmont, says Assheton — now Contract, says Dick,
By Jove, we will sliew these damned Qaornites the trick."

The Assheton here mentioned refers to the father
of my present subject, also a great professor in his day,
and a distinguished member of the old Pytchley Club,
which is all that need be here stated, as to the gene-
alogy of his son and heir, the present Squire of Ted-
worth, and which is noticed only as another instance of
hereditary qualities. About the period that Lord Al-
thorp reigned at Pytchley, Mr. Thomas Assheton Smith
was in the zenith of his glory at Quorn, hunting his
own hounds with the highest possible satisfaction to all
parties. Possessed of adamantine nerves, encased in a
frame of iron, he would, with dauntless courage, " ride
at anything ;" and although, in speaking of Leicester-
shire, he has himself since remarked, that he had a fall
in every field of it, he would always contrive to be, by
some means, on the right side of the most impracticable
fences, and foremost with his hounds. The well-known
story of his charging the river, together with anything
like a narrative of his feats by flood and field, would
alone fill a volume ; it is more to my purpose to remark
what I have learned from his contemporaries, that even
in the hey-day of his youth —

" In his hot blood, when George the Third was king,"

18

274 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

he was an instance of the very rare union of coohiess
and consummate skill as a huntsman, combined with
the impetuosity of so desperate a rider ; and not only
was he the most determined of all riders, but equally
remarkable as a horseman.'"' His practice as a hunts-
man was, that which is best to be followed in any, but
more especially in a good country, that of leaving
hounds very much to themselves, although ever on the
spot to render assistance if required ; but I shall be
running riot, or taking heel-way too far back from Ted-
worth, if I do not hold hard and pull up altogether in
this retrospective digression. I can add nothing to the
fame of him of whom it has been remarked by a far
abler pen, that " amidst the multitude of Smiths, there
has been only one Assheton Smith;" and well, indeed,
and in no common way, has he supported the cha-
racter of this common, but truly English name. After
having hunted not only the Quorn country, but that
part of Lincolnshire now occupied by Sir B. Sutton,
with equal credit, he arrived at that period of his life
which constitutes my plea for adducing his conduct as
an example worthy of all imitation. On succeeding to
his paternal property in Hampshire, he immediately re-
moved with his establishment to the halls of his fore-
f^ithers, and commenced the good work of foxhunting,

* I can never forget a remark -which I heard in my boyhood, addressed
by a veteran to a youthful debutant, who was advocating the vise of head
gear, in the shape of caresson, &c., for the control of a fractious horse,
"Keep your hands down. Tom Smith ivould nhoio you, that the lift hand
is the best maitlngal"

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 275

under circumstances of such novelty to him, with all the
ardour that characterized his debut at Qaorn. Change
of country made no change in his ideas. Truly was it
sung by the ancient bard —

" Ccelum non animum mutant qui trans mare currunt."

The animus with him was still the same ; and well did
it serve for the infusion of new life and spirit into the
country which was destined to be the scene of his future
enterprise. The erection of kennel and stables was con-
sidered no less necessary than the rebuilding of the
family mansion, and both were completed with as much
magnificence as could be blended with utility. There
is a tone of harmony, throughout the whole, ever
visible in works which may be technically called, " in
perfect keeping." Having heard much of the place, and
still more of the pack, I gladly availed myself, in the
course of my tour this summer, of an opportunity of
joining a classical party, upon a visit to both. Being in
company with Mr. Barrett, the master of the H. H.,
Mr. J. T. Waddington, secretary of the H. H., and Mr.
Parry, the master of the Puckeridge, we started toge-
ther, finding the distance within twenty -five miles of
our place of rendezvous, upon an expedition congenial
to all of us, including an occupant of the rumble of our
vehicle, no less a personage than Bichard Foster, for-
merly in the service of Lord Foley, and for the last
quarter of a century, the respected and most respectable

18—2

27G THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

huntsman of the H. H., or Hampshire Hounds. — It was
said by a Spaniard of Seville,

*' Qui no ha vista Sevillia
No ha vista maravillia,"

that he who had not seen that famous city, had not
seen a wonder. Some such idea was that which oc-
curred to us, in contemplation of all that surrounded us
on our arrival at Tedworth. House, garden," stud, sta-
ble, and — though last, not least — the kennel ; all afford-
ing an admirable specimen of what wealth may effect,
when regulated by the taste of an English gentleman.
There was but one drawback to the pleasures of the
day — the absence of the owner, who was then at his
seat in Wales ; — but we were, on this account, perhaps,
the better able to appreciate the regularity of his sys-
tem, by the notice of a circumstance which would other-
wise have been the less remarkable. I allude to the
perfect order which prevailed around, and the extreme
attention and civility on the part of all, by whom we,
a party of unknown and unexpected visitors, were
received. In the time of George the Fourth, " the first
gentleman of the age," it was observable, that no domes-
tics were so obsequiously attentive, or correct in their de-
portment, as those of the court. Bespectful demeanour
to all comers is ever the attribute of gentlemen's ser-

* I cannot travel so far beyond the limits of my purpose, as to notice
those matters which might well serve for a separate work. The garden
alone might afford a treatise on horticulture. There is an extent of glass
rarely to be seen in private forcing-houses, providing an abundant suc-
cession of grapes for every day throughout the year.

THE NOBLE SCIENCE, 277

vants. Impertinence, or insolent indifference, is seldom
met with, but in tlie tinselled lacquey of the purse-proud
parvenu ; but it is not always that things will show such
evidence of the master's eye, when he is some hundred
miles removed, as those which must attract the notice
of any observant stranger at Tedworth. Here, from the
huntsman to the helper — from the stud-groom to the
stable-boy — from servants within to those without doors,
all bespoke the retinue of a man maintaining that elevated
position in society, which I would hold as one (and
that not amongst the least) of the qualifications of a
master of foxhounds. To Mr. Northeast, the gentle-
man officiating as agent for Mr. A. Smith, to whom I am
so much indebted for the following plans of building,
and the requisite information therewith connected, it
would be difficult to express my own acknowledgments,
or our sense of the manner in which he, in courtesy,
endeavoured to act as the representative of his principal.
I cannot forbear the mention of one tixiit, as being in
unison with the features of this place : — On returning
our thanks to Mr. Northeast, for all the civility we had
experienced, and more which had been proffered, con-
veying, at the same time, our obligations to him for his
personal attendance, he assured us, that he should ill
have executed the intentions of Mr. A. Smith, if he had
done less for any gentleman engaged on a similar
errand. I felt prouder than ever of my country, and of
the characteristic of fox-hunters.

When, in admiration of the kennel and stables, I

278 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

requested to be indulged with a plan of the structure, I
learned that at the time Mr. Assheton Smith fixed on the
site for the building, he gave a design with his pen on half
a sheet of paper, which was put to a scale, and executed
by his own carpenter and bricklayer, unaided by any
architect or surveyor ; consequently, no general plans
were in existence ; but on being acquainted with my
desire, he most kindly gave orders for the preparation of
these, for the purpose to wdiich I have assigned them.
The Tedworth kennel is built on high ground, falling on
two sides ; an advantage precluding the necessity of
under-drains. Gutter-bricks are laid round each yard,
emptying into a gutter on the outside. A pail or two of
w^ater, followed by a broom, will sluice the gutter to the
cesspool, which (as will appear by the plan) is some
distance from the lodging-houses. The bricks in all the
yards being laid highest in the middle, the water thrown
down falls each way to the gutters. The bricks are dry
in a few minutes — a consideration of no slight import-
ance, as all will admit who are acquainted with kennel
lameness, and its causes. From having no underground
drains, a rat has never been seen upon the premises.
Water is laid on by pipes in the walls, and a tap in each
yard. The lodging-houses are thatched with reeds,
which form the most desirable roofing, with regard to
coolness in summer, and w^armth in winter. Each
lodging-house will contain thirty couples of hounds.
The huntsman's and feeder's windows look immediately

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 279

into the yards, so that they are both within earshot of
the shghtest riot.

" And with a voice.

Fierce, menacing, o'errule the stem debate,
And quench their kindling rage."

The boiling-house and flesh-house are sixty-three yards
distant from the feeding-house, through a plantation, so
that no smell can at any time affect the kennel. On
the east side of the huntsman's house, and kennel, are
a whole row of commodious leans-to for bitches with
puppies, with a green-yard fenced off. The principal
green-yard, in front of the kennels, is one of the most
beautiful spots imaginable, as a space for airing the
hounds, and for the purpose of inspecting a pack at
leisure. Here numerous trees afford the shade for which
they were destined ; beneath which, benches are placed
for the accommodation of the amateur, who, with such
a sight as that which is presented at the time from
which I date ray description, might pass some hours ;

" Nee partem solido demere de die,
Spernit— nunc viridi membra sub arbuto
Stratus," —

while engaged in contemplation of all the beauties
before him.

280 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

EEFEEENCE TO THE PLAN OF THE KENNEL.

a a a Lodginj^ houses.
b Huntsman's house.
c Feeder's house.
d Feeding-room ; straw loft over.
€ Boiling-house.
f Meal-room.
g Coal-shed.
h h Boilers.
a Hi Flagging.
I Tank, or cesspool.
m Drawing-room, bedroom over,
n Drawing Court.
0 Water-course.

EEFEEENCE TO THE PLAN OF THE STABLES.

a Principal entrance.

h Pilaster.

c Fourteen stalls for hunters.

d Five boxes for hunters.

e Hack stable. Five stalls.

/ Stables for race-horses. Five stalls ; two boxes.

g Hospital.

h Coach-house ; oatmeal bins over.

Hi Pumps.

IcTckh Eain-water tanks.

I Eight stalls for coach-horses.

in Harness-room.

n Four-stall stable for post-horses, &c,

0 Blacksmith's shop.

p House for coachman ; bedrooms over ; wash-house adjoining.

q Saddle-room ; bedrooms over.

r Mess-room for helpers ; bedrooms over.

s s House for groom.

t House for boiling water.

vvv Cellar, pantry, wash-house.

u Bakehouse.

wwwwioto Iron grates and drains.

V Cesspool.

yyy Ladders.

9ZZZZ Drains leading to cesspools outside.

281

GROUND PLAN OF THE KENNEL AT TEDWORTH.

282
PLAN OF BEDSTEAD IN THE KENNEL AT TEDWORTH.

PLAN OF THE STABLES AT TEDWORTH.

G

©.. . it

B.Um

id' ii

J

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 283

The stables are built wholly of brick, with a slated
roof, from which water is conveyed to four tanks, one
in each corner of the stable-yard ; but, as the south east
tank is at an inconvenient place for use, a drain conveys
water thence to the south-west tank. The stall-boards
are deal ; the hind-posts, oak ; the sills, mangers,
manger-posts, and all the fittings in front are of slate,
not one particle of which has been chipped or broken,
since they were constructed in 1829. All the lofts are
close boarded ; that over the hunting-stables is used for
straw and hay, one place, at the angle, for letting down
stra.w, and two boxes, with side-boards, for hay : this
loft will hold forty tons of straw, and a suificient quan-
tity of hay. Over the racing-stable are corn-bins, capa-
ble of containing upwards of three hundred quarters of
oats. Over the coach-house is the oatmeal-room, fitted
up with five bins that will hold eighty tons of meal.
The loft over the coach-house stable is used for stores
belonging to the buildings, as it is not required for the
use of the stables. The bedroom for the helpers, over
the mess-room, is large and airy, and adapted for nine
beds. Water is laid on in the centre of the hunting-
stable, from a reservoir, and hot water from the copper
in the boiling-house, next to the saddle-room. The
hunting-stable affords accommodation for nineteen
horses ; the coach-stable for eight ; the racing-stable for
seven ; the hack stable for five ; the hospital for two ;
and the back yard for four post-horses.

I have ofiered this brief matter-of-fact description of

284 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

kennel and stables, merely in explanation of the pre-
ceding plans, the merits of which will speak for them-
selves. The elevation has the appearance of a princely
edifice, worthy of the purpose to which it is devoted, that
of containing a stud of hunters and a pack of hounds
qualified to take the field, in first-rate style, in any
country, with every suitable accommodation for the
servants; but, as the kennel is the most unique in
itself, and that which I should especially recommend for
imitation, it will be some satisfaction to those inclined
to adopt such a plan, to know that the whole cost of
the building, including materials, is estimated at a sum
not exceeding £1000. To make a successful imitation,
local advantages must, of course, be consulted; air,
water, and shade, should be duly considered; and it must
be a place very peculiarly qualified for the purpose,
that would not fall far short of the original of which I am
speaking. I have not attempted details, or to give more
than the outline of replies obligingly returned to my
inquiries upon main points : but I must not omit to
mention the second green airing-yard, at the back of the
kennels ; — this extends from the doors of the kennel-
yards to the verge of a ha-ha, or sunk fence, forming
the boundary of the beautiful pleasure-ground beyond.
Here the pack may be, in a moment, ushered from their
lodging-houses, as in the front space of green sward ;
and here, by any party proceeding from the mansion
through the shrubbery, they may be seen to the highest
possible advantage, at the point of sight which, of all

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 285

others, is most desirable for such an exhibition, being
raised nearly to a level with the eye that approaches
them. The coup cVceil embraces, at once, the whole
anatomy of the hound — legs, feet, ankles, —the whole
form appears in a different light from that in which it is
generally beheld. For the same reason that, in such a
position, faulty shape could not escape detection, the
beauties of symmetry are more prominently conspicuous.
It would be difficult to conceive anything more com-
plete than all the arrangements : — to my companions,
each of whom had been engaged in the formation of a
new establishment, and to myself, then in the course of a
round of such inspections, some of which might, in the
recital, offer a fearful contrast, they were of striking
interest. I should utterly fail in the description of that
which, to be appreciated, must be seen ; I fall back,
therefore, upon a repetition of the motto, with which I
headed this chapter —

" Singula quid referam 1 Nil non laudahile vklV

When I say that, upon being told that the route which
we followed to the stud, the stable, and the kennel, was
the one by which the fairest of the creation paid their
constant visits to the same objects ; — when I thought of
the feet which had sanctified the ground upon which we
trod, of the eyes which were wont to beam with pleasure
upon all that was to us most pleasing, and could still
hold it to be, in any degree, worthy of such admiration,
I felt that it was beyond the power of language to pay
to any scene a higher tribute.

28G THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

We found the huntsman, Burton, slowly recovering
from a severe fall, experienced at the end of last season,
from the effects of which, I fear, he has since suffered
relapse. The condition of his hounds offered ample
testimony of the excellence of his system of kennel ;
and he seemed fully to partake of the relish with which
we separately examined the whole of seventeen couples
of a most promising lot, put forward as the entry of the
present season. Having heard much of the gigantic
size of this pack, I was prepared to find them in cha-
racter more resembling the sort of hound considered
best adapted to the chase of the stag, than to fox-hunt-
ing ; I was, therefore, most agreeably surprised at finding
the average height not exceeding that of any other lot
of fine well-bred hounds ; and still more so, at hearing
that the standard had been gradually reduced within
the last few years. There are, in Mr. Assheton Smith's
country, vast tracts of down, over which a scent will
lie so well that the tallest hounds may fly without the
trouble of lowering their noses ; but there are also many
joarts where they must stoop — where they must hunt
before they run. Having, in my own kennel, a very
great favourite, by Mr. A. Smith's Radical, out of his
Benefit, I was anxious to see the sire, and could not
conceal my delight at finding that, when I had been led
to expect Brobdignagian proportions, the hound which,
on account of his own merits and those of his blood, was
of the highest repute, would scarcely measure two and
twenty inches. Inferior only in height to any — superior
in performance to most — this Radical had been a chosen

THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 287

patriarch of his tribe. I should have considered his
appellation as a sad misnomer, seeing that

" A rose, by any other name, would smell as sweet,"
had I not remembered, that it is possible to be radically
excellent, as well as execrable.

Some of the old dogs are tall, and they may gene-
rally be called large hounds; but none of them are
overgrown, and they are altogether a most splendid pack.
The bitches, and the whole of the entry for this year,
do not average above a moderate height. It is not
likely that such a sportsman as Mr. Assheton Smith
would have been long in any country, without disco-
vering exactly the kind of hound required for it. It is
evident that, during the last ten years' residence in
Hampshire, he has succeeded in hitting the mark. Be it
recorded, in honour of the provinces, that Mr. Assheton
Smith has been able to affirm, as an incontrovertible
fact, divested of prejudice or partiality, that his sport
has not only equalled, but far exceeded that which he
had enjoyed in Leicestershire.

Concerning the stables, it will suffice to say, that
we found stalls and boxes occupied by that stamp of
hunters which might be expected to be found in the
possession of one who never knew any other place
than that of First in the first flight, and whose; means of
administering to his will had never been fettered by
considerations of the " res angusta domi." The ser-
vants' horses are also consistent with the general ap-
pointments. Were I to pursue the course common in
descriptions of this kind, I might have refreshed this

28 8 THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

chapter with the usual gossip — by the relation of what
the stud-groom thought, as to the chaiices of Derby or
Oaks, according to the future promise of the Tedworth
paddocks — of all that the huntsman said upon the
strength of his own ideas on the subjects of our con-
ference, with many other trifles, of individual rather
than of general interest ; but, in this cursory view of
Tedworth, I have carefully avoided entering into details
to which I am incapable of doing justice, desirous only
to give an outline of an establishment w^iich is, in
every respect, an honour to the cause which I am
advocating. I consider the manner in which fox-hunt-
ing is conducted on this side of a county where it is
well carried on in every quarter, a fine specimen of the
thing " done well, and as it should be done." I have
only to add, that Mr. Assheton Smith has thus provided
for the sport of his own neighbourhood, hunting four
days a week, solely at his own expense ; to repeat, that
the successful result of his endeavours has left him no
cause to repent of change of country ; and (as my only
excuse for any unwarrantable liberty taken with his
name), to quote him as a bright example of the satis-
faction to be derived from the performance of such a
duty as that of residence upon his own property.

In an author's task, according to Lord Byron, there
is nothing so difficult as the beginning ; " except, per-
haps, the end." The noble poet might have written
less doubtingly. " Finis coronat opus," is one of those
wise saws, fully supported by modern instances. It is
that which makes the lover pause, " ere he set his seal

THE NOBLE SCIENCE.

289

upon his sheet ;" the orator Hnger, before he pronounce
the last deduction from his premises. Though less
vividly influenced, I am free to say, that it is not without
solicitude I part with this volume, to me, in every sense,
a work of affection. I commenced it solely from an
interest in the subject of which it treats : every line I
traced, while it was in progress, seemed to bring me
nearer the goal I sought ; and now, that my pen is upon
its final paragraph, I confess it is with almost a painful
anxiety I feel it is about to enter upon its ofiice. I
know it has many faults — I trust it may not be entirely
without merit : if I part with it in any confidence, it is
because I am assured that, can an entire and earnest wish
to promote the noblest of our National Sports entitle
it to favour, it is not without claims on the sympathy
and good-will of the Sportsman.

Come on, then, do hon rn
And enjoy the sweet plea

I place,
that sjiiing from the chase."

19

290

APPENDIX,

LETTER,

ADDRESSED TO THE EDITOR OF THE " OLD SPORTING MAGAZINE,"

ON THE SUBJECT OF

IMAGINARY DAMAGE DONE BY HIDING OVER WHEAT,

And referred to at Page 6.

" Sir, — I take the liberty of offering a few observations upon
trespass, a subject affecting the sportsman and the farmer — two
parties naturally so dependent upon each other, that, setting
aside the good-will which every man is, or ought to be, desi-
rous of maintaining amongst his neighbours, a variance between
the sportsmen and farmers of any country must prove equally
injurious to the interests of both. Wilful trespass is not, nor
ever will be, the attribute of a true sportsman ; and I must
confess, that it is with astonishment I perceive so many farmers
in profound ignorance as to this important point. Many there
are, it is true, in Leicestershire and in some of the provincials,
of the more enlightened : but will it be believed, that no later
than November last, while hunting in the Hambledon country,
I had what was termed ' a row ' with a purse-proud curmud-
geon^— a disgrace to the name of agriculturist — who abused
me in no measured terms, merely upon the supposition of my
having ridden across his wheat ? It so happened that, to my
certain knowledge, as I could also prove, I had not been upon
his or any other man's wheat : hounds were not running; and
had I at such a time, by riding over his wheat, given him
cause, in his ignorance, to imagine an injury, which would have
haunted him till next harvest, in the vision of so manj'- ears less
to market, it would, in my mind, have amounted to trespass.

" But, trusting that there are but few of his class in the
kingdom, permit me to quote, for the benefit of sporting farmers
at large (as also for that of my pugnacious old friend, if he can
read), two striking instances relative to the imaginary injury
of riding over wheat. My apology for trespassing upon j^our

* Dr. Johnson was at mncli pains to find the derivation of this word,
" Curmudgeon" — it is from the French, " Coeur-mechant"

RIDING OVER WHEAT. 291

columns is, that I flatter myself they apply to the subject, and
are what the lawyers would call ' cases in point.'

" I am informed upon the indisputable authority of an inti-
mate friend, who was well acquainted with the late Lord
Y — b — h, that his Lordship was in the constant habit of making
compensation to all the farmers of the country over which he
hunted, who could lay claim for any injury done to their crops.
After a very wet season, he sent for one farmer in particular,
the proprietor of a field by the side of a favourite covert, to
which, owing to the scarcity of foxes in other parts of the hunt,
they had been obliged to have constant recourse. At the end
of the season this field was literally destroyed, to all appearance
— not a vestige of a blade of wheat being visible, and the soil
in every part resembling that of a muddy lane. — ' I have sent
for you,' said Lord Y — b — h to the farmer, ' to offer you the
fair value of the wheat field, which was so trampled upon last
season, that T fear you must have been wholly disappointed of
your harvest.' — ' On no account, my lord (replied this true
specimen of an English farmer), — upon no account can I con-
sent to take a farthing of remuneration. So far from the dis-
appointment, for which I was prepared, never in any previous
year have I had so good a crop as has been reaped this harvest in
that very field, which, at the close of hunting, looked truly-
unpromising enough.'

" To this I shall add but one more, from the numberless
instances which I could quote from my own observation. I
was expressing my opinion upon this topic very lately to Lord
G — e, and was rejoiced to find one so competent to judge of
agricultural matters thoroughly agreeing with me. He assured
me that, on his estate in Sussex, he had a field, last season,
sown with a peculiar sort of wheat, remarkable for its tender-
ness, and on that account he had endeavoured to preserve it.
Owing, however, to chance, he found this impossible. The
hounds ran frequently over it, and, upon one occasion, killed their
fox in the centre (near a bush which enabled him to mark the
spot), followed, of course, by every horse within reach of the
scene. To his surprise, the crop very much exceeded his utmost
expectations, and was thicker and finer on and around the
spot where, by the death of the fox, it had been more trampled
upon than in any other part.

19—2

292 APPENDIX.

" This and the preceding anecdote I call ' confirmation strong
as proof of holy writ ;' and, with all this before me, I cannot
but call querulous farmers in general an infatuated race, blind
alike to common sense and their own interests.

" I should not have been thus prolix upon the subject — all
that I have said tending only further to establish a fact already
notorious — but that I am quite sick of the cry, 'Ware wheat !'
which is dinned into the ears of all who have not the good
fortune to hunt in a grazing county. I am too apt, upon these
occasions, to exclaim with the favourite poet of the most clas-
sical of your correspondents —

' 0 fortunati nimium, sua si bona norint,
Agricolse.'

" I am, Sir_, your obedient servant,

"A Sportsman."

EXTRACT FROM A LETTER

(Referred to at yage 24)

Which was received, in 1832, from a gentleman who, under the
signature of "Thistle Whipper," has given abundant proof to the
readers of the " Sporting Magazine," of the value of that
opinion which I had sought, in confirmation of my own, as to
the best of hunting dogs : —

" If, after forty years' experience, I may offer an opinion upon
the kind of hound you have selected, I should say, most
decidedly, you are right. I have hunted hare with every
description of hound, from the lap-dog beagle to the twenty-
six inch southern hound, and have no hesitation in saying, —
that no hound living will hunt lower scent than a foxhound,
if let alone."

[Lord Tavistock, himself originally a master of harriers,
expressed himself to the same effect ; but this, from the veteran
to whom I allude, was still stronger ; considering that, at the
same time, he was endeavouring to procure beagles or southern
hounds, having, as he proceeds in the same letter to say, " had
riding enough, requiring less pace, and being desirous of gratify-
ing the ear as well as the eye."]

293

A SLIGHT BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

TWO SPOETSMEN OF THE LAST CENTURY.

" Souls attract souls when they're of kindred vein."

Love Chase.

With reference to the nobleness of that which has aptly-
been termed a " Noble Science," I have been most anxious to
offer some sketch of the great Father of Fox-hunting as a gen-
tleman-like pursuit— of the first of all masters of hounds — of
him who has bequeathed to posterity an undying name — the
great Hugo Meynell.

" Talk of horses, and hounds, and of system of kennel !
Give me Leicestershire nags, and the hounds of old Meynell !"

Such was the song and creed of one who wrote in the days
when the veteran still flourished ; and such is the feeling with
which his memory is regarded in the present. But it is less
for his excellence as a sportsman, than on account of his pre-
eminence as a polished gentleman, that I have been desirous
of adducing his example, in contra-position to that of the mere
vermin-killers of previous days, whose habits of life had thrown
a stain upon the very name of that which they were incapable
either of treating or appreciating as a science.

294 APPENDIX.

The great Mr. Meynell was designated, by his admiring
friends, as "The King of Sportsmen ;" — " The Hunting Jupiter."
He had earned tliose titles by the success of his practice, —
by the sport which he had shown ; but, without an acre of land
of his own in Leicestershire (the whole of his extensive estates
being situated in remoter counties), he could not have carried
on the war, as a stranger, in the very heart of the best hunting-
country in the world, had not his conduct, from the commence-
ment to the close of his career, been characterized by the
deportment which distinguishes a thorough-bred English gen-
tleman. He was, indeed, as much the repandu of the elite of
Grosvenor Square — as much at home at St. James's — as he was
at Quorndon, or at Ashby pastures.

" The evil that men do lives after them ;
The good is oft interred with their boues" —

but with reference to this great professor of the science which
he adorned, it has been universally allowed by all who knew
him, that he was one of the most agreeable and accomplished
of men, and that he was most justly estimable in all the rela-
tions of social life.

It is much to be regretted, that none of his contemporaries
should have thought fit to compile and publish the memoirs of
one, who

" Lived not for an age, but for all time" —

seeing that they could not have failed in exciting that interest
which they must possess for all sportsmen.

At such a distance of time, it is difficult to ascertain the
precise date of Mr. Meynell's first appearance in Leicestershire,
and other facts, of minor importance to my purpose, yet highly
essential to any one undertaking the task of his biographer ;
although, from the members of his family, and from his grand-
son and present representative, Hugo Charles Meynell, Esq.,
residing and keeping foxhounds upon his property at Hoar
Cross Hall, Rugeley, Staffordshire, I have experienced all the
courtesy and attention to inquiries, which might have been ex-

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 295

pected at the hands of his descendants. My intimacy with the
son of one of this great man's most intimate and valued friends,
C Loraine Smith, Esq. — himself of no little celebrity in his
day — has enabled me, through that assistance, to lay before my
readers some few points connected with his history, which, not
having yet been published, may be interesting to those who
are disposed, with myself, to regard with reverence all associa-
tions of the times to which they refer.

It is to the present Mr. Loraine Smith that I am indebted
for the sketch of the chief, which has supplied the frontis-
piece to this volume, in the act of a colloquy with his hunts-
man, Jack Raven, upon the merits of a hound called Glider
(also introduced in the picture), in the year 1794, by the pencil
of his father, of whom he has also afforded me a likeness.
The name of Loraine Smith has been so blended, in the course
of my researches, with all that I have been able to collect of
Meynell, that I have thought it advisable to offer the present-
ment of both these heroes of the olden time, conjointly, as
brethren of the same school, with the following particulars.*

Mr, Meynell had, at no time, more than three or four sub-
scribers to his hounds, and at first only two — Lord K. Cavendish
and Mr. Boothby. With Prince Boothby he lived for some
time at Langton Hall, and the hounds in those days were kept
at Great Bowden Inn, a most convenient place for the Langton
and Harborough countries. Mr, Me3'nell considered horses
merely as vehicles to the hounds — in which his heart and soul
were centred — in the field ; but he well knew the necessity of
having beneath him the means of being with them upon all
occasions ; and, even in those days, when three hundred guineas
were considered as an ultra price for a hunter, he did not hesi-
tate to possess himself of South,f a little horse, barely exceed-

* These remarks were written in 1839.

t Mr. Meynell sold this famous horse, South, for 500 guineas, to Sir
Harry Fetherstonhaugb, who subsequently exchanged him with Lord
Maynard for the celebrated race-horse, Surprise— another instance of the
value of some hunters of those days. Surprise, a gray horse, by Gini-
crack out of Snapdragon, when the property of Lord Grosvenor, won the

296 APPENDIX.

ing fifteen hands in height. There are different opinions as to
his proficiency as an elegant horseman ; but it is never disputed,
that his progress over a country was, like the whole course of
his life, straightforward.

Some of his best horses, in 1792, were known by the follow-
ing names : —

Miller.

Tom-Tit.

Harry Punt — died after a hard day at Widmerpool, March
21st, 1795.

Leveller Joe.

Chestnut mare.

Mr. Fitzherbert's horse.

He had also a particularly clever hack mare, which he rode
to covert, and which was ridden also by the late Marchioness of
Salisbury. — This mare was the occasion of the invention of the
spring-bar. The groom boy, who rode her upon one occasion
having placed his feet in the stirrup-leathers, and been kicked
off", was dragged by the leg, and killed. Debrew, Mr. Meynell's
valet and maitre cVhotel (probably, as his name would indicate,
butler also) , a very ingenious and clever man, set his wits to
work to prevent the recurrence of a like catastrophe. The
present spring-bar was the fruit of his invention. To him also
was to be imputed the merit of a spring in a wooden leg, worn
by Tom Jones, the second whipper-in. This Tom Jones, if of
less notoriety than his namesake, the hero of Fielding, was
probably more distinguished and distinguishable in the field.
He was a capital horseman, and very active in the saddle.
The wooden leg, so far from being of any inconvenience to him,
appeared rather useful than otherwise, in creeping by trees,

largest stakes ever run for at Newmarket, or anywhere else — viz., five
thousand six hundred guineas. He was named Surprise, having been
started with no other view than that of making play for the favourite,
another horse of Lord Grosvenor's, ridden by Pratt, who, on discovering
the distance which the boy riding the gray had been allowed to gain, ex-
claimed, laughingly, to those waiting upon him — " Now, catch that gray
horse,— Who canl"

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.

297

gate-posts, &c., whenever he could contrive to keep this succe-
daneum nearest to the obstruction.

Jack Raven was huntsman ; Skinner and Jones whipped in,
and, subsequently^ Joe Harrison.

Mr. Meynell was somewhat particular in his diet, as every
one should be who cares for the preservation of those capabi-
lities for bodily exercise,

" whose use

Depends so much upon the gastric juice."

He endeavoured to take the greatest amount of nourishment
in the smallest possible compass. His usual hunting breakfast
consisted of as much as a small tea-cup would contain of a
pound of veal, condensed to that quantity. His pocket was
always fortified with a small bottle of stimulus, similar to that
commonly carried in the present day ; but instead of eau-de-
vie, curagoa, or cherry-bounce, it contained a far better sto-
machic, in the shape of veritable tincture of rhubarb, to the
use of which he was constantly addicted.

The following are extracts from the memoranda of Mr.
Loraine Smith, who, during Mr. Meynell's absence, had the
command of the Quorn hounds : —

In the year 1792 the Quorn hounds killed 34 brace of foxes,
1793 .... 41

1794

46

1795

26

1796

.

34

1797

32

1798

38

1799

37

1800

27

It must be borne in m

ind, 1

.hat t

hey then hui

daj^s per week, throughout the season ; and that it was very
rarely that masters or servants, in those days, were provided
with more than one horse per day.

To the curious in such records, the following list of some of

298

APPENDIX.

the best horses ridden by Mr. Meynell himself, during the last
four years of his hunting, may not be unacceptable ; —

1796.
Hack man
Leveller
Sheva
Hack mare
Adamant
Entire hors(
Valiant

1797.
Snap
Magoy
Denmark
Melon
Warrior
George
Leicester
Mercury

Ben

Clumsy

Miss Henson

Pywell

Mirror

Joe Hinchley's bay horse

Loadstone

1798.
Scarificator
Shark
Active
Drone
1800.
Newbeth
Harrio
Hotspur
Thereabout

Many of these were thorough-bred, and all of them first-rate
hunters, of established repute.

On the 9th of November, 1793, the Quorn hounds killed a
fox at E,ed Hill, with a white ring round his neck, and three
white pads.

On the 12th of September, 1796, from Stockerton Park
Wood, Pillager, Seaman, and Concord went away, alone, with
a fox. These three hounds ran him by themselves to Peas
Brook, and killed him.

Of Mr. Loraine Smith, as a sportsman, it is unnecessary to
speak. We may gather his character, in some part, from the
verses of several songs. The following lines will go to prove
that he was not, in his own estimation, a good horseman. They
occur in a very old song, composed by himself, called " A burst
from Breedon clouds :" —

Now, smack at a yawnergoes Winchelsea's peer,
So sure to be thrown upon Pyramid's ear j

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 299

And at tlie same place, jumps Smith of Loraine :
He's off! — No ! he's not !— he hangs by the mane !"

In the Billesdon Coplow run, Feb. 24th, 1800, he is thus
described by Mr, Bethell Cox : —

" Loraine and Lord Maynard were there, and can tell,
Who in Justice's scale hold the balance so well
As very good judges and justices too,
The state of each horse, and what each man did do :
But if any one thinks he is quizzed in the song,
And fancies his case stated legally wrong.
To Enderby Hall let him go and complain —
But he'll not mend his case, if he meets with Loraine."

In Mr. South 's celebrated poem upon the same run, we find
him thus noticed: —

"Loraine, than whom no one his game plays more safe ;
Who, the laat than the first prefers seeing, by half ;
What with nicking, and keeping a constant look out,
Every turn of the scent surely turned to account.
The wonderful pluck of his horse surprised some,
But he knew they were making point blank for his home ;
' Short home' to be brought, we all might desire.
Could we manage the trick like the Enderby squire."

The horse he rode on that day was purchased of Mr. Cave
Brown : he was a brilliant hunter, got by Mercury ; he was
sold to Mr. Fox Lane's father, at Bramham.

In those days, as I have before said, second horses were rarely
to be seen. The one horse devoted to the day, was an animal
possessing as much blood as could be obtained with great
power. Large flat legs that could break a rail, and measuring
eight or nine inches round below the knee. The horse ridden
throughout the above-mentioned day, must have been of last-
ing powers — Mr. Loraine Smith's weiglit being upwards of four-
teen stone. He was a skilful master of his pencil ; and beneath
a painting, descriptive of the chase, appears the following f\iith-
ful record of this run : —

" A view of Mr. Meynell's hounds, carrying a head with their
second fox, at the end of a chase from Billesdon Coplow, Leices-
tershire ; passed Tilton Woods, Sheffington Earths, crossing the

300 APPENDIX.

River Soar below Whitstone, to Enderby Warren, making a dis-
tance of twenty-eight miles ; which was run in two hours and
fifteen minutes; on Monday, Feb. 24th, 1800."

Mr. Loraine Smith possessed some very superior horses. He
bought a mare, known as the Highwayman's mare, which was
often sold, but always returned on account of the many tricks
she had acquired in her service upon the road with her first
master. She bred several hunters, of great note; — Bagshot,
Felon, Hawke, Shop-lifter, Botany Bay, and Pickpocket. The
two first were sold for 200 guineas each, to Lord Spencer ; they
are buried in the park, and their pictures are still retained in
the house at Althorp. Hawke was trained, but would not run
when stripped ; he would run well in clothes. Lord Stair
bought Pickpocket. Mr. Loraine Smith had also a celebrated
horse, called Harry, sold at the hammer for 300 guineas, to Mr.
Dickenson, the proprietor of an article termed Gowland's
Lotion. The purchaser, on riding him out of Tattersall's yard,
was proceeding down the Haymarket, when the horse fell down
and broke both knees. The accident did not affect the validity
of the sale, and, in the true spirit of honour, of course the money
was paid.

It would be tedious to enumerate more of the stud, belong-
ing either to Mr. Meynell or his friend, as the names of hunters,
unless accompanied by their pedigrees, are interesting only to
those in whom they may awaken reminiscences connected with
their performances. One more, an Irish horse, Ringtail, may
be mentioned, as it appears that he was distinguished for most
extraordinary faculty of wind. He could go after a hard frost,
without a gallop. He was thought a very rare horse, and car-
ried the Marquis of Anglesea, in extraordinary style, in a
fiimous run with Mr. Meynell, from Whitstone Gorse. When
this horse died, he was opened, and his heart and lungs were
found to be most marvellously small. Does this circumstance
throw any light upon the requisites for good wind ?

I conclude this memoir with a laughable epitaph upon the

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 301

Enderby Squire, written some years previous to his death, by
a Mr. Monro; with a rejoinder by another talented friend,
Mr. Heyrick.

" Here lies the tall Squire of Enderby Hall,
With his bridles, boots, fiddle, brush, colours, and all.
Some liked his scraping, though none of the best ;
And all liked the welcome he gave to his guest.
His taste was, in horses and hounds, orthodox ;
And no man can say he e'er headed the fox.
In the dog days, or frost, when the kennel was mute,
Each turn with the turn of his humour to suit ;
As the weather stiU changed, still his plans he would change :
Now be-rhyming some Stella— now curing the mange —
Now the state he'd reform— now mend an old door —
Now scrawl a lampoon — now a caricature.
Ever last down at dinner, and first at a snore,
Sure enough he had faults, but his faults are now o'er.
Lackaday ! that our Enderby Squire should be lost !
Can't you guess what he died of ] — a bitter hard frost."

The Squire's Resurrection, by Heyrick, Esq.

" Oh ! how could you bury our neighbour so soon !
Why, his boots were just black'd, and his fiddle in tune.
As a staunch, steady sportsman, and quite orthodox.
He'd been taking a glass to the hounds and the fox ;
In his moments of mirth, he would sometimes drink deep ;
When you thought he was dead— he was only asleep !"

The following account of the death of the companion and
friend of Mr. Meynell is extracted from the county paper.

"A brief and hasty sketch of the life and death of Charles
LoRAiNE Smith, Esq. — The earthly career of this excellent
patriarch terminated on Sunday, 23rd inst. at six o'clock p.m.,
in the 85th year of his age. 'He comes to his grave in a full
age, like a shock of corn cometh in his season.' (Job, ch. v.)
His death was as remarkable as his life. His favourite theme
was to bless God for having vouchsafed to him health and
competence, during a life protracted beyond the usual terra
allotted to man. ' The days of our age are threescore years and
ten.' (Ps. xc.) And his death was attended with little or no
apparent pain ; indeed, he died, like his prototype Cornaro, in

302

APPENDIX.

his arm-chair, and without a struggle. He, moreover, retained
his faculties to the last moment of his existence ; and a few
moments, we had almost said (certainly not an hourj, before
his departure, transacted business of some consequence with a
friend, giving his directions with extraordinar}^ accuracy.

" His loss will be severely felt by his friends, neighbours,
companions, domestics, and the public, and, we ought not to
omit, in the field. He was a sincere friend, a kind and hos-
pitable neighbour, and condescending, affable, and bountiful to
the poor ; a most cheerful companion, and full of anecdote — an
indulgent and generous master — an active and efficient magis-
trate ; and, lastly, in the field, he was equalled by few, and
surpassed by none.

" Thus lived and died the Squire— a fine specimen of the
good old English gentleman. He lived beloved by all around
him, and died lamented.

' Quis desiderio sit pudor aut modus
Tarn carl capitis !'

HoK. Od. xxiv."
Leicester Journal, August 28th, 1835.

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