hard enough to break stones on the road, though it's not their vocation.

There are your scarlet and drab too; hustling, bustling, elbow-squaring gentlemen; three-in-a-fence-together sort of fellows; brown-booted, drab-corded, shawl-neckclothed, dingy-looking boys; convivial dogs on the road to cover, as well as home again-Brummagem pattern, all the world over. They mean going, if they only know how. They stand to no repairs, either for themselves or other people. There is nothing about them worth preservation, and they evidently judge of their neighbours by themselves: Then come your black-and-white men. There are always to be found one or two in every country, who steal away to cover, and don't stop there long after the fox has left it; good men and true, staunch pillars of the Church and Queen, sailing along with an eye to the hounds in the leading ranks, or piloting a forlorn hope by the easiest and quickest of routes to the varmint's point. Forbidden fruit is very sweet, as the young lady said of the glass of water-"How good, mamma! what a pity it isn't a sin!”

And I must not forget the black-and-drabs. Capital pilots to the timid and inexperienced among these; only be careful in your selection, for you may drop across a Tartar. We have a farmer or two down here, who might prove a very awkward customer to follow with these exceptions, however, they are tolerably safe. Endeavour to select nothing too stout, or you may reach your point a little too late; if possible choose a light man, on a not very valuable, but pretty well bred one; he will not spare him, as he is not riding for sale; he will not lark him, because he knows his capabilities in that line; but he knows Sticklebury Wood, and the nearest way to it through the gates and he knows the fox we're running after down in the vale below, just as well as if they had breakfasted together before starting. While we are negociating the brook below, you will have the satisfaction of watching us from above; and having made quite sure which side of the water the fox really is, you will continue your road to the aforesaid cover. This is very safe and very inglorious; but I am sure you, gracious reader, will be able to bear me out that it is very effectual.

I know no moral courage-and that is certainly the highest class of courage so great as that which admits that it adopts these short cuts to fame. Your really good man never or seldom requires it; when he does he silently acknowledges the service, and holds his tongue. Your muff, your funker, however, has not the grace to do this, but insists upon convincing you, against your will, that lie and Snooks were first over the style, that the hounds turned to him up the hill, that he never was better carried in his life, true enough! and altogether so bothers you with his individual performance that you feel inclined to give up hunting altogether, certainly the riding part of the business. I forget who the man was, who after a dinner in Leicestershire solemnly addressed the meeting

Gentlemen, I came down a few days ago; I have heard the run of to-day discussed, and the names of every leading man, as you suppose, mentioned, excepting my own. I saw the run and had the best of it from beginning to end. My horses will be at Tattersall's for sale on Monday. It is no use riding in this country."

Unfortunately that is what many people go out for; and when they ride unnoticed, by Jove, they have their reward.

So much for gentlemen, parsons, and farmers.

"Nemo ex hoc numero mihi non donatus abibit."-VIRG. EN.

I shew them all up; now for business.

Lilburne Gorse is a favourite meet with the Pytchley hounds; it is so deservedly. In Mr. George Payne's time it was always a sure find, and is surrounded by some of the finest pastures and double ditches in the kingdom. On every side there is room for a run; towards Leicestershire, or Hemplow, or Crick, or Hillmoreton, or Ashby St. Ledgers, you cannot go wrong. There is plenty of lying for foxes, a good aspect, and water enough at the bottom of the cover to drown half the field. Accordingly, on the 16th of last month, we met in tolerable numbers to inaugurate the drawing of Lilburne for the season. We had not been fortunate in finding there the end of last season, but news of a friendly vixen had reached us, and it proved to be correct. The morning was bright, the field large, and the scent bad; so that hounds wanted every opportunity. Of course they had it; that is, they ran their fox one field without interruption; but upon coming to the road and crossing it, they were literally surrounded by horsemen. By the time they had cleared this crowd, and were once more on their fox, the foremost of the stone-breakers was again well a-head of them; and at the end of the lane, where the road diverges into fields on either side, all the difficulties were increased tenfold. I must say this for the crowd, that they behaved most impartially, every one abusing his neighbour and wonderimg at such unsportsmanlike conduct in a fellow like Smith, who ought to know better; and as soon as Smith pulled up "to let the huntsman get by," Jones took his place; and so they went on. By dint of perseverance and hustling, the hounds at length made their way through the crowd; but all hope of a run, with so moderate a scent, was over. We ran him slowly over the grass to within a field of Yelvertoft, and then, after a long check, hunted him slowly to Hemplow Hills. But what a line !-nothing but fine large grass fields the whole of the way; that fox, with a scent, would have opened the eyes of the representatives of Leicestershire, Leamington, and the neighbourhood, who had honoured us with their company. A second fox from Hemplow got away, with the hounds close at him-the only things that were in very close attendance-and gave us a sharp burst of about 25 minutes to South Kilworth. The day ended with a little cold hunting, and a view of our old friend the bob-tailed vixen, but no mischief was done.

The Stamford Hall brook is a decidedly bad place to lark at; it is very wide, and if there is any deficiency of depth in water, it is quite made up for by mud. Nothing is so disagreeable as being the only man in (except indeed of such a contingency as being the only one out) especially when, instead of hunting the fox, the field is standing on the bank, offering advice as to wringing your hat, or drying your boots, and proffering suggestions for getting out your horse with cart ropes, but not making any personal exertions in so laudable a cause. Mr.

can hardly accuse his friends of want of courtesy in not sticking to him to the last; and if they gave nothing else, they gave all they could afford gratis-lots of advice. It was the finish to the day's amuse

ment.

sing, busting, elbow-squaring

278-3-4-me-tester o fws: brown-booted, -muted in sing lys: convivial dogs on 12. ie an-drummingen pattern, all the TAFE Cariter my SM JON. They stand to siers requie. There is nothing

57 wige of their neigh

Where are always to be found

1 S TOU sal way a ver, and don't stop there you be a such pillars of •HER A WIg will an tea he hounds in the 2004. C TUBERS &e mest and quickest of › For furs very weet, as the

- Šu mai, mama! what a

35 at 1st teas-mi-inus Capical plots to the du perimester my je avini in vour selection, Taras Vier or two down here, 1=Tsunera ini: with these excep3.avour a selees nothing too

=

ATS Tea: possible choose 2017. & 36 e vai bred one; he will Ti se je vil not lark him, NEW & De as nomainen mat ine: but he knows TUL the bakes you as drugh the gates Xater in thee below, just as Texter batine surtag. While we are vil ve ne sasherion of watching the mid cover. This gute sie which site of the water the 30. sure you, gestions reader, will

A Dinly the highest class of Jos vart aimus inc adpts these short cuts to wer sexion requires ; when he does STAS, mus his sangue. Your muff, FORE THAT. Were in this, but insists upon conRing Flour wil dat he and Souls were first over the style, tas de bonita him up the hill, that he never was better & be abgether so bothers you with his tire day fed inclined to give up bating altogether, certainly the ing pan of the business. I forget who the man seater a dinner in Leicestershire solemnly addressed the

Unfortunately that is what many people go out for; and when they ride unnoticed, by Jove, they have their reward.

So much for gentlemen, parsons, and farmers.

"Nemo ex hoc numero mihi non donatus abibit."-VIRG. ES.

I shew them all up; now for business.

Lilburne Gorse is a favourite meet with the Pytchley hounds; it is so deservedly. In Mr. George Payne's time it was always a sure find, and is surrounded by some of the finest pastures and double ditches in the kingdom. On every side there is room for a run; towards Leicestershire, or Hemplow, or Crick, or Hillmoreton, or Ashby St. Ledgers, you cannot go wrong. There is plenty of lying for foxes, a good aspect, and water enough at the bottom of the cover to drown half the field. Accordingly, on the 16th of last month, we met in tolerable numbers to inaugurate the drawing of Lilburne for the season. We had not been fortunate in finding there the end of last season, but news of a friendly vixen had reached us, and it proved to be correct. The morning was bright, the field large, and the scent bad; so that hounds wanted every opportunity. Of course they had it; that is, they ran their fox one field without interruption; but upon coming to the road and crossing it, they were literally surrounded by horsemen. By the time they had cleared this crowd, and were once more on their fox, the foremost of the stone-breakers was again well a-head of them; and at the end of the lane, where the road diverges into fields on either side, all the difficulties were increased tenfold. I must say this for the crowd, that they behaved most impartially, every one abusing his neighbour and wonderimg at such unsportsmanlike conduct in a fellow like Smith, who ought to know better; and as soon as Smith pulled up "to let the huntsman get by," Jones took his place; and so they went on. By dint of perseverance and hustling, the hounds at length made their way through the crowd; but all hope of a run, with so moderate a scent, was over. We ran him slowly over the grass to within a field of Yelvertoft, and then, after a long check, hunted him slowly to Hemplow Hills. But what a line !-nothing but fine large grass fields the whole of the way; that fox, with a scent, would have opened the eyes of the representatives of Leicestershire, Leamington, and the neighbourhood, who had honoured us with their company. A second fox from Hemplow got away, with the hounds close at him-the only things that were in very close attendance-and gave us a sharp burst of about 25 minutes to South Kilworth. The day ended with a little cold hunting, and view of our old friend the bob-tailed vixen, but no mischief was done. The Stamford Hall brook is a decidedly bad place to lark at; it is very wide, and if there is any deficiency of depth in water, it is quite made up for by mud. Nothing is so disagreeable as being the only man in (except indeed of such a contingency as being the only one out) especially when, hunting the fox, the field is standing on the bank, offering vringing your hat, or drying your boots, and proffering sug tting out your horse with cart ropes, but not making any na in so laudable a cause. Mr. can hardly accus : and

Gorse, with the same hounds, was the forerunner to a brilliant thing from Scotland Wood-some say with the same fox-in which every one admits that Mr. Knightley had the best of it, except the speaker himself of course; and on Saturday, the 10th, with which I shall close this month's account, after a quick thirteen minutes to ground from Braunston (Badby Wood and Staverton having been previously drawn), a fox was found about 2.30, who gave them a dusting from one of the Spinneys, near Fawsley Park, scarcely to be beat by any of the preceding ones: it was a ring, to be sure, by Hellidon and Byfield; but the pace for thirtyfive minutes was very severe, and the fencing not to be sneezed at. Some of the impediments required negociating with considerable nerve; and without making invidious distinctions, Mr. Haig was very far from being the last of what the worthy Sir Richard not Birnie, calls the

"thrusting scoundrels." There were some casualties. Pray do not shut this up in despair, my good fellow : only a reflection or two, and I have done for the present.

We are singularly fortunate in a master, whose zeal for the sport, and perseverance in endeavouring to show it, are only equalled by his unaffected good temper and liberality. Solomon says there is nothing new under the sun, and the same great authority might have added that there is nothing perfect under the same great luminary. In the present case Lord Hopetoun's suaviter in modo is so misplaced with some portions of his field, that an employment of the fortiter in re would be hailed with gratitude by his fellow-sufferers. This is not a fault found generally with masters of hounds; this pre-eminent position in the hunting-field is always severely taxed, and sometimes responds pretty handsomely to the call. With innate good taste, as soon as the hounds are thrown into cover, the exhibition of magisterial authority is laid aside by his Lordship; but he should recollect that it is only laid aside, and might be resumed with very great advantage, when indiscriminating zeal, or ignorance, or worse!-unsportsmanlike jealousy-risks the sport of a whole county for some very inadequate object, be it the sale of a horse, or the cutting down of a rival.

The last day's sport which I have given in this paper proves very strongly the justice of an opinion elsewhere expressed. A brilliant, but perhaps not holding scent, in a very sharp north-easterly wind, just preceding a frost, procured us that good run. And perhaps, too, this fact may account for any little asperity which my readers may fancy they discover, viz., that I am writing this on Monday, the 12th of December, thirteen days before Christmas-day, in a frost as black as my hat, and as hard

as it well can be.

It is easy, is it not? to find fault with riding to hounds. "Look at home," say you, "or give us some instruction by which we may profit for the future-something practicable by ordinary mortals." So I will. With regard to myself, do as I say, and not as I do ; and with regard to the practice, get the N. S. M. for December, and read the paper entitled "Riding to Hounds," by Greybeard. Take my word, that was written by a practical man-neither a steeple-chase jock, nor a pottering old fogy of the "days gone by."

Whoever you are that reads this, I wish you an open Christmas and a good-scenting New Year.

Dec. 12, 1853.