On Sport as Bearing on National Character 



297 



published in Southey's " Common - Place 

 Book " :— 



" A tame fox at the White Hart, Bridgewater, was 

 brought up from a cub to nm in the wheel of a turn- 

 spit. One day, through the neglect of his keeper, he 

 escaped, got to Sedgmoor, and made wild work 

 among the geese. The writer of this was out the 

 next morning with Mr Portman's dogs, and, going to- 

 wards Borough Bridge, found the glutton under 

 Alfred Stump. The dogs being laid on, Reynard 

 presently passed through the Parrot, and, taking by 

 North Pctherton, sought the woods above Monkton, 

 but being driven from thence, dashed through the 

 Tone, a mile below Newton, and, turning northward, 

 passed Kingston, and was for a time lost in the 

 thickets above Buncomb. The scent serving, Reynard 

 was at length uncovered, mounted the Catherstone 

 hills, descended to Kenniton, and mounted the stone 

 mountain in Lord Clifford's Park, from whence he was 

 presently driven by tlie staunch pack. Leaping the 

 poles at Enmore, he took through Lord Egmont's 

 grounds, and, getting again into his old track, recrossed 

 the Parrot just below Petherton, 'and taking slowly 

 along the banks of the river, with the pack in full 

 cry, leaped the fence of Mrs Francis' (his mistress) 

 garden, and immediately entered the kitchen, darted 

 into the spit-wheel, and began to perform his domes- 

 tic office with as much unconcern as if he had been 

 placed there for that purpose. The fat cook, with 

 whom he was a great favourite, spread the place of 

 his retreat with her petticoats, at the same time beat- 

 ing off the eager hounds with all her might and main ; 

 but this would have been unavailing if the huntsman 

 had not whipped them off, and, after a chase of nearly 

 thirty miles, left this unlicensed poulterer in his domes- 

 tic occupation." 



As to the benefit the country receives from 

 fox-hunting, a very slight glance at the 

 amount of money distributed by this means 

 will sufficiently prove. According to Colonel 

 Cooke, the cost of a pack of fox-hounds varies 

 according to the number of dogs, and the 

 number of days in each week they are 

 hunted. Twenty-five couple, to hunt twice- 

 a-week, costs ^^1190; forty couple, to hunt 

 three times a-week, £162^^ ; and fifty couple, 

 to hunt four times a-week, ^1936 ; and if a 

 huntsman is kept, ;^3oo a-year more. Now, 

 according to a statement in the Field news- 

 paper, the number of packs kept is about 

 213; this, multiplied into the several sums 

 stated above as to the cost of keeping hounds, 

 will give a very large aggregate amount cir- 

 culated throughout the country, to say no- 

 thing of the money spent by those who hunt 



with the several packs, the purchase of horses, 

 the number of men employed, and the inci- 

 dental expenses incurred in keeping up the 

 entire business of hunting. 



If hunting be the oldest of our national 

 sports, the next, both in point of seniority 

 and importance, is horse-racing, Avhich in 

 England has received its highest develop- 

 ment. "If," says Lord Wilton, "French- 

 men are congregated in any locality, a thea- 

 trical performance would be a necessary con- 

 dition of their existence. If Spaniards are 

 gathered together a bull-fight would display 

 the national tendency. Let but a few English- 

 men assemble in any quarter of the globe, and 

 it may be safely predicted that a horse race 

 would be organized, thus indicating at once 

 the popular passion. The spirit of this sport 

 pervades, indeed, all classes. It is a common 

 subject of conversation. The pedigree of 

 every thorough-bred horse is curiously 

 scanned, the qualities of sire and dam are the 

 subject of anxious inquiry, and the perfor- 

 mances of each animal assign to it its special 

 relation to other animals, and also its pecu- 

 niary value ; large sums are made up in sup- 

 port of the institution which from early spring 

 to late autumn forms the charm and solace 

 of the Englishman's life." 



Horse-racing may be traced back to a very 

 early date, and was patronized by nearly all 

 the English monarchs. At the present day 

 it is at Newmarket, Epsom, and Doncaster 

 that the three great races of the year are 

 held. At the first of these there are six 

 meetings for the purpose of running horses, 

 and the spring meetings there may be said 

 to influence the racing of the year. Besides 

 other well known stakes those of 2000 

 guineas and 1000 guineas have special 

 reference to the year's running ; for the first 

 generally brings out the horses which, as three- 

 year-olds, then make their first appearance, 

 and upon their performance is supposed to 

 depend their qualification to compete for the 

 other great races at Epsom and Doncaster. 

 The Epsom races are held about Whitsunday, 

 on the Downs, in the vicinity of the town of 

 Epsom, and nothing can bear comparison 

 with the appearance they present on the Derby- 



