CHAPTER II. 



Buys his F'irst Horse at Tiverton Fair, and sees his 

 First Stag killed with Lord Fortescue's Hounds 

 — Learns to Spar at Oxford, and Sets-to with 

 Denne and others — Wrestling Matches in Devon 

 and Cornwall his great delight. 



Pastime for princes ! — prime sport of our nation ! 



Strength in their sinew, and bloom on their cheek ; 

 Health to the old, to the young recreation ; 



All for enjoyment the hunting-field seek. 



Egerton-Warburton. 



Of the many hunting days enjoyed by Russell 

 in early life, no one stood out in such strong 

 relief as the 30th of September, 1814, for on it 

 he saw his first stag found and killed under 

 somewhat memorable circumstances. The 



tedium of a long vacation at home, with little 

 or no sport to satisfy the cravings of his nature, 

 was beginning to tell heavily upon him, when 

 one day, as he sat pondering over the beauties 

 of Somerville's Chase, scarcely knowing how 

 else to amuse himself, his father appeared, and 

 with a few magic words put life into him. 



"Come, Jack," he said, "my boy. The 

 hounds are going to meet at Baron's Down, 

 and I should like to show you a stag. Tiver- 

 ton Fair will take place to-morrow ; so you 



