The Merry Past 



the stag dead, amid the playing of horns and bellowing 

 of hounds. 



This ended the day's sport, and the remains of the 

 unfortunate stag were left to be mangled by the 

 keepers. The coach-and-eight and all the guards were 

 brought near the spot, the King dismounted, and, 

 stepping into it, rattled off just in the same state he 

 arrived. 



After the Revolution of 1830 all the sporting 

 appurtenances of Charles X were sold. The King in 

 question had certainly been rather extravagant. 

 Everything was by wholesale : two hundred shooting 

 coats, two hundred pairs of gaiters, three hundred 

 " Joe Mantons," six hundred powder flasks, and the 

 rest in proportion. Perhaps there never was such a 

 display of accoutrements, the property of one in- 

 dividual, before. They were all " George Robins'd," 

 as the phrase originated by the celebrated auctioneer 

 went, but the French carried their dislike for the 

 man to his chattels, on a sort of love-me-love-my-dog 

 principle, and things sold very cheap. The hounds 

 went for a mere nothing. The largest purchases, it 

 was said, were made on behalf of the King of Saxony. 



In the days when there was such a close connection 

 between France and the young American Republic, 

 Lafayette sent to Washington a pack of French hounds 

 of very great size, some of which were treated as 

 household pets. An old hound, called Vulcan, in 

 particular was allowed to take great liberties. 



On one occasion, when a large party were sitting 

 down to dinner at Mount Vernon, the lady of the 



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