SEASON 1870-71 37 



thousand others, all of which might be used to 

 conjure up a pleasant memory of the past. It 

 was Mr. George Lane Fox who said very truly 

 in a letter to his old friend, Mr. Thomas Parring- 

 ton, the promoter of foxhound shows, " If a man 

 is once a real sportsman, and loves hound and 

 horse, he will, when age prevents him from taking 

 an active part, still continue to delight in hearing 

 of the sport that hounds show and which others are 

 enjoying." If that be true, a debt of gratitude is 

 due to Frank Gillard for keeping so consistently a 

 record during the whole of that time, which forms 

 a history of the men and manners in the world of 

 sport. The writing is scrupulously neat and clear, 

 and reads as follows : 



" August 23?Y/, 1870. Commenced cub-hunting, 

 found a good show of cubs at old Church Wood 

 (Woolsthorpe), hounds running from fox to fox 

 one hour and twenty minutes, killing three cubs. 

 Remarks. The harvest was very early, but owing 

 to the dryness of the weather we could not begin 

 sooner. It rained yesterday afternoon for five or 

 six hours. Owing to it falling unexpectedly we 

 had not got the earths stopped ; in consequence, it 

 was half-past nine before we made a start, rather 

 an unusual hour for the first morning ! The day 

 was dull. Wind, S.W. Fair good scent. Foxes 

 killed, 3. To ground, 0. Hounds out, 34 couple. 

 I rode the chestnut hack mare." 



On the last day of September the meet was 

 arranged for half -past ten at Belvoir to suit his 

 Grace, who was out for the first time with his two 



