5-2 THE WARWICKSHIKE HUNT. [181(> 



Elwcfi,* wli(>st> iiululiifoiicf" in Imnting found ;i solitary exception to his habitually 

 pLMiurious disposition, c-ontvivcd to maintain a kennel of foxliounds and a 

 stal)lo of luinters reputed at that time to be the best in the kingdom at 

 •m annual outlay of less than 300/. The way in which he managed is said to 

 tiavo l)een as follows : His huntsman, who act<Ml as servant of all work, and 

 lield no sinecure in his office, rose at four every mcn-ning, and after milking 

 the cows, prepared ))reakfast for liis master and any friends that niiglit hapijen 

 to be staying in the house. He then donned a green coat, saddled the horses, 

 and got out the hounds, and the whole party started for the chase. After the 

 dav's run was over he would return to the stables, rub down the horses as quickly 

 as possible, and then hurry into the house to lay the cloth, and wait at dinner. 

 Aft in* this he would betake himself again to his outdoor duties, feed the horses 

 and dogs, litter them down for the night, and milk the cows. Such multifarious 

 avocations would seem almost to have required the hands of a Briareus, and 

 yet Elwes used to call his huntsman an idle dog that wanted to be paid 

 for doing nothing. The other instance of adroit management which wc 

 shall quote is that of Mr. Osbaldestou, not the celebrated master of the 

 Quorn hounds of that name, but the youuger son of a gentleman of good 

 family in the north of England, who, in consequence of having contracted 

 an imprudent marriage, was turned by his father out of doors, and obliged 

 to support himself by acting as clerk to an attorney in Loudon. His salary 

 amounted to only 60/. per auuum ; and yet on this slender income he con- 

 trived not only to maintain himself and his large family without running 

 into debt, but also to keep two hunters and a dozen of hounds. This he 

 managed to accomplish by the following method : After business hours he 

 acted as accountant to butchers of Clare Market, who paid him in pieces of 

 meat and offal. With the first he fed himself and family ; with the last his 

 hounds, which he kept in a garret of his house. His horses Avere stabled in 

 the cellar, and fed with grain from an adjoining breweiy, to the keeping of 

 whose books Mr. Osbaldestou devoted one or two evenings a week. Serving 

 either an indulgent master, or enabled by circumstances to make arrange- 

 ments to that effect, he contrived during the hunting season to obtain such 

 leave of absence as permitted him to enjoy his favourite sport. 



On December .24tli, ISIG, a celebrated run, which we 

 recollect hearing described on more than one occasion by 

 the late Mr. John Lucy, took place from a meet at 

 Idlicote. The hounds had a short run from there, and 

 found again at Clreenhill Gorse, and ran over the brook at 

 Sutton, which was bank high, and only a few out of a field 

 of 150 got over ; they next ran to Sibford, and, turning to 

 the right, passed by Hook Norton and Great Eollwright, 

 and by Over Norton into Heythrop Park, through which 

 they ran, and thence between Chaddington and Enstone 

 into Ditchley Park, where "Scrutator" says the fox was run 



* Major R. Wilberforco Bird, afterwards of Barton House, rented " Stoke- 

 College," Suffolk, Miser Elwes' home, for several years after his return from India. 



