230 THE WARWICKSHIRE HUNT. [1856 



When hipped and vex'd at England's fate 



In these convulsive days, 

 I ill endui'e the troubled state 



My thoughtful eye surveys. 

 But when the pack at early dawn 



Invite nie still to stray ; 

 To every care and every frown, 



I'll answer " Gone away!" 



Nor you, ye fair, these joys restrain 



The hunter lives to know, 

 For you the enlivening thought we claim. 



The spirit's brightest glow. 

 Be yours the lyre, the dance, the song, 



While we the chase retain ; * 

 Till evening shall our joys prolong 



And bring your smiles again. 



From the Leamiugton Spa Courier, January 19th, 1856 : 



Lord Willougliby de Broke's decision to retire from the management of 

 the Warwickshire hounds has given rise to feelings of deep regret among 

 the members of the Hunt, inasmncli as uo one filling the irksome and trying 

 position ever enjoyed a greater share of confidence on the part of the owners 

 of coverts, or the respect of all participating in the sport; the retirement of 

 a nobleman so universally respected as Lord Willougliby creates a vacancy 

 which it will be difiicult to fill, although the names of more than one landed 

 proprietor in the country, ardent foxhunt ers, have been mentioned as his 

 Lordship's ]>robable successor. 



At the time when Sir Pery Pole kindly gave us per- 

 mission to search in his library at Todenham, we saw some 

 curious and valuable engravings and extracts. 



(1) A steel engra\'ing publislied by M. A. Pittman, Warwick Square, 

 Loudon. Dec. 1st, 1834; F. G. Turner piuxit; H. R. Cook sculpsit ; "A 

 huntsman's wife suckling two fox cubs." 



(2) Circ. 1830-34. 



The Duke of Rutland, Sir G. Heathcote, and the Leicestershire Hunt 

 now bear the ])ell, contested only by the Pytchley.f Of these I proiiose 

 gi^-ing joxx a full account, and in tlie meantime I must say that I shall not 

 fail to notice Sir Thomas Mostpi's {sic) as well as Mr. Corbet's pack. The 

 Duke of Grafton's old-estal)lislied pack, though they liave perhaps the best 

 huntsmanj in England, yet, from his Grace being seldom oiit, are hardly 

 worth a sportsman's trouble, as they are but scantily attended, except by 



* Mr. Wolley evidently did not approve of " ladies out hunting." — W. R, V. 



t I remember once hearing a discussion in the House of Commons about damage 

 done to farmers by hunting, in which John Bright joined, and was very much astonished 

 by roars of laughter when he called the Pytchley " the Pitchley Hunt." — C. M. 



X Would he have been Edwin Stevens' mentor ? 



