124 THE WAEWICKSHIRE HUNT. [1884 



coimtry cliiriug- his mastership. The presentation took })laee at the White 

 Lieu Hotel, Baubiiry, and Mr. W. Fairbrother occupied the chair. 

 Amongst those present were — Messrs. J. Hai-hage, C. Savage, C. E. B. 

 Fry, J. Cooper. J. M. K. Elliot, 0. Frencli, Macgreal. Mann. &c. Tlie 

 Chairman said he had been asked that morning to perforin a very 

 pleasing duty, and l^egged his lordsliip's acceptance of the hunting 

 Avlup as a small testimonial from the farmers — he perhaps might call 

 tliem the Friday hnnting farmers — of that neighbourhood. He had nsed the 

 Avord dnty because the farmers considered it was a duty that they owed to liis 

 lordship for his very hard work, his great trouble for so many years, and tlie 

 great sacrifice he made in showing them such capital sport as he had doin> 

 ever since he liad been master of the "Warwickshire liounds. He l)egged also 

 to say that the farmers would try to assist his lordship in every way in 

 making sport by preserving foxes and doing everything he wished them to do 

 to promote that very l)est of sport — the kingly old sport of foxhunting. His 

 lordship had acted in the most satisfactory manner CA^er since he had had the 

 mastership, and therefore he asked him, in the name of the farmers, to accept 

 tlie gift. They thanked him for the sport he had slioAvii, and wished him 

 long life and prosperity to enjoy the sport of foxliuuting, which he (Lord 

 Willougliliy) so much enjoyed. He Avould simply say. with John Gilpin, that 

 Avheii liis lordship used tlie wliip with tlie hounds, " May they be there to see 

 it." (Cheers.) Lord Willougliliy de Broke, in replying, said he was very 

 niucli oliliged to them for the kind present they had made him. He hardly 

 knew what to say to them for giving him the nice present Avhicli had lieen 

 handed to him in such tlattering terms by Mr. Fairlirother. He would like 

 to see more farmers out on Fridays, and he remembered the time when they 

 had something like a hundred farmers out on that day, a great many of Avhom 

 rode horses worth 150Z. or 200Z., and anybody who wanted to buy a good horse 

 could find one at their Friday's meet. They had had bad times, unfortunately, 

 and he was sorry to say that many of their old friends were unable to join 

 tliein in the sport, fewer farmers joined them, and this, in his opinion, 

 accounted for the dearth of foxes, more or less, of late years. He had liimself 

 always said that the farmers Avere the best fox preservers, and in this very 

 country, in Avhicli nearly all the coA'erts belonged to farmers Avho coidd shoot 

 about them, and tliough tiie coA^erts Avere small, and the farmers might suffer 

 incouA^eiiience in their going there, yet they got on A-ery much better there 

 than in some of the gentlemen's coverts, where they miglit expect to find 

 more foxes. (Applause.) He Avas quite sure he should CA'er renienilier the 

 friends he had made amongst the farmers in the Warwickshire Hunt, and it 

 Avas A^ery gratifying to him if he AA^as enaljled to sIioav them good sport. He 

 had made friends Avitli many farmers around him, and he might liaA'e liA^ed a 

 lifetime and never made one if it had not been for foxhunting, and if he had 

 not folloAved the foxhounds he Avould neA'er haA'e been so Avell known. If it 

 had not been for foxhunting, he (Lord Willoughby de Broke) would not 

 haA^e seen so much of the chairman, and should not liaA'e been able to appreciate 

 his worth. He concluded liy stating that nothing Avonld give him more 

 pleasure than to see his fields larger, and he thanked them from the bottom 

 of his heart for their kind gift. (Applause.) The folloAving inscription is 

 engraved on a silver plate on the handle of the Avliip : •' Presented to Lord 

 Willoughliy de Broke by the farmers hunting Avitli the WarAvickshire 

 Hunt." 



