Giants of the Past 175 



ment was that, although he was for ever changing 

 his hounds, he always, after a time, had them good. 

 He had a happy method of making them fond of 

 him, and he made them do what he liked. In 

 short, he was at the very top of his profession — a 

 very senior wranR;ler in the science. 



The Druid {H. H. Dixon). 



Mr. Stubbs of Beckbury, Shropshire ^y- 



WITH hat in his hand looking out for a gate, 

 Neither looking nor riding by any means 

 straight ; 

 Mr. Stubbs, a crack rider no doubt in his time, 

 But who hunting on Sunday once deemed it no 



crime ; 

 Making desperate play through some fine muddy 



lanes, 

 And by nicking and skirting got in for his pains ; 

 High waving the brush, with pleasure half mad. 

 Roaring out, " Yoicks ! have at 'em ! We've killed 

 'im, my lad ! " 



Edward Goulhurn. 



^:> 



A Notorious Hunting Squire o 



THOUGH the private lives of the majority 

 of the Masters of Hounds at the beginning 

 of the century were beyond reproach, yet it must 

 be confessed that some of them took advantage of 

 the latitude which was allowed to fox-hunting 

 squires. The most notorious of these was " Squire " 

 George Forester of Willey ; yet he was a thorough 

 specimen of "a fine old English gentleman, who 

 had a great estate," during the first decade of the 

 nineteenth century. He was like a moving plant 

 which receives its nourishment from the air, and 



