THE EIGHTH DUKE OF BEAUFORT 



On January 7th, 1856, "at five o'clock, just as 

 we were coming home, a most curious meteor fell, 

 which Captains Berkeley and Baillie, Colonel Edward 

 Somerset, Mr. Granville Somerset, Lord Suffolk, 

 Mr. John Bailey, and several others, including my- 

 self, saw. It was like a large ball of fire as big 

 as one's head. It fell perpendicularly, leaving a 

 column of light on its course which lasted two or 

 three minutes, and then apparently turned into smoke 

 which was visible for about a quarter of an hour." 



Sport went on with varied luck, and the Duke 

 was learning what a huntsman has to put up with 

 in the way of false information, well intentioned but 

 generally foolish advice, and most of all the absolute 

 incapability of most people to refrain from halloaing 

 when they see a fox. 



There are many people who could tell the differ- 

 ence between a fresh fox and a hunted one if, like 

 Mr. Jorrocks, they waited to count twenty, and gave 

 themselves time to think. But no, directly they 

 catch sight of a fox, open goes their mouth and 

 wild yells come therefrom. However, I verily 

 believe that if fields grew silent, foxes would become 

 scarce, so many are the lives saved by shouting 

 in the course of a season. 



A run that is remarkable, inasmuch as it must 

 have been one of the last seen by Lord Raglan, 

 took place on February 23rd, 1856. Every one 

 had gone home except " Lord Raglan, Capt. Grove, 

 Parson Audrey, and Mr. Tugwell (Devizes). I 



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