THE BADMINTON HUNT 



like him, but I fear that I shall never be able to 

 hunt ao-ain. The ' Parson ' was much more of a 

 bay than a brown — a dark bay. But Chapman, the 

 day he brought him for me to look at, was galloping 

 at the fence to jump into the field where I was 

 sitting on my horse. The fence had been cut and 

 plastered, and laid back into the field where he was. 

 I held up my hand and stopped him, saying, ' Any 

 fool of a horse can jump twenty feet when you 

 gallop him fast enough. Walk him up to it and see 

 what he does.' He jumped the fence standing, on 

 to the bank, took one step, and then jumped the 

 ditch, which was a very broad one. I said, ' Now 

 you have sold your horse.' " ^ 



Indeed, after that the Duke hunted little more. 

 He used to come out on a cob, but age, cares, 

 and gout had left him but a remnant of the gay 

 vitality that had so long distinguished him. When 

 he passed away, a great period in the history of 

 the Badminton hunt came to an end, but that it 

 may have a great future before it, all lovers of the 

 sport will wish. The late and present Dukes have 

 accepted a subscription loyally given by the mem- 

 bers of the hunt. The present Duke, too, has been 

 obliged by other cares to seek the assistance of a 

 professional huntsman. Yet when I last saw the 

 hounds I thought I had never beheld a finer 

 pack. 



The country has now been restored to its old 

 ^ Leaves from a Hunting Diary in Essex. 

 247 



