t6 REMINISCENCES OK 



interesting to him. I cannot, however, leave my 

 duties here, and I must, with regret, decline the 

 proposal — Very truly yours, Spencer." My next 

 letter is from a gentleman very well known in these 

 parts. I allude to Mr, Owen Wallis, who belongs 

 to a class, and is, indeed, an ornament to a class, 

 with whom our guest is most deservedly and most 

 highly popular, I mean the farmers of Northampton- 

 shire. Mr. Wallis says: "There are not, I think, 

 more than two or three others better qualified than 

 myself to offer an opinion as to the hunting of the 

 Pytchley Hounds, for it was my good fortune to 

 commence my small hunting career under the cele- 

 brated John Musters, of whom I have a vivid recol- 

 lection ; and I consider myself equally fortunate in 

 having finished it under the no less celebrated 

 John Anstruther Thomson. In my judgment, the 

 first was, and the latter is, the most perfect master 

 of his craft I have ever met with. Marvellous 

 horsemen both, they nevertheless rode to hunt, and 

 did not hunt to ride, as is too often the case with 

 professing sportsmen. Masters of Hounds sometimes 

 included." I have other letters of friends which I 

 might read, but I won't further call your attention 

 to those who are absent, when I can so much more 

 agreeably point to those who are present. And 

 when I look round upon the company assembled in 

 this room, I am struck with the singular happy 

 concurrence of men of all classes and vocations, all 

 of them useful and honourable in life. We are 

 assembled this evening in company with some of 



