30 REMINISCENCES OF 



taste. Of the after-dinner speeches it may be said 

 that some were too political, some dull, and others 

 good. Mr. Watkins, the rector of Brixworth, made 

 a rambling speech, which concluded with a quotation 

 from one of Sir Walter Scott's poems. Unfortun- 

 ately, the quotation had no reference to anything 

 that Mr. Watkins had said, and had nothing to do 

 with the occasion. The best speeches are those of 

 the chairman. Colonel Loyd- Lindsay, and of Captain 

 Thomson. The latter was quite justified in saying 

 that he ' had endeavoured to hunt the country fairly, 

 good places and bad '. I will go further, and say that 

 a fairer Master of Hounds never lived. Whatever 

 the hour, whatever the distance from the kennels. 

 Captain Thomson would persevere as long as there 

 was a chance of sport ; so that no one from Lilbourne 

 to Oundle Wood could say that his interest was 

 neglected. Mr. A. A. Young, in proposing the 

 health of the House of Lords, took a ' high-faluting ' 

 line, and talked of ' many noble lords who were 

 ready to lay their heads upon the block should 

 their country's necessities require it,' concluding with 

 dulce et decorum, etc. Lord Rosslyn, in returning 

 thanks, declared that he had ' no wish to be one of 

 the blockheads'. Major Why te- Melville proposed 

 the health of the Duke of Grafton, the Hon. George 

 Fitzwilliam, Mr. Tailby and Mr. Arkwright. Those 

 who knew Major Whyte-Melville personally, and by 

 his writings (and what Northamptonshire man does 

 not?), hoped that he would have spoken at some 

 length on subjects he is so well acquainted with. 



