380 REMINISCENCES OF 



day. The chief thing we did was to drink American 

 cocktails and go to the circus in the evening. We 

 came back to Folkestone on the 26th. Jack went 

 back to Eton, and we returned to Brigstock. 



" Fawsley. 



" My Dear Thomson, — 



" About twenty-five years ago the Master 

 of the Pytchley, with the concurrence of the principal 

 members of the hunt, gave Lord Southampton (who 

 at that time hunted the Duke's country) permission 

 to draw all my father's coverts, with the exception of 

 Dodford Holt ; for twenty years he availed himself 

 of it and drew Badby Wood regularly. That per- 

 mission has never been withdrawn to my knowledge 

 by any master of the Pytchley ; but Lord Spencer, 

 when he kept them privately, intimated to me that 

 it was a privilege he did not wish to see made too 

 much use of, and consequently, as he drew this side 

 of the country very fairly, the Duke of Grafton very 

 seldom drew Badby Wood, although he did so on 

 one or two occasions during Spencer's mastership. 

 As I thought you might be ignorant of all these 

 circumstances (and your letter clearly shows you 

 were so), I sent you a message by Craven, that 

 you might apply to me for information rather than 

 to the Duke of Grafton, who is as unlikely to infringe 

 any hunting law as I should be to ask him. But 

 my coverts in Preston Charwelton and Everdon have 

 never been drawn once this year by you ; Badby 

 Wood and Dodford only twice. We have now 



