THE ESSEX FIELD. 219 



Wood, out by Crippen's Farm, close by Leaden Wood, 

 bearino; to the left, as if for Good Easter, ran up the brook, 

 and bearing to the right over a nice line straight to 

 Skreens Wood, through, and were fairly beat ; but getting 

 into the park hounds ran into him in the middle of the 

 park after the best run of the season, one hour and ten 

 minutes. A good eight mile point. Miss Morgan had the 

 brush." 



Our story of the v^arying fortunes of the Essex Hunt 

 is told. Before we lay down the pen and return to the 

 saddle, all that remains is to attempt a brief review of the 

 leading members of the Essex "field," which, though 

 larger than in earlier days, is still of moderate size, and is 

 almost entirely restricted, thanks to the salutary "thirty 

 guinea rule " to residents within the limits of the hunt. 



Agricultural depression, though nowhere more severely 

 felt than in Essex, has not driven from the hunting field 

 a fairly representative number of covert-owners and 

 occupiers of land, the two classes by whose grace fox- 

 hunting exists. In the former class, second only to Lord 

 Rookwood comes Mr. Loftus J. W. Arkwright, not only 

 as sharer in the mastership with Mr. E. S. Bowlby, but 

 also as one whose care for foxes is as exemplary as his 

 riding in their pursuit. 



