RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES 89 



many years ago, in which the courteous and manly 

 bearing of both parties cannot be too highly com- 

 mended. A gentleman of great celebrity as a master of 

 fox-hounds was in possession of a certain country, when 

 a noble duke established a pack of hounds, and one day 

 fixed to meet at one of his own coverts, but which 

 belonged, according to fox-hunting usage, to the hunt 

 presided over by the first-named gentleman, who there- 

 upon wrote to the duke, observing that according to 

 the customs or rights of country he could not draw the 

 covert, although it was his own property. The fixture 

 was consequently altered. Soon after this, the master 

 of the hounds whose prerogative it was to draw it made 

 an appointment to meet there ; the noble duke was 

 present and was thus addressed by the gentleman in 

 question : " My Lord Duke, I am extremely sorry 

 that my duty as the present occupier of this country 

 compelled me to claim my right to draw this covert ; 

 having done so, I now concede it to your Grace so long 

 as I hunt the country, and have no doubt it will afford 

 you good sport." 



On the rights of fox-hunting Beckford is silent; 

 probably very little notice was taken in his time of 

 many events which then being unimportant did not call 

 for observation ; but times have changed materially, 

 and those which were considered trivial circumstances 

 would now be very important items in the promotion of 

 sport. 



To preside over and to promote the interests of 

 racing, the Jockey Club exercises powers scarcely 

 second to those of the Legislature. The chase has no 

 such guardian for its protection. It has prospered 

 generously without ; but would it not flourish more 

 vigorously under some similar patronage ? Hunt 

 clubs have been in existence for many years in various 

 countries, and their effects connecting hunting with 

 other subjects of social intercourse have been most 

 successful. Previously to the brilliant career of Mr. 

 Meynell there was a hunt club in Leicestershire, which 



