FOX-HOUNDS. 187 



rode to. The scarcity of villages, the general sparseness 

 of the population, the few roads, and those almost all turf- 

 bordered, and on a level with the fields, the great size of 

 the enclosures, the prevalence of light arable land, the 

 nuisance of flocks of sheep, and yet a good scenting 

 country, are the special features of the Wolds. When 

 you leave them and descend, there is a country of water, 

 drains, and deep ditches, that require a real water- 

 jumper. Two pouits specially strike a stranger the 

 complete hereditary air of the pack, and the attend- 

 ants, so different from the piebald, new-varnished ap- 

 pearance of fashionable subscription packs. Smith, the 

 huntsman, is fourth in descent of a line of Brocklesby 

 huntsmen ; Robinson, the head groom, had just com- 

 pleted his half century of service at Brocklesby; and 

 Barnetby, who rode Lord Yarborough's second horse, 

 was many years in the same capacity with the first Earl. 

 But, after all, the Brocklesby tenants the Nainbys, the 

 Brookes, the Skipwiths, and other Woldsmen, names 

 " whom to mention would take up too much room," as the 

 " Eton Grammar " says tenants who, from generation 

 to generation, have lived, and flourished, and hunted 

 under the Pelham family a spirited, intelligent, hospi- 

 table race of men these alone are worth travelling from 

 Land's End to see, to hear, to dine with ; to learn from 

 their sayings and doings what a wise, liberal, resident 

 landlord a lover of field sports, a promoter of improved 

 agriculture can do in the course of generations toward 

 " breeding" a first-class tenantry, and feeding thousands 

 of townsfolk from acres that a hundred years ago only 

 fed rabbits. We should recommend those M.P.'s who 

 think fox-hunting folly, to leave their books and debates 

 for a day's hunting on the Wolds. We think it will be 

 hard to obtain such happy results from the mere pen- 



